News / National

by Staff reporter

The ruling Zanu-PF party's behaviour has often been likened to that of baboons, which fight over food, but close ranks whenever there is danger.Another distinctive characteristic of the ruling party is that while it prides itself on being a democratic formation, it brooks no dissent within its rank and file.There are so many examples to illustrate the latter.Perhaps the most familiar was that of Dzikamai Mavhaire, who was summarily dismissed from Zanu-PF in 1997 for calling on President Robert Mugabe to resign during debate in Parliament.Years later, Mavhaire was re-admitted into the party, having undergone "rehabilitation", only to be fired for the second time in 2014, for allegedly aiding and abetting former vice president Joice Mujuru's alleged plan to unseat Mugabe using unconstitutional means.There is now an unwritten rule in Zanu-PF to the effect that talk about succeeding Mugabe is considered anathema.Nonetheless, it is the most topical issue at the moment only that it is being discussed in some dark corners, far from eavesdroppers.Still, there are a few Zanu-PF cadres with the courage of their convictions that do not mind getting punished for speaking out their minds.History records luminaries such as Edgar Tekere, now late, and general Solomon Mujuru, also late.There is also something history should never miss about successive ministers of Welfare Services for War Veterans that makes them go where others dare not tread.To some in and outside Zanu-PF, the case of War Veterans' minister Tshinga Dube, and his predecessor, Christopher Mutsvangwa, are classic cases of the demonstration of rare courage in Zanu-PF. Not many have been as daring as Dube and Mutsvangwa who have earned their stripes for being among the few who dared tread where angels hide.As War Veterans minister, Mutsvangwa openly declared last year that the former freedom fighters preferred Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa to take over from Mugabe, now 93, when talk about the Zanu-PF leader leaving office had been declared a shut case.Before his controversial remarks, former freedom fighters had issued a stinging communique in Harare, denigrating Mugabe's leadership. A few of them were arrested for undermining Mugabe's authority and are currently out on bail.The war veterans had also tried to meet with Mugabe to air their grievances, but were displaced by heavily armed police from an open space where they had gathered, just outside Harare's central business district, through the use of force, and tear smoke.For his role in organising the unsanctioned meeting, Mutsvangwa earned himself marching orders from both government and Zanu-PF, but remained chairperson of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Association (ZNLWVA). His chairperson's position had come under threat from a rival grouping led by Mandi Chimene, the Provincial Affairs minister for Manicaland, but Mutsvangwa survived after a court delegitimised the other group.His successor at the War Veterans ministry, Dube, also threw caution to the wind about a week ago by backing the war veterans in their calls for Mugabe to appoint a successor. His remarks stoked a backlash from a section of the former liberation war fighters, led by Chimene and George Mlala, who now want Dube fired from his position in Cabinet.They declared that Dube should not have a place in Mugabe's government but left the decision to fire him to the appointing authority."Cde Dube, senior as he is, should understand the Zanu-PF constitution which says the party president is elected by not less than six provinces and according to our constitution we will go for congress in 2019," said Mlala."There is nowhere in the constitution where it says the President should appoint a successor as Dube is now saying"Dube has not been without backers. He is enjoying the support of ZNLWVA, ironically led by Mutsvangwa. The State media, which often lampoons Mugabe's critics, has also been uncharacteristically quiet, implying "he is their man".The security sector, which came out guns blazing against Jonathan Moyo and other critics of the Command Agriculture programme, has also not said anything about Dube's remarks.And on Tuesday, after a Cabinet meeting, Mugabe had a tete-a-tete with him, making it clear to Dube that the selection of a successor was the prerogative of congress, held once in every five years.Dube was to later convene a press conference at which he humbled himself before his commander-in-chief, Mugabe.Many are, however, still wondering where Dube got the guts from and if Mugabe will punish Dube for his remarks.But it should be realised that both him and Mutsvangwa were cut from the same cloth of the country's liberation war stalwarts.Political analysts, Eldred Masunungure, said what Dube did was clearly unprecedented and it suggests that he does not see himself as dependent on the job he has."It is a taboo subject that is now being brought to the public domain," he said. "He is releasing the cat among the pigeons. This is like a breath of fresh air that you have someone who can stand up and make pronouncements about the need to discuss the issue. We know that factionalism in Zanu-PF is triggered by that issue, I don't know how the prince will take it but many in Zanu-PF are celebrating. What is lefty now is to see whether he is going to be punished," he added.Born Tshinga Judge Dube on July 3, 1941 was a leader of Zapu's military wing Zipra during war for independence and is one of Mugabe's favourites as evidenced by the tasks he was given after retiring from the army.Former Zipra intelligence supremo, Dumiso Dabengwa, who was also a Cabinet minister and Zanu-PF politburo member told the Daily News last week that Dube was never active as a politician pre-independence."What we know about him is that he was in the Zipra military wing but never held a post in the Zapu political structures as he was always in the military even after independence where he worked for the Zimbabwe Defence Industries (ZDI) before he became a member of the Zanu-PF central committee," Dabengwa said.Dube who has since developed into a polished politician, being the Member of Parliament for Makokoba, is a man whose life is a microcosm of some of the trials and tribulations that Zimbabwe has gone through both pre and post-independence.Apart from being in the thick of things when the guerrilla war was executed to dethrone the ruthless Ian Douglas Smith regime, Dube also leapt into a new era when the once warring Zipra, Zanla and the Rhodesian armies were integrated into one formidable force, the Zimbabwe National Army.In the military, he was director of signals before retiring and joining the ministry of Defence as a deputy secretary and director of research and development.Asked during an interview with a local daily when he intended to retire, Dube said:"I always joke with my colleagues saying while I might appear to be too old to work, I am actually too poor to quit."It is unfortunate that I, along with some of my colleagues in both government and the private sector, started work late because we had to take up arms to free Zimbabwe from the clutches of colonialism. I am happy that we managed to achieve the ideals of our liberation struggle and have gone on to participate in rebuilding our economy as an independent people. But after 30 years of hard work, it is not going to be long before I retreat to my farm to concentrate on writing my memoirs".Dube became MP for Makokoba in June 2015.Before his appointment to head the ministry in March 2016, Dube had been deputy to Mutsvangwa since September 2015.The Makokoba legislator had also served previously as a Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC) board member for eight years and deputy board chairperson of TelOne for seven years.Dube holds an MSc in Electro-Tech from MADI Institute of Technology in Moscow and has once been an advisory board member to the secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) on disarmament.He can also recount the economic revulsions of the 1990s that inspired the introduction of the Economic Structural Adjustment Programme; the impatience that followed after Britain refused to fund Zimbabwe's land reforms despite having pledged to do so at Lancaster, culminating in the 2000 land reforms.Above all, he is also a successful farmer and businessman who, despite his many achievements remains humble and loyal to his beliefs and acquaintances.He is credited for organising a music concert ahead of the Makokoba by-election that featured popular South African musician Freddie Gwala and Platform One.One of the lows of his political career though is when in July 2015; Dube struggled to read his prepared maiden speech in Parliament and was forced to sit down after his extended time ran out.
While the pay could be better, benefits of teaching out of this world
Unidentified assailants threw acid on a 35-year-old complainant in a gangrape case in Lucknows Aliganj area on Saturday evening, the fourth violent attack on her since she reported the assault nine years ago.

The latest incident took place on Saturday night near a hostel where she resides. She was rushed to a hospital where her condition was stated to be stable.

She has sustained burn injuries on her face and neck, police said, adding that no FIR has been registered yet and they are awaiting a complaint.

A probe is on in the matter, they said.

The woman is undergoing treatment at the trauma centre in Lucknows King Georges Medical University. Police said there are injuries on her face after the latest attack. She was outside her hostel when someone came and threw acid on her. There are injuries to the right side of her face. The woman is in trauma. We will take strict action, Abhay Kumar Prasad, Additional Director General of Police, Lucknow.

She used to live in a working women hostel. The incident took place inside the hostel premises. After the previous incidents, two gunners were appointed for her. The attack took place at the shift changing time of gunner. Nobody saw any outsider entering the hostel, Prasad said.

Police said a formal complaint has not been registered as the family is yet to give a complaint. UP Women Welfare minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi said, We have given them a lot of protection, there is a guard, a vehicle, have connected them with employment. The investigation is on, lets see what comes out.

Earlier on March 23, the woman was allegedly forced to drink acid by two men on-board a train near here. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited her at a hospital and announced Rs 1 lakh assistance for the 45-year-old woman.

The incident had came to light when the woman had got off the Allahabad-Lucknow Ganga Gomti Express at Charbagh Station and gave a written complaint to the government railway police. She wrote the complaint as she could not speak.

Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Juhi Singh on Sunday held the states law and order responsible for the brutality. She said, The law and order has completely broken down in UP. Everyday there are instances of harassment, rapes, murders, and exploitation.

Juhi questioned the states road map and the minister-in-charge of the law and order about the miscreants not being arrested. I would ask our minister in-charge of law and order, as to why this case has not been fast tracked. It is necessary that such people should be punished immediately, she further said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

Former vice president and National People's Party leader, Joice Mujuru, has spoken out for the first time on her links with the late musician, Dick "Cde Chinx" Chingaira, confirming to the Daily News on Sunday this week that indeed they shared a solid bond that could have cost the liberation war stalwart national hero status.Following his death about a fortnight ago after a long battle with cancer, Cde Chinx - a key player in the guerrilla war against British colonialists and a staunch Zanu-PF supporter - was snubbed by his yester-year comrades-in-arms from being interred at the National Heroes Acre, to the disappointment of many.He was declared a liberation war hero, and was to be buried at the Harare Provincial Heroes Acre, a recognition turned down by his disappointed family, which laid him to rest at a private cemetery on the outskirts of the capital city.In a wide-ranging interview with the Daily News on Sunday, Mujuru revealed she had a cordial relationship with the Munhu Wese wemuAfrica hit-maker, whom she said was his son-in-law, and she did not see anything wrong in helping or associating with him.While she declined to disclose how Cde Chinx, whose other surname is Makoni - being a descendant of the Makoni dynasty in Manicaland - became her son-in-law, we can reveal that Mujuru's eldest daughter, Chipo, married into the Makoni family. In fact, she is married to the son of former Finance minister Simba Makoni, who is a cousin of Cde Chinx."First of all, I had not seen Chinx for over three years, but before that we were in touch. When I was still in government, I was approached by (Joseph) Nyadzayo, the photographer in the President's Office, pleading that he had this project which he wanted to fulfil through the Zimbabwe Music Association (Zima)," Mujuru told the Daily News on Sunday."It really touched me as a mother, because I saw Chinx's house being destroyed by government (during operation Murambatsvina). So I committed to helping him in a small way. Is that a sin? For your own information, Chinx is my son-in-law, and even Nyadzayo did not know it. He will hear it from you," Mujuru said.Nyadzayo chairs Zima. He revealed in May, during the handover of a house in Harare's medium density suburb of Mabelreign donated to Cde Chinx that the former vice president, who was dismissed by Mugabe from Zanu-PF and government, donated the bricks that were used to build the property.Nonetheless, many had tipped Cde Chinx to join other liberation war icons laid to rest at the national shrine on account of his unique contribution to the armed struggle that brought Zimbabwe's independence in April 1980.The war veterans had joined the bush war at a tender age and, as much as he was a fighter, his love for music made him a full-time organiser of Zanla's choir, which acted as a morale booster for the fighting cadres when Mhere Yarira, who had previously led the group, was transferred to another station.Cde Chinx had continued to release songs in support of Zanu-PF after independence, including composing controversial songs backing the chaotic land reforms.But following his demise on June 16, at the age of 61, Zanu-PF dithered for six days, while trying to find common ground on his hero status. It became such a divisive issue that even after a decision was made to entomb his remains at the Harare Provincial Heroes Acre, no one in the governing party wanted to convey the message to his family, which had waited for days for direction.In the end, the difficult task of delivering the devastating blow to the Chingaira family was assigned to War Veterans minister Tshinga Dube and two other officials.The family appealed against the decision, through Dube, who took up the supplication with Ignatius Chombo, the party's secretary for administration, for discussion with Mugabe. The appeal failed to find favour with the ruling party, which insisted that he be buried at the provincial heroes acre.The dejected family subsequently decided to bury him at Glen Forest Memorial Park.This paper had revealed last week that Cde Chinx could not be declared a national hero because he had rubbed the authorities the wrong way on so many occasions, hence the absence of Mugabe and his deputies - Emmerson Mnangagwa and Phelekezela Mphoko - at his funeral.Cabinet ministers also snubbed his burial.In October 2014, Cde Chinx was among guests who attended a party hosted by Mujuru in Dotito, Mount Darwin to celebrate her PhD, before she was savaged from Zanu-PF two months later.The late Cde Chinx even sang a song at the gathering where he exalted Mujuru with lyrics: "Mai Mujuru vakanganisa here, haiwa havana kukanganisa (Did Mujuru err? No, she didn't err", and joined the police band to play the song in full.Cde Chinx also became a marked man for not condemning Makoni, the former Finance minister, when he challenged Mugabe for the presidency in 2008 after breaking ranks with the Zanu-PF leader.Mugabe has previously made sensational claims that Morgan Tsvangirai's MDC party and Makoni's Mavambo/Kusile/Dawn (MKD) party were birthed at Mujuru's house.MKD was formed in 2008, while MDC has been in existence since 1999.Those opposed to Cde Chinx's interment at the national shrine could not raise the real reasons behind their refusal, conveniently arguing that the party had set precedence when it denied another former musician and Zipra cadre, Give Nare, the same status when he died after independence.Nare and his choir's recordings were destroyed by security agents in the early 1980s while their music was banned on ZBC for fear of inciting-PF Zapu supporters as the country went through one of its darkest periods.This week, Mujuru said it was Zanu-PF's culture to ditch those who do not fit their hero definition, adding that it was not only Cde Chinx who had been forgotten."As human beings, we forget quickly. It is not just Chinx who was ignored. We have Anderson Mhuru, a member of the High Command, who is buried in Chinhoyi. We have Sheba Tavagwisa, a female member of the High Command who is buried in Gutu. We have Mhaka, and many others (who were ignored)," she said."As war veterans, we have been used and now they have dumped us. Who in the current politburo is qualified to talk about war veterans? This hero status thing is about who knows you. Who knows Chinx in that politburo? Only maybe (Sydney) Sekeramayi and Mnangagwa," Mujuru said.Interestingly, Mujuru also told the Daily News on Sunday that she misses her friends that she had while in Zanu-PF, adding she and others who looked up to her for leadership, were hurt by the sacking."The way it was handled was wrong. He should have just called me and asked me to retire after having served 10 years as his deputy. I would have listened to him because of who I am. I am feeling sorry for those in Zanu-PF."Mnangagwa celebrated (my dismissal) because it benefited him but how does he feel now that he is being mistreated just as I was being ill-treated? Why are they punishing this gentleman? Why do you have to drag him into all this mess? If Mugabe does not want Mnangagwa, why doesn't he just fire him? He has suffered a lot and we should not celebrate when we see a fellow human being suffering because we are all humans," she said.
India has pushed in more troops in a non-combative mode to strengthen its position in an area near Sikkim, where its soldiers have been locked in a standoff with Chinese troops for almost a month now in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962.

India brought in more troops after the destruction of two of its bunkers and aggressive tactics adopted by the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), sources said. In a non- combative mode, the nozzle of a gun is placed downwards.

Giving details for the first time about the events that preceded the face off between the two armies, the sources said the PLA on June 1 asked the Indian Army to remove the two bunkers set up in 2012 at Lalten in Doka La, which falls in the vicinity of Chumbi Valley at the corner of India-Bhutan- Tibet tri-junction.

The Indian Army, which had been patrolling this area for many years, decided in 2012 that two bunkers would be positioned there as a backup option, besides providing security to the Bhutan-China border.

The Indian Army forward positions informed Sukna-based 33 Corps Headquarter in North Bengal about the Chinese warnings on the bunkers, the sources said.

However, during the night of June 6, two Chinese bulldozers destroyed the bunkers, claiming that the area belonged to China and that India or Bhutan had no right over it, the sources said.

Indian troops on the ground prevented the Chinese men and machines from doing any further damage or transgressing into the area, they said.

Additional forces from nearby brigade headquarters, located 20 km from the face off point, were moved in on June 8 during which a scuffle led to soldiers on both sides suffering minor injuries.

PLA troops were rushed in from its 141 division located in the area, prompting the Indian Army to also strengthen its position.

This is the longest standoff between the two armies since 1962. The last one, which carried on for 21 days, occurred at Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh division of Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when Chinese troops entered 30 km into Indian territory till the Depsang Plains and claimed it to be a part of its Xinjiang province.

They were, however, pushed back.

Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state which has a demarcated border with China. The lines are based on a treaty signed with the Chinese in 1898.

After the India-China war of 1962, the area where the Indian troops are stationed was placed under the Indian Army and the ITBP, which is the border guarding force and has a camp 15 km from the international border.
Aiken, SC (29801)

Today

Overcast with rain showers at times. High 69F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

A shower is possible early. Cloudy early with some clearing expected late. Low near 60F. Winds WSW at 10 to 20 mph.
Opinion / Columnist

"I was born in Makuva, and I started school at Makuva Primary School, then went to Don Bosco."At the end of a two-day, high level strategy session, you do not expect to hear such a humble statement from the putative guest of honour.And, perhaps noticing the blank looks from his audience, he added, with the same disarming charm and poise that exudes presence and gravitas: "That is in Mberengwa, after which I went to Chikwingwizha Seminary in Gweru then St Ignatius College"If you can find another person of the same stature with such a humble beginning, then drinks are on me.But, listening to him describe his journey, you do not hear about the PhD from Imperial College London, or that he is an Eisenhower Fellow, who just happens to hold an MBA and has worked in some of the highest roles in finance and industry globally as well as being a Cabinet minister in government.Or did I mention . . . the World Economic Forum. Instead, he talks about his rural upbringing, how he worked in the fields at Makuva each day before and after going to school, not as a complaint or a badge of honour, but because that is simply what you did then.If humility characterises perceptions of the man, it is his judicious approach to everything that defines him.Nkosana Moyo is the definition of decency and honourable. In a world where virtue and righteousness are so rare, his life story displays a deliberately coherent and principled approach to everything that he has done.When he enrolled at Chikwingwizha, he flirted with the idea of becoming a priest, but says because at the time, he did not have the same convictions about his faith as he does now, he decided that he would not do it."I only have to look at the world now, with the eyes of a scientist, and I can see that everything about it is so perfect, so aligned that it cannot possibly be by accident, but back then, I did not have this conviction firmly rooted in faith," he says.That is the measure of the man. The idea that if something is not capable of being done right, then it is not worth doing at all.After his PhD in Physics, he taught at the University of Zimbabwe. When he discovered that the university would not be able to fund research into his passion (solar energy), he decided that it was time to go into commerce.A job at TA Holdings saw him excel so much that this scientist with expertise in quantum physics got headhunted by a Standard Chartered Bank.Not to advise them on their investments in sciences and engineering, but as managing director-designate for their merchant banking services.Clearly, they were on to something, because once again Moyo excelled in the role.But ever the upstanding man, he says that despite being so good in the job, "I felt that it was not right that I did not have a background in Finance".So he went to Cranfield School of Management  Cranfield University, "one of the oldest business schools in Europe and a world leader in management education and research" for his MBA.While at Cranfield, and as if juggling family life and a challenging degree in a field so far removed from physics was not hard enough, Moyo took classes for, and obtained a Glider Pilot Silver C qualification, which he later upgraded to a proper pilot's licence at Charles Prince in Harare.With his MBA earned, he returned to Standard Chartered in Harare.It was not long before the bank realised that he could be more useful on a bigger stage, and Moyo was promoted to head of Africa corporate banking at Standard Chartered London.While others in similar roles would have jumped at the opportunity to focus on the bank's expanding footprint in the United States or the emerging markets of Asia, he decided that he would focus solely on the bank's projects in Africa.This led to him being sent to Tanzania as country managing director for Standard Chartered Bank in Tanzania.Back on the continent, this son of a Shona father and Ndebele mother from Mberengwa did what a good upbringing had instilled in him: he worked the soil.So drastic and outstanding was his performance at Standard Chartered Tanzania that revenues grew 10 times higher and those in London sent a fact-finding mission to see if everything was being done correctly: and so they were.But by this time, the call to work for others had started to bite. So, with the bank in Tanzania on a firm footing, Moyo decided that his sojourn with Standard Chartered was finished.It was time to go back to Zimbabwe. Instead of making money for shareholders, it was time to help Zimbabweans enterprise and grow wealth.So, with the support of leading luminaries in the corporate sector, Moyo relaunched his Zimbabwe career as founder and managing director of Batanai Capital Finance.With the backing of institutional investors as shareholders, he grew the business to become a major player in the industry.So successful was the business that at the turn of the millennium, Moyo was again headhunted, this time by the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Robert Mugabe, to become Industry and International Trade minister.They hailed his appointment (and that of others at that time) as the dawn of a new era, the introduction of technocrats into government, breathing a new thinking and better ways of doing things.No longer would government trips off less than three hours require business class travel for officials in his ministry, and duty and service replaced lounging and doing nothing.But this was not to last long. Moyo, true to himself, found out early that one cannot function in a government led by unprincipled people, and one needs, but to read his open letter to Mugabe, penned many years later, to see just how diametrically opposed their philosophies are.For Moyo, government is about service, it is about bringing back respect to Africa and Africans.It is about getting people that are skilled in what they do to do the job, not people related to those in the position to appoint.And, more than anything, it is about knowing your brief, and still leaving room to learn."I always make sure that I am throughly prepared, but when I go into the meeting, I make sure that everyone else has a chance to speak before I even share my opinion. First because I do not wish to make people colour their views to what they think I will agree with, but more importantly because 99,9% of the time, I have discovered that no matter how prepared I am, I always learn something new from someone else."It is that unassuming humility, that has seen Moyo appointed first as senior adviser/associate director for the International Finance Corporation, then managing partner and Head of Africa region at Actis Capital LLP, and chief operating officer at the African Development Bank since leaving his role in the Zimbabwe government.And in 2011, he founded and remains to this day executive chairman of the Mandela Institute for Development Studies, helping grow Africa's future leaders while taking no salary from the role.This is consistent with the man: he negotiated to take salary cut from Actis in order to move back to Africa: because he believed that global accolades were not the legacy he wanted to leave behind, but the development of his continent in general and Zimbabwe in particular.A very long way from Makuva, Mberengwa, for this man who prefaces many sentences with "Chipo and I . . .", referring to his wife Chipo Mutasa (not TelOne chief executive), with whom they have four children.You will not hear from Nkosana that this is the sister of Shingi Mutasa, a friend told me.So, at the end of that two-day seminar, where he stood up to speak of his humble beginnings, someone asks Moyo for his CV and, for someone with his history and at least eight board appointments, a momentary pause, then a smile.He does not have one! For you see, since joining UZ as a lecturer, Moyo has never looked for a job.His talent and worth has been so obvious that he has been headhunted every time.It is easy to understand this: You need to be with him for, but a few minutes to realise the deep introspection of the man, the measured manner of speaking, the respect for the listener, and the sheer depth of the man's intellect.And a deep, deep love for Zimbabwe. Would he think about political office then?"I have started to seriously consider that role, and will be making a definitive announcement soon", he says.Listening to the man, looking at his resume, and considering the task at hand, it is easy to come to, but one conclusion on the matter.It is time . . .Albert Gumbo is an alumni of the Duke University-UCT US-Southern Africa Centre for Leadership and Public Values. Contact: gumbo.albert@gmail.com
At present, target coordinates are entered into the memory of missiles at the airfield before the missile carrier aircraft takes off. According to experts, the new system dramatically increases Russian combat aircrafts capabilities to find and destroy targets in real time, the daily Izvestia writes.



The principle of the new system is quite simple. Servicemen on the ground communicate the target coordinates to the aircraft via a special terminal. The onboard SVP system calculates all the parameters and feeds the flight mission into the missiles seeker. Then the Tu-95MS crew just has to fire the missile.



As Izvestia was told at the Defense Ministry, until recently the project of equipping the Tu-95MS fleet with the SVP system was implemented by Gefest and T in a proactive manner. But now these works have been included in the long-term plan for the development of Russian long-range aviation. Gefest and T told Izvestia that the work on equipping the Tu-95MS with the SVP system was underway, but refrained from further comment.



To date, Russias Su-24M front-line bombers, Su-33 shipborne fighters, and Tu-22M3 long-range bombers have been equipped with the specialized computing subsystem. They demonstrated unique effectiveness during the Russian Aerospace Forces operation in Syria.



Owing to the SVP, aircraft can use conventional unguided bombs to destroy enemy targets with accuracy comparable to guided airborne weapons. On the ground, the targets for bombers and fighters are discovered by the Special Operations Forces soldiers, who indicate the point to be hit on the electronic map, as well as the target parameters. Then the information is communicated to the aircraft.



According to expert Anton Lavrov, the SVP is often considered an ordinary sight. But in fact it is network-centric automated command and control system (in which all participants are integrated into a single information system). There is a continuous real-time exchange of information in the SVP between ground forces and aviation.



"Currently, Russian Aerospace Forces use cruise missiles only against previously detected targets," Lavrov said. The SVP seriously increases the Russian combat aviations capabilities to find and destroy targets in real time. A SVP-equipped Tu-95MS can be in the air for up to 30 hours and conduct combat patrols. At any time, its crew will deliver high-accuracy strikes at a request of the ground forces at a distance of up to 1,500 km."



As noted by the expert, the SVP-equipped Tu-95MS are needed for operations when the targets are very far from the home airfields of Russian combat aircraft. They will be especially useful for Russias Aerospace Forces in local wars and low-intensity armed conflicts. Also, these planes will be able to effectively support the raids of special operations forces, the daily Izvestia writes.
Opinion / Columnist

It is exactly a year since #ThisFlag leader pastor Evan Mawarire shot to fame following a successful shut-down campaign, but his relevance seems to have sharply nose-dived, with most critics arguing he has outlived his welcome.Last year, the His Generation Church leader became a hero and people's darling, as he seemed to provide a ray of hope to long-suffering Zimbabweans, who saw him as the Biblical Moses who would eventually take them to the land of "honey and milk".He attracted a huge following during his moment of fame, with thousands thronging the Harare Magistrates' Courts in solidarity, as he was charged with treason - punishable with death.People prayed outside the courts building into the night, seeking God's intervention in the perceived persecution of the clergyman by the system.It was unprecedented.Mawarire's fame was not just confined to Zimbabwe, it attracted international spotlight, making headlines on world news channels.However, it was not for long that he enjoyed these moments of fame, and many have attributed that to several factors and theories.Along the way, Mawarire seems to have betrayed his motto hatichada uye hatichatya (we are fed up and not scared anymore) - after he left for South Africa, where he claimed he was just taking a breather with the hope of coming back home soon.This was not to be, as he left for the United States (US), leaving most of his supporters in limbo.To many, this was betrayal, with some claiming that he was seeking fame for personal gain.Most people felt emotionally used by Mawarire, as they had pinned high hopes on him.Here was a man who had decided to do what most cannot do, knowing very well the ruthless nature of the terrain he was trudging.He had decided to take the bull by its horns, with the hope that he had so many strategies to change things, but he had just left for the US - a dreamland for many.While in the US, Mawarire sank into obscurity, because he had left behind the people who identified with his cause, which is the reason why his planned demonstration against President Robert Mugabe at the United Nations conference was a monumental flop.For Zimbabweans, he was no longer one of them; he had deserted the struggle, with many accusing him of acting cowardly.Possibly realising his mistake and trying his luck for a "second bite of the cherry", Mawarire unexpectedly returned to Zimbabwe in February this year.He was immediately arrested at the Harare International Airport and charged for trying to topple a constitutionally-elected government.Unfortunately, his initial remand took place without the previous euphoria.Since then, he has been quiet until last week when he made a rare appearance at a University of Zimbabwe medical students protest against fees hike.He was arrested during the protest and received serious criticism from people, who accused him of seeking relevance by "hijacking" a mere student protest.Social and political analyst Blessing Vava said Mawarire is a non-student and currently on bail for treason charges and had no business at the UZ students' protest.He said while his actions may have been "genuine", Mawarire was on an attention-seeking adventure to revive his waning popularity after a self-inflicted blow when he fled to the US.The South Africa-based analyst said while news of the students protest took a backseat, Mawarire's arrest stole the limelight from the real reason what the students were demonstrating for."The clashes at UZ could have been avoided had Mawarire stayed at home to pray for the students. We must always look at the bigger picture and avoid individuals with selfish agendas to override a genuine cause of the students. For him, he has gained mileage, it's like he was trying to make a re-entry after his movement failed to take off. And for the students, they remain to face their challenges."I am sure those who reacted violently did so as a result of Mawarire's presence, which probably was viewed as a #ThisFlag protest. While it is good for people like Mawarire to offer solidarity, he was just at the wrong place and at the wrong time. I have nothing personal against the Man of God', but politicians and celebrities must stay away from campuses, they should fight in the streets. Let the students fight their struggles on their campuses, there are many ways of offering them solidarity than to hijack their noble cause simply because of his insatiable appetite for newspaper headlines."Students should be wary of associating with figures that will do little in contributing to their struggles," Vava said.The Zimbabwe National Students Union (Zinasu) also blasted Mawarire for hijacking the students' demonstration, arguing that his presence was not appreciated.The Union said it was insensitive for politicians to boost their political profiles on the backs of long-suffering students who wished to make their right to access to education a reality."Just last semester, when the administration first attempted to hike fees for medical students, Zinasu and the UZ SRC held a successful demonstration at the main campus and Parirenyatwa Hospital. It was a Fees Must Fall demonstration code named #thislabcoat and the fees which had been hiked fell," it said."However the same happens this semester, Mawarire interferes, students get victimised, get evicted from campus into the cold, studies are disrupted. Zinasu would like to make it categorically clear that solidarity is one of its values and principles but interference is never condoned," the students union said.
June 30, 2017

The only ones who were really pleased with the talks that White House senior adviser Jared Kushner and US envoy Jason Greenblatt held in Jerusalem and Ramallah were the envoys themselves.

The Israeli side was satisfied that a good part of the agenda in these talks was actually determined by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and that the US envoys initiated only a small part of the topics discussed. A senior Ministry of Foreign Affairs official present during part of the talks told Al-Monitor that Netanyahu is a master at formulating agendas for such negotiations, pushing the topic list into his own home turf on which only he can win. In this case, Netanyahu turned the payments by the Palestinian Authority (PA) to families of Palestinian terrorists and prisoners into the cause celebre. He successfully convinced President Donald Trump that these payments encourage terror. In Palestinian eyes, these payments represent a social contribution to large segments of Palestinians for being victims of the conflict.

Discussing this payment issue stole the focus away from the peace process itself and Trumps aspirations for an ultimate deal. In the talks with Kushner and Greenblatt, Netanyahu provided ample evidence that the PA continues the payments, knowing well in advance that Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas would refuse halting them.

Hours of talks were taken from what the US diplomats originally came for  to convince the parties to join a US-led regional meeting later this year in Washington. This meeting is supposed to focus on anti-terrorism and is intended also to reopen bilateral Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations.

According to the same Israeli official at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Netanyahu is not only a master of formulating convenient-for-him agendas, he is equally a master at buying time. Netanyahu agreed that in the course of 2017 he would work with the US administration on the terms and conditions for such a conference. He expressed an interest in meeting President Trump beforehand to make sure that such a gathering is a success. Netanyahu refused to detail the positions Israel will present in such a conference, except for what he had already said publicly  the recognition of a Jewish state and Israels long-term, full security control of the West Bank. The rest of the talks between Netanyahu and the two envoys were dedicated mainly to Iran and the common interests of both Israel and the United States to fight against the Iranian state-sponsored terror in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.

The Israeli officials impression of the US negotiation team was that they were very businesslike. They move according to talking points from their boss and they are definitely interested in progress. He noted that apparently there wont be a US plan anytime soon on how to advance and in which negotiation framework to channel their efforts. Incremental confidence-building measures will be demanded from both parties. Israel is already planning with the PA for Palestinian construction in Area C (in the Qalqilya area), and Israeli Chief of Staff Gen. Gadi Eizenkot spoke on June 20 on the improved security coordination between Israel and the PA.

The Israeli official estimates that there are two circles working on the Mideast process issue on behalf of Trump: the inner circle of Kushner and Greenblatt and the wider administration comprising of national security adviser H.R. McMaster, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Secretary of Defense James Mattis. The inner circle is instinctively very much on Israels side; the other members of the administration are more pragmatic and attuned to the demands of Arab Sunni countries like Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia. The official characterized Kushners attitude, His heart is clearly in Jerusalem, but he has one ear directed to Washington and the other to Riyadh.

The Palestinian side also recognized that Netanyahu had imposed his agenda of irrelevant conditions. A senior PLO minister told Al-Monitor that Abbas remains positive and cooperative toward the US administration. He is flexible on the terms of the freeze of settlements, agreeing to construction restraint and having the United States monitor it, and he is willing to find a solution to the funding of prisoners issues by channeling the funds through unofficial channels.

In stark contrast to Netanyahu, Abbas main focus is on the permanent status issues. Upon Greenblatts request, the Palestinians prepared positions on a dozen topics related to all permanent status issues, all revolving around the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.

It was also evident in Ramallah that the US envoys are very attentive to the voices from Cairo and from Riyadh (especially with the change in position of the crown prince). Abbas has asked Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to play a proactive role in advance of opening a conference for a two-state solution process.

The Palestinians were asked to send to Washington in the weeks to come a team of negotiators to further explore the issues. They believe the same invitation was conveyed to Israel. This will be the next step in the US exploration of a peace process, leaving both sides in a battle of brains leading to no progress so far.
July 2, 2017

After Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates cut ties with Qatar in early June, accusing it of supporting extremists and terrorist groups and being allied with Iran, they presented Qatar with a list of 13 demands. Among those requirements for restoring relations was to close the joint Qatari-Turkish military base in Qatar.

Turkey called the targeting of its closest Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) ally inhuman and against Islamic values. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the demand to close the base violates international law.

The ultimatum indicates how the three Gulf states punishing Qatar with embargoes see the Turks as severely undermining their efforts to pressure the Al Thani royal family into capitulation.

Turkey not only rejected Saudi Arabia and its allies ultimatum but also deployed more troops to Qatar. Turkish tanks were recently seen rolling through the capital, Doha, which of course cranked up the heat under simmering tensions among the Middle Easts Sunni Muslim nations. Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are all mainly Sunni, but Turkey and Qatar have friendly relations with some Sunni Islamist groups such as the Muslim Brotherhood, which the Saudis, the UAE and Egypt consider a terrorist group.

If Kuwait and other neutral mediators fail to resolve the row, Turkeys continued military presence in Qatar could bring the situation to a boil.

To be sure, the US military presence in Qatar provides the emirate with a security guarantor. The main deterrent against any Saudi/UAE invasion of Qatar is the American base in Al Udeid. Unquestionably, the UAEs motivation for subtly offering Washington the opportunity to transfer the US Central Command forward headquarters and its 10,000 troops to the UAE is to deprive Doha of leverage and make Qatar increasingly vulnerable to future pressure from its neighbors.

Current and former Western diplomats are voicing concern that the GCCs row could escalate into a military confrontation, which would create yet another major dilemma for Turkeys foreign policy in the Middle East  on top of the crises in Iraq and Syria, which have spilled into Turkey. Its unclear how, if this stalemate continues, the Turkish military presence in Qatar will affect the Gulfs balance of power. Regardless of whether Turkish troops in the emirate have the military might to repel any potential invasion, their presence lends political and moral support to the Al Thani family and raises the stakes for any GCC state that might consider taking coercive action. The fast-tracking of Turkish troop deployments to the emirate after the crisis erupted was Ankaras message to Doha that Qatar must not give in to pressure from its neighbors.

Despite protests from Turkeys opposition parties, who warn that their countrys military presence in Qatar and its pro-Doha position are dangerous, Ankara clearly believes that protecting the emirate from Saudi/UAE pressure will advance Turkeys national interests. Ankara values Doha for its alignment with Turkey on a host of regional conflicts  in Libya, Syria, Egypt and Iraqi Kurdistan  with both capitals backing the same Sunni Islamists across the Middle East. The Turks want to attract more Qatari investment to their economy. Turkeys major construction firms, which drive their countrys economic growth, are seeking more lucrative contracts from Doha. Turkey views the emirate as a major arms market for its defense firms and sees Qatar, the first Arab country where Turkey established a military base, as an integral part of its grander strategic posture across the Middle East and Africa.

Regardless of how the row unfolds, the Turks are elevating their growing relationship with Qatar to new heights by standing by Doha amid an existential and unprecedented threat to the Arab Gulf states sovereignty and independence. Just as Qatars emir was the first foreign leader to call Erdogan nearly a year ago amid the failed coup attempt in Turkey, which the Turkish president recently suggested was supported from elements within the GCC (a remark undoubtedly directed at the UAE), Ankara sees Doha as the victim of a regional conspiracy. Put simply, Erdogan, who is emotive about Qatar, sees the emirates security as linked to Turkeys.

In May, Turkish voices opposed to their countrys base in the emirate cited concerns that Turkey was subjecting its military to the dangers of a potential military confrontation between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, while also inflaming Iran. Looking ahead, the Arabian Peninsulas shifting geopolitical order is raising the stakes for Turkey. Legitimate concerns remain that Turkey could find itself in the crosshairs of another conflict fueled in no small part by the Saudi-Iranian rivalry.

Yet the current crisis has put Turkey and Iran on the same side, backing Qatar against Saudi Arabia. While just a month ago, Al-Monitor columnist Fehim Tastekin asked, if push comes to shove, will Turkey defend Qatar against Iran? The question that now seems more relevant is whether Turkey and Iran will defend Qatar against Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
July 2, 2017

Turkish military actions against US-allied Syrian Kurdish forces could threaten to upend plans for unseating the Islamic State (IS) in Raqqa, Syria, and for what comes next.

Though pointing to Idlib as the next destination, Fehim Tastekin reports, Turkeys field operations signal double objectives. First, Turkey wants its own troops in the de-conflicting, or 'safe,' zones determined during peace talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. Second and more important to Turkey is to take advantage of the competition between rival coalitions west of the Euphrates. With the United States and Kurds on one side and Russia, Iran and the Syrian army on the other, Turkey hopes to break up the corridor carved out by the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG). Ankara considers this stretch of land a threat to Turkeys national security.

"According to information leaked to the news media by official Ankara sources, Tastekin continues, TSK [Turkish military] forces will cross into Syria from three locations and establish control over an area 35 by 85 kilometers (21 by 52 miles). This corridor would start at Daret Izza and extend to Obin and Khirbet al-Joz. Another area of land, starting from Turkeys Hatay border and extending 35 kilometers to Sahl al-Ghab, would also be controlled by the TSK. In this security configuration around Idlib, Turkeys Free Syrian Army (FSA) allies would also have a role. So far, as many as 2,000 FSA soldiers have been put on alert.

Tastekin reports, Kurds insist that the Syrian army is cooperating with Turkey in this operation, at Russia's behest. But there are no real indications of Russians and the Syrian army wanting to suppress the Kurds. To the contrary, the feeling in Damascus is that Russia and Syria would prefer to keep the Kurds as their ally."

The US State Department, at least publicly, does not have an answer as to whether Turkeys moves might complicate its overall Syria strategy. Asked by a reporter June 29 whether the United States was concerned about Turkish threats and attacks on the Syrian Democratic Forces (or SDF, which is made up primarily of YPG fighters), State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert replied, The reason that the United States is involved in Syria is to take out [IS]. Thats why we care and thats why we are there. Our focus is on liberating Raqqa right now. Our forces arent operating in the area that youre talking about. I dont want to get into [Department of Defense] territory. That is theirs. But our focus is on another part of Syria right now.

That same day, pressed by a reporter as to whether the United States would defend the SDF against Turkey, Col. Ryan Dillon, a spokesman for the Combined Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, said, We're not going to get there. I don't want to speculate on that. We will continue to support our SDF partners in the fight against [IS] in Raqqa and perhaps elsewhere after that.

And this brings us to Idlib. Tastekin writes: According to official comments from Ankara, an operation is in progress to add Idlib to the area Turkey controls. Currently, Idlib is divided between Ahrar al-Sham and Hayyat Tahrir al-Sham. Though both Salafi militant groups seek the overthrow of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, they are rivals. Turkey's presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin talked of a plan calling for Russian and Turkish deployment at Idlib, Russian and Iranian troops around Damascus, and American and Jordanians at Daraa in the south.

Idlib is, simply put, a time bomb for those who may hope that defeating IS in Raqqa might be the beginning of the end of the counterterrorism campaign in Syria. This column said in March: While the United States is consumed with planning for unseating IS in Raqqa, Idlib may prove a comparable or perhaps even more explosive fault line because of the blurred lines among anti-Western Salafi groups such as Ahrar al-Sham, which is backed by Turkey, and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. The latter group is comprised of current and former al-Qaeda and affiliated forces. Ahrar al-Shams on-again, off-again ties with al-Qaeda make it, in our view, a fellow traveler, not an alternative, even if the two groups are presently at odds.

Do Turkeys plans for Idlib include cleaning house on these groups? If not, we can expect Idlib to remain a safe haven for Salafi and terrorist forces seeking to keep up the fight against the Syrian government, while the citizens of Idlib continue to suffer under the brutal and arbitrary rule of these armed gangs.

In a related story, Metin Gurcan reports that Turkey is looking to crack down on foreign fighters, including Americans, who have taken up arms with the YPG. Gurcan writes: There are plenty of allegations, but as of today the media has no evidence that foreign fighters in the YPG are fighting against Turkish security forces in Turkey or Syria. However, the capture of just one YPG foreign fighter in Turkey or one fighting Turkish forces in Syria could rapidly worsen legal and diplomatic relations between Turkey and the Western allies to dangerous levels  especially if that foreign fighter turns out to be a citizen of a NATO country.

Hamas moves closer to Iran

Adnan Abu Amer writes that the blockade of Qatar led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates continues to push Hamas toward Iran, as Al-Monitor has reported.

On June 14, Mousa Abu Marzouk, deputy head of Hamas political bureau, met with Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah. It is no secret that Hamas, despite having different positions regarding the Syrian crisis, needs Hezbollah when it comes to funding, training, securing supply lines for weapons and providing residence for Hamas cadres in Lebanon, Abu Amer writes. For its part, Hezbollah needs a Palestinian movement, such as Hamas, to restore its popularity among Arab public opinion, which it lost after being involved in the wars in Syria, Iraq and Yemen against Sunni Muslims. Hamas, as a Sunni Islamic movement getting closer to the Shiite Hezbollah, may help dispel Hezbollahs sectarian image. The new rapprochement between Hamas and Hezbollah may contribute to the return of armament and training cooperation programs, with the support of Iran.

Abu Amer concludes: Hamas realizes that the margin of political maneuvering has been narrowed by the polarization of the two rival axes: Qatar and its allies against Saudi Arabia and its partners. However, in the absence of other options, the movement seems compelled to resort to Iran and its allies in the region, namely Hezbollah, to survive. Even if it is faced with a new wave of criticism, Hamas would still be turning toward Hezbollah.
A Friday night crash left an Albertville man dead.

Jimenez Francisco-Jimenez was driving a 2001 BMW around 7:05 p.m. on Alabama 168 when the car left the roadway and hit a metal pole, Trooper Curtis Summerville said today. Francisco-Jimenez was not using a seat belt, and was pronounced dead at the scene. He was 21.

The crash happened at mile marker 14, four miles east of Boaz.

Summerville said the preliminary investigation has showed alcohol may have been a factor in the crash, but state troopers are continuing to investigate.
A 2-year-old boy was rushed to a Birmingham hospital from Blount County after he was found unresponsive in a swimming pool.

Blount County Sheriff's Office Operations Commander Tim Kent said the incident happened about 4.30 p.m. Saturday at a home in Empire. He said the family was packing their vehicle for a trip to the lake for the holiday weekend when they realized the toddler boy was missing.

As they began looking for him, a 13-year-old spotted a mop in the pool that had previously been next to the house. That's when the teen found the boy also in the pool.

Kent said CPR was started at the scene, and continued during transport to Children's of Alabama. Kent received word shortly before 6 p.m. that the boy was recovering and expected to be OK.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
A 25-year-old Memphis-based rapper taken into custody at an Alabama nightclub early Sunday is a suspect in the gunfire at an Arkansas club that left 28 people injured.

Ricky Hampton, better known as Finese 2Tymes, and another suspect were arrested by the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, ATF and FBI at 1:15 a.m. at Side Effects at 400 Second Avenue North in Birmingham, said Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Cliff LaBarge. Hampton was headlining a show at the club from 10 p.m. until 2 a.m., and was nabbed as he walking back into the club.

Hampton was sought on aggravated assault charges out of Forrest City, Arkansas and was also sought after the Saturday morning shooting a the Power Ultra Lounge, a two-story club not far from the State Capitol. Hampton was headlining that show as well.

U.S. Marshals and ATF said they launched a search for Hampton after the Saturday morning Arkansas club shooting. After Hampton's arrest was announced, Little Rock police reiterated via Twitter that Hampton was arrested on the Forest City warrant, and that "no arrests have been made in the mass shooting."

Authorities have said the club was packed with patrons around 2:30 a.m. when, as an M.C. was speaking into a microphone onstage during a lull in the music, the sound of gunfire erupted. About 30 shots rang out over 10 seconds as people screamed and ducked for cover.

Among those injured, 25 suffered gunshot wounds and three others had unrelated injuries. Police believe the gunfire erupted amid a dispute among clubgoers and that multiple people fired shots. "Some sort of dispute broke out between people inside," Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner told reporters on Saturday.

The chief also told reporters that he found it "concerning" that an advertisement for the concert included a photograph of the headlining performer pointing a gun toward the camera. He said the artist had two warrants related to violence in other cities, according to The New York Times.

LaBarge said lawmen searching for Hampton had developed information that he was going to being in Birmingham. U.S. Marshals, ATF and FBI set up surveillance at several areas in the city, and were searching for a silver Mercedes they believed Hampton would be in.

Hampton and 25-year-old Kentrell Gwynn were both arrested without incident outside the Birmingham club, he said. Investigators recovered two handguns and an AK-47 from the Mercedes. ATF took possession of those weapons.

The rapper was staying at The Tutwiler hotel, and authorities carried out a search warrant there as well.

Hampton and Gwynn were taken to the Jefferson County Jail. Jail records show Hampton was booked in at 3:34 a.m. on a fugitive from justice warrant. Gwynn was still undergoing the booking process. They will be held without bond pending extradition to Arkansas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An Athens man is facing federal charges for conspiring to sell methamphetamine and for being a convicted felon possessing a gun.

Valentine Nava, 35, was indicted late Thursday for conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and illegally possessing a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Robert O. Posey and Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Bret Hamilton announced in a press release.

A five-count, federal indictment specifically charges him with conspiring with others to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of meth in Limestone County between 2013 and 2016.

The indictment also charges Nava with two counts of possessing with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of meth, once in Nov. 2015 and again in Nov. 2016. In the Nov. 2016 incident, the indictment shows Nava, a convicted felon, was carrying a Beretta .40-caliber pistol.

The gun charge also is in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, court records show.

Nava was convicted in Limestone County in 2012 for shooting into an occupied vehicle, and was also convicted in Madison County in 2015 for possession of a controlled substance.

The maximum penalties for the conspiracy and the possession charges are 10 years to life in prison and a $10 million fine. The minimum prison penalty for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime is five years in prison, which must be served after completion of any other sentence related to the crime. The maximum penalty for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm is 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

DEA investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Stuart Burrell is prosecuting.
Update: As of 9:30 a.m. Saturday, ALEA announced that this alert had been canceled.

Working in conjunction with Georgia investigators, Alabama has issued an Amber Alert for two young boys believed to be in extreme danger.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency have asked the public for help locating Hayden Faulk, age about 18 months, and Brantley Faulk, who is five years old. Both are white males with blonde hair and blue eyes.

The boy were last seen in Columbus, Ga., on Saturday. They may be with an adult or adults driving a Ford F-150 with the Alabama tag 5400AT6.

Anyone with information regarding the case is asked to call the Columbus Police Department at 706-225-4329 or call 911.
Opinion / Columnist

Laiton is an Incentive Travel Organizer, Kariba Destination Planner, Certified ZimHost, Travel Correspondent and a thriving Blogger. He can be contacted on: +263 772 817733 or e-mail: ulakariba@gmail.com.

Let's get the ugly stuff out of the way first. The bilious stuff that burns in our chests and hurts our emotional health and communal wellbeing; the ugly reality that education got to the Tongas a bit later than to the rest of the country - a direct result of their unceremonious uprooting from their serene riverine lifestyle and the resultant mistrust of anything European. They are catching on admirably fast and even exceeding expectations.Here is an example of a brave Tonga man who, although his dire case pleads for help in order for him to move on, literally; has marched on despite his disability. In the past, Tonga culture would have considered his condition a witch's spell or a curse from the gods and he would have been expected to accept it without question and shy away from public life. Not so for Robson Chibhoto (pictured), who has defied his perceived disability to fend for his family and help others not only shed their cultural misconceptions, but also thrive in life.Recently when KIARRA Chairman, Samu Mawawo, raised his ire with the poor state of hospital benches at Kariba District Hospital, this writer organized that they be repaired for free. One of the people who offered his expertise and labour was none other than Robson Chibhoto. Although Chibhoto is struggling to raise money to buy a new pair of surgical shoes, without which he cannot walk and fend for his family, he still offered to do unpaid work in a rented workshop. Bless his heart!I later realised that although Robson Chibhoto is presenting a bold face and is ever ready to help his community, he needs urgent help himself. He has to go to Harare to Jairos Jiri or Parirenyatwa Hospital and have casts of his feet made first before he can order his surgical shoes. These special types of shoes can only be found in orthopedic centres and there are not many of these in Zimbabwe. Forty two-year old Chibhoto has a family of four. His first born child completed Form Four in 2014 and excelled, but because of limited funds, he had to send her kumusha/ekhaya, where she will probably enter into an early marriage for lack of opportunities to further her education. His second is in Form 3 and a similar fate awaits her if nothing is done to change their father's circumstances. The younger ones are in Grade three, with the last born yet to enrol for schooling.Chibhoto's prayer is for his children to avoid his own fate of only being afforded a little education. He has set up a carpentry workshop in Andora Harbour. He prefers to work for his family. He hates begging. He is skilled. But sooner rather than later, Chibhoto will not be able to walk to his rented workshop. Besides the fact that the business is hampered with low patronage, his surgical shoes are so worn out that he won't be able to walk to work to help himself and his family. With his kind of shoes, he cannot wait until the very last minute as he has to get a cast first before the special shoe can be made. This takes time.Before culture consigns Chibhoto to kumusha/ekhaya, let us help this skilled, self-employed man to help himself and his family. He has helped our Kariba community; it is our time to help him in his hour of need. Mr Godfrey Bakasa, of G & K Shoes, who also operates in Andora Harbour, has tried to restore his surgical shoes, but he recommends a new pair or two. The shoes cost $300.00 a pair. He cannot afford this, but together we can get him a pair or two.Those willing to donate should contact him on 0779 221 494 (EcoCash registered) or this writer on the details given below as well at Patsaka Trust at the Heights shopping Centre on 0773686327. Blessed be the hand that giveth. Kindly share in your social, sporting, church, and professional groups in order to get help for this man.
In Lesotho, country with second highest HIV rate, passengers learn about how male circumcision helps prevent infection.

Maseru, Lesotho  Tsitso Mokale drives down Moshoeshoe Road in his black taxi with a yellow stripe, scanning the pavement for potential passengers.

The taxi driver in Lesothos capital, Maseru, is on a mission not just to find new customers, but to start a conversation about the benefits of male circumcision and HIV prevention.

It is a daunting task in a country with the second-highest HIV prevalence rate in the world and where social norms and cultural restraints often prevent men from accessing health services.

Its sometimes difficult to talk to the older [male passengers], Tsitso says. Some of them say they are afraid.

But for Mokale and more than 200 other taxi drivers across the city who are part of a programme aimed at HIV prevention, educating passengers about male circumcision has real benefits.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) can reduce the risk of female-male HIV infection by 60 percent.

READ MORE: Living with HIV  There is nothing to fear

There are approximately 26,000 new HIV infections a year in Lesotho, a country of more than two million people that is entirely surrounded by South Africa.

The driver mobilisation programme, which was formed through a partnership between Lesothos Ministry of Health, USAID and Jhpiego, a US-based health non-profit that has implemented the initiative, aims to equip drivers with the knowledge needed to educate young men about HIV prevention.

The taxi drivers are the people who encounter the most people on a daily basis, Polo Motsoari, a communications manager with Jhpiego, says.

The programme is part of a wider national campaign called Rola Katiba, or take your hat off, that focuses on educating men between the ages of 15 and 29 in an effort to reduce HIV rates.

As Mokale drives around, looking for new passengers, he rolls out the list of benefits of VMMC.

You can reduce your risk of contracting HIV, other [sexually transmitted] diseases, penile cancer  cervical cancer. There are lots of benefits, he says.

Since 2007, the WHO and UNAIDS have recommended VMMC as a key component of HIV prevention.

READ MORE: Swaziland and HIV  Redrawing what it means to be a man

According to the WHO, VMMC works because the foreskin is an area of the body that can easily be torn to create tiny gateways for the virus to enter the body. Its removal, reduces the risk of the virus spreading.

If a passenger is interested in undertaking VMMC or learning more, Mokale and the other drivers give them a referral ticket to take to a clinic for a free consultation and procedure.

Men can opt for either a surgical or non-surgical procedure. The most popular option is called Prepex, a non-invasive method that leaves a small device on the penis for seven days in order to stop the blood flow to the foreskin. Once the skin is dead, it is cut off.

READ MORE: Mass circumcision drive in Rwanda to curb HIV

More than 11 million men have received VMMC services across eastern and southern Africa since 2008.

In Lesotho alone, more than 136,000 men have been circumcised through the Rola Katiba programme.

While VMMC does not offer complete protection  and should be used in conjunction with regular safe-sex practices  it remains one of the most cost-effective tools for HIV prevention available today, according to the WHO.

USAID and the WHO estimate that one HIV infection will be averted for every five to 15 male circumcisions completed.

Im fully circumcised and Im ok

Despite the known benefits, taxi driver educators say it is often the stigma and misconceptions surrounding male circumcision that turns many away.

Some people say they will never go to a clinic because we are going to cook their foreskins, Moholi Mosebetsi, another taxi driver educator, says.

So, we have so many things to explain to them.

In addition to overcoming misconceptions, Mosebetsi says another challenge is that the word in Sesotho for going through a traditional adolescent initiation ceremony  lebollo  is very similar to the word for circumcision.

A 2011 study published in the journal PLOS One found that nearly a quarter of men in Lesotho who self-reported as circumcised did not have evidence of circumcision. Instead, it is likely they undertook a ritual process where the foreskin was only cut, or partially removed.

This is why Jhpiego and the government have tried to find new ways to reach these young men.

Some men dont want to discuss sexual reproductive health with women or with someone younger. They want to discuss that with their peers, Motsoari says.

We are trying to venture [onto] different platforms where we can reach out to these men  regardless of their background, regardless of their age  they should all know that circumcision is here for them  and its free.

READ MORE: South Africas plan to tackle HIV among sex workers

The volunteer taxi driver-educators are paid by Jhpiego. They receive 300 loti ($23) for every five clients they refer to a free clinic.

The initiative is set to expand further, with more taxi drivers being trained later this year.

Im happy because I just want people to live without sickness, Mosebetsi says.

I am not a doctor, but Im fully circumcised and Im okay.

Ali Rae reported from Lesotho with the help of the International Reporting Project (IRP).
Bedouins in the occupied West Bank live without basic resources and under threat of forcible transfer by Israel.

With more than 7,000 Palestinian Bedouins still at risk of forcible transfer from their villages, a newly released documentary sheds light on communities that thrive through resilience and hope.





In The Enclosure, Canadian filmmaker Simon Trepanier chronicles the daily life of Bedouins in five different communities throughout Area C, which makes up 60 percent of the occupied West Bank and is under full Israeli control.

The interactive web-based documentary, produced by Oxfam, seeks to give a human face to the situation facing Bedouins in Area C by letting them tell their own stories, Trepanier told Al Jazeera.

The film is divided into three parts, taking the viewer through a journey involving home demolitions, restrictions on movement and labour, and finally, relocation  realities that many Bedouin communities live through daily.

READ MORE: Palestinian Bedouins fear forcible transfer by Israel

Palestinian Bedouins, who are traditionally nomadic and semi-nomadic herders, number more than 30,000 in 183 residential communities in Area C. The majority are refugees from the Negev region of southern Israel who resettled in the West Bank after being forced from their lands after 1948. Many of their villages are unrecognised and deemed illegal by Israel because they lack building permits.

Permits, however, are nearly impossible to obtain, putting villages in danger of demolition every day as Israel expands its illegal settlements in Area C. Israel has also denied the Bedouin community basic rights, such as water and electricity.

We feel as though were standing on a volcano and we have no idea when its going to erupt, said Eid Abu Khamis, the leader of the Khan Al-Ahmar Bedouin community.

The separation wall surrounding the occupied West Bank serves as the backdrop for the documentary, highlighting the physical barrier that restricts many Bedouins from travel. The wall, still under construction, runs for more than 700km, annexing Palestinian land.

We wanted the viewer to feel enclosed in an area surrounded by walls, highways and settlements, Trepanier said.

Bedouins often get surprise visits from the Israeli army, but life does not stop after the demolitions. Some villages have seen their structures destroyed more than 100 times, and they continue to rebuild.

These demolitions are paving the way for displacement, settlement expansion and ultimately undermine the viability of a just and peaceful solution to the conflict, Trepanier said.

READ MORE: Israel razes Palestinian village for 113th time

Many Palestinians believe the demolitions and settlements aim to nullify the possibility of a future Palestinian state. Farmers and Bedouins who rely on their lands for income are hit the hardest, but many refuse to give up their traditional lifestyle.

Even if we have to dig holes and live in them, we will stay in our land, said Mahmoud Jirme, a school principal in Al-Kaabneh village, which has been targeted for demolition several times.

The traditional life of farming, herding and dairy production provides Bedouins with the income to buy water, a scarce resource in their communities.

Indeed, access to water and electricity poses the biggest problem for the survival of Bedouin villages. Water pipelines run directly under many Bedouin homes, but Israel prohibits residents from using them. Instead, Bedouins must buy their water from a vendor and store it in tanks, often spending more than they can afford.





In the West Bank community of Al-Auja, farmers struggle with a lack of access to water.

It used to be paradise, and now its a desert, resident Um Anas said. In stark contrast, rows of green palm trees fill the Israeli settlement adjacent to her community.

The film also acknowledges the psychological effects that demolitions have had on residents, especially children  everything from bed-wetting to regression in academic progress, according to a study by Doctors of the World.

For communities already relocated, such as Abu Dis, residents struggle to retain their Bedouin culture in urban areas that are often a fraction of their previous villages size, sparking tension over the limited resources available.

Abu Ali longs to return to his Bedouin lifestyle, where he would sleep under the stars instead of a ceiling.

We feel we are in a prison, he said.
We have to take to the streets of Hamburg on July 7 with a clear idea of what we want our world to be.

According to a recent poll, every third person living in Hamburg wants to leave the city during the G20 summit on July 7-8. Their decision is not surprising: who is crazy enough to be in a city with Trump, Erdogan, Putin, Merkel and the Saudis, 20,000 policeman and most likely 100,000 people protesting on the streets?

When the last G20 summit took place in Hangzhou, a city with more than six million inhabitants, China found a brilliant solution to this problem. Weeks in advance of the 2016 G20 summit, where China announced its decision to ratify the Paris Agreement, the Chinese government declared a week-long holiday and encouraged citizens to leave the city.





After the trouble-free summit in China, the person who pointed to the map of Germany and said, Lets do the next G20 in Hamburg! must not be exceptionally bright. With a long leftist tradition and strong activist presence, Hamburg is probably the city most unlikely to host a problem-free summit like the one in Hangzhou.

The grievances of the local population aside, there is a good reason to think this summers G20 summit will be the most important international political event of the year.

First of all, after Donald Trumps decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, difficult and unpredictable negotiations will have to take place during this years summit.

Second, after the terrorist attacks in London, British Prime Minister Theresa May called for global internet regulations and Germanys Angela Merkel and Frances Emanuel Macron soon followed her lead. The three leaders of the free world, or also known as MMM, obviously want to use the G20 to push for more restrictions on internet freedom.

OPINION: Its high time for a new, multipolar world order

Third, the Saudis are also going to attend this summit, and most probably they are going to push for new arms deals.

And last but not least, there is the possibility of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) making an appearance. No wonder Germany reintroduced border checks before the G20 summit and the US is planning to deploy in the city Predator drones, which are usually used in warzones.

Even if you overthrow a political system that is imposing austerity and wars, the real question is what do you do the day after, how do you run the economy and organise daily life. by

So if Hamburg is going to become a sort of warzone, a heavily militarised city under a state of emergency, the question which all progressives have to ask themselves is: What can we do differently this time?

Before the G20 summit in Hamburg, if one thing is clear from our past experiences of mobilising and protesting, it is that the main models of resistance are obviously not enough anymore.

The model of alter-summits, inspired by the spirit of the World Social Forum, is still necessary in order to gather and exchange experience and ideas (what the entrepreneurs would call networking), but unfortunately, it does not have the capability of really challenging the G20. In other words, counter-summits are necessary, but they dont have the power to disturb the G20 and whatever deals world powers would be able to conclude during the summit.

The model of massive public demonstrations is also necessary in order to show the massive dissatisfaction with the current global system. But even if there are 150,000 people in the streets, this massive mobilisation wont produce any concrete change.

If the demonstrations in 2003 of more than 10 million people in 600 cities against the invasion of Iraq couldnt stop the war, why would a mass protest in Hamburg be able to make any difference? The power brokers of todays world order, which caused several wars and the rise of ISIL, will be in Hamburg  Theresa May, Donald Trump, and the Saudis. But wars, unfortunately, cant be stopped by mere protests in the face of those who lead them  whether peaceful or violent.

READ MORE: Integrating activism into governance institutions

Even if protests or a mass uprising are able to overthrow a political system that is imposing austerity and wars, the real question is what do you do the day after? How do you run the economy and organise daily life? Our action at the G20, therefore, should not be only about disobedience. It should also be about proposing a viable alternative for the day after.





This is why beside disobedience we need something that we at the pan-European movement of democrats, DiEM25, call constructive disobedience. It is not enough to say No or protest. It is not enough to meet and discuss, criticise or disobey by enacting violence.

To be progressive and constructive, disobedience must be accompanied by counter-proposals fully outlining alternative policies to the ones that we disobey.

What does this precisely mean in the context of the upcoming G20 summit in Hamburg? Just take the three main battlegrounds: climate change, internet freedom and arms trade.

Our solution to climate change would not be condemning Trumps withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, as the agreement itself does not constitute serious enough action. Our solution would be to demand complete carbon divestment, thus re-directing further energy investments from unsustainable fossil fuels into clean energy, accessible equally to all European citizens. In doing so, we should, following the examples of rebel cities such as Barcelona or Naples, urge for democratising energy governance systems allowing European citizens direct say in how energy resources are managed.

Given that the internet is already a panopticon of surveillance capitalism, owned and controlled by an oligarchy of Silicon Valley corporations, and given the ongoing threat against our digital civil liberties in the name of fighting terrorism, our constructive proposal should be a blueprint for the Internet of the People based on protecting human rights and the digital commons.

When it comes to the sale of weapons to repressive regimes, which consequently facilitate terrorism, the constructive proposal should go along the lines of the recent Labour Manifesto which explicitly states it would block the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia.

Finally, in order to achieve a positive disobedience, we must look to create a new Non-Aligned Movement, which would work towards implementing these constructive policies. In the very likely case that the establishment represented by the G20 rejects these proposals, then it will be time for disobedience.

If our constructive proposals encounter the usual there is no alternative, then we shall disobey. The G20 is already suffering from major divisions and we should exploit that. We should be united in putting forward a real alternative.

Srecko Horvat is a philosopher from Croatia. His latest books include Subversion! and The Radicality of Love (2015) translated into more than 10 languages. He features in Al Jazeeras documentary film Europes Forbidden Colony.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
One child killed and several people injured as major blaze engulfs camp for Syrian refugees in Lebanons Bekaa Valley.

At least one child has died after a big fire engulfed a camp for hundreds of Syrian refugees in Lebanons Bekaa Valley according to aid workers, who believe that there may be two more victims.

Flames and thick clouds of black smoke rose on Sunday from the site near the town of Qab Elias, which is an hours drive from the capital, Beirut, while exploding gas canisters could be heard from a distance.

The blaze, which destroyed about 100 tents, also left at least six people injured according to the Red Cross. Emergency workers said the fire had turned the tent camp into ashes, with only the bathrooms at the edge of the settlement left standing.

Al Jazeeras Imtiaz Tyab, reporting from the scene, described scenes of utter devastation.

READ MORE: Lebanons army raids Arsal refugee camps, one killed

This is really quite shocking for refugees, he said. These are people who fled war and conflict, people who left behind their homes, and the homes they built here from bits of wood and sheets of plastic have been reduced to ashes.





First responders told us they believe this fire was started by some sort of cooking accident, Tyab continued.

They believe one of the residents of this camp had been cooking food inside their home and that it had somehow caught fire.

The fire spread rapidly and all that is left is smouldering ruins, he added.

These Syrian refugees, who already fled their homes from the fighting, had very little to begin with  but now they have nothing.

Large plumes of black smoke can be seen above Bekaa. Hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees live in informal tented settlements there  Imtiaz Tyab (@ImtiazTyab) July 2, 2017

Dana Sleiman, spokesperson for the United Nations refugee agency, UNHCR, said the fire had affected 102 families living in the camp, which was one of the approximately 3,000 informal settlements in the country.

Its a very tragic situation, she told Al Jazeera from Beirut. Unfortunately tented settlements of this sort  because of their informality and spontaneity as they are built in very ad hoc ways  are at high risk of fire during the summertime especially.

Sleiman said aid agencies were on site to help the families and assess the situation to gauge the damage.

The Lebanese Red Cross has already provided a secure shelter for these families to spend the night tonight, and our teams have negotiated another piece of land for them to relocate and we will provide them with the tools they need to set up their tents again.

OPINION: Xenophobia will not solve Lebanons refugee crisis

Lebanon is hosting at least one million Syrian refugees officially registered with the UN, many of them living in informal tented settlements scattered around the country.





But the government says the number of Syrian refugees in Lebanon is closer to 1.5 million.

The fact is that in Lebanon there are no formal camps, so refugees are spread  pretty much across the country, Sleiman said.

She added that since there has been no governmental decision to build formal camps, many refugees are trying to do the best they can and find the cheapest accommodation possible.

One solution has been to expand what formerly used to be tented settlements for seasonal workers here in the country. So these have expanded in size and in number and have spread more across the whole country, especially in the Bekaa area, which this fire happened, and also in the north, Sleiman said.
Bomber dressed as a veiled woman detonates explosives at camp for internally displaced people in Iraqs Anbar province.

At least 14 people, including civilians, have been killed after a suicide bomber disguised as a veiled woman blew himself up at a camp for internally displaced people in central Iraq, security sources said.

The attacker on Sunday approached a checkpoint at the camp in western Ramadi, in Iraqs Anbar province before triggering the blast.

The AFP news agency quoted a doctor and a police officer as saying that most of the victims were women and children.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) claimed responsibility for the attack at the kilo 60 camp, which houses people forced out of Sunni Muslim areas controlled by the armed group in the Euphrates river valley.

READ MORE: As ISILs caliphate crumbles, its ideology remains

Adnan Fayhan, the head of the local council in the al-Wafaa area, where the camp is located, said that the camp would be closed following the attack.

All the displaced people in the camp would be brought to another camp west of Ramadi that is safer and receives more aid, Fayhan said.

While Iraqi forces control the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah, ISIL still holds areas in western Anbar, and the province still faces major security challenges.

ISIL overran large areas north and west of the capital, Baghdad, in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air raids and other support have since regained much of the territory they lost.

Further north, in Iraqs second city of Mosul, US-backed Iraqi forces said on Sunday that they had completely surrounded ISIL fighters as they continued to make gains in a final push to retake the city from the armed group.
Release follows decision by parole board to grant the 71-year-old early release from 27-month sentence for corruption.

Ehud Olmert, the former Israeli prime minister, has been freed from prison after being granted parole in a corruption case that reduced his sentence by a third.

Dressed in a dark-coloured T-shirt, he was seen leaving Maasiyahu prison in central Israel shortly after dawn on Sunday before being driven away.

Israels Prison Service confirmed through its spokesperson, Assaf Librati, that Olmert was released early on Sunday morning after serving time for corruption.

He was granted early release by a parole board on Thursday and prosecutors decided not to appeal against the decision.

Olmert, who was prime minister between 2006 and 2009, was convicted of corruption and entered prison in February 2016.

He had been sentenced to 27 months.

Olmert, 71, was a longtime fixture in Israels hawkish right wing when he began taking a dramatically more conciliatory line towards the Palestinians.

Annapolis conference

Olmert won international acclaim for relaunching peace efforts with the Palestinians at the Annapolis conference in the US in 2007, but they failed to bear fruit and the corruption charges against him have come to define his legacy.

He resigned as prime minister in September 2008 after police recommended he be indicted for corruption, but remained in office until March 2009, when Benjamin Netanyahu, the Likud leader, was sworn in to the post, which he has held ever since.

The parole board said last week that while Olmerts crimes were severe, he was punished for his deeds and paid a heavy price.

The inmate underwent a significant rehabilitation process in prison and displays motivation to continue it, it said.

READ MORE: Ehud Olmert Profile

All this significantly diminishes the risk he will deviate again from honest practice.

The decision came after Olmert was recently taken to hospital after experiencing chest pains in prison.

A picture of a gaunt Olmert in hospital robes eating from plastic utensils found its way to social media, evoking a wave of sympathy from the public as well as politicians calling for his early release.

Even after his release, Olmert could still face new criminal charges, though some Israeli news media reported that the probe is expected to be dropped.

Fresh suspicions

Olmert underwent examinations which determined he was healthy and he returned to prison after a number of days.

Last month, the state attorneys office instructed police to investigate suspicions that Olmert had smuggled a chapter of a book he was writing out of prison, an act that would constitute a felony owing to the secretive content, the justice ministry said.

Police had raided the office of the Yediot Aharonot publisher and seized Olmerts manuscript as well as other materials out of fears that their dissemination  prior to the mandatory censorship they would be subject to  could cause severe security damage, the ministry said.

The investigation was ongoing, with the state attorneys office expected to announce in the coming days whether it would seek to press charges against Olmert over his conduct around the book.

Olmerts original 27-month prison term comprised 18 months for taking bribes in the early 2000s in connection with the construction of Jerusalems Holyland residential complex, eight months for a separate case of fraud and corruption, and another month for obstructing justice.

His main convictions date back to before his time as prime minister, to the years when he served as mayor of Jerusalem and economy minister, among other positions.
Total is the first Western energy company to invest in Irans oil fields after sanctions were eased last year.

Irans oil ministry says Total, the French energy giant, will on Monday sign a multi-billion-dollar contract to develop an Iranian offshore gas field in the largest foreign deal since sanctions were eased last year.

Total signed a preliminary deal with Iran over the South Pars gas field in November, taking a 50.1 percent stake in the $4.8bn project. China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) will own 30 percent and Irans Petropars 19.9 percent.

The international agreement for the development of phase 11 of South Pars will be signed on Monday in the presence of the oil ministry and managers of Total, the Chinese company CNPC and Iranian company Petropars, a ministry spokesman told the AFP news agency on Sunday.

READ MORE: UAEs Enoc pays Iran $4bn in oil dues

The first stage of the new 20-year project at South Pars will cost around $2bn and consist of 30 wells and two well-head platforms connected to existing onshore treatment facilities.

The site will eventually pump 50.9 million cubic metres (1.8bn cubic feet) of gas per day into Irans national grid.

Total will put in an initial $1bn for the first stage of the project.

The French company was initially due to sign the contract in early 2017, but CEO Patrick Pouyanne said in February that it would wait to see whether the US administration of President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran.

Trump threatened during his campaign last year to tear up the landmark accord between Iran and six world powers that came into force in January 2016 and eased sanctions in exchange for curbs to Tehrans nuclear programme.





His administration has taken a tough line on Iran and imposed fresh sanctions related to its ballistic missile programme and military activities in the region.

But the White House has kept the nuclear deal alive, continuing to waive the relevant sanctions every few months as required under the agreement.

It is in the middle of a 90-day review on whether to stick with the nuclear deal, although any move to abandon it will be strongly opposed by the other signatories: Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia.

Return to Iran

Mondays signing will mark Totals return to Iran, which has the second-largest gas reserves and fourth-largest oil reserves in the world.

The French firm led the development of phases two and three of South Pars in the 1990s but effectively left Iran in 2012 when France joined European Union partners in imposing sanctions, including an oil embargo.

Were the first Western major to return to Iran. Were very happy, Pouyanne, Totals CEO, told AFP when the initial deal was signed in November.

Irans oil officials have been eager to attract Western investment and know-how to improve the outdated energy infrastructure.

Preliminary agreements were also signed in December with Shell and Russias Gazprom to develop oil and gas projects.

READ MORE: Energy market vulnerable to prolonged Gulf crisis

Such deals have not been without controversy in Iran, where the memory of exploitation by foreign firms in the early 20th century remains a highly sensitive topic.

Conservatives criticised the move to award tenders to foreign firms last year, forcing the oil ministry to state that domestic conglomerates, including one controlled by the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, would be allowed to compete.
After the Second World War, the case for a Jewish state was absolute. I read Anne Frank as a teenager and understood why Israel had to exist. I even believed the appealing myth that Israelis made the desert bloom. I support the right of this state to exist, and yes, bloom. But I do not, cannot, on humanitarian grounds, back all Israeli actions since they settled on their promised land.

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..02 July '17..It wouldnt be a Yasmin Alibhai-Brown column on Israel if it didnt include some sort of disclaimer. Usually we are told that some of her best friends are Jews. Only the good Jews of course  the ones who have a serious problem with Israel.In her latest piece for the International Business Times, Israel marks some dark anniversaries in 2017  It must make this year about hope not hate, Alibhai-Brown states:Thats awfully nice of you Yasmin.Except that the rest of her article is full of distortions and outright lies.
Officials say government troops have cut off an escape route for the fighters and victory will be announced soon.

The Iraqi army says it has completely surrounded fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group in Mosul as it continues to make gains in its final push to retake the city.

According to the military, federal police units recaptured the last bridge over the Tigris River on Saturday, effectively cutting off ISILs last remaining escape route.

US-backed Iraqi troops also recaptured a number of neighbourhoods in the Old City.





Daesh now holds control over a few small residential areas. Iraqi forces are advancing into the Old City, Yahia Rasoul, Iraqi joint forces spokesman, told state-run TV on Saturday, using the Arabic acronym for ISIL, also known as ISIS.

According to him, victory in the western part [of the city] will be announced soon.

The latest developments come two days after Haider al-Abadi, Iraqs prime minister, declared that ISILs state of falsehood had ended after Iraqi forces retook al-Nuri Mosque, where the group proclaimed its self-styled caliphate three years ago.

The return of al-Nuri Mosque and al-Hadba minaret to the fold of the nation marks the end of the Daesh state of falsehood, Abadi said in a statement on Thursday.

A large part of the mosque, which held major significance in the history of ISIL in Iraq, was blown up by the fighters last week.

Officials from Iraq and the US-led anti-ISIL coalition said the destruction of the site was a sign of the groups imminent loss of Mosul, with Abadi calling it an official declaration of defeat.

At least 50,000 civilians, about half of the Old Citys population, are believed to still be trapped in ISIL-held pockets of Mosul.

Those who have escaped said that civilians who remain behind ISIL lines are with little food, water or medicines.

The UN and aid organisations say ISIL has stopped many civilians from leaving, using them as human shields.

Hundreds of civilians fleeing the Old City have been killed in the past three weeks.

OPINION: The human shields of Mosul

We are seeing the end of Daesh in Mosul as Iraqi forces closed in on the terrorists in the citys old quarters, but there are civilians who remain trapped in the area or are held as human shields by the terrorists, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq said in a statement on Saturday.

The wellbeing of civilians is a matter of extreme concern for us.

In June, the Iraqi government said more than 850,000 people have been forced from their homes by the operation, which was launched in October.

On the citys west, entire blocks have been flattened by clashes, air strikes, and artillery fire.
Rocket carrying 7.5-tonne experimental satellite was to help Beijing launch a lunar probe later this year.

The launch of a Chinese heavy-lift carrier rocket failed shortly after blast off on Sunday due to an anomaly, according to the official news agency Xinhua.

The Long March-5 Y2 lifted off early in the evening from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, in what was seen as the last drill before the same rocket type carried a lunar probe later this year with the goal of returning from the moon with samples.

Video from the live broadcast showed the rocket shooting into the sky, with a voice-over indicating everything was going well.

READ MORE: Jade Rabbit  Chinas lunar rover leaves traces on moon

It was not clear from the live broadcast whether anything had gone wrong. It was also not clear whether the rocket, which was carrying a communication satellite, had entered its orbit.

An anomaly occurred during the flight of the rocket, Xinhua reported after the rocket blasted off from the southern island province of Hainan.

Further investigation will be carried out, the report added, without elaborating.

Several launches of the Long March-5 were scheduled in preparation for Chinas lunar probe, manned space station and Mars probe missions, according to Xinhua.

It was not immediately clear how Sundays failure will affect planned missions.

Long March-5 Y2s payload capacity currently makes it the second most powerful rocket in the world after the United States Delta IV Heavy.





Capable of carrying up to 25 tonnes of gear, it had taken off with the 7.5 tonnes Shijian-18 experimental communications satellite, which it was supposed to put into orbit.

The satellite was meant to boost internet access and provide access to more television channels.

In November 2016, China successfully launched the Long March-5 from the same Wenchang centre. At that time, China said it was the most powerful launcher it had yet developed.

Beijing sees its multi-billion-dollar space programme as a symbol of its rise and of the Communist Partys success in turning around the fortunes of the once poverty-stricken nation.

In June, China also successfully launched the Long March-4B, its first X-ray space telescope to study black holes, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts.

And in April, the countrys first cargo spacecraft completed its docking with an orbiting space lab  a key development towards Chinas goal of having its own crewed space station by 2022.
French president meets West African leaders to support new 5,000-strong force to fight armed groups in the region.

French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Mali for talks with the leaders of five countries across Africas Sahel region to support a new 5,000-strong multinational force to fight armed groups in the area.

Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger, which make up so-called G5 Sahel, have pledged to fight al-Qaeda-linked groups and others in the region who have alarmed the international community after launching deadly attacks in recent months on areas that were once considered relatively safe.

Every day we must combat terrorists, thugs, murderers  who we must steadfastly and with determination eradicate together, Macron said on Sunday at the opening of the summit.

In mid-June, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution welcoming the deployment of the new force with troops contributed by the G5 Sahel countries.

READ MORE: Malis Keita vows to keep fighting terrorist groups

The approval came just days after at least five people were killed in an attack on a Mali resort popular with foreigners.

The Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen group recently claimed responsibility.

France launched an intervention in Mali in 2013 to chase out fighters linked to al-Qaeda who had overtaken key northern cities.

That mission evolved into the current Barkhane deployment launched in 2014 with an expanded mandate for counterterror operations across the Sahel.

Key challenge is funding

Macrons visit comes as al-Qaedas Mali branch released a proof-of-life video of six foreign hostages, including a French woman who was abducted in late 2016 in the northern Malian town of Gao.

A major goal at Sundays meeting will be to find the money necessary to support the new force, which will operate in the region along with a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, which has become the deadliest in the world, and Frances own 5,000-strong Barkhane military operation.

Al Jazeeras Mohamed Vall, reporting from Malis capital, Bamako, said funding remains the crucial issue of the operations across the Sahel.

There are troops here and theyve been trying to solve the problem of insecurity in the region, but they havent been successful because the funding is at the heart of this situation, he said.

The UN is struggling now with the approach of the US that the UN should reduce its security budget around the world, and that US approach is touching this region.

Funding is the main challenge that could cause this project to fail.

Macron is expected to announce on Sunday significant support, both financial and in terms of equipment, to the new force.

He is also expected to make the case for extra backing from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States.

The European Union has already pledged 50m ($57.2m).

Serge Michailof, a researcher at the Paris-based IRIS institute, described the EU contribution as a joke in the context of the EUs very deep pockets.

READ MORE: On the road with Nigers peacekeepers in Mali

This force is going to cost $300-400m at the very least, he told the AFP news agency, adding it would be especially difficult for certain nations involved which are already choking on military spending.

Chad President Idriss Deby has said it will be difficult to contribute about 2,000 soldiers to the G5 force while also contributing to the UN peacekeeping mission.

A summit like this is essentially a moment of political mobilisation around the new force, Gilles Yabi, a West African analyst, told the Associated Press news agency.

Efforts to mobilise resources will continue well after the summit, and the actual implementation will take several months.
At least 19 people have been killed in clashes involving armed men and security forces in the gang-plagued northwestern Mexican state of Sinaloa, authorities said.

Sinaloa has seen a dramatic increase in homicides following the capture and extradition of convicted drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman.

The violence began with a shooting on Friday that killed two men near a department store in the town of Villa Union, about 24km southeast of the beach resort of Mazatlan.





Officials attributed it to warring drug gang members responsible for recent violence in the state, which is home to Guzmans Sinaloa cartel.

We believe it has to do with the transport of drugs and the fight for terrain, for the areas that these groups are fighting over, Genaro Robles Casillas, the Sinaloa state public security secretary, said at a news conference.

Police were alerted by emergency calls, and municipal officers encountered the suspected attackers as they were riding in several pickup trucks.

A fierce gun battle broke out in which police killed 17 suspects, officials said. Five municipal police officers were wounded, but reported in stable condition.

At the scene of the clash, four vehicles, 15 rifles and seven handguns were found.

Sinaloa is the birthplace of a number of Mexicos drug gang leaders, and killings have risen there after Guzman was captured and then extradited to the United States earlier this year to face drug charges.

Security experts say a power struggle has since broken out between opposing factions of the Sinaloa cartel, which also faces challenges from other gangs such as the Jalisco New Generation cartel.

During the first five months of the year, homicides jumped by 76 percent in Sinaloa state compared with the same period in 2016, according to government crime statistics.

The killings include the May 15 slaying of Javier Valdez, an award-winning reporter who specialised in covering drug trafficking and organised crime, in the state capital, Culiacan.
Gerhard Mueller relieved of duties just days after pope aide Pell was charged with child sex abuse.

Pope Francis has dismissed the churchs chief of doctrine, Cardinal Gerhard Muller  one of the most powerful cardinals at the Vatican  head of the Vatican office that processes and evaluates all cases of priests accused of raping or molesting minors.

Muellers sacking on Saturday comes just days after the pontiff released another top Vatican cardinal, Cardinal George Pell, to return home to stand trial for alleged sexual assault.





There were no differences of opinion between me and Pope Francis, Muller, an arch-conservative who had the ear of former Pontiff Benedict XVI, told the German paper Allgemeine Zeitung.

Francis named Mullers deputy, Monsignor Luis Ladaria Ferrer, a Spanish Jesuit, to run the powerful office instead.

During Mullers five-year term, the congregation amassed a 2,000-case backlog and came under criticism from Irish abuse survivor Marie Collins.

She had been tapped by Francis in 2014 to advise the church on caring for abuse victims and protecting children from paedophile priests.

Collins resigned from the papal commission in March, citing the unacceptable level of resistance from Mullers office to heeding the commissions proposals.

READ MORE: Shocking scale of Catholic Church sex crimes revealed

In May, Francis said her criticism of the slow pace in processing abuse cases was justified and announced he was adding more staff to handle the load.

Earlier this year, he also named Cardinal Sean OMalley as a member of the congregation in hopes of ensuring better cooperation.

Spar over divorce

Aside from the sex abuse case backlog, Francis and Muller had sparred over the popes divisive 2016 document on family life in which the pope offered a cautious opening to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion.

Church teaching holds that unless these Catholics receive an annulment, or a church decree that their first marriage was invalid, they are committing adultery and cannot receive Communion unless they abstain from sex.

Four conservative cardinals attacked the popes document as vague and confusing and publicly requested that Francis clarify it.

Muller did not join their campaign but made it clear that he disagrees with Francis suggestion that any such decisions could be arrived at in the realm of personal discernment.
Foreign ministers of nations boycotting Qatar will meet in Cairo on Wednesday to discuss their next steps.

Saudi Arabia and three allies boycotting Qatar have agreed to a request by Kuwait to extend by 48 hours Sundays deadline for Doha to comply with a set of demands, according to a joint statement on Saudi state news agency SPA.

Kuwait had received a response by Qatar to a list of 13 demands presented to it by a Saudi-led bloc of Arab countries, Kuwaits state news agency KUNA said on Monday.

Without stating whether Qatar had rejected the ultimatum as was widely expected, KUNA said Kuwaits Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah asked Saudi Arabia and three other countries that have boycotted Qatar to grant it a 48-hour extension. Kuwait is mediating in the crisis.





Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed sanctions on it on June 5, accusing it of supporting terrorism. The allegation is rejected by Doha.

After more than two weeks, the four countries gave Doha a 10-day ultimatum, which expired on Sunday night, to comply with a 13-point demand list in exchange for the end of the anti-Qatar measures.

There was no other information about Qatars official response, but the Qatari foreign minister has already said that Doha would not meet the demands, saying the list was meant to be rejected.

OPINION: What is the Qatar-GCC showdown really about?

Speaking on Saturday, the foreign minister said Doha offered instead a proper condition for a dialogue to resolve the Gulf crisis.

Everyone is aware that these demands are meant to infringe the sovereignty of the state of Qatar, shut the freedom of speech and impose auditing and probation mechanism for Qatar, he said during a visit to Italys capital, Rome.

We believe that the world is not governed by ultimatums, we believe that the world is governed by the international law, it is governed by an order that does not allow large countries to bully small countries.

But Saudi Arabia and its allies have insisted the demands were non-negotiable.

The foreign ministers of the four countries will meet on Wednesday in Egypts capital, Cairo, to discuss their next steps, according to a statement by the Egyptian foreign ministry.

The UAE ambassador to Russia, Omar Ghobash, has previously said that Qatar could face fresh sanctions if it does not comply with the demands.

READ THE FULL LIST OF DEMANDS HERE

The demands submitted by Saudi Arabia and its allies included that Qatar shut down the Al Jazeera network, close a Turkish military base and scale down ties with Iran.

In the list, the four Arab countries also demand that Doha sever all alleged ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and other groups, including Hezbollah, al-Qaeda and ISIL (also known as ISIS), and pay an unspecified sum in compensation for what they claimed to be loss of life and other financial losses caused by Qatars policies.

A US state department official said on Sunday that Washington encourages all parties to exercise restraint to allow for productive diplomatic discussions. We are not going to get ahead of those discussions. We fully support Kuwaiti mediation.
Government aims to trigger process of leaving deal that allows vessels from other countries to fish off UK coastline.

Britain is pulling out of an agreement that permits fishermen from five other countries to operate in UK waters, the first step in reasserting control over its fishing industry as it prepares to leave the European Union.

The government of Prime Minister Theresa May announced on Sunday it will trigger the two-year process of leaving the London Fisheries Convention, which allows vessels from France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands to fish between six and 12 nautical miles off the UK coastline.

Britain signed the 1964 convention before it joined the EU and would be bound by its terms after leaving the bloc  or Brexit  unless it starts to withdraw from the treaty now.

How has the UK changed since the Brexit vote?

Michael Gove, UK environment secretary, said the move will lead to a more competitive, profitable and sustainable industry for the whole of the UK.

We will have control, we can decide the terms of access, Gove told the BBC Andrew Marr show.

Gove, a prominent Leave campaigner in an EU referendum last year, also said that once Britain left the trading bloc, it would be able to extend control of its waters to 200 miles, or to the median line between Britain and France or Britain and Ireland.

He said that leaving the London Fisheries Convention meant that for the first time in more than 50 years, Britain would be able to decide who could access its waters.

This is a historic first step towards building a new domestic fishing policy as we leave the European Union  one which leads to a more competitive, profitable and sustainable industry for the whole of the UK, he said.

Resource-rich fishing grounds

According to government figures, British vessels caught 708,000 tonnes of fish in 2015, worth $1bn.

Other members of the convention landed an estimated 10,000 tonnes of fish in British waters within 12 nautical miles of the British coast.

Michael Creed, Irelands minister for agriculture, food and the marine, said the move was unwelcome and unhelpful, but not surprising at the start of Brexit negotiations, including the common fisheries policy.





The Irish fishing fleet has access to parts of the UK six-12 mile zone, as has the UK fleet to parts of the Irish zone, he said.

These access rights were incorporated into the EU Common Fisheries Policy when we joined the EU.

The European Commission said it took note, but also felt the convention had been superseded by EU law, the BBC reported.

Fishing rights became a hot topic during the campaign for the June 2016 Brexit referendum, with British fishermen voicing frustration over EU fishing quotas.

Leading Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage even led a small flotilla of fishermen up the Thames a week before the referendum, arguing Britains fishing industry was literally being destroyed as a result of EU membership.
UN official says over 12,000 people reached Italys shores over weekend as he calls for urgent distribution system.

The UN refugee agency is putting pressure on Europe to help Italy defuse the unfolding tragedy of tens of thousands of migrants and refugees flooding its shores.

The move comes as interior ministers of France, Germany and Italy prepare to meet in Paris on Sunday to discuss a coordinated approach to help Rome.

Italy needs more international support to cope with a growing number of people who have braved a perilous Mediterranean crossing to reach Europe this year, Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, said on Saturday in a statement.

What is happening in front of our eyes in Italy is an unfolding tragedy.





In the course of last weekend, 12,600 migrants and refugees arrived on its shores, and an estimated 2,030 have lost their lives in the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year.

Italy, he said, was playing its part in taking in those rescued and offering protection to those in need.

These efforts must be continued and strengthened. But this cannot be an Italian problem alone.

Last week, Italy threatened to close its doors to people arriving on boats that were not flying Italian flags.

Europe has to get fully involved through an urgent distribution system of migrants and refugees and should widen legal channels so that migrants can be admitted, Grandi said.

He also called for greater international efforts to tackle the causes of migration, to protect people and to fight trafficking.

READ MORE: Greeks protest government crackdown on refugee squats

Since the beginning of the year, 83,650 people have reached Italy by sea, an increase of nearly 20 percent compared with the same period last year, UN figures show.

Nearly all of Italys 200,000 places for accommodating migrants have been filled.

Many of the people arriving need healthcare and support. A large percentage of them are non-accompanied children and victims of sexual violence, says the UN.

The number of migrant children arriving on their own rose twofold between 2015 and 2016, reaching 25,846 at the end of last year.

Worst migration crisis

Europe has been grappling with the worst migration crisis since the end of World War II with an influx of people fleeing the wars in Syria and Iraq while others from Africa are seeking an escape from poverty or political persecution.

And there continue to be flare-ups of violence prompted by the tensions among the migrants and refugees gathered in western Europe.

In the northern French port city of Calais, riot police stepped in over the past two days to break up fighting among African asylum seekers armed with sticks and rocks.





Fighting between Eritreans and Ethiopians on Saturday left 16 people injured, with police making 10 arrests.

That followed brawls on Friday night when security forces used tear gas to disperse the feuding sides, Calais Mayor Philippe Mignonet said.

In the past 12 hours, in terms of violence, theres been an escalation, he told AFP.

Calais has for years been a magnet for migrants and refugees hoping to cross the Channel to Britain.

Last October, France broke up the notorious tent camp known as the Jungle transferring thousands of migrants to centres around the country.

But hundreds remain near the port, mostly Africans and Afghans, who clash sporadically with police as they make nightly attempts to stow away onto trucks heading across the Channel to Britain.

Last month, a Polish driver was killed when his truck burst into flames after hitting a roadblock set up by migrants hoping to slow the traffic to make it easier to jump onto vehicles.

French President Emmanuel Macrons new government has ruled out building a reception centre for asylum seekers in Calais, saying it would only encourage more people to come, and has promised to reinforce security.
New force, meant to be operational soon, will be deployed in the region along with a 12,000-strong UN mission in Mali.

Five African countries have launched a new multinational force to fight armed groups in the Sahel region, which Frances President Emmanuel Macron told a summit in Mali should be fully operational in a matter of weeks.

The new regional anti-terror force is set to include as many as 5,000 soldiers, with one battalion from each of the so-called G5 Sahel countries: Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad.

Our enemies are cowards, but they have determination. They want to destroy us, Macron said on Sunday, in a regional summit with the G5-Sahel leaders in the Malian capital, Bamako.

Frances president said his country would contribute $9m to the new force this year. He also mentioned a contribution of 70 vehicles, without saying whether that was included in the sum.

READ MORE: Malis Keita vows to keep fighting terrorist groups

The European Union has also pledged $57m towards the new force, and France is seeking additional financing from partners, including Germany and the United States.

The new force will operate in the region along with the 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission and the 5,000-strong French troops already in Mali, which obtained its independence from France in 1960.

In addition, Macron announced $228m in development aid to the Sahel region over the next five years.

We cannot hide behind words, and must take actions, he said.

Speaking at the same event, Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita described al-Qaeda-linked fighters in the Sahel as without face and with no ethics.

They do not share our values, Keita said.

The fight against armed fighters is expected to focus on the border area between Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso, where attacks against military barracks have occurred recently.

A French military intervention in January 2013 turned back a separatist movement in Malis north, but various armed groups still stage attacks.

Key challenges

Macrons visit comes as al-Qaedas Mali branch released a proof-of-life video of six foreign hostages, including a French woman who was abducted in late 2016 in the northern Malian town of Gao.

On Sunday, Macron denounced the abduction of Sophie Petronin, vowing that his government will put all our energy towards eradicating the armed groups involved in the abduction.

Al Jazeeras Mohamed Vall, reporting from Bamako, said financing remains the crucial issue for the operations across the Sahel.

There are troops here and theyve been trying to solve the problem of insecurity in the region, but they havent been successful because the funding is at the heart of this situation, he said, adding that lack of money could cause the new initiative to fail.





The United Nations is struggling now with the approach of the US that the UN should reduce its security budget around the world, Vall said.

That US approach is touching this region.

Meanwhile, analysts said internal conflicts within Mali are complicating the fight against the armed groups.

What we see is a big focus on military, on equipment, on institutions that they are going to establish, Marie Roger Biloa, editor of the Paris-based Africa International, told Al Jazeera.

She said, however, that so far it has proved difficult to bring troops from different countries to effectively work together, and called for increased political efforts to address Malis very complicated situation.

The problem is that France wants to fight terror  because terrorism is striking on French soil but also abroad  but they fail to realise or to take into consideration that Mali, which is the heart of the problem, is having internal problems to solve, she said.

If you want to be efficient you also have to address that issue.

In 2015, an alliance of Tuareg-led rebels and Malis government signed a peace deal brokered by Algeria. The deal hands the Tuaregs greater autonomy of the northern region of Mali, in a bid to end a cycle of violence.

Since then, there has been sporadic fighting between pro-government militia and the coalition of Tuareg rebels, also known as the Coordination of Movements for Azawad.

You have a political situation with the Azawad pro-independence rebels who did not really sign the peace agreement  they just initialed this, they refused to sign it. But you have a huge gap of trust between the government and the rebels, Biloa told Al Jazeera.

Mali has seen a series of attacks in recent months, including a deadly raid of a tourist resort in Bamako in mid-June.

More than 100 UN soldiers have also died in recent months, making it the most deadly UN mission to date.








Once described as Israels finest politician, former prime minister was sentenced for breaching the publics trust.

Ehud Olmert was once described as the finest politician Israel had ever produced but, like many of his predecessors, he has seen his reputation dragged through the mud by a succession of fraud scandals.

The former Israeli prime minister was convicted in 2014 on charges of accepting bribes to promote a real-estate project in Jerusalem and obstructing justice.

The charges pertained to a period when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister before he became premier in 2006.





Olmert was a longtime fixture in Israels hawkish right wing when he began taking a dramatically more conciliatory line toward the Palestinians more than a decade ago.

He played a leading role in Israels withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and became prime minister in January 2006 after then Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke. He resigned amid a corruption scandal that clouded his administration.

A gifted orator, Olmert broke a series of taboos while in office  warning that Israel could become like apartheid South Africa if it continued its occupation of the Palestinians and expressing readiness to relinquish parts of the holy city of Jerusalem under a peace deal.

Even after his release on July 2, 2017, a the age of 71, Olmert could still face new criminal charges, though some Israeli media reported that the probe is expected to be dropped.

Last month, the state attorneys office instructed police to investigate suspicions that Olmert had smuggled a chapter of a book he was writing out of prison, an act that would constitute a felony owing to the secretive content, the justice ministry said.

Police had raided the office of the Yediot Aharonot publisher and seized Olmerts manuscript as well as other materials out of fears that their dissemination  before the mandatory censorship they would be subject to  could cause severe security damage, the ministry said.

The investigation was ongoing, with the state attorneys office expected to announce in the coming days whether it would seek to press charges against Olmert over his conduct around the book.

READ MORE: Its OK to be racist in Israel

Olmerts original 27-month prison term comprised 18 months for taking bribes in the early 2000s in connection with the construction of Jerusalems massive Holyland residential complex, eight months for a separate case of fraud and corruption, and another month for obstructing justice.

In a video message released just before he began his sentence, Olmert maintained his innocence.

You can imagine how painful and strange this change is to me, my family, loved ones and supporters, said Olmert, looking haggard and downcast. I totally deny all the bribe charges attributed to me.

He added that over the course of my extensive career I also made mistakes, though none of them were criminal by nature in my opinion. Im paying a dear price for some of them today, perhaps too dear.

With a very heavy heart, Im accepting my sentence today. Nobody is above the law.

Lawyer from Haifa

Olmert was born near Haifa on September 30, 1945, during the British Mandate and is a lawyer.

In the early 1970s he surprised many right-wing friends by marrying left-leaning artist Aliza, who brought up their four children with equally liberal views.

He was first elected to the Knesset at the age of 28, and went on to work in the foreign affairs and security committees.

He got his first taste of government from 1988 to 1990, when he served as a minister-without-portfolio for minority issues in Yitzhak Shamirs national unity government.

Olmert was also health minister in the Likud government that followed and held that position for two years.

In 1993, Olmert became mayor of Jerusalem, beating the long-standing incumbent Teddy Kollek.

He served two full terms in the post, and oversaw changes to the citys education and transport systems before quitting to become deputy prime minister.

Before 2006, Olmert won acknowledgement as a key strategist behind many of Sharons boldest moves, including the 2005 pull-out of settlers from the Gaza Strip and the subsequent decision to quit the right-wing Likud party and form the centrist Kadima.





With Sharon incapacitated, it was Olmert who led Kadima to victory in March 2006 on a platform of dismantling dozens of settlements and withdrawing troops from parts of the West Bank.

That year, Time magazine called Olmert the 12th Israeli to serve as prime minister and probably the best politician of them all.

But that turned out to be his high-water mark, with his West Bank plan shelved in the wake of the blistering 2006 war against Lebanon, which left more than 1,200 dead, most of them civilians, and 160 in Israel, mostly soldiers.

Olmert clung to power despite a damning report on his handling of the 34-day conflict, which slammed his government for failing to halt Hezbollah rocket fire and retrieve two captured soldiers.

He and Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas met several times following the relaunch of peace talks in November 2007 after a seven-year hiatus, until they were halted just over a year later at the start of Israels devastating 22-day offensive on Gaza.

IN PICTURES: Life in the darkness of Gazas power crisis

Olmert also entered into Turkish-mediated talks with longtime foe Syria in May 2008 after an earlier round of indirect negotiations broke down in 2000 over the issue of the occupied Golan Heights.

Olmert resigned from the premiership after police recommended that he be indicted in several other cases of fraud, all relating to a period before he became prime minister.

The stream of allegations dogged Olmert throughout much of his premiership. He resigned as prime minister in September 2008 but remained in office until March 2009, when Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in.

Olmert endured long periods of dismal single-digit approval ratings, the worst to blight a sitting premier, and himself once said he was a very unpopular prime minister.
United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit. RONALD SATISH EMRIT, Plaintiff - Appellant, v. NEVADA DEPARTMENT OF MOTOR VEHICLES, (DMV); MARYLAND MOTOR VEHICLE ADMINISTRATION, (MVA); U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, Defendants - Appellees. No. 17-1475 Decided: June 30, 2017

Before MOTZ, THACKER, and HARRIS, Circuit Judges. Ronald Satish Emrit, Appellant Pro Se.

Ronald Satish Emrit appeals the district court's order dismissing his civil complaint for failure to state a claim and improper venue.* We have reviewed the record and find no reversible error. See Buchanan v. Manley, 145 F.3d 386, 388-89 (D.C. Cir. 1998). It is apparent from Emrit's complaint that no conceivable basis exists for venue in the District of Maryland. See 28 U.S.C.  1391(b), (c) (2012) (describing venue and residency requirements); O'Neill v. Battisti, 472 F.2d 789, 791 (6th Cir. 1972) (describing residency of public official). Moreover, we are satisfied that the interests of justice did not require transferring, rather than dismissing, the action. See Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 678 (2009) (recognizing that, to survive dismissal, a complaint must contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face (internal quotation marks omitted)); Simpkins v. D.C. Gov't, 108 F.3d 366, 370 (D.C. Cir. 1997) (recognizing that district court may dismiss action, despite improper venue, where complaint patently failed to state viable claim).

Accordingly, we affirm the district court's judgment. We dispense with oral argument because the facts and legal contentions are adequately presented in the materials before this court and argument would not aid the decisional process.

AFFIRMED

FOOTNOTES

. Although Emrit's notice of appeal was filed more than 60 days after the district court's dismissal order, his appeal is timely because the court's order explains in full its reasons for dismissing the complaint and therefore is not a separate judgment under Fed. R. Civ. P. 58(a). See Hughes v. Halifax Cnty. Sch. Bd., 823 F.2d 832, 835 (4th Cir. 1987). The order is deemed entered, for purposes of Fed. R. App. P. 4(a), when 150 days have run from entry of the order in the civil docket. Fed. R. App. P. 4(a)(7)(A)(ii). As Emrit's notice of appeal was filed within that 150-day period, we have jurisdiction to consider his appeal. See Quinn v. Haynes, 234 F.3d 837, 843 (4th Cir. 2000).

PER CURIAM:
The Mideast is full of stupid ideas, each one more ridiculous than the previous. The newest confabulation comes this time from Israel. Israel is seriously considering building an artificial island off Gaza, which it can police, in order to supply the strip.

Many members of the security cabinet favor building an artificial island off the Gaza Strip to serve as its port but due to opposition from Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, no decision was made when the forum discussed the idea Sunday night[.] ... The proposal ... calls for the artificial island to be under international control. In addition to serving as a seaport, the island would contain infrastructure facilities that would provide water and power to Gaza residents.

The idea is that Israel can allow supplies into Gaza, filtered through security inspections. It would also have a drawbridge in case the natives get restless and decide to storm the facility.

The island is predicted to cost $5 billion, which means that before it is finished, it will cost $10 billion.

Katz, who is also the intelligence minister, said he also told the security cabinet that building the island would cost around $5 billion, all of which would come from international donations.

From international donations? It is bad enough that the idea is ridiculous, but Minister Katz thinks the world should pony up for this. Of course, it would be built chiefly by Israelis, and one has to wonder if this is not also a government employment scheme.

No one is going to pay for this. Those who love Israel will see it for the absurdity it is. Those who hate Israel will see it as nothing more than Israel retaining control over Gaza at someone else's expense. while pretending to care for the Gazans  which in a way it is also.

If Israel wants to send supplies to Gaza, she can do so now through the Erez crossing on the north of Gaza. Why does Israel need to build a $5-billion artificial island?

The article says it would be under international control.

Would Israel be so foolish as to allow it to remain under international control? Would the French, Norwegians, or Chinese really police the island and the supply chain the way Israel would like? Of course not! It would become an open channel for war supplies. Nor would any nation volunteer to participate in such fantasies, since none wants to be seen helping Israel.

Such an island would have to be run by Israel, not international control. Therein lies a rub.

The left will say it is just Israel continuing to control Gaza, which it would be  not that Gaza does not need to be controlled. The left will claim that Israel will be supplying water and electricity from the island rather than let the Gazans build their own facilities as a means of controlling the Gazans, which in a way is true. The Israelis know that any supplies to the Gazans would be diverted to make weaponry.

The left will claim that any power and water from the island will be used to blackmail the Gazans with a cutoff should they get uppity, which in a way would be true. This island idea will spark international outrage and serve only to convince the world that Israel has not left Gaza, as Israel claims she has. It will just give the left more ammunition to call Gaza the world's biggest open-air prison.

Finally, this project will require Israeli troops to set foot in Gaza in order to build the land end of the causeway. Does anyone seriously think the Gazans will not start shooting? And even if the landing is secured, does anyone doubt that the Gazans would sabotage it later on?

The Gazans want total access to the sea, not a bridge to nowhere. Avigidor Lieberman was right to oppose this. It is folly.

But let's take a further look at what could be done with $5 billion, which in actuality would run up to $10 billion.

A Gazan family of five could be given $250,000  $50,000 per member  to relocate somewhere else on the planet. In most of the world, this would set the family up for life.

If Arab countries will not accept them  and they probably won't  then African, Asian, or South American nations would accept them, if these Gazans came in with that much cash. Five billion dollars could relocate 100,000 Gazans. Ten billion could relocate 200,000 Gazans.

This would be money better spent.

To those who say the Gazans will not accept it, of course, you are right. As a group, the Gazans will not accept it, but many individuals will accept it, and these should be presented with that opportunity. If only 10% of Gazans accepted it, it would be an improvement. Every little bit helps.

Rather than spending money on idiocy, spend the money on alleviating the problem.

Now, as for donations: The Israelis are insane to think the world will voluntarily donate money to make Israel's life easier  whether that means building an island or paying Gazans to leave. If the Israelis are not going to pay for it, then it will not get done. Here the principle of cui bono applies. It will benefit Israel, so Israel will probably have to pay.

Israel could tell Europe that rather than supporting NGOs, a buyout of the Gazans will be the only monies allowed to be spent in their service. That might be an idea. It might generate some money, but more likely, Europe will just cease funding Gaza and let the population starve in the hope of embarrassing Israel into doing what Europe wants.

Clearly, the only real and permanent benefit can be realized when the Gazans leave. So Israel must offer to pay the Gazans to leave. The Arabs will not pay. The Asians will not pay. The left will not pay. I have no idea where Israel thinks these donations will come from, if not from Israel.

There is always a chorus who will cry: Drive the Arabs out into the desert. It is not Israeli's problem. Maybe not! But these are the same people who get upset when people criticize Israel, and what do they think will happen when Israel drives the Arabs out into the desert?

More criticism. BDS would become unstoppable worldwide.

There is no easy or happy solution. But if any money is spent on Gaza or Judea and Samaria  the West Bank  it must be spent only to pay the Arabs to leave. Anything else is a waste of time and money. And if one thinks Israel should not pay, then tell us who will pay. Not who should pay, but who will.

Mike Konrad is the pen name of an American who wishes he had availed himself more fully of the opportunity to learn Spanish in high school, lo those many decades ago. He writes on the Arabs of South America at http://latinarabia.com. He also just started a website about small computers at http://minireplacement.com.
According to Casablanca, a kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh, but is a handshake just a handshake? Or is there a correlation between a handshake and character? Does a handshake tell you anything about the personality, political attitude, or feelings of the participant? A handshake may not be a weapon, but is it a declaration of policy?

In recent years some handshakes have been significant signals of sensibilities. The one in September 1993 between Yitzhak Rabin and PLO leader Yasser Arafat was marked by discomfort on the part of the then Israeli p[rime minister, as was that on October 14, 1997 in Belfast between Gerry Adams, president of Sinn Fein, and British Prime Minister Tony Blair. One the other hand, that on June 27, 2012 also in Belfast between Martin McGuiness, former commander of the IRA, and Queen Elizabeth I, both symbolically wearing green, illustrated a change in attitudes, a more moderate policy of the part of the Irish Republican movement.

Since the election of Donald Trump to the U.S. presidency, the U.S. media has created a virtual cottage industry examining his handshakes with foreign leaders, and any meaning to be found in them. The most scrutinized and notable of them is that on May 25, 2017 at the NATO summit meeting with Emmanuel Macron, the newly elected President of France.

The pictures of the event with the U.S. and French flags in the background are revealing. While the two leaders are grimacing at each other, the handshake was unusually long with each demonstrating strength to the degree that white knuckles were shown by both. Whether Macron actually intended to crush Trumps hand physically is not clear, but evidently it was a show of power. Indeed Macron stated it was not innocent, it was deliberate, intentional, a moment of truth.

Macron, new on the international scene, is ambitious, showing in his remarks and physically posture he is in control, eager for France to be strong economically and to play an increasing role internationally. Already, he is preparing to cut government spending in order to meet requirements of European Union budget deficit limits and restore French financial creditability. It is more than likely that he views himself in the image of Charles de Gaulle, saving France from petty partisan quarrels and glorifying the role of a strong and independent France.

As a result of Trumps rejection on June 1, 2017 of the Paris Climate Change Agreement on carbon emissions he has been criticized by French leaders. Macron teased him by transforming Trumps familiar battle cry into Make the planet great again. Immediately, Macron in English made two offers of refuge to American scientists who were disappointed by Trumps views on climate and who he held would find a second homeland in France.

Following Trumps remark that his friend named Jim, refuses to visit the French capital because Paris is no longer Paris, the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo showed a video of Mickey and Minnie Mouse at the Eiffel Tower celebrating Paris that was doing well and was a resilient city.

Trump will now see the city, having accepted the invitation from Macron to visit Paris on July 14, take part in the traditional Bastille Day parade, to witness fireworks at the Eiffel Tower, and to commemorate the 100th anniversary of American entry into World War I. It is meaningful that U.S. soldiers, though not under the leadership of their commander in chief, will take part with French military in the parade. It is even more memorable that the entrance of those U.S. troops in 1917 was a turning point in U.S. relations with Europe, a rejection of isolationism and the policy of no foreign entanglements, and the beginning of U.S. efforts at hegemonic stability in Europe.

Foreign dignitaries have been invited on Bastille Day in the past. In retrospect, the most unwise was in 2008 when President Nicholas Sarkozy hosted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It is not necessarily the best of times nor the worst of times for President Trump to go to Paris. But the visit is politically shrewd for both countries. The Trump visit is opportune and provides an opportunity for conciliation between the two sides and discussion of meaningful issues, starting with counterterrorism and economic partnership.

It is time to overcome past mistakes or misunderstandings on both sides. It was unwise for Trump to have suggested implicit endorsement of Marine Le Pen, whom he termed the strongest candidate, and who was the main opponent of Macron, in the first round of the French presidential election in April 2017, and who had visited Trump Tower in January 2017 though she did not meet Trump at the time. It was equally unwise for Barack Obama, on April 20, 2017, to have spoken on the phone to Macron, a few days before the first round, even if he did not explicitly endorse Macron.

Macron may find echoes of French history in Trumps visit. It was Napoleon, a strong ruler with no clear political agenda, who wanted to emphasize law and order internally and to make France great again internationally. Trump is not likely to storm the Bastille, the former royal fortress and prison, as did the revolutionaries on July 14, 1789 to remove the symbol of authority and oppression, but he is like the French emperor an advocate of law and order.

Trump and Macron share certain values. Macron has already appeared tough, and competent to deal with Russian President Putin and German Chancellor Merkel as well as President Trump. He is prepared, like Trump, to act against terrorists, increasing tough measures including house arrests and property searches without warrants and even preventing protest marches on grounds of security. Like Trump he is using executive orders to get economic changes.

Internationally, Macron has attempted to act as a conciliator in the dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, has spoken strongly to Putin regarding both the use of chemical weapons in a future attack by Syria as well as the alleged Russian intervention in the French election, and the lying propaganda of the Russian media.

Macron resembles Trump in some other ways. He will not have a news conference on Bastille Day because his complex thoughts are not appropriate. He has, perhaps in jest, spoken of his rule as a Jupiterian presidency, echoing the Roman king of gods.

Trump has not yet fully outlined a foreign policy but he is prepared to act, to defend the U.S. and to limit immigration, if unwilling or careful to intervene or participate in quarrels elsewhere, though he is not an isolationist. Macron is aware that the U.S. is no longer willing to be the gendarme of the world, though it is prepared to act if US security is threatened. Paris is better in April, when chestnuts are in blossom, but July is the month for American-French entente.
An online friend watching the weeks events observes that they remind her of the villain Haman being hanged on the very scaffold he had built to hang Mordechai in the biblical Book of Esther. That sums up the week in which the federal investigators are themselves under investigation and the press is forced to recant the lies it has been publishing about the administration. Having watched the deep state eviscerate gentleman G.W. Bush and his administration on the Plamegate fiction, this turn of events warms my heart. Its long overdue.

1. The Attempted Russian Collusion Coup Fails

The Plotters Are Under Scrutiny

Loretta Lynch, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and James Comey -- not President Trump -- have more to fear from the ongoing investigations than does President Trump, against whom not a shred of evidence of illegal or improper conduct of his campaign has turned up in a year of searching for one .

Even Comeys replacement, as acting head of the FBI Andrew McCabe, is under investigation -- three separate inquiries into his behavior are, in fact, ongoing.

Circa reported Monday that former supervisory special agent Robyn Gritz, a decorated counterterrorism agent, has filed a sexual discrimination and retaliation complaint that names McCabe and other top FBI officials. That is working its way through the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and is awaiting a review by an administrative law judge in the Office of Federal Operations. Gritz also filed a complaint against McCabe with the main federal whistleblower agency in April, alleging social media photos she found show he campaigned for his wifes Virginia state senate race in violation of the Hatch Act. FBI employees are held to a higher standard than other federal workers under the Hatch Act and may not endorse or oppose a candidate for partisan political office or a candidate for political party office in a political advertisement, broadcast, campaign literature, or similar material if such endorsement or opposition is done in concert with a candidate, political party, or partisan political group. The OSC told Circa that complaint is still being actively investigated. In addition, the Justice Department Inspector General is investigating allegations from Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, that McCabe may not have properly disclosed campaign payments to his wife on his ethics report and should have recused himself from Hillary Clinton's email case.

Investors Business Daily concludes that the worm is beginning to turn on the conspiracy mongers:

Over the weekend, the New York Post reported that the firm behind the infamous Trump dossier -- Fusion GPS -- has been stonewalling the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has been trying to get information on who paid the firm to produce it and how it was used by government officials. It has been publicly known since at least early January that Fusion GPS was behind the discredited dossier, which claimed that Russia had blackmailable information on Trump, and that it was a notorious opposition research firm that was often enlisted to dig up dirt on Republicans, including a 2012 smear campaign against a donor to Mitt Romney's campaign. As the Post notes, one of the Fusion's founders, Peter Fritsch, contributed "at least $1,000 to the Hillary Victory Fund and the Hillary for America campaign." The Post story has sparked renewed interest in this dossier, most of which has been discredited, but which appears to be serving as a "road map" to various investigations.

John McCain, who peddled the dossier story, knew better -- some of the same figures were involved with him in his presidential campaign, and the claims were proven groundless.

The press, which megaphoned the plot, has lost all credibility.

As my online friend Thomas Lipscomb notes, the press has to keep up its ad revenue in order to print all the corrections it has to publish.

CNN has been hurt the most for its around-the-clock promotion of the claims against Trump.

This week it forced the resignation of three of its employees for running a fake story based on an anonymous source. Mollie Hemingway details the sordid history of fake news at CNN:

But taking responsibility for just one of the many flawed stories CNN has been pushing is nowhere near sufficient a response to the institutional problems plaguing the media outlet. The serious problems with CNNs approach to the Russia-Trump collusion conspiracy are much deeper than just one story, go back many months, and involve several stories and larger themes that no one at CNN has bothered to sufficiently explain. [snip] But whether its the embarrassingly false Comey story, the discredited dossier hit job, the retracted collusion story, or any of the other thinly sourced and overhyped collusion stories, all of these problems are similar. The journalists are getting bad information from anonymous sources, not being transparent about what has gone wrong when sourcing fails, and generally being too credulous with anonymous -- always-anonymous -- sources. Yes, letting three employees go is a good first step. But more needs to be done to restore credibility.

Sometimes, the errors are not even the result of bad sources as much as mindless reliance on the claims of those they endorse. This week, the NYT printed this correction to a long-repeated lie:

Correction: June 29, 2017 A White House Memo article on Monday about President Trumps deflections and denials about Russia referred incorrectly to the source of an intelligence assessment that said Russia orchestrated hacking attacks during last years presidential election. The assessment was made by four intelligence agencies -- the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Agency. The assessment was not approved by all 17 organizations in the American intelligence community.

The Associated Press followed on, eating crow as well:

WASHINGTON (AP) -- In stories published April 6, June 2, June 26 and June 29, The Associated Press reported that all 17 U.S. intelligence agencies have agreed that Russia tried to influence the 2016 election to benefit Donald Trump. That assessment was based on information collected by three agencies -- the FBI, CIA and National Security Agency -- and published by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, which represents all U.S. intelligence agencies. Not all 17 intelligence agencies were involved in reaching the assessment.

My online friend JMH notes how dumb was the assertion that all 17 organizations in the American intelligence community had concluded Russia hacked the DNC:

It only took one look at the Intelligence Community roster to figure that out. Did anybody really think that National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency weighed in on Russian hackery, or that Coast Guard Intel confirmed it? The patent risibility of the claim is what drove me crazy. All it takes is for something to appear in print once, and the left will run with it forever, no matter how thoroughly or often it gets debunked.

In the meantime, the administration just continues to drain the swamp while the press goes bananas over the Presidents tweets.

Our own editor explains the significance of the Presidents tweets

Can anyone argue that "pretending we are all Good Friends" when the other side doesn't works to Trump's (or conservatives') best interest? The norms associated with it need to change. There will be unpleasantness along the way. President Trump is setting about it in his own way and in his own style, which almost always occasions outrage, as it did in the presidential election. It turns out that the norms of the Beltway elite are not universal, and that a culture far larger than the media-political elite also has a voice in the end.

As Ken Masugi at American Greatness said:

If a candidate wont defend his own interests, using all weapons at his command, why should the public think he will zealously defend their common interests, especially against pseudo-aristocratic racial/ethnic claims of privilege? It is scarcely egomania, let alone white nationalism, to defend oneself from fire coming at one from a safe space. Why are low blows and insults tolerated when they are directed at Republicans, but unpresidential and beneath the dignity of the office when they are repulsed in equal measure? In fact, Aristotle makes it clear that permitting an injustice to oneself is a vice. [snip] Just as the left makes every attack on the administrative state an attack on the 1964 Civil Rights Act, so every Republican Administration becomes for the media and Democrats a replay of Nixon and Watergate. Nixon tried to rollback the Democrats successor to the New Deal, the Great Society. Republicans still havent learned the meaning of Watergate, which was far more a political crisis engineered by partisan Democrats than a constitutional crisis brought about by Nixon. Republicans have yet to recognize that their Machiavellian enemies in the bureaucracy, media, and politics brought about Nixons demise. Trump has seen that crisis early on in his presidency, embodied in James Comey, and is gamely fighting it.

Iowahawk is also on target. David Burge @iowahawkblog June 29

Washington is now just a bunch of kittens with laser pointers stapled to their heads.

They keep chasing that red dot and ignore the fact that the EPA can no longer claim the puddle in your driveway gives them jurisdiction over your property. Your son will no longer have to face a university star chamber if some gal claims he invaded her safe space. The military halted endorsing the recruitment of transgenders. No longer will energy sources be locked up from exploitation, or our allies be left hanging while we send a plane with pallets full of cash to the murderous mullahs. NATO members are paying more of their share of defense costs. Abbas has stopped paying terrorists in Israeli jails.

A real revolution is underway which is knocking the arrogant incompetent elites off their feet. They can scamper about all they want. Theres no catching that red dot at the end of the laser beam.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. DANIELLE KEITH BURKS, Petitioner-Appellant v. LORIE DAVIS, DIRECTOR, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS DIVISION, Respondent-Appellee No. 16-20526 Decided: June 29, 2017

Before JOLLY, DAVIS, and SOUTHWICK, Circuit Judges.

Danielle Keith Burks, Texas prisoner # 1779069, moves for a certificate of appealability (COA) to appeal the dismissal without prejudice of his 28 U.S.C.  2254 application for failure to exhaust state court remedies. He also moves for appointment of counsel. Burks challenges his state conviction for tampering with evidence, for which he was sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment.

A COA may issue only if the applicant makes a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right. 28 U.S.C.  2253(c)(2). When the district court's denial of federal habeas relief is based on procedural grounds, a COA should issue when the prisoner shows, at least, that jurists of reason would find it debatable whether the petition states a valid claim of the denial of a constitutional right and that jurists of reason would find it debatable whether the district court was correct in its procedural ruling. Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000).

Given the lack of evidence in the record as to the current state of Burks's state habeas proceedings and the district court's lack of findings as to whether the reason for a nearly three-year delay was justifiable, jurists of reason could question the district court's procedural ruling dismissing the federal petition for nonexhaustion. See id. In Burks's  2254 petition, he has asserted several claims, at least some of which appear to facially assert a valid claim of the denial of a constitutional right. See Gonzalez v. Thaler, 132 S. Ct. 641, 648 (2012); Houser v. Dretke, 395 F.3d 560, 562 (5th Cir. 2004). We express no view at this time on the proper resolution of Burks's claims and observe only that he has made a showing sufficient to warrant a COA. See id.

Accordingly, Burks's motion for a COA is GRANTED, the district court's judgment dismissing the motion for failure to exhaust state court remedies is VACATED, and the matter is REMANDED for further factual development regarding whether the delay in considering Burks's state habeas application is justifiable and whether the state proceedings are progressing. See id.; Whitehead v. Johnson, 157 F.3d 384, 388 (5th Cir. 1998). If the delay is not justifiable and the matter has not progressed in the state courts, the district court shall proceed to consider the merits of the federal habeas petition. Burks's motion for appointment of counsel is DENIED.

PER CURIAM:*
The English Oxford Dictionary defines a statesman as a skilled, experienced, and respected political leader or figure. To be viewed as a statesman one must have principles, courage, and vision. These are the qualities that make a statesman respected.

Why does it seem so difficult to find politicians that possess these qualities today? One of the last great statesmen, Winston Churchill, was recorded by Richard Langworth in his book Churchill by Himself as stating: How hard to build. How easy to evacuate. How hard to capture. How easy to do nothing. How hard to achieve anything. War is action, energy & hazard. These sheep only want to browse among the daisies.

Young Winston was expressing his frustration at being replaced as Lord of the Admiralty in the middle of World War I. Churchill proposed a risky beach landing at Gallipoli which proved to be a huge defeat for the allies, leaving 46,000 Allied troops dead and 250,000 casualties. While many leaders ran from the ill-fated plan, Churchill took complete responsibility. Churchill believed the price of greatness is responsibility so as the Lord of the Admiralty he would accept his fate. Despite the many politicians and military leaders who supported this military action, Churchill would almost exclusively carry the blame. Churchill would be forced from his post, and the Dardanelles Commission would be launched to hold Churchill culpable. The Commission would go on to find that many of the problems with the Gallipoli Campaign lay with the commanding officers themselves. It was the execution of the plan that caused its failure.

After being removed from office Churchill would accept the official rank as Captain and fight in the trenches in France. Churchills political courage would not be forgotten. For the rest of his life the ghosts of Gallipoli would haunt him as displayed by jeers from critical crowds. However, Churchills vision of an enormous sea to land invasion would later make the Allied invasion of Normandy possible. His actions after the failure at Gallipoli also displayed his political courage. A courage that would be displayed time and time again.

It is difficult to imagine this scenario playing out in modern day: a politician who accepts the blame of a policy which turned out to have flaws in its implementation; a leader willing to go from leading an entire branch of the military to the frontlines of a World War. Today it would seem more likely to be a plot in a movie. We see politicians more concerned with browsing among the daisies than achieving something great. We see leaders more concerned with polling and sound bites than action. At a time where the challenges are great, we need courage, we need vision. We need a statesman.

Ryan Walters teaches world history, U.S. history and government at McAlester High School in McAlester, Oklahoma. He was a finalist for the Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Competition in 2016.
Until today, America has largely avoided the vicious church vs. state struggles which have so ravaged nations like France and Spain since the 1789 French Revolution. Western nations, from that time until today, have witnessed numerous political battles over the place of the church in public life, battles which usually had less to do with the particulars of theology than with longstanding economic and legal tensions. The European and Latin American debates over the relationship between church and statesuch as those in nineteenth century Belgium, Mexico, and Italywere complicated and dramatic affairs, which saw liberals and conservatives take a wide spectrum of positions.

American government, however, has historically sidestepped this conflict by, at the same time, both eschewing a state religion and fostering an informal relationship with religion, even to the point of presuming religious philosophies in its lawmaking. Indeed, as the Taney Court ruled in Commonwealth v. Nesbit in 1859, Law can never become entirely infidel; for it is essentially founded on the moral customs of men and the very generating principles of these is most often religion. A religious people who, of their own volition, decided against erecting any establishment of religion, the American people succeeded in avoiding the quagmire of European church politicsthey had apparently solved one of historys great political dilemmas.

Yet, this blessing, in one sense, seems to finally be evaporating. In modern Western society, even institutions as basic as marriage and values as basic as mere faith in God have come under attack, and American politicians have begun to receive criticism for adopting any moral principles whatsoever in their policymaking. Instead of a church conflict, in short, we are witnessing the dawn of a conflict over morality itself. The presupposition of moral absolutes in law, once supported as a matter of course and not viewed as necessarily connected with any particular religious creed, is now increasingly excoriated as a religious manipulation of public law. The religious undergirding of morality, accepted as a truism throughout Western history, has become the main target of modern secularist ideology.

History has demonstrated, time and time again, the truth of the principle laid out by the Taney court, and it will surely continue to do so. This article will seek to demonstrate that interpreting American law and constitutional principles through the lens of that modern, secular fanaticism which seeks to drive all morality and religion out of the public square is completely out of consonance with American legal precedent, and represents a clear break with the traditions of American society. This ideology will inaugurate, and in many cases already has inaugurated, an ideological conflict that that threatens to rip apart the very foundations of society. It will replace the old anticlerical struggle, which sought only to remove institutional clerical influence from government, with a struggle against any moral principles in government whatsoever, which can only end in total disaster.

To begin with, a mention of two of historys key clerical vs. statist struggles is in order. The Spanish Civil War (1936-1939), one of historys foremost examples of a church-state conflict, was an ideological war as vicious as any religious conflict fought in baroque Europe, imparting scars that divide many Spanish families to this day. Even many conservatives, such as Winston Churchill and William F. Buckley, Jr., who were glad to see the traditionalistalbeit authoritarianNationalists win, were often much happier with the defeat of the communist-aligned Spanish republic than the triumph of Generalissimo Francisco Franco. Many also decried the corruption of the Spanish government and church in the decades leading up to the war. It was a brutal struggle which often lacked a clear division between right and wrong.

Perhaps deeper in the Anglo-American popular memory, however, are Frances revolutionary wars of the 1790s and 1800s. During this time, France witnessed, among other atrocities, the systematic killing of thousands, the execution of clergy and nuns, the razing of ancient churches, the arbitrary suspension of ancient laws, and, across the continent, saw innocent people defrauded of their lands and properties. At the peak its reign of terror (1793-1794), the most extremist revolutionary factions successively turned against the previous group in ascent and guillotined their rivals in a literal political suicide, accusing their foes of not being revolutionary enough. Such, it seems, is the natural fate of all such violent utopian movementsthe Russian Revolution of 1917, whose communist perpetrators admired and sought to imitate its depredations is only one in historys long line of additional examples.

Such, then, was the violent birth that brought the European continent into modernity, a phenomenon that seems, thankfully, to have mercifully ignored the United Statesprincipally, perhaps, thanks to the good sense and prudence of its founders, the legal codes they erected, and the principles they propounded in documents such as the Federalist Papers.

The template of church-state relations laid out in American law is set in contrast (and was constructed in response) to this general European conflagration, this centuries-long struggle that the founding fathers were only too wary of. The great strength of the American concept of church-state affairs, as Alexis de Tocqueville laid out in Democracy in America in 1831, lay in the convictionamong the American citizenrythat the vitality of religion is grounded not in its connection to the state, but in its legal freedom from it. They felt that separation of church and state allow the church full freedom of action. It was an outlook that went beyond the mere letter of the law, and was sincerely held by millions of private citizens.

As he relates in his classic treatise, de Tocqueville found that essentially every American he queried on the issue in the early 1830sclergy and laymen alikewere in total accord on the question of church-state relations. Americans felt that religion could persist just as strongly, perhaps more strongly, without state involvement (which they often equated with state control). In the American mind, that very Constitution which banned an established national church in no way hampered religion, but in fact encouraged it by freeing religious institutions from the corrupting influence of the state.

Instead of the bitterness that European peasants often directed at their churches because of corrupt, powerful, government sponsored clergymen, American citizens in the early days of the republic viewed their clergy, generally speaking, with a fundamental positivity and even friendliness. Nineteenth century American churchmen were, as a rule, respected by the citizenry as impartial community advocates and honored by the government as independent leaders of American society, and were usually strong spokesmen for political liberty. During this period there was a free mingling of government officials and religious clergy that took place without any legal coercion, a phenomenon which represented a true innovation in the course of human history. American presidents, governors, and legislators met, as they still do today, with prominent clergymen for assistance and advice on important matters, both religious and otherwise. This included leaders like President Lincoln himself, who made John Hughes, the first Catholic Archbishop of New York, his personal agent with full powers to set forth the Union cause in Europe, in the words of biographer Carl Sandburg.

For generations, this amicable modus vivendi made the United States a nation that, at least in one sense, was at philosophical unity and religious peace. Philosophical compromise, peace, and unityunlike in the vicious all-or-nothing climates of revolutionary France or revolutionary Spainbecame the default state of America society. Notwithstanding the prejudice of some private citizens, the faithful, those of different faiths, and those without discernible faith came together in the American alembic, finding peace because they agreed on fundamental practical points of personal behavior and church-state relations. Churches flourished and grew, competing just as they had in Europe for centuries, but with the stain of blood removed from their dealings with one another. America, in this way, had solved one of the key trials of history, becoming, as one of its national mottoes declares, a true novus ordo secloruma new order of the ages, emancipated, as it were, from the legal misfortunes and sufferings of the past ages of humanity.

Yet it seems that the cycle of history may have finally caught up with the United States. That dreaded European clerical vs. anti-clerical struggle may, in a way of speaking, be on the verge of arriving on American shoresalbeit in a form quite different from the one it took in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. For while America has defeated the beast of the European-style church struggle, it has begun a debate over not which church will lead the nation but which basic code of morals, if any, will order society.

While the American population was always of a varied religious makeup, it was nonetheless, at least until roughly a half century ago, in general agreement on the validity of the basic tenets of the Judeo-Christian worldview. Many of the issues at the center of todays cultural debategay marriage, abortion, feminism, divorce, the usage of religious symbols on government propertywere not, generally speaking, matters of dispute until the relatively recent past. This was in large part because Americans were, overwhelmingly, of the same opinion on the principles that undergirded these issues and felt that the traditional outlook on topics such as marriage and gender was not necessarily connected to any particular religious institution or creed. (And, if certain individuals held differing views, they usually did not raise formal objectionseven though they had full legal latitude to do so). The traditional stances on such topics were accepted and held as something more basic than even what one would call social norms: they were social truisms. The office of Chaplain of the Senate (in Lincolns day, Mr. Phineas Gurley), the affixation of In God We Trust to U.S. currency (which began in 1864), and the adoption of that same phrase as our national motto (under President Eisenhower), are all examples of this general cultural outlook and its persisting legacy. This was seen as non-contentious for most of U.S. history, inasmuch as these views were not seen as attached to a state-favored religion. The traditional, original understanding of the separation of church and state in the first amendment of the Constitution what that it was condemned, strictly speaking, the legal establishment of a state church, not that it condemned any hint of religion in government, as many revisionists presume today. If it were so oriented, then essentially every American leader since President Washington himselfwho famously declared that religious principles were indispensable to the well-being of the nation in his 1796 farewell addresswould be acting in contempt of the nations basic laws.

This relationship between Christianity, law, and society was often understood, as the Supreme Court ruled in Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States in 1892, as a manifestation of the legally embedded general Christianity (in the particular case of Church of the Holy Trinity v. United States, the general Christianity in the common law of Pennsylvania) of the American people, who were described, in the text of the court decision itself, as a Christian people. Common law, it was argued, guaranteed a place for the general creed of Christianity without reference to any one denomination; the American people were a Christian people who refrained, by law, from undertaking any religious persecutions or preferential treatment. The United States was a nation that, while inhabited by Jews, Christians, and non-aligned people alike, nonetheless acknowledged the practical Judeo-Christian traditions embedded in its laws, institutions, and very social fabric. This viewpoint was echoed in several other cases, including the aforementioned Commonwealth v. Nesbit in 1859.

Thus, one way in which the United States had avoided the European clerical vs. anti-clerical struggle was by allowing religious beliefs to suffuse its entire society and governmentthe people were, after all, an eminently religious one (as de Tocqueville had noted)while refusing to legally connect itself, on the national level, with any religious body. The clergymen knew that this arrangement was one that preserved domestic tranquility and kept their churches largely free from the corruption of extraneous political influence. The religious forces among the people took full advantage of a system that, unlike the total separation of the French republics principle of lacite, allowed religious faith a free hand to attempt to influence the government. American freedom was not a simple, sterile, domesticated freedom, but a true, radical, legally founded freedom that ensured liberty for individual citizens and churches alike. For generations, this arrangement was believed, by what seems to have been the great, preponderant swath of the people, to be fully compatible with, and even congenial to, the principles set forth in the Constitution. To illustrate the legal nature of this relationship, it may be helpful to reference several more Supreme Court cases from across American history.

One of the Courts most dramatic formulations of its view on the relationship between non-established faith and the law came in 1846 with the ruling in City of Charleston v. Benjamin. The decision read, in part:

"Christianity is part of the common law of the land, with liberty of conscience to all. It has always been so recognized...The observance of Sunday is one of the usages of the common law recognized by our U.S. and State Governmentsit is the foundation of those morals and manners upon which our society is formed; it is their basis. Remove it and they would fall...it [morality] has grown upon the basis of Christianity."

Again, nearly a hundred years later in United States v. Macintosh (1931)a case dealing with the naturalization of citizens and the grounds for conscientious objectionthe Supreme Courts decision contained the outright declaration that the people of the United States were, by tradition and convention, a people of Judeo-Christian views who, nonetheless, allowed freedom of conscience to non-Christians under their Constitution. The decision (while it may stun the ear of many today) stated, in part:

"We are a Christian people... according to one another the equal right of religious freedom and acknowledging with reverence the duty of obedience to the will of God."

A corollary to this legal tradition came with the important Zorach v. Clausen decision in 1952, decided under Chief Justice Fred M. Vinson. This decision, like several previous ones, argued that the government should not merely permit the free exercise of religion, but should actually actively cooperate with religious authority. The decision reads, in part:

"The First Amendmentdoes not say that in every and all respects there shall be a separation of Church and State...Otherwise the State and religion would be aliens to each otherhostile, suspicious, and even unfriendly We are a religious people whose institutions presuppose a Supreme Being...When the State encourages religious instruction or cooperates with religious authorities...it follows the best of our traditions [my italics].

It is clear, however, that the climate presumed in these court rulings is far removed from our experiences today; we have, in many ways, been living under a drastically different paradigm, legally as well as socially, since the 1960s. Whatever ones opinion on todays hot button social issues, anyone who has monitored the news for any length of time during the past half-century can see that the disappearance of common agreement on basic moral issues has introduced chaos into American society. And it is, in fact, this very chaos that is metastasizing into Americas own version of the church vs. state struggle.

With contemporary social and moral development has come a questioning of the very nature of truth itself; again, the court can furnish us with a ready-made example. Planned Parenthood v. Casey famously ruled in 1992 that central to freedom was the ability to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and of the mystery of human life. This sentiment, and the relativistic philosophy that undergirds it, is entirely against the verdict of numerous prior supreme court cases and, moreover, repugnant to the basic integrity of law itself. How can the law stand if one has total freedom to create a new definition of reality wherein the law holds no power?

Planned Parenthood v. Casey and its close cousin Roe v. Wade are not only self-contradictory and poorly reasoned pieces of jurisprudence; even legal scholars of various political stripes dispute the logic behind Roe v. Wades interpretation of the fourteenth amendment, but the contradiction goes far beyond such particulars. We have entered a period in history were the moral scaffolding for humanitys most basic behaviors has come under attack, with disastrous effects beyond the urbane faculty lounges where the existence of truth is cavalierly thrown into doubt. We are galloping through a chronic version of the culture wars which, while appearing to have abated somewhat in the wake of Obergefell v. Hodges, show no signs of stopping anytime soon. Our social and political fractures, far from disappearing, are growing even more salient. The 2016 presidential election furnished a perfect example of this, when, in spite of the undeniably moderate character of Trumps social views, he was condemned by the left for his backwardness.

With violent campus protests, politically-inspired riots, increasing moral confusion, and now, assassination attempts sweeping the nation, I can only conclude by arguing for a return to those Judeo-Christian spiritual and philosophical values which, in the past, have provided our body politic (and the bodies politic of the Western world generally) with that ontological common ground essential for any mature society. As John Adams wrote in his letter to the Massachusetts militia in October 1798, Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious People. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other, and as John Quincy Adams, in turn, wrote to his son, The law given from Sinai was a civil and municipal as well as a moral and religious code; it contained many statutesof universal applicationlaws essential to the existence of men in society, and most of which have been enacted by every nation which ever professed any code of laws.

These sentiments have held true across American history. Indeed, one might say that J. Q. Adams words find a natural echo in the judgment expressed by the Taney court, that Law can never become entirely infidel, all law being based, ultimately and unavoidably, on the spiritual values of mankind and the Truth of God. While it is true, especially since the 1960s, that the court has issued rulings of a decidedly different character than the ones described here, and also, that American leaders have expressed a variety of views on this topic far too wide to be given full justice in a single article, the fact that the American founders almost unanimously ascribed tremendous importance to the place of religion in society ought to give any would-be legal secularist pause. The difference between state secularism and a secular state is a subtle yet essential distinction; in America, the lack of a legal establishment of religion is not an invitation to eject religion from the public squareit is, in fact, just the opposite.
Remember Bad, Bad Leroy Brown? He was "Badder than old King Kong and meaner than a junkyard dog." Junkyard dogs are good in a fight, mean and nasty when provoked. They're often docile when treated decently, with respect and kindness. But don't poke them with a stick or kick them unless you want to be attacked with bared teeth and a nasty bite.

President Donald Trump is a junkyard dog. Raised in New York City, he spent his entire working life dealing with N.Y. politics, graft, regulations, backstabbing, and aggressiveness. A true junkyard. It's not the lunch room at Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue; it's the trenches of political warfare and bureaucracy of building hotels and managing real estate.

Trump is generally kind and gentle. Ask his employees or his family. For all the thousands of people he has interacted with over the years in his personal and professional life, few have been critical of Trump. Except for a handful of women who piled on, accusing him of unwanted affections just after the Access Hollywood video release.

Morning Joe co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski "fawned over Trump" during much of the presidential campaign, to the dismay of Media Matters and other left-wing groups. Treating him with respect, they had pleasant and informative interviews. And good ratings. Discussions and challenging questions regarding policy were fair game for a presidential candidate. It wasn't personal or nasty.

Post-election, Joe and Mika spent New Year's Eve at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago, enjoying their cordial relationship with and proximity to the president-elect.

Fast-forward to the Trump presidency. Joe and Mika, perhaps responding to their MSNBC viewers and corporate masters, decided that petting the junkyard dog was no longer appropriate. Instead, throwing rocks and poking him with a stick would be more suitable for the MSNBC audience.

How did they provoke the junkyard dog? Mika accused him of "lying every day" and "destroying the country." She also referred to his "teensy" hands.

Remember Marco Rubio commenting on Trump's hands? Early in the primary season, Rubio remarked, "And you know what they say about guys with small hands." Poking the junkyard dog with a stick. Trump hit back against "Little Marco" with a new nickname, and during the next debate, he defended his manhood: "I guarantee you there's no problem."

Ted Cruz learned a similar lesson after a Cruz-linked super-PAC posted nude photos of Melania Trump from 2000. Trump hit back hard with a side-by-side photo of Heidi Cruz and Melania Trump. Poke a junkyard dog with a stick and expect to be bitten.

Joe and Mika learned a similar lesson this week when poking Trump, calling him a liar and questioning his manhood  not privately, but to the world on their morning news show, three hours a day, five days a week on a major network. It was not for the first time, either. Their show, network, and the entire mainstream media have been throwing rocks at Trump. Incessant criticism. Name-calling and worse. Did they expect Trump to just ignore it?

Were they expecting a George W. Bush response of turning the other cheek  of repeatedly not reacting to criticism, content to "let history be the judge of what he did"? How did that work out? The Bush approach reflects the refined highbrow world he grew up in, not the rough-and-tumble world of New York City, where Trump cut his teeth.

Donald Trump is who he is. We have been watching him daily for the past two years. He doesn't pick fights, but he certainly responds when someone picks a fight with him. First Lady Melania Trump set the stage for how this sort of thing goes: "When her husband gets attacked, he will punch back 10 times harder."

So why the shock and outrage from the media and #NeverTrump Republicans? This is who Trump is. Call him a pig or a fascist or a Nazi incessantly. Tell the world he is mentally ill and that he is ill endowed. Claim that he wants to kill people and destroy the country. Call him a liar  and this is not some small market talk radio host, but instead a prominent national network morning news show. Even Carl Bernstein, still surfing his Watergate wave from 40 years ago, said we have "a malignant presidency."

Kick the junkyard dog and expect blowback. Other presidents may have ignored this, but not the scrapper from Queens. Poke him with a stick, and expect to be bitten eventually.

Spare us the high-horse indignation from the #NeverTrumps  whether it's Senator Ben Sasse saying, "This isn't normal and it's beneath the dignity of your office" or Senator Lindsay Graham saying, "Your tweet was beneath the office," these same paragons of virtue didn't seem to have a problem when Barack Obama weaponized the FBI, DOJ, CIA, and IRS in pursuit of political opponents. But let Trump punch back, and it's the apocalypse.

Time for a new nursery rhyme for the media and everyone else outraged over President Trump. "Ring around the Rosy" needs an update.

New version: Diss Trump around the rosy; get punched in the nosey. Fake news, fake news, they all fall down.

Brian C Joondeph, M.D., MPS is a Denver-based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
Heading into the July 4th weekend, the prospect of forming "a more perfect union" has rarely been this dismal. The Democratic "resistance" - evoking memories of the "underground" opposition to Nazi Germany by western European countries - gets more hysterical by the day. The rhetoric of opposition becomes more unhinged, more violent as Democrats have been stymied by Republicans at the ballot box and in Congress.

As this Vox article points out, for many blue states and cities, "resistance" has gone beyond opposition and has entered the surreal world of actually ignoring the foreign policy being made in Washington and negotiating their own "deals" with European countries on climate change.

Even before President Trump announced that the US would withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, it was clear that he intended to lead the US on a fossil fuel bender. He has made it crystal clear that the federal government has no interest in addressing climate change.

A "fossil fuel bender"? The question isn't how much oil we're producing and using. The question when it comes to climate change are CO2 emissions. And despite the hysteria present in that phrase, the fact is, the US has been reducing its emissions faster than any other western nation.

Since Trump gave the world the finger over Paris, more than 1,400 companies and institutions, 200 cities, and a dozen states have committed to meet the carbon targets the US originally pledged there. Theres been so much activity that it can be difficult to track all the new initiatives and groups. Theres the US Climate Alliance, representing 12 states and about a third of the US population. Theres We Are Still In, representing nine states, hundreds of cities, and thousands of businesses and institutions of higher learning. Theres Climate Mayors, with 338 US mayors representing 65 million constituents. And probably more Im missing.

This is giggle worthy. The idea that even a consortium of states and cities will be responsible for reducing carbon emissions fails to recognize the futility of small groups impacting the $4 trillion US economy. Whatever minuscule efforts they make in reducing carbon will be overwhelmed by the national switch over from coal to natural gas, and the continuing slow progress being made in solar and wind energy. This is virtue signalling at its most ridiculous.

All of this action was more or less symbolic until earlier this month, when yet another coalition, as yet unnamed  consisting of three governors, 30 mayors, and more than 80 university presidents, led by ex-NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg  began negotiating with the UNFCCC to have their contributions officially counted alongside other nations in the Paris agreement. Its not clear if that effort will come to anything. There is currently no formal mechanism in the Paris agreement to account for subnationally determined contributions (SNDCs, a spin on nationally determined contributions that I just made up). And the Paris agreement is nonbinding anyway, so even if this coalitions SNDCs end up formally included and reported, it will still mostly be symbolic. Theres no legal authority holding states, cities, and institutions to these commitments. Still, its notable that the US subnational climate diaspora  mostly Democrats, but more than a handful of Republicans too, especially at the city level  is spontaneously organizing itself.

Blue city mayors and governors can "negotiate" until they're, well, blue in the face and it won't change a thing. But the effort itself is comical enough that we can project a counterfactual.

Suppose a Democratic president was elected in 2020 and 30 or so red states decided to strike out on their own and "negotiate" with, let's say Russia? They could refuse to honor any sanctions mandated by Washington. They could make their own trade deals and create their own financial ties. Perhaps their national guards could hold joint military exercises with the Russians.

It's nonsense, of course. But that's pretty much what blue states are doing with climate change.

This effort by blue states simply isn't serious and should be dismissed as just another example of the hysteria generated by Trump's election.
American financial, humanitarian and military help began in the second half of the 20th century. Throughout Americas generosity in helping other countries, there has been an underlying, unspoken assumption that there would be gratitude on the part of the recipients. And we do, indeed, see gratitude being expressed -- only to vanish in a very short period of time afterwards, sometimes to the point of hostility replacing the gratitude (this phenomenon is not limited to the United States; we see this occurring time and again between countries).

Let us look at several instances.

The atrocities in the Balkans in the 1990s centered in Bosnia, a Muslim country inside Europe, and they were principally carried out by Croatian and Serbian forces (some of them being paramilitary criminal gangsters). The United States finally intervened with NATO forces and the carnage ended. Now, at this point, one would expect that the Muslims, worldwide, would show an expression of gratitude and thanksgiving towards the United States. It was not forthcoming.

Switch to Iraq, and George W. Bush, who invades that country and deposes the dictator who had oppressed his people and who had poison-gassed many of his citizens; by doing so, he deposed the Sunni regime and liberated the oppressed Shiite population, who then became the rulers of the country, much to the dismay of Sunni Saudi Arabia, our ally in the region. Now, at this point, one would expect gratitude from the population of Iraq, certainly from the Shiite rulers in Iran, who could now go to Iraq on a pilgrimage where they could flog themselves in public. Not so. They continued with America is the Great Satan and Death to America!

Half a century earlier, the Nazis overran France whose soldiers had barely fired a shot (but who would later form a myth of a grandiose French Resistance -- much to the snickering of every other combatant country), but had been liberated by American, and British forces. They had even gone through the farce of having Charles de Gaulles miniscule Free French forces enter Paris as the liberator. After the war, the French, and de Gaulle in particular, were consistently hostile to both Britain and America, with that hostility expressed on numerous occasions (and earning the enduring contempt of both the British and Americans) during the second half of the 20th century.

The moral of these stories is that long-term damage to the United States is not balanced by a very brief, ephemeral, expression of gratitude. Expected gratitude should not enter into the equation when considering international matters by the United States (unfortunately, part of the problem is that Americans have an infantile craving to be liked by foreigners). The throwing away of billions of taxpayer dollars and the spilling of American blood for the sake of other countries should end once and for all.

Armando Simon is a retired college professor and is the author of A Cuban from Kansas, The U, and The Only Red Star I Liked Was a Starfish. They can be obtained at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
Harry Truman is one of the few modern presidents seemingly liked by both sides. A few months ago, President Trump was excoriated for his "unprecedented" tweet to Nordstrom's concerning their shabby treatment of Ivanka. Now, after a tweet about Mika and Joe of Morning Joe, he is again being attacked by seemingly the whole world.

Unprecedented?

Recall the following letter from Truman to the music critic of the Washington Post. Maybe President Trump he is just channeling Harry. This famous letter just cannot be reprinted too often.

THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON

Dec. 6, 1950

Mr. Hume:

I've just read your lousy review of Margaret's concert. I've come to the conclusion that you are an "eight ulcer man on four ulcer pay."

It seems to me that you are a frustrated old man who wishes he could have been successful. When you write such poppy-cock as was in the back section of the paper you work for it shows conclusively that you're off the beam and at least four of your ulcers are at work.

Some day I hope to meet you. When that happens you'll need a new nose, a lot of beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!

Pegler, a gutter snipe, is a gentleman alongside you. I hope you'll accept that statement as a worse insult than a reflection on your ancestry.

H.S.T.

Imagine if Give em Hell, Harry had had a Twitter account! If you dont know who journalist Westbrook Pegler was, it is worth a Google search or two. He once called Truman a thin-lipped hater. Our ancestors seemed more comfortable with the First Amendment than we do today. Not to mention cigars, scotch, and poker in the White House.

Ill quit before I drown in nostalgia.
On Thursday, the House voted 228-195 against sanctuary cities. Not surprisingly, it went down along party lines.

Am I the only one who finds it hard to believe that a member of the U.S. House would support a city that violates federal laws? Would we have a similar vote if some U.S. cities decided to make abortion illegal? or not issue "same-sex marriage" licenses? or a sanctuary cities for employers who refuse to contribute to Social Security? or citizens who refuse to file tax returns? Would Democrats be OK with that?

My guess is that Planned Parenthood might object to a U.S. county that made abortion illegal. The execs would be on the phone with their friends in the House and Senate within minutes!

DNC chairman Tom Perez would probably go loco if someone told him that a county refuses to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. He'd probably use profanity to say the law of the land has to be "f------ obeyed."

Senator Sanders would probably give a long speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate saying that employers who refuse to pay their Social Security contributions are violating the law.

So why is violating immigration laws not treated the same way? I don't get it!

The Democrats should read what Peter Beinart wrote about illegal immigration.

In this article, Mr. Beinart, who is a very strong liberal, shows how the party has changed over the last 15 years. At one time, and not that long ago, Democrats saw illegal immigration very differently:

In 2005, a left-leaning blogger wrote, "Illegal immigration wreaks havoc economically, socially, and culturally; makes a mockery of the rule of law; and is disgraceful just on basic fairness grounds alone." In 2006, a liberal columnist wrote that "immigration reduces the wages of domestic workers who compete with immigrants" and that "the fiscal burden of low-wage immigrants is also pretty clear." His conclusion: "We'll need to reduce the inflow of low-skill immigrants." That same year, a Democratic senator wrote, "When I see Mexican flags waved at proimmigration demonstrations, I sometimes feel a flush of patriotic resentment. When I'm forced to use a translator to communicate with the guy fixing my car, I feel a certain frustration." The blogger was Glenn Greenwald. The columnist was Paul Krugman. The senator was Barack Obama.

So what happened? How did the Democratic Party go from saying these things to where it is now? I think that they bought into the "demographics" arguments and came to believe that they would win elections by simply getting Hispanics to show up.

It was a great idea until Mr. Trump proved them wrong in 2016. (Actually, it did not work in 2014, either, but they convinced themselves that those were off-year election results and that the electorate would be different in 2016.)

Based on the aforementioned House vote, it does not look as though Democrats have figured out what their problem is. Maybe some Democrat out there will read what Glenn Greenwald, Paul Krugman, and none other than Barack Obama used to say about illegal immigration.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) (YouTube) and follow me on Twitter.
There's been another surge of illegal aliens flooding into Italy and the Italian government simply can't handle any more.

More than 12,000 people from Africa and the Middle East have crossed the Mediterranean to Italy in just the last 4 days and the unseaworthy, overloaded boats that make the journey are taxing the Italian navy and coast guard to the limit.

But Italy risks severe penalties from the EU for turning away the migrants.

Daily Caller:

Setting off such high numbers of boats at the same time is extremely worrying, EU border security official Fabrice Leggeri said in a statement. With this frequency and these numbers we can easily tell that, soon enough, we wont be able to handle it any longer, an Italian lawmaker told WaPo. We risk reaching a point when we wont be able to authorize any landing any longer, a dramatic situation. EU officials have pledged nearly 200 million U.S. dollars to Libyas coastguard in an effort to counter migrant efforts. EU officials also reportedly hope that the Libyan government will be able to stop migrant smuggling networks on the ground in order to curb the flow, but little appears to be working in the near term. If Italy shuts down its borders to the arrival of sea-borne migrants, it is likely to face heavy pushback from the the broader EU. The bloc sued member states Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic for refusing to accept the allotted number of refugees under an EU wide resettlement program. The action was initiated in the European Court of Justice and will likely impose a heavy fine on the three affected countries.

As Soren Kern points out, those Central and Eastern EU countries have stood up to Germany and said they will not abide by the resettlement agreement stuffed down their throats by Berlin. They claim the right to maintain their national character by limiting the number of foreigners who enter their countries.

The so-called infringement procedure, which authorizes the European Commission, the powerful executive arm of the European Union, to sue member states that are considered to be in breach of their obligations under EU law, could lead to massive financial penalties. The dispute dates back to September 2015, when, at the height of Europe's migration crisis, EU member states narrowly voted to relocate 120,000 "refugees" from Italy and Greece to other parts of the bloc. This number was in addition to a July 2015 plan to redistribute 40,000 migrants from Italy and Greece. Of the 160,000 migrants to be "shared," nine countries in Central and Eastern Europe were ordered to take in around 15,000 migrants. Although the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia voted against the agreement, they were still required to comply. Since then, several Central European EU member states have vehemently refused to accept their assigned quotas of migrants. Poland, for example, has a quota of 6,182 migrants, not one of whom has been admitted. The Czech Republic has a quota of 2,691 migrants, of whom only 12 have been taken. Hungary has a quota of 1,294, none of whom have been admitted. In the EU as a whole, so far only around 20,000 migrants have been relocated (6,896 from Italy and 13,973 from Greece), according to the EU's latest relocation and resettlement report, published on June 13, 2017. Of the 28 EU member states, only Malta has taken in its full quota  131 migrants. Many so-called asylum seekers have refused to relocate to Central and Eastern Europe because the financial benefits there are not as generous as in France, Germany or Scandinavia. In addition, hundreds of migrants who have been relocated to Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which rank among the poorest countries in the EU, have since fled to Germany and other wealthier countries in the bloc. Meanwhile, the enforcers of European "unity" have sought to shame the Central European holdouts into compliance by appealing to nebulous concepts such as European "values" and "solidarity."

No wonder the EU is falling apart.

If Italy follows the lead of Poland, Hungary, and the Czech Republic in halting the flow of refugees, the burden will almost certainly fall on Greece, who already have their hands full with their own refugee crisis. Given the massive problems with the Greek economy, there is no way for them to physically care for and resettle tens of thousands of new migrants.

Elections in Europe have shown that the ordinary voter is fed up with the open door policies of Germany, France, and the Scandanavian countries and fear that the richer, more powerful nations will insist that the rest of the EU solve their migrant problems for them by forcing them to accept foreigners in numbers they simply can't handle. The European press has been fairly successful in demonizing those who wish to keep control of their borders by calling them "nationalists" and "extreme right." But even Chancellor Merkel of Germany has been forced to modify her immigration policies, indicating that hundreds of thousands of refugees will be sent back home. That policy took the wind out of the nationalist's sails and will probable assure her re-election.

But there are still millions of people in Africa and the Middle East waiting to make the dangerous crossing for a chance at a western style life with all the government benefits that entails.

Eventually, even Germany will have to close the door.
In an unprecedented attack from abroad, President Obama decried the "temporary lack of U.S. leadership," effectively questioning the legitimacy of President Trump to foreigners, as he wound up his luxury vacation in Indonesia.

'In Paris, we came together around the most ambitious agreement in history about climate change, an agreement that even with the temporary absence of American leadership, can still give our children a fighting chance,' Obama said.

His logic is that because President Trump doesn't want the U.S. taking orders from petty little unelected eurocrats someplace in Germany, there's somehow a lack of U.S. leadership. It's absurd on its face because most of the screaming about the pullout centered on a fear that other nations would follow the U.S.

As in, you know, following the U.S. lead.

Choosing not to participate in every little European Union not only is a leadership choice, it's what the voters wanted. We don't see, so far, much complaint from Obama about voters - though his minions have certainly weighed in.

The worrisome thing is how this irresponsibility will be taken abroad. Is Obama trying to get foreign leaders to thumb their nose at President Trump and oppose him at every turn? To undercut him by telling them he's the 'real' president? And the White House is his house? Sure looks like it.

In reality, it's his ego he's defending, he was all in for that Paris Climate Accord to bolster the global warming superstition and remains bitter at the dismantling of his legacy.

Leadership, and legitimacy itself, in his mind, is premised on how much U.S. leaders agree with his policies. Obama considers the U.S. state less important than Democratic politics. This is the same mindset that Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez have demonstrated - the state subordinate to the political party.

Is there any question as to why so many voters questioned this man's patriotism?
The scandal-plagued program initiated by President Obama that provides phones and internet service to poor people is beset with massive waste, fraud, and abuse, according to a three year study by the General Accountability Office.

The government watchdog conducted the review at the behest of Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill. They found that 36% of participants were probably not eligible to recieve the benefit.

Breitbart:

GAO investigators sampled the programs population and found that it had been paying for nearly 6,400 phones for people whom the government has listed as deceased; another 5,500 people were enrolled for two phones, and another group of people couldnt prove they were eligible to receive their free phone. A complete lack of oversight is causing this program to fail the American taxpayer  everything that could go wrong is going wrong, McCaskill said in a statement. Were currently letting phone companies cash a government check every month with little more than the honor system to hold them accountable, and that simply cant continue. Originally conceived during the Reagan administration, Lifeline was initially meant to provide poor people with a phone in case of an emergency or, as time went on, to apply for a job. Administered by the Federal Communications Commission, Lifeline requires telecommunication companies (At&t, Verizon, Sprint) to pay a percentage of their voice service revenues into a pool called the Universal Service Fund that is administered by an independent nonprofit company called the Universal Service Administrative Company. Telecom companies pass on the cost of their contributions to consumers, whose monthly bill includes a universal service fee charge. The three-year GAO investigation found that the program has put away more than $9 billion, as of September 2016 outside the Department of the Treasury in a private bank account. A spokesman for FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, who had already put the dubious program under review, said the GAO report confirms that waste, fraud, and abuse are all too prevalent in the program. Chairman Pai looks forward to working with his colleagues to crack down on the unscrupulous providers that abuse the program because every dollar that is spent on subsidizing somebody who doesnt need the help by definition does not go to someone who does, Pais spokesman added.

President Reagan started the program at a time when there were no smart phones and few cell phones. The idea was to get the big telephone companies to supply land line phones to the poor for emergency use. Since no taxpayer money was being used for the phones themselves, it seemed to be an acceptable partnership between the government and private businesses.

But like almost all government programs, this one got out of control. The explosion in wireless communications made it ridicuously easy to defraud the companies until today, nearly 2 in 5 participants in the program are not eligible.

Ultimately, the government is responsible for the administration of the program. The FCC has been lax in the past in oversight, but with a new chairman dedicated to rooting out fraudsters, that's going to change.
United States Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit. J.B.F., by and through his guardian and next friend, Marilyn Stivers, Plaintiff-Appellant, v. KENTUCKY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, KENTUCKY SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF, and SCOTT HAUN, Defendants-Appellees. No. 16-6316 Decided: June 30, 2017

BEFORE: DAUGHTREY, MOORE, and KETHLEDGE, Circuit Judges.

Plaintiff J.B.F. was a student at the Kentucky School for the Deaf when a staff member found him engaged in sexual acts with his roommate, another male student, in the bathroom of their dormitory suite. Initially, J.B.F told school authorities that the encounter was consensual, but after his aunt and guardian, Marilyn Stivers, found out about the incident, she filed suit on his behalf in state court. The thrust of the complaint was that J.B.F. had been the victim of a state-created danger when the defendants negligently exposed him to a known sexual devianthis roommateresulting in a situation that the staff had not been adequately trained to deal with. The case was removed to federal court by the defendants, who then filed a motion for summary judgment on all claims: violation of equal protection under 42 U.S.C.  1983, negligence, negligent training and supervision, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The district court granted summary judgment on all four claims and denied the plaintiff's motion to alter or amend the judgment under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 59(e). It is the denial of the Rule 59(e) that is now before us on appeal. We agree with the district court that the motion was properly denied.

As the district court pointed out, citing Intera Corp. v. Henderson, 428 F.3d 605, 620 (6th Cir. 2005): A court may grant a Rule 59(e) motion to alter or amend if there is: (1) a clear error of law; (2) newly discovered evidence; (3) an intervening change in controlling law; or (4) a need to prevent manifest injustice. The district court also emphasized that a Rule 59(e) motion cannot be used to relitigate old matters, or to raise arguments  that could have been raised prior to the entry of judgment, Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker, 554 U.S. 471, 485 n.5 (2008), or to re-argue a case. Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians v. Engler, 146 F.3d 367, 374 (6th Cir. 1998). Finally, as the district court also pointed out, the motion before it exclusively rehashe[d] misguided and failed summary judgment arguments and regurgitate[d] rejected case theories, thus constituting sufficient reason to deny the motion outright.

Nevertheless, the district court analyzed the issues raised in the motion to prove the point. First, the district court rebuffed the plaintiff's claim that, in granting summary judgment, the court had overlooked various disputes of material fact. In the Rule 59(e) motion, the plaintiff attacked the district court's finding that the school had conducted an investigation into the incident in question, arguing that there was no evidence of an investigation in the record. But, as the court noted, the plaintiff had submitted a letter from defendant Haun that explicitly acknowledged an investigation of the reported incident. Next, the court declined to review evidence concerning the roommate's alleged propensity to commit violence that, according to the plaintiff, was inadvertently not attached to his motion for summary judgment. It was, the court said, newly submitted rather than newly discovered evidence. The district court also found the evidence irrelevant because none of it involved sexually assaultive behavior that would have put the school on notice of a need to protect J.B.F. from a potential sexual assault and, thus, would not have affected the grant of summary judgment to the defendants. The plaintiff also took issue with the district court's alleged determination that the sexual acts were consensual. However, the record establishes that in evaluating the evidence in the light most favorable to the plaintiff when granting summary judgment to the defendants, the court had assumed that the interaction was non-consensual.

In addition to challenging the factual basis for the district court's determinations, the plaintiff also argued that the court committed errors of law, for example, in failing to consider the state-created danger doctrine of McQueen v. Beecher Community Schools, 433 F.3d 460 (6th Cir. 2006). But, the district court had reviewed the McQueen case and found it inapposite because it utilized a due-process analysis, while the plaintiff solely made Equal Protection constitutional claims. The record also fails to support the plaintiff's argument about federal and state immunity because it was one which the district court had already rejected. Finally, the plaintiff challenged the district court's ruling on the negligence claim, arguing that the court failed to adequately consider the special relationship doctrine and its corresponding affirmative duty to act to protect [a] person who is not able to protect himself because of disabilities like J.B.F.'s. However, the record establishes that the court explicitly applied the affirmative duty standard requested by J.B.F. but dismissed the negligence claim because the incident in question, viewed in the light most favorable to the plaintiff, simply was not foreseeable and, therefore, created no affirmative duty on the defendants to prevent it.

Finding no error in the district court's denial of the plaintiff's Rule 59(e) motion, we AFFIRM.

PER CURIAM.
In at least some of Canadas provinces, religious schools receive public funding for providing the education that government schools also offer. But with public funding comes control, almost inevitably. The UK Express reports:

Cornerstone Christian Academy, a publicly funded school, was told certain scriptures should not be read or studied. Staff at the school in Alberta, Canada were told by email some bible passages can denigrate or vilify the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) community. The demand from the schools funding body the Battle River School Division (BRSD) sparked outrage.

It seems that Canada has just changed its law:

BRSD said it sent the email following a change in Canadas human rights legislation. Last week the Canadian Senate passed a transgender rights bill adding gender expression and gender identity to Canadas Human Rights Code and to the Criminal Code's hate crime section.

So some gender expressions are protected by law (LGBTQ), and others (biblical teachings) are forbidden? That seems to be the case, when protected class thinking divides society into unequal groups with different rights and protections.

I still want to see the United States permit school vouchers to be redeemed at religious schools, but we will need to have serious religious freedom protections built into whatever law results.

Hat tip: John McMahon

Update. The U.K., too. Breitbart reports:

A London Jewish school has been failed three times by government inspectors because it fell short of requirements set out in the Equalities Act to teach LGBT principles in general and homosexuality/gender reassignment issues in particular. The Vizhnitz girls school in north London caters to 212 students and has been visited by the UKs Office for Standards in Education, Childrens Services and Skills (Ofsted) to determine if it taught LGBT issues such as sexual orientation.  Because it had not, it was gauged to have declined giving its pupils who are aged up to eight years old, a full understanding of fundamental British values and therefore the school is in breach of equality laws, according to the Daily Telegraph. This restricts pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and does not promote equality of opportunity in ways that take account of differing lifestyles, the Ofsted inspectors reported, pointing out that the students are being shielded from learning about certain differences between people, such as sexual orientation. As a result, pupils have a limited understanding of the different lifestyles and partnerships that individuals may choose in present-day society.

Have any Muslim schools been harrassed this way?
United States Court of Appeals, Eighth Circuit. United States of America Plaintiff - Appellee v. James Allen Crippen Defendant - Appellant No. 16-3735 Decided: June 30, 2017

Before LOKEN, ARNOLD, and MURPHY, Circuit Judges.

After the district court denied his motion to suppress evidence, James Allen Crippen pleaded guilty to child-pornography offenses and was sentenced below the advisory Guidelines range. On appeal, Crippen's counsel has moved to withdraw, and has filed a brief under Anders v. California, 386 U.S. 738 (1967), challenging the denial of the suppression motion. Crippen's unconditional guilty plea, however, forecloses our review of the suppression ruling. See United States v. Christenson, 653 F.3d 697, 699 (8th Cir. 2011). Further, having independently reviewed the record under Penson v. Ohio, 488 U.S. 75 (1988), we find no nonfrivolous issues for appeal.

Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the district court, and we grant counsel's motion to withdraw.

FOOTNOTES

. The Honorable M. Douglas Harpool, United States District Judge for the Western District of Missouri.

PER CURIAM.
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. RICARDO LOPEZ-AGUILAR, AKA Calixto Benito Mendoza Cruz, Petitioner, v. JEFFERSON B. SESSIONS III, Attorney General, Respondent. No. 14-71261 Decided: June 30, 2017

Before: PAEZ, BEA, and MURGUIA, Circuit Judges.

MEMORANDUM*

Ricardo Lopez-Aguilar, a native and citizen of Guatemala, petitions for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals' order dismissing his appeal from the immigration judge's decision denying his application for asylum, withholding of removal, and relief under the Convention Against Torture (CAT). We have jurisdiction under 8 U.S.C.  1252. We review de novo due process claims and we review for substantial evidence the agency's factual findings. Vilchez v. Holder, 682 F.3d 1195, 1198 (9th Cir. 2012). We deny the petition for review.

We reject Lopez-Aguilar's contention that the agency violated his right to due process. See Lata v. INS, 204 F.3d 1241, 1246 (9th Cir. 2000) (requiring error to prevail on due process challenge).

Substantial evidence supports the agency's determination that Lopez-Aguilar failed to establish that the harm he and his family suffered by gangs in Guatemala, even considered cumulatively, rose to the level of persecution. See Hoxha v. Ashcroft, 319 F.3d 1179, 1182 (9th Cir. 2003) (holding that harassment, threats, and one beating did not compel a finding of past persecution); see also Hernandez-Ortiz v. Gonzales, 496 F.3d 1042, 1046 (9th Cir. 2007) (injuries to a family must be considered in asylum cases where the events alleged as the basis for past persecution were perceived when the petitioner was a child). Substantial evidence also supports the agency's conclusion that Lopez-Aguilar failed to establish that it is more likely than not he will be persecuted if returned to Guatemala. See Nagoulko v. INS, 333 F.3d 1012, 1018 (9th Cir. 2003) (possibility of future persecution too speculative).

In this case, because Lopez-Aguilar failed to establish eligibility for asylum, his claim for withholding of removal necessarily fails. See Zehatye v. Gonzales, 453 F.3d 1182, 1190 (9th Cir. 2006).

Finally, substantial evidence supports the agency's denial of Lopez-Aguilar's CAT claim because he failed to establish it is more likely than not he will be tortured by or with the consent or acquiescence of the government if returned to Guatemala. See Silaya v. Mukasey, 524 F.3d 1066, 1073 (9th Cir. 2008).

PETITION FOR REVIEW DENIED.
Madeleine McCann found in a listicle, the child as big as the pyramids and free holiday posters

Madeleine McCann: very few words on the missing child haver featured in the national press of late. Big stories  murderous terrorist attacks in Manchester and London, and the horror that engulfed lives at Londons Grenfell Tower  have kept journalists and editors busy. No need to press f9 on the keyboard and fill the pages with no news of Madeleine McCann.

But lets see what has featured in the past few weeks.

The Sun: KEEP THE SEARCH ALIVE  Holidaymakers urged to print off and pack Maddie McCann posters when they go abroad in new bid to track down missing youngster

Passports. Money. Tickets. Poster of missing childThe Sun tells us:

The posters have been printed in 17 different languages including Romanian, Filipino and Arabic

And English, right? Not just foreigners being reminded about the missing child. But anyone holidaying in Bucharest, St Johns Wood or Iraq can tell the locals to watch out.

None of the posters contain information on any reward.

Posters have featured a reward:

Of course, maybe the posters will help. You never know.

The Sun then hears from people it calls website fans, people who read the Find Maddie Campaign website. Fans is an odd word. Can you be a fan of finding missing child?

Sharon Wood vows: Every trip I make posters go up in Lanzarote and I keep my Find Madeleine tag on my case. Sarah Green adds: Im in Crete and my eyes are peeled all the time for her.

Madeleine McCann went missing in Portugal ten years ago.

The Star wonders if she left Portugal. Is THIS where Maddie was hidden? Hundreds of wells were NEVER searched, says the paper. A WELL just 15 minutes from the apartment where Maddie disappeared is one of hundreds in the area reportedly never checked by investigators, the paper reports.

The report runs the full gamut of Madeleine McCann reporting. We begin with the former detectives opinion:

Ex-detective Roy Ramm said the well, which its claimed was used to hide swag by local crooks, was an obvious place to look for clues

Then we get the anonymous source:

The Brit, who asked not to be named, said: This was brought up by an ex-cop who said that local criminals used it all the time. I dont know whether that well has been investigated or not but if you pick wells on disused farms in the area of Luz there are lots of them.

They dont know about one well, and they dont know about the other wells, either.

It could be that one, it could be another one, it could be none of them. For it to matter, somebody needs to have information that Madeleine was in that well.

And after speculation about place we get speculation about people:

Our source also said that  if a well was used to hide Maddie  her tormentor must have been someone with local knowledge who knew where to go.

After the ifs, coulds and maybes, the Mirror shoves Madeleine McCann into a listicle . Agony of 7 most famous unsolved cases in the UK  including Madeleine McCann, Jill Dando and Suzy Lamplugh, comes the headline. Yeah, famous.

The shooting of TV presenter Jill Dando alongside the disappearance of Suzy Lamplugh and Maddie McCann are among the infamous unsolved cases that may remain a mystery forever, the paper continues.

Readers can play along. The seven cases to solve are: Jill Dando (shot dead); Jack the Ripper (presumed dead); a dead childs torso in the River Thames; Ben Needham; Madeleine McCann; and Suzi Lamplugh. Yes, thats six. The seventh famous mystery will have to wait.

If you want more lazy journalism, South Africas East Coast Radio has a question: What would you ask the universe to explain? If you could have one answer to any mystery of the universe, what would it be?

We live in a mysterious world and in mysterious times, were told. Do you ever stop to think about world events that just dont have answers and wish you knew what had happened?

The writer has a few wonders to get you started:

Things like the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 that just literally disappeared off the face of the earth?

Bits of the plane were found on earth.

Princess Dianas death, maybe? Theres been speculation and controversy around that story for two decades.

Had she worn a seatbelt, would she have survived a car crash whilst on holiday in Paris? Discuss.

Madeleine McCann  the young girl who disappeared while on holiday with her parents Gerry and Kate in Portugal?

Unlike the plane and Diana, no sign of the missing child has been found. And lest you think one missing child is a personal horror for her and her loved ones and not one of lifes great mysteries, the radio station tells just how big the story is.

What about the Bermuda Triangle, the pyramids, Stonehenge in England?

And above all else  and lets toss in the meaning of life, God and why EastEnders is till on the telly  the writer has one burning question:

Mine would be: Where is Madelaine McCann [sic] and what really happened?

Maybe technology can help?

The Telegraph and Argus reports: University of Bradford team develops digital face-ageing that could help in search for missing children like Madeleine McCann.

As a test case, the researchers chose to work on the case of Ben Needham, who disappeared on the Greek island of Kos on July 24, 1991, when he was only 21 months old. Since then, several images have been produced by investigators showing how Ben might look at ages 11-14 years, 17-20 years, and 20-22 years. The team used its method to progress the image of Ben to the ages of 6, 14 and 22 years. The resulting images show very different results, which the researchers believe more closely resemble what Ben might look like today.

Such are the facts.

Anorak

Posted: 2nd, July 2017 | In: Key Posts, Madeleine McCann, News, Tabloids Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
BarcelonaThe Catalan president has had the door shut in his face by Madrids Congress in his wish to appear before Spains lawmakers to explain Catalonias referendum plans. Ana Pastor, the Speaker of the lower chamber, replied to president Carles Puigdemonts letter of two weeks ago letting him know that the only way for him to appear before the deputies would be for the Catalan parliament to submit a bill, as in 2014, which would require the law to be voted on.

Whats more, choosing this path would mean that the Catalan parliament would have to pass a law and take it to the Spanish Congress, which would then have to set a date for it to be voted on. This procedure would make it impossible for the debate to be held before the planned 1 October referendum.

After denying Puigdemont the opportunity to appear before the Spanish parliament in the way he wished, as the rules dont allow it, Ana Pastor insisted on offering the Catalan president the opportunity to appear before the Senates General Commission on the Autonomous Communities.

As well as replying to Puigdemonts letter, sources have told Spains EFE news agency that the Speaker also spoke to him by phone. The PP leader wanted to explain the motives for her refusal to allow the head of the Catalan executive to address the Madrid chamber.

Puigdemont rejects Pastors two choices

Previously Puigdemont had repeatedly ruled out submitting to a vote in the Congress, as he understands that it is within the Catalan parliaments powers to take a position on a referendum, as it has done. Whats more, the president has often emphasised that if something should be voted on in Barcelona, its a proposal for Catalonia from Spain which "doesnt exist, nor is expected".

The Catalan presidents objective, then, was to appear before the deputies of Spains lower chamber to explain the reasons why the Catalan executive and the majority of the parliament have decided to hold a referendum on independence on 1 October.

Now that Congress has refused to hear Puigdemont unless his address is followed by a vote, government sources consulted by ARA confirmed that the Catalan president wont accept either of the two alternatives Ana Pastor has laid on the table.
Maybe? Few writers have seen, first-hand, the way Canadian literature is embraced internationally more than Madeleine Thien. She has been travelling, seemingly non-stop, since her Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning Do Not Say We Have Nothing, a novel both global in scope and profoundly Canadian, was published last year. What shes discovered, she says on the phone from Umbria, Italy, which she was visiting for a music festival organized by the Canadian classical pianist Angela Hewitt  this immediately on the heels of a two-week prepublication tour of Japan  is that Canadian literature is not viewed the same way, but changes from country to country, region to region.
The event, to be held from 28 September to 1 October, is Scandinavias largest book fair and draws around 100,000 visitors each year. On 21 April, more than 200 Swedish authors signed an article in the Dagens Nyheter newspaper saying they would boycott the book fair if Nya Tider is represented. Now the Kenyan icon, tipped every year for the Nobel, has joined the boycott, withdrawing his attendance.
With @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz, the dissident Chinese artists installation (to Apr. 26) at the former high-security prison in San Francisco, Ai Weiwei has expanded his political activism to embrace dissidents throughout the world, including the U.S., whose National Parks Service is hosting the exhibition in partnership with the Golden Gates National Parks Conservancy.

Given the extraordinary demonstrations in Hong Kong, which began shortly after I attended the press preview, his piece has a greater timeliness than he could have known during his long-distance creation of the piece (which he could not install or get to see in person).

To my mind, the show is powerful but its polemics are problematic.

Unable to leave China (which released him from and 81-day detention in 2011 but still withholds his passport), Ai gave detailed instructions for the sprawling seven-part installation to the shows organizer, Cheryl Haines, founder of San Franciscos FOR-SITE Foundation. It was she who brilliantly suggested and facilitated his use of Alcatraz.

The far-reaching installation left me wondering whether Ai has the same in-depth knowledge and understanding of difficult issues in the rest of the world that he undeniably has regarding the situation in his own country. (Research material for this work was provided to him by Amnesty International.)

Most controversially, Edward Snowden is included among those commemorated on the shows Lego portraits and also on the monumental, colorful dragon kite on which the exiled American is represented by this quote: Privacy is a function of liberty. Snowdens is the second quote we encounter on the kite, after one from Nelson Mandela.

The question of whether Snowden is a traitor or conscientious objector (in my view, the latter) is a complicated one, on which reasonable Americans heatedly disagree. Martin Luther King is another American included on both the kite and the Lego piece, and we are essentially being asked to equate him with Snowden. I suspect that there are complicated issues surrounding many of those featured in this installation.

In Ais powerful intervention in Alcatrazs sprawling dining hall, visitors are encouraged to send postcards that have been pre-addressed to various dissidents and that bear an image of a flower, bird or another beautiful emblem of that dissidents country.

Although this struck me as an ingenious idea, I couldnt in good conscience pen my own note. We knew nothing about the histories of the people to whom we were prompted to send a message of support or encouragement. In participating, we would essentially be ceding our political and moral judgment to Ai Weiwei. This raises some of the same questions of thought control that raised by oppressive regimes that Ai deplores.

As much as I respect and admire Ais civil disobedience in China, I couldnt unquestioningly follow him to Ethiopia or India.

Heres my compilation of tweeted reactions to @Large, to be followed eventually by a video that I shot and narrated onsite, which will give you a more vivid sense of the installation. (That may have to await my return from yet another trip next week, which will again interrupt my blogging.)

What Im doing on my autumn workation. Will the artist be present, if not physically, then virtually? pic.twitter.com/0xeEBriZsL  Lee Rosenbaum (@CultureGrrl) September 24, 2014

(Sadly, the answer to the above question was no.)

On our way to The Rock. pic.twitter.com/vde06kQf79  Lee Rosenbaum (@CultureGrrl) September 24, 2014

The Indians Welcome sign alludes to Alcatrazs difficult history with Native Americans pic.twitter.com/aanNSe8LLK  Lee Rosenbaum (@CultureGrrl) September 24, 2014

(Actually, its not exactly the Twitter logo, but probably alludes to it.)

This could be the motto for @Aiwws installations at Alcatraz. Implicates entire world in political repression. pic.twitter.com/kvJdFwxW1x  Lee Rosenbaum (@CultureGrrl) September 24, 2014

Among some 150 Lego portraits in Trace is Chinas Liu Xiaobo, in prison when awarded Nobel Prize #AiWeiweiAlcatraz pic.twitter.com/NEoqRCc6rK  Lee Rosenbaum (@CultureGrrl) September 24, 2014

(My tweet underestimated this. It was actually, it was more like 175 portraits.)

Chinas 1956 Hundred Flowers Campaigndown the prison cell toilet. #AiWeiweiAlcatraz pic.twitter.com/Dn7nbZDej4  Lee Rosenbaum (@CultureGrrl) September 24, 2014
I could not believe my ears when I got a call from the Indian envoy saying that Modi wants to meet us.

Modis decision to meet Moshe, now 10, has been welcomed by the childs family which said that the gesture made them realise that Indians share their pain and they had not been forgotten. (Photo: AFP)

Jerusalem: Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who was just two years old when he lost his parents in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, is looking forward to see Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who in a special gesture, will meet the boy during his tour next week.

Mr Modis decision to meet Moshe, now 10, has been welcomed by the childs family which said that the gesture made them realise that Indians share their pain and they had not been forgotten.

Mr Modi will also meet Moshes Indian nanny Sandra Samuels, who managed to escape with him from the Nariman House which came under attack by Pakistan-based LeT terrorists, and his grandparents Shimon and Yehudit Rosenberg.

I could not believe my ears when I got a call from the Indian envoy saying that Modi wants to meet us. My immediate thoughts were that we have not been forgotten and that Indians share our pain, Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg said.

I am deeply moved and cant explain how good I feel at this gesture 0from the Indian Prime Minister. We are looking forward to that opportunity, Mr Rosenberg added.

He said that he wanted to do his grandsons bar mitvah in Mumbai for which he would invite the Prime Minister.
A small terrorist organisation of 200 people killing 18 Dogra soldiers was an insult to the Indian Army, Parrikar said.

Panaji: Former defence minister Manohar Parrikar has said the planning for the September 2016 surgical strikes in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir started in June 2015 after the NSCN-K ambushed an army convoy in Manipur.

Recapping events that led to the surgical strike in September last year, Parrikar told a gathering of industrialists on Friday that he felt "insulted" when he heard about the June 4, 2015 incident in which 18 jawans were killed.

"The starting of September 29 (2016) surgical strike on the western border was 9th of June, 2015....We planned 15 months in advance. Additional troops were trained. Equipment was procured on priority basis," he said.

The Swathi Weapon Locating Radar, developed by the DRDO, was used first in September 2016 to locate "firing units" of Pakistani Army, though the system was inducted officially three months later, Parrikar said.

It was thanks to the Swathi Radar that 40 firing units of Pakistani Army were destroyed, he added.

Disclosing that the surgical strikes against PoK militants were planned 15 months in advance after the Manipur killings, he said, "I felt insulted....A small terrorist organisation of 200 people killing 18 Dogra soldiers was an insult to the Indian Army and we sat in the afternoon and sat in the evening and worked out the (plan of) first surgical strike which was conducted on 8th June morning in which about 70-80 terrorists were killed (along the India-Myanmar border)."

"It was a very successful strike," he said. On the Army's side, the only injury was a leech attaching itself to a soldier's leg.

Contrary to some reports, no helicopters were used. "I had placed helicopters (on stand-by) only in case of emergency evacuation," he said.

He also listened intently to a TV discussion with his ministerial colleague Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

"... One question (from media) hurt me. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, an ex-Armyman, was on TV and he was explaining about all kinds of search operations. An anchor asked him 'would you have the courage and capability of doing the same on the western front'," Parrikar recalled.

"I listened very intensely but decided to answer when the time came.
The Finance Minister said India of 2017 is different from India of 1962; the two situations are completely different.

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday sided with Defence Minister Arun Jaitley even as he brushed aside China's warning which had asked India to "learn" from the 1962 war and said the former's statement was "self-explanatory" as India is now capable of having all self defence.

Arun Jaitley said, " India of 2017 is different from India of 1962. Those were different situations"

"Whatever our Defence Minister has said it is self-explanatory. It clearly indicates that India is now capable of having all ammunition," BJP leader Sudhanshu Trivedi said.

A day after China warned India over the ongoing border face-off with an oblique reference of the 1962 war that ended in an Indian defeat, defence minister Arun Jaitley retorted on Friday that the India of 2017 is not what it was 55 years ago.

"If they are trying to remind us, the situation in 1962 was different, the India of today is different," said Jaitley at an event in New Delhi on Friday, adding that it was "absolutely wrong" for China to try to claim a slice of Bhutanese land in violation of all agreements.

Jaitley further said that Bhutan has appropriately pointed out that China was trying to usurp its land. India is not entering into any other country's land as China is doing, Jaitley said.

Earlier, Bhutan issued a demarche to China on Thursday over the construction of a road towards its Army camp in Zomphlri area of Doklam and asked Beijing to restore status quo by stopping the work immediately.
Meanwhile, the international community has accused Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorists.

According to reports there are estimated 50 terrorist training camps still operating in the region. (Photo: Representational/AFP)

Hajira (PoK): Locals in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) have launched a massive agitation against political and military leadership of Pakistan, for trying to convert PoK into a terror factory by creating terror camps.

Residents of Hajira in PoK are demanding freedom from Pakistan and have accused the civilian leadership of Pakistan and Army of nurturing terrorism in their territory by giving safe havens to them.

Pressure on Pakistan has been building up but civilian leadership in Islamabad is indifferent and continues to support and oil terror machinery in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

The protests are likely to intensify in the coming days as according to reports there are estimated 50 terrorist training camps still operating in the region, most of these camps belong to banned outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba , Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and even ISIS.

These camps are backed and aided by Pakistan military and Inter Service intelligence. Militants trained here are sent to Kashmir, Afghanistan and even Europe.

Meanwhile, the international community has accused Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorists and most of the terror groups are located in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"We urge Pakistan Army and Prime Minister with folded hands to not to send terrorists here. People of all religions co-exist here in this land of peace. Bomb blasts are taking place inside religious places, mosques, places where Hindus and Shias worship," said Liaqat Hayat Khan, senior leader JKNAP.

"Such is a scenario that whoever resists forces of terrorism becomes a victim himself, they are either abducted or killed. People from Mirpur to Hajira are being abducted, they are missing, they label and frame people as anti nationals. I must say this is a land of Kashmir, if there is any infidel here, they are Pakistanis. All acts of terrorism in Pakistan are perpetrated by B team of Pakistan army" says a local resident.

Recently on June 26 U.S. Department of State has designated Mohammad Yusuf Shah, also known as (AKA) Syed Salahuddin, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons who have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.
Raje govt at receiving end for death of notorious gangster Anandpal Singh in encounter.

Jaipur: In his life and even after his death, perhaps the most notorious gangster till date in Rajasthan, Anandpal Singh, continues to influence the states politics. From the day he escaped police custody in filmy style 21 months ago till his encounter a week ago, he was source of embarrassment for the Vasundhara Raje government; now that he is dead, the BJP government is at the receiving end of angry protests from the Rajput community  its most trusted and loyal vote bank.

While he was alive, the Opposition used his escape to highlight the BJP governments failure on law and order front. A couple of ministers in the Raje government were accused of protecting him. Such was the frustration of home minister Gulab Chand Kataria from repeated queries about Anandpal Singh that once in annoyance he said, Anandpal ke baare mai baar baar jawab dete dete kai baar mujhe aisa lagta hai ki mai khud hi Anandpal ho gaya hoon (Having subjected to repeated queries about Anandpal, sometimes I feel I myself have become Anandpal).

One can only sympathise with him as when Anandpal escaped police custody, minister Yunus Khan broke the news to the CM during a meeting, but when he was killed the CM woke up home minister Kataria to break the news to him.





Still, Anandpals death in police encounter silenced Mr Katarias critics and the Opposition but revived the ghost of fake encounter and the allegations of trigger happy government from her previous tenure.

For a week, Anandpals family didnt accept his body, demanding a CBI inquiry alleging the police deliberately killed him even when he was ready to surrender. A large section of the Rajput community rallied behind their demand and organised protest march, bandhs and resorted to violence.

A delegation of the community led by Anandpals lawyer A.P. Singh met home minister Rajnath Singh for a CBI probe. The fact that Mr Singh met them indicates how politically crucial the issue is for the BJP. This is the second time after the Rajmahal Palace controversy with erstwhile royal family of Jaipur that the Rajputs are on the street against the BJP government. There are allegations that Anandpal was killed to save the BJP blushes for alleged links with some of its leaders.

The efforts to whip up caste sentiments may not work as some victims of Anandpal were Rajputs, and their families have questioned those trying to portray it as part of traditional Jat-Rajput tussle. Where was the Rajput community when he killed my husband and several other Rajputs? asked Mamta Kanwar, the wife of Himmat Singh Rajput, who was killed soon after their marriage. She touched the raw nerve of her community by claiming to be real Rajput while calling Anandpal Ravna Rajput, not considered equal by the Rajput community.

Not surprisingly, the Congress, which was quick to make Daras encounter an issue and even ordered a CBI probe after coming to power, is mum on Anandpals encounter.
India brought in more troops after the destruction of two of its bunkers and 'aggressive tactics' adopted by Chinese army.

Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state which has a demarcated border with China. (Photo: Representational/File)

New Delhi: India has pushed in more troops in a "non-combative mode" to strengthen its position in an area near Sikkim, where its soldiers have been locked in a standoff with Chinese troops for almost a month now in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962.

India brought in more troops after the destruction of two of its bunkers and "aggressive tactics" adopted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), sources said. In a "non- combative mode", the nozzle of a gun is placed downwards.

Giving details for the first time about the events that preceded the face off between the two armies, the sources said the PLA on June 1 asked the Indian Army to remove the two bunkers set up in 2012 at Lalten in Doka La, which falls in the vicinity of Chumbi Valley at the corner of India-Bhutan- Tibet tri-junction.

The Indian Army, which had been patrolling this area for many years, decided in 2012 that two bunkers would be positioned there as a backup option, besides providing security to the Bhutan-China border.

The Indian Army forward positions informed Sukna-based 33 Corps Headquarter in North Bengal about the Chinese warnings on the bunkers, the sources said.

However, during the night of June 6, two Chinese bulldozers destroyed the bunkers, claiming that the area belonged to China and that India or Bhutan had no right over it, the sources said.

Indian troops on the ground prevented the Chinese men and machines from doing any further damage or transgressing into the area, they said.

Additional forces from nearby brigade headquarters, located 20 km from the face off point, were moved in on June 8 during which a scuffle led to soldiers on both sides suffering minor injuries.

PLA troops were rushed in from its 141 division located in the area, prompting the Indian Army to also strengthen its position.

This is the longest standoff between the two armies since 1962. The last one, which carried on for 21 days, occurred at Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh division of Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when Chinese troops entered 30 km into Indian territory till the Depsang Plains and claimed it to be a part of its Xinjiang province.

They were, however, pushed back.

Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state which has a demarcated border with China. The lines are based on a treaty signed with the Chinese in 1898.

After the India-China war of 1962, the area where the Indian troops are stationed was placed under the Indian Army and the ITBP, which is the border guarding force and has a camp 15 km from the international border.

As the scuffle broke out between the two sides, the Indian Army rushed an officer of the Major General rank to the area and a flag meeting was sought with the Chinese counterparts.

China rejected two such requests from the Indian side, but accepted the third call for a meeting, where it asked the Indian Army to withdraw its troops from the Lalten area, which falls in Doka La.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it to be part of its Donglang region.

As a fallout of the standoff, the Chinese refused to allow the first batch of 47 pilgrims, who were to conduct the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, into Tibet. They also conveyed to the Indian side that visas of another batch of 50 yatris had also been cancelled, the sources said, describing the move as an indication of "increased tempers" in Beijing.

The Sikkim route to Mansarovar, which is in Tibet, was opened in 2015, enabling pilgrims to travel the 1500-km long route from Nathu La to Kailash by buses.

It is not the first time that such a transgression has happened at Doka La. The Chinese forces had in November 2008 destroyed some makeshift Indian army bunkers there.

Defence experts believe China wants to exert its dominance over the Chumbi Valley, which is a part of the southern reaches of Tibet. By claiming the Doka La area, Beijing wants to maximise its geographical advantage so that it can monitor all movements along the India-Bhutan border.

China has also increased diplomatic pressure on India and lodged a protest over the alleged "crossing of boundary" by Indian troops in the Sikkim section.

They demanded their immediate withdrawal, as Beijing warned that future visits of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar would depend on the resolution of the standoff.

"Our position to uphold our territorial sovereignty is unwavering. We hope the Indian side can work with China in the same direction and immediately withdraw the personnel who have overstepped and trespassed into Chinese border," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang had told the media in Beijing last week.

People's Liberation Army spokesman Col Wu Qian also spoke a tough language while making a reference to the 1962 Sino- India conflict, saying that New Delhi should "learn historical lessons".

Qian described Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's remarks that India was ready for a "two-and-a-half front war" as "extremely irresponsible" and asked him to "stop clamouring for war".

Rawat had said India was prepared for security threats posed by China, Pakistan as well as by internal threats.

"Such rhetoric is extremely irresponsible. We hope that the particular person in the Indian Army could learn from historical lessons and stop such clamouring for war," he had said.

The Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, made New Delhi's stand clear when he said the India of 2017 was different from that of 1962.

"If they are trying to remind us, the situation in 1962 was different and the India of 2017 is different," Jaitley had said when asked about China's warning.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.
Developer Aims To Replace Wiped-Out Pilsen Mural, As Community Insists 'It's About More'

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jun 28, 2017 2:11PM



Facebook / Pilsen Neighborhood, Ricardo Gamboa

The developer who erased the iconic artwork at the former Casa Aztlan space in Pilsen will recreate new murals. But even as plans are in motion to restore the key visual marker of the neighborhoods heritage, community members on Tuesday night gathered to also address what they see as the underlying issues at heart: gentrification and displacement.

Andrew Ahitow, the Chicago-based developer of the property (1831 S. Racine Ave.) and founder of City Pads and Chicago Apartment Finders, did not appear at the packed meeting, at La Catrina CafA. But Byron Sigcho, Executive Director of Pilsen Alliance, delivered a statement to the standing-room-only crowd, sent from Ahitowwho is in contact with the original muralist, Ray Patlan.

Ahitow said, via Sigcho: We are waiting on a proposal from Ray Patlan to put a team together to re-recreate murals on the property. We hope to engage Ray and start the murals in the next 60 days.



Photo: Stephen Gossett

It doesnt matter whos there now, Patlan told the crowd. Its important to landmark our presence in our community, no matter whos there.

Patlan said he plans to visit Chicago within two weeks to hash out plans for the mural in further detail.

But beyond the mural, activists are calling for the development to include at least 21 percent affordable housing. Ahitow reportedly says that since the property was not rezoned, that figurea higher-than-norm, Pilsen-specific mandatedoes not apply. Sigcho insists that, per the 2006 Quality of Life Plan, thats not the case. Chicagoist has reached out to Ahitow for comment and Ald. Daniel Solis and will update if we hear back.

Sigcho also stressed a need for a community center, like the old Casa Aztlan, citing the overflow crowd itself as evidence. The community is struggling to find spaces There are TIF resources, theres public funding. We need infrastructure, Sigcho told Chicagoist. We need the city not only to celebrate culture but allow us to have the infrastructure to do so.



Photo: Stephen Gossett

Speaking to some of those broader concerns, groups broke off to discuss three root, underlying issues exposed by the mural controversy: housing (including the possibility of launching limited equity housing co-ops), legislative accountability, and art preservation and support. City initiatives that preserve art that already exists are vital, but so too are ones that initiate new projects, created by artists within the community, said Robert Valadaz, a Pilsen native and muralist who years ago used the original Casa Aztlan for studio space. DIY spaces and support remains a key component, too, said artist Amara Martin.

Noted muralist Hector Duarte also spoke about the deep historical and cultural significance of the former Casa Aztlan building, which was a Hull House settlement before it became a community center that served Pilsens Mexican residents.

The mural that adorned Casa Aztlanwhich key figures such as Rudy Lozano, Frida Kahlo and Che Guevarawas painted back in 1971 by under the tutelage of Patlan. The center became a focal point of the city's emergent Chicano movement. The mural was painted over by crews working on the apartment conversion last Monday.
Kashmir society chairman asserted, there is a lot of hatred in the world, and the sole resolution to the problem is 'love and affection'.

The competition involved students from various schools across the valley. (Photo: PTI/Representational)

Srinagar: The Sufi organization in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) organised a poetry competition at a local school in Srinagar, to create awareness about humanity, brotherhood and the teachings of Prophet Mohammad through Islamic poetry.

The competition involved students from various schools across the valley.

Kashmir society chairman Farooq Renzu Shah asserted that there is a lot of hatred in the world, and the sole resolution to the problem is 'love and affection'.

Shah said, "Our future generation should not delve into these things. Youth should follow the path of love, which Kashmir was once known for."

Farmaan Ali, a participant of the competition said that the platform is a good exposure for students to learn, especially the ones in the primary level.

"The competition is a good platform for aspirants of this field. Students would get to know more about their hidden talent, and an activity different from education is always a good exposure for students", he said.

"Debates on crucial topics are certainly important, but such practices evolve a child's personality", he added.

Hafisa Jaan, another participant of the event said, "This is a very prestigious occasion for the entire school. It is a jubilant moment for the school."

The youth in Kashmir is diverting in different directions which do not represent Islam and Sufism; therefore, such activities would help them to know more about the religion and the leaders who have furthered the religion.
The decision to conduct the surgical strike was taken with a political will, Shah said.

Panaji: BJP president Amit Shah on Saturday said the surgical strike conducted by the Army in Pak-occupied Kashmir in 2016 changed the world's outlook towards India and showed the country is committed to "self-defence".

The decision to conduct the surgical strike was taken with a political will, he said.

Speaking to a group of people in Panaji, he said Indian forces are attacked on the border "everyday and terrorists enter our territory".

"I don't say it is not happening today. It is happening today as well. But when the Uri attack happened, the BJP government led by Narendra Modi took a decision," he said, as he listed the Centre's achievements in the last three years.

An Army battalion headquarter in Uri was attacked by terrorists on September 18 in 2016 in which 19 jawans were killed.

Later that month, the Army conducted surgical strike on terror launchpads in PoK.

"We told the world that India is capable of self- defence," the BJP president said. "Nobody has dared to do this except the USA."

Since the surgical strike, the world's outlook towards India has changed, he added.
According to a report, one among the BJP workers was fined and arrested for not carrying driving documents.

In a video footage of the incident that has gone viral, Thakur, a Circle Officer (CO), was seen confronting agitated BJP workers who are raising slogans against the police. (Photo: Youtube | Screengrab)

Lucknow: The senior police officer Shreshtha Thakur who stood up against a group of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers in western Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahr, on Friday afternoon, was among 234 officers who were transferred by the Yogi Adityanath government.

According to a NDTV report, one among the BJP workers was fined and arrested for not carrying driving documents, which agitated the party workers.

Later, five others were arrested and sent to jail for disrupting law and order and creating obstacles for officers carrying out their duties.

It was said that the police officer was transferred after the local BJP leaders insisted on moving her out, arguing that such an action was necessary to lift the morale of the party workers.

"We had complained to the high command about this. We told our senior leaders that the officer does not know how to deal with the public," said Himanshu Mittal, the city president of the BJP in Bulandshahr.

"I think the differences between the officer and the public were beyond any compromise and so it is good for everyone that she has been transferred, including the officer," he added.

The incident happened on Friday afternoon when a BJP district-level worker Pramod Lodhi was issued challan for not carrying proper documentation of his motorcycle. He was arrested after he allegedly misbehaved with the officers.

In a video footage of the incident that has gone viral, Thakur, a Circle Officer (CO), was seen confronting agitated BJP workers who are raising slogans against the police.

"You please go and get written orders from the Chief Minister that your vehicles can't be checked by police," the officer was heard saying in the video footage.

She had also said that they were bringing bad name to BJP, and that the people would soon start calling them as 'goondas' of the party.

Earlier, a woman IPS officer was shouted at and threatened by senior BJP leader and Gorakhpur lawmaker Radha Mohan Das Agarwal while trying to control a group of women who were demanding liquor ban.
The JD(U) and the RJD along with the Congress are the partners in the ruling grand alliance in the state.

Patna (Bihar): Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,who has led his support to Centre's nominee for the post of President on Sunday, asserted that he will not blindly follow anybody's ideology, as he has his own viewpoints and he believes in them.

Taking a dig at Congress, Kumar, in a meeting with party colleagues, raked Ram Manohar Lohia and said, the great leader had dubbed that the grand old party practices Gandhian rules for political benefits.

"We will not blindly follow anyone, we will deal with whatever happens in the future. We have our principles and we believe in them. And we are firm on our Principles and beliefs ," said Nitish.

"Our principles did not change, their (Congress') principles are changing. Lohia ji had dubbed Congress as 'Sarkari gandhiwaadi'."

The JD(U) and the RJD along with the Congress are the partners in the ruling grand alliance in the state.

The differences between the two major partners of the alliance surfaced ever since the JD(U) unilaterally announced its support to former Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind, NDA's presidential nominee, without waiting for the united candidate of the Opposition.

National spokesperson of the JD(U) K C Tyagi made a formal announcement in the evening about the JD(U)'s decision support Kovind.

"We had discussions with party MLAs and it was decided to support Kovind. The MLAs were of the opinion that Kovind is a good man and had a non-controversial stint as Governor of Bihar," he said.
The 58-year-old says it started when a hair dresser cut his scalp and released a mysterious pus.

Rare medical conditions can leave people with physical deformities and one that causes a persons skin to resemble a tree has been reported from several countries in the past few years. While the condition can be life altering, fear and stigma stemming from lack of awareness around it only makes it worse.

For nearly six decades, 58-year-old Li Xitian from Chinas Henan province has been suffering from a skin disorder causing his body to resemble a tree and has been dubbed as bark man by neighbours. The hysteria about infection about the disease is such that he has been forced to live in isolation by his neighbours.

Li says it started when a hairdresser cut his scalp and released mysterious pus back in the 50s. Following that accident the condition that affected his head went on to spread all the way across his back and has now infected his legs.

His condition is being described as an extreme case of psoriasis and while standard forms of psoriasis can be treated, there is no cure for this. He has visited doctors across China but they have only been able to manage symptoms rather than find effective diagnosis.

Experts suggest that while it is difficult to find a cure, there may be ways to help him by improving Lis skin to some extent and making life better for him. The government is also subsidising his expenses to help Li lead a better life.

As of now Li has to live a life of isolation in his native village where locals even built a special house to maintain a distance from him.
Death of Manju Shette, an inmate at Byculla women's prison in central Mumbai, had triggered protests by other prisoners.

The police, which have registered a muder case following the death of the woman jail inmate following the alleged assault by the six woman officials of the Byculla jail. (Photo: PTI)

Mumbai: Five jail officials, arrested for their alleged roles in beating a woman inmate at Byculla prison to death, were remanded in police custody till July 7 by a Mumbai court on Sunday.

The accused -- Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve and Aarti Shingne -- were produced in the Esplanade metropolitan magistrate's court today after their arrest yesterday.

Another accused, Bindu Naikde, was remanded in police custody till July 7 yesterday itself. All six have been suspended by the prison department.

Death of Manju Shette, an inmate at Byculla women's prison in central Mumbai, had triggered protests by other prisoners.

The police, which have registered a muder case following the death of the woman jail inmate following the alleged assault by the six woman officials of the jail, had said they wanted to examine the role of each of the accused.

Shette, 45 died at the government-run J J Hospital on June 23 following alleged beatings by jail staffers after she failed to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread which she was supposed to distribute to other inmates.

Her death had triggered a protest by around 200 inmates of the jail on June 24 with some of them climbing atop the prison's roof and others making a bonfire of newspapers to vent out their anger.

Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in Sheena Bora murder case, too was allegedly among the protesting inmates. The police have registered a case of rioting as well against her and others.
The international media also took up the story of the lynchings and this nudged the government to react.

Is gau rakshak violence, meaning the killing of Indians over beef, a problem in India? If so, what can be done to solve it?

The non-profit data journalism website, IndiaSpend, has reported that 97 per cent of gau raksha violence has happened after Narendra Modis government came to power. Once the Union and state governments run by the BJP in Maharashtra, Haryana and other states began to push for a beef ban, the murders started. The facts are quite clear and to illustrate them, lets have a look just at the last few weeks and what has happened across India.

June 29, Jharkhand: Alimuddin Ansari, a trader, was killed after being assaulted by a mob in Ramgarh, near Ranchi. This happened hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he opposed violence.

June 27, Jharkhand: Usman Ansari, a dairy farmer, was beaten up by a mob of about 100 people and part of his house set on fire, reportedly after a dead cow was seen outside his house. Police officials told journalists that the attackers had also thrown stones at them, injuring 50 police personnel.

June 24, West Bengal: Nasirul Haque, Mohammed Samiruddin and Mohammed Nasir, three construction workers, were beaten to death by a mob, allegedly for stealing cows, in north Dinajpur, West Bengal. Three people have been arrested so far, and a murder case registered.

June 22, Haryana: 16-year-old Junaid Khan was stabbed to death inside a train in Haryana. Junaid was called a beef-eater, and his skullcap thrown away, before he was stabbed. His brother was severely injured. Survivors accounts in some media reports say that at least 20 people were involved in the attack. The state police have arrested one person.

May 26, Maharashtra: Two Muslim meat traders were attacked by a cow vigilante squad in Malegaon, Maharashtra, on suspicion of possessing beef. Video footage of the incident appeared to show the men being slapped and abused, and told to say Jai Sri Ram (Hail Lord Ram). Nine men have been arrested. However, the two meat traders also face criminal charges for outraging religious feelings.

April 30, Assam: Abu Hanifa and Riazuddin Ali were lynched by a mob in Nagaon, Assam, on suspicion of cow theft. The police have registered a murder case, but have not yet made any arrests.

April 1, Rajasthan: 55-year-old farmer Pehlu Khan, a dairy farmer, and four other Muslim men were assaulted by a mob near a highway in Alwar, Rajasthan. Khan died two days later. The mob falsely accused the men of being cow smugglers. Following the killing, the home minister of Rajasthan, in a statement that appeared to justify the killing, said that Khan belonged to a family of cow smugglers. Three people have been arrested.

On June 28, after the murder of Junaid still fresh on their minds, Indians rallied across the country to say that these killings were happening under government protection and they must be stopped. Their rallying cry was Not In My Name. The governments silence and inaction meant that it was being tolerated, and this tolerance to the violence was being opposed.

The international media also took up the story of the lynchings and this nudged the government to react. Mr Modi tweeted a couple of days later: There is no place for violence in India. Let us create an India that would make Gandhiji proud. The tweet has a video attached that is two minutes and 16 seconds long. It is of a speech that Mr Modi gave in Gujarat on June 29, where he spoke on cow slaughter. For one minute and 45 seconds in that clip, Mr Modi is praising gau raksha. He talks about how Gandhi had wanted the protection of cows. In the last 30 seconds, he speaks about violence but only says that killing is unacceptable. Of course it is, we dont need the Prime Minister to tell us that. We need him to tell us why the killing is happening and what he will do to stop it. On that there was nothing from Mr Modi and though the media portrayed it as being a change from what had gone before, it was nothing of the sort. The government is not committed to stopping the violence and the gau rakshaks understand it perfectly well.

In fact, Mr Modis real position, priorities are quite clearly revealed in those two minutes and 16 seconds.

So long as Mr Modi and the BJP push gau raksha, India will produce gau rakshaks. This should not be difficult to understand. The linkage with previous Hindutva projects can be pointed out, such as the movement against the Babri Masjid. Once the mosque was torn down and the emotions were taken to fever pitch, the violence began and 2,000 Indians, mainly Muslims, died.

The state in India does not have the capacity to prevent mob violence and lynchings. That is demonstrable. Given that fact, it becomes the responsibility of the government to not promote issues that produce violence. Either the Prime Minister does not know that, and that would reveal naivete of a magnitude that I am unwilling to give him, or he understood very well what would happen once the gau raksha issue was pushed by the Centre and state governments starting in 2014.

There is a second problem and that is the refusal of Mr Modi and the BJP to accept that their actions have a communal angle. Meat and leather are the occupations of Muslims and dalits. These are the communities that have become vulnerable because of gau raksha and to deny that is hypocrisy.

Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu said after the latest killing in Jharkhand that it should not be linked to religion. The problem is that the data shows Mr Naidu to be wrong. It is linked to religion if it is only, or mainly, Muslims that are getting assaulted and murdered by the gau raksha programme.

The Congress does not have a real position on this and in Gujarat it has spoken out in favour of gau raksha. Individuals in the party have attacked the government. Former Union minister P. Chidambaram said after Mr Modis speech that on a day when PM warned gau rakshaks, Mohammed Alimuddun was lynched by a mob in Jharkhand. Obviously, lynch mobs dont fear PM. He added that PM warned gau rakshaks and lynch mobs. Good. Let him tell the country how he will enforce his writ.

IndiaSpend says that 25 attacks happened in 2016. In 2017, in only six months, already 21 attacks have taken place. The problem is escalating and it is obvious. The whole world is waiting to see how Mr Modi will put an end to it.
BJP president Amit Shah has also set up a crack team to ensure that the NDA candidate wins with a huge margin.

While the presidential candidates of the National Democratic Alliance and the Opposition are busy travelling to various states to canvass support from members of the electoral college, President Pranab Mukherjee is preparing to move to his new residence in less than a month. Mr Mukherjee has firmed up travel plans to a few state capitals in the coming days, which will be followed by a series of farewell dinners at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Last week, Mr Mukherjee visited Kolkata for the last time as President where a special farewell banquet was hosted in his honour at the Raj Bhavan. The event demonstrated that Mr Mukherjees reputation as a trouble-shooter still holds.

Like in the old days when Mr Mukherjee would bring together warring parties to hammer out a consensus on any contentious issue, he succeeded in doing the same in West Bengal. Arch political rivals, who never tire of abusing each other in public, put aside their differences and chatted amiably with each other over the farewell dinner. It made for a pleasant change for the other guests to see the fiery West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee exchange pleasantries with the state Congress leader Abdul Manan, West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party chief Dilip Ghosh and Surjya Kanta Mishra of the Communist Party of India. It was clear they had called a truce in honour of the countrys first President from their home state.

It is no secret that the Oppositions presidential candidate Meira Kumar is all set to lose the July 17 election, but that has neither dimmed the excitement in her camp nor deterred the supporting parties from planning her campaign. Apparently, soon after Ms Kumars name was announced, at a joint meeting of Opposition parties, the former Lok Sabha Speakers family members took on the task of contacting the media and fixing her interviews. However, the Congress did not take kindly to this unnecessary display of enthusiasm. It was conveyed to Ms Kumars family that media management is a complex matter and that it is best if this task is left to her election managers in the Congress and the partys communications department.

Meanwhile, BJP president Amit Shah has also set up a crack team to ensure that the NDA candidate wins with a huge margin. Mr Shah has instructed his team members and state leaders to contact disgruntled legislators in the rival camp and persuade them to vote for Ram Nath Kovind. The primary objective here is to show down the Opposition and also to maximise support for the NDA candidate.

The Madhya Pradesh state executive committee of the ruling BJP was recast recently. Among those whose names figured in the list included the sons of Union rural development minister Narendra Singh Tomar, BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya and party MP Prabhat Jha. This development raised eyebrows, specially since the BJP never tires of underlining that, unlike the Congress, it does not give tickets or party posts to sons and daughters of its leaders. In this case, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has his reasons for accommodating the sons of his detractors in the state executive. Finding himself on shaky ground after his governments handling of the recent farmers protests, Mr Chouhan obviously wants to buy peace with his critics. More importantly, the chief minister also wants his son to join politics. This latest move will ensure that Mr Chouhan does not face any opposition when he launches his son.

When the Darjeeling hills were hit by angry protests by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha following the death of its members in police firing, the West Bengal state leaders made a spate of contradictory statements on the GJMs demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland. This infuriated BJP president Amit Shah as the party finds itself in dilemma on the statehood issue. If it endorses the GJM demand on Gorkhaland, the BJP stands to lose ground in the rest of West Bengal, giving a clear advantage to the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamul Congress. And, if it rejects the statehood demand, it will alienate its ally, the GJM. Mr Shah, therefore, summoned the state leaders to Delhi last week and ticked them off for talking out of turn. He issued strict instructions that the partys state unit should focus on hitting out at Ms Banerjee for her inability to contain the violence in the hills. Mr Shah is reported to have underlined that when the presidential election is round the corner, the BJP could ill-afford to upset an ally, irrespective of the size of the party. But Mr Shah had no reason to worry as the GJM agitation has also concentrated on attacking the West Bengal chief minister while letting the BJP off the hook even though it is the Centre which has to take the initiate in the creation of a separate state.
President Trump has aced the discussion by suggesting that he is for a one-state or two-state solution if the two parties agreed.

Narendra Modis visit to Israel this week, the first by an Indian Prime Minister, is rich in symbolism and full of potential dangers. The symbolism is in India proclaiming to the world that it has very close military and trade ties with a country celebrating 50 years of occupation of Palestinian land, usurping East Jerusalem and most of the West Bank and treating the Palestinian people as serfs.

Mr Modi took out an insurance policy by inviting the leader of the toothless Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, to India last May. But the danger of Mr Modis venture lies in the vibes of the ruling BJP with the hardline Israeli state; both have an anti-Muslim bias and both believe in the virtues of the stick.

Much has changed since the disastrous 1967 war in which the Arab armies were routed. Israel has quietly pocketed East Jerusalem and usurped more and more land for Israeli settlements on occupied West Bank. It has never been a level playing field for Palestinians because of the traditional bias in favour of Israel of the US establishment and legislators.

Through a series of moves over the decades, including sham peace processes, Palestinians have been traditionally weakened and pushed to the wall. With the death of their charismatic leader Yasser Arafat, who committed his share of mistakes, there has been no real successor. And the Israelis are sitting pretty, Benjamin Netanyahu presiding over the most right-wing government in its history. While making symbolic gestures, he is in no hurry to vacate the occupation. The only thing that worries Israelis is the prospect of Palestinians outnumbering Jews in the not-too-distant future. During his recent visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, US President Donald Trump has muddied the waters, rather than bring clarity to an old problem.

It is true that the Gulf monarchies have adjusted to the situation by conducting clandestine and not-so-clandestine relations with Israel while maintaining their pro-Palestinian rhetoric. Why should India then fight shy of its close relationship with Israel, it is argued. And there is no dearth of Israels admirers: the former commander of the Northern Command, Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, making a facile comparison between Indias predicament in Kashmir with the brutal methods Israel uses to subdue Palestinians on their land.

India recently handed Israel a bumper military order and it is true that Israels development of high-end military technology is a good fit for Indias needs. Besides, Israels innovative use of water resources in a largely dry land has important lessons for India.

No foreign policy is set in stone. The geopolitical picture changes  take the breakup of the Soviet Union  and New Delhi, as other world capitals, must adjust to tectonic changes. The latest change India has to take into account is the coming to power in the US of an unpredictable and narcissistic President, Mr Trump.

Mr Modi must therefore take into account the straight and narrow path of mutually advantageous bilateral relations before indulging in flights of fancy on relations between the two countries. He must counter his apprenticeship in his and his partys mentor, the RSS, to judge Israels conduct by international standards without succumbing to the Sangh Parivars open-mouthed admiration for everything Israeli.

The Sangh Parivar is obsessed with one idea: the victorious Mughal and other Muslim invaders who have ruled India over centuries. It was this obsession that led to the regimen of khaki shorts (now mercifully changed to trousers) and the stick as a substitute for a gun, in its obligatory morning drills. It is for the same reason that the RSS pretends that the Mughal period simply does not exist.

However much Mr Modi and his party might dislike the direction of policy charted by the independence movement and Jawaharlal Nehrus secularism in pursuing the countrys course, his direction was based on the then prevailing limitations and needs of the country, apart from his blind spot on China influenced more by sentiment than logic. India has moved on from there, with the Soviet Union broken up, the supreme moment for the US as the sole superpower, the building up of Indian military prowess and Mr Trumps assumption of office giving a fillip to Chinas race for superpower status.

A second caution for Mr Modi during his unique visit will be to keep in mind the fact that Indias traditional policy towards Palestinians is based on the sound fact that they have been dispossessed of their land and freedom on their own land being occupied and usurped, with East Jerusalem, holy to them as to Jews, now being absorbed by Israel.

By the very nature of things, Israel cannot lord over occupied land and a subjugated Palestinian people indefinitely. And the longer Israelis wait to vacate occupied land and give Palestinians their freedom, the more painful will be the process. This is another factor Mr Modi must bear in mind.

I had met Mr Netanyahu in Israel in January 1990 when he was a junior foreign minister on his way to climbing the ladder. A visit by an Indian journalist was something of a curiosity. Mr Netanyahu was eloquent and expansive in giving me his views on his countrys predicament. He told me that if you ran across the breadth of his country, you could reach the other end in a few hours. In other words, the post-1967 borders of Israel were indefensible.

In Israel today, the much-bandied-about two-state solution, with a toothless Palestine becoming independent with its capital in Jerusalem, is now a curiosity. President Trump has aced the discussion by suggesting that he is for a one-state or two-state solution if the two parties agreed.

The choice of a one-state solution strikes at the root of Israeli fears of Jews becoming a minority in the future. And the logical conclusion will be that Israel cannot be both democratic and Jewish in one state, which will become a new form of apartheid rule like the old South Africa.
Ukrainian politicians were quick to blame Russia for Tuesday's attack, but a Kremlin spokesman dismissed "unfounded blanket accusations".

Cyber security firms are trying to piece together who was behind the computer worm, dubbed NotPetya by some experts, which conked out computers, hit banks, disrupted shipping and shut down a chocolate factory in Australia. (Representational image)

Ukraine said on Saturday that Russian security services were involved in a recent cyber attack on the country, with the aim of destroying important data and spreading panic.

The SBU, Ukraine's state security service, said the attack, which started in Ukraine and spread around the world on Tuesday, was by the same hackers who attacked the Ukrainian power grid in December 2016. Ukrainian politicians were quick to blame Russia for Tuesday's attack, but a Kremlin spokesman dismissed "unfounded blanket accusations".

Cyber security firms are trying to piece together who was behind the computer worm, dubbed NotPetya by some experts, which conked out computers, hit banks, disrupted shipping and shut down a chocolate factory in Australia.

The attack also hit major Russian firms, leading some cyber security researchers to suggest that Moscow was not behind it.

The malicious code in the virus encrypted data on computers, and demanded victims pay a $300 ransom, similar to the extortion tactic used in a global WannaCry ransomware attack in May. But Ukrainian officials and some security experts say the ransomware feature was likely a smokescreen.

Relations between Ukraine and Russia went into freefall after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent outbreak of a Kremlin-backed separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,000 people.

Hacking Ukrainian state institutions is part of what Ukraine says is a "hybrid war" by Russia on Kiev. Russia denies sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine.

"The available data, including those obtained in cooperation with international antivirus companies, give us reason to believe that the same hacking groups are involved in the attacks, which in December 2016 attacked the financial system, transport and energy facilities of Ukraine using TeleBots and BlackEnergy," the SBU said.

"This testifies to the involvement of the special services of Russian Federation in this attack."

The SBU in an earlier statement on Friday said it had seized equipment it said belonged to Russian agents in May and June to launch cyber attacks against Ukraine and other countries.

Referencing the $300 ransomware demand, the SBU said "the virus is cover for a large-scale attack on Ukraine. This is evidenced by a lack of a real mechanism for taking possession of the funds ... enrichment was not the aim of the attack."

"The main purpose of the virus was the destruction of important data, disrupting the work of public and private institutions in Ukraine and spreading panic among the people."

A cyber attack in December on a Ukrainian state energy computer caused a power cut in the northern part of the capital Kiev.

The Russian foreign ministry and Federal Security Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest allegations.

Russian oil major Rosneft was one of the first companies to reveal it had been compromised by the virus and sources told Reuters on Thursday computers at state gas giant Gazprom had also been infected.

The SBU's accusations chime with some of the findings of the cyber security firm ESET in Slovakia, which said in research published online on Friday that the Telebots group -- which has links to BlackEnergy -- was behind the attack.

"Collecting ransom money was never the top priority for the TeleBots group," it said, suggesting Ukraine was the target but the virus spread globally as "affected companies in other countries had VPN connections to their branches, or to business partners, in Ukraine."

"The TeleBots group continues to evolve in order to conduct disruptive attacks against Ukraine," it said.

"Prior to the outbreak, the Telebots group targeted mainly the financial sector. The latest outbreak was directed against businesses in Ukraine, but they apparently underestimated the malware' spreading capabilities. That's why the malware went out of control."
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Passengers can take bullet trains for the first time from Beijing to Xiongan New Area next week, according to the China Railway Corporation.

Two bullet trains will travel from Beijing to Xiongan New Area on July 6, a trip of about 80 minutes from Beijing South Station to Baoding Station in Hebei Province.

Tickets for the bullet trains will be available from Sunday morning.

China announced plans to establish Xiongan New Area in April.

Located some 100 km southwest of downtown Beijing, Xiongan New Area will mostly cover Xiongxian, Rongcheng and Anxin counties in Hebei Province.
A limited version of Trump's travel ban temporarily barring refugees and visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria,Yemen took effect.

Chicago: American Muslim leaders Friday decried Donald Trump's rhetoric towards their community and predicted the president's travel ban would eventually be proven unlawful, a day after a weakened version of the measure came into force.

A limited version of Trump's travel ban temporarily barring refugees and visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen took effect on Thursday, after the US Supreme Court allowed it to be enforced pending a full hearing in October.

The Trump administration says the ban is necessary to keep terrorists out of the country, but immigrant advocates charge that it illegally singles out Muslims in line with campaign pledges by Trump to bar all Muslims from the country.

Leaders of the Islamic Society of North America, which claims to be the largest Muslim advocacy group on the continent, slammed the ban as they gathered for a weekend convention in Chicago. "His statements and his rhetoric have caused a great amount of harm to the American Muslim community," said Azhar Azeez, president of the ISNA, which believes the ban will ultimately be proven unconstitutional.

"This country has always been an inclusive nation, a tolerant nation," Azeez said, "and we as Americans have an obligation to make sure we uphold all these things."

Several participants said they had been heartened by the show of support by Americans of many faiths, with members of Catholic, Lutheran and Jewish faiths set to attend the three-day convention. They pointed to the protesters who showed up at US airports, along with lawyers offering pro-bono legal help, as the new ban took effect.

"We were deeply touched by the response we received," Azeez said. But he and other speakers also pointed to recent incidents of attacks against Muslims as evidence of increased Islamophobia, and accused far-right groups, and the US president himself, of fanning tensions.

"This Ramadan, in particular, was a very difficult one for many in the community," said Asra Ali, a Chicago-area dentist and convention organizer, referring to the Muslim holiday of fasting which ended last Saturday.

In May, a man who had gone on an anti-Muslim rant fatally stabbed two people who came to the defense of two girls on a train in Portland, Oregon.

And earlier this month, Nabra Hassanen, a 17-year-old Virginia girl, was beaten to death after she left late-night prayers at a mosque.

A 22-year-old man was charged in that attack, which police said was an act of road-rage not a hate crime, but many Muslims remain convinced she was targeted over her faith.

There was a special prayer planned for Hassanen during the convention.
Trump had been pinning his hopes on China to bring pressure on Pyongyang, but declared that their efforts had failed.

The Trump administration has been growing increasingly exasperated with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's regime, which has staged a barrage of missile tests in recent months. (Photo: AP)

Washington: President Donald Trump will speak by telephone with the leaders of China and Japan on Sunday, in talks likely to be dominated by North Korea's nuclear drive and the threats posed by its belligerent leadership.

The Trump administration has been growing increasingly exasperated with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's regime, which has staged a barrage of missile tests in recent months.

Trump had been pinning his hopes on China -- North Korea's main diplomatic ally -- to bring pressure to bear on Pyongyang, but declared last week that their efforts had failed.

He has presented sanctions as the best way to proceed with the hermit state, opting for that approach over dialogue with the regime.

On Sunday, Trump will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping at 8:45 pm local time (0045 GMT Monday) and with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at 8:00 pm.

During talks with South Korean leader Moon Jae-In -- who has pushed for a policy of engagement with Pyongyang -- on Friday, Trump called for a "determined response" to the North. But the pair failed to map out a joint strategy on how to respond to North Korean threats.

"The era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed, many years it has failed. Frankly, that patience is over," Trump said.

There was also deep anger in the United States after Otto Warmbier, an American student who was detained in North Korea on a tourist trip around 18 months ago, was returned home in a coma earlier this month. He died several days later.
President says challenge to Chinas control over Hong Kong absolutely impermissible.

A cardboard cut-out of Chinese President Xi Jinping holding a yellow umbrella, a symbol of the 2014 Umbrella Movement, is carried during a protest march in Hong Kong on Saturday coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the citys handover from British to the Chinese. (Photo: AFP)

Hong Kong: Chinese President Xi Jinping warned on Saturday that any challenge to Beijings control over Hong Kong crossed a red line as tens of thousands calling for more democracy marched through the city 20 years after it was handed back by Britain.

Mr Xi spoke in a televised address after swearing in new Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam. A huge security operation shut down large parts of Hong Kong for Mr Xis three-day visit reflecting Beijings concern that there should be no embarrassment ahead of a key Communist Party congress later this year which is expected to cement his position as the most powerful Chinese leader in a generation.

Mr Xi said that any threat to Chinas sovereignty and security or to the power of the central government crosses the red line and is absolutely impermissible. The President also warned against anyone endangering Hong Kongs Constitution or using the city to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland.

The message comes as young activists have emerged calling for self-determination or even full independence for Hong Kong, which has infuriated Beijing. Just hours after Mr Xi left the city on Saturday afternoon, organisers estimated 60,000 people marched from Victoria Park to government offices in central Hong Kong in an annual pro-democracy protest. Protesters also called for the release of cancer-stricken Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who was given medical parole earlier this week but remains on the mainland.

Suppression by the regime has never let up and I dont see any end in sight, said activist Nathan Law, Hong Kongs youngest legislator, who was arrested on Wednesday over an anti-China sit-in and attended the protest after being released on Friday.
The provincial public health officials confirmed that the bodies of 13 people, riddled with bullets, were shifted to Ibn-e-Sina hospital.

The attack was carried out on a gathering of the militia forces in Chemtal district. (Photo: Representational/File)

Kabul: Heavily armed Taliban insurgents stormed a mosque in northern Balkh province of Afghanistan, killing at least 13 people in an attack claimed by the Taliban.

The incident took place on Saturday in the vicinity of Chemtal district. The provincial public health officials confirmed that the bodies of thirteen people, riddled with bullets, were shifted to Ibn-e-Sina hospital.

The Taliban group spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed that an attack was carried out on a gathering of the militia forces in Chemtal district, Khaama Press reported.

As soon as the Taliban entered the mosque intense clashes erupted which Zabiullah claimed that twelve people including three commanders of the local militia forces were killed and another one was wounded.

Mujahid also claimed that several weapons, ammunition, and grenades were also seized during the clashes.

Rejecting the claims by the Taliban insurgents, MP representing the northern Balkh province in the parliament Gulalai Noor Sapai said that all those killed in the attack are ordinary civilians and had no links with the government or security institutions.

The local residents are saying that the deceased individuals were having links with a former Jihadi leader.
The 201st Silab Corps of the Afghan National Army confirmed that fourteen ISIS militants were killed mysteriously in Khogyani district.

Islamic State fighters captured Aqbalaq village in Darzab district and arrested 10 Taliban fighters and beheaded them. (Photo: Representational/File)

Kabul: Terrorists affiliated with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group's offshoot in Afghanistan, ISIS Khurasan, have beheaded 10 Taliban fighters in the northern Jawzjan province.

The IS fighters and Taliban militants have been engaged in intense fighting over the past several weeks for consolidating their positions in parts of Darzab district, but Islamic State fighters captured Aqbalaq village in Darzab district and arrested 10 Taliban fighters and beheaded them, Xinhua reported. Neither Taliban nor ISIS has made a comment on the report.

Darzab district and parts of Jowzjan province which is 390 km north of Kabul, have been the scene of Taliban and IS activities over the past more than one year.

In another incident, as many as fourteen militants ISIS militants have been killed in eastern Nangarhar province.

The 201st Silab Corps of the Afghan National Army confirmed that fourteen ISIS militants were killed mysteriously in Khogyani district.
A Pakistan Foreign Office statement said that Jadhav was sent by the Indian intelligence agency and had killed many people.

India on Saturday asked Pakistan to grant consular access to its national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and sabotage activities. (Photo: AP/File)

Lahore: Pakistan Foreign Office on Sunday rejected India's demand for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav for the 18th time, saying New Delhi is trying to deny the facts by calling Jadhav an ordinary prisoner.

A statement by the Pakistan Foreign Office affirmed that Jadhav was sent to Pakistan by Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and many innocent Pakistanis were killed by him.

The Foreign Office further asked India to act upon the bilateral agreement on consular access instead of levelling accusations on Pakistan, Dunya News reported.

Read: Provide access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, India tells Pakistan

India on Saturday asked Pakistan to grant consular access to its national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and sabotage activities.

India had moved the International court of Justice against the death penalty and the ICJ in its verdict on May 18 had restrained Pakistan for executing Jadhav.

Meanwhile, India argued that Pakistan had not granted India consular access, nor had accepted his family's appeals.

The court has asked India to make its submission in the case by September 13 and Pakistan by December 13.

Read: Kulbhushan Jadhav video, for ICJ eyes only?

Pakistan had also earlier said that Jadhav will not be executed till he "exhausts all his mercy appeals."

Both countries also exchanged lists of nationals lodged in the jails of the other country, in consistent with the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access between both the neighbouring countries.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in this statement stated that, "India remains committed to addressing on priority all humanitarian matters with Pakistan, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen. In this context, we await from Pakistan confirmation of nationality of those in India's custody who are otherwise eligible for release and repatriation."
During the Angelus, Pope Francis called on Christians to hold Jesus as "the centre, the whole of life." Do not have a "duplicitous heart" with a "foot in two shoes". May the " holy faithful people of God help us to be good priests." He dedicated a Hail Mary to Venezuela, and expressed his closeness to the families who have lost children in the streets.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  "If you leave everything for Jesus, people will recognise the Lord in you, but at the same time this will help you to convert to Him every day, to renew and purify yourself from compromises and overcome temptations," said Pope Francis as he addressed priests today in his comment on todays Gospel (Thirteenth liturgical Sunday, Matthew 10:37-42), before the Angelus prayer with pilgrims in St Peter's Square. Right after the Marian prayer, Francis called for a "peaceful and democratic solution" to the crisis in Venezuela ahead of that country's national holiday on 5 July.

In the cited Gospel, "Jesus, the pope said, underscores two essential aspects of the life of the missionary disciple: first, his bond with Jesus is stronger than any other bond; second, the missionary carries Jesus, not himself, and through Him the love of the heavenly Father. These two aspects are connected because the more Jesus is at the centre of the heart and life of the disciple, the more this disciple is 'transparent' to his presence."

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me," (see 37). A fathers affection, a mothers tenderness, siblings sweet friendship, all this, whilst being very good and legitimate, cannot come before Christ. Not because He wants us without heart and gratitude; on the contrary, but because the disciple's condition requires a priority relationship with the master." And the "disciple," he added off the cuff, is "a priest, a religious, but also a layman, a laywoman."

"One could almost paraphrase the Book of Genesis: That is why a man leaves his father and mother and joins Jesus Christ, and the two become one body (cf. Gen 2:24)."

"Those who let themselves be attracted to this bond of love and life with the Lord Jesus, Francis went on to say, become his representative, his ambassador, especially with respect to the way of being, of living. To the point that Jesus himself, sending the disciples on a mission, told them: Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me (Mt 10,40). People need to perceive that for that disciple Jesus is truly 'the Lord', he is truly the centre, the whole of life. It does not matter if, like every human person, he has his limits and even his mistakes  provided he has the humility of acknowledging them. The important thing is that he doesnt have a duplicitous heart, but has instead a simple, united one, that he does not hold his foot in two shoes, but is honest with himself and with others. Duplicity is not Christian. This is reason Jesus prays to the Father that his disciples may not become prey to the world."

In this case, our priestly experience teaches us something very beautiful and important. It is precisely this reception of the holy faithful people of God, precisely the cup of cold water (see. 42) given with affectionate faith that helps us to be good priests! There is reciprocity also in the mission. If one leaves everything for Jesus, people will recognise the Lord in you, but at the same time this helps you to convert to Him every day, to renew and purify yourself from compromises and overcome temptations."

"The Virgin Mary experienced firsthand what it means to love Jesus by detaching herself from herself, by giving a new meaning to family ties, starting with faith in Him. Through her maternal intercession, may she help us be free and happy missionaries of the Gospel."

Right after the Angelus, Francis called for prayers on behalf of Venezuela. The country is going through an economic and political crisis to which President Nicolas Maduro has responded by cracking down on opposition and civil society with its trail of deaths, especially among young people.

Before reciting the Hail Mary with the faithful in the square, the pope said: "Dear Brothers and Sisters, 5 July is Venezuelas Independence Day. I offer my prayers for this beloved nation and I express my closeness to the families who have lost their children in the streets. I call for end to violence and for a peaceful and democratic solution to the crisis. May Our Lady of Coromoto intercede for Venezuela!"
New Zealand conservation workers are keen on gene-editing to eradicate pests but would rather avoid playing God with native species, a University of Otago study suggests.

In an article published today in Nature Ecology and Evolution, researchers from the Departments of Anatomy and Zoology outline the views of 148 Department of Conservation (DOC) staff over the use of both gene-editing to save endangered animal species and de-extinction to resurrect those already lost.

Dr Helen Taylor, who co-led the study, is concerned that conservation practitioners are being left out of discussions on synthetic biology techniques like gene-editing.

She says the survey was a chance to assess how conservation workers feel about these issues, and the results were striking.

New Zealand is arguably an ideal testing ground for de-extinction and gene-editing, given the number of species which have become extinct in the past 150 years, its invasive mammal predators and the number of native species with very low genetic diversity.

But Dr Taylor says there is clearly strong opposition from some conservation practitioners to the idea of resurrecting extinct species when doing that might divert funding away from existing conservation projects.

Of those surveyed, 62 per cent considered de-extinction would be impossible to achieve in their lifetimes,...
Research from The Australian National University has cast doubt on a method used in forensic science to determine whether skeletal remains are of a person who has given birth.

The presence of parturition scars  marks often found on female pelvis bones  have commonly been used as an indicator of child birth in police investigations to narrow down the identity of human remains.

Project leader Clare McFadden said that if skeletal remains were incorrectly identified as being of someone who has given birth, it could lead to complications or delays for important police work. In forensics it could have serious consequences. It could send investigators down completely the wrong path, McFadden said. It could potentially slow things down by excluding individuals who otherwise would be candidates for the investigation.

McFadden also said that use of the method in archaeology could lead to historical inaccuracies.

Despite the practice being in common use, particularly in the US since first being proposed in the 1910s, a number of studies into parturition scars have resulted in conflicting findings. McFadden reanalysed data from those studies and found that scarring was not a reliable indicator of childbirth.

We found childbirth has a very weak association with these markers, but they strongly correlate with sex, she said. A lot of the older...
Since the dawn of agriculture, humans have been modifying the genomes of plants and animals through selective breeding, yet the acceleration of this process through molecular genetics has brought mistrust among the public. Even today, despite no evidence of harm from the long-term consumption of genetically modified foods, there remains widespread wariness of what some have labelled Frankenfoods despite the best efforts of the scientific community to educate the public about the issue.

Indeed, there is evidence that further education will not allay these fears, even among those with scientific training. A study of womens attitudes to GM food by Rachel Ankeny and Heather Bray (p.28) has found that women with health/nutrition backgrounds and those with molecular biology backgrounds... took different approaches to risk, respectively stressing a lack of evidence of safety and a lack of evidence of harm. This difference reinforces the idea that knowledge alone does not shape views on GM food, but that evidential standards and other values are critical. These other values include preferences for food that they described as natural (by which they meant unprocessed), locally produced, healthy and nutritious, and free from additives. Only plant scientists in the study didnt consider GM foods to be in conflict with these values.

Now a new wave of genetic...
China lashed out at the United States over the Trump administration's approval of a Taiwan arms deal, with the authorities demanding the US stop the sales.

The Trump administration had notified the US Congress of "seven proposed defense sales for Taiwan" worth about $1.42 billion, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert told reporters on Thursday, adding that there is no change to Washington's one-China policy.

The arms sales, the first such deal with Taiwan since Donald Trump took office as US president, will go forward unless the US Congress formally objects in the next 30 days, according to the Associated Press.

China, having lodged solemn representations to the US in both Beijing and Washington, "strongly urges" the country to revoke the arms sales and cut military contacts with Taiwan to avoid further damaging China-US ties and cooperation in important fields, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said on Friday.

The arms sales would be a grave violation of the principles of the three joint communiques between China and the US and damage China's sovereignty and security interests, Lu said.

They also run counter to the spirit of the important consensus that the two countries' heads of state reached in their meeting in Florida in April, and are not in line with the general trend of the development of bilateral ties or the US's own interests, Lu pointed out.

Ren Guoqiang, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said: "China is resolutely opposed to arms sales to Taiwan by the government of any foreign country."

"The position of the Chinese military over safeguarding China's sovereignty and territorial integrity is firm and clear," Ren said.

The revelation of the arms deal came one day after a US Senate committee completed a markup of a bill, allowing the US Navy to make regular port calls in Taiwan. This drew an immediate protest from China.

Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, warned on Friday: "Any behavior of relying on foreign forces to magnify oneself and damage peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits will surely backfire."

Cui Tiankai, Chinese ambassador to the US, told reporters on the sidelines of a reception at the Chinese embassy on Thursday the arms deal "will certainly undermine the mutual confidence between the two sides".
Archaeologists at The Australian National University and The University of Sydney have opened a window into one of the most exciting periods in human history  the transition between Neanderthals and modern humans.

An archaeological dig in a cave near the Czech border with Austria has provided a timeline of evidence from 10 sedimentary layers spanning 28,000 to 50,000 years ago, when our modern human ancestors first arrived in Europe. The dig has unearthed more than 20,000 animal bones as well as stone tools, weapons and a bead engraved from bone that is the oldest of its kind in Central Europe.

ANU archaeologist Dr Duncan Wright said the project was so important because it gives some of the earliest evidence of modern human activity in the region at a time when humans were moving substantial distances and bringing with them portable art objects. In the early layers, the items weve found are locally made flakes, possibly used by small communities living and hunting in the vicinity to kill animals or prepare food, but around 40,000 years ago we start to see objects coming from long distances away,  Wright said.

Dating from this same time we unearthed a bead made from mammal bone. This is the oldest portable art object of its type found anywhere in Central Europe, and provides evidence of social signalling, quite possibly used as a necklace to mark...
Wine descriptions can alter consumers emotions, increase their enjoyment of wine and encourage them to pay more for a bottle, according to a study published in Food Research International.

The importance of wine labels and label information has been widely studied, and its been clearly shown that they represent useful information which influences consumer choice, says project leader A/Prof Sue Bastian of The University of Adelaide. Our study extends these findings, showing that wine descriptions also influence our whole wine consumption experience.

Cleverly written wine and producer descriptions, when coupled with unbranded wine tasting, can evoke more positive emotions, increasing our positive perception of the wine, our estimation of its quality and the amount we would be willing to pay for it.

The researchers conducted a study with Australian white wines and 126 regular white wine consumers. The consumers evaluated the same set of three commercially available white wines  chardonnay, riesling and sauvignon blanc  under three information levels: a blind tasting with no information, the provision of a basic sensory description, and the provision of an elaborate emotional description.

The presentation of more elaborate wine descriptions, which included information regarding the winerys history and positive wine quality statements,...
Hi Everyone,

This is my first thread and possibly the answers are already in another thread but would really appreciate your assistance. I am the Australian Sponsor and my partner is EU Citizen (Greek).



I recently applied and obtained a Tier 5 mobility visa issued in Australia and I am now living in London with my partner. My partner and I have future plans together to settle in Australia and we are planning to marry in 2018. Upon researching different options for my partner we noted the prospective marriage visa as the most relevant one for us, however we have a few questions before we apply for the visa.

Just to share a bit of our background story for evidence. We met in Australia in December 2015 on a cruiseship, my partner was working as a bartender on Royal Carribbean. Since then we have spent time together in Italy, Greece, Albania, Australia and now the UK. In June 2016 we had vacations together in Italy, Greece and Albania. Whilst in Albania in July I met his family and spent time with them on holidays. Since our holidays in June we declared ourselves in a partnership and made long term plans. In November I took some holidays from my job and life in Australia to come to Albania to visit him and his family for 3 weeks. I came back to Australia to finalise my divorce and refinance my home loan. At the start of June 2017 he came to visit me on an ETA for 9 days in Australia and met my family and declared our engagement then I came back to the UK with him to live on the 12th June 2017.



Between the visit to Albania in November and June we had a long distant relationship while he obtained his Greek citizenship and I obtained my Tier 5 mobility visa and finalised my personal matters in Australia. I am full Australian and my partner is dual citizenship Albanian and Greek. Since we met in December 2015 we have kept in contact through emails and facebook messenger through calls and messages. As an albanian citizen only he was unable to come to Australia and obtained his Greek citizenship in April. In April he relocated to the UK to work and live as we planned to stay in the UK for a while for a break and whilst we sort out the long term visa for Australia.



In Australia I have a house and mortgage in my name which we plan to visit Australia in August to fix it to rent it out while we are in the UK and waiting for my partner's visa. We plan to marry in 2018.



We have done some reading on the requirements for the Prospective Marriage Visa and below is currently the evidence we have and would really appreciate your feedback with this:



-Messenger messages, discussions and on camera conversations. A few phone messages. Lots of emails mostly from january 2016 til June 2016.

-Flights and hotels I paid for him and a flight he paid for me.

- I transferred money to him through Western Union to help him for things at home/greek passport and because he left his job on the ship to be with me for a few weeks holiday in November.

- My partner also sent me money via Western Union to help me while I was struggling with the costs of my divorce and house title transfer. He sent me approximately $5000.

- My partner and I opened a joint account in Australia and deposited money into this account to cover my mortgage and house expenses whilst here in the uk.

-We have got lots of pictures of holidays and family meetings.

-Gifts that we bought eachother and for eachothers family.

- Grocery receipts for weekly food while in Australia and in UK.

- We have a signed joint rental agreement for where we live in the UK.

- My partner currently works part time as a bartender/bar supervisor in london and earns around 240 a week. And im not working yet as im waiting for my insurance number. Normally I work in finance in Australia earning $60,000+ per year. We plan to come back to the UK together after a month in Australia in August to live and work until his visa is granted.



Questions:



1. Is the prospective visa more suitable for us or applying for partner visa when in Australia?



2. If we apply for visa this July, is he allowed to come for a month in August in Australia or does he have to remain offshore until his visa is granted?



3. Do we have to book the date of marriage with a celebrant in Australia or anywhere?



4. Do we have to get a statement from parents/friends/family to confirm our engagement and relationship?



5. My partner has worked onboard cruise ships for 2 years and has had multiple crew member visas for America, Australia and Canada visiting many places during his work. Does he have to write down in the form all of the countries he has visited? Does he have to provide criminal records for the Americas?



6. He is a Greek citizen from descent but didnt live in greece more than 5 months total within the last 5 years. Does he have to provide criminal records? It takes time to obtain the criminal records from other countries so can he add them later after the appliation is done?



7. What is required to prove our relationship? Since January 2016 we have only contact through facebook messenger and emails. Is it required to provide all this data as proof?



Sorry for the long post but thank you for taking the time to read through it.
Produced at its Talegaon plant solely for overseas markets, GM recently dispatched 1,200 Chevrolet Beat sedans to Latin America.

General Motors India has begun exports of the sedan version of the Chevrolet Beat from its Talegaon plant in Pune to Latin American markets. Following the start of production on June 5, a consignment of 1,200 Chevrolet Beat sedans was recently loaded for despatch to Latin America.

Our Talegaon facility is a key export manufacturing hub for GM, said Asif Khatri, vice-president (manufacturing), GM India. GM Indias exports have more than tripled in the past year. GM was Indias third largest passenger vehicle exporter in May, recording our highest monthly total of vehicle exports at 8,297 units.

GM India, which until now was producing only the left-hand-drive Chevrolet Beat hatchback at its Talegaon plant in Pune, exports to many markets, including Mexico, Chile, Peru, Central American and Caribbean countries, Uruguay and Argentina. In FY2017, the company exported 70,969 units, which mark 88 percent YoY growth.

The Beat Essentia is a compact sedan that is based on the new Beat and first showcased at the 2016 Auto Expo.

The Beat sedan, along with the new Beat hatchback and the Beat Activ crossover, is one of the three new Chevrolet products originally planned for launch in the domestic market this year. But with GM's pullout from the domestic market to focus solely on export of Indian-made cars, these cars will now be produced at the Talegaon plant solely for overseas markets.

The Make In India strategy is helping sustain the drive for global OEMs like GM, and also Ford, Volkswagen and Nissan.
The Long March-5 Y2 is stationed at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern China's Hainan Province on June 26. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

China is scheduled to launch the Long March-5 Y2, the country's second heavy-lift carrier rocket, from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern China's Hainan Province Sunday, the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence said Saturday.

Propellant for the rocket, which will send the Shijian-18 communication satellite into orbit, began to be pumped in on Saturday afternoon, it said.

After arriving at the launch base in early May, the rocket has been assembled and tested there.

The launch will be the last drill for the Long March-5 series before it carries the Chang'e-5 lunar probe into space in the latter half of this year, according to the administration.

Media are allowed to live broadcast the launch, the administration said.

The Long March-5 made its maiden flight in November 2016 in Wenchang. It can carry a payload of 25 tonnes into low Earth orbit and 14 tonnes in geostationary orbit, over two times the capacity of current carrier rockets.

China has scheduled eight launches of Long March-5 in the coming years for the nation's lunar probe, manned space station and Mars probe missions.
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The contest for Fangshan mascot is announced at a launch ceremony for a series of cultural events to be held in the district in Beijing, June 29, 2017. [Photo/ China.org.cn]

Beijing's Fangshan District announced on Thursday that it is looking for their mascot through a contest that will have global participation.

The winner will be awarded 50,000 yuan (US$7,375) for his creation. Fangshan local government has invited designers around the world, either young or veteran, to show their "cute" creativity based on the district's local cultural elements at a launch ceremony for a series of cultural events to be held in the district, which named itself in English as "Fun Hill."

The designs should be submitted to official email box: fsjxwzj@163.com, by Aug. 15. There will be one winner to have the first grade award, three individuals to get the second grade award and six to earn the third grade award. The awards will be announced on Oct. 7 at an award ceremony during the Beijing International Design Week.

Following are application guideline details:

(1) The mascot is not limited by the style and form but must be created on the basis of the local cultural elements of Fangshan District and reveals the local spiritual outlook in an anthropomorphic way.

(2) The bidding work does not infringe on the Intellectual Property rights of others, otherwise the entrant shall be responsible for all consequences.

(3) A mascot should with concise and vivid image, bright color, novel form, a claimed name, which is easy to remember and recognize, the overall effect ought to possess strong attraction, and easy to spread.

(4) A mascot should be easy to produce and make into three-dimensional display works such as models, gifts, etc., also needs to be convenient for being used in various carriers and environments.

(5) Participants need to design the three-view drawings of the mascot (including: front, side and back), and at least three motions which can show the mascots characteristics. Effect picture or colorful photos should be submitted with the format of JPG no less than 4M, and the image resolution is not less than 300dpi. Maximum 500 words to explain the work is also needed (including title, design idea and connotation). The work should be suitable for use in print, 3D and new media platforms, and can be used for peripheral product development.

Prizes:

The Third Prize: 6 persons, reward 3,000 yuan for each

The Second Prize: 3 persons, reward 5,000 yuan for each

The First Prize: 1 person, reward 50,000 yuan

Submission method:

Please mail the design work, the registration form, and the commitment letter (handwritten copy and scan) to the official Email address: fsjxwzj@163.com.

Arrangement of activities:

Global collection: June 30  Aug. 15, 2017

Preliminary assessment by experts: Aug. 16 - 17, 2017, experts will discuss and then choose 30 works to public on the internet

Popular vote: Aug.18 - 31, 2017, selecting top ten popular works

Ten Striving for Hegemony: Sept. 11 - 13, 2017, road show in Fangshan District exhibition hall of Beijing Cultural Fair

Awards ceremony: Oct. 7, 2017, granting awards in the awards ceremony of Beijing International Design Week

Notes:

1. All the bidding works shall not be returned; please keep the draft.

2. The designer should guarantee the originality of the work, which is unpublished and free from affecting others' intellectual property rights. Otherwise, the designer has to bear legal responsibilities, and the participant will be disqualified.

3. After the author receiving the prize, the authors retains the right of authorship, and the intellectual property right transfers to the undertaking unit (Cultural and Creative Industry Promotion Center of Fangshan District), including but not limited to the ownership and right of use, right of adaptation etc. (including the design, production, exhibition, publishing and other forms of publicity etc.). The author will not use or transfer to the third party himself.

4. When submitting the design works, the participants also need to sign the commitment letter of Fangshan mascot collection, which be taken as consent to comply with all the provisions and requirements of the organizers.
The ODM deputy party leader was in Homabay today representing the NASA flag bearer Raila Odinga. The rally and the leaders meeting in the county were to confine and consolidate all leaders and votes for the sake of the NASA coalition.The Mombasa governor said that the people of Nyanza region need to vote for their leader 100% in the coming elections. The independent candidates who are used by the Jubilee to penetrate in the region were not left on the talk. Hassan Joho said the independent candidates need to be screened before any vote is cast for them."I want to plead with you to stand up one last time. I want to implore you. Canaan is right around the corner. I need you to make sure every single person in the greater Nyanza area comes out to vote on 8/8/2017." he said."Young people make about 58% of the voters in Kenya. To the youth of Nyanza and Kenya, your future is in your hands. You can decide what that future will look like. Through your vote, you can decide to take us through the path of recklessness, high food prices, high public debt, and corruption. Or you can build a newer brighter more responsible future with Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka. The choice is within your control." he added.
Taliah Dancil knows the recipe for success.

The 12-year-old St. Petersburg native is a "Chopped Junior" champion. She beat out three competitors on the Food Network show in November.

Taliah Dancil found passion for cooking at young age

She won Food Network's 'Chopped Junior' last year

She will appear on 'Guy's Grocery Games' in August



And now she's back on the television screen for an episode of "Guy's Grocery Games" this summer.

Dancil found a passion for cooking at a young age, watching her mother in the kitchen at home.

"I like how you get to basically put your personality on the plate," Dancil said. "You get to put your own style on the food you cook."

The soft-spoken pre-teen said it was nerve-wracking presenting her food to the celebrity chef judges on "Chopped Junior," but she knew she was prepared for the challenge.

"My mom, she drilled me and instead of giving me 30 minutes, she gave me either 25 or 20," Dancil said.

The training paid off -- Dancil said she finished early almost every round. She said her best dish was her dessert, where she wowed the judges with vanilla pudding with a brittle and roasted grapes.

Dancil not only brought home the win, but also a valuable lesson.

"If I can go in front of the judges and present my judges and they like it, then I can keep cooking and do it again," Dancil said.

Her episode of "Guy's Grocery Games" airs Aug. 13
Here is what you need to know about the overnight construction projects this week.

All construction has been suspended for the holiday weekend until Tuesday morning.

Keep in mind that while crews will not be present, any road closures or lane restrictions associated with a project will still be in place.

This week, crews are installing an overhead sign over the northbound lanes of the Veterans Expressway past Ehrlich Road.

The Florida Department of Transportation will close the northbound Veterans at Ehrlich Road from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Wednesday and Thursday, with the road opening at 6 a.m. Friday morning.

The official detour takes traffic east on Erlich Road to Dale Mabry Highway, then north on Dale Mabry to Van Dyke Road, re-entering the Suncoast Parkway at the Van Dyke Road entry.
Suspect, 34-year-old Mo Huanjing, is now in the custody of the authorities. [Photo/thepaper.cn]

A woman has been detained by police in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, in connection with a suspected arson attack on an apartment in the eastern citys upmarket Shangcheng District.

The incident sparked a storm of comment on social media in China with 53 million views on Weibo within three days, and attracting more than 50 thousand comments.

The fire broke out at 5 a.m. on June 22 in an apartment on the 18th floor of a residential complex. Firefighters managed to put the fire out after an hour, but the residents, a mother and her three children  aged 6, 8 and 11  died from their injuries in hospital.

Its reported the mother had awoken to find the fire, and sent the nanny to get help. Her husband was away on business.

The 34-year-old nanny, Mo Huanjing, from Guangdong province has reportedly confessed to using a lighter to start the fire in the living room. She had been employed a year earlier, and had allegedly borrowed money to repay gambling debts.

The case has put China's chaotic housekeeping market under intense scrutiny. According to Global Times, cases of domestic helpers killing clients, abusing babies and stealing property have been reported in recent years, due to a lack of controls in the domestic worker market.

There have been widespread calls for the better regulation of the sector.
For the fourth year in a row and the six year overall, Boston Children's Hospital earned the top spot on U.S. News & World Report's Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll this year.

The publication released its 2017-18 Best Children's Hospitals rankings Tuesday.

Here are six things to know about the 11th year of U.S. News' Best Children's Hospitals rankings.

1. U.S. News updated its Best Children's Hospitals metrics this year. As part of the update, to make this year's Honor Roll, hospitals received points based on their rankings in 10 specialties. The 10 hospitals with the most points received a coveted spot on the Honor Roll.

2. This year, Boston Children's Hospital was ranked No. 1 in five of the 10 ranked specialties (orthopedics, gastroenterology and GI surgery, nephrology, urology, and neurology and neurosurgery) and earned the No. 1 spot on the Honor Roll.

3. Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore made an appearance on the Honor Roll this year for the first time since 2014, while Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford in Palo Alto, Calif., and Children's Hospital Colorado in Aurora both fell off the Honor Roll.

4. For the 2017-18 rankings, 113 hospitals  seven more than last year  were evaluated, and 82 were ranked nationally in one or more specialty.

5. The 10 hospitals on the 2017-18 Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll are:

1. Boston Children's Hospital

2. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

3. Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

4. Texas Children's Hospital (Houston)

5. Johns Hopkins Children's Center (Baltimore)

6. Children's Hospital Los Angeles

7. Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

7. Nationwide Children's Hospital (Columbus, Ohio)

9. Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC

10. Children's National Medical Center (Washington, D.C.)

6. Other hospitals that earned No. 1 positions for the other five ranked specialties are:

Cancer: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

Cardiology and heart surgery: Texas Children's Hospital

Diabetes and endocrinology: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Neonatology: Children's National Medical Center

Pulmonology: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

To see the 2016-17 Best Children's Hospitals Honor Roll listing from U.S. News, click here.
Highland Spring boss Les Montgomery says the First Minister should concentrate on her day job rather than independence

Business leaders are "fed up" with Nicola Sturgeon's quest for independence and want her to get back to her day job, according to the boss of one of Scotland's best-known brands.

Les Montgomery, chief executive of bottled water firm Highland Spring, told the Press Association the Scottish Government should be helping the Conservatives to achieve the best possible Brexit outcome.

He said: "Businesses are fed up. The Scottish Government should be getting on with the job they are there to do. Focusing on employment, investment, those kinds of things."

"Independence isn't the job that the Scottish Government is supposed to be doing."

His comments come as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed plans for a second referendum on Scottish independence are being put on hold - but left the door open for another ballot before 2021.

Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament she was going to "reset" the timetable she had previously set out, which could have seen a referendum take place between autumn 2018 and spring 2019.

But she made clear that she wanted to give Scottish voters - who backed Remain in last year's EU referendum - an alternative to Brexit when there is "clarity" at the end of the process.

Mr Montgomery said it looks like independence is "off the table" for now, and that was a good thing as it is "just a distraction".

"I have 600 people that I am responsible for, and I am trying to do the best for them. I would think the Scottish Government should also try to do the best for the people as a whole."

Bottling over 500 million litres a year, Highland Spring is showing continued strong sales performance, with revenues of 103 million and pre-tax profits of 4.3 million in the year end to December 31 2015.

Founded in 1979, the company is benefiting from a shifting consumer outlook, with more consumers switching from sugary soft drinks to healthier alternatives.

Highland Spring is ultimately owned by one of Scotland's wealthiest men, Mahdi Al Tajir, who is worth over 1.6 billion.

On Brexit, Mr Montgomery said the Scottish Government should be "helping the country exit as effectively as possible", rather than trying to create more division.

"What we and the wider industry needs is for the UK and devolved governments to continue working together, swiftly and decisively, to bring clarity to key questions for businesses as the Brexit process continues," he said.

The UK's divorce from the EU will not have a meaningful impact on Highland Spring, he said, given only 3% of its products are sold abroad.

However, the company stands to gain from a rising trend among UK consumers to "buy British" as Brexit looms.

The flagship Highland Spring brand is the number one UK-produced plain bottled water brand and also the top sparkling brand in the UK.

The group's portfolio also includes brands such as Speyside Glenlivet and Hydr8.

"British people tend to be very loyal," he said. "Brexit will help with that. It will be positive for British products and British brands."

If Scotland were to vote for independence, that could be more of a risk, however.

"We are a British company, we're based in Scotland but we're a British company.

"We send 85% of our products to England, and we are fortunate to consider 'local' to mean 'British'.

"That's how it should be. We hope to see that continue."

Scottish Labour's economy spokesperson Jackie Baillie said: "Businesses across Scotland are tired of the SNP government's obsession with independence and the damage the uncertainty of another referendum is doing to our economy."

A Scottish Government spokesman said: "Brexit is far and away the biggest threat to Scottish jobs, investment and living standards, and an extreme Brexit, taking us outside the world's biggest single market, would be enormously damaging to businesses.

"That is why we are fully committed to fighting to retaining our place in the single market and working hard to mitigate the damage from EU withdrawal. That job will be easier with a place for Scotland and the other devolved governments at the negotiating table, something there is growing support for, including from business leaders.

"At the same time, Scotland voted overwhelmingly against leaving Europe, and we have made clear that the country should still have a choice on its future at the end of the Brexit process, once the terms of the deal are known."
Pictured a PSNI officer speaks with a passerby. Earlier the Kennedy Centre was evacuated as the fire brigade tackle a fire. Date: Saturday 1st July 2017. Credit: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX

More than 40 firefighters attend a "significant" fire at The Belfast Crystal Factory in west Belfast on Saturday evening. Seven fire appliances, including an aerial unit, attended the blaze at the factory off the Kennedy Way. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

More than 40 firefighters attend a "significant" fire at the Belfast Crystal Factory in west Belfast on Saturday evening. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

More than 40 firefighters attend a "significant" fire at The Belfast Crystal Factory in west Belfast on Saturday evening. Seven fire appliances, including an aerial unit, attended the blaze at the factory off the Kennedy Way. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

The Kennedy Centre, which is close to the site, was evacuated as flames and heavy smoke engulfed the area. Date: Saturday 1st July 2017 Copyright: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX

Police are appealing for information following a huge fire at the Belfast Crystal factory on Saturday, June 1.

More than 40 firefighters attended the scene of the blaze on the Blackstaff Road in the west of the city. The premises have sustained substantial damage. Police have confirmed that the fire is being treated as suspicious at this time.

Gas cylinders were on the premises. Buildings including Kennedy Way shopping centre were evacuated.

Sergeant Tom Donnelly appealed to anyone who may have noticed any suspicious activity in the area to contact police at Woodbourne on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 1048 01/07/17.

Sinn Fein assembly member Alex Maskey tweeted: "Sadly local business Belfast Crystal of 40 years loyal service to our community destroyed by fire. Family devastated."

The Northern Ireland Fire service said the fire started at around 6pm. Fire appliances, a high reach aerial machine and a command unit were in attendance.

On arrival at the incident, initial crews were confronted by a well-developed fire in the property, the fire service said.

There are currently seven fire appliances, one high reach aerial appliance and a specialist command support unit, with a total of 41 firefighters on the fire ground and extensive firefighting operations are ongoing."

Expand Close More than 40 firefighters attend a "significant" fire at The Belfast Crystal Factory in west Belfast on Saturday evening. Seven fire appliances, including an aerial unit, attended the blaze at the factory off the Kennedy Way. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press / Facebook

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Whatsapp More than 40 firefighters attend a "significant" fire at The Belfast Crystal Factory in west Belfast on Saturday evening. Seven fire appliances, including an aerial unit, attended the blaze at the factory off the Kennedy Way. Photo Colm Lenaghan/Pacemaker Press

Earlier the Kennedy Centre, which is close to the site, was evacuated as flames and heavy smoke engulfed the area.

Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close More than 40 firefighters had to deal with a fire at an industrial estate in west Belfast. Seven fire appliances, including an aerial unit, attended the blaze at a crystal factory off Kennedy Way on Saturday evening. More than 40 firefighters had to deal with a fire at an industrial estate in west Belfast. Seven fire appliances, including an aerial unit, attended the blaze at a crystal factory off Kennedy Way on Saturday evening. More than 40 firefighters had to deal with a fire at an industrial estate in west Belfast. Seven fire appliances, including an aerial unit, attended the blaze at a crystal factory off Kennedy Way on Saturday evening. / Facebook

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Whatsapp More than 40 firefighters had to deal with a fire at an industrial estate in west Belfast. Seven fire appliances, including an aerial unit, attended the blaze at a crystal factory off Kennedy Way on Saturday evening.
A 23-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of arson

Belfast police investigating a fire at a shop on the Antrim Road have arrested a 23-year-old man on suspicion of arson with intent to endanger life.

The incident happened on Sunday, June 2, at approximately 7.55am. The shop sustained substantial damage to a caged area at the side of the property and scorch damage to a wall of the premises.

Guttering and a number of windows of flats above the premises also sustained damage. No one was injured in the fire.

Detective Sergeant Mason appealed for anyone with any information about the incident to contact Musgrave PSNI Station on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 445 02/07/17. 1.
Barry Corcoran disappeared two years ago and a letter claimed he had been murdered (Garda/PA)

Detectives trying to solve the disappearance of a man two years ago have called into question the motive of a letter writer who claimed he had been murdered.

Barry Corcoran, from Wicklow town and the unemployed father of a young girl, was last seen on July 6 2015 after going to a friend's house in Ballyfermot, Dublin.

He had been due to meet the mother of his child the following day to give her money for their daughter's school uniform.

The alarm was raised when he failed to arrive.

In the weeks after his disappearance a letter was sent to his brother William, who he lived with in Wicklow, which claimed Mr Corcoran had been murdered and his body buried.

As a new appeal for information was issued by Crimestoppers and gardai, Detective Inspector Colm O'Malley said questions remain unanswered over the letter writer's intentions.

"The information has been looked at and investigated and it has not given us any new lead," the officer said.

"So we would question the motive of the person. Was it intended to give us information or mislead the investigation? Was it to assist or distract the investigation?"

Mr O'Malley said Mr Corcoran's family are hopeful that he is still alive and have appealed for him to make contact.

No arrests have been made but a number of people have been interviewed in relation to Mr Corcoran's disappearance, including in connection with the letter.

A dig and searches in a derelict property near the Grand Canal near Clondalkin found nothing.

Mr Corcoran, who had used drugs and been involved in minor drug-related incidents, has been described as docile.

It is understood no evidence has been uncovered to support reports that he had run up drug debts.

He was 39 when he disappeared and is described as 5'11" tall, of thin build, with short grey hair and blue eyes. He walked with a slight shuffle.

Mr Corcoran had an old scar on the bridge of his nose and was known to friends as Rubber Nose.

When last seen he was wearing a dark rain jacket, blue jeans and black Puma running shoes.

On July 6 2015 Mr Corcoran went by bus from Wicklow town to Dublin to meet his friend in Fitzgibbon Street in Dublin but he failed to turn up and travelled out on the Luas to Kylemore Road near Ballyfermot.

He was last seen that day at 6.44pm in the Aldi on Ballyfermot Road and went to the friend's house, where they drank.

Mr Corcoran was known to be in the friend's house until midnight or 1.30am.

The following morning when the friend and his partner got up, Mr Corcoran was gone.

CCTV in the Ballyfermot area has been examined and the family said one man seen on footage is not their brother.

Gardai have appealed for information on the movement of vehicles in the Cremona Road area of Ballyfermot around the time Mr Corcoran was last seen.

Superintendent Brendan Connolly urged anyone with information to call Crimestoppers anonymously or any Garda station.

"We are confident that someone knows what happened to Barry. If you are a friend or acquaintance of Barry and have any information that could help locate him please call Crimestoppers on 1800 25 00 25," he said.
The Convention grants rights to neighbouring countries to fish in each other's fishing zones

The UK's withdrawal from an arrangement allowing other countries to fish in British waters is unhelpful, the government has said.

Ministers will trigger exit from the London Fisheries Convention, signed in 1964 before joining the EU, to start the two-year process to leave the agreement.

The convention allows vessels from France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands to fish within six and 12 nautical miles of the UK's coastline.

Agriculture, Food and Marine Minister Michael Creed said: "Today's announcement by the UK Government is unwelcome and unhelpful.

"It is a part of Brexit and will be considered by the EU 27 member states and the (Michel) Barnier team when the negotiations commence."

The Convention grants rights to neighbouring countries to fish in each other's fishing zones based on historic fishing activity.

The Irish fishing fleet has access to parts of the UK six to 12-mile zone, as has the UK fleet to parts of the Irish zone.

These access rights were incorporated into the EU Common Fisheries Policy.

Mr Creed added: " Brexit poses very serious challenges to the seafood sector and this announcement will form part of the negotiations."

Sean O'Donoghue, chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, a large fish producers' group based on Ireland's west coast, said it is an aggressive measure by the British.

"We are not surprised, we did expect it," he said.

"The access for us is huge but the access between six and 12 is not our greatest priority, our access is between 12-mile limit and 200 UK-wide limit.

"That is the important one."

The EU Common Fisheries Policy allows all European countries access between 12 and 200 nautical miles of the UK and sets quotas for how much fish nations can catch.
Pope Francis has called for the parents of terminally-ill Charlie Gard to be allowed to accompany and treat their child until the end.

It comes as Chris Gard and Connie Yates are spending the last days of their 10-month-old sons life with him, after being given more time before his life-support is turned off.

In a statement, the Vatican press office said the pope is following with affection and sadness the case of little Charlie Gard and expresses his closeness to his parents. For this he prays that their wish to accompany and treat their child until the end is not neglected.

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Charlie, who suffers from a rare genetic condition and has brain damage, is being cared for at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH).

The little boy has been at the centre of a lengthy legal battle between his parents, who wanted him to undergo a therapy trial in the US, and specialists at the hospital who said the treatment was experimental and would not help.

On Friday a picture of the couple sleeping on either side of their son in hospital was posted on their Twitter account.

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The couple released an emotional video a day earlier saying they had been told Charlie would die on Friday.

They said they had been denied their final wish to be able to take their son home to die and felt let down after losing their legal fight.

The hospital later confirmed it was putting plans in place for his care.

Charlies plight has touched many people and the family received donations totalling more than 1.3 million to take him to the US for therapy.

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Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia of the Vaticans Pontifical Academy for Life issued a statement saying: Dear Charlie, dear parents Chris Gard and Connie Yates, we are praying for you and with you.

He also drew criticism for saying the parents wishes should be respected, but that they must also be helped to understand the unique difficulty of their situation.

Campaigners have pledged their support to the family on social media using hashtags and blue heart emoticons.

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Charlies parents, both in their 30s and from Bedfont, west London, had asked European court judges in Strasbourg, France, to consider their case after judges in the High Court, Court of Appeal and Supreme Court in London ruled in favour of GOSH doctors.

But on Tuesday the European Court of Human Rights refused to intervene.

On Sunday, campaigners carrying a banner that said Its Murder gathered outside Buckingham Palace to protest against the courts decision.

Other posters with pictures of Charlie said Where theres life, theres hope and parental rights.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell refuses to retract his claim that Grenfell Tower residents were "murdered" by political decisions (Victoria Jones/PA)

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has defended his claim that victims of the Grenfell Tower fire were murdered by political decisions.

Mr McDonnell, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyns right hand man, said he was angry about the disaster in Kensington and was reflecting the ire of survivors and victims families.

The Hayes and Harlington MP told Channel 4 News: Im angry about whats gone on, Im a west London MP, this is our community.

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People have died on a scale weve not seen since the Second World War blitz, thats why Im angry, very angry.

And I dont believe my words were intemperate, I think they reflected the anger that is out there, how austerity has impacted upon our fire service, our local government in terms of inspections etcetera and some decisions made.

Weve got to wake up and learn the lessons.

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Mr McDonnell made his original comments during a debate at Glastonbury Festivals Left Field tent, which asked whether democracy is broken.

He told the event: Is democracy working? It didnt work if you were a family living on the 20th floor of Grenfell Tower.

Those families, those individuals, 79 so far and there will be more, were murdered by political decisions that were taken over recent decades.

The decision not to build homes and to view housing as only for financial speculation rather than for meeting a basic human need made by politicians over decades murdered those families.

The decision to close fire stations and to cut 10,000 firefighters and then to freeze their pay for over a decade contributed to those deaths inevitably and they were political decisions.
The Government is withdrawing the UK from an arrangement that allows foreign countries to fish in British waters, it has announced.

Ministers will trigger withdrawal from the London Fisheries Convention, signed in 1964 before the UK joined the European Union, to start the two-year process to leave the agreement.

The convention allows vessels from France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands to fish within six and 12 nautical miles of the UKs coastline.

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It sits alongside the EU Common Fisheries Policy which allows all European countries access between 12 and 200 nautical miles of the UK and sets quotas for how much fish nations can catch.

Ministers claimed the move would help take back control of fishing access to UK waters, as it will no longer be bound by existing access agreements, and enable the country to become fully responsible for fisheries management.

UK vessels will also lose the right to fish in the waters six to 12 nautical miles offshore of the other countries.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: Leaving the London Fisheries Convention is an important moment as we take back control of our fishing policy. It means for the first time in more than 50 years we will be able to decide who can access our waters.

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This is an historic first step towards building a new domestic fishing policy as we leave the European Union  one which leads to a more competitive, profitable and sustainable industry for the whole of the UK.

Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermens Organisations, said: This is welcome news and an important part of establishing the UK as an independent coastal state with sovereignty over its own exclusive economic zone.

The UK fishing industry was made up of more than 6,000 vessels in 2015, landing 708,000 tonnes of fish worth 775 million.

Some 10,000 tonnes of fish was caught by other countries under the convention, worth an estimated 17 million.

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Will McCallum, Greenpeace UK head of oceans, warned that pulling out of the London Convention would not alone deliver a better future for the UK fishing industry.

For years, successive UK governments have blamed Brussels for their own failure to support the small-scale, sustainable fishers who are the backbone of our fishing fleet, he said.

If Brexit is to herald a better future for our fishers, the new Environment Secretary Michael Gove must keep the 2015 Conservative Party manifesto commitment to re-balance fishing quotas in favour of small-scale, specific locally-based fishing communities.

Environmental law firm ClientEarth consultant Dr Tom West said the move appeared to be an aggressive negotiating tactic.

As a country outside the EU we need to consider how we can best co-operate with our neighbours rather than unilaterally withdrawing from all agreements in the hope that standing alone will make us better.
Austria's highest court has ruled the government was within its rights to seize the house where Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 after its owner refused to sell it.

Authorities said the move was needed to give the State full control over plans to reduce the house's attraction for neo-Nazis.

The Constitutional Court ruled that the government had "full authority" to expropriate the house in Braunau am Inn, near the German border.

The expropriation, it said, "was in the public interest, proportionate, and not without compensation and is thus not unconstitutional".

The government wants to remodel the facade of the property to rid it of any visual association with Hitler's birthplace, and offer it to an agency that runs workshops for disabled people.

Work is expected to begin in the autumn.

Owner Gerlinde Pommer had challenged the expropriation, saying purchase offers were too low.

Her lawyer Gerhard Lebitsch said he assumed Ms Pommer would take the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Germany bid farewell on Saturday to Helmut Kohl, the former chancellor who steered his country toward reunification in 1990 and whose tireless efforts to ensure peace and stability in Europe shape the continent to this day.

Hundreds of dignitaries attended a requiem mass at Speyer Cathedral in Mr Kohl's home region of Rhineland-Palatinate in southwest Germany.

Earlier in the day, past and present leaders from around the world paid tribute to Mr Kohl at the European Parliament's seat in the French city of Strasbourg.

Mr Kohl, who died June 16 at the age of 87, is the first person to be honoured with an official memorial event by the European Union.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the ceremony in Strasbourg, close to the border with Germany, was Mr Kohl's own choice.

"Helmut Kohl was a German patriot but at the same time a European patriot," said Mr Juncker, recalling how Mr Kohl had wept tears of joy when the bloc agreed in December 1997 to begin accepting members from the formerly Communist countries in Eastern Europe.

During his 16-year term as Germany's leader, stretching from 1982 to 1998, not only did Mr Kohl oversee his country's reunification but also spearheaded the creation of the euro currency, which is now used by 19 nations.

"Helmut Kohl gave us the chance to be involved in something bigger than ourselves," said former US president Bill Clinton, citing Mr Kohl's willingness to put international cooperation before national interests at key moments in history.

Mr Kohl is widely regarded as having skilfully overcome the fears of Germany's neighbours when an end to the country's decades-long division into a communist east and a democratic west first became a realistic possibility in the late 1980s.

Drawing on his friendships with several world leaders, often forged over hearty meals, Mr Kohl assured the Allied nations that had beaten Nazi Germany in the Second World War that his country no longer aspired to dominate others.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Mr Kohl's vision and persistence had paid a historic dividend.

"Without Helmut Kohl, the lives of millions of people who lived behind the (Berlin) Wall until 1990 would have taken a completely different course, including mine," said Mrs Merkel, who grew up in communist East Germany. "Thank you for the opportunities you gave me."

EU Parliament President Antonio Tajani said Mr Kohl deserved "a place of honour in the European pantheon" for unhesitatingly extending the hand of friendship to fledgling democracies in Eastern Europe following the fall of the Iron Curtain.

French president Emmanuel Macron noted that it was one of his predecessors, Francois Mitterrand, and Mr Kohl, two men who had experienced the suffering of the Second World War on opposing sides, who were able to "overcome the terrible memories of their generation."

Mr Macron pledged to continue their work in forging a united Europe, working together with Mr Merkel.

Several speakers recalled the poignant gesture of reconciliation in 1984, when Mr Mitterrand and Mr Kohl held hands during a ceremony at a First World War cemetery in Verdun, France.

Following Saturday's ceremony in Strasbourg, Mr Kohl's coffin was transported by helicopter to Germany and then taken down the Rhine river to Speyer, with thousands of people lining the roads and riverbanks to bid their farewell.

The requiem mass in Speyer ended with a rare funeral toll from the Cathedral's Emperor Bell, named after the eight Holy Roman Emperors buried in the city, after which his flag-draped coffin was carried out into the open for military honours.

Mr Kohl was to be laid to rest in a private ceremony at a cemetery in Speyer.

AP
Nevada has become the fifth US state to allow stores to sell cannabis for recreational purposes.

The state followed Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Alaska in allowing adults to buy the drug from a dispensary.

Just months after legalisation was approved in November, Las Vegas dispensaries opened their doors shortly after midnight on Saturday.

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Those over the age of 21 will be able to purchase up to an ounce of pot or one-eighth of an ounce of edibles or concentrates.

However it still remains illegal to spark a spliff in public areas  including casinos, bars, restaurants and parks, and anyone caught violating the law face a $600 fine.

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Cannabis sales in Nevada are predicted to top any other states in the country  or at least until California begins its recreational sales next year  due to the millions of tourists that head to Vegas every year.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping's Special Envoy Wan Gang on Saturday attended the memorial ceremony of former German chancellor Helmut Kohl in Strasbourg, the French city home to the European Parliament.

On behalf of President Xi, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, Wan paid a final solemn tribute to Kohl.

He also conveyed his condolences to European Council President Donald Tusk, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and to the family of Kohl.

Wan is also Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Minister of Science and Technology.

Helmut Kohl, Wan said, had made contributions to development of the Sino-European and Sino-German relations. The Chinese side won't forget him as an old friend.

China is looking forward to working together with the European Union and Germany, for further development of the Sino-European and Sino-German relations, Wan said.

The European and German sides thanked the Chinese delegation for attending the ceremony and expressed their wishes to deepen the Sino-European and Sino-German ties.

Kohl died, at the age of 87, on June 16 at his home in Ludwigshafen in Germany's western state of Rhineland-Platinate.
After an 18-year run in Goose Creek and unforeseen challenges presented by COVID-19, Dreamalot Books has gradually  but decidedly  gained a steady foothold in the Moncks Corner community as a welcoming haven of second-hand books for both area bibliophiles and those traveling in from Myrtle Read moreThe 'happy place' for used books: Dreamalot Books emerging as a go-to hot spot in Moncks Corner
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Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 01/07/2017 (1959 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

This years installment of Dauphins Countryfest includes some of country musics most sought after acts, including Fridays headliner, four-time Grammy Award winner Keith Urban.

The country music superstar took to the Club Regent Casino & Event Centre main stage to a crowd of 14,000 on Friday evening.

Eric Irwin, President of Dauphins Countryfest for the last 21 years, attributes their success to a sense of community he described as unique.

Its our heart and soul, Irwin said, of the festival. The money from the festival goes back into the event in some way or another, since its one of few non-profit festivals in Canada, Irwin said.

Benefits of the festivals non-profit mandate can be seen all over the campgrounds. Gravel roads that go all the way up to each campsite are in place, in addition to ice vendors, and camp showers  which are cleaned daily during the festival  located at each campground, beach volleyball courts, and three performance spaces.

Thats on top of the 50-plus headliners and up-and-coming Canadian musicians set to perform at this years festival.

We try to invest in making sure people who come here have the best time possible, Irwin said. And we have great music and great camping experiences, all in one.

As a festival that attracts fans and members of the country music community, Irwin said they feel they have a duty to foster musical talent.

I believe that festivals have a responsibility to nurture artists, Irwin said. Chad Brownlee was a very junior artist playing at the upper stage and I was sitting next to an agent from Nashville  and he was so impressed by Chad Brownlee and the way he performed that he went and signed him to his artist roster right here.

Brownlees album Hearts on Fire was nominated for Country Album of the Year at the 2017 Juno Awards.

Among other artists who hit the big time after their Dauphin debut include Florida Georgia Line, and Blake Shelton. According to Irwin, Countryfest was the first Canadian festival played by both Toby Keith, and Rascal Flatts.

If you really showcase and put on a good show  theyll go back to the town they came from and can talk about it, and it takes off from there! Irwin said.

To honour Canada 150, Irwin said instead of their usual perogy or hot wing eating contest, this weekend will feature a bacon and maple syrup eating contest.

We sell a very unique product at the end of the day, Irwin said. Its a wonderful place to come, its beautiful, and it has an amphitheatre! At night when the crowd comes down its like an arena rock show.

The festival stretched out over the Canada Day long weekend from June 29 to July 2, attracting Canadians from far and wide to take in the festivities, Dauphin-style.

Since 1990, Dauphins CountryFest has made a name for itself. Known for attracting some of country musics hottest talents, Dauphin also boasts a unique amphitheatre located at the edge of Riding Mountain National Park.

Dauphins own Kates Outlaw represented Westman on the stage this weekend.

Countryfest is known for paying out approximately $150,000 each year, to local organizations that assist with making the festival a success, and was a finalists for Tourism Event of the Year at the prestigious Canadian Tourism Awards in 2013.

Performers for the weekend include Kendra Kay, Tim Hicks, Canadian country star Johnny Reid, and Luke Bryan.

Weekend contests and events included 730 CKDM battle of the bands, a flip cup tournament, and live karaoke.

Irwin said they are proud to have been able to contribute to to implementation of amenities in Dauphin including a non-profit movie theatre, swimming pool, and arena.

 msolomon@brandonsun.com

 @mdsolomon12
The age old art and tradition of Irish matchmaking has moved into the digital age thanks to a new app from an innovative Dublin woman.

Niamh McCabe (25) is the co-founder of Luvguru, which allows friends and neighbours to play Cupid - to meddle in another friends love life and to hook them up with a suitable date.

Niamhs start-up has already been funded by Enterprise Ireland and accepted to the NDRC Accelerator Programme..

This week she was named as one of 19 finalists put forward to the public voting phase of the Nissan Generation Next ambassador programme.

The tradition of matchmaking dates back generations in Ireland, explained Niamh.

We are taking it to a worldwide audience. We dont use algorithms. We let your friends and neighbours hook you up. The more times you are matched with someone the higher we rate them for you.

Its called swarm intelligence and its basically unstoppable. You not only get to be a matchmaker but also get rewarded for being a good one with Karma points.

Weve gamified the whole experience. The more points you accumulate the higher you rise in the Luvguru rankings, she added.

Its about trusting your friends to handpick your date for you and it eliminates catfish and spam. Referrals always have a higher success rate.

They work in sales and job hunting and Luvguru aims to capitalise on that. It is the first dating app to tap into the power of the crowd and this is what makes it unique.

Niamh launched the app this month and is already on track to having 5,000 downloaded users.

She aims to secure a round of seed funding this summer which will be used to promote and grow the business and to expand the apps user base throughout the world.
Update 3.26pm: Paul Murphy has defended his party's use of Twitter and Facebook during the Jobstown trial.

It comes after Fine Gael's Josepha Madigan said she had issues with some of the comments made online during the trial.

She is bringing a bill to the Dail to try make it an offence to comment on social media while criminal cases are ongoing.

However, the Solidarity TD said they did nothing wrong.

Mr Murphy said: "The jurors were also directed not to pay attention to the media that's dealing with it, not to pay attention to social media, not to do any research and we trust that we have robust juries.

"The second thing is that if the jurors went online to look at what we were saying about the trial, they wouldn't have heard about anything that they didn't hear inside court."

Update 1.18pm: Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin has said it was a mistake not to pursue public order offences rather than false imprisonment charges in the case of the Jobstown Six.

Solidarity TD Paul Murphy and five other men were all cleared this week of falsely imprisoning the former Labour Party leader Joan Burton during an anti-water-charge demonstration in 2014.

Speaking immediately after being cleared, Mr Murphy said files sent by the gardai to the Director of Public Prosecutions in the case were "rubbish".

Deputy Howlin says the party had no hand, act or part in the prosecution.

When asked asked if the DPP made a mistake with charging the men with false imprisonment, he said: I can say now, honestly - yes.

I deliberately said nothing - from the beginning to the end of this I stayed quiet on this, because I thought let judicial process take its course.

But what happened was vile - the language used against two women.

Earlier:

A Fine Gael TD is to table a bill to make contempt of court a statutory offence in the wake of the Jobstown trial.

At the moment, contempt of court is a common law offence in Ireland.

Dublin Rathdown TD Josepha Madigan - a qualified solicitor - believes our laws need to be updated to cover the increased use of social media.

In an interview with the Sunday Times, she said she believed that some comments made by Solidarity TDs during the Jobstown trial were "menacing".

On Thursday, jurors cleared TD Paul Murphy and five other men of the false imprisonment of former Tanaiste Joan Burton and her advisor during an anti water charge demonstration in Jobstown in 2014.

Well, I found it very difficult during the Jobstown trial, and indeed I would say the same if it was any trial, the fact that there was a lot of activity on social media, on Facebook and on Twitter, about the trial itself, said Ms Madigan.

The media, the main media, are not allowed make comments like that during criminal trials, and I dont think it should be allowed on social media either.

Ms Madigan admitted we do not know if social media had an influence on the jurors, but she said we needed legislation to protect juries from outside influences.

The TD is now going to attempt and bring a Bill to the Dail making it a statutory offence to comment on ongoing criminal cases.
Update: 7.52pm: The missing Irish man who went missing after diving from a bridge in Canada has been named locally as David Gavin.

Mr Gavin is said to be from Castlebar, Co Mayo, where he was a member of Breaffy GAA.
A protest is being organised outside City Hall in Dublin against new bin charges.

Sinn Fein is organising the demonstration for tomorrow evening to co-inside with Dublin City's monthly council meeting.
The UK's withdrawal from an arrangement allowing other countries to fish in British waters is unhelpful, the Irish Government has said.

Ministers will trigger exit from the London Fisheries Convention, signed in 1964 before joining the EU, to start the two-year process to leave the agreement.

The convention allows vessels from France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands to fish within six and 12 nautical miles of the UK's coastline.

Agriculture, Food and Marine Minister Michael Creed said: "Today's announcement by the UK Government is unwelcome and unhelpful.

"It is a part of Brexit and will be considered by the EU 27 member states and the (Michel) Barnier team when the negotiations commence."

The Convention grants rights to neighbouring countries to fish in each other's fishing zones based on historic fishing activity.

The Irish fishing fleet has access to parts of the UK six to 12-mile zone, as has the UK fleet to parts of the Irish zone.

These access rights were incorporated into the EU Common Fisheries Policy.

Mr Creed added: "Brexit poses very serious challenges to the seafood sector and this announcement will form part of the negotiations."

Sean O'Donoghue, chief executive of the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, a large fish producers' group based on Ireland's west coast, said it is an aggressive measure by the British.

"We are not surprised, we did expect it," he said.

"The access for us is huge but the access between six and 12 is not our greatest priority, our access is between 12-mile limit and 200 UK-wide limit.

"That is the important one."

The EU Common Fisheries Policy allows all European countries access between 12 and 200 nautical miles of the UK and sets quotas for how much fish nations can catch.
At least one person has been killed after a fire broke out in a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

Ahmed Salloum, a member of the local emergency services, said the fire turned the tent camp near Qab Elias town into "ashes".

He said firefighters and emergency workers struggled for over two hours to contain the fire that broke out around midday on Sunday.

Temperatures have been soaring in Lebanon's Bekaa region, and Mr Salloum, an electricity technician, said he suspected an overload of power was to blame.

"The settlement has turned to ashes. Even the iron melted," Mr Salloum said.

Only the bathrooms at the edge of the settlement were left standing. The explosion of gas canisters could be heard from a distance.

George Ketteneh, of Lebanon's Red Cross, said initial reports indicate that over 100 tents burned down and one person died.

Mr Ketteneh said that about 97 families, or an estimated 700 people, live in the informal settlement. He said at least six were wounded.

Lebanon is home to over 1 million registered Syrian refugees, who reside largely in settlements in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, near the border.

The fire comes two days after Lebanese authorities rounded up nearly 400 Syrian refugees following an attack on military troops conducting raids in refugee camps in Arsal, another town near the border with Syria.

The authorities said the raids followed a tip that a terrorist attack was planned out of the camps. But Syrian activists and refugees criticised the raids, saying they were excessive and that detainees were abused.

The Lebanese military denies the allegations of abuse.

AP
The Australian National University has offered Canberrans a virtual tour through an upgraded Union Court via a digital fly-through prepared by architects behind the ambitious project.

Demolition work will begin this month ahead of the multi-million dollar development expected to be completed by 2019.

A pop-up village, which will replace existing Union Court services, will open Monday with an official launch slated for July 11.

The fly-through begins above the ANU before descending on University Avenue. It showcases Union Court's new student accommodation, likely to replace the existing Fenner Hall, as well as the new student hub, teaching space, culture and events building and health and wellbeing centre.
Peter Tunnecliffe was a resident at the Southern Cross Aged Care facility in Garran.

Here's all the news you need to get your Monday going.

After a beautiful - but very cold - winter weekend in the capital, we're expecting a top of 11 degrees after a chilly overnight low of minus 4 .

Good morning Canberra and welcome to another working week.

Shocked doctors have raised the alarm about a Canberra nursing home after an elderly resident battling dementia arrived at hospital with maggot-infested wounds.

As Steven Trask reports, when Peter Tunnecliffe's family confronted nursing home staff, they said that maggots "were good for wounds" because they "cleaned them out".

The 77-year-old was a resident at facility in Garran when he was sent to Canberra Hospital December last year for the treatment of cancer lesions on his face and scalp.

The hospital has called for the government to investigate the facility in a joint letter to the Aged Care Complaints Commissioner.

Ainslie shops asbestos clean up coming soon
Residents of the ACT have again been shown to be Australia's most generous people with their time, according to the 2016 census data.

Almost 24 per cent of ACT residents said they had volunteered in the 12 months before completing the 2016 census. In the 2011 census, 21.2 per cent of residents in the nation's capital volunteered.

Communities at work volunteer Graeme Matthew at the Pantry he helps run for disadvantaged Canberrans. Credit:Rohan Thomson

Retiree Marion Jarvis, 66, decided she wanted to be productive with her time in retirement and so began volunteering with Communities@Work, just over three years ago.

Ms Jarvis found it difficult to "switch off" from work and wanted to do something to give back to people.
The Islamic School of Canberra will work to further distance itself from the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils in an attempt to have its federal funding reinstated ahead of term three.

The school lost its $1.1 million in federal funding earlier this year because of questions around its financial viability, independence and governance. It has applied for an internal review of the decision.

The Islamic School of Canberra's federal funding ran out on July 1. Credit:Jay Cronan

School board chairwoman Azra Khan last week wrote to parents the review's result was likely dependent on the outcome of negotiations with AFIC on its facility and member deeds.

"We are grateful to AFIC for giving careful consideration to our position that the [Department of Education and Training] requirements of independence and financial viability of the school should be paramount," Mrs Khan said.
Over the past week I have been called a lot of things but the expression "road kill" is probably the most colourful and possibly the most accurate description of my situation.

The term gives a sense of the mayhem that has been left in the wake of the backgrounding by senior Greens sources, my suspension from the federal party room and the party room motion insisting the Greens NSW change its rules.

And it helps explain that little of the antics are about me. There is a much bigger agenda, one designed to reduce the democratic power of members in the Greens NSW.

The Greens NSW is rightly proud of the extent of its internal democracy. The way our state party handled the recent school funding bill was a case for celebration not condemnation. It was an excellent example of Greens members engaging with parliamentary politics and taking a position on how I should vote. What is wrong with that? I don't think all wisdom lies with MPs and I value my engagement with Greens members.
Former prime minister Tony Abbott has warned the Liberal Party is "haemorrhaging members" and needs to change, calling for the party's membership to be "liberated" from factional powerbrokers.

With party tensions on show over the past week  thanks in part to the former prime minister's frequent interventions  senior frontbencher and close Turnbull ally Arthur Sinodinos conceded the party could not control him.

"If you're the government you can only control what you control. I can't control Tony Abbott," Senator Sinodinos said.
A 10-year relationship is no easy feat, but Channel 7's Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur, who recently celebrated their 10-year anniversary on The Morning Show, say there is a secret to their longevity.

"Respect and genuine love for what we do ... It's a dream job and it helps that we're best mates, too," Gillies told Fairfax Media.

Channel Seven's Morning Show hosts Kylie Gillies and Larry Emdur will host this year's Jeans for Genes Denim Dinner. Credit:Janie Barrett

Never knowing what's around the corner in the fickle world of television, the hosts of this year's Jeans for Genes Denim Dinner on July 15 at The Star Sydney to raise funds for the Children's Medical Research Institute don't know if they'll be around for another decade.

"Larry jokes that TV years are a bit like dog years. One television year equals about seven out there in the real world, so do we have 70 years left in us? Let's find out," Gillies joked.
"In no way would we try antipsychotics without trying every other evidence-based strategy first," Kim said. "Kalei needed [the medication], but she takes them in combination with psychological support and we review her medication regularly with her doctor." Xander relies on non-pharmacological strategies to great effect, including a companion cat, Orpheus, and regular psychologist appointments covered by the National Disability Insurance Scheme, instead of taking risperidone, an antipsychotic used to treat severe ASD. More children receiving antipsychotics The latest PBS data suggests rates of antipsychotic prescribing among children are on the rise, with numbers growing by about 4000 between 2012 and 2015.

In 2012, an estimated 12,680 children and teenagers were taking antipsychotics, according to the Pharmaceutical Benefit Advisory Committee's Drug Utilisation Sub Committee report. By 2015, 1,383 children aged two to six were being prescribed antipsychotics, predominantly risperidone, data obtained by the Citizens Committee on Human Rights shows. The figures from the Department of Human Services do not include private scripts. Psychotropic drugs were prescribed to 6,030 children aged seven to 11, and 9,156 children aged between 12 and 16. Risperidone significantly outstripped all other antipsychotics in all three age groups.Quetiapine - indicated for bipolar and schizophrenia - was the second-most prescribed antipsychotic, most notably among 12- to 16-year-olds.

Drugs used first line instead of last resort Experts say the rising rates of prescribing go beyond the increasing numbers of children and teenagers being diagnosed with ASD or psychosis and the controversial widening of diagnostic boundaries. Dr Paul Robertson, the chairman of the child and adolescent psychiatry faculty at the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists, said he suspected the drugs were being prescribed inappropriately. It's an assertion backed up by data from the Australian Commission of Safety and Quality in Healthcare, which found huge variations in PBS antipsychotic prescriptions across local areas.

The rates of antipsychotic prescriptions in the Southern Highlands (6,895 per 100,000) was 22.5 times higher than the areas with the lowest prescribing rates, in Western Australia's Augusta and Margaret River area (306 per 100,000). "This sort of variation makes you wonder what's going on here. It's enough to say not everyone is providing treatment in the same way," Dr Robertson said. "One of the concerns is that prescribing medication is easier to do than delivering evidence-based, high quality psychosocial interventions. Where there is a shortage of resources, you worry that medications are relied on too much." Dr Robertson said the risperidone figures in particular were "very high". "It suggests to me that there are children not getting access to early intervention and psychological interventions available for behavioural disturbance in autism spectrum disorder.

"These children should be severely impaired by ASD if they need this sort of treatment. They should have really big problems," Dr Robertson said, including high levels of distress and disturbed, disruptive behaviour. He said antipsychotic medication should not be used in isolation, but in conjunction with psychological therapy and social support at home and school. Used as a behaviour restraint, not psychosis treatment Some doctors were inappropriately prescribing the drugs as a form of behaviour control in children with ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder, said Dr Emily Karanges, from the UNSW Centre for Big Data Research in Health. "It's used as a calming agent," said Dr Karanges, whose research canvasses psychotropic use in children and adults.

Similarly, quetiapine was being prescribed for sleep and anxiety problems, she said. The potential risk of damaging side effects alone was reason enough for doctors to exercise a high level of caution when considering prescribing antipsychotics to children. "Many antipsychotics carry a high risk of weight gain. When you're talking five kilograms or more in the first three months it's just awful. It's an enormous amount of weight on a child." Risperidone especially had a significantly high risk of prolactin elevation, which can sometimes cause breast development and milk production in children. "In the worst, very rare cases you get breast development in boys.

"We [also] know antipsychotic treatment can damage certain areas of the brain in the long term. "If you change the way the brain works in a child it can change the way that child's brain develops. This can have lasting effects in adulthood  on emotion, reasoning, social development and anxiety. "The brain is so complex and we're using a very blunt instrument on a sensitive, very crucial organ at a very important stage of development. "There are cases where it makes sense to use them, of course. "If you have a child who is presenting with psychosis then you don't mess around. Or if they're floridly manic then giving them an antipsychotic is absolutely justifiable, but a cautious approach is best."
EDITOR'S NOTE: The High Court overturned Cardinal George Pell's conviction for historic child sex offences in a judgment handed down April 7, 2020. In a unanimous decision all seven High Court judges found Victoria's Court of Appeal should not have upheld Pell's conviction It found the evidence could not support a guilty verdict.

The Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, has come out in strong support for his embattled predecessor Cardinal George Pell, saying no one should be prejudged because of their elite social status or positions on social issues.

Catholic Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher says Cardinal George Pell is a man of integrity. Credit:Getty Images

"The George Pell I know is a man of integrity in his dealings with others, a man of faith and high ideals, a thoroughly decent man," he said during Mass at St Mary's Cathedral on Sunday.

"Where complaints of abuse are made, victims should be listened to with respect and compassion and their complaints investigated and dealt with according to the law.
A Lake Macquarie man has been ordered to pay $10,000 for yelling "I'm going to kill you faggot" while punching a man in a gay nightclub for allegedly making a move on a woman.

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal found Paul Taufaao committed unlawful homosexual vilification during the assault at 3.30am at the ARQ nightclub on September 15, 2014, in addition to a Sydney court finding him guilty of assault causing actual bodily harm.

Police believe the men were not known to each other.

Taufaao told police he punched David Massa in the mouth after speaking with him for more than 20 minutes because he thought Mr Masa had touched his cousin's wife while on the dance floor.

Mr Massa said he fell to the ground unconscious for a short period and when he woke "I could taste blood in my mouth, I could feel the blood dripping down the front of me".
The cost of defamation trials is "worrying" and may outweigh the "tangible benefit" of protecting reputation, the state's top judge has said, as the courts grapple with a growing number of cases involving slurs on social media.

In an interview with Fairfax Media to mark 40 years since he was admitted to the bar, NSW Chief Justice Tom Bathurst said it "may well be that it would be a very worthwhile reference for the Law Reform Commission" to re-examine the country's uniform defamation laws.

NSW Chief Justice Tom Bathurst in his chambers at the Supreme Court of NSW. Credit:Wolter Peeters

The courts are dealing with a rising tide of defamation cases involving social media posts, emails and websites, where the parties are not well-resourced media companies and the legal costs can be crippling.

"It's certainly an area where I think the costs often outweigh the tangible benefit," Mr Bathurst said.
The introduction of ID scanners at nightlife hotspots across Queensland has been hailed a success following the first night of operation.

Almost 90,000 partygoers had their details recorded at 180 venues in 15 precincts across the state on Saturday.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath has welcomed the ID scanner system at Queensland venues. Credit:Chris Hyde

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath said only seven people unsuccessfully tried to breach a banning order, while police issued another 35.

"Those 35 banning notices would've been showing up on every ID scanner system in a licensed venue across the state, within those Safe Night Precincts, within an hour," she said on Sunday.
Police expect the young victim of a horrific assault in inner-city Brisbane to remain in an induced coma for days, hampering their investigations into who was responsible.

The 21-year-old Bald Hills woman was found covered from head to toe in injuries, including burns, after a "frantic" anonymous caller dialled triple zero on Sunday morning.

The young woman was rushed to hospital after being found with extensive life-threatening injuries. Credit:Shannon Marshall-McCormack (Nine News)

Paramedics rushed to a Bulimba townhouse and took the woman to hospital with life-threatening injuries after the 10.30am call.

A Queensland Ambulance Service spokeswoman said the crews were called to treat a medical condition but the woman was also suffering older injuries.
A young woman has been rushed to hospital after being found with extensive life-threatening injuries in a Brisbane townhouse.

Paramedics were called to the residence on Brisbane Road in Bulimba about 10.30am on Sunday and found the 21-year-old woman had been assaulted.

A woman is fighting for her life after she was seriously assaulted in inner-city Brisbane. Credit:Shannon Marshall-McCormack (Nine News)

She was rushed to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital and remained in a critical condition.

A police spokesman said that the woman did not live at the townhouse where she was found and said it was not known who had called emergency services to the address.
In a sea of light in the centre of a growing metropolis Marnie Ogg wants to build a sanctuary of darkness  a park dedicated to the night sky.

It's a counter-intuitive idea: a dark sky park in the centre of Sydney. But that's the vision of Ms Ogg, manager of the Sydney Observatory.

"We want a little dark pocket of the city minimising light pollution so people can get in touch with their senses in darkness and see the sky," Ms Ogg said.

There has been a telescope pointed at the stars on Observatory Hill since 1858. With the dawn of electricity, light has increasingly polluted the sky, making it harder for humans to do what we have always done  look to the stars and wonder.
A man has been stabbed multiple times in a road rage incident in Melbourne's north.

His attacker then fled the scene, prompting police to appeal to the public for help.

Detectives are investigating the stabbing that left the victim in hospital with stab wounds to his chest and leg, Victoria Police spokeswoman Leonie Johnson said.

Police believe a car cut another car off at the intersection of Nicholson Street and Glenlyon Road in Brunswick East just after 7.30pm on Sunday night.
Melbourne Express: Monday, July 3, 2017

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The Andrews government will take the unconventional step of buying the Heyfield timber mill in eastern Victoria in a bid to protect 250 jobs.

Fairfax Media understands Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford will make an announcement on Monday confirming an in-principle deal that will eventually see the state government become the owner of the Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) timber mill.

It is believed the deal to save Australia's largest hardwood mill could cost taxpayers up to $50 million.

Earlier this year, owners Hermal Group threatened to close the mill in the small Gippsland town amid a heated dispute with the state-owned logging company VicForest over the amount of timber supplied to the mill.
A woman has died after being struck by a car while crossing a busy street in Melbourne's inner-east on Sunday night.

The woman, aged in her 60s, was crossing the intersection of Burnley and Murphy streets in Richmond when she was hit by a Nissan Patrol four-wheel-drive about 7.15pm.

A man armed with a knife has threatened a female postal worker in Kingston at lunch time on Monday. Credit:Marina Neil/Fairfax Media

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said paramedics tried to revive the woman but she died at the scene.

The driver, a 53-year-old man, stopped at the scene and was arrested by police.
The State Government has announced the $22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme will be officially rolled-out across the Kimberley and Pilbara region on Sunday.

The news comes as WA's north-west continues to battle with under-resourced local health facilities, and a lack of speciality disability and mental health services throughout remote areas.

The NDIS is rolling out in WA's north. Credit:Marina Neil

The regions have pushed for specialist, targeted support services for a number of years, with about 540 people with disabilities currently accessing support through the local co-ordination service for the Kimberley and Pilbara.

A recent report by the WA Primary Health Alliance found a significant number of locals in the Kimberley and the Pilbara would not access services if they were not tailored appropriately to their needs, and Disability Services Minister Stephen Dawson said the NDIS roll-out would help address the issue.
A two-year legal battle between Fisheries and a Perth crayfish diver who is alleged to have gone over his catch limit is set to continue to drag on after a Supreme Court ruling on Thursday.

Bret Carter, who has recreationally dived for crayfish for 40 years, was diving with two friends in the Shoalwater Marine Park in November 2014 when he was questioned by Fisheries officers.

Fisheries have taken a man to the Supreme Court, alleging he took more than the daily limit of crays. Credit:Recfishwest

According to a Supreme Court of Western Australia judgement, two Fisheries officers witnessed Mr Carter's friend surface the water with a bag of crays.

The friend brought them on board the trio's boat, measured them and placed some back into the ocean.
More than 100 previously undetected money laundering targets have been identified in just the past 12 months by the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission.

ACIC chief executive Chris Dawson released the data to WAtoday this week to mark exactly one year of ACIC coming into force.

Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission chief Chris Dawson.

Mr Dawson said 118 previously unknown money laundering targets had been identified by ACIC since its formation on July 1 last year.

Previous research suggests more than $1.5 trillion of illegal funds is laundered worldwide every year.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The High Court overturned Cardinal George Pell's conviction for historic child sex offences in a judgment handed down April 7, 2020. In a unanimous decision all seven High Court judges found Victoria's Court of Appeal should not have upheld Pell's conviction It found the evidence could not support a guilty verdict.

Rome: Pope Francis has sacked the head of the Vatican office that handles sex abuse cases, just days after he released Australian cardinal George Pell to return home to face charges of historical sexual assault.

The developments underscored how the Catholic Church's sex abuse crisis has caught up with Francis, threatening to tarnish his legacy.

Francis on Saturday declined to renew the mandate of German cardinal Gerhard Mueller as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican office that processes and evaluates all cases of priests accused of raping or molesting minors.
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What if you could rent a place to store a giant pile of your stuff in New York City for free?

The bad news is you can. If you own a car, you can park it on the street in many neighborhoods without paying a cent. All you have to do is move it once or twice a week.

Of course, that seems totally normal  but maybe it shouldnt. As Paul Steely White, executive director of the non-profit Transportation Alternatives, points out, streets are actually public space. We think theyre a place for cars to drive and sit (mostly sit), because that is what weve gotten used to. His goal is to get us all to think differently.

To that end, his group sponsored a night at the Museum of the City of New York last week called Streetopia. Hundreds of people visited three floors of exhibits, all showcasing ways to reclaim the city from automobile dominance, like Barcelonas Superblocks. Choked by traffic, that Spanish city is creating small neighborhoods of about three square blocks and allowing cars to drive only around the perimeter. The chunk of blocks becomes a community  kids can play in the streets again, bicyclists dont fear cars  while the amount of air and noise pollution plummets.

Another exhibit featured the winners of a contest for how to deal with transit on 14th Street when the L train goes out of service for a year. One idea: Get cars off the block and have buses run every minute.

But the starkest, most perspective-changing exhibit was simply time-lapse footage of a corner of E. 22nd Street where a CitiBike rack sits across from some on-street parking. Over the course of a single day you see people swarming the bike rack, taking bikes out, bringing them back. For a while, almost all the bikes are gone, then the rack fills up again, then off they go. And across the street, taking up twice as much space as the rack, are two cars, just sitting there, parked all day.

You start to realize how much space we have simply ceded to cars, and what a waste that is.

Parking is a finite public resource, says White. That space that we think of as the-place-cars-have-a-right-to-sit-all-day could be used differently. It could be used to expand the sidewalk, or make a bike lane. It could be given over to buses. It could become space for businesses to open up cafes or kiosks  and pay taxes on the land. Or it could be planted with grass and turned into a playground. We think of it as parking only because we believe that cars have the right to it.

But in fact, the majority of New Yorkers dont own cars. Why must we sacrifice public land to the minority, for free  especially since studies have shown that 90 percent of people who drive to their Manhattan jobs could get there by public transit?

For too long the vast majority of New York Citys public space has been dedicated to the convenience of drivers and the storage of cars. The small spaces carved out for pedestrians  crosswalks, sidewalks  leave the public at the mercy of drivers, says White.

I was talking to a car-owning friend about this, and he said that free parking is no different from free education. Some people dont own cars, some people dont have kids. Our taxes pay for schools and on-the-street parking anyway.

But streets are not like schools. Streets are public land that we are giving away. Would we let a private citizen build a house in Central Park? Of course not, because we recognize the park as something that belongs to all of us. It is time to think of our streets that way.

So then: How do we wrest them back from the car owners?

Some alternatives that have been tried elsewhere are working. London charges a giant premium to drive into its business district, and as a result, traffic (and parking) are down, but commerce is not.

Each summer, Paris turns some of its roadways into beaches, complete with sand and palm trees. Somehow the Citroens survive.

Los Angeles raised its parking meter fees with the predictable result of cars parking for less time. That means cars are circling for less time, too.

Here in New York, one simple idea is to start charging for all street parking, and give the money to the MTA. Most of us would cheer.

Streets can be designed for either cars or people, but not both at once, White said.

It is time to stop giving away New York Citys precious public land.

Read Lenore Skenazys column every other Sunday morning on Brook lynPa per.com
Springfield quarry plan still unresolved as residents wait, worry

Conditional Use Hearing on a proposed quarry along Rt. 309 in Springfield may be nearing an end after two years. Here's what residents have to say.
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The off duty special constable who stumbled across the shocking shallow grave of the murder victim who became known as 'Fred the head' thought he had found an old bag of cement.

David Nathan said at the time: "What I found was like what a dog had unearthed  what looked like an old bag of cement. I went back and got a spade and found the body."

Fred the head would go on to become one of Staffordshires most baffling murder mysteries and one that is still unsolved 46 years on.

This week there has been a major breakthrough in the case after detectives used new dental records techniques, as well as high-tech reconstruction methods to create a striking image what the victim would have looked like. It has led to the revelation that the body might be that of John Henry Jones who went missing from his home North Wales in 1970. Police are now in touch with the man's family.

Who was the young man, dubbed Fred the Head by press at the time?

We know he was found naked on an island in the River Trent, off Newton Road, Winshill, partially buried in a kneeling position and with his hands and ankles tied behind his back on March 27, 1971. All he was wearing were pink socks and a gold wedding ring.

As the years went advanced analysis allowed a more detailed description of the dead man to be published. He is described as 23 to 39, 5ft 8in and with short, straight brown hair.

He had upper dentures and "extensive" dental work to his bottom teeth. He also had a prominent lower jaw and suffered from torticollis - a neck condition which would have resulted in his head hanging to the right.

Despite this unusual description, no-one has been able, or willing, to come forward and help the police.

The case featured on BBC Ones Crimewatch show in 2006 and, more recently, on the channels Crimewatch Roadshow where a more detailed reconstruction of his face has been unveiled.

Despite a major three-year investigation in the 1970s, police never succeeded in identifying the dead man  or catching his killers.

David Nathan, who found the body while going out for an evening shoot, told the Burton Mail some years ago: "It's amazing. I went to the scene about four or five months ago and it was just as I left it.

"Unfortunately, I remember the day very vividly. I couldn't believe it  I was going out shooting.

"What I found was like what a dog had unearthed  what looked like an old bag of cement. I went back and got a spade and found the body."

Detective Chief Inspector Dave Garrett, who led the enquiry in 2006, said there could be someone  in Burton or anywhere in the UK  who had a husband, son or brother go missing in 1969 or 1970, who they've never traced.

He said: "It is very rare for an unexplained death to remain unsolved in Staffordshire and when new investigative tools are available, as in this case, we will take advantage of them."

The macabre discovery was unearthed around 150 yards from Newton Road recreation ground and within sight of the Burton Flour Mill in March 1971.

The decomposed remains appeared to have been there for some years.

David Nathan, who worked as an employee of Messrs Time Consortium, which had an office backed on to the piece of land where the body was found, came across the grim site while walking through the area with his sporting gun.

He had just crossed a wooden footbridge when he saw what appeared to be part of a skull protruding out of the ground.

Mr Nathan, who was a member of the special constabulary, immediately reported the gruesome find to Burton Police Station and officers quickly returned to the scene.

Digging operations began, led by Chief Superintendent Raymond Felgate, in a bid to find out exactly what had happened.

Although officers refused to speculate on the nature of the death or the identity at the time, rumours had originally circulated around the town that it was the body of a woman in her early 20s.

Detective Superintendent Frank Jordan confirmed the discovery of the skull to a group of reporters at the scene and that it had appeared to have been there for some years.

Detective Chief Superintendent Harold Wright said at the time: We have located a skull and the top part of a torso but we do not know yet if there is a complete body or whether it is in a standing, sitting or lying position.

We are unable to say how long it has been here  it may be 30 years or much more.

Now, work by dental experts who have scoured the missing persons register have linked Fred with that of a missing Welsh man, John Henry Jones, who has not been seen since 1970.

His family have now come forward and DNA will be taken to find out once and for all who Fred was.

Of course, if it does not turn out to be the same man, it is still encouraging to see that after all these years police will not give up on Fred and his killers might be brought to justice.
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Dealers of General Motors will seek the intervention of the Prime Minister's Office over alleged "cheating and misleading" by the US automaker which will stop selling vehicles in India by the year-end.

A delegation of dealers led by industry body Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) will meet Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh to discuss the matter.

The dealers claim that they are likely to suffer a total loss of around Rs 1,000 crore but have been offered measly compensation of just about Rs 100 crore.

Moreover, they said, the decision by GM to pull out of the Indian market will result in job loss of around 15,000 people.

"A delegation of GM India dealers led by FADA will highlight how they have been cheated and misled to believe that GM was making huge investments in India in the meeting with the minister on Monday," FADA President John Paul Kuttukaran told PTI.

The company had said that the investments would result in launching a number of new models in India, he said.

"Huge long term investments were made by dealers both in infrastructure and manpower and the sudden decision to withdraw from the domestic market has resulted in huge losses to the dealers," Kuttukaran said.

General Motors India, however, maintain that it was providing its dealer partners with a fair and transparent transition assistance package based on a methodology that is consistent across all dealers.

A majority of General Motors India's 96 dealers, which operate around 140 showrooms across India, are unhappy with the company's offer of just around 10 per cent of total investments they have made as compensation.

The dealers are asking the government to intervene in the matter.

Besides meeting Singh on Monday, the dealers plan to approach other ministries like Labour, MORTH, Heavy Industries over the matter.

The dealers have already decided to explore possibilities of filing class action suits against the American automaker in the US over inadequate compensation being offered to them.

As per the conditions set by General Motors, a dealer who does not accept its offer by July 15 would only get 50 per cent of the compensation amount being offered.

In case a dealer does not accept the offer by September 15, he would not get any compensation at all.

In 2015, the company had announced an investment of USD 1 billion in India to enhance manufacturing operations and roll out 10 locally-produced models over the next five years.

In January this year, the American firm put on hold its investments on new models for India as it undertook a full review of its future product portfolio in the country.

On May 18, GM suddenly announced that it would stop selling vehicles in India as there was no turnaround in its fortunes here even after struggling for over two decades to make a mark.

The company will now focus on exporting vehicles from its manufacturing plant at Talegaon in Maharashtra after it had stopped production at its first plant at Halol, Gujarat, last month.
For a SAFE departure

The recent announcement by India to stop selling cars in the domestic market by the year-end has met with strident protests from its dealers. Given the scenario, the company has to avert the possibility of a messy exit by building consensus among all stakeholders.A GM India spokesperson says the companys decision to withdraw from domestic sales was based on its global business strategy. GM is focused on strengthening our core business and investing to lead the future of personal mobility. This requires the company to take decisions on where we deploy our shareholders capital. If we dont see a clear path to market leadership and long-term sustained profits, we will continue to look at opportunities to focus our resources on areas that will lead to the greatest results. The American auto giant has been present in India for over two decades, but its brands never took off as it ran mounting losses and ended with a measly market share of 0.85 per cent in 2016-17.A majority of GM Indias 96 dealers, operating around 140 showrooms across the country, was opposed to the offer of around 12 per cent of their investments as compensation. Asked about the dealers allegations of inadequate compensation and demand seeking government intervention to prevent job losses, the spokesperson says, We are providing our dealer partners a fair and transparent transition assistance package based on a methodology that is consistent across all dealers. The methodology is then applied to the individual circumstances of each dealership. The discussions with individual dealers are confidential.Jones Mathew, professor, marketing, Great Lakes Institute of Management, lists factors that an organisation exiting a country like India should consider. These are  the economic impact of loss of jobs, social impact of an anti-American attitude toward brands exiting without adequate warning, transparent communication with stakeholders, fair compensation to channel partners, retraining and replacement of affected workers to reduce negative effects, proper evaluation of take-profit or stop-loss decision, and political and trade union support for exit decision.According to Mathew, the most important but often overlooked step is communication, trust building, and transparency through the entire exit process. Given the magnitude of the decision, GM could have gone about the exit process in a more transparent and equitable manner, he says, adding that dealers must be compensated with at least 25-50 per cent of their investments in the brand.Abdul Majeed, partner at PwC India, says a company has to devote substantial time, extending to over a year, to address concerns of all stakeholders  buyers, dealers and the government  before exiting a market. You may not be able to pay everything that dealers are asking for but you have to come to a consensus at least. Sufficient time for planning, so that you can take stakeholders into confidence, is the key. Suppliers and employees are especially critical, and therefore the company has to make sure its decision does not impact them.Even as GM plans to halt domestic sales in India, its joint venture partner Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation of China (SAIC) is set to enter the country with its brand Morris Garages and likely start operations in 2019. There is a possibility of GM selling a manufacturing plant in Gujarat to SAIC. Majeed says if a new company takes over, the outgoing firm can work out modalities to minimise the effects of its exit.Even if you are selling assets to someone else, at least it would ensure continuity for some stakeholders, he says, adding an example of South Korean auto company Daewoo Motors which had incidentally sold off its assets to GM.Siddharth Shekhar Singh, associate professor of marketing at the Indian School of Business, stresses that a company has to exit in a manner that its brand reputation is not damaged. Wrong steps at the exit stage would make re-entry all the more difficult even if the conditions are right, he adds.
The Rs 90,000-crore Shriram Groups real estate arm, Shriram Properties, is planning to raise about Rs 800 crore to fund its new projects. It is also mulling to go public by next year.
China has released a map showing the Donglong region in the Sikkim sector as its territory and to back its claims of Indian troops "trespassing" the Chinese boundary.

The map, released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry late on Friday evening, shows the Chinese territory far south of the Donglong region, the ownership of which is yet to be agreed between Bhutan and China.

The blue arrow shows Doka La pass where Indian troops "crossed the border".

China alleges Indian troops crossed the border on June 18.

The map shows Doka La - called Donglong by China - as part of Chinese territory.

Donglong is at a tri-junction border of Bhutan, China, and India, where People's Liberation Army troops and the Indian Army faced off.

Bhutan has accused China of building a road in Donglong, which Thimphu says is part of its area.

China has rejected the claims and asked New Delhi to withdraw troops from the region.

India has said Beijing's action to "unilaterally determine tri-junction points" is in violation of a 2012 India-China agreement.

According to the agreement, the boundary will be decided by consulting all the concerned parties.

The release of the map comes as China has maintained that locals have been traditionally herding cattle in Donglong area, which it said is fact enough to prove that the region belongs to Beijing.

China was responding to the Bhutanese government's accusations against China of not respecting border agreements and constructing a road on the disputed territory located between the two countries.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said here on Friday: "We are exercising complete and comprehensive administration over the Doklam (Donglong) region and our border troops and the residents around the border are herding their cattle along this."

"This evidence is recognised by the Bhutan side," Lu added.

"From historical evidence, we can see that Doklam has been a traditional pasture for the Tibetan residents and we have exercised good administration over the area.

"Before the 1960s, if Bhutan residents around the border wanted to put their cattle they had to get the approval from China," Lu said citing Chinese history.

Beijing has asked New Delhi to withdraw troops, reiterating it as a precondition to settle an ongoing stand-off in India's Sikkim sector, where the two countries share a little over 200 km of border.

Following the face-off, China has suspended the pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet where Indians travel via Nathu La Pass, which is shut now.

In response, India on Friday said it has told China that the building of a road by Chinese troops in the Donglong region will have "serious security implications for India" and urged Beijing "not to change the status quo unilaterally".

"India is deeply concerned at the recent Chinese actions and has conveyed to the Chinese government that such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India," an External Affairs Ministry statement said in New Delhi.
Union Minister Prakash Javadekar Sunday hit out at the opposition, especially the Congress, saying by boycotting the launch event at Parliament last night they have "abandoned their own child".

"Its (GST's) credit does not go to the BJP, the Congress or anybody alone. It is everybody's credit and we want to share that with everybody. But, for the first time yesterday, I saw some parents abandoning their own children," he said.

"The is their child. How can you abandon it? But that was how things happened," Javadekar said at the 68th Chartered Accountants day celebration, organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India here.

The Union HRD minister said that ultimately, collective wisdom has prevailed and everybody has started implementing the and that is the best way forward.

The Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Left and some other parties had boycotted yesterday's special midnight meeting convened by the government on GST implementation.

Taking a dig at the opposition for boycotting the event, Ananth Kumar said, "As the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, I had requested every political party, everybody to participate in yesterday's midnight event which unified India in the economic sense."



He said the presence of the President, the Vice President, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, and former prime minister Deve Gowda, along with leaders of various parties have sent a "wonderful signal across the world that India has made a big stride in integration of the economy."



The opposition stood a divided house as several parties, said to be "like-minded" with the Congress, such as the JD(U), the BSP, the BJD, the Samajwadi Party and the Janata Dal(S) along with the NCP, a key constituent of the UPA, participated in the midnight launch of the GST.

Speaking at the event, Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu termed the GST as a "game changer".

Himself a chartered accountant, he called on the CAs to think differently in the GST era.

"Chartered Accountants should not only be tax consultants or auditors, but essentially business advisers. We should think about our role in advising businesses," Prabhu said.
At long last, India has been able to enter the goods and services tax (GST) regime. It was opportune that the glittering ceremony to usher in the biggest tax reform since Independence was held at the Central Hall of Parliament, even though several opposition parties, most notably the Congress, decided to boycott the event. But none of that can take away from the fact that the will be celebrated as a watershed moment in the history of Indias economic reforms. Nor can anyone deny that it is, as both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in their speeches, a high point of Indian politics and a shining example of the success of its federal structure. The was first mooted by a task force headed by Vijay Kelkar in 2003 and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government welcomed the recommendation. Later, the Congress-led government of the United Progressive Alliance took the first concrete legislative steps in 2011. Over time, the GSTs framework received critical inputs across party lines: From the BJPs Yashwant Sinha, who led the Parliamentary Committee and gave the format of the Council, to several leaders from Opposition parties who served as the head of the empowered group of state finance ministers such as Asim Dasgupta of the CPI(M) in West Bengal, K M Mani of the Kerala Congress (M) in Kerala, and A R Rather of the National Conference in Jammu & Kashmir. It is indeed creditworthy that notwithstanding the 14-year-long wait, all decisions by the GST Council were taken by consensus.
The Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime is positive for Indias credit profile as it will improve tax compliance and increase government revenue, said global ratings agency Moodys on Sunday. It will also enhance the countrys attractiveness as a foreign investment destination, it added.
If the present uncertainty surrounding Indias gargantuan indirect tax overhaul is an early indicator, the new goods and services tax (GST) framework is set to make extensive appearances in the countrys courtrooms over the months and years ahead. Experts feel the complexity and short timeframe given to adopt the new system will add thousands of lawsuits to Indias already burdened judicial system with over 24 million pending cases.
Warning of stringent action against black money hoarders, Prime Minister on Saturday said 37,000 shell companies indulging in tax evasion have been detected and more than 300,000 firms are under the scanner for suspicious dealings after demonetisation.
Banks have shortlisted nine coal-based power projects and are evaluating them for equity purchase and for NTPC to likely operate them subsequently.
The Yogi Adityanath government is working towards ramping up air connectivity in Uttar Pradesh to boost tourism, including religious tourism, over the next two or three years.
The proposed employee stock option plans (ESOPs) for public sector (PSBs) to retain talent will be introduced for select that meet the performance criterion of the scheme.
PM releases photo book titled "President Pranab Mukherjee - A Statesman"

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The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today released a photo book titled "President Pranab Mukherjee - A Statesman", at an event in Rashtrapati Bhawan. He presented the first copy of the book to the President. .

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Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that in his view, we can be more history conscious as a society, and preserve aspects of our history much better. .

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He said that the Presidency is much more than protocol. Through the photographs in the book, we see the human side of our President and we feel proud, the Prime Minister said. .

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Shri Narendra Modi said that two pictures of Mahatma Gandhi, one with a broom, and the other, seeing something through a microscope, show what a diverse personality he had. .

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Newspapers show some aspects of a leader, but there are more aspects to a leader than only what is published in the papers, the Prime Minister said. .

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He said that it is his privilege that he got to work with Shri Pranab Mukherjee. Recounting his experiences, the Prime Minister said that several times, he had got to work with leaders and workers of very different ideologies. He added that he will never forget that when he came to Delhi, he had someone like "Pranab Da" to guide him. He said President Pranab Mukherjee had guided him like a father figure, He said the President would even tell him to take adequate rest, and take care of his health. .

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Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shri Radha Mohan Singh addressed Textiles India 2017 Conference today in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat.

After agriculture, Indian textile industry gives direct employment to 45 million people.

During 2016-17 India produced around 5.8 million tonnes of cotton from 10.5 million hectares with total output around 550 kg lint/hectare.

At present, natural fibres are facing stiff competition and challenge from synthetic fibres like polyester, acrylic etc.

Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shri Radha Mohan Singh said that the overall growth of natural fibre sector is important for the countrys economy. They have economic importance and enormous impact on the development of the society. He was speaking at the Textiles India 2017 Conference in Gandhi Nagar, Gujarat.

He said that natural fibres are backbone of the Indian textile industry. It constitutes more than 60% of the total fibre industry. After the agricultural industry, the Indian textile industry gives direct employment to millions of people. Several small and medium industries use by products of natural fibres. More than 75 million households worldwide are directly involved in the production of natural fibres. In India, 30 million farmers are involved in the production of natural fibres.

The Agriculture Minister said that at present, natural fibres face a tough competition from artificial fibres such as acrylic, polyester, etc. A century ago, the fibres brought in use were natural, whereas now natural fibre share is less than 40%. Cotton alone contributed for 50% of apparel use during 1990s. However, at present, the share of cotton has declined to less than 30% in world apparel market.

He said that synthetic fibres are making a strong hold on the market due to their cost effectiveness and tailormade properties. The cost of production of natural fibre is comparatively higher than the synthetic fibres. In view of the rapid increase in population, countries are giving importance to increase the area of food grains cultivation as compared to fibre crops. The demand for natural fibre is steadily increasing due to the increase in the population and due to the greater awareness among public to use eco-friendly natural fibres.

As there is a limitation in increasing the cultivation area of natural fibres, the only way to increase the availability of above fibres is to increase their productivity.

The Minister said currently 90 countries are producing cotton in the world. Cotton accounts for about 60% of the total fibre consumed by Indian textile industries which is less than 40% share in global scenario. India is the leading producer of cotton in the world accounting for around one-third of the area and one fourth of the global production. During 2016-17, India produced around 5.8 million tonnes of cotton from 10.5 million hectares with productivity of around 550 kg lint/hectare. There is an urgent need to increase the productivity of cotton with the introduction of high yielding plants, best agronomic practice and innovative technologies.

He said jute is one of the most important natural fibres used for industrial applications. Jute farming and jute industry are providing livelihood to about 5 million people. At present, jute is attaining success in controlling soil erosion in the form of geo-texture, use in the automobile industry for the manufacture of interior of cars etc and in the new applications of technical wear. The demand of natural geo-textiles manufactured from jute and sisal fibres is going to have a steady and sustainable growth in coming decades. Apart from fibre, the cultivation of these fibres has many advantages like carbon sequestering capacity, improved soil health, economic importance to the farmers etc. Across the world, countries are making efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas like carbon dioxide. The average productivity of jute is around 2300-2400 kg fibre/hectare.

He said flax ranks fourth among the worlds commercial fibre crops. It is one of the most natural and most environment friendly of all textile fibres. In India, total area and production under flax fibre is meagre due to unavailability of location specific high yielding varieties and improved production technology. The manufacturer of linen fabrics in India import worth Rs.60 crore flax fibres from European countries every year. So, the primary need of the country is to develop a significant area under organised flax cultivation supported with improved production and processing technologies to ensure steady flow of quality flax fibre to the domestic market and satisfy the need of the textile industry.
Specialists said passengers might run into additional delays as they go through security. And as the airlines absorb the higher costs of complying with the new rules, ticket prices could increase
Britain's Parliament has been hit by a new wave of after hackers attempted to trick lawmakers into revealing their passwords, prompting officials to warn MPs and their aides to guard against such threats.

Politicians have been warned that hackers were posing as parliamentary officials asking for their passwords.

"This afternoon we've heard reports of parliamentary users being telephoned and asked for their parliamentary username and password," a message sent to MPs and staff earlier this week warned.

"The caller is informing users that they have been employed by the digital service to help with thecyberattack. These calls are not from the digital service. We will never ask you for your password."



According to 'The Sunday Telegraph', parliamentary officials have said that hackers are still attempting to gain access after a "sustained" assault last week lasted for more than 12 hours as unknown hackers repeatedly targeted "weak" passwords of staff.

Security sources told the newspaper the attack was the biggest they could remember.

The network affected is used by every MP, including British Prime Minister Theresa May, and her Cabinet ministers, for dealing with constituents.

It remains unclear whether the hackers were successful in gaining access as the investigation is ongoing.

The UK Cabinet Office, which blamed human error for the breach, said the details were publicly available on data.Gov.Uk, which publishes charts and graphs of public data and is widely used across UK government circles.

A parliamentary spokesperson said: "On Thursday afternoon a small number of parliamentary users were telephoned and asked for their parliamentary username and password by a caller claiming to be employed by 'Windows' on behalf of the Parliamentary Digital Service to help with the .

"No usernames or passwords were disclosed in these calls.
Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond will press British companies to try harder to seize opportunities from Brexit, promising in return that the government will heed their concerns over the split with the UKs biggest trading partner.
Heavily armed Taliban insurgents stormed a mosque in northern Balkh province of Afghanistan, killing at least 13 people in an attack claimed by the Taliban.

The incident took place on Saturday in the vicinity of Chemtal district.

The provincial public health officials confirmed that the bodies of thirteen people, riddled with bullets, were shifted to Ibn-e-Sina hospital.

The Taliban group spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed that an attack was carried out on a gathering of the militia forces in Chemtal district, Khaama Press reported.

As soon as the Taliban entered the mosque intense clashes erupted which Zabiullah claimed that twelve people including three commanders of the local militia forces were killed and another one was wounded.

Mujahid also claimed that several weapons, ammunition, and grenades were also seized during the clashes.

Rejecting the claims by the Taliban insurgents, MP representing the northern Balkh province in the parliament Gulalai Noor Sapai said that all those killed in the attack are ordinary civilians and had no links with the government or security institutions.

The local residents are saying that the deceased individuals were having links with a former Jihadi leader.
The Express stock surged seven per cent in trade on Friday after brokerages upgraded the stock, on expectations of higher revenues from the implementation of goods and services tax (GST), muted fuel costs and roll-out of new strategy from the current financial year.
Three people, including a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader have been arrested in the brutal Jharkhand lynching case.

BJP leader Nityanand Mahto has been held, as the accused are to be questioned by the police.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ramgarh, Rajeshwari said the other people involved in the incident have also been identified.

"Three people arrested and one is being questioned. We have identified others also," said DCP Rajeshwari.

She further said a public notice has also been issued requesting everyone to inform about any suspicious incident being witnessed.

A man was lynched in the Ramgarh district of Jharkhand, for allegedly carrying a beef in his car.

The meat trader succumbed to injuries after he was assaulted by at least 10 men who intercepted his van carrying "cattle meat".

The incident took place hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that killing people in name of cow protection was not acceptable and asked people not to take law in their hands.

"Killing people in the name of Gau Bhakti is not acceptable. No person in this nation has the right to take the law in his or her own hands. Violence never has and never will solve any problem. As a society, there is no place for violence," Prime Minister Modi had said while speaking in Gujarat.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah earlier on Saturday disapproved that the cases of lynching in the country rose in the three years of the Narendra Modi Government, stating that the atrocities took place comparatively higher in the previous Congress regime.

"In 2011, 2012 and 2013, lynching cases were much more than three years of our government, but no one raised questions then. Even when Akhlaq was lynched, the Samajwadi Party (SP) was in the government. The law and order comes under the state subject, hence the responsibility fell on the SP, but they instead took out dharnas against Prime Minister Modi," Shah said at a rally in Goa.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A Delhi court on Sunday issued a non bailable arrest warrant against separatist Shabir Shah in connection with an over a decade-old case of money laundering.

The decision came after the Enforcement Directorate had approached the court after Shah refused to join the investigating agency's probe.

The Enforcement Directorate had summoned the Kashmiri separatist leader asking him to depose before the investigating officer on June 6.

The Enforcement Directorate had filed a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah in a 12 year old terror funding case.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress Party on Sunday took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the wake of Ballabgarh lynching and questioned Centre's inaction in the regard.

Protesting here in demand for justice for Junaid, who was lynched to death, Surjewala said, "Junaid was son of India. When I visited his grandfather, he asked me, people are the son of one god. You probably know him as Shiva or Vishnu and we know him has Adam or Islam. Then why is there hatred and separation between us. Why PM Modi is not taking any action against it. We have come Jantar Mantar to get victims justice."

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had strongly condemned the lynching incidents, saying that there are growing atrocities against innocent people in the guise of cow protection.

"Killing people in the name of Gau Bhakti is not acceptable. This is not something that Mahatma Gandhi would have approved. There is no place for violence in the society," Prime Minister Modi said, while speaking in Gujarat.

The Prime Minister asserted that violence is not a solution of any problem and no one has the right to take the law in his or her own hands in this nation.

During the last few months, incidents of mob lynching, violence, murder in the name of cow protection have increased, causing a tense situation across the country.

Last week, the victim Junaid, a native of Khandawali village in Ballabhgarh, had gone to Delhi to do shopping along with his two brothers.

While returning in the Mathura passenger train, they had a heated argument with a group of men over seating. One of the men of the group attacked Junaid with knife and he subsequently succumbed to his injuries.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Snacking on delicious sweet potato, beetroot and carrot crisps might not be so healthy, as a study has found that vegetable crisps have higher levels of saturated fat and salt, which may raise the level of cholesterol in blood.

Eating foods that contain saturated fats raises the level of cholesterol in your blood. High levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood increase your risk of heart disease and stroke

A new study carried out by registered nutritionist Charlotte Sitling-Reed has found that, in reality, vegetable crisps could be worse for you than regular crisps, reports the Independent.

The concern with products that are often seen as 'healthier alternatives', such as vegetable crisps, is they don't always match up to their reputations," Stirling-Reed explained.

"Crisps are crisps, and even if they are made with vegetables, they are likely to contain too much in the way of fat, saturated fat and salt. In fact, the vegetable crisps here have higher levels of saturated fat and salt than some well-known, regular crisp brands," Stirling-Reed added.

It revealed that a standard bag of vegetable crisps can contain just two-thirds of vegetables, with the remainder largely made up of salt and oil.

What's more, this leads to the fat content of each packet skyrocketing well above other snacks considered to be unhealthy.

The data found that a 40g pack of vegetable crisps had more fat than the same serving of salted Pringles and nearly double that found in a Mars Bar.

While a bag of Tyrells Mixed Root Vegetable Crisps contained 14.3 grams of fat, a Mars Bar had only 8.6g with a Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnut measuring in at just 8.3g.

"As a nutritionist, I've seen this first hand in weight loss clinics where clients may eat even as much as double a portion size of a product if it's perceived to be healthy," Stirling-Reed noted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress Party on Sunday lashed out at the ruling-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government in Uttar Pradesh over the transfer of a senior police officer, who stood up against local BJP leaders, and said the incident indicates the miserable law and order situation in the state, adding, the saffron party workers are acting like an 'independent army'.

"This incident indicates the law and order situation in the state. It is getting worse day by day and nobody knows what else will happen in the future. On top of that, the party city president is referring her transfer as an essential act to keep intact the pride of party workers. I think as far as the morale of party workers are concerned, it seems like the BJP workers are thinking that they are an independent army," Congress leader Meem Afzal told ANI.

Afzal said that Yogi Adityanath Government is just concerned about keeping the pride of their party worker intact and is not at all concerned about the law and order.

"What kind of message is this giving? This is degrading the morale of the police force. Rather than keeping the pride of the party worker intact, Yogi Adityanath should boost the morale of the Police force," he said.

This comment came after the Uttar Pradesh Government, earlier in the day, transferred senior police officer Shreshtha Thakur, who sent five BJP leaders to the jail for creating obstacles in discharging her duties, to Bahraich.

As per reports, Mukesh Bhardwaj, the party city president asserted that Thakur's transfer was necessary to lift the morale of the party workers.

The cop was transferred a week after BJP's 11 MLAs and MP held a meeting with the chief minister over the issue.

It is reported that the local leaders and workers linked it with their pride and pressurised the government to take action against Thakur.

On June 22, Thakur and her team, while checking vehicles in Syana area, stopped a person, who was driving a motorcycle without wearing a helmet, and slapped a fine of Rs 200 on him.

After her objection, the man started arguing with Thakur and called in more BJP leaders on the site.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hours after the Mumbai Police arrested six accused in the Manjula Shetye alleged murder case at the Byculla jail, advocate and activist Abha Singh on Sunday demanded the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over for an impartial investigation to the matter.

Questioning the delay in the arrest, Singh said this gave the accused time to destroy evidence and to scare the witnesses.

"When an FIR under Section 302 was registered against the supervisor of Byculla Jail and the five guards, why did the Bombay police not arrest them for six days? Why did it wait and give them time to destroy evidence and to scare the witnesses? This delay is going to harm the trial in the long run," she said.

"It has now become necessary that the case is given to the CBI because the local police will remain partial and will protect the jail authority. The CBI should now takeover and ensure that no such incident happens anywhere in jail in India," she added.

All the six accused named in the FIR regarding the murder of inmate Manjula Shetye inside the Byculla Jail, have been arrested by the Mumbai Police.

Earlier yesterday, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Bombay High Court seeking a CBI inquiry in the murder case of Shetye.

The High Court observed that issue of security of jail inmates has become important and it needs to be looked into.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday assured the truth in the Byculla jail violence, involving Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea, would come out soon.

"Whatever the truth is, will come out soon," Fadnavis said.

However, the Mukerjea's lawyer demanded the special CBI court to record her statement and to conduct a medical examination.

Mukerjea's lawyer had filed an application in the special CBI court, claiming that she was assaulted by the jail authorities after the death of a convict, Manjula Shetye, sparked a protest in the prison.

Reportedly, over 200 women inmates, including Mukerjea, were booked for rioting and criminal conspiracy inside the Mumbai's Byculla jail.

The Nagpada Police also filed an FIR against six women prison staffers, including the jailor for the murder of Shetye.

On August 25, 2015, Mukerjea was arrested by the Mumbai Police in connection with the alleged murder of her daughter in 2012. She was charged under Sections 302, 201 and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Since September 2015, Mukerjea has been held in judicial custody at a women's-only prison in Byculla Jail.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Criticising China for constructing a road inside Bhutanese territory, residents here have stated that this action by Beijing could lead to war and cautioned the latter not to transgress Bhutan's territorial integrity and sovereignty.

"What China is doing on the border lines is very risky and it encourages war. India is just trying to warn them that China should respect Bhutan's sovereignty. India is fully supported by Bhutan," Bhutanese local Chundu Singye told ANI.

Singye further stated, "Bhutan is a small country, but no one can invade our territory because the topography and geography is such, that invasion is nearly next to impossible."

Another Thimphu resident Tsheltrim Dorji said, "I think China, India and Bhutan should come together and find a solution to the issue."

"Indo-Bhutan share a really good relationship. Bhutan is small country, not proper way to acquire forcefully," Choki Wangmo, another Bhutanese local said.

Echoing similar sentiments, one more Bhutanese local Namgay Dorji said, "India and Bhutan are having good relationship since 1961. India is supporting our government in every aspect."

Locals in Bhutan are severely critical about China proposing to construct the road inside Bhutanese territory, which they say is a direct violation of the agreements and affect the process of demarcating the boundary between the two countries.

Bhutan had last month issued a demarche to the Chinese envoy in India, asking Beijing to restore the status quo in the Doklam area where Chinese soldiers tried to unilaterally build a road towards their army camp in the Zomplri area.

China who refer to Doklam as Donglang was part of Chinese territory "since ancient times and it doesn't belong to Bhutan".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Brushing aside Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah's allegation that lynching cases were higher under Congress regime, the grand old party said the saffron party is an expert in playing blame game.

"It is unfortunate that BJP is playing the blame game in the matters of lynching. There is no concept of competitive lynching. I disagree and reject with the fact that more lynching incidents took place during 2011-13. These reports are false," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi told ANI.

He further said lynching incidents have not happened since the last 70 years but are happening now in the name of cow protection.

The BJP chief on Saturday had disapproved that the cases of lynching in the country rose in the three years of the Narendra Modi Government, stating that the atrocities took place comparatively higher in the previous Congress regime.

"In 2011, 2012 and 2013, lynching cases were much more than three years of our government, but no one raised questions then. Even when Akhlaq was lynched, the Samajwadi Party (SP) was in the government. The law and order comes under the state subject, hence the responsibility fell on the SP, but they instead took out dharnas against Prime Minister Modi," Shah said at Goa rally.

Shah's comment came hours after President Pranab Mukherjee condemned the recent string of brutal lynching incidents emerging from across the nation.

"With the change of history we can see colonialism now as dominance, exploitation by one power to another power. When we see on the TV and read the newspapers that an individual has been lynched, and when the mob frenzy becomes so high and uncontrollable then we have to pause and reflect," the President said.

"I am not talking of vigilantism, I am talking of are we vigilant enough proactively to save the basic tenets of our country?" he questioned.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had strongly voiced out against the lynching incidents, saying that there are growing atrocities against innocent people in the guise of cow protection.

"Killing people in the name of Gau Bhakti is not acceptable. This is not something that Mahatma Gandhi would have approved. There is no place for violence in the society," Prime Minister Modi said while speaking in Gujarat.

The Prime Minister asserted that violence is not a solution of any problem and no one has the right to take the law in his or her own hands in this nation.

During the last few months, incidents of mob lynching, violence, murder in the name of cow protection have increased causing a tense situation across the country.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Delhi Police on Sunday filed 32-page chargesheet in Tis Hazari Court in the BJP MP K.C. Patel honey trap matter.

The chargesheet includes name of three accused including a woman. It also has name of 21 witnesses.

The Tis Hazari Court last month sent Ajay Pal Chauhan, who is accused of helping a 40-year-old woman honey-trap Patel, to judicial custody till June 23.

The police informed the court that Chauhan was the co-accused in the case.

The police said the woman, who was arrested on May 2 during interrogation, made a mention of Chauhan.

The 40-year old woman had allegedly filmed obscene videos of Valsad MP K. C. Patel after drugging him and had threatened to make them public if she was not paid Rs. seven crores.

"The woman and Chauhan have been friends for a decade. She used his name to threaten influential people and extort money," the police counsel said.

Earlier, the Tis Hazari Court had issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Chauhan, who was arrested by the Delhi Police.

Patel in his complaint to Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Patnaik alleged that the gang was being operated by the woman, who took him to her house in Ghaziabad.

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The European Union is ready to scale up its financial and operational support for Italy to help the country manage the mass migration crisis it has been reeling with.

EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship Dimitris Avramopoulos on Saturday said, "I fully understand the Italians' concerns: the situation is no longer acceptable. This is why, we are ready to increase our support for Italy not only in political but also in financial and operational areas," Sputnik International reports.

Avramopoulos further said that it was necessary to divide migrants into two groups: "those who need protection and those who do not need it, as it is the only way to make the EU policy on migrants viable."

"However, we cannot reject the commitment of saving lives. The tragedies in the Mediterranean Sea need to be stopped," Avramopoulos added, recalling that "the European countries' budget for combating migration crisis was set to total 2.6 billion euros ($2.9 billion) although the countries have granted only 89 million euros to date."

Avramopoulos stressed that the European Commission would be in dialogue with Italy and other countries to figure out the measures that should be taken.

Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported that Italy had warned the European Union it might be forced to shut its ports to foreign vessels that disembark immigrants rescued at sea.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In the wake of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) being implemented starting July 1, automobile giant Tata Motors revealed that there has been a dip in the sale of passenger vehicles, although the commercial vehicles grew on month-on month basis, due to BS4 production ramp-up.

According to its sales reports, the total sale of passenger and commercial vehicles, including exports, in June 2017 was capped at 40,358 vehicles, which is 9 percent lower than the corresponding figures in June 2016.

The company's domestic sales of commercial and passenger vehicles for June 2017 were at 36,854 vehicles, lower by 5 percent compared to June 2016.

Tata Motors' commercial vehicle segment reported a sale of 25,678 units this year, showing month-on-month growth backed by a ramp up of BS4 production across segments.

The M&HCV segments witnessed a surge in demand and availability because of a production boost in June. Markets shifting to rated load operations have increased demand for 37tonnes and 49tonnes vehicles. While M&HCV showed marginal year-on-year growth, 2,628 units of I&LCV trucks were sold this year, in lieu of positive response garnered to the new Ultra range in I&LCV segment.

The SCV cargo and pickup segment continued its growth momentum and recorded a sale of 11,038 units, compared to 10,029 units in June 2016 due to good response to the Xenon Yodha and the XL range of SCV, thus registering a 10 percent growth.

In June 2017, Tata Motors' passenger vehicle sales dropped by 10 percent due to uncertainty prevailing on account of the GST, with 11,176 units sold this year compared to 12,482 units sold last year.

The company believes that the decline in volume is temporary and will be recovered in the quarter to come based on 11 percent growth in April-June 2017 quarter compared to the last year.

On the exports front, the company sold 3,504 units in June 2017, registering a 40 percent decline compared June 2016, owing to supply constraints.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As India and Pakistan exchanged a list of prisoners lodged in each other's jails with request to grant consular access to Indians in their custody, including Hamid Nehal Ansari and Kulbhushan Jadhav, defence experts on Sunday said they have no hope that Islamabad would do the needful.

Talking to ANI, defence expert Brigadier (Retd) Amrit Kapur said these are a regular routine done from time to time.

"We have given them a list of 59 prisoners which have been taken by them since 1971 and a lot of them must have died in their custody. But they will not release them. They may not be in a position to release them. And about Kulbhushan Jadhav, we have made more than 20 requests, which they have not obliged and I don't visualise that they are obliging now because then they will be exposed before the International Court of Justice (ICJ)," he added.

Another defence expert Ranjeet Rai said Pakistan has denied consular access to India in many such cases, which is a right given to any country under the Geneva Convention article 36 (c)1.

"Pakistan has denied consular excess for Jadhav. India has been told by the ICJ that India has every right to the consular access. And there are so many Indians there in their prisoner whose acual lists they never give. Let's see what Pakistan says," he said.

In a step aimed at strengthening bilateral ties between India and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday exchanged the lists of nationals of their respective countries who are currently lodged in the jails of the other country.

The Indian Government also requested Pakistan to grant consular access to Indians lodged in their custody, including Hamid Nehal Ansari and Kulbhushan Jadhav.

The ministry said, "We have again requested Pakistan to grant consular access to Indians lodged in their custody including Hamid Nehal Ansari and Kulbhushan Jadhav."

Kulbhushan Jadhav was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court in April on charges of espionage and sabotage activities. India had moved the International Court of Justice (ICJ) against Jadhav's death penalty. The ICJ on May 18 had restrained Pakistan from executing the Indian .

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Security officials in a joint operation began to cordon off Pulwama's Malangpora area in search of terrorist.

Army, local police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) began search operation in to nab terrorists suspected to be trapped in the area.

The operation is underway.

Further details are awaited.

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In a 'triumphant' day for the locals who relish the occasional peg or two, as many as 77 bars were reopened across the state after the liquor policy was renewed by the Government led by the Left Democratic Front (LDF).

As of Saturday, 81 liquor bars submitted applications to the excise department, out which 77 were reopened today. Out of these, the maximum bars were Ernakulam-based, while Idukki had the least number.

The government is also proposing to open local toddy shops that were earlier sealed.

Elated customers, who rushed into bars to commemorate the new policy, said it was better to drink in bars than at home in front of their families.

"We enjoy drinking on happy occasions. It is better that the government reopened these bars. Now we will not have to feel guilty about drinking in front of our children and leaving a negative impression in their minds," said Saji, a local.

Another local, Ajeesh, felt that the government's policy will help reduce the expenditure on liquor, adding that the old policy certainly did not curb liquor consumption in the state.

In the recent past, a consolidated report on liquor consumption patterns in India showed that Kerala ranks highest in the list of alcohol consumption in India, so much so that the liquor ban forced people to cross state borders to fulfill their intoxication requirements!

The previous Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) government in 2014 banned the sale of Indian Made Foreign liquor (IMFL), except in five star hotels, which led to the closure of over 700 liquor bars below the five star category across the state. Eventually, some of them were suggested to be re-instated as beer and wine parlors.

According to reports, the policy severely hampered tourism in the state, and huge amount of losses of revenue were incurred.

Supporting this stance, a local even raised the question of 'What is Kerala without liqour'!

Citing this to be their main agenda of their election manifesto, the Left-led government capitalized on the opportunity at hand and announced a liberalisation of the existing liquor policy in the state. Under the implications of the new policy, three and four-star hotels will now be allowed to sell liquor.

Subsequently, as projected, the locals have been showering praises upon the government, hailing the lifting of the ban to be beneficiary, irrespective of the level of alcohol-induced abuse and violent mishaps that have been reported.

Although the locals have extended support, the government has received flak from the Opposition, who has termed the new policy to be a 'failure'. Similarly, social activists have also condemned alcoholism to be the main reason for heinous crimes like sexual violence, abuse, and so on.

The new policy has also facilitated an increase in the minimum age for drinking from 21 to 23 years old. Also, to assist de-addiction, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the facilitation of rehabilitation centers and campaigns to generate awareness about the hazards of drinking.

Contrary to the preceding liquor policy, under which the operational timing of the bars was 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., the new policy has proposed that the bars will function from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Responding to Opposition's Presidential candidate Meira Kumar assertion that she was not a "scapegoat" in the upcoming election to the country's top constitutional post as she was fighting for an ideology, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday said her statement exposes that she has already accepted her defeat.

"It is a democracy. As long as he or she is eligible can contest the presidential election or otherwise. But what is more important is that the way she has stated, her statement exposes that she has already accepted her defeat. Because the NDA candidate has enough support. He will win," BJP leader Zafar Islam told ANI.

Echoing similar sentiment, another BJP leader S. Prakash said Meira has been contested needlessly against another Dalit.

"Meira Kumar is aware that she will lose the election. She has been contested needlessly against another Dalit. They claim it is not the cast, but the ideology. I don't understand what ideology they are talking about. Meira Kumar has been provided an opportunity to contest the election and I hope she understands the ground reality as to how she has been used by the Congress," he added.

Earlier, Meira Kumar had said "Anybody fighting for an ideology and appealing to the voice of conscience cannot be a scapegoat. I am a fighter and I will fight and I am sure that many will join me in this fight."

Kumar, a former Lok Sabha speaker and the daughter of iconic Dalit leader Jagjivan Ram, was speaking to reporters after meeting the Congress MPs and MLAs at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee office here. Seventeen opposition parties have fielded Kumar as their joint candidate in the Presidential election against NDA's nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

Meira Kumar also said that it is a shame that the election has been turned into fight between "Dalit vs Dalit", adding that her nomination was supported by 17 major opposition parties unanimously.

"When Ram Nath Kovind and I were nominated, it became a caste issue. Shameful that Presidential election has been turned into Dalit vs Dalit. 17 major Opposition parties unanimously selected me as presidential candidate. The unity is based on firm ideological position," Kumar said while addressing a press conference here.

She added that people of this country want development, good roads and infrastructure and it's time that their thoughts should also be clean.

"We have people living in this country who are suppressed and marginalised for years. With the freedom movement, we have pledged that we will bring them up at par with others and will ensure them dignity, development, security and would mainstream them. This is our ideology and we have worked for this for years," Kumar asserted.

On July 17, the electors will cast their votes to elect the next President of India.

Counting of votes for the Presidential election will take place on July 20 and on July 25, a day after incumbent Pranab Mukherjee demits office, India will get its 14th President.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mischa Barton went back to court to testify against her ex-boyfriend Adam Spaw in the middle of her ongoing 'revenge porn' case.

According to E! Online, the 'OC' star alleged that Adam kicked her and has been "lurking" around a neighborhood she's been staying in.

She also argued that he has already violated the temporary restraining order.

The judge ultimately scheduled a new July court date for Adam to respond to the allegations. The judge also reissued Mischa's temporary restraining order against him.

While talking to reporters outside of court, Barton said, "We're just very happy with the way the judge ruled today and we're going to continue to fight for justice in this case. People should always have the right to protect themselves and especially women against people who stalk you, make you nervous, try to do things against you, try to release images without your consent and I consider this a victory today as well."

Her attorney believes that this is another victory for the actress and their "fight against revenge porn."

Earlier this month, Mischa had another courtroom victory when a judge ruled that her ex must return all explicit materials back to her and not release any of them.

Both parties also agreed to a no-contact clause and must remain at least 100 yards away from one another.

As for Mischa's original claims, she alleged in an emotional press conference this past March that she may be the victim of "revenge porn.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is under severe criticism from international Jewish groups regarding his recent approval of religious proposals by Ultra-Orthodox parties in a bid to secure his slim government majority.

Netanyahu has been ruling Israel with an extremely narrow coalition since the March 2015 election: 61 MPs in a 120-seat Knesset at the election, implying that even the smallest coalition partner could conceivably cost them majority.

International liberal Jews have been protesting against Prime Minister's decision and even Knesset members have warned that by giving in to the demands, Netanyahu risks a major alienation of the Jewish diaspora toward the state of Israel.

Israel's Ultra-Orthodox minority, represented by Shas and United Torah Judaism, have 13 seats between them. They issued three major demands over the past week, all related to their religious sensibilities and Netnayahu was forced to give in to their demands or face the loss of his coalition government.

These demands included the government halting all repairing of railroad tracks during the Sabbath, full control of conversions to Judaism being regulated by the state rabbinate, and finally, government reverse of the Western Wall compromise.

The approval of these demands is deepening the divide between Israel and more liberal streams of Judaism.

"The Prime Minister made this decision without even a discussion with key leaders of the North American Jewish communities," Sputnik quoted Rabbi Rick Jacobs , the president of the Union for Reform Judaism in North America and a member of the Jewish Agency's board of governors as saying.

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With the death toll in the deadly Parachinar blast crossing 70, the Shia community in Gilgit carried out protests against the Pakistan Government, saying that targeted killings of Shias are being carried out.

Parachinar, which holds a majority of the Shia community, witnessed carnage last week when twin bombs ripped through a crowded market ahead of the Eid celebrations.

At least 75 people were killed and more than 300 injured in two subsequent blasts that rocked a densely populated area of Parachinar. The blasts took place three minutes from each other.

The first blast took place at Turi Market while the second explosion occurred when rescuers and bystanders rushed to help the survivors of the first blast, reports the Express Tribune.

Kurram is the only Shia Muslim region in a predominantly Sunni country. Sunni hardliners, currently operating through different Taliban factions including the Islamic State group, consider them heretics and have often targeted them.

In a deadly bombing in March this year, a blast outside an imambargah located in a busy Parachinar market claimed the lives of 24 people and left 90 others injured.

Shias make up about one third of Pakistan's population of nearly 200 million.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least six people were killed and seven others were injured after a mini-bus collided with a water-tanker near Pune's Lonikand on Sunday evening.

The incident took place at around 8 p.m.

According to the police, the victims, all Pune residents, were returning from a wedding in Ahmednagar district.

The deceased are from all three vehicles and were identified as Vaibhav Mane (27), Mahesh Pawar (28), Nupur Sahu (26), Nikhil Jadhav (26), Akshay Dabhade (28) and Vishal Chavan (29).

Those injured were immediately rushed to the nearby hospital.

The investigation is underway.

Further details are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Qatar is set to reject a set of demands issued by other Arab nations, according to statements made by the country's foreign minister.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani told reporters in Rome that Qatar was ready to sit down with neighbouring countries and discuss the accusations.

"This list of demands is to be rejected, not to be accepted. We are willing to engage in dialogue but under proper conditions," he said.

Abdulrahman al-Thani also accused Saudi Arabia and other nations of attempting to undermine Qatar's sovereignty.

Earlier on Saturday, Qatar leaders spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who urged the country along with Bahrain to pursue a diplomatic solution.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt cut off economic and diplomatic ties with Qatar earlier last month and issued an ultimatum with 13 demands, accusing Doha of supporting extremist groups.

Qatar, however, denies the claims.

Turkey has backed Qatar in its rift with the Arab states and is seeking to mediate the crisis.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three people have been arrested and one is being questioned in Jharkhand lynching incident.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Ramgarh, Rajeshwari said the other people involved in the incident have also been identified.

"Three people arrested and one is being questioned. We have identified others also," said DCP Rajeshwari.

She further said a public notice has also been issued requesting everyone to inform about any suspicious incident being witnessed.

A man was lynched in the Ramgarh district of Jharkhand, for allegedly carrying a beef in his car.

The meat trader succumbed to injuries after he was assaulted by at least 10 men who intercepted his van carrying "cattle meat".

The incident took place hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that killing people in name of cow protection was not acceptable and asked people not to take law in their hands.

"Killing people in the name of Gau Bhakti is not acceptable. No person in this nation has the right to take the law in his or her own hands. Violence never has and never will solve any problem. As a society, there is no place for violence," Prime Minister Modi had said while speaking in Gujarat.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah earlier on Saturday disapproved that the cases of lynching in the country rose in the three years of the Narendra Modi Government, stating that the atrocities took place comparatively higher in the previous Congress regime.

"In 2011, 2012 and 2013, lynching cases were much more than three years of our government, but no one raised questions then. Even when Akhlaq was lynched, the Samajwadi Party (SP) was in the government. The law and order comes under the state subject, hence the responsibility fell on the SP, but they instead took out dharnas against Prime Minister Modi," Shah said at a rally in Goa.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Scores of people on Sunday took out a torch rally here demonstrating a protest, demanding a separate Gorkhaland state.

The roads were swamped with men and women holding torch and raising slogans like, "We want Gorkhaland".

On the other hand, Gorkha people in Darjeeling took out a bike rally protesting for the same.

"We want a separate Gorkhaland state. Protesting for the same we are taking out this procession," said a local.

Earlier on Thursday, the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha, which has launched protest demanding a separate Gorkhaland, announced continuation of its indefinite strike after conclusion of the all party meeting in Darjeeling.

The ongoing GJM protest from last two weeks has caused great difficulty for the passengers who have been stuck in the state.

On Wednesday, the Public Works Department (PWD) office of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) was set ablaze by the GJM workers. They also burnt copies of the tripartite GTA accord at several places.

The landmark GTA accord was signed on July 18, 2011 between the Centre, the West Bengal Government and the GJM, paving the way for a semi-autonomous body to rule the hills.

The burning of the accord symbolises total rejection of the agreement into the struggle for statehood. The GJM took out a 'Tubelight' rally in Darjeeling.

Thousands of GJM supporters came down on the streets to take part in the agitation.

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Locals in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) have launched a massive agitation against political and military leadership of Pakistan, for trying to convert PoK into a terror factory by creating terror camps.

Residents of Hajira in PoK are demanding freedom from Pakistan and have accused the civilian leadership of Pakistan and Army of nurturing terrorism in their territory by giving safe havens to them.

Pressure on Pakistan has been building up but civilian leadership in Islamabad is indifferent and continues to support and oil terror machinery in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

The protests are likely to intensify in the coming days as according to reports there are estimated 50 terrorist training camps still operating in the region, most of these camps belong to banned outfits like Lashkar -e -Toiba , Lashkar -e- Jhangvi and even ISIS.

These camps are backed and aided by Pakistan military and Inter Service intelligence. Militants trained here are sent to Kashmir, Afghanistan and even Europe.

Meanwhile, the international community has accused Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorists and most of the terror groups are located in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"We urge Pakistan Army and Prime Minister with folded hands to not to send terrorists here. People of all religions co-exist here in this land of peace. Bomb blasts are taking place inside religious places, mosques, places where Hindus and Shias worship," said Liaqat Hayat Khan, senior leader JKNAP.

"Such is a scenario that whoever resists forces of terrorism becomes a victim himself, they are either abducted or killed. People from Mirpur to Hajira are being abducted, they are missing, they label and frame people as anti nationals. I must say this is a land of Kashmir, if there is any infidel here, they are Pakistanis. All acts of terrorism in Pakistan are perpetrated by B team of Pakistan army" says a local resident.

Recently on June 26 U.S. Department of State has designated Mohammad Yusuf Shah, also known as (AKA) Syed Salahuddin, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons who have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of U.S. nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.

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Nebraska Extension will provide a training clinic on July 18 for the public to learn more about the components of soil health. The training will take place at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center located near Mead, Nebraska.

According to Keith Glewen, Nebraska Extension Educator, this outdoor training experience will be of value to home and acreage owners, farm operators and industry consultants.

Glewen says, One of our objectives of this training is to communicate with participants the dynamics of the soil which includes physical, chemical and biological properties. Hopefully this information will aid urban and rural stewards of the soil to implement practices to improve soil health.

Topics to be addressed include: Management Considerations to Improve Soil Health; Measuring Bulk Density, Porosity and Infiltration, How it Impacts Soil Health; Physical Soil Properties  Its Importance to Soil Health!; Cover Crops and How They Impact Soil Health; What is Soil Biology? What You Can Do to Change It!; Soil Characteristics, Productivity and Landscape Position; and Chemical Soil Properties.

In addition to the hands-on experience, attendees will receive a resource notebook for future reference. Trainers include University of Nebraska- Lincoln faculty and resource personnel from the USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Participants will meet at the August N. Christenson Research and Education Building at the Universitys Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center (formerly the Agricultural Research and Development Center) near Mead, Nebraska.

A total of 6.5 Certified Crop Adviser credits (soil and water management  6.5) have been applied for and are pending approval for this clinic.

Early registration is recommended to reserve a seat and resource materials. Cost is $95 for those registering one week in advance and $120 after.

For more information or to register, contact the Nebraska Extension CMDC Programs, 1071 County Road G, Ithaca, NE 68033, call (800) 529-8030, fax (402) 624-8010, e-mail cdunbar2@unl.edu or visit the Web at http://ardc.unl.edu/cmdc.shtml.

Nebraska Extension is in the University of Nebraska's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Amid rising tensions over their border row, China has cancelled the upcoming visit by a group of Indian journalists to Tibet.

China has been organising annual trips for journalists from Nepal and India for quite some time.

"I looked forward to visiting Tibet. But two days ago I was told by the Chinese embassy that the trip has been cancelled," Vijay Naik, Convenor of the Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents, told IANS.

"Perhaps, it is because of the recent tension. They would have thought let things cool down first," Naik added.

The duration of the trip was from July 8 to 15.

Like Naik, journalists from other India houses were invited. It was not known if the trip for journalists from Nepal was on.

Last year, Indian and Nepali journalists were taken to the Tibetan capital Lhasa, Chengdu in Sichuan and other places besides Beijing.

Tension has risen between India and China over the current standoff between their armies in Doklam (Donglong) in the Sikkim sector.

The region at the tri-junction of Bhutan, China and India is a disputed territory between Thimpu and Beijing.

India troops reportedly stopped the Chinese from building a road in the area since its ownership is yet to be decided.

China calls the area its own, a claim which Bhutan contests.

--IANS

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The Congress on Sunday attacked the central government on the issue of mob lynching and said rumours were spread by people with vested interests to mobilise killer crowds.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala referred to the arrest of BJP member Nityanand Mahto in Jharkhand for instigating a mob that lynched a man, Asgar Ansari, in the state last week.

"Mahto instigated the mob; a video of the incident shows that the BJP leader was not just present at the spot but he dragged Ansari out of the van. As he watched, the mob then thrashed Ansari mercilessly," Surjewala said.

"Is it not a fact that more than 50 cases of lynching and mob justice have taken place in the past three years under BJP rule? Sangh Parivar organisations associated with the BJP, including Bajrang Dal and VHP, have actively been instrumental in many of these dastardly acts. Why has no action being taken against them?" he asked.

"Is it not a fact that a majority of the lynching incidents have taken place this year?" he added.

He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of shedding crocodile tears by invoking the names of Mahatma Gandhi and Acharya Vinoba Bhave and said: "It is high time the BJP government takes note of this widespread mob frenzy and lynching incidents."

--IANS

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There are more than 8.4 million Buddhists in India and 87% of them are converts from other religions, mostly Dalits who changed to escape Hindu caste oppression. The remaining 13% of Buddhists belong to traditional communities of the northeast and northern Himalayan regions.

Today, these converts to Buddhism, also called neo-Buddhists, enjoy better literacy rates, greater work participation and sex ratio than Scheduled Caste Hindus, the group from which most converts emerge, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of 2011 Census data.

Given that converts make for 87% of the Buddhist population in India and most of them are Dalits, our analysis goes with the assumption that the benefits of growth in the community accrue mostly to the Dalits.

Buddhists have a literacy rate of 81.29%, higher than the national average of 72.98%, according to Census data. The literacy rate among Hindus is 73.27% while Scheduled Castes have a lower literacy rate of 66.07%.

"Most Dalits at the senior levels of administration are Buddhists," said Satpal Tanwar, a leader of Bhim Army, the activist organisation accused of the Saharanpur violence of May 5, 2017, and now mulling mass conversion of Dalits to Buddhism. "This is because Buddhism lends them self-confidence as compared to the caste system which tends to rationalise their low social status through vague concepts like bad karma."

It is only in the traditional communities of the northeast, especially in Mizoram (48.11%) and Arunachal Pradesh (57.89%), that Buddhists have a lower literacy rate than the population average.

On the other hand, Chhattisgarh (87.34%), Maharashtra (83.17%) and Jharkhand (80.41%) have the most number of literate Buddhists. The conversion movement has been the strongest in Maharashtra, followed by Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh.

Maharashtra's story is unique because it has the highest proportion (5.81% or over 6.5 million) of Buddhists in its population. It was the home state of BR Ambedkar's where he, along with 600,000 followers, switched to Buddhism in 1956. This form of protest against casteism continues to this day though the growth rate of such conversions is declining.

In Uttar Pradesh, 68.59% Buddhists are literate, higher than total population average (67.68%) and nearly eight percentage points higher than the figure for other Scheduled Castes (60.88%).

Female literacy among Buddhists in India is also considerably higher (74.04%) than the total population average (64.63%), data shows. Among neo-Buddhist states, only Uttar Pradesh (57.07%) and Karnataka (64.21%) show female literacy rates lower than total population averages, but these are still considerably higher than Scheduled Castes in these two states.

In 2011, the sex ratio among Buddhists was 965 females per 1,000 males as compared to 945 for total Scheduled Castes. The national average sex ratio was 943. Buddhists also tend to have fewer children.

The Census 2011 data shows that there are 11.62% children in 0-6 year age group among Buddhists compared to 13.59% national average. This means, for every hundred population, Buddhists have two children less than the average.

But can it be said that neo-Buddhists are more inclined towards education than Dalits? Or is there a greater possibility that Dalits turn to Buddhism after attaining education?

Around 43% of Buddhists stay in urban areas as compared to total population average of 31%, which also increases their chances of being educated. But the reality is not as simple.

Around 80% Buddhists are from Maharashtra, which has better literacy and urban ratio than the national average. Within Maharashtra, the literacy rate, urbanisation levels and child ratio among Buddhists is slightly better than for other groups.

The development among Maharashtrian Buddhists can be attributed to Ambedkar's call for education and certain social conditions.

Ambedkar was from the Mahar community which had little agricultural land and no fixed traditional occupation in a village society. They often stayed on the periphery of their villages and acted as watchmen, messengers, wall menders, adjudicators of boundary disputes, street sweepers and so on.

This flexibility of profession ensured that Mahars were more mobile than others. Many of them, including Ambedkar's father, joined the British Army. Even before Ambedkar embraced Buddhism, he asked Dalits to take to education.

"Lack of farm land or traditional occupation made it easy for Mahars to take to education as the means for gainful employment," said Nitin Tagade, assistant professor, Savitribai Phule Pune University, who has studied the economic condition of Maharashtra's neo-Buddhists. "So, they had a head start as compared to other communities in attaining education and moving to cities."

Around 47.76% Buddhists stay in cities compared to the Maharashtra state average of 45.22%, according to Census 2011. Among those in rural Maharashtra, most working Buddhists continue to be agricultural labourers (67%), which is much higher than the rural population average of 41.50%.

Their improved social status through education has helped neo-Buddhists contribute more to the national economy than the Scheduled Castes. Their work participation ratio (43.15%) is higher than that of total Scheduled Castes (40.87%) and higher also than the national average (39.79%).

(In arrangement with IndiaSpend.org, a data-driven, non-profit, public interest journalism platform. Manu Moudgil is a freelance consultant with India Water Portal. The views expressed are those of IndiaSpend. Feedback at respond@indiaspend.org)

--IANS

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday expressed grief over the killing of five persons in Rae Bareli district and announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for their kin.

Adityanath also asked the Inspector General of Police to arrest the culprits within 10 days.

Three persons were lynched and two others were burnt to death during a group clash in Rae Bareli district on June 26 night. The clash was said to be the result of a property dispute and long-drawn animosity between the two groups.

--IANS

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Five persons were injured as a four-storey commercial building collapsed here in the early hours of Sunday, a fire service official said.

"We got a telephone call about the incident around 1.50 a.m. Five persons were injured in the incident," the official said.

However, according to the police, only Balkar Singh, 57, was injured in the accident that happened in Laxmi Nagar in east Delhi.

"The building owner, his wife and two children were living in the first floor of the building but they were not injured," a police officer told IANS.

Singh's condition is said to be stable, he added.

The police officer said that the injured person was living behind the collapsed building and a room of his house has been destroyed.

According to the police, the building was old and there was no particular reason for its collapse.

Police said they have checked the debris and confirmed that no one else is trapped in the rubble.

--IANS

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Filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, who has told of the events that led to India's Partition, through her forthcoming film "Partition: 1947", says she is confident that Mahatma Gandhi would have loved the film as it is in sync with his philosophies.

"When I finished the film and I looked at it, I realised that it is a film that Gandhiji would have liked. It is totally on Gandhiji's philosophy. He was completely sidelined by that point (of Partition)," the British filmmaker of Sikh origin told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

It is a story that is deeply personal to Gurinder, whose own family was caught up in the tragic events that unfolded as the British Raj came to an end. The film narrates story of the trauma that people went through due to the division, and how it changed their life.

Gurinder has also brought in British side of the story, and showed what role did Lord Mountbatten play in all of it. She took lead from Narendra Singh Sarila's book "The Shadow of the Great Game" for film.

Looking back at the whole process that went behind the making of the film, Gurinder said: "It was very hard (making the film). There were times when I used to get upset, and there were times when I felt like 'I don't think I can make this film'. It is so upsetting."

She says she would pause for sometime, but "every time I halted, something came and pushed me to the next day. Something new happened like when Sarila telephoned" to inform that he got some new evidence.

"In India, the whole film relied on whether we got Umaid Bhawan as a location because it is a very busy hotel and they said that you will not get it. But we got the location. So, it was like everything just came together."

The Indian and Pakistani cast of the project, which released internationally as "Viceroy's House", is led by Manish Dayal, Huma Qureshi and the late Om Puri. The roles of the principal political leaders are played by Tanveer Ghani (Jawaharlal Nehru), Denzil Smith (Muhammad Ali Jinnah) and Neeraj Kabi (Mahatma Gandhi).

The British cast is led by Hugh Bonneville as Lord Mountbatten, Gillian Anderson as his wife Lady Mountbatten, Lily Travers as their daughter Pamela, and Michael Gambon and Simon Callow as key civil servants.

The film examines the division of the country through the prism of a marriage -- that of Mountbatten and Edwina Mountbatten -- and a romance -- that between a young Hindu servant, Jeet, and his intended Muslim bride, Aalia.

It is scheduled to release in India on August 18.

--IANS

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A night after a gang rape survivor was attacked with acid here, the Uttar Pradesh Police are yet to arrest anyone. The victim has sustained burn injuries on the right side of her face and shoulder.

This was the fifth attack on the rape victim in the last nine years, police said.

The woman is admitted at the trauma centre of the King George's Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow.

On Saturday night, she was going to take some water from a hand pump in the hostel at Aliganj area when she was attacked with acid.

Inspector General of Police Jai Narayan Singh said other hostel inmates rushed to her rescue when they heard her crying.

The inmates tried to trace the culprits but they had disappeared by then. The hostel has six feet high boundary walls.

On suspicion, police detained Bhondu Singh and Guddu, the two accused by the victim, but they were found to be in Rae Bareli at the time of the incident.

The 45-year-old was first gang raped in 2008 over some property dispute. In 2012, some people attacked her with a knife.

In 2013, acid was thrown at her again. In December last year, some people threatened to rape her daughter as well.

On March 23 this year, she was forced to drink acid on the Ganga-Gomti Express train when it was plying between Allahabad and Lucknow.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had gone to meet her at the hospital and assured her security. However, the ordeal for the woman continues.

A resident of Rae Bareli, Congress President Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency, she works in a cafe run by acid attack survivors in Lucknow and lives in the hostel at Aliganj.

--IANS

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A woman who was promised round-the-clock security by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after an acid attack in March was in a hospital here on Sunday after suffering another acid attack, police said.

The victim sustained burn injuries on the right side of her face and shoulder when unidentified miscreants hurled acid at her on Saturday night when she was going to take water from a hand pump at her hostel at Aliganj area.

Inspector General of Police Jai Narayan Singh said other hostel inmates rushed to her rescue when they heard her crying.

The inmates tried to trace the culprits but they had disappeared by then. The hostel has six feet high boundary walls.

The 45-year-old woman was admitted at the trauma centre of the King George's Medical University in Lucknow, where a police officer said she was in a serious condition and not in a position to give evidence.

This was the fifth attack on her in the last nine years, police said.

"She is in the trauma centre and not in a position to speak," Additional Director General of Police Abhay Kumar told the media.

"The investigation has started. But the FIR will have to be filed by the family, whom we have informed about the incident," he said.

Hours later, the police were yet to make any arrests. On suspicion, police detained Bhondu Singh and Guddu, the two reportedly accused by the victim, but they were found to be in Rae Bareli at the time of the incident.

The woman was first gang raped in 2008 over some property dispute. In 2012, some people attacked her with a knife.

In 2013, acid was thrown at her again. In December last year, some people threatened to rape her daughter as well.

On March 23 this year, she was forced to drink acid on the Ganga-Gomti Express train when it was plying between Allahabad and Lucknow.

Chief Minister Adityanath had gone to meet her at the hospital then and assured her security. However, the ordeal for the woman continues.

The latest attack on her ignited widespread condemnation, with critics blaming the Adityanath government for what they said was a virtual breakdown of law and order in Uttar Pradesh.

Samajwadi Party leader Naresh Aggarwal said: "We had given the BJP six months time but things have become so bad in three months that it is clear there is no law and order in the state."

Lakshmi Agarwal, founder of the "Stop Acid Attack" campaign and a victim herself of acid attack, said they were all hopeful when Adityanath met the victim the last time.

"We thought something will happen. But despite that the attackers had the audacity to enter the women's hostel and attack her. I hold the government and police responsible for this."

A resident of Rae Bareli, Congress President Sonia Gandhi's Lok Sabha constituency, she works in a cafe run by acid attack survivors in Lucknow and lives in the hostel at Aliganj.

--IANS

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Researchers are using very detailed Gemini Observatory images to help guide the Juno spacecraft's exploration of Jupiter, a media eport said.

The high-resolution imaging by the Gemini North telescope on Maunakea in Hawaii was informing the Juno mission of compelling events in Jupiter's atmosphere, Xinhua news agency reported.

"These observations trace vertical flows that cannot be measured any other way, illuminating the weather, climate and general circulation in Jupiter's atmosphere," Michael Wong of the University of California, Berkeley, said.

The scientists were using a longer-wavelength filter on the telescope to look at cloud opacity on the giant planet.

Being supported by Earth-based observations, according to a news release from UC Berkeley on Saturday, the Juno spacecraft, of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was currently looping around Jupiter.

Using adaptive optics that removes atmospheric blur, astronomers at the Gemini North telescope were revealing "a treasure-trove of fascinating events in Jupiter's atmosphere," said Glenn Orton, the principal investigator for this Gemini adaptive optics investigation and coordinator for Earth-based observations supporting the Juno project at Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The observations have produced a composite colour infrared image of Jupiter showing haze particles over a range of altitudes.

"Events like this show that there's still much to learn about Jupiter's atmosphere," Orton was quoted as saying. "The combination of Earth-based and spacecraft observations is a powerful one-two punch in exploring Jupiter."

--IANS

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Police arrested on Sunday two men here who they said had murdered a man last month.

Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar said the murder suspects were waiting to join their accomplices near Tulsi Niketan close to the Delhi border when they were caught.

They were identified as Rahul Sharma and Sachin, both residents of Banthla in Loni area. The men admitted to murdering a man whose body was found on June 23 near Koyal Enclave.

"A reward has been recommended by me to the police team which solved the case of blind murder," Tomar told the media.

--IANS

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In the course of human events it is necessary, now and again, to renew our commitment to the principles and practices that made our country great in the first place.

Our country has always held what the Declaration of Independence says about certain "Truths": They are "self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness."

Regrettably, we forget these simple truths sometimes.

To renew our passion for the free and equal pursuit of life, liberty and happiness, we need a new declaration that promotes civility, open conversation and common sense.

Look, when someone disagrees with a political position we hold, it does not make the individual a monster or something subhuman. It does nobody any good to demonize or ridicule this person -- not in a country founded on freedom of speech.

To renew our gratitude for the incredible freedoms we enjoy -- freedoms that do not exist in many other parts of the world -- is it not better to engage your political opponents in civil conversation and debate rather than to prevent them from speaking at all?

Groupthink and political correctness are killing open debate in our country. Too many university students, professors and administrators across our great land are not only shunning individuals who dare to challenge their status quo. They are aggressively, sometimes forcefully, infringing on their right to speak freely. They are issuing authoritarian campus speech codes.

If American citizens cannot openly discuss and criticize any and every idea on university campuses, then where, for goodness sakes, are they able to do so?

How did we arrive at a state of affairs in this country in which a person who criticizes Obamacare -- a person who argues that libertarian and free-market ideas can better address spiraling health-care costs and free up funds to help those in need -- is smeared as someone who hates the poor?

How did we arrive at a state of affairs in which someone who questions the emotions and politics of climate change is labeled as a climate denier, someone whose dangerous thinking must be shouted down and maybe even result in some kind of punishment?

How did so many of our major journalists, whose role is protected by our Constitution, embrace such a pack mentality as they advocate for the political ideas and candidates they like, and attack the political ideas and candidates they dislike?

The result is that half the country cheers on their advocacy, while the other half questions the credibility of every story they report. Is this not a dangerous problem for a country that relies on its press to keep those in power honest?

There is a huge divide in the country between those who think government can offer the best solutions to our challenges and those who think less government, with more individual freedoms, is the way to go.

In a country as free and robust as ours, we certainly can work out our differences and find common ground. To do so, we must restore civility in our public debate, dial down the violent rhetoric, and listen to others who think differently than we do.

As other parts of the world work to emulate America's devotion to free thought and speech -- as others across work to embrace the "unalienable Rights" to " Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness" -- can we please get back to leading the way?

Hey, the Fourth of July is at hand. I can think of no better time to embrace a new declaration that promotes civility, open conversation and common sense.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), spearheading a movement for a separate Gorkhaland state in West Bengal's northern hills, on Sunday demanded a CBI probe into the violence in the Darjeeling hills and Siliguri.

The GJM has blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress and the anti-Gorkhaland forces for the trouble. It also sought the central government's intervention against the "draconian governance" of the Mamata Banerjee regime.

Even as sporadic violence continued in the hills, with a car set on fire in Kurseong, the GJM came out with a media statement condemning the ongoing incidents in Darjeeling hills, Siliguri and its adjoining areas.

"The GJM demands an enquiry into the arson, police atrocities, breach of communal harmony in the plains in the last three weeks including police firing on June 17 which led to the death of three of our Gorkha brothers and left 33 injured," GJM Assistant General Secretary Binoy Tamang said in the statement.

"We demand immediate intervention of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in these matters as well as the central government's intervention to stop the draconian governance of the Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government," Tamang said.

The GJM claimed that 'anti-Gorkhaland forces and the Trinamool government sponsored elements' have come together in the hills for fomenting the violence to 'defame the GJM party and its leadership'.

It charged these forces with inciting communal hatred and creating a division between the hills and the plains.

"Anti Gorkhaland forces and Trinamool government sponsored elements have also been actively inciting the people of Siliguri, Odlabari, Malbazar, Meteli and parts of Dooars in communal hatred and division between hills and the plains."

Claiming that it had believed in a democratic form of agitation for Gorkhaland since its inception, the GJM said it found it intriguing "that these arsons and attacks on government offices and properties are taking place in the presence of a large number of West Bengal Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel".

"We doubt that the people who are doing this are hand in glove with the West Bengal government to defame the GJM," Tamang said.

The GJM also condemned the harassment faced by the people of Sikkim in Siliguri and the vandalisaiton of Sikkimese vehicles.

"Sikkim and Darjeeling have always shared a cordial and warm relationship. Sikkim coming forward in support of Gorkhaland is an example of it.

"India being a democracy, everyone has the right to voice out their opinion, that does not mean that Sikkimese vehicles should be vandalised and Sikkimese people harassed in broad daylight in Siliguri for the support that they have extended to the Gorkhaland movement," the statement said.

The GJM-sponsored indefinite shutdown in the hills to press for Gorkhaland state entered its 18th day on Sunday, with normal life continuing to be severely hit. Shops, markets have remained closed, with vehicles mostly keeping off the roads.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Bhumi Adhikar Andolan (BAA) on Sunday condemned the central government for its "anti-farmer policies" and lynching of minorities and Dalits through mob violence.

As a part of series of demonstrations against the government, the BAA, an umbrella body of activists fighting for the rights of farmers, tribal and minorities, has planned to gherao NITI Aayog office on Monday.

Also, it would hold a rally, which would start at Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh on July 6 and end in Delhi on July 18, to press for various demands of farmers.

The demands include adequate remuneration to crop produce as per the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 2014 Lok Sabha election manifesto and farm loan-waiver.

Addressing a press conference here, Hannan Mollah of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said "the Modi government was destroying farmers and the farm sector to benefit corporates".

"We condemn the 'Modani Model' of development, which is Modi plus Adani. It is leading to loot of farmers. We want the BJP to fulfil its promise of 50 per cent profit above the production cost," Mollah said.

"There will be nationwide protests on July 7 against lynching of minorities and Dalits," Mollah added.

According to the BAA, 23 people have been lynched in 19 incidents during the Modi government's tenure.

Taking a dig at Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh for calling farmers' protests "politically motivated", Mollah said: "If the minister has one per cent of honesty left, he should blame his government for the pathetic condition of farmers."

Ashok Choudhary of National Forum for Forest People and Forest Workers (NFFPFW) called Singh as "minister only in name".

"How many times he has spoken on ongoing farmers issues? He repeats what the PMO (Prime Minister's Office) says," Choudhary said.

The BAA is planning to hold protests against forceful eviction of people affected by the Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada river and forceful acquisition of tribal land in Jharkhand.

Mollah also said the AIKS would demand lifting of ban on cattle trade and pension to farmers.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Chinese state-run media on Sunday urged India to get over its "China anxiety" and said that New Delhi and Beijing, instead of being rivals, "could become cooperative partners".

"Concerns over a rising China have, to some extent, spiralled into a kind of 'strategic anxiety' regarding the country among some Indian politicians," Xinhua news agency said in a commentary.

It said the "misleading, unfounded 'China-phobia' might lead to strategic myopia and hurt India's own interests".

The commentary said while the Indian decision to boycott the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative may be understandable, "staying away is not the best choice New Delhi could have made".

"It could have voiced its concerns and opinions on public occasions or in official statements as China is always willing to discuss all problems and possibilities with India on the basis of mutual benefits."

The commentary insisted that though proposed by China, the Belt and Road was not a "Chinese project".

"As many experts and analysts have pointed out, the Belt and Road provides a monumental opportunity for the win-win cooperation between India and China, which are quite complementary economically."

India is strongly opposed to the construction of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through the Pakistan-administered Kashmir which it claims is its territory.

"While bearing in mind its sovereignty concerns, it is in India's own vital and long-term interests to join the initiative and become an important player in it," it said.

"Instead of being rivals, the two countries, both of which are ancient civilizations endowed with a rich history, could become cooperative partners," it added.
A Jet Airways official was arrested early on Sunday by the Uttar Pradesh Police from the national capital on charges of illegally grabbling municipal land in Ghaziabad.

Avneet Singh Bedi, a retired Colonel and now Vice President of security affairs at Jet Airways, was taken into custody from his Panchsheel Park residence in south Delhi, Ghaziabad Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar said.

The police action came after a case of land grabbing was registered against Bedi at Sahibabad police station on June 21 by Joint Municipal Commissioner Arun Kumar Gupta of the Municipal Corporation of Ghaziabad.

According to the police, the FIR states that Bedi along with four members of his own family - Vimla Bedi, Manohar Bedi, Digvijay and Guneet Singh - and six other accomplices grabbed a total of 5,690 square metres of municipal land in Ghaziabad.

They are accused of building a company on the grabbed land.

The other accomplices were identified as Sunil Kumar, Subhash, Amar Singh, Shahna Waz, Khem Chand and Jai Raj. They had put up shops on the land close to the Delhi border.

According to the FIR, when a revenue clerk demanded to see their property papers, they expressed their inability to show him the documents.

During verification, the land was found recorded in the name of the Municipal Corporation of Ghaziabad.

Ghaziabad Municipal Commissioner C.P. Singh said: "All grabbed land has to be evacuated. We have launched a drive."

Said police officer Tomar: "The FIR has been registered under sections 447 and 448 of IPC. It is the first breakthrough in the case. The other 10 accused persons are to be arrested soon."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A senior Jet Airways official was arrested early on Sunday by the Uttar Pradesh Police from the national capital on charges of illegally grabbling municipal land in Ghaziabad.

Avneet Singh Bedi, a retired Colonel and now Vice President of security affairs at Jet Airways, was taken into custody from his Panchsheel Park residence in south Delhi, Ghaziabad Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar said.

The police action came after a case of land grabbing was registered against Bedi at the Sahibabad police station on June 21 by Joint Municipal Commissioner Arun Kumar Gupta of the Municipal Corporation of Ghaziabad.

According to the police, the FIR states that Bedi along with four members of his own family - Vimla Bedi, Manohar Bedi, Digvijay and Guneet Singh - and six other accomplices grabbed a total of 5,690 square metres of municipal land in Ghaziabad.

They are accused of building a company on the grabbed land. The value of the land was put at over Rs 70 crore.

The other accomplices were identified as Sunil Kumar, Subhash, Amar Singh, Shahna Waz, Khem Chand and Jai Raj. They had put up shops on the land close to the Delhi border.

According to the FIR, when a revenue clerk demanded to see their property papers, they expressed their inability to show him the documents.

During verification, the land was found recorded in the name of the Municipal Corporation of Ghaziabad.

Ghaziabad Municipal Commissioner C.P. Singh said: "All grabbed land has to be evacuated. We have launched a drive."

Said police officer Tomar: "The FIR has been registered under sections 447 and 448 of IPC. It is the first breakthrough in the case. The other 10 accused persons are to be arrested soon."

Jet declined to comment on the arrest of its official who is mostly based in Mumbai.

A company official said: "The airline does not comment on personal matters of our executives and employees."

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
With putting emphasis on its cloud-computing products instead of licences for boxed software, the technology giant is likely to reorganise its sales groups, resulting in layoffs, media reported.

A formal announcement could be made by next week, Seattle Times reported, citing a source familiar with the matter.

Plans for a Cloud-focused reorganisation were reported earlier by the Puget Sound Business Journal, which said the shift will bring some of the most significant changes to the sales force in years.

Judson Althoff, Executive Vice-President, Worldwide Commercial Business, Microsoft, has been critical of company's former sales approach, which he characterised as an attempt to sell Azure, Microsoft's platform of on-demand computing power and software services.

The sales group of was affected in an earlier layoff announcement.

The layoffs announced in July 2016, which targeted 2,850 cuts over the course of Microsoft's just-ended financial year, included at least 900 employees of the sales group.

had also added to the payroll about 1,000 salespersons with specialties in selling Cloud-computing products, Althoff had earlier said.
The southwest monsoon finally reached Delhi on Sunday, with heavy rains lashing the national capital along with Haryana and parts of Uttar Pradesh, the India Meteorological Department said.

"Monsoon has finally reached the entire National Capital Region and some parts of Haryana," an IMD official said.

Eastern Uttar Pradesh, which had been reeling under drought like conditions, also got the first monsoon rains on Sunday.

"The southwest monsoon has advanced into some more parts of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh and remaining parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand," the IMD said.

With this, all 36 sub-divisions of country are now under the cover of monsoon, it said.

The IMD has predicted heavy rains in east Rajasthan in the next 24 hours and over Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh during the next three-four days.

"Monsooon has covered Delhi to Sonipat in Haryana. Though some parts of Haryana are left out, they will be covered within 24 hours," said Mahesh Palawat, Director of the private weather analyst agency Skymet.

The arrival of monsoon in Delhi is timely and within the standard deviation of seven days.

According to IMD, India will receive 98 per cent rainfall this monsoon between June and September with an error estimate of four per cent. The rainfall below 90 per cent is considered deficient and at 95 per cent it is considered below normal.

Between 96 and 104 per cent rainfall indicates normal monsoon and between 105 and 110 per cent above normal monsoon.

--IANS

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Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday disclosed that there were some divergences in views between him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi but both kept them to themselves and did not let it affect the government's functioning.

"We have acted in close cooperation. Surely, there have been divergences of views. But we have been able to keep those divergences to ourselves. It did not affect the relationship between the President and the Prime Minister," Mukherjee said on the occasion of the release of a book on his life titled "President Pranab Mukherjee - A Statesman" at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The book, a pictorial journey of Mukherjee's life as the 13th President published by Statesman group, was released by Modi, who presented the first copy to the President.

Looking at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was seated in the front row, Mukherjee said he would often call Jaitley to enquire about certain issues, and the latter would always convince him like "an able and effective advocate".

"I don't know how many times I have troubled the Finance Minister (by) calling him and consulting 'why this and why not this?' But he would convince me like an able and effective advocate and I had to concede to his reasoning. The functioning of the government was never disturbed, never stopped and never delayed," Mukherjee said.

Earlier, the President said he was initially unwilling when the idea of the photo essay was first suggested to him by the publishers. He wondered about the benefit the photo essay would have since the engagements of the President are all in public domain.

However, he said, he was convinced by the publishers that the President's life beyond day-to-day events should be documented for posterity.

Mukherjee's term as President of India is ending on July 24.

--IANS

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Six Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators in Tripura are likely to cast votes in favour of NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind in the July 17 presidential poll, a party leader said on Sunday.

"We have held a meeting here on Saturday night and decided not to cast our votes in favour of Congress-led opposition-backed presidential candidate Meira Kumar since she is also supported by the CPI-M," Tripura TMC President Ashish Saha told IANS here.

"Since there is no candidate other than Ram Nath Kovind and Meira Kumar, we might support the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) candidate. The picture would be clear within the next few days," he said.

Saha, one of the six TMC legislators, said that "it is final that all the six party legislators in Tripura would not cast their votes in favour of CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) supported nominee".

The TMC, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is officially supporting opposition-backed contender Meira Kumar, the former Lok Sabha Speaker.

There are media reports that BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav and Assam's powerful BJP minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the convenor of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), have urged the TMC legislators in Trip-ura to vote for Kovind.

According to media reports, all the six TMC legislators ae likely to join the BJP this month.

Saha said: "It was not yet decided that the TMC MLAs would join BJP. We want a united fight in the next year's assembly elections in Tripura to oust the CPI-M led Left Front government from power."

"We might do any sacrifice to vote out the Left parties in the next assembly polls," he added.

Last week, BJP's Tripura unit President Biplab Kumar Deb said that the party's doors are shut for the nine TMC and Congress legislators.

Deb had told reporters: "In consultation with the party's central leaders, we had earlier announced a deadline of May 31 for the entry of the nine TMC and Congress MLAs into BJP. That deadline being over, the doors are also accordingly shut for them."

"It is, however, open for other leaders and workers of the TMC, Congress and other parties but not for the nine sitting MLAs," he added.

Six Congress MLAs, led by Sudip Roy Barman, resigned from the party last year and have joined the TMC in protest against the Congress' electoral alliance with the Left parties in the West Bengal assembly elections.

Another Congress legislator, Jitendra Sarkar, resigned from the Tripura assembly and re-joined the ruling CPI-M, reducing the Congress' strength in the state assembly to three. Sarkar joined BJP last month.

The TMC's Tripura unit former President and former Minister and also the former President of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee, Surajit Datta, party's Tripura unit coordination committee chief Ratan Chakraborty, TMC's Tripura unit's founder-chairman and incumbent Vice-President Arun Chandra Bhowmik and many other state committee members had joined the BJP in the past few months.

Besides, several thousand workers from the Congress, TMC and CPI-M also walked over to the BJP, making it (BJP) the main opposition party in Tripura. The state goes to elect a new assembly in about eight months.

Meanwhile, the Congress has also recently served a show cause notice to senior legislator Ratanlal Nath for "anti-party activities and meeting BJP leaders, including party President Amit Shah".

"We have served a show cause notice to Ratanlal Nath last month (May) for his closeness with BJP leaders, including Biplab Deb," Tripura state Congress President Birajit Sinha said.

According to Congress sources, Nath might be expelled from the party after the presidential election on July 17.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Syrian army on Saturday denied using chlorine gas during battles in eastern Damascus.

The army said reports circulated about an attack with chlorine gas on the rebels in the Ayn Tarma neighbourhood in the eastern countryside of Damascus are mere lies, Xinhua news agency reported.

This comes as activists reported that 30 people suffered suffocation after a Syrian army chlorine gas attack in Ayn Tarma.

"These lies are fabricated by the terrorist groups to justify their losses," the army said, adding that such blatant lies are exposed and cannot be believed.

The army stressed that Syria has not used chemical weapons before and it is now in no possession of such materials.

The Syrian government has warned that the rebels are preparing to stage chemical attacks to frame the Syrian army.

The chemical weapons' file was stirred last April when the United States and rebels accused the Syrian army of using nerve agent sarin in an attack on Khan Sheikhoun in the northwestern province of Idlib.

The alleged attack prompted a missile attack by the US on a military base in central Syria.

Syria then denied the accusations made without investigations.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Its New Yorks sickest hospital.

Long before a deranged doctor opened fire inside Bronx-Lebanon Hospital, the place was under an ongoing federal corruption probe, mobsters controlled the construction of its new outpatient center, executives were enjoying million-dollar pay packages and fat bonuses, doctors were allegedly offered per-patient bounties to drum up clinic business, and whistleblowing staffers sounded the alarm about poor patient care but were ignored.

Fridays bloodbath was the latest black mark on a sprawling medical center that mainly cares for the poor and receives most of its funding from taxpayers in the form of state Medicaid.

Even its hiring of Dr. Henry Bello, the former resident who returned to Bronx-Lebanon on Friday to gun down the people who had once been his colleagues, is being held up at the latest  and most tragic  example of questionable recruitment. Bello, 45, had a criminal conviction for a 2004 sex attack on a 23-year-old

Bronx-Lebanon has been headed for decades by Miguel Fuentes, who some describe as an imperious CEO who rarely leaves his office at the hospitals Fulton Avenue campus to visit the main hospital facility on the Grand Concourse. When he does travel, he has a hospital-funded car and driver.

This isnt the Mayo Clinic, one hospital observer bitterly noted.

Fuentes, 67, raised eyebrows with oversize incentive and retirement payouts which he was able to collect while still working. He took home $4.8 million in 2008, including $2.7 million in other compensation.

In 2015, his total compensation came to $1.7 million, according to the hospitals latest tax filings.

Fuentes has homes on the Upper East Side and in Southampton. He had a $20,000 shower installed in his office bathroom and later removed it because of the optics of such a perk, a source told The Post . The hospital said he has a modest shower.

Federal investigators have been eyeing the hospitals leadership in connection with a mob kickback scheme, sources have told The Post

The probe concerns the construction of Bronx-Lebanons new nine-story outpatient treatment center which houses the hospitals clinics.

Work on the $42 million annex began in 2009 and was mostly financed through the sale of taxpayer-backed state Dormitory Authority bonds. The hospital is paying back the authority over 25 years.

The project was supposed to be finished in 19 months, but it wasnt completed until 2014.

Construction costs were padded, with cash allegedly ending up in the pockets of the Lucchese crime family and hospital executives, sources told The Post.

A major mob takedown against Lucchese crime family members in May included charges of wire and mail fraud against underboss Steven Wonder Boy Crea Sr. and associate Joseph Venice. The charges were linked to a project at a major New York City hospital, according to a federal indictment.

The indictment did not name the hospital, but sources have identified it as Bronx-Lebanon. The hospital has disavowed any knowledge of the allegations.

The hospital did not question those change orders, the source said.

Bronx-Lebanon, which got its start in the 1800s, was in such bad financial shape in the 1970s that it nearly declared bankruptcy but was saved by a state bailout.

The Bronx-Lebanon health system now includes a 642-bed hospital, two nursing homes and a mental health facility.

It likes to tout that it has more than 1 million clinic visits a year, but how it attained that number was questionable to at least one former high-ranking staffer.

Dr. John Cosgrove, the former chief of surgery, told The Post that the hospital offered bonus payments to doctors of up to $60 for every patient treated in the clinics.

I told Fuentes I could not sign off on a surgeon I didnt even meet and had no idea how safe he was. - Dr. John Cosgrove, former chief of surgery

Cosgrove said the system was distasteful and open to abuse from doctors who might schedule unnecessary visits in order to get more money.

The doctor also questioned the hospitals vetting of key employees.

Cosgrove objected to a decision by Fuentes to hire Dr. Ira Kirschenbaum in 2008 as head of orthopedic surgery without consulting him first.

I told Fuentes I could not sign off on a surgeon I didnt even meet and had no idea how safe he was, Cosgrove said.

He said Fuentes responded by unilaterally telling the head of the medical staff to change the bylaws and to make orthopedics its own department.

Just like that, Cosgrove said.

Kirschenbaum raised alarms among staffers when four patients died in a short period after he arrived.

Sources said complaints were made to both hospital leadership and the state Office of Professional Medical Conduct. The state did not take any disciplinary action against the doctor.

Bronx-Lebanon also took no action against the surgeon. There was no reason to do any such thing, said Fred Miller, the hospitals lawyer.

Kirschenbaum maintained that the patients were all sick before surgery.

Kirschenbaum was brought in to do hip and knee replacements, which are money-making operations. He said he had done 3,000 at the hospital. He received a $314,210 bonus in 2014 and a $180,940 bonus in 2015, according to Bronx-Lebanons tax filings. The extra pay came on top of his $851,000 salary.

Kirschenbaum denied that to The Post and said he wasnt aware of any recent state investigation of him.

A source told The Post that Kirschenbaum was responsible for hiring Dr. Peter Lesniewski, an orthopedist who was later convicted as being a top lynchpin in the $1 billion Long Island Rail Road disability-fraud scheme.

Lesniewski had been a consultant who between 1999 and 2008 provided fraudulent medical narratives in support of the disability applications of at least 230 LIRR employees, according to the US Attorneys office. He was convicted in 2013 of mail fraud, wire fraud and health-care fraud.

He was sentenced in 2014 to eight years in federal prison. He declined, through a prison official, to speak to The Post about his time at Bronx-Lebanon.

A source told The Post that Sparrow Construction, the general contractor, billed Bronx-Lebanon $26 million for only $21 million worth of work in a scheme carried out through falsified invoices and change orders.He said the incentives came from Medicaid payments and were made at a time when Fuentes was pushing to reach, and trumpet, 1 million visits.The Post received a copy of an anonymous letter that seven hospital employees, who said they were doctors, nurses and technicians, sent to the state with more recent allegations against Kirschenbaum. The letter discusses patients injured under his care, including one who lost a leg.
Film: "The Big Sick"; Director: Michael Showalter; Cast: Kumail Nanjiani, Zoe Kazan, Ray Romano, Holly Hunter, Anupam Kher and Zenobia Shroff; Rating: ****(4 Stars)

I confess I didn't know who Kumail Nanjiani was until I saw him in this wonderful life-giving film about love, sickness, healing and cultural assimilation. But that's okay. Even Anupam Kher, who plays Nanjiani's father, didn't know who the latter was until this film.

It is not important when you get to know a person. It is important how well you get to know him.

This is one of the big takeaways fom "The Big Sick" -- this season's big healing film about physical and cultural sickness.

A very informative chunk of the storytelling goes into establishing remedial rythms between the film's protagonist Kumail and his future in-laws, played with disarming levity by Ray Romano and Holly Hunter. They are in hospital tending to their ailing daughter whose ex-boyfriend Kumail lands up to do a bit of healing himself. It is not a situation that lends itself to satire. No one in their right minds would try to levitate the tragedy.

Director Michael Showalter balances the inherent ironies of a Pakistani-American's struggle to shrug off the lable of terrorism with a joyous and immovable feeling of faith in the power to heal through love.

Try it. Triteness is sometimes a gateway to freedom.

What could easily have been a cumbersome self-indulgent journey of a comic stand-up who is hellbent on graduating to a lead riding on his own (admittedly poignant) culturally-challenged love story with his American soul-mate, alchemizes into a magical romantic romp in the raw.

Kumail strips down the terrifying subtext (you know, that entire thing about Muslims being associated with the 'T' word). He whittles the politics of extremism down to a series of giggly effulgent gags and jokes, which miraculously work.

Early in the courtship when Emily (the lovely Zoe Kazan) calls Uber for a cab after a night with Kumail, his phone rings.

"Your driver will be with you as soon as he has his pants on," Kumail drawls in that acquired American accent which makes him sound like Priyanka Chopra in drag.

You know the jokes are planned to the point where the rehearsed seem improvised. But you go along with Nanjiani's plans to manipulate our senses, knock down our distrust of cinema based on real-life incidents (specially that one where the real character steps into his reel avatar) and simply snuff out our surplus of cynicism.

Savour, then, the lingering legacy of a nostalgia that seeps into the very cultural vortex of Islamophobia. Kumail doesn't flinch from 9/11 and ISIS jokes. To him, the all-pervasive power of love and the message of love-conquers-all presides over the politics of his narrative, furnishing it with an inbuilt foolproof device against any attempts to interpret the politics of humanism as inappropriate.

The film has a tremendous transparency and innocence. Nanjiani and Emily (Zoe Kazan) look so much like a real couple that you forget this is a facsimile of the real thing. Ray Romano and Holly Hunter as Emily's parents fortify the undercurrents of tragedy with an ineradicable state of grace. Their lunch scene with Kumail in the hospital cafeteria where 9/11 is discussed with unnerving equanimity and furious humour, is a sound example of the pitch-perfect equipoise that this film achieves between telling it like it is and telling it whether we like it or not.

Our Anupam Kher as Nanjiani's conservative father brings a sense of burnished cultural pride into the proceedings without prancing into the province of pomposity. You wish there was more of him. But then this is a film about the Pakistani hero exploring his American side, determined to get it right at any cost.

Admirably, "The Big Sick" never makes us uncomfortable about the politics of terrorism that hovers just under the narrative's blithe surface. The film is way too chilled-out to be squirmy about people who shoot others for pleasure.

Quite clearly, Nanjiani and his director had fun with the shooting of another kind.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
It is not a fable, though it may seem like one. A prince is so entranced by an unparalleled city of his dominions that he lingers in it year after year, while his courtiers grow increasingly homesick and long to be reunited with their families. But nobody has the courage to broach the matter.

Finally, somebody gets the idea to seek the help of a master poet and the results are unbelievably instantaneous.

To reiterate, this is not a fable for this incident involves real people, time and places and comes to us not from storytellers but Nizami Samarkandi's "Chahar Maqalla (The Four Discourses)", a 12th century Persian prose work of literary and secular instruction.

But, in its theme and its description, and above all its provenance -- Iran and Central Asia in the 10th century AD, it is the stuff of which fables are made and thus can figure in the line of forgotten epics of the Indian subcontinent and its close neighbours. Above all, it shows the effect of poetry -- how the right verse said at the right time can strike the right chord and convert a dormant feeling into resolute action.

The tale is of Samaanid Prince Nasr II ibn Ahmed (914-943), his desperate courtiers and poet Abu Abdullah Jafar ibn Mohammad ibn Hakim ibn Abdurrahman ibn Adam Rudaki Samarkandi (or Rudhaki or Rudagi; c858-941), considered the founder of classical Persian literature and the "Adam of Poets".

As the story goes, this scion of the Samanid Empire, the first native Persian dynasty in Greater Iran and Central Asia after the Arab conquest and the Sassanid empire's collapse had been camping in Herat, while his courtiers were homesick for their Bukhara. Subtle hints were met by the Prince's answer that the return would take place "after winter". The problem was that at least three years had passed with this promise.

To be fair to the Prince, it was a captivating place -- with 120 different varieties of the grape, "each sweeter and more delicious than the other; and amongst them are in particular two kinds which are not to be found in any other region of the inhabited world, one called Parniyan and the other Kalanjari, thin-skinned, small-stoned and luscious, so that you can say they contained no earthly elements.

The desperate officers and courtiers went to Rudaki, "than whom there was none more honoured of the kings' intimates, and none whose words found so ready an acceptance" and said to him, "We will present thee with five thousand dinars if thou wilt contrive some artifice whereby the king may be induced to depart hence, for hearts are craving for our wives and children, and our souls are likely to leave us for longing after Bukhara." Rudaki agreed; and "since he had felt the Amir's pulse and understood his temperament, he perceived that prose would not affect him, and so had to recourse to verse".

He therefore composed a qasida one evening at the court, "when the musicians ceased, he took up the harp, and began: 'Booye juye Mulian ayaad hami/Yaad-e-yaar-e-mehrbaan ayaad hami.." (for non-Farsi-speakers, the Ju-yi Mulian we call to mind,/We long for those dear friends long left behind....) referring to a water course in Bukhara. And he had not sung two stanzas when it worked its magic.

"No poem, perhaps, ever produced such sudden effect, as the Amir leaped on to the saddled horse, which was always kept ready for an emergency, without even donning his boots, and left his astonished courtiers to follow as best they might," says British scholar P.M.Sykes, in his 1910 travelogue "The Glory of the Shia World".

The "Chahar Maqalla" adds that Nasr "set off for Bukhara so precipitately that they carried his leggings and riding-boots after him for two parasangs, as far as Buruna, and only then did he put them on; nor did he draw rein anywhere till he reached Bukhara, and Rudaki received from the army the double of that five thousand dinars".

But, Rudaki did not end up with a happy life or legacy. His last years were spent in poverty and blindness, and of his over million verses, only 52 qasidas, ghazals and rubais survive, as well as a few fragments of his epic masterpieces while his translation of the Panchtantra is lost. In light of his capability as this anecdote shows, it is a colossal tragedy.

(Vikas Datta is an associate editor at IANS. The views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Veteran journalist Ravinder Randev, who was active in journalism in Himachal Pradesh for over four decades, died here on Sunday due to cardiac arrest, a family member said. He was 82.

Randev, who was active in journalism till his death, will be cremated on Monday. He started his career with Vir Pratap newspaper and also worked in Jansatta, Dainik Tribune, Uttam Hindu and Indian Express.

--IANS

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A woman died after falling off a cliff while clicking selfies in the scenic Kati Ghati in Chanderi town in Madhya Pradesh, police said on Sunday.

Police officer Ashok Singh Tomar told IANS over telephone that Sushma Jain, 35, slipped and fell into a 40-foot valley.

She was rushed to a hospital where she died. She was visiting Chanderi with her family members. Kati Ghati is a major attraction among tourists and quite popular as a 'selfie spot'.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Mumbaikars are heaving a sigh of relief after octroi at the entry points to the city was abolished under the goods and services tax (GST) regime and the five check nakas are being dismantled. According to estimates, for every rupee earned by the Mumbai municipal corporation, another rupee was paid as bribe. Mumbaikars are hoping the state government would remove even the toll collection points at the entry to the city that delay free movement of goods  for hours at times  thus increasing the cost burden on traders. Traders suggest the government levy the same tax at fuel pumps.
The President of India has spoken out. So has Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has condemned it. But what about the leaders of the Opposition? Only Brinda Karat, the Rajya Sabha MP from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), took the trouble to visit the family of Junaid Khan, a recent victim of such attacks against Muslims and Dalits, and robustly denounced the incident. Apart from her, leaders from Rahul Gandhi to Nitish Kumar to Mayawati and Mamata Banerjee  all vocal defenders of Indian secularism when it suits them  are yet to be heard. Instead, it has been the people who chose to respond to a Facebook post and gather to protest the growing culture of lynchings. Those headline-grabbing protests may have encouraged Mr Modi to issue his statement from Sabarmati Ashram, where, invoking Mahatma Gandhi and his creed of non-violence, he declared that violence was unacceptable and killing in the name of cow vigilantism was wrong. In choosing to speak out, Mr Modi has displayed mettle. Which is more than can be said of the Opposition, which has registered its protest only against the inadequacy of Mr Modis statement.
Days before the end of his tenure, President Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday spoke candidly about his relationship with Prime Minister . During the launch of his photo essay, President Pranab Mukherjee: A Statesman, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, Mukherjee said divergences with Modi did not hamper the President-Prime Minister relationship.

It did not affect the relationship between the President and the Prime Minister, between the titular head and the actual head of the administration, Mukherjee said.

Mukherjee said at times he would seek clarifications from Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was present on the occasion and has often articulated the governments position on various issues. Jaitley often convinced him like an able and effective advocate that he is. The President said he can claim with confidence that the functioning of the government was never disturbed, never stopped, never delayed.

Modi, who launched the book, said he was fortunate to have got a chance to work with Mukherjee.

Modi said he was fortunate he could hold Mukherjees hand while trying to settle in Delhi, and that there was never a meeting between them in the last three years when the President did not treat him like a son. I am saying this from deep within. Like a father caring for his son..., he said, turning emotional.

Modiji, you will have to rest for half a day, Pranabda would say. Why are you running around so much? You must cut down on your programmes. You will have to take care of your health. It was during the Uttar Pradesh polls that he told me that winning and losing happen all the time but health must not suffer, the Prime Minister said.

Mukherjee is an inspirational figure, he said, as he recalled his association with people from different walks of life who made an impact on him. Mukherjee, too, expressed his deep gratitude and appreciation for Modi.

While talking about the book, Modi said the book shines a spotlight on the human side of the President, going beyond protocol. Through the photographs in the book, people would know their President laughs like a child. They will also see the self-confidence of our President in front of foreign dignitaries, however, big in size they may be, Modi said in a lighter vein, praising Pranab, a man of short height.
Under attack over mobs killing those suspected of cow slaughter or eating beef, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah has termed such incidents as serious, but claimed more of these happened under the previous governments than the three years of Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule.

The BJP presidents claim provoked a sharp counteroffensive from the Congress whose spokesman Randeep Surjewala accused the Modi government of overtly supporting the lynching movement.

Shah also insisted there was no apprehension or fear anywhere in the country in the aftermath of such incidents.

I do not want to compare and undermine the current incidents of lynching. I am also serious about it. But, there have been more lynching incidents in 2011, 2012 and 2013, Shah told a gathering of professionals in Goa on Saturday evening.

There have been more lynchings each year in the past, compared to the total lynching incidents that have happened during our three-year-long tenure, the BJP leader said, without elaborating.

Do you know of any such incident where arrests have not been made? I do not have any answer to apprehensions. There is no apprehension anywhere in the country, he said, responding to a question about whether an environment of fear prevailed after mobs beat up people over alleged cow slaughter or beef consumption, often leading to their death.

Reacting sharply to Shahs accusation, the Congress party whose government preceded Modis, alleged these incidents had tacit protection and support of the BJP dispensation.

Surjewala said despite President Pranab Mukherjee showing the mirror of truth to the BJP government on incidents of mob frenzy that have become irrational and uncontrollable, Shah had chosen to ignore it.

Instead of listening to the conscience keeper of the nation, Shah has most shamelessly chosen to ignore the reality of a bizarre yet concerted lynching movement which the government has overtly supported and encouraged in the past few months," Surjewala said in a statement.

Will Amit Shahji respond to 52 mob violence/lynchings in the last three years of BJP government? What action was taken? he tweeted.

Mob frenzy and lynching have become the rule under BJP governments watch. Corrective action, not falsification is the way, Amit Shahji, he said in another tweet.

Mukherjee had on Saturday asked people to be vigilant against the rising trend of mob lynchings which needed to be checked. We will have to pause and ponder over, and reflect when we read in newspapers that an individual is being lynched because of some alleged violation of law or not. When mob frenzy becomes so hard and irrational, and uncontrollable, we are to pause and reflect are you vigilant enough? Mukherjee had said.

Noting that law and order was a state matter, Shah said when Mohammad Akhlaq was beaten to death at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh in September 2015 over the suspicion of storing and consuming beef, the state had a Samajwadi Party government and it was its responsibility to prevent the incident. But, protests were held in Delhi in front of the Narendra Modi government. What is this fashion?



A spate of such incidents have been reported from several states, including BJP-ruled Jharkhand, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, shocking the nation and prompting protests.

Recently, a 15-year-old boy Junaid Khan was stabbed to death by a group of men on a train when he was returning home to Haryana's Ballabh district after shopping for Eid. Junaid bled to death after a heated argument over seats turned violent. His assailants allegedly accused Junaid, his brother and friends of being beef-eaters.

In Jharkhand's Ramgarh, a Muslim meat trader was beaten to death on Thursday by cow vigilantes who alleged he was carrying beef in his vehicle. Nityanand Mahto, a local BJP leader, is among those who were arrested in connection with the incident.
At least 15 people have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rains which swept away several houses in Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province, officials said.

The floods followed heavy downpour which has been lashing several parts of the country since Friday.

"According to our provincial disaster management cell, 15 people were washed away in the floods and 11 bodies have been found so far," Balochistan government spokesperson Anwarul Haq Kakar said.

The 11 bodies were recovered in Lasbella district where flash floods swept away several mud houses, Kakar said.

Lasbella district and Hub, which are close to Karachi, have been worst affected by the flash floods, he said



Around 25 mud houses were swept away as rains intensified since Friday night, he said.

The rains have caused plenty of damage and casualties in many parts of the province.

In Karachi, nine persons were killed in rain-related incidents since Friday.

Due to poorly constructed houses in mainly rural areas of Balochistan and Sindh, heavy rains and flash floods cause misery and damages every year.

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Kolkata Police have arrested three persons from Bihar for their alleged involvement in siphoning of funds from the bank account of a person.

On the basis of a complaint lodged with Watgunge police station here, the police went to Lakhisarai in Bihar and arrested Sujit Kumar, Shravan Kumar and Arvind Kumar from their respective houses, a police officer said today.

Complainant Sushil Chanda Mahato had said in his FIR that he received a phone call in February in which someone posing as a bank official sought details of his debit card details which he provided.

Within a short while, Mahato found that Rs 74,490 was debited from his account, the police officer said.

The three accused allegedly put the money in various e-wallets and a portion of it was transferred to four accounts of a nationalised bank of Jamtara, Jharkhand.

The accused trio, who were arrested on Friday, were running a mobile recharge shop at Lakhisarai in Bihar.

They used the money from the e-wallets to recharge phones and DTHs of customers, the officer said.

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Mining baron Anil Agarwal, who has pledged 75 per cent of his family wealth for the larger society, has said a chunk of it will go to nurturing over 7.5 crore underprivileged children below the poverty line.

The NRI billionaire Agarwal, who controls London-listed Vedanta Resources, had a net worth of USD 2.4 billion as on July 1, 2017, according to the US magazine Forbes.

"I strongly believe that we have a responsibility to give back to society from where we take. Nurturing underprivileged children is close to my heart. I have already pledged 75 per cent of my family wealth to society and a good chunk will go to uplifting children," Agarwal told PTI in an interview.

Agarwal is ranked 603rd on the world's billionaire list and is the 63rd richest Indian, as per the Forbes magazine.

"My aim is to give back to society from where we have got it all. I am keen to invest in India's human resource. We have already started a unique initiative of 'Nand Ghars', in which Vedanta is investing Rs 400 crore to create 4,000 Nand Ghars pan India," Agarwal said.

The project, in association with the government, aims at strengthening the foundation of children below the age of seven years, their nutrition, health and education.

The Vedanta chief said that initially, plans are to nourish nearly 7.5 crore underprivileged children living in remote rural areas, who are below seven years and in need of proper nutrition, healthcare and education. Later, if need be, more children will be brought under its ambit.

"My primary focus is to start at the grassroots level with the holistic development of children and women, who form the future of our nation and Nand Ghar is re-imagination of Anganwadis," he said.

He added that the project that addresses issues relating to pre-primary education, healthcare, nutrition for children and economic empowerment for women in rural India has been designed in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

These Nand Ghars have clean toilets, safe drinking water and electricity through solar panels and various education and recreation facilities.

Agarwal in 2014 made the announcement to pledge 75 per cent of his family wealth to society at an event at the London Stock Exchange to mark a decade of his company's premium listing.

Agarwal has recently bought a 12 per cent stake in London-listed miner Anglo American for USD 2.4 billion through his family holding firm, financing the purchase through bonds. He has to his credit secured all approvals for the merger of Vedanta into cash-rich, oil and gas firm Cairn India after sweetening the terms for minority investors.

Vedanta Ltd is the world's sixth-largest diversified natural resources powerhouse post Cairn-Vedanta merger, achieving a market capitalisation of USD 14 billion.

Its operations span across India, Sri Lanka, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Liberia, Ireland and Australia.
The capital of the United Arab Emirates became the first city to be exempt from a US ban on laptop computers being in the cabins of airplanes coming from the Mideast, the country's flag carrier said today.

Long-haul airline Etihad said it welcomed the decision by the US Department of Homeland Security, which comes "subject to enhanced security measures" at Abu Dhabi International Airport. That airport already has a US Customs and Border Protection facility that allows passengers to clear screening they'd otherwise have to go through when landing in America.

Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan said US officials already had seen that "the measures have been implemented correctly and to the full extent required" in Abu Dhabi.

He said American monitors would make further visits to ensure the checks were being done properly.

"The enhanced security measures, both seen and unseen, include enhanced screening of passengers and electronic devices," Lapan said, declining to elaborate.

"We commend Etihad for working swiftly to implement these additional measures. Their efforts are a model for both foreign and domestic airlines."



Abu Dhabi International Airport did not respond to a request for comment. The airport is home to Etihad, which has over 120 planes in its fleet and 204 aircraft on order. It operates 45 flights a week between Abu Dhabi and six cities in the US.

The US ban, first announced in March as a security measure, now applies to nonstop U.S.-bound flights from nine international airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Cairo; Istanbul; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar; and Dubai in the UAE.

In late May, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said he was considering banning laptops from the passenger cabins of all international flights to and from the United States.

Kelly's comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump shared highly classified intelligence about the Islamic State group wanting to use laptops to target aircraft with senior Russian officials visiting the White House.

The laptop ban, as well as a Trump administration travel ban on six predominantly Muslim nations, has hurt Gulf carriers. Dubai-based Emirates has slashed 20 percent of its flights to America in the wake of those decisions.

The airline also has been trying to get the laptop ban lifted for its direct flights to the US It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dubai International Airport, Emirates' home, is the world's busiest international air travel hub. Meanwhile, long-haul carrier Qatar Airways has been hurt amid a diplomatic dispute with Arab nations that has seen its own routes in the region cut off.

All this also comes amid a wider dispute between Gulf airlines and American carriers, which accuse the Middle East airlines of flooding the market with capacity while receiving billions of dollars of unfair government subsidies. The Gulf carriers all vigorously deny that.

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Two days into the GST regime, Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia today took to Twitter to bust "seven myths" that were doing the rounds about the new tax regime.

Adhia, the architect behind the country's largest tax reform, sought to dispel concerns that if a person makes payment of utility bills by credit cards, the he/she will be paying GST twice.

"This is completely untrue. Please do not recirculate such message without checking it with authority," Adhia said.

India ushered in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime on the intervening night of June 30 and July 1.

A four-tier tax slab -- 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent -- has been decided with essential items like salt, unpacked food grains, healthcare services being kept zero rated.

People have been posting in social media pictures of receipts issued in grocery stores or eateries showing tax deductions as GST, instead of VAT/Service tax earlier.

Busting the myth that GST rates are higher than VAT, Adhia said, "It appears higher because excise duty and other taxes which were invisible earlier are now subsumed in GST and so visible now."



He reiterated that businesses can continue to do business under GST with provisional ID number and need not wait for Goods and Services Taxpayer identification number(GSTIN).

"Provisional ID will be your final GSTIN number. Start business," Adhia said.

He said that businesses need not generate all invoices on computer or internet alone. "Invoices can be generated manually also."



On the rumour that businesses which were earlier exempt will immediately need new registration before starting business now, Adhia said, "You can continue doing business and get registered within 30 days".

He said small retailers need not file invoice-wise details in their return forms and retailers will have to just file one return form as the two other forms will be auto populated by the computer.

"There is only 1 return with 3 parts, out of which first part filed by dealer and two other parts auto populated by computer," he said.

Adhia also said that internet is not needed all the time to do business under GST. The reality is internet would be needed only while filing monthly return of GST, he said.

In a statement, the finance ministry said the two days post GST rollouthas passed "without any major problems being reported" from the field offices.

"The Revenue Department has got encouraging reports from the roadside dhabas and big restaurants as well as from kirana shops to departmental stores which, in turn, have started getting acclimatised to the new tax system," it said.

The central and the state government officers are trying their best to provide the required and the correct information to the industry, it said.

Since June 25, when the GSTN portal opened for fresh registration,2.23 lakh new dealers have got enrolled.

Of this,63000 have submitted full details, and 32,000 dealers have been granted fresh registrations also.

The window for new registration will remain open for 30 days.

Adhia has appealed to people not to circulate any unverified messages through social media, the statement added.
An aide of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and a businessman from Kashmir have been questioned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the funding of terror and separatist groups in the Valley.

The NIA has been questioning Shahid-ul-Islam, a close aide of the Mirwaiz, and businessman Zahoor Watali for last three days about the alleged assets possessed by them, official sources said here.

The questioning of the two by the officers of the central probe agency, which has registered a case against separatists and terror organisations operating in the Valley, was continuing separately, they said.

The businessman has been asked about his association with the separatists, especially hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the sources said.

The NIA may also seek a production warrant from a special court against close aides of Geelani, including his son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah alias Altaf Fantoosh and his spokesman Ayaz Akbar, they said.

Both were placed under preventive custody by the Jammu and Kashmir police on June 27 on account of law and order situation in the Valley.

This move by the state police had raised many eyebrows as neither of them had ever been taken into preventive custody during the peak of agitations earlier.

Shah was questioned by the NIA early last month after which he had sought time from the probe agency on account of Holy month of Ramzan and Eid festivities, the sources said.

Shah has been asked by the NIA about his moveable and other properties, including houses in the Valley as well as in Jammu, and the source for their funding, they said, adding that the questioning also related to the alleged funds received by the Geelani-led Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.

Shah's Srinagar house was raided by NIA sleuths, who also searched the premises of others like Shahid-ul-Islam, an aide of Mirwaiz Umer Farooq who heads the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, and businessman Zahoor Watali.

Apart from being the son-in-law of Geelani, Shah is perceived to be influential in the evolving the policies of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.

Hafeez Saeed, Pakistan-based chief of Jamaat-ud Dawah, the front for banned Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT), has been named in the FIR as an accused, besides organisations such as the Hurriyat Conference (factions led by Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Dukhtaran-e-Millat.

The raids were part of NIA's efforts to clamp down on separatist groups allegedly receiving funds for subversive activities in the valley.

The NIA had recovered some account books, Rs two crore in cash and letter-heads of banned terror groups, including LeT and HM during its searches.

The NIA investigation seeks to identify the chain of players behind the financing of terrorist activities, including those who pelted stones at security forces, burnt down schools and damaged government establishments.

This is for 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.

In 2002, the Income Tax department had conducted searches against some separatist leaders including Geelani and seized cash and documents. However, no criminal case was registered then.

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The Axis Bank's open loop based EMV contactless card launched this month for the Kochi Metro may also be introduced for the Kolkata Metro.

"Dialogue with Kolkata Metro is on for a co-branded open loop based card which can be used for Metro Railway and in all merchant outlets for electronic payment," an Axis Bank official told PTI.

This will be a prepaid card and not a savings bank account linked debit card.

"People with no account in Axis Bank will be able to procure such a card for Metro railway travel and make electronic payment," the official said.

The Kolkata Metro currently offers a closed loop electronic card to commuters to avoid buying tickets daily and these can be loaded at Metro booking counters only.

But the new open loop cards will allow a commuter multiple options to load money.

The Metro Railway is also discussing revenue sharing model with the Axis Bank, Kolkata, Metro Rail Corporation Limited Chairman Vishwesh Chaubey had earlier said.

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Demonstrators hoisting signs and chanting anti-Donald Trump slogans marched through downtown Los Angeles to urge Congress to impeach the president.

The Los Angeles march was one of several similar gatherings yesterday across California and the nation.

Organisers say they believe the president has violated the US Constitution and obstructed justice.

One banner called the president an "Illegitimate Corrupt Puppet."



Marcher John Meranda tells the Los Angeles Times he has attended five recent anti-Trump marches. The 56-year-old says he's most recently frightened by the Republican proposal to cut billions of dollars from the Medicaid program.

A smaller group of pro-Trump protesters gathered nearby outside Los Angeles police headquarters. The Trump supporters say they're unconcerned about allegations that Trump tried to thwart an FBI investigation of former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

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China has cancelled a trip of Indian journalists to Tibet, this was conveyed to the scribes by the Chinese embassy in New Delhi.

The cancellation of the journalists' trip, which was scheduled from July 8-15, came in the backdrop of a stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector.

A batch of Indian journalists who were to visit Tibet at the invitation of the Chinese government were informed by the Chinese embassy in New Delhi that the trip has been cancelled.

China every year organises sponsored visit for select Indian journalists to Tibet.

A stand-off erupted between the two militaries after the Indian Army blocked construction of the road by China in the Doklam area, a disputed territory between China and Bhutan.

India on Friday expressed deep concern over China constructing the road in the disputed area and said it had conveyed to Beijing that such an action would represent a significant change of status quo with "serious" security implications for India.

The stand-off between the Indian and Chinese troops led to the cancellation of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra through Nathu La in Sikkim.

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A Delhi court has acquitted a man of the charges of raping a 12-year-old girl after she said she made false allegations at the instance of her aunt.

Additional Sessions Judge Sanjay Garg granted the relief to the South-West Delhi resident, noting that though the prosecution of the accused had been launched on the statement of the girl, she did not support the case of the police during the course of trial.

The case was filed in July 2014 on the girl's allegation that the accused, a neighbour, had raped her several times over a few months. Thereafter, the accused was arrested.

Before the court, however, the girl resiled from her statement made to the police and denied the allegations made against the man.

The girl, however, later told the court that she had implicated the accused in the case at the instance of her aunt, who used to reside in the neighbourhood and with whom the accused had a quarrel two days before the lodging of the FIR.

The court also noted that girl's medical examination did not suggest any kind of sexual assault.

The accused had, however, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

"For the failure of the complainant/child victim to support the case of the prosecution, it is evident that the prosecution has miserably failed to bring home the guilt of the accused," the court said.

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For the first time, scientists have found how malaria parasites multiply rapidly, an advance that may help develop new drugs to combat the deadly disease that affects millions of people globally.

Malaria parasites are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, which infuse the parasite called Plasmodium into humans.

Until now, the mechanism and sites from where DNA replication is initiated, as well as the proteins involved in the process, have been a grey area for scientists.

"During each cycle of multiplication, the genome of the parasite is duplicated through DNA replication. This process of replication begins from some specific sites along the genome, known as origin of replication (OriC)," said Suman Kumar Dhar, Professor at the Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi.

"Bacterial genomes usually have only one OriC in their genome, but higher organisms such as humans can have multiple such origin sites. Identifying these origin sites in a given genome is a very difficult task," Dhar told PTI.

In a six-year-long study using computational tools and experimental validation, researchers including Assistant Professor Kushal Shah from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, found that the parasites replicate from multiple sites in the genome which have similar signature motifs found in yeast.

"The frequency of occurrence of these motifs as potential origins in parasite genome is more than that in higher organism genomes, which means that the parasites will multiply very fast at a given time," Dhar said.

The proteins that are involved in this process have also been found, he added.

It can be understood that by inhibiting the function of these proteins and their binding to these replication sites, parasite growth can be stopped.

"Understanding the process of multiplication will lead to finding new drug targets to combat the disease which is burdened by resistance against conventional drugs including the wonder drug Artemisinin, the discovery of which fetched the Nobel prize last year," Dhar said.

The research team also included Assistant professor Annangarachari Krishnamachari, and research students Meetu Agarwal and Kishanu Bhowmick from JNU.

Malaria remains endemic in India with approximately 14 per cent of the population, or 184 million people, at high risk of malaria transmission, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report.

About 70 per cent of malaria cases reported from the South East Asia Region (SEAR) are from India, where the number of cases and deaths due to the vector-borne disease in 2014 saw an increase as compared to 2012.

In 2015, the global tally of malaria reached 429,000 malaria deaths and 212 million new cases. One child died from malaria every 2 minutes, according to a WHO report.

These findings were published in the FEBS Journal.

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The consumer durables industry is expecting only a marginal price revision despite the category being placed under the highest tax slab of 28 per cent under GST, as players look forward to the festive season in the coming months.

The festive season accounts up to 35 per cent of the consumer durables sales.

"In the short-to mid-term, I see the fundamentals remaining the same. Though consumer durables industry is being taxed at 28 per cent, which is slightly more than what the previous tax structure, I don't anticipate any major price increases in the coming months," BSH Household Appliances MD Gunjan Srivastava told PTI.

The tax rate for the sector was around 25-27 per cent, which has been hiked to 28 per cent under .

"I expect the prices to remain constant at least in the initial period before people understand what how much is the additional cost. But, that would take some time for people to accurately measure. We are also approaching the festival season, so the industry will like to moderate it," he added.

Godrej Appliances business head Kamal Nandi expects prices to go up by 1-2 per cent which could impact demand in the short-run, but expects it to pick up during the festive season.

"Home appliances have become a necessity now with evolving consumer lifestyle and a lower tax slab would have made appliances more affordable in a low-penetrated market.

"With 28 per cent tax under the GST, we expect the consumer price of home appliances to marginally go up by 1-2 per cent. This could have an impact on demand in the short- run," he said.

"Normal monsoons and the resultant boost to the agricultural economy and hike in allowances to government employees will propel demand during the forthcoming festive season," he added.

Panasonic India Chief Financial Officer Manish Gupta said they expect a revision in prices of select category.

"We are expecting the primary sales to retailers from companies to pick up from the second week of July," he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan today held talks with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Istanbul as tension soared on the Syrian border between Turkish troops and a Kurdish militia.

Turkey and Russia were long at loggerheads over the Syrian conflict, with Ankara seeking the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad and Moscow remaining his chief international ally.

But cooperation had tightened markedly since last year, with the two countries jointly sponsoring peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana.

Today's meeting took place at Istanbul's Tarabya Palace by the Bosphorus, the presidency said, with images showing Turkey's top general Hulusi Akar and spy chief Hakan Fidan were also in attendance.

Last August, Turkey launched its Euphrates Shield cross- border operation aimed at clearing the border zone in northern Syria of both Kurdish militia fighters and jihadists.

The operation was wound up in March but Erdogan has not excluded a new cross-border offensive should the need arise.

Turkish troops and Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) have repeatedly exchanged cross-border fire in recent days and there is speculation Ankara may be planning an assault on the group in Afrin.

Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist group and the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984.

But Washington is arming the YPG and the group is heavily involved in the US-backed operation to oust Islamic State (IS) jihadists from their stronghold of Raqa.

The Sabah daily said Sunday that pro-Ankara Syrian rebels were on standby for an operation against the YPG and Russia could ensure security in the air.

Asked about the possibility of an operation around Afrin, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Saturday: "We take all measures to protect our borders and national security."



He said the Turkey would "instantly" hit back against any threat from Syria, be it from IS, the PKK or the YPG.

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Yamini and her husband Bhanu Bhandari and single mother Charu Lata Sharma have just become parents. Yet, they can't name their children or have their names on birth certificates, school papers, doctor's records or any official document.

For all purposes, Yamini and Bhanu are the parents of four-year-old Pari, who came to their house on June 24. So is Charu, who is the foster parent of six-year-old Chandni who arrived at her house on January 24.

The two children are among the first ones to be fostered after the passage of The Model Guidelines for Foster Care, 2016, by the women and child development ministry and will be with their foster parents till they get reunited with their family or are adopted.

However, these parents also have the option of adopting the girls after a period of five years of fostering them.

Both Pari and Chandni were born to mentally unstable mothers who reside in homes for the mentally ill in Udaipur.

Both were in orphanages till these foster parents came along and decided to take them home.

"She calls me mumma and my husband, Papa. I am happy for now but scared of the future. I have to wait for five years so that she can be mine completely," Yamini, who has already bought Pari a new bicycle and heaps of clothes, told PTI over phone from Udaipur.

"Our priority is to give her a good education and to keep her healthy," says Yamini, 43, who has to renew her foster care application every six months.

For 50-year-old Charu, who already has a 10-year-old girl through adoption, fostering was a way of taking out a child from an orphanage and giving her a home.

"I wanted to give a child who could have spent all her adult life in an institute, a home. She is God's gift and I am sure, after five years, she will be mine," says Charu, who works with national carrier Air India.

She says lack of legal rights has been an impediment for her to open a bank account for her child and also to avail AI benefits for family members for Chandni.

The catch under the foster care guidelines is that the child will continue to have the name given to her by the orphanage and the adoption agency will remain its legal guardian.

However, the cost of rearing the child, his educational as well as medical expenses are borne by the foster parents.

"She is very excited about the fact that she is getting new things every day. We have a big family and she has three aunts and her grandparents and uncle who are showering her with gifts," says Yamini.

Pari, however, misses the orphanage, especially her caretaker, Babu.

She has named a toy in her new house after her caretaker and often calls her mumma 'didi' by mistake. However, it is her foster mother that she clings too when she is hurt, says the doting mother.

Foster carers often struggle with the temporary nature of foster care though many admit that their goal is to change a child's life and the hurt of losing that child is less than that of keeping him or her safe.

Dr Shilpa Mehta, president of Foster Care Society, a non- profit which works to promote foster care across the country, says parents willing to do so much for a child without any rights over her are rare, but are the need of the hour for such children.

"Most of these kids are children of parents who are not stable enough to give their consent for adoption. As a result, they cannot be legally given up for adoption and would have remained in orphanages.

"This is where foster care comes in - taking the child out of institutions and putting them with families that will love them," says Mehta, who along with her team has four more such parents lined up to foster more such children.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the top foreign



stories at 1700 hours today:



FGN13 BANGLA-ZIA



Dhaka: In a setback to former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia, the Supreme Court uphelds a High Court judgement rejecting her plea for a re-investigation into a graft case against her.

FGN7 UAE-INDIANS



Dubai: About 100 Indian sailors aboard 22 ships have been stranded in UAE waters and have sought the help of the Indian Consulate General in Dubai, a media report says.

FGN6 PAK-JADHAV



Islamabad: Pakistan says that it was "travesty of logic" to link the case of Kulbhushan Jadhav with civilian prisoners, a day after India sought early consular access to its national sentenced to death by a military court. (By Sajjad Hussain)



FGN12 SYRIA-2NDLD BLAST



Damascus: A suicide car bomber pursued by security forces blew himself up in eastern Damascus, with a monitor reporting 18 killed in the deadliest attack to hit the Syrian capital in months.(AFP)



FGN11 RUSSIA-LD ACCIDENT



Moscow: Russian officials say at least 14 people have been killed after a bus caught fire following a nighttime collision with a truck that was being towed and six other people have been killed in separate road accidents.(AP)



FGN5 ISRAEL-MODI-MOSHE



Jerusalem: Sandra Samuels, the brave Indian nanny who saved Israeli child Moshe Holtzberg during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, feels Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to meet her along with the boy during his visit.(By Harinder Mishra)



FGN2 ISRAEL-LD OLMERT



Jerusalem: Ehud Olmert, Israel's former prime minister, was released from prison days after a parole board granted him early release from his 27-month corruption sentence, a Prison Service official said. (AP)



FGN10 IRAN-TOTAL



Tehran: French energy giant Total is to sign a USD 4.8 billion deal to develop an Iranian offshore gas field, the oil ministry said today, in the biggest foreign deal since sanctions were eased.(AFP)



FGN9 CHINA-SIKKIM-MAP



Beijing: China has released a map to back its claim that Indian troops "transgressed" into the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector, which it claims as part of its territory. (By K J M Varma).

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
France's president today promised strong support for a new multinational military force against extremists in Africa's vast Sahel region, saying the "terrorists, thugs and assassins" need to be eradicated.

President Emmanuel Macron, meeting in Mali with leaders from the five regional countries involved, said France will provide military support for operations as well as 70 tactical vehicles and communications, operations and protective equipment.

The 5,000-strong force will be deployed by September, and its funding will be finalized by then, Macron said at a press conference.

The leaders of Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Burkina Faso and Chad known as the G5 must clarify their roles and contributions for the force to attract more support from outside countries, the French president added.

"We cannot hide behind words, and must take actions," he said.

The new anti-terror force will operate in the region along with a 12,000-strong UN peacekeeping mission in Mali, which has become the deadliest in the world, and France's own 5,000-strong Barkhane military operation, its largest overseas mission.

The new force is not meant to replace those missions, Macron said. "It's a force that fights against terrorism, and the trafficking of drugs and humans."



Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said each of the Sahel countries would contribute 10 million euros ($11 million) toward the force's overall budget of 423 million euros ($480 million).

The European Union already has pledged some 50 million euros ($57 million) in support of the new G5 force. In mid- June, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution welcoming the deployment of the new force. The UN, however, will not contribute financially.

Today's meetings came a day after the recently formed extremist group Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, based in Mali, released a proof-of-life video showing six foreign hostages seized in the region in recent years. The video claimed that "no genuine negotiations have begun to rescue your children."



Macron said he welcomed the first sign of life for several months from the French hostage in the video, Sophie Petronin.

"They are terrorists, thugs and assassins," Macron said of the extremists. "And we will put all of our energies into eradicating them."



The threat in the region has been growing for years. A French-led intervention drove out Islamic extremists from strongholds in northern Mali in 2013, but the extremists have continued targeting peacekeepers and other forces. Religious extremism has spread south, and attacks have become more brazen.

In March, the extremist groups Ansar Dine, Al-Mourabitoun and al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb declared that they had merged into Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A gang-rape and acid attack survivor has once again been attacked with acid in Aliganj locality here, police said on Sunday.

This is the fifth attack on the woman.

The latest incident took place yesterday night near a hostel where she resides. She was rushed to a hospital where her condition was stated to be stable.

She has sustained burn injuries on her face and neck, police said, adding that no FIR has been registered yet and they are awaiting a complaint.

A probe is on in the matter, they said.

Earlier on March 23, the woman was allegedly forced to drink acid by two men on-board a train near here.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited her at a hospital and announced Rs 1 lakh assistance for the 45-year-old woman.

The incident had came to light when the woman had got off the Allahabad-Lucknow Ganga Gomti Express at Charbagh Station here and gave a written complaint to the government railway police. She wrote the complaint as she could not speak.

As per the complaint, two persons had forced her to drink acid.

Earlier, two men had allegedly raped and attacked her with acid over a property dispute in her home at Unchahar in 2009, 100 kilometre from Lucknow.

The woman works with Sheroes Hangout Cafe, an outlet run by acid attack survivors in Lucknow.

In 2012, the woman was attacked with a knife, and in 2013 she was attacked with acid, police sources said.
American-British actress Gillian Anderson has hit out at the decision to hire an all-male writing team for "The X-Files".

The 48-year-old actress stars as FBI agent Dana Scully alongside agent Fox Mulder, played by David Duchovny, in the iconic TV series - but she's blasted the lack of female representation among the show's creative team.

In response to a story written by the Washington Post newspaper, Gillian wrote on Twitter, "And 2 out of 207 eps directed by women. I too look forward to the day when the numbers are different. #TheFutureIsFemale. (sic)"



US broadcasting network Fox confirmed "The X-Files" would be returning for an all-new season in April, with Gillian reprising her role as Dana.

The 10-episode series is poised to air sometime during the 2017/18 season.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal today said that Jammu and Kashmir would roll out GST in the next few days.

"Jammu and Kashmir is the only state which failed to meet the June 30 deadline for the GST rollout. The new indirect tax regime will be implemented there in the next few days," he told PTI on the sidelines of a GST-related event here.

J&K Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu had yesterday stated in New Delhi that the state is likely to clear the legislation on the indirect tax regime by July 6.

Asked about traders staging protest in Srinagar against GST, Goyal said that protests sometimes are politically motivated, but it is good for the country, otherwise people of Jammu and Kashmir will suffer.

Traders in Srinagar had staged a march against the proposed implementation of GST, which they claimed would lead to erosion of the special status and the fiscal autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir.

On Niti Aayog Member Bibek Debroy's remarks that the talk of GST boosting GDP growth by one per cent to 1.5 per cent is 'utter rubbish', he said the Centre was confident of the new indirect tax regime, which will have a very positive and good impact on the economy, because it had looked at the implementation experience of some countries and claims of various schools of thought.

Goyal said Debroy may have his opinion, but that did not mean that the whole country should have the same opinion.

"Each one is entitled to his opinion. We are not having a government where you can't speak," he added.

Debroy had said yesterday that any suggestion that GST would boost GDP growth by 1 to 1.5 per cent is "utter rubbish" and termed it as an "imperfect GST", following changes from the originally proposed "ideal" structure.

Goyal said more important than anything else is that India would get rid of corruption and move from an informal economy to a formal economy.

He also said that tax compliance would bring in more money to the government coffers which would be used to render services to the poor and farmers of the country.

"This is the goal of this government on which we are focusing. I think that is also the goal of the whole country because all parties have come together and made GST a reality, and I am sure all parties and all states will make it a grand success," he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said the (GST) will be implemented in in the next three to four days, as he ruled out any difference between the BJP and the PDP, the ruling coalition partners in the state.

The Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) replied in negative when asked whether the BJP has "surrendered" before the PDP as far as GST was concerned, amid reports of difference between them.

"All of us should be assured that the GST will soon be implemented in . There is no surrender. I have told you that the GST will be implemented in next 3 to 4 days," he told reporters.

He said not only the BJP or the PDP but the entire nation was on the same page vis-a-vis the implementation of the GST, which is billed as the biggest tax reform in India since Independence.

"It is not a question of the BJP, the PDP or the Congress. 125 crore people of this country are dictating us to be on the same page and there cannot be anything otherwise," he said.

"Both the coalition partners are on the same page. There is no difference of opinion on the GST. There were hiccups raised by opposition parties for political consideration, but they have also realised that they cannot carry it forward. Now they are exposed," he added.

Singh, Lok Sabha MP from Udhampur, said the traders faced loss every day on account of non-implementation of the GST in J&K.

"The state government will take a call. Each day, there will be a loss to the traders. We do not have any problem in the implementation of the GST, but the opposition is creating hurdles," he said.

"Our stand is clear before you on GST. There is no difference between us. They (PDP) are in agreement. There will be soon some way out. All political parties are on one page on the GST," he added.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the core group of the BJP, its state unit chief Sat Sharma said all party legislators will take part in the four-day special Assembly session starting from July 4.

"The session is being specially held for GST. All (legislators) have been asked to remain present there. There will be discussion on GST, as the session is being exclusively held for it," Sharma said.

"I feel before 8th of July, the announcement will be made for implementation of GST in J&K. We have a clear stand on the GST," he said.

He said the GST was to be ushered from July 1 along with rest of the country but due to some reasons it could not be implemented in J&K and the opposition has been "repeatedly creating hurdles" in its implementation.

"We want all political parties to be on the same page. The government organised all parties meeting which was boycotted by the Congress and the National Conference. Now the session will be held and some decision would be taken there," Sharma said.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said India and Bangladesh should fight their common enemies like poverty and terrorism together.

"We have common enemies, problems and threats. Those have to be combated and fought together. Our common enemy is poverty and together we have to fight that. Our common threats, which of course are also a global threat, are terrorism and fundamentalism," Sonowal said.

He was addressing the inaugural programme of the 8th Round of India-Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue here.

Territories of India and Bangladesh should not be allowed to be used for activities inimical to the interest of either of the countries, Sonowal said.

He also highlighted the need to improve market access and remove barriers of trade, including port restrictions, to ensure smooth movements of goods.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said both the countries were showing a model relationship for mutual growth.

He said 35 agreements were signed during Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India and 22 pacts were inked during her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh.

Of these agreements, 13 were commercial in nature, which were expected to bring industrial growth in both the countries, Akbar said.

Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said both the countries need to cement ties for mutual growth.

Stating that a prosperous Bangladesh can contribute to the growth of India, he requested the India government to provide market access for their products.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dismissing as "untenable" India's assertion that Beijing's construction of road in the disputed Doklam area poses "serious security implications", China's official agency today asked New Delhi not to deviate consensus on developing bilateral relations.

Asking India to withdraw its troops from the area to end the current standoff, Xinhua agency in a commentary said, "It is well known that the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary has been demarcated by the 1890 Sino-British treaty".

"After India's independence, the Indian government has repeatedly confirmed it in writing, acknowledging that the two sides have no objection to the border between the two sides of the Sikkim section," it said.

The Indian border troops' attempt to stop the Chinese military from constructing the road in the Doklam area has "cast a shadow over China-India relations", the commentary titled 'Don't deviate from the consensus on developing China- India relations' said, reiterating China's official stand on the issue.

While China has cited the Sino-British Treaty to buttress its claims, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi in a statement yesterday said that "where the boundary in the Sikkim sector is concerned, India and China had reached an understanding also in 2012 reconfirming their mutual agreement on the 'basis of the alignment'".

"Further discussions regarding finalisation of the boundary have been taking place under the Special Representatives framework," it had said.

But, Xinhua said there were a lot of evidence, including images, that the Indian military has violated the historic treaty and the commitment of successive Indian governments.

It also referred to the Chinese Foreign Ministry's release of two photographs and a map on the issue. The map shows Doklam, a disputed territory between China and Bhutan, as part of Chinese territory.

Referring to the MEA statement, the commentary said "the Indian side has claimed that China's activities pose a 'serious security impact' to India, and it is untenable".

So far China has not officially responded to India's statement on this issue.

This is the second commentary by Xinhua today.

The earlier one said India should shed its "strategic anxiety" over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and join the Belt and Road Initiative to become a cooperative partner and not a rival.

The CPEC is a part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. India has been protesting against the CPEC as it traverses through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

On the Sikkim standoff, the Xinhua commentary claimed that China is engaged in normal activities on its own territory.

"How can we influence others? In fact, it is the Indian side that has ignored international law and seriously interfered with China's construction activities," it said.

"On a higher level, the cross-border behaviour is a further departure from the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries on the development of China-India relations," it said.

Quoting India's former national security advisor Shivshankar Menon as saying in an article recently that cooperation between India and China is good for the core interest of both the countries, the commentary said the trust can only be established with the people and the countries should be more honest.

"On the issue of border crossing by the Indian army, the Indian side should comply with the requirements of the historical treaty, earnestly implement the consensus that both sides have to respect China's territorial sovereignty, immediately withdraw the border troops to the border side of the Indian side and avoid escalating the situation," it said.

Stating that the "over the years, as two major countries on the Asian continent, China and India have reached many consensus on how to develop good bilateral relations", it said.

"China always attaches great importance to the development of Sino-Indian relations and is willing to work with India jointly promote the sustained and healthy and stable development of bilateral strategic partnership," it added.

China also emphasizes that the two sides should properly control and handle differences and sensitive issues, it said.

"The Indian leader also said recently that in a complex and volatile international situation, good India-China relations can play a stabilising role," it said, apparently referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments made during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Astana on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) last month.

"Both sides should tap the potential of cooperation, respect each other's core concerns and properly handle differences. These agreements are a strong guarantee for the smooth development of China-India relations.

"Since India has promised to 'properly deal with the differences' and India's foreign ministry recently said it 'cherishes peace and tranquillity in the India-China border region', why has it still allowed the Indian Army to cross the border? Why would it not acknowledge the mistake after the event? On the contrary why blame others while India itself is to be blamed? This is clearly paradoxical," the commentary said.

It also accused the Indian media of being "irresponsible" by hyping China threat, unjustly smearing China by "dividing" India-China relations.

"In today's world, win-win cooperation is the main theme, and 'dancing with the dragon' is the rational choice that meets the trend of the times," it said.

"China and India are two of the world's most prominent emerging economies, the common interests far greater than differences and with a pragmatic attitude, long-term view and aggressive attitude to expand and deepen bilateral partner is the right thing to do," it added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
India should shed its "strategic anxiety" over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and join the Belt and Road Initiative to become a cooperative partner and not a rival, a state-run Chinese agency said today, amid a standoff between the two nations in the Sikkim sector.

The commentary in Xinhua - India's China-phobia Might Lead To Strategic Myopia - criticised New Delhi's boycott of the Belt and Road Forum conference held in May and asked India to shed its "China anxiety".

India boycotted the BRF after sovereignty concerns over the USD 50-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Then, India said the Chinese ambitious initiative must be pursued in a manner that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The piece did not mention the CPEC by name, but referred to the BRI - the umbrella project under which the CPEC falls.

The commentary in Xinhua, considered an official view, said "despite its strategic discomfort, it is important for India to get over its 'China anxiety' and carefully assess the initiative, recognise its potential benefits and seize the opportunities".

"Instead of being rivals, the two countries, both of which are ancient civilisations endowed with a rich history, could become cooperative partners," it said, citing the speech of Liu Jinsong, deputy chief of mission of the Chinese embassy in India who had said "the sky and ocean of Asia are big enough for the dragon and elephant to dance together, which will bring about a true Asian Age."



After India's boycott of the BRF, official Chinese media have been carrying out articles asking India to reconsider its decision to not back the BRI.

A recent official "white paper" by China on the 21st Maritime Silk Road even offered to link the CPEC with the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor in order to provide India greater access to Central Asia.

Observers say China's repeated invitations to India to join the BRI highlights its own anxieties over the adverse impact of New Delhi's lack of support to the multi-billion dollar investments in South Asia as it would deny access to India's market consisting over 1.2 billion people.

Today's commentary said "staying away from the initiative is not the best choice New Delhi could have made."



"It could have voiced its concerns and opinions on public occasions or in official statements as China is always willing to discuss all problems and possibilities with India on the basis of mutual benefits," it said.

"Though proposed by China, the Belt and Road is not a 'Chinese project.' It is a multilateral initiative, with win- win results at its core," it said.

The commentary came as troops of India and China are in a face-off since June 16 over the Chinese military's attempt to construct a strategic road in Doklam region of the Sikkim sector, which India and Bhutan is strongly objecting to.

While Bhutan has said the road is being built unilaterally by China in an area it controls, India said it is deeply concerned at the Chinese action as the road construction "would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Jet Airways' chief security officer has been arrested from New Delhi on land grabbing charges, police said here.

Avneet Singh Bedi was arrested last night from his Panchsheel Park residence in south Delhi based on a complaint by Joint Municipal Commissioner, Ghaziabad, Arun Kumar Gupta in which he alleged that Bedi grabbed 945 square metres of government land in Chikamberpur village on the Delhi-UP border.

A part of the land, measuring 532 square metres, was rented out to a transport company and he used the rest of it as an approach road to enter a transport godown, Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar said.

Bedi is posted in Mumbai as Jet Airways' chief security officer, he said.

On the directives of Chief Minster Yogi Adityanath, the administration has launched a drive to check land grabbing and is taking action to free land from the clutches of mafias, the officer said.

A spokesperson of the airline said it "does not comment on personal matters of its executives/employees".

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa today warned that the constitutional reform process undertaken by the Sirisena government would end up with a federal Constitution for the country replacing the current unitary charter.

Speaking at a political gathering at Bibile in the central region of the country, Rajapaksa said, "It will be a federal Constitution. We are all opposed to it".

Rajapaksa alleged that Tamil National Alliance (TNA) had said that in Tamil-dominated region in the North, the new Constitution will be a federal constitution even if it will not be named so.

"This government has no mandate to create a new constitution. They only have the mandate to abolish the presidential system," Rajapaksa said.

The current government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe launched their action for a brand new constitution in early 2016. Several committees comprising members of all political parties were appointed.

A 21-member steering committee which was formed last year, consists of the Prime Minister (Chairman), Leader of the Opposition, Leader of the House, the Minister of Justice, and not more than 11 other Members of the Constitutional Assembly.

The committee report to the parliament soon with its final recommendations.

Rajapaksa said the Joint Opposition (JO) members will join the constitutional process only if the local council elections are held.

The government has been postponing elections for over 300 local councils since 2015 for want of electoral reforms. But the JO has dubbed the postponement as one taken for political reasons as the government feared losing the election to JO.

He said the election was now likely to happen in September.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A video purportedly showing Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Ranjit Patil's father V N Patil abusing and slapping a school employee today went viral on social media.

V N Patil himself is a former member of Legislative Council.

An FIR was also registered against him over the incident which allegedly took place at a school in Murtijapur tehsil of Akola district.

According to sources, V N Patil, whose foundation runs a school, was visiting another school in the tehsil to check why children were enrolling there in large number and not in his school.

When one of the employees of that school began to shoot a video of his visit, he got angry, sources said.

When contacted, Ranjit Patil told PTI that his father has denied abusing or slapping anybody.

"A police case has been registered. My father has denied abusing or slapping anybody. Police investigation is on and facts will soon come out," the minister said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A man today allegedly hacked his mother to death over a land dispute in Dehit village of Rajasthan's Bundi district.

Ramniwasibai Meena (70) was found dead in her house this morning with injury marks on her head and neck, police said.

According to one of her sons, their eldest brother had hacked their mother to death with an axe in the wee hours today over a dispute regarding sharing of an agricultural land among the three siblings, the SHO of Keshoraipatan police station said.

The body has been handed over to the family members after post mortem. The accused has not been arrested yet and investigation into the matter is underway, the officer said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pop star Mariah Carey paid tribute to her fan Martyn Hett, who died in the Manchester terror attack, via a video message.

Hett, 29, was a huge fan of Mariah and she addressed mourners at his funeral with a touching message, reported Metro.

She said, "I feel like I am talking to Martyn and I am talking to his spirit. I just wanted to say that I love you and I'm so happy that we got a chance to meet.

"I know that you're shining down on us from heaven and I'm happy that all your family and your friends are gathered together in honour of you. And that I played a strong role in your life, it's a huge honour to me. And I just want to send love to everyone."



Martyn was one of the victims of the Manchester terror attack in May, when a suicide bomber detonated a device after Ariana Grande's concert at the city's arena.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Vijayawada police rescued a prominent medical practitioner from the clutches of kidnappers and arrested five persons, including a woman in this connection.

M Venkateswara Rao was kidnapped on June 28 for a ransom of Rs 30 lakh, deputy commissioner of police Kanti Rana Tata told reporters here today.

The DCP said that the main accused Kaki Vidyasagar worked as Rao's car driver at one point of time and now runs a small real estate office in the city.

"To earn some quick money he hatched a conspiracy with some of his friends to kidnap the doctor. The accused also roped in Rao's lady office assistant in his plan to assist him," said the official.

According to the plan, the lady approached the doctor and requested him to attend a seminar on 'Women Empowerment'.

Under the pretext of taking the doctor to the programme the woman took him to an unknown place where Vidyasagar and other accused confined him to a room, said the police.

Later they called the doctor's son and asked him to shell out Rs 30 lakh for the release of his father, they said.

Immediately, the doctor's son approached the police and filed a case.

The police formed special teams to investigate the case and finally arrested all the accused near Veeravalli village and rescued the doctor.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A person, allegedly the main accused in the murder of a woman with whom he was in a live-in relationship, was arrested today from Domjur in Howrah district, the police said.

Manirul Islam Mollah alias Bablu (29), allegedly the prime accused in the murder of the woman, a sex worker, with whom he was living in at Burtolla in north Kolkata, was arrested from his hideout in Domjur early this morning, a senior Kolkata Police officer said.

Mollah, a fruit seller by profession, hailed from the South 24-Parganas district, the same district as the victim did.

A primary probe suggested that the two were in a relationship. They fell out over the continuation of the woman as a sex-worker, which Mollah had objected.

The body of the 29-year-old sex worker was found at her home in Sonagachi, the city's red light area, early last month and her live-in partner Mollah was found absconding.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Taking serious note of the killing of five persons over a land dispute in Raebareli, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of victims while directing the IG zone to probe the matter.

Five persons, including a village head, were lynched by a mob allegedly for land grabbing in Apta village in Unchahar area of Raebareli district on June 26.

"The CM has announced Rs 5 lakh each for the families of victims. IG, zone Lucknow has been directed to probe the matter within 10 days and ensure justice for the aggrieved family members", an official spokesman said here.

State BJP spokesman Shalabh Mani Tripathi told reporters here that "Our government is sensitive and those involved in the killing will not be spared. The financial assistance to the family members has been announced and they will also get justice."



He said law and order was on top priority of the government and no compromise will be done on this front.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A push for construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya is likely to gain momentum from Guru Poornima next week when saints gather at the Naradanand Ashram in Sitapur to chalk out a roadmap in this regard.

"Saints from different akhadas of Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states will be assembling at the ashram to discuss and deliberate on the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya," Swami Vidya Chetanaiya Maharaj, who heads the Nardanand Ashram (in Sitapur), said.

"Guru Poornima is on July 9 and it will mark the beginning of a campaign to gather support from not only the saints, but also from the common public for construction of the Ram temple," he told PTI.

Referring to his June 27 meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Chetanaiya Maharaj said, "We are confident that the commencement of construction of a grand Ram temple will begin well before 2019."



The 58-year-old saint also informed that after the Guru Poornima rituals are completed in Naradanand Ashram, he will embark on a special rath (chariot) and travel to different ashrams in the state, and also in the neighbouring states of Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand to elicit support for construction of the temple.

"After nearly one-and-a-half months, I will be returning to the ashram. And, then the final roadmap will take shape," he said.

President of the Rashtriya Kisan Manch, Shekhar Dixit, said until and unless the condition of 'rishi' (saints) and 'krishi' (agriculture) is improved, and problems addressed, "dawn of Ram Rajya in India will always remain a distant dream".

"Both rishi and krishi are an asset to the nation, and if their interests are not taken care of, then this will definitely not augur well for the country as a whole."



Dixit went on to say, "A large number of saints and farmers face threat from the land mafia, which tries to grab their land. If the Uttar Pradesh government intervenes, and sends the land mafia behind bars, then it will set a right precedent."



He added that on Guru Poornima, the volunteers of Rashtriya Kisan Manch will take a pledge to dedicate themselves to resolve these problems.

"We will work tirelessly, and continue to do so till the last farmer gets justice," he said.

He was also of the view that time has come for construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
After spinning alternative tales around Hindu mythological characters like Shiva and Ram, Amish Tripathi's latest book 'Sita- Warrior of Mithila' portrays the main female character of Ramayana in a stronger and braver role.

Written in a "multi-linear narrative", the second book in the 'Ram Chandra Series' tells the story of Sita, the princess of Mithila, from long before she was born, leading to her life after getting married to Ram.

Offering Sita an identity of her own, Tripathi has developed the protagonist, which is different from her conventional portrayal as a coy and obedient wife of Ram, as she rises from an ill-tempered princess to a strong-headed warrior and military strategist.

Instead of focusing on her relationship with Lord Ram, 'Sita- Warrior of Mithila', Tripathi turns the spotlight on Sita's relationship with her mother Sunaina.

Her relationship with her sister Urmila also forms an important part of the narrative.

It gives a glimpse of Sita taking hold of the reins of Mithila when her father Janak gets occupied with spirituality.

Besides Sita, other female characters are also painted in colours of strength and valour.

Be it Samichi, who rises from the slums to take the position of a high-ranked chief in the male dominated police force of Mithila, or Manthara, a powerful businesswoman taking revenge from Ram for the injustice done to her, each woman is independent and intense in her own right.

Vivid descriptions of the warfare and the battle scars make the narrative gripping.

Tripathi, who has planned four books in the current series, says that it was the new style of writing that took him so long to release the book.

Three of these books will simply tell the "backstory" of the three main characters -- Ram, Sita, and Raavan-- while the fourth will bring together all the narratives to a culmination.

"I have been inspired by a storytelling technique called hyperlink, which some call the multi-linear narrative. In such a narrative, there are many characters; and a connection brings them all together.

"The three main characters in the Ram Chandra Series are Ram, Sita, and Raavan. Each character has life experiences which mould who they are and their stories converge with the kidnapping of Sita. And each has their own adventure and riveting back-story," the author says.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former RBI Governor Y V Reddy has said as the head of the central bank, he had resisted the full capital account convertibility of rupee and now even the IMF has come to a conclusion that some restrictions in this regard are desirable.

He further said that capital account convertibility of rupee is not on the agenda now as it was during his tenure as RBI governor in 2003-2008.

"If you recall, full capital account convertibility was almost a demand by everybody when I was RBI Governor and I resisted it to the extent possible. And I think we went in our own way," Reddy told PTI in an interview.

"So now even the IMF, which was advocating the full capital account convertibility, is saying yes there may be some merit in some capital account management," he added.

The former RBI governor, who has recently released his autobiography 'Advice and Dissent: My Life in Public Service', further said, "So now, I don't think full capital account convertibility is on the agenda. It is not so much on agenda as it was during my period."



At present, the Indian currency is convertible only on current account, though some capital account transactions are permitted. A full capital account convertibility means no restriction on cross border movement of currency.

Asked whether Chinese renminbi would replace the US dollar as dominant currency, Reddy said the share of renminbi in the trade has increased and some investment in the Chinese currency has also increased.

"But much of it is government to government, I don't think private sector trade, international trade has accepted Chinese yuan. And the prospects that the financial markets will accept this is not very high. So I would say that the chances in near future of China's renminbi replacing the US dollar is virtually nil," the former RBI Governor noted.

Asked whether he favours inclusion of Indian rupee in SDR basket, Reddy said that he does not think India rupee gains anything by becoming part of SDR basket.

He, however, noted that if SDR basket is expanded in the world then the first candidate will be India.

"In fact, others may ask Indian to be part of SDR. But I don't think it is worthwhile now," Reddy said.

The Special Drawing Rights or SDR is an international reserve asset created by the International Monetary Fund in 1969 to support the Bretton Woods' fixed exchange rate system. Chinese renminbi (RMB) was included in SDR basket as the fifth currency last year.

Replying to a query on globalisation, he said the pace of globalisation has slowed down after the globalisation.

"...Global capital flow has come down, rather growth has come down and politically also, with the election of Donald Trump in the US, there is a lot more emphasis on the domestic economy. And to some extent, the enthusiasm for global economy has moderated," Reddy observed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hundreds of residents from Rio de Janeiro's ultra-violent favelas descended on the posh Copacabana beach area today to plead for an end to lethal shootouts between drug traffickers and police.

Against a backdrop of weekly, often daily shootings of innocent people in military-style police operations, the demonstrators said Rio's rich and powerful should stop looking away.

"Coming here is the only way we can get the attention of the authorities," said Sergio da Silva, 52, a member of the community association for Jacare favela, standing amid a crowd of 400 on the avenue outside Rio's iconic Copacabana Palace hotel.

"People have a lot of difficulties. It's hard on the children. There are shootouts and people are shot," he said. "There are a lot of children who are lost to the drug traffickers and to using drugs."



Favelas -- poor, mostly unregulated neighborhoods dotted around the city -- are home to almost a quarter of Rio's population. Many have become ghettoes where outsiders are afraid to enter and whose residents lack many basic rights and services.

Drug traffickers control swaths of the favelas, which often consist of warrens of alleys and small houses on steep hillsides, with difficult access. Police periodically mount raids, and when firefights ensue, stray bullets from assault rifles tear through densely populated areas.

Many favela residents say they fear the police more than the drug gangs.

"They're inexperienced and treat people roughly," da Silva said. "They shoot out of fear, but you can't shoot when there are children around."



Amnesty International and other rights groups accuse officers of frequently using torture and extrajudicial killings, while police advocates point out that the officers themselves face huge peril.

More than 80 police officers have died this year in Rio de Janeiro state -- a sort of low-intensity war.

Those growing up in the favelas say they are victimized not just by physical danger but by the lack of decent education and basic services, such as sewage treatment.

"Teachers don't want to work there because there is shooting all the time," said recent graduate Matheus Concesao, 20, from Cidade de Deus.

"In my school, I have only one teacher," said Agatha Rodrigues, 19, also from Cidade de Deus, which was made famous by the 2002 movie "City of God."



The head of the Alemao favelas association, Marcos Valerio Alves, 49, said he hoped the unusual appearance of hundreds of favela dwellers in Copacabana would wake people up.

"You have to think of violence in its wider sense," he said. "A lack of kindergartens is a kind of aggression, a lack of sewage treatment is a form of aggression. So is not having work or education or pastimes."



"Political parties should look at us through different eyes.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sri Lanka is set to proscribe bottom trawling, one of the world's most destructive forms of fishing, according to a media report which said the move will send a strong message to Indian fishermen often blamed for it.

Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera will make an announcement in this regard on Thursday, Sunday Times reported.

Bottom trawling is an industrial fishing method where a large net with heavy weights is dragged across the seafloor, scooping up everything in its path, destroying coral reefs and sea grass beds.

Sri Lankan fishermen often blame their Indian counterparts of fishing illegally in Sri Lanka waters using bottom trawls.

"As many as 1,500 Tamil Nadu trawlers have been reported fishing illegally in Sri Lanka waters using bottom trawls," the newspaper said.

"The government's decision to proscribe bottom trawling will send the clearest message yet to trawler owners and the authorities in Tamil Nadu that the use of bottom trawling will not be tolerated in Sri Lanka," the paper said.

Sri Lanka had come under criticism from the EU for its irregular and illegal fishing practices. The EU fishing exports ban on Sri Lanka was only lifted last year.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir today extended a unilateral ceasefire for nearly four months in the war-torn regions of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, state media said.

The decision to extend the ceasefire from July 2 to October 31 comes days before the United States is expected to announce if it will permanently lift a 20-year trade embargo on Khartoum.

Sudan's official agency SUNA said Bashir signed on Sunday an order to extend the ceasefire until October 31, describing it as "part of the government's initiative to bring peace to Sudan".

In June 2016, Bashir declared a unilateral four-month truce in the three regions, where fighting between government forces and rebels has killed tens of thousands of people.

He extended it in October 2016 to the end of the year and again for a month on December 31. On January 15 he further extended it by six months.

The administration of US President Donald Trump is due to decide on July 12 whether to permanently lift the sanctions imposed on Khartoum in 1997 for its alleged support for Islamist militant groups.

Former US president Barack Obama eased the sanctions in January, but made their permanent lifting dependent on Khartoum's progress in five areas of concern during a six- month review period that ends next week.

These conditions include improved access for aid groups, halting support for rebels in neighbouring South Sudan, an end to hostilities in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, and counterterrorism cooperation with US intelligence agencies.

The conflict in Darfur -- a region of the size of France -- erupted in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Bashir's Arab-dominated government, accusing it of marginalising the region.

Similar conflicts also erupted in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states after neighbouring South Sudan broke away in 2011.

At least 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced in Darfur since the conflict began, the UN says.

Thousands more have been killed in Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A suicide bomber attacked a camp for displaced Iraqis in Anbar province today, killing 14 people, a police major and a doctor said.

The blast at the camp in the 60 Kilo area, west of Anbar capital Ramadi, also wounded 13 people.

The doctor and the major both said that most of the victims were women and children, but the officer also told AFP that two security personnel including a captain were among the dead.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State jihadist group frequently carries out suicide bombings targeting civilians in Iraq.

Iraqi forces retook the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah from IS, but the jihadists still hold areas in western Anbar, and the province still faces major security challenges.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and other support have since regained much of the territory they lost.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
English actor Tom Holland, who is currently gearing up for the release of "Spider-Man: Homecoming", said he wanted to stay in London for as long as he could.

The 21-year-old actor, however, added he also loved the Los Angeles sunshine, reported Contactmusic.

"I'm a London boy, born and bred, and I'll be there for as long as I can. But that said, I do love Los Angeles, I love the sunshine and one day I'm sure I'll be here," Holland said.

Meanwhile, the actor previously revealed both Chris Hemsworth and Robert Downey Jr. - who too play Marvel superheroes - were on hand to give him advice about fame.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Binh Minh and Singapore's Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs Maliki Bin Osman will be among the leaders who will attend the 9th India-ASEAN ministerial dialogue on July 4 with an aim to intensify and broaden political, strategic and economic cooperation in the region.

Also known as 'Delhi Dialogue', the conference has emerged as an important forum at which political leaders, policy makers, researchers, academicians, business leaders and media persons converge for brainstorming on a range of issues pertaining to ASEAN-India relations.

Coming in the backdrop of evolving security and economic scenario in the region, the meet will also provide an opportunity to leaders to explore ways to boost cooperation in these key areas and also in the field of connectivity and tourism.

Relationship with the ASEAN grouping is one of the cornerstones of India's foreign policy and Act East policy, which has deepened across the three pillars of politico- security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation.

ASEAN-India dialogue relations have grown rapidly from a sectoral dialogue partnership in 1992 to a full dialogue partnership in December 1995.

The relationship was further elevated with the convening of the ASEAN-India Summit in 2002 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Since then the ASEAN-India Summit has been held annually.

The leaders are also expected to have bilateral meetings with the leadership here.

Apart from Singapore and Vietnam, the other ASEAN countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
French energy giant Total will finally sign its multi-billion-dollar agreement to develop an Iranian offshore gas field tomorrow, the oil ministry said, in the biggest foreign deal since sanctions were eased last year.

"The international agreement for the development of phase 11 of South Pars will be signed on Monday in the presence of the oil ministry and managers of Total, the Chinese company CNPC and Iranian company Petropars," a ministry spokesman told AFP.

Total signed a preliminary deal with Iran in November, taking a 50.1 per cent stake in the USD 4.8 billion project.

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) will own 30 per cent and Petropars 19.9 per cent.

Total will put in an initial USD 1 billion for the first stage of the 20-year project.

The gas produced will "feed into the domestic Iranian market starting from 2021," a Total spokesman told AFP in Paris.

He said the company would "implement the project with the strictest respect for national and international law".

The contract was initially due to be signed in early 2017, but CEO Patrick Pouyanne said in February that Total would wait to see whether the US administration of President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran.

Trump threatened during his campaign to tear up the landmark accord between Iran and six world powers that came into force in January 2016 and eased sanctions in exchange for curbs to Tehran's nuclear programme.

His administration has taken a tough line on Iran and imposed fresh sanctions related to its ballistic missile programme and military activities in the region.

But the White House has kept the nuclear deal alive, continuing to waive the relevant sanctions every few months as required under the agreement.

It is partway through a 90-day review on whether to uphold the deal, although any move to abandon it would be strongly opposed by the other signatories -- Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia.

The signing will mark Total's return to Iran, which has the second-largest gas reserves and fourth-largest oil reserves in the world.

The French firm led development of phases two and three of South Pars in the 1990s and had signed up to develop phase 11 back in 2009.

But it was forced to abandon its projects in Iran in 2012 when France joined European Union partners in imposing sanctions, including an oil embargo, over the country's nuclear programme.

Iran's oil officials have been keen to attract Western investment and know-how to improve the country's outdated energy infrastructure.

Iran has also signed preliminary agreements with Shell and Russia's Gazprom to develop oil and gas projects.

Such deals have not been without controversy in Iran, which has bitter memories of exploitation and interventions driven by foreign oil interests.

Conservatives criticised the move to award tenders to foreign firms last year.

That forced the oil ministry to confirm that domestic conglomerates, including one controlled by the elite Revolutionary Guards, would be allowed to compete.

The first stage of the new 20-year project at South Pars will cost around USD 2 billion and consist of 30 wells and two well-head platforms connected to existing onshore treatment facilities.

The site will eventually pump 50.9 million cubic metres of gas per day into Iran's national grid.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The US state department has issued the necessary license for the export of 22 predator Guardian drones to India, a government source here said, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump had their first bilateral meeting at the White House.

The state department has "issued the DSP-5 Guardian export license" for India, the source told PTI.

A DSP-5 category license is issued for permanent export of military hardware as found in the US Munitions List which is defined by the International Traffic Arms Regulations.

The Guardian drones will enhance India's maritime surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean region and their sale was announced by Trump on June 26 after he met Modi for their first face-to-face meeting.

The drones are estimated to cost around USD 2 billion and are being built by General Atomics, considered a pioneer in the unmanned aerial vehicles domain.

The speed with which the Trump administration decided on India's request for the drones, the source said, is reflective of the desire in White House to strengthen India's military capabilities in the Indo-Asia Pacific region, where China's aggressive diplomatic and military posture has unnerved other countries.

"We are extremely pleased that President Trump and Prime Minister Modi have had excellent deliberations and the path forward for a game-changer in US-India defence relations has been charted," said Vivek Lall of General Atomics.

Lall, who in his previous capacity at Boeing, was instrumental in the sale of high-tech military hardware to India, is believed to have played a role in convincing the Trump administration to accelerate the sale of the drones.

"Given the Sea Guardian's capabilities, such a response to the Indian Navy's request demonstrates a major change in US policy as this type of aircraft capability is only exported to a very select few of America's closest defence partners," he said.

"This represents tangible implementation of US Congress' designation of India as a 'Major Defence Partner'," said Lall.

On Tuesday, Lall met US Vice President Mike Pence on the sidelines of the annual US-India Business Council summit, when Pence endorsed the deal to provide India with Apache attack helicopters, C-17 transport aircraft, besides the drones.

The deal is seen as the biggest tangible takeaway from the Trump-Modi meeting towards the operationalisation of the major defence partner relationship.

The India Navy requested for the drones early last year.

But no tangible action was taken under the previous Obama administration, apparently because of the stiff opposition from the state department, which argued that this could upset Pakistan, America's ally in war against terror in Afghanistan.

The Trump White House spearheaded the inter-agency process to make a significant policy change in favour of India by granting this technology based on government-to-government interactions, the source told PTI.

India had been eyeing the Predator technology for years, and it was only the Trump-Modi combination that they were able to move the decision to this point, the source said.

Pakistan is said to be actively lobbying Washington against the sale of the drones to India. However, the White House overruled all objections, paving the way for a new phase of India-US defence relationship.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The branded content marketplace has grown very quickly and this form of advertising has become a viable alternative or compliment to digital display advertising, Mike Smith tells Sangeeta Tanwar.



How has native advertising evolved over the last decade?



There have been two major developments in the evolution of native advertising. Two companies, Outbrain and Taboola, have co-led the development of the native advertising marketplace for content recommendations over the past 10 years. Most publishers include content recommendations on their web pages as an ancillary revenue source and to promote recirculation within their websites. Additionally, and in parallel, Sharethrough and BuzzFeed can also be credited for the growth of native advertising in the early days. BuzzFeed published many of the early native in-stream ads, and Sharethrough was the ad tech company that powered native in-stream advertising for other publishers. Many different types of native advertising forms have developed over the past decade. Another important development has come as the result of an industry trade group called the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) creating a native advertising task force to develop a classification system to define the various categories and types of native advertising. Among other benefits, the IABs classification system has helped to create consumer disclosure recommendations.
Jeremy Stoppelman, chief executive of Yelp, the local search and reviewing site, would like this article to be focused on his companys growth, or on how its reviews help independent businesses, or on pretty much anything besides what it is about: How Yelp became Googles most tenacious pest.
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Saturday, July 1, 2017 at 7:59PM

Japanese automaker Nissan is now ready to unveil the second-generation of its all-electric hatchback, the Nissan Leaf. The new Leaf will be making its debut on September 6th and Nissan teased this announcement on Twitter with an image that shows Nissans badge and what looks like a portion of the cars grille. The new Leaf is expected to take style inspiration from Nissans IDS Concept, a five-door showcar from 2015 with autonomous drive tech and next-gen electric propulsion. Nissan has said as much that its ProPilot driver-assist technology will be coming to the leaf. This semi-autonomous system will manage things like acceleration, braking, and steering within a single lane on a freeway to help lower driver stress and increase safety.

There is hope that this modelwhich is expected to be a 2018 modelwould improve on its 107-mile range offering, especially with more all-electric vehicles offering better mileage on it. Were going to have to wait a few months then to get full details.

Source: CNET + Slash Gear
Sunday, July 2, 2017 at 8:53AM

Even if you havent paid that close of an eye to tech news, youve most likely heard of the whole fiasco that was the Samsung Galaxy Note7 and its exploding units. It looks like Samsung is hoping to address this issue by making batteries that wont catch fire even if things go wrong. According to an unnamed Samsung executive, the company is working on solid-state batteries that can be used for smartphones. Our technological level to produce a solid-state battery for smartphones will be mature enough in one to two years, a Samsung SDI executive told The Korean Herald. However, it depends on Samsung Electronics whether it will be used for phones. According to the same exec, rival company LG Chem is also working on similar products.

Solid-state batteries dont have any liquids that can spill or lead to fires and explosions. Lithium-ion batteries used in smartphones now have liquid electrolytes. These batteries, according to the Samsung SDI source, can also be used in electric vehicles but thatll happen no sooner than 2025.

Source: BGR
While the childcare centre was part of the clean-up of asbestos insulation in the late 1980s, the material was never cleaned from the roof of the corner building at the Ainslie shops, which has Edgar's Inn in the ground-floor space below. The first floor flat above Edgar's has had a prohibition notice on it since 2014.
"It's not like he was in there by himself. We used to visit him all the time," she said.
"I think a lot of people just shove them into the back of the cupboard and forget about them, when they really should only be keeping those medications they need, and bringing the unwanted medicines to a pharmacist to dispose of properly," she said.
"Really, in some schools that means they've just got to do a bit of extra work for five or six kids and scaffold around them. It's as simple as that," Professor Sarra said.
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.
Texas is known for its love of guns and God, but trouble is brewing in the city of Kaufman, as the local police cars have been equipped with decals that read In God We Trust.



The phase is a staple on U.S. currency, but it hasnt pleased a number of people who claim its a violation of the Constitutions First Amendment and the separation of church and state.

According to ABC affiliate WFFA, the decision to use the motto was passed unanimously by the city council and most residents seem okay with it. Kaufman Police Chief Dana Whitaker also noted the decals were donated and no taxpayer money was spent on the project.

This hasnt stopped critics who flooded the police departments Facebook page with derogatory messages. The response was so overwhelming that the post was removed with a few hours.

Kaufman Mayor Jeff Jordan described the response as disappointing. Of course well be respectful of anyones view and everyone is entitled to their own opinion and their own belief and, we respect that  Im sad that it came to a point where they had to remove a Facebook post, he added.

Yet, despite the backlash, the stickers will not be removed from the citys squad cars  on the contrary, theyll be added to fire trucks and animal control vehicles as well.

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A 31-year-old Shermans Dale man was killed after a one-vehicle crash in Perry County Saturday evening.

State Police at Newport said the man, who they did not identify, was driving a 2009 Hyundai Sonata on Landisburg Road near Route 34 in Carroll Township at 9:17 p.m. Saturday when he failed to make the left curve in the road.

The vehicle left the road and struck a utility pole before overturning and striking a tree.

The driver was ejected through the sunroof of the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

A passenger was able to get out of the vehicle, police said. Police did not share any other details about the condition or name of the passenger, who was transported to Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
Chicago firefighters work at the scene of a blaze in the 1000 block of North Orleans Street on July 2, 2017, in the Near North neighborhood of Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Eric Gonzalez was driving Sunday morning in the Near North neighborhood to pick up an Uber passenger when he saw what appeared to be windows exploding from a burning two-story apartment building in the 1000 block of North Orleans Street.

"I started knocking on the door," he said. "No one came out."

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Gonzalez said he tried to kick in the door, but he was unable to. Soon, the Chicago Fire Department arrived at the scene after it got a call about the fire about 5:30 a.m.

Four men were injured in the fire, said Cmdr. Frank Velez, of the Chicago Fire Department. One man was taken in serious-to-critical condition to Stroger Hospital.

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Another man in serious-to-critical condition and two men in good condition were all taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Everyone who lived in the apartments was accounted for, Velez said.

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Gonzalez saw paramedics leading one man into an ambulance. He worried about him because he was covered with soot.

"I'm hoping that guy made it," he said.

Nearby residents came out of their homes and watched firefighters work to put out the fire.

Among those in the crowd was Sonia Soto, who woke up to screaming, which she thought might have been people leaving nearby bars or nightclubs. When she looked out her window, she saw firefighters on top of the roof of an apartment building and saw smoke.

"I thought, 'I gotta get out,' " she said. "I just ran out."

She grabbed her phone and wallet and went outside, worried the fire could spread to her building.

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Velez said the fire did not spread to any surrounding buildings. The fire remained under investigation.
People watch as a removal service transports the bodies of two people who were killed in a shooting that wounded two others near the intersection of South Eberhart Avenue and East 110th Place on July 5, 2017, in Chicago. (Armando L. Sanchez / Chicago Tribune)

One person was killed and at least nine others were wounded in Chicago shootings from Sunday afternoon to Monday morning, police said.

A 39-year-old man was fatally shot in the head in the Illinois Medical District neighborhood about 11:35 p.m. Sunday and pronounced dead on the scene, police said. Police responded to a call of a "person shot," in the 1800 block of West 14th Street and found the man lying face down on the street. He was identified as Jermaine Blandin of the 4900 block of West Monroe Street in the South Austin neighborhood, according to the medical examiner's office. Police did not immediately know the circumstances of the shooting.

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Poice at the scene where three people were shot Sunday, July 2, 2017.

In other shootings:

Most recently, a 38-year-old man was shot in the right hand in the South Shore neighborhood about 1:10 a.m. Monday. Police believe the man, who was inebriated, was shot in the 7400 block of South Coles Avenue but did not immediately know the circumstances of the shooting. The man was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. He was not cooperating with investigators, police said.

A 19-year-old man was shot in the right leg in the Hermosa neighborhood about 12:20 a.m. Monday. The man was walking in the 1700 block of North Kildare Avenue when someone with a gun came up to him and fired shots. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

A 29-year-old man was shot in the back in the Little Village neighborhood about 9 p.m. He told police he was standing in an alley in the 2400 block of South Pulaski Road when someone fired shots, and he was struck. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital, where his condition was stabilized.

A teenage boy and two men were shot near the intersection of Ogden and Drake Avenues in the Lawndale neighborhood about 8:10 p.m., according to a police media notification. All three went on their own to St. Anthony Hospital, where they were in good condition. A 17-year-old boy suffered a gunshot wound to the left arm; 19-year-old man suffered a gunshot wound to the right thigh; and a second 19-year-old suffered a gunshot wound to the left thigh. They told investigators they had been standing at the intersection when they heard shots and felt pain.

In the Gage Park neighborhood, a 19-year-old man was shot in the stomach in the 5100 block of South Christiana Avenue about 2:15 p.m. Sunday, according to a police media notification, which corrected earlier information that said the man was 23. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital for treatment and was in critical condition, according to police, correcting earlier information that the man was taken to another hospital. The man was walking when a vehicle drove up and someone inside shot him, police said.

A 23-year-old man was shot in the right hip as he rode a bicycle about 2 p.m. in the 4900 block of West Adams Street in the Austin neighborhood, police said. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition. He told police was riding the bike when he heard shots and felt pain.

In the Austin neighborhood about 11:57 a.m., a 17-year-old girl was shot in the lower right leg in what may have been a domestic attack minutes before noon in the 5400 block of West Gladys Avenue, according to police. She went in a private vehicle to Loretto Hospital  a few blocks from where she was shot  where she was in good condition. The girl was standing outside when she got in a dispute with someone who was in a vehicle who got out of the vehicle and fired shots at her, police said.

No one was in custody in the attacks.

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The shootings bring to 51 the number of people shot in Chicago so far over the Independence Day weekend. At least six of those shot have died.

Check back for updates.
Bullet holes and blood can be seen July 2, 2017, on the front porch and entryway where two men were shot and killed June 30 in the 5700 block of South Wells Street. A third person, John Hunter, was found dead inside the home the following day. (Michael Tercha / Chicago Tribune)

Diane Hunter had just returned to her South Carolina home when she got a call from an old friend in Chicago.

"Dee Dee," the friend said, "do you know there was a shooting on the porch of your mama's house?"

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Hunter's mind immediately went to her younger brother, who lives at the family home on 57th and Wells streets.

"Where's John?" she asked.

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The friend told her what was then known about the shooting: At 8:50 p.m. Friday, two men armed with guns approached the porch of the home in the 5700 block of South Wells Street and fired at two people sitting there.

Sedrick Ringer, 50, who lived nearby, was shot in the chest and leg. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 30-year-old man, identified Monday as Javon Jackson of the 4700 block of South Shields Avenue, was shot multiple times in the chest and legs. He was taken in critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

John Hunter lived in the same building. Concerned, Diane Hunter sent over a different brother to check on him.

On Saturday, Hunter said, her brother looked through a window at the home and saw a leg by the door. The sibling went around back and went through a window.

He found John; shot, dead inside the house.

"With all this racket, why didn't they knock on the door and look in the window?" Hunter said of police. "He probably could've been saved."

Anthony Guglielmi, the Chicago Police Department's chief spokesman, said the city is formally reviewing the incident.

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The initial call came out with two victims on the porch of a home, Guglielmi said. When police conducted their canvass, they knocked on the apartment door, which was not answered and was locked, Guglielmi said. There were no apparent signs that anyone was inside the residence, according to detectives, Guglielmi said.

Detectives didn't think there was a reason to force entry into the home since there was no indication of additional victims inside and the apartment was secured, Guglielmi said.

Police learned of Hunter's death Saturday morning when a family member went inside, he said.

"After discovering this, First Deputy Superintendent Kevin Navarro ordered a formal review of the incident be conducted to determine if policies and procedures were followed," Guglielmi said. "Two people of interest in this case were also arrested, and interrogations are currently underway."

John Hunter, 52, was pronounced dead at 12:27 p.m. He had only recently moved back to the home, Diane Hunter said.

He'd been living in Memphis, Tenn., until another brother, Larry Hunter, had a heart attack and died on New Year's Eve. Larry had been caring for the family's home, and John moved back to take over.

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"I wish he'd stayed in Memphis," Diane Hunter said.

John Hunter didn't have kids and wasn't married, his sister said. Hunter was "the baby" of 10 children, she said.

He'd moved to Memphis after getting hit on the head during a robbery, his sister said, and was disabled.

"He didn't mess with no one," Hunter said.

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After the shooting Friday night, a large crowd of friends, family and neighbors showed up to see what had happened. Many turned out for Sedrick Ringer and spoke of the community. He was one of 11 siblings, and like Hunter, had been taking care of the family home that had been in their possession for decades.

Lisa Mayez, 51, described the people who grew up in the area as "close-knit."

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"Knee-high. Out the womb," she said, in reference to how long people who turned out for Ringer knew each other. "We're family."

That was echoed by Hunter, who said her family had known Ringer for a long time.

Of Ringer and her brother, Hunter said, "They were nice persons."

gpratt@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @royalpratt
URBANA  A website that hosted an "Abduction 101" forum linked to a 28-year-old suspect in the kidnapping of a Chinese scholar at the University of Illinois bills itself as the most popular sexual fetish networking site on the internet  and it has faced pressure in recent months to be clearer about not tolerating behavior that could be regarded as criminal.

Brendt Allen Christensen, who earned a master's degree in physics from U of I this year, is charged in the June 9 abduction of 26-year-old Yingying Zhang, who investigators believe to be dead. The federal complaint says Christensen's phone was used on April 19 to visit the FetLife.com forum, including to view threads titled "Perfect abduction fantasy" and "planning a kidnapping."

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Christensen remains jailed and is due to make an initial appearance Monday in federal court in Urbana, not far from the University of Illinois campus where Zhang conducted research in agricultural sciences. Christensen, who is from neighboring Champaign, was arrested Friday after agents monitoring him heard him tell someone he had kidnapped Zhang and held her against her will.

FetLife describes itself as "the Social Network for the BDSM, Fetish & Kinky Community," stressing in online policy statements that it is a place for consenting adults to trade advice and images of themselves, and to arrange to meet. The acronym BDSM stands for bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism. Established in 2008 by Canadian software developer John Baku, it now claims more than 5 million registered members.

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FetLife early this year decided to prohibit hundreds of fetish categories after it was cited in a few criminal cases, including one in Australia, Baku said in a February online note to members. He said that, among other things, he wanted to reduce any legal liability and risks to the wider community.

As of Sunday, however, the site still included multiple forums focused on abduction fantasies, and an "Abduction Play" group had more than 78,000 FetLife members expressing interest in the topic. Among the threads still available on the site was one called "Tools of the Kidnapper" and another titled "Original kidnapping Play."

One registered user who commented in the kidnapping forum agreed that anyone who engages in such fantasies must first provide consent. But the person goes on: "I enjoy the knowledge that I COULD do anything I wanted to them. I'm well aware that once I render them helpless, their very life is in my hands."

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The Australian case, which Baku mentioned, involved a man who met a younger woman through FetLife. He was charged last year with assaulting her sexually and has denied the allegations. In a New York case, a couple who first met on FetLife were sentenced to lifetime prison sentences in 2015 for kidnapping and sexually abusing two Amish girls. FetLife wasn't accused of wrongdoing in either case.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 38 A grief stricken Lifeng Ye, second from right, the mother of slain University of Illinois scholar Yingying Zhang, is supported by a friend Lin Guiping and Yingying's brother Zhengyang Zhang, right, as Yingying's father Ronggao Zhang, foreground, reads a statement during a press conference at the U.S. Courthouse in Peoria, Ill., on Thursday, July 18, 2019, after Brendt Christensen was sentenced to life in federal prison without the possibility of release for killing Yingying Zhang. (Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune)

Anyone can register on the site and become a member in a process that takes just a few minutes and that doesn't require independent verification. Users give their ages, genders and roles they wish to play, but otherwise remain anonymous.

Detailed policy guidelines on the site stress that any interaction online or in person with members must be between adults and consensual.

"FetLife's community is ... open-minded and non-judgmental," it says, adding, "Our number one priority is to create a fun and safe place for kinksters."

Neither FetLife nor Baku responded to messages seeking comment.

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Authorities say Christensen kidnapped Zhang during the day as she headed to sign a lease for an apartment and was running late. She tried unsuccessfully to flag down a bus, and minutes later, is seen getting into a Saturn Astra the complaint says belonged to Christensen. While authorities say facts in the case indicate Zhang isn't alive, a body hasn't been found.

Zhang's father traveled from China to Illinois in June for the search. Zhang, who received her master's degree in environmental engineering in China last year, was described by friends and family as bright and caring. She aspired to one day land a professorship so she could help her family financially.
Chicago police investigate the scene where a man was shot and killed by police responding to a call of shots fired in the 2200 block of South Kostner Avenue on July 1, 2017, in the Lawndale neighborhood. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

Officers responding to a call of shots fired in the Lawndale neighborhood ended up in an "armed confrontation" with someone in a gangway and shot him to death, according to police.

The shooting happened in the 2200 block of South Kostner Avenue about 10:45 p.m., according to Glen Brooks, a community policing director for the Chicago Police Department who spoke at the scene.

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Officers were responding to a person-with-a-gun call that was later updated to include information about shots being fired. Officers went down a gangway and encountered a man with a gun in the backyard, according to police, and an officer fired shots.

An AK-47 and a handgun were recovered at the scene, Brooks said. It's not clear if police recovered casings, but there was a shot-up car nearby, said Anthony Guglielmi, spokesman for the Chicago Police Department.

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The shooting that prompted neighbors to call police may have stemmed from a feud between families on the block, Guglielmi said.

The officer who fired shots was an on-duty, uniformed Ogden District officer who was wearing a body camera, Police Department officials said.

Guglielmi said that he hadn't reviewed the body camera footage but that the city's Independent Police Review Authority would be investigating the use of force.

The man shot by police was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and died there, Brooks said. Police did not release his age.

About midnight, a group of people gathered outside the emergency entrance of Mount Sinai Hospital as they waited to hear if it was their relative who had been wounded by police. They did not yet have any details about what happened.

After the shooting, police closed Kostner Avenue and the alley east of Kostner between Cermak Road and Ogden Avenue. Officers summoned a "light wagon" to the alley near where investigators focused their work.

Check back for more information.
The Fourth of July fireworks at Navy Pier begin at 9:30 p.m. (Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune 2016)

Navy Pier is preparing to light up the Chicago skyline with a fireworks extravaganza Tuesday that's part of its annual Independence Day celebration. It's the city's only official lakefront fireworks show and will feature a 15-minute display synchronized with patriotic music.

Here's what you need to know about how to get there, when the festivities begin and what happens if Navy Pier reaches capacity.

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When do the fireworks start?

The fireworks display begins at 9:30 p.m. on the Fourth of July. Navy Pier opens to the public at 10 a.m. and closes at 10 p.m. Tuesday.

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People can watch the fireworks from Navy Pier's 27,000-square-foot rooftop, where the annual Freedom Fest kicks off at 6:30 p.m. with a DJ, barbecue and cash bar at the cost of $39 for a general admission, standing room-only ticket.

What's the best way to get there?

The free Navy Pier trolley will run from 10 a.m. until midnight Tuesday on a looping route, providing transportation between Navy Pier and various parking garages, along Grand Avenue to State Street, and the Art Institute.

There will be additional CTA train service  including longer trains on the Blue, Brown and Orange lines and more frequent service on the Red Line from 6 p.m. to midnight from Howard and from 7 p.m. to midnight from 95th/Dan Ryan; Pink Line from 7 to 11 p.m.; and Purple Line 4:30 to 11 p.m. Bikes won't be allowed on trains.

Increased bus service will be provided along routes serving Navy Pier, downtown Loop and lakefront areas, including No. 3 King Drive, No. 4 Cottage Grove, No. 12 Roosevelt, No. 29 State, No. 65 Grand, No. 66 Chicago, No. 72 North, No. 124 Navy Pier and No. J14 Jeffery Jump.

Bus riders traveling to Navy Pier will be re-routed to exit buses at Grand Avenue and Peshtigo Court west of Lake Shore Drive and walk a couple of blocks east to the pier, because the Navy Pier terminal will be closed from 7:45 to 11 p.m. After the fireworks, CTA riders will be directed to board buses at the pier's circular drive.

Metra is offering a special $8 holiday pass good for unlimited travel Tuesday.

Cyclists and pedestrians can take the Lakefront Trail to Navy Pier. Divvy will offer its free bike valet service at Streeter Drive and Grand Avenue until midnight.

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People opting to take Uber or Lyft should get dropped off or picked up at a location west of the Lake Shore Drive overpass. All Navy Pier-designated locations for ride-share vehicles curbside at Grand Avenue, the middle parking circle and the east parking circle will not be available Tuesday.

Taxis will be moved from the regular stand location to Grand Avenue between Streeter Drive and Lake Shore Drive in the special traffic lanes inside the west end of Polk Bros. Park.

Drivers may notice Navy Pier's on-site parking garages reaching capacity early. They also can park at any of the three partner garages for a discounted rate of $15 with validation from Navy Pier. Those garages are Grand Plaza at 540 N. State St.; Ogden Plaza at 300 E. North Water St.; and Millennium Lakeside at 5 S. Columbus Drive.

What's the security plan?

Navy Pier will have its own private security firm along with Chicago police on the premises. There will be security checkpoints at entrances, exits and other locations at Navy Pier.

Large bags and backpacks are discouraged. The list of prohibited items includes coolers, bikes, skateboards, in-line skakes, outside alcohol and pets with the exception of service animals.

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No parking or loitering is allowed on the streets adjacent to Navy Pier, including Streeter Drive, Grand Avenue and Illinois Street.

What happens if too many people head to the pier?

Navy Pier is encouraging people to arrive early, because large crowds are expected. The tourist attraction is anticipating closing its gates on the Fourth of July upon reaching capacity.

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If the gates are closed due to crowds, people with tickets to the Freedom Fest, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, IMAX Theatre and boat cruises will be directed to a tent in north Polk Bros. Park to check in and get further instructions to gain entry.

If people leave Navy Pier after the gates are closed, they are not guaranteed access back to the pier.

Are children allowed without an adult?

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Guests younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian, according to Navy Pier's youth escort policy that will be in effect Tuesday.

Older visitors may be asked to present a valid driver's license, state ID or military ID upon entering Navy Pier.

lvivanco@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @lvivanco
Protesters holds signs on June 28, 2017, as they gather for a demonstration on the University of Cincinnati campus demanding that a white former police officer be tried a third time in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black motorist in Cincinnati. As cities and towns host July Fourth parades and fireworks shows, some minority residents are expressing mixed feelings about the holiday used to reaffirm the country's founding based on equality and civil liberties. (John Minchillo / AP)

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  As many in the United States celebrate the Fourth of July holiday, some minorities have mixed feelings about the revelry of fireworks and parades in an atmosphere of tension on several fronts.

How do you celebrate during what some people of color consider troubling times?

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Blacks, Latinos and immigrant rights advocates say the aftermath of the 2016 presidential election, recent non-convictions of police officers charged in the shootings of black men, and the stepped-up detentions of immigrants and refugees for deportation have them questioning equality and the promise of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in the United States.

Filmmaker Chris Phillips of Ferguson, Mo., says he likely will attend a family barbecue just like every Fourth of July. But the 36-year-old black man says he can't help but feel perplexed about honoring the birth of the nation after three officers were recently cleared in police shootings.

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POLICE SHOOTINGS

Since the 2014 police shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., officer shootings  of black males in particular  have drawn scrutiny, sparking protests nationwide. Few officers ever face charges, and convictions are rare. Despite video, suburban St. Paul, Minn., police officer, Jeronimo Yanez, was acquitted last month in the shooting of Philando Castile, a black man. The 32-year-old school cafeteria worker was killed during a traffic stop July 6, almost a year ago.

"Justice apparently doesn't apply to all people," said Phillips, who saw the protests that roiled his town for weeks following Brown's death. His yet-unreleased documentary "Ferguson 365" focuses on the Brown shooting and its aftermath. "A lot of people have lost hope."

Unlike Phillips, Janette McClelland, 55, a black musician in Albuquerque, N.M., said she has no intention of celebrating July Fourth.

"It's a white man's holiday to me. It's just another day," McClelland said. "I'm not going to even watch the fireworks. Not feeling it."

McClelland, who grew up in Los Angeles before the urban unrest of the 1960s, said she fears cities may see more violence amid a feeling of helplessness. "I'm praying and trying to keep positive," she said.

IMMIGRATION

Immigration was a key issue during the presidential campaign for both parties. Since then, Trump's administration has stepped up enforcement and instituted a scaled-back partial travel ban that places new limits on entry to the U.S. for citizens of six Muslim-majority countries. The temporary ban requires people to prove a close family relationship in the U.S. or an existing relationship with an entity such as a school or business. On Friday, the administration announced that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would arrest people  including relatives  who hire smugglers to bring children into the U.S. illegally.

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Patricia Montes, a Boston resident and immigrant from Honduras, said she's grateful for the opportunities and security the United States has given her. Yet this year, she doesn't know how to approach the Fourth of July holiday.

"I feel very conflicted," said Montes, an immigrant advocate. "I mean, what are we celebrating? Are we celebrating democracy?"

Montes said it pains her to see children fleeing violence get turned away and deported back to Central America without due process. She also is disturbed by recent immigration raids in Latino and Muslim communities that spark more fear and uncertainty.

In Texas, Latino activists have been protesting a state law that forces cities and towns to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. In New Mexico and Michigan, immigrant advocates have been rallying on behalf of Iraqi refugees facing deportation.

"There's a lot not to be proud about when celebrating the Fourth of July," said Janelle Astorga Ramos, a University of New Mexico student and daughter of a Mexican immigrant. "Even though it's a time to celebrate as a country and (for) our unity, it's definitely going to be on the back of our minds."

Desspite those problems and concerns, Ramos said her family will recognize the holiday and visit Elephant Butte, N.M., a popular summer destination. "This is our home," Ramos said.

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Isabella Baker, a 17-old Latina from Bosque Farms, N.M., said she'll celebrate the holiday based on her own views of patriotism.

"More people are standing up because of the political climate," Baker said. "That makes me proud."

PROTEST AGAINST PIPELINE

For months, members of the Standing Rock Sioux were at the center of a protest against an oil pipeline in North Dakota. A protest camp was set up. The tribe said the Dakota Access oil pipeline plan could pose a threat to water sources, if there were a leak, and cause cultural harm. Police made more than 700 arrests between August 2016 and February 2017. The Trump administration approved the final permit for the $3.8 billion pipeline, which began operating June 1. The pipeline moves oil from western North Dakota to a distribution point in Illinois. Four Sioux tribes are still fighting in federal court to get the line shut down.

Ruth Hopkins, a member of South Dakota's Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate tribe, said Native Americans have always viewed the Fourth of July with ambivalence, and this year will be no different.

However, there will be celebrations.

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Her Lake Traverse Indian Reservation holds an annual powwow on July 4 to honor veterans as a way to take the holiday back, she said.

"Also, a lot of people up here use fireworks and the holiday to celebrate victory over Custer for Victory Day," said Hopkins, referring to Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse defeating George Custer and his 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Big Horn.

Still, the holiday comes after tribes and others gathered in North Dakota to support the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its fight against the pipeline, Hopkins said. Because of that, water and land rights remain on peoples' mind, Hopkins said.

Gyasi Ross, a member of Montana's Blackfeet Nation and a writer who lives on the Port Madison Indian Reservation near Seattle, said all the tensions this Fourth of July are a blessing because it has awakened a consciousness among people of color.

"The gloves are off," Ross said. "We can't ignore these things anymore."

However, Ross said he wants his young son to be hopeful about the future. They will likely go fishing on the Fourth of July.

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"I still worry about getting shot or something like that," Ross said. "All this stuff is so heavy to be carrying around."
Illinois has been under Democratic control longer than any other state except West Virginia. What are the results of decades of Democratic leadership? Crime. Cronyism. Corruption. The state has no money to pay its bills. Its credit rating is nearing junk status. Its public schools are failing. We have skyrocketing property taxes. Taxpayers are leaving the state.

Career politicians like House Speaker Michael Madigan and his liberal band of brothers must be held accountable for the catastrophic condition they have created in Illinois. It's time to drain the swamp in Illinois!  Mike Davitt, Chicago
Jessica Reedy talks about caring for animals in her Antioch home She and her husband Steve take the animals to many venues for education. They have a young daughter named Ava. (Sheryl Devore / Lake County News-Sun)

Humans love pigs and goats, but opossums may have a bit of an image problem.

Animal Quest founders Jessica Reedy and her husband, Steve Reedy, however, say they are on a mission to change that.

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When Antioch-based Animal Quest brings Opal, the opossum, to one of many educational programs it gives throughout Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, humans learn the good side of these marsupials.

"They eat ticks," Jessica Reedy said.

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Within an hour after showing Opal at libraries, museums and other venues, "people are up touching her and saying we've changed their minds about opossums. She's super friendly," Jessica Reedy said.

Animal Quest's mission extends far beyond getting some respect for a skinny-tailed mammal. The Reedys and their part-time employees work to teach young and old to respect and appreciate wild animals as well as understand that most exotic animals do not make good pets.

In fact, Jessica Reedy said, nearly all of the animals they keep and bring to educational programs are rescues of exotic creatures purchased as pets and then abandoned or mistreated.

Jessica Reedy talked about Animal Quest's mission in her backyard while petting Zoey, a Scottish terrier, one of three dogs the couple owns.

Behind her in a large enclosure, several goats and sheep, a pig and one large attention-craving goat named Bart meandered. Next to the enclosure, a couple of African sulcata tortoises caught some rays near the couple's 4-year-old-daughter Ava's sunny playground. A rooster crowed even though it was noon.

Bart, the goat

While Jessica Reedy petted Bart the goat's nose, he closed his eyes. If she walks around the fence, he follows her and asks for more pets. Sometimes, he'll try to take a bite of her sleeve, she said.

Before they took charge of Bart, he was kept in a crate and was neglected, she said. "Steve made this whole yard for him  and we ended up getting more goats."

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Since they started Animal Quest in 2011, they've moved from an apartment in Schaumburg (where for two weeks they kept a baby pot-bellied pig Norman) to a one-acre property in Ingleside and now five acres in Antioch. Norman is now a 7-year-old, 200-pound pig who patrols the part of their land where a raccoon, fox, rabbits and ducks are kept. The raccoon and fox are unable to be returned to the wild, Jessica Reedy said.

"Norman is kind of a sassy guy," she said. He seems to only like her and her husband, she said. He'll be with them for a while  he can live to be 20.

Both grew up loving animals  Jessica in British Colombia, where her parents allowed her to keep chinchillas as pets as long as she provided what they needed and took good care of them, and Steve in Crystal Lake.

"Steve, however, wasn't allowed to have any pets," Jessica Reedy said. "He's got his fill of them now."

The couple met while attending America's Teaching Zoo in Moorpark, Calif., where they learned hands-on animal husbandry, education, conservation and veterinary work. They worked with capuchin monkeys, hyenas, lizards, snakes and hawks including a golden eagle, among many other exotic animals as well as those native to North America, Steve Reedy said.

They married just before graduation, then moved to Illinois to take summer jobs caring for animals. Within a year, they started Animal Quest, which is licensed by the USDA, Jessica Reedy said.

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The couple started with 15 animals, mostly reptiles, Steve Reedy said, and now, Jessica Reedy said, "We have about 100. I have to count them again." These include the albino Burmese python, Kenyan sand boa, Flemish giant rabbits, rose-haired tarantula, African pygmy hedgehogs, bearded dragon and Madagascar hissing cockroaches, among others.

Time for bed and meds

That's a lot of critters to tuck in every night  and the Reedys need to be home at dusk every day to get the animals ready for bed. Some of their charges also require medication morning and evening. Cleaning the animals' waste is done daily as well.

Taking care of so many animals is time consuming and sometimes unpredictable: Once a goat ate an important contract, Jessica Reedy said.

"Goats poop everywhere. They can't control it," she said. The moral of the story  keep the goats out of the house.

Twitch, the coatimundi "always gets a little crazy during the dinner hour so we have to make sure we bring his dinner with us if we are at a show during this time," Steve Reedy said. His wife does not recommend keeping coatimundis as pets  they're related to raccoons and can tear up your house, she said.

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One of the rabbits has a problem with his hips and needs medication twice a day. The rabbit's father, Monroe, had similar issues and had to be euthanized a week ago.

"Even though we have so many animals, when we lose one, we're heartbroken," Jessica Reedy said. "Monroe was one of my all time favorites. He was so laid back. He was with us almost from the start. My day started and ended with him when I gave him his meds. At bedtime, I made sure that he was on his pillow."

Mary Ann Gawlik, a part-time employee, said she admires the couple's commitment to their animals. "I've seen how loving they are. They have taken a hamster for massages and for chiropractic work," Gawlik said.

The hamster  actually a guinea pig, Jessica Reedy said  had an ear infection and strained its neck  the veterinarian suggested they take it to a chiropractic veterinarian.

"We don't spare any expenses for our animals," she said.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 9 Jessica Reedy, who founded Animal Quest with her husband, Steve Reedy, pets Bart, a goat on their five-acre property in Antioch. (Sheryl DeVore / Lake County News-Sun )

Keen on reptiles

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Gawlik of Libertyville said she's always loved animals and has served as a foster caretaker for unwanted pets, but before coming to Animal Quest, she said she, "wasn't really keen on reptiles. But that's past tense."

Now she holds, with ease, Jig, the 8-foot-long Burmese python.

"It's really cool. I describe it to kids saying it's like carrying a hug  I just went from there to a monitor lizard, which is 3 feet long  and I even held their tarantula," she said.

Gawlik has learned to slowly approach people who might be afraid of snakes and guide their hand to touch one if they want.

Jessica Reedy said she believes Animal Quest is making a difference.

"We tell people the truth. We educate them. People have run up and banged on a tortoise. I tell them a tortoise is not a rock. It feels it when you bang on it."

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They rotate the animals to give them a rest, and after reptiles have been fed they get a day off to digest.

The family eats meat that's raised humanely and organically, she said. In addition, they grow vegetables outdoors including corn on the cob, which some of their animals eat raw.

Recently, Jessica Reedy saved a painted turtle that was crossing Grass Lake Road and almost got hit by a car. "I swooped it up and ran through the tall grasses and put it in a pond," she said. Last week, she took in a domesticated duck that was found hobbling down a street in Waukegan.

Ava said she enjoys being around the animals. "I like petting them," she said.

"Ava has a special bond with both Nuna (a chicken) and Waldo (a Patagonian cavy, a large rodent native to Argentina )," Steve Reedy said. "Both let her touch them as much as she wants but they don't like others touching them."

"We love to be around animals," Jessica Reedy said. "It's calming. It's what makes us happy. We don't go on vacation. I take Ava to Canada to be with my family once a year, but Steve stays here to take care of the animals. We're happy here."

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Animal Quest will present free programs at 6:30 p.m., July 19 at the Cook Library in Vernon Hills; at 10 a.m., July 20 at the Ela Area Library in Lake Zurich; at 2 p.m., July 26 at the Zion-Benton Library; and 1 p.m., July 28 at the Village of Round Lake Beach Cultural and Civic Center.
The PinnacleHealth System Board of Directors announced Friday that PinnacleHealth has completed its acquisition of four Pennsylvania hospitals, including Carlisle Regional Medical Center, and their associated assets from Community Health Systems (CHS) after receiving all necessary regulatory approvals.

The effective date is July 1. The other three hospitals are Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center, Lititz; Lancaster Regional Medical Center, Lancaster; and Memorial Hospital of York, York.

We mark the beginning of an exciting new chapter for our communities and PinnacleHealth, Philip Guarneschelli, president and CEO of PinnacleHealth, said in a news release. We are now one system with a shared goal of better health for all. Our cultural alignment and shared focus on making communities healthier will allow us to transform healthcare delivery in this region. We are pleased to welcome our new employees, physicians and partners and look forward to working together to continue investing in the communities we serve.

PinnacleHealth officials said they are working with health plans/insurers to continue contracts currently in place at each of the hospitals to support continued network participation for patients and payers. Each hospital will maintain its current name on all signage and communications for a period of time post transaction, the news release said.

As part of the acquisition, PinnacleHealth offered employment to all active employees in good standing at the time of the transaction close. Medical staff privileges continue for all physicians on the medical staff at each hospital. Each of the hospitals has adopted PinnacleHealths charity care policies and assumes PinnacleHealths non-profit status, as well as its mission, vision and values.

PinnacleHealth now owns and operates seven hospitals with more than 8,000 employees and 1,435 total medical staff members, as well as 132 outpatient and ancillary facilities.

PinnacleHealth will serve as the healthcare hub for central Pennsylvania, a 10-county area including Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry, York, Lancaster, Lebanon, Juniata, Franklin, Adams and parts of Snyder counties.

We are looking forward to a bright future that combines and optimizes our collective strengths, said Guarneschelli. Bringing these hospitals into PinnacleHealths network is a significant opportunity for us to serve more communities, achieve our mission of providing the highest quality care and increase access to care across the region.
The general cargo carrier BBC Mont Blanc sits docked at the Port of Indiana. In 2016, the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor handled nearly 2.6 million tons of cargo, completing the highest three-year total in the ports history. (Kyle Telechan/Post-Tribune )

The Ports of Indiana expects to see double the amount of bulk shipments going through the Burns Harbor port within the next five years, now that the oldest stevedoring company in the country has taken over as its new bulk terminal operator.

The Ports of Indiana announced that Metro Ports is now managing the loading and unloading of shipments along the port's east harbor for both port tenants and outside companies. Its contract started Saturday.

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Metro Ports is the brand used to identify stevedoring affiliates of Metropolitan Stevedore Co. and its parent company, Nautilus International Holding Corp., both of which are based in Long Beach, Calif.

The company dates back to 1852, during the Gold Rush.

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Ports of Indiana spokesman Rich Allen said Metro Ports will replace the current bulk terminal operator, Lakes & Rivers, whose contract expired on June 30.

He said proposals were sought from several stevedores around the country.

"Metro Ports was selected as the replacement because of the company's business development vision, extensive nationwide network of maritime resources and successful track record for operating port terminals," Allen said.

Allen said Metro Ports will continue to use local labor force to load and unload ships at the port.

"Employment will likely increase as shipments increase," Allen said.

Metro Ports operates at 27 U.S. ports on the East, West and Gulf coasts in the states of Washington, New York, Massachusetts, South Carolina, Texas, Florida, Louisiana, California, North Carolina and Georgia. This is the company's only Great Lakes facility, according to a port statement.

"Having a 165-year-old company like Metro Ports select Indiana to launch its Great Lakes operations is a tribute to our state's business climate and our extremely successful port system," Rich Cooper, CEO for the Ports of Indiana, said.

Cooper said Indiana's maritime economy supports 155,000 Hoosier jobs and generates $21.5 billion in annual economic activity.

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Metro Ports handles a wide range of bulk and breakbulk cargoes around the country, including aggregates, potash, coke, coal, cement, fertilizer, borax, bauxite, military, steel, wind energy, yachts and project cargo, according to the the Ports.

"Metro Ports is recognized as a world-class stevedore and terminal operator for handling bulk commodities," Cooper said. "We're excited to partner with such a high-caliber team of professionals and are looking forward to working shoulder-to-shoulder with them to grow business at the port."

Metro Ports President Michael Ferguson said Indiana was an obvious choice for the company to expand into the Midwest and establish a Great Lakes presence.

"We see tremendous potential here to leverage the port's connections to ocean ships, Great Lakes vessels, river barges and multiple rail carriers, as well as the region's powerful industrial base located within sight of downtown Chicago," Ferguson said.

In 2016, the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor handled nearly 2.6 million tons of cargo, completing the highest three-year total in the port's history.

The Ports of Indiana invested nearly $2.5 million into infrastructure, including dredging and stabilization of two ship berths to increase dock capacity for handling Seaway draft vessels as well as replacement of 2,000 feet of rail track and rehabilitation of multiple rail turnouts.

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Additional investments are planned by the Ports of Indiana and Metro Ports to upgrade the bulk terminal.

Maritime operations at the port generate nearly $4.9 billion per year in economic activity and support more than 39,000 total jobs, according to the Ports of Indiana.

The Burns Harbor port is home to 30 companies that provide a range of manufacturing and logistics services.

Karen Caffarini is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Boebert leading Frisch by more than 1,100 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
Fredericktown native Carson Burks gained a passion for the culinary arts from a young age in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother, a passion which he has harnessed to carve out a unique career most recently including a new culinary venture in Cottleville near St. Louis.

When he was 15, Burks got his first job in the food industry at the Cherokee Pass Restaurant as a dishwasher. Burks worked his way up from that first job to being a successful chef in St. Louis at some of the citys most reputable clubs.

I was always in the kitchen with my mom and grandma, Burks said. I learned a lot from them. Then I decided that I liked to do it and that I wanted to be a chef, so I moved to St. Louis and went to culinary school up here.

Burks and his wife Morgan eventually moved to St. Louis permanently, she working in education and he at a restaurant called Jimmys on the Park. From there, Burks moved to a position at the St. Louis Club, in a kitchen headed by an executive chef who had previously worked in the White House, preparing food for high-end clientele like senators.

It was a French kitchen and very serious, Burks said. There was no talking, you had to shave every day and show up right on time. It was intense, lets just say that.

After the St. Louis Club, Burks ran a kitchen at the Seven Gables Inn in Clayton, leaving after deciding he didnt like the corporate side of the business. He moved to the Algonquin Country Club where he worked as a sous-chef.

While I was there, I was on the ACF (American Culinary Federation) competition team, he said. We won first place in Missouri. While I was there, I trained under another master chef  I think theres only two or three in Missouri and Ive trained under two of them.

After the Algonquin, Burks worked at another club that had recently changed ownership. Burks was tasked with building the kitchen up from scratch, increasing the clubs membership from zero to more than 500 by the time he left. An investor at that club approached Burks about going into business together in their own venture.

What came from the relationship is a business called the Dinner Bell, a modern take on meal prep. The Dinner Bell is not a restaurant, but a place to prepare quality meals with provided ingredients for menu items. After making a reservation and selecting the meals to prepare, an individual goes to the Dinner Bell and prepares their chosen meal with assistance from Burks and his staff.

Its more of a food-prep assembly, Burks said. I do offer food to go, and Id eventually like to have shipments down to Fredericktown for family and friends. I think the main concept that I want people to know is what we dont want to be.

Burks said a lot of busy families end up going to the supermarket and buying easy, frozen meals that are packed with preservatives and arent necessarily the healthiest thing to feed to ones family.

We want to stay away from all that, he said. We want to go healthy  bring the family together and have great, simple food with some options. Well have 14 different items on the menu each month."

The Dinner Bell hasnt had its grand opening yet, but when it happens, Burks said a portion of the proceeds will go to a St. Louis charity.

The day hasnt been announced yet, said Burks. But well do a thing where if someone buys four meals, the fifth one will go to the Ronald McDonald House. We want to help the community. I think thats huge.

Burks said the decision to transition from the traditional restaurant business is largely because of the amount of time it required him to be away from home, which will be eased by the setup of the Dinner Bell.

When I was working 70 hours a week in country club, I never saw my wife or my child, he said. And every holiday Id have to work. So for the last 10 years, Ive missed holidays and that starts to wear on you. Plus, I have a two year old named Stella  I just feel like my number one priority is my family. So thats the main reason.

Additionally, Burks said the online reservation process allows him to shed a lot of stress that comes from working in the traditional kitchen.

Because this is all online-based, I know exactly whats coming at me, as far as food prep, he said. The whole thing sounded so much better. Plus, as an owner Ill benefit if the place does well."

Burks said he uses skills and work ethic that he learned from being raised in Fredericktown on a daily basis to achieve his goals.

Down there, people work a little bit harder, honestly, he said. I grew up on a farm down there. You learn the simple things in life and how much they matter. I knew that if I continued to work hard in my career and with my family that it would just get better. You get what you give.

For more information about the Dinner Bell, call 636-387-7377.
China is battling floods along the Yangtze River in the south while northern regions, including Beijing, endure a heat wave.

The first flood this year of the Yangtze River, the country's longest, is forming as water levels are rapidly rising in major tributaries in the middle and lower reaches, said the Yangtze River Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters Saturday.

The headquarters ordered the Three Gorges Reservoir of the Yangtze to reduce the flow of discharging to 18,000 cubic meters per second from 2 p.m. Saturday to relieve the flood pressure downstream.

Other upstream reservoirs also joined the flood control efforts.

Floods have already hit the Xiangjiang, Yuanjiang and Zishui rivers in central China's Hunan, the worst-hit province. The rain continues in Changsha, the provincial capital and other cities such as Xiangtan and Huaihua.

The level of the Xiangjiang River in Changsha stood at 38.6 meters at 4 p.m. Saturday, well above the warning level of 36 meters and only 57 cm lower than its highest record level, according to the Hunan Provincial Hydrological Bureau.

The level of the Zishui River in Taojiang County was only 38 cm lower than its record level in history, said the bureau.

At around 1 a.m. Saturday, a 20-meter stretch of the Taxi river, a small branch of the Zishui River, burst due to flood, according to a local official.

The Hunan flood control and drought relief headquarters raised the flood response from Grade III to Grade II on Saturday. The province has mobilized soldiers, officials and villagers, allocated funds and sent relief supplies to affected areas.

As of Saturday, the rain had caused an evacuation of 310,000 in Hunan.

"The water level is rising and my house is in danger of being submerged. I was relieved when I saw a rescue boat coming," said Zhou Changsong, who was evacuated Saturday afternoon from Chenxi County, where eight towns were flooded by the Yuanjiang River. Around 100,000 people have been evacuated.

Downpours also hit Hubei, Guizhou and Jiangxi provinces and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

In Jiangxi, which neighbors Hunan, seven people died and two were missing due to flood in the past ten days, showed statistics with the provincial flood control headquarters.

About 440,000 were evacuated in Jiangxi. On Saturday morning, a landslide buried two residential buildings in a village in Xiushui County, but caused no casualties as all 39 residents had been displaced on Thursday.

More than 70 passenger trains passing Jiangxi Province were suspended from Saturday to Monday due to floods, said the Nanchang Railway Bureau in Jiangxi.

The State Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters launched a Grade III emergency response plan Saturday and dispatched eight work teams to flood-stricken areas to guide relief work.

The National Meteorological Center (NMC) forecast Saturday afternoon rainstorms will hit Guangxi, Hunan, Jiangxi and Anhui from Saturday night to Sunday.

In north China, a heat wave affected Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Liaoning and Inner Mongolia, with temperatures reaching 35 to 37 degrees Celsius at 2 p.m. Saturday, said the center.

In Beijing, many residents chose to stay indoors over the weekend due to the hot weather.

The NMC forecast the heat wave will continue in the north until Tuesday. Some areas will see temperatures of up to 40 degrees Celsius in Inner Mongolia, Hebei and Shaanxi on Sunday.
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The World Health Organization (WHO) said here on Saturday that a cholera outbreak in war-torn Yemen has killed 1,500 people since late April.

The suspected cases have reached 246,000 as the epidemic has hit 21 out of the 23 provinces in the country, Dr. Nevio Zagaria, the chief of WHO, said in a press conference.

Meanwhile, Sherin Varkey, acting representative of the United nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF), said during the joint press conference that one in four of the dead are children.

The death toll has increased by 100 and suspected cases by nearly 28,000 in just four days after a Wednesday's report by WHO, where it put the death toll at 1,400 and suspected cases at 218,798.

Since April 27, the cholera cases in Yemen have been "increasing at an average of 5,000 a day," said WHO. "We are now facing the worst cholera outbreak in the world."

More than three years into war, Yemen is facing a total collapse, where two thirds of the total population, around 19 million, need humanitarian aid. About 10.3 million people are at risk of famine and 14.5 million lack access to safe drinking water.

Fewer than 45 percent of the country's hospitals are operational, but even the operational ones are coping with huge challenges, especially the lack of medications, medical equipment and staff.

The blockade on Yemen, as part of a Saudi-led bombing campaign launched in March 2015, has deepened the crisis in the country which used to import most of its basic needs.

The war has pit the Iranian-allied Shiite Houthi rebel movement against a Sunni Saudi-led military coalition, after Houthis toppled Saudi-backed President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi and his government in late 2014.
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The Syrian army denied using chlorine gas during battles in eastern Damascus on Saturday.

The army said reports circulated about an attack with chlorine gas on the rebels in the Ayn Tarma neighborhood in the eastern countryside of Damascus are mere lies.

This comes as activists reported that 30 people suffered suffocation after a Syrian army chlorine gas attack in Ayn Tarma.

"These lies are fabricated by the terrorist groups to justify their losses," the army said, adding that such blatant lies are exposed and cannot be believed.

The army stressed that Syria hasn't used chemical weapons before and it's now in no possession of such materials.

The Syrian government has warned that the rebels are preparing to stage chemical attacks to frame the Syrian army.

The chemical weapons' file was stirred last April when the United States and rebels accused the Syrian army of using nerve agent sarin in an attack on Khan Sheikhoun in the northwestern province of Idlib.

The alleged attack prompted a missile attack by the United States on a military base in central Syria.

Syria then denied the accusations made without investigations.

A day earlier, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) said the nerve agent sarin was used in an attack in April on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun and was likely to have spread from a crater in a road.

The report also found that hexamine, a known component of the Syrian government's stockpiles, was contained in samples taken from the scene, as well as from the blood and urine of victims.

The OPCW said its mandate was solely to determine whether chemical weapons were used in the attack, as a UN investigative task force will attempt to determine who was responsible.

In response, Syria's Foreign Ministry on Saturday slammed the report as "far from logic" and "unacceptable."

Syria handed over its chemical stockpiles to the OPCW in 2013, when it joined the chemical weapons convention.
The past week was nothing but eventful considering the relative peace China-US relations have enjoyed since Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump struck a constructive note for bilateral ties when they met in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, in April.

Over the past few days, Washington has approved a $1.4-billion arms sale to Taiwan and blacklisted a Chinese bank for alleged business ties with the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, and the US Senate Armed Services Committee has approved a bill for US naval vessels to make regular stops at Taiwan ports and help the island develop undersea warfare capabilities.

The moves run counter to the consensus reached by the two presidents on that occasion that the two countries should work together to forge a constructive partnership.

And although the approval of the arms sales to Taiwan agreed last year is the most provocative move the Trump administration has taken thus far, it is actually the latest act of a decades-old routine stemming from the US Defense Authorization Act, which is hardly a novelty in bilateral ties, and is only surprising because of its timing, scale and the technologies involved.

The proposed port visits are another matter, should they gain the approval of Congress and the authorization of the president, the consequences for ties are likely to be extremely serious, because besides sending a misleading message to the secessionist forces in Taiwan, they would constitute a substantial infringement on Chinas sovereignty.

Washington is well aware that Beijing will not tolerate any external interference in its internal affairs, especially any challenge to the countrys territorial integrity and sovereignty. Something Xi spelled out very clearly during his just-concluded visit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

At this stage, the moves made last week are nothing more than annoying, and they do not necessarily measure up to a reversal in the US China policies as some are claiming.

It may be the outcome-oriented Washington is anxious to try and leverage immediate gains from bilateral collaboration in relation to priority issues on its agenda or a price-hiking ploy prior to negotiations at the upcoming Comprehensive Economic Dialogue. Either way, going overboard in trying to put pressure on Beijing may prove counterproductive, since it will simply prompt a tit-for-tat response from which the US will not emerge unbruised.

Beijing, protesting against the moves, has called on Washington to correct its mistakes so that their cooperation on major issues will not be affected, showing the constructive partnership they have pledged to formulate is still attainable if there is a shared will.
DJIBOUTI -- A Chinese naval fleet wrapped up a four-day visit to Djibouti on Saturday and headed to Italy for a friendly visit.

Some 100 people, including sailors of the Djibouti navy, officials of the Chinese Embassy in Djibouti and representatives of Chinese living in the country, bade farewell to the fleet at the port.

During the visit, Rear Admiral Shen Hao, who is commander of the fleet, met with the Horn of Africa country's defense and naval officials as well as the mayor of the capital city Djibouti. He also visited the command center of Djibouti's navy and its air force base.

In addition to several exchange activities between the Chinese and Djibouti navies, the three Chinese warships -- the Changchun, Jingzhou and Chaohu -- were also open to public for visit.

The fleet will sail to Italy for a friendly visit, according to its plan.
Cartoon drawing by Liao Tingting

On June 29, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC (Communist Party of China) Central Committee, also President of the PRC (Peoples Republic of China) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, arrived in Hong Kong and delivered a glowing speech at the airport.

He expressed his good wishes to Hong Kong people. Xi said he has three objectives for his Hong Kong tour: To express wishes, embody support and plan for the future. He's willing to join people from all walks of life in Hong Kong to review the SAR's extraordinary 20-year journey, sum up its experience and plan the future to ensure the smooth and long-term successful implementation of the "One Country, Two Systems" policy.

In the afternoon, Xi met Leung Chun-ying, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and heads of the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary of HKSAR, and attended the signing ceremony of Collaborative Agreement on Development of the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Xi's speech is inspiring; the statement, "Hong Kong's development has always pulled at my heartstrings" moved millions of people. From "wishes" to "support", and to "plan for the future", Xi's speech sent a clear signal: the central government shows great care for Hong Kong.

In the five years since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi on many occasions has expressed concern over Hong Kong's economy and the lives of Hong Kong people; his encouragement has inspired the Hong Kong people's spirit.

The central government has issued a series of successive favorable policies for Hong Kong in the past five years, creating real development opportunities and broad space for its development.

All the kindness and solicitude from the central government could even warm up Hong Kong.

Xi's visit will inject new energy to promote the cause of "One Country, Two Systems" and long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. It will be a new monument in the developing process of HKSAR.
Editor's note: Interest in artificial intelligence has reached a fever pitch as the World Intelligence Congress was held in Tianjin from Thursday to Friday.

Themed Towards the Hyper-Intelligence Age, the meeting focused on changes and opportunities brought by AI technology and its application towards a sustainable world.

As the first international AI convention in China, the event served as a cooperation and exchange platform for experts, government officials, industry giants and entrepreneurs from around the world.

Here are some of the WIC participants' views on AI.

Liu Chuanzhi

Founder, Lenovo Group

Liu Chuanzhi delivers a keynote speech at the World Intelligence Congress in Tianjin, June 29, 2017. [Photo by Yu Jie/Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

It is not easy to forget that China's modern economy was built on the strength of a solid but typically low-tech manufacturing sector. Now, China has ramped up its efforts to change its image from a manufacturing powerhouse to a high-tech one.

"It is necessary for most Chinese companies to become high-tech pioneers as their fate will be determined by technological innovation in the AI era," Liu said.

But how can they prepare for an AI-powered market?

"As AI is reaching an inflection point, Chinese companies should invest more in it than ever, so as not to lose out," Liu suggested.

Liu also said that China needs to promote a wide spectrum of technologies that might enable enterprises to profit from the possibilities of AI's growth.
HONG KONG -- The "one country, two systems" principle has maintained Hong Kong's prosperity and stability over the last 20 years, said Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Hong Kong's new chief executive, in an interview with Xinhua on Saturday.

Since 1997, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has made achievements in all respects including economic development and the improvement of people's well-being, Lam said, "It is because of the policies of 'one country, two systems,' 'Hong Kong people administering Hong Kong' and a high degree of autonomy that we have made it."

"In the future, one of my major responsibilities is to ensure the policies' continuous, successful and comprehensive implementation in Hong Kong," she said.

Lam was sworn in on Saturday morning, as the region marked the 20th anniversary of its return to China.

Lam said Hong Kong has more development opportunities by actively participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Hong Kong is an economy specializing in professional services, and there is great potential to develop overseas markets. Under the initiative, Hong Kong can invest in overseas markets and provide services, such as finance, insurance and basic facilities, Lam said.

Regarding the young generation in Hong Kong, Lam said they should establish a global view. She said she is very confident to that young Hong Kong people are full of passion and competitiveness, which are based on the region's development and the opportunities provided by the mainland's continuous reform and opening-up.

Hong Kong has a good foundation and the Hong Kong people are excellent, Lam said.

"What we need to do now is that we must confirm the direction (toward a better future) and make concerted efforts. I have confidence that Hong Kong is able to make more splendid achievements," she said.
President Xi Jinping witnesses the signing ceremony of the Framework Agreement on Deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation in the Development of the Bay Area on Saturday. The agreement's four signatories are (from left, front row) Governor of Guangdong province Ma Xingrui; the National Development and Reform Commission Chairman He Lifeng; Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Macao Chief Executive Fernando Chui Sai-on. Photo provided to China Daily.

Witnessed by President Xi Jinping during his three-day visit to Hong Kong, the Framework Agreement on Deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation in the Development of the Bay Area was signed in the city on Saturday.

The National Development and Reform Commission Chairman He Lifeng; Governor of the People's Government of Guangdong Province Ma Xingrui; Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor and Macao Chief Executive Chui Sai-on signed the framework agreement.

The framework agreement establishes key cooperation areas. These includes promoting infrastructure connectivity; enhancing the level of market integration; building a global technology and innovation hub; building a system of modern industries through coordinated development; jointly building a quality living circle to provide an ideal place for living, working and traveling; cultivating new strengths in international cooperation and supporting the establishment of major cooperation platforms, according to a government statement on Saturday.

The agreement's four signatories agree to improve the coordination mechanism and convene annual consultation meetings to coordinate and resolve major problems and issues of cooperation arising from development of the bay area.

The four parties will also put forward annual work plans to take forward development of the bay area. They will deliver a concerted effort in their implementation once a consensus has been reached amongst the four parties and relevant mainland authorities.

Premier Li Keqiang, in the this year's Government Work Report, explicitly expressed the need to promote closer cooperation between the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macao, draw up a development plan for a city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, give full play to the distinctive strengths of Hong Kong and Macao, and elevate their positions and roles in the nation's economic development and opening-up.

The Greater Bay Areacovering less than 1 percent of the country's land area and home to less than 5 percent of the populationincludes Hong Kong, Macao and nine cities in Guangdong provinceGuangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Dongguan, Huizhou, Zhongshan, Foshan, Zhaoqing and Jiangmen.

The framework agreement also strives to cement Hong Kong's hub status in various aspects, including consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong's status as an international financial, transport and trade center; strengthening its status as a global offshore renminbi business hub and an international asset management center; promoting the development of Hong Kong's professional services and innovation and technology industries; and establishing a center for international legal and dispute resolution services in the Asia-Pacific region.

"With relatively higher market sophistication, the advantage of 'one country two systems', and competitiveness in building up clusters of production and industries, the economic aggregate of Greater Bay Area is poised to exceed the bay area of Tokyo to become the world's largest economic cluster area by 2025," predicted Yue Yi, vice-chairman and chief executive at Bank of China (Hong Kong).
Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan Fan (right) briefs President Xi Jinping (center) and Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor on the Hong Kong section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge during the president's inspection of the road link on Saturday. [Photo/INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT]

President Xi Jinping on Saturday urged more effort to ensure smooth progress on major infrastructure projects in Hong Kong as he inspected the construction sites of the Hong Kong section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and third runway at the city's airport.

The inspections were the president's last stops before ending his three-day trip in the special administrative region to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland.

At the bridge construction site Xi expressed appreciation for all those who had contributed to the project.

Xi made detailed enquiries about the bridge's construction plan, current progress and quality control measures.

He noted that the bridge is a major measure by the central government to support better development of Hong Kong, Macao and the Pearl River Delta region.

The project also represents an important achievement of close collaboration among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao under the "one country, two systems" principle, he added.

The president urged active follow-up work to ensure the bridge's smooth completion and safe operation.

The 55-kilometer Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, expected to open by the end of this year, will cut driving time between Zhuhai and Hong Kong to half an hour from four hours at present.

The bridge will set a record as the world's longest cross-sea roadway.

While inspecting construction of the third runway at Hong Kong International Airport, Xi said the central government supports the building of the runway to help Hong Kong consolidate its status as a global aviation hub and improve its overall competitiveness.

He said efforts must be made to ensure safe and efficient construction of the project, and maximize its benefits after completion.

To cope with air traffic growth and maintain Hong Kong's competitiveness as an international aviation hub, a three-runway system project at Hong Kong International Airport was launched last year. The airport has a two-runway system at present.

Construction of the third runway started on Aug 1. The project is expected to be completed in 2024.

By 2030, the airport will be able to handle about 100 million passengers and 9 million tons of cargo each year, according to the airport.

Apart from road and air links, a high-speed railway is also under construction to boost connections between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong.

The Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link is expected to open next year. The railway should cut traveling time between Guangzhou and Hong Kong to 48 minutes.

Starting from West Kowloon, the Hong Kong section of the rail link is about 26 km long and will run along a dedicated underground rail tunnel to the mainland border near Lok Ma Chau for connection with the mainland section of the Express Rail Link.




President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan bid farewell at Hong Kong International Airport on Saturday after a three-day visit to the city marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China and inaugurating its fifth-term government. EDMOND TANG/CHINA DAILY

People from various sectors in Hong Kong all spoke highly of President Xi Jinping's visit. They said it enhances the city's confidence and resolution to work toward a more prosperous, harmonious society under the "one country, two systems" principle.

Xi wrapped up a three-day visit in Hong Kong on Saturday after presiding over the swearing-in ceremony of the fifth-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, attending events to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and carrying out an inspection tour of the region.

Samuel Yung Wing-ki, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, told China Daily that Xi's three-day visit showed the central government's care and support for Hong Kong and its people.

The visit also reassured Hong Kong people that the central government would unswervingly uphold the "one country, two systems" principle to maintain the Asian financial hub's prosperity and stability. Yung urged people to heed Xi's call for Hong Kong to set aside major differences and seek broad common ground in order to have rational discussions on social issues.

Starry Lee Wai-king, a Hong Kong lawmaker and chairwoman of the city's largest political groupthe Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kongattended the new-term government's inauguration ceremony on Saturday. Lee said Xi's remarks during the swearing-in ceremony stressed the importance of having a correct understanding of the relationship between "one country" and "two systems".

She said some people in Hong Kong in recent years held misconceptions about the relationshipand about how to handle relations between the mainland and Hong Kong.

During his visit to the city, the president cautioned that any attempt to challenge the "one country, two systems" principle or undermine national sovereignty is an act that crossed the red line, Lee said.

Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, a member of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, was also at the ceremony. She noted that Xi's remarks showed there are plenty of opportunities for Hong Kong to boost development and its international prestige with the unique advantages of "one country, two systems".

The business sectors also expressed appreciation of Xi's successful visit to Hong Kong, saying it has given the city a direction to grow its economy in future.

On Saturday, the president attended the signing ceremony of the framework agreement on development of the 11-city cluster of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Local business-oriented political group Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong expressed gratitude that Xi's visit identified a clear role for Hong Kong in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the alliance noted the framework agreement on development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is of significant importance to Hong Kong, as it has given the city a new blueprint for future development and a new engine of economic growth.

Contact the writers at willa@chinadailyhk.com
When Hong Kong celebrated the 20th anniversary of its return to the motherland on Saturday, it stood at a new starting point.

Deeper integration between Hong Kong and the mainland is expected as the massive Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge nears completion. By facilitating transport between Hong Kong and cities on the western banks of the Pearl River estuary, the project will provide a wider space for the special administrative region to give play to its advantages, while opening up investment opportunities for Hong Kong businesses and people, experts believe.

Communications between Hong Kong and cities on the western bank have been limited by an underdeveloped transport network. A journey from Hong Kong to Zhuhai now takes four hours by road. The bridge, however, will significantly shorten the distance, cutting traveling time to just 30 minutes.

The cost of the 55-kilometer-long mammoth is estimated to exceed 115.9 billion yuan ($17.09 billion), according to the bridge authority. The bridge is expected to go into use by the end of this year. It will become the world's longest bridge over water.

"By better connecting cities on western and eastern bank of the Pearl River estuary, the bridge will help Hong Kong give better play to its strengths and play a bigger role in leading the development of those western cities," said Guo Wanda, executive vice-president of China Development Institute, a Shenzhen-based think tank.

Hong Kong and those mainland cities are complementary in industries in which they have advantages, Guo noted. Cities such as Foshan and Zhongshan are advanced in manufacturing but are less developed in tertiary industry, where Hong Kong excels.

According to official statistics, the service sectors of Foshan and Zhongshan only accounted for 37.8 percent and 43.5 percent of their GDP respectively in 2015. The proportion for Hong Kong was more than 90 percent.

"In this respect, Hong Kong can play an active role," said Guo.

The mega infrastructure undertaking also opens a door for Hong Kong businesses and people to make investment in those cities, taking advantage of low land cost there, he added.

Mao Yanhua, deputy director of Sun Yat-sen University's Institute for Free Trade Zone Research in Guangzhou, believes the bridge could help cities in the region work better with each other based on their own characteristics and benefit from economies of scale.

But the most serious issue to be addressed is coordination, as systems at the three points of the bridgefor example the way they handle border crossingsare different, Mao pointed out.
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Liaison Office chief recounts positive feedback from residents after Xi's tour

President Xi Jinping's visit to Hong Kong reaffirmed the central government's care and support for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and firm stance in maintaining the "one country, two systems" principle, which has been well-received among the city's people, the central government's top liaison official in the city concluded on Saturday.

Zhang Xiaoming, director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, made the remarks at the airport as Xi finished his three-day tour marking the 20th anniversary of the city's return to China and inaugurating its fifth-term government.

The president attended 20 events during his 49-hour stay in Hong Kong, meeting with people from all walks of life. Zhang said the activities showed the special care and firm support by Xi and the central government for Hong Kong.

Zhang said he had received a great deal of positive feedback through several channels from people in Hong Kong on Xi's charisma and amicable personality. These included participants in ceremonial events, children and young people who had close contact with the president and local media who followed the whole trip, Zhang noted.

Responses on social media were also remarkable. The president received a great number of "likes" and expanded his "fan base" in Hong Kong, Zhang observed.

During the visit, Xi witnessed the signing of major cooperation pacts between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. This included the Framework Agreement on Deepening Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Cooperation in the Development of the Bay Area and collaborative agreement on the Hong Kong Palace Museum, which formally launched the project.

These demonstrated the central government's continuous support to the city in its growth and participation in the nation's development, Zhang said.

He also revealed that the president has called on relevant central government departments to introduce more favorable policies for Hong Kong people to live and work on the mainland, which would give them easier access to vast opportunities there.

Meanwhile, Zhang felt Xi's visit has clarified the complete and accurate meaning of the "one country, two systems" principle. Facing new problems and challenges, Hong Kong people should put things in perspective and analyze them rationally, Zhang cited Xi as saying. Making everything political or deliberately creating differences and provoking confrontation will only severely hinder Hong Kong's economic and social development, Zhang said.

Xi's remarks and advice aimed to achieve a steady and sustained implementation of "one country, two systems", the director added.

Zhang said the president has fulfilled commitments he outlined upon his arrival on Thursdayextending the country's blessing for Hong Kong, showcasing central government support for the cit y, joining people from all walks of life in the city to review the SAR's extraordinary 20-year journey and plan for the future to ensure the smooth and long-term successful practice of the "one country, two systems".

Zhang said Xi's remarks were worth being contemplated and absorbed by Hong Kong people. "One country, two systems" is not only the fundamental framework for the city itself but a vital part of the Chinese dream, Zhang cited Xi as saying.

Zhang hoped all citizens in Hong Kong can believe in themselves, in the HKSAR and in the country, just as the president has wished.
Fireworks sparkle over Victoria Harbour during a grand pyrotechnics display to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland on Saturday evening. ROY LIU/CHINA DAILY

President Xi Jinping's three-day visit to Hong Kong ended on a high note on July 1. He attended a gathering to mark the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and swore in the new Chief Executive and principal officials of the fifth-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

By the end of his visit, Xi had inspired a note of optimism in the city's residents and a spirit of confidence in its new government.

This was Xi's first visit to Hong Kong as president. On Thursday, June 29, the mood was of happy congeniality as Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan walked out of the plane that had just touched down at Hong Kong International Airport to be greeted most enthusiastically by young people, Hong Kong's top public office-bearers and other dignitaries.

The president was on a tight schedule, attending 20 events across the city. He met a wide variety of the local people, from different walks of life and across all age groups.

Early on the morning of Friday, June 30, the president inspected the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison at Shek Kong Barracks, while Peng visited an elderly care center in Southern District, Hong Kong Island, where she had lively interaction with some of the senior residents.

The president then met young people during his visit to the new Junior Police Call Permanent Activity Centre in Pat Heung. He urged the city's youths to choose the right path in serving Hong Kong and the nation.

On Saturday, July 1, Xi inaugurated the new administration headed by Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, the city's first female Chief Executive. Later he witnessed the signing of an agreement between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to facilitate closer cross-boundary collaboration in developing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.






Two decades into the reunification with the country Hong Kong is still very much the destination of choice to do business and start a business, and the regional services hub to procure professional and financial services, despite the economic and political challenges we have faced during the interim.

Over the past 20 years we have witnessed many ups and downs and with each cycle we emerged stronger, leaner and more experienced. There is no denying that we perhaps have been over-obsessed with political issues in recent years. This has cost us valuable time in upgrading and sharpening our competitive edge, while our neighbors have progressed rapidly.

Despite lagging behind on a few areas such as innovation and technology, the economic and political challenges over the years have made us smarter and more sophisticated in doing business. I believe Hong Kong is going through another cycle, as the economy adapts to technological, economic and social changes. At times it feels excruciatingly challenging but we are not alone. Economies around the world all face similar challenges in one way or another. However, this downtime gives us a window to take stock of how we can hone our strengths and, more importantly, address our weaknesses.

Take Hong Kong's investment property sector for example: Both landlords and tenants have become much more sophisticated and they have worked together to enhance the value of their properties. It applies across the retail, office as well as hotel sectors. Furthermore, landlords and tenants have applied their Hong Kong expertise to enter the Chinese mainland market and there have been many success stories.

We are also hearing many success stories about how young startups are embracing technology for disruptive innovation and to explore new business opportunities. The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce has been helping our members better understand, and be equipped to succeed in the digital era. Besides organizing regular seminars, we work closely with various organizations in Hong Kong and around the world to give our members a first-hand look at what other businesses are doing. For example, our visit to Barcelona, the world's leading smart city, showed our members the multi-dimensional advantages a smart city has. We are also actively looking into topics such as fintech, reg-tech (regulatory technology), internet of things and artificial intelligence, and how businesses, as well as the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, can use these tools to improve our lives, environment and competitiveness.

Looking ahead, we need to seize the opportunities that the Belt and Road Initiative opens up. Closer to home, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area initiative will foster closer technological and economic cooperation between Hong Kong and neighboring cities, and help enhance our competitiveness. Opportunities like these rarely come along, and we are in the perfect place to capture a slice of this huge potential.

To put it in perspective, if the Greater Bay Area were a country, it would already have the 10th largest GDP in the world. It is in the same league as India and Brazil among the BRICS countries and much larger than Russia and South Africa. Compared to other countries, it is also much more concentrated, and is right on our doorstep. The initiative presents a unique opportunity for Hong Kong, and if we seize this opportunity, we will secure a much brighter future for our future generations.

To maximize Hong Kong's potential, we need to be united as a community and an economy. We need to take our can-do spirit further, and be a valuable partner in the far-sighted national initiatives of the Belt and Road and Greater Bay Area. We in the business community are ready to grasp these opportunities.
As the mainland and regional economies recover from their troughs, Hong Kong retailers, who have been battered by a slump in visitor numbers, notably from the Chinese mainland, have been advised to come up with new sales strategies, including expanding their online operations. XAUME OLLEROS/BLOOMBERG

Hong Kong's retail business made a quantum leap in the decade that followed the fateful onset of the SARS epidemic (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) in early 2003 that almost brought the industry to its knees.

It was the start of the "golden era" for local retailers who were bathing in fortune brought about by a host of measures initiated by the central government to put Hong Kong's economy back on track, notably the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), which was sealed in late June 2003, and the launch of the pacesetting Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) for Chinese mainland residents a month later.

The IVS kicked off with residents in four major cities in neighboring Guangdong province being allowed to come to the SAR on their own without having to join tour groups.

One of the notable beneficiaries of the mainland's economic sweeteners had been leading Hong Kong apparel chain Bossini. "With the central government's support, the signing of the Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement and the relaxation of restrictions on travel to Hong Kong by mainland visitors had ignited the revival of the local economy and consumption. This is helpful to the retail business in Hong Kong," Bossini International Holdings Ltd said in its 2003-04 interim report.

Bossini posted a profit of HK$3 million for the six months ended Sept 30, 2003, while its net profit reached almost HK$17 million for the six months ended December 2016.

China's resumption of sovereignty over Hong Kong in 1997 and the launch of the IVS in mid-2003 have been very positive for Hong Kong's retail business and companies such as Bossini, recalled Paul Chan, the group's executive director.

Chan, who joined the company as a finance manager in 2002, said the chain founded by prominent entrepreneur Law Ting-pong now operates some 40 stores in Hong Kong and more than 150 outlets on the mainland. The first Bossini store in Hong Kong opened in 1987, followed by its maiden outlet on the mainlandin Guangzhouin 1993.

He told China Daily the past 15 years have witnessed ups and downs in the local retail scene. "We had gone through a critical period, especially the SARS outbreak in March 2003 and the financial tsunami in 2008. You know, there were a few apparel retailers like us who had started off in the 1980s, and they didn't make it," he said.

Thomson Cheng Wai-hung, chairman of the Hong Kong Retail Management Association, agreed that the city's retail business has seen tremendous growth following the IVS' launch.

"In 2013, Hong Kong's total retail sales amounted to almost HK$500 billion, an all-time high and nearly three times the figure recorded in 2003," said Cheng, adding that the number of mainland travelers to Hong Kong had reached 40 million in 2013. "This is marvelous, considering that Hong Kong's population is just about 7 million."

He said each mainland traveler staying overnight in Hong Kong spent an average of HK$9,000 in 2013, exerting a huge impact on the local retail industry.

However, Chan said that while the meteoric increase in the number of mainland tourists had meant more business for Bossini, it had triggered fierce competition.

Everyone had wanted a slice of the cake after the IVS started, he reminisced, with a string of foreign apparel brands, like Zara, H&M and Uniqlo, rushing into Hong Kong.

But, as the mainland visitor pool began to shrink in the past three years, Bossini has had to bite the bullet. Some of its large stores in prime shopping areas have seen sales to mainland customers plummet to 50 percent from a peak of 70 percent.

Looking ahead, Chan said Bossini will continue to uplift the production of children's attire following the mainland's scrapping of its one-child policy. It will also expand its franchising business, which covers close to 30 countries and its e-commerce business on the Chinese mainland, which makes up about 15 percent of the group's total sales there and is still growing very fast.

According to Cheng, the number of cosmetics and drugstores in Hong Kong had swelled 15-fold since 2003, along with a significant rise in the number of jewelry and watch shops, cashing in on the tremendous appetite of mainland customers for such products.

"From 2003 to 2013, rents for retail space in the city had catapulted 80 percent, with almost every global retail brand having set up shop in Hong Kong to capitalize on the mainland travelers' splurge and use Hong Kong as a springboard for penetrating the vast Chinese mainland market," he said.

The astronomical retail rents, coupled with the stiff competition from international brands, have put the squeeze on many local retailers. "But, I believe right now could be a good opportunity for local retailers to make a comeback after having been forced out of some prime locations and top-tier shopping malls in the past few years," Cheng said.

What Hong Kong retailers could do now is to revise their strategies to understand what consumers really want, improve services and see how they can rise to the occasion. Michael Cheng, Asia Pacific retail and consumer leader at PricewaterhouseCoopers, told China Daily that had it not been for Hong Kong's reunification with the motherland, the boom in mainland tourist numbers would have been unthinkable and the city's retail sector would have been stuck in prolonged limbo.

He's adamant that the introduction of the IVS in 2003 had unleashed the "golden era" for the local retail market that had lasted an entire decade.

In 1997, the number of mainland visitors to Hong Kong was just 2.36 million1.1 percent less than the previous year'sand that year marked the outbreak of the Asian financial crisis that led to the crash of Hong Kong's stock and property markets as fears of a global financial meltdown grew.

By July, 2003, when the IVS kicked off, the number of mainland visitors had rocketed to 191.6 million, according to official statistics.

From 2004 to 2013, the SAR's annual retail sales continued to soar, even during 2009 when the city was buffeted by the global financial crisis. Retail sales during the nine-year period reached HK$494 billionup a whopping 158 percent over 2004.

Michael Cheng noted that the annual growth rate of Hong Kong's population in the past 20 years has been less than 1 percent, so the local demand for retail products has been very stable.

"This means that the rapid growth of the local retail industry has been relying on tourist consumption, particularly on Chinese mainland visitors," he added.

The past three years, however, have been challenging for Hong Kong retailers as the mainland economy slowed, aggravated by the illegal "Occupy Central" protests which had seriously dented the city's image, as well as the abolition of multiple-entry permits for mainland travelers and the central government's ongoing crackdown on graft.

Michael Cheng is sanguine that the overall picture is set to get better this year with more tourists returning. He estimated total retail sales could hit HK$450 billion in 20172 or 3 percent more than last year's.

Hong Kong retailers will need to look afar and adopt a strategy that caters more to tourist rather than local demand, particularly from mainland visitors. One strategy is to develop their online business and look to the mainland's red-hot e-commerce platforms like Taobao, Tmall and JD to build up their own brands and draw mainland consumers.
China's aircraft carrier fleet will sail to Hong Kong early July to participate in the upcoming 20th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison, the PLA Navy said on Sunday.

The fleet includes Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, multiple missile destroyers and frigates, as well as J-15 jets and helicopters. During its port call, the fleet will be open to the public for the first time and will hold many activities, said Liang Yang, the navy's spokesman.

By participating in the upcoming anniversary, the navy can demonstrate its achievements in defense and military construction to the Hong Kong people, effectively showcasing its strong and civilized image, Liang said.

This will further invigorate Hong Kong compatriots' patriotism and love for the city, and inspire national spirit, he added.

The garrison formally stationed in Hong Kong assumed defense duties on July 1, 1997, when its sovereignty was transferred back to China from Britain.

The garrison currently has about 6,000 personnel and is commanded by Lieutenant General Tan Benhong.
Editor's note:

President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at a meeting on Saturday celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the fifth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Here are the highlights of Xi's speech:

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivers a speech on Friday at a banquet hosted by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's government to welcome the president. [Photo/Xinhua]

A review of history: An extraordinary journey leading to today

It was not until the Communist Party of China led the Chinese people to victory in a dauntless and tenacious struggle for national independence and liberation and founded New China that the Chinese people truly stood up and blazed a bright path of socialism with distinctive Chinese features.






President urges unity, reaffirms 'one country, two systems'

President Xi Jinping's trip to Hong Kong, which concluded on Saturday, boosted the confidence of its people for a better future, despite various challenges remaining ahead, analysts and residents said.

During his 49-hour visit to the special administrative region, Xi participated in 20 activities and held intensive talks with people from all walks of life, ranging from schoolchildren and teenagers to top government officials.

He also inspected the People's Liberation Army's Shek Kong barracks in Hong Kong on Friday. The garrison should resolutely champion State sovereignty and ensure the region's prosperity and stability, he said.

In his speech on Saturday marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, Xi called on the fifth-term government of the Hong Kong SAR to unite people of all sectors to fully and faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems".

Noting that China's rapid development provides an invaluable opportunity, Xi called on the people to "cherish the opportunity, seize it and focus your energy on Hong Kong's development".

He said that there are many challenges for Hong Kong. For example, it has yet to build public consensus on some major political and legal matters; the Hong Kong economy faces a number of hurdles; and housing and other issues that affect the daily lives of the people have become more serious.

To address the challenges, Xi said, "We must stay on the right and steady course, gain a full understanding of the policy of 'one country, two systems' and faithfully implement it."

In his speech, Xi warned against moves to undermine national sovereignty or challenge the central government's power.

"Any attempt to endanger China's sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government and the authority of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line, and is absolutely impermissible," he said.

Many Hong Kong people expressed appreciation for the president's visit, saying they hope the public will heed the messages the president brought and reunite to achieve an even brighter future.

Lau Siu-kai, vice-president of the Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, said he was delighted to see Xi reaffirming the central government's firm stance in implementing the "one country, two systems" principle in Hong Kong.

The president's commitment to it helps boost people's confidence in Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability, and helps it focus on devising strategies to push forward its own development along with the country's.

Confidence was a recurring theme in Xi's speeches in the city. At an official banquet hosted by the Hong Kong government on the second day of his visit, Xi called on Hong Kong people to have confidence in themselves, in the HKSAR and in the country.

Chan Yung, chairman of the New Territories Association of Societies, said the past 20 years were a perfect demonstration of the central government's continuous support of the region.

"When Hong Kong faced crises, the central government was always there to help," Chen said, adding that with the strong support, Hong Kong is well-positioned to be confident in pursuing future development.

Stanley Ng Chau-pei, chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions, said that Hong Kong should proactively take part in the nation's development, including development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and pushing forward the Belt and Road Initiative.

"President Xi told the people of Hong Kong that with confidence and trust the city will surely prosper," Ng said.

Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Jonathan Choi Koon-shum said Xi's speeches inspired Hong Kong to unite and set aside differences, so that it can move away from internal rifts and work to maintain its competitiveness and build a better future using its many strengths and rich talent pool.

The president's trip was also well received by local youth. Willy Ho Tsz-ho, 28, who works at a local news media company, said he was glad the president weighed in on the importance of "seeking broad common ground while setting aside major differences" in Hong Kong. The remarks showed that the president understands and respects the city's diversity, Ho said.

He said he hoped that members of the city's opposition would return the respect and communicate sincerely with the HKSAR government and central government authorities.

Luis Liu in Hong Kong contributed to this story.
Visitors pose for photos during a photo studio exhibition in Beijing, capital of China, July 1, 2017. More than 100 shooting scenes and over 200 lights are set during the exhibition, with which people can create their own photos. The exhibition will last until October. [Photo/Xinhua]
HK should be proud for and grateful to our country Updated: 2017-07-02 14:35 By Eddy Li(HK Edition)

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China. Over the past two decades, Hong Kong has contributed enormously to the opening-up of the Chinese mainland; in return, Hong Kong has benefited from national development, enjoying numerous privileges granted by the central government.

As one who had longed for the return of Hong Kong before 1997, I glory in the progress of our country. We have witnessed the emergence of a vibrant economy; the mainland has become the second-largest economy in the world. The country is leading the world in many areas: It has the most expansive transport network in the world; it has also achieved great success in science and technology development, such as the manufacture of the world's fastest supercomputer and development of the first Chinese-built passenger jet C919.

I believe the business community, me included, is especially impressed by the great achievements of our country over past two decades. Hong Kong businessmen are always at the forefront of the mainland's economic reform process, sharing their experiences with and introducing international practices to their mainland peers. When the country entered the high-speed development era, Hong Kong companies worked hand-in-hand with their mainland allies, jointly establishing the world-renowned "made in China" signature. We are grateful to the nation for the preferential policies the central government offered Hong Kong over the course of national development, which have helped promote Hong Kong's own economic development. For example, the CEPA (Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement) has helped Hong Kong companies tap into the huge mainland market; when the SARS epidemic erupted and brought devastating damage to the Hong Kong economy in 2003, the central authorities implemented the timely Individual Visit Scheme (IVS), helping to resuscitate the local tourism industry; over the years, numerous mainland companies, encouraged by the central authorities, have invested in Hong Kong and list their shares in the local stock market.

At a time when the world is gripped by so many problems, such as refugee crises, rising terrorism and rampant trade protectionism, most major economies teeter. China is charging full speed ahead, playing the role of a leading power. It came up with the Belt and Road Initiative, with the aim of creating a conducive environment for regional economic development and cooperation. I was fortunate enough to join the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region delegation to the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in Beijing in May; during the event I witnessed firsthand the worldwide recognition of China's international status. More than 130 nations participated in this event.

Aside from being grateful to our country, I feel strongly the need for Hong Kong to enhance its role in the country's future development. The city should not only serve as a window for foreign countries to know about China but also as a super-connector, who will proactively introduce our country to the outside world.

With most major advanced markets like Europe, the United States and Japan remaining in a slump, Hong Kong should set its sights on emerging markets. The Belt and Road Initiative and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area provide opportunities for Hong Kong to give full play to its competitive advantages. These state strategies require the existence of an international metropolis to be the center of finance, professional services, offshore yuan businesses, asset management, overseas headquarters, arbitration, logistics, shipping, aviation, etc. Hong Kong has the right conditions for the development of these centers. By acting as an active super-connector, we would not only help push forward these national strategies but also benefit from them.

When Hong Kong participates in those international economic cooperation projects, the policy of "one country, two systems" is especially helpful. The "one country" element provides a comfortable buffer for Hong Kong companies against external shocks while the "two systems" factor guarantees a high degree of openness and freedom for business. Hong Kong can take advantage of this unique feature: Most countries and regions along the Belt and Road practice capitalism, as Hong Kong does; the latter can help smooth any frictions between the mainland and other economies. A case in point: The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong visited three countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan) in Central Asia last year. During the meetings with local officials, I could see their admiration for China's rapid economic growth. As a group of Hong Kong businessmen who have witnessed the whole course of China's reform and opening-up, we didn't hesitate to share our experiences of investing in the mainland with them; those officials were obviously more confident about the Belt and Road project after communicating with the visiting group.

Hong Kong is essentially an economy-oriented city; focusing on what economically benefits us the most is the best way to improve people's livelihood. I sincerely wish Hong Kong a brighter and brighter future under the leadership of our central government.

(HK Edition 07/02/2017 page7)
Evolution of Gaokao opens up China's education 2017-07-02 14:03:27 Xinhua This year is the 40th since the resumption of Gaokao, China's college entrance exam. For those who took it back then, in a way, Gaokao holds a special place in their hearts.

This year is the 40th since the resumption of Gaokao, China's college entrance exam. For those who took it back then, in a way, Gaokao holds a special place in their hearts.

"The exam was like a prelude to China's reform and opening-up," said Lu Mai, secretary general of China Development Research Foundation at a seminar commemorating 40 years of Gaokao on June 17. He took his Gaokao in 1977, the year the exam resumed after the disruption of the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

Ning Bin, president of Beijing Jiaotong University, who took the exam the same year, agrees. "Just as the policy was good for China's development, the resumption of Gaokao changed numerous people's lives, regardless their social status," he said.

In 1977, the exam was taken by around 5.7 million people, including high school graduates, farmers and factory workers.

Since then, with the education system normalized, Gaokao has evolved, and opened up China's education in a number of ways.

In 2003, independent enrollment was added to the Gaokao system for colleges to enroll students of their choice, with extra tests on students' thinking and personalities, which further opened up the content of the exams.

Students usually have to go through two stages of exams, including a written exam and an interview. If they pass, in most cases the target colleges lower the minimum Gaokao score for them to be admitted.

Chen Weiwei, a high school graduate from east China's Zhejiang province, is one of those to undergo independent college enrollment after the exam.

"It relies more on knowledge you gain outside of the classroom, so it's a bit challenging," he admitted, after sharing his thoughts on the different versions of Journey to the West, a Chinese classic, in the interview at Peking University.

In 2017, up to 90 colleges had qualified for independent enrollment, up from 23 in 2003.

"Independent enrollment is a good complement to the traditional exams," said Tu Muyue, a student at Beijing Normal University, who passed the independent enrollment in 2015. "Students with better integrated competence have a better chance of being admitted to better schools."

This year also saw the changes first proposed in September 2014 in a national plan to overhaul Gaokao, as students who started senior high school in 2014 sat their exams this year.

A major change was in the exam itself. In Shanghai, for example, exams in sciences and liberal arts are no longer rigidly divided into two mutually exclusive sets.

"Students have more choice of major now as there are fewer limitations," Zhou Aoying, vice president of East China Normal University said.

However, despite progress, the Gaokao system still has a long way to go.

"We are facing a bigger task of raising the exam to another level," Ning Bin noted. "In 1977 we were just getting things back on track, which was relatively easier. Accommodating more innovative talent is a key factor for us to consider."

Chen Quansheng, adviser at the State Council has suggested changes to the system.

"Innovations are new concepts that require a more open environment for students to think," he said.

He was referring to the exam's overemphasis on grades as well as rigid content, criticized by many as restrictive, resulting in the 2014 changes.

Others call for a larger range of colleges for Gaokao examinees to consider, as college education should go in line with a more open entrance exam.

"We should have more categories of colleges, and let them accept their particular sets of students," said Li Daxi, president of Columbia International University in the United States.

"It's important for the students to have more choices," he added.
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Xi's remarks lift community's spirits 2017-07-02 07:05:53 China Daily WILLA WU/SHADOW LI People from various sectors in Hong Kong all spoke highly of President Xi Jinping's visit. They said it enhances the city's confidence and resolution to work toward a more prosperous, harmonious society under the "one country, two systems" principle.

People from various sectors in Hong Kong all spoke highly of President Xi Jinping's visit. They said it enhances the city's confidence and resolution to work toward a more prosperous, harmonious society under the "one country, two systems" principle.

Xi wrapped up a three-day visit in Hong Kong on Saturday after presiding over the swearing-in ceremony of the fifth-term Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, attending events to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland, and carrying out an inspection tour of the region.

Samuel Yung Wing-ki, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, told China Daily that Xi's three-day visit showed the central government's care and support for Hong Kong and its people.

The visit also reassured Hong Kong people that the central government would unswervingly uphold the "one country, two systems" principle to maintain the Asian financial hub's prosperity and stability. Yung urged people to heed Xi's call for Hong Kong to set aside major differences and seek broad common ground in order to have rational discussions on social issues.

Starry Lee Wai-king, a Hong Kong lawmaker and chairwoman of the city's largest political groupthe Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kongattended the new-term government's inauguration ceremony on Saturday. Lee said Xi's remarks during the swearing-in ceremony stressed the importance of having a correct understanding of the relationship between "one country" and "two systems".

She said some people in Hong Kong in recent years held misconceptions about the relationshipand about how to handle relations between the mainland and Hong Kong.

During his visit to the city, the president cautioned that any attempt to challenge the "one country, two systems" principle or undermine national sovereignty is an act that crossed the red line, Lee said.

Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai, a member of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, was also at the ceremony. She noted that Xi's remarks showed there are plenty of opportunities for Hong Kong to boost development and its international prestige with the unique advantages of "one country, two systems".

The business sectors also expressed appreciation of Xi's successful visit to Hong Kong, saying it has given the city a direction to grow its economy in future.

On Saturday, the president attended the signing ceremony of the framework agreement on development of the 11-city cluster of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Local business-oriented political group Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong expressed gratitude that Xi's visit identified a clear role for Hong Kong in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the alliance noted the framework agreement on development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is of significant importance to Hong Kong, as it has given the city a new blueprint for future development and a new engine of economic growth.

Contact the writers at willa@chinadailyhk.com
Highlights of Xi's speech marking HK's 20th return anniversary 2017-07-02 14:33:02 chinadaily.com.cn President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at a meeting on Saturday celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the fifth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Here are the highlights of Xi's speech:

Editor's note:

President Xi Jinping delivered a speech at a meeting on Saturday celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the fifth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Here are the highlights of Xi's speech:

A review of history: An extraordinary journey leading to today

It was not until the Communist Party of China led the Chinese people to victory in a dauntless and tenacious struggle for national independence and liberation and founded New China that the Chinese people truly stood up and blazed a bright path of socialism with distinctive Chinese features.

Celebrating HKSAR's coming of age

According to Chinese tradition, a man enters adulthood at the age of 20. So today, we are celebrating the coming of age of the HKSAR, which has grown exuberantly like a bamboo or a pine tree.

Since its return to the motherland, Hong Kong has kept its distinct features and strengths. Its allure of being a vibrant metropolis where the East meets the West remains as strong as ever.

One country, two systems: A workable solution welcomed by the people

"One country, two systems" is a great initiative pursued by China. It offers a new way of thinking and a new formula to the international community in addressing similar issues.

The concept of "one country, two systems" gives expression to the vision of peace and harmony in Chinese culture. It embodies a very important tenet, namely, seeking broad common ground while setting aside major differences.

Expectations of new SAR government It is my hope that in the next five years, the HKSAR government will unite people of all sectors in Hong Kong to fully and faithfully implement the principle of "one country, two systems", stay committed to the basis of "one country", leverage the benefits of "two systems" well, and make solid efforts to ensure the success of its various endeavors.

Central government to continue to support Hong Kong

We will continue to support Hong Kong in growing its economy and improving people's lives, and in leveraging its strengths and role in advancing the Belt and Road Initiative, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Renminbi internationalization and other major development strategies.
China's contribution to peacekeeping 'extremely important,'says UN peacekeeping chief 2017-07-02 21:22:59 Xinhua The top UN peacekeeping official has said that China's contribution to peacekeeping is "extremely important," while highly commending the quality of its contingent and equipment.

UNITED NATIONS - The top UN peacekeeping official has said that China's contribution to peacekeeping is "extremely important," while highly commending the quality of its contingent and equipment.

"As the second largest financial contributor, China's contribution to peacekeeping is extremely important," Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Peacekeeping Operations, told Xinhua in a recent exclusive interview.

Lacroix, who took over from the former Under-Secretary-General Herve Ladsous on April 1 and is in charge of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, said that "China is a very important troop contributor as well with about 2,500 peacekeepers deployed in a number of countries as in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Mali."

According to UN official statistics, China currently contributes 2,512 people to UN peacekeeping, including 155 police, 34 military experts and 2,323 troops.

On average, China contributes more troops to UN peacekeeping missions than any other permanent member of the UN Security Council. The country dispatches high-value troops and has recently begun to provide combat troops, marking a significant change in its deployment profile, according to UN reports.

"What is remarkable is that the contributions of China are very high quality," said the USG, recalling his March visit to Juba of South Sudan, where he paid a visit with his predecessor Ladsous and "saw the quality of China's contributions directly."

"I was deeply impressed by the quality of the Chinese contingent, qualified people and quality equipment -- this is very important," he noted.

The bulk of UN peacekeeping operations funding is appropriated much like the general budget, but permanent members of the Security Council are required to pay a larger share, and all states are free to contribute additional funding, equipment, or other services to missions of their respective choices.

The year 2015 was a landmark year in China's rise as a global security provider. Not only did the Chinese leader commit 8,000 troops to the UN peacekeeping standby force-one fifth of the 40,000 total troops committed by 50 nations-China also pledged $100 million to the African Union standby force and $1 billion to establish the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund.

The UN extremely appreciated the fact that China is committed to the PCRS or the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System, said Lacroix.

"We look forward that China will bring those contributions to a level of readiness that will enable us, if needed, to rapidly deploy Chinese units wherever they are needed," he said.

"This is a very much appreciated effort," said the USG.

"I think that there is another area that China's role is and will be very important. It's the area of helping the other actual troop contributor countries to improve the level (of Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System)," said UN peacekeeping chief.

The UN does not have its own military force; it depends on contributions from Member States. As of March 31, 2014, 122 countries contributed military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping, according to UN statistics.

To date, 54 UN peace operations have completed their mandates.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday welcomed the closure of the United Nations Operations in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) on June 30, after having successfully achieved its mandate.

"He commends the significant contributions of all partners national, regional and international in the Ivoirian peace process," the UN chief said in a statement.

A consensus has been reached among UN top management echelon that peacekeeping operations have evolved from simply monitoring ceasefires to protecting civilians, disarming ex-combatants, protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law, supporting free and fair elections, minimizing the risk of land-mines and much more.

In all these areas, China is playing an increasingly import role, said Lacroix.
It is unwise for Washington to play the Taiwan card 2017-07-02 19:04:10 chinadaily.com.cn Washington is well aware that Beijing will not tolerate any external interference in its internal affairs, especially any challenge to the countrys territorial integrity and sovereignty.

The past week was nothing but eventful considering the relative peace China-US relations have enjoyed since Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump struck a constructive note for bilateral ties when they met in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, in April.

Over the past few days, Washington has approved a $1.4-billion arms sale to Taiwan and blacklisted a Chinese bank for alleged business ties with the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, and the US Senate Armed Services Committee has approved a bill for US naval vessels to make regular stops at Taiwan ports and help the island develop undersea warfare capabilities.

The moves run counter to the consensus reached by the two presidents on that occasion that the two countries should work together to forge a constructive partnership.

And although the approval of the arms sales to Taiwan agreed last year is the most provocative move the Trump administration has taken thus far, it is actually the latest act of a decades-old routine stemming from the US Defense Authorization Act, which is hardly a novelty in bilateral ties, and is only surprising because of its timing, scale and the technologies involved.

The proposed port visits are another matter, should they gain the approval of Congress and the authorization of the president, the consequences for ties are likely to be extremely serious, because besides sending a misleading message to the secessionist forces in Taiwan, they would constitute a substantial infringement on Chinas sovereignty.

Washington is well aware that Beijing will not tolerate any external interference in its internal affairs, especially any challenge to the countrys territorial integrity and sovereignty. Something Xi spelled out very clearly during his just-concluded visit to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

At this stage, the moves made last week are nothing more than annoying, and they do not necessarily measure up to a reversal in the US China policies as some are claiming.

It may be the outcome-oriented Washington is anxious to try and leverage immediate gains from bilateral collaboration in relation to priority issues on its agenda or a price-hiking ploy prior to negotiations at the upcoming Comprehensive Economic Dialogue. Either way, going overboard in trying to put pressure on Beijing may prove counterproductive, since it will simply prompt a tit-for-tat response from which the US will not emerge unbruised.

Beijing, protesting against the moves, has called on Washington to correct its mistakes so that their cooperation on major issues will not be affected, showing the constructive partnership they have pledged to formulate is still attainable if there is a shared will.
This year is the 40th since the resumption of Gaokao, China's college entrance exam. For those who took it back then, in a way, Gaokao holds a special place in their hearts.

"The exam was like a prelude to China's reform and opening-up," said Lu Mai, secretary general of China Development Research Foundation at a seminar commemorating 40 years of Gaokao on June 17. He took his Gaokao in 1977, the year the exam resumed after the disruption of the "cultural revolution" (1966-76).

Ning Bin, president of Beijing Jiaotong University, who took the exam the same year, agrees. "Just as the policy was good for China's development, the resumption of Gaokao changed numerous people's lives, regardless their social status," he said.

In 1977, the exam was taken by around 5.7 million people, including high school graduates, farmers and factory workers.

Since then, with the education system normalized, Gaokao has evolved, and opened up China's education in a number of ways.

In 2003, independent enrollment was added to the Gaokao system for colleges to enroll students of their choice, with extra tests on students' thinking and personalities, which further opened up the content of the exams.

Students usually have to go through two stages of exams, including a written exam and an interview. If they pass, in most cases the target colleges lower the minimum Gaokao score for them to be admitted.

Chen Weiwei, a high school graduate from east China's Zhejiang province, is one of those to undergo independent college enrollment after the exam.

"It relies more on knowledge you gain outside of the classroom, so it's a bit challenging," he admitted, after sharing his thoughts on the different versions of Journey to the West, a Chinese classic, in the interview at Peking University.

In 2017, up to 90 colleges had qualified for independent enrollment, up from 23 in 2003.

"Independent enrollment is a good complement to the traditional exams," said Tu Muyue, a student at Beijing Normal University, who passed the independent enrollment in 2015. "Students with better integrated competence have a better chance of being admitted to better schools."

This year also saw the changes first proposed in September 2014 in a national plan to overhaul Gaokao, as students who started senior high school in 2014 sat their exams this year.

A major change was in the exam itself. In Shanghai, for example, exams in sciences and liberal arts are no longer rigidly divided into two mutually exclusive sets.

"Students have more choice of major now as there are fewer limitations," Zhou Aoying, vice president of East China Normal University said.

However, despite progress, the Gaokao system still has a long way to go.

"We are facing a bigger task of raising the exam to another level," Ning Bin noted. "In 1977 we were just getting things back on track, which was relatively easier. Accommodating more innovative talent is a key factor for us to consider."

Chen Quansheng, adviser at the State Council has suggested changes to the system.

"Innovations are new concepts that require a more open environment for students to think," he said.

He was referring to the exam's overemphasis on grades as well as rigid content, criticized by many as restrictive, resulting in the 2014 changes.

Others call for a larger range of colleges for Gaokao examinees to consider, as college education should go in line with a more open entrance exam.

"We should have more categories of colleges, and let them accept their particular sets of students," said Li Daxi, president of Columbia International University in the United States.

"It's important for the students to have more choices," he added.
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Chinese peacekeeping troops, the last detachment of the country's first deployment of a full infantry battalion for a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission arrive at Juba International Airport on April 8, 2015. [Photo/VCG]

UNITED NATIONS - The top UN peacekeeping official has said that China's contribution to peacekeeping is "extremely important," while highly commending the quality of its contingent and equipment.

"As the second largest financial contributor, China's contribution to peacekeeping is extremely important," Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Peacekeeping Operations, told Xinhua in a recent exclusive interview.

Lacroix, who took over from the former Under-Secretary-General Herve Ladsous on April 1 and is in charge of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, said that "China is a very important troop contributor as well with about 2,500 peacekeepers deployed in a number of countries as in the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Mali."

According to UN official statistics, China currently contributes 2,512 people to UN peacekeeping, including 155 police, 34 military experts and 2,323 troops.

On average, China contributes more troops to UN peacekeeping missions than any other permanent member of the UN Security Council. The country dispatches high-value troops and has recently begun to provide combat troops, marking a significant change in its deployment profile, according to UN reports.

"What is remarkable is that the contributions of China are very high quality," said the USG, recalling his March visit to Juba of South Sudan, where he paid a visit with his predecessor Ladsous and "saw the quality of China's contributions directly."

"I was deeply impressed by the quality of the Chinese contingent, qualified people and quality equipment -- this is very important," he noted.

The bulk of UN peacekeeping operations funding is appropriated much like the general budget, but permanent members of the Security Council are required to pay a larger share, and all states are free to contribute additional funding, equipment, or other services to missions of their respective choices.

The year 2015 was a landmark year in China's rise as a global security provider. Not only did the Chinese leader commit 8,000 troops to the UN peacekeeping standby force-one fifth of the 40,000 total troops committed by 50 nations-China also pledged $100 million to the African Union standby force and $1 billion to establish the UN Peace and Development Trust Fund.

The UN extremely appreciated the fact that China is committed to the PCRS or the Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System, said Lacroix.

"We look forward that China will bring those contributions to a level of readiness that will enable us, if needed, to rapidly deploy Chinese units wherever they are needed," he said.

"This is a very much appreciated effort," said the USG.

"I think that there is another area that China's role is and will be very important. It's the area of helping the other actual troop contributor countries to improve the level (of Peacekeeping Capability Readiness System)," said UN peacekeeping chief.

The UN does not have its own military force; it depends on contributions from Member States. As of March 31, 2014, 122 countries contributed military and police personnel to UN peacekeeping, according to UN statistics.

To date, 54 UN peace operations have completed their mandates.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday welcomed the closure of the United Nations Operations in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) on June 30, after having successfully achieved its mandate.

"He commends the significant contributions of all partners national, regional and international in the Ivoirian peace process," the UN chief said in a statement.

A consensus has been reached among UN top management echelon that peacekeeping operations have evolved from simply monitoring ceasefires to protecting civilians, disarming ex-combatants, protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law, supporting free and fair elections, minimizing the risk of land-mines and much more.

In all these areas, China is playing an increasingly import role, said Lacroix.
Chinese ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming gives an interview to BBC Radio 4's live broadcast Today program on June 29. [Provided to China Daily]

Chinese ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming shared his views on the progress and achievement of the Hong Kong SAR since its establishment 20 years ago and the success of "one country, two systems" policy during an interview on the Today program of BBC Radio 4 hosted by John Humphrys.

On Hong Kong, the ambassador said the "one country, two systems" has been implemented with great success. "I can't agree with some of the interviews aired just before me saying that China did not deliver its promises. As a matter of fact, the Central Government of China delivered everything it promises, that is one country, two systems'."

He said during the June 29 interview that basically Hong Kong has maintained its social, economic system, way of life, rule of law, and Hong Kong now is much better placed compared with 20 years ago. So this is really an occasion for the Chinese people to have a grand celebration.

"I think in the past 20 years we've seen Hong Kong maintaining prosperity and stability, the GDP doubled, and foreign exchange reserve quadrupled. Hong Kong still remains a global center of finance, trade and shipping. The life expectancy of its people increased tremendously," he said, adding that"they are ahead of many developed countries. So I would say people in Hong Kong are now living longer and living happier".

Addressing Humphrys' question on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's chief executive election, Liu said the political governance of Hong Kong today, including democratic governance has made great progress compared with 20 years ago.

"When you say one country, two systems', I think some people forget that this is one framework. You have to remember that Hong Kong is part of China, not part of UK, and not a so-called independent entity," he stressed.

In the past 20 years there were 5 elections in Hong Kong. Hong Kong's chief executive is elected according to the Basic Law, according to the Election Law in Hong Kong.

"You have to achieve this through incremental, gradual process and step-by-step. As we say, Rome or maybe London is not built overnight and Hong Kong is not built overnight," the ambassador said.

Humphrys said there was a report by the BritishForeign office released in February last year criticizing the mainland of constituting serious breach of the Sino-British Joint Declaration by undermining the "one country, two systems" principle.

Liu reacted: "I think when you read the report, first of all, we disagree with this so-called Report on Hong Kong, which was published twice a year. We think Hong Kong is an integral part of China, and Hong Kong's affairs are internal affairs of China. It's not for foreign governments to interfere.

"Having said that, even with this report, the British government commends the Chinese government for implementing one country, two systems' and they believe one country, two systems' is a great success."

He added that"there are some differences between China and the UK but on the whole we all believe that long-term stability, long-term prosperity in Hong Kong are in the interests of not only China but also Britain and the international community".

On the question of China's rising international role, Liu said: "I do not foresee that China will become a superpower in the foreseeable future. I believe China is still a developing country.

"Even when China becomes the largest economy in the world, it will take a long way for China to become so-called superpower. China is a large country, and there are great differences between regions."

He noted that "we are interested in improving the livelihood of the people, and addressing the disparity between regions. When people look at China, they like to focus on the coastal region, the eastern part of China - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong. They are very much developed. For example Guandong is the 15th-largest economy in the world. It's about the size of Spain. But if you look at other provinces - Gansu, Ningxia, they are rather backward."
TOKYO -- Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike's new party and its allies scored a sweeping victory against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Sunday's Tokyo metropolitan assembly election.

"We must recognize this as an historic defeat," former defense minister and LDP lawmaker Shigeru Ishiba was quoted by public broadcaster NHK as saying.

Forces supporting Koike captured a total of 79 seats out of the 127 seats up for grabs, with Koike's Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First party) winning 49 seats, and its major ally in the metropolitan assembly the Komeito party securing 23 seats.

Meanwhile, Abe's ruling LDP won only 23 seats, its lowest-ever level in a Tokyo assembly election, according to local media.

The LDP has been suffering recently from a plunging public support rate for Abe's cabinet amid two school scandals implicating the prime minister as well as the ruling coalition's unorthodox way of forcing through a controversial legislation at the parliament.

Abe has been accused of using his position to make sure that a school operator, chaired by a close friend of Abe's, was selected to open a new veterinary department at a university in a special deregulated zone.

He has also been implicated in a scandal involving the school operator Moritomo Gakuen, which reportedly bought a 8,770-square-meter piece of land last June in Toyonaka, Osaka Prefecture, for 134 million yen, equivalent to only 14 percent of its appraisal price, for building a new elementary school with Abe's wife Akie as its honorary principal.

The prime minister and his ruling bloc has also drawn staunch criticism from civic groups, lawyers, opposition parties and regular citizens for forcibly enacting the controversial "conspiracy" legislation, which, while criminalizing the planning of serious crimes, could cause serious infringement upon civil liberties, according to critics.

A public opinion poll conducted by Kyodo News last month showed that support rate for Abe's cabinet dropped to 44.9 percent, down 10.5 percentage points from a survey a month earlier, with the majority of the people saying they were not convinced by the government's explanations about the scandals implicating the prime minister.

A series of scandals involving close allies of Abe's exposed recently made the situation even worse for the LDP, as opposition parties demanded Defense Minister Tomomi Inada be sacked for violating the nation's Self-Defense Forces Law, which strictly prohibits political activities by its personnel, and former education minister Hakubun Shimomura was accused of mishandling political donations.

A total of 259 candidates contended for the 127 seats up for grabs in Sunday's election, which has been viewed by many as a barometer of national politics.

The LDP backed 60 candidates in the election, while Tomin First no Kai put forward 50. Both the Democratic Party and Komeito fielded 23 candidates each, while the Japanese Communist Party endorsed 37 candidates.

Before the election, the LDP held 57 seats at the Tokyo assembly, followed by the Komeito party with 22, the Japanese Communist Party with 17, the Democratic Party with seven and Tomin First six.

Koike, Tokyo's first female governor, had been a House of Representatives lawmaker with the ruling LDP before winning the Tokyo gubernatorial election by a large margin last July without the backing of her party.

She officially quit the LDP last month and became head of the Tomin First no Kai which was formed last September by Tokyo assembly members supporting Koike.

Voter turnout of Sunday's election stood at 51.27 percent, 7.77 percentage points higher than turnout of the previous election in 2013.
STRASBOURG, France -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's Special Envoy Wan Gang on Saturday attended the memorial ceremony of former German chancellor Helmut Kohl in Strasbourg, the French city home to the European Parliament.

On behalf of President Xi, on behalf of the Chinese government and people, Wan paid a final solemn tribute to Kohl.

He also conveyed his condolences to European Council President Donald Tusk, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and to the family of Kohl.

Wan is also Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Minister of Science and Technology.

Helmut Kohl, Wan said, had made contributions to development of the Sino-European and Sino-German relations. The Chinese side won't forget him as an old friend.

China is looking forward to working together with the European Union and Germany, for further development of the Sino-European and Sino-German relations, Wan said.

The European and German sides thanked the Chinese delegation for attending the ceremony and expressed their wishes to deepen the Sino-European and Sino-German ties.

Kohl died, at the age of 87, on June 16 at his home in Ludwigshafen in Germany's western state of Rhineland-Platinate.
Foreign company employers in China constantly get sued over employee vacation days. The very short version of the general rule regarding vacation days in China is that any employee who works continuously for a year is legally entitled to annual paid leave (a/k/a paid vacation days). This is not news to China-based foreign employers as their parent companies all have vacation policies. However, what is not so well known is the legal requirement that they make arrangements for the employees to be able to enjoy their statutory vacation days. What this means is that employers in China must stay on top of how their employees take (or fail to take) their vacation days and, more importantly, they must pay their employees for unused vacation days, unless they can prove the relevant employee voluntarily gave up such vacation days.

Foreign employers in China too often assume their employees cannot prevail on claims for payment for unused vacation days if the employee has waited too long. But this typically depends on how the statute of limitations is calculated. Some Chinese courts treat compensation for unused vacation days as normal wages and give employees one year after their employment is terminated to sue for all such compensation. Some courts treat unused vacation time compensation as a penalty payable by the employer and apply a shorter statute of limitations. Some courts completely ignore any statute of limitations and rule that an employer that cannot produce evidence to show its employee actually took the vacation days at issue must pay for any unused vacation days, no matter how long ago.

Our China employment lawyers advise our clients not to focus on how a particular Chinese court in a specific city will apply the statute of limitations on any given day, especially since courts in different districts in the same city have been known to use different standards. Rather, we tell them to focus on doing what is necessary to prevent the problem entirely. From day one, your HR department should be keeping track of how each of your employees takes his or her vacation days and clean up any lingering issues or claims by getting your employees to execute an agreement (in Chinese!) making acknowledging having been paid in full for any unused vacation days.

Though employees in China should plan their own vacation days and though they do have the freedom to relinquish their vacation days, it is not a good strategy for employers to leave it to their employees to track and/or accumulate their vacation days without checking. When employees sue for vacation time accrued years earlier, you want to have good evidence that no payment is owed.
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.
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Pamela Anderson has come a long way since her over-the-top makeup and cleavage-baring ensembles as she gracefully ages.

The former original "Baywatch" actress' 50th birthday is Saturday, July 1 and she still looks flawless.

LAST PLAYBOY COVER: Pamela Anderson returns to Playboy for 2015 cover

During the early years of her career, the former Playmate was known for her teased platinum-blonde locks, frocks that showed off her ample bust and wild partying ways, but as she turns over the fifth decade of her life, she has slightly matured her look.

She recently was photographed at the 57th Monte Carlo TV Festival in Monaco in a graceful white-lace, floral gown with ruffles along her shoulder and her hair up in a messy bun.

PLS Pool/Getty Images

EPIC CHANGE: Texas mom undergoes eight surgeries to look like Melania Trump

The outfit is one of many conservative choices the actress has recently worn to events, many of which she attends with her 21-year-old son Brandon Thomas Lee.

Brandon Thomas Lee was one of the sons Anderson had while she with rock star Tommy Lee from 1995-1998. Her other son with Tommy Lee is 19-year-old Dylan Jagger Lee.

Since her "Baywatch" days, Anderson has been doing her part in making the world a better place. In 2014, she launched The Pamela Anderson Foundation to help environmental causes and protect vulnerable people and animals.

Though, the sex symbol hasn't left her Playmate days behind her. She was a part of a sizzling campaign for Coco De Mer, where she showed off her 49-year-old figure in barely-there lingerie outfits.

To see how the ageless beauty hasn't changed much over the years, click through the gallery above.

HATERS QUIET: Aspiring plus-sized model shuts down body-shamers online
A man is in the hospital and facing a felony charge after a Sunday morning police chase ended in a dramatic crash in southwest Houston.

The chaos started around 1:15 a.m, when Houston police tried stopping a driver near South Main and Orem. But instead of pulling over, the man allegedly led police on a high-speed chase, running red lights as he sped through the southwest part of the city.
He probably feels like a real ding-dong.

A Florida man could end up facing charges after he accidentally shot himself in the penis, according to local reports.

Cedrick Jelks was rushed to a Jacksonville hospital Friday after he unwittingly sat on a loaded gun in the driver's seat of his car, police said.

Shanekia Roberts told police Jelks was sitting alone in his Nissan Maxima when he suddenly jumped out and ran into their home and bee-lined straight for the bathroom, according to WKMG.

When Roberts noticed the panicked 38-year-old had shot himself in the penis, she took him to Memorial Hospital for surgery, WJXT reported.

Investigators later realized the Roberts had a felony drug conviction from 2004. It's not clear who owned the gun, but local outlets reported it's possible Jelks could face charges as a felon in possession of a firearm.
Houston, apparently, we do NOT have a problem.

InfoWars conspiracy theorist host Alex Jones had a guest on Thursday to discuss how kidnapped children have been sent on a two-decade mission to space.

Well, NASA has responded and publicly denied the theory that they have a child slave colony on Mars.

MARS LIFE: UFO hunters spot lizard-like animal on Mars

On Thursday, Jones welcomed guest ex-CIA officer, Robert David Steele on The Alex Jones Show.

"We actually believe that there is a colony on Mars that is populated by children who were kidnapped and sent into space on a 20-year ride," said Steele. "So, that once they get to Mars they have no alternative but to be slaves on the Mars colony."

SPACE PHOTOS: What the Earth and moon look like from Mars

Jones responds to his guest, "Look, I know that 90 percent of the NASA missions are secret and I've been told by high-level NASA engineers that you have no idea. There is so much stuff going on."

A NASA spokesman responded to this conversation and told the Daily Beast:

"There are no humans on Mars. There are active rovers on Mars. There was a rumor going around last week that there weren't. There are," Guy Webster, a spokesperson for Mars exploration at NASA, told The Daily Beast. "But there are no humans."
Thank you, Rep. Brady, for Environmental Protection

To the editor:

I want to thank Rep. Kevin Brady for citing the importance of environmental protection along with safety and security in his June 14, 2017, op-ed in The Woodlands Villager.

While there may be differences in opinion about policy and politics, we must first agree as Rep. Brady said " to protect our environment and reduce carbon emissions but in a fair, responsible, and achievable manner."

Step 1 accomplished. Now, we can discuss how.

Fortunately, 46 members of Congress (23 Republicans and 23 Democrats) have started to investigate "how" by forming the bi-partisan Climate Solutions Caucus.

I trust Rep. Brady will support their efforts for the sake of our community and country.

Robert L. Jones

Conroe

Great op-ed by Brady

To the editor:

I am writing to express my thanks to you and Congressman Brady for his excellent op-ed in The Woodlands Villager's June 14, 2017, edition - Putting America's safety and security first.

His clear and direct statement "We need to protect our environment and reduce carbon emissions but in a fair, responsible, and achievable manner" is exactly right. We can reduce carbon emissions in a fair, responsible, and achievable manner that is also economically efficient. ExxonMobil has just thrown their weight behind such a method - the Climate Leadership Council's Carbon Dividend - www.clcouncil.org.

Bill Bray

The Woodlands

ExxonMobil Annuitant

Freedom is not free

To the editor:

July 4 is not just about waving flags, grilling meat or oohing and aahing at fireworks displays. It's a celebration of hard-earned freedom from tyranny. American independence did not result from passivity. Our colonial predecessors made sacrifices for their cause and we are the beneficiaries of their commitment to truth, liberty and justice.

Presently, the rights for which our forebears laid the foundation are threatened. The current administration and it's congressional accomplices, awash in self-interest, are eroding all that truly makes America great; a free press, due process, balance of powers and the stipulation that, in order to ensure freedom to worship as we choose, government will not establish a religion.

To maintain these ideals and others, our commitment to them is essential. We can't expect or rely on others to preserve what we have come to take for granted. We naively think of America and its values as an impenetrable fortress, invulnerable to any existential threats. But forces wielding the tools of autocracy are chipping away at its walls and the only remedy to this destruction is the vigilance of the people.

Please get involved before it's too late.

Philip Bradshaw

The Woodlands

Religion Foundation launches assault on our nation's foundation

To the editor:

The radical onslaught of the Progressives against the core values of America continues. The misleadingly named Religion Foundation has filed suit against Montgomery County for expressing the traditional and foundational value of America.

Anti-religion zealots, have radically advocated far beyond the bounds of the original Constitutional definitions of church establishment as a government selected organ of the state. They sued Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Wayne Mack in federal court claiming the chaplain-led, pre-docket prayer which no one was coerced to attend, was unconstitutional. They were soundly repelled by the court who followed my and your "inalienable rights of freedom to the free exercise of religion" as reaffirmed in the First Amendment to our rule of government, i.e. the U. S. Constitution.

This new attempt to denude our civilization from the guiding principles that led our founders to respect the rights of the people is vile. We must affirm our foundational values and resist the progressively liberal Democrat attempts to turn our nation into a society of constantly shifting and thus weakened set of values.

A long-honored foreign surveyor of America said:

"America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." And that she was good was because, more than any other European country, she was religious.

In the purest form of democratic values, expressed in the first words of our U. S. Constitution, "we do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

That is, "we" the God fearing and biblically based people. A majority of the signers had been trained in schools whose primary purpose was the preparation of ministers in one or another of the branches of the Christian religion.

These Progressives would have us abandon Biblical values because they are Biblical. Do you agree to also trash can biblical commandments such as the prohibitions as those against murder, lying and theft? The so-called Religion Foundation would foist upon us and aggressively push for abandonment of the pillars of religion, morality, virtue and self-governance, upon which our civil society is based, and without which our form of free government falls.

As President John Adams, who was amongst the most vigorous fighters for independence from the tyranny of King George III, stated: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other". No amount of layer upon layer of Radically Progressive Democrat laws can make us a just nation without there being a foundation of morality, of which there is no is no firmer foundation than Christianity. An inadequate basic moral and religious foundation inevitable leads to a crumbling society that ultimately has lead, throughout history, to either a dictatorial government or anarchy.

Even the deist Thomas Jefferson supported and attended weekly Christian church services in the U.S. Capitol to show respect for the values of our foundational Christian religion. As president he proposed the distribution of Bibles to natives as a way to lead them to right order and civilization.

So, this assault by radically Progressive Democrats upon the "free exercise" of our reliance upon the expression of our national motto "In God We Trust" continues. They curse all the religious references that cover our capitol in Washington, from the tip of the Washington Monument to the very halls of Congress and our Supreme Court, to say nothing also of the thousands of insignia, crosses and monuments of the Ten Commandments that grace our entire nation.

These assaults upon the foundations of our nation by the so-called Religion Foundation and their radical allies in the Democrat Party, must be resisted and defeated at every turn if our free and most stable democratic republic in the world's history is to survive and flourish. It is up to each and every citizen to preserve to the benefit of each and every citizen from the poorest to the richest our value based republic. Every citizen and every believer in liberty must resist the assaults from this group and all it's allies. God bless America.

Paul Gebolys

The Woodlands

Medicaid cuts hurt the disabled

To the editor:

My name is Sheena Walter. I am a lifelong resident of Montgomery County. I am one of the millions of people with disabilities who will be affected substantially in a negative way by the proposed cuts to Medicaid. I am a person with disabilities who depends on vital services Medicaid provides -- such as an aide who comes to my home and helps me so that I can continue to live in my community as well as access to medical care that helps me live with a decent quality of life and be able to volunteer and serve my community as I am able.

I am a young adult and want to be able to continue to live in my community, continue to serve through my church, continue to be part of society. I don't want to lose access to the health care that not only keeps me alive, but able to live in my own apartment and participate in my community. I don't want my friends and people I care deeply about to lose these things either.

I am writing to encourage my fellow citizens of The Woodlands and surrounding areas to please contact their senators and urge them to vote no on the proposed healthcare legislation with substantial cuts to Medicaid and vital community waiver programs that help keep people with disabilities such as myself in their communities and out of institutions (by the way, institutions are greatly more expensive per year than community supports! A lot of money is saved by keeping us in our communities).

Everyone should pay attention and care about issues that affect the community of disabled Americans -- anyone, at any time -- regardless of social class, age, race, education, or other factors -- can become part of this group -- these are human beings who will be affected and whose lives will be put in danger. Someone's son, daughter, sister, brother, neighbor, friend. People created by God. Please keep in mind the living, breathing, feeling human beings that will suffer greatly if these cuts are passed.

Thank you for reading and please take this into consideration. My life and the lives of others with disabilities hang in the balance.

Sheena Walter
A 13-year-old Texas girl missing for four days was found dead Sunday inside a Dallas home.

The FBI and local authorities found the bodies of Shavon Le'Feye Randle and Michael Titus, a person of interest in the case, inside a house in the 2200 block of East Kiest.

After reaching out to the community for tips, police received information leading them to the Cedar Crest address.

"After arriving at the residence we noticed that there were some injured individuals inside," Eric Jackson, special agent in charge of the FBI's Dallas field office, told reporters Sunday. Authorities quickly identified Shavon as one of the victims and notified her family.

RELATED: Amber Alert issued for teen

"We didn't have the positive result we're looking for, but we've been able to let Shavon's family know we located her," Jackson said. He thanked the community for helping lead investigators to girl's location.

Authorities did not immediately release a cause of death.

The teen vanished from her aunt's house in the Dallas suburb of Lancaster on Wednesday. Her reported kidnapping triggered an Amber Alert, and police said they believed the teen was in "immediate danger" after a man called the house threatening to kill the girl.

Following her disappearance, police identified four possible persons of interest in the case: 26-year-old Darius Fields, 19-year-old Titus, 25-year-old Laporshya Polley and 24-year-old Devontae Owens. One of the suspects Wednesday was seen driving a white, four-door sedan with dark etchings on the rear passenger side, police said.

Titus was positively identified as the body found with Shavon on Sunday night, the City of Lancaster said on Twitter.

On Friday, Fields and Polley were taken into custody and questioned, according to the Dallas Morning News.

RELATED: Four people sought in missing teen case

The following day, the city of Lancaster announced that Owens and a fifth person - Laquon Wilkerson - had been arrested in connection with the case.

Owens is still behind bars in the Dallas County jail, while Wilkerson is in the Tri City jail. Both are being held on $500,000 bail and face aggravated kidnapping charges.

After Sunday's gruesome discovery, authorities promised to seek justice.

"We're going to continue our investigation," Jackson said. "And anyone we find that were involved in this heinous crime against Shavon, we will bring you to justice and we will hold you accountable."
Political leaders across the country were outraged last week following Donald Trump's tweets attacking "Morning Joe" co-host Mika Brzezinski, but that clearly didn't stifle Trump's Twitter war with the media.

On Sunday morning, Trump posted a video of himself beating up a man in a suit with a CNN logo over his face. The video, posted directly on Trump's official Twitter account, is modified footage from his appearance at Wrestlemania 23 in 2007. In the real event, Trump attacked WWE boss Vince McMahon, husband of his Small Business Administration leader Linda McMahon.

THE PLOT THICKENS: The strange saga of Trump and 'Morning Joe' now involves the National Enquirer

Attacks on the media were a staple of Trump's presidential campaign and have remained prominent since he took office. He often refers to any critical media organization as "fake news" and has held particular animus towards CNN.

Following Trump's tweets attacking the hosts of "Morning Joe," spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders told gathered press that "the President in no way form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence."

However, violence did often break out at Trump campaign rallies and the president rarely spoke out against it. In the moment, he often seemed to encourage it.

At one Iowa rally, Trump said, "There may be somebody with tomatoes in the audience. So if you see somebody getting ready to throw a tomato, knock the crap out of them, would you? Seriously. Okay? Just knock the hell I promise you, I will pay for the legal fees."

MIKA AND JOE RESPOND: Donald Trump is not well

At another rally in Nevada that same month, he responded to a protester who was being removed from the audience by saying, "I love the old days, you know what they used to do to guys like that when they were in a place like this? They'd be carried out on a stretcher folks. ... I'd like to punch him in the face."

At a similar situation in Michigan in March 2016 he said of a protester, "Try not to hurt him. If you do I'll defend you in court, don't worry about it."

This may not be the last footage of Trump in wrestling situations that comes up. The president made a number of appearances in the WWE and was inducted into the organization's Hall of Fame in 2013.

You can see more images from Trump's WWE appearance in the gallery above.
The summers final Live on the Waterfront concert was held Wednesday evening at Prince Arthurs Landing. The popular series in Thunder Bay has completed nine weekly shows that began on July 13. Wednesdays concert was unique as it was held one hour later in the evening to mesh with the 10 p.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The city is gearing up to unveil on Friday more than a year's worth of work planning that shows how Opportunity Corridor, the $331 million boulevard under construction on the city's East Side, could benefit surrounding neighborhoods instead of merely speeding traffic across town.

Cleveland's planning commission will hear city planners describe what amounts to the most comprehensive vision to date for the Opportunity Corridor area.

The plans describe how development opportunities could spill north and south of the boulevard. The controversial, three-mile, 35-mph stretch is scheduled for completion in 2020.

Room for growth

For example, a vision developed for East 79th Street estimates that 4.6 million to 9.1 million square feet of construction could fit in multi-story buildings on 14 blocks filling 70 acres of land north and south of the Opportunity Corridor right-of-way.

The densest areas would cluster between the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority's Red Line rapid transit station south of South Woodland Road, and the Blue-Green Line station a third of a mile south between Holton Avenue and Hillside Road.

The plans were previewed by The Plain Dealer in recent interviews with Cleveland planning director Freddy Collier.

He said that such visions are a preliminary step toward the objective of assembling land, updating zoning, reaching out to developers and eventually completing deals that would bring jobs to poor East Side neighborhoods that have been thinning out for decades.

Ultimately, he said, the city wants the boulevard to serve as a catalyst for new jobs in high-tech medical research, skilled jobs in advanced manufacturing, and jobs in retail and in the city's budding Urban Agriculture Innovation Zone.

"The original intention for this (Opportunity Corridor) project was such that it was a connector to get people from one place to another,'' he said. "That has not, is not, and will never be the city's posture when it comes to Opportunity Corridor."

"Our focus," he continued, "is on looking at the lands that flank the corridor to create a true economic development project from this investment."

The backstory

Ohio Gov. John Kasich jumpstarted Opportunity Corridor in 2013 after years of on-and-off planning for the boulevard by the city and agencies including the Ohio Department of Transportation.

The boulevard is designed to curve east and then north from the stub end of I-490 at East 55th Street across portions of the Slavic Village, Kinsman and Fairfax neighborhoods before joining East 105th Street and extending north into University Circle and the southern edge of Glenville.

Financed with bonds issued against Turnpike revenues, the project has been viewed with deep suspicion by transportation activists and by some residents who see the project as nothing more than a cut-through connecting the city's West Side to the Cleveland Clinic and University Circle, the city's second downtown and its hub for medicine, education and culture.

(A video installation by artist Donald Black now on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland examines negative neighborhood perceptions about Opportunity Corridor).

Critics say the project would do nothing for residents in the largely poor and heavily depopulated areas around the road project in portions of Wards 4, 5 and 6, an area known as the city's Forgotten Triangle.

Acknowledging concerns

Collier said the city acknowledges such concerns, but feels that if development is done correctly around the boulevard, the city would stand to benefit.

Plans for the Opportunity Corridor area will be the only items on the agenda for Friday's meeting, and Collier hopes members of the Planning Commission adopt the plans, enabling the city to use them to guide additional work on zoning, land assembly and future development.

The discussion marks a shift in the city's posture toward Opportunity Corridor.

City-state dispute

Mayor Frank Jackson said last April that the Ohio Department of Transportation had failed to live up to an agreement to provide road construction jobs for residents in neighborhoods affected by Opportunity Corridor.

He also charged that Kasich and Jobs Ohio the state's privatized non-profit development corporation, failed to live up to a promise to provide utilities along the boulevard plus $10 million to clean up contaminated land.

During the conflict, the city withheld $3.1 million from the final two stages of road construction and stopped attending meetings of the Opportunity Corridor Steering Committee, a group of civic and community leaders who gathered several times a year to coordinate plans for the area.

The committee, as a result, went dormant after a trip to Milwaukee in May 2016 to learn about similar projects there, in which the city did not participate.

Collier said that the Jackson administration "did not believe convening meetings was relevant unless you had a true economic development project."

The city and state settled their conflict in February. Chris Urban a planner with the Greater Cleveland Partnership, said steering committee meetings for Opportunity Corridor would likely resume in August.

Re-engaging with steering committee

Collier said the city would re-engage with the committee and other partners, but added that that the city's planning department never stopped working on plans for collateral development around the boulevard.

"We never unplugged from the community because we unplugged from [Steering Committee] meetings that did not yield a result that we believed was viable for the neighborhood," he said.

One effort, led by the city in partnership with the nonprofit Burten Bell Carr Development Inc. focused on East 79th Street north and south of the corridor. With City Architecture of Cleveland as the design consultant, it was funded through a $150,000 grant from the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency through its Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative.

City planners also used part of a $400,000 federal TIGER grant, short for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, to envision transit and streetscape improvements along East 105th and East 93rd streets, overlapping Opportunity Corridor.

On the agenda

Those two plans will be unveiled Friday, along with plans by the nonprofit Fairfax Renaissance Development Corp. for Innovation Square, a development area west of East 105th Street that could encompass as many as 472 new units of housing in apartments and townhouses.

Denise VanLeer, executive director at Fairfax, underscored that current residents would not be displaced by any new housing construction.

Fairfax visions

The housing plans would dovetail with earlier work by Fairfax on its New Economy Neighborhood, a 17-acre area earmarked for office development east of East 105th Street at Cedar Avenue.

Collier said the city has worked with Fairfax to update the New Economy Neighborhood vision to make it denser developed, rather than an in-town version of a suburban office park.

The planning director said the commission would also view plans for the Kinsman neighborhood developed by the nonprofit Burten Bell Carr, plus plans underway for a transit-oriented development in the St. Hyacinth section of Slavic Village.

Kinsman neighborhood

Tim Tramble, executive director of Burten Bell Carr, said that in addition to plans for the future, his organization is already poised to start construction on BoxSpot, an innovative business incubator along Kinsman Road at East 82nd Street to be housed in stacked shipping containers.

Burten Bell Carr is also ready to build a $6 million, 60-unit senior apartment complex along Kinsman Road at East 79th Street, accompanied by an $8.3 million project to build 36 single-family houses development mainly along Colfax Road just to the north.

The agency is waiting to hear from the state's Ohio Home Financing Association on July 19 whether it will receive financing assistance for the projects, Tramble said.

"We are in a good position, but we don't want to jinx it," he said.

Overall, Tramble said, he's impressed with the city's planning for Opportunity Corridor, and especially with the vision for East 79th Street north and south of the future boulevard.

"I think it's bold," he said. "It's very thoughtful about connections and growing the neighborhood from an economic and housing standpoint, and a mobility standpoint."

VanLeer also said she's feeling more encouraged about Opportunity Corridor.

"I'm very optimistic," she said. "Somebody has to be. You have to believe to make it happen, and I'm a believer. We're going to do everything we can to make sure it's not just a road but that it helps people who live in the neighborhood."
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Coast Guard units for the Great Lakes are seeing an increase in fake distress calls, according to a news release.

The Coast Guard is asking for the public's help in stopping the unwarranted calls.

There have been more than 160 of these calls this year across the Great Lakes compared to 55 in 2016, the release says.

Those who make a fake distress call can face up to six years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a $5,000 civil penalty, the release says. They also may be required to pay back the Coast Guard for the search.

A false distress call can be made over the phone or by a marine radio. The person claims they are in distress "to intentionally deceive others and cause an unnecessary search," the Coast Guard says.

Every call the Coast Guard receives is treated as an emergency call until they deem it is false, the release says. A fake distress call can put others in danger because of the redirect of search and rescue responders, it added.

"False distress and hoax calls expose not only Coast Guard rescuers, but our partner agencies and other mariners to unnecessary risks, and potentially take away personnel and resources from real emergencies," Capt. Joseph McGilley, chief of incident management for the Ninth Coast Guard District, said in the news release.

The cost of launching a Coast Guard response boat is about $4,500 an hour, the release says. The cost of a Coast Guard helicopter responding to a search could get up to $16,000 an hour, it added

Anyone who makes a distress call by accident during a radio check, learns there was a distress call made by accident or that a child has made an unfounded distress call is asked to contact a local Coast Guard unit or the Ninth District Command Center at 216-902-6117.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Two men were injured early Sunday in a shooting in Cleveland's Hough neighborhood, police said.

The shooting happened about 1:10 a.m. at an apartment complex on the 9200 block of Hough Avenue, just west of East 93rd Street in the city's Hough neighborhood, Cleveland police spokesman Det. Reginald Lanton said.

One 20-year-old man was struck in the leg, and another 20-year-old man was hit in the foot, Lanton said. Paramedics took both men to University Hospitals for treatment.

Their current conditions are unknown.

Cleveland police did not immediately release details about the shooting. No suspect or arrest information was provided.

If you'd like to comment on this post, please visit the cleveland.com crime and courts comments section.
CLEVELAND - Mother Nature didn't spoil every effort by the Cleveland Orchestra Independence Day weekend.

For all her fury Friday night, when she shut down the orchestra's "Star-Spangled Spectacular," the weather goddess Saturday night was a sweet as could be, and made possible a nearly ideal evening at Blossom Music Center.

The music mirrored the atmosphere. Light and pleasant from first note to last, the program led by former Blossom Festival director Jahja Ling made for a warm, welcoming kickoff to the holiday and the orchestra's summer season.

Many, no doubt, attended in hopes of experiencing two of what would have been the main attractions of the "Star-Spangled Spectacular": fireworks and Tchaikovsky's "1812" Overture.

Happily, both went forward Saturday without a hitch. Indeed, under Ling, the latter rose above its frequent role as a prelude to pyrotechnics and emerged as the dramatic, tension-filled scene the composer surely intended it to be.

Another strong draw was Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess," in the elegant "Symphonic Picture" version arranged by Robert Russell Bennett. In 20 brisk minutes, Ling and the orchestra conjured all the opera's most memorable tunes, delivering each with enough swagger, panache, and lyricism to make one forget about the lack of vocalists.

One also could have listened all night to "Tahiti Trot," a charming adaptation by Shostakovich of the song "Tea for Two." Reunited after a moment of apparent misalignment, the orchestra went on to turn in a seductive, colorful performance rich in both individual and collective personality.

For serious Gershwin fans, meanwhile, the undoubted highlight of the evening was the composer's jazz-infused Concerto in F, as rendered by Ohio native Aaron Diehl. In his Cleveland debut, the pianist sometimes labored to transcend the orchestra, but what he brought forth was right on the money, a responsive and virtuosic interpretation marked by keen vitality and intimate communication with his peers.

The impression he left was a bold one. In jazz clubs especially, one suspects Diehl is something of a force of nature, a spirit akin to Friday's storms, powerful enough to bring down the house.

REVIEW

Cleveland Orchestra

What: Jahja Ling conducts Gershwin, Shostakovich, and Tchaikovsky.

When: 8 p.m. Sunday, July 2.

Where: Blossom Music Center, 1145 W. Steels Corners Rd., Cuyahoga Falls.

Tickets: $24-$89. Go to clevelandorchestra.com or call 216-231-1111.
PARMA, Ohio - Residents who had flooding in their basements after the torrential rain June 30 will get assistance in disposing of garbage and debris by the city.

"We understand frustrations of residents affected by the storm we experienced Friday night," said Mayor Tim DeGeeter.

DeGeeter

"At the height of the storm, and again [Saturday], we surveyed the flooded areas and have been in constant communication with council members who are responding to residents."

According to DeGeeter, he and Service Director Brian Higgins called in crews to work [Saturday and Sunday] to collect damaged property that was placed out for pickup.

"We understand that it might take time to get items out for pickup, so local collection will continue through next week," DeGeeter said.

DeGeeter said the city has worked to try and mitigate long-term problems and continues to work with our partners at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District and Cuyahoga County Public Works on problem areas.

"We are attacking this problem systematically, whether fixing culvert pipes, improving storm water management and sanitary sewers or monitoring flow in city creeks," DeGeeter said.

These projects can be viewed in Parma's annual report from Cuyahoga County Public Works: https://tinyurl.com/yak8lg5f

DeGeeter said that the city continues to advocate for increased infrastructure funding from the Federal Government and is working with our Congressional representatives to that end.

Residents can call the service department at 440-885-8184 to leave an address for collection. They also can contact the County Public Works Department at 216-443-8201.

"City council members are also gathering addresses where items have been placed out for cleanup and will communicate those to the Service Department," DeGeeter said.
SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio -- City Council has approved a contracts totaling $638,000 for a crosswalk replacement project around Shaker Town Center, as well traffic studies in and around the Van Aken District.

The studies, totaling about $123,000 of that, will include another look at the Lee Road-Van Aken Boulevard intersection, which has been the site of many accidents involving not only cars but buildings as well.

The remainder of the $515,000 in work will go toward the deteriorating stamped concrete crosswalks and other infrastructure along Chagrin Boulevard and Lee Road, dating back to the original installation in 2004-05.

On the recommendation of the Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA), city planners applied twice for a $160,000 grant, which they didn't get, although another $1.5 million was awarded last month for the Van Aken District.

"Merchants around Shaker Town Center should feel that the city is concerned about their well-being also," noted Councilman Sean Malone at the June 26 meeting.

Out of two design-build teams, the city selected Perk Company, Osborn Engineering and Boulevard Design, , based on previous projects that include Larchmere Boulevard in 2014 and the Euclid corridor, among others.

Their proposal calls for complete replacement of the crosswalks, as opposed to a prioritized approach from the other design-build team whose proposal was about $20,000 cheaper.

Providing a gateway to both districts is the Lee-Van Aken intersection, although some drivers have mistaken the entrance as going through the front of the Gimme Java coffee shop on the southeast corner, where crashes have occurred.

In recent years, the city has installed additional signage for left-turns, as well as bollards along the southeast corner, but City Planning Director Joyce Braverman said more is needed to ensure safety.

The traffic engineering services contract for that troublesome intersection, along with the Van Aken District, was awarded to the team of HNTB and TMS, which was $24,000 over the low bid of $99,000.

But HNTB is already well-acquainted with the Van Aken District, having conducted an earlier study that snared the city a $4 million safety grant from the Ohio Department of Transportation.

They also served as engineer for the $18 million roadway reconfiguration, and their Van Aken District signal study will take traffic counts and evaluate 11 intersections, including the Warrensville and Chagrin corridors, as well as Farnsleigh Road.

Responding to observations from Councilman Rob Zimmerman about current traffic signalization, Braverman said officials are already looking at adjusting the lights at Norwood and the "new" Northfield Road, near the Post Office.

The study on Warrensville will go as far as Shaker Boulevard and possibly Fairmount Circle, along with a check on the Sussex neighborhood traffic patterns as well.

Councilwoman Nancy Moore said it's important to have the traffic study done in advance of the completion of what amounts to a new downtown, with the $100 million first phase of the redevelopment project set to open next year.

"We want to be prepared right at the get-go," Moore said. "If we wait until we have the actual traffic (influx), it could be a mess."

Shaker will also be adding three side streets into the district: Meade, Tuttle and Walker roads, all named after famous local architects.
Clara007 said: johnwk said: Understanding a Democrat and RINO's, mindset.





Use the force of government to steal the product on one person's labor and redistribute it to lazy able-bodied cry babies for their personal economic needs.





JWK











The unavoidable truth is, the Bernie Sanders plan for free college tuition will be paid for by taxing millions of college graduates who worked their own way through college and are now trying to finance their own economic needs.



Click to expand...





John, this may come as a shock to you so maybe you should sit down, but there are MILLIONS of Americans who LIKE paying taxes. Oh sure. We complain--death and taxes--death and taxes--blah blah, but then we realize what our tax money buys.

We like paved roads/highways. We like libraries and public schools. We like clean water. WE like parks. We like our military. We like our veterans. WE like Medicare. AND we like taking care of other Americans.



I know!! Weird, right?? But it's all true. Now, here's my suggestion. IF you don't like paying taxes, then........DON'T. Your choice. John, this may come as a shock to you so maybe you should sit down, but there are MILLIONS of Americans who LIKE paying taxes. Oh sure. We complain--death and taxes--death and taxes--blah blah, but then we realize what our tax money buys.We like paved roads/highways. We like libraries and public schools. We like clean water. WE like parks. We like our military. We like our veterans. WE like Medicare. AND we like taking care of other Americans.I know!! Weird, right?? But it's all true. Now, here's my suggestion. IF you don't like paying taxes, then........DON'T. Your choice. Click to expand...





American citizens are sick and tired of being made into tax-slaves to finance a maternity ward for the poverty stricken populations of other countries who invade Americas borders to give birth.





And what does all that have to do with what I wrote. Try being specific instead of obfuscating.JWK
In the quest for a higher minimum wage, how high is too high?

In 2014, Seattle voted to gradually hike its minimum wage to $15 an hour, with the rate jumping from $11 to 13 last year. Yet on average, low-wage workers have made $125 per month less.

That's a key result of a new University of Washington study that found that the hourly wage hike could in fact be costing jobs. The study, released last week, examined low-wage employment within the city of Seattle from 2014 to 2016.

"What we found," study co-author Mark Long explained to CNBC's "On the Money" recently, "is that employees increased wages, which you'd expect given the mandate of the law, but they also cut hours and they cut jobs."

Long, a professor of public policy at the University of Washington, added that as a product of fewer hours and available jobs, "the net amount paid to low-wage workers declined instead of increased."

The findings come as many states and cities are passing new regulations to mandate a minimum wage increase over the next few years. Nationally, fast food workers are among those actively seeking a $15 and hour minimum pay, and labor unions are organizing a "Fight for $15" push.
Uber is facing two separate lawsuits brought against the ride-hail company by women who claim they were sexually assaulted by their drivers.

While the circumstances and allegations in the two complaints are different and were filed in separate states, both parties are suing Uber for negligent hiring and call into question the ride-hail company's customer support and safety practices. Specifically, both complaints accuse the company of prioritizing speed and cost effectiveness rather than safety when it comes to its driver-screening process.

One, filed in California last week by well-known celebrity attorney Lisa Bloom on behalf of her client, reads:

The application process to become an Uber driver is simple, fast, and designed to allow Uber to hire as many drivers as possible while incurring minimal associated costs. Such cost saving, however, is at the expense of riders, especially female riders.

The other, filed in Kansas City, Mo., on Wednesday similarly reads:

Despite consistently marketing its driver background check process as "industry leading" and "more rigorous than what is required to become a taxi driver"  in reality Uber's application process is designed for speed, not safety.

More From Recode:

Google is still mostly white and male

No single device will have as much impact as the iPhone in the next 10 years

Watch Toyota's new robot assistant help a disabled American vet

This comes as the ride-hail company is trying to overhaul the public's perception of both its corporate culture and the way in which it treats its customers, both riders and drivers.

Uber's system for background checks was a major point of contention for the company as it battled to become legal across the U.S. Namely, the company has long fought against fingerprint background checks.

Uber has also previously settled a suit over misrepresenting its screening process by describing its background checks as "industry leading" or the "gold standard"  terms the company has since stopped using.

Both suits claim more rigorous background checks, including fingerprinting, could have prevented incidents like this from happening.

Bloom's client, Erica Holland, alleges that she was assaulted and sexually battered by her driver during the ride. Her driver, whose name on the app was Hamzik, first grabbed her by the hair then later put his hand up her skirt. Holland called the police and emailed Uber. While it's not included in the complaint, Bloom told Recode that Uber's response to her client's report was to simply offer to repay her for the cost of the ride.

Uber says the driver doesn't have access to the platform anymore. The company has yet to receive an inquiry from the Los Angeles Police Department but is fully prepared to participate in any criminal investigation.

"No person should ever have to experience the violent act that's been reported to police," the company said in a statement.

Now, Bloom is in the midst of speaking to and vetting additional plaintiffs. She expects to have at least six more women  both Uber drivers and riders around the world  who have been assaulted during a ride join the suit.

While Holland is seeking monetary compensation for her emotional and physical injuries, she is also asking that Uber be ordered to implement a number of new policies and in-app features to prevent against these assaults in the future.

Holland is asking for an in-app panic button  a feature that Uber rolled out in India after a 2014 rape  as well as the ability for female customers to specifically choose female drivers. Holland also asks that the ride-hail company enforce mandatory fingerprint testing and require drivers to install cameras inside their cars.

"We believe this is a very significant problem in Uber cars and a problem that can be prevented in large part by [new] safety mechanisms," Bloom told Recode.

The second suit similarly questions the driver-screening process as well as Uber's incident response process.

On January 27, 2017, a woman, referred to as Jane Doe in the complaint, was allegedly raped by her Uber driver, named Yakhahnahn Ammi in the suit. The victim, the suit claims, was visibly intoxicated and the driver insisted on coordinating rides to and from different events throughout the night through the app. At the end of the night, after dropping her off at her apartment, he returned to use her bathroom.

"After letting Ammi use the restroom in her apartment, Ammi refused to leave the apartment despite multiple requests from Plaintiff to do so. Ammi then raped Plaintiff."

While there's little information about Holland's driver, since only his first name was included in the app, the driver in the second lawsuit has a history of violent crime and was sentenced to a 16-year prison term for attempted murder.

What complicates matters here is that the driver was charged in 1996. Uber's background checks, performed by a company called Checkr, only go back seven years. This is in line with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, an Uber spokesperson pointed out.

Uber declined to discuss the driver's criminal history and is still reviewing the suit.

However, the driver in question was involved in a series of civil and criminal issues in both Illinois and Missouri as recently as 2016. On Dec. 25, 2016, Ammi allegedly assaulted a woman in St. Louis, Mo.

"Shortly thereafter, Ammi was charged with third-degree domestic assault and had a warrant issued for his arrest," the complaint reads.

Five days later, the woman submitted an incident report to Uber notifying the company that there was a warrant out for his arrest. This incident, to be clear, did not happen during an Uber ride.

An Uber customer support representative called the woman and informed her that the company was taking the incident very seriously.

However, Uber confirmed that the driver was not permanently deactivated until March 2017 when the company did a follow-up background check and verified the pending charges. A spokesperson said that he was temporarily blocked immediately following the complaint, as is the company's policy.

"After hiring Ammi, Uber negligently retained Ammi after Uber was put on actual notice that Ammi violently assaulted a woman in December 2016, had a warrant out for his arrest for third-degree domestic assault, and posed a serious risk to the safety of Uber riders," the suit alleges.

These are certainly not the first cases of this nature in recent weeks. Another Los Angeles woman accused a driver of sexually assaulting her after she fell asleep in her car. The driver, who's since been arrested, also had a felony conviction for the possession of narcotics with the intent to sell from the 1990s, according to the Los Angeles Times.

By Johana Bhuiyan, Re/code.net.

CNBC's parent NBCUniversal is an investor in Recode's parent Vox, and the companies have a content-sharing arrangement.
The second of three 2017 intaglio prints offered by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to honor the three branches of the federal government is now available, the latest edition celebrating the Executive Branch.

Two views of the White House appear on the second of three intaglio prints for 2017 honoring the U.S. Constitution and the three branches of the government.

The second of three 2017 intaglio prints offered by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing to honor the three branches of the federal government is now available, the latest edition celebrating the Executive Branch.

All three prints are part of the BEPs Constitution Series Intaglio Print Program.

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This years program focuses on the United States Constitution, according to the BEP. This collection features an exquisite compilation of unique engraved vignettes focusing on the age-old art of intaglio printing.

Intaglio printing involves an engraver cutting fine lines into a metal plate to form design elements. Ink fills these incused lines, resulting in slightly raised lines on the printed product that take on a three-dimensional feel.

Federal Reserve notes printed by the BEP feature extensive intaglio-printed elements, in addition to elements formed by other printing techniques.

Executive intaglio print

The 2017 Executive Branch intaglio print features two vignettes, both printed by the intaglio method.

At the center top is a vignette titled White House, North Front that was engraved by Louis S. Schofield in 1901.

Schofield was a longtime engraver for the BEP, serving from 1888 as an apprentice to his retirement in 1932. Probably his most familiar work is the vignette of the Treasury Building used on small-size $10 notes of various categories from 1929 to the introduction of the more recent generations of Federal Reserve notes in the 1990s.

He finished the engraving in December 1927. It showed a diagonal view of the Treasury Building with a period car being driven down the street along one side of the structure.

That famous design was not his only contribution to the engraving art. He engraved many other works of intaglio art including various portraits and vignettes, as well as nearly 100 postage stamps. His works have been featured on previous BEP intaglio prints.

The 2017 Executive Branch print also features at the center of the piece a second vignette, also of the White House, engraved by Angelo Delnoce and Joseph A. Rueff, 1888. This vignette was initially used for the Inaugural Ceremonies plate of 1889, and later for the Inaugural Admittance Card of 1897, for the presidencies of Benjamin Harrison and William McKinley, respectively.

Delnoces career as an engraver took an illegal direction in the 1890s, culminating with his arrest in 1893 for counterfeiting paper money of Argentina. He eventually fled authorities.

However, he engraved a number of vignettes for legitimate purposes over the years, some of them making their way onto stock certificates and other engraved artwork.

Rueff got his start in the engraving art about 1864 as an employee of Western Bank Note Co. He was later employed by John A. Lowell & Co., and he co-founded, with C.L. Schultz, J.A. Rueff & Co. in 1881 in New York City.

He contributed to the engravings used on the back of the Series 1890 $100 Treasury note, along with three other engravers.

The print has other design elements as well. The blue border features the Executive seal printed within an intaglio border, while the faded background shows the introduction to the United States Constitution, this element printed in offset.

The print measures 8.5 inches by 11 inches.

It is priced at $22.50, with a discounted price of $17 per card for orders of 10 or more.

Lowest mintage American Eagle, a counterfeit 1902-O Morgan dollar struck to circulate: Another column in the July 10 Coin World examines a ghostly Kennedy half dollar

The first print in the series, honoring the Legislative Branch, remains available at the same price as the second card in the series. The release date for the third card, honoring the Judicial Branch, is not yet announced.

A subscription to all three cards is priced at $51.

Contact the BEP at www.BEP.gov.

The BEP has offered intaglio prints, an off-shoot of its original souvenir sheet program, for years. Souvenir cards with paper money themes were first issued in 1969 and then for many years afterward, generally in conjunction with major numismatic conventions and shows. Many of these featured face or back impressions of rare U.S. paper money, making those designs available to collectors for a few dollars per card. Intaglio prints were introduced later.
Banjos? NO! Balalaikas? YES!

A Russian-backed news network is taking over a Washington, D.C. radio station that played bluegrass.Sputnik, which is funded by the Russian government, will now broadcast on 105.5 FM in the D.C. area, according to DCist. The network currently employs around 40 people in its D.C. office and is still setting up programming for the station. Some of its current programming is news from other Sputnik offices in Moscow and Edinburgh.Sputnik includes a three-hour long radio show on weekdays at noon hosted by Thom Hartmann, a host from the Kremlin-funded news network RT. A show about social justice movements hosted by a D.C.-based activist plays after Hartmann's.The radio station has more unusual programs, including a show hosted by both a former Breitbart writer and a progressive. A member of the anti-war, anti-Israel group ANSWER has a show as well.Mindia Gavasheli, the editor in chief of Sputnik U.S., told DCist that most weekend content is produced out of Moscow.Sputnik has faced controversy due to its Russian ties. Its former White House correspondent, Andrew Feinberg, quit the organization and blasted it for its political stance. Feinberg said on Twitter that Sputnik "isn't happy with real journalists. They'd rather have ACTUAL propagandists operate anonymously."Jack Heretik / June 30, 2017 / Washington Free Beacon
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SCIO  The Oregon Supreme Court has dismissed the Scio School District's petition for review of a Court of Appeals decision involving a lawsuit between the district and Oregon Connections Academy (ORCA).

The dismissal, announced Thursday, ends Scio's efforts to hold the Connections Academy to what the school district believed was a binding contract to continue operating through Scio. The online public charter school moved its headquarters to Mill City in 2014 and now operates under a charter with the Santiam Canyon School District.

In a statement released Friday, ORCA School Board Chairman Wes Beckstead said he was glad of the resolution. "Delivering a high-quality online public education to the homes of students across Oregon continues to be our focus, and this ruling allows our school to move forward with an even brighter future," he wrote.

Scio Superintendent Gary Tempel said Friday he's disappointed by the ruling, saying the district was trying to clarify renewal laws for charter school sponsors.

"The Scio School District also believed it had an obligation to provide an example to our students that we are willing to stand up for what we believe is right no matter who your opponent is," he said in an email to the Democrat-Herald.

"Following the Oregon Supreme Courts review of the briefing, and their questions at the oral argument on June 15, 2017, we came away with the impression that the court understood the need for further clarification of this charter law and we are surprised and disappointed by the courts order not to issue an opinion."

ORCA first negotiated a charter with the Scio School District in 2005. Its last contract was to expire in June 2015.

Both sides agreed in 2012 to renew that charter for another 10 years following its expiration. But details were never nailed down, so the Connections Academy began seeking new sponsors, saying the lack of an agreement meant it was free to go elsewhere.

Scio argued that ORCA was bound by a 2013 law that states, in part, "an expiring charter shall remain in effect until a new charter is negotiated." ORCA disagreed and filed a lawsuit in May 2014 asking for a Linn County Circuit Court ruling, arguing the law was meant only to allow continuing negotiations, not force them.

In December 2014, Judge DeAnn Novotny agreed with ORCA's interpretation. Scio appealed early in 2015, but the Oregon Court of Appeals affirmed Linn County's ruling in May 2016.

The Supreme Court initially accepted the request for review and held oral arguments on June 15.
NEW YORK (AP)  Water that packs a hydrogen punch, snack bars as sticks and confections more savory than sweet are among innovations to emerge from hundreds of purveyors at the Summer Fancy Food Show.

The annual showcase hosted by the Specialty Food Association wrapped Tuesday in New York after three days and more than a little sampling of the artisan and high-tech bites and beverages from more than 1,200 companies.

Phil Kafarakis, president of the trade group, said in a recent interview that his industry is booming to the tune of $127 billion a year, including the retail and food service markets. The consumer has really changed the dynamic, he said.

"Everybody keeps talking about the Millennial, but it's not just the Millennial. GenX and NextGen and even Boomers, when you think about health and wellness, are looking for authenticity in products," Kafarakis said.

Denise Purcell, head of content, offered these observations gleaned from the food artisans, importers and entrepreneurs who peddled their wares:

SPECIALTY WATERS

Over the last couple of years, Purcell said, something has happened to water. Companies are playing with its natural properties to claim added benefits.

"Water is up 75 percent in dollar sales from 2014 to 2016. Separately, there's a lot of interest in functional beverages, so what we're seeing right now are enhanced waters," she said.

There's a company called HFactor Hydrogen infusing its pouched water with molecular hydrogen, reportedly to boost anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It also claims of an additional energy boost, all with no added chemicals or magnesium.

And there's Formula Four Beverages' OXiGEN water, infused with molecular oxygen, so not the O2 kind. Specifically, the company said it uses 1,000 parts per million of bio-available oxygen per 20 ounces in a bottle, compared to between five and 40 parts per million in tap or other bottled water.

Why? Well, according a study cited by Formula Four, all of that helps clear lactic acid, making for a faster recovery after exercise. It also claims a boost in endurance, stamina, mental clarity and, wait for it, decreased hangover effects.

There's also a shot format with five times more oxygen than the bottled product, Purcell said.

Another company is doing enhanced waters with pomegranate seed oil, reportedly good for inflammation and to help with digestive health, Purcell said.

Another company took an entirely different twist on water and it's not necessarily to sip or improve health.

It's from Rogers Collection and it's called Oak Smoked Water, made from Welsh oak chips smoked by the folks at Halen Mon. The water has actually been on the market since 2013 and is pretty much what it claims to be, with smoking done over four days without additives for use in soups, risottos and casseroles as a way to add depth.

It can also be frozen into ice cubes for cocktails.

SNACK BARS THAT AREN'T BARS

Purcell has been watching this market segment for a while.

"They, too, have grown a lot over the last couple of years. Snack bars are up about 50 percent since 2014 and they're forecast to grow even more. They hit on a lot of macro-trends like snacking and portability and good for you."

Among recent innovations: A company called Aunt Dottie's mixes together salad ingredients  greens, vegetables, nuts, seeds and fruits  and condenses them into a bar.

What's interesting to Purcell is a variation on the bar, the snack stick.

There's one company, Vivify, doing energy snack sticks in interesting combinations of nuts, quinoa and seeds like flax and sunflower. There's a chia-pistachio combination and a quinoa and toasted coconut combo.

PLANT-BASED FOODS

For the first time, the Specialty Food Association asked members if they plan to expand out in this market category.

"A third of them said they're planning innovation around that, and it's cutting across all different categories, so there's cheese and meat and dairy alternatives but also condiments, frozen desserts and water again."

The show included a plant-based water made from hemp. Cashew sauce was offered as a cheese sauce alternative in a handy add-hot-water format.

For dessert?

"We are seeing a lot more vegan-friendly desserts, whether it's frozen ice creams or sorbets. Alternative milks, nut milks, are becoming very popular," Purcell said.

COFFEE AND TEA

"This is another area where we're seeing a lot of innovation, especially refrigerated and ready to drink varieties. Those have exploded. They've been up 114 percent between 2014 and 2016," Purcell said.

A company called Sunup uses unroasted green coffee beans in a bottle drink, offering tea-style flavor with a full caffeine kick.

Another company, Afineur, claims to have customized the natural fermentation process to eliminate the undesirable characteristics of coffee and enhance the goodness. The resulting coffee is less bitter and easier to digest, Purcell said.

Camille Delebecque, the CEO and co-founder of Afineur, has a Ph.D. in synthetic biology.

SAVORY AND SPICY CONFECTIONS

Chocolate went peppery a while ago. Now the artisans are having fun with other flavors.

"Spices, they're going to a new level in confections," Purcell said.

One company, Rumi Spice, was founded by a group of U.S. military veterans who source saffron from sustainable farms in Afghanistan for its Saffron Gems, a gummy bite-size treat with threads of saffron visible in the rich-tasting golden candy.

MilkBoy chocolates out of Switzerland offers bars of 60 percent cocoa infused with pine tree oil.
ELKO  Firefighters in northeastern Nevada responded to eight blazes Monday afternoon, including a 2,500-acre fire near Cole Creek two miles south of Carlin.

Seven of the fires were listed as being caused by lightning, and one by humans.

The Cole Creek Fire sent up a column of smoke visible from Elko on Monday afternoon and was quickly attacked by helicopter and ground crews. The fire is 10 percent contained as of Tuesday morning and 116 firefighters are on the scene.

The Pine Fire one mile west of Carlin burned 100 acres, and the Dolly Fire one mile northwest of Double Mountain burned 500 acres. Both were listed at zero percent contained.

A human-caused fire in the Dennis Flats area near Halleck was contained at 148 acres.

Smaller fires were reported at Fox Springs, three miles west of the junction of State Route 225 and 226, at 30 acres; the Rainbow and Rabbit fires two miles west of Phyllis Lake, which burned a total of 5 acres; and a tenth-acre fire near Hay Ranch.

Bureau of Land Management and Nevada Division of Forestry responded to the fires with multiple resources and will continue working on the largest, uncontained blazes today.

The forecast calls for cooler weather and no risk of thunderstorms through the end of the week.

While weather is expected to improve, BLM Public Affairs Officer Greg Deimel said Monday's weather was not a good way to start the week.

You could see the rain coming down from the clouds but it was not touching the ground and there was a lot of lightning, so it wasnt a good afternoon, he said.
Venture capitalists in the good ole boys club  the one that thinks it is OK to sexually harass and discriminate against women  should be quaking in their boots and be ready to resign as more and more women come forth with sexual harassment stories. The latest round of sexual harassment allegations published by the New York Times resulted in Dave McClure, co-founder of the venture fund 500 Startups, publicly admitting, Im a creep. Im sorry.

The reckoning first began after Susan Fowler, formerly an Uber engineer, told of the sexual harassment and discrimination she faced while at Uber. Since then, Uber has been cleaning house and it even led to the resignation of Uber CEO Travis Kalanick.

Binary Capital

After six women accused Binary Capital partner Justin Caldbeck of making unwanted sexual advances while they sought funding, it hit the fan. Caldbeck was forced to resign, followed by partner Matt Mazzeo resigning, and a third partner offering to resign. As USA Today put it, The explosive allegations have brought the venture capital firm Caldbeck co-founded to the brink of collapse.

Lowercase Capital

Venture capitalist Chris Sacca of Lowercase Capital, who knew the New York Times piece about harassment of female entrepreneurs was coming, took to Medium to tell his story one day before the Times published the article. That timing didnt work out so well for him, so he later revised his apology.

500 Startups

On Friday, the Times named 500 Startups McClure as one of the venture capitalists who had behaved inappropriately toward women. For example, according to the New York Times, McClure sent entrepreneur Sarah Kunst a Facebook message during the recruiting process that read: I was getting confused figuring out whether to hire you or hit on you.

After the article went live, 500 Startups new chief executive Christine Tsai announced, In recent months, we found out that my co-founder Dave McClure had inappropriate interactions with women in the tech community. His behavior was unacceptable and not reflective of 500s culture and values.

Tsai continued:

Because of this, we made the decision a few months ago to change the leadership structure at 500. I took on the role of CEO, which involves directing the Management Team and overall day-to-day operations of 500. Daves role has been limited to fulfilling his obligations to our investors as a General Partner. In addition, hes been attending counseling to work on changing his perspectives and preventing his previous unacceptable behavior.

McClures apology

Saturday evening, McClure issued a public apology. He started by saying, By now you may have heard I f**ked up, and people are calling me a creep. He admitted making advances toward multiple women in work-related situations which he now sees as clearly inappropriate. I put people in compromising and inappropriate situations, and I selfishly took advantage of those situations where I should have known better. My behavior was inexcusable and wrong.

McClure mentioned the incident with Kunst which was reported by the Times before adding:

For these and other incidents where I have been at fault, I would like to apologize for being a clueless, selfish, unapologetic and defensive ass.

McClure claimed:

Im ashamed I didnt change my behavior until I was forced to do so by circumstance and by others. The reality is, I was stopped from further bad actions by those who spoke up about my offenses, at substantial risk to their personal and professional reputations and subsequently, by Christine and others on the 500 team. I wont try and thank any of those folks right now, or act like I wanted that ass-kicking. But yeah guess I kinda needed that.

Although 500 Startups Tsai had already announced the change in leadership, McClure noted that he agreed to hand over day-to-day management. He added, I also started regular counseling sessions about a month ago to address my shitty behavior and poor judgement. I dont expect anyone to believe I will change, but Im working on it.

He apologized again, even though he knows sorry means absolutely nothing right now.

Rashmi Sinha, female co-founder of SlideShare, also took to Medium to share her experiences with McClure. Although she had experienced discrimination from other venture capitalists because she was a woman CEO, Sinha said McClure had gone out of his way to help SlideShare.

She didnt condone his behavior, but wrote: SlideShare, one of the few women led startups to have had a 100-million dollar exit would not even have raised a Series A if not for Dave McClures unwavering support of its woman CEO, and determination to help her succeed.

If you are a guy in the tech industry or in the world of venture capitalists who thinks of himself as a good guy, but has discriminated against or sexually harassed females, maybe you shouldnt breathe easy as there surely will be even more women coming out with their stories.
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Connecticuts Beardsley Zoo, 1875 Noble Ave., Bridgeport, celebrated their new Canada lynx kittens, born in April, with a gender announcement on Thursday, revealing that the little ones are bouncing baby girls. The girls also have new names  Penny and Ruby, selected by Spencer and Wesley Elkind of Greenwich, who won the opportunity to pick the kitties monikers.

Spencer, 12, and Wesley, 11, said Penny and Ruby are the names of their favorite cats at home.
WASHINGTON  Richard Blumenthal has stepped into a national spotlight as the face of the largest-ever group of lawmakers to sue a sitting president  but his case may not have the substance to win over judges, experts said.

The Democratic senator from Connecticut filed a lawsuit with nearly 200 congressmen last month, accusing President Donald Trump of violating the foreign-emoluments clause of the Constitution, which says the president must seek congressional approval before accepting payments or benefits from foreign governments. The plaintiffs claim the president has accepted emoluments through foreign officials staying in Trump hotels or granting of trademarks by China.

Blumenthal said the case  titled Blumenthal v. Trump  is historic and unique, and members of Congress have one thing the everyday citizen does not: legal standing, or the ability of a party to demonstrate a direct stake in a legal action.

By not fully disclosing income derived from foreign sources while serving as president, Trump has denied Congress the power of consent stipulated in the Constitution, Blumenthal said.

He has, in effect, nullified our vote and prevented us from doing our job, Blumenthal said. What were seeking to do is make sure that the president respects the law.

But Richard Kay, a law professor at the University of Connecticut who specializes in constitutional law, said the issue of standing is perhaps the biggest hurdle Blumenthal will face.

Kay cited a 1997 Supreme Court case, Raines v. Byrd, in which the Court said that individual lawmakers do not automatically have standing to sue regarding constitutional issues that affect Congress as a body.

There have been cases in the past where Congress has essentially authorized the speaker of the house or somebody to bring an action by majority vote, but that hasnt happened in this case, he said. `These guys dont have the authority to speak for Congress.

Kay said he would be shocked if a judge  especially one in a higher court  said Blumenthal and other members of Congress had standing, but that it is not entirely out of question.

I used to tell my students, theres no proposition so strange that theres not some district judge somewhere that will adopt it, Kay said.

Stephen Gilles, a law professor at Quinnipiac University, said standing is the least of Blumenthals concerns. The case is very unlikely to succeed on the merits, he said.

Gilles pointed to an 1850 case in which the Supreme Court said that emoluments include every species of compensation or pecuniary profit derived from a discharge of the duties of the office.

Under that definition, theres no problem when a foreign diplomat stays at Trump Hotel, because whatever profit Donald Trump might indirectly receive from that is not derived from discharging the duties either of his office as president or some other office or duties that he would be performing for a foreign government, he said.

Gilles also said it is possible that the suit presents a political question, which would prevent the case from being heard in court because it deals directly with a power absolutely given to another branch of government in the Constitution.

If theres a political-question problem, it probably is just because the clause refers to Congress consent, and that could be taken as a sign that that Trump and Congress can decide what to do if they think something is going wrong, he said.
I should have been thrilled by the maiden voyage of the new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. I grew up among warships and naval bases and normally love such things. But I wasnt. Partly it was the fact that, gigantic as she is, she has all the grace and style of a floating hypermarket, or a seaborne car park. When did we forget how to make ships look beautiful?

But much more important was the knowledge that this painfully expensive leviathan is worse than useless. We madly got rid of our Harriers, the only aircraft we had that could have flown from her decks.

An aircraft carrier which has no planes is a metaphor for uselessness, like a pub with no beer, or a car with no wheels. But that is not the most miserable thing about this event.

British Royal Navy aircfaft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth as she conducts vital system tests off the coast of Scotland

Even more important, it is almost a century since we were so unprepared, on land, at sea and in the air, for the unpredictable dangers we face. It has, by the way, been Tory governments, which preen themselves for their own supposed patriotism, who have reduced us to our present pitiful state. The Government knows it has done this.

Retired chiefs of all the Armed Services, speaking with immense knowledge and authority, have publicly warned about it in the House of Lords. Such men generally keep quiet. They must be genuinely distressed to have spoken out. What they say openly will be mild compared with the private views of current admirals, generals and air marshals.

So listen to Lord Craig of Radley, former Marshal of the RAF. Recalling how we were able to sustain severe losses in the Falklands and the first Gulf War because of carefully amassed reserves, he said: Losses today, from a very much smaller order of battle than that of the Eighties, on a scale or rate such as those, would all too rapidly decimate our combat power, our resilience and our stamina.

In other words, we simply do not now have enough kit to cope with a major war.

He added, tellingly, that it is not much use maintaining a nuclear deterrent unless we maintain our conventional strength as well.

HMS Queen Elizabeth as she conducts vital system tests off the coast of Scotland

Lord West of Spithead, a former First Sea Lord, had still worse news. He was even blunter: The Navy has too few ships and men and is having to make incoherent cuts to keep within the budget. Important ships (including the former flagship HMS Ocean) were being paid off, and  astonishingly  we will not even have any surface-to-surface or air-to-surface missiles for the next few years. This is not an abstract issue. For a number of years, we will have ships deployed around the globe that may suddenly come across an opponent because things have escalated, and they will have to fight. I have done this, as have many of us here. We will have ships sunk and people killed. I have been in that position. We are standing into danger.

Lord West also rightly underlined the Navys severe manpower crisis. Years of cuts and skill shortages have made life almost intolerable for experienced men and women, seriously overworked, who have left the service and not been replaced. As for Britannia ruling the waves, forget it. Not long ago, the policy was that we should have roughly 50 major surface ships. Not now. Lord West revealed: We have only 19 escorts. This is a national disgrace for our great maritime nation.

Remember, these are not the words of some tub-thumper on a street corner, but of a senior naval officer of great knowledge and experience.

But I have not finished. Lord Dannatt, a former head of the Army, joined in the sad chorus. Warning that there were just not enough serving soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, he was as plain as his brother officers, he said: We have cut the size of the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force too far.

Pointing out that one day we would need an army in a hurry, he said: I worry about the number of soldiers that we have  or, particularly, do not have. We are carrying too much risk. The last Government from 2010 and this present Government might get away with it, but the future will catch us out at some point and the verdict of history will be damning.

These are words that it took some courage to say and are far more important than most of the minor squabbles now dominating much of our political life. We have been warned. Do we act, or do we pretend we have not heard? We will pay for this, or our children will. We are standing into danger.

The discovery that Jon Snow, the Channel 4 News anchorman, is perhaps a bit Left-wing, is an amazing breakthrough of investigative journalism. Next, intrepid reporters reveal that water is wet and fire burns. Surely the interesting story about Channel 4 (and also the entire BBC) is that anyone still seriously pretends they are not Left-wing. And why they do that.

Helen's fearless - shame about her comrades

The best thing now on television is ITVs Fearless, in which Helen McCrory plays a courageous lawyerwho genuinely fights for her clients.

Refreshingly, it does not portray our vainglorious security services as spotless heroes keeping us safe.

No free country should idolise such people as we now tend to do.

Helen McCrory plays a courageous lawyer who genuinely fights for her clients in ITV's fearless

But it is not flawless. In reality, modern Left-wingers arent all as keen on freedom as Ms McCrorys character, who (we are ceaselessly reminded) was once a tiresome Greenham Common ban-the-bomb type.

On the contrary, theyre all fans of safe spaces, where incorrect opinions are banned. A drama starring a Right-wing defender of liberty would be an original change.

If only Boris would confront a real tyrant

Our leaders bray like foghorns at miniature tyrants with whom we have little or nothing to do, such as Libyas Gaddafi and Syrias Assad. Sometimes they even bomb them.

But when faced with a real despot, who has the power to hurt us, they cringe and, well, kowtow. It is 20 years since China promised us it would maintain the freedoms we left behind in Hong Kong. But China is not keeping its side of the bargain. Freedom of the press, the independence of the courts and the liberty of the education system are constantly being squeezed by Pekings stooges.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu with Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Boris Johnson

Worse still, people who the Chinese Politburo do not like are brazenly kidnapped in Hong Kong, smuggled across the border into the clutches of Pekings repressive state, which has never ceased to lock up and persecute free spirits. This is our direct concern. We are not just entitled to protest, but obliged to do so with all the force at our command.

In response, our normally loud Foreign Secretary, Al Boris Johnson, speaks softly and carries a small stick. Can this be the same macho Mr Johnson who rather noisily supported Donald Trumps illegal bombing of Syria, in response to unproven claims about poison gas use? It can.

I have a simple suggestion for Mr Johnson and all those like him. If his outrage against menacing despots is genuine, then he should express it to all who deserve it, including the Chinese. If it is not genuine, then can he please shut up, and write another book?

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In the immediate aftermath of the Election, Corbyn and his acolytes were euphoric. But in the days that have followed, euphoria has been replaced by grievance

As MPs streamed from the chamber following the Queens Speech vote on Thursday, I asked a member of the Cabinet if we still had a Government. Yes, we still have a Government, he replied, then added: And I suspect well have one for the next five years.

A moment later Theresa May walked out, biting her lip in that self-conscious way she does when she is nervous.

In the days after the Election, Jeremy Corbyn boasted he would bring her and her administration crashing down. He failed. Mrs May lives to fight another day.

With the passing of the Queens Speech, the Prime Minister has finally managed to stabilise herself and her Government. And she has done something even more significant. She has successfully defended her Government from an attempted coup.

Just 24 days ago, Britain went to the polls in a free and fair Election. The outcome was unexpected, but it was clear. The Conservative Party secured 800,000 more votes and 55 more seats than the Labour Party. They then entered into an agreement with the Democratic Unionist Party  as they are constitutionally entitled  to ensure a formal majority for the Government and its business. And finally they sought, and secured, a parliamentary mandate for their legislative programme.

Every step in that process was done with due regard to democratic and constitutional practice and precedent. And it was opposed by a Labour Party so drunk on pathological righteousness that it feels justified in trying to propel itself into power on the shoulders of the mob, while trampling over the bodies of the Grenfell Tower dead.

In the immediate aftermath of the Election, Corbyn and his acolytes were euphoric. But in the days that have followed, euphoria has been replaced by grievance. The British people came up short. They didnt give Labour quite enough votes or enough seats. So as a result, those extra seats and votes will have to be taken  by force.

The strategy has been staggeringly clear. First, the Corbynite Left attempted to frame the democratically elected May Government as illegitimate. Then they smeared her and her Ministers as murderers, with direct responsibility for the tower fire.

With the passing of the Queens Speech, the Prime Minister has finally managed to stabilise herself and her Government

And finally they have called for millions to take to the streets  literally advocating support for a day of rage  to sweep the murderers from office. Street agitation to protest against the Government is nothing new. But the architects of the failed coup of June 2017 have not been the usual dog-on-a-rope provocateurs, but leading members of Her Majestys official Opposition.

John McDonnell has done a masterful job since he became Shadow Chancellor of masking his political sadism. But since the Election, with power so tantalisingly close, the mask has slipped again.

Is democracy working? It didnt work if you were a family living on the 20th floor of Grenfell Tower, he told an audience at Glastonbury. Those families, those individuals  79 so far and there will be more  were murdered by political decisions taken over recent decades.

The implication that democracy itself is somehow complicit in the tragedy would have been reckless at the best of times. But these are not the best of times: at Prime Ministers Questions on Wednesday, Conservative MP Sheryll Murray told the House how over the past months Ive had swastikas carved into posters, social media posts like burn the witch. 

Once, actions like that would have received universal condemnation. But Murray is a supporter of Mays illegitimate Government  so several Labour MPs opted to sneer and jeer at her instead.

John McDonnell has done a masterful job since he became Shadow Chancellor of masking his political sadism. But since the election, the mask has slipped again

Corbyns claim that his leadership would usher in a kinder, gentler politics was always a joke. But it is fast becoming a nauseating one. Its now ten months since Momentum, his private army, removed a commitment to non-violence from its code of ethics, ostensibly so that its members could defend themselves from the police and fascists.

Unfortunately, the term fascist is now a catch-all phrase for anyone perceived to have the temerity to stand between Corbyn and No 10. To vote Tory is to be a fascist. To be elected as a Tory is to be a fascist. To form a democratically elected Tory Government is, of course, to form a fascist administration. An administration that must be dealt with accordingly.

Last week, as officials from Camden Council rushed from door to door, summarily hurling children and pensioners into the streets in the name of safety, I said I thought we were living through another Death of Diana moment.

But I was wrong. The national spasm we experienced 20 years ago was an unsettling but spontaneous event. In contrast, what Corbynite Labour has been doing in the wake of Grenfell Tower has been cold and calculating.

The inquiry may well find that political decisions played a part in the tragedy. But there is a difference between the political and the party political. The Corbynites primary objective over the past three weeks has not been to remove cladding, or install sprinklers or relocate dangerous gas mains.

It has been to use one of the nations greatest peacetime tragedies to overturn the result of the Election, drive the democratically elected Prime Minister from office and install Corbyn in her place.

George Osborne is enjoying his editorship of Londons Evening Standard, with some well-aimed barbs at Theresa May

George Osborne is enjoying his editorship of Londons Evening Standard, with some well-aimed barbs at Theresa May. But his caustic editorials could be rebounding on one of his closest allies.

Former Education Secretary Nicky Morgan is campaigning hard to become chairman of the Treasury Select Committee, but her association with Osborne is alienating many Tories.

Shes seen as a hangover from the Osborne regime, a Minister tells me. At the moment thats not a good look.

But another Tory reveals there may be an upside: Labour MPs, he says, will back Nicky because they know she will give the Government all sorts of trouble. The ballot is next week.

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott was looking fit and well as she voted on the Queens Speech on Wednesday, following her temporary withdrawal from the Labour front bench on health grounds.

But I understand there may have been more to that incident than was initially reported.

According a colleague of Abbott, Dianes feeling better than ever. The illness story was just a way for her opponents in Jeremys inner circle to get to her. Yes, she did a couple of bad interviews but they used it as an excuse to come for her.

Abbotts popularity among Labour activists has soared since the Election, where she was seen to have been bullied by her opponents inside and outside the party. Corbyns inner circle will have to think twice before benching her again.
When Jo De Rosa was declared bankrupt she thought her dreams of running her own yoga retreat had come to an end.

Left with so little money in the bank she could barely afford to eat after a franchise deal went terribly wrong, she thought she'd never recover, either emotionally or financially.

But seven years on the 45-year-old is now living her 'dream-life' in a 1.5m property in Suffolk from where she runs a hugely successful business.

The beautiful Tudor farmhouse sits in three acres of perfectly manicured land and has a total of 18 rooms and she managed to achieve the home of her dreams by creating a vision board.

'I am a huge believer in the law of attraction  that if you put something 'out there' and truly believe it will happen, you will attract it,' Jo explained.

'So, I found a picture of my perfect retreat house in a magazine - a black and white farmhouse - and created a vision board, telling myself every day that it would be the house I'd live in.'

Jo would spend time in the mornings gazing at it to conjure up a motivation to reach her goals, and take this feeling with her throughout the day.

Jo De Rosa is now living her 'dream-life' in a 1.5m property in Hertfordshire with her husband Dom after she pulled herself back from bankruptcy

The dining room at Jo's lavish home which boasts 18 rooms and extensive grounds

Clients practice yoga in the sprawling grounds of Jo's home where she runs a successful wellness retreat

'I placed the board above my desk, which back then was my favourite place, so that I could keep looking at it for motivation throughout the day,' she explained.

'Id sit first thing and really try to get into the feeling of where I wanted to be and I take this feeling into meditation too.

'I would take something from my board into the last quarter of the practice, when I was in the deepest state, and visualise my dream as if it were a reality.

This process has become a lot more sophisticated these days, now that I am quite an expert at it but back then it was much more simple and I would picture myself where I wanted to be.

'It is the vibration of what you are trying to create that actually attracts the dream to you,' she said.

'I now have so much experience doing this that I can literally manifest stuff instantly, and if you dont manifest it you dont really want it or dont believe that it is possible.'

One of the rooms in Jo's home, which she also runs as a hotel and yoga retreat

When manifesting her yoga retreat and home, Jo chose an aerial shot of a large house with two very distinct areas to it to place on her board.

'It was vitally important to me to have a very separate area for our personal quarters and the business, so the picture that I choose had just that,' she explained.

'Now our "apartment" takes up the whole first floor of the extension, which houses the yoga studio, leaving the rest of the house for guests. A total dream come true.

I placed the board above my desk, which back then was my favourite place, so that I could keep looking at it for motivation throughout the day.

'I put that picture up in 2011, and Hill Farm became a reality in 2013. I cannot believe we have been there four years already.

'I pinch myself everyday and both my husband and I still feel that we are living the dream every single minute of every day.

'We work hard but we are doing what we absolutely love and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world, although I dont really believe in luck as I believe we make our own, and that anything is possible.'

But it was a different story in September 9th 2009, the day Jo's accountant told her she had to wrap up her franchise.

I will literally never forget,' Jo recalled. 'I felt so ashamed  like I'd failed. Bankruptcy seemed like such a dirty word and I was terrified of what the future might hold.'

Yoga teacher Jo was left with home, no assets and 5 to her name when she was declared bankrupt in 2009

In March 2013, Dom was browsing on a property website and by chance spotted a house that looked almost identical to the one on Jo's vision board

Jo had heard about a company who were offering franchises to teach yoga to children in schools and put in 10,000 of her own money, most of which she had to get a business loan out for.

LAW OF ATTRACTION Vision boards (sometimes called mood boards) are a motivational tool, used to summon up success Victoria Beckham credits a key part of the success of her fashion line to this technique. The designer Kelly Hoppen is also a big fan and Oprah Winfrey said that every one of her ventures started with a board. The concept was made popular by Rhonda Byrne's bestselling book on the law of attraction The Secret. First published in 2006, The Secret dictates that positive thinking  of which visualisation is a huge part  can change your life and compel the universe to deliver your dreams. Advertisement

But the sums didn't prove quite as profitable as they appeared. The schools weren't willing to pay as much as Jo had been told by the company and she soon found her overheads far outweighed her earnings. By the time she'd paid her small group of instructors she was left with nothing.

By 2009 Jo was 35,000 in debt, using credit cards to keep her franchise afloat. Her accountant advised her to declare herself bankrupt. She had just met her husband Dominic, now 46, and came home to him in floods of tears.

'I was devastated,' she says. 'I'd always been careful with money and had never asked anyone for anything. I felt like a complete failure. I had nothing  no home, no assets and about 5 to my name.' she recalls.

Luckily, even though they hadn't known each other long, Dom gave Jo a roof over her head and stood by her.

'He was my rock,' she says. 'He told me to keep my chin up, that he'd help in any way he could.

'Dom ran a music school and shop of his own so knew that sometimes in business, things don't go your way and kept reminding me of that whenever I had down moments.'

In 2000, Jo moved to Thailand, where she opened up a yoga shop and began teaching too

Jo recalls Dom shouting to her excitedly when he spotted the property as it looked just like the one on her vision board

Jo knew that the only way out of the mess she was in was to start again. In 2010, she moved into Dom's four-bedroom house in Hertfordshire and they converted his garage into a small yoga studio.

She worked 12-hour days teaching yoga and meditation to put herself back in the black.

'I had to be so careful not to spend anything and put every penny I made away to pay off my debts,' she said.

Amazingly, after a year Jo managed to save enough to get back on her feet. But the financial mark would stay on her record for a further five years.

'I almost gave up on my dream of a yoga retreat,' she said. 'Being bankrupt, I couldn't borrow any money or run a business in my own name so it seemed impossible.'

In the past, yoga fanatic Jo was worried that people would judge her over the bad business deal that led to her bankruptcy

The studio at Jo's Inner Guidance retreat, where guests can enjoy yoga, meditation and workshops on healthy living, has gone from strength to strength

That's when Jo was inspired to create her vision board after finding a picture of her perfect home and retreat in a magazine, adding pictures while she worked teaching yoga round-the-clock and saving money.

Eventually, she had enough to hire out a country house in Norfolk to run 'test' retreats in 2012. They proved a huge success.

Then oddly, in March 2013, Dom was browsing on a property website and by chance spotted a house that looked almost identical to the one on Jo's vision board.

Jo's current home looks almost exactly like the one on her vision board that she kept telling herself she would one day live in

The stunning 16th Century Grade Two listed Tudor house in the idyllic village of Lavenham featured ten bedrooms, a large downstairs room for studio space squeezed into their price bracket.

'He shouted me over excitedly and when I saw the picture that had popped up I just knew,' said Jo. 'It was almost exactly the house on my vision board in a gorgeous part of Suffolk.'

The couple, who married in 2011, rented out their Hertfordshire home, combined their savings, and got cracking on their new venture, the Inner Guidance retreat.

Jo's life ambition was to set up her own yoga retreat but after she was declared bankrupt she was certain it would never happen

'We had to furnish 41 rooms in the house, including the corridors, hallways and bathrooms, not to mention the basement. But when we were finished I was ecstatic. It was exactly what I'd wanted,' recalls Jo.

The business had to be put in Dom's name initially but was transferred over to Jo last year after the bankruptcy was scrubbed off her records.

'I was on cloud nine that day,' she said. 'Finally I was free of my financial burden and finally I had the business and home I'd always dreamed about.

Every day Jo told herself that one day she would live in her dream home and continued to add pictures to her board while she worked teaching yoga round-the-clock and saving money

'I remember walking around the grounds and listening to the birds in the trees and looking up at the house and thinking how lucky I was.

'Many people never recover from bankruptcy and things could have ended so differently for me but it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened in the end.'

Every day Jo is thankful for the 'perfect' life she has and says anyone can achieve the same thing if they want it badly enough.

Jo's 18 room home needed decorating from top to bottom, but she enjoyed every minute of making it perfect

Inner Guidance, where guests can enjoy yoga, meditation and workshops on healthy living, has gone from strength to strength with more than 40 fully-booked weekend retreats so far plus regular hotel guests mid-week.

'I can't believe how different my life is to how it once was,' she added.

'I'm not afraid of anything. I've hit rock bottom and know I can get back up again. And whenever I doubt that I only have to look around me. Not only am I doing what I love for a living but living somewhere I love too.'
Relationship breakdowns are rife and divorce rates are on the rise - but could your 'faithful' husband be engaging in infidelity without realising it?

A new study has revealed that a staggering 19 per cent of men believe 'passionately kissing' someone other than their partner is acceptable.

Just nine per cent of women, meanwhile, think that kissing another person would not be a relationship-breaking issue for their partners.

Ironically the study of 5,000 people, conducted by charities Relate and Relationships Scotland , also found that two thirds of all couples felt they could not survive their partner cheating on them.

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The new study, conducted by charities Relate and Relationships Scotland, revealed that 19 per cent of men do NOT think 'passionately kissing' someone other than their partner is cheating

The charities' researchers said their findings were proof that Britain needs both better sex education in schools, and easier access to relationship counselling for adults.

A considerably one third of people surveyed said they had been cheated on, while another nine per cent admitted they were suspicious their partner could have been unfaithful.

The Way We Are Now study found that communication breakdown, especially when it comes to talking about sex lives, could explain this disparity among opinions.

Older and younger generations are also split on what they consider to be cheating.

Although the charities said defining cheating has become more difficult in today's digital age, contrary to their Tinder generation reputation, young people are the most possessive

Although the charities concluded that defining 'cheating' has become more difficult in today's digital age, contrary to their 'Tinder generation reputation', young people aged 16 to 24 are the most possessive.

CHEATING: THE STATS 45 per cent of young lovers said they considered their partners even flirting with someone else to be cheating 31 per cent over all age groups said they would split up with a flirty partner Twice as many women as men said they thought their partner watching porn alone meant they were being unfaithful 93 per cent of experts believe relationships can survive an affair by either partner Advertisement

A strong 45 per cent of young lovers said they considered their partners even flirting with someone else to be cheating.

Conversely their older peers are more content to put up with a wandering eye, with just 31 per cent over all age groups saying they would split up with a flirty partner.

Pornography also divided the age groups.

Women were generally more conservative, with twice as many (20 per cent to 11 per cent) saying they thought their partner watching porn alone meant they were being unfaithful.

But whatever the varied opinions on what constitutes breaking the implicit trust of being in a relationship, counsellors and sex therapists have a very different view to most people on how to deal with cheating.

A strong 45 per cent of young lovers said said they considered their partners even flirting with someone else to be cheating - while their older peers are more content to put up with a wandering eye, with just 31 per cent over all age groups saying they would split up with a flirty partner

Counselling is very helpful because it gives permission for the processes that need to happen before the pain can reduce and the relationship be restored - Relate counsellor

A huge 93 per cent of experts believe relationships can survive an affair by either partner.

Relate counsellor Barbara Honey said in the study: 'When you can help people to grieve what they feel they have lost and then re-gain trust and make sense of what has happened, they have a good chance of having a stronger relationship than they had before the affair.

'Counselling is very helpful because it gives permission for the processes that need to happen before the pain can reduce and the relationship be restored.

'Often people who have had an affair want to brush it under the carpet and move on, not realising that grieving for the betrayed partner has to happen first.'
A mother spoke out against school rules after she was told she could not take a photo of her son and his friends at the end of term.

The British Mumsnet user explained how a teacher stepped in to stop her from photographing the year 6 children when she dropped them off for for a school trip.

Dozens of mothers agreed they would be frustrated, saying the teacher did not have the 'authority' to stop her from taking a photo.

However others said if she was 'told not to, it is for good reason' and urged her to stop being 'daft'.

Capturing the moment: A mother was told not to photograph her son and his friends at school

Asking advice: The mother explained how a teacher stepped in to stop her taking the photo and asked whether she was being unreasonable to want to take a photo of the year 6 children

One wrote: 'If the other parents have said it's fine just over rule her. She doesn't have any authority to stop you.'

Another posted: 'It's the usual political correctness b******s.'

Others said there were discrepancies as cameras were allowed at some school events but not others.

'I'm not particularly bothered about taking photos at school, but if there's going to ban on photography during a performance, then outright ban it,' one woman wrote.

Support: Some mothers argued the lack of continuity made a 'mockery' of child safety rules

The majority of respondents argued that there are reasons such rules are in place, and that they can be vital for keeping children safe.

Risks of photographing children at school Some of the potential risks of photography and filming at events include: Children may be identifiable when a photograph is shared with personal information Direct and indirect risks to children and young people when photographs are shared on websites and in publications with personal information Inappropriate photographs or recorded images of children Inappropriate use, adaptation or copying of images. Source: NSPCC Advertisement

'It is not political correctness,' one posted.

'It is safeguarding. Some people need to grow up and realise that not every child has had a happy life, and stop being selfish and putting placements and children at risk.

One woman shared her own harrowing experience, writing: 'My daughter and I left a violent relationship in fear of our lives.

'We weren't able to move far away and it was a constant worry that my ex-husband might come across a photo of my daughter which could identify where we were.'

Another revealed: 'I can't have my daughter's photo taken in her school uniform come September as her bio-dad could be at risk of trying to snatch her.'

A third reasoned: 'I can't have dd online or in papers as her birth father would find her. There's lots of different reasons, not just the school being difficult.'
Most men will have their own theory on what constitutes the ideal female derriere.

But now a worldwide study involving plastic surgeons has come up with an altogether more scientific definition.

Theyve decided the perfect bottom is precisely 42.86 per cent wider than the waist it sits below.

And the study identifies US pop star Beyonce Knowles-Carter, 35, as having a classic rear view. Buttocks augmentation is an increasingly popular plastic surgery procedure, with a 20 per cent rise between 2014 and 2015 in the US, where it is known as the butt lift.

But academics noticed there was no clear standard laid down for the ideal female buttocks.

The study identifies US pop star Beyonce Knowles-Carter, 35, as having a classic rear view. Buttocks augmentation is an increasingly popular plastic surgery procedure, with a 20 per cent rise between 2014 and 2015 in the US, where it is known as the butt lift

So they took photographs of a 27-year-old volunteer model and digitally changed them to create a range of different derrieres.

A panel of 583 plastic surgeons and 450 members of the public in 35 nations then chose the buttocks that most appealed to them. The responses revealed that size preferences did not differ significantly between surgeons or lay people, or by gender or country.

And Paul Heidekrueger of the Technical University Munich, who led the study, declared: The perfect buttock for a woman is 42.86 per cent wider than the waist.

Just why that ratio should be so popular is unclear. One theory is that we have an attraction for that well-proportioned shape because it indicates good genes, fertility and high reproductive potential.

But plastic surgeons might also be shaping fashion. Professor Ash Mosahebi, consultant plastic surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital, London, said: Around the 1990s, small buttocks became fashionable, but we seem to be returning to the larger size. One reason we are attracted to the size found in this research is we are exposed to it. The more often you see something, the more you like it.
A breast augmentation patient was left scarred for life by a Romanian surgeon, now banned from the UK, who left with her dying nipples.

Distraught Kirsty Adam, 24, from Glasgow underwent breast augmentation following weight loss which caused her breasts to 'sag', opting for a mastopexy - or uplift procedure - with implants to increase her bust size from a 36D to a DD cup.

She paid UK surgery company Transform 6,000 rather than go abroad for a budget deal, hoping it would be safer, but Kirsty says the procedure left her looking like someone had 'hacked away' at her 'with a blunt, rusty knife' - and left her with necrotic flesh.

Now her surgeon Dr Vana Vasilescu has left the UK following an investigation which saw her 'erased' from the General Medical Council register.

Meanwhile, Kirsty has been left with no nipples and has to have them tattooed on while undergoing laser treatment for scarring.

Kirsty Adam, 24, from Glasgow was left with dying nipples after a mastopexy with implants to increase her bust size from a 36D to a DD went wrong

Kirsty Adam after the operation to her breasts which her left her upset and scarred

Brave Kirsty, who works as a dental nurse, has decided to open up about her horrific two-year ordeal.

She said: 'I initially did some research to see what I could do.

'I knew my breasts would have to be cosmetically fixed and that surgery was the only option - so I decided to get a mastopexy.

'You hear more horror stories from people that go abroad than you do in the UK. And I thought I'd be safe here.

Kirsty Adam's breast after the operation and subsequent infection to her nipple. Parts of her breasts turned black and pieces of dying flesh had to be removed

'You never think something bad is going to happen to you, but obviously it did. I've been left with lasting damage and it's even worse than before.

WHAT IS NECROSIS? Necrosis is the body's cells dying prematurely due to a lack of blood supply. This tissue death can occur anywhere on the body and is usually caused by an external factor such as injury, infection, or chemicals. If a substantial area of tissue dies completely the condition is know as gangrene. This can quickly trigger blood poisoning and so is thought to be a medical emergency. Treatment involves the removal of the dead tissue, keeping the area clean and antibiotics. Advertisement

'It sounds harsh but it looks like somebody's hacked away at me with a blunt, rusty knife.'

In January 2015, Kirsty contacted leading cosmetic surgery provider Transform over the internet.

She arranged a consultation meeting with a coordinator at the Transform clinic Glasgow to discuss a breast augmentation in May 2015.

And month later she attended a pre-surgery assessment with Dr Vasilescu.

The surgeon discussed the treatment and showed Kirsty pictures of other women who had, apparently, undergone the same procedure.

Kirsty paid almost 6,000 for the treatment, an insurance policy and extensive aftercare - just in case anything went wrong.

Dr Vana Vasilescu during an appearance on Romanian TV show Focus Magazine

Kirsty is now undergoing revision surgery which is being carried out by an independent practitioner in England

She was booked in for surgery with Dr Vasilescu at the private BMI Kings Park Clinic in Stirling on 25 July 2015, and returned home a day after the op.

TRANSFORM'S STATEMENT A spokesman for Transform said the they 'won't be able to comment on the specifics of the case or Ms Vasilescu'. He added: 'Ms Vasilescu no longer works with Transform. 'Ensuring continuity of high-quality patient care is Transform's utmost priority. 'This means that we provide support and care for patients throughout and following their procedure with Transform. 'We are proud that we have very high levels of patient satisfaction across the thousands of patients that come to Transform for procedures every year. 'In the rare event that a patient may be unhappy with the results of their procedure, we ensure that they are offered a free of charge follow-up consultation, and a free of charge revision procedure, if recommended by a surgeon. 'These policies and procedures demonstrate Transform's commitment to high quality, continuity of care. 'Ms Adam has been offered a free-of-charge revision procedure, conducted privately by a Transform-affiliated surgeon, which was already scheduled to take place, prior to the publication of this article.' Advertisement

Kirsty returned to the Glasgow clinic for check-ups where nurses cleaned her wounds and changed bandages.

But she sensed something was wrong and when her nipples became 'partially necrotic'.

Parts of her breasts turned black and pieces of dying flesh had to be removed.

She said: 'After the surgery, I went to get my dressings changed. The nurse said that I had necrosis - rotting flesh.

'I knew this was possible from my research because the nipples are getting taken off and put back on and sometimes part of it can not heal right.

'Every time I went back they took bits off. I thought it was to help the skin regenerate and grow again.

'I looked down at it and it was black. I knew it shouldn't look that colour, but I trusted the nurse.'

Kirsty eventually got another appointment to see Dr Vasilescu on 16 August after the surgeon had returned from holiday.

She said the medic assured her that everything was in order before putting a plaster back on the wound.

But Kirsty raised concerns with the clinic before demanding to see another surgeon - and that was the last time she saw Dr Vasilescu.

Kirsty said: 'She just took the plasters off and pulled a face. She said it was "fine" and put new plasters on it.

'I felt terrible. I knew something wasn't right. I don't know if it was the language barrier of whether it was ignorance, but she just didn't seem to have any compassion.

After the surgery, Kirsty was told he had necrosis, where the body's cells die prematurely due to a lack of blood supply

Before the operation (left). Kirsty says she's since put on weight due to stress and not being able to stay active (right)

'I went out to reception to ask whether I could see another surgeon because I wasn't happy.

'I asked specifically not to see her and never saw her after that.'

Another surgeon was then tasked with re-examining her and he treated the wound before putting Kirsty on a course of antibiotics to stop the infection.

The dental nurse, pictured before she lost weight. She decided to have surgery as shedding the pounds had caused her breasts to sag

Kirsty said: 'I went to see another surgeon. Straight away when he took the plasters off, he said I need antibiotics because there was an infection.

'He wrote me a prescription, cleaned it and put plasters on it again.

'I started the antibiotics and was on them for a week to clear the infection up.'

Kirsty had slimmed down before her surgery

Kirsty attended further check-ups and eventually learned that Dr Vasilescu had left the company.

She claims she then discovered a number of other young women had experienced similar problems after being treated by Dr Vasilescu.

She said: 'The next time we went in was to make a complaint. She (Dr Vasilescu) wasn't working there anymore.

'I was quite shocked that this happened at one of the UK's leading cosmetic surgery places. I was just in disbelief.'

Dr Vasilescu appeared before an interim orders tribunal at the Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) on 8 August 2016 following a GMC investigation.

The hearing looked at whether the surgeon's registration should be restricted while allegations about her conduct were resolved.

The surgeon who operated on Kirsty is no longer allowed to operate in the UK

Dr Vasilescu was handed an interim suspension before finally being erased from the register on 10 February 2017.

She is now no longer allowed to perform surgeries in the UK.

But she continues to work her home country of Romania and even continues to advertise her services on the internet.

The Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) said it would 'not comment on individual cases' and was only able to confirm Dr Vasilescu's registration status.

A spokeswoman said the surgeon had been erased by the GMC for 'administrative reasons'.

The dental nurse prior to the weight lost that caused her breasts to sag

Meanwhile, Kirsty is undergoing revision surgery which is being carried out by an independent practitioner in England.

This is in addition to laser treatment aimed at healing her scars and tattooing work to replace her nipples, which she claims Transform are funding.

Kirsty claims she was offered 250 compensationas a 'goodwill gesture' but rejected the money.

She said: 'I have to get revision surgery done because there is so much damage.

'Nothing is where it should be. Everything is too high up. My breasts are really hard, they're sore and I have no nipples.

'I've put on weight because of the stress and not being able to keep active.

'Now it looks like somebody's hacked away at me with a blunt, rusty knife.

'For 6,000 that shouldn't be the case - for getting it done in the UK.

'It makes you lose faith in the health care system and all these regulations that are out there.

'I'm happy to speak out as long as it stops other people from getting treated in this way.'

Transform confirmed Dr Vasilescu no longer works for them but they have refused to provide the reasons.
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Miss England hopefuls wowed in a series of stunning beachside snaps, as the competition for the coveted title begins to heat up.

The beauties were joined by reigning Miss England Elizabeth Grant, as the girls took in the beauty of Sri Lanka's beaches and set pulses racing with their photo shoots.

The glamorous girls touched down in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo earlier in the week, where they indulged in some retail therapy while also getting to know the country.

Earlier in the week the girls took part in a traditional catwalk contests, as well as a charitable 'Eco Round'.

However the highlight of the trip was clearly the beach shoot, where all the girls showed off just why they had progressed so far in the competition, wowing with their stunning beauty.

The winner of the Miss England title will join Miss Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to compete for the Miss World crown, which has an impressive first prize of $100,000 (78,000).

From second left to second right: Olivia Green, Miss Stoke, Zoe-Lea Dale, Miss Manchester, Paris Summer Allen, Miss Rugby, Elizabeth Grant, Miss England 2016, Maisie Hobbs, Miss Nottinghamshire, Rachel Pitman, Miss Hertfordshire, Jennifer Atkin Miss Yorkshire, Cheraleigh Van Zanten Miss Hippodrome

The girls wowed in a series of stunning bikini snaps on the beaches of Sri Lanka, including Miss Stoke (left) and Maisie Hobbs (right) who was the youngest contestant to ever take home the coveted title of Miss Nottinghamshire

Nineteen-year-old Miss Rugby looked classy and demure and she posed next to a traditional Sri Lankan fishing boat in a stylish one-piece swimsuit

Jennifer Atkin, Miss Yorkshire, poses in a daring olive bikini. The 24-year-old has lost eight stone in the last two years

London's Cheraleigh Van Zanten (left) opted for a simple yet stylish black bikini, while 23-year-old Miss Hertfordshire, Rachel Pitman preferred a black-and-white striped pattern - which went well with her kimono-style gown

The seven semi-finalists were all joined by the reigning Miss England, 21-year-old Elizabeth Grant (pictured centre)

It's a bit nippy! In between the bikini posses the girls had a chance to relax and take a dip in the Indian Ocean

Cheraleigh Van Zanten, originally from Norwich, looks absolutely gorgeous as she poses on the shore of the Indian Ocean. The 20-year-old originally started competing in beauty tournaments to boost her self-confidence

In between competitions and photoshoots the girls had time to relax in some of Colombo's most premier hotels

The competition was run alongside local contest Miss Premier Ceylon, which featured Sri Lankan catwalk queens

Like an angel in the night: Miss Rugby wears a warm smile as she poses for a night-time shoot in the sand

Miss Hippodrome struck a fierce pose for a close-up portrait (left) while Miss Nottinghamshire wowed in a frilly bikini

The girls were clearly in good spirits as they laughed and smiled through a variety of photoshoots, with the reigning Miss England giving them pointers on posing

The beauty queens will tour Colombo for two weeks before returning to Birmingham for the final

The winner of the Miss England title will join Miss Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to compete for the Miss World Crown, which awards $100,000 (78,000) to the winner

The contestants swapped in and out of differing swim wears to try and find the one which would send pulses racing

The girls have had a chance to explore Colombo, and posed with a variety of traditional sari dresses

While it may be all a smiles now between Miss Stoke (left), Miss Hertfordshire (centre) and Miss Hippodrome (right) the competition is bound to heat up once they return to London

Miss Rugby's stringy one piece bathing suit was guaranteed to set pulses racing

The Miss England pageant features the traditional catwalk style contest, along with a Eco fashion round and sports round
Brita Fernandez-Schmidt

Brita is director of the charity Women for Women International. Her steel, style and stellar contacts book is helping her to fight the very worst in humanity by teaming up with fashion brands and A-listers

Its rare that a day will pass in which Brita Fernandez Schmidt does not have to contemplate some of the worlds most sickening atrocities against women: rape, torture, kidnap and the murder of children as a weapon of war. As executive director of the charity Women for Women International (WFWI) UK, she has devoted her professional life to facing head-on the inhumane acts around the world that the rest of us can bear to think of only fleetingly.

It never gets easier, she says. After all this time, I am still learning. I dont think I will ever become less sensitive to it  and I dont want to either, because its important that we feel what happens to women like that. You just have to find a way to focus She pauses; her eyes fill with tears.

Women in Nigeria hold their sponsor letters while waiting outside a Women for Women International centre

Brita recalls being in Rwanda and meeting a beautiful woman called Fatima, dressed in glorious pink. She was dancing, but Brita says she noticed by her eyes that something terrible had happened to her. She later found out that rebels had cut Fatimas unborn child from her womb and murdered her family in front of her. How do I deal with it? Brita says. It is really hard. I do ask, How can humanity do this? How could anybody do this to another human being?

She cant answer the question, so instead she focuses on raising money to help the women  through education and counselling  living in the seven countries where WFWI operates: Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kosovo, Nigeria, Rwanda and Northern Iraq. (Until recently the charity also worked in South Sudan, but it has become too dangerous for staff and women on the programme.)

Britas outward appearance belies her inner steel. Tall and willowy, she has a serene and gentle manner  helped by daily meditation and 6am runs  and fantastic style. If her professional life is a response to acts of violence and cruelty, her private life couldnt be more stable and loving. At 46, she has been with her husband for 23 years (they married in 2000) and they live in Bedfordshire with their two teenage daughters.

I have such a strong base, she says of her family and their home. And I wonder if I could have done what I have for all these years without burning out if I hadnt had them. Its just happiness. I come home and its, like, Ahhh, I love my home. Its tiny and imperfect but I treasure it. It is important to ground me, because I put a lot of energy into what I do.

Since setting up the UK office of the US charity WFWI, Brita has expanded it from a team of just two people to 28. One strategy proving successful is a series of fundraising collaborations with top designers including Alice Temperley, shoe designer Charlotte Olympia Dellal, make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury and LK Bennett. Black-tie fundraising galas are another lucrative source of donations.

Brita with WFWI graduate Rebecca in Rwanda

WFWIs income almost doubled from 1.7 million in 2012 to 3.7 million in 2016. More than 65 per cent of the charitys funds come from large grants from foundation and government sources, but these high-profile fashion collaborations are increasingly playing a part. Income from celebrity and brand partnerships over the past four years has grown by more than 400 per cent. Through her stellar contacts Brita has managed to raise money, as well as the charitys profile.

High-profile businesswomen and celebrities are queuing up to help spread the word. Current ambassadors include Dame Helen Mirren (shed been on their wish list  and then she just called and said, I want to get involved), actress Sophie Turner, who got in touch after starring in a rape scene in Game of Thrones, Nadja Swarovski, Space NK boss Nicky Kinnaird and Wahaca founder Thomasina Miers.

In some parts of the world, a girl is more likely to be raped than to learn how to read

Brita grew up in Werther, Northwest Germany, until the age of 14. Her desire to help others began when her parents (her stepfather adopted her when she was five)  who were both teachers  moved to Caracas, Venezuela, because they wanted an adventure. You can imagine, I was 14 and had to leave my friends, she says. Even the drive from the airport was shocking: There were shanty towns everywhere. Quickly I got a real sense of the poverty and how it disproportionately affects women. I went to a German expat school and some children looked down on my parents for being teachers. I couldnt believe it.

It was during this time that Brita became vocal about feminism and social injustice. At 19, she decided to study English literature and Portuguese at the University of Essex, followed by a masters in womens studies at the University of Sussex. At 23, she began dating the man who would become her husband, Spanish/French student Jose-Luis Fernandez (now an associate professorial research fellow at the London School of Economics). A role in the European Womens Lobby in Brussels followed, then a stint at the Peru Support Group (raising awareness of human and womens rights in Peru). In 1998 she joined the welfare charity Womankind Worldwide. She worked her way up to become policy director, looking after 60 humanitarian programmes in 20 countries, and in 2008 she was headhunted to open the UK office of WFWI.

LK Bennett flats sold in aid of WFWI, embroidered by Kosovar women

Her very equal marriage to Jose-Luis is, she says, part of her success: He has grown with me. She has a photograph of him and their daughters Emma, 16, and Sara, 14, on her desk. Despite all the field trips required by her job, they have never had a nanny and have always tried to share the childcare, sitting down on Sunday nights to look at their diaries to work out who is taking the children to school and who is picking them up.

She recalls being on holiday and watching her daughters playing in the sand as she read about the plight of the Yazidi women in Iraq, kidnapped by Isis and turned into sex slaves. I thought, Ive got to do something about this. WFWI didnt then have a programme in Northern Iraq so Brita decided to use the charitys 2015 She Inspires Art fundraiser to get the ball rolling. Dressed in Temperley London, Brita stood before the crowd and said: Hello, my name is Brita, I hope you all have had a wonderful holiday. I have two daughters  and I also have a third daughter who is a sex slave. The room went completely silent, but she continued: Of course, she is not my blood daughter, but she could be. She could be my daughter. The evening raised 830,000, which has gone towards providing displaced Yazidi and Syrian women with counselling to help them with their trauma. Our aim is to show these women that we care and to make them feel less alone, says Brita.

When we meet, she is dressed in LK Bennett (the brand recently launched a range of ballet flats embroidered by Kosovar women to raise money for the charity). She is also wearing a delicate silver necklace designed by Alice Rivers-Cripps of Posh Totty Designs for WFWIs Share a Hug, another campaign for the women in Kosovo.

Events include an auction yesterday at Londons Somerset House, where Havaianas flipflops created by designers including Manolo Blahnik and Mary Katrantzou were sold; a collaboration with jeweller Monica Vinader in September, and a beauty launch with Sienna Millers designer sister Savannah and the brand Bagsy in October.

Brita with her daughters Emma (left) and Sara, and with husband Jose-Luis

It would be easy to assume that Brita is also wealthy, but she insists: I dont have access to the same resources as these incredible women, but it doesnt unbalance me. I feel very grounded and clear about why I am doing what I am doing. My purpose is strong. If I have one skill, it is to try to connect and impress upon everybody that they can make a difference. And that leads to other introductions and connections.

At least one in three women around the world will be beaten or coerced into sex in their lifetime. In some parts of the world, a girl is more likely to be raped than to learn how to read. Some 60 million girls are sexually assaulted every year. We say to ourselves in the office, We are doing this for the women, she says. My fundraiser says to me, Brita, we are like terriers. If we get a connection, we wont let go of it. I love fundraising. It is not something horrible or dirty. It is a wonderful thing when you match up somebodys desire to help with the people who need it. I visit the women we aid and they cry because they are so grateful and moved that somebody cares. I then tell my donors and they cry because they are so moved. They have done something that is bigger than their own lives.

It never gets easier. I ask, How could anybody do this to another human being?

Given all this, it is hardly surprising that Brita was chosen to appear in Vogues real issue, alongside architectural historian Shumi Bose and Unruly Media marketing co-founder Sarah Wood. Michael Kors, whose design Brita wore for the shoot, said of her: Passionate, sophisticated and chic to boot, she is exactly the type of woman Im thinking about when I design. Brita says, That shoot was such fun, although she admits: When I first joined WFWI, I knew nothing about fashion. My husband used to buy my clothes for me. When I was in Vogue, he was so proud but he said to me a bit sadly, I suppose you wont need me to buy your clothes any more. And I said, Well you assume that but

Yet Brita, who along with her two degrees speaks five languages, says that in the humanitarian-aid world she can be written off as lightweight. She recalls wearing a bold polka dot shirt to a discussion and receiving questionable looks from the other panel members. I saw the way they were looking at how I was dressed. I swear if Id worn a suit or dress it would have been different. And do you know what? I was the only panel member not asked to sum up  and the chair was a woman!

During my career, I have had this so many times: Oh Brita is so passionate, with the subtext, She doesnt have the gravitas. Well, Im over that now. I am really passionate about what I do but I mean business. I want women to speak out about how you can have beautiful nails, care about clothes and still have an excellent working brain. If there is one thing Brita has learnt in the past two decades, it is this: You must be authentic. Be yourself. She tells her staff this all the time. Its why, she thinks, she has such fundraising success: there is no artifice.

Brita is still juggling the demands of her job with motherhood. On her first field trip after her maternity leave with her eldest daughter, Brita says, I cried and cried. I just missed her so much. But teenage children rely on their mothers as much as little ones, only in different ways. Its a bit of a rollercoaster and I still find leaving them hard, but I wouldnt want to change it.

It is only now that her daughters are beginning to understand the exact nature of what she does. I have always been really careful with them, Brita says. If they asked, How was your day, Mummy? I would never go into details and wouldnt talk to them about sexual violence and rape. I dont want to instil more fear in them than is necessary.

How to make a difference by Brita Fernandez Schmidt 1 Follow your passion and find your purpose. When you are driven by a greater purpose you will always strive to do better. 2 Have self-belief. I have to believe that I can make a difference otherwise it will not happen. 3 Be authentic and true to yourself  dont fake it. People are more likely to connect to you if they can see who you really are. 4 Be vulnerable: I dont think there is failure, just a lifelong opportunity to learn. 5 I say yes where I can: yes to opportunities, yes to promising ideas, yes to help and yes to change. Advertisement

But two years ago, when the girls were 14 and 12, she allowed them to accompany her on a three-day peace march in Bosnia, walking alongside women who had been raped and their families murdered in the genocide. I was very nervous, she remembers, but I think children only take in what they are capable of processing. My eldest daughter understood it all, my 12-year-old less so.

Britas eldest daughter has since started a group on Snapchat called Strong Women, and last month both girls helped at the #SheInspiresMe car-boot sale in Soho, London, which raised 150,000. This summer, mother and daughters are travelling to Rwanda together to meet more women rebuilding their lives. On top of this, Brita has begun to write a book about the past two decades of her life with the hope of inspiring normal women  just as she thinks of herself as normal.

I never want anybody to put me on a pedestal, Brita says. I want people to identify with me and connect with me. Im not superwoman  I muddle through my life with my husband. These days I allow myself more and more to be me and to share my passion, and I think its that that is making such a big difference.

For more information about WFWI and to join the year-long training programme Sponsor a Sister by donating 22 a month (to help a woman learn marketable skills, overcome emotional trauma and improve lives for herself, her family and her community), visit womenforwomen.org.uk
Ditch the blue eyeshadow, go easy on the social-media oversharing and, most importantly, know that everything is going to be OK. Older and wiser at 23, Emily Clarkson, daughter of Jeremy, travels back in time to offer hard-won advice to her little me

'Never feel that you have to do something because your friends have,' writes Emily

Hi darling one. Dont freak out, but this message is coming to you from the future. I had to write; there is so much that I wish Id known at 13. First things first: you ought to know that blue eyeshadow has never worked for you and you would do well to throw it away immediately. I know its the only colour that youve got, but youre going to need to work that out, because you look ridiculous. No arguments! Bin it. Now.

Denim skirts are going to go out of fashion, but they will come back in, so dont throw them out. Thankfully, so will Ugg boots, big elastic belts, tie-dye, wearing leggings as trousers and kitten heels. As for the knee-length formal dresses that Mum keeps buying, they dont come back in. Burn them now.

Please step away from your hair. Its natural colour is lovely, although I suppose Im too late and by the time you read this Becky will have already helped you dye it that weird orange colour. Stop there. In a few months youre going to try to fix it and it will go wrong: it ends up purple and Mum is going to go ballistic. Oh, and when you turn 16 youre going to want to cut it all off. Please dont! Your head is much too big to pull it off. I regret it so much and it took ages to grow back. Just leave it alone.

Emily in 2002 with her dad Jeremy, former presenter of Top Gear, now Grand Tour

I know that Facebook is very new and exciting, but for the love of God stop writing on everybodys walls to tell them that you love them and sharing your secrets publicly. And please stop talking in abbreviations: its not that hard to type the whole b***** word. You have an education, use it. In a few years, Facebook is going to start showing you posts from years ago and youre going to hate yourself for being so hopelessly uncool. If you want to talk to someone, text them. The limit on your phone only allowing 20 texts per month is going to be lifted very soon.

Its also probably a good idea to start smiling in photos. Stop pouting, you look absolutely ridiculous. Your braces arent that bad and theyre not going to stay on for ever. In fact, at the end of this year youre going to beg the orthodontist to take them off and, despite his better judgment, he will. If you can, please hang in there, because as a result of that decision I still have a terrible overbite.

Now, down to more serious stuff. You ought to know that you are going to get an actual boyfriend. I wont tell you when because that would ruin the surprise, but trust me, its going to happen. Its going to be the real deal. Youre going to love him to bits and hes going to catch you totally by surprise. One day hes going to tell you that he loves you and ask you to move in with him. Whatever you do, dont freak out  its going to be great.

That said, you need to prepare yourself for the fact that you are going to make many mistakes in the interim and theres nothing I can do to stop you. That would take away the fun and you wouldnt learn anything. Where you can, stop stressing about boys and relying on those algorithms you and your friends create at the back of the classroom to predict your future; when its meant to happen, it will.

'If I could swap with you, I would. I would do so much differently,' writes Emily

Over the next few years, some of the boys that you cross paths with will hurt you and make you sad. If they do, know that they are not The One. It will also mean that when the right guy shows up you will know, because youll feel happy in yourself. You wont try to change, you wont always need to look your best  you will be happy just being you.

I know you know this already, but its got to be said: you are going to be so grateful for any male attention for the next few years, and thats so wrong. I dont want to throw big scary words around, but a lot of the messages that you are going to receive will be borderline sexual harassment. The worst part about this is youre going to go along with it rather than speak up for yourself. This is not the kind of attention that you want; you deserve more.

Youre not frigid if you dont want to send a photo to a guy, youre sensible. Boys have just started watching porn and theyre going to assume that they can treat girls how they like. I know it makes you uncomfortable and thats OK. When they talk about it in front of you, dont feel as though you need to laugh along to fit the preconceived ideas they have of you. You will never be that person.

Its not just the boys that you need to worry about. Girls will cause problems, too. They can be mean creatures  you included. There will be many times when you think that you are doing or wearing something for a boy, but most of your insecurity will come about as a result of other girls and consequently you will start making an effort for them.

Girls are going to say things without trying to be rude that are going to stick with you for years to come. I wish I could tell you that this was all going to be water off a ducks back, but some of it is going to stick. Try not to take it personally and never bite back. Its not worth causing someone else years of insecurity just because you feel embarrassed and victimised. Some of my biggest regrets are offhand comments Ive made to people that, if the tables were turned, would still be upsetting me today.

'Try to be happy. I wasted so much time not being, and I regret it so much,' writes Emily

You need to know that sex is not a competition. Please spread this message far and wide. Never feel that you need to do something because your friends have. In the grand scheme of life, no one cares who the first fella to feel you up was. Everything you do should be because you want to, not because the girl you sit next to in English has. I promise you this: sex will not make you a better person, it will not make you more mature, and youd do well to remember that every other girl out there is just as scared as you right now. Please respect yourself.

Over the next few years you are going to be told by anyone with even a single grey hair that your school years are the best of your life. Unless it all goes drastically downhill from here, this is absolute rubbish. There will, of course, be elements of school that are amazing, memories will be made that will last a lifetime and you will have so much fun. But you will also have some really s*** times and, I promise, once you leave school they will be much fewer and further between.

I now get to wear whatever I want every day, I dont have someone approving the length of my skirt before I go to a party, I can eat what I want whenever I am hungry, I can stay out as late as I like and I can even smoke. Although, please, for the love of all that is good, when Georgie offers you your first cigarette, say no. Apart from the obvious health stuff, its a b****** to give up and is costing me a fortune.

There is SO much I want to tell you. I am so bitterly aware of the anguish you are going to go through. When youre feeling sad, dont go it alone. I remember crying myself to sleep. I can still feel my cheeks burning when I call to mind feeling uncomfortable around people I didnt know that well, and I vividly recall the heartbreak that comes with feeling as though you dont belong.

If I could swap with you, I would. I would do so much differently. I would say no to that first cigarette, establish myself early with friends who love me for me, stop trying so hard, leave my hair alone, throw out those horrible green tracksuit bottoms you wear all the time But most importantly, I would try really hard to be happy  because I wasted so much time not being, and I regret it so much.

'By the time you get to the finish line you will be absolutely knackered, but its one hell of a race and you will get there a stronger than you ever thought you would,' writes Emily

All I can tell you is that it is going to get easier. There is so much I would change, but I know that you are stubborn. If there is one thing that I need you to start doing now, it is practising self-love. From time to time, look in the mirror, find something good and hold on to it. Look back at your day or your week and find something that you did that you are proud of. Be kind to yourself, rest and have fun. Youve got a big heart and you need to make room in it for yourself. I promise the moment you do, your life will get so much better.

The next few years are going to be an obstacle course and by the time you get to the finish line you will be absolutely knackered, but its one hell of a race and you will get there a stronger and better person than you ever thought you would. I will be waiting for you when you get through it, with a massive glass of wine and a cigarette  because, lets face it, youre definitely not going to say no to that first one. Good luck, little me. See you on the other side!

This is an edited extract from Can I Speak To Someone in Charge? by Emily Clarkson, to be published by Simon & Schuster on 13 July, price 12.99. To pre-order a copy for 9.74 (a 25 per cent discount) until 16 July, visit you-bookshop.co.uk or call 0844 571 0640; p&p is free on orders over 15
A soft palette of white, greys and blues provides a versatile backdrop for an ever-changing display of antique finds in this small but beautifully styled London flat

Amy Mortons first passion was textiles, followed by an obsession with antiques. Im drawn to neutrals: linens, vintage tickings and patterned florals in shades of black and white  French brocante meets timeless Scandi, says Amy. With a monochrome backdrop things move around all the time. I like clean lines and statement finds, original over high street. The design of a space always begins with one key piece, such as our antique oversized star light-fitting and Scandinavian white bench. I fall in love with pieces impulsively and they find their own place.

THE FAMILY: Amy Morton, founder and designer of homeware brand Pillo, and her husband Will, a sound engineer, live in a two-bedroom Edwardian flat in London with their cat Steve. In the kitchen, matt white units are juxtaposed with worn chopping boards and antique sugar pots

In the sitting room, whitewashed floors and walls are softened by vintage fabric-covered chairs, linen curtains (made from antique French sheets), coir rugs and abundant cushions designed by Amy for her homeware brand Pillo. Vintage bus signs, science posters, military shells and heirloom metal storage trunks add an edge.

Its a stark contrast to the colourful interior that prevailed when Amy and Will first viewed the house. This flat  in Bounds Green, North London  was very rundown cosmetically but had great bones, says Amy. We rectified damp issues, ripped out the bathroom and replaced non-period fireplaces, doors, floorboards and skirting with reclaimed Edwardian finds. We also swapped pink plastic chandeliers, purple walls and peach carpets for a simpler, calmer look.

Classic Fired Earth floor tiles create a seamless flow from the hallway through to the kitchen, where contemporary matt white units and bi-fold doors have been introduced alongside a battered wooden table, vintage chairs, industrial lighting and ever-changing decorative finds. In the bedroom, softer, more muted tones create a restful and sophisticated feel. We didnt have a huge plan; the rooms have simply evolved, says Amy.

With such a keen eye for detail, it comes as no surprise that Amy carved out a career heading homeware and fabric development for lifestyle brand Cabbages & Roses, trawling antique markets for vintage designs that provided inspiration. She then worked at John Lewis as a fabric buyer, before launching Pillo in 2014. The brand sells antique homewares and unique soft furnishings made from vintage textiles, along with new linen designs that take their cue from aged fragments  all made by Amy. Bridging the gap between expensive fine antiques and homogeneous high-street products, Pillo offers one-off pieces at affordable prices. Its great to be able to work from my studio at home and have the freedom to create, says Amy.

Sourcing and curating lies at the heart of her style. I dont follow trends  everything here is personal and unique to us. If you follow your instincts, your home becomes a reflection of you; each layer resonates with your life story and personality.

pillolondon.com

Amy favours vintage utilitarian pieces and decorative finds are constantly evolving as new stock is sourced for Pillo. The floor tiles are from Fired Earth (firedearth.com) and the ochre tea towel is from Toast (to.ast)

The kitchen is contemporary meets vintage. We installed bi-fold doors and a new kitchen from John Lewis [johnlewis.com], says Amy. She sourced the furniture from Sunbury Antiques Market (sunburyantiques.com) and the pendant light is from Heals (heals.com)

The bathroom cabinet from Sunbury Antiques is an old tool cupboard and has beautiful detail on the inside. We painted the outside as it had been stained a very dark brownish-red, says Amy

A contemporary sofa from John Lewis and a vintage star light fitting from Atomica Antiques (atomica.me.uk) add a sharper edge. The cushions are prototypes for Pillo

We completely redid the bathroom and replaced it with a classic suite [from J&W Hinton, jwhinton.co.uk] that suits the age of the property. The tiles are from Topps Tiles (toppstiles.co.uk) and the wall light is from John Lewis

Amys home is full of vintage pieces that are displayed to great effect. The vintage tin and leather books are from Newark Antiques (newarkantiques.co.uk) and the wooden polar bear was a holiday find from Berlin

We painted the whole flat in Little Greenes Shirting [littlegreene.com] and replaced a faux art-deco fireplace in the living room with an Edwardian original from Ebay. The antique armchair, vintage bus signs and fish poster are from Ardingly International Antiques and Collectors Fair (iacf.co.uk/ardingly) and the Iranian vintage cupboard is from Sunbury Antiques Market. My treasured vintage trunks [just seen] belonged to my grandfather, says Amy

Layers of vintage linen sheets have been used to dress the bed. The large square pillows are from Casa Honore [casahonore.com], a beautiful hotel in Marseilles where we stayed on our honeymoon, says Amy. The vintage antlers were found on Amy and Wills travels; for similar decorative antlers, try Maisons du Monde (maisonsdumonde.com). The bedside tables and lamps were sourced from Newark Antiques

Favourite bags and scarves dress the back of the bedroom door. The ticking lavender pad is from Pillo

The long white Scandinavian bench, bought at Ardingly International Antiques and Collectors Fair, was the inspiration for the couples bedroom, which is home to restful tones of soft grey-blue and taupe. The cushions are from Pillo; the painting was bought on a holiday in France

The flaking blue vintage chest from Spain was found at Sunbury Antiques Market. For a similar ceiling light, try Trainspotters (trainspotters.co.uk). The olive tree softens the look

Vintage linens are all washed and stacked ready for use in Amys designs for Pillo

Our cat Steve is pretty much always asleep on the bed. She was named after Steve Temple, from the vintage BBC radio drama series Paul Temple, says Amy
Meet 48-year-old Dr Nandan Singh. He has been the medical superintendent of a Community Health Centre in the suburbs of Agra since 2012.

And the birth of every girl child under his supervision becomes a celebration.

Singh has helped in the delivery of about 1,000 babies but has a special place in his heart for daughters.

For years, he has tried to secure the future of girls born at his clinic with monetary help and counselling for the parents.

Many Indians have a traditional preference for sons over daughters.

Dr Nandan Singh holds a baby girl at his Agra clinic

This has been fuelled by the belief that a male child would carry forward the family name and look after the parents when they grow old while daughters would cost them dowries and leave them for their matrimonial homes.

'Though earlier society used to be bitter after a girl's birth, following counselling and other steps people have gradually started to change,' Dr Singh told Mail Today.

He said that previously he and others at the clinic in Khiranwali area, 25 km from the Agra district headquarters, would open a bank account for every girl born there and deposit `100 each month while asking the parents to do the same.

But gradually that practice has faded away.

'We used to distribute sweets [after the birth of every girl child] and even some public figures [politicians and senior administrative officers] would come here to encourage us.

According to the 2011 Census, for every 1,000 boys born in India, only 927 girls were born

'They also promised to take care of future bank deposits. Things changed,' Singh added.

'Now, they only counsel the parents and try to boost their morale in bringing up a girl child.

'In our region, that comprises over 35 villages, the gender ratio was very alarming, but now it is getting better,' Singh said.

An anti-girl bias has made female foeticide and infanticide rampant in India and it has led to a dangerously skewed sex ratio.

According to the 2011 Census, for every 1,000 boys born in India, only 927 girls were born.

In a bid to address the situation, PM Narendra Modi in 2014 introduced the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao campaign, which translates to Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter.

The doctor also has a thought for parents unwilling to raise a girl.

'I only have a 13-year-old son, and every time I hand over a girl child I humbly request them that if "you do not want to bring her up, please give her back to me",' he said.

The clinic has also started a fundraising campaign for girls.

'About two years ago, I requested everyone to donate at will for the education of girls. We collect the money and after finding a suitable girl, make all arrangements [for her education]' he said.

'We are inspired by Modiji's slogan of Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.'
There has been an alarming rise in the theft of mobile phones in Delhi, with around 200 of the devices stolen each day.

A lack of technical knowledge among officers at the Delhi station is apparently encouraging hi-tech mobile thieves to steal phones, change their IMEI numbers and resell them at a handsome price in the open market.

These gangs are operating right under the nose of the police, who are unable to do much as the thieves have more technical know-how.

On average around 150 to 200 mobile phones are stolen every day from Delhi

The alarming rise in the theft and the inability to crack such cases has become a major concern for the top police officer  Amulya Patnaik.

In the past, Delhi Police busted several gangs that were stealing mobile phones from Delhi-NCR, and were changing the IMEI number using a Chinese software.

They resell such phones in the open market for a handsome price.

A senior official of Delhi Police said: 'These hi-tech criminals are not engineers, but they have acquired knowledge on their own to outwit the police.

Recently, the Delhi Police arrested two gang members with 65 stolen mobiles

'Earlier, they could be traced easily when they tried selling stolen phones by inserting fresh SIM cards in them. But now they have learnt the process of changing IMEI number from the internet and started tampering with the devices.'

According to the latest data, on average around 150 to 200 mobile phones are stolen every day from the city.

The 15-digit IMEI number encoded inside a cell phone was earlier of critical help in locating a lost or stolen cell phone.

Recently, the Delhi Police arrested two gang members with 65 stolen mobiles, and who had instruments used to change the IMEI of stolen mobiles, break phone locks and to flash Google accounts.

Usually, these criminals charge `200-300 to change the IMEI number and `50 to 75 for flashing and unlocking the pattern lock

Other items recovered from them were: latest electronic gadgets - an Octopus device, Z3X box, UMT Tool, BST device, Ghost SIM and flashing interface device that is used to break a pattern lock.

Usually, these criminals charge `200-300 to change the IMEI number and `50 to 75 for flashing and unlocking the pattern lock.

These gangs work at four levels: pickpockets and snatchers, receivers, engineers and another set of receivers who sold the phones, the officer said.

A highly placed source in the department told Mail Today that during the crime analysis meeting held in the police headquarters, Patnaik had asked all the officials to come up with a smart solution.

Patnaik had also said that the core teams formed in the district would be given special training in technology.

Cyber experts believe that there is no permanent solution to the problem

It has been learnt that the gangs, used to tamper with the IMEI numbers, and once this occurred, it becomes impossible to trace the stolen phones.

Cyber experts believe that there is no permanent solution to the problem.

'Easy tampering of the IMEI number could only be curbed if the manufacturing companies themselves develop hard-coded safety features.

'They could also opt for hardware coding as it is done in computers,' said Mohit Yadav, a cyber expert.
Real Estate Investors is a Midlands-based property company with a track record of steady growth and generous dividend payments.

Recommended by Midas in July 2014 at 52p, the shares rose to 70p last year  then Brexit struck and REI suffered, along with almost every other property stock. Having fallen to 53p last summer, the price has crawled back to 60p, at which point the shares look rather cheap.

REI is run by Paul Bassi, a property market veteran with 35 years experience and a reputation for providing shareholder value.

Upmarket: Birmingham, where rents for retailers now outstrip those in Manchester

The group delivered a 271 per cent increase in underlying profits to 5.2 million last year and a total dividend of 2.625p. Further strong growth is expected this year  profits are forecast at about 6.5 million with a dividend of at least 3p, putting the stock on a yield of 5 per cent.

REI has 250 tenants and even the largest one accounts for just 3 per cent of group income. The business is entirely focused on the Midlands, a region peppered with manufacturers that have benefited from the Brexit vote, as the weak pound has boosted exports.

Birmingham is thriving too and retail rents are now higher than in cities such as Manchester, Leeds, Edinburgh and Bristol.

HSBC is moving its retail bank head office to Birmingham, Revenue & Customs is moving thousands of staff to the city and trendy London restaurant The Ivy is opening an eaterie in the city centre.

This all bodes well for REIs prospects. Bassi said last month that rental income was rising and that any economic uncertainty arising from Brexit should provide the group with acquisition opportunities.

To that end, REI recently bought two sites, one in Birmingham for 6.1 million and a second in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, for 2.8 million. Both were bought off-market, so avoiding competitive auctions, and they benefit from financially secure tenants such as Travelodge, Subway and Dominos Pizza.

REI is also receiving strong interest from institutional investors looking for income-bearing properties outside London, so Bassi recently sold a property in Birmingham city centre for 7.2 million, a premium to the value at which the site was held in the books.

Midas verdict: Bassi owns more than 5 per cent of REI shares and is committed to expanding the business and delivering annual dividend growth. At 60p, the shares are a strong hold for existing shareholders, while new investors could also find value at current levels. REI may even be an attractive morsel for large, London-based property giants to swallow up in time.

Traded on: Main market Ticker: RLE Contact: reiplc.com or 0121 212 3446
The leaders of an Islamist extremist group in Australia that wants Sharia law, supports jihad and opposes democracy all live within a few suburbs of each other in Sydney's west.

Hizb ut-Tahrir has a constitution calling for ex-Muslims to be killed and is so extreme it is even banned in the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation, Indonesia.

However, the five key leaders of this group campaigning for a global Islamic caliphate all live within western Sydney between the M4 and the M5 motorways, with two of them even living next door to each other.

Scroll down for video

Hizb ut-Tahrir's most vocal spokesman Uthman Badar lives with his parents at South Granville

The five key leaders of Hizb ut-Tahrir all live in western Sydney between the M4, M5 motorways

The group's most prominent spokesman Uthman Badar, who was born in Pakistan, lives with his parents at a house in South Granville.

Daily Mail Australia caught him on camera in late March confirming he supports the idea of capital punishment for people who leave Islam.

'The ruling for apostates as such in Islam is clear, that apostates attract capital punishment and we don't shy away from that,' Mr Badar said in the presence of children.

An apostate is someone who decides to leave Islam.

He also told that same forum at Bankstown Library that Muslims should not apologise for waging jihad.

But he threatened to call police two days later when a reporter door knocked his house to ask him about his offensive remarks.

Wassim Doureihi repeatedly refused to condemn ISIS in an ABC television interview

Bankstown is also home to Wassim Doureihi, who has lived in the suburb since 2005, and has recently suggested there will be a clash between Islam and the West.

He is the same man who repeatedly refused to condemn ISIS in an ABC television interview in 2014 despite being asked to do so more than a dozen times.

Bankstown is also home to fellow Hizb ut-Tahrir leader Ashraf Doureihi, an engineer and project manager at North Sydney Council.

He was previously a vocal frontman for the Islamic Liberation Party, another name for Hizb ut-Tahrir, and has also gone by the name of Abu Sumaiya.

His views are so extreme that his boss at North Sydney Council Genia McCaffery told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2002 she regarded his remarks at an Auburn town hall meeting to be 'discriminatory, racist and promoting disharmony and intolerance'.

Bankstown is also a neighbouring suburb to Lakemba, which is home to Australia's largest Muslim mosque.

Hizb ut-Tahrir's spiritual leader Ismail al-Wahwah lived next door to Ashraf Doureihi in the Bankstown street in 2012.

He moved to the neighbouring suburb of Condell Park in 2014.

Known in the Muslim community as Abu Anas al-Wahwah, he has been deported from Indonesia and travelled to Syria in 2013 in support of an Islamic caliphate, The Daily Telegraph reported in 2014.

Hizb ut-Tahrir's spiritual leader Ismail al-Wahwah lives in Condell Park and wants a Caliphate

Last year, he called on a Turkish audience to lead 'the armies of jihad that will conquer Europe and America' where their enemies have 'black hearts'.

The Palestinian-born extremist had spokes at a 'caliphate conference' in Ankara, Turkey, a video translated and shared by MEMRI shows.

He also called on the rally to pledge 'before Allah to restore the Caliphate, to raise the banner, to restore the Sharia, to unite the Islamic nation and to lead the armies of jihad that will conquer Europe and America so that the word of Allah will reign supreme'.

However, he leaves much of the campaigning in Australia for a global Caliphate to his younger spokesmen.

His highest-profile lieutenant Uthman Badar attended the Malek Fahd Islamic School at Greenacre, along with fellow spokesman Hamzah Qureshi, who is Facebook friends with the Grand Mufti of Australia Ibrahim Abu Mohamed.

Grand Mufti of Australia Ibrahim Abu Mohamed is Facebook friends with Hizb ut-Tahrir leader

The Australian Federation of Islamic Councils receives a halal certification fee from Vegemite and funds the Malek Fahd Islamic School in Greenacre

Hizb ut-Tahrir leaders Uthman Badar and Hamzah Qureshi both went to the Malek Fahd school

This school is funded by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils, which receives a halal certification fee from Vegemite.

AFIC's former leader Keysar Trad is Facebook friends with Wassim Doureihi and made news earlier this year when he said the Koran allowed husbands to lightly beat their wives.

In May, Hizb ut-Tahrir held a conference at Campsie in Sydney's west asking if Muslims could be locked up in concentration camps as hatred rises against them in the West.

Uthman Badar declared that Muslims could not separate religion from politics.

'For us, the political, the activism is necessarily and inextricably grounded in the spiritual. If you separate the two, that's not Islam,' he said.

Hizb ut-Tahrir is banned in Germany and The Netherlands and range of Muslim-majority nations including Indonesia, Bangladesh, Pakistan and even Saudi Arabia.
A large music festival in Sweden that has hosted artists such as Kanye West, Robbie Williams and Iron Maiden has called off next year's event after several reports of sexual abuse.

The Bravalla festival in Norrkoping, southern Sweden, says the decision was made after a rape was reported on Friday during a performance by pop singer Hakan Hellstrom at this year's four day event.

In addition to the rape report Swedish police say they recorded 11 cases of sexual abuses at the July 28-July 1 event.

Audience dancing during Bravalla festival in Norrkoping, Sweden, Saturday, July 1, 2017

The organizing company, FKP Scorpio, said in a statement released on Saturday it had attempted to prevent rapes and sexual abuses but 'some men - because we are talking about men - apparently can't behave. It's a shame.'

'Words cannot describe how incredibly sad we are about this, and we most seriously regret and condemn this. This is not f-ing okay. We do not accept this at our festival,' a festival representative wrote.

The festival, which started in 2013 and draws about 40,000, urged people to 'take care of each other, choke hatred and violence and let the music win.'

The organiser didn't say if or when the festival will return nor have they commented on whether the company's financial situation had anything to do with the cancellation  FKP Scorpio reported a loss of 75 million kronor ($8,904,500) in 2016.

'We don't have any further comments on that. We have issued a press release, and that's what applies here,' FKP press spokesperson Johanna Jonasson told Swedish broadcaster SVT.

This is not the first time the festival, which takes place near Norrkoping in eastern Sweden, has been hit with sex abuse allegations.

A file photo of young women at the Bravalla festival in Sweden

At last year's event there were five reported cases of rape and 12 sexual assault incidents.

The furore prompted the British band Mumford and Sons, which headlined the 2016 festival, to boycott Bravalla until they had had assurances from the organizers and police they were doing something to combat the problems of sexual violence.

A debate about sexual molestation raged in Sweden in 2016 after it emerged that groups of boys, mainly of Afghani and Moroccan origin according to police reports, had been groping girls at the We Are STHLM youth festival for two years running.
Malcolm Turnbull has taken a thinly-veiled swipe at Tony Abbott saying he will quit if he loses the next election.

Following a tumultuous week of rising tensions within the Liberal party, the Prime Minister said he would not hesitate to walk away from politics if he lost the top job.

'When I cease to be Prime Minister, I will cease to be a Member of Parliament. I am not giving anyone else advice but I just think that's what I would do.' Mr Turnbull told Newscorp.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured) has admitted to feeling sympathy for Tony Abbott

Mr Turnbull said it was a 'big wrench going from being leader to not'.

The prime minister also hit out at Mr Abbott in a column for News Limited on Saturday saying Australia needed to be lead by 'builders, not wreckers'.

The Prime Minister also admitted to having a tough time after losing the party leadership to Abbott in 2009.

'I had a bleak period and then I thought to myself, I can continue to make a contribution.'

Mr Turnbull's comments follow a tough week for the Liberal party, with Mr Abbott blasting frontbencher Christopher Pyne over a speech he made to Liberal moderates.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott (pictured) has refused to stay out of the spotlight since being ousted

Abbott (pictured, left) was ousted by Turnbull (pictured, right) in a leadership spill in late 2015

''It is a big wrench going from being leader to not, I understand that.' Turnbull (pictured) said

In a leaked recording of the speech, Mr Pyne suggested a move to legalise same-sex marriage was closer than everyone expected.

Mr Pyne also boasted disloyalty to Mr Abbott during his tenure as prime minister.

Mr Pyne was slammed for his speech, with some of Mr Abbott's conservative colleagues calling for him to lose his job.

'I can understand why some of my colleagues might be saying his position as Leader of the House is now difficult to maintain,' Mr Abbott said on 2GB on Wednesday.

Mr Abbott said it was a 'very ill-advised and indiscreet' speech.

'When I cease to be Prime Minister, I will cease to be a Member of Parliament. I am not giving anyone else advice but I just think that's what I would do.' Turnbull (pictured, left) said.
A children's doctor who treats premature babies has quit the doctors union after it voted for the total decriminalisation of abortion.

Dr Jessica Hudson, who works in the neonatal unit at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, resigned from the British Medical Association (BMA) following its controversial decision on Tuesday.

A further 20 doctors have told The Mail on Sunday they will also cut ties with the BMA and more are expected to follow.

Dr Jessica Hudson resigned the union after it voted for the total decriminalisation of abortion in the UK. File image

Two-thirds of delegates at the groups annual conference in Bournemouth voted for the motion, which critics said could open the door for abortion on demand up to birth.

Last week, this newspaper revealed that 1,500 doctors had signed a letter warning that the decision would severely damage the reputation of the medical profession.

Dr Hudson, 29, said she could not reconcile her unions new extreme position on abortion with her lifesaving work.

She said: As a doctor who looks after babies from 23 weeks, I am really happy that the babies we look after have a complete right to life enshrined in law.

We wouldnt dream of withdrawing care from a baby in one of the incubators at our neonatal unit just because parents didnt want it.

Just because a baby is in a womb, rather than an incubator, I still believe that it deserves legal protection over its rights. Dr Hudson added: The BMA voted that abortion should be regulated as if it was just another medical procedure, but I really believe that abortion is massively different from an appendicectomy.

Dr Matthew Knight, a hospital consultant in Watford, is also quitting the union. He said: While I do believe the BMA on the most part works tirelessly for both the interests of patients and of its members, I have been concerned for some time that its agenda has been increasingly hijacked by people with more extreme views.

Dr Richard Loveless, a GP from Somerset, said he was very disappointed by the vote and was also quitting the BMA after 35 years.

Abortion is technically illegal in Britain unless it meets criteria under the 1967 Abortion Act. There is an upper time limit at 24 weeks, except in cases of severe foetal abnormality, and two doctors must give consent for the procedure.

Dr Hudson, 29, said she could not reconcile her unions new extreme position on abortion with her lifesaving work. File image

A BMA spokesman said: It is important to note that doctors also voted for abortion to be regulated in the same way as other medical treatments, therefore decriminalisation would not mean deregulation.

The debate and the BMAs new policy only relate to whether abortion should or should not be a criminal offence. The BMA has established policy on these issues  such as supporting the 24-week limit  which will remain unchanged.
Survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire have threatened to boycott the inquiry if they do not believe its scope will be wide enough.

Yvette Williams, who represents Justice 4 Grenfell, told Sky News that if the remit of the inquiry is not wide enough, they will not participate.

She said: 'If we don't get a good terms of reference for the public inquiry and we don't get a wide remit so that those people can take responsibility for what they've done, then we won't participate in it.

Yvette Williams, who represents Justice 4 Grenfell, said the remit of the inquiry needs to go beyond the day of the fire itself

Grenfell tower, where at least 80 people died in a devastating fire. The survivors want the inquiry to go back beyond the day of the fire itself

'They cannot just look at 14 June, when that building became an inferno. They can't do that.

'They have to look at how they systematically treated those residents leading up to it, the contempt with which they have treated the community here has to be looked at. Otherwise nothing changes.'

Concerns have already been raised about the potential scope of a public inquiry, to be led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, who said himself it would be 'limited to the problems surrounding the start of the fire and its rapid development'.

But Ms Williams said she and survivors groups want there to be a wider look at how the residents in the north of Kensington have been treated, referencing 'systemic neglect' of the community.

Earlier this week Sir Martin said: 'I'm well aware the residents and the local people want a much broader investigation and I can fully understand why they would want that  whether my inquiry is the right way in which to achieve that I'm more doubtful.'

Retired Court of Appeal judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick, who will lead the Grenfell Tower fire public inquiry

Referring to a more wide-reaching examination of the Grenfell blaze, Sir Martin said: 'I will give that some thought and in due course give a recommendation, but there may be other ways in which the desire for that investigation could be satisfied.'

Ms Williams' words come after several top officials in Kensington and Chelsea Council stood down, and there have been calls for the council to be 'taken over' by government.

The Government will keep a 'close eye' on Kensington and Chelsea council, Sajid Javid said, as pressure built for the troubled authority to be taken over by commissioners.

The communities secretary's intervention followed resignations by the council leader and deputy leader under intense criticism of how the Grenfell Tower tragedy was handled.

Nick Paget Brown, pictured left, was leader of the council but stood down from his role over the way the aftermath of the blaze was handled

Sir Martin Moore-Bick looks at floral tributes as he leaves the Parish of St Clement church. He has already said the scope of the inquiry may be limited

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan earlier led calls for commissioners to be drafted in to take over the day-to-day running of affairs in the west London borough.

Mr Javid said: 'It is right the council leader stepped down given the initial response to the Grenfell tragedy.

'The process to select his successor will be independent of government, but we will be keeping a close eye on the situation. If we need to take further action, we won't hesitate to do so.'
Titanic director James Cameron has launched a secret 165 million 'rescue mission' to bring the ship's treasures back to the UK.

The 62-year-old  whose Oscar-winning 1997 film is the second highest-grossing box-office hit of all time  has teamed up with Dr Robert Ballard, who discovered the wreck, along with the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich and the Royal Geographical Society, to return 5,500 artefacts to Belfast, where the Titanic was built.

Dr Ballard revealed the rescue plan at a court hearing in Virginia in the US last Wednesday.

A stunning 5,500 Titanic artefacts are stored away in a secret warehouse in America

It came after the announcement that the parent company of RMS Titanic Inc, which owns all salvage rights to the wreck, has filed for bankruptcy.

RMS Titanic is solely owned by US-based Premier Exhibitions, which last week revealed that it was putting its treasures and future salvaging rights up for sale. The company is 9 million in debt.

Since it was awarded exclusive salvage rights in 1987, RMS Titanic Inc has arranged numerous dives to recover the wreck's various treasures 12,500ft beneath the surface. The ship sank in the North Atlantic about 400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland after striking an iceberg in April 1912.

More than 1,500 of the 2,224 passengers on board died in the disaster, which occurred during the ship's maiden voyage from Southampton to New York.

They include jewellery, shoes, glasses and even bronze Cherubs

Although some artefacts have gone on public display over the years, most have been hidden from view in a secret warehouse complex in America.

Oceanographer Dr David Gallo, who led a 2010 expedition to map the wreck site, visited the artefacts last week.

He said: 'When you see these items up close you get goosebumps. Its a powerful emotion to see these items, to experience Titanic. Its one thing to see things on a movie screen but when you come face to face with the cherub from the Grand Staircase it is overwhelmingly moving. You think of the hands that touched that cherub on the way down the stairs.

'These are treasures of the mind. The Titanic has a capacity to entrance people like no other ship in history. It represents the hubris of man.

Ordinary people have, so far, only been able to experience Titanic through the eyes of a James Cameron or one of the handful of explorers who have been to the wreck site. It is time these objects go on display for the world to see and the most fitting place for that is the UK, where Titanic was born.

It was a ship of dreams. Many of the First Class passengers were simply using Titanic to go across the Atlantic. But those in Third Class were embarking on a new life in America. Every artifact, every letter and photograph, they all tell a story.'

James Cameron visited the site of Titanic's wreck multiple times to film footage for the movie

Dr Robert Ballard, who found the wreckage in 1985, told last week's hearing in Norfolk, Virginia, that he had been in discussions with Cameron and UK organisations to bring the Titanic's treasures back to the UK.

He said the group plans to exhibit the artefacts at a museum on the site of the old Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast where the Titanic was built and from where she set off to Southampton.

Last night, a source close to Mr Cameron said he was 'committed' to preserving the relics. 'Jim dived to the site multiple times to film footage for the movie,' they added. 'He has an emotional connection to the ship and he has the money and power to make this happen.'

Oceanographer Dr David Gallo, who led a 2010 expedition to map the wreck site, visited the artefacts last week. Pictured is a sonar image of the Titanic wreck

Dave Vermillion, spokesman for RMS Titanic Inc, said the company was '100 per cent committed' to safeguarding the artefacts and the wreck site for future generations.

'It was 30 years ago this July that we recovered the first artefacts from the seabed,' he said. 'This is a global search to find a suitable buyer. We are looking for someone to honour and celebrate the legacy of the Titanic.

'The most important thing is to find someone with the resources to preserve and honour the legacy of those who perished on the ship.'

He added: There are 5,500 artifacts but we also own intellectual property rights including high definition video of the wreck, all the imagery that has been captured, and the exclusive salvor in possession rights.

'The discussions are early but there is a lot of interest around the world. The collection has been valued in the past at $214 million. It will go to one buyer. The artifacts will remain together as a collection.

The most important thing is to find someone with the resources to preserve and honour the legacy of those who perished on the ship.

RMS Titanic has been committed to that legacy for three decades.
Steve Jarvie (pictured) was out for his weekly Sunday bike ride with friends in 2013 when motorcyclist Ben Smith ran him off the road on the Old Pacific Highway in Sydney's north

A self proclaimed cyclist hater who mowed down a father-of-three and left him for dead on the side of a road later boasted that 'the c*** deserved it'.

Steve Jarvie was out for his weekly Sunday bike ride with friends in 2013 when motorcyclist Ben Smith ran him off the road on the Old Pacific Highway in Sydney's north.

Just minutes later, a witness at a nearby cafe heard Smith, 27, saying: 'The f***ing bike rider shouldn't have been in the middle of the road.'

On Friday, a court heard Smith caused Mr Jarvie to fall and bragged about his actions because of his 'perverse' hatred of cyclists, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Mr Jarvie, a businessman from Sydney, was due to marry his fiance Linda Ellis before he was killed.

'Steve's life was needlessly lost in a moment of reckless stupidity and madness - an insane criminal tragedy,' Ms Ellis said, according to the paper.

Smith was found guilty of manslaughter and faces up to 25 years behind bars for killing the 61-year-old

On Friday, a court heard Smith (pictured centre) caused Mr Jarvie to fall and bragged about his actions because of his 'perverse' hatred of cyclists

'His sudden and horrendous death has plunged me into the most unimaginable nightmare that I struggle to wake up from.'

'Our hopes and dreams of a long happy and peaceful life died with him that day.'

Smith was found guilty of manslaughter and faces up to 25 years behind bars for killing the 61-year-old.

He will be sentenced on Monday.

The incident occurred on February 17, 2013, only months before Mr Jarvie (right), a businessman from Sydney, was due to marry his fiance Linda Ellis (left)
Notorious wife killer Gerard Baden-Clay crawled from a car wreck and pretended his legs were paralysed in a bizarre crash two days after he murdered his wife Allison.

Baden-Clay repeated the word 'sorry' over and over and told paramedics at the scene 'there's something else' when asked what he was sorry about after he crashed his car into a cement pylon in Indooroopilly, Brisbane in April 2012.

Investigators believe his strange behaviour at the scene was him ready to confess to the murder of his wife just two days earlier, The Courier Mail reports.

Gerard Baden-Clay (pictured) repeated the word 'sorry' over and over and told paramedics at the crash scene 'there's something else' when asked what he was sorry about

Details of the bizarre crash were revealed in journalist David Murray's book The Murder of Allison Baden-Clay.

Gerard Baden-Clay was found guilty of murdering his wife in 2014  almost two years after she was found dead on April, 2012.

The charge was later downgraded to manslaughter on appeal, before it was reinstated to murder by the High Court.

In Murray's book he revealed details of Baden-Clay's strange behaviour that were not raised before the courts.

When Baden-Clay crashed his car into a concrete pylon at 50km/h without braking, he reportedly called for a lawyer instead of paramedics.

Gerard Baden-Clay pictured on his wedding day with wife Allison, who he was found guilty of murdering

Gerard Baden-Clay and his daughters Hanna (right), Sarah (centre) and Eleanora follow the coffin after Allison's funeral service in Ipswich, west of Brisbane, Friday, May 11, 2012

A 17-year-old man rushed to Baden-Clay's side following the crash, ripped his shirt off and placed it under his neck.

When the 17-year-old asked Baden-Clay's name, he replied 'I need my lawyer' and repeated his plea for a lawyer over and over.

Paramedics, nurses and firefighters who arrived at the scene, backed up reports of Baden-Clay's strange behaviour.

Paramedic Louise Winter revealed he said the name of his lawyer repeatedly while she assessed him for injuries.

'I need to speak to my lawyer. Where's Darren? Tell Darren I'm sorry. Can you ring my lawyer?,' she recounted him saying.

A supplied image of scratches on the face of Gerard Baden-Clay which was presented as evidence

Australia's highest court ordered Gerard Baden-Clay's murder conviction for killing his wife Allison (pictured) be restored

When his lawyer Darren Mahony arrived, he reportedly told Ms Winter 'He's been under a lot of stress lately'.

When Ms Winter asked Mr Mahony if there was anything she should know, he said 'I'm not allowed to say anything'.

Baden-Clay's reportedly went on to say 'sorry mate, I'm sorry'.

Firefighter Brendan Flynn revealed he heard Baden-Clay say the word 'sorry' at least 20 times during a perceived break down following the crash.

Onlookers at the scene also reported seeing scratches across Baden-Clay's chest, scratches that were later used as evidence in the case

A police photograph taken of the Baden-Clay household in Brisbane, submitted as evidence in the trial

A paramedic treating him at the scene reportedly asked him 'are you sorry about the accident or something else?'.

Baden-Clay replied 'there's something else'.

Onlookers at the scene also reported seeing scratches across Baden-Clay's chest, scratches that were later used as evidence in the case.

Baden-Clay insisted his sister, also a lawyer, was by his side when he was assessed by a mental health nurse later that night.

When the nurse asked Baden-Clay about his relationship with Allison, his sister reportedly said 'Gerard, do not answer those questions'.

Gerard Baden-Clay continues to maintain his innocence from behind bars at high-security Wolston Correctional Centre in Wacol, Queensland.
Food regulators in Australia and New Zealand are being urged to recall some brands of infant formula after they were found to contain potentially toxic nanoparticles.

Research commissioned by environment group Friends of the Earth found three of seven samples of infant formula on sale in Australia contained microscopic nano-hydroxyapatite particles, despite them being banned from use.

Friends of the Earth says Nestle NAN H.A. Gold 1, Nature's Way Kids Smart 1 and Heinz Nurture Original 1 were found to contain the banned substance and should be recalled from stores by the Food Standards Australia New Zealand.

The nanoparticles are 'similar in shape to asbestos,' according to the organisation.

Food regulators in Australia and New Zealand are being urged to recall some brands of infant formula after they were found to contain potentially toxic nanoparticles (stock image)

Friends of the Earth says Nestle NAN H.A. Gold 1, Nature's Way Kids Smart 1 and Heinz Nurture Original 1 were found to contain the banned substance

But Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) says there's no new evidence to show that the formulas pose a risk to the health of babies and young children.

'Carers of infants should not be alarmed by this report or concerned about the safety of these products,' the regulator said in a statement on Sunday.

The European Commission's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety has said hydroxyapatite is potentially toxic and should not be used in oral products such as toothpaste and mouthwash.

'Babies are particularly vulnerable to food safety risks since their immune systems are still developing,' FoE said.

'Often infant formula is the only food an infant receives. FSANZ needs to immediately recall these products.'

Questions about the safety of the needle-like form of nano-hydroxyapatite in infant formula emerged in 2016 after scientists at Arizona State University found the mineral substance in six popular brands on sale in the United States.

Food Standards Australia New Zealand says there's no new evidence to show that the formulas pose a risk to the health of babies and young children (stock)

Nature's Way Kids Smart 1 was one of the three infant formulas Friends of the Earth say contained microscopic nano-hydroxyapatite particles

Some scientists believe more tests are needed to be carried out on the needle-like particles amid fears they can penetrate cell walls in the body and cause damage.

The FSANZ said hydroxyapatite is soluble in acidic environments including the stomach, so small amounts in food are likely to dissolve.

It also noted that foods are often made up of nanoscale sugars, amino acids and proteins which have been consumed by people without any evidence of adverse health effects.

'The presence of something, whether on the nanoscale or not, in a food that does not have a permission in the (Food Standards) Code does not mean a food is unsafe,' the regulator said.
The fire risk assessor responsible for Grenfell Tower conspired with council housing chiefs to hide safety failings at the building in which at least 80 people died, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Fire consultant Carl Stokes, who was paid 250,000 to inspect the high-rise block, plotted with Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO) to hide the failings from both residents and London Fire Brigade.

Pictured: Carl Stokes, the fire consultant paid 250,000 to inspect Grenfell Tower

Until now, the identity of the fire risk assessor who signed off Grenfell Tower has not been disclosed. The Mail on Sunday can report Mr Stokess role in the tragedy for the first time today.

Remarkably, his advice not to disclose life-threatening fire risks was backed by housing chiefs, who were looking to avoid safety improvements which they considered unnecessary.

The Mail on Sunday has obtained a copy of a Fire Risk Assessment for Grenfell Tower, submitted by Mr Stokes to KCTMO in November 2012, in which he advises officials to exploit a legal loophole.

Under the heading Legal Statement, he wrote: You do not have to give a copy of your fire risk assessment to anybody, not even the fire authority, if you do give them a copy this could be used against you at a later date.

Mr Stokes, who served for many years with Oxfordshire Fire Service, then explained that withholding his report from London Fire Brigade was important because they have the power to undertake an audit of the fire risk assessment to determine if it is suitable and sufficient or not.

Mr Stokes added that such scrutiny could in turn lead to KCTMO being forced to implement additional fire safety measures  measures which would have been expensive for housing bosses.

Yet in showing housing chiefs how they could cover up safety failings, Mr Stokes was merely fulfilling his brief as KCTMOs independent fire consultant.

Safety failings at Grenfell Tower in Mr Stokess assessment included a failure to test emergency escape lighting, to inspect escape staircases and to maintain fire extinguishers. He wrote in the 2012 report: The fire extinguisher in the basement boiler room, the lift motor room, the ground-floor electrical room plus other areas were out of date, according to the contractors label on the extinguishers. Some located in the roof level areas [of Grenfell Tower] had condemned written on them in large black writing, with a last test date of 2009 or 2010.

Pictured: Part of the Fire Risk Assessment for Grenfell Tower submitted by Carl Stokes in 2012

This seems to indicate that monthly occupier inspects are not being carried out. Further documents obtained by The Mail on Sunday reveal that in 2010, KCTMO wanted to hire a consultant who was willing to take on fire regulators over their demands.

In a letter notifying KCTMO directors of Mr Stokess appointment, housing official Janice Wray wrote that not only did he offer the best quality at the most competitive price, but, controversially, he was also willing to challenge the fire brigade on our behalf if he considered their [safety] requirements to be excessive.

Last night, fire safety expert Arnold Tarling, a chartered surveyor at London-based Hindwoods, told The Mail on Sunday: The attitude of Mr Stokes and KCTMO towards the fire brigade and their determination to ensure the Fire Risk Assessment for Grenfell Tower was never shown to the LFB absolutely stinks.

Enforcement authorities such as the LFB have a right to see all the documents they need to assess fire safety.

KCTMO should have had a policy of openness, not non-disclosure. The idea that a fire consultant should actually challenge LFB is incredibly dangerous. These are the kind of decisions that kill people.

At least 80 people died in the fire. Pictured: Grenfell Tower ablaze last month

In accordance with Mr Stokes advice, KCTMO has consistently refused to release copies of fire assessments for Grenfell Tower, including the most recent report in 2016 after highly flammable cladding panels were added to the tower. It is impossible to obtain these documents by submitting a Freedom of Information request  as a private body, KCTMO is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.

Last night, speaking outside his home in Oxfordshire, Mr Stokes told The Mail on Sunday: Ive been advised not to say anything. I dont want to be stitched up because frankly Im the little guy in all this. If others want to leak stuff they can, but I dont want to get involved because of the inquiry.

Mr Stokes was appointed by KCTMO in 2010 and has received 244,318 in consultancy fees since then.

According to his website, he has been an independent fire risk assessor for seven years  the same length of time he has been employed by KCTMO.

Kensington and Chelsea Council has fallen into disarray, with the resignation on Friday of leader Nicholas Paget-Brown and deputy Rock Feilding-Mellen, who had responsibility for housing, property and regeneration and oversaw the Grenfell Tower refurbishment.

Last week, police said the death toll was at least 80 but that the true number may not be known until the end of the year.

Last night, KCTMO said: As we continue to co-operate fully with the investigation into the tragic events at Grenfell Tower, KCTMO has to put on hold all requests for disclosure of relevant information.

We recognise our responsibility to ensure that the investigative process is not hampered or undermined in any way.
Former Justice Secretary Liz Truss took the decision to keep a devastating report into the effectiveness of sex offender rehabilitation courses secret

The now-discredited sex crime rehabilitation courses taken by thousands of rapists and paedophiles in British jails made the very worst offenders almost twice as dangerous as they would have been had they not been treated at all, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

Late on Friday, five days after this newspaper disclosed that the Ministry of Justice had buried a devastating secret report on the Sex Offender Treatment Programme (SOTP), it was forced to make the document public.

As The Mail on Sunday first reported, the MoJ study found that a sample of 2,562 offenders jailed for at least one year who took the basic 'core' programme  a six-month psychological group therapy course  were 25 per cent more likely to be convicted of a further sex crime after release than a comparison group of 13,219 prisoners who did not take the course.

But buried in the report, the MoS can reveal today, is the finding that the difference among those jailed for the most serious offences was far more marked.

In a sample of 217 prisoners who received both the core and the 'extended' SOTP  reserved for the most serious offenders  17.5 per cent reoffended, as opposed to ten per cent of similar prisoners who received no therapy.

HMP Wymott (pictured) is one prison where now-discredited SOTP was offered to prisoners

The report said there appeared to be 'an adverse relationship between the amount of treatment sex offenders receive and the offending prognosis'. It is a damning verdict, suggesting that the estimated 100 million spent on the programmes since 1991 has not only been wasted, but created many additional victims.

Broadcaster Stuart Hall is one of several high-profile prisoners said to have taken the now-discredited SOTP to qualify for early release.

The MoS understands the MoJ has been sitting on the data behind the report for more than two years. 'They kept trying to spin it, to make the results look less damaging,' said one Ministry source.

But after the conclusions were validated by independent academics led by Professor Friedrich Losel of the University of Cambridge, they became inescapable. In March, the MoJ decided to terminate SOTPs immediately and replace them with untried new courses.

ASTONISHING NEW DOCUMENT THAT REVEALS SCALE OF SCHEME'S FAILURE Prisoners are being given leaflets by the MoJ admitting that the sex crime courses thousands of them have taken do not work  and suggesting that if they are worried they might have become more dangerous, they should ask to see a psychologist. The leaflets recognise that some prisoners may become so depressed that they may consider taking their lives, saying: 'Please ask for a meeting with a treatment manager or psychologist who will be able to help you. 'You might also wish to speak with a Listener [the prison version of Samaritans] who will be able to help you.' Small wonder. Some prisoners have had their parole delayed months or years while they waited for places on the now-discredited SOTP, only to discover, as the leaflet ruefully explains, that it increases the risk of reoffending. Advertisement

Dr William Marshall, a Canadian expert whose own, very different sex offender treatment method has led to dramatic reductions in offending, told last week's MoS that one reason for the failure of the British SOTP was that it was often delivered not by trained psychologists but 'para-professionals', such as ordinary prison officers.

As a result, he said, they had to rely on 'scripts' for therapy sessions derived from a thick manual, and could not tailor them to each prisoner's widely differing needs.

He had, he added, warned the MoJ of this failing, and when they failed to take heed, resigned as an adviser. Astonishingly, the report actually cites his warnings, noting his fear that reliance on the manual 'constrained the ability of those delivering [the programme] to adapt to the particular needs of individual participants'.

Last week, one former prisoner told the MoS he believed some offenders became aroused by hearing others' crimes and fantasies discussed in SOTP group sessions.

The report supports this, saying: 'Group treatment may 'normalise' individuals' behaviour: when stories are shared, their behaviour may not be seen as wrong or different, or, at worst, contacts and sources associated with sexual offending may be shared.'

Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League For Penal Reform, said last night that she welcomed the fact the MoJ had finally published the report.

But she added: 'I'm concerned they are introducing new courses  how do we know they will be any more effective when they haven't been evaluated?'

Leading prison lawyer Andrew Sperling added: 'Over the past 25 years, thousands of prisoners have been told they must complete the SOTP in order to reduce their risk of sexual offending. It is in nobody's interests that the state insists upon treatments which do not work.

'This is a scandal for which there has been no accountability at all.'

A Prison Service spokesman said: 'We keep treatment programmes under constant review to reduce reoffending and protect the public.

'The treatment of sex offenders is a complex issue, subject to international scrutiny and research. In the UK, we have been evaluating our Sex Offender Treatment Programmes since before 2003.

'We have discontinued two of the eight programmes and replaced them with new courses as part of this process. These new programmes will be monitored closely.'
Five-time Olympic gold medalist Ian Thorpe has revealed that he can no longer swim after having shoulder replacement surgery two years ago.

Mr Thorpe, 34 also said he has accepted his current form and what his body was able to do following the surgery.

'I had lots of complications with my shoulder, and it is a pretty serious operation, not a reconstruction, a replacement, so I can't swim,' Mr Thorpe told the Daily Telegraph.

Australian Olympic gold medalist Ian Thorpe will never be able to swim competitively again

'I was told by the doctor before the surgery I would never be able to swim again.

'I can swim enough to be able to catch a wave, but the stroke it allows me to do is quite horrible and it kind of crunches over, so it is not like I can get into a pool and do some laps,' he told the newspaper.

In a recent interview with the same publication, the now-retired sportsman went on describe his current physique as 'kind of OK-ish', but still believes he is fit and healthy.

He conceded that he could lose another couple of kilograms and that it would be purely for health reasons.

He also works out five times per week, with a personal trainer present for three sessions.

The revelation comes after Mr Thorpe went for a shoulder replacement surgery two years ago

In his hey day, Mr Thorpe specialised in swimming freestyle but also competed in backstroke and individual medley.

He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian athlete, and with three gold and two silver medals.

He was the most successful athlete at the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics.
A woman was killed by an off-duty police officer who was fleeing other officers in a high-speed car crash.

Chicago Police Officer Taylor Clark, 32, was speeding in his black Jeep when he t-boned Chequita Adams, 27, just after 1am Tuesday.

Both were pinned inside their vehicles, which caught fire.

Adams was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and according to the medical examiner's office she died at 1.27am, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Clark was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital at 2.55am.

Clark, a tactical officer who had been with the department for four years, had left work just ten minutes before the chase and was driving home.

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Chicago Police Officer Taylor Clark, 32, was speeding in his black Jeep when he t-boned Chequita Adams, 27, just after 1am Tuesday

The Chicago Department of Transportation released several red-light and speed-camera videos that showed Tuesday's early morning chase in progress, including the moment where Clark's SUV, right, collided with Adams' Nissan, left

Both Clark and Adams were pinned inside their cars, which caught fire, and both died later in the hospital

According to Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson, Clark's personal car matched the description of an SUV involved in a car-jacking.

Police later realized Clark's car was not the same one used in the crime.

At the time, on-duty officers mistakenly thought Clark's car had been involved and tried to stop Clark at an intersection.

Instead of pulling over, Clark fled and the on-duty officers pursued him for twelve blocks before colliding with Adams' Nissan.

Clark had been driving at the rate of about one block every second, according to NBC Chicago.

The Chicago Department of Transportation released several red-light and speed-camera videos that showed Tuesday's early morning chase in progress.

The Independent Police Review Authority (IPRA) has taken over the investigation because the crash involved a police chase and an off-duty police officer.

At the time, on-duty officers mistakenly thought Clark's car had been involved in a recent car-jacking and tried to stop Clark at an intersection, but instead of pulling over he fled and the officers pursued him for twelve blocks

After about twelve blocks, Clark collided with Adams, pictured. The off-duty officer had been driving at the rate of about one block every second

On Thursday, Adams' family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Chicago and several police officers.

The are asking for the release of radio dispatch tapes and GPS mapping location and speed.

IPRA has said they will publicly release the information and incident reports within 60 days.

Adams' mother Chereta Adams told CBS Chicago: 'What caused them to chase? What caused the run? Why he was going so fast?

'Why he didnt stop? What was going through his mind, to keep going?'

The family is struggling to come up with the money to bury Chequita and have set up a GoFundMe page for the arrangements.

The page says the officer was driving faster than 80mph when he collided with Adams.

Adams, left, worked as a security officer and was looking forward to her new assignment at the music festival Taste of Chicago. Clark, right, was a tactical officer who had been with the department for four years

Adams was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and according to the medical examiner's office she died at 1.27am

Clark was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital at 2.55am

The 27-year-old worked as a security officer and was looking forward to her new assignment at the music festival Taste of Chicago.

Adams' cousin Eugene Harris told ABC 7 that Adams had a 'beautiful personality, beautiful spirit. She loved everybody she came in contact with.'

Clark's cousin Blaze Taylor told CBS Chicago he was confused by what led to the collision.

'He wanted to help people,' he said. 'Taylor Clark wasn't an officer who would run from the police - that's not who he was.'
It was four days after Sydney woman Julie Randall's 50th birthday when she felt something in her head unlike anything she had felt before.

She woke up to paramedics saying her name in June 2012. She had suffered a brain seizure, her body's way of telling her she was ill.

Soon, the Sydney mother-of-two was diagnosed with stage four metastatic melanoma, with the cancer already having spread throughout her entire body.

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Mother-of-two Julie Randall (pictured) was told she had just nine months to live after terminal brain cancer diagnosis is CURED after five-year miracle treatment

The Narrabeen 55-year-old was diagnosed with incurable stage four metastatic melanoma so her and her husband Scott took on a mission to find a fix

By the time it was discovered the disease had reached her brain, liver, lung, pancreas and lymphnodes. Doctors told her it wasn't curable.

They offered to remove the tumour, dose her up with chemotherapy and potentially buy more time - but she would only get nine months at best.

The now-55-year-old sat down with Allison Langdon for Sunday night's 60 Minutes, explaining how the thought of leaving her children behind stopped her from accepting the hand dealt to her.

They offered to remove the tumour, dose her up with chemotherapy and potentially buy more time - but she would only get nine months at best

The mum-of-two was determined to try anything to keep her alive, so she and husband Scott sought answers online

'I couldn't ... I wouldn't contemplate them having to watch me die,' Ms Randall said.

The mum-of-two was determined to try anything to keep her alive, so she and husband Scott sought answers online.

The pair came across a clinical trial in Portland, Oregon, which offered an experimental immunotherapy drug, with potential to reboot her immune system.

Attempts to be considered as a candidate were denied. The 70 people capacity was full. Then when out of nowhere, she was in.

Julie Randall and her partner Scott (pictured) found a clinical trial in Portland, Oregon, which offered an experimental immunotherapy drug, with potential to reboot her immune system

The 70 people capacity for the trial was full. Then when out of nowhere, she was in, as patient 71. She since wrote a book (pictured) of her experiences

Dr Walter Urba, behind the study, authorised a patient 71.

'A lot of people thought I was grabbing at straws. I was going to be a lab rat. I'd rather be a lab rat than a dead rat,' Julie told the Channel 9 program.

They traveled to the Providence Cancer Centre in Oregon and after trying times, the drug Nivolumab worked, shrinking her tumours. It is now available in Australia.

She continues to take a monthly dose but after five years since her diagnosis, the cancer cells are gone.
The prince of a Micronation nestled in Sydney's north shore believes 'make art not war' can be applied to modern diplomacy and help bring world peace.

Prince Paul Delprat of The Principality of Wy says art is a tool that could help cool tensions between the United States of America and North Korea.

Prince Paul told Nine News world leaders could gather at the Micronation's headquarters in Mosman and paint in an art exhibition to achieve a peaceful resolution.

'If only art prizes could be the way that people solved their problems. If only Mr Trump and Mr Putin and the leader in North Korea all painted,' Prince Paul said.

The prince of a Micronation nestled in Sydney's north shore believes 'make art not war' can be applied to modern diplomacy and help bring world peace

Prince Paul Delprat of The Principality of Wy says art is a tool that could help cool tensions between the United States of America and North Korea.

'If only art prizes could be the way that people solved their problems. If only Mr Trump and Mr Putin and the leader in North Korea all painted,' Prince Paul said

The group formed at Prince Paul's Mosman residence in 2004 after a series of disagreements with the local council over the zoning of the area.

Their philosophy dictates 'why' is the most important word in the English language and they believe humour is the best form of communication.

This may explain their interesting ideas on achieving peace, believing an art exhibition featuring Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un would resolve their differences through painting.

'Every year the Principality of Wy could hold an exhibition of all the country's leaders and they would all abide by the decision, there would be no more wars.'

Prince Paul and his wife, Princess Susan, have left the invitation open to world leaders to join the 'royals' and their children at the Wy's manor.

Their philosophy dictates 'why' is the most important word in the English language and they believe humour is the best form of communication
Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon has signed a 3.7 billion contract to build the first three warships in a new fleet of Navy frigates.

Work on the Type 26 global combat ships will start on the River Clyde in Glasgow this summer.

The project at BAE Systems' yards will create 1,700 jobs in Scotland and a further 1,700 in the supply chain across the UK, the Ministry of Defence said.

In total eight ships are set to be built. The contract for the second batch of five ships will be negotiated in the early 2020s.

Work on the Type 26 global combat ships (illustration pictured) will start on the River Clyde in Glasgow this summer

Plans to build the new frigates were set out in the Government's 2015 strategic defence and security review, although the project was scaled back from earlier proposals to construct 13 ships.

Fears over the future of the Glasgow yards were raised last year when the Type 26 work was delayed but Sir Fallon visited the site in November to commit to the programme.

The ships will specialise in anti-submarine warfare and work closely with the Navy's Trident nuclear deterrent and the new aircraft carriers, the first of which - HMS Queen Elizabeth - launched from Rosyth last week for sea trials.

The fleet will eventually replace the current Type 23 frigates and each ship will carry a crew of 118.

Described as 'the most advanced anti-submarine warfare ship in its class around the world', the MoD is said to be exploring export opportunities where there is 'strong interest from international customers'.

Sir Michael said the Type 26 programme will secure the long-term future of the Scottish shipbuilding industry.

'The Type 26 Frigate is a cutting-edge warship, combining the expertise of the British shipbuilding industry with the excellence of the Royal Navy,' the Defence Secretary said.

'We will cut steel on the first ship later this month - a hugely significant milestone that delivers on our commitment to maintain our global naval power.

'These ships will be a force to be reckoned with, there to protect our powerful new carriers and helping keep British interests safe across the world.

'Backed by a rising defence budget and a 178 billion equipment plan, the Type 26 programme will bring vast economic benefits to Scotland and the wider UK.'

The MoD said the contract is structured to 'motivate both sides to deliver to a successful outcome where both parties share in the pain and gain in the delivery of the programme'.

Sir Michael added: 'The contract is structured to ensure value for taxpayers' money and, importantly, now designed to protect them from extra bills from project overrun.

'The investment will secure hundreds of skilled jobs at BAE Systems on the Clyde for the next twenty years and thousands of jobs in the supply chain across Britain. '

The ships will specialise in anti-submarine warfare and work closely with the Navy's Trident nuclear deterrent and the new aircraft carriers, the first of which - HMS Queen Elizabeth (pictured) - launched from Rosyth last week for sea trials

Ross Murdoch GMB national officer and interim CSEU chairman, said: 'It is fantastic news that the defence secretary has finally confirmed and signed the contract for the first batch of Type 26 Frigates.

'Whilst we understand that it was always going to be announced in batches we look forward to future confirmation on the other five ships.

'It is a particularly significant announcement in terms of the timing given the Queen Elizabeth Carrier going out from Rosyth last week to commence sea trials, as it once again reinforces the world class reputation of our UK shipyard workers.

'This is tremendous news for GMB members in Scotland in particular, but also in the wider context of the supply chain across the UK.'

Ian Waddell, national officer with trade union Unite, said: 'We welcome the long awaited news that the Type 26 programme has been given the go ahead. These first three ships will secure thousands of highly skilled jobs on the Clyde and across the UK supply chain.

'The contract is testament to the world class skills of the BAE Systems workforce on the Clyde and we urge the Government to sign on the dotted line for the next five ships as soon as possible.'

Douglas Chapman MP, the SNP's defence procurement spokesman, said: 'This is very long-awaited and long-promised contract, and it is welcome news for the skilled workforces at Scotstoun and Govan and others in the supply chain.

'The MoD must now make good the commitment that the next batch of five vessels will be built on the Clyde and it's a great pity the UK Government has not offered the workforce and apprentices on the Clyde greater security for their future beyond 2020.'
Austrian-born hedge fund tycoon Treichl drowned last month after he hired a small motorboat on the 1,000ft-deep Swiss lake

The hedge fund manager whose mysterious suicide in Lake Geneva shocked the City confessed to his wife that he burned down his magnificent stately home, according to sources close to the family.

Austrian-born Michael Treichl, 69, admitted to his former Vogue model wife Emma that he set fire to the 500-year-old Grade I listed Parnham House near Beaminster, Dorset, despite having ploughed around 10 million into its restoration over several years, The Mail on Sunday has been told.

It took 100 firefighters four days to extinguish the blaze.

After the fire in April, Mrs Treichl and her husband had pledged to rebuild their historic home, a wartime venue for secret meetings to plan the D-Day landings.

But Mr Treichl drowned last month after he hired a small motorboat on the 1,000ft-deep Swiss lake.

As well as depression, Mr Treichl had a feeling that his finances had changed which would have forced him to live a less opulent life, said a family friend. They added: It is difficult to understand how someone could feel so beleaguered by only being able to lead the life of a millionaire yet not that of a billionaire but thats perhaps what led to his being affected so deeply.

The friend said mother-of-four Mrs Treichl, 54, had been desperately shocked by her husbands admission of arson some weeks earlier. She was a lovingly supportive wife and said she would have happily lived a more modest lifestyle if that was necessary.

Her main concern now is the welfare of the children.

As well as depression, Mr Treichl had a feeling that his finances had changed which would have forced him to live a less opulent life, said a family friend. Pictured is 500-year-old Parnham House burning

Last week, The Mail on Sunday discovered new details about Mr Treichls final hours in Geneva. A boat hire operator who was among the last people to see him alive said there was no clue to his demeanour when he set out into the clear blue waters of Lake Geneva on Friday, June 16.

The woman co-owner of Les Corsaires, one of a handful of hire firms on the lake, said: It was a beautiful day. We had a call from Le Richemond hotel, asking if one of their guests could hire a motorboat for a couple of hours.

We were so busy that I dont remember that much about him, except he was alone, a man in his 60s and quite smartly dressed.

Mr Treichl took one of the firms 16ft-long blue and yellow canot boats, with a small petrol-driven outboard motor, for about 85.

Treichl, 69, admitted to his former Vogue model wife Emma (pictured) that he set fire to the 500-year-old Grade I listed Parnham House near Beaminster, Dorset

Around 90 minutes later, staff at Les Corsaires received a call from Geneva Polices lake brigade telling them one of their boats had been spotted on the water empty and chugging round in a circle.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said: We were worried, of course, because sometimes customers jump off for a swim, even though we warn them not to. It is easy to get into difficulty.

A little while later, we were horrified when the police told us theyd found a body.

We didnt know until a couple of days later when they came to take a statement that they suspected suicide. I feel so terrible for his poor family, it is a tragedy.

It is not known how long Mr Treichl had been staying at the 550-a-night Le Richemond, which is Genevas second-oldest hotel.

A spokesman for Geneva Police said following a post mortem, an inquiry had concluded it was a case of suicide with no suspicious circumstances. Mr Treichls body was repatriated to Austria and a private funeral was held.

Dorset Police were contacted for comment, but did not respond.
Theresa May was under fire last night after it was revealed she used the RAF to lay on a 20,000 flight for the Ulster politician propping up her Government.

The Prime Minister arranged for DUP leader Arlene Foster to be flown back to Belfast in the military aircraft as a favour after she signed last weeks 1 billion deal to back the Tories in crunch Commons votes.

But the Conservative Party was forced to pick up the tab for the flight  details of which were leaked to The Mail on Sunday  after Downing Street was warned that Whitehall anti-sleaze rules ban Ministers from charging the taxpayer for political activities.

The Conservative Party was forced to pick up the tab of Arlene Foster's visit to London

The flights, including the return journey by the pilot, cost an average of 7,000 an hour  compared with tickets starting at 41 for any of the 38 commercial flights which run each weekday between London and Belfast.

It means Conservative chairman Patrick McLoughlin will have to hand over a cheque for nearly 20,000 to the Ministry of Defence.

Last night Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn called the RAF flight a shoddy bung.

Mr Corbyn said: Theresa May has already given an extra 1 billion to Northern Ireland to hang on to power and now it appears she gave a free RAF flight to Arlene Foster to seal the deal.

This is a shoddy bung to shore up a Government that has lost its mandate. The Conservatives must come clean. Did they try to make the taxpayer foot the bill for this flight and how often does the Tory Party book RAF flights?

The flights, including the return journey by the pilot, cost an average of 7,000 an hour

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron said: It is not for the PM to use the RAF as a personal taxi service to help prop up her Government with a dodgy deal.

A Conservative Party spokesman denied any wrongdoing and said the aircraft was provided so Ms Foster could return to local Ulster negotiations with the nationalists at the Stormont assembly.

The row will deepen the bitter divisions within the Conservatives over the deal with the DUP, which one Tory MP has publicly criticised as distasteful. Senior Conservatives are concerned that the loan of the RAF plane could become symbolic of Mrs Mays dependence on Ms Foster. It looks as if Arlene just clicks her fingers and gets what she wants, said one.

A Conservative Party spokesman denied any wrongdoing and said the aircraft was provided so Ms Foster could return to local Ulster negotiations

After 18 days of post-Election wrangling, Ms Foster  who is not a Westminster MP  promised that the DUPs ten MPs will support the Government in major votes in return for policy concessions and an extra 1 billion for the province.

No 10 were desperate to conclude the agreement before Thursdays votes on the Queens Speech: the loss of the Conservative majority in the General Election means that Mrs May was dependent on the DUPs support to pass the speech.

The agreement was concluded by midday on Monday. It means Ms Foster would have had time to catch the 3.15pm British Airways flight from Heathrow, which landed in Belfast at 4.35pm. The equivalent flight leaving tomorrow can be bought for 172. Numerous other options were available before the last departure just before 10pm.

The DUPs ten MPs will support the Government in major votes in return for policy concessions and an extra 1 billion for the province

It is understood the Ministry of Defence played no role in the decision to provide the aircraft.

Tory MP Heidi Allen launched an extraordinary attack on the DUP deal in the Commons, saying: I can barely contain my anger at the deal my party has done.

We didnt need to do it... I put on record my distaste for the use of public funds to garner political control. Fellow Conservative MP Tom Tugendhat also questioned the value of an agreement that creates the perception of a link between Conservatives, homophobic attitudes, Protestant militias and illiberal policies.

Mother-of-three Ms Foster, who turns 47 tomorrow, has been the leader of the DUP since December 2015 and the Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly for Fermanagh and South Tyrone since 2003.

Mother-of-three Ms Foster, who turns 47 tomorrow, has been the leader of the DUP since December 2015

A Conservative spokesman said: Arlene Foster was in London to conclude the signing of the confidence and supply agreement. The Conservative Party paid for a flight back to Belfast to allow her swiftly to resume talks on re-establishing a power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland.

Asked to comment on the RAF flight, the DUPs Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said: Arlene flew British Airways on the way to London, I dont know how she flew back.

A DUP spokesman did not respond to further requests for comment.
She is Britains state-of-the-art 3.1 billion aircraft carrier which Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon has promised to protect from envious Russian President Vladimir Putin.

And when The Mail on Sunday asked the Ministry of Defence for details of HMS Queen Elizabeths course during her sea trials, security-conscious naval chiefs would confirm only that she was somewhere in the North Sea.

Yet all any Kremlin spy or ship-spotter needs to do to keep track of the 65,000-ton vessel is download one of the mobile phone apps which are showing her every move.

The free apps, Vessel Finder and Marine Traffic, plot her progress by the minute  making a mockery of Sir Michaels pledge to protect the carrier from Russian intelligence-gatherers.

The Defence Secretary told the BBC last week: Its routine for the Russians to collect intelligence on our ships. We will take every precaution to make sure that they dont get too close, but I think they will be admiring her.

He added that the Royal Navy has ways and means of stopping the Russians from finding out about HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The Kremlin hit back by describing the carrier, nicknamed Big Lizzie, as a convenient target.

Last night, a spokesman for Bulgaria-based company Astra Paging, which owns Vessel Finder, said the carrier was broadcasting revealing information every few seconds.

The Russian embassy mocked Sir Michael Fallon (pictured) after he claimed Russians 'will look at this ship with a little bit of envy'

He said: HMS Queen Elizabeth is sending out automatic identification system [AIS] data which is then forwarded to our sensors. Most military ships do the same thing. We will continue to show HMS Queen Elizabeths position for as long as we are able to.

Maybe the Royal Navy will decide to switch off her AIS? It is a decision for them, not us.

According to Navy sources, top brass are relaxed about shipping website subscribers tracking their pride and joy. They are concentrating on the battle beneath the waves to prevent the Russians recording HMS Queen Elizabeths electronic and acoustic signatures.

The Mail on Sunday understands that as part of the information war, a British nuclear submarine has been sent to the North Sea to harass Russian submarines trying to get close to the huge carrier. A naval source said: The Russians want to track the radio frequencies she uses and also listen to the noises she makes underwater, which would reveal her presence to an enemy submarine.

There were reports that Putin's agents would be collecting intelligence on the flagship as it undergoes sea trials

Being such a huge vessel, her turbines and diesel engines make a lot of noise. A Royal Navy submarine can make this intelligence-gathering more difficult for the Russians while also recording these signatures for its own purposes.

HMS Queen Elizabeth, the largest ship ever built for the Royal Navy, set sail from Rosyth last week to start her sea trials.

Sir Michael told The Mail on Sunday last night: HMS Queen Elizabeth is an enduring example of British imagination, ingenuity and invention that will help keep us safe for decades to come. For the next 50 years she will deploy around the world, demonstrating British power and our commitment to confronting the emerging challenges from a dangerous world.
A prominent Muslim leader has called for a boycott of international coffee brand Starbucks because its support for gay marriage is 'not in line' with Islamic law.

Anwar Abbas, the leader of Muhammadiyah, a 30 million-strong group in Indonesia, said Starbucks' pro-gay stance threatened the 'religious and cultured' core of the Southeast Asian nation.

'If Starbucks only does business, then fine. But don't bring ideology here,' Abbas told Reuters on Saturday.

Anwar Abbas, the leader of Muhammadiyah, a 30 million-strong group in Indonesia, said Starbucks' pro-gay stance threatened the 'religious and cultured' core of the Southeast Asian nation

Abbas also called on the Indonesian government to revoke Starbucks' operating licence.

Asked why he took a stand against Starbucks, Abbas said he was prompted to speak out after company senior executive Howard Schultz made a pro-LGBT comment.

When a Starbucks shareholder complained in 2013 that the company had lost customers because of its support for gay marriage, Schultz said Starbucks embraced diversity and 'not every decision is an economic decision'.

Abbas also called on the Indonesian government to revoke Starbucks' operating licence

'We also value the religious background of our customers and employees,' Fetty Kwartati, a director at PT MAP Boga Adiperkasa Tbk, said

PT Sari Coffee Indonesia, which holds the licence to run the Starbucks chain, is a legal entity that claims to 'always obeys the prevailing regulations and appreciates the cultural values in Indonesia'.

'We also value the religious background of our customers and employees,' Fetty Kwartati, a director at PT MAP Boga Adiperkasa Tbk, said.

With the exception of the ultra-conservative Aceh province, homosexuality is legal in Indonesia.

But police raids on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community have climbed in the world's most populous Muslim country.
Ivanka Trump has opened up on how she picks her battles with the President as it is revealed she gets frustrated when people assume she controls her firebrand father.

The first daughter, who has been vocal in using her White House role to advocate for women, faced criticism this week when she kept quiet as Trump lobbed a demeaning attack on a female MSNBC host.

But Ivanka does not see her job as one that revolves around trying to persuade or change Trump's opinions - rather she is there to inform or support him with his decisions.

A Washington Post profile of Ivanka published Saturday suggested that those who were banking on the mother-of-three being able to keep Trump in check were misguided about her role as his daughter and as assistant to the President.

Ivanka Trump, pictured on Tuesday in Washington, has opened up on how she picks her battles with Donald Trump as it is revealed she gets frustrated when people assume she controls her firebrand father

'The people are different. The decisions are different and the office is different. But he is the same person and I am the same person. And we interact in the same way as we always have,' she said of their working relationship in the White House.

Ivanka has said in previous interviews that she would never criticize her father in public, but maintains he is fully aware when she disagrees with him.

Yet when she does have different opinions in regards to running the country, Ivanka first weighs up whether or not it was a campaign promise.

The Post reports that if it was something Trump promised, Ivanka keeps quiet because she doesn't believe her thoughts outweigh the opinions of those who voted her father in as President.

'My father trusts me to be an honest broker. I don't have a hidden agenda. I have a very clear agenda. He knows exactly where I stand and I express why I care. There's no secrecy about it,' Ivanka said.

White House aides claim Ivanka was frustrated when many publicly criticized her for not trying to stop Trump when he withdrew from the Paris climate change agreement last month.

Ivanka had provided her father with different viewpoints and called in others, including Leonardo DiCaprio, to talk to him about climate change.

But ultimately, it did not convince Trump to take a different stance.

'I am not sort of trying to selectively curate information that will lead him to agree with me. Debate is good,' Ivanka told the Post.

Ivanka has said previsouly that she would never criticize her father in public, but maintains he is fully aware when she disagrees with him

Ivanka regularly debriefs with her husband Jared Kushner given they both now work for President Trump. They are pictured above this week at the White House

She responds to the 'all the noise' of people criticizing her father by putting her down to work.

'Every time I'm a little tired or frustrated - I remind myself that it's the greatest privilege in the world to do this, to be in the White House.'

Ivanka, who moved from New York to Washington DC after Trump was sworn in, regularly debriefs with her husband Jared Kushner.

Given their busy schedules working for the President, they often catch-up in Kushner's White House office or in the 20 minute time frame from when he gets home at 11pm to when the couple goes to bed.

Republican lawmakers, particularly male politicians, have gushed that Ivanka has 'elegance' and 'grace' in the way she carries out her work. Some female politicians have commended her on her preparedness.

In recent weeks, Ivanka has discussed family leave with lawmakers, traveled to promote job-training efforts and spoken out against human trafficking.

She's also tried to position herself as above the political fray, saying in one interview that she tries to 'stay out of politics' and in another that she's been surprised by the 'level of viciousness' in Washington politics.

But the recent tussle between her dad and Morning Joe co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough this week offered a pointed reminder to Ivanka that this is a city where it's impossible to separate policy and politics.

The MSNBC hosts, in a Washington Post column Friday, called on women close to the president to condemn him for questioning Brzezinski's intelligence and saying that she was 'bleeding badly from a face-lift' in a December encounter.

Ivanka Trump was pictured playing with her five-year-old daughter Arabella Kushner in the Rose Garden at the White House last month

Ivanka and husband Jared moved their three children - Arabella, Joseph and Theodore - to Washington DC from New York. They are pictured above leaving Air Force One in March

'It would be the height of hypocrisy to claim the mantle of women's empowerment while allowing a family member to continue such abusive conduct,' Brzezinski and Scarborough wrote.

Ivanka did not respond to questions about the president's tweet or how it affects her policy efforts when contacted by The Associated Press.

While she has won some praise for trying to tackle complex issues that are not traditionally high on the Republican agenda, such as paid family leave and child care expenses, liberal advocates said her recent evasion tactics were not helpful in building bipartisan bridges.

Embracing advocacy for women as her central focus, Ivanka stepped away from executive roles at The Trump Organization and running her own brand to join the administration.

Last week she traveled to Capitol Hill to meet with Republican lawmakers on family-friendly tax policies and paid parental leave. While her goal of a national family leave program has limited GOP backing, some more modest tax policies could be included in a Republican tax overhaul effort.

To further her priorities, Ivanka Trump has quietly reached out to Democrats. In May, she met with Democratic Sen. Kirstin Gillibrand of New York, a vocal advocate for paid leave, according to a public calendar on Gillibrand's website. The two have not spoken since, said a Gillibrand aide, who was not authorized to speak publicly about the meeting.
There's no denying the colder weather as the lowest dips are recorded in years across Australia.

Queanbeyan City Rural Fire Brigade in the south-east New South Wales reported water from their hoses turning to ice after freezing over from temperatures as low as -15C.

Sydney won't quickly lose its chill as the city forecast is believed to plummet to 7C and 1 - 3C in the west.

The lowest temperatures felt in years have been recorded across Australia

A Weatherzone spokesperson has confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the chilly weather is expected to continue

A Weatherzone spokesperson has confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the chilly weather is expected to continue.

Across the country showers will add to temperature drops with storms likely to move into South Australia with a cold front and low pressure system.

Showers will continue along the southern and southwest coast of Western Australia, the weather representative said.

A high will drive a few showers onto the north Queensland coast and keep elsewhere mostly dry.

It will be another cold morning in the southeast on Monday morning, but not as toe-curling as the last couple. Canberra is expected to drop to -4C.

'The cold mornings are due to a cool air-mass in the wake of a cold front lingering over the southeast,' said the weather expert.

Another cold night for Sydney as the city forecast is believed to drop to 7C and 1-3C in the west

TAS, VIC, NSW, southeast QLD and WA will experience their coldest day of the year on Saturday, a low which will resonate through Sunday and Monday

'This combined with light winds and clear night time skies (thanks to the high) are the perfect ingredients for cold nights and mornings.

Senior Meteorologist Jacobus Cronje said: 'A cold front is leading to persistent, gusty showers over the southwestern parts of WA through Sunday, with isolated thunderstorms also possible between late morning and late afternoon in the cold air behind the system.

'A high pressure system bringing clear morning skies, together with very cold circulation behind a Tasman Low are leading to a very cold morning for most of southeastern Australia.'

Tasmania, Victoria, New South Wales, southeast Queensland and Western Australia will experience their coldest day of the year on Saturday, a low which will resonate through Sunday and Monday.

It will be another cold morning in the southeast on Monday morning, but not as chilly as the last couple. Canberra is expected to drop to -4C

Melbourne's low hadn't been seen since July 2015 dropping to 1.3C.

Griffith airport reached a low of -3.8C, Albury airport saw -3.3C and Tatura got their coldest morning of any month since June 2007 at 4.5C.

Canberrans woke up to the coldest temperatures in years of dropping to -8.2C on Sunday after reaching -8.7C on Saturday.

Road weather alerts for icy conditions are still in place for Victoria and Tasmania.

Damaging surf conditions are expected offshore of the eastern seaboard with the Tasman low currently moving in over New Zealand.
Natalie Hage was headed to Los Angeles on an American Airlines flight when the man next to her began making it obvious that he wasn't thrilled she was next to him. She even paid an additional $70 for extra leg room but soon found herself anxious as her seat was in the middle of the row

A plus-sized model is sharing her story after she was fat shamed for her weight by the passenger next to her on her flight.

Natalie Hage was headed to Los Angeles on an American Airlines flight when the man next to her began making it obvious that he wasn't thrilled by her presence next to him.

Hage had paid an additional $70 for extra leg room but soon found herself anxious as her seat was in the middle.

Scroll down for video

No sooner than she sat down, the man next to her began 'LOUDLY huffing, sighing, and readjusting himself in his seat' for more than 20 minutes before the model notices him text furiously while turning the phone away from her. So of course she looked.

'The texts were about me and i'm almost positive he took photos of me,' she said in an Instagram post showing photos she had snapped of the alleged conversation.

'Not only were the texts about me, but they were really mean and ugly, with even the recipient named 'linda' chiming back with shaming retorts...someone who can't even see the situation.'

Hage noticed he started texting about her and even took photos so she looked to see what he said. 'The texts were about me and i'm almost positive he took photos of me,' she said in an Instagram post showing photos she had snapped of the alleged conversation

She added: 'Not only were the texts about me, but they were really mean and ugly, with even the recipient named 'linda' chiming back with shaming retorts...someone who can't even see the situation'

And while the text in the photos are seemingly difficult to read, Hage does offer some insight as to what they say.

She added: 'It says "hopefully she didn't have any mexican food" and his response is "i think she ate a mexican".

'Then he proceeds to say he's leaving a "neck mark on the window" because he's so smashed against the wall. From the photos, you can see i'm not in his space.'

Hage claimed that the man even took up both arms rest and digged his elbows into her side which she said was in her seat.

Hage claims that she even asked the man to her right if they could switch and informed him of the situation but that he just 'laughed and refused' which she felt was fine given 'it's not his issue'.

She managed to snap his next text which said "if the news reports a DFW airbus a321 leaving the runway without rotating, that would be my flight."

And another that said "if these seats don't hold, it's not going to matter" along with many more according to the model.

Hage claims that she even asked the man to her right if they could switch and informed him of the situation but that he just 'laughed and refused' which she felt was fine given 'it's not his issue'.

'This is a fat person's daily reality and not just on a plane. this is on a bus, standing in line at the grocery store, at a concert, on the internet,' she said.

But the model did post her confrontation with the man on Facebook, receiving words of support from family, friends and fans

In the video, Hage points out that the man was texting about her, to which he denies, before the model recounts some of the text she saw. The man then claims to have been drinking before going on the defensive saying that he had decided to 'be nice to' her by offering the corner of his tray table

You can be completely in your own space, not bothering anyone, and people will still f*** with you and try to hurt you.

'All you can do is know you haven't done anything wrong just by existing and to move on.'

But the model did post her confrontation with the man on Facebook, receiving words of support from family, friends and fans.

In the video, Hage points out that the man was texting about her, to which he denies, before the model recounts some of the text she saw.

The man then claims to have been drinking before going on the defensive saying that he had decided to 'be nice to' her by offering the corner of his tray table.

In a following Instagram post, the model shared her thanks for all the warm words of love people had for her. 'Thank you so so so much for the messages and comments overflowing with kindness,' she said of the post. My heart is full'

'For what? i didn't have anything to need it and wasn't doing any activities while flying because i was crumpled in a ball,' she told Dailymail.com

But then, the man -supposedly under the influence of alcohol - chastises her size even further attempting to explain why she shouldn't sit in the exit seat.

Hage then schools the man on her reasoning for being on the flight, having a scheduled photoshoot in Los Angeles, and lets him know the power of his words and the impact that they had on her time on the flight.

The video has been shared more than 3,000 times with over 7,000 Facebook reactions with most supporting the woman's strong resolve.

In a following Instagram post, the model shared her thanks for all the warm words of love people had for her.

'Thank you so so so much for the messages and comments overflowing with kindness,' she said of the post.

My heart is full.
A woman is fighting for her life after she was seriously assaulted in Brisbane's inner-east this morning.

Police found the 21-year-old woman in a Bulimba house on Sunday morning with life-threatening injuries.

Officers were called to the unit on Brisbane St around 10.30am.

A woman is fighting for her life after she was seriously assaulted in Brisbane police found the 21-year-old woman in a Bulimba house on Sunday morning

She was taken to the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital in a critical condition.

Police have set up a crime scene at the Brisbane Road house and will continue to investigate.

Anyone with information about recent suspicious activity in the area is being urged to contact police.
Comes days after Cardinal George Pell was charged with historical sex offences

Pope Francis drops the head of the Vatican office that handles sex abuse cases

Pope Francis has dropped the head of the Vatican office that handles sex abuse cases just days after Cardinal George Pell was charged with historical sex offences.

The developments underscore how the Catholic Church's sex abuse crisis has caught up with Francis, threatening to tarnish his legacy over a series of questionable appointments and decisions in his four-year papacy.

Francis declined to renew the mandate of German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican office that processes and evaluates all cases of priests accused of sexual offences.

Pope Francis has dropped the head of the Vatican office that handles sex abuse cases just days after Cardinal George Pell was charged with historical sexual offences

Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Mueller (right) has been the Catholic Church's top doctrinal watchdog for the past five years

Francis named Mueller's deputy, Monsignor Luis Ladaria Ferrer, a Spanish Jesuit, to run the powerful office instead.

During Mueller's five-year term, the congregation amassed a 2,000-case backlog and came under blistering criticism from abuse survivors.

Mueller, 69, from Mainz in Germany, was appointed by the former Pope Benedict in 2012 as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith.

He has been in charge of keeping the church's orthodoxy and presiding over sexual abuse allegations.

His conservative ideology has led to him clashing publicly with Pope Francis several times, as the pontiff forges ahead with his vision of a more inclusive church.

Not all within the Vatican were fans of new appointment Luis Ladaria.

One priest who knows both men said: 'They [Francis and Ladaria] speak the same language and Ladaria is someone who is meek. He does not agitate the pope and does not threaten him.'

In March, a prominent church reform group called for Mueller's resignation after accusations that senior officials had willfully ignored Pope Francis' decision to create a new tribunal to judge bishops who cover up sexual abuse.

Mueller will now be replaced by his deputy, Jesuit Archbishop Luis Ladaria (pictured)

Victorian Police have charged Cardinal Pell with multiple sex offences but the details of those offences have not been released

Mueller, who was appointed by Pope Benedict has publicly clashed with Pope Francis several times

Victorian Police have charged Cardinal Pell, a former Melbourne and Sydney archbishop and Ballarat priest, with multiple sex offences but the details of those offences have not been released.

Pell has protested his innocence and said he was looking forward to having his day in court after a two-year investigation, 'leaks to the media' and 'relentless character assassination'.

A litigation fund has been established for Catholics in Victoria to contribute to Pell's legal fees, the Herald Sun has revealed.

John Roskam, the executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs, said he obtained an account number and BSB from people 'assisting the cardinal' and passed it onto people keen to donate.

'The point of this [fund] is that there are a lot of people who want to support the cardinal and want to give him the opportunity to clear his name,' he said.

Mueller is an ardent traditionalist, and has argued that it is 'not possible' for violators of doctrine to be welcomed back into the church

The Pope has been commended for his attempts to make the Catholic Church more welcoming
Brendt Allen Christensen, 28, was among a select few admitted to the University of Illinois' highly competitive physics graduate program in 2013. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (above) in 2013

Colleagues and students of a University of Illinois student have reacted in shock after he was charged with kidnapping a Chinese scholar now believed to be dead.

Brendt Allen Christensen, 28, was among a select few admitted to the University of Illinois' highly competitive physics graduate program in 2013.

But he told his graduate adviser last year that he had changed his mind, Professor Lance Cooper recalled on Saturday.

He didn't say why, and Christensen continued taking classes and teaching as a graduate assistant. He earned his master's degree in mid-May.

Christensen is now in federal custody awaiting a court appearance on Monday in the June 9 kidnapping of Yingying Zhang, the 26-year-old daughter of a working-class factory driver from China.

Weeks ago, Zhang arrived at the university to conduct research in agricultural sciences and planned to begin work on her doctorate in the fall.

Her body hasn't been found.

The charges came as a shock to some who knew Christensen at the university. Cooper, a director of the graduate program, said he'd received no indication of anything unusual.

Brendt Christensen (left) is accused of kidnapping Yingying Zhang (right) a visiting scholar at the University of Illinois who is now believed to be dead

Video from nearby cameras showed Zhang trying unsuccessfully to flag down a bus on June 9. Minutes later, she was spotted getting into a black Saturn Astra

'There are many ways in which we find out there are problems with students,' Cooper said.

'We get reports they're not teaching well. We get reports from faculty that they're not doing well in classes, they're not showing up for classes. None of those flags were raised.'

Former classmate Souvik Dutta said he was 'dumbfounded' by the news, recalling Christensen as a nice guy and 'very calm.'

Others who lived in the same apartment complex have since come out to describe him as 'creepy'.

Alyssa Patterson told the News Gazette she remembered his distinct walk and gait.

'He is really quiet. It's creepy, how he walked, how he held himself,' she said following his arrest.

Christensen is accused of abducting Zhang shortly after she stepped off a bus near the university campus.

Video from nearby cameras showed Zhang, on her way to sign a lease for an apartment, trying unsuccessfully to flag down another bus. Minutes later, she's seen getting into a black Saturn Astra.

Christensen was under surveillance on Thursday when agents allegedly overheard him explaining he had kidnapped Zhang. Authorities say agents believe Zhang is no longer alive based on that and other facts the investigation uncovered.

Brendt Allen Christensen, 28, was among a select few admitted to the University of Illinois' highly competitive physics graduate program in 2013

Weeks ago, Zhang arrived at the university to conduct research in agricultural sciences and planned to begin work on her doctorate in the fall

The charging document says his smartphone was used to visit an online forum in April called 'Abduction 101.' One of the threads on the forum, which was visited months before Zhang went missing, was entitled 'Perfect abduction fantasy.' Another was about 'planning a kidnapping.'

Some 5,600 Chinese students are enrolled at the university - more than at any other college in the nation - and Zhang's disappearance fed anxieties of families of Chinese students studying in the US.

Public records show Christensen lived previously in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and his LinkedIn profile states he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013 with bachelor's degrees in physics and math.

Illinois Chancellor Robert Jones said in a statement the campus community is saddened Zhang is believed dead.

'This is a senseless and devastating loss of a promising young woman and a member of our community,' Jones said.

'There is nothing we can do to ease the sadness or grief for her family and friends, but we can and we will come together to support them in any way we can.'

According to the criminal complaint, investigators determined 18 vehicles registered in Champaign County were similar to the one Zhang got in. One belonging to Christensen was first seen in an apartment complex parking lot June 12 - days after Zhang went missing - and investigators questioned him.

The affidavit stated that investigators noted Christensen couldn't recall what he was doing the day Zhang disappeared. They searched the vehicle but didn't remove anything.

Zhang got off the bus a mile away from the building. She was last seen getting into a black Saturn Astra that Christensen owned, according to FBI Special Agent Anthony Manganaro

There were only 18 four-doored Saturn Astras registered in Champaign County. Christensen's, which was parked outside his apartment (general view), had a cracked hubcap matching the vehicle Zhang was last seen climbing into

Investigators later determined the car in the video had a sunroof and cracked hubcap, like Christensen's car, the affidavit states.

When investigators interviewed Christensen again, he acknowledged driving around the campus and giving a ride to an Asian woman who said she was late for an appointment. Christensen said the woman panicked after he apparently made a wrong turn and he let her out in a residential area.

Christensen was placed under continuous surveillance June 16 and his apartment was searched. On Thursday he was captured on an audio recording explaining how he took Zhang to his apartment and held her against her will, according to the affidavit.

Zhang's father, Ronggao Zhang, traveled to Illinois from Nanping, China, to be closer to the search. On Thursday, he took part in a walk with students and university staff to the corner where his daughter was last seen.

Zhang graduated last year with a master's degree in environmental engineering from one of China's elite schools, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School.

She was working at the university's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, researching photosynthesis and crop productivity.

Those who knew Zhang described her as bright and outgoing. She played guitar and sang in a band called 'Cute Horse' in China. One of her favorite songs was Bette Midler's 1980 hit, The Rose.

Zhang's boyfriend has said that she was also cautious and wouldn't normally get into a car with a stranger unless duped or forced.

Friends and family said she dreamed of one day landing a professorship and helping her parents financially.

Zhang's boyfriend, aunt, best friend and father (pictured center) flew from China to Illinois after she was reported missing
An African-American mother is suing a Mississippi school claiming it forced her brainy daughter to share the coveted valedictorian title with a white student with inferior grades.

Jasmine Shepard shared valedictorian honors with a white student at Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Mississippi at the graduation ceremony in May 2016, said the suit, according to the Washington Post.

Sherry Shepard, mother of Jasmine, claims the other student, identified only as H.B., had a lower grade point average. The school says the averages were identical.

Jasmine Shepard was co-valedictorian of Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Mississippi at the graduation ceremony in May 2016

Jasmine's mom, Sherry (pictured), is suing the school district saying that her daughter was forced to accept co-honors with a white student who didn't deserve it

The suit says making the students share the honor was racially motivated.

'Prior to 2016, all of Cleveland High Schools valedictorians were white,' said the suit. 'As a result of the school officials unprecedented action of making an African-American student share the valedictorian award with a white student, the defendants discriminated against.'

An attorney for the Cleveland School District called the lawsuit 'frivolous' and said the students had an equal GPA.

'As such, under school board policy, they were both named valedictorian of their graduating class,' Jamie Jacks told the outlet.

But Sherry Shepherd begs to differ and she could calculate the averages as she's known the other student since middle school.

'These children have been attending school with each other since middle school,' she said. 'We know the schedule, we know what they take, and we have a good idea where the discrepancy lies.'

The school says that the students had an equal GPA but Sherry doesn't believe that's the case

On a Justice for Jasmine Facebook page, Sherry admitted she did not know the other student's GPA. 'It's interesting to me that the Cleveland School District can tell the media that there was a ''tie'' when they have yet to tell me as Jasmine's parent, even when I asked!' she wrote.

The mother also said that her daughter was forced to give her speech after the other student, and was even told to walk behind her to the podium, until her daughter complained.

'A child, when they earn honors, they are entitled to receive them,' she said. 'There is no inclusion in the Cleveland school district. When the district wants something, they just take it.'

Sherry is suing for unspecified monetary damages and for Jasmine to be declared 'sole valedictorian.'
The staff at the Symbio Wildlife Park Zoo have captured a video showing one of their koalas watching the night sky in awe for hours as the Milky Way and shooting stars passes by.

The timelapse video captured by zoo staff in Sydney, shows Grace, the koala, gazing into the night all alone without a care in the world.

The marsupial is seen perched at the very end of a tree top while gawking at the skyline for more than four hours before slowly making her way down.

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Grace from Symbio Wildlife is seen chilling alone at the tree top while star gazing at the zoo

Staff at the zoo in Helensburg, Sydney said Grace was up on the tree for hours despite the cold

Zoo spokesperson Kevin Fallon told Nine News that despite the cold weather, Grace had climbed to the highest point of the Koala Sanctuary in the blistering cold for the last two nights for a glimpse of the beautiful skyline.

Once at the top, zoo staff noticed that the marsupial hardly moved.

'It wasn't until the last few frames whereby Grace decided to call it a night, evidently tired from star counting,' he said.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Symbio Zoo for comment.
While all of New Jersey tries to prep for Independence Day celebrations while the government is shut down, one family is prepared to enjoy quite the dream vacation.

Lame-duck governor Chris Christie - along with the state's first family - are enjoying an exclusive holiday at the gubernatorial shore home at Island Beach State Park in Berkeley, New Jersey while local police turned away other park visitors.

'The governor has a residence at Island Beach,' the unconcerned politician said to the NY Post.

New Jersey governor Chris Christie - along with the state's first family - will have an exclusive holiday at gubernatorial shore home at Island Beach State Park in Berkeley, New Jersey

'The governor has a residence at Island Beach,' the unconcerned politician said to the NY Post. 'Others don't. That's the way it goes. Run for governor and you can have the residence'

On Saturday, the Republican governor shut down the government over an intense battle with the Democrat-led Legislature because they refused his wish to overhaul the state's largest health insurer

'Others don't. That's the way it goes. Run for governor and you can have the residence.'

On Saturday, the Republican governor shut down the government over an intense battle with the Democrat-led Legislature because they refused his wish to overhaul the state's largest health insurer.

A group of Cub Scouts were even forced to leave a camp site in Cheesequake State Park in Old Bridge, New Jersey, as all parks were also closed.

DMVs across the state were also closed and if progress isn't made, many will be at risk of not receiving permits or copies of either marriage or birth certificates.

A group of Cub Scouts were even forced to leave a camp site in Cheesequake State Park in Old Bridge, New Jersey, as all parks were also closed

Leonardo State Marina was among the other popular summer destinations that were closed to the public due to the shutdown

While other places require help, But Christie asserts that using the private space shouldn't be a problem for himself or friends as his family won't require state help to run the six-bedroom house

But Christie asserts that using the private space shouldn't be a problem for himself or friends as his family won't require state help to run the six-bedroom house.

'I don't know if it's fair, but they're not asking for any services,' Christie said.

The embattled governor blamed the shutdown on Democrat state Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (pictured), who refused to go along with the plan to take surplus money from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield

In an interview with New Jersey 101.5 radio station on Monday, the governor said that he was excited to be spending July 4 at the beach and expected 'the whole family' to show up.

Their oldest son Andrew is 'flying in from Milwaukee' and 'inviting a bunch of his friends down,' he said to the show's host.

'We will be fully loaded, I don't know how much sleep [wife] Mary Pat and I will be getting,' said Christie.

The embattled governor blamed the shutdown on Democrat state Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto, who refused to go along with the plan to take surplus money from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield.

People on social media blamed both parties for the shutdown.

A woman named Amethyst posted a photo of a campsite at Wharton State Forest, blaming both Prieto and Christie and said: '@GovChristie @VincentPrieto Thanks for ruining our vacation!'

'It's his final f everyone.'

'Your are correct to be mad, but don't blame Vinny- he posted the vote. This is Christie & his friends fault,' said Jo Ann Povia.

If the shutdown - the first for the state since 2006 - continues, then Jersey City's July 4 celebration will move to Exchange Place from Liberty State Park, said Mayor Steve Fulop.
A doctor who was the intended target of the Bronx hospital shooter was not working the day his crazed former co-worker stormed in and opened fire with an assault rifle.

Dr Kamran Ahmed was on his day off from the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital on Friday when shooter Henry Bello shot dead a female doctor and injured six others.

Bello, who had a rifle hidden under his lab coat, was stalking the hospital corridors looking for Dr Ahmed after singling him out in an email in which he accused him of ruining his career.

Ahmed, a 48-year-old father of three, told the New York Post he was shocked to be singled out by the killer.

Dr Kamran Ahmed was on his day off from the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital on Friday when shooter Henry Bello went looking for him and shot dead a female doctor and injured six others

Dr Henry Bello, 45, used an AR-15 assault rifle to kill one doctor and wound six others at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital on Friday at 2.45pm

'He started working there a couple of months after I was hired,' said Ahmed, who specializes in the early detection and treatment of dementia.

'He is not only after me, he is after a lot of people. He had a problem with almost everybody, so I'm not the only one. That's why they fired him, because so many people complained.

'The strange thing was that he was nice with me. He never argued with me. I don't know why he put my name.

'I was surprised... why me?'

Ahmed was one of two doctors named in an email that was sent by Bello to the New York Daily News just two hours before he stormed the hospital.

Bello was allowed to resign, in lieu of being fired, from the hospital after being accused of sexual harassment in 2015.

He had warned his former colleagues when he was forced out in 2015 that he would return someday to kill them.

He shot dead Dr Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, a family medicine physician, at the hospital on Friday. She was covering an extra shift for another doctor and doesn't appear to have been an intended target.

Hospital officials said that Tam normally worked in one of the hospital's satellite clinics and was covering a shift in the main hospital as a favor to someone else.

Dr Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, a family medicine physician, was killed during the shooting bloodbath that Dr Henry Bello unleashed on Friday

The gunman (pictured) shot himself after trying to set himself on fire at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital at around 2.45pm on Friday

Bello used an AR-15 assault rifle, (pictured at the hospital) to carry out his attacks on the 16th and 17th floors of the facility, according to police

Bello then shot five other doctors and one patient before turning the gun on himself.

He died from a gunshot wound after first trying to set himself on fire. Bello staggered, bleeding, into a hallway where he collapsed and died with the rifle at his side, police said.

'I didn't see him since he got fired. He was fine with me, but he had many arguments,' Ahmed said.

He said of his slain colleague Dr Tam: 'Everybody loved her. She loved to teach us. I feel so sorry about her. She was there to cover one of the attending. She was in outpatient usually. Unfortunately she was the victim.'

According to New York State Education Department records, Bello had a limited permit to practice as an international medical graduate to gain experience in order to be licensed. The permit was issued on July 1, 2014, and expired last year on the same day.

The 45-year-old sent the email to the newspaper blaming the hospital for terminating 'my road to a licensure to practice medicine'. Pictured are first responders at the scene

Heavily armed police patroled the scene outside the hospital after the gunman opened fire on Friday afternoon

Bello 'was very aggressive, talking loudly, threatening people all the time. He was a problem,' said Dr David Lazala, a family medicine doctor who said he trained Bello at Bronx Lebanon.

He said Bello, who worked at night as a doctor, sent him a threatening email after Bello was fired.

In unrelated cases, the doctor had been arrested in 2004 on a charge of sexual abuse, according to a police report, after a 23-year-old woman told police Bello grabbed her, lifted her up and carried her off, saying: 'You're coming with me.'

He was arrested again in 2009 on a charge of unlawful surveillance, after two different women reported he was trying to look up their skirts with a mirror.

Bello graduated with his medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica in the Caribbean in 2010.

He started working at the Bronx hospital in 2014.
Laura Csortan has fired back at the 'hurtful and cruel insinuation' she and celebrity accountant Anthony Bell are a couple after they were pictured holidaying together on the Gold Coast.

The former Adelaide beauty queen and her seven-month-old daughter were seen holidaying alongside Mr Bell on Queensland's Gold Coast last week.

When pictures of the pair surfaced on The Sunday Telegraph on Sunday, Ms Csortan took to Instagram to slam the publication for its 'cruel insinuation' she was in a relationship with Mr Bell.

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Anthony Bell (left) and Laura Csortan (right) pictured with her seven-month-old daughter

'I woke up this morning to the most hurtful and cruel article by Annette Sharp. No mother, let alone a single mum should be put through an insinuation like this just because they support a friend unconditionally,' she said.

Ms Csortan emphatically denied the pair were romantically involved, after the publication claimed they once dated.

'Anthony is one of my closest friends and we are not (nor have we ever been) in a coupled relationship,' she said.

Ms Csortan also fired back at the 'insinuation' Anthony Bell was the father of her child.

'Layla's father is presently living overseas and does not wish to be dragged through the media. Nor is it anyone's business,' she said.

Mr Bell  who has a Bell Partners office in Brisbane - has visited Queensland several times in recent months and spent time with Ms Csortan (above)

'Layla's father is presently living overseas and does not wish to be dragged through the media. Nor is it anyone's business,' Ms Csortan said

It comes just weeks after a judge dismissed Miss Landry's (above, with Mr Bell in 2011) apprehended violence order application against her estranged husband

Ms Csortan said she and her family were helping Mr Bell through his relationship break down with former Getaway star Kelly Landry  which featured heavily in the public eye.

'My mum, sister and I have had to watch our dear friend go through a most painful relationship breakdown and we are not the type of people to desert a friend in need at a terribly difficult time,' she said.

The pair's holiday to the Gold Coast comes just weeks after a judge dismissed Kelly Landry's apprehended violence order application against her estranged husband.

The pair spent a week in court levelling accusations of infidelity and abuse at each other in May, but ultimately a judge ruled there was no need for an AVO.

Ms Csortan, a model, actress and television presenter, claimed she was unfairly treated by The Sunday Telegraph and its journalist Annette Sharp.

Ms Csortan (pictured) said she and her family were helping Mr Bell through his relationship break down with former Getaway star Kelly Landry

She said she and her family were helping Mr Bell (pictured arriving to court in May) through his relationship break down

She claimed she was blindsided by the story and the 'heart breaking accusations'.

'I was not even given the opportunity to respond to the insinuations of Annette Sharp,' she said.

'These accusations are heart breaking to say the least.

'I just hope they don't affect my daughter or Anthony's two girls for that matter down the track.'

Kelly Landry (pictured) and Mr Bell's marriage break down captivated much of Australia as it was publicly dragged through the courts

Ms Csortan was inundated with support, with Anthony Bell himself weighing in.

'Bravo Laurs so you show you're a true friend and stick by a mate in need and as a consequence have to bear the pain of false insinuation,' Mr Bell said.

'Thanks for being such a loyal and stoic friend during the most difficult time of my life.

'And shame on you Annette Sharp I genuinely hope her children don't have to go through the pain that she seems to delight in causing to the children of others.'

'Bravo Laurs so you show you're a true friend and stick by a mate in need and as a consequence have to bear the pain of false insinuation,' Mr Bell said

The Footy Show presenter Erin Molan also offered her support for Ms Csortan.

Ms Molan, who was embroiled in the scandal earlier in the year, said 'Love you darling girl'.

'From experience, I know how much this hurts  look after Seany for me today and see you all tonight,' she said.

Ms Molan was forced to defend herself against claims she was romantically involved with Mr Bell months earlier  claims she strenuously denied.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Ms Csortan for comment.

Ms Molan, who was embroiled in the scandal earlier in the year, said 'Love you darling girl'

'From experience, I know how much this hurts  look after Seany for me today and see you all tonight,' Ms Molan said

Mr Bell's marriage break down captivated much of Australia as it was publicly dragged through the courts.

Ms Landry accuse her husband of being 'financially mean' and also alleged that he physically abused her.

Police took out an interim AVO order on behalf of Ms Landry after an alleged fight with Mr Bell at the $12.5million mansion in November last year.

Ms Landry accuse her husband of being 'financially mean' and also alleged that he physically abused her

But Magistrate Robert Williams said he saw little to no chance of millionaire financier Mr Bell being violent to the former Getaway presenter in the future.

Since then, Ms Landry has returned to TV screens.

Meanwhile, Mr Bell  who has a Bell Partners office in Brisbane - has visited Queensland several times in recent months.

Ms Csortan has also spent time on the Gold Coast to be close to her mother and sister.

Her daughter Layla was born a day after Mr Bell's marriage imploded, but Mr Bell has denied he was the father.

Police took out an interim AVO order on behalf of Ms Landry (above, in May) after an alleged fight with Mr Bell at the $12.5million mansion in November last year

'There is absolutely no truth to that rumour,' he told the Telegraph.

Ms Csortan has refused to reveal the identity of her daughter's father, saying 'he doesn't want to be involved.'

Mr Bell married Ms Landry in 2011 and the pair have two daughters  Charlize, five, and Thea, three  together.
A recording of the moment a car rear ends a SUV causing it to flip has emerged

Footage of the terrifying moment a car crashed into the back of an SUV, causing it to then flip in front of oncoming Sydney traffic, has emerged.

Dash cam footage from a truck shows the seconds leading up to the catastrophic seven-car collision on the M5 near Padstow.

In the video posted to Dash Cam Owners Australia, a truck is seen driving in the middle lane of the motorway on June 22 around 3pm.

Footage of the terrifying moment a car crashed into the back of an SUV causing it to then flip in front of oncoming Sydney traffic has emerged

In the video posted to Dash Cam Owners Australia, a truck is outlined driving in the middle lane of the motorway on June 22 around 3pm

Within two seconds of the recording a blue Toyota Celica can be seen speeding up the left lane, ceasing to stop and rear ending the back of a silver Toyota Rav 4.

Upon impact the silver Rav vehicle flips across the motorway into the path of oncoming traffic, as the Celica crashes into a parked ute.

The Rav 4 goes across all three lanes smashing into multiple vehicles, causing the truck filming the event to go into the back of the car ahead.

A police representative confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the seven vehicle crash began with the collision between the blue Toyota Celica and silver Rav 4 on the M5 at Riverwood just before 3pm on Thursday June 22.

The series of crashes left the driver of the silver Rav 4, a 60-year-old male, with minor injuries and he was taken to Liverpool Hospital, the spokesperson said.

The Rav 4 goes across all three lanes smashing into multiple vehicles, causing the truck filming the event to go into the back of the car ahead

The driver of the white Toyota Hilux, 24 man, was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Truck driver Chris Denniss told 9 News the horrific crash was the biggest he had seen on the M5.

'I had to come to a pretty hard stop with my B-double, then had to snake it through the carnage, about 6-7 cars pulled over to assist,' he said.

Both injured men have since been released from hospital. The police representative said police have yet to take statements from all the drivers involved and will continue to investigate.

No charges have been made.
Mourners gathered to honor three of the seven sailors who died after a cargo ship collided with the USS Fitzgerald guided-missile destroyer off Japan.

Two funerals in Virginia and one procession in Texas were held Saturday for three of the men who died in mid-June.

The funeral for Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr was in Newport News, Virginia, and the service for Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby was held in Palmyra, Virginia.

There was also a procession in Weslaco, Texas, for Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez.

Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr's wife Erin Rehm hugs an officer from NRD Richmond after the funeral for her husband at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Newport News, Virginia. Rehm was one of the seven Navy sailors killed on the USS Fitzgerald when it collided with a cargo ship off Japan on June 17

Friends and family members grieve as the casket is placed into the hearse after Rehm's funeral Saturday. Rehm will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery

Petty Officers from NRD Richmond place the casket of Gary Rehm into a hearse after Rehm's funeral. After the collision in June that killed seven sailors, Rehm could have saved himself but decided to save others instead

Hampton Fire Department station 11 salutes the hearse as it passes under the American Flag while transporting Gary Rehm to the funeral

Family and friends of Rehm, 37, gathered for Funeral Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Roman Catholic Church in Newport News to honor the life of the most senior officer who died in the collision.

Rehm's wife Erin Rehm spoke about her husband and their 17-year marriage.

'Our worlds just revolved around each other. It didn't matter what we did as long as we were together,' she said, according to the Daily Press.

His sister Jessica Neal also spoke about how she looked up to her brother and that she thought he had super powers, including his selfless love for his wife.

After the collision in June, Rehm could have saved himself, but decided to save others instead.

His uncle said he called the sailors on his ship his 'kids' and by various accounts Rehm, 37, saved at least 20 of them after the collision.

'He said, "If my kids die, I'm going to die",' Stanley Rehm Jr told The Daily Beast. 'He could have walked away and been safe.'

Rehm was thinking of retiring when his tour ended in three months unless he managed to secure a promotion to chief, according to his uncle.

However, he died when his colleagues were forced to close a hatch he had jumped into, in order to stop the ship from going down.

Rehm will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Those arrangements are currently pending.

Melanie Spangler with the Patriot Guard Riders holds a flag outside of the funeral service for Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, at Fluvanna County High School on Saturday

The hearse is parked outside of the funeral service for Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, at Fluvanna County High School in Palmyra, Virginia

When community members entered the school for Rigsby's service, they were flanked by members of the Patriot Guard Riders. The group attends funerals of US military and first responder members

A service for Rigsby in Palmyra brought hundreds to the Fluvanna County High School on Saturday morning to honor the 19-year-old volunteer firefighter, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported.

Community members and fellow military and fire and rescue service members gathered for the public visitation service while ladder trucks from several fire departments held flags above the parking lot.

Mike Sheridan, the chairman of the Fluvanna County Board of Supervisors, said the support was a 'fitting tribute to a young man who gave his life in the service for our country'.

Sheridan also taught and coached Rigsby.

He told the Times-Dispatch that when the community entered the school, they were flanked by members of the Patriot Guard Riders. The group attends funerals of US military and first responder members.

The service also included the video of Rigsby's swearing-in.

Rigsby graduated from Fluvanna County High School in 2015 and had started working with the Lake Monticello Volunteer Fire Department at the beginning of 2014.

In February 2016, he enlisted and in November he reported to duty aboard the USS Fitzgerald.

Ramon Perez adjusts the US flag on the back of his motorcycle while waiting to take part in a procession for fallen US Navy Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez at McAllen-Miller International Airport in McAllen, Texas, on Saturday

US Navy veteran Hal Jones, bottom right, salutes the hearse carrying the body of Hernandez at the start of a procession for the fallen sailor

A US Navy honor guard carries the body of Hernandez into the funeral home as his wife, Dora Martinez Hernandez holds their son Leon, 3, and his mother Virginia Lozano Hernandez watch Saturday in Weslaco, Texas

US Navy Honor Guard member Larmel Madrilejos, right, waits for the arrival of the body of Hernandez at Del Angel Funeral Home

Besides the two funerals in Virginia on Saturday, there was also a procession in Weslaco, Texas, for Noe Hernandez.

His remains were escorted from the McAllen-Miller International Airport to his home and then to the Del Angel Funeral Home.

At his home, a light blue trailer in Weslaco, the procession paused for a moment of silence before it continued on to the funeral home, to honor the 26-year-old Hernandez.

The procession included America's Last Patrol, Bikers Against Child Abuse and Patriot Guard Riders, according to The Monitor.

Along the route, members of the community waved flags and held up signs in support.

A US Navy honor guard carried the body of Hernandez into the funeral home before his wife, Dora Martinez Hernandez holds their son Leon, 3, and his mother Virginia Lozano Hernandez followed inside with other members of the community.

Bianca Garcia was in ROTC with him and remembered him as a joker and 'the nicest person ever'.

'He had that look that he was unapproachable but he was there for everybody and anybody no matter what they needed,' she told The Monitor.

A public viewing is scheduled for Wednesday and a funeral service will be held Thursday at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Mercedes.

Hernandez's remains will be buried at Weslaco City Cemetery.

Lupita Perez, right, salutes Dora Martinez Hernandez, wife of Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, following the procession honoring Hernandez

Jose Lopez holds his son Akillian, 3, while waiting for the procession of Hernandez on Saturday

Blanca Palomares, left, and Veronica Vasquez wait for Hernandez's procession to show their support

The US Navy paid tribute to all seven sailors in Yokosuka, Japan, on Monday.

More than 2,000 sailors and their families attended, lining the streets waving flags in memory of the victims and filled an auditorium to pay respects.

The USS Fitzgerald, carrying nearly 300 crewmembers, collided with the Philippine-flagged container ship ACX Crystal in waters off Yokosuka in the pre-dawn hours of June 17.

Severe damage to the right side and bottom of the guided-missile destroyer flooded the berths of 116 sailors. Navy divers found the bodies of the seven in the ship after it returned to Yokosuka.

All seven US sailors who died in the June collision (top row, left to right): Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, from Chula Vista, CA; Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, from Palmyra, VA; Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T Truong Huynh, 25, from Oakville, CT; and Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, from San Diego, CA. Bottom row (left to right): Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., from Elyria, OH; Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, MD; and Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26, from Weslaco, TX

Wreaths with red, white and blue flowers, representing the colors of the US flag, lay on a stage below the sailors' pictures in the Yokosuka, Japan, ceremony held by the Navy on Monday

The container ship has left Yokohama, where it was investigated by Japanese authorities, for repairs of its damaged bow at an unspecified shipyard in Japan, its owner, Dainichi-Invest Corp, said.

The company said the ship's captain and several other crewmembers stayed behind for further questioning by the Japanese coast guard.

The collision occurred in an accident-prone area known for congestion with ships trying to reach Tokyo by daybreak.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Japanese coast guard officials say they are eyeing possible professional negligence, but so far their interviews of the container ship's captain and crewmembers - all Filipinos - have been on a voluntary basis.

The US Navy is investigating what happened aboard the warship, while Japanese authorities are investigating the container ship and its crew.

Ordinarily, Japan has the right to investigate maritime collisions in its territorial waters, but in the case of US warships, the US Navy has the primary right to do so under a bilateral Status of Forces Agreement, making it uncertain whether Japan will have access to the US probe.
A Melbourne teenager has accumulated close to thousand dollars in fines for a speeding offence while on his way to pick up his mum.

The 18-year-old was driving his Holden Commodore at 169km/h in the 80km/h zone when he was stopped by police at 9.30pm on Saturday.

The man from Gladstone Park, who had a provisionary licence for a month, told police that he was speeding so that he could get to his mum as soon as possible.

A Melbourne teenager on his way to pick up his mum was stopped by police for speeding

The man was intercepted by Victorian Highway Patrol (West) on Mickleham Road, in Greenvale, 20 km north of Melbourne's central business district.

Once caught, the driver was unable to go ahead to his plans to get his mum as his car had been impounded for a month at the cost of $917.

He will be charged on summons with traffic offences.
A West Australian farmer has shot to fame after being refused a soft serve ice-cream while on a horseback at a McDonald's drive-through last Sunday.

Luke Ieraci, 22, said he was refused the ice cream when he showed up at the fast-food outlet in Treedale, near Australind, after visiting a mate, while on his horse Zara.

Instead of being served with an ice cream, the dairy farmer was told by staff to stop horsing around as he entered the drive-through, reports Perth Now.

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A West Australian farmer who showed up with a horse at a Maccas drive-through was refused

'Sorry sir, we can't serve you in the drive-through on a horse,' Mr Ieraci recalled the staff telling him.

When he asked why, he said it was because he showed up to the restaurant with his horse instead of a motor vehicle.

'I'm pretty sure a horse is still a legitimate mode of transport, so why can't I use the drive-through?' Mr Ieraci retorted.

Farmer Luke Ieraci said he hoped for Maccas to rethink their polices at the drive-through

He hopes that his experience would make the bosses at McDonald's rethink their policies and allow those on horseback to use their drive-through in the future.

However, despite the argument, Mr Ieraci still went home empty handed without his ice cream.

He told GWN7 that staff were willing to serve him with the ice cream but only if he had gone into the restaurant.

Mr Ieraci had wanted to get an ice-cream with his horse Zara after visiting a mate nearby

However, Mr Ieraci refused the offer for fear that his horse might run off.

A McDonald's WA spokeswoman told Perth Now that only people in licensed motor vehicles were served at its drive-through.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Mr Ieraci, however he refused to be interviewed as he was waiting to speak to a McDonald's manager in regards to the matter.
A heroic husband who saved his family from the 21st floor of Grenfell Tower has suffered new heartache after his wife lost their unborn baby boy.

IT manager Marcio Gomes gave doctors the go-ahead to deliver his wife Andreia's baby on the night the doomed high-rise in London went up in flames.

The baby's heart had stopped beating after Mrs Gomes had fallen into a coma after inhaling the thick, toxic smoke inside the flats as the fire raged.

Faced with the possibility of an infection spreading through his unconscious wife's body, Mr Gomes made the gut-wrenching call and the boy was delivered a stillborn while.

Hours earlier, he had wrapped her and their two girls Luana and Megan in wet towels and led them through the raging inferno to safety.

Marcio Gomes pictured with his pregnant wife Andreia and two daughters Megan and Luana

Mr Gomes told the Sunday Telegraph: 'I was holding him, he looked peaceful, like a baby that was just sleeping. I wanted to be there with him but he had already died.'

The heartbroken husband was the one who had to tell his wife they had lost their baby when she woke up.

Initially, Mrs Gomes did not want to talk about it, but a day later she went to see her boy, whom they had already named Logan Isaac, and her husband said she 'didn't want the baby to go away'.

Megan, 10, and Luana, 12, had already worked out a sleeping arrangement for their baby brother, who was due in two months time, and their father said it had hit them just as hard.

The Gomes family enjoying a day at the beach

Logan Isaac was delivered just after 11pm and just less than 24 hours earlier, heroic Mr Gomes led his wife and their two daughters to safety when the flames engulfed their block of flats in the early hours of the morning.

Marcio Gomes, 38, wrapped his family in wet towels after being left stranded on the 21st floor of Grenfell Tower in White City, London, as flames surged upwards.

When the blaze reached his apartment, he knew it was up to him to save his family's life so he negotiated the scorched stairways with his loved ones, stepping over bodies on their way down.

But when he reached the lower levels, horror struck as he realised his eldest daughter 12-year-old Luana had not made it all the way down.

She had been rendered unconscious by the smoke and poisonous fumes on the stairwell, and Mr Gomes left his wife Andreia and 10-year-old Megan and ran back into the roaring fire to drag Luana to safety.

He said: She was halfway down. She had stopped. She couldnt move anymore and had fallen unconscious, he told The Sun.

Firefighters rushing up the stairwell were reportedly so disorientated that Mr Gomes had to tell them where they were in the building.

Marcio Gomes had the agonising task of waiting for his wife to wake from a coma before telling her they had lost their baby

In this image taken by eyewitness Gurbuz Binici, a huge fire engulfs the 27-storey Grenfell Tower in Latimer Road, White City, where Mr Gomes ran back in

The devastation left behind as Grenfell Tower continued to smoulder more than a day after the fire started

Amazingly, they managed to reach Luana and bring her down to safety.

Tthe whole family were taken to hospital and were treated for smoke inhalation

Mrs Gomes, who was seven months pregnant, was put into a medically-induced coma in an attempt to help her and the unborn child recover, but tragically only she came round.

As he recovered in hospital, Mr Gomes told reporters how he had defied an emergency call handlers instructions to stay put and ushered his family to safety after waiting two hours for help.

The IT manager was told by an operator that firefighters were unable to reach their apartment  located near the very top of the building.

Aftermath of fire at 27-storey Grenfell Tower on Latimer Road in White City

Smoke rushed through the door as the family left their flat, stepping blindly over bodies in a desperate bid to escape.

I just wrapped them all up in wet towels and sheets and said, Theres no turning back  we have to go.

We had to go down the stairs from the 21st floor. You couldnt see anything.

'We had to step over bodies with my young daughters and my seven months pregnant wife.

The death toll currently stands at 80 after the blaze ripped through Grenfell Tower on the West Lancaster estate in White City, but police fear the figure will rise.

People have been pointing the blame at those responsible for the safety of the building, which had been refurbished with cladding last year.

Many residents said they did not hear a fire alarm sounding, and the Gomes family only found out about the roaring blaze at 2.30am - nearly an hour and a half after it started.

Mr Gomes was told the fire was being contained after phoning 999 a number of times.

He said: 'I told them my wife was pregnant and that we couldnt go down  there was too much smoke.

'But they wouldnt send anyone up. By 4.30am the flames had roared up the side of the block. Fire engulfed the whole building.'

This is when he knew he had to save his family himself.

When asked about fire safety in the tower block, which has been called into question by residents for years, he said: 'It was a shambles.'
Jon Snow has been reprimanded by Channel 4 after he was accused of chanting 'f*** the Tories' while attending Glastonbury festival.

The veteran news presenter was 'reminded of his responsibilities around due impartiality' after the allegation surfaced last week.

The news emerged as Andrew Marr used a column in The Sunday Times to discuss the allegations, saying: 'If I were caught shouting f*** the Tories, I would be out on my oversized ear before you could say Krishnan Guru-Murthy.'

It also came amid claims that Mr Snow branded right-wing think-tank spokesman Matt Kilcoyne a 'b***end' after he referenced the chant on-air.

Jon Snow has been 'reminded of his responsibilities around due impartiality' by Channel 4 bosses amid allegations that he chanted 'f*** the Tories' while attending Glastonbury

The veteran presenter is also accused of lashing out at right-wing think-tank spokesman Matt Kilcoyne (far left) after he referenced the chat allegations on-air

At the end of an item posing the question 'is there the political will to take on inequality' Mr Kilcoyne quipped 'not everyone hates the Tories as much as you' to Mr Snow

Andrew Marr has also waded into the debate, saying: 'If I were caught shouting f*** the Tories, I would be out on my oversized ear before you could say Krishnan Guru-Murthy'

Mr Snow's rap on the knuckles was reported by The Sun, who quoted an unnamed spokesman.

The 69-year-old presenter claims to have 'no recollection' of joining in with the chant, which led to MPs calling for him to be sacked.

Mr Kilcoyne claims he was then the target of a second unsavoury outburst after quipping 'not everyone hates the Tories as much as you do' during an appearance on the Channel 4 news.

The remark came at the end of an item where the question was posed: 'Is there the political will to take on inequality?'

Three panel members gave views for and against the success of austerity before Mr Snow brought the discussion to a close.

He said: 'We certainly haven't resolved the problem here. But we certainly aired it.'

But before he could move on to the next item, Mr Snow was interrupted by Mr Kilcoyne.

He told the presenter: 'But not everyone hates the Tories as much as you do.'

Although he was off-screen at the time, Mr Snow's surprise was all too evident.

He retorted: 'Um, er, you can say that but that is actually a very unpleasant thing to have done.'

Mr Kilcoyne said today his comment had been meant as a 'joke'.

He told MailOnline: 'Jon was instantly riled. As soon as we were off camera he turned and said to me: "Well thanks a bunch, you complete b***end, that was totally unprofessional".

'The producer rushed over and grabbed my lapel mic off, telling me to "just leave". Jon basically lost his temper. I did think it would lighten the mood at the end of the interview, it wasnt a personal attack in any way.'

Mr Kilcoyne added: 'There was shouting across the newsroom as I left but I don't want to say any more about what was said because I can't be 100 per cent sure.'

Mr Kilcoyne claims that once the cameras were turned off Mr Snow called him 'a b***end' and told him he was being 'totally unprofessional'

Mr Snow claims to have no memory of the chant at Glastonbury, and previously declined to comment on Mr Kilcoyne's allegations

Viewers took to Twitter to offer their reaction to the comment on Channel 4 News yesterday

Viewers took to Twitter to offer their reaction. John Lister wrote: 'How dare he speak to our Jon like that?'

Another, called Gary Barker, added: 'Like you say, no class. But he's a Tory, so that's a truism.'

Gordon Profit wrote: 'Utterly disgraceful what he said to Jon Snow. Well done, Jon, for putting him in his place.'

Earlier this week MPs called for Mr Snow to be sacked after apparently shouting the four-letter slur at the Conservatives.

The 69-year-old, who is one of Channel 4's biggest names, is alleged to have told revellers 'I'm supposed to be neutral' after his comment.

Jon turned and said to me: "Well thanks a bunch, you complete b***end, that was totally unprofessional" Matt Kilcoyne of the Adam Smith Institute

Although Ofcom rules on impartiality do not govern what journalists can say in their own time, it is not usual for prominent newsreaders or reporters to make their political affiliations known.

In his defence, Mr Snow said: 'After a day at Glastonbury I can honestly say I have no recollection of what was chanted, sung or who I took over 1,000 selfies with.'

Following the allegation Andrew Bridgen, MP for North West Leicestershire, said: 'His position as a serious political interviewer is untenable after that vociferous, deeply offensive outburst.

'It is time for Channel 4 to tell Jon Snow where to go. How could he possibly interview a Conservative politician after that outburst? It's disgraceful.

'He should do the decent thing and resign. If not, he should be sacked, of course.'

It is not the first time Mr Snow has faced criticism, having been accused of left wing bias on a number of occasions throughout his 40-year career.

He has also faced accusations of being openly pro-Remain over the UK's referendum vote last year, regularly posting what some viewed as anti-Brexit statements on Twitter.

Mr Snow posted online that it was 'amazing' to be with the 200,000 music fans at Glastonbury

The 69-year-old, who is one of Channel 4's biggest names, (pictured) is alleged to have told revellers 'I'm supposed to be neutral' after his comment

Viewers of Channel 4 News have also complained about Mr Snow's failure to wear a poppy on Remembrance Day in the past.

In 2010, having refused to bow to viewer demands for him to wear a poppy, Mr Snow branded it 'poppy fascism'.

The Channel 4 host retorted On yer bike and Hitler lost the war after he was criticised for not wearing the emblem.

A viewer, writing under the name Stan, posted a comment on Mr Snows blog telling the presenter he was dishonouring the war dead because he had refused to wear a poppy during broadcasts.

The remark provoked an angry response from Mr Snow, who said soldiers had died so that people had the freedom to choose when and where not to wear the symbol.

He cited a wave of poppy fascism, in which public figures are criticised for not wearing the poppy when appearing on television.

Mr Snow has also been criticised in the past for openly favouring Palestine over Israel when reporting on the region.

Mr Kilcoyne is the head of communications at the Adam Smith Institute - a free market, neoliberal think tank based in London.
Police were called to a furious-bust up between James Stunt and Petra Ecclestone which saw the terrified Formula One heiress locked in the loo with their nanny, according to reports.

Officers are said to have rushed to the warring couple's 68million Chelsea mansion during the 'poisonous' row in the days leading up to their bitter divorce battle.

Petra, 28, was left 'badly shaken' after finding herself stuck in a bathroom but police determined that 'no offence had been committed' by her playboy husband, according to The Sun.

An insider close to the couple told the newspaper: 'It was poisonous. James was furious.'

With a judge presiding over a staggering 5.5billion of the couple's assets, Petra has brought in Britain's top divorce lawyer Fiona Shackleton who is considered an expert at 'protecting the fortunes of the super-rich'.

Police were called to a furious-bust up between James Stunt and Petra Ecclestone, according to reports. The couple are pictured above

Officers are said to have rushed to the warring couple's 68million Chelsea mansion during the 'poisonous' row in the days leading up to their bitter divorce battle

The preliminary hearing was made more dramatic when James made a crude gun gesture at his billionaire father-in-law Bernie Ecclestone, referring to him as a 'c***' in the process.

Throughout it all, the former Formula 1 boss has kept his feelings to himself, saying little about the mounting tensions within his family.

But today, in a moving interview with The Mail on Sunday, he lifted the lid on the dramatic collapse of the six-year marriage between his youngest daughter Petra and her 'erratic' playboy husband.

Shedding new light on claims heard in court last week that Stunt could be 'abusive and violent', a clearly worried Bernie described his son-in-law as a man who seems impressed by gangsters  and makes the astonishing claim that Stunt once threatened to 'blow [Petra's] head off' during a heated argument.

The 35-year-old is alleged to have threatened his wife as the couple enjoyed dinner at The Rib Room in the five-star Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel in London's Belgravia, in October 2015.

Bernie describes his son-in-law as a man who seems impressed by gangsters  and makes the astonishing claim that Stunt once threatened to 'blow [Petra's] head off' during a heated argument. Bernie and Petra are pictured leaving the Central Family Court in London on Wednesday

Recalling the distressing episode, Bernie said: 'He was going to blow her head off, he threatened her with something'

The 35-year-old is alleged to have threatened his wife as the couple enjoyed dinner at The Rib Room (pictured) in the five-star Jumeirah Carlton Tower hotel in London's Belgravia, in October 2015

Recalling the distressing episode, Bernie said: 'He was going to blow her head off, he threatened her with something.

'He was going to threaten her. It wasn't very nice and that's why she went to the police.

'He was being a bit abusive and a little bit silly. [But] when you say something, you've probably been thinking along those lines or else you wouldn't say it.'

It is a disturbing claim, even if the precise details of what took place that night remain unclear. Yet it is supported not only by Mr Ecclestone, but by a number of sources.

In a separate account, someone close to the family explained how an 'enraged' Stunt had become so angry during the meal that he told Petra: 'I'm going to put a bullet in your head.'

Stunt himself strongly denied making any such threat.

Bernie himself was involved in a public altercation with his son-in-law just last week when it was reported that Stunt made a gun gesture at his father-in-law before 'barging' into him and calling him a 'c***'. James Stunt is pictured leaving his home in a convoy of Rolls Royces and a Lamborghini

The police later confirmed the arrest to The Mail on Sunday. Today, Bernie, 86, speaks of his regret that he wasn't able to help 'unhappy' Petra at an earlier stage, as her relationship with Stunt foundered.

'I wish it had never happened, obviously  the fact she left,' he said. 'Because she wouldn't have left if everything had been all right, would she? Petra is so quiet and sweet and not aggressive in any way, and that's the problem.'

Troubled, he said his daughter's unhappiness was 'the most difficult thing' to deal with and reveals that Petra kept much of her distress private, even from her parents, until she filed for divorce.

'She's very private, like I am,' he said. 'She doesn't go round explaining her problems. If she's got problems, she keeps them to herself and deals with them on her own. It's a great shame that she didn't speak to me earlier.'

Stunt was accused by Petra of being 'violent and abusive' during their marriage in a dramatic court appearance in London on Wednesday

Bitter battle: Stunt, who is currently embroiled in a nasty divorce battle with his estranged wife Petra Ecclestone, was seen leaving Central Family Court in London on Wednesday

However, he then admitted: 'If she ever had come to me and said he'd done something, it wouldn't be good for him.'

Bernie himself was involved in a public altercation with his son-in-law just last week when, during the one-day preliminary hearing on Wednesday, it was reported that Stunt made a gun gesture at his father-in-law before 'barging' into him and calling him a 'c***'.

The 35-year-old then stormed out of the building, greeting photographers with an obscene gesture. Playing down the incident, Bernie insisted: 'No, no, he didn't punch me, just banged me on the shoulder.'

But he agreed that it was, in fact, an aggressive gesture, adding: 'Yeah, a gesture of something.'

To most people, such behaviour might come as a shock.

James Stunt also owns a fleet of distinctive supercars, including a 600,000 Mansory Conquistador Rolls-Royce, Range Rovers and a Lamborghini

He said Petra is now back in her home, while Stunt has apparently been prevented from contacting any of the family. Pictured is the home the couple had shared

But Bernie has suggested Stunt was interested in gangsters and others have said he compared himself to the late New York-based Mafia boss John Gotti, also known as The Dapper Don.

'He's impressed with those sort of people  I think he watches all those gangster films and had a big respect for them,' Mr Ecclestone said. 'People have said to me, 'He thinks he's John Gotti.'

Certainly, Mr Stunt is well-known for surrounding himself with bodyguards and travelling in a fleet of blacked-out limousines.

He also owns a fleet of distinctive supercars, including a 600,000 Mansory Conquistador Rolls-Royce, Range Rovers and a Lamborghini. The strange courtroom confrontation was by no means the first between Mr Ecclestone and his son-in-law.

I think he watches all those gangster films and had a big respect for them

Bernie also described another extraordinary tussle which descended into near-farce during a children's tea party, which was thrown to celebrate the second birthday of Petra and James's daughter Lavinia in February 2015.

The event, at the exclusive One Marylebone venue, was attended by around 20 guests, including Mr Ecclestone's ex-wife Slavica Radic, Tamara, and other young children.

The altercation involved Tamara and even Stunt's father Geoffrey, 67, who stepped in to defuse the row when it threatened to erupt into violence.

Bernie insisted that he didn't 'remember in detail' how the row began. But he recalled: 'I think [James] came and said something and Tamara said something and he was a bit rude to her. And he was getting a bit stroppy. I told him: 'You better come outside.'

The billionaire has previously referred to Stunt as 'a flash bastard' and an 'idiot', and has voiced his disapproval of his son-in-law's conspicuous displays of wealth

And I was walking out with him and his father came along and he said, 'You two shouldn't make a big fuss, this is a party, come on, come back inside together' which we did.

'So we walked back inside together. Like most of these things when they happen, it's forgotten. It was forgotten.'

However, another guest recalled the dispute as being physical. The guest told this newspaper: 'James started shoving and pushing Mr Ecclestone around  the daughters tried to break it up.

'The families all have their own bodyguards who were not sure if they should step in.

'It was a public place so people all stopped and started watching. Eventually James stormed off and the party came to an abrupt end.'

For Bernie, the behaviour came as little surprise. The billionaire has previously referred to Stunt as 'a flash bastard' and an 'idiot', and has voiced his disapproval of his son-in-law's conspicuous displays of wealth.

Billionaire Petra Stunt Ecclestone was seen talking on her mobile phone (left and right) as she walked to her car in Knightsbridge earlier earlier this week

But the source explained that, at the time, the argument had caused 'a huge wedge' between Petra and the rest of the family, adding: 'It's like EastEnders for billionaires.'

It is not known whether the divide was bridged, but Tamara, 33, is said to have not spoken to Stunt 'for years'.

Despite their obvious differences, it is clear Bernie remains disappointed at the breakdown of the relationship. Petra and Stunt met on a blind date in 2006 and married in 2011, in a lavish Italian ceremony which reportedly cost 12 million.

The couple then moved to a 123-room LA home, before relocating last year to Belgravia.

Last night, Bernie admitted he had been concerned at the marked change in Stunt's character over the past few years.

'I used to like him,' he said. 'He used to be a very nice guy. He changed  he's very quiet and a little bit unruly. What happened, I really don't know.'

Mr Stunt and Petra, pictured left and second left respectively with her sister Tamara, second right, and her ex-boyfriend Robert Montague in 2009, were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend in 2006

The couple married at the Castello Odescalchi castle in Bracciano, near Rome, in 2011. They are pictured here in the Italian capital just days before the nuptials

When asked how he would describe his son-in-law, he added: 'A bit erratic, you could say. The trouble is, he's got a short fuse and it doesn't take much to light it.

'If the fuse goes off, you don't know what he's going to do or what's going to happen.

'Silly little things fire him up, things which probably wouldn't disturb you or disturb me, but they disturb him. It's very easy for him to get upset over things he shouldn't be upset about.

'You wouldn't want to live with that because you wouldn't know when it's going to happen. That's what the problem is.'

Tellingly, Bernie revealed that it was never possible to confront Stunt about his behaviour towards Petra. 'No,' he said, firmly. 'You don't have conversations with James. You listen.'

They also have a 65million property in Los Angeles, called The Manor, pictured, which was said to have been put up for sale last year for 150million

Certainly there is unlikely to be a more civil conversation any time soon. The court hearing last week was brought by Petra to try to evict Stunt from the home the couple shared with their three young children.

Stunt left on a judge's orders on Friday afternoon in the back of a Rolls-Royce, puffing on a cigarette and  bizarrely  clutching two porcelain cats. Divorce proceedings are due to begin next month in the High Court, and whether Stunt's erratic behaviour will continue remains to be seen.

Surrey-born Stunt is known as being rather eccentric and, arguably, paranoid, and has cultivated an air of mystery around his wealth.

Idiosyncrasies include being resolutely teetotal, despite owning a vast collection of fine wines, and worrying about germs  and potential assassins  to the extent he carries an Evian bottle everywhere he goes filled with his own soft drink.

When asked about it last year, he confessed: 'Someone might try and poison me.' He spends a lot of time in Aspinalls casino in Mayfair, where the security is said to make him 'feel safe'.

Mr Stunt left earlier proceedings in a black Rolls Royce via a back door at the London court after the hearing concluded

Accused of trading off the Ecclestone name, he has encouraged suggestions that he is independently rich to the tune of several billion pounds. Friends say he is enormously generous and loyal, and will shower those close to him with expensive wines, cars and even properties.

But quite how his wealth has been amassed is unclear and Bernie himself has confided to friends in the past that he 'couldn't make head nor tail' of Stunt's business claims.

For Bernie, the court date has come as something of a relief. It's clear Stunt's apparent instability has affected the whole family.

He said Petra is now back in her home, while Stunt has apparently been prevented from contacting any of the family.

'She's happy now that she can get back into her house with the children and she's tidying it up a bit,' Bernie said. 'He has been ordered not to bother her or any of her family  that's her sister or me. If he comes and bothers us he's going to be in trouble for that.'

Last night, police confirmed Stunt was arrested in 2015 over the incident at The Rib Room.

A spokesman for the Met told The Mail on Sunday: 'A 33-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence (sec 4 Public Order Act) at approximately 10.20am on Monday, October 19.

'He was subsequently informed that this matter would not be proceeded with.'
A former Morrisons security guard turned jihadi has moaned that the 'high life' of 'cocktails and ice cream' in the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa is over.

Omar Hussain, 30, from High Wycombe, who now refers to himself as Abu Sa'eed Al-Britani, complained about terrorists fleeing Raqqa.

US-backed troops have now fully encircled ISIS fighters in Raqqa, the capital of the group's self-proclaimed caliphate.

It comes as Iraqi forces close in on recapturing Mosul, in Iraq, from the terror group, prompting Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi to declare 'the end of the fake jihadist state'.

Omar Hussain, 30, from High Wycombe, has complained about ISIS terrorists fleeing Raqqa as US-backed fighters surround the city

Hussain, who left Britain in 2013, criticised ISIS fighters running away from Raqqa as US-backed fighters tightened the noose around the Syrian city.

Using the encrypted channel Telegram, he said: 'Last few years Raqqa was the centre of dunya [Islamic State] here in Sham  compared to the other wilayahs [provinces].

'From cocktails, ice creams, easy lifestyle Brothers getting married once, twice, even three times. It was central to the 'high life' in jihad,' Norma Costello for the Sun reports.

'Now that the Kuffaar [non believers] r near so many Muhajireen and Ansar [warriors] have fled to other towns.'

He also bemoaned male fighters who had left Raqqa, while praising women who had stayed, the Sun reported.

'Many Muhajireen and so-called Ansar have fled away,' he said.

'The filth and scum who came to Raqqa for worldly reasons r now running away while we have SISTERS who r signing up for martyrdom operations in Raqqa.

'I have no idea how a man can go home 2 his wife or look at her in the face while having run away from Raqqa.

'May Allaah expose every coward who was here in Raqqa when there was safety yet has fled due to fear of the Kuffaar.'

US-backed troops have now fully encircled ISIS fighters in Raqqa, the capital of the group's self-proclaimed caliphate

The 30-year-old also complained about the stifling heat in Syria, saying: 'Summers in Sham [Syria] are a killer.

'Either sleep topless and get bitten by flies and insects but be a bit cool. Or sleep with clothes on, not get bitten but get really hot.'

He has previously complained about the difficulties of completing the most basic daily jobs.

These include menial tasks such as peeling potatoes for his dinner and washing his clothes.

Hussain left Britain in December 2013, flying to Turkey via Gatwick, despite being a known extremist who was stopped at Heathrow airport six months earlier.

He first joined the Al Qaeda affiliated group Jabhat al-Nusra in Syria before switching to ISIS after just four months.

Once in Syria, he began making threats against the UK on the internet.

He warned how he would like to return to bomb Britain, and in one ISIS video described former Prime Minister David Cameron as a 'despicable swine'.

He has even appeared on BBC2's Newsnight, saying: 'I hate the UK, the only reason why I would intend to return to the UK is when I want to come and plant a bomb somewhere.'

He urged fanatics to carry out lone wolf knife attacks just weeks before the Westminster terror atrocity, which he later described as 'beautiful.'

The former supermarket security guard-turned jihadi recruiter (pictured in another video message) used the secret messaging app Telegram to complain about the weather in Syria

Last year Hussain urged fanatics to beat up and rob drunken revellers out celebrating in the run-up to Christmas so they could buy knives.

In a separate blog post, he dolled out advice for jihadi brides, urging them to 'cook nice food' for their husbands and 'be presentable in your appearance'.

Telegram was used by fanatics before the attacks on Nice in July 2016 and Berlin in December last year.

The platform is a favourite of terrorists because it uses end-to-end encryption, which is designed to make sure only senders and recipients can view the content of messages, making it hard for security services to hack into.

It is believed that sick videos of high profile attacks were also posted on Telegram by jihadists to 'inspire' each other, including the murder of soldier Lee Rigby in Woolwich and the 7/7 London bombings.
An Special Air Service (SAS) soldier has drowned an ISIS fighter in a puddle during a tense battle to the death.

The troops were surrounded by approximately 50 ISIS militants yesterday close to Mosul in Northern Iraq as they had just withdrawn from an intelligence gathering mission, according to the Daily Star.

In the ambush, soldiers fatally shot several militants before their ammunition ran out and they were forced to use their guns as battering rams, knives, wit and brute strength to defeat the enemy.

One man even drowned an ISIS fighter in a puddle before picking up a stone which he smashed into another man's face.

Sources told the Daily Star that they were convinced they were going to die in the battle, so they chose to 'go out fighting' in the hope that they would kill as many ISIS fighters as possible before they died.

This pictures claims to show British SAS ground troops supporting the war on ISIS. It is claimed that SAS troops killed multiple militants yesterday near Mosul, Iraq

One source told The Daily Star: 'The SAS unit was trapped in a small river bed. They did a quick ammo check and realised they had less that 10 bullets left between them.

'They knew that if they were captured they would be tortured and decapitated.

'Rather than die on their knees, they went for a soldier's death and charged the IS fighters who were moving along the river bed. They were screaming and swearing as they set about the terrorists.'

The soldiers then used everything at their disposal in the desperate fight for their lives.

Displaced civilians from Mosul's Old City, the last district in the hands of Islamic State militants, flee during fighting in western Mosul, Iraq on June 24

The source counted 32 dead ISIS fighters during the battle which lasted just over four hours.

By its bloody end, the source said the remaining enemy forces had fled and despite multiple injuries - including gunshot wounds - the SAS unit walked five miles where a Kurdish fighter met them and brought them back to their base.

Those same soldiers are reported to have returned to duty just two days later, apart from those who were shot.

A Ministry of Defence statement says that the RAF is continuing to support Iraqi forces in their effort to liberate western Mosul.

'While the operating environment in the city is very challenging, particularly given the closely-packed buildings, very narrow streets, and the density of the urban population, our aircrew have continued to deliver precision strikes in close support of Iraqi troops on the ground.

'Daeshs current tactics, including the illegal use of civilians as human shields, and fighting from sites such as schools, hospitals, religious sites and civilian neighbourhoods, increases the risk to innocent life.

'While no military operations come without risk, particularly in dense urban environments and against such inhuman Daesh tactics, the RAF continues to take all steps necessary to minimise civilian casualties.'
Tragic: Victoria Agoglia, then 13, penned a heartbreaking letter which was ignored by police

This is the devastating letter from a victim of the Rochdale grooming gang which was fatally ignored by police.

Victoria Agoglia, then 13, wrote how she 'slept with people older' than her - 'half of them I don't even know their names. I am a slag.'

She went on: 'I think it I did it just to impress the boys and they treated me like ****. All the things I lost for drugs. Boys, my family, I lost all of that.'

Her tone shows how the schoolgirl was in desperate need of help by police but it has now been revealed by a former chief that her case was never acted upon.

Tragically the teen was later found dead after taking a heroin overdose.

In the run-up to her death in 2003, Victoria Agoglia ran away from her terraced house 21 times in the space of two months, and on five occasions the police were asked to look for her.

She was raped and was known by her carers to be used for sex by older men in exchange for cash, alcohol and hard drugs.

But somehow the teenager was one of many allowed to slip through the net.

Now a former detective constable who resigned over the scandal has revealed Victoria's letter was included in a police report which was never acted on.

Heartbreaking: This is the letter from a victim of the Rochdale grooming gang which was fatally ignored by police

Retired Maggie Oliver had written the report after launching Operation Augusta in 2004 - which set out to investigate the Rochdale child abuse ring.

The report even started with a picture of Victoria and her letter in a bid to highlight the severity of the case.

But shockingly the investigation was quietly shelved by police bosses while Ms Oliver was on a three-month break.

VICTORIA'S DEVASTATING LETTER IN FULL Things I have done in the past I drank, smoked weed, took pills, had blown coke, had heroin  just for what? All you do is get a laugh out of it but also it can kill you. I am only 13. I got the rest of my life ahead of me. I have slept with people older than me, half of them I dont even know their names. I am a slag and that is nothing to be proud of. Now I think why I did it, just to impress the boys and they treated me like ****. Even one night when I was out I was pilled up with some boy and Sam because they were out of their faces so much they crashed the car. Police looked all over Mosside Longsight but we never got caught and all the thing I lost just for drugs. Boys, my family and family is supposed to mean a lot to people at the time it did, not for me. So I lost all of that. I just hope I knew that at the time but I did not. Next time you should think family before drink, drugs, sex or money. Aged 13, 1989 Advertisement

It wasn't until eight years later that the beasts behind the operation which saw girls as young as 12 plied with alcohol and drugs before being used as sex slaves came to justice.

And now this letter shows how one of the youngsters caught up in the chaos had tried to reach out for help.

In the scribbled note, a 13-year-old Victoria described how the drugs she was given had overtaken her life.

The schoolgirl shows maturity beyond her years as she recounts taking a plethora of illegal substances but ponders - what was it all for?

Eerily the teenager even writes 'next time' she will put family before drink, drugs and sex and money.

But sadly there wasn't to be a next time for the teen who was discovered dead from a heroin overdose just days after police were told to keep an eye on her as she repeatedly ran away from home.

Victoria signed off the letter 'aged 13, 1989' - a stark reminder of her youth at the time of writing the troubling note.

Ms Oliver, who was a leading police chief at the time, has now revealed Victoria's note was used at the very front of the report which she hoped would lead to an end of the ring in Rochdale.

Operation Augusta began six years before the now-famous Operation Span, which finally saw the successful conviction of nine men who ran the abuse network.

The men, who exploited girls as young as 13, were given sentences ranging from four to 19 years.

But Ms Oliver said the crimes detailed by Operation Span were the same as those she had identified years earlier.

She told The Sun: 'As we dug deeper in 2004, it became abundantly clear that systematic sexual abuse was being inflicted on young, white girls by predominantly Pakistani men.

'I spoke to dozens of girls, some of whom took me to the locations where what they called 'sex parties' had happened, and even pointed out their abusers.'

Despite the wealth of evidence collected, three months later she was horrified to discover the operation had been quietly shut down.

Disgusting: Eight of the nine predators jailed in 2012 for their continued abuse on girls from Rochdale. From top row left to right, Abdul Rauf, Hamid Safi, Mohammed Sajid and Abdul Aziz. Bottom row left to right, Abdul Qayyum, Adil Khan, Mohammed Amin and Kabeer Hassan Read

It was not until 2010 that police chiefs arrested nine men on suspicion of rape and sexual offences, and launched Operation Span to investigate the crimes committed.

They included ringleader Shabir Ahmed, 64, aka 'Daddy', who got 19 years in jail for rape, sex assault, trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.

After the trial, Assistant Chief Constable Steve Haywood was seen praising the victims' bravery as he described them as 'the most vulnerable in our society'.

But Ms Oliver, who resigned from the police in 2012, told the newspaper: 'As I watched Steve Haywood give that statement I was thinking, 'You were in charge of operations at the time of Augusta. You saw Victoria's photo, you read her letter and my report. And you were one of the ones who stopped the investigation'.

Shabir Ahmed, the ringleader of the Rochdale child sex grooming gang

'There were clear failings at that time and criminals were allowed to escape. Yet no one has ever been held accountable.

'The police are charged with protecting young people and yet they deliberately and knowingly turned a blind eye for years.

She said it should never be allowed to happen again.

MailOnline contacted Greater Manchester Police for comment.

The case was subject of a three-part BBC drama Three Girls which aired in May.

And tomorrow evening a documentary titled The Betrayed Girls will air, investigating these failures.

The programme will feature interviews with leading figures from the case including former Detective Constable Ms Oliver and Chief Prosecutor Nazir Afzal.

The documentary will show tomorrow night at 8.30pm on BBC One.

The Rochdale scandal was finally exposed in 2012, when people learned that for years, authorities had been suppressing knowledge of abuse rings of primarily Pakistani men preying on primarily white teenage girls.

Young women were being raped by multiple men on a nightly basis, after being plied with gifts and alcohol.

Nine men were sentenced in 2012, and another nine in 2016. In 2012, the men were given sentences ranging from four to 19 years.

The shocking Rochdale child sex abuse case was turned into harrowing BBC drama Three Girls

A jury at Liverpool Crown Court heard that girls would be given alcohol before being passed around for sex at two takeaways, the Balti House and Tasty Bites, in the Heywood area.

The police were accused by then MP Simon Danczuk of ignoring the cases because they were brought by working class girls.

Reports have estimated the number of girls abused over the course of the cover-up at 1,400, but some have said it could be as many as 2,000.

The men sentenced in 2012 included Mohammed Amin who was jailed for five years for sexual assaults and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.

Abdul Qayyum, known as 'Tiger' to his victims, was jailed for five years for conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.

Following drama series Three Girls, a documentary titled The Betrayed Girls will air on BBC One on Monday, July 3 at 8.30pm

Adil Khan was convicted of trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child. He was jailed for eight years.

Mohammed Sajid, who abused girls in a flat in the city, was jailed for 12 years after he was convicted of conspiracy, sexual activity with a child, rape and trafficking.

Abdul Rauf was jailed for six years after being convicted of trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child. The court heard he had sex with one girl in his taxi 20 to 30 times.

Abdul Aziz was convicted of trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child and jailed for nine years.

The youngest of the group, Kabeer Hassan, was 25 when the abuse happened. He was jailed for nine years for rape and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.

Hamid Safi was jailed for four years for trafficking and conspiracy but was cleared of rape charges.

The ringleader Shabir Ahmed, was jailed for 22 years, for rape, sexual assault, trafficking and conspiracy to engage in sexual activity with a child.
An Algerian man who was jailed for spraying food with his own excrement in supermarkets still can't be deported - despite a 250,000 legal battle to kick him out of the country.

Chemist Sahnoun Daifallah, 50, was jailed for nine years at Bristol Crown Court in 2009 for contaminating food, wine and books at four businesses in May 2008.

Daifallah squirted a mixture of urine and faeces from a 1.5 litre weed killer container - concealed within a laptop bag - at the Air Balloon Pub in Birdlip, before moving on to a Waterstones bookshop in Cirencester.

Chemist Sahnoun Daifallah, 50, contaminated food, wine and books at four businesses in May 2008

Two days later, he targeted a Tesco store in Quedgley and a Morrisons in Abbeydale.

Damage to the businesses was estimated at 700,000.

A search of his house in Gloucester revealed further plans to contaminate businesses in Bristol and Birmingham.

He was also found to be in possession of an offensive weapon - a catapult with marbles.

Daifallah, who was granted refugee status two years after arriving in Britain in 1999, was told he would be deported in 2010 - but he has been in immigration custody since February 2013, The Sun reported.

Since then, there have been two judicial reviews. However it is not clear what his objections to deportation were.

He was jailed for nine years at Bristol Crown Court in 2009

According to the paper, those 54 months spent in immigration detention have cost the taxpayer a whopping 155,000.

Along with Daifallah's estimated legal bills of 100,000, that's a total of 250,000.

A Home Office spokeswoman told MailOnline: 'This government puts the rights of the British public before those of criminals, and foreign nationals who abuse our hospitality by committing crimes in the UK should be in no doubt of our determination to deport them.'

She added that a total of 6,171 foreign national offenders were deported between 2016 and 2017 - the highest number of removals ever.

Over 37,000 foreign national offenders have been removed since 2010.
A mother who made a BBC video demonstrating how to put glitter on her breasts has hit back at 'jealous' critics who slammed her for making 'soft porn'.

The 'Glitter Boobs' video showed Charlene O'Malley, 30, from Inverness in Scotland, silently spray-painting her naked torso then applying shiny stickers over her nipples.

It was posted on of the BBC's official channels on Facebook under the heading, 'Shake your t**s it's Friday!' and led to the corporation being critised for spending licence fee payers' money on 'soft porn'.

But Ms O'Malley says the backlash was due in part to envy over her surgically enhanced breasts, adding her tutorial was 'art'.

The 'Glitter Boobs' video showed Charlene O'Malley spray-painting her naked torso then applying shiny stickers over her nipples

Ms O'Malley says the backlash was due in part to envy over her surgically enhanced breasts

The minute-long video was made by BBC Scotland and posted on 'BBC The Social'  a social media 'channel' targeted at youngsters

Some viewers joked that Ms O'Malley's breasts appeared to be a good advert for silicone implants.

She opens the video by dancing in front of the camera, and blowing glitter towards her audience before starting her handiwork.

At the end, she smiles teasingly as she brushes liberal amounts of glitter into her now-sparkling cleavage, and then wiggles to show off her breasts to full effect.

The minute-long video was made by BBC Scotland and posted on 'BBC The Social'  a social media 'channel' targeted at youngsters.

Ms O'Malley told The Mirror some people were 'envious'.

She added: 'Most of the criticism has been from females. People were saying, 'She's a stripper,' and all sorts of things about my breasts.

'I think because I've got fake breasts, people have a lot to say.

'I'm a make-up artist and this is art. I don't see it as anything sexual at all.'

Some viewers joked that Ms O'Malley's breasts appeared to be a good advert for silicone implants - but the 30-year-old said they were envious

Ms O'Malley said: 'I'm a make-up artist and this is art. I don't see it as anything sexual at all'

However MPs and campaign groups questioned why the BBC was showing such content.

Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen said: 'The BBC's function is to inform, educate and entertain.

'I would be very interested to know which of those criteria the BBC believes this fulfils. Is it to get young women to do that, or to entertain men? It appeared to me to be a strip-tease in reverse.

'Many people would question whether that's a proper way to spend licence fee payers' money.'

Labour MP Chi Onwurah said she feared it was 'a desperate attempt to demonstrate relevance without considering the consequences'.

Helen Lewington, director of Mediawatch-UK, which lobbies for family values in the media, said: 'Parents trust the BBC and may not realise that BBC The Social contains content which is inappropriate for children. Unless parents have applied restrictive filters, it means children can easily access videos like this and others that verge on soft porn.'

Viewers were also left in shock.

'It is naive to think that women are being empowered by this,' said one. 'All you get is a title 'Glitter boobs' and some crass elevator music as she adds more toxic paint and plastic to her body.'

'This really strikes me as inappropriate content,' said another.

Many young women are likely to be preparing for music festivals, where body paint has become de rigueur

Female revellers at Glastonbury made the most of the warm weather by stripping off and decorating their naked torsos with glitter instead

People who complained about the clip were told to 'unfollow' the channel because it planned to show 'more of the same'.

A BBC spokesman said: 'The Social has a specific remit to create content aimed at 18-34-year-olds and the topics covered are led by our audience. In this case, the content was all produced by young women and aimed at their peers.

'The overwhelming response from the 160,000 who viewed it was very positive.'

The 'glitter boobs' clip has now been watched by more than 164,000 people on Facebook and YouTube so far.

Many young women are likely to be preparing for music festivals, where body paint has become de rigueur.

Female revellers at Glastonbury made the most of the warm weather by stripping off and decorating their naked torsos with glitter instead.

The videos have been published by BBC Scotland, and although they are aimed at young adults they can be viewed by people of any age

Other footage shows two men in kilts baring their buttocks during a yoga demonstration

BBC bosses have been accused of spending licence-fee money on a series of 'crazed' videos

BBC bosses have since been accused of spending licence-fee money on a series of 'crazed' videos featuring gratuitous sexual references, foul language and crude stunts that can be viewed by young children.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal that 'Glitter Boobs' just one of the dubious films being posted on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter under the banner of BBC initiative The Social.

One video features a 'webcam model' wearing a lacy bra and skimpy underwear talking about her sex work. Another film shows a man having his genitals waxed as he cries out in pain, and another depicts a woman talking crudely about sexual matters.

Other footage shows two men in kilts baring their buttocks during a yoga demonstration, while another film features a magician handing a woman a card which says: 'I love c***.'

The videos have been published by BBC Scotland, and although they are aimed at young adults they can be viewed by people of any age. They are submitted by members of the public, who are paid for their work, and are 'editorially assessed' by the BBC before being posted.

One video features a 'webcam model' wearing a lacy bra and skimpy underwear talking about her sex work

Last night Helen Lewington warned: 'While appreciating these films are aimed at young adults, our concern is that much younger children can easily access material which isn't appropriate for them.'

And MP Andrew Bridgen said: 'I think many licence fee payers will feel that this is a waste of their money.

'The BBC's function is to entertain, educate and inform. Which of those do they think this applies to? I'm not sure that this adds to the cultural capital of our nation.'

A BBC Scotland spokesman said: 'The Social is aimed very firmly at young adults, so we recognise that a small number of videos posted by our contributors may not be to everyone's taste.

'We do have warnings about adult themes and strong language, however, and repeat these on any individual content where appropriate.

'Overall the response to The Social has been very positive, particularly for entertaining content such as Kilted Yoga as well as more serious content offering health advice and films exploring themes important to young adults like mental illness and gender.'

The spokesman confirmed that BBC Scotland production staff 'are ultimately responsible for the content' and that contributors to The Social are paid.

He declined to specify exactly how much, although it is understood to be in the region of 150 for each short.
A Sunday Mass at Melbourne's most prominent Catholic Church was dominated by discussion about Cardinal George Pell's historic sexual abuse charges.

About 150 parishioners were in attendance at St Patrick's Cathedral as the Priest in Residence said the Mass was 'being offered for Cardinal Pell on his protection'.

Reverend Aurelio Fragapane said Cardinal Pell continued to be in their prayers alongside the Catholic Church before asking worshippers to pray, The Age reported.

The historic sexual abuse charges against Cardinal George Pell (pictured) were mentioned during a Mass at Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral on Sunday. Cardinal Pell has flatly denied the charges

About 150 parishioners who attended Sunday Mass at Melbourne's St Patrick's Cathedral (pictured) were told the Mass was 'being offered for Cardinal Pell on his protection'

He later noted during the Mass: 'As Jesus was unjustly condemned and accused of things - that [also] happens to us'.

'Perhaps that is a good sign that God has chosen us and considered us worthy to be his disciples that we are able to enter into that sacrifice,' Reverend Fragapane said.

Parishioners who attended the Mass - who were told of the charges Cardinal Pell is facing - spoke to reporters outside the Cathedral, where they said they had prayed for Cardinal Pell.

Denise Sheehan told The Age she had prayed to give Cardinal Pell strength and for justice to take its course.

Cardinal Pell (pictured) said he was looking forward to having his day in court and was 'innocent of these charges'

Victoria Police announced the historic sexual abuse charges against Cardinal Pell during a press conference on Thursday.

Cardinal Pell, 76, flatly denied the charges in a statement delivered at the Holy See that day and announced he was granted leave as the Vatican finance chief to return to Australia 'to clear my name'.

'I'm looking forward, finally, to having my day in court. I'm innocent of these charges. They are false,' Cardinal Pell said.

'The whole idea of sexual abuse is abhorrent to me.'
Police are warning owners of rental properties to be on their guard against Airbnb pop-up brothels.

Officers have made several arrests after visiting ten properties across Cheltenham and Gloucester, many of which are allegedly being rented out short term without the original landlords knowing.

The worrying new pop-up trend sees sex workers across the country hiring holiday homes through Airbnb as a base from which to sell their services.

As well as resorts in Cornwall, pop-up brothels have also been identified in the Lake District, Bournemouth, Cambridge, Preston, Aberdeen and Norwich.

Sex workers across the country use Airbnb to hire holiday homes as a base from which to sell their services

People controlling the trade are allegedly advertising their services online before moving on to a new location.

The revelation comes as part of a Gloucestershire police operation to help women caught up in the sex trade or who are victims of modern slavery.

In total four people were arrested for various charges including human trafficking at the visits to six brothels in Cheltenham and four in Gloucester.

The searches were carried out on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week by officers as the force adopts a new approach in helping sex workers, who are often very vulnerable, and prosecuting the people controlling them.

And holiday lets in the South-West are also being targeted by criminals who use them for prostitution.

Between last summer and January this year, 14 pop-up brothels were identified in Newquay.

Many of the women come from Eastern Europe, Romania in particular. And the fear is that many have been trafficked into the country by criminal gangs raking in vast sums of money from their activities.

Officers have made several arrests after visiting ten properties across Gloucester and Cheltenham (pictured, file photo)

Sergeant Matt Puttock, the tactical lead for sexual exploitation at Gloucestershire Police, said: 'Some of these places visited have been Airbnbs that have been rented out for a week or two.

'These are by their nature often quite hidden places. It's very transient as they often hire Airbnb places or other serviced apartments.

'Many times neighbours do not know what is going on. Landlords have often used us as mediators to try and remove these people once they know what they are up to.

'We collected various bits of information and visited these places not to criminalise the sex workers, but to check on their safety.

'We interview all the women and check why they are there and whether they want to be there.

'Generally we have no power to make them leave the situation they are in but we can use various methods to remove women if needs be.

'But it is difficult. Some are brainwashed to not to talk to the police or any other authority.'

People controlling the trade are allegedly advertising their services online before moving on to a new location

Detective Inspector Nick Skipworth of Cambridge Police previously said: We see a lot of them using flats and these will be 1,000-a-week flats.

'They can easily cover that. I chatted to one Polish girl who was 19 and she was seeing up to ten clients a day and making 100 a client.

This sort of thing is going on everywhere. There are certain places that they all seem to go and visit  the Romanians almost have a set tour route they follow around the UK.

Airbnb is an online marketplace which allows people to rent properties around the globe with hundreds of listings for places including Gloucester and Cheltenham.

An Airbnb spokesman said: 'We have a zero tolerance policy for issues like these and are urgently investigating.

'There have been over 200 million guest arrivals in Airbnb listings and negative incidents are extremely rare.'
Special forces soldiers were at the centre of a row last night over claims they executed unarmed Afghan civilians in cold blood.

Elite troops from the Special Air Service (SAS) allegedly murdered Afghans, believed to be Taliban insurgents, during raids on their homes that may have been based on false intelligence.

Officers from the Royal Military Police (RMP) also investigated claims they then planted guns to make the victims appear to be insurgents  then falsified mission reports.

Some victims were handcuffed and hooded before being shot dead, it was claimed. The vast majority of cases were thrown out by Operation Northmoor  the probe into deaths during the Afghan war  as it was deemed there was insufficient evidence.

Members of the Special Air Service are alleged to have covered up evidence that they killed unarmed Afghan civilians

There is only a single case of unlawful killing by UK troops in Afghanistan that remains under investigation. Last night there were calls for another inquiry amid lurid allegations the Ministry of Defence put pressure on the RMP to wind up the cases.

The remaining case centres on claims British soldiers shot dead four family members during a night raid on their homes in in Qala-e-Bost, east of Lashkar Gah, southern Helmand province, in February 2011.

Family members and local officials told the Sunday Times that at least two of the four victims had been handcuffed with plastic ties before being shot dead.

The RMP is arranging to travel to Afghanistan to interview the witnesses. It is also currently subject to a civil claim. The case was brought by Leigh Day, a law firm seeking compensation for the family of the deceased.

It is claimed that special forces soldiers murdered rather than captured four family members during a night raid on their homes in Qala-e-Bost, southern Helmand province (pictured)

The firm, and three of its solicitors, were cleared of wrongly hounding British troops after a six-week tribunal last month.

Yesterday, Jeremy Corbyn called for an independent inquiry to examine whether the probe into alleged SAS war crimes had been deliberately impeded by the Ministry of Defence. The Labour leader said: The allegations of unlawful killings and war crimes in Afghanistan are extremely serious and must be fully investigated. There can be no question of a cover-up.

He backed Lord Macdonald, the former director of public prosecutions, who warned of a major scandal if the allegations were true. But MoD sources stressed that Operation Northmoor was an independent inquiry and there was no evidence to back up claims.

Officers from Greater Manchester police and the National Crime Agency have also been involved. A defence source said: The evidence has just not been there. As we have seen so far, none of it has really stacked up.

Russian guns planted on bodies It is claimed that the unit carried a Russian Makarov (stock picture) 'kill pistol' because it could be pictured with a victim if an unarmed Taliban suspect was shot dead The allegations include claims that SAS soldiers doctored reports and used fake photographs to hide civilian deaths. It was said they had placed Taliban pistols and rifles near dead civilians to make them look like enemy fighters. They then falsified reports in a bid to blame Afghan special forces, so that the incident would not be probed by regular army command, it was said. The allegations were said to have been supported by a drone film, which reportedly showed British soldiers opening fire, contradicting claims that the Afghan partners, acting as backup and interpreters, were responsible. Bullets retrieved from victims bodies were also allegedly of an SAS type. They matched the 5.56mm calibre used by the SAS, rather than larger bullets used by Afghan special forces. There were more claims soldiers planted Russian Makarov pistols on victims bodies and took pictures as evidence they killed Taliban insurgents in self defence. In another claim, an elite team allegedly executed three unarmed brothers in a secret night raid. Their mother said she watched her sons being gunned down at their home in Gereshk district, Helmand Province, in 2012. She claimed her farmer sons had no Taliban connection and had been holding their hands in the air when SAS troops opened fire, according to the Sunday Times. Advertisement

And a military source insisted: The Afghans have happily made stuff up for cash.

There have been cases where people claimed they killed their children, and they never had any children, they just made it up.

They added: Claims of a cover-up are fanciful.

Colonel Richard Kemp, who commanded British forces in Afghanistan, said: I think it is extremely unlikely that would be happening. The Special Forces are highly trained and highly disciplined and their role is to kill the enemy not unarmed civilians. An investigation has already proved that the claims are false.

The existence of Operation Northmoor emerged nearly two years ago, when police were examining claims of around 100 Afghans alleging they were mistreated during the 13-year war.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) has called for an independent inquiry to examine whether the probe into alleged SAS war crimes had been deliberately impeded by the Ministry of Defence

It was launched in 2014 and the inquirys workload rapidly soared to 675 claims, before being slashed to just ten. In all, there were 52 allegations of deaths, mainly by special forces.

But 51 were deemed not serious enough to be referred to the Service Prosecuting Authority.

The probe has cost taxpayers 9million to date. A further 2.5 million is expected to be spent as officers examine the remaining ten investigations.

An MoD spokesman said: The Royal Military Police has found no evidence of criminal behaviour by the Armed Forces in Afghanistan. They have discontinued over 90 per cent of the 675 allegations made and less than ten investigations remain, adding: The MoD has not influenced the direction of Operation Northmoor, which is an independent RMP investigation.

A spokesman for Leigh Day said: We are involved in one case being investigated by Operation Northmoor which involves allegations of four family members being shot by British Forces in February 2011.
Wives of ISIS fighters have revealed their concerns about how much their husbands were spending on sex slaves' clothes and lipstick but paid no heed to their barbaric beheadings.

The women, dubbed the desperate housewives of Raqqa, spoke to a journalist from their homes in a small town of Ayn Issa, 30 miles north of the terror group's de facto capital.

They refused to condemn their husbands' murderous crimes but said their husbands and their extremist cronies were paying up to $10,000 for a virgin sex slave and admitted girls as young as nine were raped.

Girls look at Lebanese Nour al-Huda, wife of a former Islamic State fighter, at a camp for displaced people in Ain Issa, north of Raqqa, Syria

(From left to right) Tunisians Khadouja al-Humri, Iman Othman and Lebanese Nour al-Huda, wives of former Islamic State fighters, sit with their children at a camp for displaced people in Ain Issa, north of Raqqa, Syria June 21

Seven of the women spoke to Jenan Moussa, a reporter for an Arabic TV channel, as they spent time with their children whose fathers are either dead or in prison.

She sat and spoke to Lebanese, Tunisian, Dagestan, Syrian women who had French, Malaysian, Tunisian and Turkish husbands.

One woman, a Lebanese wife, said her husband had a sex slave app on his phone where he and his fellow jihadis share pictures of captured women all tabbed up with a price ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 for a virgin.

'It was a market for sex slaves. They were sharing photos of the sex slaves with the best make-up.

'There was a lot of tension between the wives and the sex slaves.

'Some of the wives even divorced their husbands because of that.

'They were spending too much on the sex slaves, buying them the best make-up, clothes and accessories,' according to The Times.

One of the women said she had turned down countless ISIS fighters, insisting she was holding out for the terror group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, saying only he would satisfy her.

Jenan Moussa sitting with the ISIS wives and children in the displacement camp in Syria

Lebanese Nour al-Huda and Tunisian Iman Othman, wives of former Islamic State fighters, sit at a camp for displaced people in Ain Issa, north of Raqqa, Syria

A child looks out of the window at a displacement camp in Northern Syria as families sit on the floor

A journalist for an Arabic TV station Jenan Moussa conducted her interviews at the camp. There, she said she saw this Indonesian family who claimed they had fallen victim to ISIS but refused to talk to her

She was told by her fellow terror groupies no to waste their time.

'Don't bother, he is already taken,' one woman told her.

'He has four wives and 15 sex slaves. You have no chance.'

When asked if they personally had sex slaves in their homes, the women all denied it, but said they knew of nine-year-old girls who had been raped by jihadis.

But their stories did not add up with some wives admitted helping imprisoned sex slaves escape - not to help the trapped women - but because they were jealous their husbands were raping them.

Some of the husbands beheaded ISIS victims, but their wives insisted it was nothing to do with them because they were merely sat on the sofa minding their children.

And one even backed their partners' brutality, saying chopping off people's hands was fine because the person on the receiving end had been warned about stealing.

They are now stuck in limbo at a camp for displaced people in northern Syria claiming they wished they had never joined ISIS and that they were conned into becoming part of the terror group.

One told the Ms Moussa, 'ISIS deceived us with propaganda,' to which she replied: 'So you saw beheading videos and thought - great, lets' join ISIS?'

The wife did not reply and said their group were kept apart from other detainees because others wanted to attack anyone associated with ISIS.

None of the wives gave themselves up voluntarily, but were apprehended by officials as they attempted to cross the border into Turkey.
A terminally ill five-year-old girl who 'married' her best friend in a fairytale wedding last month has died.

Eileidh Paterson passed away from childhood cancer neuroblastoma on Saturday, according to a Facebook page documenting her battle with the disease.

A message on the page said: 'With a very heavy heart, I'm heartbroken to tell you all that Eileidh gained her Angel wings at 11.45am on Saturday 1st July.

Eileidh Paterson, a five-year-old cancer sufferer who made headlines around the world last month after 'marrying' best friend Harrison Grier, six, has died

Heartbroken family revealed Eileidh, who suffered from childhood cancer neuroblastoma, passed away on Saturday morning after the disease spread to her liver

Tributes flooded in from heartbroken friends and well-wishers who praised Eileidh's courage and sent their sympathies to her family

'Unfortunately it was discovered on Thursday, after an ultrasound scan, that Eileidh's liver was enlarged & full of neuroblastoma.

'This was the most aggressive she has ever had as it grew extremely rapidly. She took her last breath surrounded by her family & cuddled up with blankie.

'She won the hearts of everyone who met her & will be sorely missed.'

Thousands of messages of condolence and support flooded in, with one - Matt Denning - saying Eileidh 'touched the hearts of the world.'

Eileidh made headlines in June after she and Harrison Grier, six, were declared 'best friends forever' at a heartwarming ceremony.

While making a bucket list, Eileidh placed marrying Harrison at the top.

Hundreds of well-wishers attended the ceremony at the AECC in Aberdeen - with some guests travelling hundreds of miles to be there.

Footage of the ceremony was shared worldwide and seen by viewers in a long list of countries including China, Australia and America.

Eileidh's mother Gail arranged the ceremony after asking her daughter to make a bucket list, and she placed fairytale wedding at the very top

Eileidh walked down the aisle in her dress to When You Wish Upon A Star from Pinocchio, before she and Harrison were declared 'best friends forever'

A fundraising page to complete other tasks on her bucket list had only recently smashed through the original 10,000 target with more than 12,000 raised.

At the wedding ceremony, close friends and family gathered in a meeting room at the as the children, both from Forres, Moray, held hands and exchanged necklaces.

A lone piper got the event under way and was followed to a makeshift altar by a procession of costumed superheroes and princesses.

Eileidh was walked into the room by her older brother, Callum, to 'When You Wish Upon a Star' from Disney film Pinocchio.

And after they were officially declared 'best friends forever', Eileidh and Harrison entered the auditorium where they celebrated with candy floss.

The adorable pair later took to the dance floor and started the party off with their first dance, which was to Psy's 'Gangnam Style'.

The hall filled with pop music and Disney anthems for the rest of the afternoon, as guests toasted the happy couple.

The heartwarming ceremony made captured hearts around the world as Eiledh was pictured by news outlets from America to China

Gail is now using her daughter's memory to help raise awareness of neuroblastoma, and to help other parents who are facing the same condition

The mother raised more than 120,000 to send Eileidh to America for treatment in 2015, and has since campaigned to raise awareness of childhood cancer.

Through her Eileidh's Journey Facebook page, Gail aims to make people more aware of the symptoms of the illness.

There were several items that they were unfortunately unable to tick off the bucket list in time.

These included going to school, being a zookeeper for a day, visiting a water park, going to Disneyland, and meeting Norman Reedus who plays Daryl Dixon on The Walking Dead.

She also wanted to play on the beach, get a bedroom makeover, go on a short break, see the Blackpool Illuminations and go on the London Eye.

A meet and greet visit with popstars Little Mix was arranged earlier this week but she was too sick to attend.
A Muslim imam has resigned as a taxpayer-funded Australian Defence Force religious adviser after a senator told parliament he had signed a petition in favour of Islamist extremist group Hizb ut-Tahrir.

Sheikh Mohamadu Nawas Saleem quit his $717-a-day post last month, only days after Australian Conservatives Senator Cory Bernardi questioned how the government could justify employing someone who opposed democracy.

Former Iraq war veteran Bernard Gaynor, who launched a petition calling for Sheikh Saleem's removal as Defence imam, said the government was embarrassed.

'The government's been very quiet about the resignation,' he told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday.

'They've been running politically correct games with in the Defence Force and they're embarrassed by the scrutiny.'

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Sheikh Mohamadu Nawas Saleem last month quit his role a Defence Force religious adviser

The former Australian Defence Force imam signed a pro-Hizb ut-Tahrir petition in early 2015

Australian Conservatives Senator Cory Bernardi raised the sheikh's support for Hizb ut-Tahrir

Former Iraq war veteran Bernard Gaynor campaigned for the sheikh's removal via a petition

Defence Personnel Minister Dan Tehan announced late last month Sheikh Saleem had resigned from the Religious Advisory Committee to the Services, which advises the Australian Defence Force.

His spokesman declined to detail the circumstances of the resignation in the wake of Liberal defector Senator Bernardi's speech to parliament.

Mr Tehan's short-lived predecessor Stuart Robert appointed Sheikh Saleem in June 2015 to his $717 a day role as a religious adviser.

Four months earlier, in February 2015, Sheikh Saleem added his name to a petition opposing then prime minister Tony Abbott's plan to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir in Australia.

The petition argued Hizb ut-Tahrir, which supports Sharia law and has a constitution backing the death penalty for ex-Muslims, had never committed terrorist acts in Australia.

Defence Personnel Minister Dan Tehan announced the sheikh's resignation late last month

Defence Personnel Minister Dan Tehan announced the sheikh's resignation in a media release

Sheikh Mohamadu Nawas Saleem was paid $717 a day to advise Defence on religious issues

But the group's Islamist ideology is so extreme it is banned in Germany, The Netherlands, Russia and a range of Muslim-majority nations including Indonesia Pakistan, Bangladesh and even Saudi Arabia.

Mr Tehan's media statement, published on June 23, did not condemn Sheikh Saleem's association with a petition defending Hizb ut-Tahrir.

'The government has always accepted the right of any member of the RACS to express their views according to their religious faith, but, as a matter of course, does not always agree with them,' he said.

'The government acknowledges Sheik Saleem's contribution to the RACS on behalf of his community.'

Sheikh Saleem signed a petition in 2015 opposing a plan to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir in Australia

Attorney-General George Brandis rejected a call in May to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir in Australia

Mr Gaynor, who served as an Iraq war intelligence analyst in 2008 and 2009, said a Muslim imam who signed a petition in favour of Hizb ut-Tahrir was bound to support Sharia law.

'An imam by virtue of his appointment and position will promote Sharia law,' he said.

The war veteran ran as an Australian Liberty Alliance candidate last year and last month launched a petition calling for Sheikh Saleem's removal.

It amassed 13,000 signatures.

In May, federal Attorney-General George Brandis rejected a call to ban Hizb ut-Tahrir, despite its recent calls for ex-Muslims to be killed and its advocacy of domestic violence.

Daily Mail Australia has been unable to contact the sheikh who is on the board of Imams Victoria.
A man was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after being viciously attacked during a brawl reportedly sparked by a family dispute.

The 41-year-old suffered severe head and face injuries after a fight involving up to a dozen relatives erupted inside a pub and spilled out on to a western Sydney street.

Emergency services were called to the scene at Merrylands Road, Merrylands when a 50th birthday party turned ugly about 10.20pm on Saturday, Nine News reported.

Police at the scene in Merrylands after a fight reportedly broke out between up to a dozen relatives on Saturday night, leaving one man in a serious but stable condition

Paramedics desperately worked on the injured man, who was sprawled across a side street, while police tried to break up the melee using capsicum spray.

A policewoman copped some of the spray to the face and a paramedic was threatened with scissors, Seven News reported.

'It's quite shocking, really, to emergency services personnel who are there to assist people and to help the community,' Inspector Matthew Clifford said.

The man was taken to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition but he is now listed as serious but stable.

A 22-year-old man was also taken to the same hospital in a stable condition following the brawl.

Police are urging anyone with information about the brutal fight to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Emergency services raced to the scene about 10.20pm on Saturday, with one paramedic reportedly threatened with scissors
Number 10 has reportedly told business leaders that Theresa May could storm out of Brexit talks over the divorce bill in a bid to boost her ratings at home.

A top Downing Street figure is said to have briefed industry and City bosses to prepare them for news of the PM's explosive row with Brussels later this year.

The move was reportedly being orchestrated for 'domestic consumption' as the beleaguered PM tries to get back on the front foot and drum up some support in the wake of the election disaster.

Mrs May is said to be preparing to take a tough line over the divorce bill - which has been rumoured to be as large as 100 billion (87.7 billion).

Theresa May, pictured at church today with her husband Philip. Reports have emerged that British businesses were briefed to prepare them for the PM storming out of Brexit talks later this year

At the briefing, which is said to have taken place after the election, business chiefs were told that while no final decision had been made it was a distinct possibility that the PM would storm out of talks.

A source familiar with No10 told The Sunday Telegraph: 'I do think we are looking to be as hard-nosed, as hard-headed and as cold-eyed about this as it is possible to be.

'If any of those actions take place it will be to work towards a single objective  getting the best deal that we can.'

The briefing reportedly happened after the election and was leaked by a source who is among the exodus from Downing Street which has happened in the wake of the poll humiliation.

It is understood the briefing was carried out at to try head off any market backlash if there is a sudden collapse in the talks.

Mrs May has repeatedly said that 'no deal is better than a bad deal' and that Britain will no longer tolerate paying huge amounts into the EU's coffers.

But there are fears that Eurocrats will try to seize upon Mrs May's weakened position in the wake of the election to force her to accept a punishment deal.

And her standing in the polls have plummeted amid widespead anger at the continued austerity policies.
An exotic-looking immigrant bird may now be culled as scientists say that they are a threat to native species and to crops.

The bright green ring-necked parakeets have become a familiar sight in parts of London and they are spreading throughout Britain and can now be found in Milton Keynes, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool and the Edinburgh-Dundee area.

In 2012, an estimated 32,000 were in Britain but there are no recent estimates on numbers.

There are now concerns that the birds may threaten native species and could threaten farmers crops and profits, especially to fruit farms and vineyards.

Parrots have settled into Britain and Europe so well that a four-year European research programme called ParrotNet was established to monitor the invasion.

This parakeets is pictured nesting in the oak trees at Bushey Park, London

The co-founder of ParrotNet, Dr Hazel Jackson, a specialist in invasive species and conservation at the University of Kent, has said the parakeets are an urgent economic, societal and environmental problem.

Now the parrots, or psittacula krameri, could face culls across the country to prevent them from spreading.

The ring-necked parakeets have become a familiar sight in parts of London and they are spreading throughout Britain to Milton Keynes, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool and Scotland

The group is due to present its findings to scientists at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which may include recommendations to cull the birds.

The rose-ringed parakeet is listed amongst the top 100 worst alien species in Europe, and since the 1970s has rapidly established itself in over 100 cities across the continent and beyond.

They pose problems in urban and rural areas such as disturbance to humans (including potential to transmit diseases to livestock and humans), competition with native wildlife and, increasingly, as an agricultural pest, already prompting changes in national policies.

The group ParrotNet say that climate change has facilitated the spread of the species.

A warmer Europe has facilitated the continued expansion of parakeet populations, amplifying the problems parakeets pose for European agro-economy.
Council pest controllers have been slammed after they wiped out more than 15,000 super-rare British honeybees.

Workers from Anglesey County Council were called out to a swarm of insects inside a compost bin outside a home by a worried resident.

But the pest killers failed to realise the insects were very rare Welsh black honeybees - the last survivor of the original British bee - and killed the entire colony.

Council pest controllers in Anglesey are being investigated after destroying a colony of 15,000 Welsh black bees, the last known survivor of the original British bee

It was feared the native species was totally wiped out by a virus 100 years ago, but it is now estimated they are present in less than one per cent of hives.

The authority is now investigating why proper procedures weren't followed, while local beekeepers called the killing in Llanfechell, Anglesey, a 'disaster'.

Katie Hayward, a beekeeper who lives nearby and runs the award-winning Felin Honeybees farm, said: 'It was a whole colony wiped out in five minutes.

'I was heartbroken when I saw it. it was absolutely devastating.

'The Welsh Black Bee is, as you can probably tell from the name, native to this country.

'Efforts are underway to try and increase their population so, from a bee keeper's point of view, its incredibly sad and very frustrating to see so many of them being unnecessarily killed.

'On more than one occasion I have spoken to pest control staff at the council and told them I'd be more than willing to help them.

'I know they're very busy and short staffed, but I can't emphasise enough how much of a disaster it is to see them killed like this.'

In Britain, southern European honeybees filled the void after the native honeybee was practically wiped out by a virus 100 years ago.

Staff reportedly mistook the bees for wasps and wiped out the colony - rather than contacting a beekeeper as council policy advises

The Welsh Black Bee is almost completely black and is the last known survivor of the original British bee.

Black bees are darker and have thicker, longer hair and a larger body than the golden-coloured, southern European bee, which allows them to keep warm the generally cooler and more changeable British climate.

The Bee Improvement and Bee Breeders' Association began a project to conserve the last remaining black bees in 1997.

It is estimated of the 250,000 hives across the UK, less than one per cent are likely to house black bees.

An Isle of Anglesey County Council spokesperson said: 'We work closely with local bee keepers in order to provide residents with options for dealing with honey bees.

'Normally, if an operator arrives on site and discovers that honey bees are present, they will advise the home owner to contact a bee keeper to assist.

'It appears that our usual procedure was not followed in this instance, and we will therefore be investigating the matter further.'
Cop killer Rick Maddison's former partner says she blames herself for the death of policeman Brett Forte who was shot by the gunman ahead of a lengthy siege.

The mother-of-one, who shared the story of her tumultuous relationship with Maddison on Sunday Night, says police were pursuing the 41-year-old after she filed domestic violence charges against him.

She had made the choice to file, regardless of the personal danger it posed, after Maddison broke his restraining order, entered her home and pointed his gun at her daughter.

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A woman known as Sarah, who was cop-killer Rick Maddison's former partner, says she blames herself for the death of policeman Brett Forte

Rick Maddison (pictured) shot Senior Constable Brett Forte dead after leading him to a deserted area in a car chase

Maddison had gone missing, sparking a police manhunt in the Lockyer Valley in May.

In the meantime the woman, known as Sarah, was being comforted by Susan Forte, Senior Constable Brett Forte's wife.

Sarah revealed the pair had been speaking the morning of the policeman's shooting, with Susan offering her comfort as the hunt for Maddison continued.

'Susie had emailed me that morning to check in with me to see how I was going, and I replied back to her saying, "I feel like giving up",' she said.

'Then she emailed me back quite a lengthy email just supporting me, telling me that the police were looking for him, that they will find him, that I was doing the right thing by my children.'

Mr Forte's wife Susan (right) had been comforting Sarah as she proceeded with domestic violence charges against Maddison

Sarah had decided to file charges after Maddison broke into her home and held a gun to her daughter

The 41-year-old was shot after a lengthy shootout between himself and police in the Lockyer Valley

Sarah says she feels 'terrible guilt' for Brett Forte's death, claiming her warrant was the reason the policeman had been killed

Soon after, Brett Forte and his partner, Senior Constable Cath Nielsen, had engaged in a car chase with Maddison in the Lockyer Valley, where he lured them into a deserted area before getting out of his car and pointing a gun at the officers.

When Maddison shot at the car, Constable Forte leaned over to shield his partner, losing his life in the process.

'A police officer had been shot,' Sarah said despondently.

'And had passed away from his injuries.

'I feel terrible guilt for that... because if it wasn't for me and this warrant [for Maddison's arrest] that wouldn't have happened - and there would still be a police officer and a family man to go home to.

'And I do feel that it was because of me.'
Labour today said they would hike public sector wages by a staggering 6billion a year - despite a multibillion pound blackhole in their pledge.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the party would go on a spending spurge to boost state workers' pay packets in line with private sector wages.

But he faced tough questions over how Labour will find the cash after it emerged that it would cost 6bn a year - far more than the 4bn the party budgeted for.

While the costs risk spiralling as the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the respected independent think tank, found that it would inflate to 9.5bn a year by 2022.

It comes as the Tory government faces fresh turmoil over its own position on the issue after a growing number of Cabinet ministers have called for the austerity measure to be axed.

Jonathan Ashworth today said Labour would pour another 6billion a year into public sector workers pay packets even though the IFS have found there is a multibillion pound shortfall in the party's sums

Andrew Marr challenged the Labour leader over how he would find the cash, pointing out that experts say the rise would cost far more than the 4billion the party budgeted for

Appearing on BBC 1's Andrew Marr show today, Mr Ashworth was quizzed over his party's position on the cap.

He said: 'We are saying to the pay review bodies, get rid of the 1 per cent cap, and give a fair pay rise.

I think they should consider giving people a pay rise in line with earnings, but clearly they are not going to be able to overturn the 14 per cent loss that public sector workers have had over seven years.

But they have to come up with responsible recommendations which we would accept.

But Marr pointed out that there is a multibillion pound blackhole in the party's budget.

He told the Labour frontbencher: So if they say that public sector should rise in line with pay in private sector, in line with earnings as you have just put it, that has been costed by the IFS as requiring an immediate 6billion a year now rising to 9.5bn a year in the course of this parliament.

That is a lot more than you have budgeted for, you budgeted 4billion.

But Mr Ashworth insisted that party would be able to find the cash by slashing the NHS's reliance on agency staff.

He said: We budgeted 4bn but don't forget we think we can save money across the public sector more widely.

For example , in 2015/16 3.7bn was spent on NHS agency workers. We think we can bring that bill right down.

There are growing calls for the cap - which was introduced by George Osborne in 2012 in a bid to bring down the deficit - to be ditched.

But Mr Ashworth's remarks will raise serious questions over how Labour would fund its giveaways if it ever gets into power.

Meanwhile, Environment Secretary Michael Gove became the latest Tory Cabinet minister to beak cover and question the cap.

He urge the PM and Chancellor to 'listen to' the public sector pay bodies when they publish their recommendations for salary increases after this year.

Theresa May's humiliation is the General Election and Jeremy Corbyn's shock surge in popularity has been blamed on the relentless austerity measures.

But the Cabinet is split over whether the country can afford to ease up on austerity as Britain still has a massive debt problem.
Reginald Mitchell, 46, was charged with misdemeanor solicitation

A veteran Florida cop was caught my his colleagues allegedly picking up a well known prostitute on his patch in St. Petersburg.

Reginald Mitchell, 46, was off-duty and in his own car when he allegedly solicited Amanda McLaughlin at 8am on Friday.

Other St. Petersburg officers were working undercover at the scene and approached his car, initially under the belief that he was a regular civilian customer.

Mitchell was arrested for misdemeanor solicitation and was spared jail, being given an order to appear before a judge at a later date instead.

Because McLaughlin had previous prostitution offences, she was charged with a felony.

The police officer was placed on administrative leave until his court date and until police conduct an internal investigation.

He will be working at police headquarters until both have concluded.

St. Petersburg Police Chief Tony Holloway said the incident gave a bad name to other officers in the force.

'It's a bad reflection upon the department. One of us broke the law and did something wrong, so it hurts,' he told The Tampa Bay Times.

Mitchell has been on the force for 20 years.
A Brussels regulator has urged Google's rivals to sue the internet giant if its abuse of power has cost them.

Google was slapped with a record 2.42billion fine for skewing search results in favour of its own shopping services in a fresh blow to the US company earlier this week.

The European Commission's decision to levy the record penalty for breaking anti-trust laws could lead to a string of legal cases from rivals claiming their business has been harmed by its actions.

And Margrethe Vestager, the woman who dished out the punishment, has said any business claiming to have been affected should use her ruling to prop up its case.

EC competition chief Margrethe Vestager said Google had 'abused its market dominance' as the world's most popular search engine

Google was slapped with a record 2.42billion fine for skewing search results in favour of its own shopping services in a fresh blow to the US web giant

Vestager, the European Commission's competition chief, told the Sunday Times: 'It is for everyone who feels they have been hurt by the illegal Google behaviour to take this report and use in court as part of their evidence will have an influence.'

When she made her judgement, she said Google had 'abused its market dominance' as the world's most popular search engine.

'Google has come up with many innovative products and services that have made a difference to our lives,' she said.

'That's a good thing. But Google's strategy for its comparison shopping service wasn't just about attracting customers by making its product better than those of its rivals.

'Instead, Google abused its market dominance as a search engine by promoting its own comparison shopping service in its search results, and demoting those of competitors.

'What Google has done is illegal under EU antitrust rules. It denied other companies the chance to compete on the merits and to innovate.

'And most importantly, it denied European consumers a genuine choice of services and the full benefits of innovation.'

The European Commission's decision to levy the record penalty for breaking anti-trust laws is likely to anger US President Donald Trump

The watchdog launched an investigation into Google Shopping seven years ago amid complaints it gave the service a prominent position on the internet search engine, while rival services were demoted.

The EC gave the Mountain View, California, company 90 days to stop or face fines of up to 5 percent of the average daily worldwide turnover of parent company Alphabet.

Google could face claims by consumers, says expert Oliver Fairhurst, Associate and competition law specialist at law firm Lewis Silkin told MailOnline: 'The decision is a real kicking for Google. The fine is around double the amount of the previous largest fine issued by the Commission, showing how seriously the behaviour is viewed. 'Google will now have to work out how it is going to comply. It will probably change the way in which its "Shopping" results are shown, so consumers may find that they have to choose who provides the comparison at the top of a Google search. The end result might be similar to the default search engine option provided in Internet Explorer. 'It may also mean that Google faces legal claims arising out of competitors (and even consumers) who say that they lost out because of the behaviour. 'One major caveat to all this though is that Google is very likely to appeal, and any such appeal process may take us well into the 2020s'. Advertisement

Anti-trust cases against US companies have stoked anger in Washington and the EU could now face the wrath of Mr Trump, who won office on a pledge to adopt a more protectionist stance towards US companies.

The case comes a year after Vestage angered the Obama administration with an order that Apple repay 13 billion (11.5m) euros in back taxes in Ireland.

The case is one of three against Google and of several against blockbuster US companies including Starbucks, Apple, Amazon and McDonalds.

The EC said Google was the most dominant search engine across the 31 countries in the European Economic Area (EEA).

It found that Google had handed its comparison shopping service an illegal advantage in 13 EEA countries, including in the United Kingdom and Germany where it was launched in 2008.

The abuse caused traffic to Google's shopping service to jump 45-fold in the United Kingdom, 35-fold in Germany and 19-fold in France.

However, the demotions to rival websites triggered sharp reduction in traffic, with some UK sites seeing visitor numbers plunge 85%.

While an EU record, the fine is well below the maximum possible of about 8 billion euros (7m) or 10 per cent of Google's total revenue last year.

It follows the internet search giant's controversial 130 million deal with HM Revenue & Customs in January 2016 to settle a 10-year tax inquiry into its UK business.

Battle of the big beasts: How the EU and Google have fought over the Internet As the European Union fines Google for abusing its dominance in online searches, here is a look back at the key dates in the bloc's legal tussle with the technology company. November 2010 - The EU opens formal inquiry into whether Google manipulates search results in a way that favours its own business. The probe includes whether the search results favour Google's services, such as its price comparison business, how it displays the contents of rivals, and how it manages ads. April 2013 - Google offers change to its practice in the hope of ending the investigation. The EU has been a constant thorn in Google's side over the years. Pictured: Flags fly at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels July-December 2013 - After feedback from complainants, the EU twice rejects Google's offer to change its search results as not good enough. Feb 2014 - The EU and Google reach a tentative agreement on how to fix the search results. This keeps Google from paying a fine. May 2014 - In a separate case, the European Court of Justice rules that Google must consider EU citizens' requests to remove irrelevant or embarrassing personal information that pops up on a search of their names. Sept 2014 - After receiving complaints from Google's competitors, the EU appears to make a U-turn on its settlement with Google on search results, declaring it insufficient. April 2015 - After five years of investigations and talks, EU formally charges Google with abusing its dominant position in search results, a step up in the legal battle. It also opens a preliminary investigation into whether Google uses its Android mobile operating system to rig the market for apps. April 2016 - The EU charges Google with using Android to gain market advantage in mobile apps. June 2017 - The EU fines Google a record 2.42 billion euros ($2.72 billion) for breaching antitrust rules with its online shopping service. It says Google abused its market dominance as a search engine by giving an illegal advantage to another Google product, its comparison shopping service. Advertisement

But the penalty is likely to leave a bigger dent in Google's pride and reputation than its finances.

Alphabet has more than $92 billion (82 billion euros) in cash, including nearly $56 billion (50 billion euros) in accounts outside of Europe.

Vestager said Google had 'abused its market dominance' as the world's most popular search engine

In the other Google cases, the EU is examining Google's AdSense advertising service and its Android mobile phone software.

The Commission, which polices EU competition policy, launched an initial investigation into Google in 2010 following complaints from rivals such as Microsoft and Trip Advisor that it favoured its own shopping services when customers ran searches.

Vestager's predecessor, Joaquin Almunia, made three attempts to resolve the dispute but in each case intense pressure by national governments, rivals and privacy advocates scuppered the effort.

In a statement, Google said: 'When you shop online, you want to find the products you're looking for quickly and easily.

'And advertisers want to promote those same products. That's why Google shows shopping ads, connecting our users with thousands of advertisers, large and small, in ways that are useful for both.

'We respectfully disagree with the conclusions announced today. We will review the commission's decision in detail as we consider an appeal, and we look forward to continuing to make our case.'
Celebrity accountant Anthony Bell has made headlines again after he was pictured enjoying a beachside holiday with family friend Laura Csortan.

The former Miss Universe Australia and mother to seven-month-old Layla Rose had been staying in luxury rental accommodation on the Gold Coast with Bell for much of last week.

Pictures show the pair walking along the beach, enjoying long lunches and at one point appearing to take part in a photo shoot with Csortan's family.

Former Miss Universe Australia Laura Csortan was pictured holidaying with Anthony Bell last week

The pair were photographed over three days, including at a friendly lunch which appeared to leave Laura in hysterics

The Daily Telegraph claimed on Monday Csortan and Bell were 'former flames' who had perhaps reunited, but the 40-year-old has vehemently denied the report.

Csortan says she has been 'supporting' Bell, who she says is 'one of my closest friends', through his divorce from Kelly Landry.

'Anthony is one of my closest friends and we are not (nor have we ever been) in a coupled relationship,' Csortan wrote in a post to Instagram.

'My mum, sister and I have had to watch our dear friend go through a most painful relationship breakdown and we are not the type of people to desert a friend in need at a terribly difficult time.

'These accusations are heartbreaking to say the least.

'I just hope they don't affect my daughter or Anthony's two girls for that matter down the track.'

The couple stayed close over each day, and Laura was constantly seen with her seven-month-old daughter Layla Rose

Despite rumors, Csortan has stayed adamant Bell is not the father of her daughter

She took to Instagram on Monday to share her distaste for a newspaper article which implied the pair had been on a romantic getaway

Pictures of the pair, taken across three days, show them smiling and laughing together as Laura carries her young daughter around with them.

Bell and Csortan spend a lot of time walking at the beach and the accountant is seen smiling at Layla while he enjoys lunch with her mother.

The pair are also seen boarding a boat named Wooshka with Channel 9 presenter Natalie Gruzlewski and her partner, Jack Ray.

Both Bell and Csortan appear to enjoy each other's company as they are often seen smiling during their time together.

Pictures show the pair at a three hour lunch at Rick Shores restaurant in Burleigh Heads

As the pair dined and chatted amongst themselves, the red wine flowed freely

Laura was seen laughing through much of the lunch, her pearly whites often on display

Bell is pictured here picking up a bottle of Veuve Clicquot at a local bottle shop

After a quick trip to the bottle shop, he headed to the water with Csortan and Layla

The identity of Layla Rose's father is a well kept secret, though tongues were wagging when Bell's marriage dissolved just a day before the girl was born.

The accountant also hosted Csortan's baby shower on his yacht.

But the television presenter and model is adamant Bell is not the father of her child, explicitly stating the man in question is in fact overseas.

In January, Csortan retained law firm Mark O'Brien Legal to defend her from swirling speculation.

She told Woman's Day the father of her child did not want to be involved and would not be part of her daughter's life.

Early in to the pair's getaway, they enjoyed a lengthy beachside stroll, with Layla in tow

Csortan claims she, her mother and her sister have been friends with Anthony Bell for 15 years

The pair, and baby Layla, also took a boat ride in Surfers Paradise during their trip away

Joining them (not pictured) was Natalie Gruzlewski and her husband, Jack Ray

Despite the lack of romance, Bell remained a perfect gentleman on the trip and is pictured helping Csortan get her daughter out of her stroller

'He [the father] respects my decision [to have the baby], and when the baby's older I'm happy with her finding out who the father is,' she told the magazine last year.

'I'm going into this with an open mind.'

Bell has also stood firm that he is not baby Layla's parent, telling The Sunday Telegraph he and Csortan's family had been close for 'nearly 15 years'.

'[They] have been very supportive in this difficult time for me,' he said, adding there had never been any more than good friendship to their relationship.

'I have spent some time with Laura and her family recently on the Gold Coast, where they are all living, as well as with other friends.'

At one point, the pair took time out with others, believed to be Csortan's family. Both Csortan and a woman believed to be her sister held cameras as they spent time on the beach

The conversation between Csortan, Bell and the woman believed to be Csortan's sister appeared animated as they chatted on the beach
Footage has emerged of police hunting a teenager who had broken into a house he reportedly mistook for a residence where a party was being held.

The 18-year-old man was seen stumbling around driveways and front yards of homes in Tullamarine, north-west Melbourne, before he forced his way into the house.

He smashed the front window, cutting his hand in the process and leaving behind a trail of blood, Nine News reported.

An 18-year-old male was seen stumbling around driveways in Tullamarine, Melbourne before he forced his way into a house

The teenager was at one stage seen lying across a driveway moments before he was found fast asleep inside a Tullamarine home

The teenager had managed to evade friends who launched a desperate search to catch-up with him.

He was found by police about 1.15am on Sunday inside the Waratah Avenue home fast asleep.

Suburb resident Sue Hendrickson told reporters: 'We've all had bad nights but I think that's pretty terrifying if you come home and someone's in your bed'.

Another resident, Lucia Natale, described the incident as 'pretty scary'.

Police said no one was inside the home at the time the teenager was found and he is currently assisting officers with enquiries.

'Investigators have been told the man was at a party, he left and police believe he tried to return to the party but got the wrong house,' police said.
A quick-thinking 11-year-old saved his family from a bear attack during an Alaskan fishing trip.

Elliot Clark was walking through the woods near Game Creek, south of Hoonah, with his uncle, cousin and grandfather for a spot of fishing last week.

The group, who were also accompanied by three dogs, were on their way to the fishing hole when a brown bear came charging at them out of the woods.

Elliot Clark saved his family from a bear attack during an Alaskan fishing trip, shooting it dead as it charged them down (he is pictured with the dead bear)

It was only thanks to Elliot's quick response, that saved his family, after he shot down the bear as it barreled towards his cousin.

Elliot's father Lucas Clark described the terrifying moment to Juneau Empire.

'There was four of them in a line  my son was third,' Clark said. 'The bear came down the trail at them, fella in the front, who was his uncle, the bear was on him so quickly that he didn't have time to take his rifle off his shoulder.'

Clark said that the bear ran past the boy's uncle and grandfather, who were pushed to the side of the trail, leaving just Elliot standing between his unarmed cousin and the oncoming bear.

The boy raised his pump action shotgun and shot the beast with birdshot, hitting it in the shoulder. But the shot did nothing to slow the progress of the bear.

Elliot fired again, hitting it in the nose and neck, and again, hitting it in the shoulder and back, which finally downed the creature.

Elliot Clark was walking through the woods near Game Creek, south of Hoonah, with his uncle, cousin and grandfather for a spot of fishing last week when the brown bear came charging at them out of the woods (the family are pictured with the skin of the animal)

'As the bear slid past him and came to a stop, he put a kill shot it him,' his father said.

Clark said that he has extensively trained his son on how to properly use a weapon, which meant he could immediately respond to the threat.

He had also been carrying his gun in his hands, while his uncle and granddad had theirs in slings over their shoulders.

It was the first Defense of Life or Property (DLP) killing in the Hoonah area this year, according to Alaska State Troop.

There were three such killings in the area last year, one of which after a bear attacked a local hunter.

Senator Shelley Hughes also praised Elliot for his 'bravery' in the face of such a terrifying sight.
Foreign boats could still be allowed to catch fish in British waters after the country leaves the EU, a minister today confirmed.

The Government has declared it is 'taking back control' of the UK's seas and will tomorrow start withdrawing from a 50-year agreement that allows five other countries to fish just a few miles off shore.

Ministers are beginning the two-year process to leave the agreement with France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands.

But fisheries minister George Eustice today admitted that European fishing boats could be allowed back into British waters after Brexit if British boats get a fairer share of quotas.

He told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'What it means is that we take back responsibility for managing our resources.

Scroll down for video

Fisheries minister George Eustice said Britain could allow foreign boats to fish in the UK's waters in exchange for a better access to fishing quotas

'The legal position is clear. Once we leave the EU we take control of the exclusive economic zone out to 20 miles, or median plan halfway planned in terms of Channel, and its then for us to reach agreements for sharing of quotas and on access.

'So no, it doesnt mean no access at all. Its not an exclusion zone.

'It simply means that whereas the EU decide who has access to our waters, in future we will decide who has access.'

He said that for years British fishermen have got the raw end of the deal as they have not been allowed to catch as much cod or plaice as the French and other EU counterparts.

Mr Eustice said this will change and foreign boats will only be allowed in if the UK strikes a deal with those countries.

The minister said: We will take control and then we will decide what access arrangements there are in our waters.

Foreign fishing boats could be kicked out of British waters within two years

It means we control who has access, and specifically what well be seeking to do in any future negotiation is get a fairer share of the quotas in exchange for access to our waters.

And at the moment the truth is on many stocks, such as cod and haddock in the west country, or plaice in the Channel, we get a very small share of the overall quota.

France gets around five times as much cod and haddock as we do, twice as much plaice, three times much dover sole, thats not fair and we have an opportunity to try to rebalance that by trading future access for a fairer share of quotas.'

Environment Secretary Michael Gove told BBC 1's Andrew Marr Show that Britain will regain control of its waters and finally 'decide the terms of access'.

He said: 'And then we will also be able, when we leave the European Union well become an independent coastal state, and that means that we can then extend control of our waters up to 200 miles, or the median line between Britain and France or Britain and Ireland, and that means that we then decide.

'Now, of course we can then negotiate with other countries about their access.'

Latest figures suggest that 10,000 tons of fish, worth 17 million were caught by vessels under the London Fisheries Convention in 2015.
For the second time in just over two months, the US has challenged China's claim to the South China Sea and a number of disputed islands within it.

On Sunday the Pentagon sent a destroyer, the USS Stethem, to sail close to the shore of Triton Island - one of a number in the Paracel Island chain that China claims ownership of.

In response, China trailed the US destroyer with one of its own warships, two US defense officials told Fox News.

Voyage: On Sunday the USS Stethem (pictured) a US destroyer, sailed within 12 miles of an island claimed by China in the South China Sea, to establish its waters as international

Denied: Triton Island (pictured) is claimed by China (which has built a base, far left). By sailing through the waters it claims to own, the US denied the country's ownership of the island

According to international law, countries' territories extend 12 miles out from their shores.

So by sailing within that distance of Triton, the Stethem dismissed China's claim to both the island and the waters around it.

The US calls these voyages 'freedom of navigation operations' or FONOPS, because they are intended to reinforce the territories as international waters.

Although China has constructed a base on the island to reinforce its claim, both Taiwan and the Philippines say they are the rightful owners of the island.

The Pentagon said that it was challenging those countries' claims to the island too. Washington is particularly concerned about China placing ground-to-air missiles on the chain.

Lt Cmdr Matt Knight, a spokesman for the US Pacific Fleet, would not confirm the operation.

But he did say: 'We conduct routine and regular FONOPs, as we have done in the past and will continue to do in the future.'

Disputed: Triton Island is located in the South China Sea and its ownership is disputed as it is claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. The US said it was denying all claims to the island

Triton is a naturally occurring island, and not one of the several manufactured islands built by China in the area to lay claim to the seas there.

This is the second FONOP to be conducted under the Trump administration.

In May the USS Dewey, another destroyer, sailed six miles from one of China's man-made islands in the South China Sea.

It made the unusual decision to stop within that water and conduct a 'man overboard' training exercise.

That was a bolder move than in previous missions, in which the ships had sailed past without stopping.

Sunday's operation comes at a difficult time in America-Sino relations. The US had been talking to China about trying to curb North Korea's nuclear development, but Trump tweeted that effort had failed last month.

On Friday the US unveiled new sanctions against a Chinese bank that had been trading with North Korea.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the move was not a punishment for China's failure to rein in North Korea, and was focused on a single bank.

Tough times: The US and China have a difficult relationship at the moment. Last month Donald Trump tweeted that China had failed to curb North Korean missile development. Last week the US placed sanctions on a bank dealing with North Korea but denied that it was punishing China

The day before, America confirmed a $1.4 billion arms deal with Taiwan, which has opposing claims to a number of South China Sea islands, and also claims that it is the rightful government of mainland China.

China's claim to Triton Island was previously challenged just over a year ago, on January 30, 2016, when the USS Curtis Wilbur, another destroyer, was sent within 12 miles of the island.

The Pentagon again said the mission was done to secure the sea around the island as international waters.

China denounced the voyage as 'intentionally provocative' and 'irresponsible and extremely dangerous,' and said it had taken 'relevant measures including monitoring and admonishments.'
Convicted killer Gerard Baden-Clay was heard crying on the phone when he rung up to enquire about his wife's million-dollar life insurance policies, it has been revealed.

Baden-Clay reportedly made calls to an insurance company both before he murdered wife Allison in 2012 and after he committed the horrific crime.

The revelation comes in an updated version of journalist David Murray's book about the case which shocked Australia, The Courier-Mail reported.

Convicted killer Gerard Baden-Clay (left) reportedly made calls about his wife Allison's (right) life insurance policies before and after he murdered her

Allison Baden-Clay (pictured) was murdered by her husband Gerard in April 2012

Mr Murray's book, The Murder of Allison Baden-Clay, tells how her husband called a Suncorp operator a week after Allison's body was discovered in a Brisbane creek bed.

'The caller was clearly upset [crying] and indicated that he was worried the policy would lapse,' operator Chloe Hulbert told police.

The book also says a week before Baden-Clay reported Allison missing, he was told he was not able to receive information about one of three of her policies as he was not the holder of the policy.

But the jury in his trial was never told about Baden-Clay's calls and prosecutors have never said why that was the case, the book says.

Gerard Baden-Clay (pictured) was found guilty of murder in August 2014 but the conviction was downgraded to manslaughter in December 2015, then reinstated by the High Court in August last year

The former real estate agenet is serving a life sentence in a Queensland jail for killing his wife

Allison's life insurance policies were comprised of $350,000, close to $435,000 and $236,000 amounts.

Baden-Clay, a former real estate agent whose business was in a huge debt, is serving a life sentence at the high-security Wolston Correctional Centre in Wacol, Queensland, for killing Allison.

Her body was found in April 2012, 10 days after she was reported missing by her husband.

Baden-Clay was found guilty of murder in August 2014 but the conviction was downgraded to manslaughter in December 2015.

The conviction was then reinstated by the High Court in August last year.
A freak accident has left a man in a critical condition and a convertible dangling over a swimming pool after his father hit the accelerator instead of the brake.

It is believed the force of the impact sent the man over the wall and into the neighbour's swimming pool.

The man aged in his mid 30s was then rushed to hospital.

A man in his mid 30s was hospitalised after a man believed to be his father hit accelerate instead of reverse

The horrific accident occurred at 3:10pm on Sunday when the driver of the white convertible hit the accelerator by mistake, The West Australian reported.

It is believed the driver is the man's father and the accident happened while he was reversing out of the Claremont house's garage.

Firefighters and a tow truck attempted to free the car from the wall above the swimming pool, but failed to dislodge it.

A crane will be used Monday to remove the car from the ledge.

Firefighters and a tow truck were unable to free the car from atop a ledge above a swimming pool
Italy has begged other European countries to accept migrant ships and threatened to close its ports as the nation struggles to deal with record numbers.

Refugee arrivals are up nearly 19 per cent over the same period last year and Rome has threatened to close its ports to privately-funded aid boats or insist that funding be cut to EU countries which fail to help.

Italian interior minister Marco Minniti has now urged his French and German counterparts to discuss a 'coordinated response' to Italy's migrant crisis.

It comes as it emerged that 69 migrants have died off the Costa del Sol trying to make the perilous crossing to southern Spain - a route increasingly being used by people desperate to enter Europe.

Italy has begged other European countries to accept migrant ships and threatened to close its ports as the nation struggles to deal with record numbers. A boat carrying migrants is pictured last week off the coastal town of Zawiyah, Libya

Migrants stand on the deck of the Swedish Navy ship Bkv 002, as they wait to disembark in the Sicilian harbor of Catania, Italy on Saturday

Yesterday it emerged that Minniti had called on other European countries to open their ports to rescue ships.

A working dinner at the French interior ministry in Paris - also attended by EU Commissioner for Refugees Dimitris Avramopoulos - was aimed at finding 'a coordinated and concerted response to the migrant flux in the central Mediterranean (route) and see how to better help the Italians,' a source close the talks said.

The four-way talks between Minniti, Thomas de Maiziere of Germany, Gerard Collomb of France and Avramopoulos will also prepare them for EU talks in Tallinn this week.

'The talks went off very well,' a member of the Italian delegation told AFP after the Paris meeting, with the 'Italian proposals being discussed'. The source offered no other details.

Marco Minniti, Italy's interior minister

'We are under enormous pressure,' Minniti had said earlier Sunday in an interview with Il Messaggero.

'There are NGO ships, Sophia and Frontex boats, Italian coast guard vessels' saving migrants in the Mediterranean, Minniti said, referring to the aid boats as well as vessels deployed under EU border security missions.

'They are sailing under the flags of various European countries. If the only ports where refugees are taken to are Italian, something is not working. This is the heart of the question,' he said.

'I am a europhile and I would be proud if even one vessel, instead of arriving in Italy, went to another European port. It would not resolve Italy's problem, but it would be an extraordinary signal' of support, he said.

More than 83,000 people rescued while attempting the perilous crossing from Libya have been brought to Italy so far this year, according to the UN, while more than 2,160 have died trying, the International Organization for Migration says.

Italy's Red Cross has warned the situation in the country's overcrowded reception centres is becoming critical.

'What is happening in front of our eyes in Italy is an unfolding tragedy,' UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on Saturday.

One of the rescue organisations, SOS Mediterranee, which runs an aid vessel along with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), said forcing boats carrying migrants to go to other European ports would be logistically difficult.

A boat arrives in Spain having travelled across The Mediterranean with about 1,200 migrants on board

If the order came, 'we would have no choice, we would obey. But it would be completely impossible with more than 1,000 people on board,' SOS Mediterranee spokeswoman Mathilde Auvillain told AFP.

'And then we'd need to make a stopover in an Italian port anyway to refuel, or we'd end up needing to be rescued ourselves.'

After weeks or months spent in Libyan camps - where many migrants are raped or tortured - those rescued are already traumatised, 'imagine adding two or three more days at sea. Our priority is to protect them,' she said.

Minniti said Rome would be pushing for a way to shift the asylum application process from Italy to crisis-hit Libya, and safely bring to Europe those who win the right to protection.

'We have to distinguish before they set off (across the Mediterranean) between those who have a right to humanitarian protection and those who don't,' he said.

Unsourced Italian media reports said Rome was likely to call for a European code of conduct to be drawn up for the privately-run aid boats, with the Corriere della Sera saying vessels that did not comply could be 'seized'.

Rome would like a regional maritime command centre to oversee all rescue operations from Greece to Libya to Spain, which would spread the migrant arrivals between European countries, it said.

And Italy insists that the EU refugee relocation programme - which is largely limited to people from Eritrea and Syria - should be expanded to include other nationalities, such as Nigerians, La Repubblica said.

Meanwhile, Spanish rescuers fear an 'avalanche' of asylum seekers crossing to the country after it emerged 6,000 have arrived in the first five months of the year.

The number has more than double since the same period last year, according to the Mirror, as refugees flee famine and war in their home lands.

A boy of eight is among 69 people that are known to have died making the perilous journey. His body was found in the sea near Almeria's Playa de Los Muertos.
Jeremy Paxman has criticised the BBC for being 'biased and politically correct' and called for the licence fee to be abolished because 'if Amazon and Netflix can do it, so can they.'

The former BBC man and Newsnight presenter, 67, also criticised the public service broadcaster for focusing stories on 'the disabled refugee from Syria' rather than examining how managing a disabled refugee's needs might affect British taxpayers.

In an interview with the Sunday Times Magazine, he said that although he still thought the BBC was a a good thing, he now much prefers Channel 4, praising its 'clarity.'

Jeremy Paxman, 67, criticised the BBC for focusing on 'the disabled Syrian refugee' rather than examining how managing a disabled refugee's needs might affect British taxpayers

He said that the BBC can fall victim to 'endless meetings with executives you've never heard of and don't know what they do' but that Channel 4 had a 'perfectly clear' editorial structure.

He said that the public service broadcaster was a 'politically correct, parastatal organisation' and that the world was not particularly improved by its existence.

He also slammed its 'partiality' and said that there is a 'way of looking at the world' if you work at the BBC which he labelled as a 'metropolitan, elite problem.'

He said that TV executives needed to understand that people did not want to be dictated to about what times they could watch certain shows and on-demand viewing was the future although some 'schedulers still have their malign influences.'

He also slammed the licence fee as 'completely antediluvian, a tax on one piece of electronic equipment.'

'There's no tax on that camera over there, or that computer,' he said.

'Some other mechanism has to be found. If Amazon and Netflix can do that, it's not beyond the BBC to do the same thing,' he said.

Paxman's less than charitable views on the public service broadcaster had been aired briefly before.

In 2014, while speaking at the Chalke Valley History Festival, he mentioned that Newsnight was made by 'idealistic 13-year-olds' who 'think they can change the world.'

For more details on the Paxman interview see this weekend's Sunday Times Magazine.
The daughter of a man who had the top of his middle finger bitten off at a wedding reception has spoken out about the bizarre incident.

Jean Wicks, 25, was left stunned following the incident at the Court Tavern in Campbelltown, which saw her father lose the tip of his middle finger.

'I've just never seen anything like that before,' the Bathurst woman told the Daily Telegraph.

Mrs Wicks' father, 47, was trying to stop a man who had entered the party from the street from stealing the handbags of guests.

Police say both men were at Court Tavern on Railway Street in Campbelltown on Saturday night when the incident took place

A 42-year-old man was allegedly trying to steal the bags off a table when he was confronted by the man.

Mrs Wicks' father had attempted to stop the intruder when the confrontation escalated, at which time his finger, down to the first knuckle, was allegedly bitten off.

In the scuffle that followed, police were forced to use capsicum spray to control the situation, and police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia a 25-year-old woman from West Bathurst was arrested.

Allan Williams, Mrs Wicks' cousin, was also in attendance and said the man who intruded on their night had snuck into the building through the back.

The alleged offender was arrested for questioning by police early on Sunday

'He was a complete random that walked off the street, down through the back pokies area and got in to our private function ... we had it all rented out,' he told the Telegraph.

The 47-year-old man was taken to Liverpool hospital for treatment.

He remains in a hospital bed, while his finger tip is kept in the fridge as surgeons have so far been unable to reattach it.

The alleged offender was arrested for questioning by police early on Sunday.

Police are continuing with their investigations.
This is the terrifying moment a shooter opened fire during a gig at a Little Rock nightclub.

Rapper Finese TwoTymes, aka Ricky Hampton, was on stage at the Power Ultra Lounge in Arkansas in the early hours of Saturday morning when the shooting began.

Video shows the nightclub revelers hitting the deck as the gunshots flashed bright, and loud, in the dark venue.

Rapper Finese TwoTymes, aka Ricky Hampton, (pictured) has been arrested in connection with a shooting at a Little Rock nightclub

Moments before tragedy struck: Revelers were having fun at the gig (pictured) until someone opened fire

When the shots rang out, people screamed and dropped to the floor of the club

At least 24 rounds were fired in about 11 seconds, striking multiple people.

Darryl Rankin, who posted the video to his Facebook page, revealed that a friend he attended the concert with had a bullet 'stuck in his spine.'

There were no fatalities in the shooting but 25 people had to be taken to hospital for treatment for gunshot wounds, Fox News reports. Another three were injured in the stampede for the exits. Two people remain in a serious condition in hospital but officials say they are expected to survive.

Police report that Hampton, of Tennessee, has been arrested in connection with the shooting, alongside another unnamed man. Both were being being held at the Jefferson County jail.

His booking agent told KATV his client had 'nothing to do' with the incident.

Finese TwoTymes, aka Ricky Hampton, was on stage at the Power Ultra Lounge in Arkansas in the early hours of Saturday morning when the shooting began

He has since been arrested in connection with the shooting, along with another unnamed man (left, the rapper on his Facebook page, and right, in his mugshot)

Hampton posted a Facebook status to victims and fans who came to the event

Little Rock Mayor, Mark Stodola, said it was the incident began after an argument broke out between several nightclub goers which escalated because of 'the presence of rivalries and weapons'.

'I want to reassure our public that this was not an act of terrorism, but a tragedy... It does not appear to be a planned shooting,' he added.

He also said that ads promoting Finese 2Tynes' gig featured a man pointing at the camera which 'should also be totally unacceptable in our community.'

Hampton also posted a message to victims and fans who came to the event on his Facebook page.

'Prayers go out to the innocent people and there(sic) family that came out to support me, last night in Little Rock, Ark. The violence is not for the club people. We all come with 1 motive at the end of the day, and thats to have fun. Not to be hurt. So again I send me condolences to the people who were hurt.'

A photo taken from the sidewalk outside the Pulse Ultra Lounge, where gunfire led to more than two dozen injuries earlier Saturday

Police and paramedics were quick to respond to reports of gunshots at the club at 2.30am Saturday morning which authorities say helped prevent casualties.

Witness Frankie Bledsaw, who attended the concert with his brother and friends, said there was a 'good mood' in the club until the shooting began.

'Just senseless really. Come out to have a good time and this what happens.'

Bledshaw said it had taken him ten minutes to escape the club but thankfully avoided any injury.

Later that day, a candlelight vigil was held at the Second Baptist Church to pray for the injured.

A note posted on the door of the Power Ultra Lounge on Saturday, by its landlord, revealed it had just three days to move out 'due to your failure to maintain the premises in a safe condition.'

City officials also plan to shut down the club under a 'criminal abatement' program. The club's license has previously been suspended 11 times and cited seven times.

Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson offered his condolences over the shooting and raised concerns about the number of 'high-profile shootings' and 'senseless violent tragedy' in the state.
A Florida prisoner bit off more than she could chew when she escaped prison on Saturday - and a police dog did the same.

Alexandra Pablos ditched her jail jumpsuit near a Orange County Jail perimeter fence and fled.

The alarm was raised when her jumpsuit was found, and deputies and a police helicopter were sent out at 2:47am - but it was a police dog who caught the unlucky felon in the worst way possible, the Orlando Sentinel reported.

Once bitten: Alexandra Pablos (left) was bitten on the buttocks after fleeing Orange County Jail in Florida early Saturday morning. She left her jumpsuit behind in her escape but was pursued by cops, helicopters and dogs (one pictured right, file image)

Pablos was found just minutes away from the jail, hiding on South John Young Parkway, near 36th Street.

She was spotted by a helicopter near a closed business, and when officers arrived they found her in her underwear, crouching behind a semi-truck.

But it wasn't the deputies who caught Pablos - it was one of their K-9 units.

The police dog bit the hapless fugitive several times on the left buttock, according to police. The injuries were not life-threatening.

Neither the jail nor local police have explained how she managed to escape prison, nor how long she was at large.

It's also not been explained the the public was not notified that the prisoner had escaped. The jail is located close to residences and schools.

Tracy Zampaglione, a spokeswoman for the jail, said the case 'was quickly taken care of and shes back in custody.'

Pablos was convicted on May 31 of burglary. She now faces charges in connection with her failed escape attempt, according to Fox 35.
The Government has revealed that 181 tower blocks in 51 local authority areas have failed fire cladding safety tests.

The Department for Communities and Local Government's revealed that so far 100 per cent of buildings have not passed amid a national safety operation to identify buildings with cladding like that used on the Grenfell tower block in north Kensington.

Councils named include Portsmouth and Brent along with Camden, Manchester, Plymouth and Hounslow as local authorities with buildings that failed tests.

The updated figures suggest Salford has the highest number of these towers with 29 found so far with the at-risk aluminium composite material.

Last month thousands of people had to leave their homes in four tower blocks in Camden after the fire brigade said they could not guarantee the safety of those living there.

There is a national safety operation to identify buildings with cladding like that used on the Grenfell Tower block in north Kensington

It follows the Grenfell Tower tragedy which left dozens dead and hundreds more without homes

Camden council leader Georgia Gould, pictured left speaking to a resident, said they were left with little choice but to evacuate.

Prime Minister Theresa May said at the time the Government was making sure Camden Council can do 'what is necessary' to ensure people evacuated from blocks of flats have somewhere to stay, and work is done to make the buildings safe.

The blocks were evacuated at around 8.30pm on a Friday night, with residents staying on inflatable mattresses in the Swiss Cottage leisure centre overnight.

People were told to leave as darkness began to fall, with some taking belongings in suitcases and carrier bags, and some locals saying they only learned of the evacuation as they watched the news.

Families with newborn babies and a Second World War veteran were among those ordered out of their homes after fire officers said they could not guarantee the safety of the buildings.

Last month thousands of people had to leave their homes in four tower blocks in Camden, after the fire brigade said they could not guarantee the safety of those living there. Pictured are workers removing cladding from one of the tower blocks

Camden council leader Georgia Gould, pictured left speaking with a resident, said they were left with little choice but to evacuate when the fire service completed testing on the buildings' cladding

Thousands of residents are living in blocks in London, Manchester, Plymouth and Portsmouth encased in panels blamed for the devastating blaze that claimed the lives of dozens of people at Grenfell Tower.

Theresa May has said they will not be forced to stay in 'unsafe homes' but with councils facing what could be one of Britain's biggest peacetime evacuations they have so far told residents they will not be rehoused.

The increasing safety concerns for all high-rise British buildings have majorly heightened since the devastating blaze at Grenfell. Its cladding and insulation failed all safety tests, police said.

Scotland Yard previously confirmed it had launched a manslaughter inquiry, which will probe Kensington and Chelsea Council and the contractors who refurbished the block for 8.6million last year.

Today it was announced that the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire will aim to establish what issues are examined within a matter of weeks.

The increasing safety concerns for all high-rise British buildings have majorly heightened since the devastating blaze at Grenfell. Its cladding and insulation failed all safety tests, police said.

Scotland Yard previously confirmed it had launched a manslaughter inquiry over Grenfell. It will probe Kensington and Chelsea Council and the contractors who refurbished the block for 8.6million last year

Today it was announced that the public inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire will aim to establish what issues are examined within a matter of weeks

A consultation period with victims and other parties about the scope of the probe is under way and is expected to wrap up by the parliamentary recess.

This gives survivors concerned the process will be too 'narrow' until July 20 to make their case to Sir Martin Moore-Bick that its parameters should widen.

Discontent has been brewing after the judge leading the inquiry suggested it will largely focus on the cause of the fire and how it could be prevented in future.

Campaigners warned a boycott could be afoot unless the systemic issues underlying the blaze, in which at least 80 people have died, becomes a central plank of concern.

An inquiry spokesman said: 'The aim is to have (the terms of reference) done before Parliament rises on the 20th.'

Sir Martin met with survivors and those displaced from homes nearby on his first day in the role and will hold further meetings with other groups in the next week.
Owen Smith has said he sticks by his comments backing the UK's continued membership of the single market. It puts him at odds with his own part leadership who have indicated Britain will have to leave

Labour was today embroiled in fresh chaos over Brexit after shadow Cabinet minister Owen Smith defied his party leadership to back staying in the EU single market.

Mr Smith, the former leadership contender and shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, risked inflaming tensions over the issue by saying that he thinks leaving would damage Britain's economy.

His comments come just days after Jeremy Corbyn sacked three of his frontbench team for defying his orders to back plans for a 'soft Brexit' in a parliamentary vote.

Meanwhile, shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon was today unable to spell out the party's policy on Brexit saying simply that all options are on the negotiating table.

Speaking to Sophy Ridge on Sunday today, Mr Smith - who ran for the Labour leadership on a promise of a second Brexit referendum - said his views on staying in the single market have not changed.

He said: 'I think my view hasnt changed, I still believe that Brexit is a bad decision for us as a country and is going to leave us worse off.

'Thats my personal view, but Jeremy Corbyn has asked me to do a very important job on the frontbench for Labour in Northern Ireland, at a point at which Northern Ireland is central to British politics.

'And therefore I think my duty is to get on and try and do that job and to work as part of a Labour government in waiting.'

And he suggested that he will press from within the shadow cabinet for Labour to lobby to stay in the single market.

Mr Corbyn has been accused of cynically trying to face both ways on Brexit as he seeks to woo young, Remain backing voters and Brexit-backing locals in Labour's northern heartlands.

Shadow justice secretary Richard Burgon was left floundering when he was questioned about Labour's position on leaving the customs union and the single market

Labour MPs Andy Slaughter and Catherine West were both fired from their positions as shadow ministers after they backed an amendment calling for Britain to continue to be members of the single market or customs union after Brexit

The Labour leader and his most trusted ally John McDonnell have both indicated that Britain must leaving the single market after Brexit.

And the party's manifesto promises that freedom of movement will end after we quit the Brussels club.

But shadow cabinet minsters have offered up a string of conflicting positions on Brexit, proposing to pull out the single market, stay in it, and stay in but reform it.

The party's deep divisions were laid bare last week when around 50 Labour MPs rebelled against Mr Corbyn to back an amendment to the Queen's Speech callings for the UK to stay in the single market and customs union.

Andy Slaughter, Ruth Cadbury and Catherine West were fired from Labour's frontbench after defying the party whip to abstain from the vote.

Jeremy Corbyn, pictured at a rally in Hastings yesterday, has been accused of cynically trying to face both ways over Europe - wooing young Remain-backing voters while trying to appeal to Brexiteers in Labour's northern heartlands

Meanwhile, Mr Burgon, a close Corbyn ally, was left floundering when he was challenged over Labour's divisions.

He hit out at party moderate and one time mooted Labour leader Chuka Umunna for tabling the last week's amendment, which he said was 'regrettable' and 'premature'.

But he was unable to say if Labour wants to leave the single market or not.

He told the BBC's Sunday Politics : 'Actually the difference in the Labour Party is the difference of nuance on the single market, between those who definitely want to be a member of a single market, including some people who backed that amendment, and those who want tariff free access to the single market.'

Asked directly if Labour wants Britain to leave the customs union - which we must do in order to strike free trade deals around the world - he again failed to come up with a straight answer.

He said: 'Well I think we need to leave all the options open on that and we need to negotiate without putting options off the table.'
An Australian academic is worried poor teaching will make university graduates think like Donald Trump.

Adelaide lecturer Dr Sandra Egege says students who aren't taught critical thinking are at risk of jumping to conclusions based Facebook, Twitter and 'fake news'.

The philosophy teacher from Flinders University said students lacking analytical skills would emulate the American president,The Advertiser reported.

U.S. President Donald Trump has been cited as a leader who lacks critical thinking skills

'We are so focused on teaching students the content of a subject that we are not giving them the skills to think logically and analytically about that subject,' she said.

'Students are in danger of thinking like Trump - they don't think critically - they like to jump to conclusions based on fake news and opinion.'

Her review of American and Australian research showed students were failing to absorb complex arguments.

'This is a serious problem given we think the future of Australia lies in having an innovative and entrepreneurial workforce,' she said.

President Trump used the term 'fake news' during the 2016 election campaign to denounce critical media coverage of his business dealings.

He also campaigned on a platform of ripping up free trade agreements and ending Muslim immigration to the United States.

Dr Egege said a lack of critical insight was leading to people disbelieving peer-reviewed science, producing activists who campaigned against climate change and vaccinations.
The man wanted for killing an 18-year-old girl in a shocking road rage attack in Pennsylvania on Wednesday has handed himself in to police.

David Desper, 28, was charged with the murder of Bianca Robeson after surrendering himself to police at his home in Trainer, Pennsylvania, at 2am on Sunday.

Police also recovered the gun he is believed to have used to shoot Bianca in the head while searching his bedroom.

They also confiscated the red pick up truck he was driving when he encountered the teenager at the interchange of Route 100 and Route 202.

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David Desper, 28, was arrested at 2am on Sunday and charged with the murder of 18-year-old Bianca Roberson who he is accused of shooting dead in a road rage attack on Wednesday

She was driving southbound on the highway in the late afternoon when she merged into a lane at the same time as a pickup truck (pictured bottom left are the red pickup truck and Bianca's car). The other driver became enraged and pulled out his gun, shooting Roberson in the head before fleeing the scene down the highway, according to police

Police say that both motorists were trying to change lanes when Desper fired his gun, shooting her in the head.

Her vehicle veered off the highway and into bushes by the side of the road. Desper fled afterwards, sparking a manhunt by local police.

West Goshen Police Chief Joseph Gleason issued a sketch of his appearance at an impassioned press conference on Friday.

It is not clear how police honed in on the man.

On Sunday, Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan described Bianca's killing as a 'savage and senseless murder'.

'Someone didn't want her to merge into a lane of traffic. As Bianca was merging from two lanes to one, there was a man in a red pick up truck also merging down and they jockeyed for position and he wasn't happy.

Roberson's car crashed into a wooded area, and she was pronounced dead at the scene

Police found her green Chevy Malibu on Route 100, and a witness said the driver was seen fleeing the incident at a high speed down the shoulder of the road on Route 202 and toward Paoli Pike

'So he pulled out a gun and shot Bianca in the head, killing her instantly,' he said, as reported by ABC which attended the press conference.

Desper was denied bail and is awaiting his first court appearance.

Police issued this sketch of the man on Friday as they hunted him

Bianca was a recent high school graduate whose family said she had a bright future ahead of her.

She had been at the mall shopping for college clothes with her grandmother and mother when she was killed as she made her way home.

The women had decided to drive separately and meet back up at her house.

'She was a good girl, honor roll student, looking forward to going to college,' her father, Rodney Roberson, explained as he held back tears. Her brother said she was 'headed for greatness'.

She graduated from Bayard Rustin High School three weeks ago, and was headed to Jacksonville University in the fall. She was planning on studying criminal justice, with hopes to eventually land a job at the FBI.

'A young lady in the prime of her life getting ready to go off to college, and now the family has to consider burying her,' West Goshen Police Chief Joseph Gleason said.
A victim of the Grenfell Tower disaster has described how she had to walk past dead bodies to escape from the 22nd floor of the building more than two hours after the fire started.

Naomi Li, 32, and her cousin Lydia Liao, 23, are the only known survivors of the blaze to escape from the 22nd floor of the 23-floor building.

The pair emerged from the tower just after 3am.

In a post on Facebook detailing her escape, Mrs Li explained that she and her cousin willed themselves to believe that the bodies they were climbing over on the way down the tower were just piles of clothes.

Lucky: Naomi Li, 32 (pictured with husband Lee Li-Chapman), and her cousin Lydia Liao, 23, are the only known survivors to escape from the 22nd floor of the 23-floor west London block

After Mrs Li's own flat became consumed with smoke, she and Ms Liao took refuge in the flat of a family on the other side of the building who were still able to breathe fresh air from their window.

But the group began to lose hope as firefighters failed to appear.

At 3.06am, the emergency operator advised Mrs Li that it was time to leave, according to the Sunday Times.

Her terrified husband, Lee Li-Chapman, 29, who was on a business trip in Kuala Lumpur at the time, watched the news unfold in horror from his hotel after Mrs Li called to tell him she was trapped inside.

In her Facebook post Mrs Li detailed the horrific journey she had to make with her cousin down a stairwell strewn with bodies - while the family whose flat they had been in made the fatal decision to stay behind.

According to the Sunday Times, she said: 'We couldn't see anything through the dense smoke, just very blurred lights.

'I tried to call Lydia on every floor to make sure she was behind me. Lydia fell over a body and screamed. I told her to get up and that we needed to focus on getting down. I kept telling her and myself that they weren't bodies and were someone's clothes.

'That was probably the saddest experience in our lives. I was just determined we would get out. Every breath felt like someone was trying to choke me. We moved fast, but the stairwell never seemed to end.'

At least 80 people died in the fire. Pictured: Grenfell Tower ablaze last month

Mrs Li, an IT worker in the airline industry, said she knew she was safe when she and her cousin reached the second or third floor and could smell fresh air.

She said: 'I count myself lucky everyday. I will always be haunted by the images I saw that night.'

A JustGiving page set up by friends to help Mrs Li and Mr Li-Chapman start their life again has raised 8,900 so far.

The page owner said: 'We would like to raise money to give to Naomi and Lee, to help them rebuild their lives, and to support them in any way we can.'

Last week, police said the death toll is at least 80 but that the true number may not be known until the end of the year.

Mrs Li's story has emerged as news comes of the tower's youngest victim: an unborn baby.

IT manager Marcio Gomes gave doctors the go-ahead to deliver his wife Andreia's baby on the night the doomed high-rise went up in flames.

The baby's heart had stopped beating after Mrs Gomes had fallen into a coma after inhaling the thick, toxic smoke inside the flats as the fire raged.

Faced with the possibility of an infection spreading through his unconscious wife's body, Mr Gomes made the gut-wrenching call and the boy was delivered a stillborn, according to the Sunday Telegraph.
The head of Ofsted has called for new laws and powers to protect students in faith schools - where pupils have been left at risk because of weak legislation.

Amanda Spielman said that unregistered faith schools - which teach religious texts such as the Koran and Talmund - have managed to avoid 'proper scrutiny'.

It comes as school inspectors revealed that there were 286 unregistered faith schools across England, with an estimated 6,000 pupils, far more than previously estimated.

Ofsted said that faith schools had managed to avoid 'proper scrutiny' (file picture)

One former faith school pupil said that he was hit on a 'daily basis' for 'heretical' behaviour - like asking difficult questions.

Izzy Posen, 22, told the Sunday Times that he was hit repeatedly when he studied at the Talmund Torah Tashbar, a Hasidic Jewish school in north east London.

He said: 'I was a target because I asked questions they couldn't answer. I got hit almost daily. I used to come home with bruises.

'Teachers would have a stick and hit children on the palms, the bums and the faces. This was normal.'

Last year investigators said the Talmud Torah Tashbar would be forced to close if it didn't start teaching children in English.

Investigators said the school encouraged 'cultural and ethnic insularity because it is so narrow and almost exclusively rooted in the study of the Torah.'

Izzy Posen (pictured left) said he was regularly caned when he attended the Talmund Torah Tashbar school in Hackney, north east London (pictured right)

However a year-and-a-half later the school is still operation.

Ms Spielman said she was determined to continue investigating illegal schools.

She said: 'Since January 2016 my inspectors have visited numerous establishments that they believe should be registered as schools.

'The fact that such places are able to operate and remain unregistered leaves pupils at risk.

Ms Spielman, head of Ofsted, said she was determined to properly scrutinize unregistered faith schools

'We will do everything we can to make sure they comply with the law or are closed, but action is also needed now to protect those children who attend those places.'

At unregistered schools in Hackney, east London, there have been five fires in the past three years, after schools repeatedly refused to comply with fire brigade safety.

Two years ago Ofsted shut down an Islamic school in Birmingham after inspectors found squalid conditions - including filthy mattresses in one room and toilets with no running water.

The Department for Education said they would support local authority powers to intervene when children are not receiving a proper education.
'By now you may have heard I f*cked up, and people are calling me a creep.

'While I'd like to believe that I'm not a bad or evil person, regardless it's clear that some of my past actions have hurt or offended several women.

'And I probably deserve to be called a creep.

'So, what did I do?

'I made advances towards multiple women in work-related situations, where it was clearly inappropriate. I put people in compromising and inappropriate situations, and I selfishly took advantage of those situations where I should have known better. My behavior was inexcusable and wrong.

'With respect to the NYT article above and Sarah Kunst specifically, I'd like to sincerely apologize for making inappropriate advances towards her several years ago over drinks, late one night in a small group, where she mentioned she was interested in a job at 500. While I did not offer her a job at the time, a few days/weeks later I did refer her to my co-founder Christine Tsai to begin a formal interview process with 500, where Christine and others on the team met with her. Ultimately, 500 decided not to offer Sarah a job. Again my apologies to Sarah for my inappropriate behavior in a setting I thought was social, but in hindsight was clearly not. It was my fault and I take full responsibility. She was correct in calling me out.

'For these and other incidents where I have been at fault, I would like to apologize for being a clueless, selfish, unapologetic and defensive a**.

'To all those I let down, and especially to those I directly offended and hurt: I'm very sorry.

'I'm ashamed I didn't change my behavior until I was forced to do so by circumstance and by others. The reality is, I was stopped from further bad actions by those who spoke up about my offenses, at substantial risk to their personal and professional reputations and subsequently, by Christine and others on the 500 team. I won't try and thank any of those folks right now, or act like I wanted that a**-kicking. But yeah guess I kinda needed that.

'When confronted about what happened, I was at first defensive. What did I do wrong? We were just hanging out! Why are people so upset? I tried to present my crappy behavior in the best possible light. I didn't have much empathy for the people I hurt and offended, and rather than face up to my own shallow motivations, I rationalized my actions and came up with reasons to find blame in others, rather than solely with me.

'After several tough conversations with Christine and senior management at 500, I realized that  guess what?  *I* was the problem. I wasn't full of goodness and light as I thought, and I needed to take a closer look at the stranger in the mirror staring back at me. Somewhere, I had lost the plot.

'As a result of the above intervention, I agreed to hand over day-to-day management of 500 to Christine, and she is now leading 500 in the new role of CEO. My role has been limited to focus on fiduciary obligations to our investors as a general partner of our funds. Along with the above, I also started regular counseling sessions about a month ago to address my shitty behavior and poor judgement. I don't expect anyone to believe I will change, but I'm working on it.

'I'd like to state clearly that my past actions are most certainly my own fault and responsibility. Until recently, Christine and other senior management at 500 were unaware of my actions. Once they did become aware, they took steps quickly to investigate and prevent further inappropriate behavior. You can place the blame squarely on me, not Christine or anyone else at 500.

'In the next few days as I get feedback from many (many) people, I plan to speak further with Christine and the 500 management team, our investors and advisors, and others to figure out the best possible outcome for 500. As this is a group of hundreds of people and companies, I would not want my individual interests to overshadow what is best for them (not me). I am also cognizant that many people outside 500  including those I have hurt or offended  have strong opinions as well, and I am doing my best to listen.

'My personal failures aside, 500 has long supported a diverse community of entrepreneurs including women, minorities, LGTBQ, international, and other overlooked founders. Despite my many mistakes, I sincerely hope 500 will be able to continue that mission. To the extent my actions have now made that more difficult, I am truly sorry to Christine and the 500 team, to our founders and investors and partners, to the larger global tech community, and again most specifically to the women I have hurt or offended, all of whom I have clearly failed.

'And I know 'sorry' means absolutely nothing right now.

'Again, what I did was wrong. It wasn't and isn't acceptable. I'm working on behaving differently in the future. If you have suggestions or feedback or criticism, I'm open to hearing all of it. I'm guessing you probably have some.

'Thanks again to everyone who has ever helped me/us along the way to 500.

'Please continue that journey.

'DMC'
Pope Francis has said he hopes doctors will allow the parents of 10-month-old Charlie Gard to 'care for their child until the end' as protesters gathered outside Buckingham Palace to protest against a court decision to allow the baby's life support machine to be switched off.

It comes as Chris Gard and Connie Yates spend the last days of their son's life with him, after Great Ormond Street Hospital agreed to giving the couple more time before his life-support is turned off.

Charlie's parents had been fighting to take him to the United States for treatment for his form of mitochondrial disease, but the courts ruled that he should be allowed to die with dignity.

In a statement today, the Vatican said: 'The Holy Father follows with affection and emotion the affair of little Charlie Gard and expresses his closeness to his parents.

Support: Pope Francis (pictured waving to crowds in the Vatican today) has said he hopes doctors will allow the parents of 10-month-old Charlie Gard to 'care for their child until the end'

'He prays for them, hoping that their desire to accompany and care for their child until the end is not disregarded.'

The Italian term used - 'curare' - can be translated as 'care for' or 'treat' but the Vatican press office could not provide an official translation into English.

Campaigners were at Buckingham Palace, central London, earlier today to protest against the ruling from the European Court of Human Rights which allows the hospital to turn off the baby's life support machine.

The desperately ill little boy had been due to have his life support withdrawn before the weekend - but after his anguished parents begged for more time to say goodbye, Great Ormond Street Hospital agreed to give him a few days' reprieve.

At today's protest, a large group chanted 'save Charlie Gard' and 'release Charlie Gard' while waving banners including one which read 'it's murder'.

Rally: 'Charlier's Army' gathered in central London today (pictured) to protest against a court decision to allow his life support machine to be switched off

They were escorted away from the Palace by police and moved outside Downing Street instead.

Alex Nagel, 17, from Canning Town, London, organised today's protest after spotting Charlie's family's campaign on social media and deciding to get involved.

He said: 'There were over 100 people, it was very loud. It was amazing to see everyone come together.

'We wanted to support Charlie and show him love.'

The apprentice in digital marketing added: 'I'm only 17 - but when I grow up one day, when I have children, I would want anyone to support me the way I'm supporting them.'

He only decided to organise the event yesterday, so was pleased with the turnout and support shown for Charlie.

Banners carried by the protesters (pictured) included one saying 'it's murder'. Alex Nagel, 17, from Canning Town, London, organised today's protest after spotting Charlie's family's campaign on social media and deciding to get involved.

Saying goodbye: The desperately ill little boy (pictured) had been due to have his life support withdrawn before the weekend - but after his anguished parents begged for more time to say goodbye, Great Ormond Street Hospital agreed to give him a few days' reprieve

An estimated 100 people attended the protest today in a last-ditch attempt to save Charlie. This week Charlie's parents lost their legal battle when the European Court of Human Rights backed British doctors who said it would be kinder to let the ten month old die

Mr Nagel's post in the event group, written to 'Charlie's Army', said: 'We wish to raise awareness of certain things that were said in court that have later been found to be in contradiction of medical evidence that has been made public.

'We have questions that need answering. We ask that you bring print outs of the MRI results that were made public a few days ago. We need you to bring these so that we can show the world what we're protesting against.

'We need to show the world how many people believe Charlie still deserves this chance. This could potentially be our last chance to gather in person and display a show of strength to let the courts, GOSH, doubters and the general public know that Charlie and his family really do have an army behind them.'

Miss Yates and Mr Gard had battled to take their son, who has a rare genetic condition, to undergo experimental treatment in the US.

Tragic: Parents Connie Yates and Chris Gard (pictured with Charlie) had battled to take their son, who has a rare genetic condition, to undergo experimental treatment in the US

But this week they reached the end of their legal battle after the European Court of Human Rights backed British doctors who said it would be kinder to let the ten month old die.

The courts had ruled that keeping the baby on life support would only prolong his suffering as there was no hope of his recovering from the disease which causes progressive muscle weakness, including in key organs such as the heart.

Charlie's mother and father had accused their son's doctors of 'rushing' them and preventing all their family saying goodbye this weekend in a video message for their thousands of supporters.

But Miss Yates added: 'We have been in talks today with Great Ormond Street and they have agreed to give us a little bit more time with Charlie.

'We are really grateful for all the support from the public at this extremely difficult time.

Lost the fight: This week they reached the end of their legal battle after the European Court of Human Rights backed British doctors who said it would be kinder to let the ten month old die

'We're making precious memories that we can treasure forever with very heavy hearts. Please respect our privacy while we prepare to say the final goodbye to our son Charlie'.

Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London, which has been treating Charlie, issued a statement on Friday following the European court's decision which did not specify when life support would be removed.

They said: 'Together with Charlie's parents we are putting plans in place for his care, and to give them more time together as a family.'

The hospital also urged for the public to respect the family's privacy.
Jeffery Freeman (above in booking photo) was charged with one count of first-degree murder in Chicago for the October 6, 2014 shooting that left Torrence Pickens, 40, dead

A discarded cigarette butt left at the scene of a fatal 2014 shooting in Illinois led authorities to arrest and a charge a man with murder.

Jeffery Freeman, 24, was arrested and charged with one count of first-degree murder in Chicago for the October 6, 2014 shooting that left Torrence Pickens, 40, dead, according to the Cook County state's attorney's office.

A judge set Freeman's bond for the heinous crime at $1million on Thursday.

Authorities say Pickens was drinking and smoking in an alley with several people near the first block of East 44th Street before going to sit in a car with someone else parked at the mouth of the alley.

Several gang members affiliated with Freeman, whose street name is'Rambo', then arrived on the scene in a tan Buick and approached Pickens for being in their territory, authorities say.

Freeman, who was smoking a cigarette, was then given a revolver and walked down the alley towards Pickens' car, prosecutors say.

Authorities say Freeman was smoking a cigarette (file photo) that he discarded before fatally shooting Pickens. Video surveillance from a nearby apartment captured footage of the shooting, prosecutors say

Freeman tossed the cigarette butt before he shot Pickens multiple times, police say. He then reportedly took off down the alley and fled the scene in the Buick.

Video surveillance from a nearby apartment captured footage of the shooting, prosecutors say.

While investigating the crime scene, officers found the cigarette butt and submitted it to the Illinois State Police for analysis and DNA testing.

DNA extracted from the cigarette butt matched a DNA sample from Freeman, prosecutors say.

In addition, a witness also identified Freeman as the shooter out of a photo array.

His next court appearance is scheduled for July 19.
Pilots today warned of a 'disaster' unless drones are subjected to tougher regulation after a drone caused chaos at London Gatwick Airport last night.

A runway was shut down twice and at least five flights were diverted in the incident at about 6pm yesterday that has prompted a Sussex Police investigation.

An easyjet flight from Naples to Gatwick declared an emergency as it attempted to land, while other flights were diverted to other airports near the British capital.

The incident happened around 6pm today at the London airport, resulting in an easyJet flight declaring a mid-air emergency as it attempted to land. File photo

Frankie Goes To Hollywood singer Holly Johnson was diverted to Bournemouth and had a few choice words for BA's treatment of people on the flight

A total of four EasyJet flights were diverted and one British Airways service was sent to Bournemouth Airport, while other flights circled the West Sussex airport.

Craig Jenkins, from Greenwich in South East London, was on the diverted easyJet flight from Naples and told the BBC the pilot alerted the passengers to the incident.

He said: 'We were crossing over the Channel and it started circling. It did four or five circles, heading further east, before the captain said we were landing at Stansted.

'First, they said Gatwick was closed because of an incident. Then, shortly after, they said it was a drone.'

Mr Jenkins said passengers were being given the choice of getting off or waiting an hour and flying back to Gatwick.

Other easyJet flights from Milan, Bodrum and Inverness were diverted as well.

Passenger Lorraine Sharp told The Sun that she was on a delayed flight from Toulouse that circled over Gatwick before heading down towards the runway.

She added: 'Just before touching down all of a sudden we shot back up into the air. The pilot said he made the decision to abort because of an 'operational issue'.

'They didn't tell us what had happened until we landed  that there was a drone near the runway. It was really hairy.'

The British Airline Pilots' Association is calling for compulsory registration of drone users to allow police to track down people flying them irresponsibly.

The union's flight safety specialist, Steve Landells, said: 'Yet another incident at Gatwick involving drones shows that the threat of drones being flown near manned-aircraft must be addressed before we see a disaster.

'Drones can be great fun, and have huge commercial potential, but with a significant increase in near-misses in recent years it seems not everyone who is flying them either know or care about the rules that are in place for good reason.

'We believe a collision, particularly with a helicopter, has the potential be catastrophic.'

He added that as the number of drones being sold takes off, new technology should be looked at to address safety concerns.

'These should include, amongst other things, geofencing as standard and a system whereby the drone transmits enough data for the police to locate the operator when it is flown in a dangerous manner,' he said.

A spokesman for easyJet said: 'easyJet can confirm that as a result of an earlier runway closure at London Gatwick Airport four flights were diverted.

Thousands were either diverted or delayed by the drone flying over Gatwick

'Once refuelled three flights continued onto London Gatwick and easyJet arranged coach transfers onto London Gatwick for passengers on flight EZY8832 from Bodrum that diverted to London Southend.

'The safety and wellbeing of our passengers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority.

'While the circumstances are outside of our control, easyJet apologises for any inconvenience caused.'

British Airways was also forced to divert one of its planes from Valencia to Bournemouth Airport.

Among the passengers on the diverted flights was Holly Johnson, formerly the front man of British band Frankie Goes To Hollywood.

He wrote on Twitter: 'A Drone on the flightpath into Gatwick : our @British-Airways flight diverted to Bournemouth. On the Tarmac waiting ... for an update.'

Many other planes had to delay their landings at Gatwick, while delays were also reported for departures.

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport told MailOnline its airfield teams were investigating the cause of the disruption, but operations were still running.

A spokesman for Gatwick Airport told MailOnline said its airfield teams were investigating the cause of the disruption, but operations were still running. File photo

He added: 'Due to reports of a drone observation in the vicinity of the airfield, runway operations at Gatwick were suspended between 6.10pm and 6.19pm and again from 6.36pm to 6.41pm, resulting in a small number of go-arounds and diverts.

'Operations have resumed and the police continue to investigate.'

It is not the first time a drone is suspected of infringing on airspace near landing strips.

Last month an airline pilot was forced to take evasive action after one came within 20 metres of his plane as he prepared to land in Edinburgh.

The Loganair flight had been descending at about 4,000ft at the time, and despite the safe landing police warned there could have been 'far more serious consequences'.

Meanwhile, Solicitor General Robert Buckland has said the law on drones should be reviewed.

He told BBC Radio 4's The Westminster Hour: 'The legislation relating to aviation is quite old. There's a lot of legislation about intentional attacks on aircraft. I'd hesitate to say that there's a loophole but certainly the development of drones is a relatively recent phenomenon.

'It's causing problems not only at airports but also in our prisons, and it's clear to me that we need to look very carefully at whether the law is up to spend and at whether we can improve it in order to make sure that where offences occur which cause risk to life and limb, massive disruption and criminal damage, that the law is fit for the purpose of prosecuting the perpetrators of this type of crime.'
The Frye Festival promoter, Billy McFarland, had to face the music Saturday in Manhattan Federal Court after being arrested Friday for wire fraud by the feds.

Without missing a beat McFarland, 25, was taken into court Saturday on his wire fraud charges, where he posted $300k bail and headed out of court with his public defender.

The promoter who offered guests shelling out major cash on a trip to the Bahamas filled with models and musicians, couldn't afford his own defense attorney.

Standing in front of the judge with his public defender, Sabrina Shroff, McFarland responded with a meek 'Yes sir' when questioned by federal Magistrate Judge Kevin Fox.

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Billy McFarland leaves Manhattan Federal Court Saturday after posting $300k bail

McFarland leaving court Saturday with his public defender Sabrina Shroff who said he can not afford private attorneys

McFarland organized the disastrous event with musician Ja Rule (pictured right)

Shroff said he didn't have enough money for private lawyers. McFarland organized the event with rapper Ja Rule, who was not charged.

'McFarland allegedly presented fake documents to induce investors to put over a million dollars into his company and the fiasco called the Fyre Festival,' acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon Kim said.

'Thanks to the investigative efforts of the FBI, McFarland will now have to answer for his crimes.' Kim said. 'As alleged, William McFarland promised a 'life-changing' music festival but in actuality delivered a disaster,' Kim added.

The FBI started looking into Frye Festival, which was billed as an ultra-luxurious event with major headlining acts like Blink 182, and Migos. The event was cancelled after the acts bowed out last minute as complaints rolled in from concert goers arriving to terrible food and living conditions.

Luxurious accommodations and food: Promised but not delivered as festival goers arrived to flimsy cheese sandwiches and tiny tents

The shows were slated to take place on the island of Exuma over two weekends in April and May.

Pary-goers that made the trip for the first weekend posted photos showing rows of white tents that look like 'Stormtrooper helmets,' blue port-a-potties near half-constructed plywood structures and limp, and lifeless cheese sandwiches.

McFarland's bail was set at $300,000 though Prosecutor Kristy J. Greenberg asked for $500,000 bail, saying it was clear McFarland 'did not understand the gravity and severity of the charges until now.' 'You're talking about industrial losses of tens of millions of dollars,' she said.

The feds allege that as many as 85 investors were bilked.

Abysmal living conditions. Festival goers thought they'd get paradise, luxury, music and celebrity for the thousands they shelled out on the weekend

McFarland plans to move in with his parents, who sat in the back of the courtroom looking anguished.

Greenberg referred to McFarland's 'lavish lifestyle' as proof he should have a higher bond.

Two months before the doomed Fyre Festival was supposed to go off on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma, McFarland moved into a $21,750 penthouse, Greenberg said.

'Clearly there's money somewhere,' she remarked.

McFarland's public defender argued that he is no flight risk, noting that he has no assets and that the FBI has taken his passport. Shroff said McFarland was paying off a $100,000 Maserati, which prosecutors tried to claim as an asset.

McFarland was busted at his Manhattan home around 6pm Friday. He had $5,000 cash on him.

Billy McFarland (left) attends a fashion week party at Magnises Townhouse in 2015. The Attorney's office argued for higher bail considering McFarland's lavish lifestyle

McFarland and Ja Rule convinced millennials and music lovers alike to part with thousands of dollars for a luxury weekend with the stars.

The promise turned out to be a weekend of misery with lousy accommodations and food fit for a prisoner.

McFarland appeared flustered after emerging from court on Saturday. 'I'd love to speak. I'd love to say something. We'll set it up soon at a better time,' he stuttered to the New York Post after court. The wire-fraud charge carries a maximum jail term of 20 years. McFarland is due back in court July 7.
A San Diego family who went missing during a hike through Mexico four days ago have been found alive.

Sisters Claire, 25, and Maura Fox, 20, and their father, Morgan, 61, had set out to tackle the challenging trail through San Pedro Martir Park, known as the Devil's Peak, on June 20.

The family were confident - Morgan, an experienced hiker, had hiked the Devil's Peak on four other occasions. But that was 20 years ago, and he soon realized that the trial he thought he knew had drastically changed, NBC San Diego reports.

Home sweet home: Sisters Claire, 25, and Maura Fox, 20, and their father, Morgan, 61, shared a hug after finally returning to San Diego safe and sound

This is the moment a missing San Diego family were found by Mexican rescue teams after getting lost on a trail

" "

The trip were due to return home to San Diego's East County by June 25.

But when there was no sign of the father and his daughters, Morgan's wife Debbie Milligan-Fox alerted the authorities.

By Monday afternoon, Mexican authorities launched a huge search effort in the mountainous region, which has peaks of 10,000 feet.

Meanwhile, it was touch-and-go for the hikers who were rapidly running out of water and food supplies.

By Monday, the sisters made the decision to hike to the top of the mountain so they could be better seen by passing helicopters.

The missing Fox family were spotted by search helicopters in a remote clifftop

They say things got scary for a while after their water and food supplies began to run low

Morgan Fox had traversed the trail on four other occasions, but this time he and his daughters lost their way

They made a signal fire and used the emergency safety blankets, which have a reflective, shiny side, to catch the attention of passing rescue crews.

'There were definitely times when we were scared for our safety,' added Maura. 'And all of us with our limited water; we were definitely concerned if we were going to be rescued  if people were coming.'

'It was looking grim,' added Claire. 'It was definitely one of the best moments of my life knowing that we were going to come back [to San Diego] and see my mom.'

The following day - to their great relief - a helicopter spotted the family on a remote clifftop and dropped off emergency supplies and water. By Thursday, rescue crews recovered the family and had escorted Claire, Maura and Morgan to a base camp on San Pedro Martir Park.

Before the trip: The father and his two daughters snapped a picture shortly before heading off on the trail

After they were reported missing, Morgan, Claire and Maura had an emotional reunion with their family back in San Diego

'We experienced a lot together,' said Claire, after reuniting with the rest of the family. 'I'm glad we were all together; strong family unit'

The sisters have not ruled out another attempt at the trail at some point in the future

On Saturday, the trio flew out to San Diego to reunite with the girl's mom, and Morgan's wife, Debbie.

'We experienced a lot together,' said Claire. 'I'm glad we were all together; strong family unit.

'These girls did so good,' said Morgan during the emotional reunion as the family embraced.

The Foxes say they 'owe their lives' to the Mexican rescue teams who came to their aid.

'In a politicized time, I think community and family  that's really at the heart of everything. I think, if anything, the connection between our two nations should be even stronger,' said Maura.

Despite the harrowing experience, the Foxes haven't ruled out returning to finish the trail one day.
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The doctor who shot seven people before turning the gun on himself at a Bronx hospital, bought the assault rifle used in the attack just 10 days before the deadly rampage.

Dr Henry Bello purchased the AM-15 assault rifle on June 20 from the Upstate Guns and Ammo in Schenectady, New York.

The box for the gun was found in Bello's apartment, according to the New York Daily News.

Bello concealed the weapon under a white lab coat as he entered Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Friday afternoon around 2.45pm.

He then opened fire on seven people, including five hospital staff and one patient, on the 16th and 17th floors of the hospital.

The identity of the doctor who was killed by Bello was revealed on Saturday.

Dr Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, 32, a family medicine physician, was supposed to be off work on Friday and was covering a friend's shift, according to the New York Post.

State records show Tam graduated from the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2013, and was licensed to practice medicine in New York in December of 2015.

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Dr Henry Bello (left and right in 2004), 45, bought the AM-15 assault rifle he used in a deadly rampage that left one dead and six others injured just 10 days before the attack at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital on Friday afternoon

Police sources said the box for the AM-15 (pictured) was found in Bello's apartment. Bello concealed the weapon under a white lab coat as he entered Bronx-Lebanon Hospital around 2.45pm on Friday

Bello purchased the AM-15 assault rifle on June 20 from the Upstate Guns and Ammo (pictured) in Schenectady, New York

According to a colleague, Tam was not Bello's intended target, but Dr Kamran Ahmed was. Ahmed, who was on his day off during the shooting, said Bello 'never argued' with him and he doesn't 'know why he put my name'.

Ahmed, who specializes in the early detection and treatment of dementia, said Bello 'had a problem with almost everybody, so I'm not the only one'.

'That's why they fired him, because so many people complained,' he added.

Friends of Bello said they are not surprised he went on a rampage because of his mental health issues.

Details emerged over the weekend about what may have motivated Bello to go on a shooting spree.

Bello lived as a mental health occupant at a homeless shelter, his friends said, and felt 'antagonized' by his co-workers after he was fired following a sexual harassment allegation, according to a New York Post article.

'He was a mental health occupant, so I mean, it's not surprising,' a 31-year-old resident at the 30th Street Men's Shelter, who asked to remain anonymous said.

'You're going through things. You have mental health issues and then peopleantagonize you and you lose your job.

'It felt like he was being picked on by his co-workers and stuff like that. People were being manipulative to him,' the resident added.

As Bello shot at his co-workers he yelled: 'Why didn't you help me out when I was getting in trouble?'

About two hours before the deadly shooting, he also sent an email to the New York Daily News blaming two doctors for terminating 'my road to a licensure to practice medicine'.

Dr Kamran Ahmed was on his day off from the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital on Friday when Bello went looking for him and shot dead Dr Tracy Sin-Yee Tam (left), 32, a family medicine physician, was supposed to be off work that day

Just two hours the incident, Bello sent an email to a New York newspaper blaming the hospital for terminating 'my road to a licensure to practice medicine'. Pictured are first responders at the scene

Bello, who was described on the hospital's website as a family medicine physician, wrote: 'First, I was told it was because I always kept to myself. Then it was because of an altercation with a nurse.'

On Friday evening it was revealed that Bello had been forced to resign over sexual harassment accusations.

However, in the email that was sent at 12.46pm, Bello said he was told his termination stemmed from him threatening a colleague.

He said he then sent an email to that colleague 'congratulating her for my termination after she sent out an email to everybody telling them to file complaints against me so I can be terminated for being rude to her'.

'I only said in the email, it remains to be seen if my life is meaningless or disposable,' Bello wrote.

Bello then blamed another doctor for ruining his career, adding that the doctor 'blocked' him from getting his medical permit despite him pouring $400,000 of his money into the hospital and the family medicine department.

According to the Daily News, an editor at the newspaper didn't make the connection to Bello until after the shooting.

Bello (pictured) shot himself after trying to set himself on fire at the hospital. He staggered, bleeding, into a hallway where he collapsed and died with the rifle at his side, police said

The newspaper is also withholding the names of the two doctors whom Bello said caused his termination.

Bello shot himself after trying to set himself on fire at the Bronx Lebanon Hospital at around 2.45pm on Friday.

He staggered, bleeding, into a hallway where he collapsed and died with the rifle at his side, police said.

Police Commissioner James O'Neill confirmed Bello died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

A former colleague described Bello as a problematic employee, and said he was 'aggressive' and 'threatened people'.

However, in the email he sent to the Daily News, Bello didn't threaten violence against anyone.

The attack on Friday left several doctors fighting for their lives, and witnesses described a chaotic scene as gunfire erupted and spread terror throughout the medical facility. Employees locked themselves inside rooms and patients feared for their lives.

'I thought I was going to die,' said Renaldo Del Villar, a patient who was in the third-floor emergency room getting treatment for a lower back injury.

In 2015, Bello was allowed to resign from the hospital after being accused of sexual harassment, according to two law enforcement officials. They did not know the details of the allegations, and agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because the investigation is still unfolding.

However, Dr Maureen Kwankam, 50, told the New York Daily News he was fired from the hospital 'because he was kind of crazy'.

'He promised to come back and kill us then,' she said.

Bello also tried to set fire to the nurses station on the 16th floor, but the hospital's sprinkler system put it out before the blaze could grow.

'This was a horrible situation unfolding in a place that people associated with care and comfort, a situation that came out of nowhere,' New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said. He also said terrorism did not play a role.

NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio called the incident a 'horrible situation' and said it was not related to terrorism but instead just a workplace incident

Bello, who was described on the hospital's website as a family medicine physician, wrote in the email that he was told he was terminated because of 'altercation with a nurse'. A woman was escorted by officers in plainclothes near the Bronx Lebanon Hospital in New York Friday after fleeing the scene

On Friday evening it was revealed that Bello had been forced to resign over sexual harassment accusations. However, in the email that was sent at 12.46pm, Bello said he was told his termination stemmed from him threatening a colleague. Another woman was seen escorted by officers near the hospital after Bello opened fire there

A former colleague described Bello as a problematic employee, and said he was 'aggressive' and 'threatened people'. The incident unfolded at around 2.45pm at the medical center on Grand Concourse in the Morris Heights section of The Bronx

The six surviving victims of the attack remain in stable condition but none have been released from the hospital.

Two of the victims were transferred to Mt Sinai Hospital for specialized care and they remain in critical but stable condition, hospital spokesman Errol Schneer told the Daily News.

The four other victims are still receiving treatment at Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center.

'All are downgraded to stable condition,' Schneer said.

According to New York State Education Department records, Bello had a limited permit to practice as an international medical graduate to gain experience in order to be licensed. The permit was issued on July 1, 2014, and expired last year on the same day.

Bello 'was very aggressive, talking loudly, threatening people all the time. He was a problem,' said Dr David Lazala, a family medicine doctor who said he trained Bello at Bronx Lebanon.

He said Bello, who worked at night as a doctor, sent him a threatening email after Bello was fired.

In unrelated cases, the doctor had been arrested in 2004 on a charge of sexual abuse, according to a police report, after a 23-year-old woman told police Bello grabbed her, lifted her up and carried her off, saying: 'You're coming with me.'

He was arrested again in 2009 on a charge of unlawful surveillance, after two different women reported he was trying to look up their skirts with a mirror.

Heavily armed police patroled the scene outside the hospital after the gunman opened fire on Friday afternoon

In unrelated cases, Bello had been arrested in 2004 on a charge of sexual abuse, according to a police report, after a 23-year-old woman told police Bello grabbed her, lifted her up and carried her off, saying: 'You're coming with me.' Pictured are first responders at the scene of the horrific attack

Hospital employees barricaded themselves in hospital rooms by stacking furniture up against the doors during the lockdown

Employees and their loved ones described the horrifying moments immediately after the shooting as they scrambled for information.

Garry Trimble said his fiancee, hospital employee Denise Brown, called him from inside the hospital to tell him about the gunman.

'She woke me up and told me there was a situation, somebody's out there shooting people,' Trimble said as he waited for Brown to leave the hospital. 'I could hear in her voice she was shaking and about to cry.'

Gonzalo Carazo described the scary scene to WCBS-TV: 'I saw one of the doctors and he had a gunshot wound to his hand,' Carazo said.

'All I heard was a doctor saying, 'Help, help!'' Carazo locked himself in a room for about 15 minutes until police came and led him out of the facility.

Bello 'was very aggressive, talking loudly, threatening people all the time. He was a problem,' said Dr David Lazala, a family medicine doctor who also said he trained Bello at Bronx Lebanon. Police rushed to the scene as it unfolded on Friday afternoon

Witness Dione Morales, who has been a patient at the hospital for 17 years, also said Bello had threatened to kill people back when he was fired. Officers were seen carrying assault-style rifles outside the Bronx Lebanon Hospital

Bello is believed to have lived in this New York City apartment building. He was forced to resign from his position at the hospital in 2015 after sexual assault allegations became public

Police cars surrounded the area outside the hospital on Grand Concourse on Friday

Witness Dione Morales, who has been a patient at the hospital for 17 years, told CBS New York the shooter had threatened to kill people back when he was fired.

'He was let go because I guess they figured he was unstable. He said he was going to do this,' she said. 'He said he was going to kill people, two years ago when he was let go - two years... and now look what happened.'

Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center describes itself as the largest voluntary, not-for-profit health care system in the south and central Bronx.

The 120-year-old hospital claims nearly 1,000 beds spread across multiple units. Its emergency room is among the busiest in New York City.

The hospital is about a mile and a half north of Yankee Stadium.

In 2011, two people were shot at Bronx Lebanon in what police said was a gang-related attack.

Fire Department rescue workers head towards the scene after the inside the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital in New York City
A lost dog has finally found its way home after being found four years later roughly 2,023 miles away.

Pompeii the Pomeranian was found on Mother's Day by Becky Somes' children in Spokane, Washington.

'They were due here at 3 o'clock on Mother's Day, and they showed up at 3 o'clock with a dog,' Somes told KHQ.

Her first reaction when she met the sweet seven-year-old pooch was to try and find its rightful owners.

Pompeii the Pomeranian (above) became separated from her owners Angela and Eric Smith in San Antonio, Texas four years ago

The dog was found by Becky Somes' (above) children in Spokane, Washington on Mother's Day. Somes tried finding the owners and checked to see if the dog had a chip, in which it did. She then contacted the Smiths about finding their dog

Somes and her granddaughter took a few pictures of the dog and shared flyers around their neighborhood.

No one seemed to recognize the often smiley-faced dog.

Somes decided to check and see if the Pomeranian had a chip implanted that would lead them to the owners.

Luckily, Pompeii had one and it led Somes to the original owners listed on the chip.

Eric (above) flew to Spokane and was reunited with the dog he and his wife received as a wedding gift

Describing the couple's reaction to finding Pompeii, Somes said: 'Tears and gratefulness just super, super grateful.' Somes is pictured above with Eric and Pompeii

She quickly contacted, Angela and Eric Smith, who live in San Antonio, Texas, and said she had their beloved dog.

'Tears and gratefulness just super, super grateful,' Somes said describing the owners' reaction.

The couple received Pompeii as a wedding gift, but they lost her four years ago in Spokane.

Eric made the trek thousands of miles from Texas to Washington state to retrieve Pompeii.

It's unclear how Pompeii became separated from the couple.
A fisherman has been charged with his wife's murder after claiming that she fell overboard into the murky waters of Lake Erie.

Karen Leclair's body has not been found since her husband Christopher called police to tell them she had fallen overboard from his commercial boat on June 11.

Surveillance taken on June 10 shows each of them getting on the Doris M, her husband's 52-foot commercial boat, at Dobbins Landing in Erie, Pennsylvania. Hours later, the same cameras caught Mr. Leclair disembarking at the same spot but his wife was not seen again.

He went back the following day and was captured by the same cameras launching the boat out once more. It was during this outing that he called for help at around 1.40pm, claiming she had fallen overboard.

Christopher Leclair, 48, has been charged with murdering his 51-year-old wife Karen Leclair

Authorities arrested him the same day he made the call. They believer he dumped her body in the water the day beforehand.

In police interviews, he later told police that they were on the lake on June 11 when she began feeling ill and started sitting on a bucket.

According to police who spoke to Go Erie, Mr. Leclair claimed to have turned around after 10 minutes or so and she had vanished.

In the same interviews, he allegedly confessed to police that he'd been having an affair with another woman for the past eight months and admitted they'd been intimate on June 9, one day before his wife was last seen.

His lover was interviewed and claimed that on June 10, after going out to see with his wife, he returned to her home and discussed her moving to his house in Albion in the near future.

We were just looking for the truth, and we were trying to find answers. We were doing everything we possibly could to find and locate Karen Leclair.

Mrs Leclair has not been seen since she was filmed on surveillance footage getting on her husband's 52-foot commercial boat (pictured) on June 10

'So when we sit her husband down and we start asking questions and answers to those questions really dont make sense, and we go back and look at surveillance videos from the marina and we see that, according to the videos, she disappeared on Saturday and he doesnt report that until Sunday, thats a red flag to our investigators.

'At that point the theme of the investigation started to take a change,' Lt. Wayne Klinen, crime section supervisor for state police Troop E in Lawrence Park Township, said.

The pair had been married for 26 years when Mrs. Leclair disappeared.
Soaking up the sun on the Costa del Sol, the internet bride at the centre of an investigation into the murder of a wealthy British businessman enjoys a leisurely stroll with her latest rich lover.

Ganna Ziuzina, who has been dubbed the Black Widow, is seen laughing and joking in a bar near her 700,000 Marbella villa, which she shares with London property developer Ivan Lister.

The pair, who met following the hit and run murder of Miss Ziuzinas husband Barry Pring in Kiev, were pictured relaxing with friends.

It is the first time the former stripper has been seen in public since an inquest ruled in January that Mr Pring was unlawfully killed after being tricked into waiting by a road then being run over.

Pictured: 'Black Widow' Ganna Ziuzina out for a lunchtime drink with friends and latest lover Ivan Lister in Marbella

The pair met following the hit and run murder of Miss Ziuzinas husband Barry Pring in Kiev. Pictured right and left: The couple strolling in the Costa Del Sol

In March Miss Ziuzina, now 38, succeeded in quashing the findings of the Exeter inquest after arguing the case had been mishandled. Pictured: Miss Ziuzina with Mr Lister

Pictured: The property in Marbella owned by Miss Ziuzina

Devon-born Mr Pring, 47, is said to have been besotted with Miss Ziuzina despite his friends fears that she was a gold-digger. Pictured left: Miss Ziuzina with Mr Lister. Right: Miss Ziuzina taking a stroll in Marbella

She strenuously denies any involvement in his murder and is involved in a bitter dispute with Mr Prings family over what remains of his 1.5million estate.

In March Miss Ziuzina, now 38, succeeded in quashing the findings of the Exeter inquest after arguing the case had been mishandled.

She complained that she was not given an opportunity to testify, that a key witness was allowed to give hearsay evidence and that new evidence relating to her husbands murder should be considered. A judge is now set to oversee a second inquest.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian police are continuing their inquiries into Mr Prings murder on the outskirts of Kiev in February 2008.

Pictured left and right: Miss Ziuzina poses for photographs

Pictured: Miss Ziuzina and Mr Pring, who were married near Kiev, Ukraine, in 2007

Pictured: Miss Ziuzina by a swimming pool

Under pressure from a Tory MP, there have also been renewed efforts by Foreign Office officials to reach an agreement for a new joint investigation involving Ukrainian and British police.

Devon-born Mr Pring, 47, is said to have been besotted with Miss Ziuzina despite his friends fears that she was a gold-digger. The Exeter inquest heard that the cold Ukrainian internet bride murdered him for his money.

Coroner Dr Elizabeth Earland was told Miss Ziuzina led Mr Pring to a dual carriageway after their first wedding anniversary dinner to hail a taxi. She then went back inside the restaurant to collect a pair of gloves. Moments later Mr Pring, from Battersea, south-west London, was killed by a speeding vehicle with no headlights on and stolen number plates.

The inquest heard that within days Miss Ziuzina flew to the UK and tried to move into his London flat and claim his assets.

Mr Prings death was initially treated by Ukrainian police as an accident then upgraded to a murder inquiry after the bungled investigation was exposed by the Mail in 2011. Pictured: Miss Ziuzina and Mr Pring on their wedding day

Mr Prings family, who spent more than 100,000 trying to find out what happened, were furious when the unlawful killing finding was quashed.

They accused Miss Ziuzina, who has changed her name to Julianna Moore, of snubbing Januarys inquest. She also failed to attend Mr Prings funeral.

Police have previously said they made strenuous efforts to locate Miss Ziuzina before the inquest in a bid to make her give evidence.

In February it emerged she had been awarded 21,000 in legal aid in her battle to receive a major share of IT consultant Mr Prings estate, and that the Legal Aid Agency was considering court action to force her to pay the cash back.

She has bought two properties on the Costa del Sol, one a 700,000 villa she shares with Mr Lister, 48, with whom she had a daughter in 2013. Her parents have lived in the other.

Mr Prings death was initially treated by Ukrainian police as an accident then upgraded to a murder inquiry after the bungled investigation was exposed by the Mail in 2011. The Ukrainian investigation has been dogged by allegations of incompetence and a cover-up.

Soon after the Exeter inquest ruling was quashed Miss Ziuzina accused Mr Prings family of squandering his fortune.

They called the claim preposterous and said the money had been held in an independent trust.

Yesterday Miss Ziuzina refused to comment at her Marbella home. Mr Prings brother Shaughan, 54, declined to speak about the case.
Detroit, Michigan is the worst city in the US to live in due to its urban decay, violent crime rates and dwindling population, according to a new study.

It's not alone in being a dreadful place to reside, however: Birmingham, Alabama and Flint, Michigan take the next two spots.

And there are 47 more cities behind them, ranging from the dusty, deprived city of Merced, California, to tourist favorites Philadelphia and Miami Beach, 24/7 Wall Street reported.

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Run down: Automation and foreign manufacturing in the US auto industry has seen Detroit's standard of living falling; it's now the worst US city to live in, according to a new study

To make the list, the site compiled data on the 551 cities that had populations of more than 65,000 in 2015.

It then rated them on a slew of subjects in nine major categories: crime, economy, demography, education, environment, health, housing, infrastructure, and leisure.

Each of those was then split into sub-sections, so 'crime' differentiates between violent and property crime, while 'health' includes the death rate from illnesses as well as how often people are readmitted to hospital.

Other factors included property prices, poverty and unemployment rates, availability of public transportation and the quality of air.

All data came from 2015 figures.

The statistics were given points and weighted, and final scores handed out to each of the cities to see which were the best and worst on offer.

Below are the top ten worst cities, according to the analysis; the full list can be found at the bottom of the page.

1. Detroit, Michigan

Abandoned: As the population of Detroit has fled, the city has been left to decay; its violent crime rate is the second highest in the country and the second-lowest property values

Population 677,124

Median home value $42,600

Poverty rate 39.8 per cent

Population with a bachelor's degree or above 14.2 per cent

Seeing downcast Detroit at the top of this list will be of little surprise to many, given its failing fortunes in recent times.

As the US auto industry has come to rely increasingly on automation and foreign manufacturing, employment in the city has dropped off in recent decades - with the population taking a similarly precipitous tumble.

At 677,124, the population is now just a third of what it was in 1950, when it topped out at 1.8 million people, and continued to drop at a rate of 19 per cent over the past decade.

Urban decay is rife in the city, which is clawing its way back from bankruptcy, and its violent crime rate is the second highest in the country at 1,760 crimes per 100,000 residents.

That's left property values at the lowest outside of its neighbor, Flint, with the average occupied Detroit home being worth just $42,600.

And on average Detroit households earn just $25,980 a year - that's under half the national average of $55,755.

2. Birmingham, Alabama

Poor: A third of Birmingham's residents live in poverty, and its population continues to drop. This fire started when two men burned a homeless man's possessions, cops said in 2006

Population 214,911

Median home value $93,000

Poverty rate 29.2 per cent

Population with a bachelor's degree or above 25.3 per cent

Like Detroit, Birmingham's failing economy has driven away residents while raising poverty levels.

In the past decade, the city has shed 3.3 per cent of its population, while employment has fallen by 0.9 per cent in the past ten years.

Around a third of the city's population is now impoverished, at 29.2 per cent - which is around double the national poverty rate of 14.7 per cent.

And those that are making money are bringing home just $32,378 per household per year.

Those woes extend beyond Birmingham and across the rest of the state, according to AL.com, which reported in 2016 that Alabama had the fourth highest poverty level in the US.

3. Flint, Michigan

Decay: Flint has the lowest property values in the US, not helped by lead-contaminated water, a 40.8% poverty rate and an income of just $25,342 compared with the $55,755 US average

Population 98,297

Median home value $25,900

Poverty rate 40.8 per cent

Population with a bachelor's degree or above 11.8 per cent

Motor City's neighbor has also suffered due to changes in the auto industry and the decline of American manufacturing, with 30,000 jobs now gone from Buick's former auto plant in the city.

Infamously the city has also suffered from drinking water that had not been properly treated for lead contaminants from old pipes.

The population has declined rapidly - at a rate of 12.2 per cent in the last ten years.

It also had the highest poverty rate in the nation of any city in the 2015 data, at 40.8 per cent, with the average income being $25,342 a year.

The figures state above come from 2015 statistics; the most recent census bureau statistics suggest that things have become worse in the year since.

As of June 2016, the percentage of people living below the poverty line had increased to 41.2 per cent.

And the the average household income had dropped to $24,862.

4. St Louis, Missouri

Poverty: A quarter of St Louis' population lives in poverty, thanks to industrial decline that has left factories like this one utterly abandoned. Its population has halved since the 1950s

Population 315,685

Median home value $130,800

Poverty rate 24.9 per cent

Population with a bachelor's degree or above 34.7 per cent

St Louis' poverty rate is more than ten per cent higher than the national average, the result of decades of industrial decline.

That has coincided with increased segregation as affluent whites have fled the city for the suburbs, and an overall population drop of more than 50 per cent since the 1950s.

In the last ten years, the population of St Louis has fallen by 5.4 per cent - whereas the population of the US overall has increased by double that.

That has in turn led to urban decay and the country's highest crime rate for a city, with 1,817 violent crimes reported per 100,000 residents.

That's more than five times the national crime rate.

5. Memphis, Tennessee

Crime: Memphis has the most crime of any major city in the US (pictured: guns and drugs taken from 23 people accused of being involved in a drug organization in 2014)

Population 655,760

Median home value $94,400

Poverty rate 26.2 per cent

Population with a bachelor's degree or above 24.9 per cent

While St Louis has the highest crime rate for any city in the US, Memphis has the highest for any major city.

It has 1,740 violent crimes for every 100,000 residents, putting it just a hair's breadth under St Louis.

And its property crime rate is 5,631 for every 100,000 residents - more than double the rate for the nation as a whole.

More than a quarter of the city's population is impoverished, and the average household income is just $55,775.

6. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Violence: Milwaukee has the most violent crimes of any city in Wisconsin, and also the state's highest rate of poverty (pictured: a building burned out in riots caused by a police shooting)

Population 600,154

Median home value $114,000

Poverty rate 26.8 per cent

Population with a bachelor's degree or above 23.9 per cent

Milwaukee has the dubious honor of leading Wisconsin's other cities for both violent crime and poverty.

In 2015 there were 1,596 violent crimes for every 100,000 people in the city - that's more than triple the next closest Wisconsin city.

That figure also makes it the sixth most violent city in America.

The city is having some relief in that area, however: It was selected in 2016 to receive federal funding for the purposes of reducing violence.

Its poverty rate of 26.8 per cent is the largest in the state, and it has the lowest median household income for Wisconsin, at $37,495.

7. Albany, Georgia

Population 71,109

Median home value $92,600

Poverty rate 32 per cent

Population with a bachelor's degree or above 19 per cent

Contradicting the US's ever-increasing population, Albany's population has dropped by four per cent over the past decade.

The total employment in the city has also dropped, falling by 1.7 per cent between 2013 and 2015, while the US workforce has increased by four per cent.

That's left it with a 7.9 per cent unemployment rate - 2.9 per cent above the national average.

In turn, more than a third of the city's residents now live in poverty.

8. Hartford, Connecticut

Difficult times: People living in Hartford have to deal with one of the highest tax rates in the country, with goods and services costing 17 cents more on the dollar (pictured: a local family)

Population 124,014

Median home value $159,200

Poverty rate 28.3 per cent

Population with a bachelor's degree or above 16.9 per cent

At 10.4 per cent, Hartford has the seventh highest unemployment rate in the US - meaning it's tied with Flint, Michigan and Compton, California.

But to compound problems for the un- and underemployed, the city has one of the highest tax rates in the country.

Goods and services cost 17 cents more per dollar than the American average.

That's led to a drop in population as people leave the city for new opportunities in cities where there are more jobs and lower living expenses - the city's poulation has dropped by 0.7 per cent in the past five years.

Those changes, as elsewhere, have gone hand-in-hand with increasing crime rates (1,141 violent crimes per 100,000 residents) and poverty (at 28.3 per cent, Hartford has double the national poverty level).

9. Merced, California

Population 82,440

Median home value $204,400

Poverty rate 35.1 per cent

Population with a bachelor's degree or above 19.5 per cent

Merced has a rather unusual feature adding to its undesirability: It's liable to suffer a major earthquake, as it's just 75 miles out of San Jose, not far off the San Andreas faultline.

But it has other problems, too, like being the tenth worst city in the US in terms of poverty, with a rate that's way above the national average.

It also has an annual unemployment rate of 10.7 per cent, making it one of the worst offenders in the country, as well as a below-average number of libraries, museums, bars and restaurants.

10. Wilmington, Delaware

Population 71,957

Median home value $160,300

Poverty rate 26 per cent

Population with a bachelor's degree or above 25.4 per cent

Despite having more than a quarter of its population living in poverty and an unemployment rate of 6.9 per cent, Wilmington has a very high cost of living.

Groceries are priced at ten per cent over the national average, while utilities cost 37 per cent more and housing is 26 per cent higher in price.

That also means the $41,035 average salary is even lower than it looks.

As is seen in other cities, deprivation is accompanied by crime, and Wilmington has the fifth-highest level of violent crime in the city, with 1,708 violent crimes per 100,000 residents.
A man has been shot in the leg and stabbed in the head at a Melbourne motel after an argument about unpaid rent.

Police were called to the StayInn motel, in Coburg North, at 3.30am on Monday after neighbours reported hearing fighting and a loud bang.

They arrived to find a man, in his 30s, suffering a gunshot wound to his leg and gash to his head. He was taken to hospital in a serious condition.

According to the Herald Sun, the motel doubles as a halfway home for criminals recently released from jail and homeless people on the public housing waiting list.

A man, in his 30s, has been shot in the leg and stabbed in the head at a Melbourne motel

Police were called to the StayInn motel, in Coburg North, at 3.30am on Monday after neighbours reported hearing fighting and a loud bang

According to the Herald Sun, the motel doubles as a halfway home for criminals recently released from jail (photos of the motel show windows boarded up with timber)

Reviews written on TripAdvisor paint a grim picture, with tenants describing the StayInn motel as 'obviously used for emergency accommodation.'

One tenant said he was so afraid at night that he 'packed the room furniture against the door' after seeing 'bullet holes in glass'.

'It is a half-way house or drug dealing den, or emergency accommodation from Centrelink. Pure filth,' another man alleged in a review in November.

'Do not go there. Especially if you are a family. Kids should be nowhere near this place under any circumstances. Keep them and yourself as far away as possible.'

Photographs uploaded online show a knife floating in the motel pool, what appears to be drops of blood on the ground and a used condom underneath a bed.

Windows at the front of the motel are boarded up with timber.

StayInn has a rating on TripAdvisor of one star, with 91 per cent of reviews describing the accommodation as 'terrible'.

According to a report by the Herald Sun, the motel doubles as a halfway home for criminals recently released from jail

One tenant staying at the motel said he was so afraid at night he 'packed the room furniture against the door' after seeing 'bullet holes in glass'

According to 9 News, a tenant heard two men arguing about rent before the alleged shooting

One tenant said he was so afraid at night that he 'packed the room furniture against the door' after seeing 'bullet holes in glass' (photo posted to TripAdvisor pictured)

According to 9 News, a tenant heard two men arguing about rent before the alleged shooting.

'The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are yet to be established and the investigation is ongoing,' Senior Constable Adam West said in a statement.

A man and a woman were questioned by police at the scene but both were released shortly after.

Forensic police arrived at the motel at about 7am, while police continued to cordon off the block from the public.

The alleged gunman remains on the run and any witnesses are urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A man and a woman were questioned by police at the scene but both were released shortly after
The left engine of a plane was engulfed in flames after the pilot landed at Denver International Airport.

The United Express flight 5869 took off from Aspen, Colorado at 1.31pm and landed less than an hour later with flames erupting from the engine and spilling onto the tarmac.

Passengers were evacuated on the runway and no injuries have been reported.

The left engine of a plane was engulfed in flames before the pilot landed safely at Denver International Airport

One passenger, Rabia Chaudry, took photographs of the plane being doused with water after it was evacuated

There were 59 people on board the Bombardier CRJ-701 plane from Aspen to Denver, which was operated by SkyWest in partnership with United Airlines.

A spokesperson for United said the plane 'experienced engine issues' after landing.

The Denver International Airport tweeted: 'Arriving SkyWest flight 5869 was reported on fire, all passengers evacuated safely with no injuries. Denver Fire is on scene assessing.'

Passenger @raiyansyed wrote: 'Quick and immediate response. First responders on runway. Huge thanks to pilot and crew for helping get passengers off safe.'

Another passenger, Rabia Chaudry, took photographs of the plane being doused with water.

She wrote: 'Everyone is safe though shook. All our stuff is on the plane. Waiting for diaper bag, stroller, ID, all my personal items.'

The Denver International Airport said an investigation was ongoing and that all other flights were operating as scheduled.
A leg that was found floating in the Hudson River near the Upper West Side is believed to belong to a missing New Jersey woman whose dismembered torso was found near Brooklyn last week.

The leg was found near the W 79th Street Boat Basin on the Hudson River on Saturday afternoon.

A female jogger called the police around 12.35pm after she saw the leg.

Part of a leg was found in the Hudson River near the W 79th Street Boat Basin, pictured, Saturday morning by a female jogger. Police believe the leg belongs to a missing New Jersey woman

The torso of the missing New Jersey woman was found floating near the Hudson River last week. Police are pictured where her torso was found in Red Hook, Brooklyn, on June 27

It had pink painted toenails and did not appear to be decomposed, New York Daily News reported.

Police are canvassing the area of the river on the Upper West Side in case there are other remains nearby.

Last week, a woman's headless and decomposing body was found floating near the rocks off Pier 44 in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

DNA from the leg will be compared with DNA from the torso to confirm that the leg is from the same woman.

Police identified the woman Friday after they released a picture of a tattoo that was on the woman's right hip. They have not released the woman's name.

The woman's mother came to the 76th Precinct station house Thursday, saying her daughter had the same tattoo in the same place.

She told police the tattoo, a name written in Sanskrit surrounded by stars, was a tribute to her daughter's dead aunt, the New York Post reported.

Police identified the woman Friday after they released a picture of a tattoo, pictured, that was on the woman's right hip. The woman's mother told police her daughter had the same tattoo in the same place. The tattoo, a name written in Sanskrit surrounded by stars, was a tribute to the missing woman's deceased aunt

DNA from the leg found Saturday will be compared with DNA from the torso found in Red Hook to confirm that the leg is from the same woman. Police are pictured at the scene in Red Hook

NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce said Friday: 'That young lady is from New Jersey and theres an active homicide case going right now.'

The homicide case is ongoing in New Jersey.

Witnesses who saw the torso in the Red Hook channel on June 27 said the 'butchered' corpse looked as though it was deliberately mutilated.

'The woman wasn't just murdered  she was butchered,' the man who found the body told the Post.

The torso had been cut at the knees and the woman's intestines were out.

He and his wife saw the dismembered and naked body floating in the water as they walked their dog at around 11am last Tuesday.
Joana Burns who died after taking Ecstasy for the first time aged 22

Drug abuse on a shocking scale has been revealed at a top university venue following the death of a maths student.

Joana Burns, 22, who did not normally take drugs but was experimenting as part of a final fling to celebrate the end of her third-year exams, collapsed and died.

A 20-year-old woman was left in a life-threatening condition following the same students union event at elite Russell Group institution Sheffield University.

Police said both women were believed to have taken MDMA  a crystallised form of ecstasy  at The Tuesday Clubs Summer Carnival. The rave night has been held by the union for almost 20 years.

But police revealed that only a week before the death of part-time Marks & Spencer worker Miss Burns on June 7, officers had visited the students union and collected a huge quantity of illegal substances.

They had either been confiscated from revellers or found around the club and in toilets. There were 98 packets of powder, 31 packets of tablets or pills, nine packets of cannabis and four cannabis spliffs.

Tragic: Joana Burns (centre) with two friends

The union holds club events on most nights of the week and the drugs had been amassed between November and May, before being kept in a drugs box to hand to police. Chief Superintendent Shaun Morley, of South Yorkshire Police  which has asked for the unions nightclub licence to be reviewed  said: It is apparent there is an underlying issue of drugs supply and consumption at the premises.

Miss Burnss boyfriend Lewis Birch said: If anyone is ever thinking of taking any sort of drug  dont. It has torn my life apart. I am absolutely crushed right now.

He described Miss Burns as an intelligent, gifted young woman with a beautiful smile.

Her family said she had been named Joana after Joan of Arc and had shown the same strength and conviction in her studies. Paying tribute on a Just Giving website dedicated to raising money for drug education among students, they said: Joana was a wonderful young woman with so much to look forward to.

She will be missed not only by her family and friends but by everyone who knew her.

Friends of Miss Burns, a maths student at Sheffield Hallam University, told police how they each paid 7 for the drug before attending the club on June 6. Miss Burns, of Alfreton, Derbyshire, took one dose of MDMA before entering the venue. She consumed a second dose in the toilets, after which she was sick and collapsed, her friends said.

Gone: Joana Burns with her boyfriend Lewis who is said to be devastated by her sudden death

She was taken to hospital but died in intensive care.

One of Miss Burnss friends told police: It was just supposed to be a one-off final fling to finish university. We were all looking forward to the end-of-term parties and functions, including one at The Tuesday Club.

The second woman, also a Sheffield Hallam student, was initially placed on a life support machine and spent a number of days in intensive care, according to the police report.

Her condition has since improved, although she is not well enough to be interviewed.

Sheffield University said: The University of Sheffield and its students union are deeply saddened by the death of a young woman following suspected MDMA ingestion, and our thoughts are with her family and friends.
The SAS enjoys a unique status in British life, and its soldiers are often rightly viewed as heroes. They are almost certainly the finest special forces unit in the world.

Their record is remarkable, both in theatres of war and counter-terrorist operations  most famously ending the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege in London.

Thus these allegations are a serious embarrassment to the Army, and to the elite regiment based at Hereford. It is vital to stress that nothing as yet has been proved against them.

Even so, critics have complained for many years that it has been allowed to be too much of a private army, immune from the usual supervision and discipline by the military hierarchy.

Critics have complained for many years that the SAS has been allowed to be too much of a private army, immune from the usual supervision and discipline by the military hierarchy. Pictured: A British solider in Afghanistan

The regiment is dominated by its non-commissioned officers  sergeant power  because many serve with the unit for years, while captains and majors come and go.

In Afghanistan, senior officers complained that the SAS often seemed to be waging a separate campaign against the Taliban enemy from the one being fought by infantry battalions.

Sometimes, it has been resistant even to telling the central chain of command what they were doing  most often, targeting individuals alleged to be Taliban commanders.

Certainly, the regiment takes enormous pride in its professionalism and achievements. It does things differently  and it does them supremely well. In Iraq, while the US Army thought poorly of the performance of its British allies in the south around Basra, American generals were full of praise for the achievements of SAS hit squads which captured or killed scores of key Al Qaeda personnel in and around Baghdad.

But now we read these allegations, about SAS misconduct in Afghanistan.

In Iraq, while the US Army thought poorly of the performance of its British allies in the south around Basra, American generals were full of praise for the achievements of SAS hit squads. Pictured: British troops on duty in Afghanistan

Rumours about this have been widespread in the Army for more than a year, causing alarm precisely because the regiment is hailed as representing best of British.

The issue is not merely that soldiers were accused of killings in cold blood and of planting weapons in households where none were found, but that these episodes were systematically covered-up by senior officers, up to and including the major-general then serving as the director of special forces.

There is no suggestion that any officer above that level colluded in attempting to suppress this ugly story. The Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Nick Carter, has been unyielding in his view that justice must take its course, however embarrassing for the Armed Forces. How else can we claim to hold the moral high ground against the enemy? he once asked.

Throughout the controversy about the Royal Marines Sergeant Alexander Blackman, released from prison earlier this year after 1,277 days behind bars after his conviction for the murder of an Afghan insurgent was quashed and downgraded to manslaughter on the basis of combat stress, Sir Nick Carter said that the issue had to be left in the hands of the judges.

Rumours about the SAS have been widespread in the Army for more than a year, causing alarm precisely because the regiment is hailed as representing best of British. Pictured: British soldiers on board a plane in Afghanistan

He is right. No soldier can be above the law. If members of an SAS squadron are guilty of war crimes in Afghanistan, they must be brought to justice, however great the embarrassment for Hereford and for the Army as a whole.

Otherwise, the moral high ground, which is rightfully ours in the struggle against our enemies, becomes threatened. This has happened before in war. There were atrocities in Vietnam  the My Lai massacre foremost among them. Western guards at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq subjected prisoners to cruelties and humiliations. US captives at Guantanamo Bay were shackled and mistreated.

Such actions were politically, morally and legally indefensible.

The leak about the military police investigation, and the recent decision by the Ministry of Defence drastically to reduce its scope, must have been prompted by frustration and anger among those who have been conducting inquiries for the past 18 months.

The message is always the same from these affairs: it is impossible to keep the lid on such allegations, justified or no.

Compounding the issue is the fact that there is a sense of frustration in the Army that the SASs chain of command means it does not answer to the Army but to the Joint Forces Command in Northwood, north London.

If members of an SAS squadron are guilty of war crimes in Afghanistan, they must be brought to justice. Pictured: A soldier walks in the Afghan sun

In any case, the Army would have done better to issue a statement many months ago, acknowledging that supposed war crimes were being investigated.

In the civilian world, the police often do this, to make plain that they are taking seriously possible offences committed.

As it is, the Army and the SAS have the worst of all worlds.

Those who look for opportunities to smear them will think the worst, whether or not charges are eventually laid.

The SAS is a huge asset to our Armed Forces and worldwide prestige. But its soldiers cannot be allowed to do their own thing, within or without the law.

True, no wrongdoing has been proved, but this episode emphasises the need to ensure that they act and fight under orders as much as any humble infantry squaddie.
Education Secretary Justine Greening is lobbying for more than 1billion to ease pressure on school budgets.

Miss Greening is urging the Prime Minister to make the announcement as soon as possible, so schools can plan for the next academic year, which starts in September.

If theres going to be a fix its a case of the sooner the better, the source said.

She has told Theresa May more money is needed to reassure parents enraged at the prospect of cuts at their childrens schools.

Backbench MPs have told Downing Street school funding was a major issue with voters during the election.

The Tories were went into the campaign saying they would protect school funding. But although the amount of money was going up, increases in the number of pupils meant per-pupil spending will fall sharply.

Secretary of State for Education Justine Greening (left) warned Theresa May (right) more money was needed to reassure parents who were enraged at the prospect of cuts at their childrens schools.

Some schools faced cuts as high as eight per cent last year.

In addition, proposed changes to the school funding formula - designed to make it fairer - meant some schools, particularly in London saw their budgets fall even further.

A government source said voters had recognised that per pupil funding was being cut, and ministers need to address the concern.

The Conservatives have pledged to increase the schools budget in England by 4billion by 2022.

But to keep pace with increases in pupil numbers will not be cheap.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies estimates an extra 1.2billion a year by 2022 is needed to preserve the amount of money spent per pupil.

More would be needed to smooth out all the effects of the funding formula changes to ensure no school was worse off than now.

This pledge was contained within the Tory manifesto.

The additional funds would be needed on top of any pay rise for teachers if the pay cap is abandoned.

Proposed changes to increase fairness in the funding formula used to calculate how much each school receives means some saw their budgets fall even further, particularly in London

Luke Sibieta, the IFSs education expert said: Preventign any further cuts to school spending per pupil would cost about 1.2billion compared with existing Conservative commitments.

However, because of cuts already implemented since 2015, such a policy would still leave spending per pupil in 2022 at about the same level it was over ten years earlier.

If policy-makers wanted to reverse past cuts and protect spending per pupil going forward that would cost a further 2.6billion.

The initial funding formula proved hugely controversial with some Conservative MPs who were furious their constituencies were losing money.

Miss Greening is urging the Prime Minister to make the announcement as soon as possible, so schools can plan for the next academic year, which starts in September. The Prime Minster is pictured visiting Orchard School in Bristol on June 27

Last week the Mail revealed headteachers in some areas sent parents warnings both by letter and on social media sites in the run-up to the vote warning of cuts.

One said school funding was in a dreadful state under Theresa May. It was sent by heads from 3,000 schools across 14 counties.

Critics said the moves were a breach of civil service rules that require public bodies to be scrupulously impartial. Messages were even sent out in areas where schools were getting more money, Tory MPs said.

The Tory manifesto said free school meals for infant pupils would be scrapped for children whose parents arent on benefits. But this was ditched in the Queens Speech as part of efforts to slim down the governments programme.
Hospitals should ban handshakes and encourage fist bumps as an alternative greeting, it has been claimed.

Fist bumps  as made famous by US President Barack Obama - spread fewer germs than handshakes and it is hoped this might reduce the spread of drug-resistant superbugs.

Many US hospitals are already no handshake zones  and now experts are calling for UK hospitals to follow suit.

Hospitals should ban handshakes and encourage fist bumps as an alternative greeting, health experts say

A firm handshake was the least hygienic greeting, transferring 124 million live bacteria on average

The traditional greeting is banned in neonatal intensive care units at two hospitals in Los Angeles, after a trial by paediatrics professor Dr Mark Sklansky was deemed a success.

We are trying to do everything to minimise hospital-acquired infection except for the most obvious and easiest thing to do, in my opinion, which is to stop shaking hands, said Dr Sklansky, a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.

If I am at a computer terminal or using a phone or opening a door, I know my hands are now contaminated, and I need to be careful and I need to wash my hands.

Dr Dave Whitworth, senior lecturer at the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Aberystwyth University, believes the scheme should be rolled out to UK hospitals to help prevent the spread of drug-resistant superbugs such as MRSA and C Difficile.

The huge numbers of cases of antimicrobial resistant infections and hospital-acquired infections each year means that even a slight reduction in the frequency of transmission could save large numbers of lives, said Whitworth.

I would recommend handshake bans.

If it does nothing else, it raises awareness of the problems of infectious disease in the healthcare setting.

Maureen Shawn Kennedy, editor of the American Journal of Nursing, agreed: There are just so many reasons to avoid handshakes, even when people are washing their hands, she said.

Just because someone is walking around in a white coat... doesnt mean they dont have bacteria on their hands.

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama (L) gives a fist bump to a journalism scholarship recipient at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner

Dr Whitworth conducted a study in 2014 which found a firm handshake was the least hygienic greeting, transferring 124 million live bacteria on average.

This was nearly twice as much as a high five, and ten times more than a fist-bump.

We tested the idea that different contact greetings might allow different numbers of bacteria to move between shakers, and we found that a firm prolonged handshake allowed the largest transfer of bacteria of any greeting we tested, said Dr Whitworth.

The best was the fist bump, so we suggested that adoption of fist bumping instead of handshaking could reduce the spread of infectious organisms through communities.

A study published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases in January found that one in six children in UK paediatric intensive care units, and one in ten babies in neonatal intensive care units, had developed hospital infections while being treated.

Many of the infections were drug-resistant, making treatment difficult.

Dr Whitworth says using alternative greetings to handshakes may help reduce such infections, but others argue thorough hand washing, rather than a handshake ban, is the real solution.

The problem isnt the handshake: Its the hand-shaker, said Herbert Fred, associate editor of the Texas Heart Institute Journal.

If we ban the handshake, we might as well ban the physical examination. Both practices can spread germs.

However, a 2010 study in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology found only 40 per cent of healthcare professionals comply with hand hygiene rules in hospitals.

In a healthcare setting it would be best not to touch at all, but many health professionals think that shaking hands is fine as long as they practice good hand hygiene, said Dr Whitworth.

The problem is that many studies have shown that hand hygiene practices amongst healthcare professionals are by no means perfect.

The fist bump is popular among black Americans  and in 2008 Barack Obama fist bumped his wife Michele when he got the Democratic presidential nomination  drawing the worlds attention to the greeting.
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It might just be Britain's quirkiest Airbnb yet - a caravan hoisted 13-ft up a tree.

The Bogancloch Treehouse, in Rhynie, Scotland, is a three-person 1960s touring caravan and former film prop which guests can stay in for just 17 per night, provided they don't mind having no mains electricity, no internet and no bathroom facilities.

Its refreshingly frank description states that the caravan's interior is 'shabby', it's five miles from any street lights, and that the owner isn't liable for anyone falling off it - and boasts rave reviews from more than 120 prior guests and a solid 4.5 out of 5 overall rating.

The Bogancloch Treehouse (pictured), in Rhynie, Scotland, is a three-person 1960s touring caravan and former film prop which guests can stay in for just 17 per night

The owner, actor and merchant seaman Jake Williams, shot a short film based in the tree-hoisted caravan in 2011, which starred only himself, dubbed Two Years at Sea.

Instead of taking it back down to ground level when filming was over, he started renting it out instead.

He writes in the description: 'This treehouse is 12ft 6in above the ground, and it's 15 miles to the hospital. We don't pay any public-liability insurance, so if you're a sleepwalker or a big drinker, please be careful.'

The vehicle is equipped with a double bed and another single, a gas cooker and paraffin lamps for light, as well as a dry composting toilet at ground level.

The vehicle is equipped with a double bed and another single, a gas cooker and paraffin lamps for light, as well as a dry composting toilet at ground level

Its refreshingly frank description states that the caravan's interior is 'shabby', it's five miles from any street lights, and that the owner isn't liable for anyone falling off it

The worktop (pictured) slides back over the sink so that guests can get out of the door and out to the balcony and steps

'It's a 1960s touring caravan so obviously there is no shower or bath,' Mr Williams states. 'I recommend having an allover wash the 'Japanese' way, with two kettlefuls of water and two facecloths, one for soaping and one for rinsing yourself.'

He adds: 'There are no street-lights within five miles. I recommend arriving during daylight if possible, so you are settled-in before it's dark.

'The advantage is that you can see the stars (and occasionally the Northern Lights) if the sky is clear.'

Mr Williams writes that 'mostly' he leaves guests alone, but is happy to offer his local recommendations.

The owner writes in the description: 'This treehouse is 12ft 6in above the ground, and it's 15 miles to the hospital. So if you're a sleepwalker or a big drinker, please be careful.' Pictured, the entrance to the site where the lodging is located

His reviews are rapturous.

One guest, who visited in June, raved: 'One of the most unique/hospitable experiences I have ever had travelling. The caravan, and Jake are two of the most interesting things I have come across. '

Another wrote: 'We agreed that Jake could do with a negative review, to balance out all the rapturous praise the treehouse has been getting and generally lower peoples expectations.

'Unfortunately, as I pointed out to him, the treehouse would have had to have been way less cosy, the scenery far less beautiful and the man himself a lot less hospitable and good fun for this to be anything less than glowing.'

Interested in booking a last-minute trip to see it for yourself?

'Next-day bookings don't always work,' Mr William advises. 'The internet and phone here are a bit dodgy.'
She was discovered at the tender age of 13 during Girlfriend magazine's 2004 model search.

And on Saturday, Samantha Harris came full circle, appearing as a judge and mentor for the same competition 13 years on.

Clad in a mini black-and-white polka-dot dress from Witchery, the stunning 26-year-old came face-to-face with a throng of aspiring models and fans at Perth's Westfield Carousel.

She's back! On Saturday, Samantha Harris came full circle appearing as a judge and mentor for the Girlfriend model search 13 years after she was discovered in the same competition

Samantha showcased her quirky style in the sassy frock, which also featured long bell sleeves and a v-neck cut-out.

Pairing her frock with grey sock boots, the statuesque beauty showcased her long legs dazzing in her ensemble.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, Girlfriend Editor Tamara Davis revealed that Samantha embraced her mentoring duties during the event and made sure to impart sage knowledge about the fashion industry upon the eager contestants.

Dazzling: Stunning in a mini black and white polka dot dress from Witchery, the 26-year-old appeared at Perth's Westfield Carousel alongside the aspiring models and fans

True professional: Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia, Girlfriend Editor Tamara Davis revealed that Samantha embraced her mentoring duties during the event

'She always takes the time to give the girls really considered and genuine advice for their modelling careers,' Tamara said.

'As a mentor, she's super down to earth and real with the girls. She gets it because she's been there.'

Tamara explained that Samantha was extremely nervous when she first auditioned all those years ago, and therefore knew exactly what to say to the teens.

Helpful: 'As a mentor, she's super down to earth and real with the girls. She gets it because she's been there', said Tamara

Say cheese! Between mentoring and smiling in selfies, Sam also found time to pose in front of the media wall with Chic Management director Ursula Hufnagl (far left), Priceline Marketing Manager Allana May (middle) and Girlfriend Editor Tamara (far right)

True mentor: 'Sam is the perfect example of what we're looking for in our model search, she's obviously gorgeous but she's just beautiful on the inside', Tamara revealed

Between mentoring and smiling in selfies, Samantha also found time to pose in front of the media wall with Chic Management director Ursula Hufnagl, Priceline Marketing Manager Allana May and Tamara.

Although the model came runner up to Abbey Lee Kershaw, the Girlfriend editor said that Samantha's story is proof that you don't need to be a contest winner to have a successful career.

'Sam is the perfect example of what we're looking for in our model search, she's obviously gorgeous but she's just beautiful on the inside,' she said.

'We discovered some incredible talent and potential today we're really excited about. I think this is going to be one of our best years yet.'

A true testament: Although the model came runner up to Abbey Lee Kershaw, the Girlfriend editor said that Samantha's story helped prove to the girls that you don't need to be a contest winner to have a successful career
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These pictures show the daughter of disgraced businessman Sir Philip Green passionately kissing with the 'world's hottest felon' Jeremy Meeks.

Topshop heiress Chloe Green was pictured getting intimate with married Meeks aboard a 180ft superyacht, as they cruised the Mediterranean off Turkey.

Dubbed the 'world's hottest felon', father-of-two Meeks stole hearts all over the world when his mugshot went viral in 2014.

The former gang member was convicted of possessing a semi-automatic pistol and was jailed for two years. He was released from prison in 2016 saying that he had found God, before quickly securing a six-figure modelling job.



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Surprise surprise: 'Hot felon' Jeremy Meeks, 33, and heiress Chloe Green, 26, were spotted sharing a passionate kiss aboard a luxury yacht in Turkey on Thursday

Hands on: The pair then cosied up on a deck chair with Chloe shooting a seductive glance Jeremy's way as she reclined into his lap and puffed on a cigarette, while the model got within pecking distance of her lips

'We appreciate all the love and the hate': Chloe Green appeared to hit back after she was spotted kissing Jeremy as she shared a defiant Instagram photo of the pair with snapper Jim Jordan hinting the yacht display is 'just the beginning'

After the pictures emerged, Chloe hit back with an Instagram photo of the pair which read: 'Just the Beginning... We appreciate all the love and the hate'. The duo were sat with photographer Jim Jordan, who is also Meeks's manager.

Meeks and Chloe, whose father is worth 3.8billion, are believed to have met during the Cannes Film Festival in May this year.

The intimate yacht pictures show Jeremy gently holding onto Chloe's face, with the heavily inked catwalk star looking handsome in green board shorts as Chloe wrapped her arms around his muscular waist, with her wavy caramel locks flowing down her back.

The pair shared a moment looking into each other's eyes before moving their public display of affection to a deck chair.

There, they cosied up with Chloe shooting a seductive glance Jeremy's way as she reclined into his lap and puffed on a cigarette, while the model got within pecking distance of her lips.

Check you out: Jeremy couldn't take his eyes off his new friend's toned and tanned form as he was spotted stealing a glance during a sunbathing session

Can't take my eyes off you: The model passionately locked lips with the heiress before lovingly gazing at her with his icy blue peepers

Close: The pair looked relaxed in each other's company as they enjoyed their day at sea aboard a superyacht

Intimate display: Chloe and Jeremy's PDA-filled day didn't stop there as Chloe was seen with her leg wrapped around Jeremy as the pair looked wistfully out to sea

Up close: Chloe couldn't take her eyes off her new acquaintance, even staring at him upside down as he held onto her face

Chloe and Jeremy's PDA-filled day didn't stop there as Chloe was seen with her leg wrapped around Jeremy as the pair looked wistfully out to sea.

Although surrounded by idyllic scenery on all sides, the pair only had eyes for one another as Jeremy affectionately fixed his ice blue peepers on Chloe.

Make-up free Chloe flaunted her radiant complexion as she stopped to take a quick photo while flaunting her toned abs and pert bust in her skimpy swimwear.

The jailbird hunk then got to grips with the former shoe designer as he held onto her toned legs to give her a piggyback.

Leggy: The jailbird hunk then got to grips with the former shoe designer as he held onto her toned legs to give her a piggyback

Dive in: The pair put on a playful display as they flung their arms up into the air on a diving board

Honed: Chloe looked pretty in a skimpy black bikini while Jeremy showed off his tattooed chest and underwear

Relaxed: Chloe stared off into the distance as Jeremy contemplated a dip

The display is somewhat surprising as Jeremy is married to wife Melissa, with whom he shares two children.

The chiselled star flaunted his honed midriff and numerous tattoos as he strolled about on deck before dive bombing into the sea.

Jeremy shared an envy inducing snap of him hanging out on the yacht to his 1.2m Instagram followers on Wednesday, with the caption Jim Jordan photography.

The snapper, who is known for women's fashion photography, is Jeremy's manager and his Instagram page is littered with photos of the former felon, suggesting Chloe and Jeremy may have been taking part in a highly convincing photo shoot.

Playful: Jeremy looked like a pro as he showed off his tightrope walking skills and divebombed into the sea

In demand: The clotheshorse showed off his best smouldering expression as he posed up with pals

Banter: Jeremy shared a laugh with his boatmates as they enjoyed a peaceful day at sea

Daredevil: Jeremy looked like an acrobat as he somersaulted off the deck

Yacht life: The pair soaked up the sun on this luxury superyacht which appeared to have a number of other guests

Smouldering: Jeremy showed off his icy blue eyes as he stared into the camera

SIR PHILIP GREEN: FROM 'KING OF THE HIGH STREET' TO MPS VOTING TO STRIPPING HIS KNIGHTHOOD Powerful trio: Chloe has largely been laying low since her flamboyant father ignited outrage in the UK over his controversial offloading of iconic British store BHS (pictured with her mother Lady Cristina Green in May 2017) Chloe is the daughter of controversial billionaire Sir Philip Green, who owns the 3.8bn Arcadia group fashion group, which includes British retail stores Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Burton, Evans and Dorothy Perkins

Chloe has largely been laying low since her flamboyant father ignited outrage in the UK over his controversial offloading of iconic British store BHS. Sir Philip Green, who owns the 3.8bn Arcadia fashion group, which includes British retail stores Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Burton, Evans and Dorothy Perkins. Sir Philip owned BHS for 15 years before selling it for just 1 to former bankrupt Dominic Chappell in 2015. However, in April 2016 when BHS went into administration, leaving 11,000 employees unemployed and threatening the pension fund for 20,000 current and former workers. Last month the Pension Regulator concluded that the billionaire tycoon was determined to 'postpone' the collapse of the company when he sold it on. The Arcadia boss made a voluntary personal cash payment of 343million towards improved benefits to the pension scheme members, and made available an additional 20million towards implementation costs. Sir Philip said the settlement brought 'this matter to a conclusion' and apologised to the affected pensioners. 'Once again I would like to apologise to the BHS pensioners for this last year of uncertainty, which was clearly never the intention when the business was sold,' he said in February. Before the BHS scandal self-made Sir Philip was largely respected in British business and was labelled 'The King of The High Street. Advertisement

Life of luxury: Jeremy has settled into his new life as a jet setting supermodel

Chloe's photos with Jeremy come as a source told The Sun: 'Chloe seems quite taken with Jeremy, and who can blame her?

'He's seen as one of the sexiest guys on the celebrity social circuit and has a story or two to tell about his colourful past.'

But the source added that Sir Phillip may not be quite as impressed, as he is 'very protective'.

'Quite what Chloe's dad and Jeremy's wife will make of their fling is another matter,' they added.

New flame? Chloe shared this sultry snap with the same photo copyright as Jeremy

MailOnline has contacted Jeremy's representative for comment

Both Jeremy and Chloe have separately been sharing sun-soaked snaps from the same location, both tagged with his manager, Jim Jordan photography.

And the snaps have garnered a mixed reaction, with one follower commenting: 'He's dating Sir Philip Greens daughter Chloe. There are pictures of them making out on a yacht. One word dude, Karma.'

But another defended him, adding: 'Maybe they have broken up. Haven't seen neither of them post each other up on their pages for awhile. I doubt he would do anything in public if they were still together'.

Pastures new: Both Jeremy and Chloe have separately been sharing sun-soaked snaps from the same location, both tagged with his manager, Jim Jordan photography

'Chloe seems quite taken with Jeremy, and who can blame her?' The pictures, which appear to show him kissing the former Made In Chelsea star, come as a source told The Sun Chloe is besotted

The display came just a day after his wife of eight years, Melissa Meeks, shared an emotional Instagram post.

The mother-of-three, who he shares a son with, shared a meme of legendary rapper Tupac, which reads: 'Never apologise for how much love you have to give. Just feel sorry for those who didn't want any of it'.

And somewhat tellingly, a day before that the brunette shared a snap of Tupac holding his middle finger up, with the caption: 'It's just me against the world baby,' with the hashtag 'Still I rise'.

It looks to have been a bumpy ride for the dedicated mum, who last month shared a lengthy post admitting that 'Love isn't always a fairtytale'.

'One word dude, Karma': The snaps have garnered a mixed reaction on social media

And tellingly, she replied '100' to a follower, who wrote: 'But the other person has to take value in you as well,why as woman we have to endure all the bullsh**?!You was with this n***a through jail time,broke times and all!How about you make him fight and endure some sh** like you have but nooo you you obviously bout to endure more pain for money!!Remember sister it's not worth it now you gotta deal with famous th*ts it will only get worse!'.

The display comes after he mingled at an array of star-studded events during the Cannes Film Festival last month.

Meeks, whose looks have earned him a huge fanbase, made his first official modelling appearance at New York fashion week this year, and has certainly turned his life around in an impressive way since his release from prison.

'Never apologise for how much love you have to give': The display came just a day after his wife of eight years, Melissa Meeks, shared an emotional Instagram post'

'It's just me against the world baby': Melissa has been sharing telling posts this week

'Love isn't always perfect': As Jeremy mingled with models at Cannes Film Festival in May, Melissa responded to a follower who told her 'he should fight for her'

However his journey to stardom hasn't been all smooth-sailing, after he was recently barred from entry to the UK after arriving at London's Heathrow airport from New York.

Speaking to DailyMail.com about the incident which prevented him from attending a work-related photoshoot, he said: 'I'm very, very saddened and confused. I went down there [London] with high hopes for the experience and the UK.

'I really wanted to go there. I still don't understand quite what happened but I know there's no ill will. They're [Border Force] doing their job.'

Sending pulses racing: The handsome hunk firmly secured his place with the A-list, as he mingled with the likes of superstar rapper Nicki Minaj in Cannes in May

Famous friends: Jeremy mingled with socialite Paris Hilton as he modelled for Philip Plein

Asked what had happened to him, Jeremy, who described the incident as 'a little mix up', said: 'They just detained me and interrogated me and searched me.'

But he also said he doesn't believe the episode will put an end to his fledgling modelling career, saying he planned to travel again: 'Oh of course [I'll come back from this]. Of course. God is good.'

The California native shot to fame in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot on their website, following his arrest for gang activity and a misdemeanour charge of resisting/obstructing justice.

The photo promptly went viral, with internet users dubbing him 'the hottest convict ever'.

Valentine's message: In February Jeremy shared a sweet tribute to Melissa, writing that he would 'love her forever'
X Factor producers emailed a bakery asking for a free cake - despite Simon Cowell being worth 300million

Its one of the biggest shows on TV and creator Simon Cowell is worth 300 million, so I was bemused to hear that X Factor staff couldnt find 25 to buy a cake for a treat when the audition show turned up in Liverpool.

Instead, producers emailed Laura Worthington of Lauras Little Bakery asking for a free cake in exchange for tickets to the show and a big opportunity to get her cake on TV.

Laura promptly tweeted the email and replied: I only donate cakes to charity. I wouldve thought your budget allowed for such things. Perhaps... you might look to help out small businesses like mine by actually paying for their services?

Ever-classy under pressure, X Factor bosses blamed an over-enthusiastic young member of the team.

Actor, comedian, author, talent judge  hes done it all. But I was still surprised when one David Walliams fan paid a cool 10,000 to take tea and enjoy a book reading at Claridges with the Little Britain star.

But bravo to David and his teatime date: it was one of the lots snapped up at last weeks Authors For Grenfell Tower auction.
Model Alice Dellal has had the words 'Call mum' tattooed on to her hand

Shes one of Londons most prolific party girls, so Im not surprised that model Alice Dellal keeps forgetting to ring her mother  but her solution is pretty extreme.

Shes just had the words CALL MUM tattooed on to her hand.

Alice, 29, demonstrated its use as an effective reminder by taking a picture of herself calling her Brazilian model mother Andrea  while holding her phone with her hand sporting the new inking.

Alice, who models for Chanel and Marc Jacobs, is no stranger to tattoos.

She has a shark on her palm, a skeleton on her upper arm, triangles up one of her fingers and the initials DC on another.

Alice, 29, demonstrated its use as an effective reminder by taking a picture of herself calling her Brazilian model mother Andrea, while sporting the new inking

Nigel Farage revealed he has cut down on cigarettes  now smoking just 50 a day!

I was delighted when Nigel Farage, right, told me that he has cut down on cigarettes  then shocked when he revealed he now smoked just 50 a day!

The politician-turned-radio show host told me at a party last week that hes had a good innings with his lifelong smoking habit but has realised that the time has come to quit.

He has started using an iQOS device that heats cigarettes, rather than burning them. It has really helped, it does make the fags healthier, he told me  as he offered around his trademark pack of Rothmans.

The worst ones are the ones I need as soon as I wake up. But I am down to just the 50 now.

He achieved cult fame for playing hapless getaway driver Tyrone in hit 2000 film Snatch  but might the actor known simply as Ade make a name for himself as a politician? His director pal Guy Ritchie, who cast him in Snatch, seems to think so. Guy shared this Instagram shot of Ade wearing a wig on a private jet during a pals stag-do last week with the caption The next Prime Minister. Yeah.

When I saw Ade at a party last week he explained: Guy told me he was auditioning me for King Arthur 2.

So he made me put on the wig. Then he burst out laughing and said it was a prank, he just wanted to make me look like Diane Abbott.

I should have known we were drinking a lot!
Bambi Northwood-Blyth recently sparked speculation that her marriage to designer Dan Single is in trouble, after being spotted without her wedding ring.

And now, a report claims the 26-year-old model was left 'mortified' after her designer husband set up a Go Fund Me page following a Paris hotel balcony accident in March.

A source told The Daily Telegraph on Sunday that the pair are currently living apart as the future of their marriage remains unknown.

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Trouble in paradise? After speculation of a split, a source close to Bambi Northwood-Blyth has revealed the model was left 'mortified' after her husband Dan Single's $250,000 Go Fund Me campaign

'Bambi was mortified Dan would ask his friends and the wider community for money, particularly given their somewhat ostentatious lifestyle over the past decade,' said the insider.

Dan recently returned to Sydney after recovering from his fall.

In April, Dan asked the public for $250,000 to: 'Help fund the hospital bill, rehab bill, early flights home, being unable to make bread and work over the next [few] months and all the incidentals the family is covering at the moment.'

Took a tumble"In March, Dan suffered an accidental fall from a third floor balcony in Paris and shattered bones in his feet, legs and pelvis

One month prior, Dan suffered shattered bones in his feet, legs and pelvis after an accidental fall from a third floor balcony at Hotel Grand DAmour.

After the accident, Dan created a Go Fund Me page to help cover his medical expenses although it was quickly taken down amid backlash.

The criticism reportedly caused friction in Dan's three-year marriage to Bambi.

Well off! 'Bambi was mortified Dan would ask his friends and the wider community for money - particularly given their somewhat ostentatious lifestyle over the past decade'

Extortionate: After the accident, Dan created a Go Fund Me page and asked the public for a whopping $250,000 to cover his medical expenses

All business: Earlier in June, sources reportedly revealed that Dan, 'snuck quietly back into Sydney a few weeks ago' while his wife has remained behind in Ibiza to model

These claims come just weeks after Dan secretly left Paris, where he had been recuperating since his fall in March.

Earlier in June, sources reportedly revealed that Dan, 'snuck quietly back into Sydney a few weeks ago' while his wife has remained behind in Ibiza to model.

A close friend reportedly told Confidential: 'Things haven't been great between them. The party lifestyle looks to have finally caught up.'

Going solo: Bambi and Dan have not been pictured together in months, with Bambi recently travelling to Ibiza with friends while celebrating her 26th birthday as her injured husband recovered in hospital

Slender frame: The star showed off her very slender frame as she frolicked on the beach with fellow model Megan Blake Irwin

Bambi and Dan have not been pictured together in months, with Bambi recently travelling to Ibiza with friends while celebrating her 26th birthday as her injured husband recovered in hospital.

Earlier this month, she was pictured frolicking on the beach with fellow model Megan Blake Irwin during a sunny outing.

In photos shared to her Instagram story, Bambi spent time at the beach sipping on a juice alongside Megan.

Travel buddies:The Ibiza trip came after the Australian model besties also spent time together in Paris

Jetsetter: It's just the latest luxury work location for Bambi this year, the model also spending time in New York, Miami, London, Budapest and the Amalfi Coast just to name a few

Megan took to Instagram on Monday to wish her best friend happy birthday, sharing a snap of the two by the beach and captioning the photo: 'HAPPPPPY BIRTHDAYYYY MY BABY GIRL!!!!'

A later video shows Bambi on a Ibiza nightclub stage next to the DJ booth, the beauty aptly captioning the energetic video 'Popping.'

The Ibiza trip came after the Australian model besties also spent time together in Paris.

Fun in the sun: Bambi was pictured relaxing in Ibiza as Dan recovered in Paris

It's just the latest luxury work location for Bambi this year, the model also spending time in New York, Miami, London, Budapest and the Amalfi Coast just to name a few.

Dan married Bambi in 2014 in a Byron Bay ceremony, with the model becoming a step mother to Dan's 10-year-old son Justice.

The pair have been together for nine years.
Ryan Reynolds was one of a number of stars who took to social media to commemorate Canada Day Saturday.

The day marked the 150th anniversary of the implementation of the British North America Act, marking the country's self-governing dominion of Great Britain.

The 40-year-old Vancouver native made a cinematic reference in hailing his homeland, writing, '150 is nothing. It's like, Robert Pattinson's age in the Twilight Movies. Happy Birthday I guess. #Canada150.'

Prodigal son: Ryan Reynolds was one of many stars to hail Canada Day on Saturday

Enthusiastic: Shania Twain posed with a pair of Mounties amid her busy day up north

Commemoration: The Windsor, Ontario-born entertainer took to Twitter for the occasion

Songstress Shania Twain, 51, who was born in Windsor, Ontario, wrote, 'Special one today #Canada150.'

Child star Jacob Tremblay, 10, wore his enthusiasm with a T-shirt that read, 'Everyone loves a Canadian Boy,' accompanying a shot of himself in the shirt with a tweet reading, 'HAPPY 150TH BIRTHDAY CANADA! #BENICE #CANADADAY #150YEARSSTRONG.'

Vancouver native Cobie Smulders, 35, wrote: 'Happy Birthday Canada! Thanks for being an amazing place to grow up and continually a place I'm proud to call my homeland. #Canada150.'

Stunner: The actress wore an astronaut outfit as she attended the celebration in Parliament Hill, Ottawa

Young Canada: Entertainers such as Jacob Tremblay, Shawn Mendes and Cobie Smulders delivered spirited well-wishes on the hoilday

Other notable Canada natives to share their enthusiasm included Star Trek's William Shatner, actor Will Arnett and teen singing sensation Shawn Mendes.

South of the border, songstress Carrie Underwood, actor Matt Bomer and U.S. President Donald Trump paid homage to the vaunted anniversary. Bomer, whose husband Simon Halls is a Canada native, posted a shot of himself and their twins Henry and Walker, writing, 'Happy 150th birthday Canada!! #canada150 #canada #canadaday #lakelife.'

Trump wrote, 'Happy Canada Day to all of the great people of Canada and to your Prime Minister and my new found friend @JustinTrudeau. #Canada150.'

Big names: Native Canadians William Shatner and Will Arnett, as well as songstress Carrie Underwood, enjoyed the nationwide celebration

A celebration on Parliament Hill, Ottawa attended by Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, as well as Twain, featured a performance from U2's Bono and The Edge.

Bono told the crowd, 'Whether you have just arrived from Syria or your roots go back thousands of years, this is your home and we are grateful guests in it.'

The rock icon continued, 'When others build walls, you open doors. When others divide, your arms are open wide. Where you lead, others follow.'

Maple fun: Actor Matt Bomer, whose husband Simon Halls is a Canada native, posted a shot of himself and their twins Henry and Walker

Presence of royalty: Prince Charles spoke at the Canada Day celebration in Ottawa

Icons: U2's The Edge and Bono took to the stage, where the singer delivered a speech about inclusivity
Topshop heiress Chloe Green clearly makes no bones about cosying up to the 'world's hottest felon'.

Snaps of billionaire Sir Phillip Green's daughter show the 26-year-old getting intimate with Jeremy Meeks, 33, as the pair enjoying themselves on a yacht in the bays of Bodrum, Turkey.

Meeks mesmerised the world with his jaw-dropping good looks, rocketing to fame when snaps of his mugshot went viral in 2014.

The hunky former felon turned model, looked to be enjoying a luxurious cruise in the Mediterranean with Chloe, just days after his wife Melissa Meeks shared an emotional Instagram post.

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Snaps of billionaire Sir Phillip Green's daughter show the 26-year-old getting intimate with Jeremy Meeks, 33, as the pair enjoying themselves on a yacht in the bays of Bodrum, Turkey

Meeks mesmerised the world with his jaw-dropping good looks, rocketing to fame when snaps of his mugshot went viral in 2014.

The snaps have garnered a mixed reaction, with one follower commenting: 'He's dating Sir Philip Greens daughter Chloe. There are pictures of them making out on a yacht. One word dude, Karma'

The hunky former felon turned model,looked to be enjoying a luxurious cruise in the Mediterranean with Chloe, just days after his wife Melissa Meeks shared an emotional Instagram post

Life of luxury: Jeremy Meeks continued to send tongues wagging after pictures emerged of him kissing British Topshop heiress Chloe Green on a yacht in Turkey on Friday

The pictures, which appear to show him kissing the former Made In Chelsea star, come as a source told The Sun: 'Chloe seems quite taken with Jeremy, and who can blame her?

'He's seen as one of the sexiest guys on the celebrity social circuit and has a story or two to tell about his colourful past.'

But the source added that her billionaire father Sir Phillip Green, who owns retail umbrella Arcadia Group, may not be quite as impressed, as he is 'very protective'.

'Quite what Chloe's dad and Jeremy's wife will make of their fling is another matter,' they added.

New flame? The hunky former felon turned model, 33, looked to be enjoying a luxurious cruise in the Mediterranean with 26-year-old Chloe (pictured), just days after his wife Melissa Meeks shared an emotional Instagram post

MailOnline has contacted Jeremy's representative for comment

Both Jeremy and Chloe have separately been sharing sun-soaked snaps from the same location, both tagged with his manager, Jim Jordan photography.

And the snaps have garnered a mixed reaction, with one follower commenting: 'He's dating Sir Philip Greens daughter Chloe. There are pictures of them making out on a yacht. One word dude, Karma.'

But another defended him, adding: 'Maybe they have broken up. Haven't seen neither of them post each other up on their pages for awhile. I doubt he would do anything in public if they were still together'.

Pastures new: Both Jeremy and Melissa have separately been sharing sun-soaked snaps from the same location, both tagged with his manager, Jim Jordan photography

'Chloe seems quite taken with Jeremy, and who can blame her?' The pictures, which appear to show him kissing the former Made In Chelsea star, come as a source told The Sun Chloe is besotted

The display came just a day after his wife of eight years, Melissa Meeks, shared an emotional Instagram post.

The mother-of-three, who he shares a son with, shared a meme of legendary rapper Tupac, which reads: 'Never apologise for how much love you have to give. Just feel sorry for those who didn't want any of it'.

And somewhat tellingly, a day before that the brunette shared a snap of Tupac holding his middle finger up, with the caption: 'It's just me against the world baby,' with the hashtag 'Still I rise'.

It looks to have been a bumpy ride for the dedicated mum, who last month shared a lengthy post admitting that 'Love isn't always a fairtytale'.

'One word dude, Karma': The snaps have garnered a mixed reaction on social media

And tellingly, she replied '100' to a follower, who wrote: 'But the other person has to take value in you as well,why as woman we have to endure all the bullsh**?!You was with this n***a through jail time,broke times and all!How about you make him fight and endure some sh** like you have but nooo you you obviously bout to endure more pain for money!!Remember sister it's not worth it now you gotta deal with famous th*ts it will only get worse!'.

The display comes after he mingled at an array of star-studded events during the Cannes Film Festival last month.

The hunk, whose smouldering looks have earned him a huge fanbase, made his first official modelling appearance at New York fashion week this year, and has certainly turned his life around in an impressive way since his release from prison.

'Never apologise for how much love you have to give': The display came just a day after his wife of eight years, Melissa Meeks, shared an emotional Instagram post'

'It's just me against the world baby': Melissa has been sharing telling posts this week

'Love isn't always perfect': As Jeremy mingled with models at Cannes Film Festival in May, Melissa responded to a follower who told her 'he should fight for her'

However his journey to stardom hasn't been all smooth-sailing, after he was recently barred from entry to the UK after arriving at London's Heathrow airport from New York.

Speaking to DailyMail.com about the incident which prevented him from attending a work-related photoshoot, he said: 'I'm very, very saddened and confused. I went down there [London] with high hopes for the experience and the UK.

'I really wanted to go there. I still don't understand quite what happened but I know there's no ill will. They're [Border Force] doing their job.'

Sending pulses racing: The handsome hunk firmly secured his place with the A-list, as he mingled with the likes of superstar rapper Nicki Minaj in Cannes in May

Famous friends: Jeremy mingled with socialite Paris Hilton as he modelled for Philip Plein

Asked what had happened to him, Jeremy, who described the incident as 'a little mix up', said: 'They just detained me and interrogated me and searched me.'

But he also said he doesn't believe the episode will put an end to his fledgling modelling career, saying he planned to travel again: 'Oh of course [I'll come back from this]. Of course. God is good.'

The California native shot to fame in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot on their website, following his arrest for gang activity and a misdemeanour charge of resisting/obstructing justice.

The photo promptly went viral, with internet users dubbing him 'the hottest convict ever'.

Valentine's message: In February Jeremy shared a sweet tribute to Melissa, writing that he would 'love her forever'
Ariel Winter was born in sunny California.

But that didn't stop the 19-year-old starlet from celebrating Canada Day this Saturday.

The Modern Family beauty got in the spirit using her favorite method: posting a slinky selfie on Instagram which showed the red headed vixen donning a flirty silk playsuit and flaunting a maple leaf tattoo on her cheek while leaning against a truck.

Oh Canada! Though she's a SoCal native, Ariel Winter celebrated Canada Day on Saturday by donning a flirty silk playsuit and flaunting a maple leaf tattoo on her cheek through Instagram

The incoming UCLA student closed her eyes and smiled as she turned her face to display a red maple leaf and much more.

She captioned the photo 'Happy [Canadian Flag emoji] Day' plus a red heart.

Ariel's outfit looked better suited to the boudoir as she displayed her toned legs and generous bust in a rose gold onesie which featured a deep neckline and flouncy sleeves.

She added a rhinestone choker and dramatic white claws for extra glamour.

Apple of her eye! While the 19-year-old star isn't a Canuck, her love Levi Meaden is. She shared another photo of her sitting on her beau's lap while giving him a tender smooch on the cheek

Lacey lady! There were also plenty of smoldering selfies to be had. Ariel gave followers a close look at her generous cleavage and sexy lace bra in the close ups

While Ariel isn't Canadian, her boyfriend Levi Meaden is a bonafide Canuck.

A second photo shows the Sofia The First voice actress sitting on her other half's lap while leaning in to smooch her Calgary-born love, while also revealing Ariel's silver shoes which looked like a rather impractical choice for the country side.

The truck's Alberta, Canada license plate seemed to suggest the duo were enjoying a trip to the The Killing star's hometown.

Kiss off! In one the star coquettishly blows a kiss while another picture shows the Smurfs star smiling seductively while donning cute animal ears

Glamorous: The Sofia The First voice actress added a rhinstone choker and dramatic white claws for extra glamour

There were plenty of smoldering selfies to be had as well.

Ariel gave followers a more direct glimpse of her cleavage, showing off a lacey bra beneath her already slinky onesie.

In one the star coquettishly blows a kiss while another picture shows the Smurfs star smiling seductively while donning cute animal ears.

Just like family! Ariel's clearly not shy around her beau's family, as she later shared a cheeky selfie that showed her and Levi's mom Chris with posing next to a candy bra

Waving the flag! In another post Ariel and Levi pose with his younger brother Colt and mom Chris while a Canadian flag waves in the background

In another post Ariel and Levi pose with his younger brother Colt and mom Chris while a Canadian flag waves in the background.

The starlet captioned the photo 'We love you!!!!'

Clearly not shy around her beau's family, Ariel later shared a cheeky selfie with Levi's mom Chris with showed the ladies posing next to a (packaged) candy bra while the starlet dons a straw cowboy hat and Edmonton Oilers jacket.

While Levi was born and raised in Canada, he and Ariel call Los Angeles home where they share a 3,200-square-foot home in Sherman Oaks together.

What a match! Ariel and Levi are head over heels for each other. They currently share an LA home together
She's been linked to a number of men since splitting up with her fiance, wealthy Russian property entrepreneur Egor Tarabasov last August.

And Lindsay Lohan set rumors flying when she posted a shot of herself being hugged and kissed by a mysterious silver fox on Instagram on Saturday.

She captioned it with two hashtags, '#preemium #lovebirds', and four emoji happy faces - giving nothing away about the identity of the handsome hunk who cuddled up behind her.

Snuggling up: Lindsay Lohan looked radiant in this Instagram she posted on Saturday showing a handsome mystery man cuddling her from behind as he kissed the side her face

Lindsay, who was wearing a cream blouse with a frill around the arms, was all smiles.

Her beau looked dapper in a blue blazer and white shirt with his sunglasses pushed up into his grey hair as he nuzzled the former Disney child star's face.

The Mean Girls actress is presently on the Greek Island of Mykonos where she is celebrating her 31st birthday with friends.

The red head even extended an invitation to Beyonce, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton via Twitter - although it seems unlikely they will attend.

Old beau: Lindsay split with her fiance, wealthy Russian property entrepreneur Egor Tarabasov last August. Here they are seen at an event in London in May 2016

Life is looking up for Lindsay, who relocated from Hollywood to London several years ago, after battling alcohol and drug problems.

The former wild child has previously spent time in jail and been convicted of drunk-driving and shoplifting.

But she appears to be turning things around. She is launching her own lifestyle website and app to give fans a glimpse into her life and her acting career.

The flame-haired stunner later donned a cowboy hat in this snap captioned: 'It's my #birthday #gucci #blessed'

And she has two projects on the go.

Lindsay was spotted on set with Harry Potter star Rupert Grint filming the second season of comedy Sick Note, in which she will reportedly play Rupert's onscreen boss Katerina West.

She has also been cast In crime horror The Shadow Within, about a private eye probing the murder of her uncle while concealing the secret that she is descended from a line of werewolves.
She's one of Hollywood's most understated actresses.

And now Kirsten Dunst has opened up about working with an empowering female cast in the new movie The Beguiled, including Hollywood heavyweight Nicole Kidman and Elle Fanning.

Speaking to Stellar magazine on Sunday, the 35-year-old said the dominating female cast is something Hollywood needs more of.

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Anticipated: Kirsten Dunst has said the dominating female cast in The Beguiled is something Hollywood needs more of

With the new film set to hit Australian screens in two weeks, the actress is excited about the feminist take on the 1971 Clint Eastwood classic.

'For me, it's juts nice to see actresses working together. You don't get to see that very often,' she said.

'We're an all female cast, except for Colin [Farrell]. he was a good sport about it, but he's very objectified in this movie!'

Girl power! 'We're an all female cast, except for Colin [Farrell]. he was a good sport about it, but he's very objectified in this movie!'

Kirsten stars in the movie with Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning and Collin Farrell in the Sofia Coppola-directed film.

After wrapping up filming, Kirsten said she misses working with her Hollywood co-stars on a day-to-day basis.

'You see these people at six in the morning everyday, you're getting your makeup done, eating...you get close to people very quickly,' she said.

From all to nothing: 'You see these people at six in the morning everyday, you're getting your makeup done, eating...you get close to people very quickly'

'Then it's just cut off which is hard. You never see some people again despite having formed such intense relationships.'

After building an affinity with director Sofia on the 1999 film The Virgin Suicides, Kirsten said when she was offered the role, it was a no-brainer.

She said: 'For me it wasn't like "I need you do this role". She could literally be like, "Here's a phone book, we're going to do a movie about this phone book," and I would do the movie.'
Doctor Who fans were left convinced the next doctor is going to be female following a very big hint in the final episode of the series.

Peter Capaldi, 59, announced he was to leave the role in January, sparking intense speculation as to who will take charge of the TARDIS in the next run of episodes.

In Saturday's final episode, the Doctor battling both The Master and Missy battled to save a group of children from the dreaded Cybermen on a spaceship headed for a black hole.

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Fan speculation: Doctor Who fans were left convinced the next doctor is going to be female following a very big hint in the final episode of the series on Saturday

At the end of the episode, Bill Potts asks them to stand aside so she can take on whatever comes out of it prompting The Master to ask: 'Will the future be all girl?'

With The Doctor replying: 'We can only hope'.

Viewers immediately rushed to Twitter to discuss the potential Easter egg.

One star who is tipped to the the next Time Lord is Phoebe Waller-Bridge, 31, who made her name with the sharp dark comedy Fleabag.

Doctor Who? Peter Capaldi, 59, announced he was to leave the role in January sparking intense speculation as to who will take charge of the Tardis in the next run of episodes

Girl power: At the end of the episode, Bill Potts asks them to stand aside so she can take on whatever comes out of it prompting The Master to ask: 'Will the future be all girl?' With The Doctor replying: 'We can only hope' - a possible sign of things to come

Twitter speculation: Viewers immediately rushed to Twitter to discuss the potential Easter egg

An insider told The Sunday People: 'Beeb bosses love Phoebe. They thought she did an amazing job with Fleabag and is certainly one of the rising stars in TV and film.'

'They see her as the perfect fit as a Time Lord and the first female Doctor Who.'

Phoebe has previously been coy about the prospect of being the first female Doctor in the show's 52-year history, stating: 'I am not allowed to say anything about that, one way or the other.'

Fan theory: One fan had a theory about how the female Doctor was being cast

It appears the rising starlet could win the title over famous faces including Death In Paradise heartthrob Kris Marshall.

No doubt the directors of the show are looking to take it in a different direction on the back of its successful run for 52 years.

Peter will make his final appearance as the Doctor in the Christmas special.

It's a far cry from the confidence of betters in May where betting company Ladbrokes have had to close the book on Kris Marshall landing the gig.

Alex Donohue, of the betting organisation, said: 'A surge of punters have backed Marshall so weve had no choice but to close the book.'

He added, with a jaunty nod to the sci-fi series: 'If he does get the gig, the bookies will be exterminated first.'

Marshall said that was is leaving his long-running series Death In Paradise after four years on the BBC show, so that he can spend less time away from his family.

Meanwhile, preview pictures of the forthcoming Christmas episode hint at the thrilling scenes to come.

Big future: One star who is tipped to the the next Time Lord is Phoebe Waller-Bridge, 31, who made her name with the sharp dark comedy Fleabag

What lies in wait: Meanwhile, preview pictures of the forthcoming Christmas episode hint at the thrilling scenes to come

Shock: Fighting off regeneration, the Doctor will meet the original Time Lord, played by actor David Bradley

Fighting off regeneration, the Doctor will meet the original Time Lord, played by actor David Bradley.

The cliffhanger meant there were two Doctors on the screen at once - stunning audiences at home.

Steven Moffat bows out this Christmas with a double-Doctor special, featuring both Capaldis Twelfth incarnation and the First Doctor - but aside from the tempting pictures - nothing of the script has yet to be hinted at.

New face: It's a far cry from the confidence of betters in May where betting company Ladbrokes have had to close the book on Kris Marshall landing the gig
He's the rugby star who suffered the tragic loss of two newborns, daughter Sophie at 21 weeks, and son Henry at 28 weeks, with wife Sarah, 32.

But in Sunday's Stellar, Dean Mumm revealed that he had to remain optimistic, otherwise the couple would not have been blessed with son Alfie, one.

'If we kept looking back, we wouldn't have had Alfie,' the 33-year-old told the publication.

'If we kept looking back, Alfie would not be here': Rugby star Dean Mumm, 33, thanked his lucky stars for son Alfie, one, in Sunday's Stellar, after he and wife Sarah grieved the death of two newborns

'We found out that life can be pretty rubbish. It will throw some really, really poor moments at you,' Dean, a player for the Wallabies and New South Wales Waratahs, admitted to the publication.

'But ultimately there's a choice - I had to take Sarah's hand so we could get through it together. There's only one way through, and that's to turn up to tomorrow and keep going.

He added: 'If we kept looking back, we wouldn't have had Alfie. Everyone has their own battles and this was ours.'

Optimistic: 'I had to take Sarah's hand so we could get through it together. There's only one way through, and that's to turn up to tomorrow and keep going,' the Waratahs player continued to tell the publication

Joy after loss: Prior to Alfie's birth, Dean and Sarah, who married in January 2012, lost two newborns

Dean and Sarah, who married in January 2012, lost two newborns.

At 21 weeks pregnant, Sarah, a corporate lawyer, began bleeding and was forced to deliver the baby prematurely.

Complications surrounding the birth of the couple's daughter Sophie, were due to an incompetent cervix where it dilates too early.

And the same situation occurred for the couple's second child, son Henry, where at 28 weeks, Sarah found herself bleeding and forced to go into premature labour.

Proud father: Numerous images on the pair's Instagram accounts, see the trio beaming for the camera, clearly thanking their lucky stars

Henry was against the odds having contracted an infection during labour, passing away just days later.

However Dean and Sarah were blessed with a healthy baby boy Alfie, now 21 months.

Numerous images on the pair's Instagram accounts, see the trio beaming for the camera, clearly thanking their lucky stars.

Dean is passionate towards raising awareness and funds for Borne, a UK organisation that aims to prevent premature births.

The athlete will be part of an expedition to the North Pole next March, a 16-day trek, to raise funds for the organisation.

Raising funds and awareness: The athlete will be part of an expedition to the North Pole next March, a 16-day trek, to raise funds for UK organisation Borne, that aims to prevent premature births

In November last year, Sarah drew attention to the increasing number of premature births on Instagram, alongside a snap of Alfie at just a few hours old.

'Here is Alfie, just a few hours old. He is a lucky baby. Not all premature babies are lucky as Alfie,' she began.

'Every year 15 million babies are born too soon. 1 million of those babies die. Prematurity causes 70% of death and disability in newborn babies.

'The UK charity, Borne is trying to change this. Visit borne.org.uk and help parents and their babies to have the best start in life,' Sarah concluded.
She's been living it up since being booted from the Love Island villa by her fellow contestants, leaving her heartbroken partner Dom Lever behind.

But her beau appeared to be far from her mind, as Jessica Shears was spotted putting on a VERY amorous display while enjoying yet another VIP night out on Saturday in London.

The bronzed beauty was seen showering other club-goers with kisses, getting up close and personal with guests inside Cafe de Paris while flaunting her incredible figure in a curve-enhancing optical illusion dress.

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Bronzed beauty: Jessica Shears looked sensational in a curve-enhancing dress as she headed to Cafe de Paris in London on Saturday night

While she may currently be getting withdrawal symptoms from her beau, Jessica appeared to distract herself during her wild night out in the capital.

The busty brunette appeared to be having a ball as she danced inside the nightclub, before getting hands-on with others inside the venue.

In one shot, she is seen cuddling up to male companion who couldn't resist planting a kiss on her cheek, while in another Jess is seen with her hands on the derriere of a female friend as they straddle her.

Seeming to enjoy the attention, Jess was spotted smooching with several girls as she put on a flirty display - appearing to shrug off the recent speculation surrounding her alleged night of passion with her co-star Mike Thalassitis on their exit from Love Island.

Pucker up! The Love Island star put on a very amorous display as she got up close and personal with other club-goers

Smooching: She was seen planting a kiss on several female companions throughout the night

Wild night out: Jess was spotted cosying up to a number of beauties inside the London hotspot

The glamour model was recently embroiled in a scandal when she was accused of sleeping with fellow dumpee Mike hours after leaving the villa - a claim that she vehemently denies.

The beauty appeared on the ITV2 spin-off show, After Sun, to discuss the incident with Caroline Flack.

Jess watched the episode where Dom was told the rumours by other housemates backstage at the show; tearily saying: 'It's making me so angry. He's the only person I care about and I can't tell him, it's making me so angry.'

Devastated about hearing the rumours, Dom admitted: 'I know it was real, I was true to her and I thought it was special. If she's done what she's done it clearly wasn't as special to her.'

Kiss me quick: She showered guests with affection and put on a rather flirty display in front of the cameras

Hands on: At one point, Jess was seen cuddling up to a mystery blonde who had straddled her

Affectionate: Jess stole another quick peck from a fellow brunette

Smile: She appeared in high spirits as she frolicked around inside the plush venue and danced to the music

Selfie time! She couldn't resist hamming it up for the cameras as she documented her night with her mobile phone

However, thus far, Dom has refrained from getting intimate with any of the other housemates, and viewers have seen several shots of the despondent hunk pining after Jess.

Making the most of her return to the UK, Jess appeared to be enjoying herself as she partied in the capital while waiting to be reunited with Dom, following their two week romance on the ITV2 dating show.

She looked sensational in a little tangerine number that served to enhance her deep tan after sunning herself in Majorca.

Strike a pose! The starlet stole a look at a large tattoo she has etched onto her thigh, thanks to the sheer panels of her dress

XOXO: She was seen blowing a kiss to the camera - no doubt sending it in the direction of her Love Island beau Dom Lever who she has been pining after

Playful: Jess was seen getting to grips with a sparkler, as she enjoyed a bevy of drinks

Meet and greet: She was happy to stop and pose with fans while partying the night away

The starlet pulled her look together with a simple pair of gold heel, opting to forgo jewellery.

She wore her dark tresses in a glossy blow-dry and set off her pretty features with rosy blusher and matching lipstick.

The brunette's time on the ITV show was cut short, but in her few days in the villa she sealed the deal with love interest Dom.

Stunning: Jess flaunted her incredible figure in an optical illusion bandeau dress

Gorgeous: Her little tangerine number that served to enhance her deep tan after sunning herself in Majorca

Moving on: Jess was shrugging off speculation surrounding her alleged night of passion with co-star Mike Thalassitis

Beauty: She wore her brunette locks in soft curls and sported a glamorous make-up look for her night out on the tiles

Despite her time on Love Island being cut short, Jess had managed to seal the deal with her love interest Dom onscreen.

Jessica has revealed that her family - including her grandmother - witnessed the passionate romp that occurred between the couple, although they were 'fine' with it.

She had vowed not to have sex in the villa,but speaking to The Sun, Jess revealed that once inside the bubble of the villa, she 'got caught up in the moment'.

At ease: Jessica has revealed that her family - including her grandmother - witnessed the passionate romp that occurred between the couple, although they were 'fine' with it

While a publicly televised tumble in the sheets may embarrass some people, the bombshell divulged that her family were understanding of the situation.

Asked what her grandmother thought of the viewing the raunchy scenes, Jess said: 'She told me later that she was watching and expected the cameras to switch off just before we had sex - but they just kept rolling.'

'But I have no regrets and my family were fine with it, because it was just one guy and I really like him.'

Discussing how the dalliance - which she previously swore off doing - happened, the beauty said: 'I got caught up in the moment. I really liked him and it felt normal but obviously you totally forget you're on camera until afterwards.'

Jess also divulged that the producers do not pressure islanders to have sex, and even limit alcohol on most nights to ensure that they are not falsely uninhibited.

Romp: Despite vowing not to have sex in the villa, Jess spoke to The Sun on Saturday and revealed that once inside the bubble of the villa, she 'got caught up in the moment'

Asked what her grandmother thought, Jess said: 'She told me later that she was watching and expected the cameras to switch off just before we had sex - but they just kept rolling'

Bombshell: While a publicly televised tumble in the sheets may embarrass some people, the bombshell divulged that her family were understanding of the situation

Producers supply condoms to housemates, and even offered Jess the morning after pill when the deed was done - they had spoken through the incident with her to make sure that she felt comfortable about everything.

Jess could potentially be reunited with Dom sooner that she first thought, as Love Island fans are set to see a huge twist unfold on the show.

The villa has recently been separated into two, with the boys being shipped off to a secret pad for a three day mini-break.

They had been joined by five new girls, while the original females on the show welcomed six new boys into the villa.

The beauty said: 'I got caught up in the moment. I really liked him and it felt normal but obviously you totally forget you're on camera until afterwards'

Siren: Jess also divulged that the producers do not pressure islanders to have sex, and even limit alcohol on most nights to ensure that they are not falsely uninhibited

After having a few days to get to know each other, the original islanders and the 11 newcomers will take part in a re-coupling.

However, fans are set to see several islanders get the boot as a result.

Show bosses have explained that the new islanders must be couple up to stay on the show - those that are chosen will immediately be sent home.

However, the original islanders will be the ones choosing their partners. If they choose to couple with a new islander, they will form a new partnering.

If they choose to stick with their current couple - which will be with another original contestant - they will stay coupled up. But, if within that couple one original islander decides not to remain loyal and couple with a newcomer - their original partner will be dumped.

Dom is currently coupled up with Montana Brown, but she could cost him his place in the villa if he decides to stick with her, as romance is currently blossoming between her and newbie Alex Beattie.

If Dom chooses to stay loyal to Montana and she chooses Alex, he will be forced to leave.

Love Island continues at 9pm on ITV.

Denial: The glamour model was recently embroiled in a scandal when she was accused of sleeping with fellow dumpee Mike Thalassitis hours after leaving the villa - a claim that she vehemently denies
It looks like Paris Jackson is celebrating Independence Day with a wild weekend with friends.

The 19-year-old celeb left her inhibitions behind during a day at the pool Saturday where she enjoyed some flirty fun with a female pal.

While lounging poolside, Paris shared video showing herself being straddled by a friend shimmying seductively to Shakira's Hips Don't Lie.

Filming with one hand, the bikini clad Paris sits back and smokes a cigarette.

Private dancer: Paris Jackson celebrated Independence Day with a wild weekend with friends, seen getting flirty with a female friend who gave the 19-year-old model a poolside lap dance

Paris was in full relaxation mode as she partied with friends in Hollywood Hills.

Things got steamy when Paris's brunette pal Baylee Barton got into the music, eventually climbing atop the daughter of Michael Jackson to perform a cheeky lap dance.

Relax to the max: Paris also posted a portrait of her resting horizontally while pal Baylee drapes her legs over the star

Heating up! Things got steamy when Paris's brunette pal got into the music, eventually climbing atop the daughter of Michael Jackson to perform a cheeky lap dance

Boho babe: The 5'10" beauty was sexy in a crocheted bikini she paired with a fun rainbow visor

The 5'10" beauty wore a crocheted bikini paired with a fun rainbow visor while her pal was clad in a sporty black two piece.

Paris and Baylee continued to groove, later rocking out to Gives You Hell by All American Rejects together.

The affectionate friends continued to cuddle, later on sharing video where Miss Jackson nuzzles her face into her friend's collarbone and seems to kiss her neck.

Party on! A separate shot shows the pop princess solo as she splashes around the pool on a pizza inflatable, throwing her hands up and sticking her tongue out for the camera

Give 'em hell! Paris and Baylee continued to groove, later rocking out to Gives You Hell by All American Rejects together

Who dat? Paris tagged her friend in a later Instagram pic, identifying her brunette buddy as Baylee Barton

A couple of friends photobomb them in the background as the brunette makes a funny 'meep meep' sound at the camera.

Paris also posted a portrait of her resting horizontally while pal Baylee drapes her legs over the star, while also tagging her friend in the pic.

A separate shot shows the pop princess solo as she splashes around the pool on a pizza inflatable, throwing her hands up and sticking her tongue out for the camera.

Very intimate: The affectionate friends continued to cuddle, later on sharing video where Miss Jackson nuzzles her face into her friend's collarbone and seems to kiss her neck

Distracted? A couple of friends photobomb the pair in the background

Close as can be: While it's not clear if Paris and pal are just friends or something more, they definitely seem comfortable together

It's not clear if Paris and her pal are just friends or something more.

Jackson split with boyfriend Michael Snoody back in February, after a less than a year together.

Since then the IMG model has been enjoying the independent life, gracing the cover of Rolling Stone and Harper's Bazaar, making a glamorous appearance at the Met Ball, and appearing in indie hitmakers The XX's latest video.

The starlet is set to make her feature-film debut in Gringo, out 2018.
The Real Housewives of New York City's Bethenny Frankel flaunted her taut 5ft7in figure in a bedazzled gaudy string bikini on Saturday during her lavish vacation in the Bahamas.

There was not an inch to pinch on the 46-year-old reality star, who paired her colorful two-piece with a straw sun hat and aviator shades.

'Work hard, play harder,' the Skinnygirl mogul captioned her holiday snap.

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Caribbean getaway: The Real Housewives of New York City's Bethenny Frankel flaunted her taut figure in a bedazzled gaudy string bikini on Saturday during her vacation in the Bahamas

'Yo Whassup?' There was not an inch to pinch on the 46-year-old reality star, who paired her colorful two-piece with a straw sun hat and aviator shades

The Skinnygirl mogul captioned her holiday snaps: 'Work hard, play harder. Look out weekend, 'cuz here I come!'

'Look out weekend, 'cuz here I come!'

Bethenny has made a habit out of flaunting her bikini body in carefree beach settings for her captive, combined 3.8M social media followers.

The selfie enthusiast has been 'single and ready to mingle' since splitting from banker Dennis Shields in May after less than a year of dating.

Basking: Bethenny has made a habit out of flaunting her bikini body in carefree beach settings for her captive, combined 3.8M social media followers

On the prowl: The selfie enthusiast has been 'single and ready to mingle' since splitting from banker Dennis Shields in May after less than a year of dating

'It's a good thing that I'm smart!' Frankel's vainglorious display came two days after humbly quoting her own 2011 book A Place of Yes: 'I'd rather be the most interesting woman in the room than the prettiest'

Frankel's vainglorious display came two days after humbly quoting her own 2011 book A Place of Yes: 'I'd rather be the most interesting woman in the room than the prettiest.'

On Tuesday, her ex-husband #2 Jason Hoppy was charged with two more counts of stalking (on top of three other stalking and harassment charges) the raven-haired socialite.

According to People, the 46-year-old pharmaceutical sales exec - who was arrested on January 27 - is due back in Manhattan Criminal Court on August 8.

Drama: On Tuesday, her ex-husband #2 Jason Hoppy was charged with two more counts of stalking (on top of three other stalking and harassment charges) the raven-haired socialite

Separated in 2012! According to People, the 46-year-old pharmaceutical sales exec - who was arrested on January 27 - is due back in Manhattan Criminal Court on August 8

Caught in between: The longtime warring exes - who finalized their divorce last July - share custody of their seven-year-old daughter Bryn

The longtime warring exes - who finalized their divorce last July - share custody of their seven-year-old daughter Bryn.

Fans can catch more of Bethenny on the ninth season of TRHONYC, which airs Wednesdays on Bravo.

The former talk show host will also serve guest judging duties on the ninth season of Shark Tank, which premieres in September on ABC.

'Clip?' Fans can catch more of Bethenny on the ninth season of TRHONYC, which airs Wednesdays on Bravo
Ashley Greene enjoyed one indulgent Saturday.

First the Twilight starlet and fiance Paul Khoury treated themselves to some upscale shopping at Barneys New York in Beverly Hills, where the blonde beauty was fantastic in floral.

After a good dose of retail therapy, the Florida-born actress headed over to a nearby salon to meet her almost sister-in-law Olivia for massages and manicures.

Shop til you drop! Ashley Greene enjoyed one indulgent Saturday, first doing some shopping at Barney's with fiance Paul Khoury

Ashley, 30, started the day looking happy as can be as she and her other half held hands as they left the department store with bags in hand.

The CBGB star was summer perfect in a flowery off-the-shoulder frock which was expertly tailored to Greene's long, thin form.

Though she went makeup free during her lazy weekend, the actress was still as beautiful as ever.

Ready to relax? After a good dose of retail therapy, the Florida-born actress headed over to a nearby salon to meet her almost sister-in-law Olivia for massages and manicures.

Flower power! The CBGB star was summer perfect in a flowery off-the-shoulder frock which was expertly tailored to Greene's long, thin form

Paul matched his love's laid back attire, donning black slacks with a white Adidas tee and dark button up, topping the look off with a light fedora.

It looked like Ashley met up with her soon-to-be sister-in-law Olivia Khoury for a ladies brunch at Soho House Hollywood.

The Staten Island Summer star shared a sunny shot of her and fashion professional Olivia both looking blonde and beautiful for the camera.

Sister, sister! Later, the Twilight beauty met up with sister-in-law Olivia Khoury for brunch at Soho House Hollywood

She captioned the photo 'Saturday brunch with little sis @sohohouse' and added the tags '#brunchbuffet,' plus '#sistersister.'

After brunch, Ashley and Olivia strolled over to Beverly Hills Nail Design for some pampering together.

In Dubious Battle star Ashley got the VIP treatment as she was tended to by three separate ladies.

It's no surprise that Ashley has such a close bond with her soon-to-be sister.

Greene and Khoury have been together since 2013, officially announcing their engagement in December 2016.
The top nine MasterChef contestants headed to Japan for a week of master classes.

And in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph's TV Guide, judge Matt Preston revealed that the amateur chefs were required to step up to the plate.

'No matter what you think you know, you know nothing,' the 53-year-old said of Japanese cuisine.

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'You know nothing until you come to Japan': Matt Preston, 53, revealed the top nine MasterChef contestants got a schooling in precision and detail, in an interview with The Sunday Telegraph's TV Guide

'Depth, precision and obsession underpins so much Japanese cuisine. No matter what you think you know, you know nothing,' Matt told the publication.

'You don't go to a restaurant and have tempura and yakitori and sashimi. You go to a tempura restaurant, a yakitori restaurant, a sashimi restaurant - it is very specific. The chefs that run them are masters.

'You can go into a place that looks a bit neon and plastic and you might have the best yakitori you've ever tasted. That is exciting,' the food critic added.

Land of the rising sun: Judges Gary Mehigan (far left), 50, George Calombaris (far right), 38, and Matt, headed to the country with the top nine contestants for a culinary adventure

Heating up! Contestant Sarah Tiong, 25, could be seen describing the experience in a promo aired last week as 'intense'

The MasterChef competition is heating up, with 'Japan week' airing from Sunday.

Episodes will see judges Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and Matt, head to the country with the top nine contestants for a culinary adventure.

In a promo aired last week, contestant Sarah Tiong, 25, could be seen describing the experience as intense.

Adding suit: The promo also saw Karlie Verkerk, 26, not holding back, stating on camera: 'This is next level'

'It's absolute, hectic craziness,' Sarah said, while Karlie Verkerk, 26, added: 'This is next level.'

Ben Ungermann, 32, said it felt 'surreal' to be in Japan, while Eloise Praino, 32, said felt as if she was in a 'dream'.

According to TV WEEK, the contestants have to buy their own ingredients for Sunday's mystery box challenge and on Monday, will be required to make an eight-course meal for the judging panel.

There will also be other challenges before one contestant gets the boot.
Lily Collins showed off her chic sense of style as she was snapped at Los Angeles airport on Saturday getting ready to leave town.

The 28-year-old actress wore a blush pink jacket over a striped shirt with a white undershirt, blue jeans with fringes and white sneakers.

The British-born beauty accessorized with large Prive Revaux sunglasses and a personalised black leather handbag from luxury brand Mon Purse.

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Leaving town: Lily Collins, 28, looked nice as she was snapped at LAX airport on Saturday getting ready to board a departing flight

The actress proceeded through the terminal, passing through checkpoints as she made her way to her flight. The second-generation star took to Instagram later in the day to post a selfie, which she captioned, 'Pink and Paris bound...'

Lily, whose father is music stalwart Phil Collins, appears in the upcoming Netflix film, To The Bone, playing a woman who is hospitalized amid an eating disorder, and finding treatment at the hands of a skilled doctor, played by Keanu Reeves.

The Okja actress, who's opened up about her own battle with anorexia, shed weight for the film, and said the reactions she received to her rail-thin look for the role are indicative of the deeper social problems at hand.

Isn't she lovely: The talented entertainer went casual for her flight in a jacket, tee and jeans while adding in a personalised leather tote from luxury brand Mon Purse - as she rocked the Top Handle style

On the move: It's a busy month for Lily, who's been promoting her upcoming film To The Bone

Movie with a message: Collins, who accessorized with a pair of Prive Revaux shades, says her new film will shine a light on the stigma surrounding eating disorders

'I was leaving my apartment one day and someone Ive known for a long time, my moms age, said to me, "Oh, wow, look at you!"' Collins told Net-A-Porter's The Edit Thursday.

She said that as she 'tried to explain' that the weight loss was for the film, the woman told her, 'No! I want to know what youre doing, you look great!'

The Last Tycoon beauty continued: 'I got into the car with my mom and said, "That is why the problem exists."'

The grind of travel: The actress made her way through a checkpoint at the airport

Moving along: The actress raised her arms as she passed through a travel checkpoint

Social media stunner: Lily later to Instagram, writing, 'Pink and Paris bound...'

Collins, who plays a character named Ellen in the motion picture, told the publication that early feedback she's received over the film has 'been amazing,' as many people can relate to it. She said that 'crew members were coming up [to her] and saying they had experienced [eating disorders] through their sister or niece or friend,' and that she's received 'emails from people in the industry saying, This is my story."'

Collins said the film 'has the potential ... to start conversations and take the taboo out of something that is so prevalent.'

The film opens July 14.
Paris Hilton might be Hollywood royalty, but her friend is the real deal.

The hotel heiress helped Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece and Denmark celebrate her early birthday bash in London.

The 36-year-old stopped off in the English capital to party with the 20-year-old, who doesn't actually turn 21 until July 25.

Royalty! Paris Hilton celebrated Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece's early birthday bash in London on Saturday

'Happy 21st to my number one!!!' The heiress captioned a selfie as she received a kiss from the princess, who despite the age gap looked like her twin sister.

Princess Maria is oldest child and only daughter of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece and Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece.

Her paternal grandparents are Constantine II and Anne-Marie of Denmark, who were the last King and Queen of the Hellenes, making her both Greek and Danish royalty.

Beau: Princess Maria wasn't the only one to plant one on the blonde beauty of course; her plus one for the evening Chris Zylka also stole a couple of pecks

Sisters: Also invited to the party was her little sister Nicky, who reunited with her sibling for a few more snaps

His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales, is her godfather.

Princess Maria wasn't the only one to plant one on the blonde beauty of course; her plus one for the evening Chris Zylka also stole a couple of pecks.

The loved-up couple flew in from LAX the night before, with Paris documenting some of the journey on Snapchat

Bakers too: The siblings posed with cake for the princess

Double royal: Princess Maria is oldest child and only daughter of Pavlos, Crown Prince of Greece and Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece. Her paternal grandparents are Constantine II and Anne-Marie of Denmark, who were the last King and Queen of the Hellenes, making her both Greek and Danish royalty

'Arrived in London, my favorite city in the world... Let's do this,' she declared upon landing at Heathrow.

Also invited to the party was her little sister Nicky, who reunited with her sibling for a few more snaps.

Paris, who is due to DJ in Ibiza on Sunday night, also couldn't help climbing behind the decks in the club where she posted some more videos.
She's the bubbly star of sitcom How I Met Your Mother and cult hit Buffy The Vampire Slayer.

And Alyson Hannigan, 43, joined a litany of stars, including Stranger Things actress Shannon Purser and Game Of Thrones actor Daniel Portman, at Oz Comic Con in Melbourne on Sunday.

The American Pie actress looked to be in her element at the pop culture event, sporting a beaming smile as she sat signing fan autographs.

Fan favourite: Buffy star Alyson Hannigan, 43, joined a litany of stars at Oz Comic Con in Melbourne on Sunday.

Wearing a simple grey sweater over what looked to be a black turtleneck, Alyson's trademark red locks were worn lose and flowed effortlessly down her shoulders.

Going sans bling for the occasion, Alyson accessorised with a bottle of water and some snacks to keep her energised throughout the signing session.

One photo showed Alyson being greeted by a fan wearing an elaborate costume and the actress looked genuinely happy to see someone going to such a painstaking effort.

Going casual: Wearing a simple grey sweater over what looked to be a black turtleneck, Alyson's trademark red locks were worn lose and flowed effortlessly down her shoulders.

Speaking to The Guardian recently, Alyson admitted that while she has several roles under her belt, it was her turn as Willow Rosenberg on the late 90s cult show Buffy The Vampire Slayer that resonated most with fans.

'It's such a gift. The fact that it still happens all the rime, it's never lost on me. It's so touching - I'm grateful that I got to be a part of that,' she said.

'That's why I love television so much, because it was all of those things for me growing up, when I needed it.'

Well done: One photo showed Alyson being greeted by a fan wearing an elaborate costume and the actress looked genuinely happy to see someone going to such a painstaking effort.

Power up: Alyson accessorised with a bottle of water and some snacks to keep her energised throughout the signing session. Alyson (top left) is pictured with Buffy co-stars (clockwise from left) Charisma Carpenter, Sarah Michelle Gellar and Nicholas Brandon

Joining Alyson for at the event was Shannon Purser, 20, star of the hit Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things.

Shannon, who also plays Ethyl Muggs in the live action Archie Comics spin-off Riverdale, wore a striped grey jumper while her shock of curly red hair hung loosely at her shoulders.

Wearing a pensive expression as she surveyed the scene, Shannon clutched a pen tightly in her hand awaiting the arrival of eager Stranger Things fans eager to get the fan favourite's autograph.

Cult star: Joining Alyson for at the event was Shannon Purser, 20, star of the hit Netflix sci-fi series Stranger Things

At the ready: Wearing a pensive expression as she surveyed the scene, Shannon clutched a pen tightly in her hand awaiting the arrival of eager Stranger Things (pictured) fans eager to get the fan favourite's autograph

Also appearing at the event was Scottish actor Daniel Portman, who plays Podrick Payne on the hit HBO series Game of Thrones.

With a shock of designer stubble, Daniel wore an open blue collared shirt over a maroon T-shirt.

He accessorised with a pair of dark sunglasses that were hung in the collar of his T-shirt and a red bandana that kept his slicked back brown locks in place.

The trio joined the likes of Aquaman actor Jason Momoa, Twin Peaks star Sherilyn Fenn, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D's Zac McGowan and Elden Henson, who played Foggy Nelson in the Marvel TV series Daredevil.

Meet and greet: Scottish actor Daniel Portman, who plays Podrick Payne on the hit HBO series Game Of Thrones also turned out to greet fans
She has enjoyed a successful career in TV news for almost two decades.

And Sunrise presenter Samantha Armytage has celebrated making her cover girl dreams come true on Sunday.

The 40-year-old took to Instagram to promote her front page interview with TV Guide, saying she was grateful to have 'finally made it'.

But Sam admitted it wasn't her only youthful ambition - as she once held out hope of marrying Hollywood hunk George Clooney.

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Crushing on Clooney! Sunrise host Samantha Armytage (pictured) joked on Instagram over the weekend her youthful dream was 'to be a vet and marry George Clooney'

In a light-hearted caption, she wrote: 'Well, actually my dream was to be a vet and marry George Clooney, but you can't have it all.'

Sam also jokingly mentioned how the article incorrectly stated she was 41 years old, when she is 40 for another three months.

'Oh, and you prematurely aged me, which is a fate worse than death for a TV girl, but I forgive you, don't worry, I feel 100!' she added.

'You're being nasty': Sam's celebrity crush confession comes after she was scolded by co-host David 'Kochie' Koch for comments about George Clooney's wife Amal (left)

Sam's celebrity crush confession comes after she and co-host Natalie Barr were scolded on-air by David 'Kochie' Koch for comments about George Clooney's wife.

The female TV stars made a joke about Amal Clooney's post-baby body, which Kochie claimed was 'nasty'.

During a report on the human rights lawyer welcoming twins Ella and Alexander, Sam said: 'Come on, I bet she's already back to her pre-pregnancy weight today.'

Mother-of-two Natalie, 49, then quipped: 'By lunch time!'

Awkward! During a recent report on the human rights lawyer welcoming twins Ella and Alexander, Sam said: 'Come on, I bet she's already back to her pre-pregnancy weight today'

But David defended Amal, 39, and told his colleagues they were being 'nasty'.

'Now you girls. Give her a break,' he said. 'You're being nasty. No, I think she'll be a lovely mother.'

Screwing up her face, Natalie insisted to Kochie that they were just kidding around.

'We're not being nasty. We were joking!' she explained.
She's become a hot commodity, forging a career as a successful lingerie and swimsuit model.

And Shanina Shaik reminded onlookers of her appeal, in a raunchy image shared to Instagram on Saturday.

Revealing to her 961,000 followers that she has freckles, focus was instead placed on the 26-year-old's ample bust, in an itsy bitsy bikini.

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Doubt anyone's looking at your skin tone! Makeup-free Shanina Shaik, 26, revealed she has freckles in a raunchy selfie shared to Instagram on Saturday, that saw her ample bust on display

Shanina captioned the photo: 'Did you know I have freckles??' alongside the hash-tag #ninafacts.

The snap saw the brunette opting to go makeup-free, sporting a pastel blue bikini top, with her significant cleavage in the frame.

Tilting her head slightly, the runway star allowed several locks to frame her striking facial features.

Va va voom: A previous image shared to Instagram, while sporting the same bikini, saw the Melbourne-born personality taking a full-length selfie with her enviable figure on display

Appeal: Shanina's become a hot commodity, forging a career as a successful lingerie and swimsuit model

Followers were quick to reap praise on Shanina, with one writing in particular: 'Lost again in space'.

A previous image shared to Instagram, while sporting the same bikini, saw the Melbourne-born personality taking a full-length selfie with her enviable figure on display.

Coordinating high-cut briefs drew the eye to Shanina's taut torso and lean legs.

'Buckle up velvet Blue...I'll call it love my new swimsuit,' the exotic beauty captioned the photo.

Golden goddess: Shanina's appeal is certainly evident, having attended Maxim's Hot 100 event, in Hollywood, just six days prior

Flawless: The Victoria's Secret angel sported a backless gold jumpsuit with a thin belt that cinched in at her naturally slender waist

Shanina's appeal is certainly evident, having attended Maxim's Hot 100 event, in Hollywood, just six days prior.

The Victoria's Secret angel sported a backless gold jumpsuit that also featured a plunging neckline.

Shanina's tiny waist was accentuated with a slim gold belt, while nude strappy heels elongated her frame.

The starlet also has plenty to smile about in her personal life, engaged to DJ Ruckus, real name Gregory Andrews.

Gregory proposed to Shanina at his cousin Lenny Kravitz's Bahamas property, in January last year.

Love story: The starlet also has plenty to smile about in her personal life, engaged to DJ Ruckus, real name Gregory Andrews
Jessica Rowe was noticeably absent from Today's 35th birthday celebrations last week, despite several other former presenters making appearances.

And a representative confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that the 47-year-old journalist was invited to attend, but 'politely declined' due to her work commitments.

The likes of Tracy Grimshaw, Georgie Gardner, Liz Hayes and Steve Liebmann all featured on Friday's show, as well as Sami Lukis and George Negus.

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Absent: Studio 10's Jessica Rowe (pictured) 'politely declined' to attend Today's 35th birthday reunion last week, Channel Nine has confirmed to Daily Mail Australia

The Studio 10 host was given the flick from Today in 2006, after Channel Nine's then-boss Eddie McGuire reportedly said he wanted her 'boned'.

Jessica was only briefly featured in a video montage which aired last week to celebrate the breakfast show's 35 years on the air.

Eleven years ago, she was sacked from her role on Today while on maternity leave and was replaced by Sarah Murdoch.

Reunion: Jessica was noticeably absent from the Today Show's 35th birthday celebrations on Friday, despite previous stars of the show returning for the special occasion (pictured)

Today is now co-hosted by Lisa Wilkinson and Karl Stefanovic.

Former Nine News Director Mark Llewellyn claimed in 2006 that Eddie, who was Channel Nine's CEO at the time, said while referring to Jessica's future at the network: 'What are we going to do about Jessica? When should we bone her? I reckon it should be next week.'

Eddie later denied using the term 'bone' in these discussions.

Controversy: Jessica was given the flick from the Today show in 2006, after Channel Nine's then-boss Eddie McGuire (right), reportedly said he wanted her 'boned'

Jessica has since spoken out about the tumultuous period of her career.

'It was a terrible time in my life,' she revealed on Studio 10 show last year.

'And it was not helped by public abuse, abuse from within the network that I worked at and abuse from someone who was in charge of that particular network.'

Jessica also claimed she made a scapegoat by Channel Nine's management.
She had caused a stir among her Instagram followers with her latest upload that saw her cutting a sultry figure in just a bathrobe.

But keeping things covered as she stepped out in West Hollywood, Kaia Gerber opted for a slightly more demure ensemble as she joined her family at Catch.

The 15-year-old bore a striking resemblance to her model mother Cindy Crawford, as she cut a stylish figure in her designer ensemble from fashion house DKNY.

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Covering up: Kaia Gerber, 15, decided to cut a slightly more demure figure as she stepped out clad entirely in DKNY while stopping by Catch in West Hollywood on Saturday night

The teen sported a slogan black vest top that she paired together with a mini skirt that featured racing stripes along the side and a long-line monochrome mac.

Her outerwear was entirely covered in DKNY's logo and she left it open to steal a look at her chic outfit underneath.

Kaia had added a pair of black over-the-knee socks to her ensemble and donned a a pair of white black and white pumps on her feet.

She was joined by a female friend, along with her brother Presley, 17, who was clad in an all-black outfit, and his girlfriend who he walked hand-in-hand with.

Stylish: The aspiring model paired together a slogan vest top with a mini skirt and black over-the-knee socks

Fashion forward: Kaia paired her casually chic outfit with a pair of black and white pumps on her feet

Sibling dinner: She was joined by her brother Presley, 17, who is also a model at the LA hotspot

Their sibling dinner came just days after Kaia had sparked a social media backlash after sharing a racy mirror selfie that saw her posing in just a bathrobe.

Her followers were quick to deem the snap 'too provocative', suggesting it had been 'inappropriate' because of her young age.

Sporting a glamorous make-up look, Kaia had posed with the robe hanging off her shoulders and just about covering her chest. She penned alongside her photo: 'Uniform.'

The pictured appeared to have been taken in between a modeling shoot.

It garnered plenty of comments, with many followers voicing their concerns over the photo. One social media have even questioned how her mother Cindy and father Rande Gerber had felt about the image, commenting: 'Surprised your parents are on board with this seductive picture.'

'Too young!': Her appearance at Catch came just two days after Kaia had caused a stir on Instagram with this scanty selfie of her wearing just a bathrobe

'Is that appropriate?': The 15-year-old's followers were quick to raise their concerns about the 'provocative' picture

While they insisted Kaia had looked 'beautiful' in the snap, they added: 'Too young for this.'

Another agreed: 'Too young. Put some clothes on!!!'

Others, meanwhile, applauded Kaia and branded her Instagram post 'empowering, not degrading'.

Model Lily Aldridge and Damian Hurley, 15, liked the Instagram photo; Damian, who is the son of actress Liz Hurley, also added a heart in the comments section.

It's not the first time Cindy's daughter has found herself facing a backlash, as when Kaia was just five, she had appeared in a controversial shoot for swimsuit designer Melissa Odabash.

The image showed her looking over her shoulder while wearing no top.

Support: Model Lily Aldridge and Damian Hurley, 15, liked the Instagram photo; Damian, who is the son of actress Liz Hurley, also added a heart in the comments section

She was dressed in just white shorts, a seashell necklace and there was a fake tattoo on her lower back.

As a 10-year-old, Kaia had posed in a thigh-skimming mini skirt for a Versace campaign and Cindy had halted her daughter's budding modelling career a month after the ad had been released, deeming her 'too young'.

Three years later, Kaia returned to the industry after landing a contract with IMG Models.

The agency shared the news to their social media in July 2015, along with a picture of her from her Vogue Italia spread, shot by Steven Meisel.

Kaia made her debut in American Vogue two months later; the teen posed in a casual dress for a photo featured in the magazine's coveted September issue.

Like mother, like daughter: Kaia has found success in the modelling industry like her mother Cindy Crawford - she shares Kaia with husband Rande Gerber

She landed her first campaign at the age of 14 for jewellery line Chrome Hearts and the same years she starred in her first magazine cover.

Kaia had posed with her mother Cindy for the cover of Vogue Paris' April issue, shot by famous photographer Mario Testino.

Now her modeling career is on the rise; she has chalked up campaigns for Marc Jacobs' Daisy fragrance and beauty line as well as for Alexander Wang and Penshoppe.

The beauty has also been featured in Interview, CR Fashion Book, Pop magazine, Teen Vogue and Chrome Hearts magazine and was a cover girl for Love magazine earlier this year - the spread had been shot by fellow model Kendall Jenner.
She became engaged to her fiance Jamie Mazur in 2008.

And Alessandra Ambrosio proved she was still going strong with her man, as they packed on the PDA during a sun-drenched trip to Mykonos, Greece on Saturday.

The 36-year-old Brazilian supermodel flaunted her impossibly flat stomach and peachy posterior in a skimpy pink floral bikini as she indulged in some quality time with her other half.

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Romantic getaway: Alessandra Ambrosio, 36, proved she was still going strong with her fiance Jamie Mazur , as they embarked on a sun-drenched trip to Mykonos, Greece on Saturday

Smitten: The pair, who have been engaged for nine years, packed on the PDA as they frolicked in the ocean

Alessandra looked absolutely incredible as she soaked up the sun in the tiny two-piece, which consisted of a strapless bandeau bikini top.

A pair of matching bottoms rested low on her hips and showcased her gym-honed pins and perky derriere.

The Victoria's Secret model looked every inch the beach babe as she sported wet locks and placed a cool pair of shades on her low-key make-up look.

Alessandra looked smitten with Jamie - the founder of RE/DONE jeans - as they shared a passionate kiss while frolicking in the ocean.

Bottoms up! The Brazilian model looked absolutely incredible as she soaked up the sun in the tiny two-piece, which showed off her derriere

In love: Alessandra looked smitten with Jamie - the founder of RE/DONE jeans - as they chilled together in the ocean

The beauty shares daughter Anja, 8, and son Noah, five, with Jamie- who she began dating in 2005.

The couple became engaged on 12 May 2008 after Alessandra became pregnant with their daughter.

Alessandra recently spoke candidly about becoming a mother in an interview with Net-A-Porter last year and admitted since having children, her approach to modelling has changed.

The fashion star explained: 'I used to be 100% comfortable on lingerie shoots - then I had a child.

Happy family: The beauty (R) shares daughter Anja, 8, and son Noah, five, with Jamie- who she began dating in 2005

'Your body will never go back': Alessandra recently spoke candidly about becoming a mother in an interview with Net-A-Porter last year and admitted since having children, her approach to modelling has changed

'Somehow it felt a bit weirder to be in lingerie once I was a mum. Your body will never go back to exactly what it was before pregnancy, whatever people tell you. It can't.

'But I think I have a better body now than before I had kids... it just looks more formed now and I feel better about it than I did.'

The Brazilian beauty shot to fame in the early 2000s when she graced the covers of glossy magazines such as Vogue, GQ and Elle.

She was handed her Victoria's Secret wings in 2006 and has been chosen to wear the Fantasy Bra twice in her 11-year tenure.
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She parted ways from her mystery boyfriend last month.

And Kimberley Garner was spotted making the most of her single status, as she partied it up alongside Formula One's Lance Stroll, 18, on his luxury yacht in Capri, Italy on Saturday.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 27, couldn't resist flaunting her enviably slender figure in a skimpy black bikini as she lapped up the sun while taking to the ocean.

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Sea-sing the day! Kimberley Garner, 27, flaunted her enviable figure in a skimpy black bikini as she partied it up on a luxury yacht in Capri, Italy on Saturday

Speeding along: The luxury boat was owned by Canadian Formula One star Lance Stroll, 18, who took to the waters on a jet-ski

Kimberley looked absolutely sensational in the minuscule two-piece which accentuated her jaw-dropping statistics and showed off her golden glow.

Her bikini top cupped her ample assets in place and bared her toned stomach, while the barely-there thong bottoms rested low on her hips.

The reality sensation's long, lean legs were on fine form as she indulged in the sun with Lance and her pals.

Kimberley opted for a simple slick of make-up and accessorized with a pair of shades.

The TV personality sported undone wet locks - which she later tied up into a high topknot for convenience.

She shore looks good! Kimberley looked absolutely sensational in the minuscule two-piece which accentuated her jaw-dropping stats and showed off her golden glow

Peachy keen: Kimberley's barely-there thong bottoms flaunted her pert derriere as she lapped up the sun

Smoking hot! The beauty sizzled in the tiny black bikini which showed off her impossibly tiny stomach and ample assets

The blonde bombshell looked in high spirits as she jet-skied along the ocean - as did her race car driver pal.

Lance is the son of billionaire businessman Lawrence Stroll and Belgian fashion designer Claire-Anne Callens.

Despite his young age, the adrenaline junkie has bagged a number of karting titles - including the Italian F4 champion in 2014, Toyota Racing Series champion in 2015 and 2016 FIA European Formula 3 champion.

There is nothing to suggest anything more than a friendship between the Brit and the Canadian but MailOnline has contacted representatives for Kimberley for further comment.

Kimberley joined Made In Chelsea in March 2012 before departing the following November, as she featured in some extremely tumultuous storylines.

Pins on parade: The reality sensation's long, lean legs were on fine form as she indulged in the sun with her pals

Battle of the babes: Kimberley - opted for a simple slick of make-up and accessorized with a pair of shades - seemed to be comparing her figure with another bikini-clad pal at one point

Mane attraction: The TV personality sported undone wet locks - which she later tied up into a high topknot for convenience

Racy lady: The Chelsea socialite's bikini proved to be rather risque, as she was spotted readjusting herself on numerous occasions

Chilling: The stunner looked absolutely sensational as she reclined on a speed-boat, which powered through the ocean

Documenting the moment: The beauty also shared a titillating snap from her sun-kissed day out

The swimwear designer revealed last month that she had broken up with her unknown beau and is on the hunt for someone with a 'great personality'.

She told MailOnline: 'I ended the relationship recently. It was a really wonderful three years and we are still good friends today.'

The socialite has been notoriously tight-lipped about the identity of her long-term boyfriend, who was often seen with her in west London.

But while the split is still raw, she says she's open to the prospect of dating as long as her suitor meets the right criteria.

Activities: She then donned a safety jacket as she prepared to embark on an exhilarating jet-ski ride

Single gal: The swimwear designer revealed last month that she had broken up with her unknown beau

Seeking Mr.Right: The star informed MailOnline that she is on the hunt for someone with a 'great personality'

Hunk: Lance, 18, is the son of billionaire Canadian businessman Lawrence Stroll and Belgian fashion designer Claire-Anne Callens

Talented: Despite his young age, the adrenaline junkie has bagged a number of karting titles - including the Italian F4 champion in 2014, Toyota Racing Series champion in 2015 and 2016 FIA European Formula 3 champion

Pals: There is nothing to suggest anything more than a friendship between Kimberley and Lance

Speaking to The Sun during her appearance at Cannes Film Festival earlier this year, she said: 'It was a great relationship.

'Id love to meet someone with a great personality  its all about the personality for me.'

Kimberley hasn't been on Made In Chelsea since its third season in 2012, appearing with the likes of Spencer Matthews, Jamie Laing and Richard Dinan.

She dated Richard on the show, with the businessman whisking Kimberley off on romantic dates and later a holiday to Italy

'It's all about the personality for me': While Kimberley's split is still raw, she says she's open to the prospect of dating as long as her suitor meets the right criteria

'It was a great relationship': The socialite was notoriously tight-lipped about the identity of her long-term ex boyfriend, but had nothing but positive words for him

Rise to fame: Kimberley hasn't been on Made In Chelsea since its third season in 2012, appearing with the likes of Spencer Matthews, Jamie Laing and Richard Dinan

Storylines: She dated Richard on the show, with the businessman whisking Kimberley off on romantic dates and later a holiday to Italy




He partied up a storm in the swinging sixties.

But Paul McCartney has confessed he will no longer have an alcoholic drink before a gig to calm his nerves, out of fear he would forget the lyrics to his own songs.

In the early days, the musician, 75, used to enjoy a drink on tour ahead of a gig but he has explained it 'didn't work' as he would forget the lyrics he didn't know.

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Revealed: Paul McCartney has confessed he won't have an alcoholic drink before a gig to calm his nerves out of fear he would forget the lyrics to his own songs

The rocker told The Mirror: 'No. I used to try drinking before a gig, particularly in the early days of Wings when we would tour.

'But it didn't work  I would just forget the lyrics I didn't know anyway.'

The sensational songwriter explained his fellow band members enjoy a couple of glasses of red wine to kick start them for the night.

Back in the day: The musician, 75, (pictured in October 2016 on tour in California) used to enjoy a drink on tour ahead of a gig in the sixties

But The Beatles icon prefers to feel 'light' on stage as he goes without eating or drinking anything 'heavy'.

He added: 'I don't eat or drink before I go on because I sort of like to feel light. Then afterwards I can get heavy and have a drink.'

The music icon, however, does grab a little bite to eat before his energetic performances.

Paul is particularly inclined to having chocolate covered raisins and an handful of salted cashews in his dressing room while he is gearing himself up for the gig.

Flash back! Paul was part of one of the most successful rock bands with bandmates Ringo Starr, John Lennon and George Harrison (L-R in 1965)

Recently, he gushed about the part he played in the phenomenon which was The Beatles, alongside John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Reflecting on his time in the band, he told The Telegraph's Stellar: 'I sometimes I look at it (his role in the band) and think, "Bloody hell, it's amazing".'

It is certainly a busy time for the rocker as he recently announced he will tour Australia as a solo artist for the first time since 1993.

Paul will commence his tour in Perth on December 2, followed by Melbourne on December 5, Brisbane on December 9 and Sydney on December 11.

He will then travel to Auckland for the remainder of the tour.
She shot to fame on the G-rated Australian soap Neighbours.

But now Nicky Whelan has swapped Ramsay Street for the Sunset Strip thanks to a racy role in erotic thriller Inconceivable, starring Nicholas Cage.

In a bid to crack Hollywood, the 36-year-old not only appears fully topless in the flick, she also engages in a steamy sex scene.

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Her breast performance yet! Nicky Whelan bares all in erotic thriller Inconceivable

The blonde actress also appears in a number of scenes wearing skimpy swimwear.

Inconceivable also stars Gina Gershon, best known for her X-rated performances in Showgirls and Bound.

Nicky stars as Katie in the movie, a mysterious woman who moves to a new town with her daughter to escape her dark past.

She isn't shy! The 36-year-old flaunts her ample assets in the raunchy Hollywood film

Oh my! Nicky not only appears fully topless, but she also engages in a steamy sex scene

Befriending fellow mother Angela, played by Gina, the pair's lives become entwined as Katie becomes her live-in nanny and surrogate.

But their friendly relationship soon turns sour as Katie's behaviour edges into obsession, fracturing the family from within.

Despite the stellar cast, Inconceivable has received with negative reviews from critics.

An interesting role! Nicky star as Katie in the movie, a mysterious woman who moves to a new town with her daughter to escape her past

Naked ambition? The actress also appears in a number of scenes wearing skimpy swimwear

'Save your money and watch a Lifetime movie instead': Reviews for Inconceivable have not been overwhelmingly positive so far

Reviewing the film, The Hollywood Reporter wrote: 'Inconceivable lurches from one laughably predictable, awkward moment to the next.

'Save your money and watch a Lifetime movie instead.'

Inconceivable is out in US theaters now.
He found love on The Bachelor Australia - and fans are just weeks away from watching his journey begin on national TV.

And on Sunday night, Network Ten finally released their second trailer for Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson's upcoming season.

The clip appears to confirm rumours the 30-year-old has chosen Sydney jewellery designer Laura Byrne as the pair share sizzling chemistry.

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Eye's on the prize! On Sunday night, Network Ten released their second trailer for Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson's season of The Bachelor, which featured rumoured winner Laura Byrne

In the video, Matty's glamorous female suitors are shown in ballgowns stepping out of the limousine and greeting him in the courtyard.

But out of the 22 beautiful women in the line-up, it was brunette Laura who really took the marketing professional's breath away.

'You look absolutely amazing,' he told the Kate Middleton lookalike.

He's a lucky guy! In the video, Matty's glamorous female suitors are shown in ballgowns stepping out of the limousine and greeting him in the courtyard

Wearing a navy suit and bow-tie, Matty gazed into the Laura's eyes as she politely thanked him.

Laura wore a slinky keyhole dress which offered a glimpse of her decolletage as she smiled at her rumoured fiance.

'Laura has really caught my eye,' said Matty in a voice over.

Take it easy, buddy! Wearing a navy suit and bow-tie, Matty was dressed for the occasion

A pattern? In previous Bachelor and Bachelorette seasons, the winner appears as the third individual in the teaser trailer. In this case, Laura appears third in line

In previous Bachelor and Bachelorette seasons, the winner appears as the third individual in the teaser trailer, with the runner-up also getting airtime.

In the latest promo, Laura emerges third, keeping with the trend of past winners.

Last year's series of The Bachelorette with Georgia Love was no different with Matty J stepping out of the limo second and winner Lee Elliott next in line.

The theory has also been proven true in both Richie Strahan and Sam Frost's seasons of the popular TV dating franchise

A true gentleman! While the identity of Matty's winning girl may have already been revealed thanks to a convincing fan theory, he was nonetheless impressed by the other contestants

Looking for love? The women came baring gifts, including red heart-shaped balloons

She's flexible, Matty! It also appears a gymnast is also among the contestants

While the identity of Matty's winning girl may have already been revealed thanks to a convincing fan theory, he was nonetheless impressed by the other contestants.

The women came baring gifts, including red heart-shaped balloons, and it appears a gymnast is also among the contestants.

'This is it, I could be meeting the girl of my dreams. I really do think I'm going to fall in love here,' said Matty in the promo.

The one? Matty J is rumoured to have found love with jewelry designer Laura Byrne
Joanna Krupa flashed a peace sign as she was photographed emerging from the celebrity-flypaper restaurant Catch LA on Saturday night.

Showcasing her enviably flat midriff in a black crop top, she'd popped on a black blazer and a flared, pleated pair of high-waisted black trousers.

The 38-year-old former Real Housewife Of Miami had let her blonde hair fall free over her shoulders, and completed her look by way of a simple pair of black shoes.

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Good vibes: Joanna Krupa flashed a peace sign as she was photographed emerging from the celebrity-flypaper restaurant Catch LA on Saturday night

The onetime Dancing With The Stars contender had married Romain Zago in 2013, but E! News reported on May 8 that the pair of them separated this past December.

A report US Weekly ran this May 17 alleged she'd got a burgeoning romance with businessman Nico Santucci, and the magazine's quoted a source who's gossiped: 'Joanna and Nico are feeling it out and like each other. Theyve been hanging out.'

Quoth another source of Nico and Joanna: 'They've been inseparable and enjoying their time together, and they spent Mother's Day together.'

On the town: Showcasing her enviably flat midriff in a black crop top, she'd popped on a black blazer and a flared, pleated pair of high-waisted black trousers

In an interview Express.co.uk ran this past December, Joanna brushed off Internet sniping about her penchant for showing off her body on Instagram or in magazines.

Said she: 'I'm very proud of my body, I work really hard, I workout and try to stay in shape and eat healthy. I'm super proud of it and I believe if you have it you flaunt it! No matter what shape or size you are you should feel confident.'

She's trumpeted that 'You should feel like a beautiful woman, no matter what and what I do on my Instagram is my business,' pointing out that 'It's my personal Instagram, if somebody feels like they shouldn't be looking at the photos that I'm posting then they shouldn't be following me.'

Hello, gorgeous: The 38-year-old former Real Housewife Of Miami had let her blonde hair fall free over her shoulders, and completed her look by way of a simple pair of black shoes

Moreover, 'I'm a model, that's my background, if you look at the biggest top models in the world they've all posed super sexy and naked and in lingerie, so I just think it's part of the industry we are in.'

She's conceded that 'In the past I used to get a little bit upset about certain comments from people, but I just realized these are pathetic people that sit behind a hidden desk,' the Warsaw native said defiantly.

Joanna's pointed out that 'A lot of the time they don't even show their real photo on social media and they find the balls to comment on your behalf.'
Katy Perry is known for her unique sense of style and one-of-a-kind outfits.

But on Sunday, she was left wearing recycled fashion when she performed on The Voice Australia in a dress host Sonia Kruger had worn the week before.

The backless cocktail frock is from Australian designer Alex Perry, and was first worn by Sonia on last week's semi-final episode.

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Seeing double! Katy Perry (left) wore a backless dress by Alex Perry on The Voice Australia grand finale on Sunday, just a week after host Sonia Kruger (right) wore the exact same outfit

Katy notably wore it when she performed Chained to the Rhythm with the show's top four contestants on the grand finale.

The pop princess flew Down Under to promote her latest album Witness last week, and left shortly after filming The Voice.

Despite debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, the politically-charged LP has failed to produce any memorable hits.

Recycled fashion! The dress is from Australian designer Alex Perry, and was first worn by Sonia on last week's episode, before Katy wore it for her pre-recorded performance on Sunday

Bon Appetit peaked at No. 59 on the Hot 100, while follow-up single Swish Swish only reached No. 46 before vanishing altogether.

On the bright side, the former sex kitten doesn't seem to be too concerned with commercial success these days.

Since reinventing herself, the former wig-wearing vixen has been more interested in activism over awards and album sales.

Speaking to the New York Times last month, Katy said: 'All the awards that Ive won are fake. Theyre constructs.'

Working hard: The pop princess was recently in Australia to promote her new album Witness

New look: The 32-year-old recently reinvented herself as a political activist and feminist

The dedicated Democrat and also discussed being 're-triggered' by Donald Trump's election victory.

'The reality is that I was re-triggered on the election,' she revealed.

'I was re-triggered by a big male that didnt see women as equal. And that had been, unfortunately, a common theme in my upbringing.'
They are two of the most in demand models of the moment, who have stormed runways for an endless string of designer brands all over the world.

And Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner showed no signs of stopping on Sunday, as they made a stylish arrival at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week ahead of their appearance in the Miu Miu AW17 show.

Brunette beauty Bella, 20, showed off her impressively toned physique and trendy sense of style in a quirky denim co-ord as she commanded attention outside the show's venue, with her reality star pal, 21.

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Dynamic duo: Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner showed no signs of stopping on Sunday, as they made a stylish arrival at the Miu Miu AW17 show for Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week

Bella, who has found fame in the industry alongside her stunning sister Gigi, first stole the show as she arrived at the event in a trendy denim two-piece.

Sporting a tiny black crop top underneath, the brunette gave a flash of both her enviably toned abs and saucy lace bra as she headed inside for the exciting day.

Letting her natural sense of style shine through however, she teamed the top with a quirky oversized checked shirt of blue denim, and a matching pair of culotte trousers.

Good jeans: Bella, who has found fame in the industry alongside her stunning sister Gigi, first stole the show as she arrived at the event in a trendy denim two-piece

Toned: Sporting a tiny black crop top underneath, the brunette gave a flash of both her enviably toned midriff and saucy lace bra as she headed inside along her friend

Leggy lady: Rising high at her hip, the strides drew attention to her impressively petite waist before skimming her famously long and slender legs all the way to their cropped hem

Rising high at her hip, the strides drew attention to her impressively petite waist before skimming her famously long and slender legs all the way to their cropped hem.

Only adding further height to her statuesque frame, Bella teamed the ensemble with sky-high mule heels, and carried a sleek leather handbag, which she draped casually over one shoulder.

Sweeping her hair into a half up-do and accessorising with vintage-style oval shades, the supermodel let her striking natural beauty and radiant complexion shine through as she embarked on another busy day in the fashion capital.

Finishing touches: Only adding further height to her statuesque frame, Bella teamed the ensemble with sky-high mule heels, and carried a sleek leather handbag

Stunning: Sweeping her hair into a half up-do, the supermodel let her striking natural beauty and radiant complexion shine through

All eyes on me: She accessorised with vintage-style oval shades

Bella was joined at the venue with fellow model and best pal Kendall Jenner - who opted for a more unusual and covered up ensemble.

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star displayed her impossibly petite waist in a black suit jacket - which pulled tightly across her tiny middle with its button fastening.

Maintaining the androgynous feel of the look, she paired the traditional blazer with super skinny black trousers, which hugged her svelte pins all the way down.

Suits you! Bella was joined at the venue with fellow model and best pal Kendall Jenner - who opted for a more unusual and covered up ensemble

Tying the formal outfit together with black brogues, Kendall then paid homage to the French city with a scarlet chiffon neckerchief, in a classically French finishing touch.

The beauty slicked her hair into a wet-look style and sported minimal make-up to leave her smooth and glowing skin on show, as she smouldered for cameras on her way inside.

The girls are in Paris for the famous Haute Couture Fashion Week, and are expected to walk for a number of designers - including the likes of Christian Dior and Giorgio Armani.

Slender: The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star displayed her impossibly petite waist in a black suit jacket - which pulled tightly across her tiny middle with its button fastening

Tres chic: Tying the formal outfit together with black brogues, Kendall then paid homage to the French city with a scarlet chiffon neckerchief, in a classically French touch

As well as working together however, the pair are known to be close friends, and are often seen on a number of glamorous nights out together around the world.

Bella recently opened up about life as part of the new so-called Hollywood pack, formed mainly by children of the rich and famous - including Bella's sister Gigi and Stephen Baldwin's daughter Hailey.

Speaking to InStyle magazine about her friendship with Kendall, she revealed: 'I met her for the first time seven years ago over Twitter.

In demand: The girls are in Paris for the famous Haute Couture Fashion Week, and are expected to walk in a number of shows - including Christian Dior and Giorgio Armani

'That was before we started modeling. I was probably 14 or 15. We met up and had sushi, and now were best friends. Shes a pretty significant human I met online'.

Despite being born into a wealthy family with the right connections, Bella was keen to make clear that she has worked hard for her career.

'Im not saying I dont love my job, but people think modeling is a bulls*** thing to become more famous,' she said.

'I was 100 percent independent by the time I was 18, and I paid for my own apartment. That wasnt because of my parents. I worked my a** off for two years.'

Close: As well as working together however, the pair are known to be close friends, and are often seen on a number of glamorous nights out together around the world

Meanwhile Kendall has only seen her career blossom in recent weeks - having released a T-shirt line with her sister Kylie earlier this month.

However, the sister duo immediately received backlash for the range, after they used the faces of famous musicians without permission.

They provoked the ire of many with a series of 'vintage' shirts featuring music legends including Biggie, Pink Floyd and Metallica.

Priced at $125 per tee, the tops almost instantly ignited public outcry from fans of the original artists.

The sisters issued an apology not long after the designs went live, telling fans 'These designs were not well thought out and we deeply apologise to anyone that has been upset and/or offended, especially to the families of the artists.'

Stroke of luck: Bella recently spoke to InStyle magazine about her friendship with Kendall, revealing they met way before their modelling careers on Twitter seven years ago

Lots to smile about: Bella beamed as she made her way back to the hotel following her fashionable night out
She just tied the knot with Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel.

And Miranda Kerr flashed her gorgeous diamond ring as she arrived to the airport in Chicago on Friday.

The 34-year-old looked her sophisticated best in a lightweight coat worn over her shoulders and a flirty polka dot dress that showed off her long legs.

Fashionable flyer! Miranda Kerr flashed her gorgeous diamond ring as she arrived to the airport in Chicago on Friday

She wore her glossy, shoulder-length brunette tresses down in loose waves that were parted at the center.

The model also wore a pair of circular sunglasses, a gold watch, and had some pink tint on her cheeks and lips.

Looking chic from head-to-toe, Miranda added a casual touch with her white sneakers.

Miranda was in Chicago to make an appearance at a Sephora store on behalf of the skincare company she helped found, KORA Organics.

All in a day's work! Miranda was in Chicago to make an appearance at a Sephora store on behalf of the skincare company she helped found, KORA Organics

The model has returned to work following her wedding to Evan in May.

The couple tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Brentwood following a nearly year long engagement.

Miranda was previously married to British actor Orlando Bloom with whom she shares six-year-old son Flynn. She and Bloom separated in 2013 and their divorce was finalized later that year.
She has been single since splitting from Franklin Ohanessian late last year.

But Gemma Arterton, 31,looks to be in the first flush of romance again as she was spotted kissing Peaky Blinders star Rory Keenan, 37, at the British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park on Friday.

The Quantum of Solace actress was seen lovingly embracing her new beau before he pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

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Lots to smile about: Gemma Arterton, 31,looks to be in the first flush of romance again as she was spotted kissing Peaky Blinders star Rory Keenan, 37, at the British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park on Friday

Acting success: Rory, 37, who has appeared in Peaky Blinders and War & Peace, was seen pulling Gemma in for a passionate kiss at the festival (pictured March 2016 in London)

The pair were seen affectionately walking around the festival with Gemma beaming as she lovingly put her arm around Rory.

Gemma and Rory are said to have been dating for months, after both appeared in the West End play Saint Joan.

A source told The Sun the acting couple 'understood each other'

They said: 'Gemma is still very much in the honeymoon phase with Rory and they are really enjoying each others company.

Brunette beauty: Gemma was noticably dressed down for the festival; she rocked her casual look in a pair of MOTHER jeans and leather converses, which she wore with a flowing shirt

Past love: The actress split from her last serious boyfriend Franklin Ohanessian in October 2016 (pictured March 2015)

'They were not holding back on the public displays of affection and spent the entire afternoon together.

'They had no worries about anyone seeing them kissing and cuddling. Gemma and Rory have been seeing each other for a few months and have been keeping their relationship quiet.'

Earlier in the day the actress was seen puffing on a rolled up cigarette and devouring a delectable looking burger as she enjoyed the day

Gemma was noticably dressed down for the festival; she rocked her casual look in a pair of jeans and leather converses, which she wore with a flowing shirt.

The bottom of her trousers were flared, adding a slight edge to her festival look.

She teamed her trousers with a pair of leather converses, which were laced to her ankles.

The actress split from her last serious boyfriend Franklin Ohanessian in October 2016.

The pair met on the set of 2014 film The Voices, and Franklin, an assistant director, went on to work with her in the arthouse movie Gemma Bovery.

Gemma was also previously married to Italian businessman Stefano Catelli but they split up after three years in 2013, with their divorce finalised two years later

Ex-husband: Gemma was also previously married to Italian businessman Stefano Catelli but they split up after three years in 2013, with their divorce finalised two years later (pictured November 2012 in London)

After her breakout success in St Trinians, the actress went on to star in a BBC adaptation of Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

She became a Bond girl in 2008's Quantum of Solace and most recently played a Welsh scriptwriter in wartime comedy-drama Their Finest.

Over the last few years, Gemma has taken to the stage and has starred in musical Made In Dagenham and Shakespearean romp Nell Gwynn.

Out and about: Stefano proposed to Gemma when they attended 2009's Download festival




It's been almost 11 years since she lost her husband in a deadly stingray attack.

And according to Woman's Day, Terri Irwin, who calls the late Steve Irwin 'the love of my life', has reportedly welcomed famed medium John Edward into her home in an effort to contact Steve.

The magazine claims the 52-year-old invited the renown psychic to join her on the Sunshine Coast during his recent 10-day promotional visit to Australia.

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Getting in touch: According to Woman's Day, Terri Irwin, who calls the late Steve Irwin 'the love of my life', has reportedly welcomed famed medium John Edward into her home in an effort to contact Steve

'John was only in Australia for 10 days to promote his upcoming tour, but during that time he made sure he flew up to Queensland to visit Terri,' an alleged 'source' told the publication.

'John has been a friend of the Irwins for some time.

The TV psychic, who has worked as a medium since he was a teenager, was reportedly close to the late Crocodile Hunter before he passed in 2006.

'John was only in Australia for 10 days to promote his upcoming tour, but during that time he made sure he flew up to Queensland to visit Terri,' an alleged 'source' told the publication

The publication claims that two years after his death, Terri and Steve's father Bob had a 'private session' with John, who at the time said the duo were 'comforted by the outcome'.

'There's no doubt Steve that was with us,' he reportedly said.

Terri recently celebrated what would have been the lovebirds' 25th wedding anniversary.

Beloved: Terri, who still runs Australia Zoo with the couple's children Bindi, 18, and Robert, 13, recently celebrated what would have been the lovebirds' 25th wedding anniversary

The conservationist shared a heartwarming picture of her and Steve on Twitter with a touching message.

'I miss you so very much, and I'm grateful every day for the time we had together,' she wrote.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Australia Zoo for comment.
She starred in three-part mini-series Bangkok Hilton as Katrina Stanton, tricked into carrying luggage through customs, with police finding drugs in her bag.

And now New Idea claims in a bizarre report that this has spurred Nicole Kidman to 'approach key Hollywood bosses with a secret deal' to play Schapelle Corby in a blockbuster film.

'Nicole sees this as Bangkok Hilton 2.0,' a source allegedly told the publication of the 50-year-old's desire to play the convicted drug smuggler.

Will Nicole play Schapelle? Magazine claims Kidman has 'approached key Hollywood bosses to play convicted drug smuggler Corby in blockbuster film'

'That was the TV mini-series that made Nicole a star all those years ago, and she can't help but see the parallels in Schapelle's case and her character's story in Bangkok Hilton - so she's always been fascinated,' an 'insider' apparently told New Idea.

'She's approached some of the key bosses in Hollywood already - they don't really know about Schapelle's case, however Nicole has been winning them over,' they reportedly added.

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to Nicole's management for comment.

Claims: 'She's approached some of the key bosses in Hollywood already - they don't really know about Schapelle's case, however Nicole has been winning them over,' a source has reportedly told New Idea magazine

Instant stardom: Nicole starred in the 1989 three-part Australian mini-series Bangkok Hilton, that arguably made her a star. The production saw the Oscar winner take on the role of Katrina Stanton, an Australian woman searching for her father

Nicole starred in the 1989 three-part Australian mini-series Bangkok Hilton, that arguably made her a star.

The production saw the Oscar winner take on the role of Katrina Stanton, an Australian woman searching for her father.

While flying back to Australia from London via Thailand, she finds an unlikely friend in photographer Arkie Ragan.

Tricked into carrying luggage through customs for Arkie, police find drugs in the bag, landing Kat in 'Bangkok Hilton' prison.

Plot: While flying back to Australia from London via Thailand, she finds an unlikely friend in photographer Arkie Ragan. Tricked into carrying luggage through customs for Arkie, police find drugs in the bag, landing Kat in 'Bangkok Hilton' prison

Similarities? Supporters of Schapelle Corb, who claim she's innocent to this day, would find similarities between Nicole's on-screen story and the Queensland beautician

Maintains her innocence: Schapelle, who turns 40 next week, has maintained her innocence after being found guilty of smuggling 4kg of marijuana into Indonesia

Headlines: The brunette was sentenced in 2005 to serve 20 years in Kerobokan Prison, later having her sentence reduced and released in May 2017

Supporters of Schapelle Corby, who claim she's innocent to this day, would find similarities between Nicole's on-screen story and the Queensland beautician.

Schapelle, who turns 40 next week, has maintained her innocence after being found guilty of smuggling four kilograms of marijuana into Indonesia.

The brunette was sentenced in 2005 to serve 20 years in Kerobokan Prison, later having her sentence reduced and released in May 2017.

Schapelle has maintained a relatively low profile in Queensland.

Low-key: Schapelle has maintained a relatively low profile in Queensland since her release
Police walk past an emergency services vehicle next to Bronx-Lebanon Hospital as they respond to an active shooter north of Manhattan in New York on June 30, 2017

A doctor was killed and six people injured after a gunman opened fire inside a New York hospital over a "workplace-related matter" on Friday, the city's mayor said, with the shooter later taking his own life.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said several doctors were "fighting for their lives" following the incident in the Bronx borough. He said the gunman was also a doctor and former employee but gave no indication of his motive.

New York police chief James O'Neill added that five of the injured were seriously hurt while a sixth was wounded in the leg.

The shooting occurred at the 1000-bed Bronx-Lebanon hospital at around 3 pm (1900 GMT), located on one of the busiest thoroughfares in the city's north.

The shooter was found dead on the 17th floor of the hospital, apparently from a self-inflicted wound, O'Neill added. The dead doctor, a woman, was found lying nearby.

De Blasio referenced the spate of mass shootings the country has seen in recent years, and said: "Thank God this is not an act of terrorism. It is an isolated incident."

"Our hearts going out to the family of the doctor who passed away," he continued, before praising rescue officials and the police force for their rapid response, as well as fire fighters for extinguishing a blaze that broke out.

America's largest city maintains a huge police deployment over fears of a potential terror attack like those that have hit European cities in recent years.
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President Donald Trump may accuse Qatar of sponsoring terrorism, but that did not stop the wealthy emirate this week from lighting up the Empire State building in the national colors of the Middle Eastern nation.

Trump -- who himself once tried to acquire the Manhattan skyscraper -- has sided with Saudi Arabia in its increasingly bitter dispute with Qatar, but Doha has adopted a tactic long used by its more powerful Saudi neighbor to get its own way, buying up substantial shares in the US economy as a bulwark against shifting political sands.

The iconic 102-story Empire State building was bathed in the burgundy and white of Qatar Airways, the state flag carrier of Qatar, ostensibly to celebrate 10 years of flights into the United States.

Less obvious was the fact that almost a year ago, the oil and gas-rich emirate purchased a 10-percent, $622 million stake in the all-American building.

Trump once tried unsuccessfully to seize control of the building during his heyday as a New York property mogul, when he still owned the land that the skyscraper stands on.

Last month, Qatar stunned American Airlines with plans to acquire a 10 percent stake in the world's largest commercial air carrier.

At the same time, it signed a $12 billion contract to buy 36 F-15 fighter jets from Boeing: a fraction of the $110-billion arms deal inked when Mr Trump visited Riyadh in May, but still enough to make US business leaders sit up and listen.

"They have tentacles everywhere, they are amazing," said Randa Slim, a scholar at the Middle East Institute.

- 'A listening ear' -

Qatar's greatest international asset, of course, is hosting the forward headquarters of US Central Command on its soil, putting the country squarely at the heart of the global US military footprint.

Doha is also home to shiny outposts of Georgetown University and the Brookings Institution, among Washington's most prestigious think tanks, which Qatari officials said should promote the "bright image" of Qatar to the international media, "especially the American ones."

Like Trump, a property tycoon turned president, Qatari investors have dived into real estate on four continents, bankrolling and buying into major developments in Washington, Chicago and London, where they bought a stake in Heathrow Airport.

Slim said that US concern for Qatar's Al-Udeid Air Base -- which the Americans use to stage operations in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen -- guaranteed that Washington would give Qatar's position in the crisis considerable weight.

While the president Tweeted about alleged Qatari backing for Syrian jihadists, his own Defense Department assured Qatar of continuing US support, while the State Department rebuked the Saudi coalition for its treatment of the country, seen by other Gulf states as too close to Iran.

"Definitely, the White House does not seem to be on their side but you have other powerful agencies that are standing on their side, at least until now," Slim said.

"Even if you have groups who are arguing for a balanced position in this administration, I don't see anyone siding with Qatar 100 percent," she added.

"Qatar does not have 100 percent support. Qatar has a listening ear."

- Saudi's heavyweight checkbook -

Whatever inroads Doha may have made, Saudi Arabia, their larger and richer adversary in the crisis, retains a formidable position.

That kingdom is the second-largest foreign supplier of crude oil to the United States, a long-standing linchpin of US foreign policy and a major backer of large US corporations.

As Trump prepared to tour the Middle East in May, Riyadh pledged to pour $20 billion into an infrastructure fund managed by the investment firm Blackstone, whose billionaire chairman Stephen Schwarzman is a prominent Trump backer.

This came on the heels of $110 billion in arms sales as well as billions more in deals for General Electric and Lockheed Martin.

On the campaign trail, Trump also praised Saudi investors for buying his apartments, and he has reportedly incorporated companies in the kingdom.

Meanwhile, the Qataris have few established business links with the Trump clan if any -- but not for want of effort by the real estate mogul.

"By virtue of their relative size (both geographic and financial), Qatar will always be weaker," said Robert Blecher, acting director of the Middle East program at the International Crisis Group.

"But not weak enough to make finances and business deals the decisive factor in this contretemps."

According to James Jeffrey of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, under normal circumstances investments would not factor into geopolitical considerations.

"When you have a huge strategic problem such as this, the American position is traditionally, 'We don't care who's bought shares,'" Jeffrey, a long serving US diplomat in the Middle East and a former deputy national security advisor to President George W. Bush, told AFP.

But he said this particular White House may be sending the signal that business ties do count for a great deal. "This administration has given plenty of indications that that's the way it works," he said
Australian Cardinal George Pell looks on as he makes a statement at the Holy See Press Office, Vatican city on June 29, 2017 after being charged with historical sex offences

Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell's Australian supporters have set up a fund to help pay his legal fees after he was charged with historical sexual offences, a report said Sunday.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney said last week it would help Pell with accommodation on his return to Australia to face the charges, but would not foot his legal bills.

Pell was ordered to face a Melbourne court hearing on July 26, and has been granted a leave of absence by Pope Francis.

John Roskam, the executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), a high-profile conservative Australian think tank, said that Pell supporters had set up a bank account for donations to pay for Pell's legal team.

"The point of this (fund) is that there are a lot of people who want to support the cardinal and want to give him the opportunity to clear his name," Roskam told Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper.

An IPA spokesman told AFP that Roskam would not be commenting further, but confirmed the details of the story.

Australia's Catholic leaders have spoken out in support of Pell describing him as a "thoroughly decent man".

The pre-eminent cleric rose through the ranks to the highest offices of the church in Australia before leaving to manage the Vatican's powerful economic ministry.

Pell said he had been the victim of a campaign of "relentless character assassination", and vowed to beat the charges and return to work in Rome.

Police have not revealed details of the charges against the 76-year-old, citing the need to preserve the integrity of the judicial process.
A drug addict stands behind bars at a Hamas-run prison in Gaza City

After Umm Mazen found her husband shivering in his bed and complaining of a migraine, he confessed he was addicted to painkillers and could no longer provide for the family.

In the Gaza Strip, the tiny Palestinian territory sandwiched between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean and ravaged by three wars in a decade, drug abuse is often a hidden problem.

While no reliable statistics are available, experts and medical support groups estimate there are tens of thousands of drug users in Gaza.

Young men are among those most affected in a territory suffering 45 percent unemployment, rising to more than 60 percent among the youth.

Narcotics such as cannabis are sold illegally in the enclave of some two million people, but many of the most serious addicts are hooked on illicitly bought prescription medicines.

Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas, who have ruled the Strip for a decade and take a firm line on drugs, launched a fresh crackdown this year.

Hamas military courts have sentenced four Palestinians to death for drug smuggling, the first such punishments since Hamas seized the Strip in 2007.

Raids have also uncovered record hauls of drugs, particularly Tramadol -- a powerful opiate-based painkiller that is widely available.

Umm Mazen, a 32-year-old mother of three who refused to give her full name for fear of consequences in Gaza's conservative society, said the drug nearly ruined her life.

Fearing a scandal, her husband refused hospital treatment.

"I warned his family and I even threatened to report it to the Hamas police," she told AFP.

- Death penalty -

Iyad al-Bozum, spokesman for the Hamas-run interior ministry, told AFP there was an "organised plan to smuggle large quantities of drugs into Gaza," saying dealers were targeting young people.

While some drugs are smuggled through the Israeli border, most enter from Gaza's southern border with Egypt, the ministry said.

A pile of confiscated bars of hashish seized since the beginning of the year being burnt in Gaza City

The Gaza Strip has been blockaded for more than a decade by Israel, which has fought three wars with Hamas since 2008.

The Rafah crossing with Egypt, the only entrance to the territory not controlled by Israel, has been almost completely closed since the military ousted Egypt's Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Gaza has almost no industry and suffers from a chronic lack of water and fuel.

Interviewed at a Hamas prison where he is serving seven years for drug dealing, a trafficker arrested in 2013 said he had turned to selling narcotics to make ends meet and pay for his own addiction.

"It was easy to sell them -- lots of people were using them because of unemployment and the bad situation in Gaza," he said in an interview monitored by prison guards.

Egyptian forces have since destroyed hundreds of cross-border tunnels and Hamas has launched a crackdown against dealers, but drugs have continued to flow into the territory.

In January Hamas authorities announced they had seized as many drugs in one month as in the whole of 2016, with a street value of around $2 million.

They seized 1,250 packets of cannabis and 400,000 Tramadol pills in January alone, the interior ministry said.

- Stigma -

As a result of the crackdown, the price of a 10-pill pack of Tramadol is said to have doubled in two years to $120.

In a territory where more than two-thirds of the population rely on humanitarian aid, it is often the inability to pay that forces people to seek rehabilitation, said Sami Aweida from the Gaza Community Mental Health Program.

Gaza has no centre dedicated to treating drug addicts, making reliable figures on abuse all but impossible to obtain.

Addicts who want to get clean often avoid specialists, Aweida said.

"People prefer to do it discreetly through a liberal doctor."

Umm Mazen did convince her husband to seek treatment, but mainly for economic reasons.

"He could not afford (Tramadol) because of the high prices," she said.
The IMF estimates nearly 150,000 people were defrauded of more than 150 billion CFA francs in the biggest financial scandal in Benin's history

Sadiatou used to be a well-off trader of traditional cloth at the market in Benin's economic hub of Cotonou but now sells school equipment from the doorstep of her home.

In 2010 she sank more than five million CFA francs ($8,700, 7,600 euros) into an investment scheme that promised a quick profit.

"It's a deposit I should never have made," she told AFP. "My business took a hit and my health as well. I've been depressed for a long time.

"I was counting on the savings I'd make to expand my business. But it was useless. All my money has gone."

Seven years after what was described as the biggest financial scandal in Benin's history was revealed, 20 people this week went on trial.

Sadiatou is one of nearly 150,000 people that the International Monetary Fund estimates were defrauded of more than 150 billion CFA francs in the Investment Consultancy and Computing Services (ICC Services) case.

Some estimates, however, say as many as 300,000 people were lured into parting with their hard-earned or borrowed cash and life-savings on the promise of 150 to 200 percent per quarter returns.

- Ponzi scheme -

Despite repeated warnings about investing in so-called pyramid or Ponzi schemes, such scams are becoming commonplace throughout Africa.

Frank Engelsman, who heads the Amsterdam- and Paris-based Ultrascan, which specialises in detecting international financial fraud, says such schemes are booming.

"First, because the infrastructure in big cities of Africa is improving rapidly, both phone as well as internet infrastructure -- and that's what these fraudsters need... .

"Second, because in those cities... police are not trained to handle internet international communication crimes that always cross a border between the fraudster and the victim."

In Gabon, a business run by a Pentecostal church pastor, Yves David Mapakou, allegedly swindled up to 30,000 French and Gabonese clients by promising profits on investments.

A complaint was lodged in Paris in August last year.

Africa's most populous nation Nigeria remains the undisputed champion of fraud, having assiduously developed "419" scams over the years -- a reference to the relevant section of the criminal code.

Victims from around the world have been duped into handing over billions of dollars through a barrage of unsolicited email appeals and job offers as well as promises of marriage.

Engelsman said this type of fraud has "spread from Nigeria to neighbouring countries" in West Africa, taking advantage of the lack of capacity of law enforcement agencies to investigate.

"Like most bad things like crime, they tend to spread when not put to a halt, widen their scope to improve effect/income." he added.

Development can even play a part.

"It's easier when the infrastructure is good, in countries where also the chamber of commerce is registering companies easily and bank accounts are opened, based on one or more registrations," he added.

The Ponzi scheme in Benin -- likened to the one run by Bernie Madoff in the United States that saw the financier jailed -- involved paying initial investors with the money of new clients.

Textile worker Aline Aklassato said she had "no reason at all not to believe" the scheme would not work.

"Colleagues and friends had made deposits and received dividends," she added.

"I got dividends myself for two months of 300,000 CFA francs before the difficulties started."

- Criminal liability -

As the case wound its way to trial, few of the alleged victims were able to attend court hearings.

The current trial will only look at establishing criminal liability. But for salesman Leandros Koudenoukpo, "the key question is reimbursement".

Benin's government in 2010 launched a compensation scheme for victims through the sale of assets seized from ICC Services. But only a few benefited.

The 20 defendants in the dock are facing charges of conspiracy, defrauding the public and practising illegal banking and micro-finance.

Key questions that need answering are how were ICC Services and other firms involved are able to prosper over the years, despite having no authorisation to run financial services. Did they have state backing?

Benin's president at the time, former banker Thomas Boni Yayi, and several high-ranking officials were at the time accused of complicity but none is officially under investigation.

Seven years may have passed and Benin's government has changed. But more time is still needed for a resolution.

The trial opened on Thursday but on Friday it was adjourned to a date to be fixed because of a lack of an expert psychiatric witness and documents.
Many small traders are fearful of India's new goods and services tax (GST), which will require them to file invoices online

India has vowed that a new nationwide tax will revolutionise the economy by bringing more businesses into the digital system to enrich state coffers, but for shopkeeper Sanjay Kumar Rai, who has never used a computer, the transition is terrifying.

Rai is one of tens of thousands of small traders fearful of the goods and services tax (GST) launched Saturday that aims to create a single market in place of a labyrinthine system of more than a dozen national and state levies.

Under the new regime, businesses will have to register with the GST network and file invoices and tax returns online at least once a month.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has compared the changes to getting used to a new pair of eye glasses. But India's army of small business owners like Rai are in a digital panic.

At his shoebox-sized stationery store in central Delhi, Rai carefully notes down all sales in a traditional thick ledger book in Hindi. He has no laptop and says he would not know how to use one if it was placed in front of him.

"I'm uneducated," he told AFP. "I don't know English. I only know Hindi so how do I navigate this new system?" Till now he has made all tax returns on paper.

In theory, traders like Rai with annual revenues of less than two million rupees ($31,000) do not need to register on the GST network.

However, the bigger clients which buy paper and pens from him want suppliers to be in the GST system or they will go elsewhere. The government is pressing for proof of all sales, regardless of size, so that it can go after tax cheats.

Analysts say the GST has been set up to force compliance in a country with a poor tax base and a reputation for avoidance.

"It's a very clever system design," Credit Suisse managing director Neelkanth Mishra told AFP.

Thousands of traders across the country closed their shutters on the day before the launch to protest against the tax

"There will be an automatic compliance upstream because it's up to the companies to ensure that all their suppliers are GST compliant."

In Rai's case, an accountant client came to his rescue and completed his online registration. But the shopkeeper is still not confident about filing monthly returns under the new system.

"They take out a new law and then we small people have to find a way to fit in it," he said.

- 'Too complicated' -

He is not the only one worried about the massive changes now rippling through India's economy.

Thousands of traders across the country closed their shutters on the day before the launch to protest against the tax.

Analysts say the GST has been set up to force compliance in a country with a poor tax base and a reputation for avoidance

Vijay Prakash Jain, secretary general of the Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal, a national traders association, was among those supporting the strike.

"The rules and regulations are complicated and hard-hitting and we, especially small businesses, can never comply," he told AFP.

"Earlier we filed returns once a quarter but now we have to file three returns a month and that's 37 in a year," he said.

"Plus the government wants everything done online. Less than two percent of the country's 60 million traders may have computers. Where is a small trader going to get a computer from?"

Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal has asked the government to reduce the filings to once a quarter and to let businesses file manually. The government is not giving in yet.

Ratings agency ICRA said the transition would reduce the competitiveness of the informal sector in favour of organised business.

"Nevertheless, higher compliance is expected to boost the tax base and the revenues of the central and state Governments over the medium term," it said.




He wished the Vietnam-Russia and Russia-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Groups will continue working hard to help consolidate the collaborations between the two legislative bodies and the countries comprehensive strategic partnership in general.

At the meeting, the two sides described the effective implementation of the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) as a top priority at present.

President Quang suggested the two parliaments work closely together to monitor the EVFTA implementation in order to create a strong boost to bilateral trade relations, with an aim of raising two-way trade to USD10 billion by 2020.

The Russian Duma Chairman spoke highly of the Vietnamese Presidents official visit to Russia, saying that it will map out development orientations and deepen the two countries comprehensive strategic partnership, including the ties between their legislatures.

The State Duma always pays special attention to promoting and enhancing the Vietnam  Russia cooperation in the fields of economy, trade, science  technology, education - training, defence - security, and tourism, he said.

The Russian legislative body will actively support the building of a suitable legal framework to step up investment cooperation in industry, agriculture, energy, oil and gas between the two nations.

He also expressed his delight at Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngans upcoming participation in the 137th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly slated for October in Russia.

President Tran Dai Quang noted his support for cultural exchanges between the two countries, including the organisation of the Russian Culture Days in Vietnam in 2017.

He also called on the State Duma to provide legal assistance and favorable conditions for Vietnamese people living in the country./.
President Xi Jinping's trip to celebrate 20 years since Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain, culminated Saturday in a 30-minute speech warning that any challenge to Beijing's control over the city crossed a "red line"

A landmark visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Hong Kong left little doubt that Beijing views the city as a destabilising hotbed of unacceptable political dissent that must prove its loyalty, analysts said Sunday.

His three-day trip to celebrate 20 years since Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain, culminated Saturday in a 30-minute speech warning that any challenge to Beijing's control over the city crossed a "red line".

That was seen as a salvo against a new wave of activists calling for self-determination or independence for semi-autonomous Hong Kong, concepts intolerable to Beijing.

Throughout the televised address, Xi played up Hong Kong's role in upholding China's national security and sovereignty, casting it as a potential breeding ground for instability that must be reined in.

It comes after major political turbulence in recent years which saw mass rallies calling for democratic reform bring parts of the city to a standstill for months in 2014.

Since then, a "localist" movement has emerged promoting Hong Kong's own separate identity as fewer young people see themselves as "Chinese". Some in that camp want a complete split from the mainland.

The address laid out a "very strong warning" against dissenters, said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, a political science professor at Hong Kong Baptist University.

"Xi's acting as a schoolmaster, warning there will be consequences if they misbehave," he added.

A new generation of pro-democracy campaigners, like Joshua Wong, have emerged promoting Hong Kong's own separate identity, as fewer young people now see themselves as "Chinese"

Xi also called on authorities to "enhance" education to raise awareness of China's national history and culture, alluding to the need to bring young people back into the fold.

By putting national security and education front and centre, Xi is pushing Hong Kong's new Beijing-friendly leader Carrie Lam to revisit two potentially explosive catalysts for social and political unrest.

The last attempt to implement a compulsory patriotic curriculum was shelved in 2012 after huge rallies by parents, teachers and students who feared it was Beijing brainwashing. Those protests were led by a then 15-year-old Joshua Wong, now an internationally known pro-democracy campaigner.

A proposed anti-subversion national security law also triggered massive demonstrations in 2003 over concerns it would lead to suppression of rights and freedoms. It has never been implemented.

"If Carrie Lam does what Xi Jinping said, which is to relaunch the national education campaign and to draft a national security law, she's going to antagonise a lot of Hong Kong people," said Cabestan.

- Deepening divisions -

Mass rallies calling for democratic reform brought parts of Hong Kong to a standstill for months in 2014

Xi appeared relaxed, almost disinterested at times, during a visit which included presiding over Hong Kong's biggest military parade since the 1997 handover.

But his demeanour did not reflect an absence of purpose. The South China Morning Post described his strategy as "speak softly but carry a big stick", a proverb made famous by United States President Theodore Roosevelt to describe his approach to foreign policy.

Xi avowed his commitment to Hong Kong's semi-autonomous status as concerns deepen that China is increasingly interfering in the city's affairs.

Yet Beijing's foreign ministry on Friday declared the document signed by Britain and China which initiated the handover was "no longer relevant".

The Sino-British Joint Declaration gave Hong Kong rights unseen on the mainland through a "one country, two systems" agreement, lasting 50 years.

Xi said there must be a better understanding and implementation of the semi-autonomous set-up, which he likened to a tree with deep roots.

Its raison d'etre was to "uphold national unity", he said.

"The message is quite clear that one country towers over two systems," said Willy Lam, a politics expert at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

"He's asking Hong Kong people to obey instructions because the sovereign power overrides everything," Lam added.

Xi's visit laid bare again the divisions in Hong Kong society between those who are pro-China and those who fear its tightening grip.

There were sporadic protests and arrests during an unprecedented security lockdown as well as confrontations between democracy activists and pro-Beijing protesters -- accused by opponents of being hired thugs.

Flag-waving fans filled public squares near where Xi was staying for three days of music, dance and celebrations.

Those who welcomed the visit said the stark warnings Xi issued were to be expected.

"There's definitely a bottom line for every country," said legislator Felix Chung, head of the pro-establishment Liberal Party.

"I think Hong Kong people thought the visit was very positive."

Others painted a different picture.

Pro-democracy lawmaker Claudia Mo said the lavish official celebrations reminded her of North Korea or the Cultural Revolution -- a time of mass political purges in China.

"He wanted to instill fear and respect, or respect out of fear, from Hong Kong people," Mo told AFP.

"But instead I think a larger portion felt resentment."
Bangladesh has been reeling from a spate of extremist violence in recent years, with dozens of foreigners, secular writers, atheist activists and members of religious minorities killed.

Bangladesh police have arrested three female members of an Islamist extremist group blamed for the deadly Dhaka cafe siege, officials said Sunday, as authorities continue to crack down on militant outfits a year after the attack.

The three women were arrested late Saturday following a failed suicide bombing after their hide-out was raided in western Kushtia district's Bheramara town, 228 kilometres (141.6 miles) from the capital Dhaka.

Local police chief Nur Hossain Khandker told AFP that one of the suspects wearing a suicide bomb vest tried to blow herself up as she rushed towards authorities after being asked to surrender.

"She failed and we arrested her without any harm. Later she said she couldnt find the trigger, or else, there would have been many casualties," Khandker said.

Kushtia police chief Mehedi Hasan said the women were members of Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a local group blamed for the 2016 Holey bakery attack in Dhaka's diplomatic zone where militants killed 22 people.

Police said one of the women, Tithi Khatun, 30, is the wife of acting JMB chief Ayyub Bacchu who is on the run and allegedly visited the hideout frequently.

"We conducted a clean sweep operation inside the den and found 10 kilos of gunpowder, two armed (suicide) vests and a loaded pistol," Khandker said.

"Two minor children were also rescued from the hideout," he added.

Bangladesh has been reeling from a spate of extremist violence in recent years, with dozens of foreigners, secular writers, atheist activists and members of religious minorities killed.

Many of those, including the cafe carnage, were claimed by the Islamic State group or Al Qaeda but the secular government of Sheikh Hasina denies the claims, blaming homegrown militants.

However, since the cafe attack, authorities have gunned down nearly 70 Islamist extremists across the country and arrested scores.
Troops, backed by police and health officials, have launched an intensive campaign to identify dengue hotspots to be sprayed with insecticides

Sri Lanka deployed hundreds of soldiers to destroy mosquito breeding grounds as the country battles the spread of deadly dengue fever that has killed a record 215 people this year, officials said Sunday.

Humid monsoon weather, stagnant water from recent flooding, as well as mounting piles of rotting garbage accumulating in the capital, have combined to create abundant areas for mosquitoes to multiply.

This has caused rates of dengue, a tropical disease that is spread by mosquitoes, to surge to over 71,000 people infected in the first six months of this year, a record figure that far surpasses last year's total of 55,000.

Troops, backed by police and health officials, have launched an intensive campaign to identify dengue hotspots to be sprayed with insecticides, the military said in a statement.

"Twenty five teams will separately move into the worst-affected areas in and around Colombo and search for dengue breeding spots and other vulnerable areas," the statement said.

The scale of the spread of the disease has been unprecedented and caught Sri Lankan authorities off guard. Health ministry officials said the 215 deaths in the first six months of this year compared with 78 reported during the whole of 2016.

Authorities have blamed a garbage disposal crisis in Colombo for the spread of dengue.

The country's main rubbish tip collapsed in April, crushing dozens of homes and killing 32 people.

With nowhere to take the trash, municipal collection has drastically slowed and led to huge piles on the streets which authorities say help mosquito-breeding.

Stagnant water left behind after last month's flooding was also seen as contributing to the spread of dengue.
Ehud Olmert was once described as "probably the best" politician Israel ever produced, but the debonair ex-premier who was released from prison on Sunday has seen a humiliating fall from grace

Ehud Olmert was once described as "probably the best" politician Israel ever produced, but the debonair ex-premier who was released from prison on Sunday has seen a humiliating fall from grace.

Olmert, 71, became Israel's first ex-prime minister to serve jail time when he walked into the Maasiyahu prison in the central city of Ramle in February 2016 for the 27-month term over corruption scandals.

He was granted early release by a parole board last week, shaving about a third off his sentence. He did not speak to reporters when leaving prison on Sunday.

Once known for relaunching peace efforts with the Palestinians while prime minister between 2006-2009, Olmert is now likely to be remembered for allegations that led one judge to speak of "corrupt and filthy practices."

A balding father-of-four with a lean physique, roguish grin and a reputed taste for fine cigars, Olmert maintained his innocence in a video message before entering prison.

"You can imagine how painful and strange this change is to me, my family, loved ones and supporters," Olmert said in the video.

He added that he believes the public will eventually see that "while I was prime minister, there were sincere and promising attempts" to reach peace.

The main allegations against him date to before his time as prime minister, to the years when he served as mayor of Jerusalem and economy minister, among other positions.

Olmert was born near Haifa on September 30, 1945 during the British mandate of Palestine.

A lawyer by trade, he surprised many right-wing friends in the early 1970s by marrying left-leaning artist Aliza Richter, who brought up their children with equally liberal views.

He entered the cabinet in 1988 and five years later was elected mayor of Jerusalem, a post he held for a decade but in which he rarely distinguished himself, before returning to the government under Ariel Sharon in 2003.

With Sharon, he broke away from the right-wing Likud party in 2005 to form the centre-right Kadima and became premier the following year after Sharon suffered a massive stroke and slipped into a coma.

- Unfulfilled promise -

Before taking over as prime minister, Olmert was recognised as a key strategist behind many of Sharon's boldest moves, including Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza as well as their split from the Likud.

Time magazine was so impressed that it dubbed him "the 12th Israeli to serve as prime minister and probably the best politician of them all".

After Sharon's collapse, Olmert led Kadima to victory in March 2006 on a platform of dismantling dozens of settlements and withdrawing troops from most of the West Bank.

But things began to go downhill, with his West Bank plan shelved after a bloody 34-day war against Lebanon's Hezbollah that summer which left more than 1,200 dead in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 in Israel, mostly soldiers.

Unlike many of his predecessors, Olmert lacked an illustrious military background and his handling of the conflict was harshly criticised.

Although he rejected peace talks for decades, Olmert underwent a late-career conversion.

Following the relaunch of peace talks in November 2007 ending a seven-year hiatus, Ehud Olmert met several times with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, reportedly making far-reaching concessions in a bid to reach an agreement

Following the relaunch of negotiations in November 2007 ending a seven-year hiatus, Olmert met several times with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, reportedly making far-reaching concessions in a bid to reach an agreement.

But the talks were abruptly halted just over a year later when Israel embarked upon a devastating three-week offensive in Gaza.

Olmert also entered into Turkish-mediated talks with long-time foe Syria in May 2008 over Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights.

He resigned as premier in September 2008 after police recommended he be indicted for graft, but he remained in office until March 2009, when Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in to the post, which he has held since.
Iran is seeking foreign investment and technology to develop South Pars, one of the world's largest natural gas fields

French energy giant Total is to sign a $4.8 billion agreement to develop an Iranian offshore gas field, the oil ministry said Sunday, in the biggest foreign deal since sanctions were eased.

"The international agreement for the development of phase 11 of South Pars will be signed on Monday in the presence of the oil ministry and managers of Total, the Chinese company CNPC and Iranian company Petropars," a ministry spokesman told AFP.

Total signed a preliminary deal with Iran in November as the lead partner alongside China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and Iran's Petropars.

The French company will operate the site with a 50.1 percent stake in the $4.8 billion (4.2 billion euro) project.

CNPC will own 30 percent and Petropars 19.9 percent.

The French firm was initially due to sign the contract in early 2017, but CEO Patrick Pouyanne said in February that it would wait to see whether the US adminstration of President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran.

Trump threatened during his campaign to tear up a landmark accord between Iran and six world powers which came into force in January 2016, which eased sanctions in exchange for curbs to Tehran's nuclear programme.

But he has softened his stance since taking office, with his administration continuing to waive the sanctions every few months as required under the deal.

However, Washington has imposed new measures targeting Iran's missile programme and activities in the region.

The 20-year phase 11 project will eventually pump 50.9 million cubic metres (1.8 billion cubic feet) of gas per day into Iran's national grid.

It marks a breakthrough in the oil ministry's efforts to attract Western investment and know-how to improve its outdated energy infrastructure.
Israeli authorities have re-arrested prominent Palestinian lawmaker Khalida Jarrar, seen here in June 2016, over her leadership in a movement Israel considers a terrorist organisation

Israeli authorities have re-arrested a prominent Palestinian lawmaker in an overnight raid over her leadership in a movement Israel considers a terrorist organisation, officials said Sunday.

Khalida Jarrar was arrested in the raid in the Ramallah area in the occupied West Bank, Israel's army said.

The 54-year-old was released in June 2016 after 14 months in an Israeli jail for allegedly encouraging attacks against Israelis.

Jarrar is a senior figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a Marxist party considered a terrorist organisation by Israel, the United States and the European Union.

Many of its leaders are in custody and Jarrar has been jailed multiple times.

Israel's army alleged that "after her release she returned to the activity in the PFLP terror organisation," calling her one of its senior leaders in the West Bank.

"She was apprehended for her involvement in the PFLP and not because of her membership in the (Palestinian parliament)," an army spokeswoman said.

Israeli authorities said they had also arrested Khatim Khativ, whom they said was a senior PFLP leader as well.

Jarrar is a member of the Palestinian parliament, which has not met since 2007 after elections a year earlier were won by the Islamist movement Hamas.

A number of Palestinian lawmakers are currently detained by Israel.

Addameer, a prisoners' support and rights group, said a total of 11 people had been arrested in the raid, including Jarrar and Khitam Saafin, who it identified as chairwoman of the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees.

"The arrest of Khalida Jarrar constitutes an attack against Palestinian political leaders and Palestinian civil society as a whole," it said in a statement.

"It also constitutes one arrest in the context of continuous arrest campaigns against Palestinians."
French energy giant Total is to sign a $4.8 billion agreement to develop an Iranian offshore gas field, the oil ministry says, in the biggest foreign deal since sanctions were eased last year

French energy giant Total will finally sign its multi-billion-dollar agreement to develop an Iranian offshore gas field on Monday, the oil ministry said, in the biggest foreign deal since sanctions were eased last year.

"The international agreement for the development of phase 11 of South Pars will be signed on Monday in the presence of the oil ministry and managers of Total, the Chinese company CNPC and Iranian company Petropars," a ministry spokesman told AFP.

Total signed a preliminary deal with Iran in November, taking a 50.1 percent stake in the $4.8 billion (4.2 billion euro) project.

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) will own 30 percent and Petropars 19.9 percent.

Total will put in an initial $1 billion for the first stage of the 20-year project.

The gas produced will "feed into the domestic Iranian market starting from 2021," a Total spokesman told AFP in Paris.

He said the company would "implement the project with the strictest respect for national and international law".

The contract was initially due to be signed in early 2017, but CEO Patrick Pouyanne said in February that Total would wait to see whether the US adminstration of President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran.

Trump threatened during his campaign to tear up the landmark accord between Iran and six world powers that came into force in January 2016 and eased sanctions in exchange for curbs to Tehran's nuclear programme.

His administration has taken a tough line on Iran and imposed fresh sanctions related to its ballistic missile programme and military activities in the region.

But the White House has kept the nuclear deal alive, continuing to waive the relevant sanctions every few months as required under the agreement.

It is partway through a 90-day review on whether to uphold the deal, although any move to abandon it would be strongly opposed by the other signatories -- Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia.

- Return to Iran -

An Iranian labourer walks the platform of the oil facility in the Khark Island, on the shore of the Gulf, on March 12, 2017

Monday's signing will mark Total's return to Iran, which has the second-largest gas reserves and fourth-largest oil reserves in the world.

The French firm led development of phases two and three of South Pars in the 1990s and had signed up to develop phase 11 back in 2009.

But it was forced to abandon its projects in Iran in 2012 when France joined European Union partners in imposing sanctions, including an oil embargo, over the country's nuclear programme.

Iran's oil officials have been keen to attract Western investment and know-how to improve the country's outdated energy infrastructure.

Iran has also signed preliminary agreements with Shell and Russia's Gazprom to develop oil and gas projects.

Such deals have not been without controversy in Iran, which has bitter memories of exploitation and interventions driven by foreign oil interests.

Conservatives criticised the move to award tenders to foreign firms last year.

That forced the oil ministry to confirm that domestic conglomerates, including one controlled by the elite Revolutionary Guards, would be allowed to compete.

The first stage of the new 20-year project at South Pars will cost around $2 billion and consist of 30 wells and two well-head platforms connected to existing onshore treatment facilities.

The site will eventually pump 50.9 million cubic metres (1.8 billion cubic feet) of gas per day into Iran's national grid.
A picture taken on July 2, 2017 shows a general view of a destroyed mosque in the Old City of Mosul, during the government offensive to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters

Iraqi forces are facing increasingly difficult fighting and a rising number of suicide attacks, including some by female bombers, in the final stages of the battle for Mosul, commanders said Monday.

Following recent suicide bombings by two girls, security forces in the Old City were seen ordering civilians to remove some of their clothing before approaching to guard against the threat.

More than eight months since the start of the operation to retake Mosul from the Islamic State group, the jihadists have gone from fully controlling the city to holding a limited area on its western side, but resistance is still tough.

"The fighting is becoming harder every day because of the nature of the Old City," Staff Lieutenant General Abdulghani al-Assadi, a commander in the elite Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), said of the area of narrow streets and closely spaced buildings where the end of the battle for Mosul is unfolding.

Iraqi forces have been closing in on the Old City in west Mosul for months, but the terrain combined with a large civilian population has made for an extremely difficult fight.

A man walks by destroyed vehicles in a street in the Old City of Mosul on July 2, 2017, during the offensive to retake the city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters

The same conditions that aid jihadist defences also serve to shield Iraqi forces from snipers, Assadi said, and "our losses are not to the level that would prevent us from advancing".

Staff Lieutenant General Sami al-Aridhi, another top CTS commander, said IS had increased the number of suicide attacks it is carrying out.

"The enemy has been using suicide bombers, especially women, for the past three days in some of the neighbourhoods. Before that, they were using snipers and bombs more," said Aridhi.

"Yesterday, four women blew themselves up... today there were two, and yesterday there were seventeen (suicide bombers), including the four" women, he said.

"There are still at least 200 fighters from the (IS) organisation" in Mosul, most of them foreigners, Aridhi said.

"The battle will end in five days to a week."

- IS snipers killed civilians -

CTS forces in the Old City ordered fleeing civilians to remove some articles of clothing before approaching on Monday in an effort to detect suicide bombers.

Men were told to remove their shirts, while women had to take off veils covering their faces and hair, and flowing abaya robes.

The measure followed two recent suicide bombings -- one by a 14-year-old girl and another by a 12-year-old that killed three members of CTS, soldiers said.

Brigadier General Mohammed al-Jawari, the head of civil defence in Nineveh province, of which Mosul is the capital, said the bodies of 50 people shot by IS had been recovered from a street in Al-Zinjili area in west Mosul.

The recovery of the bodies began on Sunday, following the recapture of a nearby medical complex in which IS had placed snipers who fired on the civilians, Jawari said.

Civilians fleeing the fighting are receiving treatment at a makeshift clinic in Mosul.

A member of the Iraqi federal police flashes the victory sign during a celebration in the Old City of Mosul, where the gruelling battle to retake Iraq's second city from Islamic State (IS) group fighters is now nearing its end, on July 2, 2017

"People come from the Old City of Mosul, where fierce fighting is taking place. They're running away from (IS), running away from death, hunger and fear," said Nazar Salih, a doctor at the clinic.

Shahed Omar, a 20-year-old who fled the Old City, pointed to two children at the clinic.

"This one's father was killed, and that girl there, her father was killed as well," Omar said.

- 'Battles on southern front' -

Security forces have made significant progress since launching a renewed assault on the Old City on June 18.

But the impending end of the battle has given rise to the latest round of inter-service rivalry over who gets to declare it over.

A statement attributed to the federal police chief circulated on Sunday, feting "their victory... which was achieved in the territory of Mosul," while police forces in the city celebrated with a band, flags and dancing.

But police commander Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat later said that while the mission of the federal police was over, other forces were still fighting and an announcement of victory would be made later by the Iraqi premier.

Members of the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) gather outside the destroyed gate of the Nuri Mosque in the Old City of Mosul on July 2, 2017, during the offensive to retake the city from the Islamic State group

Iraq's Joint Operations Command on Monday said that the federal police were still fighting and had not captured all of their objectives.

"Federal police forces continue to fight fierce battles... on the southern front and are advancing toward their targets," the JOC said.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led coalition air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost.

The recapture of Mosul will not however mark the end of the war against IS.

The jihadist group holds territory elsewhere in Iraq as well as in neighbouring Syria, and has been able to carry out attacks in government-held areas.
A deadline was approaching Sunday for Qatar to accept a series of demands made by several Arab states to lift a de facto blockade, with no indications Doha was ready to comply

A deadline was approaching Sunday for Qatar to accept 13 demands by several Arab states in return for lifting a de facto blockade.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain, cut ties with Qatar on June 5 and issued their demands on June 22.

The deadline has not been officially confirmed.

Here are the key demands:

- Close Al-Jazeera -

The Qatari-based Al-Jazeera news channel has long been a source of conflict between Doha and its neighbours, who accuse it of bias and fomenting unrest.

One of the world's largest news organisations, it has been repeatedly banned.

Egypt accuses it of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, which it blames for violence after the military ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in 2013.

The United Nations said the demand to shut Al-Jazeera and "other affiliated media outlets" was "an unacceptable attack on the right to freedom of expression and opinion".

- Quit backing Muslim Brotherhood -

The Arab countries also demand that Doha cut ties with groups including the Muslim Brotherhood, which Saudi Arabia and its allies blacklist as a "terrorist" organisation.

They also called on Qatar to hand over opposition figures based in Doha.

The emirate has long hosted exiled Brotherhood figures including the movement's spiritual leader, Egyptian preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi, and Khaled Meshaal, former head of the Brotherhood-linked Palestinian movement Hamas.

Western governments have concerns about the Brotherhood but have not listed it as a foreign terrorist organisation -- nor has the UN.

- Close Turkish base -

Another key demand is the closure of a Turkish military base in Qatar set to give Turkey a new foothold in the Gulf.

Turkey sees Qatar as its top Gulf ally but is also keen to improve relations with regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia.

However, Turkey's parliament approved a troop deployment to the Qatar base just two days after the crisis broke out.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the demands were "against international law".

- Downgrade Iran ties -

Riyadh and its allies want Doha to downgrade its warm diplomatic ties with Tehran, Saudi Arabia's key regional rival.

They accuse Qatar of supporting Iranian-backed groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah movement -- a charge Doha denies.

Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and Shiite-dominated Iran sit on opposing sides in conflicts in Syria and Yemen, where Qatar was part of an alliance fighting Iran-backed Huthi rebels until the crisis broke out.

Riyadh regularly accuses Tehran of interfering across the Middle East, linking it to instability in the kingdom's east, where minority Shiites live.

But not all Riyadh's Gulf neighbours share its hostility towards Iran.

Oman and Kuwait retain warm diplomatic ties with Tehran, while the UAE hosts a large Iranian expat population and has strong commercial ties with the Islamic Republic.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has said his country wants to bolster relations with Doha.

When Saudi Arabia closed the emirate's only land border -- vital for its food imports -- Iran shipped in tonnes of fruits and vegetables.
Severe monsoon weather in recent years has killed hundreds in Pakistan

At least 11 people were killed and scores more people were injured in flash floods triggered by heavy rains in Pakistan's southwestern province of Balochistan, officials said Sunday.

"Heavy rainfall on Friday triggered flash floods which swept away mud houses Lasbela district of Balochistan causing damage to life and property," Hashim Ghilzai, a district administration official told AFP.

"The rain had swept away 14 people and we have recovered 11 dead bodies today while three people are still missing," he said.

Provincial disaster management authorities said twenty house had been damaged by the flash floods.

Abuzar Ghaffari, chief of paramilitary troops in the area, said they were searching for dead bodies with the help of sniffer dogs.

Poorly built homes across Pakistan, particularly in rural areas, are susceptible to collapse during the annual spring and monsoon rains in July-August, which are often heavy.

Severe weather in recent years has killed hundreds and destroyed huge tracts of prime farmland.

The worst flooding in recent times occurred in 2010, when they covered almost a fifth of the country's total landmass, killed nearly 2,000 people and displaced 20 million.
THE CENTRAL ORGAN OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM The Voice of the party, State and Vietnamese people on the internet

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Members of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces launched their offensive to recapture Raqa in November 2016

US-backed fighters pierced jihadist-held Raqa from the south for the first time on Sunday, crossing the Euphrates River to enter a new part of the Syrian city, a monitor said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces have spent months closing in on the Islamic State group's bastion Raqa and entered the city's east and west for the first time last month.

On Thursday, the US-backed Arab-Kurd alliance sealed off the jihadists' last escape route by capturing territory on the southern bank of the Euphrates.

"Today, they entered Raqa's south for the first time and seized the Al-Hal market," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said on Sunday.

He said some SDF fighters had advanced north across the Euphrates River, while others had attacked Al-Hal from the adjacent district of Al-Meshleb in Raqa's east.

"The market is fully under SDF control but IS is waging a counter-attack," Abdel Rahman said.

The SDF's Operation Wrath of the Euphrates announced it had captured the Al-Hal market on Sunday.

Abdel Rahman also said 11 civilians, including four women and five children, were killed in coalition air strikes on the western Raqa district of Al-Daraiya late Sunday.

The new deaths put at more than 200 the civilian toll from coalition raids on Raqa since the US-backed SDF entered the city on June 6.

The Observatory said "dozens" of SDF fighters had been killed in Raqa in the same period, "including 36 in the past week".

The SDF have since seized a handful of neighbourhoods in the east and west but are facing fierce resistance by IS as they push closer to the city centre.

- 'Destroying tunnels' -

SDF fighters were battling IS on Sunday inside the eastern district of Al-Senaa, which the jihadists retook after an initial advance by the US-backed forces last month.

Map of the Syrian city of Raqa

Al-Senaa is key for both the SDF and IS because it is adjacent to the city centre, where most IS fighters defending Raqa are thought to be holed up.

IS pushed the SDF out of Al-Senaa on Friday, using dozens of jihadists disguised in SDF uniforms as well as a slew of car bombs.

After two days of a counter-offensive, the SDF had retaken about 70 percent of it by Sunday, the Observatory said.

"Our forces are about 100 metres (yards) from Baghdad Gate," said Syrian Elite Forces spokesman Mohammad Khaled Shaker, referring to the entrance to Raqa's Old City.

"We are combing the area and destroying tunnels to prevent any new infiltrations towards our positions," Shaker told AFP.

According to the coalition, an estimated 2,500 IS jihadists are defending the northern city.

IS overran Raqa in 2014, transforming it into the de facto Syrian capital of its self-declared "caliphate," which it declared three years ago.

The city became infamous as the scene of some of the group's worst atrocities, including public beheadings, and is thought to have been a hub for planning attacks overseas.

The United Nations has expressed concern for up to 100,000 civilians it says are still trapped in the city.
China has announced the launch of a powerful rocket designed to carry communication satellites into orbit has been 'unsuccessful', in a glitch for the country's ambitious space programme.

The Long March-5 Y2, Beijing's second heavy-lift rocket, blasted off at 7:23 pm (11:23 GMT) on Sunday.

But shortly after taking off, the rocket malfunctioned - although details on what caused the issue remain unclear.

Important projects including moon exploration and space construction could be delayed as a result of this weekend's failed attempt.

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China has announced the launch of a powerful rocket designed to carry communication satellites into orbit had been 'unsuccessful', in a glitch for the country's ambitious space programme

WHAT HAPPENED? The Long March-5 Y2, Beijing's second heavy-lift rocket, blasted off at 7:23 pm (11:23 GMT) on Sunday. Shortly after take-off, an abnormality was detected, according to Xinhua news agency. Further investigation will be carried out, although no details have been given about what went wrong. Advertisement

The rocket blasted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the tropical island province of Hainan.

'Abnormity was detected during the flight of the rocket,' the Xinhua news agency reported.

'Further investigation will be carried out,' the report added, without giving any further details.

Capable of carrying up to 25 tonnes, the Long March-5 Y2 had taken off with the Shijian-18 experimental communications satellite (7.5 tonnes), which it was supposed to put into orbit.

It said the satellite will operate on geosynchronous orbit and provide communications services over China's territory - boosting internet access and providing access to more television channels.

China successfully launched the Long March-5 from the same Wenchang centre in November 2016, which it said at the time was the most powerful launcher it had yet developed.

China successfully launched the Long March-5 from the same Wenchang centre in November 2016, which it said at the time was the most powerful launcher it had yet developed

Beijing sees its multi-billion-dollar space programme as a symbol of its rise and of the Communist Party's success in turning around the fortunes of the once poverty-stricken nation.

Last month it successfully launched the Long March-4B, its first X-ray space telescope to study black holes, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts.

And in April, the country's first cargo spacecraft completed its docking with an orbiting space lab - a key development toward China's goal of having its own crewed space station by 2022.
French President Emmanuel Macron joined his Malian counterpart Ibrahim Boubacar Keita at the Bamako summit with the heads of four other west African states

French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday threw his weight behind a planned Sahel force to fight jihadists on a lightning visit to Mali but told countries in the region their efforts had to bear fruit.

Faced with a growing number of jihadist attacks in central Mali which have also hit neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, the so-called G5 Sahel nations have moved to set up a regional force to tackle the threat.

The aim is to combat the wave of Islamist bombings, shootings and kidnappings in the Sahel, the region just south of the Sahara.

Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen -- an alliance of Al-Qaeda-allied Sahel groups -- on Saturday offered a reminder of the jihadist threat by releasing a proof-of-life video of six foreign hostages.

Joining the heads of state of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger at a summit in Bamako, Macron hailed the initiative as "a dynamic, a groundswell which France is proud to back".

But, he said, "it will be up to you and your armed forces to demonstrate that the G5 can be effective while respecting humanitarian conventions. The results have to be there to convince your partners."

The force, which will initially count some 5,000 troops, will begin its operations in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger with Macron saying he wants it to be operational by the end of August.

"The important thing is that the joint force be fully operational by autumn, with the initial funds unlocked ... and exhibit first signs of success," he said.

With a base in Sevare in central Mali, the force will work alongside France's 4,000-strong Operation Barkhane as well as with MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping operation in Mali.

- 'Essential in our eyes' -

At a news conference with Macron, Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said the leaders had agreed on a budget of 423 million euros ($480 million).

"Each of our states will make a 10-million-euro contribution," he said, noting that the question of funding had taken precedence at the closed-door talks.

"This is a major step for Sahel security, essential in our eyes," Macron told a crowd of French expats in Bamako

The European Union has already made an initial 50-million-euro pledge which Macron said was "the start of a long-term commitment".

On June 21, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution backing the joint counterterror operation.

"This is a major step for Sahel security, essential in our eyes," Macron told a crowd of French expatriates in Bamako on Sunday.

Macron is also hoping for extra support from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States, and said he hoped it would be possible to make a French-German funding commitment after talks in Paris on July 13.

Although Chad's military is widely viewed as the strongest of the five Sahel nations, President Idriss Deby has said his country cannot afford to mobilise large numbers of troops simultaneously for the UN peacekeeping mission and also in the new force.

Deby and Macron also discussed the financial issue on the sidelines of the Bamako summit, with the French and Malian leaders both saying the Chadian president had been reassured by the talks.

- Laboratory for coordination -

France intervened in Mali 2013 to chase out Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists who had overtaken key northern cities. A year later, that mission evolved into Operation Barkhane with an anti-terror mandate stretching across the Sahel.

The new Sahel force will support national armies trying to catch jihadists across porous frontiers, and its operations will be closely coordinated with Barkhane, a source in the French presidency told AFP.

On a visit to Mali in May, French President Emmanuel Macron promised that French troops would remain there "until the day there is no more Islamic terrorism in the region"

Analysts have compared the new force with the Multinational Joint Task Force battling Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, comprising troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.

But the G5 Sahel force will face other problems, with the inherent weakness of the armed forces in Burkina Faso and Mali, while Chad and Niger are already engaged on multiple fronts, said Rinaldo Depagne of the International Crisis Group.

The three-nation border of Liptako-Gourma between Burkina, Mali and Niger, will become a "laboratory" where French forces will work with them before bringing Chad and Mauritania into the mix, he predicted.

The G5 Sahel force's top commander, Malian general Didier Dacko, has said each country's contingent would initially operate on its own soil and gradually shift focus to their mutual borders.
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, pictured in April 2017, extended a ceasefire in the country's most war-torn regions for nearly four months

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday extended a unilateral ceasefire for nearly four months in the war-torn regions of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, state media said.

The decision to extend the ceasefire from July 2 to October 31 comes days before the United States is expected to announce if it will permanently lift a 20-year trade embargo on Khartoum.

Sudan's official news agency SUNA said Bashir signed on Sunday an order to extend the ceasefire until October 31, describing it as "part of the government's initiative to bring peace to Sudan".

In June 2016, Bashir declared a unilateral four-month truce in the three regions, where fighting between government forces and rebels has killed tens of thousands of people.

He extended it in October 2016 to the end of the year and again for a month on December 31. On January 15 he further extended it by six months.

The administration of US President Donald Trump is due to decide on July 12 whether to permanently lift the sanctions imposed on Khartoum in 1997 for its alleged support for Islamist militant groups.

Now slain Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was based in the Sudanese capital from 1992 to 1996.

Former US president Barack Obama eased the sanctions in January, but made their permanent lifting dependent on Khartoum making progress in five areas during a six-month review period that ends next week.

- 'Positive' steps -

These conditions include improved access for aid groups, halting support for rebels in neighbouring South Sudan, an end to hostilities in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, and counterterrorism cooperation with US intelligence agencies.

The top US envoy to Sudan, charge d'affaires Steven Koutsis, told AFP last month that Khartoum has made "positive" steps towards meeting these five conditions and shown "extreme restraint" in responding to rebel attacks over the past year.

"We have seen that the government has shown extreme restraint even in circumstances where they could have responded under the genus of self-defence," he said in an interview.

Koutsis also said he was hoping that ahead of July 12, Khartoum would extend its unilateral ceasefire "for a minimum six more months".

The conflict in Darfur -- a region of the size of France -- erupted in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Bashir's Arab-dominated government, accusing it of marginalising the region.

Similar conflicts also erupted in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states after neighbouring South Sudan broke away in 2011.

At least 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced in Darfur since the conflict began, the UN says.

Thousands more have been killed in Blue Nile and South Kordofan.

Washington has kept the sanctions in place largely in response to the scorched-earth tactics that Bashir's regime has used against the rebels in Darfur.
The UN mission has some 12,000 troops in the Central African Republic

At least 15 people died in clashes between UN peacekeepers and former rebels in the centre of the chronically restive Central African Republic, a humanitarian source said Sunday.

The violence broke out on Saturday in the market town of Kaga-Bandoro when rebels from the former Seleka movement of mainly Muslim fighters attacked the town "to settle an old score," a source in MINUSCA, the UN mission which has some 12,000 troops in the country, told AFP.

"They (the former Seleka rebels) were confronted by the Pakistani and Burundian contingents stationed in the town," the UN source said.

"The MINUSCA forces did their job and protected the civil population" in the town, some 400 kilometres (250 miles) north of the capital Bangui, the source added.

Seleka rebels briefly seized power in March 2013 and deposed the Christian President Francois Bozize.

The Seleka group was itself then ousted, leading to a wave of violent reprisals against the Muslim population by the Christian anti-Balaka militia.

Clashes towards the end of last month left around 100 people dead in the central town of Bria just hours after the government signed a peace deal with rebel groups aimed at ending simmering sectarian violence which has blighted Central Africa since 2013.

Although the unrest has long pitted Christian anti-Balaka militias against mainly Muslim ex-Seleka rebels, there have been growing splits within the various armed groups that have turned deadly.

Violence resurfaced at the end of May in Kaga-Bandoro, the main town in the Nana-Grebizi region where some 20,000 displaced people have been housed since last year.
WASHINGTON (AP) - In a story June 30 about health care, The Associated Press incorrectly quoted what Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said at an event Friday night in Kentucky. He said, "It's not easy making America great again, is it?" and not, "It's not easy making American great again."

A corrected version of the story is below:

Trump suggests just repeal Obamacare, then try to replace it

President Donald Trump says that if Senate Republicans can't make a deal on legislation to repeal and replace 'Obamacare,' they should go ahead and repeal the whole law immediately and replace it later on

By ERICA WERNER and ALAN FRAM

Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump barged into Senate Republicans' delicate health care negotiations Friday, declaring that if lawmakers can't reach a deal they should simply repeal "Obamacare" right away and then replace it later on.

Trump's tweet revives an approach that GOP leaders and the president himself considered but dismissed months ago as impractical and politically unwise. And it's likely to further complicate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's task as he struggles to bridge the divide between GOP moderates and conservatives as senators leave Washington for the Fourth of July break without having voted on a health care bill as planned.

"If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!" Trump wrote.

The president sent his early-morning tweet shortly after Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse appeared on Fox News Channel's "Fox & Friends" to talk about a letter he had sent to Trump making that exact suggestion: a vote on repealing former President Barack Obama's health law followed by a new effort at a working out a replacement.

Trump is a known "Fox & Friends" viewer, but Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky also claimed credit for recommending the tactic to the president in a conversation earlier in the week.

"Senator Rand Paul suggested this very idea to the president," said Paul spokesman Sergio Gor. "The senator fully agrees that we must immediately repeal Obamacare and then work on replacing it right away."

Either way, Trump's suggestion has the potential to harden divisions within the GOP as conservatives like Paul and Sasse complain that McConnell's bill does not go far enough in repealing Obama's health care law while moderates criticize it as overly harsh in kicking people off insurance roles, shrinking the Medicaid safety net and increasing premiums for older Americans.

McConnell told reporters after an event Friday in his home state of Kentucky that the health care bill remains challenging but "we are going to stick with that path."

"It's not easy making America great again, is it?" McConnell said.

McConnell, R-Ky., has been trying to strike deals with members of both factions in order to finalize a rewritten bill lawmakers can vote on when they return to the Capitol the second week of July. Even before Trump weighed in, though, it wasn't clear how far he was getting, and Trump's tweet did not appear to suggest a lot of White House confidence in the outcome.

"McConnell's trying to achieve a 50-vote Venn diagram between some very competing factions," said Rodney Whitlock, a veteran health policy expert who worked as a Senate GOP aide during passage of the Democrats' Affordable Care Act. "So what the president tweeted takes one side of that Venn diagram and pushes it further away, and actually puts on the table an option that will probably drive that group away from seeking compromise with the other side of the Venn diagram."

Even before Trump was inaugurated in January, Republicans had debated and ultimately discarded the idea of repealing Obamacare before replacing it, concluding that both must happen simultaneously. Doing otherwise would invite accusations that Republicans were simply tossing people off coverage and would roil insurance markets by raising the question of whether, when and how Congress might replace Obama's law once it was gone.

The idea also would leave unresolved the quandary lawmakers are struggling with now, about how to replace Obama's system of online insurance markets, tax subsidies and an expanded Medicaid with something that could get enough Republican votes to pass Congress. House Republicans barely passed their version of an Obamacare replacement bill in May, and the task is proving even tougher in the Senate, where McConnell has almost no margin for error.

Moderates were spooked as the week began with a Congressional Budget Office finding that McConnell's draft bill would result in 22 million people losing insurance over the next decade, only 1 million fewer than under the House-passed legislation which Trump privately told senators was "mean." But conservatives continue to insist that the bill must go further than just repealing some of the mandates and taxes in Obama's law.

"It's distressing to see so many Republicans who've lied about their commitment to repeal," Ken Cuccinelli, president of the Senate Conservatives Fund, said in a conference call on Friday.

Underscoring the fissures within the GOP, conservative group leaders on the conference call welcomed Trump's suggestion but said it didn't go far enough because it could open the door to a subsequent bipartisan compromise to replace Obama's law. At the same time, a key House Republican, Rep. Kevin Brady who chairs the Ways and Means Committee, rejected Trump's suggestion, contending that it "doesn't achieve what President Trump set out to do."

"I really think the Senate's approach - certainly in the House - of not simply repealing but to start to put into place the elements that can make health care affordable, that's what the president set out to do," Brady said in an interview on C-SPAN's "Newsmakers" program.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on the Senate GOP health care bill (all times EDT):

8:20 p.m.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has rejected President Donald Trump's advice to first repeal President Barack Obama's health care law and then replace it later with something else.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., speaks at the Lincoln Day Dinner, Friday, June 30, 2017, in Elizabethtown, Ky. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)

McConnell says the current health care bill remains challenging but "we are going to stick with that path."

Trump tweeted earlier Friday that if Republicans could not reach a consensus on the current bill, they "should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!" Several Republican senators signed on to Trump's plan.

But McConnell is showing no interest in that strategy. He told a gathering of Republicans in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, that "failure has to be possible or you can't have success."

McConnell says, "It's not easy making American great again, is it?"

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3:15 p.m.

The White House says it remains "fully committed" to pushing through a health care plan in the Senate but is "looking at every possible option" to repeal and replace the Obamacare law.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders says President Donald Trump "hasn't changed his thinking at all" about the struggling health care bill.

Trump tweeted earlier Friday that if Republican senators are unable to pass the Senate bill, "they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!"

Republican senators Rand Paul of Kentucky and Ben Sasse of Nebraska have called for that approach.

Sanders says the White House is focused on the "end product" which she says is repealing and replacing the health care law.

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10:40 a.m.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is declining to comment on the president's suggestion that the Senate vote now to repeal the Obama health care law, and vote later to replace it. But that idea was rejected months ago by GOP leaders in the House and Senate.

They considered it politically unwise, since it could draw accusations that Republicans are simply tossing people off coverage without helping them get medical care.

President Donald Trump's suggestion came in an early-morning tweet, which said, "If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!"

The idea isn't without supporters in the Senate. They include Republicans Ben Sasse of Nebraska and Kentucky's Rand Paul.

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6:50 a.m.

President Donald Trump has tweeted about the sputtering Senate health care bill.

Trump says: "If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!"

That's an approach advocated by Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul, who's said he opposes the bill, which would do both at once. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell postponed a vote on the bill Tuesday because of opposition from conservatives and moderates. He's trying to nail down changes by this weekend to assure the bill's passage after the July 4 recess.

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3:35 p.m.

Top Senate Republicans hoping to rescue their push to repeal President Barack Obama's health care overhaul may try doing it by preserving one of his tax boosts on the rich.

It's a break from dogma by a party that has long reviled tax boosts, and most things achieved by Obama. But it could help attract votes from moderate Republican senators.

And it underscores Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's feverish effort to yank one of his and President Donald Trump's foremost priorities from the brink of defeat.

The money would instead be used to bolster their proposed health care subsidies for lower-income people.

In a bid for conservative support, Senate leaders are also considering an amendment to let insurers offer plans with low premiums and scant benefits.

White House deputy press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, Friday, June 30, 2017. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Donald Trump speaks during an energy roundtable with tribal, state, and local leaders in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Wednesday, June 28, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

President Donald Trump speaks at the Department of Energy in Washington, Thursday, June 29, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

President Donald Trump, center, speaks as he meets with Republican senators on health care in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, June 27, 2017. Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, left, and Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, right, listen (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Amelie Hahn of Jackson, waves a message sign on behalf of her daughter. noting the importance of Medicaid for her continued health care, as she and other social service activists, Medicaid recipients and their supporters stage a protest outside the building that houses the offices of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Miss., Thursday, June 29, 2017, in Jackson, Miss. About 35 participants began the morning with a protest at Cochran's office, while sending some representatives to meet with his staff. By mid afternoon, the same group continued their outdoor protest at the federal courthouse where U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., maintains offices. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, and Senate Majority Whip Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas speak with the media after they and other Senate Republicans had a meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House, Tuesday, June 27, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Protesters block a street during a protest against the Republican bill in the U.S. Senate to replace President Barack Obama's health care law Tuesday, June 27, 2017, in Salt Lake City. Demonstrators with Utah's Disabled Rights Action Committee chanted and carried signs while blocking State Street Tuesday afternoon. Utah protesters criticized Utah Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch for supporting the bill and say it will cut life-saving Medicaid services and other health protections. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The Latest on a small plane that crashed on a freeway in Southern California (all times local):

3:40 p.m.

An off-duty fire captain who pulled two people from a burning plane after it crashed on a Southern California freeway says he's lucky to be alive.

Flame and smoke erupt from a twin-engine prop jet after it crashed on Interstate 405, just short of the runway at John Wayne Orange County Airport, rear, in Costa Mesa, Calif., Friday, June 30, 2017. Officials said two people were injured and were taken by helicopter to a hospital. The freeway was shut down in both directions. (Wendy Haskell via AP)

John Meffert told reporters he was driving along Interstate 405 Friday morning when part of the plane hit his car as it crashed on the freeway. He says the plane was fully engulfed in flames after the crash.

Meffert says he saw a woman pop her head up inside the plane and then made his way into the plane.

Meffert, who has been a firefighter for 17 years, pulled out the woman and the male pilot.

Federal officials said the pilot of the Cessna 310 had declared an emergency shortly after taking off Friday morning from John Wayne Airport and was attempting to return to the airport when he crashed.

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2:10 p.m.

The pilot of a small plane declared a mayday and told an air traffic controller one engine had failed before the aircraft crashed on a Southern California freeway and burst into flames.

The exchange was captured on a recording of air traffic controller communications, posted on the website LiveATC.net.

Federal officials said the plane had declared an emergency shortly after taking off Friday morning from John Wayne Airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said the Cessna 310 aircraft crashed along Interstate 405 as it was attempting to return to the airport.

The pilot shouted "mayday" four times in less than a minute and said he was trying to make it back to the airport.

He also told air traffic controllers, "I lost my right engine."

Orange County Fire Capt. Larry Kurtz said the two people aboard the plane - a man and woman in their 50s and 60s - were taken to the hospital with traumatic injuries.

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1:20 p.m.

The California Highway Patrol says four cars were struck by parts of a small plane when it crashed on a Southern California freeway and burst into flames. But authorities say none of the drivers were injured.

CHP Commander Ryan Shackleford says the Cessna 310 aircraft hit the center divider when it crashed on Interstate 405 on Friday morning before it caught fire.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the pilot declared an emergency shortly after taking off from John Wayne Airport.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said the plane was trying to return to return to the airport when it fell from the sky and crashed on the freeway.

Orange County Fire Capt. Larry Kurtz says an off-duty firefighter rescued the two people from the wreckage.

He says the two people aboard the plane - a man and woman in their 50s and 60s - were taken to the hospital with traumatic injuries.

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11:20 a.m.

A small plane was trying to return to a Southern California airport after declaring an emergency when it crashed on a busy freeway, erupting into a ball of flames and smoke.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the pilot declared an emergency Friday morning shortly after taking off from John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa.

He says the pilot was trying to return to the airport when the plane fell from the sky and crashed on Interstate 405.

Video posted on social media showed the plane completely engulfed in flames and strewn across several lanes of the freeway. Traffic was backed up for several miles as firefighters worked to battle the blaze.

Orange County Fire Capt. Larry Kurtz says the two people who were aboard the plane suffered traumatic injuries.

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10:45 a.m.

A fire official says a plane that crashed on a Southern California freeway clipped a car as it crashed but the driver wasn't seriously injured.

Orange County Fire Capt. Larry Kurtz tells KCBS-TV that Cessna 310 aircraft clipped the car as it crashed Friday morning on Interstate 405 near John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa. He says the driver of the car suffered a "bruised elbow."

Kurtz says there were two people - a man and a woman in their 50s and 60s - aboard the plane when it crashed. He says both were pulled from the fiery wreckage and were taken to a hospital with "traumatic injuries."

The Federal Aviation Administration says the plane crashed just short of an airport runway.

John Wayne Airport says its airfield is closed to arrivals.

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10:05 a.m.

A fire official says two people have been injured after a small plane crashed on a freeway near a Southern California airport.

Orange County Fire Capt. Larry Kurtz says the plane crashed on Interstate 405 near John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa around 9:30 a.m. Friday.

He says two people have been injured and will be taken by helicopter to a hospital.

Kurtz says fire officials will be shutting down the freeway in both directions.

The airport said on Twitter that a Cessna 310 aircraft had landed on the freeway, short of the runway. The airport said the airfield is closed to arrivals.

A photo posted on Twitter showed what appeared to be a small twin-engine aircraft with flames shooting out of the front and smoke surrounding the aircraft.

Emergency responders gather round the crash of a Cessna 310 aircraft on Interstate 405, just short of a runway at John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa, Calif., Friday, June 30, 2017. Two people were injured in the small plane crash. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Emergency responders gather round the crash of a Cessna 310 aircraft on Interstate 405, just short of a runway at John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa, Calif., Friday, June 30, 2017. Two people were injured in the small plane crash. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Flame and smoke erupt from a twin-engine prop jet after it crashed on Interstate 405, just short of the runway at John Wayne Orange County Airport, in Costa Mesa, Calif., Friday, June 30, 2017. Officials said two people have been injured and will be taken by helicopter to a hospital. The freeway was shut down in both directions. (Rafi Mamalian via AP)

Emergency responders gather round the crash of a Cessna 310 aircraft on Interstate 405, just short of a runway at John Wayne Airport in Costa Mesa, Calif., Friday, June 30, 2017. Two people were injured in the small plane crash. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
WASHINGTON (AP) - More than 40 percent of White House staffers earn in excess of $100,000 a year, according to new salary details released Friday. And some of the wealthiest aides to President Donald Trump aren't paid at all.

A White House staff salary document shows that 22 of Trump's aides, including some of the best-known to the public, are earning $179,700.

They include chief strategist Steve Bannon, chief of staff Reince Priebus, press secretary Sean Spicer and senior counselor Kellyanne Conway.

FILE - In this April 29, 2017, file photo, Steve Bannon, chief White House strategist to President Donald Trump tours The AMES Companies, Inc., with the president in Harrisburg, Pa. More than 40 percent of White House staffers earn in excess of $100,000 a year, according to new salary details released Friday. And some of the wealthiest aides to President Donald Trump aren't paid at all. Bannon is being paid $179,700. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Also making $179,000: Omarosa Manigault, the former "Apprentice" contestant who serves as director of communications for White House office of public liaison; and social media director Dan Scavino.

Several of the president's closest aides are choosing not to take a salary. Among those forgoing pay are Trump's daughter Ivanka, identified in the official document as "first daughter and adviser to the president," and son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner.

A presidential assistant for intragovernmental and technology initiatives, Reed Cordish, is also going unpaid. He too comes from a real estate family.

Other aides such as Gary Cohn, formerly a top executive at Goldman Sachs, are working at a steep discount of $30,000.

The highest-paid staffer appears to be senior policy adviser Mark House, who is making $187,100 a year, according to the 16-page document.

The White House has been required to report the salaries and staff titles to Congress every year since 1995.

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Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed to this report.
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - Top Republicans in the Kansas Legislature publicly dressed down GOP Gov. Sam Brownback and a top aide Friday over his administration's efforts to stoke a political backlash against an income tax increase lawmakers enacted over his veto.

The legislators accused Brownback and administration officials of making misleading statements about the tax increase and the annual budgets they approved for the fiscal year that begins Saturday and the one beginning in July 2018. The tax increase will raise $1.2 billion over two years largely by rolling back past income tax reductions Brownback has championed.

Lawmakers raised taxes to help balance the budget and provide additional money for public schools. In recent days, Brownback and administration officials have publicly denounced the tax increase and suggested it fuels excessive spending, with aides pushing that message aggressively on social media.

Kansas Senate Majority Leader Jim Denning, left, R-Overland Park, makes a point during a meeting on budget issues, as Senate President Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, listening to his right, Friday, June 30, 2017, at the Statehouse in Topeka, Kan. Top Republican legislators publicly dressed down GOP Gov. Sam Brownback during the meeting over his administration's criticism of an income tax increase enacted over his veto. (AP Photo/John Hanna)

"These statements coming out of the governor's office are extremely inappropriate and do not reflect the work of the Legislature," said Senate President Susan Wagle, a Wichita Republican.

The lawmakers vented during a meeting of the State Finance Council, which is made up of the governor and the top eight legislative leaders. The council authorized $900 million in internal borrowing over the next year, a financial shuffle of dollars into the state's main bank account from other funds that's been routine over the past 20 years and allows the state to pay bills on time when tax revenues are slow coming in.

Brownback participated in the meeting by phone while traveling but Shawn Sullivan, his budget director, was present to face lawmakers' barbed questions. While House Minority Leader Jim Ward, a Wichita Democrat, participated, most of the tongue-lashing came from the governor's fellow Republicans.

Brownback defended the past income tax cuts, saying they created growth and that Kansas has just started recovering from slumps in agriculture and energy production, which he has blamed for the state's ongoing budget woes. He said the budget contains spending that the state could have skipped in tight budget times.

"I've made my opinions known about what I don't think we should be doing on tax policy," Brownback said. "The Legislature has spoken on this, and we'll move forward."

Brownback and administration officials were harsher in their criticism in previous days, particularly on social media.

Brownback tweeted Monday that lawmakers made history this year "for all the wrong reasons" and that its budget legislation "spent every dime." Top GOP lawmakers forced Sullivan to concede Friday that the legislation leaves the state with cash reserves at the end of June 2018.

The governor and administration officials have criticized legislators for increasing spending that's not for education by roughly $200 million. He tweeted that the budget legislation financed a "wish list," while his chief spokeswoman, Melika Willoughby, tweeted that lawmakers were "spend-happy." Another aide, Ian Fury, tweeted that lawmakers raised taxes to pay for "pet projects."

As of Friday evening, Brownback's office had not produced a list of such projects or other objectionable spending. The Associated Press has requested one.

Top Republican lawmakers said much of the extra spending criticized by Brownback's administration will go to pensions for public employees and raises for workers who haven't had any in recent years.

Legislative leaders also showed their distrust of the administration by demanding a detailed report later this year from the Department of Administration on which state workers receive pay raises.

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Follow John Hanna on Twitter at https://twitter.com/apjdhanna .
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
LANSING, Ill. (AP) - A suburban Chicago police officer captured on video pinning an African-American teenager to ground and threatening him for trespassing has been placed on leave.

Lansing, Illinois, Mayor Patricia Eidam announced the move on Friday after meeting with the teen's family. She also says the investigation into Saturday's incident would be turned over to an outside governmental agency.

A highly-viewed Facebook video shows the officer, who was off-duty at the time, pinning the 15-year-old to the ground after he and a white minor, who recorded the video, refused his orders to stay on his property. The man is heard saying the teen is on his property and he could kill him.

Police say the white juvenile, who showed signs of being involved in a fight, had sat on the man's porch. Both minors where leaving when the confrontation began. No charges have been filed.
State-by-state responses to a request for detailed voter data from President Donald Trump's Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which is investigating whether there was voter fraud in last year's election.

ALABAMA

Undecided

Secretary of State John Merrill said he has questions about security and other issues. He wants those answered before turning over any information. He declined to detail the other issues.

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ALASKA

Partial

Division of Elections Director Josie Bahnke says she will respond to it as she would to any request for voter information. Some information, she said, can be provided, such as voter names, voting histories and party affiliations. But other information is considered confidential and would not be provided.

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ARKANSAS

Undecided

Chris Powell, a spokesman from the secretary of state's office, said the office had not yet received the letter and did not have a comment on the request.

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CALIFORNIA

Deny

"California's participation would only serve to legitimize the false and already debunked claims of massive voter fraud," Secretary of State Alex Padilla, a Democrat, said in a statement.

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COLORADO

Partial

Colorado Secretary of State Wayne Williams, a Republican, said he will provide some of the requested information. State law prohibits releasing Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers or dates of birth.

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CONNECTICUT

Partial

Connecticut's secretary of state says her office plans to comply in part. Denise Merrill says in the spirit of transparency the state will share publicly available information. She says the state will ensure the privacy of voters is honored by withholding protected data.

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DELAWARE

Undecided

The elections commissioner hasn't received the letter, which may have gone to the secretary of state. The commissioner says state law would not allow release of birth dates or any part of Social Security numbers.

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Deny

"The best thing I can do to instill confidence among DC residents in our elections is to protect their personally identifiable information from the Commission on Election Integrity. Its request for voter information, such as social security numbers, serves no legitimate purpose and only raises questions on its intent. I will join leaders of states around the country and work with our partners on the Council to protect our residents from this intrusion," Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement.

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FLORIDA

Undecided

When asked this morning, Gov. Rick Scott said he was unaware of the request. Sarah Revell, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Ken Detzner, said the state was reviewing the request but did not provide any additional information.

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GEORGIA

Partial

"The Georgia Secretary of State's office will provide the publicly available voter list. As specified in Georgia law, the public list does not contain a registered voter's driver's license number, social security number, month and day of birth, site of voter registration, phone number or email address."

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HAWAII

Undecided

Hawaii hasn't received the request, said Nedielyn Bueno, voter services section head.

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IDAHO

Undecided

State Election Director Betsie Kimbrough said the office will fulfill the request if Secretary of State Lawerence Denney, a Republican, determines it complies with state public records law. The state allows handing over voter registration records that include voting history, but not Social Security numbers or dates of birth.

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ILLINOIS

Undecided

Illinois State Board of Elections spokesman Ken Menzel said the office has not yet received the letter. Once it's received, they will review the request and decide how to proceed. However, Menzel noted that Illinois" election code has provisions that limit which entities may receive voter information and what type of information can be released.

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INDIANA

Partial

"Indiana law doesn't permit the Secretary of State to provide the personal information requested by Secretary Kobach. Under Indiana public records laws, certain voter info is available to the public, the media and any other person who requested the information for non-commercial purposes. The information publicly available is name, address and congressional district assignment," Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson said in a statement.

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IOWA

Partial

Statement from Secretary of State Paul Pate: "My office received a letter from the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity late Wednesday and has not yet responded to it. There is a formal process for requesting a list of registered voters, as specified in Iowa Code. We will follow that process if a request is made that complies with Iowa law. The official list request form is available on the Iowa Secretary of State's website, sos.iowa.gov. Some voter registration information is a matter of public record. However, providing personal voter information, such as Social Security numbers, is forbidden under Iowa Code. We will only share information that is publicly available and complies with Iowa Code. I am attending a national meeting of Secretaries of State next week, where the Commission's letter will likely be discussed."

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KANSAS

Partial

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach is vice chairman of the commission, but even his office does plan to provide the last four digits of Social Security numbers because that information is not available to the public under Kansas law, spokeswoman Samantha Poetter said. All information that is publicly available will be provided.

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KENTUCKY

Deny

"As the commonwealth's secretary of state and chief election official, I do not intend to release Kentuckians' sensitive personal data to the federal government," Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes said in a statement. "The president created his election commission based on the false notion that 'voter fraud' is a widespread issue. It is not."

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LOUISIANA

Undecided

"We have received the letter and are reviewing with staff and our attorneys to determine our response," said Meg Casper Sunstrom, spokeswoman for Secretary of State Tom Schedler. "Our priority, as we've demonstrated in the past, will always be to protect voter's protected, personal information. This includes Social Security numbers, mother's maiden name and date of birth. As you know, voter lists are publicly available by law but only include limited information including name, address and voter history. Voter history is not how a voter cast their ballot; it's whether they participated." Sunstrom said Louisiana law prohibits the release of Social Security numbers.

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MAINE

Undecided

Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap said he is reviewing with the attorney general's office whether to comply with the request.

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MARYLAND

Undecided

Maryland State Elections Administrator Linda Lamone said she has asked the state attorney general's office for an opinion on how the board should respond. She received the letter on Friday, after it was forwarded to her by the Maryland secretary of state's office.

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MASSACHUSETTS

Deny

A spokesman for Secretary of State William Galvin said the state's voter registry is not a public record, and information in it will not be shared with the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.

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MICHIGAN

Undecided

A spokesman for Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said the department had not yet received the request and would review it if it does. Fred Woodhams said voter lists are public record under state law, and the department has no authority to deny voter data. It is common for political parties and candidates to obtain voter information, he said. "The department will provide voter information consistent with state law but will not provide info protected by state law." He noted that voter info is readily available in many states for a nominal fee.

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MINNESOTA

Deny

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon, a Democrat, announced Friday he would not share the data with Trump's commission.

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MISSISSIPPI

Deny

Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, a Republican, said in a statement Friday that he had not received the request for information from the Trump commission, but another secretary of state had forwarded the correspondence to him. In a federal court case after a contentious U.S. Senate primary in Mississippi in 2014, a group called True the Vote sued Mississippi seeking similar information about voters, and Hosemann fought that request and won. Hosemann said if he receives a request from the Trump commission, "My reply would be: They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great state to launch from." Hosemann also said: "Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our state's right to protect the privacy of our citizens by conducting our own electoral processes."

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MISSOURI

Partial

In Missouri, Republican Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft said he is happy to "offer our support in the collective effort to enhance the American people's confidence in the integrity of the system." On Friday, Ashcroft spokeswoman Maura Browning said the state is providing only publicly available information. She said that means no Social Security numbers, no political affiliations and no details on how people voted.

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NEBRASKA

Undecided

A spokeswoman for the secretary of state said it's not clear whether the request has been received.

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NEVADA

Partial

Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske says her office will provide public information only, but not Social Security numbers or how people voted. The state will turn over voter names, addresses, telephone numbers, dates of birth, party affiliation and turnout.

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NEW HAMPSHIRE

Partial

New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, a member of the Trump commission, said his office will provide public information: names, addresses, party affiliations and voting history dating to 2006. Voting history includes whether someone voted in a general election and which party's primary they voted in.

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NEW JERSEY

Undecided

No response from spokeswoman for the Division of Elections.

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NEW MEXICO

Deny

Democratic Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse-Oliver says she will never release personally identifiable information for New Mexico voters that is protected by law, including Social Security numbers and dates of birth. She also declined to provide information such as names and voting histories unless she is convinced the information is secured and will not be used for "nefarious or unlawful purposes."

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NEW YORK

Deny

Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday his decision not to comply with the commission's request for information. He said state laws include safeguards to protect sensitive voting information and that the state "refuses to perpetuate the myth voter fraud played a role in our election."

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NORTH CAROLINA

Partial

North Carolina's elections board will provide voter data requested this week by President Donald Trump's commission investigating alleged voter fraud. But the records will not include personal information deemed confidential in state law, including dates of birth and Social Security numbers.

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NORTH DAKOTA

Partial

North Dakota, the only state that does not have voter registration, does require identification at the polls and does have a central database of voters, compiled with the help of state Transportation Department records and county auditors. However, the information can be used only for "election-related purposes" under state law, such as compiling poll books for elections. "We certainly can't comply with that part of the request, but we are going to submit a response," Deputy Secretary of State Jim Silrum said.

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OHIO

Partial

Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican, issued a statement saying voter registration information is already public and available to the commission but that he will not provide the last four digits of voters' Social Security numbers or their driver's license numbers. He also said voter fraud is rare in the state and that bipartisan boards have conducted reviews of credible reports of voter fraud and suppression after the last three federal elections. Those results are in the public domain and available to the commission, he said. He added, "In responding to the commission, we will have ideas on how the federal government can better support states in running elections. However, we will make it clear that we do not want any federal intervention in our state's right and responsibility to conduct elections."

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OKLAHOMA

Partial

A spokesman for the Oklahoma State Election Board said the state will not provide the last four digits of voters' Social Security numbers. "That's not publicly available under the laws of our state," said Bryan Dean. He said the commission's request will be treated like any other from the general public. The election board will tell the panel to fill out an online form asking for the information. Oklahoma's voter roll is routinely provided to political campaigns, the press and other groups that ask for it.

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OREGON

Partial

Secretary of State Dennis Richardson, a Republican, wrote a letter to the commission saying it could receive a statewide list of voters for $500, just like anyone else. However, he noted that he is barred legally from disclosing Social Security and driver's license numbers. Two members of Oregon's congressional delegation and Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, had urged Richardson to refuse the request. Richardson said in the letter that there is "very little evidence" of voter fraud or registration fraud in Oregon.

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PENNSYLVANIA

Partial

Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, wrote a letter saying the state will not cooperate, but said the state will sell the commission the same data the public can purchase. It cannot be posted online, however.

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RHODE ISLAND

Partial

Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea says she won't share some of the requested voter information, including Social Security numbers or information regarding felony or military status.

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SOUTH CAROLINA

Undecided

The AP was unable to reach anyone from the Secretary of State's office on Friday.

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SOUTH DAKOTA

Deny

A spokesman for South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs says the state will not share voter information with the Trump commission.

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TENNESSEE

Deny

"Although I appreciate the commission's mission to address election-related issues like voter fraud, Tennessee state law does not allow my office to release the voter information requested to the federal commission," said Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett, a Republican.

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TEXAS

Partial

Texas Secretary of State Rolando Pablos said Friday he will provide the commission public information and "protect the private information of Texas citizens." Much of the information requested - including names, addresses, date of birth and party data - are already publicly available in Texas. Social Security numbers cannot be released under Texas law. Publicly available voter registration lists in Texas also do not include information about military status or criminal history.

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UTAH

Partial

Republican Lt. Gov. Spencer Cox says he will send information classified as public, but Social Security numbers and dates of birth are protected.

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VERMONT

Partial

Vermont's top election official, Democrat Jim Condos, said Friday he is bound by law to provide the publicly available voter file, but that does not include Social Security numbers or birth dates. Condos said he must first receive an affidavit signed by the commission chairman, as required by Vermont law. He said there is no evidence of the kind of fraud alleged by Trump. "I believe these unproven claims are an effort to set the stage to weaken our democratic process through a systematic national effort of voter suppression and intimidation," he said.

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VIRGINIA

Deny

"At best this commission was set up as a pretext to validate Donald Trump's alternative election facts, and at worst is a tool to commit large-scale voter suppression," said Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat.

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WASHINGTON

Partial

Secretary of State Kim Wyman, a Republican, says her office will send the commission names, addresses and birth dates of registered voters because they are public record. She will not send Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers or other information.

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WEST VIRGINIA

Undecided

Secretary of State Mac Warner, a Republican, said in a statement that his office would review the request but is limited by state law in what it can provide.

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WISCONSIN

Partial

Administrator Mike Haas issued a statement Friday saying most of the information in the state's voter registration system is public, including voters' names, addresses and voting history. The state does not collect any data about a voter's political preference or gender, he said.

He said the state routinely sells the information to political parties, candidates and researchers. It would charge the presidential commission $12,500 for the data, the maximum amount allowed under agency rules, Haas said. State law doesn't contain any provisions for waiving the fee, he said.

Wisconsin law allows the commission to share voter birth dates, driver's license numbers and Social Security numbers only with police and other state agencies, and the presidential commission doesn't appear to qualify, Haas said.

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WYOMING

Undecided

Officials did not respond Friday to multiple requests from the AP.
NEW YORK (AP) - In his 4 years as a state senator from Manhattan, Brad Holyman has handed out everything from flashlights to T-shirts at political rallies. But for a gathering held soon after President Donald Trump's inauguration, he decided on something more substantial:

Copies of the Constitution.

"My constituents had been asking me, 'What can I do to help?' 'How do I prepare myself?'" says Holyman, a Democrat in his third term who has since distributed thousands of copies. "A year ago, who would have imagined that giving away the Constitution would be seen as an act of resistance?"

FILE - In this July 21, 2005 file photo, visitors watch while workers pressure wash the granite faces of George Washington, left, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota. The Democracy Index, compiled by the London-based Economist Intelligence Unit, ranked the U.S. at 21st worldwide in 2016, tied with Italy and trailing Norway, Canada and Uruguay, among others. While Norway and several other Scandinavian countries are considered "full democracies," according to the index, the U.S. last year fell to "flawed democracy," receiving low scores for "functioning of government" and "political participation." (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

Americans have disagreed about government and civic life since the country's founding, about who should vote, who should run for office and the risks of political factions. But as the U.S. nears its 241st birthday, many say democracy itself is in the dock.

Trump, with his labeling the mainstream press the "enemy of the people" and his disparagement of "so-called" judges and other traditional checks on executive power, has critics anxious about not just a given policy but the fate of self-rule - at the same time that his supporters view his rise as the kind of anti-elitist triumph democracy is supposed to represent.

The debate extends from classrooms and policy institutes to popular culture, to the Trump-influenced staging of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" at Manhattan's Public Theater and the wave of dystopian best-sellers such as "1984" and "The Handmaid's Tale."

"I think it's highly unusual and disconcerting to have so many people worried about the foundations of our democracy," says Wendy R. Weiser, who directs the Brennan Center for Justice's Democracy Program, based at New York University School of Law and focusing on voting rights and elections, among other issues. "We're always talking about democracy and struggling to live up to our ideals, but never with so many fundamental questions as we're doing right now."

But when activists vow to revitalize democracy, they don't mean the society imagined by the men who helped create it.

"None of the founders envisioned our modern democracy, with its broad suffrage and competing political parties," says Gordon Wood, the Pulitzer Prize-winning historian of the Revolutionary War era. "Running for office was demagogic and dangerous. The founders believed in equality but they essentially meant equality of opportunity. Sons of weavers and cobblers could go to college and become gentlemen, but weavers and cobblers themselves were not to become politicians and campaign for office."

American leaders in the early years exchanged accusations of being too pro-British or pro-French, a division marked by two ongoing concerns: The country would relapse into British-style monarchy or fall into violence and lawlessness like the murderous "Reign of Terror" during the French Revolution.

In 1788, the year before the French Revolution began, Americans were deciding whether to ratify the Constitution. One concern, James Madison wrote in the Federalist Papers, was "men of factious tempers, of local prejudices, or of sinister designs, (who) may by intrigue, by corruption or by other means, first obtain the suffrages, and then betray the interests of the people."

Some founders lived long enough to watch, and bemoan the political rise of Andrew Jackson in the 1820s. Trump and supporters have cited Jackson as a favorite predecessor in the White House, a populist who defied the establishment and broke down boundaries against who might become president. Trump ally Newt Gingrich, the former House Speaker, has written that Trump, like Jackson, is "an outsider and a disruptive force chosen to break up existing Washington power structures."

But Thomas Jefferson, in sentiments critics have echoed about Trump, worried that Jackson "had very little respect for laws and constitutions" and added that "His passions are terrible."

Historian Sean Wilentz calls Trump "almost a caricature of the Caesar-like character the (Constitution's) framers so deeply feared." Wilentz, whose books include "The Politicians and the Egalitarians: The Hidden History of American Politics," said, "Madison, et al., knew nothing of corporate glitz and reality TV. Otherwise, though, Trump is exactly the kind of figure whom the framers feared too much democracy would produce."

Stability mattered more than inclusiveness for the new country. George Washington essentially ran unopposed for his two terms as president, and was voted in by white, male landowners. Madison and others called the new government a republic, with a political hierarchy from local to state to federal, the leaders presumably becoming wiser and more dispassionate the further removed from popular whims.

Joseph Ellis, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Founding Brothers" and biographies of Jefferson and Adams, said that even the Declaration of Independence was more an attack against monarchy than a manifesto for what today we would call democracy.

"Opposing monarchy doesn't mean there's confidence in democracy," he said. "And the function of the Constitution was to take democratic foundations and run them through layers of refinement that allow the government to separate what is popular in the short term from what is in the long-term interest of the people."

Over the past two centuries, the country has become more democratic than many of the founders wished - without ever reaching the standards activists have called for. Critics cite partisan gerrymandering, voting restrictions, the influence of money on elections and striking income inequality, saying the United States falls short of modern democratic ideals.

The Democracy Index, compiled by the British-based Economist Intelligence Unit, ranked the U.S. at 21st worldwide in 2016, tied with Italy and trailing Norway, Canada and Uruguay, among others. While Norway and several other Scandinavian countries are considered "full democracies," according to the index, the U.S. last year fell to "flawed democracy," receiving low scores for "functioning of government" and "political participation."

Within the accepted views of the time, the founders did differ widely on what kind of government they favored. Thomas Paine may have been the closest to what we now call an advocate for democracy. Jefferson was highly suspicious of federal power, at least until he became president, while Alexander Hamilton favored a strong chief executive.

"Like Jefferson, he (Hamilton) wanted a natural aristocracy to rule, by which both of them meant an aristocracy of talent, that is, men like themselves," Wood said.

"But his vision for America was to make it a great fiscal-military state like Britain with a standing army and navy and a huge bureaucracy and a British financial system, a state that would eventually be able to take on the European powers on their own terms, something that Jefferson and Madison found appalling."

By 1802, with his rival Jefferson in the White House and his own ideas under attack, "Hamilton was in despair and wrote, 'This American world was not meant for me,'" Wood said. "On the eve of his duel (with Aaron Burr) in 1804 he said that America's 'disease' was 'democracy.'"
JERUSALEM (AP) - Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert left prison Sunday after winning early release from a parole board, capping an ignominious chapter of Israeli history that transformed the once-powerful leader into the first premier ever to be placed behind bars.

Olmert, who served 16 months for his role in a corruption scandal, appeared gaunt and pale as he walked out of the Maasiyahu prison in central Israel. Wearing a tight black T-shirt, he was quickly whisked away by security, but later was seen mingling with shoppers in an upscale shopping mall in Tel Aviv.

"We are very happy, a great burden has been lifted and a great sorrow and pain has ended," Eti Livni, a friend of Olmert's, told Army Radio.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, left, exits prison after his sentence, in Ramle, Israel, Sunday, July 2, 2017. The parole board of Israel's Prison Service has granted Olmert early release from prison. Prison Service spokesman Assaf Librati says the board granted Olmert's request to reduce a third of his 27-month incarceration sentence. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Olmert, 71, was serving a 27-month sentence when the national parole board decided last week to release him early for good behavior. Olmert had recently been hospitalized after complaining of chest pains.

Under the terms of his release, Olmert must perform volunteer work for several months, report to police twice a month and not give interviews to the media or leave the country, said prison service spokesman Assaf Librati. Olmert will reportedly volunteer at a food bank and for a group that provides medical aid to needy families.

A few hours after his release, a somber-looking Olmert, accompanied by a bodyguard, was seen walking around a shopping mall in Tel Aviv.

A public relations company representing the mall released photos of the former premier in a clothing store. The statement said people had greeted him and wished him well, and in one picture, a smiling Olmert is seen chatting with a store employee.

Just a few years ago, Olmert was hobnobbing with the world's rich and famous and leading his country in an intense round of peace talks with the Palestinians.

But in 2008, he was forced to resign to fight off a burgeoning corruption case, leading to the election of the current prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the following year. Peace efforts have been all but frozen ever since.

Olmert was a longtime fixture in Israel's hawkish right wing when he began taking a dramatically more conciliatory line toward the Palestinians more than a decade ago. He played a leading role in Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and joined then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in breaking away from the hard-line Likud Party and forming a new centrist party called Kadima later that year.

Olmert became prime minister in January 2006 after Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke and led Kadima to victory in parliamentary elections, promising additional peace moves with the Palestinians.

Olmert presided over a turbulent three-year term. Shortly after his election, Palestinian militants from Gaza crossed the border and captured an Israeli soldier. Weeks later, Hezbollah militants in Lebanon burst across Israel's northern border and captured two more soldiers, setting off a monthlong war.

A weakened Olmert led his government to a U.S.-hosted peace conference in Annapolis, Maryland, in November 2007 - launching more than a year of ambitious, but ultimately unsuccessful U.S.-brokered talks.

A gifted orator known for his sharp tongue, Olmert broke a series of taboos while in office - warning that Israel could become like apartheid South Africa if it continued its occupation of the Palestinians and expressing readiness to relinquish parts of Jerusalem under a peace deal.

Olmert has said he made unprecedented concessions to the Palestinians - including a near-total withdrawal from the West Bank and an offer to place Jerusalem's Old City under international control - and was close to reaching an agreement at the time of his resignation.

Olmert, who over the years developed a reputation for loving the good life, was convicted in 2014 in a wide-ranging case that accused him of accepting bribes to promote a real-estate project in Jerusalem and obstructing justice. The charges pertained to a period when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister before he became premier in 2006.

Olmert repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, and on the day he reported to prison, he released a video proclaiming his innocence.

Israel has sent other senior officials to prison, including Moshe Katsav, who held the largely ceremonial post of president before serving five years in prison for rape and other sex crimes. But Olmert is the only former prime minister to go to prison.

Olmert was rushed to the hospital with chest pains last month, but doctors ruled out a heart attack. A few days before that, Israel's Justice Ministry asked the police to investigate whether Olmert committed a "criminal offense" while behind bars.

It said a book Olmert is writing touches on "sensitive security issues" and that his lawyer was caught leaving the prison with a chapter on "secret operations" not approved by the censor for publication. Police searched the publishing house of the Yediot Ahronot newspaper over the incident.

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked welcomed Olmert's release, telling Army Radio he deserved to have his sentence reduced and that "all in all his behavior in prison was very good."

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, left, exits prison after his sentence, in Ramle, Israel, Sunday, July 2, 2017. The parole board of Israel's Prison Service has granted Olmert early release from prison. Prison Service spokesman Assaf Librati says the board granted Olmert's request to reduce a third of his 27-month incarceration sentence. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli security forces detained a female Palestinian lawmaker on Sunday for alleged security offenses.

The Shin Bet internal security service said Khalida Jarrar was arrested along with a Palestinian activist near the West Bank city of Ramallah for "promoting terror activities," without elaborating.

Jarrar, 55, is a popular figure among Palestinians and is known for fiery speeches against Israel. In 2015, Israel sentenced her to 15 months for incitement to violence.

FILE - In this June 3, 2016 file photo, Palestinian lawmaker Khalida Jarrar is greeted by supporters after her release from an Israeli prison at the Jabara checkpoint near the West Bank town of Tulkarem. On Sunday, July 2, 2017, Israeli security forces detained Jarrar for alleged security offenses. The Shin Bet internal security service said Jarrar was arrested Sunday along with a Palestinian activist near the West Bank city of Ramallah for "promoting terror activities," without elaborating. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed, File)

Her husband, Ghassan said forces seized computers in Sunday's raid.

Jarrar is a senior member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a left-leaning faction opposed to peace with Israel. The group was involved in hijackings and other major attacks in the 1970s but has largely scaled back its militant activities in recent years.
CAIRO (AP) - An Egyptian court has sentenced 20 people to death for their part in the August 2013 massacre of more than a dozen policemen in a village west of Cairo.

Sunday's ruling caps three years of legal proceedings in the case, which in 2015 saw another court sentencing 186 people to death. An appeal against the mass death sentences was accepted last year and a retrial was ordered.

The charges the defendants faced were related to the ransacking of a police station in the village of Kerdassah and the subsequent killing of the policemen.

The assault was believed to be revenge for the deadly breakup by security forces on Aug. 14, 2013 of sit-in protests staged by supporters of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, ousted a month earlier by the military.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - The Latest on a shooting at a Little Rock nightclub (all times local):

5:30 p.m.

Federal authorities in Alabama say they recovered two handguns and an assault rifle in a vehicle during the arrest of a rapper whose concert in Little Rock was the site of a shooting that left 28 people injured.

The U.S. Marshals Service says Ricky Hampton of Memphis, Tennessee, also known as Finese2Tymes, was arrested early Sunday on charges unrelated to the nightclub shooting in Little Rock. He was arrested at a club in Birmingham where he was performing.

Prison records from the Tennessee Department of Corrections show a Ricky Hampton with the same date of birth and a similar appearance was released from prison in August 2016 after serving six years for aggravated robbery.

Little Rock Police Lt. Steven McClanahan says the rapper will be extradited to Arkansas so police can interview him.

___

1:30 p.m.

Authorities say firearms were recovered in Birmingham, Alabama, during the arrest of a rapper whose concert in Little Rock became the site of a shooting that left 28 people injured.

The U.S. Marshals Service says Ricky Hampton of Memphis, Tennessee, also known as Finese2Tymes, was arrested early Sunday on charges unrelated to the nightclub shooting in Little Rock. He was arrested at a club in Birmingham where he was performing.

Little Rock Police Lt. Steven McClanahan says several firearms were seized by federal authorities when Hampton was arrested on aggravated assault with a gun charges from Forrest City in eastern Arkansas.

McClanahan says the firearms will be sent to a crime lab in Arkansas to determine whether they were used in the shooting at the Power Ultra Lounge.

___

9:35 a.m.

Authorities say a rapper whose concert in Little Rock became the site of a shooting that left 28 people injured has been arrested on unrelated assault charges.

The U.S. Marshals Service says Ricky Hampton of Memphis, Tennessee, also known as Finese2Tymes, was arrested with another man early Sunday at a club in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was performing.

The U.S. Marshals Service said Hampton was wanted on aggravated assault with a gun charges from Forrest City in eastern Arkansas. In a tweet, the Little Rock police said no arrests have been made in connection with the mass shooting early Saturday.

Twenty-five people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others were hurt, following the shooting at the Power Ultra Lounge early Saturday.

City officials intend to shut down the club. State regulators suspended the club's liquor license Saturday and its landlord later posted an eviction notice.

8:35 a.m.

Authorities say a rapper whose concert in Little Rock became the site of a shooting that left 28 people injured has been arrested on unrelated charges.

The U.S. Marshals Service says Ricky Hampton of Memphis, Tennessee, also known as Finese2Tymes, was arrested with another man early Sunday at a club in Birmingham, where he was performing.

Booking records show Hampton was arrested on a "fugitive from justice" warrant. Little Rock police said Hampton was detained on charges pending from Forrest City in eastern Arkansas. In a tweet, the Little Rock police said no arrests have been made in connection with the mass shooting early Saturday.

Twenty-five people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others were hurt, following the shooting at the Power Ultra Lounge early Saturday.

City officials intend to shut down the club. State regulators suspended the club's liquor license Saturday and its landlord later posted an eviction notice.

___

8:15 a.m.

Alabama jail records show that rapper Finese 2Tymes was arrested in Birmingham the night after a shooting at one of his concerts in Little Rock, Arkansas, left 28 people injured.

The inmate roster shows that Ricky Hampton of Memphis, Tennessee, also known as Finese2Tymes, was arrested early Sunday. The U.S. Marshals Service says Hampton and another man were arrested at the Side Effects Club in Birmingham, where he was performing.

The Marshals Service says the men were arrested on a "fugitive from justice" warrant. It's not yet clear whether the arrests are related to the shooting, but Little Rock's police chief previously had said Hampton had outstanding charges in Arkansas.

Twenty-five people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others were hurt, following the shooting at the Power Ultra Lounge early Saturday.

City officials intend to shut down the club. State regulators suspended the club's liquor license Saturday and its landlord later posted an eviction notice.

___

12:20 a.m.

Little Rock's police chief credits the quick work of first responders for there being no fatalities after 28 people were injured in a shooting at a rap concert.

Police Chief Kenton Buckner also says the shooting early Saturday inside the Power Ultra Lounge may be gang-related.

Twenty-five people suffered gunshot wounds and three others were hurt. Police say two people were in critical condition as of Saturday afternoon.

City officials say they will move Monday to shut down the club under a "criminal abatement" program. State regulators suspended the club's liquor license on Saturday.

About 100 people gathered at a Little Rock church on Saturday night for a candlelight vigil, and Mayor Mark Stodola sat in the front row.

Robert Holt, president of Let Our Violence End and pastor at Healing Waters Outreach Center, told the crowd at the vigil, "God bless our first responders."
HAMBURG, Germany (AP) - Thousands of people are taking part in the first major protest in the northern German city of Hamburg before the Group of 20 meeting next weekend.

About 4,000 people marched through the city center Sunday to protest against the climate and trade policies of the world's major developed and emerging economies.

The demonstration, which also saw protesters take to the water with a flotilla of hundreds of small boats, was organized by environmental, labor, human rights and church groups.

Participants of the demonstration 'G20 Protest Wave' gather in front of the city hall in Hamburg, Germany, Sunday, July 2, 2017 to protest againt the upcoming G20 summit on July 7 and July 8, 2017. (Markus Scholz/dpa via AP)

Authorities are putting in place tight security and declaring certain areas of Hamburg off limits to protesters during the July 7-8 summit.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a video address Sunday that she wants discussion among leaders to include issues such as sustainable development, labor rights and environmental protection.

Greenpeace activists demonstrate against the energy policy of the government while writing parts of the slogan 'End Coal' on a freighter in the harbor of Hamburg, Germany, Sunday July 2, 2017. (Bodo Marks/dpa via AP)

People protest against the gathering of European leaders on the upcoming G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Sunday, July 2, 2017. Hamburg will host the G-20 summit on July 7 and July 8. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

People protest against the gathering of European leaders on the upcoming G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Sunday, July 2, 2017. Hamburg will host the G-20 summit on July 7 and July 8. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Participants of the demonstration 'G20 Protest Wave' gather in Hamburg, Germany, Sunday, July 2, 2017 to protest against the upcoming G20 summit on July 7 and July 8, 2017. (Markus Scholz/dpa via AP)

A woman attends a protest against the gathering of European leaders on the upcoming G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Sunday, July 2, 2017. Hamburg will host the G-20 summit on July 7 and July 8. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

People attend a protest against the gathering of European leaders on the upcoming G-20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, Sunday, July 2, 2017. Hamburg will host the G-20 summit on July 7 and July 8. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)
The US's new ban on laptops in airplane cabins won't apply to jets leaving the United Arab Emirates' capital of Abu Dhabi, it has emerged.

Etihad, which is based in the emirate, said on Sunday that it welcomed the decision to lift the ban from Abu Dhabi International Airport after it implemented 'enhanced security measures'.

Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan said US officials already confirmed that the new measures had been deployed and would check periodically to make sure they were being done properly.

Abu Dhabi International Airport (pictured) will not be subject to a ban on carrying laptops in the cabins of planes to America, thanks to its US Customs-affiliated screening process

The airport already has a US Customs and Border Protection facility that allows passengers to clear screening they'd otherwise have to go through when landing in America.

'The enhanced security measures, both seen and unseen, include enhanced screening of passengers and electronic devices,' Lapan said, but refused to elaborate.

'We commend Etihad for working swiftly to implement these additional measures. Their efforts are a model for both foreign and domestic airlines.'

Abu Dhabi International Airport did not respond to a request for comment.

The airport is home to Etihad, which has over 120 planes in its fleet and 204 aircraft on order. It operates 45 flights a week between Abu Dhabi and six cities in the US

The US ban, first announced in March as a security measure, now applies to nonstop US-bound flights from nine international airports in the Middle East.

They are Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Cairo; Istanbul; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar; and Dubai in the UAE.

In late May, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said he was considering banning laptops from the passenger cabins of all international flights to and from the United States.

Kelly's comments came after Donald Trump shared highly classified intelligence with senior Russian officials visiting the White House. That intelligence said ISIS wanted to use laptops to target aircraft.

The laptop ban, as well as a Trump administration travel ban on six predominantly Muslim nations, has hurt Gulf carriers.

The process is closely guarded, but involves both seen and unseen processes, an official said. Pictured: an Etihad plane landing in Abu Dhabi (file photo)

Emirates airline, which is based in Dubai, another emirate in the UAE and Abu Dhabi's neighbor, has slashed 20 percent of its flights to America in the wake of those decisions.

The airline also has been trying to get the laptop ban lifted for its direct flights to the US. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dubai International Airport, home of Emirates, is the world's busiest international air travel hub.

Meanwhile, long-haul carrier Qatar Airways has been hurt amid a diplomatic dispute with Arab nations that has seen its own routes in the region cut off.

All this comes amid a wider dispute between Gulf airlines and American carriers, which accuse the Middle East airlines of flooding the market with capacity while receiving billions of dollars of unfair government subsidies.

The Gulf carriers all vigorously deny that.
ISLAMABAD (AP) - Pakistan intelligence and security officials reacted angrily Sunday to the release of a memoir by an ex-CIA contractor, saying his 2011 acquittal in a high-profile murder case and subsequent return to the U.S. was an arrangement between Pakistan and the U.S., not among individuals.

Raymond Davis made headlines this week when his book exposed the alleged role of Pakistan's former spy chief Shuja Pasha in quashing a murder trial against Davis by paying $2.4 million to the families of two men Davis killed while working for the CIA in Pakistan in 2011.

The incident triggered a diplomatic crisis when police arrested Davis for the killings. But, seven weeks later, the families of the slain men told a court that they pardoned Davis, ending a tense showdown between the U.S. and Pakistan, America's ally in the war on extremism.

FILE -In this Oct. 4, 2011 file photo former CIA contractor Raymond Davis, right, and his attorney William Frankfurt arrive at the Douglas County Courthouse in Castle Rock, Colo., for a court hearing on a felony assault charges. Pakistan intelligence and security officials Sunday, July 2, 2017 reacted angrily over the release of a memoir by an ex-CIA contractor, saying the 2011 acquittal of the man in a high-profile murder case was an arrangement between Pakistan and the U.S., not between individuals. (AP Photo/Ed Andrieski, File)

Sunday's reaction came after Davis released "The Contractor: How I Landed in a Pakistani Prison and Ignited a Diplomatic Crisis." In the book, Davis says he considered the two Pakistanis a threat when they rode their motorcycle near his car and one of them had a gun in his hand.

"I had never killed anyone before," he writes. "Thankfully, all ten rounds I fired found their intended targets."

A Pakistani intelligence official acknowledged the country's spy agency helped the CIA to remove Davis from Pakistan, but said that no such help would be given the CIA in the future. The intelligence official spoke on the condition of anonymity in accordance with agency policy.

"(Davis') release was an arrangement between two states and not two individuals. It was based on goodwill between two agencies or two states and it helped the CIA get their man out through legal means, but in a confidential arrangement," said the official.

A security official familiar with the interrogation of Davis after his arrest confirmed that Pakistan helped to facilitate Davis' release. He said he was also angry over the publication of the "scandalous memoir." He, too, spoke on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media on the record.

"If the objective was to turn Pakistani and (its spy agency's) favor into a vilification campaign, then Raymond Davis and his sponsors achieved it for a short period. But Pakistan and its intelligence agencies will not be obliged to repeat such favors in future," the intelligence official told The Associated Press.
Wildlife suffered higher than normal losses this winter in severe weather across the western United States, where the toll included the deaths of all known fawns in one Wyoming deer herd and dozens of endangered bighorn sheep in California.

Wildlife managers in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and Washington also reported higher losses of animals in the wake of one of the coldest and snowiest winters in decades.

Parts of the Rockies saw snowfall as late as mid-June.

'This year we kind of had all the factors that we don't want - we had deep snow, we had periods of fairly cold weather, subzero, and then we also had some crusting on top of that snow,' said Roger Phillips, spokesman for the Idaho Fish and Game Department.

Elk feed at the Wenaha Wildlife Area near Troy, Ore. Wildlife managers in seven states, including Oregon, in the U.S. West report severe weather this past winter was rough on wildlife.

WHERE WAS HIT? Managers in Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Oregon and Washington reported higher losses of animals Mule deer in several Rocky Mountain states and elk in eastern Washington were hit hard Wyoming was expecting above-normal losses among antelope In California, the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep lost 60 animals Advertisement

Wildlife managers have been assessing the damage using radio collars and surveys of herds following a winter in which many parts of the West recorded record snowfall, including places where deer, pronghorn antelope and elk migrate each fall to escape the harsher mountain winters.

Prolonged snow cover on winter grounds made it difficult for wildlife to find food, and spells of bitter cold made matters worse for the weakened animals by hardening the snow.

Mule deer in several Rocky Mountain states and elk in eastern Washington were hit hard.

Wyoming was expecting above-normal losses among antelope as well, although it didn't have an accurate accounting yet.

Wyoming last saw comparable wildlife deaths over three decades ago, said Bob Lanka, supervisor of statewide wildlife and habitat management program with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

'It's been a long, long time since we experienced this kind of loss,' he said.

Meteorologist David Lipson of the National Weather Service in Riverton blamed the rough winter on 'unusually strong rivers of moisture' flowing into the West from the Pacific Ocean, where a weak and unusually short-lived La Nina occurred.

In California, the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, which is listed as an endangered species, lost an estimated 40 to 60 animals.

'We're not including any predation or normal mortality or any other kind of losses; that's just from the snow, from getting trapped up in the snow and not having food, some of them starving and then some of them directly impacted by avalanches,' said Jason Holley, supervising wildlife biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Montana wildlife were spared the deadly conditions seen in neighboring states, according to Ken McDonald, wildlife division administrator with the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department.

Nevada saw near average wildlife losses statewide, while a few isolated areas in the northeast part of the state had slightly higher than average mortality, said Tom Donham, a Nevada Department of Wildlife biologist.

In this photo taken Feb. 21, 2017, a group of elk move past another that had died on the National Elk Refuge in northwest Wyoming. This past winter was hard on wildlife in seven western states including Wyoming because of heavy snow and bouts of bitter cold that hit areas where wildlife spend the winter months. Some states have reduced hunting licenses as a result.

Wildlife managers are responding by reducing hunting permits in the hard-hit areas.

'There will be less hunting opportunity this coming fall for sure, and the people that do get a license, whether it's a general license or a limited quota tag, I don't think there's going to be any doubt they're going to notice less animals on the landscape,' Lanka said.

Mike Clark, owner of Greys River Outfitters in western Wyoming, said the loss of mule deer and antelope tags will be hard on his business, which includes deer, antelope and elk hunts.

'Luckily, we can still work with some elk,' Clark said.

In this Jan. 18, 2017, file photo provided by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, elk feed at the Wenaha Wildlife Area near Troy, Ore. Wildlife managers in seven states in the U.S. West, including Oregon, report severe weather this past winter was rough on wildlife.

However, outfitters have to be careful not to overhunt elk and overload their fall hunting camps with too many hunters to make up for the decline in deer hunting, he said.

'It just takes away from the quality of the hunt if you got too many hunters in camp,' Clark said.

Biologists say the wildlife herds eventually should recover with the help of reduced hunting and a return to at least normal weather conditions next winter. However, forecasters say it's too early to predict how next winter will play out.

'What happens in the future depends a lot on what kind of winter we see next year,' Phillips said. 'If we have back-to-back hard winters, it could be tough.'
MANISTEE, Mich. (AP) - A Michigan county prosecutor has ruled that a police officer's actions in the fatal shooting of a 73-year-old man were justified.

Authorities say Manistee Police Officer Doug Vansickle shot Lee Pat Milks on March 28 after he came out of the house with a gun and told the officer to leave. Police say the officer was conducting ordinance enforcement.

Manistee officials say the officer told Milks to drop the weapon, but he didn't comply and pointed it at the officer, so Vansickle fired. The officer was not injured and was placed on administrative leave during the investigation.

Manistee County Prosecutor Jason Hagg says the officer had reasonable belief he faced "imminent danger of death or great bodily harm" when he fired.

Manistee's public safety director agreed with the finding.
CHICAGO (AP) - The Toronto Blue Jays have traded right-handed pitcher Jason Grilli to the Texas Rangers for minor league outfielder Eduard Pinto and cash.

Grilli was 2-4 with a 7.97 ERA and one save in 26 games with Toronto this year before being designated for assignment. Grilli, 40, was an All-Star in 2013 when he had 33 saves for Pittsburgh. He also recorded 24 saves for Atlanta in 2015.

He was expected to join the Rangers on Monday when they return to Texas from Chicago, where they were facing the White Sox on Sunday.

The Rangers said they would make a corresponding move on Monday to clear room on the 25-man roster. The Rangers designated right-hander Preston Claiborne, who is on option at Triple-A Round Rock, to make room on the 40-man roster for Grilli.

Pinto is hitting .311 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 46 games for Class A Down East in the Blue Jays' minor league system. The left-handed hitter is in his sixth professional season after being signed as a non-drafted free agent.
Douglas County deputies arrested 58-year-old Frank Leon Huner

A Colorado man has told police he shot his son dead after mistaking him for a house invader.

Douglas County deputies arrested 58-year-old Frank Leon Huner of Sedalia on suspicion of second-degree murder.

The father from Sedalia, around 35 miles from Denver, was later released after posting a $50,000 bond.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Lauren LeKander says Huner called 911 at around 10.15pm on Saturday to report the shooting.

He later told deputies the victim was his adult son, who he initially believed was an intruder.

LeKander told KMGH-TV that investigators believe the victim is Huner's son but they are awaiting the coroner's confirmation.

The victim's name has not been released.
A Tory Kensington and Chelsea councillor has claimed protesters who stormed Kensington Town Hall days after the Grenfell Tower fire demanding justice for victims werent the local community but people who like doing that sort of thing.

Catherine Faulks was defending the councils attempts to hold a cabinet meeting on the disaster on Thursday in private, initially citing public order concerns, and described press attempts to report on it by obtaining a High Court order as a very clever stunt.

The council cancelled the meeting after journalists were allowed to attend, claiming it would prejudice the forthcoming public inquiry.

Protesters outside the town hall. ( Lauren Hurley/PA )

Council statement following Cabinet meeting Thursday 29 June https://t.co/3z1Auu3lXk  Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (@RBKC) June 29, 2017

Ms Faulks told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: The reason we had given primarily to have the meeting in private was that we were worried there was a public order issue which had been already demonstrated by the invasion that happened at the council  which, by the way, when you say we werent affected, the whole council chamber had to be evacuated for the whole afternoon on the Friday after the tragedy.

She went on: I think actually the people that stormed the council werent the local community, I think they were people who like doing that sort of thing and I think they did a disservice to the local community.

But I completely understand the anger, the frustration of the local community.

Of course we werent immediately quick off the ground, its an enormous tragedy, I dont know if everyone realised how complex and how vast this fire was.

I challenge any borough in the whole country to have immediately had an action plan they could put into place.
Israels former prime minister Ehud Olmert has been released from jail after serving time for corruption.

Prison Service spokesman Assaf Librati said Olmert was freed early on Sunday morning.

The parole board last week granted the Olmert, 71, early release from his 27-month sentence.

He was convicted in 2014 on charges of accepting bribes to promote a property project in Jerusalem and obstructing justice.

Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert, left, leaves prison (Ariel Schalit/AP)

The charges related to a period when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister before he became premier in 2006.

Olmert was a long-time fixture in Israels hawkish right wing when he began taking a dramatically more conciliatory line towards the Palestinians.

His imprisonment ended the last major Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and ushered in the era of Benjamin Netanyahu in 2009.

Mr Librati said the terms of Olmerts early release stipulate that for the next few months he has to do volunteer work, must appear before police twice a month and cannot give interviews to the media or leave the country.

Mr Librati added that President Reuven Rivlin could relieve him of the parole restrictions.
David Lingmerth maintained his lead at the Quicken Loans National but endured a day to forget after a three over par 73 in the penultimate round at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.

The Swede, chasing a second victory at the Maryland venue after winning an event on the developmental Web.com Tour five years ago, only registered two birdies while three bogeys and a double bogey dropped him back to seven under overall.

That gives him a one-shot leading heading into the final 18 holes over Daniel Summerhays, whose fellow American Spencer Levin is a further shot back.

Sweden's David Lingmerth (Steve Paston/PA)

Lingmerth told the PGA Tours official website: I had to fight hard but Im happy with where Im sitting, I still have a good chance. It was a tough day from start to finish but I think an experience like this can help me.

Lingmerth, whose only previous win on the PGA Tour came in the Memorial Tournament two years ago, had recorded back-to-back 65s on a course that holds happy memories for him.

When asked if he sees himself winning 6, 7 or 8 times, Lingmerth said no.



I envision winning a lot more than that" https://t.co/j2oGbYlkMQ pic.twitter.com/X82P4MrDS5  PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2017

He was in trouble from the off on Saturday after finding bunkers with his first two shots for a bogey on the first although he was back to 10 under following a fine approach to within four feet on the next hole.

The 29-year-old ran into real difficulty on the par-four fourth when a wayward tee shot into the water led to him running up a double bogey six before a thunderstorm which softened the greens caused a 90-minute delay.

He dropped another shot after the turn due to more loose play off the tee which left him in a share of the lead although he was out in front again moments later when Summerhays bogeyed the 11th.

Summer days with Summerhays.   pic.twitter.com/Hp3kveeGY7  PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 1, 2017

While Lingmerth was unable to gain any more ground  after a birdie on the 14th was cancelled out by a bogey on the 17th  Summerhays was unable to take advantage after carding a level-par 70.

Levin catapulted himself into contention on the back of a 65 to move two shots behind the leader, while Australian pair Curtis Luck and Geoff Ogilvy and South Koreas Sung Kang are on four under.
The Government is withdrawing the UK from an arrangement that allows foreign countries to fish in British waters, it has announced.

Ministers will trigger withdrawal from the London Fisheries Convention, signed in 1964 before the UK joined the European Union, to start the two-year process to leave the agreement.

The convention allows vessels from France, Belgium, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands to fish within six and 12 nautical miles of the UKs coastline.

#QueensSpeech will allow the UK to control access to our waters & set fishing quotas once we leave the EU: https://t.co/K5hELC9Ph6 pic.twitter.com/QtXia7BOiR  Defra UK (@DefraGovUK) June 21, 2017

It sits alongside the EU Common Fisheries Policy which allows all European countries access between 12 and 200 nautical miles of the UK and sets quotas for how much fish nations can catch.

Ministers claimed the move would help take back control of fishing access to UK waters, as it will no longer be bound by existing access agreements, and enable the country to become fully responsible for fisheries management.

UK vessels will also lose the right to fish in the waters six to 12 nautical miles offshore of the other countries.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: Leaving the London Fisheries Convention is an important moment as we take back control of our fishing policy. It means for the first time in more than 50 years we will be able to decide who can access our waters.

Secretary of State @michaelgove visits #Peterhead fish market to speak with fishermen about the future of the UK fishing industry @sff_uk pic.twitter.com/jib8pDhCLP  Defra UK (@DefraGovUK) June 23, 2017

This is an historic first step towards building a new domestic fishing policy as we leave the European Union - one which leads to a more competitive, profitable and sustainable industry for the whole of the UK.

Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermens Organisations, said: This is welcome news and an important part of establishing the UK as an independent coastal state with sovereignty over its own exclusive economic zone.

The UK fishing industry was made up of more than 6,000 vessels in 2015, landing 708,000 tonnes of fish worth 775 million.

Some 10,000 tonnes of fish was caught by other countries under the convention, worth an estimated 17 million.

A box of freshly-caught pollock at Plymouth fish market (Steve Parsons/PA)

Will McCallum, Greenpeace UK head of oceans, warned that pulling out of the London Convention would not alone deliver a better future for the UK fishing industry.

For years, successive UK governments have blamed Brussels for their own failure to support the small-scale, sustainable fishers who are the backbone of our fishing fleet, he said.

If Brexit is to herald a better future for our fishers, the new Environment Secretary Michael Gove must keep the 2015 Conservative Party manifesto commitment to re-balance fishing quotas in favour of small-scale, specific locally-based fishing communities.

Environmental law firm ClientEarth consultant Dr Tom West said the move appeared to be an aggressive negotiating tactic.

As a country outside the EU we need to consider how we can best co-operate with our neighbours rather than unilaterally withdrawing from all agreements in the hope that standing alone will make us better.
Former US president Barack Obama has shared a bit of wisdom from the other side of the world about tolerance and taking the daily news cycle in your stride, following another week of dust-ups between his successor Donald Trump and the media.

I wasnt worried about what was in the newspapers today, Mr Obama said during a nostalgic visit to Indonesias capital Jakarta, his childhood home.

What I was worried about was, What are they going to write about me 20 years from now when I look back?.

Barack Obama gestures as he delivers his speech during the 4th Congress of the Indonesian Diaspora Network in Jakarta

Mr Obama has largely stayed away from US politics and the Trump administration, but did tout one of his accomplishments while in office.

In Paris, we came together around the most ambitious agreement in history about climate change, an agreement that even with the temporary absence of American leadership can still give our children a fighting chance, he said.

Mr Trump shocked many countries last month by announcing he was pulling out of the accord.

He has also had a difficult relationship with the press and was recently condemned by both Democrats and Republicans for a tweet that attacked a woman MSNBC host.

Mr Obama stressed the importance of stepping away from news sites where only like-minded views are shared and warned about social media giving rise to resentment of minorities and bad treatment of people.

The former president was greeted by a crowd of thousands, including leaders, students and businessmen and women in Jakarta, where he opened the Fourth Congress of Indonesian Diaspora.

He is wildly popular in Indonesia, where many view him as an adopted son and a statue of the boy still remembered as Barry stands outside his old primary school.

He reminisced about moving to Jakarta in 1967 when he was just six, shouting Indonesia bagian dari diri saya!  Indonesia is part of me!

Barack Obama welcomed to Indonesia (Dita Alangkara/AP)

Mr Obama said he had been gorging on the local food since arriving.

If the rainy season came, the floods were coming and we had to clean out the floors in our house and then chase the chickens because they had gone someplace else, he said to roaring laughter.

Today, Jakarta is a thriving centre of commerce marked by highways and high-rises. So much has changed, so much progress has been made.

Mr Obama lived in the country with his mother, an anthropologist, and his Indonesian stepfather.

The couple split up after having his half-sister and Mr Obama moved back to Hawaii when he was 10 to live with his grandparents.

Barack Obama has been visiting his former home country (N. Agung Nugroho/AP)

But he said he has never forgotten the years he spent in Indonesia.

My time here made me cherish respect for peoples differences, he said, noting how he and his family had just visited two of the most treasured ancient temples  Borobudur, a Buddhist complex, and the Hindu compound of Prambanan  in the worlds most populous Muslim country.

Mr Obamas speech came on the final leg of his 10-day vacation in Indonesia.

In addition to visiting the temples in the city of Yogyakarta on the island of Java, he and his wife Michelle and daughters Sasha and Malia also went rafting and toured the resort island of Bali.

On Friday, he met Indonesian president Joko Jokowi Widodo at the grand Bogor Palace in West Java, just outside Jakarta.
A factory-owner said he watched everything he had worked for his entire life go up in smoke as his business burned to the ground.

Tony Abbate was left without even a chair to sit on in the blackened shell of what was the Belfast Crystal manufacturer.

Police are treating the catastrophic blaze as suspicious.

Fire crews tackle the fire (Niall Carson/PA)

Mr Abbate, the son of hard-working Italian immigrants, said: Everything I ever worked for is gone, every single piece of machinery, every piece of glassware ever made  there is nothing left. It is just a big black mess on the floor.

The firm at the Kennedy Way industrial estate in the west of the city was engulfed in flames on Saturday night as 40 firefighters battled to save it.

A nearby shopping centre was evacuated as the blaze threatened neighbouring buildings.

The father of a three-year-old daughter said only the facade of the hand-cut glassware company was left.

Incident Blackstaff Road, Belfast.

NORTHERN IRELAND FIRE & RESCUE SERVICE https://t.co/emJ6Ht1FiM  Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (@NIFRSOFFICIAL) July 1, 2017

He added: Everything else is gone. It is gut-wrenching. I am devastated. 40 years of family business up in smoke.

He appealed to well-wishers for equipment such as Portakabins or skips. A Gofundme webpage is in the process of being established.

We are sitting in a shell of a factory, he said. We dont even have anywhere to sit down to see what we are going to do. I have no job on Monday morning and I have no income. I cannot sell any glass. Everything we worked for our whole lives was reinvested in the factory.

Three generations of the family worked at the factory, said Mr Abbate. He said his Italian father Antonio, who is now aged 83, came to Northern Ireland when the conflict was at its height to train glassblowers.

Sadly local business Belfast Crystal of 40 yrs loyal service to our community destroyed by fire. Family devastated pic.twitter.com/9sgrWDeG7g  Alex Maskey (@AlexMaskeySF) July 1, 2017

He moved from Tyrone Crystal to establish his own firm. It would have been open 40 years next year.

His son said: I dont know if my father will recover. It gave him a purpose to get up and if he sits in the house, I dont know.

Fire appliances, a high-reach aerial machine and a command unit attended and the firefighting operation was extensive, a statement from the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) said.

Fire crews arrived at about 6pm and were confronted by a well-developed fire in the property. Gas cylinders were on the premises.

A statement from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said: The premises have sustained substantial damage as a result of this fire, which is being treated as suspicious at this time.

Officers appealed for anyone with information to contact them.
Sadiq Khan has reflected on this years Ramadan as harder than any he can remember after the capital was afflicted by a spate of tragedies.

Speaking at an Eid celebration in Trafalgar Square, the Muslim Mayor of London gave a message of unity in the wake of two terror attacks and the Grenfell Tower fire.

Bloody assaults on London Bridge, Borough Market and Finsbury Park claimed the lives of nine people during the holy period, while at least 80 more died in the west London blaze.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (second left) and Yusuf Islam (former stage name Cat Stevens) onstage during the Eid Festival in Trafalgar Square, London.

Mr Khan told crowds in central London: This Ramadan was harder than any Ramadan I can remember, not simply because of the long 19 to 20-hour fast, but because unfortunately in this holy month of Ramadan, we saw the terror attacks on London Bridge and Borough Market.

We saw the terror attack on Finsbury Park and we saw the awful, awful horror of the fire at Grenfell Tower.

I am sure that all of us have in our thoughts and prayers all those affected by the terror attacks and by the fire.

Fantastic atmosphere at #EidLDN today - inspiring to see Londoners from all walks of life celebrating together #LondonIsOpen pic.twitter.com/hXkyY4h2sn  Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) July 2, 2017

But we know it is a fact of life, Im afraid, there are some people who want to divide our communities, there are some people who want to fuel division.

He then asked the crowd: Are we going to let them?

No, those in attendance cheered.

The mayor also hailed the capital for its tolerance, saying all faiths, ages and social classes were celebrated, calling it the greatest city in the world.
At least one person has been killed after a fire broke out in a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanons Bekaa Valley.

Ahmed Salloum, a member of the local emergency services, said the fire turned the tent camp near Qab Elias town into ashes.

He said firefighters and emergency workers struggled for over two hours to contain the fire that broke out around midday on Sunday.

Temperatures have been soaring in Lebanons Bekaa region, and Mr Salloum, an electricity technician, said he suspected an overload of power was to blame.

The settlement has turned to ashes. Even the iron melted, Mr Salloum said.

Only the bathrooms at the edge of the settlement were left standing. The explosion of gas canisters could be heard from a distance.

Lebanese Civil Defence workers putting out a fire in a Syrian refugee camp in Qab Elias (Qab Elias Emergency Services via AP)

George Ketteneh, of Lebanons Red Cross, said initial reports indicate that over 100 tents burned down and one person died.

Mr Ketteneh said that about 97 families, or an estimated 700 people, live in the informal settlement. He said at least six were wounded.

Lebanon is home to over 1 million registered Syrian refugees, who reside largely in settlements in Lebanons Bekaa Valley, near the border.

The fire comes two days after Lebanese authorities rounded up nearly 400 Syrian refugees following an attack on military troops conducting raids in refugee camps in Arsal, another town near the border with Syria.

The authorities said the raids followed a tip that a terrorist attack was planned out of the camps. But Syrian activists and refugees criticised the raids, saying they were excessive and that detainees were abused.

The Lebanese military denies the allegations of abuse.
July 1 (Reuters) - Swede David Lingmerth limped to a three-over-par 73 on Saturday but it was enough to keep him at the top of the Quicken Loans National leaderboard heading into Sunday's final round.

On a day that featured soaring scores for the final groups and a rain delay of more than an hour, Lingmerth rebounded from an early double bogey to stay on top by one shot at TPC Potomac in Maryland.

Lingmerth sits at seven-under for the tournament ahead of American Daniel Summerhays, who shot even-par 70 to remain at six-under.

"It's not the day I wanted but I think I'm right where I need to be for tomorrow," Lingmerth told reporters on Saturday.

"You have to be in the fairway here to score. I struggled with it. It was a tough day."

Spencer Levin produced the days best round with a five-under 65 and is two shots back of the Swede.

A group of three players is at four-under including Australian Geoff Ogilvy, who failed to record a single birdie in his four-over 74. World number nine Rickie Fowler fired a 68 to climb to even par.

World number 99 Lingmerth, whose only PGA Tour victory came at the 2015 Memorial Tournament, struggled with pulled shots throughout the day.

He bogeyed the first and made a double at the fourth but still led by two until a bogey at the par-3 17th tightened the tournament to one shot.

"I felt pretty good to begin with but got myself into some trouble," Lingmerth said. "I think my tempo was a little bit off with the driver today."

Summerhays, looking for his first win on the PGA Tour, kept the pressure on with a steady round that featured a birdie and a bogey. (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford; )
By Tiemoko Diallo

BAMAKO, July 2 (Reuters) - African powers launched a new multinational military force to tackle Islamist militants in the Sahel on Sunday, which French President Emmanuel Macron told a regional summit should be fully operational by the autumn despite its current budget shortfall.

Some observers see the initiative of the G5 Sahel bloc - Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad - as forming the basis of an eventual exit strategy for around 4,000 French troops now deployed to the volatile region. But Macron said Paris had no plans to withdraw them.

Islamist militant groups, some with links to al Qaeda, seized control of Mali's desert north in 2012.

Though they were driven back a year later by a French-led military intervention, they continue to carry out attacks against on U.N. peacekeepers, Malian soldiers and civilian targets in violence that has spilled across Mali's borders.

"Every day we must combat terrorists, thugs, murderers, whose names and faces we must forget, but whom we must steadfastly and with determination eradicate together," Macron said at the summit in Mali's capital Bamako.

During the meeting, leaders of the G5 Sahel countries formally established the new force, which will operate in coordination with French troops and MINUSMA, Mali's struggling U.N. peacekeeping mission.

The countries of the G5 Sahel bloc began floating the idea of a regional force as early as 2015, but since taking office in May, Macron has thrown Paris's weight behind the plan, including through a U.N. resolution last month.

"There is urgency because those we're confronting are not going to wait," said Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. "It's also clear that France alone must not continue to bear the burden of this fight against terrorism."

UNDERFUNDED AND OVERSTRETCHED

On Sunday, Macron said the force, which is expected to consist of around 5,000 troops, needed to be fully operational by this autumn.

But he played down speculation that he was seeking to reduce the burden on France's cross-border Barkhane Operation, saying in a meeting with Mali's French community following the summit that Paris would "remain engaged for as long as it takes".

With its military headquarters in the northern Mali town of Sevare, the G5 Sahel force will focus on border zones - one along the frontier between Niger and Mali, another between Mali and Mauritania, and a third straddling the borders between Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.

Paris considers the Sahel a breeding ground for militants and traffickers who pose a threat to Europe.

Late on Saturday, JNIM, an al Qaeda-linked group, released a video showing six Western hostages abducted in the region in recent years.

Among them was French citizen Sophie Petronin, whose kidnappers Macron said France would "put all our energy towards eradicating".

While Sunday's summit marked a step forward in the plan to set up the new force, it still faces a number of obstacles.

The European Union has pledged around 50 million euros ($57 million), and Macron said France would contribute around 8 million euros by the end of the year.

Each of the G5 Sahel members will contribute 10 million euros for the force. But President Keita on Sunday estimated the required total budget at 423 million euros.

The G5 Sahel nations - among the world's poorest - are already overstretched.

Chad, Burkina Faso and Niger have deployed around 4,100 soldiers within MINUSMA. Niger and Chad also contribute troops to a similar regional force fighting Nigeria's Boko Haram militants.

President Idriss Deby of Chad, which possesses the region's most capable military, has voiced reluctance to further commit his forces unless they receive more international support.

($1 = 0.8756 euros) (Additional reporting by Sophie Louet in Paris; Additional reporting and writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Mark Potter and David Evans)
Security Force Headquarters in Jaffna is to release 54 acres of land in Myladi Fisheries Harbour tomorrow (03), the Army said.

Accordingly, displaced families will be able to return to their original places of residents in Myladi.

Similarly, Security Forces in Jaffna also released 35 acres of land in Urani on April 7, 2017 in response to the humanitarian concerns of displaced people in Jaffna.
Businessman and Qatar Ambassador A. S. P. Liyanage was tipped to be appointed as the Governor of the Eastern Province, sources said.

He would be appointed as the Eastern Governor after the post fell vacant following Governor Austin Fernando's appointment as the Secretary to the President last week.

A. S. P. Liyanage, who was in Qatar, reported to have arrived in Sri Lanka today, to meet the President. He was appointed as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Qatar in March by President Maithripala Sirisena.

Earlier, Mr. Liyanage told the Daily Mirror that the President first wanted to appoint him as a Provincial Governor but because there were no vacancies he was appointed as the Ambassador to Qatar. (Darshana Sanjeewa)
While sending a letter to the Chief Justice, the Ceylon Motorcyclists Association (CMA) has requested to implement a practical system to ensure the safety of the motorcycles that are temporally impounded by the Police Department.

CMA Secretary Chirantha Amarasinghe said due to the negligence of the Police Department, the motorcycles that are held in custody get dilapidated due to delays in the law enforcement.

Speaking to Daily Mirror he also said the Association learnt that there is an ongoing malpractice as some valuable parts of motorcycles get lost or damaged while being in police custody.

It was reported that the these malpractices take place to Japanese made valuable motorcycles. "We suspect that the police officers are involved in the racket with the support of the non-standard motorcycle sellers in the country, he said.

Mr. Amarasinghe said the lack of protection provided to court evidences by the police has also resulted in this.

Meanwhile, Mr. Amarasinghe has proposed for the court to implement a rule to take photographs, motorcycle details, modifications and its conditions to avoid these malpractices at the police station.

He also requested to court for the police to pay cost of damage to the owner of the motorcycle if the motorcycle parts get lost or damaged when it is held in police custody. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)
Thirteen undergraduates who received scholarships with the Provincial Superior and other priests of the Oblate of Mary Immaculate (OMI) congregation. (Seated from L to R) Rev. Fr. Ajith Wellington OMI, Rev. Fr. Clement Waidyasekara OMI , Rev. Very Rev. Fr. Irwin Moraes OMI, Provincial Superior of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Rev. Fr. Dennis Iddamalgoda OMI, Rev. Fr. Justin Silva OMI, and Angelo Wijewickrama OMI.

The French Revolution and its aftermath left the Church in France in a state of sad disarray and devastation.

France was a shattered society. It was at this hour of terrible tragedy, in order to revitalize the church and bring hope to people living in despair that Eugene De Mazenod founded the Missionaries of Provence in 1816. It was ten years later in 1826, although the new society numbered only a few members, Pope Leo XII approved the Institute with its Constitutions and Rules conferring on it the name  Congregation of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI).

Eugene, though never a missionary himself, was a true missionary in mind and heart. His missionary zeal made him a unique and outstanding servant of God, committed not only to the proclamation of the Good News but also caring for those in need, especially the poor and the marginalized. His extraordinary missionary zeal made him send missionaries to many countries including Asia  Ceylon, as Sri Lanka was known then and of that time under the British rule. This became one of his first missions. He loved to refer to this tear-drop Island in the Indian Ocean, as the most beautiful island in the World and for the oblate missionaries and for him, the most promising mission.

Eugene De Mazenod, Bishop of Marseilles, Founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate accepted to send his oblates, at the request of Mgr. Bettacchini, who was residing in Jaffna as pro-vicar and co-adjutor of the Vicar Apostolic of Colombo. The first batch of Oblates with Fr. Etienne Semeria as their superior arrived in the island in 1847, and began their missionary activities in the North. Fr. Etienne Semeria later became the first bishop of Jaffna. Since 1847, hundreds of foreign missionaries came from France, Italy, England, Poland, Ireland, Belgium, Canada and the United States. The missionaries were involved not only in parochial ministry but also in administrative and educational activities in the Island.

"Eugene De Mazenod felt a special commitment to children and youth. This has inspired a group of Oblates headed by Rev. Fr. Dennis Iddamalgoda OMI, to start the De Mazenod Scholarship Foundation



A close look at the history of the Oblates in Sri Lanka reveals how God has been part of the long history and how the mission of Jesus has been at work among the people through the Oblates, the sons of St Eugene. The history of the Oblates in Sri Lanka is the story of a group of persons, who inspired by Jesus Christ, have dedicated their lives totally to his mission by emulating the example and zeal of their founder, St. Eugene. The Oblates missionaries went a long way in sustaining and continuing the great work of St. Joseph Vaz, the apostle of Ceylon. It is undoubtedly the Oblate congregation that has contributed much to the building up of the Sri Lankan Church.

From the day of his ordination, Eugene De Mazenod felt a special commitment to children and youth. This same love of St. Eugene for children and youth has inspired a group of Oblates headed by Rev. Fr. Dennis Iddamalgoda OMI, to start the De Mazenod Scholarship Foundation, with the noble aim of continuing St. Eugenes love and care for children. The Scholarship Foundation was inaugurated on 21st May 2016, when the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Sri Lanka, celebrated the 200th anniversary of the Foundation of the Congregation, on the feast day of their beloved Founder. This is one way of sharing the joy of the Oblates for the numerous blessings they continue to receive from God. The De Mazenod Scholarship Foundation will be a new sign of missionary activity in Sri Lanka, re-reading and re-energizing the Founders initial inspiration, evangelizare pauperibus misit me, pauperes evangelizantur.



The vision of the De Mazenod Scholarship Foundation is to empower the underprivileged children and youth through education. In view of realizing this vision the Foundation intends to partially fund the students who are eligible but have no financial means to complete their university education.

It was with great joy and anticipation that the Annual Get Together of the De Mazenod Scholarship Foundation was held on June 24 at Fatima Church, Maradana. Very Rev. Fr. Irwin Moraes OMI, Provincial Superior of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate, Sri Lanka, was the Chief Guest .Twenty five students were awarded scholarships. Fr. Dennis Iddamalgoda OMI, the Founder of the De Mazenod Scholarship Foundation, addressed the gathering, sharing his inspiring thoughts. All preparatory and related work was handled by Rev. Frs. Clement Waidyasekara OMI, Justin Silva OMI, Angelo Wijewickrama OMI and Ajith Wellington OMI who together with Fr. Dennis Iddamalgoda should be lauded for this committed service towards this worthy cause as they strive to shoulder the enormous responsibility of continuing the mission of Jesus.



To get more information about the De Mazenod Scholarship Foundation please contact Fr. Justin Silva on 0714138788 Rita Jayatilleke, Kandy
The Badulla Police has busted 29 youth who were engaging in illicit behaviour at a hotel in Hali-Ela area today at a function organize by the Facebook fan community, police said.

On a tip-off received police officers attached to the Badulla Police Station had raided the hotel and arrested the youth between ages 18 - 30 years old with 1195mg heroin, 6,500mg cannabis, two tablets and intoxicated stamps in their possession.

Police said that the suspects were identified from coming from Balangoda, Bandarawela and Badulla.

It was reported, the youth had organised a facebook friends DJ party where over 200 youth had participated.

Students from leading schools in Badulla were among those who were nabbed.

Badulla Police is conducting further investigation under the guidance of SSP Dammika Weerasekara.

Suspects are to be produce before the Badulla Magistrate Courts tomorrow. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)
The Joint Opposition today said that they would file a case at the Supreme Court, against the handing over of the Lottery Board to the Foreign Ministry violating the rules and regulations imposed by the Legislature.

JO Parliamentarian Bandula Gunawardana said though the National Lottery Board (NLB) and the Development Lottery Board (DLB) were handed over to the Foreign Ministry, it has violated the rules created by the Legislature, therefore to issue a gazette notification changing the subject ministry.

MP Gunawardana said, under 148 Clause in the Constitution, the Parliament holds all the authority regarding money, therefore the Foreign Minister has no legal authority to control such an institution.

Meanwhile, he said the Procurement Report 2016 on the NLB lottery printing which is issued by the Auditor General has exposed that the NLB had printed lotteries against the procurement process and called for an investigation. (Thilanka Kanakarathna)

Video by Buddhi
A major fire broke out in a super market in Rajagiriya early this morning, Police said.

They said the fire brigade teams from Kotte and Colombo Municipal councils doused the fire.

The Police said the ATM unit of a private sector bank, a pharmacy, an LP gas sales outlet and several shops had been housed in the building.

The fire had caused extensive damage to the building and property in the shops.

The cause of the fire and the damage caused is yet to be estimated

Video by Buddhi
The Elections Commission would issue the Gazette notification calling for nominations on October 2, 2017 for the elections to the North Central, Sabaragamuwa and the Eastern Provincial Council, an official said yesterday.

The term of all these three Provincial Councils will lapse by October 1.

Accordingly, the Commission has authority to proceed with steps for calling for fresh elections.

Commissions Chairman Mahinda Deshapriya told the Daily Mirror that the pending elections could be postponed only with the Amendment of Article 154 E of the Constitution.

The relevant Article says:

A Provincial Council shall, unless sooner dissolved, continue for a period of five years from the date appointed for its first meeting and the expiration of the said period of five years shall operate as dissolution of the Council.

The Commission believes that this could not be amended only with a two-thirds majority in Parliament. This is a matter linked with peoples franchise. Therefore, the Commission believes that it would require the approval of people by referendum. However, it has to be determined by the Supreme Court, Mr. Deshapriya said.

The Elections Commission has communicated its position on nomination calling to the representatives of the political parties last week. (Kelum Bandara)
The dynamics of modern battlefields call for joint planning and conduct of operations by amalgamating all three services  the Army, Navy and Air Force  under a joint commander. It also calls for joint training, integrated logistics and compatible equipment.

Over 65 countries have gone in for joint models each suited to its own conditions. These include all the major powers. Amongst the late entrants to this joint-manship club are China and Pakistan. However, 70 years after independence, and five wars that threw up a whole mountain of lessons learnt, we are miles away from such an optimised model for fielding our military prowess.

The current model that we have is of three services having their own chiefs, while one of them officiates as the chairman, chiefs of staff committee (COSC) based on his seniority in the rank of chief. The chairman COSC is served by Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (IDS). He thus wears two hats; his own service and that of the chairman COSC.

If jointmanship is to progress, there are two options. The first option is to appoint a permanent chairman for COSC who will not really have a say in operational matters. The other would be to appoint a chief of defence staff who will be the final authority in terms operational planning, intelligence, force allocation to integrated theatre commands that will replace our existing system of separate command headquarters of all three services.

We have also had a few reports by various committees that addressed the gamut of national security. These include the Kargil Review Committee Report and a group of ministers (GoM) report in 2000-2001.

In 2011, the government ordered the Naresh Chandra Committee; supplemented lately by the Shekatkar Committee report. All these reports have advanced jointmanship as a prime necessity for force structure modernisation. The reports have also underlined the necessity of appointing either a chief of defence staff (CDS) or a permanent chairman (COSC), with the GoM opting for CDS, while the Naresh Chandra Committee votes for a permanent chairman (COSC).

A small section also continues to ideate and inform our political leadership that so much of power to one man, what if he stages a coup?

The reports notwithstanding, so far, the only tangible proof of progress that we have is the re-designation of the Ministry of Defence as integrated headquarters without the requisite structural changes to ensure specialist military advice being available. Decision-making is based on professional expertise built into its staffing model. As of now, overworked joint secretaries take decisions without a fuller understanding of the issues on table.

The other examples of jointmanship that we have been able to kick-start are the tri-service command at Andaman and Nicobar Islands, strategic forces command and a few training institutions being placed under headquarters IDS. Its doubtful whether such limited endeavours can be called progress. In our chase to optimise force employment, or floral tributes, we have tacitly created to burry jointmanship beneath their foliage.

The naysayers for permanent chairman COSC or CDS are many. To start with they are within the three services. But, thats not uncommon. The Americans required a legislative act and some five-odd chiefs going home before jointmanship could be rolled out.

In our case, the not-so-uncommon turf battles inevitably prevail. The Air Force will find it difficult putting its heart in it. They will lose the most. Today the biggest Air Force globally is the US Navy Air Force, not US Air Force.

Also, in the ranks of naysayers are the bureaucrats. Get a CDS in South Block and he becomes the prime adviser to the raksha mantri (defence minister) and the PM and thereby governments. The defence secretary loses some turf.

A small section also continues to ideate and inform our political leadership that "so much of power to one man (the CDS) is not advisable, what if he stages a coup"?

A gullible segment among the top leadership believes the possibility of the improbable becoming probable. They dont realise that the combat resources will be under several theatre commanders, not the CDS. Even today, the Army commanders command their armies. The chief of army staffs loyal entourage is limited to his staff officers and ADCs.

There are a few other problems. Will joint theatre commands subsume the current operational commands of the three services?

Put together, the three services have over a dozen-and-a-half commands; both territorial and function specific. Manning these organisations provides vacancies for a lot of senior ranks. As such, promotional prospects in the forces cannot be compared with other civil services and early supersession leads to high dissatisfaction levels. Nor can these numerous organisations be suddenly wound up without incredible loss to operational efficiency.

The need is to first decide on the rationale for creating joint commands. Should it be on geographical basis or also take into consideration threats. Certain areas like cyber, space, information operations, special forces require separate commands. Should we amalgamate all/some of these and bundle as a part of strategic forces command, or raise independent commands?

The other rather steep roadblock encountered too often is the reluctance of the government to sanction additional manpower. The issue can be obviated by nominating the existing command headquarters of the service nominated to lead the particular joint command as the pivot on which the others services will build up. The build up would be based in parts by milking existing command headquarters of all three services, supplemented by some additional vacancies being released. This issue of manpower provision needs to be resolved.

Mundane as it may appear, our arcane functioning stops files of momentous import even on such counts.

The issue remains, should we opt for a permanent chairman, chiefs of staff committee or a chief of defence staff? Initially, it may be easier to opt for permanent chairman, COSC. The mandate for the permanent chairman will include functioning of already established joint organisations, procurement of weapon systems, standardisation between the services, overlooking joint training organisations and integration of logistics.

Simultaneously, the division of responsibilities in varied functional areas between the CDS and service Chiefs will need to be decided upon. The exact division of functions between the CDS and the chiefs requires absolute clarity. This phase should also be utilised for cross pollination of headquarters of various services by officers of the other services. Such a cadre of officers will be required by the CDS, once the office comes into being.

The appointment of the chief of defence staff needs to be made in the next few years and operational and intelligence aspects along with other functional areas as identified, will need to be vested in him.

Simultaneous with the appointment of CDS, theatre commands integrating the three services needs to be undertaken. The CDS would also be the single point of contact for the political leadership. The three chiefs will remain responsible for recruitment, training, equipping, and maintaining their respective force.
Legalising or decriminalising same-sex relationships and marriage is not easy. This, in many ways, is the mother lode of all prejudice - a fundamental disagreement among human beings about sex and procreation. The question is elemental: why do we criminalise people who are born or choose to be a certain way? Are they harming themselves? Are they harming society?

So far, this has been an unexpectedly good year for the LGBT community. The previously sealed envelope of same-sex relationships is now an open letter, which is being signed by countries around the world. This has, for the first time, transcended the traditional political cleavages of right and left, and caused some discomfort along the way. But make no mistakethe gay juggernaut is rolling, steadily and not so slowly.

On Friday, in a surprise move, Germany became the latest country in Europe to legalise same-sex marriage. While the chancellor Angela Merkel voted against it, she allowed her lawmakers to vote in accordance with their conscience. This also paves the way for gay couples to adopt.

Earlier last month, Leo Varadkar, a 38-year-old centre-right leader, became Irelands first openly gay prime minister. Varadkar celebrated his 38th birthday in a hipster bar; his doctor boyfriend and family looked on proudly as Varadkar was sworn in as Taoiseach.

Brian Finnegan, the editor of Gay Community News in Dublin, said: It is a sign of how much Ireland has changed and moved on that no one really cares if he is gay here. Varadkar himself said: If my election today shows anything, it is that prejudice has no hold in this Republic.

Photo: Indiatoday.in

Meanwhile, in May, Gauthier Desteney, the husband of Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, mingled with the spouses of world leaders at the NATO conference in Brussels and posed for a photo with a grim-looking Mrs Erdogan. The Daily Mail gleefully headlined the story: The first gentleman! Husband of Luxembourg's gay Prime Minister joins the NATO WAGs including Melania Trump and a none-too-happy-looking devout Mrs Erdogan.

Back in Ireland, Varadkar sought to reassure his boyfriend, saying that a generational shift was taking place in political life which did not require his partner to attend official engagements: I think that would be part of the generational shift in politics, because traditionally you had a male leader, a wife who had given up her job. We are now moving into an era across the world where men and couples have their own careers.

June also saw the rainbow arcing across East European skies. Serbian lawmakers elected 41-year-old Ana Branabic, a lesbian, as Serbias first female prime minister. Serbias powerful President, Aleksander Vukic, pushed her nomination through despite opposition from nationalist hardliners and public opinion being against same sex relationships.

Another fascinating shift has taken place amongst the far right parties of Western Europe. In France, Marie Le Pen expelled her own father from her party for his homophobia and anti-semitism. She packed her inner circle with out-of-the-closet gay advisers and party leaders. Le Monde wrote: she is trying to erase another image that has stuck to the skin of the FN  that of homophobia. A survey showed her share of the vote among married gay couples in the 2015 regional elections being over 32 per cent  up from just 19 per cent in a similar poll from 2012.

It was the assassinated Dutch far right leader Pim Fortun, gay himself, who was the first to start appropriating the symbols of the liberal-left, forging a new discourse of the right. In elections this year, his ideological successor, Geert Wilders, took the same line: homosexuality was a Western civilisational value that had to be protected from the common enemy: the hordes of Muslim immigrants, a clear case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Also in May, and closer home, Taiwan became the first country in south Asia to legalise same sex marriage, with its highest court approving of it.

This brings us to India and the present. When the Supreme Court decriminalised homosexuality there was no public outrage. Unfortunately, that order was repealed by an outgoing conservative judge. Nothing prevents the present government from taking up the cause. If one looks at the European right, it has, in the words of Sasha Polakow-Suransky, effectively rebranded itself: They have made a very public break with the symbols of the old rights past, distancing themselves from skinheads, neo-Nazis and homophobes. They have also deftly co-opted the causes, policies and rhetoric of their opponents....and sought to outflank the left.

Nothing prevents the Hindu right in India from reinventing itself too. The BJP can bravely fight this battle, which no political party has been willing to fight for our LGBT community. It will give its saffron Hindutva a liberal halo and stun its opponents. The world is changing and social attitudes shifting rapidly. The time is here.

Things are dire in our neighbourhood. In Aceh, in Indonesia, gay men are flogged publicly, while South Korea has launched an alleged witch-hunt against the LGBT community. In contrast, nationalist India can become a beacon for progressive humanism in south Asia. As a placard at the Gay pride march in Delhi famously said: Hindu-Homo, Bhai, Bhai.
I recently came across a pamphlet titled, Cheen ki chunauti aur hamara kartavya (The Chinese chalange and our duties), published by the Swadeshi Jagran Manch. The pamphlet highlights the fact of trade balance heavily tilting in favour of China and its adverse implications on the economy, industry and employment opportunities in India. The author of the pamphlet is Satish Kumar, who is associated with the Swadeshi Jagran Manch and the RSS.

The pamphlet suggests that we need to take several steps to reverse the trend and reduce trade deficit with China. This is something aimed at enhancing national interest hence, there can be no conflict with the objectives of the pamphlet.

The problem, however, is with something which is hidden in the maze of words in pages 13-14 of the pamphlet. The author while comparing the political systems prevalent in the two countries, states to the effect that the decision-making process in India is hampered because of the democratic system and resistance by political parties, especially the opposition that obstructs the matter from reaching finality.

The impatience with opposition is reflected in the manner in which 'any kind of opposition' has been dealt with during the last three years and any number of examples can be quoted to buttress this claim.

Swadeshi Jagaran Manch is an affiliate of the RSS, the parent body controlling the BJP, the ruling party of India. The impatience with any kind of opposition implicit in above statement is reflected in the manner in which "any kind of opposition" has been dealt with during the last three years and any number of examples can be quoted to buttress this claim.

The statement also reflects the disdain that these rightist neo-nationalists have towards the democratic process. This was also on display when as opposition, they resorted to continuous boycott of Parliament for several sessions, a tactics they now denounce when rightly or wrongly adopted by the present opposition. They obstructed several reforms like the GST and Adharetc, which they now are implementing and trying to appropriate credit too.

Their contempt for opposition and democratic norms and institutions of democracy is on full display. They have repeatedly undermined the relevance of Parliament, and more specifically the Rajya Sabha, by ensuring that several important bills do not get voted there by terming them as money bills.

In fact, the finance minister is learnt to have voiced this disdain by stating words to effect that tyranny of the unelected must end. Ironically, he himself had lost LokSabha election and thus would he like to be termed is an unelected tyrant?

Impatience with the opposition and constitutional norms was manifest in the imposition of President's Rule in Arunachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand by dismissing duly elected governments. The imposition of President's Rule in both the cases was overturned by the Supreme Court.

The media, an important pillar of democracy, too has been repeatedly attacked by terming prominent channels and news anchors as anti-nationals. The rhetoric has gained special momentum after the February 2016 incident in Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru University. Some journalists were called names and threatened with rape and violence by the army of trolls let loose by pseudo patriots.

The one-day ban imposed on NDTV (subsequently stayed by courts) was a crude attempt to subdue a channel which does not fall in line through lure of advertisement revenue. The attempt is to totally throttle the media so that if any channel appears to be even mildly critical (like the NDTV) is dubbed anti-government, and hence, anti-national.

After efforts to impose the ban failed, the NDTV promotors were raided by the CBI for an "offence" which apparently appears to have reached finality way back in 2009. The government and the rightists are trying to justify these raids by quoting allegations levelled by RSS ideologue S Gurumurthy. (Vindictiveness and bias are apparent from the fact that none of the allegations levelled by him find mention in the chargesheet.)

Immediate provocation for the act seemed to be the courageous action of an anchor of the programme in politely asking the BJP spokesperson to leave because he had levelled some outrageous and unsubstantiated allegations against the channel.

Threat of violence and actual violence against the dissenters appears to be the central philosophy of the supporters of the ruling dispensation. They are impatient with any kind of dissent. The methodology of subduing the opposition starts with abusive posts on social media and rapidly progresses to threats of rape and violence.

The cohorts of the ruling dispensation have found the anonymity of social networking sites and applications such as Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp etc., to be very convenient to perpetuate fear among dissenters.

An elaborate army of trolls is always on the lookout for anyone appearing even remotely critical of the BJP or the government. I have myself been at the receiving end of this after I wrote a piece for DailyO describing my experience as a result of some key initiatives of the government.

Twitter handles spewing such venom are mostly fake and are operated from proxy servers, many of which are located outside the country.

In fact, recently one prominent journalist managed to get one such troll evicted from abroad for threatening violence and rape against her.

The trolls have no sense of decency and are outright abusive. However, sarcasm is one thing that shuts them up as they being either blind followers or paid foot soldiers are not adequately endowed with mental faculties to understand that.

I would, therefore, recommend to the victims of trolling not to get aggressive in their responses and deal such trolls with humour and sarcasm.

People who have been supporters of the rightist ideology, but are now disillusioned at the direction the Indian polity and discourse has taken, come in for special attention.

Arun Shourie, for example, was a strong supporter of the BJP and had taken active part in campaigning for Modi to become the prime minister, has been trolled heavily after he fell out with the policies of the party. His credentials have been doubted on grounds that he was not made a minister. Even his differently abled children were not spared. Every action has a reaction, so said Newton, and we now have an army of trolls of opponents too.

The trolls even resorted to planting stories and adverse tweets against genuine grievances of agitating farmers in Madhya Pradesh and in other states.

Outrageous responses to targeted violence against minorities by so-called gau bhakts and lack of any action against these hoodlums are further encouraging them and the fabric of the civil society is in danger of being shattered.

The prime minister in his Man Ki Baat on June 25 said that the Emergency was a dark era and the night of June 25, 1975, was the darkest night in the history of independent India. Well, that may be so, but whatever Indira Gandhi did, she did it by using the provisions of the Constitution.

What this government and its cohorts are doing is much more sinister because it is doing so surruptously and by undermining the democratic institutions and civil discourse.
Asset managers will be levied with a new 3 percent value-added tax (VAT) for returns on assets under management from January 1, 2018, instead of the previously noticed 6 percent rate from July 1, 2017.

The delay was jointly announced by China's Finance Ministry and State Administration of Taxation on Friday, following complaints from the asset management industry, reiterating that asset managers should bear the burden to pay the tax.

China has stepped up the implementation of VAT, replacing the business tax, as the countrys only indirect tax since 2012, which was hailed as the most significant tax reform in over two decades.

The latest round of VAT reforms, which took effect on May 1, 2016, has affected financial services, real estate and other services, prompting authorities to make periodic updates to clarify the complex rules.

Capital management companies had been in the blind zone of tax regulation until the Finance Ministry and the State Administration of Taxation issued Caishui [2016] No.140 (Circular 140) on December 21, 2016,

Friday's announcement indicated that any business providing asset management services is potentially affected, including specific asset managers, fund managers, trustees and banks that provide wealth-management services or selling financial products.

Taxes that have already been paid under the new tax system can be used to deduct from those that will begin in January 2018.

This move may come as both good and bad news for asset managers.

The good news is that the delay will bring some breathing room for financial institutions so that they can negotiate with investors on the sharing of tax liabilities, while on the downside some potential problems remain.

The possibility of double taxation is one of the concerns. For example, incomes subject to VAT from the holding of the underlying products or assets in a fund or trust, and then VAT potentially being payable again when distributed to investors.

Asset managers would have to ensure they can recover the VAT by reviewing the terms of their contracts with investors. Since an asset management company typically agrees with its customers on a return, the company may reduce the return or incorporate the tax into their pricing after taking the additional VAT into account.

These problems are seen as expected growing pains by experts, as China is one of the first countries in the world to have a VAT applied broadly to the finance industry, including on the transfer, issuance and redemption of financial products.

Assets under management across the Chinese mainland rose by 36 percent to 51.8 trillion yuan (7.53 trillion US dollars) in 2016 according to data from the Asset Management Association of China (AMAC).
If you think being big makes you a target, just try being small.

From Chipotle to Target to Home Depot and J.P. Morgan Chase, cyber thieves are constantly attacking corporate computers to steal financial information from the companies and their customers.

But cyber security experts say most attacks on servers and information actually target small businesses, often with devastating results.

According to the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission, about 60 percent of all targeted cyber attacks in the last two years were directed at small businesses. About 75 percent of phishing attacks, efforts to glean personal information from businesses via faux emails or fake websites, were aimed at small businesses.

Worse, the SEC estimates that half of the attacks led the small businesses to fold within six months  and cyber attacks are skyrocketing.

Theres been an estimated 660 percent increase in cyber attacks in the last four years, said Phil Jaderborg, of Albemarle County-based PJ Networks Computer Services. Were living in a world in which nothing is 100 percent secure. When you read about Target getting hacked and Microsoft getting hacked, you start wondering where you go to avoid hackers.

Hackers and thieves seem to be everywhere. They place scanners on ATM machines and gas pumps. They steal information from points of sale, snitching debit and credit card numbers and personal identification numbers, or PINs.

In April, Chipotle announced that several of its stores, including its Charlottesville-area locations, had been hacked with malware that took information from customers debit and credit cards. Many customers later reported discovering unauthorized charges on their bank accounts.

Fraud is everywhere, from the old-time check fraud to high-tech email phishing and hacking, said Susan McGinnis, assistant vice president at First Citizens Bank in Albemarle County. Everyone needs to be thinking about this, not just businesses.

First Citizens Bank and Jaderborgs business have teamed up with the Central Virginia Small Business Development Center to provide a series of free cyber security workshops for local businesses.

The workshops are scheduled for 1 to 3 p.m. July 21 and Aug. 18. The July workshop will focus on medical records and legal compliance and requirements. The August workshop will focus on financial transaction security. For more information on the workshops, call the Central Virginia Partnership for Economic Development at (434) 979-5610.

According to industry officials, hackers are especially fond of small businesses because they often connect to larger corporations but lack the security of a corporate system.

According to a 2014 investigation by the U.S. Senate Committee on Science, Commerce and Transportation, thieves hacked into a heating and air conditioning contractors computer system to access Target stores customer database in November 2013. That hack led to the theft of personal information for 70 million customers.

Much of that information was later sold on internet card shops to cyber thieves, the Senate report stated.

The SEC warns in a letter to small businesses posted on its website that large organizations are, in effect, a sprawling network of interconnected business partners, any one of whom could serve as the vector for a cyber attack.

About 10 or 15 years ago, big businesses were the ones that were getting hit, but hackers have realized that suppliers are greater targets for stealing credit card information and personal information, Jaderborg said.

According to Statista, a business advisory company that collects and interprets statistics for businesses around the world, more than one third of cyber attacks in the first three months of 2017 originated from internet addresses in the United States.

The U.S. was the largest target, with more than 221 million attacks during the first quarter of 2017. In 2016, disruption of businesses was considered the most costly consequence of a cyber attack.

The problem is not a rogue hacker locked in a dark corner of their parents basement, downing energy drinks at 3 a.m. The attacks are organized and computerized.

There are basically hacking robots that are trolling the internet looking for weak spots wherever they can find them, Jaderborg said. These computers can check on thousands of sites and ports and, when they find a potential weakness, they bombard it with brute-force attacks trying to gain access. Once they get the access, they get the information.

While small businesses face the same threats as huge corporations, they often lack the money or expertise to secure their systems. The SEC claims that companies with less than $100 million in annual revenue actually reduced spending on cyber security last year, despite increasing attacks.

Jaderborg said that jibes with what hes seen.

Its important that a small business keep up to speed as if they were a large business, he said. Cyber security is never convenient. Its keeping a long, complicated password. Its having a different password for every site that you log onto. Its keeping up virus protection on computer networks and firewalls and being careful with emails. Its even about physical security of the building.

Business owners can limit successful attacks by keeping software updated and properly configured. Using high-quality anti-virus and anti-malware software and updating Adobe Flash and Java are also important.

According to cyber security firm Avast, the U.S. escaped with limited damage from a recent malware attack by a program called WannaCry that froze computers, encrypted data and held it for ransom.

Avast believes the limited damage is because the U.S. has more computers and systems using licensed, up-to-date, patched versions of Microsoft software than harder-hit regions of the world.

There are many insecurities in Java and Flash and theyre often exploited, so keeping those updated is extremely important, Jaderborg said.

Less thought of, but just as important, is physical security of a system or computer.

You wouldnt leave home without locking your doors and windows, so dont leave your computer without locking it, he said. And be extra careful of anyone unfamiliar who might need access to a room near a computer system.

Jaderborg also recommends avoiding public Wi-Fi spots, which are more easily hacked. If using a public system, do not access your financial accounts. He also recommends installing security software on smartphones and using file encryption.

People used to believe they were safe if they bought an Apple product, but Apple is no longer immune to viruses because more and more people are using Apple systems, he said. And statistics show that security breaches are often the result of ex-employees. You need to change all the passwords and disable user accounts when someone leaves.

With computer robots generating thousands of passwords to hammer at an internet portal, a strong password is a must, Jaderborg said.

The longer the password you have, the better. Passwords with 12 or 16 characters are preferred and as many as 25 characters will make it more difficult to break into a system, he said. The bottom line is that cyber security takes time and thought and attention to detail. Unfortunately, security is not convenient.
Citizens take part in a fitness activity on a path alongside the Huangpu River in Shanghai, east China, July 1, 2017. More than ten thousands citizens in several districts in Shanghai joined in the fitness activity on Saturday. Different parts of the public space alongside the Huangpu River, which altogether covers a distance of 45 kilometers, are expected to be connected by the end of this year. (Xinhua/Cai Yaofang)
The dealers claim that they are likely to suffer a total loss of around Rs 1,000 crore but have been offered measly compensation of just about Rs 100 crore.

New Delhi: Dealers of General Motors will seek intervention of the Prime Minister's Office over alleged "cheating and misleading" by the US automaker which will stop selling vehicles in India by the year-end.

A delegation of dealers led by industry body Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) will meet Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh to discuss the matter.

The dealers claim that they are likely to suffer a total loss of around Rs 1,000 crore but have been offered measly compensation of just about Rs 100 crore. Moreover, they said, the decision by GM to pull out of the Indian market will result in job loss of around 15,000 people.

"A delegation of GM India dealers led by FADA will highlight how they have been cheated and misled to believe that GM was making huge investments in India in the meeting with the minister on Monday," FADA President John Paul Kuttukaran told PTI.

The company had said that the investments would result in launching a number of new models in India, he said.

"Huge long term investments were made by dealers both in infrastructure and manpower and the sudden decision to withdraw from the domestic market has resulted in huge losses to the dealers," Kuttukaran said.

General Motors India, however, maintain that it was providing its dealer partners with a fair and transparent transition assistance package based on a methodology that is consistent across all dealers.

A majority of General Motors India's 96 dealers, which operate around 140 showrooms across India, are unhappy with the company's offer of just around 10 per cent of total investments they have made as compensation.

The dealers are asking the government to intervene in the matter. Besides meeting Singh on Monday, the dealers plan to approach other ministries like Labour, Heavy Industries over the matter.

The dealers have already decided to explore possibilities of filing class action suits against the American automaker in the US over inadequate compensation being offered to them.

As per the conditions set by General Motors, a dealer who does not accept its offer by July 15 would only get 50 per cent of the compensation amount being offered. In case a dealer does not accept the offer by September 15, he would not get any compensation at all.

In 2015, the company had announced an investment of USD 1 billion in India to enhance manufacturing operations and roll out 10 locally-produced models over the next five years.

In January this year, the American firm put on hold its investments on new models for India as it undertook a full review of its future product portfolio in the country. On May 18, GM suddenly announced that it would stop selling vehicles in India as there was no turnaround in its fortunes here even after struggling for over two decades to make a mark.

The company will now focus on exporting vehicles from its manufacturing plant at Talegaon in Maharashtra after it had stopped production at its first plant at Halol, Gujarat, last month.
After submission of the details, the airlines would generate GST invoice for the particular travel and that invoice can be used to claim the benefits.

New Delhi: People travelling for business purposes on business class air tickets are now required to submit details about their companies to avail tax benefits under the GST regime.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework, which came into effect from July 1, provides for certain input tax credit only on business class tickets and there is no such provision on economy class fares.

Air India, Jet Airways and Vistara -- the three domestic carriers that offer business class seats -- have already sent out communications to inform passengers that GSTIN details need to be submitted in order to avail the benefits.

The GST Identification Number is issued to entities that are registered under the new tax regime.

"It is now mandatory for guests travelling for business to add their company's GST details at the time of booking. To ensure a seamless experience, we request that you inform your guests travelling for business to register on our portal and claim up to 12 per cent back on flights," Jet Airways said in a communication.

The GST rate on first class and higher class tickets is 12 per cent while the rate is 5 per cent on economy class tickets. The GST would also replace service tax, krishi kalyan cess and swachh bharat cess. After submission of the details, the airlines would generate GST invoice for the particular travel and that invoice can be used to claim the benefits.

"It is not compulsory to provide GST details. GST registration details for your business or company may be optionally provided if a customer wishes to claim input tax credit on the GST paid if travelling for business reasons," Vistara said in a communication.

According to Air India, all passengers requiring GST invoice for their tickets have to complete the one-time registration process on its website by entering the relevant details. In its communication, Jet Airways also made it clear that "any bookings for leisure travel will not be entitled for GST benefits".
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How important have the Ateliers dArt become for Jaquet Droz in recent years ?

The Ateliers dArt are definitely one of our priorities and are extremely important in that they represent one of the brand pillars along with the Grande Seconde and the Automata. The Atelier dArt not only benefit from Jaquet Droz historical expertise in this field, but also from all the creativity displayed in recently undertaken developments. Demand for these creations is becoming increasingly strong, as our clients are looking for this artistic and artisan-style dimension expressed by our 16 artists, who create limited series only. This year, we have introduced a certificate that they sign so as to infuse their works with an additional dimension and to provide complete transparency for clients who appreciate this relationship with the artist who has created their model.

Are you reviving certain forgotten techniques ?

That does sometimes happen, notably through paillonne enameling, which is a very ancient and little-used technique that Jaquet Droz is the only brand to exercise at the moment. Every year, we offer an eight-piece limited series staging paillons (precious metal spangles), which we create in-house with a blend of historical and new paillons depending on the desired motifs, while mastering their enameling. This craft is particularly rich, both aesthetically and in terms of the human touch, since each spangle is applied by hand. No industrialization could possibly be used, the process is never guaranteed and the result may vary according to the atmospheric conditions prevailing in the workshop as well as the temperature of the oven. Its visual appearance is truly extraordinary. As far as we are concerned, luxury is based on authenticity and artisanship.

Christian Lattmann  GMT

Do you allow yourself the freedom to respond to requests for one-of-a-kind creations based on artistic crafts ?

More and more so. They correspond to the concept we call The philosophy of the unique. Our clients regularly commission customized and often extraordinary models, based on various themes and hand-crafted by our in-house artisans. We indeed also offer some spontaneously, as it is sometimes impossible to recreate the same picture twice. Even our limited series are by nature unique, since their hand-made nature means they are never strictly identical.

In another register, for whom is the Grande Seconde Tourbillon Mother-of-Pearl intended ?

Generally speaking, the men and women composing our clientele love beauty and style, while keen to find something different. We are a niche brand with a strong identity ; its easy to recognize a Jaquet Droz. So the woman who purchases a Grande Seconde Tourbillon Mother-of-Pearl is an extremely refined individual looking for an extraordinary watch.

Are clients aware of and impressed by the 80 operations required in creating your watch cases ?

Some are, but not all. This often requires explanation and this work must be accomplished by training sales advisors, an area that represents a challenge for the watch industry as a whole. Our values and the operations behind each watch need to be explained in order for clients to grasp. Whether for the case or other elements, clients trust our brand because we are regarded as guarantors of certain working methods. For example, our movements are assembled and finished by hand. We have also introduced a silicon escapement in the tourbillon this year.

Of which 2017 new model are you proudest ?

Im honestly proud of all models in this years vintage; were at a level of competition within the watch industry that leaves no room for being almost good enough. Clients demand perfection, from the movement to the pin buckle as well as the dial. Our strength also consists in being able to deliver what we present rapidly, because thats what our customers expect of us. That being said, one of the products that called for the lengthiest development period is the Loving Butterfly Automaton, and presenting it in Baselworld represented a culmination that filled us with proud and was a true honor. The original design is relatively naive and so the stylistic exercise had to avoid any cliches and to display refinement in order to achieve a subtle work of art through cooperation between the designer, the watchmaker and the artisans. They succeeded in creating depth effects with these levitating trees, along with hand-engraved details on the cherub, while preserving a sense of purity. There is almost an optical illusion giving the impression that the butterfly is about to flutter off : one of the wings beats up and down and the other sideways ; some spokes of the chariot wheel move while others remain motionless ; the sapphire crystal is cambered with an anti-glare treatment  you get the feeling it is about to burst out of the dial ! This direction we are taking offers a great deal of artistic development potential. In parallel, the Grande Seconde Moon is also very important for us, because the large seconds display symbolizes our identity. It was no easy to task to endow it with a horological complication without perturbing its restrained aesthetic. This success is all the more satisfactory in that the astronomical moon is in itself an interesting additional difficulty. These two watches have been warmly received by clients.

Over the past three years, has one particular product asserted itself as a best-seller ?

When it comes to volume, that would definitely be the Grande Seconde collection, but two products stand out in terms of value: the Bird Repeater and the Charming Bird. The first remains extraordinary and there is still plenty of demand, since it still carries a strong emotional charge. Pierre Jaquet-Droz and Henri Louis wished to enthrall and dazzle, and that is the spirit we continue to cultivate : remembering our childhood wonderment, sparking authentic personal emotions. We are proud of perpetuating it, especially since very few competitors on the market have this expertise. The Charming Bird and the Bird Repeater provide a fabulous playground for interpreting this theme with various decorative motifs that are still much sought-after.

Grande Seconde Moon  Jaquet Droz

Are you planning to explore other territories in addition to bird-related ones ?

Definitely, even though birds will remain the core of Jaquet Droz creations, we have added the butterfly this year, with an allegory of love and of Nature. We regard incorporating such natural elements as crucial. Next year, you will see us introducing other interesting interpretations, based on an exciting program on which we are working, driven by a long-term vision.
TCS, Indias largest IT firm by revenue, is reskilling its employees in digital technology as it expects faster growth in this space.

Hyderabad: With the Indian IT sector on tenterhooks over the anticipated threat from automation, TCS, Indias largest IT firm by revenue, is reskilling its employees in digital technology as it expects faster growth in this space.

Our revenues from the digital space was 17.6 per cent in 2016-17 as it grew by 28 per cent over the last years figure. And we expect digital to make up one-third of our overall revenue by 2020, said V. Rajanna, vice-president and global head of telecom technology business unit at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

As digital landscape changes very fast, the company has proactively reskilled two lakh of its employees in the last three quarters in different digital technologies.

For this, we leveraged digital technology to train our employee in digital. If we had opted for traditional training methodology, we could not have trained so many people. We have to get our employees ready before a customer demands a certain skill, he said.

In an advice to students who aspire to get into the IT sector, Mr Rajanna said, We expect them to champion in two or three core subjects, be an expert in one or two programming languages and have good communication skills, ability to learn, etc.

He also stressed on faculty development programmes to update them about industry requirements and get them retrained in new technologies.
Differential spread between 10-year bond yields in the US and India is still around 4.5-5 per cent.

New Delhi: Foreign investors have pumped over Rs 29,000 crore in the country's capital market in June, making it the highest inflow in three months, enthused by the GST and forecast of a normal monsoon.

This also marks the fifth consecutive monthly inflow by overseas investors. Interestingly, most of the funds have been invested in the debt markets by the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).

"The differential spread between 10-year bond yields in the US and India is still around 4.5-5 per cent. This, coupled with stable outlook for the Indian currency, bodes well for FPI flows into debt market," Sharekhan Head Advisory Hemang Jani said.

According to latest depository data, FPIs invested a net Rs 3,617 crore in equities last month, while they poured Rs 25,685 crore in the debt markets during the period under review, translating into a net inflow of Rs 29,302 crore (USD 4.55 billion). This was the highest net inflow by FPIs since March, when they had pumped in Rs 56,261 crore in the capital markets.

The latest inflow comes following a net infusion of over Rs 1.33 lakh crore in the previous four months (February-May) on several factors, including expectations that BJP's victory in assembly polls will accelerate the pace of reforms.

Prior to that, such investors had pulled out over Rs 3,496 crore from debt markets in January. With the latest inflow, total investment in capital markets (equity and debt) has reached Rs 1.47 lakh crore (over USD 22.65 billion) this year.

"The most prominent reason for FPIs' net inflow is expectation from the government that it would speed up development and economic reforms in their last two years in office before going for elections in 2019.

"The government finalising GST rates... in addition to forecast of normal monsoon also led to positive sentiment," Himanshu Srivastava, Senior Analyst Manager Research at Morningstar India said.

Besides, markets regulator Sebi's move of relaxing entry rules for FPIs willing to invest directly rather than via participatory notes (P-Notes) is expected to add to the momentum.

Going forward, there are a few challenges but they are not strong enough to disrupt the current trend. Markets and the rupee are surging higher, which offer a good profit booking opportunity for FPIs.

"The flow is largely driven by expectation, and for the flows to sustain, the government has to meet those expectation," he added.
Hyderabad: Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya today said he will take up the issues raised by textile traders and beedi industry in Telangana over imposition of the GST with Finance minister Arun Jaitley tomorrow.

"I will discuss the matter with Telangana government and tomorrow I am also meeting Arun Jaitleyji and apprise him on the issues raised by textile and beedi sectors," Dattatreya, the Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, told reporters here.

Representatives of Telangana State Federation of Textile Associations, and cloth merchants associations submitted memorandums to the minister against the imposition of the GST on textiles and sought his intervention to urge the Centre to exempt the textiles industry from the GST.

The Garments Manufacturer and Wholesalers Associations while welcoming implementation of the GST said there is need for uniform policy of GST at 5 per cent for all ready-made garments and for simplifying the HSN codes for garments.

"I will request Jaitleyji to positively take into account their issues," Dattatreya said adding he will also apprise the Union Finance Minister on the 28 per cent GST tax slab on beedi manufacturing industry. He said the Telangana government is also discussing with the Centre to roll back 28 per cent tax on beedis sector.

"Imposition of 18 per cent GST on beedi leaves and 28 per cent on beedi sector ... it will be tough... In Telangana, large number of women force are engaged in this sector and it may impact beedi workers," said Dattatreya.

In this regard, a tripartite meeting of trade unions, employers and government officials will be held on July 17 at Delhi, after which they will also meet with officials of the Finance ministry, he said.

Dattatreya said the RBI has agreed to release Rs 1,700 crore money tomorrow for disbursement to farmers in Telangana as part of the first phase for kharif season.

Reacting to a query, Dattatreya reiterated that due to GST, employment generation will improve and one lakh jobs, particularly in IT and IT enabled services will be created in the coming months.
Exporters are worried as they have to arrange funds for payment of GST which will be refunded to them upon exports.

New Delhi: Implementation of the Goods and Services Tax has limited the use of duty credit scrips by exporters as these can now be utilised only for payment of basic Customs duty and not IGST.

These scrips, a type of certificates that carry certain monetary value, are key export promotion incentives extended by the government to exporters under the foreign trade policy.

Earlier, manufacturing exporters who import raw material for the export purpose were allowed to utilise these scrips for payment of Customs, excise duty and service tax.

"The duty credit scrips cannot be used for payment of IGST (Integrated Goods and Services Tax) and GST compensation cess in imports, and CGST, SGST, IGST and GST compensation cess for domestic procurement," said the Directorate General of Foreign Trade in a trade notice.

Concerned over this, exporters body FIEO has approached the government to widen utilisation of the scrips.

"Exporters should be allowed to utilise the scrips for payment of levies such as income tax and computation fee so that its utilisation gets better," Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Director General Ajay Sahai said.

The government gives these scrips under two export incentive schemes - the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) and the Service Exports from India Scheme (SEIS). Sahai also said exporters are worried as they have to arrange funds for payment of GST which will be refunded to them upon exports.

"This may lead to a blocking of funds for over six months in many cases, thus affecting competitiveness of exports," he explained.

He added that many of the importers are not sure about the mechanism of imposition of IGST on imports as well as compensation cess for a few specified products. The Central Board of Excise and Customs should organise workshop for small importers to clarify computation of import duties.

Asked about impact of GST on units in special economic zones, which are export hubs, Sahai said the SEZ units are awaiting amendment of the SEZ Act for which an ordinance is expected.

"In absence of the ordinance, units may not get exemption from IGST on their imports," he said.
The GST will also support higher government revenue generation through improved tax compliance and administration.

New Delhi: Implementation of the GST will be positive for India's rating as it will lead to higher GDP growth and increased tax revenues, Moody's Investors Service said today.

"Over the medium term, we expect that the GST will contribute to productivity gains and higher GDP growth by improving the ease of doing business, unifying the national market and enhancing India's attractiveness as a foreign investment destination," Moody's VP (Sovereign Risk Group) William Foster said.

The GST will also support higher government revenue generation through improved tax compliance and administration.

"Both will be positive for India's credit profile, which is constrained by a relatively low revenue base," Foster said. Moody's has a 'Baa3' rating on India with a positive outlook.

The biggest tax reform in independent India was rolled out at the stroke of the mid-night -- the intervening night of June 30-July 1 -- by President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The US-based agency expects improved tax compliance to be driven by incentivisation of tax credits in a GST system.

It would also usher in greater ease of compliance through usage of a common, shared IT infrastructure between the central government and the states; and a reduction in the overall cost of compliance from simplified tax rates, uniform across the country.

"We expect the net impact of GST on government revenues to be positive," Foster said.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) will remove plethora of taxes like excise, service tax and VAT and transform India into a uniform market for seamless movement of goods and services.

In the GST regime, goods and services will be taxed in the either of 5, 12, 18 and 28 per cent.

Besides certain essential items like health care services, salt, unpacked food grains has been kept at zero rated.
Total funds kept by all foreign clients in the Swiss banking system, as per an analysis of the latest figures compiled by the Swiss National Bank as on 2016-end. (Photo: AP)

New Delhi: India has slipped to 88th place in terms of money parked by its citizens with Swiss banks, while the UK remains on the top.

Also, the money officially held by Indians with banks in Switzerland now accounts for a meagre 0.04 per cent of the total funds kept by all foreign clients in the Swiss banking system, as per an analysis of the latest figures compiled by the SNB (Swiss National Bank) as on 2016-end.

India was placed at 75th position in 2015 and at 61st in the year before that, though it used to be among top-50 countries in terms of holdings in Swiss banks till 2007. The country was ranked highest at 37th place in the year 2004.

The funds, described by SNB as 'liabilities' of Swiss banks or 'amounts due to' their clients, are the official figures disclosed by the Swiss authorities and do not indicate to the quantum of the much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in the safe havens of Switzerland.

SNB's official figures also do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of entities from different countries.

There is a view that the Indians alleged to have parked their illicit money in Swiss banks in the past may have shifted the funds to other locations after a global clampdown began on the mighty banking secrecy practices in Switzerland.

Swiss banks have also said Indians have "few deposits" in Swiss banks compared to other global financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong amid stepped-up efforts to check the black money menace.

The total money held in Swiss banks by foreign clients from across the world, incidentally rose by a small margin from 1.41 trillion Swiss francs (CHF) to CHF 1.42 trillion during 2016.

In terms of individual countries, the UK accounted for the largest chunk at about CHF 359 (over 25 per cent) of the total foreign money with Swiss banks.

The US came second with nearly CHF 177 billion or about 14 per cent. No other country accounted for a double-digit percentage share, while others in the top-ten included West Indies, France, Bahamas, Germany, Guernsey, Jersey, Hong Kong and Luxembourg.

Indians' share not even one-hundredth of the total money.

India is now ranked 88th with 676 million Swiss francs (about Rs 4,500 crore) -- a record low after falling for three consecutive years amid a continuing clampdown on the suspected black money stashed behind their famed secrecy walls.

The share of Indians' money in the total foreign funds of Swiss banks also fell to 0.04 per cent (from 0.08 per cent in 2015).

Pakistan continued to remain placed higher than India at 71st place (although down from 69th in 2015) with about CHF 1.4 billion -- though down to below 0.1 per cent of total foreign money parked with Swiss banks.

India was also the lowest ranked among the BRICS nations -- Russia was ranked 19th (CHF 15.6 billion), China 25th (CHF 9.6 billion), Brazil 52nd (CHF 2.7 billion) and South Africa 61st (CHF 2.2 billion).

Among these five, only China has moved up.

Others ranked higher than India included Mauritius, Iran, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Angola, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada and Mexico.

A number of offshore financial centres are also ranked higher including Cayman Islands, Panama, Cyprus, Marshall Islands, Bermuda, Seychelles, Isle of Man and Gibraltar.

Among India's neighbouring countries, Bangladesh was ranked 89th (CHF 667.5 million), while Nepal was 150th (CHF 312 million), Sri Lanka was 151st (CHF 307 million) and Bhutan was way below at 282nd (about half a million Swiss francs).

The total money belonging to the developed countries fell to CHF 824 billion, while those from developing nations actually rose marginally to CHF 208 million.

The money from developing economies in Asia-Pacific region rose to CHF 50 billion.

The funds parked in Swiss banks from offshore financial centres rose to CHF 389 billion.

India was ranked in top-50 continuously between 1996 and 2007, but started declining after that -- 55th in 2008, 59th in 2009 and 2010 each, 55th again in 2011, 71st in 2012 and then to 58th in 2013.
Moodys positive reaction on GST will come as a shot in the arm of government as there are concerns that initial teething problem will impact economic growth in short term.

New Delhi: Giving a thumbs up to GST, Moodys on Sunday said that it will be positive for Indias rating as it will lead to higher GDP growth and increased tax revenues.

Moodys positive reaction on GST will come as a shot in the arm of government as there are concerns that initial teething problem will impact economic growth in short term.

It is feared that as traders and manufacturer try to come to terms with GST rules, trade and manufacturing in the country may get hit in the short term. GST comes on back of a major economic disruption in demonetisation. Economic growth had fallen sharply in January to March quarter 2017 to 6.1 percent due to cash crunch after demonetisation.

Over the medium term, we expect that the GST will contribute to productivity gains and higher GDP growth by improving the ease of doing business, unifying the national market and enhancing India's attractiveness as a foreign investment destination, Moodys VP (sovereign risk group) William Foster said.

The agency said that GST will also support higher government revenue generation through improved tax compliance and administration. Both will be positive for India's credit profile, which is constrained by a relatively low revenue base, Mr Foster said. We expect the net impact of GST on government revenues to be positive, he added.

Moodys has a Baa3 rating on India with a positive outlook. Meanwhile, industry body CII said that going forward, GST will contribute to ease of doing business and accelerate new business ventures.

GST imparts significant competitiveness to Indian industry, thereby boosting the inherent potential of the economy to raise incomes, add to the formal economy and incentivise exports. GST also helps expand the tax net. Above all, it gives us tremendous confidence that the government will continue to facilitate investments and simplify the business environment, said Shobana Kamineni, president, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

Nothing major reported

Finance ministry on Sunday said that the second day after the roll-out of GST passed without any major problems being reported from the field. Central and the state governments officers are trying their best to provide the required and the correct information to the trade and industry, said the ministry. It said that revenue department has got encouraging reports from the roadside dhabas and big restaurants as well as from kirana shops to departmental stores which, in turn, have started getting acclimatised to the new tax system.
Energy and industrial sectors was the second and third highest recipient of foreign fund flows during the period at $841 million and $580 million respectively.

Mumbai: Despite concerns regarding the high NPAs in the banking system, overseas investors have increased their exposure to financial sector stocks on expectation that a recovery in domestic growth along with the measures initiated by the government and the Reserve Bank of India would help contain

further deterioration in asset quality and improve margins.

According to Kotak Institutional Equities, foreign portfolio investors have pumped in $4,936 million in financial sector stocks accounting for 65 per cent of their total investment during the first six months of this calendar year.

Energy and industrial sectors was the second and third highest recipient of foreign fund flows during the period at $841 million and $580 million respectively. In 2016, the financial sector stocks received just $422 million worth of investment while the energy and industrial sectors received a slightly higher investment of $1,465 million and $631 million respectively.

Analysts at Kotak added that the total allocation to India and China constituted more than one third of the average Asia ex-Japan fund portfolio. China has seen the highest inflows of $2.4 billion in May, followed by South Korea and India, which have seen $1.9 billion and $1.8 billion of inflows.

However, Kotak Institutional Equities pointed out that the fund allocation to India saw a marginal dip in May as compared to its previous month. Allocation to India by Asia ex-Japan funds has come down to 13.3 per cent in May from 13.6 per cent in April while the fund allocation to India by global emerging market (GEM) funds remained around 11 per cent.
Last week, the Sensex recorded a fall of 216.60 points, or 0.69 per cent, while the broader Nifty lost 54.05 points, or 0.56 per cent.

New Delhi: Stock markets this week may see volatile trading sessions and a few knee-jerk reactions following the launch of GST even it is expected to take cues from announcement of macroeconomic data, say experts.

"Investors will be closely watching how the GST implementation proceeds. Investors will be keenly awaiting minutes from the Federal Open Market Committee's June meeting," V K Sharma, Head of Business PCG, HDFC Securities said.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) -- India's biggest tax reform since independence -- came into force on July 1 after 17 years of debate.

"The new regime is expected to re-colonize India's tax system but may face some initial hiccups on the implementation front. With valuation over-stretched, market is now facing selling pressure on lack of new growth triggers.

We believe that GST could be one of the hooks that the market will justify for correction to set in," Vijay Singhania, Founder- Director, Trade Smart Online said. This week would also see stocks reacting to monthly auto sales numbers, he said adding global cues, crude oil and currency activity will also act as key factors that will dictate the direction.

"GST is likely to result in a near-term disruption as this is a massive reform which is getting implemented in our economy," Mayuresh Joshi, Fund Manager, Angel Broking said.

"We expect markets to remain volatile and track the management commentary on how they are adjusting to the issues arisen due to the GST," Joshi said.

Sector-specific movement can be seen after the launch of the much-awaited GST, experts said.

"One nation one tax is likely to be taken positively on Dalal Street on account of more clear taxation. Though we cannot rule out initial knee-jerk reaction. Further, auto stocks will also remain in the radar on the back of their monthly sales numbers. PMI data is also scheduled to be declared which will show the sign of macro economic activity happening," Abnish Kumar Sudhanshu, Director & Research Head, Amrapali Aadya Trading & Investments said.

On the macro front, PMI data on manufacturing and services sectors will also have a bearing, experts added.

"Market is at the doorstep of new indirect tax system. Investors' sentiment and expectation may not be met in the short-term. But it will be positive for listed entities over the medium to long-term," Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Financial Services said.

However, more than the domestic factors, it is the global risk that haunts us more, he noted. Last week, the Sensex recorded a fall of 216.60 points, or 0.69 per cent, while the broader Nifty lost 54.05 points, or 0.56 per cent.
Mumbai: The makers of 'Jab Harry Met Sejal' recently released the fourth mini-trail of the film and the fans really seem to like the 'wave step' that Anushka Sharma's character, Sejal is seen performing in the clip.

Witnessing the crazy reaction from fans, film's leading star Shah Rukh Khan has now come up with a new name for the wave which is called 'Sejal Wave'.

The actor took to his official Twitter account and posted a video of himself doing the wave and captioned the video as, "@AnushkaSharma Sejal, this one's for you! #SejalWave @RedChilliesEnt."

Talking about the premise of the film, 'Jab Harry Met Sejal' shows the journey of Shah Rukh and Anushka across Europe. In the film, the two are out on a quest to find Sejal's engagement ring, which makes Harry understand the true meaning of love and relationships.

This SRK and Anushka's third film together after 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' and 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan'. However, the two worked with the film's director, Imtiaz Ali, for the first time.

The film is all set to hit the theatres on August 4.
Mumbai: The Tamil Nadu film fraternity, together with all the South Indian industries, have come together to send a collective representation to the Central Government, requesting them to put the regional cinema in the least slab.

President of Tamil Nadu's Film Producers Council, Vishal told ANI, "Of course, there will be adverse effects to every industry, not only film industry, but all sectors of business, especially regional cinema, which is fixed in the highest slab 28 percent."

"It is going to make a big impact and we have given our representation. In fact, all South Indian industries have together sent a collective representation to the central government asking them to put regional cinema in the least slab because one crore film and a 1,000 cr Hollywood film is in the same tax slab, so that is definitely going to affect the regional cinema," Vishal added.

Vishal further stated that they have requested the Centre and the Finance Minister to put the regional cinema in the least slab, non regional films in the next slab and the foreign language films in the highest slab, so that it does not affect the viewership.

Earlier on Friday, the Tamil Nadu Film Chamber of Commerce announced an indefinite shutdown of theatres across Tamil Nadu from July 3 due to lack of clarity on the tax amount that will be levied after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation.
It has been four years since Arrambam released and Akshara Gowda is still hailed as the Stylish Thamizhachi in Ktown. The actress went to star in Bogan as a cop and brought in her A-game in it. Now, she is all set to widen her horizons to Sandalwood and Tollywood.

Akshara feels that she is finding it difficult to break her image in the Tamil industry. Directors approach me only if they have glamorous and sexy roles. I am being typecast and I find it difficult to understand why people think that I make the cut only for such roles. Its been close to a year since I signed any Tamil films as I didnt find anything different. Im in no hurry to do films and want to choose the best. For starters, I can do romantic flicks and pull of Indian looks as well. I hope directors see that side and cast me in their films, she begins her conversation.

The actress is doing her second project in Kannada, which will be helmed by lyricist-turned-director Ghouse Peer. In my debut Kannada movie Premadalli, I played the role of a rich brat. It is a simple love story. I play a banker in my second flick and will be seen in a de-glam look wearing cotton salwar-kameez and sarees. These are the films that I want to be part of. I owe a lot to Tamil film industry, but I wish directors offer me diverse roles that excite me, she quips.

The official announcement about her Telugu entry is also expected soon.
Naga Chaitanya is all praise for director B. Jayas Vaisakham. I saw all the songs and liked it very much. The production values are superb and the songs are a visual treat, he said, adding that he is confident that the film is going to be a good one for the director.

I am happy that they are introducing new talent. with this film, he said, adding that producer B.A. Raju hasnt compromised on the films quality.

He further added, If Jaya comes up with a good story, I definitely want to work with her.
Doctors recently performed life-changing surgery on an Indian teenage boy who suffered from a rare condition causing part of his brain matter to ooze out of his skull the size of a human fist.

The condition known as encephalocele, which is present at birth is a rare type of neural tube defect (NTD) that affects the brain, the Daily Mail reported. During the third and fourth weeks of pregnancy, the tube is a "narrow channel that folds and closes" to form the brain and spinal cord.

In 13-year-old Manikandan's case, it caused a part of his brain to bulge out of his skull, obstructing his vision and left him deformed. His encephlocele was so big that it pushed the "bone of his right eye outwards", the report revealed.

Manikandan, from Kerala led an isolated life because locals branded him ugly, the report added. "Because of the huge deformity on his face, he never went to school or mingled with others, as people used to make fun of his appearance," his father is quoted as saying in the Daily Mail.

His parents who are poor were desperate to find a treatment for their son and begged the government to help. This week a team of doctors at the Amrita Institute of Medical Science performed surgery on Manikandan to remove the deformity. It took them 11 hours to remove the ball of brain matter.

Doctors had to open his skull and isolate the normal brain from the brain matter that was hanging from his face and had no function. A portion of the skull also had to be reconstructed as the removal left a defect.

After surgery, Manikandan has made a full recovery and cannot wait to return home to make friends and start school. His family is grateful that he can now lead a normal life.

While there is still no way to prevent encephalocele, steps are being taken to lower the risk.
In the rugged, herb-scented mountains of northwestern Greece, where the border with Albania is a snaking invisible line, trouble is brewing over tea  the wild herbal variety. Greek authorities and conservationists say bands of impoverished Albanians are making regular cross-border forays, illegally harvesting donkey-loads of herbs and medicinal plants. They mostly pick mountain tea  also called ironwort  hawthorn and even primrose, but they are also destroying rare and endangered species in the process.

The looters then sell the herbs for export to pharmaceutical or cosmetics companies, a business that nets Albanian wholesalers tens of millions annually. It's illegal in Greece to pick more than a tiny quantity of wild herbs for personal use in traditional infusions. That ban doesn't exist in Albania, one of Europe's poorest nations. But, more significantly, the plants are usually uprooted in the looters' haste to pick as much as possible and be off undetected. This stops natural regeneration, threatens delicate ecosystems and leaves entire mountainsides denuded.

Albanians contend the herbs are there and the Greeks don't pick them, so why shouldn't somebody profit? Christos Toskos, an environmentalist in Greece's Kastoria border area, says the depredations have increased over the past five years, with incursions now coming on a daily basis. "There is very large destruction in areas covering thousands of acres," he said.

Vassilis Filiadis, who grows his own herbs in Kastoria, lamented the fate of an old wild ironwort patch in the Grammos mountains. "It covers about 3 square kilometers (740 acres). In past years, the mountain tea grew there like a sea. The plants formed waves," he told The Associated Press. "I went this year and was shocked, it's all been uprooted."

Greece's flora is among the richest in Europe, with about 6,500 native plant species. In targeted operations over the last few months, Greek police have arrested at least ten Albanians and seized dozens of kilograms of herbs. In one case in late June, three people were caught with 136 kilograms (300 pounds) of ironwort loaded on two horses and a donkey.

Albanian exporters pay illegal gatherers up to 6 euros ($6.80) a kilogram (2.2 pounds) for ironwort and 7 euros a kilogram for hawthorn, Greek officials say. "They illegally enter Greece and quickly gather the plants to avoid being seen," said Brigadier-General Panagiotis Ntziovaras, head of police for the border region of western Macedonia.

Those caught have been given suspended prison sentences of one or two months and been deported. Many poor Albanians are crossing the mountains into Greece this year because of an herb shortage in Albania due to freezing temperatures last winter, said Filip Gjoka, president of Albania's Association of Medicinal & Aromatic Plants and owner of an herb and spice trading company.

He said they sometimes take whole families and camp in the mountains with their horses or mules. "There are a lot of herbs in Greece, where they are not collected due to labor force shortages or lack of interest," Gjoka told the AP. "We here collect those herbs, and these people take the risks to support their families. They can bear a few months of jail since there are no other jobs."

In 2016, 24 Albanian companies exported some 17,000 tons of medicinal and aromatic plants and herbs  186 varieties  worth a total of $40 million. They process only about 30 percent of that amount in five factories and export the rest raw. The U.S. is a main importer, while others include France, Germany, Spain and even Australia.

Kastoria agriculturalist Dimitris Natos said the international market for herbs, particularly for use in cosmetics and foods, is expanding rapidly. "Annual turnover growth is in the double digits, at around 15 percent," he said.

Gjoka said the Albanian companies employ 10,000 workers and another 80,000 people as independent contractors for whom seasonal herb picking is their only source of income. Eleni Maloupa, director of Greece's Institute of Breeding and Plant Genetic Resources in Thessaloniki, says some of the 14 kinds of ironwort that grow in Greece are threatened with extinction and there is a blanket ban on their collection, even in small quantities.

She said Greek and Albanian authorities should cooperate to solve the problem, as Greece has already done with neighboring Macedonia. "The increased arrests may perhaps discourage (illegal harvesters) but I believe we should use all available means, such as drones or cameras, to control the border and illegal plant picking," she said.
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Sunday issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against separatist Shabir Shah in connection with an over a decade-old case of money laundering.

The decision came after the Enforcement Directorate had approached the court after Shah refused to join the investigating agency's probe.

The Enforcement Directorate had summoned the Kashmiri separatist leader asking him to depose before the investigating officer on June 6.

The Enforcement Directorate had filed a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah in a 12-year-old terror funding case.
Lucknow: Taking serious note of the killing of five persons over a land dispute in Raebareli, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of victims while directing the IG zone to probe the matter.

Five persons, including a village head, were lynched by a mob allegedly for land grabbing in Apta village in Unchahar area of Raebareli district on June 26.

"The CM has announced Rs 5 lakh each for the families of victims. IG, zone Lucknow has been directed to probe the matter within 10 days and ensure justice for the aggrieved family members", an official spokesman said here.

State BJP spokesman Shalabh Mani Tripathi told reporters in Lucknow that "Our government is sensitive and those involved in the killing will not be spared. The financial assistance to the family members has been announced and they will also get justice."

He said law and order was on top priority of the government and no compromise will be done on this front.
Mumbai: Five jail officials, arrested for their alleged roles in beating a woman inmate at Byculla prison to death, were remanded in police custody till July 7 by a Mumbai court on Sunday.

The accused - Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve and Aarti Shingne - were produced in the Esplanade metropolitan magistrate's court on Sunday after their arrest on Saturday.

Another accused, Bindu Naikde, was remanded in police custody till July 7 on Saturday itself. All six have been suspended by the prison department.

Death of Manju Shette, an inmate at Byculla women's prison in central Mumbai, had triggered protests by other prisoners.

The police, which have registered a muder case following the death of the woman jail inmate following the allegd assault by the six woman officials of the jail, had said they wanted to examine the role of each of the accused.

Shette, 45, died at the government-run JJ Hospital on June 23 following alleged beatings by jail staffers after she failed to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread which she was supposed to distribute to other inmates.

Her death had triggered a protest by around 200 inmates of the jail on June 24 with some of them climbing atop the prison's roof and others making a bonfire of newspapers to vent out their anger.

Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in Sheena Bora murder case, too was allegedly among the protesting inmates. The police have registered a case of rioting as well against her and others.
Kodangal circle inspector N. Srinivas Reddy said that while their parents were busy, the four children and another boy, Venkatesh went to the Thatikunta lake to play.(Representational Image)

Hyderabad: Four children drowned in a tank in Vikarabad district on Sunday. The victims were identified as the brother-sister pair of Karthikeya (9) and Mary (6), sisters Kartheeka (6) and Shivaneela (10). The kids along with their families had gone to the nearby Burhanpur village to attend a family function.

Kodangal circle inspector N. Srinivas Reddy said that while their parents were busy, the four children and another boy, Venkatesh went to the Thatikunta lake to play. One of them went to relieve himself, walked to the lake and drowned, In an attempt to save him, the other three drowned.

Venkatesh ran home and informed his parents of the incident. Informed by locals, police rushed to the spot and recovered the bodies of the kids. Karthikeya and Mary were children of V Prabhu of Basheerabad and Kartheeka and Shivaneela, the daughters of K Shyamalaiah.
The woman Satti Sudharani, has been arrested. The girls father has also been arrested along with the three men to whom the girl had been resold. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: A 14-year-old girl was rescued by the TS police from a village in Krishna district where she and her abductor were hiding. The girl was sold off by her alcoholic father to a woman who ran a sex racket, for Rs 10,000. When the father did not get the promised cash, he lodged a complaint with the police stating that his daughter had been kidnapped. After a month the police found the girl and the woman in a village in Krishna district. The woman Satti Sudharani, has been arrested. The girls father has also been arrested along with the three men to whom the girl had been resold.

Miryalaguda DSP S. Ramgopal Rao said Sudharani hailed from Prakasam district and had shifted to Miryalaguda a few months ago. Butharaju Krishna, a dhobi, had helped her to get a rented house, after which he started asking her for money. When she said that she did not have money to give him, Krishna who knew that she set up girls for her clients, told her to take his 14-year-old daughter for money.

Sudharani had already collected Rs 5,000 from M. Pavan, M. Jawahar and Mohammed Waheed, her clients with the promise that she would soon provide them a girl.

Out of the money she received, she gave Rs 3,000 to Krishna. On June 1, when Pavan asked her about the girl, Sudharani informed Krishna, after which he handed over his daughter to her. As per the plan, the trio picked up Sudharani and the girl in a car and started towards Devarakonda.

Mid way, they purchased alcohol and offered some to Sudharani. She consumed two bottles of beer and also forced the girl to drink a bottle. She then received a call from Krishna asking for the balance amount. But Sudharani said that she had not received the cash from them. To this, Krishna replied that he was not bothered about her or his daughter; he just wanted the money, DSP Ramgopal Rao said.

When she asked Pavan, Jawahar and Waheed to give the balance, the trio said that she had collected money from them in the past, but had not supplied a girl. So there was no way they were giving her more money now. A quarrel broke out in the vehicle, during which Sudharani along with the girl got down from the vehicle in Devarakonda and stopped a lorry for help. She and the girl boarded the lorry saying that they were mother and daughter and fed up with family problems, they had run away from home. She said that she and her daughter wanted to make a livelihood in some place away from home and went to Goa in the same vehicle. Two days later, after unloading the vehicle, the driver Shiva brought them to his hometown Jaggaiahpet in Krishna district and gave them shelter in his home saying that they were his distant relatives. After staying there for two weeks, they moved to another nearby village", said DSP Ramgopal Rao.

Based on a tip-off, special teams nabbed Sudharani. Later, based on her confession, the police arrested the other three suspects as well as Krishna, the girl's father. They were sent to remand.

The girl was sent to a rescue home in Nalgonda as she was not willing to stay with her father any longer.
More than 620 people, including dozens of minors, have been arrested in Chad, the public prosecutor said Friday, after anti-regime protests that left at least 50 dead.
The principal secretary also informed the court that action has been initiated against certain private travels and also chief inspectors of labour for failing to implement the welfare measures for their staff. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: The TS government has informed the Hyderabad High Court that it has issued 445 show-cause notices to various private bus operators, including the Diwakar Travels owned by TD MP J.C. Diwakar Reddy.

In an affidavit submitted to the court, the TS principal labour secretary said that 563 checks have been conducted across the state after filing of a PIL in the High Court by K.V. Subba Reddy, an advocate of the city, seeking to direct the governments and authorities concerned of both AP and TS to frame guidelines for effective implementation of the Provisions of Motor Vehicles Act 1988, Motor Transport Workers Act, 1961 and AP Motor Transport Workers Rules, 1963.

According to the affidavit, the authorities noticed during the checks that none of the travel operators had given appointment letters to their workers, nor were the workers provided uniforms or extended welfare measures.

The principal secretary informed that the operators registering their buses in Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry were plying buses from Hyderabad to Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmadabad, Bhubaneswar and Raipur as stage carriers.

Due to this, the authorities of the state lack the jurisdiction to act against them, he said.

The principal secretary said that the deputy transport commissioner has issued show cause notice to Diwakar Travels for violating the various provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act. Besides, the labour department also issued a notice for violation of the provisions of the Labour Acts.

The principal secretary also informed the court that action has been initiated against certain private travels and also chief inspectors of labour for failing to implement the welfare measures for their staff.

He submitted that drivers of these travels are being provided insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh under the accidents insurance scheme.
Surat (Gujarat): In a series of arguments which prevailed after the midnight launch of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), passengers of Gujarat's Queen Express train refused to pay the extra fee that was reportedly levied in lieu of the GST.

The TTE has since been removed from duty and the matter is under investigation.

In a video depicting chaos that went viral online, the Travel Ticket Examiner (TTE) of Queen Express was seen asking passengers to pay an additional fare of Rs. 20 per ticket on account of instructions given to him by government officials to do so, citing the GST to be the reason for the same.

Passengers were seen arguing that the charge must be levied on tickets booked after July 1, and not on those booked before the roll out of the new tax regime, and refused to pay the additional fee. Passengers also demanded to see an official circular from the Centre.

#WATCH Gujarat Queen train TTE collects Rs 20 each from passengers after #GST rollout. Passengers demand fare revision circular pic.twitter.com/l9PZ91kiCp  ANI (@ANI_news) July 1, 2017

Amid what was seen as 'festive fervor' post the midnight rollout of the GST, protests broke out in various pockets of the nation, deeming the GST to be one that will 'loot the nation'.

In Bhopal, some Congress party workers and traders burnt copies of the GST norms, saying these taxations only existed during the colonial times.

"How can you tax pooja items and coffins? This is unacceptable. It is going to be bad for traders and farmers, with prices of goods going up. Congress will stand by traders and make sure their demands are met. I would request the President to re-consider," a protestor said.

Meanwhile, in Agra, effigies were burnt and slogans were raised against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for the launch of the 'incomplete' taxation system.

Drawing parallels to the premature delivery of a baby, protestors and traders criticised the ruling dispensation for lack of uniformity and tax rates, adding that traders would accept the GST only once it has been chalked out completely.

"You are making traders become ghulams (slaves) again," one of the protestors asserted.

Ending more than 11 years of hectic argument among the Centre and the states, the GST, which was rolled out at the stroke of midnight, is being said to completely transform the indirect taxation landscape in the country involving both the Central and State levies.

In a departure from the normal practice, GST will be administered together by the Centre and states.

The biggest tax reform since independence - GST - will pave way for realisation of the goal of "One Nation - One Tax - One Market".

It will benefit all the stakeholders namely industry, government and consumer as it will lower the cost of goods and services give a boost to the economy and make the products and services globally competitive, giving a major boost to 'Make in India' initiative.

Under the GST regime, exports will be zero-rated in entirety unlike the present system where refund of some of the taxes does not take place due to fragmented nature of indirect taxes between the Centre and the States.

However, GST will make India a common market with common tax rates and procedures and remove economic barriers. GST is largely technology driven and will reduce the human interface to a great extent. GST is expected to improve ease of doing business in India.
Ghaziabad: In a development indicating trouble for the private airline, Jet Airways Vice President Col. Avneet Singh Bedi was arrested by the Sahibabad police on the charges of land grabbing in Delhi in the wee hours on Sunday morning.

The land, which belongs to the municipal corporation, was worth crores.

The police investigation in the case is in process.

More details to follow.
Hajira: Locals in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) have launched a massive agitation against political and military leadership of Pakistan, for trying to convert PoK into a terror factory by creating terror camps.

Residents of Hajira in PoK are demanding freedom from Pakistan and have accused the civilian leadership of Pakistan and army of nurturing terrorism in their territory by giving safe havens to them.

Pressure on Pakistan has been building up but civilian leadership in Islamabad is indifferent and continues to support and oil terror machinery in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

The protests are likely to intensify in the coming days as according to reports there are estimated 50 terrorist training camps still operating in the region, most of these camps belong to banned outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba , Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and even ISIS.

These camps are backed and aided by Pakistan military and Inter Service intelligence. Militants trained here are sent to Kashmir, Afghanistan and even Europe.

Meanwhile, the international community has accused Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorists and most of the terror groups are located in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"We urge Pakistan Army and Prime Minister with folded hands to not to send terrorists here. People of all religions co-exist here in this land of peace. Bomb blasts are taking place inside religious places, mosques, places where Hindus and Shias worship," said Liaqat Hayat Khan, senior leader JKNAP.

"Such is a scenario that whoever resists forces of terrorism becomes a victim himself, they are either abducted or killed. People from Mirpur to Hajira are being abducted, they are missing, they label and frame people as anti nationals. I must say this is a land of Kashmir, if there is any infidel here, they are Pakistanis. All acts of terrorism in Pakistan are perpetrated by B team of Pakistan army" says a local resident.

Recently on June 26 US Department of State has designated Mohammad Yusuf Shah, also known as Syed Salahuddin, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (E.O.) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons who have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or the national security, foreign policy, or economy of the United States.
Lucknow: To the world, differences between former Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and his step brothers wife, Aparna Yadav, may have been deep-rooted but an RTI query has revealed that it was Aparna Yadavs NGO that benefitted the most in the Akhilesh regime.

According to the response to a RTI query posted by activist Nutan Thakur, the state government has disclosed that during the Akhilesh Yadav regime, 86 per cent of the total grant given by Uttar Pradesh Go Sewa Ayog to Goshala and cow protection organisations in the state, was given to Aparna Yadavs Jeev Ashraya, an NGO, which runs the Kanha Upwan Goshala , owned by Lucknow Nagar Nigam.

As per data, between 2012 to 2017, the Ayog gave a total grant of Rs 9.66 crore, of which Rs 8.35 crore were given to Jeev Ashraya only, which is 86.4 per cent of total grant.

During financial years 2012-13, 2013-14 and 2014-15, Jeev Ashraya was the only NGO to be given this grant to the tune of Rs. 50 lakh, Rs 1.25 crore and Rs 1.41 crore respectively.

In financial year 2015-16, Jeev Ashraya got Rs. 2.58 crores while Sripad Baba Goshala, Vrindavan got Rs. 41 lakh and in 2016-17, of the total grant of 3.45 crores, Jeev Ashraya got Rs. 2.55 crores.

It may be recalled that immediately after the formation of the Yogi Adityanath government, Aparna Yadav and her husband Prateek Yadav had met the chief minister and had invited him to visit the Kanha Upvan.

The chief minister, two days later, visited the cow shelter and appreciated the work being done by the couple. Despite efforts, Aparna Yadav could not be contacted for her comments on the disclosures.
Even after a month the amount was not returned or deposited in his account. He issued legal notice on January 22, 2015

Chennai: The District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Chennai (North) has slapped a fine of Rs 1 lakh on a nationalised bank for wrongly debiting amount from a savings bank account.

In the petition, A. Abdul Ghafoor, Kellys submitted that he deposited a cheque drawn for Rs 49,500 issued by a person on March 25, 2013 into his savings account in Indian Overseas Bank, Kilpauk branch.

The amount was credited in his account on March 31, 2013. Again on June 2, 2014 he deposited a cheque drawn for an amount of Rs 2 lakh and his balance increased to Rs 2.03 lakh.

While Abdul Ghafoor made an entry in his pass book he found that on June 7, 2014 a sum of Rs 49,500 was debited from his account without his knowledge. When contacted the branch, the manager could not provide details about the unauthorised withdrawal. Immediately, he sent a complaint on June 26, 2014.

The branch manager informed him that there was some error and they would rectify it soon.

Even after a month the amount was not returned or deposited in his account. He issued legal notice on January 22, 2015. As there was no reply, he filed this petition seeking direction to Branch Manager, and Chief Customer Service Officer, Indian Overseas Bank, Central Office, Chennai to return Rs 49,500 with interest and also compensation for causing him mental agony.

In the reply, the IOB stated that the staff committed a mistake in clearing the cheque. After knowing this, the branch manager on June 16, 2014 wrote a letter to concerned bank to recover the amount from the account holder. Stating that it had not committed any negligence in service, the bank sought dismissal of the petition.

The bench comprising President K. Jayabalan and Member T. Kalaiyarasi, said banks normally are duty bound to inform account holders while debiting an amount. Even after deducting the amount, the branch manager did not inform the customers.

The bank came to know about the wrong clearance one year after committing the mistake. Therefore, we hold that the bank committed deficiency in service, the bench said. The bank has been directed to return Rs 49,500 to him with nine per cent interest from June 7, 2014.
AP finance department officials contend that the TS government has to pay about Rs 4,000 crore for the supply of power for three years.(Representational image)

Hyderabad: There are different versions within the state government on how the issue of settlement of power dues with AP has to be dealt with. TS finance department officials claim that AP government has to give about Rs 3,000 crore from the funds released under Centrally-sponsored schemes and others after state bifurcation. AP finance department officials contend that the TS government has to pay about Rs 4,000 crore for the supply of power for three years.

TS finance officials said the state government has nothing to do with the dues of TS power utilities, and the issue should be resolved by the power utilities of both states.

TS Transco and Genco chairman and managing director D. Prabhakar Rao has a different view. He said in a recent letter: Telangana State Power Coordination Committee and TS discoms are of the view that the settlement of dues between the two power utilities should be done at the state level for a permanent and amicable solution.

A senior officer of the AP government said AP officials were unable to decide with whom to discuss this issue.
On the other hand, it moved the Tamil Nadu Government to quickly resolve the issue.

Chennai: The flood of tears of R.Kannan, director of latest blockbuster Ivan Thanthiran, failed to move the Tamil Nadu Film Chamber of Commerce into rescinding their decision to shut cinema theatres from Monday against the imposing of high taxes under the GST. On the other hand, it moved the Tamil Nadu Government to quickly resolve the issue.

The Film Chamber President, Abirami Ramanathan reiterated on Sunday that theatres across the state would down their shutters indefinitely from Monday against the imposition of 18 and 28 per cent GST rates for cinema halls and multiplexes.

The theatre owners are opposing the municipal tax imposed along with GST in single screen and multiplex theatres. For instance, tickets less than Rs 100 will attract GST of 18 per cent along with municipal tax of 30 per cent and tickets that cost more than Rs 100 would attract 28 per cent GST and 30 per cent municipal tax. However, the move by the theatre owners is being opposed by the producers council, which has asked the concerned to withdraw their protest since it would affect their livelihood as well.

Mr Kannan, producer and director of Ivan Thanthiran had, in an emotional message, said that he has incurred huge debts for producing this film and said the sudden strike without any prior notice has jolted him.

In a message posted on social media, he appeared to break down and pleaded for the intervention of directors to save his film. The movie was released only on Friday.

"We are not opposed to the GST. We welcome the government's move to have one uniform tax across the country. But the municipal corporations here levy a special tax on cinema theatres. How can we accept such a decision?" Mr Ramanathan asked at a press conference here on Sunday.

Mr Ramanathan also asked the state government to immediately issue a Government Order exempting theatre from paying municipal and local tax. He said until the government acts on the issue, theatres will keep their shutters down.

A theatre owner, who refused to divulge his identity, said the tax rates are "exorbitant" and "we cannot run with this tax structure. We cannot run the theatres." He also demanded that the government effect increase in the ticket fare for theatres across the country.
Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday ordered a crackdown against adulteration of food items and sale of spurious seeds and fertilisers.

Mr Rao expressed shock at incidents of adulteration of milk, rice, turmeric, oils and other food products that are coming to light frequently across the state. He directed the police to deal with those indulging in adulteration of food items with an iron hand.

Crack down on adulteration of food items. Dont have any fear or come under any pressure. Wipe them out. Its dangerous to health. We cannot allow it, said.

Mr Rao was speaking at a review meeting with police officials at Pragathi Bhavan. DGP Anurag Sharma, police commissioners M. Mahender Reddy, Sandeep Kumar Sultania and Mahesh Bhagwat, Hyderabad range IG Stephen Ravindra, Warangal range IG Nagi Reddy, Intelligence IG Naveen Chand, Security IG S.K. Singh and CMO officials were present.

Mr Rao said adulteration of food items was adversely affecting the health of people while farmers are suffering huge losses on account of spurious seeds and fertilisers.

If the existing laws are not enough to check adulteration of food items, spurious seeds and fertilisers, the state government is ready to make new laws with stringent provisions. The police should crack down on those resorting to adulteration. They should not spare those making spurious seeds and fertilisers and selling them. They should be dealt with an iron hand, Mr Rao said.

He praised the police for eradicating gudumba and gambling and asked them to work with the same commitment to check adulteration.
Hyderabad: The gender ratio in engineering colleges, according to the annual report on higher education and universities, is about as skewed as in the IITs: 7:3 in favour of boys. Most educationists say that parents do not want to educate their girl children in engineering because of gender, safety away from their hometown and other factors.

Mr Muralidhar S, a career counsellor, said, With boys, it is always a set option. They have to do engineering. Parents are more open to their daughters doing other courses many of them because they believe that it does not matter in the long run. The mindset of many parents even today is limited to their daughter settling down and running a household once she is of a certain age.

Girls in medical colleges outnumber boys by a 3:1 ratio despite medicine requiring more years of study. Ms Jaya Chandran, a career counsellor said, For a lot of parents, medicine is a prestigious career for girl children. They are not thinking it through about the years of study that will go into it as opposed to engineering.

Although the number of female software engineers are increasing, it is still a distant dream to have equality in gender at engineering institutes. KNR University of Health Sciences Vice-Chancellor Karunakar Reddy said, Traditio-nally, engineering is seen as a mans stream and parents can see their daughters only as a software engineer. We have about 140 girls to 60 boys in our courses. There is actually a better chance of settling into a job after engineering than with medicine. People just have to open their minds to the same.

The number of seats for medicine is very few as opposed to engineering. There are merely 50,000 seats as opposed to the lakhs of seats available for engineering nationwide. So if a girl gets into a premier institute of engineering, she might be dissuaded by her parents who will ask her to join somewhere in their hometown. But in medicine, there is no choice, said Prof. Dheeraj Sanghi of IIT-Kanpur.

There is always a high number of girls in arts stream because it is believed to be a safe career. But a lot of these societal notions have to be broken down. Determining a childs future at a young age should stop and freedom of choice should be given without trying to please society, said Mr Praveen Kumar, a parent.
A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Sunday for talks with Egyptian officials on security issues and Cairos assistance to the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip.

The delegation includes representatives from the interior, health, economic and finance ministries, according to Hamass statement, as reported by Al-Ahram Arabic website.

The delegation will discuss security talks on the borders, the Rafah border crossing, electricity and fuel issues, the statement read.

Hamas representatives visited Egypt for talks with officials last month.

Relations between Egypt and the Palestinian Islamist group with rules the Gaza Strip were strained in the wake of the ouster of then-president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Cairo had accused Hamas of backing Egypt's banned Muslim Brotherhood organisation and of smuggling goods and arms through tunnels under the Gaza-Sinai border.

In early 2017, Palestinian Hamas leader Mahmoud El-Zahar said that the movement's relations with Cairo have improved, evidenced by the reaching of an agreement on border control between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.

In its new manifesto, released in February, Hamas, which was founded in 1989, rebranded itself as an Islamic national liberation movement, rather than a branch of the pan-Arab Muslim Brotherhood, which has been outlawed in Egypt.

In late June, Egypt trucked 1 million litres of cheap diesel fuel to the Gaza Strip's sole power plant to temporarily eased a crippling electricity crisis in the enclave, according to the AP, which quoted Hamas officials.

The Hamas delegation arrived in Egypt on Sunday via the Rafah border crossing, which was opened specifically for them.

Egypt has kept its border with the Gaza Strip largely closed since Morsis ouster.

Cairo periodically opens the border to allow civilians with foreign passports, Palestinian students, and those with medical needs to travel back and forth.

The crossing in northern Sinai is the only gateway for 1.8 million Palestinians living in Israeli-besieged Gaza to enter and exit the enclave after Israel imposed a naval and land blockade since the Islamist Hamas movement became its de-facto ruler in 2006, inflicting increasing suffering on the impoverished population. It is the only terminal not controlled by Israel.

Cairo plays a central role in reconciliation efforts between rival Palestinian factions, as well as efforts to end the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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Most of the truck drivers fill their tanks with 100L, 200L or 300L at a time.

Hyderabad: With the Karnataka government withdrawing the 5 per cent entry tax at petrol pumps, both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh governments are poised to lose revenue from the sale of petrol and diesel in the states borders. The Karnataka governments decision has led to a price difference of Rs 4 in petrol and diesel in Telangana and Rs 6 in Andhra Pradesh.

General secretary of greater Hyderabad petrol and diesel dealers association Mr Marri Amarender Reddy said that both the governments should wake up before losing any further revenue towards tax on petrol and diesel.

He said that most of the truck drivers fill their tanks with 100 litres, 200 litres or 300 litres at a time. Due to the variation in prices, the truck drivers will avoid filling tanks in TS or AP. For every 100 liters of diesel, they can save Rs 400 to Rs 600 if they fill in from Karnataka petrol pumps. Both the Telugu states will therefore stand to lose revenue in a huge way, he said.

He said that the governments should follow the Karnataka governments policy and withdraw entry tax to avoid losses. Till June 30, we had the least fuel prices in entire South India and truckers used to approach TS petrol bunks. Now, Karnataka has occupied the first place and will rake in the benefits, he said.

Karnataka is bordered by six states - Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Maharashtra and Goa.

Except for Tamil Nadu, the cost of fuel is much higher in all the other states. The price of petrol and diesel in Tamil Nadu is Rs 2 more than fuel prices in Karnataka.

Similarly, petrol vehicle users from Zahirabad and Narayankhed in Sangareddy district, Tandur in Rangareddy, Gadwal in Jogulamba Gadwal district and Maktal in Mahbubnagar district will visit petrol bunks in Karnataka which borders these localities. Mr Reddy has asked the Telugu states to plan an immediate and effective reply to Karnatakas decision.
A tree survey is considered critical to urban planning as it helps in deciding which trees would benefit the landscape. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: No government authority knows precisely how much of the city is green.

Preoccupied with plantation drives, the authorities claim they do not keep tabs on the existing green cover. How do they plan the plantation drives without this data is mystifying. How do the officials keep track of tree felling is another issue.

The Water Land and Trees Act, 2002 regulates permission needed for felling of trees, but the district-level WALTA units, headed by the collector, has no data on the number of trees felled in the city.

We give permissions after proper verification but city-level data is yet to be compiled, Hyderabad collector Rahul Bojja said.

The GHMCs urban biodiversity wing, which looks into the greening of urban spaces, has no substantive figures, making it easy for wrongdoers to act without accountability.

The same holds true for HMDAs Urban Forestry. Both the departments upon enquiry stated that they only take up plantation and not surveys.

The forest cover is of varying density but the total area covered by forests is said to be about 24 per cent. Ranga Reddy conservator of forests S. Kukrety said they were aiming to improve the numbers.

33 per cent is the golden number, and with Haritha Haram we may achieve that in some years.

Activists say government figures must be taken with caution as they are inflated.

A recent survey by the Indian Institute of Science quantified the citys green cover at 4-5 per cent  a far cry from the 24 per cent claimed by officials.

In any city, the green cover is mandated at 33 per cent, which would provide the minimum green respite to the citizens. A tree survey is considered critical to urban planning as it helps in deciding which trees would benefit the landscape.
Chennai: Asserting that the Goods and Services Tax (GST) will not affect the people, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said his government would, however, convey the concerns of the industries, if any, to the Centre and get them redressed.

The Chief Minister, who participated in a function in neighbouring Kancheepuram district on Sunday, told reporters that the concerns of the industries over the implementation of the GST would be conveyed to the Centre for appropriate action.

Meanwhile, the pharmacists association, here, which claimed that the GST will hike the cost of medicines by four per cent urged the State government to prevail upon the Centre and ensure the rates are brought down immediately in the interest of the patients.
Chennai: A metro rail worker was killed at a construction site in the stretch between Nehru Park and Central station near Rippon building on Saturday.

The deceased, identified as Amarendra Ram (34), was working in the underground tunnel when an iron bar, which was part of the beams used on the fourth floor of the building, fell on his head. He was rushed to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) where he was declared dead at around 8:30 pm.

A probe is on to find out whether there was negligence on the part of the officials. However, the metro rail officials claim the workers were provided with safety equipment and Amarendra Ram was wearing a headgear at the time of the mishap. The iron rod fell from a height and the pressure with which it fell could not be withstood by the headgear, said an official of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL).
New Delhi: A group of four people were thrashed in a train between Delhi and Ballabhgarh in Haryana over rumours of them eating beef. One of the victims died due injuries. The four people had come to Delhi for shopping ahead of Id and were on their way back home in Haryana.

During the incident, huge crowd present in the train, along with GRP personnel, remained mute spectators. The four were thrashed from Tughlakabad till Ballabgarh on a moving train.

The four men have been identified as Junaid, Hashim, Shakir Mohsin and Moin of Khandavali village in Ballabgarh. They had boarded a train from Tughlakabad in Delhi.

They were later thrown out at Asavati railway station as the train left for Mathura. They were taken to Palwal hospital where Junaid was declared brought dead. According to one of the injured, Mohsin, all of them had gone to Delhi for Id shopping. They boarded a passenger train. Soon other passengers started abusing them. When they resisted, they were beaten up and soon a huge crowd attacked them. Two suspects were carrying knives with them and in a fit of rage stabbed them. In an attempt to save themselves, they called the police and emergency response number but to no avail.
Puducherry: Opposition presidential hopeful Meira Kumar, on Sunday, reiterated that she had requested members of the collegium comprising all MPs and members of state assemblies to "heed the inner voice of conscience and act in the best interest of the country."

Talking to reporters after meeting the legislators of the ruling Congress and its ally, the DMK, jointly at a star hotel in Puducherry, she said, "I have written to members of the collegium - all MPS and MLAs of every state and party seeking their support to my candidature in the forthcoming presidential poll."

"Our country is now standing at cross-roads and I requested members of the collegium in my letter to heed their inner voice of conscience and act in the best interest of the country and stand for the poor and by the philosophy of secularism," she said.

Replying to a question, the former Lok Sabha Speaker said, "From my side it is an ideological fight for secularism. It is not just for tolerance but even more and to respect every one and their belief. Our fight is for freedom of expression. I am also fighting for freedom of press."

She said for the last one week "there has been historical development. Seventeen major political parties have come together under the chairmanship of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and unanimously decided to choose me as the presidential candidate."

"I am honoured by the trust they have reposed in me. Their coming together is an articulation of the legacy of composite thinking and philosophy that we have inherited. This unity is based on ideological position that all the parties have taken," she added.

She praised Puducherry and said, "it has a history of always maintaining peace and having respect for every individual cutting across religious and castes, and also whether the individuals are poor or humble or weak or marginalised."

Kumar said the message of Auroville, Aurobindo and The Mother of the Ashram here had been promotion of peace, dignity and this message emanating from Puducherry had spread across the whole country.

Earlier, on arrival at the venue of the joint meeting of the Congress and DMK legislators, the former Lok Sabha Speaker was received by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, his ministerial colleagues, Deputy Speaker VP Sivakolundhu and legislators of the Congress and DMK.

PCC president and PWD Minister A Namassivayam welcomed her at the meeting.

Among those present included TNCC leader Su Tirunavukarasar.

All the 30 elected legislators of the Union Territory of Puducherry are members of the electoral college for the presidential poll.

Kumar had met MPs and MLAs of DMK, Congress, IUML and Left parties from Tamil Nadu in Chennai on Saturday and sought their support in the presidential poll.
Opposition Presidential candidate Meira Kumar called on ailing DMK president M. Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence on Saturday to seek the support of his party (Photo: DC)

Chennai: The presidential candidate of Opposition parties, Meira Kumar, on Saturday appealed to the members of Parliament and Assemblies to "listen to their little inner voice of conscience and act on that", when they vote in the Presidential elections. She also met DMK president M. Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence and enquired about his health.

Describing the Presidential elections as an 'ideological war', Meira Kumar said she had written letters to all party MLAs and MPs to support her in the ideological battle. She said "The unity of opposition is firmly based on ideology. This unity is inspired by the value system which we hold dear and most of the countrymen find sacred".

At a meeting of MLAs and MPs belonging to DMK, Congress and IUML and later at a media briefing here, she said The values are inspired by Gandhiji who had wanted to ensure the dignity and rights of Dalits, the tribals, the poorest, the marginalized, she said and added "we want to destroy poverty and caste system.

The principles are in danger and serious threat. I am here not to fight just an elections, but to articulate what you, what most of the countrymen feel".

She said Tamil Nadu had always shown to the rest of the country how to uphold secularism and social justice. Meira Kumar recalled that her father Jageevan Ram and DMK president M. Karunanidhi cherished the same value and worked for the depressed.

Earlier, DMK working president, who welcomed her said in the meeting said his party is supporting her so that the trumpet of social justice is heard from the Rashtrapathi Bhavan.

He said the country facing crisis since those who were voted to power on the promises of development, eradication of corruption and welfare of farmers had deviated from democracy and moving in an autocratic path. They think they could do anything since they have the majority, Stalin said.

"At such a juncture, the opposition parties have selected a suitable candidate to uphold social justice and protect India's pluralistic character. The trumpet of social justice should be heard from the President's house", he said.

Stalin also recalled that Meira Kumar was present when Karunanidhi unveiled a statue of her father Jagajeevan Ram in the city in 1990.

DMK principal secretary K. Duraimurugan,party MPs Kanimozhi, T.K.S. Elangovan, N.Siva, TNCC president S. Thirunavukkarasar, CPM member T.K. Rangarajan, CPI member D.Raja, Congress floor leader Ramasamy and IUML member Abu Bakkar were present in the function. Later, she went to Karunanidhis residence at Gopalapuram and enquired about his health.
New Delhi: The nascent steps towards a broad based Opposition coalition against the Narendra Modi government are already fumbling and the reason seems to be nothing else but the Congress refusal to play second fiddle to anyone and its purported big brother attitude towards smaller parties like Janata Dal (United) and the Nationalist Congress Party.

The cracks in Opposition ranks were evident during Fridays GST event in Parliament when many parties decided to chart their own course and attend the programme instead of just following the Congress call to boycott the midnight gala.

Earlier, the JD(U) under Nitish Kumar snubbed the Congress when it decided to support the NDAs presidential candidate despite being the initiator of talks of Opposition unity.

In both instances many leaders told this newspaper that it was the Congress insistence on playing the big brother which was responsible for the rift.

During the presidential polls, we had all agreed on the name of the Gopal Krishna Gandhi as the Opposition candidate, but the Congress insisted on delaying the announcement of the name. Actually it always wanted to have its own candidate, JD(U) national secretary K.C. Tyagi said.
Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who has led his support to Centre's nominee for the post of President on Sunday, asserted that he will not blindly follow anybody's ideology, as he has his own viewpoints and he believes in them.

Taking a dig at Congress, Kumar, in a meeting with party colleagues, raked Ram Manohar Lohia and said, the great leader had dubbed that the grand old party practices Gandhian rules for political benefits.

"We will not blindly follow anyone, we will deal with whatever happens in the future. We have our principles and we believe in them. And we are firm on our Principles and beliefs ," said Nitish.

"Our principles did not change, their (Congress') principles are changing. Lohia ji had dubbed Congress as 'Sarkari gandhiwaadi'."

Kumar last week broke ranks with the opposition to support Kovind.

National spokesperson of the JD(U) KC Tyagi made a formal announcement in the evening about the JD(U)'s decision support Kovind.

"We had discussions with party MLAs and it was decided to support Kovind. The MLAs were of the opinion that Kovind is a good man and had a non-controversial stint as Governor of Bihar," he said.
Vijayawada: The UPA seems to make some headway in South India, as its vote share projection is 27 per cent, coming close to NDA, which has 33 per cent vote share.

According to a survey conducted by VDP Associates poll agency, TD-BJP combine (NDA) in Andhra Pradesh will get 47 per cent vote share, and the YSRC vote share will be 40 per cent. Jana Sena will register only 3 per cent, according to VDP Associates. The survey also mentioned about the possible caste polarisation in AP in 2019, which will be remarkably shown in the end result. The VDP Associates has not considered Jana Sena as an alliance partner of NDA.

The survey has stated that the 47 per cent vote share indicates that TD-BJP combine will do better than their 2014 vote share, even in the three-way contest. While Congress alone is going to grab 3 per cent vote share in Andhra Pradesh, Jana Sena will also secure the same percentage of vote share. The VDP Associates has suggested that these projections are based on the alliances only as of now. The agency has not given any clarity over the possibility of BJP going independent in Andhra Pradesh. The survey has observed that there is 7 per cent undecided vote share in AP and 4 per cent in Telangana State.

In fact, the TD got only 2.06 per cent more votes than the YSRC but it was enough for the party to win 35 more Assembly seats and come to power. Out of the total 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh, the TD won 102 and the YSRC won 67. TD polled 1,33,72,862 votes against the YSRCs 1,27,71,323.

The difference between the two parties was only 6,01,539 votes but this was enough for the TD to get 35 more seats, according to the political analysts. The YSRC got 44.47 per cent votes and TD got 46.3 per cent, a difference of 2.6 per cent, and now the YSRC is looking at pockets, which were either untouched by the party or distanced themselves away because of YSRCs inclination towards a particular section of vote banks.
A Cairo criminal court on Sunday sentenced 20 defendants to death for their involvement in an attack on Kerdasa police station in August 2013 in which 12 policemen were killed, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

The court also handed life sentences to 80 defendants, 15-year terms to 35 defendants, and acquitted another 21.

The convicted have the right to appeal the verdict before the Court of Cassation.

In April, the court issued a preliminary death sentence to the 20 defendants pending the non-binding consultative opinion of the countrys grand mufti, per Egypt's penal code.

The grand mufti concurred with the court's decision to sentence the 20 convicted to death.

Prosecutors charged the defendants with storming the Kerdasa police station in Giza on 14 August 2013, killing 12 policemen and two civilians and mutilating their bodies, attempting to murder 10 other policemen and destroying the police station.

The defendants were also charged with torching several police vehicles and being in possession of heavy firearms during the attack.

The attack on the station followed the forced dispersal of sit-ins in support of ousted Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo in August 2013.



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Hyderabad: Telangana would have a separate budget for agriculture from the next year.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who held a meeting with ministers and officials on agriculture in Hyderabad on Sunday, decided to substantially enhance funds for the agriculture sector and present a separate agriculture budget, a release from his office said on Sunday evening.

Rao also asked the officials to form farmers' associations at various levels -- from villages to the state  to organise the cultivators, it said.

Farmers would be provided training of modern and scientific methods of farming so as to increase the farm output, the release added.
Patna: The Iftar meeting between Lalu and Nitish Kumar on Friday ended without any conclusion and JD (U) remained firm on its previous stand of supporting NDAs presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind.

We have taken a decision on the issue of supporting Mr. Kovind and we are firm on our stand, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said after iftar meeting on Friday.

While justifying his decision to back NDA presidential candidate Mr Kumar said that I have a lot of respect for Meira Kumar but in my view, Bihar ki Beti has been made the nominee only to lose,

The hard-hitting statement was made a day after Lalu Yadav had warned him for making a historical blunder by extending support to Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind.

The statement also hinted that tension between Lalu Yadav and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar was increasingly becoming bigger.

RJD Chief Lalu Yadav had earlier said that JD (U)s decision to support NDA candidate would not affect the grand secular alliance government in Bihar.
Narendra Modis visit to Israel this week, the first by an Indian Prime Minister, is rich in symbolism and full of potential dangers. The symbolism is in India proclaiming to the world that it has very close military and trade ties with a country celebrating 50 years of occupation of Palestinian land, usurping East Jerusalem and most of the West Bank and treating the Palestinian people as serfs.

Mr Modi took out an insurance policy by inviting the leader of the toothless Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, to India last May. But the danger of

Mr Modis venture lies in the vibes of the ruling BJP with the hardline Israeli state; both have an anti-Muslim bias and both believe in the virtues of the stick.

Much has changed since the disastrous 1967 war in which the Arab armies were routed. Israel has quietly pocketed East Jerusalem and usurped more and more land for Israeli settlements on occupied West Bank. It has never been a level playing field for Palestinians because of the traditional bias in favour of Israel of the US establishment and legislators.

Through a series of moves over the decades, including sham peace processes, Palestinians have been traditionally weakened and pushed to the wall. With the death of their charismatic leader Yasser Arafat, who committed his share of mistakes, there has been no real successor. And the Israelis are sitting pretty, Benjamin Netanyahu presiding over the most right-wing government in its history. While making symbolic gestures, he is in no hurry to vacate the occupation. The only thing that worries Israelis is the prospect of Palestinians outnumbering Jews in the not-too-distant future. During his recent visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority, US President Donald Trump has muddied the waters, rather than bring clarity to an old problem.

It is true that the Gulf monarchies have adjusted to the situation by conducting clandestine and not-so-clandestine relations with Israel while maintaining their pro-Palestinian rhetoric. Why should India then fight shy of its close relationship with Israel, it is argued. And there is no dearth of Israels admirers: the former commander of the Northern Command, Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda, making a facile comparison between Indias predicament in Kashmir with the brutal methods Israel uses to subdue Palestinians on their land.

India recently handed Israel a bumper military order and it is true that Israels development of high-end military technology is a good fit for Indias needs. Besides, Israels innovative use of water resources in a largely dry land has important lessons for India.

No foreign policy is set in stone. The geopolitical picture changes  take the breakup of the Soviet Union  and New Delhi, as other world capitals, must adjust to tectonic changes. The latest change India has to take into account is the coming to power in the US of an unpredictable and narcissistic President, Mr Trump.

Mr Modi must therefore take into account the straight and narrow path of mutually advantageous bilateral relations before indulging in flights of fancy on relations between the two countries. He must counter his apprenticeship in his and his partys mentor, the RSS, to judge Israels conduct by international standards without succumbing to the Sangh Parivars open-mouthed admiration for everything Israeli.

The Sangh Parivar is obsessed with one idea: the victorious Mughal and other Muslim invaders who have ruled India over centuries. It was this obsession that led to the regimen of khaki shorts (now mercifully changed to trousers) and the stick as a substitute for a gun, in its obligatory morning drills. It is for the same reason that the RSS pretends that the Mughal period simply does not exist.

However much Mr Modi and his party might dislike the direction of policy charted by the independence movement and Jawaharlal Nehrus secularism in pursuing the countrys course, his direction was based on the then prevailing limitations and needs of the country, apart from his blind spot on China influenced more by sentiment than logic. India has moved on from there, with the Soviet Union broken up, the supreme moment for the US as the sole superpower, the building up of Indian military prowess and Mr Trumps assumption of office giving a fillip to Chinas race for superpower status.

A second caution for Mr Modi during his unique visit will be to keep in mind the fact that Indias traditional policy towards Palestinians is based on the sound fact that they have been dispossessed of their land and freedom on their own land being occupied and usurped, with East Jerusalem, holy to them as to Jews, now being absorbed by Israel.

By the very nature of things, Israel cannot lord over occupied land and a subjugated Palestinian people indefinitely. And the longer Israelis wait to vacate occupied land and give Palestinians their freedom, the more painful will be the process. This is another factor Mr Modi must bear in mind.

I had met Mr Netanyahu in Israel in January 1990 when he was a junior foreign minister on his way to climbing the ladder. A visit by an Indian journalist was something of a curiosity. Mr Netanyahu was eloquent and expansive in giving me his views on his countrys predicament. He told me that if you ran across the breadth of his country, you could reach the other end in a few hours. In other words, the post-1967 borders of Israel were indefensible.

In Israel today, the much-bandied-about two-state solution, with a toothless Palestine becoming independent with its capital in Jerusalem, is now a curiosity. President Trump has aced the discussion by suggesting that he is for a one-state or two-state solution if the two parties agreed.

The choice of a one-state solution strikes at the root of Israeli fears of Jews becoming a minority in the future. And the logical conclusion will be that Israel cannot be both democratic and Jewish in one state, which will become a new form of apartheid rule like the old South Africa.
Air India has made a net loss every year over the past decade, with its overall debt piling up beyond Rs 50,000 cores, and counting. The Union Cabinet was left with no choice but do something as the national carrier bleeds public money. The options before the panel of ministers range from strategic stake sale and retaining management to total privatisation, which could cause interminable delays. The serious issue is to secure the future of AI staff  the workforce of a once-proud airline that was a force to be reckoned with at a time the private sector didnt have the strength to build huge infrastructure in a nascent independent India.

The future of the airline, whose domestic marketshare has been progressively whittled down with the rise of private carriers and possibly devious corruption, is now so suspect that no one wants to throw good money after bad. This lack of faith could make the response to unloading shares on the public fairly lukewarm. Being the national carrier, its future deserves the attention and scrutiny of Parliament as well. Air India simply cant be sold without the panel bringing out a white paper on how losses could run into several billion dollars while Middle Eastern cities became busy aviation hubs revolving mainly around the huge Indian expat traffic. Even today, Air Indias revenue from overseas traffic is twice that of its domestic collections, which is why budget airline Indigo, with the largest marketshare in India, has said its interested in AIs foreign operations. It must be seen if such an offer can be taken up without creating another behemoth that can run out of control, as Air India did.

The first question to answer is whether privatisation can be a panacea for all ills. The private sector has run up far bigger debts in core industries. The second question is what will happen to the employees. If it were to cost a couple of thousand crores to retire all the staff, so be it, as this is cheaper than keeping a workforce going as in other loss-making PSUs. Even in nations where market forces are more evolved as in Europe, there is space for public enterprises. But that means Air India has to be a well-run airline for it to be supported like the navaratnas. The ideal solution is, of course, to sell the profit-making parts of Air India, like its engineering division, to bring down the debt, write some more off and then offer the airline alone for privatisation, provided, of course, that staffers are looked after. There is no silver bullet solution to a behemoth that has been run into the ground. Deep thinking is required before finding the correct method to disband the airline, with the symbolically prosperous Maharaja as its icon.
Cyber security firms are trying to piece together who was behind the computer worm, dubbed NotPetya by some experts, which conked out computers, hit banks, disrupted shipping and shut down a chocolate factory in Australia. (Representational image)

Ukraine said on Saturday that Russian security services were involved in a recent cyber attack on the country, with the aim of destroying important data and spreading panic.

The SBU, Ukraine's state security service, said the attack, which started in Ukraine and spread around the world on Tuesday, was by the same hackers who attacked the Ukrainian power grid in December 2016. Ukrainian politicians were quick to blame Russia for Tuesday's attack, but a Kremlin spokesman dismissed "unfounded blanket accusations".

Cyber security firms are trying to piece together who was behind the computer worm, dubbed NotPetya by some experts, which conked out computers, hit banks, disrupted shipping and shut down a chocolate factory in Australia.

The attack also hit major Russian firms, leading some cyber security researchers to suggest that Moscow was not behind it.

The malicious code in the virus encrypted data on computers, and demanded victims pay a $300 ransom, similar to the extortion tactic used in a global WannaCry ransomware attack in May. But Ukrainian officials and some security experts say the ransomware feature was likely a smokescreen.

Relations between Ukraine and Russia went into freefall after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the subsequent outbreak of a Kremlin-backed separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine that has killed more than 10,000 people.

Hacking Ukrainian state institutions is part of what Ukraine says is a "hybrid war" by Russia on Kiev. Russia denies sending troops or military equipment to eastern Ukraine.

"The available data, including those obtained in cooperation with international antivirus companies, give us reason to believe that the same hacking groups are involved in the attacks, which in December 2016 attacked the financial system, transport and energy facilities of Ukraine using TeleBots and BlackEnergy," the SBU said.

"This testifies to the involvement of the special services of Russian Federation in this attack."

The SBU in an earlier statement on Friday said it had seized equipment it said belonged to Russian agents in May and June to launch cyber attacks against Ukraine and other countries.

Referencing the $300 ransomware demand, the SBU said "the virus is cover for a large-scale attack on Ukraine. This is evidenced by a lack of a real mechanism for taking possession of the funds ... enrichment was not the aim of the attack."

"The main purpose of the virus was the destruction of important data, disrupting the work of public and private institutions in Ukraine and spreading panic among the people."

A cyber attack in December on a Ukrainian state energy computer caused a power cut in the northern part of the capital Kiev.

The Russian foreign ministry and Federal Security Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the latest allegations.

Russian oil major Rosneft was one of the first companies to reveal it had been compromised by the virus and sources told Reuters on Thursday computers at state gas giant Gazprom had also been infected.

The SBU's accusations chime with some of the findings of the cyber security firm ESET in Slovakia, which said in research published online on Friday that the Telebots group -- which has links to BlackEnergy -- was behind the attack.

"Collecting ransom money was never the top priority for the TeleBots group," it said, suggesting Ukraine was the target but the virus spread globally as "affected companies in other countries had VPN connections to their branches, or to business partners, in Ukraine."

"The TeleBots group continues to evolve in order to conduct disruptive attacks against Ukraine," it said.

"Prior to the outbreak, the Telebots group targeted mainly the financial sector. The latest outbreak was directed against businesses in Ukraine, but they apparently underestimated the malware' spreading capabilities. That's why the malware went out of control."

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Samsung said that it would only sell 400,000 units in the South Korean market.

Samsung has announced that it will start selling the refurbished Galaxy Note 7 smartphone from July 7. There are reports that the smartphone will be dubbed as the Galaxy Note 7 FE, where FE stands for Fandom Edition.

Samsung said that it would only sell 400,000 units in the South Korean market. The company is yet to confirm its release in other markets. The device will be selling at a price of 699,000 KRW ($611) domestically, which is almost half the price of the original version ($1000).

Samsung chose to go with a smaller battery this time around, possibly down to 3200mAh from 3500mAh. The smaller battery size will avoid the cell compression issue, resulting in a safer mobile experience.

"The latest launch of the Galaxy Note FE... has a significant meaning as an environment-friendly project that minimised the waste of resources," Samsung said in a statement.

Samsung is also expected to unveil the next iteration of the Note series, the Galaxy Note 8. If the rumours are to be believed, the Galaxy Note 8 will boast a host of new features including a dual camera setup and a new processing unit with more RAM, all packed in a slim bezel-less design.

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Bamako: French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mali on Sunday to consolidate Western backing for a regional anti-jihadist force, with France urging greater support for the Sahel region amid mounting insecurity.

The so-called "G5 Sahel" countries just south of the Sahara Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger have pledged to fight jihadists on their own soil with instability and Islamist attacks on the rise.

Macron is joining the heads of state of these nations in Bamako for a special summit where France's full support for the force will be announced, with a focus expected on providing equipment.

With its base in Sevare, central Mali, the 5,000-strong G5 Sahel force aims to bolster the 12,000 UN peacekeepers and France's own 4,000-strong military operation known as Barkhane operating in the region.

He is also expected to make the case for extra backing from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States which already has a drone base in Niger beyond a pledge of 50 million euros (USD 57.2 million) by the European Union.

Serge Michailof, a researcher at the Paris-based IRIS institute, described the EU contribution as "a joke" in the context of the EU's "very deep pockets".

"This force is going to cost USD 300-400 million at the very least," he told, and would be especially difficult for certain nations involved which are already "choking" on military spending.

The question of funding is sensitive as Chad's leader Idriss Deby has said that for budgetary reasons his troops cannot serve simultaneously at such high numbers in the UN peacekeeping mission and also in the new force.

Deby and Macron are due to meet on the margins of the Bamako summit to discuss the issue, according the French presidency, as Chad's military is widely viewed as the strongest of the five Sahel nations.

Macron visited Gao in northern Mali in May, his first foreign visit as president outside Europe, and said French troops would remain "until the day there is no more Islamic terrorism in the region".

France launched an intervention to chase out jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda who had overtaken key northern cities in Mali in 2013. That mission evolved into the current Barkhane deployment launched in 2014 with an expanded mandate for counter-terror operations across the Sahel.

The new Sahel force will support national armies trying to catch jihadists across porous frontiers, and will work closely with Barkhane. Operations across Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, all hit with frequent jihadist attacks, will be co-ordinated with French troops, a source in the French presidency told earlier this week, while help would be given to set up command centres.

Macron's visit came as Al-Qaeda's Mali branch released a proof-of-life video of six foreign hostages, including Frenchwoman Sophie Petronin who was abducted in late 2016 in the northern Malian town of Gao.
26-year-old Shatory Irving was three months pregnant at the time of the assault and was brutally attacked by Woody. (Photo: Videograb)

Roanoke (US): A man in the United States was sentenced to eight years in prison, this week, for viciously beating up his pregnant girlfriend and severely wounding her.

According to a report in Daily Mail, 26-year-old Shatory Irving was three months pregnant at the time of the assault and was brutally attacked by her boyfriend, 35-year-old Jamar Bernard Woody at a convenience store in Roanoke, Virginia.

As seen in CCTV footage taken from the store, Irving was also reliant on crutches due to a broken ankle. The accused also allegedly injured her so badly that a part of her skull was exposed.

In the incident that took place in June 2016, Woody first punched Irving, making her lose her balance and fall on the ground. He then proceeded to kick her repeatedly, as the cashier attempted to stop him.

Judge Chris Clemens handed the sentence to Woody in January 2017 which would include an order for psychiatric treatment.
The Trump administration has been growing increasingly exasperated with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's regime, which has staged a barrage of missile tests in recent months. (Photo: AP)

Washington: President Donald Trump will speak by telephone with the leaders of China and Japan on Sunday, in talks likely to be dominated by North Korea's nuclear drive and the threats posed by its belligerent leadership.

The Trump administration has been growing increasingly exasperated with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's regime, which has staged a barrage of missile tests in recent months.

Trump had been pinning his hopes on China -- North Korea's main diplomatic ally -- to bring pressure to bear on Pyongyang, but declared last week that their efforts had failed.

He has presented sanctions as the best way to proceed with the hermit state, opting for that approach over dialogue with the regime.

On Sunday, Trump will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping at 8:45 pm local time (0045 GMT Monday) and with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at 8:00 pm.

During talks with South Korean leader Moon Jae-In -- who has pushed for a policy of engagement with Pyongyang -- on Friday, Trump called for a "determined response" to the North. But the pair failed to map out a joint strategy on how to respond to North Korean threats.

"The era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed, many years it has failed. Frankly, that patience is over," Trump said.

There was also deep anger in the United States after Otto Warmbier, an American student who was detained in North Korea on a tourist trip around 18 months ago, was returned home in a coma earlier this month. He died several days later.
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike smiles as she adds another green rosette on the name of an elected candidate of her new party, Tomin First no Kai, or Tokyoites First Party, while waiting for the result of Sunday's city assembly election in Tokyo. (Photo: AP)

Tokyo: Embattled Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's conservative party was set for a major defeat in the Tokyo assembly election Sunday, exit polls showed, as he struggles with a series of setbacks and scandals that have driven down his popularity at the national level.

Former TV anchorwoman Yuriko Koike, who was elected the city's governor in a landslide last year, was expected to seize a comfortable majority of the 127-seat Tokyo assembly, which the ruling Liberal Democratic Party previously controlled but is now bracing for a historic defeat.

While the vote is local, it serves as an important indicator of national political sentiment. "Forces supporting Koike projected to take majority" of the chamber, national broadcaster NHK said immediately after voting ended at 8:00 pm (1100 GMT).

"The LDP set for serious defeat," and may reduce its seats to a historic low, NHK said. The broadcaster projected that a coalition under Koike would win 73 to 85 seats in the chamber.

The LDP was projected to drop from 57 to less than 38 seats the lowest number of seats the conservative party had held in the capital since 2009.

Koike, who has also served as defence and environment minister, has approval ratings topping 60 percent and is already been spoken of by analysts as a potential future prime minister, as Abe battles a cronyism scandal.

The energetic 64-year-old quit the LDP last month to lead the newly-formed Tomin First no Kai (Tokyo Residents First). Koike has pledged to rein in overspending on the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and has upended political convention by allowing television cameras into what were traditionally closed-door city government meeting.

She managed to forge an alliance with the Komeito party, a Buddhist-backed moderate group that has long sided with Abe in national politics. "I am grateful that people of Tokyo have affirmed our achievements so far," Koike said in televised remarks as media began forecasting her massive win. "This is the moment when we reinstate reasonable, common-sense politics in Tokyo," she said.

A total of 259 candidates ran for seats in the male-dominated chamber that administers the city of nearly 14 million people. The vote came as Abe, who was elected prime minister in late 2012, suffers a series of setbacks and faces loud criticism for ramming controversial and unpopular legislation through parliament.

In the last week, his defence minister Tomomi Inada was in hot water over remarks she made at a local LDP rally. She asked for voters' support and said it was a request from her ministry and the Self-Defense Forces, Japan's military.

The SDF is supposed to be politically neutral, and Inada retracted the remark. Abe, 62, is also under fire over allegations he showed favouritism to a friend in a business deal.

The claims come a few months after the conservative premier was forced to deny he had connections to the controversial director of a school which had purchased government land at a huge discount and counted Abe's wife as its honorary principal.

LDP's Tokyo chief Hakubun Shimomura, a national lawmaker, admitted "misspoken words" and other mistakes cost the party the election. "This is very tough. Beyond what we expected," Shimomura said NHK. "We will reflect on this and we will make efforts at national politics to regain trust of the Japanese public and Tokyo public," he said. It provided a sharp contrast with the last Tokyo election in 2013, when all of the LDP's 57 candidates won seats as Abe rode high in the polls and pushed a plan to kickstart Japan's long-slumbering economy.

A recent poll by public broadcaster NHK showed Abe's government had a 48 percent support rating, down three percentage points from a month earlier. His disapproval rating rose six percentage points to 36 percent, the survey showed.

Many Tokyo residents have applauded her approach to shaking up the conservative local political establishment. "From what I see, the Tokyo assembly (dominated by the LDP) is seriously old fashioned and needs to change," said voter Yoshikazu Niwa, 67, who voiced his support for Koike.
Prime Minister Sherif Ismail will head Egypt's delegation at the 29th African Union Heads of State Summit  which will start on Monday in Addis Ababa  on behalf of President-Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

El-Sisi will not participate in the summit because of its change of schedule from late July to early July, as the president will be in Hungary to attend another summit at the time.

This year's African summit will be held under the slogan Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth, with member nations sharing their experiences of empowering young people and preparing them for the future.

The issues to be discussed at the summit include foreign intervention in African countries, including Libya.

The headquarters of the African Union is located in Addis Abba.

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Manila: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has threatened to jail critics of his use of martial law in the violence-wracked south, days before the Supreme Court is set to rule on its legality this week.

Duterte declared military rule across the region of Mindanao, home to about 20 million people, in late May to quell what he said was a fast-growing threat from the Islamic State (IS) group there.

The Philippine leader has insisted he would ignore the findings of the court, which has constitutional oversight, vowing only to listen to recommendations from the armed forces.

"It's not dependent on the whim of the Supreme Court. Should I believe them? When I see the situation is still chaotic and you ask me to lift it? I will arrest you and put you behind bars," Duterte said in a speech before local officials on Saturday. "We can talk of anything else and make compromises maybe but not when the interest of my country is at stake."

Government forces are continuing to battle militants occupying the city of Marawi, with aerial bombardment and ferocious street-to-street combat that has left some 400 people dead and forced nearly 400,000 people in the wider area to flee their homes.

Duterte has faced a backlash from opposition lawmakers, who last month asked the Supreme Court to reject the declaration of martial law, which they have slammed as unconstitutional.

The 1987 constitution imposes limits on martial law to prevent a repeat of the abuses under dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was deposed by a famous "People Power" revolution the previous year.

The charter allows the Supreme Court to review the factual basis for proclaiming martial law, which is limited to an initial period of 60 days. If a president decides to extend martial law, congress can review and revoke it.
The consulate said it had been contacting the owners and agents for settlement of the dues, provision of food, water and fuel, request for sign off, it added. (Photo: File/Representational)

Dubai: About 100 Indian sailors aboard 22 ships have been stranded in UAE waters and have sought the help of the Indian Consulate General in Dubai, according to a media report.

Citing the Indian Consul General of Dubai, Vipul, the Gulf News said that the number of distress calls from Indian sailors stranded in UAE waters had hit its peak this summer.

"We are currently dealing with cases of 22 ships. There are 97 Indians aboard these vessels," the diplomat said. Though the exact number of crew members belonging to other nationalities is not available with the Indian Consulate, the mission said there are sailors from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Myanmar and Pakistan also on these ships.

"Outstanding salary, non-availability of food, fresh water, fuel, harsh living conditions and no sign-off after the contract period are the major concerns voiced by the sailors," the mission said in reply to questions by the paper.

Majority of the sailors have complained about not being paid by their employers for several months. They have also sought to sign off and fly home after receiving payment of their pending dues, the paper said.

The consulate said it had been contacting the owners and agents for settlement of the dues, provision of food, water and fuel, request for sign off, it added.

The mission has helped repatriate 36 sailors from six ships MV Gulf Pearl, MV Ayah, Enjaz 2, MV Salem, MVRock and Al Hamad 1 in the past few weeks, the daily said.

In some cases, the Consulate has been providing food, water and even fuel and recharge of their mobile phones, it added.

Vipul said the mission had been taking up the issues of the stranded sailors, case by case, with the relevant authorities. "We alone cannot solve their problems, especially related to their pending salaries," he explained.

He also urged Indian seafarers to conduct proper checks on the credibility and financial status of shipping companies before joining them to avoid such situations.

Girish Pant, an Indian social worker, who has been closely working with the consulate in aiding the stranded sailors, said the growing number of such cases is a big concern that authorities need to address immediately.

"I would like to request authorities to take strict action against such companies owners and agents. Most of them are not showing any humanitarian consideration to these sailors who have been stuck without salaries, food and water.

"The situation on some of these ships is really pathetic. Without fuel to operate the generator, they are suffering a lot in this scorching summer," he was quoted as saying by the Gulf paper.

Sailors from a couple of vessels have also been stranded in UAE waters following fire accidents on their ships. Vipul said the consulate facilitated the repatriation of 13 such crew members of MSV Al Hamd1, which was gutted in a fire on April 22 near Sharjah port just in time for Eid al Fitr.

"The ship had caught fire in Sharjah, somewhere near the port, a day or two before the crew were to dock. The case was first brought to our notice through India Club, Dubai about two weeks back," he said.

The crew was all from Kutch, Gujarat. The owner also belonged to Gujarat. Vipul said the mission contacted the state government to put pressure on the owner of the vessel.

"Finally, he contributed a portion of the ticket fare for sending them back home. We funded the rest of the amount and facilitated their journey by issuing emergency (exit) certificates."

He said the consulate was also following up on five other Indian sailors, who survived the blast in MT Rojean which killed one sailor on May 13.
Car bombing attacks have been rare in Damascus, the seat of power for President Bashar Assad. (Photo: Representational/AP)

Damascus: A series of car bomb explosions rocked Syria's capital Sunday, killing at least eight people and wounding 12, as officials claimed to have foiled a plot to target crowded areas during the first morning commute after a Muslim holiday.

State media said a suicide car bomber detonated his payload after being surrounded by security forces, and that two other car bombs were intercepted before entering the city, suggesting those blasts were controlled detonations.

Damascus Governor Bashr al-Sabban said two attackers were stopped before rush hour at security checkpoints on the airport road at the entrance to the city, where forces "dealt with them," without elaborating. He said the attackers were heading to the city center where they hoped to cause maximum damage.

The Syrian Minister of Local Administration, Hussein Makhlouf, said the response marked a "major success in foiling a plot" to cause mass casualties.

Syrian state TV reported the toll, without saying whether those killed and wounded were security forces or civilians.

The attack came on the first full work day after the Eid al-Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Such attacks have been relatively rare in Damascus, the seat of power for President Bashar Assad, who made a series of public appearances last week in a show of increased confidence after more than six years of battling a rebellion.

Pro-government forces have engaged in heavy fighting in Damascus' suburbs during the war, but have largely kept the rebels out of the city center.

In recent days, Syrian troops and allied forces have been fighting to drive the rebels out of Ain Terma and adjacent Jobar, on the city's eastern outskirts, areas controlled by insurgents since the start of the conflict in 2011.

Footage on state TV from the scene of one explosion, along the road to the airport, showed at least two scorched vehicles. The closed-off street was littered with debris, while security men roamed the area.

Footage from near Tahreer Square in central Damascus showed the facade of one building badly damaged, and mangled vehicles parked in the small roundabout.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-run monitoring group, also reported the three explosions. It put the death toll at 12, including three attackers.

The attacks come days before Russian-sponsored talks are to resume in the Kazakh capital, Astana, where the two sides agreed to a cease-fire earlier this year that has been repeatedly violated.

The new round of talks is expected to delineate "de-escalation zones." Russian officials said the talks are also to discuss the formation of a Syrian national reconciliation committee.
The attack was carried out on a gathering of the militia forces in Chemtal district. (Photo: Representational/File)

Kabul: Heavily armed Taliban insurgents stormed a mosque in northern Balkh province of Afghanistan, killing at least 13 people in an attack claimed by the Taliban.

The incident took place on Saturday in the vicinity of Chemtal district. The provincial public health officials confirmed that the bodies of thirteen people, riddled with bullets, were shifted to Ibn-e-Sina hospital.

The Taliban group spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed that an attack was carried out on a gathering of the militia forces in Chemtal district, Khaama Press reported.

As soon as the Taliban entered the mosque intense clashes erupted which Zabiullah claimed that twelve people including three commanders of the local militia forces were killed and another one was wounded.

Mujahid also claimed that several weapons, ammunition, and grenades were also seized during the clashes.

Rejecting the claims by the Taliban insurgents, MP representing the northern Balkh province in the parliament Gulalai Noor Sapai said that all those killed in the attack are ordinary civilians and had no links with the government or security institutions.

The local residents are saying that the deceased individuals were having links with a former Jihadi leader.
Doha: Defiant Qatar has said it does not fear any military retaliation for refusing to meet a Monday deadline to comply with a list of demands from four Arab states that have imposed a de-facto blockade on the Gulf nation.

Qatars foreign minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said that the 13 demands from Saudi Arabia and several of its allies were designed to be spurned.

The list of demands is made to be rejected, Sheikh Mohammed said.

Everyone is aware that these demands are meant to infringe the sovereignty of the state of Qatar, he said at a news conference in Rome after meeting his Italian counterpart. The state of Qatar... is rejecting it as a principle, he said.

We are willing to engage in providing the proper conditions for further dialogue.

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt announced on June 5 they were severing ties with their Gulf neighbour, sparking the worst diplomatic crisis to hit the region in decades.

They accused Doha of supporting extremism and of being too close to regional archrival Iran, which Qatar has strongly denied.

There is no fear from whatever action would be taken; Qatar is prepared to face whatever consequences, the Qatari foreign minister said in Rome, adding there is an international law that should not be violated and there is a border that should not be crossed.

We believe the world is governed by international laws, that dont allow big countries to bully small countries,
India on Saturday asked Pakistan to grant consular access to its national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and sabotage activities. (Photo: Videograb/File)

Lahore: Pakistan Foreign Office on Sunday rejected India's demand for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav for the 18th time, saying New Delhi is trying to deny the facts by calling Jadhav an ordinary prisoner.

A statement by the Pakistan Foreign Office affirmed that Jadhav was sent to Pakistan by Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and many innocent Pakistanis were killed by him.

The Foreign Office further asked India to act upon the bilateral agreement on consular access instead of levelling accusations on Pakistan, Dunya News reported.

India on Saturday asked Pakistan to grant consular access to its national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and sabotage activities.

India had moved the International court of Justice against the death penalty and the ICJ in its verdict on May 18 had restrained Pakistan for executing Jadhav.

Meanwhile, India argued that Pakistan had not granted India consular access, nor had accepted his family's appeals.

The court has asked India to make its submission in the case by September 13 and Pakistan by December 13.

Pakistan had also earlier said that Jadhav will not be executed till he "exhausts all his mercy appeals."

Both countries also exchanged lists of nationals lodged in the jails of the other country, in consistent with the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access between both the neighbouring countries.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in this statement stated that, "India remains committed to addressing on priority all humanitarian matters with Pakistan, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen. In this context, we await from Pakistan confirmation of nationality of those in India's custody who are otherwise eligible for release and repatriation."
Infosys, the second-largest IT services company, on Saturday, announced the appointment of D Sundaram as an independent director of the company with effect from July 14.



The appointment is based on the recommendations of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee of the Board, the company said in a statement.



Sundaram, who is currently the vice chairman and MD of TVS Capital Funds Ltd, is a Fellow of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants, India and holds a Masters degree in Management Studies.



Infosys Board Chairman R Seshasayee said he is delighted to welcome Sundaram to the Board of Infosys. He brings extensive experience in the field of finance and strategy execution. I am sure that the Board will immensely benefit from his expertise, he said.



Sundaram joined Unilever Group in 1975 and served in various leadership capacities in Unilever Group in a career spanning over 34 years, including Director of Finance & IT, and Vice Chairman of Hindustan Unilever Limited.



Other independent directors on the board of Infosys include John W Etchemendy (Stanford University's Provost), Roopa Kudva (former MD and CEO, Crisil), Dr Punita Kumar-Sinha (former Senior MD of Blackstone) and Jeffrey Sean Lehman (vice chancellor of NYU Shanghai).


The crime branch of the Mumbai Police today arrested all the six accused in the death of Byculla prison inmate Manju Shette.



Those arrested have been identified as Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikde, a senior crime branch official told PTI.



Police had registered a case of murder against the jail officials and staff in connection with the death of the inmate, he said.



Shette (45) died at the government-run J J Hospital on June 23 after being allegedly beaten up by the jail officials and staff as she had failed to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread, which were distributed by her to the inmates, the official said.



Naikde was arrested in the afternoon, while the other accused were arrested later, said the official. All the six accused were already suspended by the jail department.



After Shette's death, around 200 prisoners began a protest on June 24 for their demands, including allowing the media inside the jail premises.



During the protest some of the inmates went to the prison's roof, while others made a bonfire with newspapers and other documents inside the premises to express their anger.



Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was among the 200 inmates of the Byculla jail who were booked by police for rioting and other offences after they staged a protest over Shette's death.
India's largest container port JNPT has initiated steps, including a special IT audit and staff training by a Big 4 consultancy firm, to prevent cyber attacks like the one that crippled the operations of one of its terminals last week.



One of the terminals at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) was impacted by a malware attack last month.



"Our IT systems have been found to be very secure but to prevent any such situation in the future, we need to be very careful," a senior port official told PTI.



The port has given the go-ahead for an inspection of the IT systems to plug any loopholes and also undertaking a safety training programme for the staff, the official said.



Consultancy firm EY approached the port to work on a pro-bono basis to conduct the IT audit and also staff training, the official said, adding a decision has been taken to let them start with the same.



Notably, National Cyber Security Advisor Gulshan Rai had rushed to the port following the impact on operations due to issues at the privately-operated GTI Terminal.



The official said Rai was satisfied with the network security when he took a review of the same during the visit.



GTI's parent AP Moller Maersk was one of the impacted entities in the last week's global cyber attack which compromised IT systems, leading to disruptions at its assets across the world.



Other affected entities in the attack, which comes within a month of the similar ransomware 'Wannacry' attacks, were banks in Ukraine including the central bank and advertising giant WPP, among others.



The official said import consignments are coming to the port through the GTI terminal, while for exports, the other two terminals operated by DP World and JNPT itself are pooling in the resources.



The APM Group had earlier said in a statement that it moved to manual mode of operations to handle the vessels on hand.



"The operations are limited currently to discharging import cargo through container freight station partners and addressing special export cargo such as perishables," its senior director Julian Bevis had said.



"We are making good progress towards restoring our infrastructure and working with world-leading cyber-crime agencies to be able to serve customers in full," he said.



The three terminals at JNPT handle nearly half of the country's container cargo. The GTI Terminal, which has a capacity of 1.8 million standard container units, alone handles 4,500 containers per day.
Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed on Sunday during a meeting in Cairo with a US congressional delegation the necessity of taking clear and decisive actions against countries that support terrorism logistically and financially.

The delegation was led by Republican senator and Chairman of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe Roger Wicker.

The meeting, which saw discussion of a number of regional issues, was attended by Egypt's Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry, according to presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef.

President El-Sisi expressed Cairo's vision on solving crises in the region, particularly in Libya and Syria, which primarily involves "preserving the national institutions of these countries and maintaining the sovereignty and unity of their peoples", the spokesman said.

"The president vowed to enhance cooperation between Egypt and the United States on issues of mutual interest," Youssef added.

"On the Palestinian-Israeli peace process, the president stressed the necessity of achieving a two-state solution, which would create a new atmosphere of stability and peace in the region."
A gang-rape survivor, who had also been attacked with acid on two occasions in the past, was again sprayed with acid near a women's hostel in the state capital.



According to the police sources here, the woman, who worked at a coffee shop operated by acid attack survivors and lived at the hostel, was allegedly attacked with acid when she came out of the hostel on Saturday evening for some work.



The victim shouted for help but the attackers managed to make good their escape after perpetrating the crime, the police said.



The woman, who suffered burn injuries on her face and neck, was admitted to the Trauma Centre in the KG Medical University Hospital, where her condition was stated to be critical.



Police said that two persons had been taken into custody from Raebareilly district in connection with the incident.



Incidentally it was the third acid attack on the woman, who had also been gang raped by two people in 2008 in Raebareilly following a property dispute.



The woman was attacked with acid by unidentified miscreants in 2013 again in Raebareilly. She was again allegedly forced to drink acid while travelling in a train to the state capital in March this year. The victim had lodged a written complaint in this connection with the police then.



UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had visited the woman in the hospital then and had also provided her financial assistance. Two police gunners had also been deployed in her security. The gunners were later withdrawn.



Police said that they were investigating the matter. Sources in the police said that the attack might have been connected with the ongoing property dispute involving her in Raebareilly.


A local BJP leader was among two persons arrested while another person surrendered in court in connection with the lynching of a meat trader in Ramgarh district recently, police said.



Nityanand Mahato, the local BJP leader, and Santosh Singh were arrested in the case. Another accused Chhotu Rana surrendered in Ramgarh court, Superintendent of Police Kishore Kaushal said yesterday. Police have also taken a man into custody for interrogation.

A 40-year-old meat trader, a resident of village Manua in Hazaribagh district, was beaten to death by a mob on Thursday on suspicion that he was carrying beef in his vehicle. The mob also set the vehicle on fire. The incident took place at Bazaartand locality of Ramgarh town.



The district administration had deployed additional security forces and imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC in view of the tension on Friday last.Though the situation in Ramgarh limped back to normal, security forces are still present all 33 sensitive joints of the district.



The incident in Ramgarh took place just a couple of days after a mob attacked and injured a man in Giridih district on suspicion that he had slaughtered a cow.
A push for construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya is likely to gain momentum from Guru Poornima next week when saints gather at the Naradanand Ashram in Sitapur to chalk out a roadmap in this regard.



"Saints from different akhadas of Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states will be assembling at the ashram to discuss and deliberate on the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya," Swami Vidya Chetanaiya Maharaj, who heads the Nardanand Ashram (in Sitapur), said.



"Guru Poornima is on July 9 and it will mark the beginning of a campaign to gather support from not only the saints, but also from the common public for construction of the Ram temple," he told PTI.



Referring to his June 27 meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Chetanaiya Maharaj said, "We are confident that the commencement of construction of a grand Ram temple will begin well before 2019."



The 58-year-old saint also informed that after the Guru Poornima rituals are completed in Naradanand Ashram, he will embark on a special rath (chariot) and travel to different ashrams in the state, and also in the neighbouring states of Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand to elicit support for construction of the temple.



"After nearly one-and-a-half months, I will be returning to the ashram. And, then the final roadmap will take shape," he said.



President of the Rashtriya Kisan Manch, Shekhar Dixit, said until and unless the condition of 'rishi' (saints) and 'krishi' (agriculture) is improved, and problems addressed, "dawn of Ram Rajya in India will always remain a distant dream".



"Both rishi and krishi are an asset to the nation, and if their interests are not taken care of, then this will definitely not augur well for the country as a whole."



Dixit went on to say, "A large number of saints and farmers face threat from the land mafia, which tries to grab their land. If the Uttar Pradesh government intervenes, and sends the land mafia behind bars, then it will set a right precedent."



He added that on Guru Poornima, the volunteers of Rashtriya Kisan Manch will take a pledge to dedicate themselves to resolve these problems.



"We will work tirelessly, and continue to do so till the last farmer gets justice," he said.



He was also of the view that time has come for construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi today accused the BJP of reverting to its "original agenda" by raising issues like Ram temple and cow protection as it had failed to deliver on its poll promises of economic revival and job creation.



The Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad also said that a law banning cow slaughter across the country, as mooted by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, cannot be formulated as the matter was a state subject.



"All this cow, Ram Mandir (issues) are part and parcel of the BJP (agenda). Basically, the aim and objective is to make India a 'Hindu Rashtra'," Owaisi alleged while talking to PTI here.



"The BJP has completely failed to provide jobs... (They had) promised creation of two crore jobs a year. They have failed to revive the economy.



"You have seen lot of ceasefire violations (by Pakistan). These are the core issues where the BJP has failed to deliver. So they have reverted back to their original agenda," Owaisi alleged.



While the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has reportedly started stock-piling stones for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, BJP MP from Unnao Sakshi Maharaj recently said the date of construction would be finalised at a religious congregation scheduled in November in Karnataka.



To a question regarding a recent proposal to set up 'cow sanctuaries' and initiating a 'Project Cow' on the lines on 'Project Tiger', Owaisi said India has 550 million farm animals but there was only 40 per cent fodder for them.



"So where and how is the (remaining) 60 per cent going to be created? Are you going to create forests," he asked.



"Urbanisation is the phenomena all over the world. We have only 40 per cent fodder for 550 million farm animals. Where are you going to get the fodder from? Are you going to import it?



"We have high malnutrition among children. We are not able to provide nutrition to our children. More than 40 per cent of the children have stunted growth," Owaisi said.



When asked about Swamy's recent statement that the government will bring in a law banning cow slaughter across the country, Owaisi said constitutionally, it cannot be done because the matter is a state subject.
BJP president Amit Shah has come out in defence of the Modi government which is facing opposition's onslaught for mob lynching under the garb of cow-protection.



After Prime Minister Narendra Modi had condemned killings by cow protectors, President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday took a jibe at mob justice and wondered whether people are vigilant enough to guard constitution.



Addressing a group of professional during his Goa visit, Amit Shah said more lynching took place in previous regimes but that did not arouse questions. "I do not want to compare and undermine the current incidents of lynching. I am also serious about it. But there have been more lynching incidents in 2011, 2012 and 2013...There have been more lynchings each year in the past, compared to the total lynching incidents that have happened during our three-year-long tenure," the BJP chief stated. The NDA came to power in May 2014.



He also denied that a fear had engulfed minority community due to physical assaults under the cover of cow worship.



"Do you know of any such incident where arrests have not been made? I do not have any answer to apprehensions. There is no apprehension anywhere in the country," he said.



The BJP president argued that it has become a "fashion" to blame Modi government for everything even though law and order is a state subject. He quoted the example of Mohammad Akhlaq's death in Greater Nodia and stated that it was the responsibility of the Samajwadi Party-led government in UP to take action.



"But protests are held in Delhi in front of the Narendra Modi government. What is this fashion," he wondered.



Meanwhile, a local BJP leader, NitynandMahto, was among three arrested on charges of thrashing to death a meat trader in Ramgarh area of Jharkhand on June 29.



After the Modi expressed his anguish, chief ministers of BJP ruled states have sent out clear message that people cannot take law and order in their hand to execute saffron agenda.
India's small community of Jews is looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel -- the first ever by an Indian Premier -- hoping that it will lead to Jews being granted a minority status in India.



Some 6,000 Indian Jews live in the country, which has been home to the community for the past 2,000 years. Jews are spread across cities in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala and Gujarat, apart from Delhi.



The community says while they have never faced any form of discrimination in India because of their religion, a minority status for Jews is among their foremost expectations from the Prime Minister's visit, which starts on July 4.



"We look forward to the PM's visit and hope that a minority status is conferred upon the community," says Ezekiel Markel, priest at the Judah Hyam Synagogue in Delhi, the only synagogue in the National Capital.



He says that in Maharashtra, Jews have been recognised as a minority, and a similar step should be taken at the central level. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and Jains are currently notified as minority communities.



The community, he adds, has not faced anti-semiticism in India.



"For us, India is out motherland. We are Indians first and Jews second. If Israel is in our hearts, India is in our blood," he says.



His views are echoed by Queenie Hallegua, one of the last five Israeli Jews inhabiting the Mattacherry locality in Kochi. Jews who chose to move to Israel did not leave India because of persecution, she stresses.



"They were all very happy, they were all well settled. But they desired to live in their own country and die there," she says.



Navras J Aafreedi, an assistant professor at Presidency University in Kolkata, stresses the need for more direct flights between India and Israel.



"I want that during this visit both the countries should take initiatives to start more direct flights from India to Israel, so that it becomes easier for us to visit our families and friends there," says Aafreedi, adding that there are about 26 Jewish families left in Kolkata.





Modi's Israel trip, besides strengthening ties on the defence, agriculture and medical fronts, should lead to enhanced cultural exchanges between the two countries, Jonathan Solomon, chairman of the Indian Jewish Federation in Mumbai, says.



"We feel honoured that our Prime Minister should take the trouble of visiting a small country. It speaks volumes about his intentions and of the goodwill that the two nations share," he adds.



The Mumbai-based advocate says that he expects New Delhi to render "all possible help" in preserving the community's links with Israel.



"The next generations should know the rich history that binds Jews in Israel and India," he says.



Markel believes that while Jews are "a microscopic minority community, a drop in the ocean" in India, their contribution to the country's development in agriculture, cinema, medical science and other fields must be recalled.



He also hopes that the visit will lead to increased student exchange programmes to enable the younger generation to "learn about the cultures and teachings in both the countries".



An improved "people to people contact" between the two countries is also what Ian Zachariah, a Kolkata-based retired advertising executive, hopes for.



Hallegua of Mattacherry says that her relatives in Israel have told her that over 4,000 people of Indian origin are expected to attend the PM's meeting with Indian Jews there.



"That is something wonderful. They have made arrangements from every state.

Names and phone numbers of people from every state have been given so that those who wish to attend the meeting can be transported to the venue," she says.

Asked why she did not leave for Israel when her relatives did, she says, "You have to learn Hebrew, which is difficult. And I am too old to start life there. I am happy here."
A senior Jet Airways official has been arrested from New Delhi on land grabbing charges, police said here.



Avneet Singh Bedi, posted in Mumbai as Jet Airways' chief security officer, was arrested last night from his Panchsheel Park residence in south Delhi based on a complaint by the Joint Municipal Commissioner, Ghaziabad, Arun Kumar Gupta.



The complaint alleged that Bedi, a retired Army colonel, grabbed 945 square metres of government land in Chikamberpur village on the Delhi-UP border.



A part of the land, measuring 532 square metres, was rented out to a transport company and he used the rest of it as an approach road to enter the transport godown, Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar said.



On the directives of Chief Minster Yogi Adityanath, the administration has launched a drive to check land grabbing and is taking action against criminals, the officer said.

A spokesperson of the airline said it "does not comment on personal matters of its executives/employees".
Air India's largest employees' union will hold its general body meeting here this week to "organise its members for a movement" against the government's decision to privatise the debt-ridden national carrier.



The Air Corporations Employees' Union (ACEU) is also planning to meet a group of ministers to be set up by the government to look into the disinvestment of its stake in the airline.

The ACEU is a grouping of Air India's non-technical staff and comprises nearly 8,000 of the total 21,137 employees.



"The meeting will be held to enlighten the rank and file about the privatisation of Air India and how it will affect them. This will also be a forum to organise them as we plan a movement against the privatisation of the national carrier," said a member of the ACEU.



"The move is clearly aimed at benefiting private airlines. If the government is so concerned about the taxpayers' money, then why does it not recover Rs 7.5 lakh crore borrowed by corporates from public sector banks?" the member asked.



Seven unions of Air India have already joined hands to oppose the privatisation of the financially bleeding airline. Their representatives met last month and wrote to Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapthi Raju, warning him of an "industrial unrest".



The letter was written jointly by the AI Air Corporate Employees Union, AI Employees Union, AI Aircraft Engineers' Association, United Air India Officers' Association, AI Engineer's Association, AI Cabin Crew Association and AI Service Engineers' Association.



These unions will also hold talks with the two pilots' unions -- Indian Commercial Pilots' Association and Indian Pilots' Guild -- and Indian Aircraft Technicians' Association to bring them on board.



They have called NITI Aayog's report on Air India "arbitrary and unilateral" and said it was prepared without consulting the employees, who are the largest stakeholders.
Related US Embassy in Cairo says Beecroft remains ambassador to Egypt for now

US Ambassador to Egypt R. Stephen Beecroft left Cairo on 30 June after concluding his three-year term as ambassador, a US Embassy statement said on Sunday.

The US Embassys Deputy Chief of Mission Thomas Goldberger will serve as the charges d'affairs of the embassy until a new ambassador is appointed, a US embassy spokesman told Ahram Online.

"Mr Goldberger is a career diplomat and member of the Senior Foreign Service. He has been serving in Cairo as Deputy Chief of Mission since September 2014, the embassy said.

Prior to his arrival in Egypt, Mr Goldberger served at US embassies in Baghdad, Tel Aviv, and several other missions in the region and in Europe."

Beecroft was appointed ambassador to Egypt in 2014 by then-president Barack Obama, replacing Ann Patterson.

Beecroft served as US ambassador to Iraq from 2012 to 2014, and has served in Washington as executive assistant to two secretaries of state and special assistant to a deputy secretary of state.

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India should shed its "strategic anxiety" over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and join the Belt and Road Initiative to become a cooperative partner and not a rival, a state-run Chinese news agency said today, amid a standoff between the two nations in the Sikkim sector.



The commentary in Xinhua - India's China-phobia Might Lead To Strategic Myopia - criticised New Delhi's boycott of the Belt and Road Forum conference held in May and asked India to shed its "China anxiety".



India boycotted the BRF after sovereignty concerns over the USD 50-billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), which traverses through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Then, India said the Chinese ambitious initiative must be pursued in a manner that respects sovereignty and territorial integrity.



The piece did not mention the CPEC by name, but referred to the BRI - the umbrella project under which the CPEC falls.



The commentary in Xinhua, considered an official view, said "despite its strategic discomfort, it is important for India to get over its 'China anxiety' and carefully assess the initiative, recognise its potential benefits and seize the opportunities".



"Instead of being rivals, the two countries, both of which are ancient civilisations endowed with a rich history, could become cooperative partners," it said, citing the speech of Liu Jinsong, deputy chief of mission of the Chinese embassy in India who had said "the sky and ocean of Asia are big enough for the dragon and elephant to dance together, which will bring about a true Asian Age."



After India's boycott of the BRF, official Chinese media have been carrying out articles asking India to reconsider its decision to not back the BRI.



A recent official "white paper" by China on the 21st Maritime Silk Road even offered to link the CPEC with the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) Economic Corridor in order to provide India greater access to Central Asia.



Observers say China's repeated invitations to India to join the BRI highlights its own anxieties over the adverse impact of New Delhi's lack of support to the multi-billion dollar investments in South Asia as it would deny access to India's market consisting over 1.2 billion people.





Today's commentary said "staying away from the initiative is not the best choice New Delhi could have made."



"It could have voiced its concerns and opinions on public occasions or in official statements as China is always willing to discuss all problems and possibilities with India on the basis of mutual benefits," it said.



"Though proposed by China, the Belt and Road is not a 'Chinese project.' It is a multilateral initiative, with win- win results at its core," it said.



The commentary came as troops of India and China are in a face-off since June 16 over the Chinese military's attempt to construct a strategic road in Doklam region of the Sikkim sector, which India and Bhutan is strongly objecting to.



While Bhutan has said the road is being built unilaterally by China in an area it controls, India said it is deeply concerned at the Chinese action as the road construction "would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India."
The PMK and the MDMK today strongly opposed Karnataka's efforts towards constructing a reservoir across the Cauvery river at Mekedatu and urged the Centre not to sanction the project.





PMK chief S Ramadoss and MDMK general secretary Vaiko requested the Centre to trash the Detailed Project Report (DPR) submitted by Karnataka to the Central Water Commission (CWC) on June 7 for constructing a dam at Mekedatu.



The PMK leader alleged that Karnataka had sought the nod for the project by submitting "false details".



In a statement issued here, Ramadoss said Karnataka had told the Centre in its DPR that it could release water for Tamil Nadu, in accordance with the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal's (CWDT) award, only if the proposed dam was built.



He noted that Karnataka had also said in the report that the water would be drawn from the new dam only, as per the tribunal's final award.



"All these assurances were given to deceive the CWC and the Tamil Nadu government and they cannot be believed," said Ramadoss.



He recalled that in the past, Karnataka had stopped releasing water for Tamil Nadu citing low levels in its dams.



Since the DPR did not have the concurrence letter from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, it should be sent back to Karnataka, he said, adding, "The Centre should not be deceived by the sweet words of Karnataka and the Tamil Nadu government should be vigilant."



Vaiko claimed that Karnataka had allocated Rs 5,912 crore towards dam projects, including the one at Mekedatu.



Accusing Karnataka of "acting against the final award of the CWDT", he said if the new dams were built, Tamil Nadu would not get "even a drop of Cauvery water".



"Twelve lakh hectares of land in the Cauvery basin will become barren if the new dams are built," he alleged.



The MDMK chief urged the Centre not to sanction the project, which he said, would affect the rights of Tamil Nadu over the Cauvery waters.



"The Centre should immediately set up the Cauvery Management Board and a regulatory authority," he said.
In a huge embarrassment to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, one of his alliance partners threatened to walk out of the government, after publicly criticising his style of functioning and saying that there had not been any change in ''corruption'' in the state even after the change of guard.



Suheldev Bharat Samaj Party (SBSP) president Om Prakash Rajbhar, who was a cabinet minister in the Yogi government, said that the state government had not been able to wipe out corruption from the bureaucracy.



''The state government has not taken any action against corrupt officials...the bureaucrats do not even listen to the ministers,'' Rajbhar said.



He said that the people of the state had expected that things would change in the state after the change of guard. ''Unfortunately nothing has changed,'' he remarked.



Rajbhar was said to be upset after his demand for removal of the district magistrate of Ghazipur was not conceded by the government. The SBSP president had alleged that the DM was ''corrupt'' and had been working as an ''agent'' of the Samajwadi Party (SP).



''The DM says that no one can remove him....he does not listen to the public representatives,'' Rajbhar said adding that his party would stage a ''dharna'' in Ghazipur to press its demand for his removal.



Rajbhar also threatened to resign and walk out of the alliance if his demand was not conceded. He said that he had apprised the BJP national president Amit Shah about the matter.



SBSP, which has four seats in the state assembly, had contested the polls in alliance with the BJP. It is essentially a caste based outfit and wield considerable influence over 'Rajbhars' (a backward caste), who constituted around 4 % of the total electorate and were mainly concentrated in eastern UP districts of Azamgarh, Mau, Ghazipur, Ballia, Jaunpur and few others.


India has pushed in more troops in a "non-combative mode" to strengthen its position in an area near Sikkim, where its soldiers have been locked in a standoff with Chinese troops for almost a month now in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962.



India brought in more troops after the destruction of two of its bunkers and "aggressive tactics" adopted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), sources said. In a "non- combative mode", the nozzle of a gun is placed downwards.



Giving details for the first time about the events that preceded the face off between the two armies, the sources said the PLA on June 1 asked the Indian Army to remove the two bunkers set up in 2012 at Lalten in Doka La, which falls in the vicinity of Chumbi Valley at the corner of India-Bhutan- Tibet tri-junction.



The Indian Army, which had been patrolling this area for many years, decided in 2012 that two bunkers would be positioned there as a backup option, besides providing security to the Bhutan-China border.



The Indian Army forward positions informed Sukna-based 33 Corps Headquarter in North Bengal about the Chinese warnings on the bunkers, the sources said.



However, during the night of June 6, two Chinese bulldozers destroyed the bunkers, claiming that the area belonged to China and that India or Bhutan had no right over it, the sources said.



Indian troops on the ground prevented the Chinese men and machines from doing any further damage or transgressing into the area, they said.



Additional forces from nearby brigade headquarters, located 20 km from the face off point, were moved in on June 8 during which a scuffle led to soldiers on both sides suffering minor injuries.



PLA troops were rushed in from its 141 division located in the area, prompting the Indian Army to also strengthen its position.



This is the longest standoff between the two armies since 1962. The last one, which carried on for 21 days, occurred at Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh division of Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when Chinese troops entered 30 km into Indian territory till the Depsang Plains and claimed it to be a part of its Xinjiang province. They were, however, pushed back.



Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state which has a demarcated border with China. The lines are based on a treaty signed with the Chinese in 1898.



After the India-China war of 1962, the area where the Indian troops are stationed was placed under the Indian Army and the ITBP, which is the border guarding force and has a camp 15 km from the international border.



As the scuffle broke out between the two sides, the Indian Army rushed an officer of the Major General rank to the area and a flag meeting was sought with the Chinese counterparts.





China rejected two such requests from the Indian side, but accepted the third call for a meeting, where it asked the Indian Army to withdraw its troops from the Lalten area, which falls in Doka La.



Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it to be part of its Donglang region.



As a fallout of the standoff, the Chinese refused to allow the first batch of 47 pilgrims, who were to conduct the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, into Tibet. They also conveyed to the Indian side that visas of another batch of 50 yatris had also been cancelled, the sources said, describing the move as an indication of "increased tempers" in Beijing.



The Sikkim route to Mansarovar, which is in Tibet, was opened in 2015, enabling pilgrims to travel the 1500-km long route from Nathu La to Kailash by buses.



It is not the first time that such a transgression has happened at Doka La. The Chinese forces had in November 2008 destroyed some makeshift Indian army bunkers there.



Defence experts believe China wants to exert its dominance over the Chumbi Valley, which is a part of the southern reaches of Tibet. By claiming the Doka La area, Beijing wants to maximise its geographical advantage so that it can monitor all movements along the India-Bhutan border.



China has also increased diplomatic pressure on India and lodged a protest over the alleged "crossing of boundary" by Indian troops in the Sikkim section.



They demanded their immediate withdrawal, as Beijing warned that future visits of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar would depend on the resolution of the standoff.



"Our position to uphold our territorial sovereignty is unwavering. We hope the Indian side can work with China in the same direction and immediately withdraw the personnel who have overstepped and trespassed into Chinese border," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang had told the media in Beijing last week.



People's Liberation Army spokesman Col Wu Qian also spoke a tough language while making a reference to the 1962 Sino- India conflict, saying that New Delhi should "learn historical lessons".



Qian described Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's remarks that India was ready for a "two-and-a-half front war" as "extremely irresponsible" and asked him to "stop clamouring for war".



Rawat had said India was prepared for security threats posed by China, Pakistan as well as by internal threats.



"Such rhetoric is extremely irresponsible. We hope that the particular person in the Indian Army could learn from historical lessons and stop such clamouring for war," he had said.



The Defence Minister,Arun Jaitley, made New Delhi's stand clear when he said the India of 2017 was different from that of 1962.



"If they are trying to remind us, the situation in 1962 was different and the India of 2017 is different," Jaitley had said when asked about China's warning.



Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.
The lady cop, who had taken on the BJP leaders and fined one of them for not wearing helmet in Uttar Pradesh's Bulandshahar town, about 500 kilometres from here, was shunted out of the district allegedly on the demand of the local unit of the saffron party.



Shreshtha Thakur, the circle officer (CO) of Syana in Bulandshahar, was on Saturday night transferred to Baharaich, according to the official sources here.



Got transfer to Bahraich, its Nepal border, dont worry my friends I am happy ..I accept it as a reward for my good work. U all are invited to Bahraich, said Thakur on her Facebook page. Over 200 police officers had been transferred in the reshuffle on Saturday.



Sources in the BJP here said that the local leader from Bulandshahar had taken up the incident with the state party president and deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya.



''The local leaders said that the lady cop had humiliated them....they had made it a prestige issue,'' said a senior state BJP leader here. A home department official, however, termed the transfer a routine one.



BJP leaders had allegedly misbehaved with Thakur after the cops challaned the vehicle of a district panchayat member and party leader Pramod Lodhi for not being in possession of valid documents and not wearing helmet a week back.



Reports said that hundreds of BJP workers, who were led by local leaders, surrounded the lady officer and misbehaved with her. They also allegedly forcibly got Pramod released from the police custody inside the district court premises.
Dismissing as "untenable" India's assertion that Beijing's construction of road in the disputed Doklam area poses "serious security implications", China's official news agency today asked New Delhi not to deviate consensus on developing bilateral relations.



Asking India to withdraw its troops from the area to end the current standoff, Xinhua news agency in a commentary said, "It is well known that the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary has been demarcated by the 1890 Sino-British treaty".



"After India's independence, the Indian government has repeatedly confirmed it in writing, acknowledging that the two sides have no objection to the border between the two sides of the Sikkim section," it said.



The Indian border troops' attempt to stop the Chinese military from constructing the road in the Doklam area has "cast a shadow over China-India relations", the commentary titled 'Don't deviate from the consensus on developing China- India relations' said, reiterating China's official stand on the issue.



While China has cited the Sino-British Treaty to buttress its claims, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi in a statement yesterday said that "where the boundary in the Sikkim sector is concerned, India and China had reached an understanding also in 2012 reconfirming their mutual agreement on the 'basis of the alignment'".



"Further discussions regarding finalisation of the boundary have been taking place under the Special Representatives framework," it had said.



But, Xinhua said there were a lot of evidence, including images, that the Indian military has violated the historic treaty and the commitment of successive Indian governments.



It also referred to the Chinese Foreign Ministry's release of two photographs and a map on the issue. The map shows Doklam, a disputed territory between China and Bhutan, as part of Chinese territory.



Referring to the MEA statement, the commentary said "the Indian side has claimed that China's activities pose a 'serious security impact' to India, and it is untenable".

So far China has not officially responded to India's statement on this issue.

This is the second commentary by Xinhua today.



The earlier one said India should shed its "strategic anxiety" over the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and join the Belt and Road Initiative to become a cooperative partner and not a rival.



The CPEC is a part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. India has been protesting against the CPEC as it traverses through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.



On the Sikkim standoff, the Xinhua commentary claimed that China is engaged in normal activities on its own territory.



"How can we influence others? In fact, it is the Indian side that has ignored international law and seriously interfered with China's construction activities," it said.



"On a higher level, the cross-border behaviour is a further departure from the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries on the development of China-India relations," it said.



Quoting India's former national security advisor Shivshankar Menon as saying in an article recently that cooperation between India and China is good for the core interest of both the countries, the commentary said the trust can only be established with the people and the countries should be more honest.



"On the issue of border crossing by the Indian army, the Indian side should comply with the requirements of the historical treaty, earnestly implement the consensus that both sides have to respect China's territorial sovereignty, immediately withdraw the border troops to the border side of the Indian side and avoid escalating the situation," it said.



Stating that the "over the years, as two major countries on the Asian continent, China and India have reached many consensus on how to develop good bilateral relations", it said.



"China always attaches great importance to the development of Sino-Indian relations and is willing to work with India jointly promote the sustained and healthy and stable development of bilateral strategic partnership," it added.



China also emphasizes that the two sides should properly control and handle differences and sensitive issues, it said.



"The Indian leader also said recently that in a complex and volatile international situation, good India-China relations can play a stabilising role," it said, apparently referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments made during his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Astana on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) last month.



"Both sides should tap the potential of cooperation, respect each other's core concerns and properly handle differences. These agreements are a strong guarantee for the smooth development of China-India relations.



"Since India has promised to 'properly deal with the differences' and India's foreign ministry recently said it 'cherishes peace and tranquillity in the India-China border region', why has it still allowed the Indian Army to cross the border? Why would it not acknowledge the mistake after the event? On the contrary why blame others while India itself is to be blamed? This is clearly paradoxical," the commentary said.



It also accused the Indian media of being "irresponsible" by hyping China threat, unjustly smearing China by "dividing" India-China relations.



"In today's world, win-win cooperation is the main theme, and 'dancing with the dragon' is the rational choice that meets the trend of the times," it said.



"China and India are two of the world's most prominent emerging economies, the common interests far greater than differences and with a pragmatic attitude, long-term view and aggressive attitude to expand and deepen bilateral partner is the right thing to do," it added.
Must have heard or seen a bride and groom taking saat phera (seven rounds of ceremonial fire) before their wedding vows in any traditional form of marriage.



But on Monday, a 29-year-old groom will take an extra phera along with his would-be wife when they tie the nuptial knot at Banwarinagar in Purnia, around 380 kms from the state capital.



Instead of saat phera, the groom Ravi Ranjan and his fiancee Gudiya Kumari will make eight rounds, the last one in the name of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, a source, quoting family members, told Deccan Herald over phone.



When Ravi, who is a manager in a private firm in New Delhi, proposed this idea to his fiancee Gudiya, a software engineer in Gurugram, she was really excited.



Apparently, Ravi and Gudiya were inspired by Akshay Kumar and Bhumi Pednekar-starrer Toilet: Ek Prem Katha which, based on Centres sanitation campaign, is to be released shortly. On July 3, when the bride and groom will tie the nuptial knot in Purnia, the couple will take eight phera, instead of traditional seven, the family source said.



Ravi earlier told his family that when he was posted in Gujarat, he had attended one of his friends wedding. The couple, during their wedding vows, also took a vow for cleanliness.



This Gujarat incident inspired me. So when my wedding was finalised, I proposed to my fiancee that let us take one more phera in the name of Swachh Bharat and help the Prime Minister spread the message of cleanliness and make India free of open defecation, said the groom.



Both the bride and groom side have asked their respective families not to make the marriage function a lavish affair and instead concentrate on spreading the message of cleanliness.



The brides family has also accepted the proposal. Its an innovative idea and I hope people will extend their good wishes to the newly-wed, said Ravis father Arun Kumar Yadav, a businessman.




Israeli occupation forces have re-arrested a prominent Palestinian lawmaker in an overnight raid over her leadership in a movement Israel considers a terrorist organisation, officials said Sunday.

Khalida Jarrar was arrested in the raid in the Ramallah area in the occupied West Bank, Israel's army said.

The 54-year-old was released in June 2016 after 14 months in an Israeli jail for allegedly encouraging attacks against Israelis.

Jarrar is a senior figure in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a Marxist party considered "a terrorist organisation" by Israel, the United States and the European Union.

Many of its leaders are in custody and Jarrar has been jailed multiple times.

Israel's army alleged that "after her release she returned to the activity in the PFLP terror organisation," calling her one of its senior leaders in the West Bank.

"She was apprehended for her involvement in the PFLP and not because of her membership in the (Palestinian parliament)," an army spokeswoman said.

Israeli authorities said they had also arrested Khatim Khativ, whom they said was a senior PFLP leader as well.

Jarrar is a member of the Palestinian parliament, which has not met since 2007 after elections a year earlier were won by the Islamist movement Hamas.

A number of Palestinian lawmakers are currently detained by Israel.

Addameer, a prisoners' support and rights group, said a total of 11 people had been arrested in the raid, including Jarrar and Khitam Saafin, who it identified as chairwoman of the Union of Palestinian Women's Committees.

"The arrest of Khalida Jarrar constitutes an attack against Palestinian political leaders and Palestinian civil society as a whole," it said in a statement.

"It also constitutes one arrest in the context of continuous arrest campaigns against Palestinians."

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Members of Sri Rama Sene, Akhila Bharata Hindu Maha Sabha and Hindu Jana Jagruthi Samiti condemned Pejawar Mutt seer Sri Vishweshatheertha Swamis move to host an Iftar lunch for Muslims at Udupi Sri Krishna Mutt on Eid -Ul-Fitr.



The protesters who gathered at Lalbagh Circle on Sunday, simultaneous to the statewide protests by Hindu outfits, said that the Swami has pained the sentiments of Hindus by hosting an Iftar meet in the Udupi Mutt, for those who consume beef. This is an insult to Hindus and, therefore, the Pejawar seer has to apologise to Hindus, they demanded.



Hindu Mahasabha state spokesperson Dharmendra said that the protesters have huge respect for Udupi Mutt. But the gesture of the Pejawar Swami has come as a shock to the Hindus. The seer has become a victim of political conspiracy. As the elections are nearing, the BJP seems to have manipulated the Swamis thoughts so as to appease the minority, he said.



Dharmendra, meanwhile, raised an objection to the Pejawar seers earlier statement that Muslims have donated land to Krishna Mutt. The donation should not have any connection to Swami hosting the Iftar. If the Swami is not able to follow the code of conduct of the Sri Krishna Mutt, he should appoint a successor designate, he said. He further questioned why the Pejawar seer was not opposing the act of conversion of a Hindu family to Islam in Kaup.



Sri Ram Sene district committee secretary Prasad Poojary asked the intention behind the Pejawar seers move to host the Iftar party separately at the Mutt. People from any religion can enter the Krishna Mutt and have the glimpse of the presiding deity and take prasadam. The seer, however, has invited those to the Iftar party who does not believe in idol worship, he argued.



Hindu Janajagruthi Samiti leader Chandra Mogera also spoke. The protesters raised pro-Hindu slogans and displayed placards against the move of the seer. They urged to purify the Mutt premises.
A 28-year-old techie from Bhongiri of Telangana died in a road accident in North Carolina, USA on Sunday. Pothnak Pradeep son of a local political leader P Murali reportedly died on the spot while his wife karthika and four other co-travelers were also hurt in the accident.



News arriving here from Pradeeps family in Bhongiri confirms that Pradeep along with his wife Karthika Chanti and friends went on a road trip to Sutton, West Virginia, a five-hour drive from their residence at Greensboro, North Carolina, to celebrate his birthday. Unfortunately at around 7 a.m. on Sunday, the car in which Pradeep was travelling met with an accident.



Pradeeps colleagues from Greensboro have called his family here and informed them of the tragedy. The family members are in deep shock and are eagerly waiting for more information. P Murali has sought assistance from the Telangana government to find out details about the condition of Karthika.



The Facebook page of Pradeep shows photos posted by him before leaving for the long weekend trip. The photographs showed friends inside the van in happy travel mood. He had updated his status as Camping Time, Long Weekend and Friends for the last time.



Pradeep went in the USA in 2010 and has been working as an Oracle consultant for a host of companies. He married Karthika Chanti in 2015.


The newly created Bangalore North and Central Universities, which officially began operations on July 1, have a long way to go before they can function as independent and full-fledged institutions.



After the official trifurcation, BU (North) will function from the existing PG Centre in Kolar and BU (Central) from the Central College campus, Palace Road. A new campus will be set up for BU (North) in Jangamakote, Kolar.



The government has initiated the process of identifying vice chancellors and other statutory officers such as registrars and finance officers, for the new varsities. Both universities have to set up academic councils, a syndicate, board of examiners, board of studies, etc, an official involved in the trifurcation said.



In the academic year 2017-18, admission will be conducted through the parent university and the list of students will be later transferred to the jurisdictional universities.



Of over 1,400 non-teaching vacancies in the Bangalore University, 100 each are being transferred to the two new varsities. The vacancies include the posts of assistant registrar, computer operators and drivers.The government will be requested to sanction more number of posts as and when the individual universities require, said another official, who sought anonymity.



The official said the administrative set-up would be ready in two months. The new universities will also have to prepare to open new departments from the next academic year. At present, BU (North) has Kannada, Economics, Social Work and Botany departments, while BU (Central) has Commerce, Management, Communication, Mathematics, Chemistry and Biochemistry departments.



The parent university will be paying the new universities in installments as recommended by the government - Rs 10 crore to BU (Central) and Rs 15 crore to BU (North). BU has already given the seed amount of Rs 3 crore to BU (Central) and Rs one crore to BU (North) from its corpus fund of Rs 21 crore.



Another Rs 2 crore will be released to the North university shortly.



University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering (UVCE) will be under the Bangalore University. However, no decision has been taken about shifting the campus to Jnanabharathi.



If it is to be shifted, necessary infrastructure such as hostels and labs will have to be set up. We will have further discussions on this, said Dr M Muniraju, vice-chancellor (in-charge), at a press conference on Saturday.


Riding a motorcycle without helmet proved dangerous for two men in their early 20s. While the rider died on the spot, the man on the pillion sustained grievous head injuries.



Lokesh Kumar and his friend Manjunath, both 22 and working as cab drivers, were riding a motorcycle on their way home in Uttarahalli. As the two-wheeler reached Puravankara apartment on NICE Road, south Bengaluru, around 11.50 pm on Saturday, Kumar lost control of the motorcycle and crashed it into the footpath.



Both the riders fell down and suffered head injuries. Kumar died instantly while Manjunath was taken to hospital by passersby and remains serious.

The jurisdictional Kumaraswamy Layout traffic police said they were investigating whether the men were drunk at the time of the accident. Neither was wearing helmet.



A case under IPC Sections 279 (rash driving or riding on a public way), 337 (causing hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others) and 304A (causing death by negligence) has been registered.


The growing opposition to the use of Hindi in Namma Metro signboards made its first impact with authorities masking a part of the display board at Kempegowda Metro station.



The name of the station in Hindi on the signboard at the Chikkalalbagh entrance was covered with Cellophane. When asked, a staffer at the Metro station said the board was covered following a tip-off from police.



Police alerted us saying the Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV) workers were planning to lay siege to the station to protest against the use of Hindi and advised us to cover the Hindi words on the signboard, the staffer explained.



Though a reserve police team has been deployed at the Kempegowda interchange station, police told Metro officials it would be better to take precautionary measures, instead of dealing with a law and order situation.



The opposition to Hindi use, termed by many Kannada activists Hindi imposition, resurfaced following the inauguration of the southern stretch of the Green line last month.



Banavasi Balaga started a Twitter campaign with the hashtag #nammametrohindibeda, which took the social media by storm. KRV workers also held a protest in front of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited office days later. We will take action if you dont remove Hindi, they had said.



Metro loco pilot hospitalised

A 23-year-old loco pilot working for Namma Metro was shifted to the hospital after he complained of chest pain and breathing problems on Sunday afternoon.



Sources in Apollo Hospital in Sheshadripuram said he was brought to there at 1.30 pm. It was a minor complaint. The patient is fine now and will be released on Monday, they said, adding that the chest pain might have been caused by stress.
A cab driver robbed his passenger, a private firm employee, of cash, while dropping him at Kempegowda International Airport in the wee hours of Sunday.



The incident occurred around 5 am when Arpith Gandhi, a resident of Hebbal, was travelling in the cab to catch a flight to Nagpur to meet his parents.



Gandhi had booked the cab to the KIA. When Gandhi asked the reason for diverting the cab from the main road, the driver claimed that he was going to a nearby petrol bunk to fill the tank, said the police.



The police added that Gandhi was upset that the driver did not fill up the tank before starting the ride and wanted to get down and book another cab to reach the airport on time. The driver obliged and demanded Rs 1000 as the fare. As Gandhi opened his wallet to make the payment, the driver snatched his wallet and took away Rs 22,500. He threw the wallet at Gandhis face and fled the scene.



The victim then withdrew money from a nearby ATM using his card, hired another cab and reached the airport, said the police.



On his way, Gandhi called up Namma 100 police control room and informed them about the incident. He has, however, decided to lodge a complaint after returning from Nagpur.




Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem next week will complete Indias move to relink its relations with Israel and Palestine.



The prime ministers visit to Israel will see India and the West Asian nation elevating their relations to a strategic partnership, stepping up cooperation in defence, homeland security, cybersecurity, agriculture, water, space, health, innovation as well as research and development.



Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are likely to announce a joint fund for encouraging private companies of the two nations to focus more on innovation and research and development.



Modis visit to Israel is going to be the first by an Indian prime minister, although the two countries had established formal diplomatic relations in 1992.



Indian dignitaries visiting Israel in the past had made it a point to visit Palestine, too. President Pranab Mukherjee visited both Israel and Palestine in October 2015.



External Affairs Minister, Sushma Swaraj, too, visited Palestine after touring Israel in January 2016, just as one of her predecessors, S M Krishna, had done in October 2012.



India was the first non-Arab country to recognise Palestine way back in 1988. Indias growing ties with Israel after the BJPs ascent to power in May 2014, however, fuelled speculation about New Delhi reviewing its position on Palestine.



The Modi government made it clear that while India would continue to support the cause of Palestine, it would also seek to build stronger ties with Israel. Our relations with each country is independent of relationship with other countries. Each relationship is separate this visit is also different, said B Bala Bhaskar, Joint Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs.



New Delhi hosted Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in May, ostensibly to soothe the ruffled feathers in Ramallah.



The resolution seeks to synergise the capabilities of both the Indian and Israeli economies for the benefit of both countries.



A flagship project will be undertaken by the both governments in the field of water and agriculture, which will demonstrate Israel's capabilities, while providing solutions to current needs in India.


Related Israel rearrests Palestinian lawmaker Khalida Jarrar

A former Palestinian member of the Israeli Knesset entered prison Sunday to begin a two-year sentence after he pleaded guilty to smuggling mobile phones to Palestinian detainees, a prison spokeswoman said.

Basel Ghattas of the Arab-dominated Joint List resigned his seat in the Israeli parliament as part of a plea bargain reached in March.

The 61-year-old admitted handing phones and SIM cards to Palestinian inmates.

Prosecutors dropped charges of terrorism and endangering state security, for which he could have faced up to 10 years in prison.

"I enter prison with my head held high and I will continue my battle for prisoners' rights," Ghattas said before entering Gilboa prison in northern Israel, in comments broadcast on army radio.

Israeli media have reported that 12 mobile phones were found on two prisoners in searches after Ghattas visited the high security Ketziot prison in December, using his parliamentary immunity to avoid being searched.

One of the prisoners is serving time for kidnapping and murdering an Israeli soldier in 1984, the Ynet news website said.

Ghattas has said his actions were motivated by "humanitarian and moral positions towards prisoners".

Lawmakers of the Joint List, the third largest bloc in parliament with 13 seats, frequently clash with Israeli authorities.

Ghattas's party, Balad, is especially critical of Israeli policies.

Its three lawmakers triggered outrage among Jewish Israelis last year by meeting relatives of Palestinians authorities say were killed while carrying out attacks.

Arab Israelis make up some 17.5 percent of the country's population and are descended from Palestinians who remained on their land after the creation of Israel in 1948.

They hold Israeli citizenship but most see themselves as Palestinians.

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With militarily active borders on both sides of the country, Indian Air Force proposes to construct 108 new generation hardened aircraft shelters at a cost of more than Rs 5,000 crore to protect its fighter fleet.



The hardened blast panes are meant to safeguard the frontline Su-30MKI, Jaguars, Mirages and the upcoming Rafale aircraft from 2,000- pound enemy bombs in case of a war.



Each of these shelters, sources told DH, could cost more than Rs 50 crore as they would be made up of reinforced concrete, would be having iron doors and maintenance facilities.



Blast panes are integral part of a military air field where combat aircraft are kept during the war to save the metal birds from enemy bombs and missiles. The existing IAF shelters are capable of withstanding a blast from a 1,000-pound bomb. The new generation panes will be designed to withstand the hit by a 2,000-pound bomb, which the IAF apprehend the enemies may be possessing.



Besides, these shelters would be large enough to accommodate the big Su-30 MKI aircraft and will have proper maintenance facilities.



They would also be fitted with iron doors to minimise the chances of fragmentation damage from a missile strike.



While the proposals are under the consideration of the defence ministry since 2015, sources said the air headquarters had made a fresh pitch for its approval given the rapidly changing security dynamics in Indias neighbourhood.



Construction of hardened blast panes is a key part of the IAFs plan to improve the infrastructure of its air fields particularly for the bases in the North East and Leh.



Two other components of the plan is to improve the infrastructure in Nyoma and Kargil airfield so that more fighter flying is possible near Indias border with China and Pakistan, respectively.
The forest department on Sunday arrested 30 persons in Rattihalli village of Hirekerur taluk on the charge of felling as many as 4,200 trees in reserved forest and cultivating the forest land.



Deputy Conservator of Forests Sonal Vrishni said that the farmers had illegally cut honge, sandalwood and other trees grown on 25 hectares of Kamalapura reserved forest. Further, they have destroyed the forest by setting it on fire.



The forest officials detained 82 persons in this connection, but finally arrested 30. The remaining 52 were released after obtaining an undertaking from them, the DCF said.



The farmers said that they had been cultivating the said forest land since 1990 and the forest department had evicted them in 2006. Later, the land was entrusted to village forest committee. The farmers had been submitting applications for regularisation of their cultivation and issue of title deeds. Following refusal from the officials, the disappointed farmers cultivated around three acres on Sunday. They said that they could have destroyed about 100 trees.



Forest range officer B C Arishinada said that attempts were made to fell trees two days ago, but the officials had convinced the farmers.


Sri Ram Sene activists staged demonstrations in various parts of the state, including Bengaluru and Mangaluru on Sunday to protests against hosting an iftar party at Sri Krishna temple in Udupi recently.



Sri Ram Sene and Hindu Jana Jagrithi Samiti activists conducted a pooja and sang bhajans at service bus stand in Udupi.



Sri Ram Sene, Mangaluru unit secretary, Mohan Bhat said that the Hindus have been pained by the Paryaya Pejawar Mutt seer Vishweshateertha swamis act of organising the iftar party at the temple.



Protestors are offering a pooja to Lord Krishna and singing bhajans to express their pain. We respect the seer and the protest is not against him. He could have hosted the iftar party outside the mutt, he said.



Vishweshateertha swami said that the opposition to iftar party organised at the Krishna mutt shows the religious intolerance of the people. The protestors do not know the true meaning of Dharma and the scriptures, he opined.



To a query by reporters on the statewide protests by the Sri Ram Sene, the seer said that the Hindu religion has grown from strength to strength only because of its thrust on religious harmony.



As I will not continue in the Paryaya Peetha next year, hosting an iftar party in the Krishna Mutt does not arise. The possibility of conducting the iftar party elsewhere, will be looked into later, he added.



In Bengaluru, Sri Ram Sena chief Pramod Muthalik led the protest and addressed the protesters.
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Check out our new pictures of the acts and crowds at Saturday night's Little Mix at Donington Park!

Little Mix performed in front of thousands of screaming fans with support from Ella Eyre and Shepphard.

Last year, proved an incredible year for the Little Mix with another massive number-one single Shout Out To My Ex, and their album Glory Days, shooting straight to number one on the Official Albums Chart.

The record spent a total of four weeks in the peak position and was the quickest-selling album in the UK charts by a girl group since Destiny's Child's Survivor in 2001.

Now the foursome's Summer Shout Out Tour has been a sell-out with the girls delighting fans during the gig at Donington Park on Saturday.
Britain's top girl band Little Mix took the stage at Donington Park on Saturday night and rocked the crowd with their amazing set which featured hit after hit of catchy pop tunes.

The group, who have not looked back since they won the X Factor in 2011, seem to be going from strength to strength and last night's fantastic performance at an open air venue confirmed just why they are such hot property.

It is not often you get a four piece group who all have amazing singing voices like these ladies. They belt out pop songs with energy and excitement such as' Power' and 'Touch' and ' 'Shout out to My Ex'.

Then they demonstrate how they can sing with flawless perfection during slower songs such as 'Secret Love Song' which features an amazing solo by Perrie Edwards and also 'F U'  which is a break-up ballad and, as the title suggests, shows The Spice Girl's 'Girl Power' slogan still lives on.

The girl's stage presence also reflects this empowering attitude, they are feisty, they are sexy and they really mean business! Just as they sing in harmony their dance routines are so well choreographed and executed.

They ooze energy and passion in their performances and the backing dancers who join them on stage for some hits are a great addition. Among my my favourites was the performance 'No More Sad Songs' 'You Gotta Not' and 'Power'  which really is full of power and faultless singing and rapping.

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The lighting and visuals played on a screen behind the stage reflect this vigour and make for an eye-catching display to engage all the senses  the audience cannot help but be mesmerised. Even a bit of rain went pretty much unnoticed.

The band featuring Perrie Edwards, Jade Thirwall, Jesy Nelson and Leigh-anne Pinnock, finished their set with the hugely popular 'Shout Out To My Ex' which the girls wrote themselves telling their ex-partners ' thanks but I am well rid of you  and look how successful I have become'. It is this kind of attitude which really has made them hit with youngsters and their mums as well.

Despite some recent criticism over their costumes the girls are good role models with their empowering messages in the songs which they perform while really enjoying themselves. They made the at least 20,000 strong crowd very happy too  everyone left with big smiles on their faces while singing some of the hits.

Sabrina Collis, 22, of Brighton Road, Alvaston, was among the crowd. She decided to take her niece Vicky Collis, 11, along as a treat. She said: "We both love Little Mix and like all their songs so this is great. We only decided to come a few hours ago and are really pleased we did."

Kelly Willers, 37, of Hands Road, Heanor was attending with her two nieces Hannah-Louise, 12 and Abigail Rose, nine. She said: "We are all Little Mix fans and have been following them since they won the X Factor so we have been really looking forward to this. They are great performers"

The crowds were warmed up by two great support acts before the headliners came on stage.

The Australian band Sheppard performed their jolly style of pop music as well as the brilliant Ella Eyre who showed off her amazing vocal talents with dance songs such as 'Gravity', 'If I Go' and the newly-released 'Came Here For Love'. The crowd did too Ella  for their love of Little Mix - and they were highly rewarded.
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Controversial plans to turn a University of Derby hall of residence into a reception centre for 240 asylum seekers have prompted several questions from our readers.

Some have been about the plans themselves but others have been about how the asylum process actually works. What are asylum seekers and what happens to them when they get to the UK?

Using information from GOV.UK , plus advice from charities like Asylum Aid , Full Fact , and the Red Cross we have put together a guide on what happens to asylum seekers when they come to the UK.

So what is an asylum seeker?

An asylum seeker is "a person who has asked for asylum in the UK and is waiting for a decision on that claim".

That person will become a refugee if their claim for asylum is accepted by the Government  but there are some strict checks to get through.

An asylum seeker is someone seeking protection, claiming they have a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership of a particular social group.

What happens when asylum seekers turn up in Derby?

Well, the first thing to understand is that asylum seekers cannot come straight to Derby and ask the council if they can stay here.

The Government requires asylum seekers to tell officers at a UK border point that they want to claim asylum when they arrive. At that point they'll need to have a "screening interview".

If they don't do it straight away and somehow get into the country they will have to report to the asylum screening unit in Croydon, but any delay is likely to damage their claim.

Unless the asylum seeker meets certain conditions - such as being a child, elderly, or a family with children - they will be detained after the screening.

If they are not detained, they will be given the chance to claim 36.95 for each person, somewhere temporary to live and free NHS support, but they will have to report back within a few days for an interview to meet their case worker.

For those who are detained, the next step is also an interview with a case worker, called a "first reporting event".

Following this, for both those who are detained and those who are temporarily living in the UK, an "asylum interview" is held in which they put their case.

The Government can only let the asylum seeker stay in the UK if they are afraid of persecution due to things like race, religion and political opinions  and they did not pass through another safe country to get here.

If they get the green light, they will be allowed to stay in the UK for five years, during which time they can work and claim benefits. After that time, if their home country is still unsafe, they will be given the right to stay indefinitely.

If they do not get the green light, any payments they were receiving are stopped, and their accommodation is revoked.

They can leave of their own accord or else they will be forcefully removed.

If they are in detention then the process is straightforward, but it will be more problematic to remove them if they are not and their address is unknown.

The Derby Telegraph reported last month how Afghanistan-born Derby resident Hafizzulah Husseinkhel application to the Government to stay in the UK was rejected, despite having served in Helmand with the British Army.

The 26-year-old has been living in a shared flat in Brook Street for almost a year but unless a Home Office judicial review goes his way he will be sent back to Austria - the first country he was fingerprinted in as an asylum seeker.

Last year the Daily Express claimed that one in six asylum seekers did not turn up for their first meeting and vanished, leaving 11,988 of the total 77,440 asylum seekers unaccounted for.

However, as asylum seekers it would be very difficult for them to claim benefits as they would not be able to register with the Government for fear of being caught.
A fire tore through a camp for Syrian refugees in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Sunday, killing at least one person and leaving two in critical condition, the U.N. refugees' organisation said.

Flames and thick clouds of black smoke rose from the site near the town of Qab Elias, around a hour's drive east of Beirut, in footage broadcast by Lebanon's MTV, and at least one explosion was seen,

Reuters TV footage showed the blaze had virtually razed the camp as a fire truck doused down the still-smouldering ground. A Syrian refugee said many of the people living at the camp had come to Lebanon from the Raqqa area of Syria.

UNHCR spokeswoman Dana Sleiman said the camp had been home to 102 families.

"We've started the assessment as to how many tents have been damaged. As soon as the assessment is done, we will provide the families with all the help they need," she said. "Apparently it started with a cooking stove. We are waiting to confirm that."

Sleiman and a Lebanese security source had initially put the death toll at three.

Lebanon is hosting at least 1 million registered Syrian refugees, many of them living in tented settlements scattered around the country. The government says that in total there are about 1.5 million Syrians in Lebanon.

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U.S.-backed Syrian fighters say they have received new troop reinforcements to boost their ranks as they keep up their pressure against IS group militants holed up in Raqqa city.

Syrian Democratic Forces' media office says Sunday nearly 1,000 fighters have joined the western and eastern fronts of the battle against IS in Raqqa, the extremist group's de-facto capital and one of their largest major holdouts in Syria. Footage posted by activists shows a convoy of vehicles carrying dozens of cheering fighters as they head toward the city's various fronts.

The campaign against Raqqa, backed by airstrikes from the U.S.-led coalition, began on June 6. IS group militants have put up a tough fight, but the SDF has advanced on several fronts, seizing a number of neighborhoods.

The Britain-based opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says Sunday SDF fighters seized the Hal market from IS, after an attack from the south and east of the city. The new advance brings the Kurdish-led forces closer to the heart of Raqqa city, where another front with IS militants is raging. Last week, the fighters seized the last road into the city from the south, nearly completing their siege on IS fighters.

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When the OnePlus 5 was launched last week, there were stories and heated discussions on the internet about how the phone looks similar to the iPhone 7 Plus and Oppos R11. After using the OnePlus 5 and Apple iPhone 7 Plus (review), I can totally agree that the two phones look similar from the back, however I found the feel, ergonomics and weight of the OnePlus 5 (review) better, compared to the iPhone. On the other hand, the OnePlus 5 looks strikingly similar to the Oppo R11, which was launched recently in China.

At MWC Shanghai, we had the chance to check out the phone for ourselves and the short answer is that they do look similar, but they arent exact. There are minor differences here and there in terms of design, while the specifications are worlds apart. Theres also the fact that Oppo has no current plans to launch it in India.

First of all, we need to talk about the design, which I believe is a refinement over Oppos previous smartphone designs. The front fascia carries the same look as the Oppo F1s (review), but the phone feels more compact, thanks to the tapered back and thin profile. At just 6.8mm, the Oppo R11 is almost 0.5mm thinner than the OnePlus 5. However, it features a smaller 3000 battery as well.

Subtle differences like not having an alert slider on the left, a slightly raised display and the dual antenna lines design make the Oppo R11 somewhat different from the OnePlus 5. Moreover, the phone has a microUSB port instead of a USB Type-C, which seems like an oversight on Oppos part.

Initial inspection suggests that the Oppo R11 is well built, comparable to the likes of the OnePlus 5 or other premium smartphones with metal backs. There is nothing out of the ordinary about the display either. Staying true to the display quality we have been accustomed to on Oppos devices, the R11 does not disappoint and felt adequately bright and legible even under the bright lights of the exhibition booth.

In the little time I spent with the device, it felt snappy and responsive. Navigating through the menus or jumping in and out of the camera app is super smooth. However, with a Chinese ROM on-board, it was impossible to assess the phone objectively. That being said, we are quite certain that future phones powered by Qualcomms Snapdragon 660 platform wont disappoint at least in the performance section.

The dual camera setup also seemed good. There is a 20MP primary camera and a 16MP secondary telephoto camera for 2X zoom. On the OnePlus 5, the same setup works in reverse order. However, this doesn't mean that Oppo has settled for an inferior camera experience. In fact, by the few images I shot with the phone, the R11 seems really impressive. Same can be said about the new 20MP front facing camera. The sad part however is that the R11 or the R11 Plus wont be launched in India.
What Would the PERFECT Paradise BE Like? Below Video is the article.

As much as retire abroad magazines (RAM) love to turn a place into a paradise with their glowing reports, we all know there is no such thing as a perfect place to live. All cities in the world have their pros and cons.



We make our perfect place by knowing ourselves, choosing to have a good attitude and by adapting, and then it can be paradise. However, just for fun we have put together a perfect paradise according to several different quality of life categories, extracted from countries known to be the best at or near best.



What would the best paradise on earth look and feel like?

The perfect paradise would be like this:

Postal Services of USA

Internet speed and connectivity of South Korea

Food of Italy and Mexico

Availability of health food and natural products of USA (but cheaper :))

Availability of food and its cleanliness of Norway

Crime and Safety of South Korea

Beauty of New Zealand

Public transportation of Hong Kong

Yards (green spaces) of USA

Outdoor sightseeing and exploration of USA

Weather of San Diego USA

Real estate market of USA

Health care and medical services of Singapore

Sports cars of Italy

Watches of Switzerland



Online Shopping of USA

Laissezfaire of Turks & Caicos

If weve left anything out, feel free to add it in the comments below

Whenever a travel magazine or person overstates the good qualities of a city or country, remember that along with that comes a dose of reality.



Take a look and you will see that many of these countries we mention above that have something super great about them will also have other things that are not so great.



Think about this: weve listed 11 different countries and likely havent even scratched the surface of what could be added to the list from other places to make up the biggest baddest, best earthly retirement paradise.



Until the next article, take care and have a great week.

If you liked this article, you might like these too.
The capital of the United Arab Emirates became the first city to be exempt from a U.S. ban on laptop computers being in the cabins of airplanes coming from the Mideast, the country's flag carrier said Sunday.

Long-haul airline Etihad said it welcomed the decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which comes "subject to enhanced security measures" at Abu Dhabi International Airport. That airport already has a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility that allows passengers to clear screening they'd otherwise have to go through when landing in America.

Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan said U.S. officials already had seen that "the measures have been implemented correctly and to the full extent required" in Abu Dhabi. He said American monitors would make further visits to ensure the checks were being done properly.

"The enhanced security measures, both seen and unseen, include enhanced screening of passengers and electronic devices," Lapan said, declining to elaborate. "We commend Etihad for working swiftly to implement these additional measures. Their efforts are a model for both foreign and domestic airlines."

Abu Dhabi International Airport did not respond to a request for comment. The airport is home to Etihad, which has over 120 planes in its fleet and 204 aircraft on order. It operates 45 flights a week between Abu Dhabi and six cities in the U.S.

The U.S. ban, first announced in March as a security measure, now applies to nonstop U.S.-bound flights from nine international airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Cairo; Istanbul; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar; and Dubai in the UAE.

In late May, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said he was considering banning laptops from the passenger cabins of all international flights to and from the United States. Kelly's comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump shared highly classified intelligence about the Islamic State group wanting to use laptops to target aircraft with senior Russian officials visiting the White House.

The laptop ban, as well as a Trump administration travel ban on six predominantly Muslim nations, has hurt Gulf carriers. Dubai-based Emirates has slashed 20 percent of its flights to America in the wake of those decisions. The airline also has been trying to get the laptop ban lifted for its direct flights to the U.S. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dubai International Airport, Emirates' home, is the world's busiest international air travel hub. Meanwhile, long-haul carrier Qatar Airways has been hurt amid a diplomatic dispute with Arab nations that has seen its own routes in the region cut off.

All this also comes amid a wider dispute between Gulf airlines and American carriers, which accuse the Middle East airlines of flooding the market with capacity while receiving billions of dollars of unfair government subsidies. The Gulf carriers all vigorously deny that.

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India on Friday warned China against proceeding with the construction of a road in Bhutanese territory near their common border, saying that it would have serious security implications. India has specifically told China that construction of a road in the Doklam area of Bhutan would harm India's security interests and is a violation of a written understanding between Indian and Chinese Special Representatives that the status of the boundary at any tri-junction would be resolved only with participation of the concerned third country. China has been on the job of constructing a road in the tri-junction of Sikkim, India and Bhutan for nearly two weeks and Thimphu and New Delhi have now realised that it is inside Bhutan, although Beijing insists it is in China. China has also taken a belligerent stance, saying that neither India nor Bhutan has any right to the land where it is building a road. In fact, China also invoked the 1962 war, in which India lost heavily to warn India against trying to block its illegal construction. Defence minister Arun jaitley, however, countered China's threat saying that today's India is much different from India of the 1960s. New Delhi on Friday said it remained ''deeply concerned at the recent Chinese actions and has conveyed to the Chinese government that such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India''. The ''security implications'' are serious as Chinese construction activity usually precedes a strong claim on the territory. The Doklam area  which is part of Bhutan, but now claimed by China  will bring the Chinese even closer to the vulnerable 'chicken neck' Siliguri corridor that connects West Bengal and the rest of India to the north-eastern parts of the country. For the Indian side, the construction of the road is also another way to force India's hand on the tri-junction, by trying to bring it more down south. ''In this context, the Indian side has underlined that the two governments had in 2012 reached agreement that the tri-junction boundary points between India, China, and third countries will be finalised in consultation with the concerned countries. Any attempt, therefore to unilaterally determine tri-junction points is in violation of this understanding,'' said the press note. This is a written understanding that all three countries have to be part of any consultation on matters related to tri-junctions and there should not be any ambiguity on this. This understanding, was reached in 2012 by Shivshankar Menon and Dai Bunguo, who were at the time the Indian and Chinese Special Representatives respectively. Bhutan's foreign ministry said on Wednesday that the latest incident began when a PLA contingent, armed with earth moving heavy equipment, entered the Doklam plateau. They drove to a clearing in the area, named 'Turning Point', which is apparently very close to the Indian post of Doko-La on the Sikkim-Bhutan border. Besides its proximity to Siliguri corridor, the Chinese also consider Doklam as strategically important, as it overlooks the Chumbi valley separating the Indian state of Sikkim from Bhutan. China has built roads on higher reaches of Bhutanese territory in the past, say official sources, but had not come down this far south before. On spotting the Chinese PLA soldiers, Bhutanese soldiers at a border post called Chela on the Zompelri ridge, went to confront them and had a relatively long conversation to make them return to their previous positions. But with the number of Chinese soldiers being much greater, the Bhutanese soldiers were pushed back. In the meantime, Indian soldiers came down from Doko-La post ''in coordination with the Royal Government of Bhutan'', the Indian government press release said. Bhutanese soldiers had gone out of the area since and the security personnel of the two Asian giants found themselves in a face-to-face situation, which has continued till now. The Indian and Chinese army are at a distance from each other, but close enough to have conversations. Indian army personnel informed the Chinese soldiers that they were trying to change the status quo, which was a violation of previous agreements.








Donegal TD Pat the Cope Gallagher has said the decision by UK government to withdraw from the London Fisheries Convention is deeply disappointing.

The move would see trawlers from the Republic of Ireland unable to fish within 12 nautical miles of the UK coastline.

Deputy Gallagher, the Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Fisheries, said the Irish government must insist that the issue is discussed as part of the overall trade negotiations.

"It must be remembered that the U.K. exports 62% of its fish catch to the remaining 27 member states, so the trade element is a crucial component of negotiations on fisheries, he said.

"When Brexit Negotiator, Michel Barnier visited Dublin a number of months ago, I raised this issue with him directly, and I found him to be very receptive to my concerns on post-Brexit fisheries issues.

"This convention pre-dates the entry of both Ireland and the UK into the European Economic Community, and provided all signatory counties with reciprocal fishing rights in each other's waters.

"It's clear that the UK government's commitment to a hard Brexit now extends to ripping up any deal with neighbouring countries irrespective of the benefits.

Minister For Agriculture, Food And The Marine, Michael Creed, said move was unhelpful.

"Today's announcement by the UK government is unwelcome and unhelpful. It is a part of Brexit and will be considered by the EU 27 MSs and the Barnier team when the negotiations commence, he said.

The announcement will have no immediate effect as the withdrawal process from the convention will take two years and will form part of the Brexit negotiations.

The convention grants rights to neighbouring countries to fish in each other's 6 to 12 miles fishing zones based on historic fishing activity. The Irish fishing fleet has access to parts of the UK 6-12 mile zone as has the UK fleet to parts of the Irish zone. These access rights were incorporated into the EU Common Fisheries Policy when we joined the EU.

The threats posed by Brexit to the Irish fishing industry was discussed last Thursday with the Irish industry at a session of the SeaFest Conference in Galway. Brexit poses very serious challenges to the seafood sector and this announcement will form part of the negotiations."
An assault victim who was assaulted in his home after a drink fueled incident has said he still lives in fear of being attacked again, Letterkenny Circuit Court has heard.

Andrezj Urban, outlined in a victim impact statement how he was attacked by refuse worker, Pawel Stolarczyk, 40, of Dromore Letterkenny, on New Years day, 2012 at his home at in Lismonaghan. He told the court he suffered mental health problems and feared his family would be attacked again.

Pawel Stolarczyk had pleaded not guilty to assaulting Mr Urban, causing him harm, at 99 The Maples, Lismonaghan, Letterkenny on January 1, 2012. He was convicted by a unanimous verdict following a jury trial in July 2016.

Recounting the evidence, barrister for the State, Patricia McLaughlin BL, outlined that the victim and his wife had been socialising with friends at a New Year's eve house party in Ballymacool, Letterkenny.

Mr Urban was suffering a migraine on the night and lay down in an upstairs bedroom before he left the party during the night with his wife.

Before he left, an incident took place that he did not witness downstairs of the house where Stolarczyk, who was intoxicated, was asked to leave.

The following day, Stolarczyk arrived at Mr Urbans family home at 10.30am with a number of others and demanded to know where one of the people from the previous incident the night before was. He then punched Mr Urban in the face, injuring his lip.

He said he was afraid he would also attack his house and car.

Defence barrister, Fiona Crawford BL, said her client was originally from Poland and had been living in Ireland since 2006. She added he was a hardworking man who works for Ferrys Refuse.

She said he was a father of three, adding one of children one child with special needs who required a significant amount of care in the home.

He had previous convictions for driving without a licence or insurance in 2011.

Judge John OHagan said the incident stemmed from a night where there was a lot of drink involved but noted the victim had left the party early.

He said Stolarczyk was extremely drunk and aggressive and the victim suffered a very bad experience as a result of his actions.

He sentenced him to 18 months in prison, but substituted the order for 240 community service saying I dont see what prison would achieve in reforming this young man.
The situation concerning the right of way to a well-known coastal beauty spot has escalated in recent days, according to a Donegal senator.

Tension has arisen in Fanad after access to the Great Pollet Sea Arch was blocked last month.

Over 560 people have signed an online petition to have access to the arch restored.

Access had been blocked by a landowner who has closed off access with a gate and erected signs warning people not to enter the site.

Last week local people held a walk to the location to highlight the issue.

Senator Padraig MacLochlainn, who attended the march, said the situation has been escalated by the blocking of a turnstile at the site with concrete bollards.

He called on Donegal County Council and other agencies to work together to find a solution.

I understand it has escalated. Concrete bollards have been placed there in recent days and it means it is very difficult for people to access, he said.

Its a right of way this has been a habitual right and foreign tourists are being turned away. There needs to be a clear statement from the likes of Donegal County Council, Failte Ireland and the National Parks and Wildlife Service making it clear that they are willing to work with landowners to address issues.

We need to assert that we can't have a situation where private interests are a priority over the rights of locals and visitors to access amenities.
With the disappearance of freedom of speech and fun, the recent rash of alleged, politically-incorrect, insensitive comments, and subsequent apologies, retractions and job losses, the pre-Independence Day column written for today has ceased to be.

Instead of reading this spaces usual drivel, youre on your own until further notice.

As the late Edward R. Murrow signed off newscasts, Good Night and Good Luck.



Dont know how Murrow and the CBS newsmen he assembled during/after World War II, including Troys Douglas Edwards, would handle social media, Instagram, Internet, YouTube, cell phones, lovers, truckers and thieves, ad nauseum, while ever-increasing coveys of moronic-aspiring twitters, from almost every walk of life, seemingly cant wait for their tweeters to leap into their cash registers.

Its sorta like Archie Campbells 1964 song, RinderCella, the youngest, prettiest sister who slopped her dripper.

Hard to believe, some of us baby bloomers(!) have long revisited the Summer of Love, aka 1967, while others continued happily motoring along, without looking back, attending class reunions and/or regretting mistakes made 50 summers ago.

Comedian Charlie Fleischer is credited by many for saying, If you can remember the 60s, you really werent there.

Maybe thats right for some; others of us with memories are extremely thankful for six magical words concerning the 60s: The statute of limitations has expired.

Whether and how well celebrate this July 4 aint decided, but on July 4, 1967, some 64 members of Enterprise High Schools Wildcat Marching Band celebrated involvement in the Summer of Love, in Chicago, where we represented Alabama at the 50th anniversary Lions International Convention.

Summer of Love seeds were sown in and around San Francisco in early January 67, and by summertime, more than 100,000 hippies, many festooned in vibrant paisleys, rallied at the Haight/Ashbury confluence, near where, in musically-magic 62, pre-Lady Gaga Tony Bennett had left his heart.

Long before 67s summers solstice, as it turned out, wed over-prepared afore boarding two chartered Greyhound buses for the 23.5-hour trip to Chicago; our contribution to the four-hour parade would be short and sweet.

Kris Holzapfel had provided, arguably, the highlight of our trip north when, unbeknownst to others, he sneaked a candy bar, Sessions Co. had given us, into the buss bathroom, where he stayed and stayed.

When Kris emerged, wed already noticed hed daubed chocolate specks all over his face before he suspiciously complained, ahem, about rough roads as we sped across rural Indiana and its historic Wabash River.

Simultaneously, some 50,000 Lions Club members from everywhere (thats the International part, Neal) had begun arriving in Chicago July 3, ready for numerous festivities, including the parade, which began on Michigan Avenue at Wacker Drive, and headed south some 14 blocks, ending at 9th Street.

Itd take this entire newspaper to rehash that unforgettable trip, but for 12 of us our leader, the late Bob McMillan, dubbed the Dixie Dozen, one day we played 17 venues, as the crow flies, throughout the Palmer House, Pick Congress and Conrad Hilton hotel convention venues.

Played Dixie every set  and while strolling Michigan Avenue.

Hmmm.

Since the 67 Lions gathering was the 50th, must mean thisuns the 100th and its in Chicago.

Wish now wed done what Ellwood and Jake Blues did, you know, get the band back together.

The convention runs through Tuesday.
Is there any bottom to the barrel of political and public discourse in our country? Every day the exchanges become more coarse, more cruel, and less productive. We are knee deep in half-truths and outright lies, fired at us from all sides of the media and the very halls of power. Can it be fixed? If so, who can fix it? Im here to suggest that it ought to be the people who claim to follow Jesus.

But first we must decide what we really believe. I (and most evangelicals) claim to believe that this lifeand indeed this country we love dearlyis but a vapor, and that the children of God are playing a long game. Like, eternity long. We say we believe that God is sovereign, and that he ultimately rules and reigns over all. Therefore, because of his sovereignty and authority, we can afford to be radically obedient to him in all things, knowing that obedience and faithfulness are our job and outcomes are his.

Translation: Even in 2017, because of Jesus, I can afford to be kind and respectful, even with those with whom I disagree. Because of Jesus, losing is a temporary constructhe has defeated sin and death, and this whole business gets straightened out in the end. I can tell the truth in love and advocate for righteousness without being in a panic about anything. Additionally, I can (and should) hold accountable members of my own tribe who are acting or speaking in ways that conflict with Christian values without fear of weakening my team.

You see Church, what we quietly accept is what we tacitly endorse. When our chosen leaders/representatives are wrong in their content or delivery and we say nothing, we are complicit. As a professing Christian, your implied endorsement of un-Christlike behavior sticks to the Church. It sticks to the Gospel. It sticks to Jesus.

It seems we have succumbed to the lie that we must play according to the worlds tactical rules of political and media engagement to win the world over. If my thinking is informed mostly by 24-hour cable news and social media, this makes a lot of sense. But if the authority of scripture is the framework through which I observe this whole mess, it becomes rapidly apparent that playing by those rules is a fools game.

Positive change comes when despite the bad behavior of others, leaders with courage of conviction emerge and say We're going to do the right thing, the right way, no matter what, because God said to and he is trustworthy." That's the essence of virtue-driven leadership. It's guiding people above and beyond their basest instincts and toward better, nobler goals. Someone has to lead by example.

Its believing in the merits of your agenda enough to know that you can win the day arguing the facts without sinking to the politics of personal destruction or middle school insult, or by endorsing those who do.

Its setting aside tribalism and our political identity when those things clash with the truth of the Word and the character of God, understanding that he will never ask us to depart from vast portions of his wisdom (like, say, all of Proverbs) to be in the center of his will.

Some of you have told me that these are desperate times that demand extraordinary measures and unorthodox approaches. The media is evil and the left is crazy and ISIS is on the front porch, ringing the bell.

Well, OK. If we genuinely believe that our current circumstances require a rewrite of the biblical rules for Christian living and leadership, lets at least be consistent. (You see, Im a P.R. professional by trade. Consistency in messaging is key.) Lets quit telling our children fantastic fairy tales about a God who controls the wind and the waves, heals the sick and raises the dead. Because clearly, we dont believe in that God anymore.

Instead, lets gather the kids around and tell them about God 2.0a God who is just holding his breath, hoping he can get the right alignment on the Supreme Court so that he can have permission to work his will in the world. Lets tell them about a God so weak, hes handcuffed by a two-party political system in a country so new it still has the tags on. And lets definitely get the story straight once and for all on the martyrs of the early Churchbecause clearly those guys were a bunch of clowns who didnt know how to win.

Consistency.

My daddy used to say to me, Dana, dont tell me what you believe. Just let me watch your lifeyour choices, your associations, your prioritiesand Ill tell you what you believe.

What kind of God do we serve, Church? Our children are watching. A world that needs Christ is watching. Lets play the long game.

Dana Hall McCain is a public relations consultant and writer who writes about faith, family and culture. She lives in Dothan, Alabama.
US-backed fighters pierced militants-held Raqqa from the south for the first time on Sunday, crossing the Euphrates River to enter a new part of the Syrian city, a monitor said.

The Syrian Democratic Forces have spent months closing in on the Islamic State group's bastion Raqqa and entered the city's east and west for the first time last month.

On Thursday, the US-backed Arab-Kurd alliance sealed off the militants' last escape route by capturing territory on the southern bank of the Euphrates.

"Today, they entered Raqqa's south for the first time and seized the Al-Hal market," Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said on Sunday.

He said some SDF fighters had advanced north across the Euphrates River, while others had attacked Al-Hal from the adjacent district of Al-Meshleb in Raqa's east.

"The market is fully under SDF control but IS group is waging a counter-attack," Abdel Rahman said.

The SDF's Operation Wrath of the Euphrates also announced it had captured the Al-Hal market on Sunday.

Backed by the US-led coalition bombing IS group, SDF fighters first broke into Raqqa on June 6.

They have since seized a handful of neighbourhoods in the city's east and west but are facing fierce resistance by IS as they push closer to the city centre.

According to the coalition, an estimated 2,500 IS militants are defending the northern city.

IS overran Raqqa in 2014, transforming it into the de facto Syrian capital of its self-declared "caliphate," which it declared three years ago.

The city became infamous as the scene of some of the group's worst atrocities, including public beheadings, and is thought to have been a hub for planning attacks overseas.

The United Nations has expressed concern for up to 100,000 civilians it says are still trapped in the city.

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Suicide bomber attacked a camp for displaced Iraqis in Anbar province on Sunday, killing 14 people, a police major and a doctor said.

The blast at the 60 Kilo camp west of Anbar capital Ramadi also wounded 13 people.

The doctor and the major both said that most of the victims were women and children, but the officer also told AFP that two security personnel including a captain were among the dead.

Adnan Fayhan, the head of the local council in the Al-Wafaa area, where the camp is located, said that the camp would be closed following the attack.

"All the displaced people in the camp will be brought to the 18 Kilo camp west of Ramadi," as it is "safer and receives more aid," Fayhan said.

"The 60 Kilo camp will be closed after all the displaced people have been brought to the 18 Kilo camp," he said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State jihadist group frequently carries out suicide bombings targeting civilians in Iraq.

Iraqi forces retook the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah from IS, but the jihadists still hold areas in western Anbar, and the province still faces major security challenges.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and other support have since regained much of the territory they lost.

Iraqi forces are now in the final stages of the battle to retake Mosul from IS, but will have more fighting to do in Anbar and elsewhere after recapturing the country's second city.

Security in some parts of Iraq will likely worsen as IS loses more ground and increasingly returns to insurgent-style bombings and hit-and-run attacks.

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Italy's interior minister called Sunday on other European countries to open their ports to rescue ships ahead of talks with France and Germany on tackling the migrant crisis.

"We are under enormous pressure," Marco Minniti, who meets his counterparts in Paris later Sunday to prepare for EU talks in Tallinn this week, said in an interview with Il Messaggero.

With arrivals in Italy up nearly 19 percent over the same period last year, Rome has threatened to close its ports to privately-funded aid boats or insist that funding be cut to EU countries which fail to help.

"There are NGO ships, Sophia and Frontex boats, Italian coast guard vessels" saving migrants in the Mediterranean, Minniti said, referring to the aid boats as well as vessels deployed under EU border security missions.

"They are sailing under the flags of various European countries. If the only ports where refugees are taken to are Italian, something is not working. This is the heart of the question," he said.

"I am a europhile and I would be proud if even one vessel, instead of arriving in Italy, went to another European port. It would not resolve Italy's problem, but it would be an extraordinary signal" of support, he said.

More than 83,000 people rescued while attempting the perilous crossing from Libya have been brought to Italy so far this year, according to the UN, while more than 2,160 have died trying, the International Organization for Migration says.

Italy's Red Cross has warned the situation in the country's overcrowded reception centres is becoming critical.

"What is happening in front of our eyes in Italy is an unfolding tragedy," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on Saturday.

One of the rescue organisations, SOS Mediterranee, which runs an aid vessel along with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), said forcing boats carrying migrants to go to other European ports would be logistically difficult.

If the order came, "we would have no choice, we would obey. But it would be completely impossible with more than 1,000 people on board," SOS Mediterranee spokeswoman Mathilde Auvillain told AFP.

"And then we'd need to make a stopover in an Italian port anyway to refuel, or we'd end up needing to be rescued ourselves."

After weeks or months spent in Libyan camps -- where many migrants are raped or tortured -- those rescued are already traumatised, "imagine adding two or three more days at sea. Our priority is to protect them," she said.

Minniti was to meet counterparts Gerard Collomb of France, Thomas de Maiziere of Germany and EU Commissioner for Refugees Dimitris Avramopoulos at 1800 GMT in the French capital.

Minniti said Rome would be pushing for a way to shift the asylum application process from Italy to crisis-hit Libya, and safely bring to Europe those who win the right to protection.

"We have to distinguish before they set off (across the Mediterranean) between those who have a right to humanitarian protection and those who don't," he said.

Unsourced Italian media reports said Rome was likely to call for a European code of conduct to be drawn up for the privately-run aid boats, with the Corriere della Sera saying vessels that did not comply could be "seized".

Rome would like a regional maritime command centre to oversee all rescue operations from Greece to Libya to Spain, which would spread the migrant arrivals between European countries, it said.

And Italy insists that the EU refugee relocation programme -- which is largely limited to people from Eritrea and Syria -- should be expanded to include other nationalities, such as Nigerians, La Repubblica said.

Italy's influential Catholic community Sant'Egidio said an EU directive dating from 2001, drawn up to offer temporary protection to those displaced by the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, should be applied here.

"Isn't that the same situation we find ourselves in now in the Mediterranean?" said Sant'Egidio head Marco Impagliazzo.

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A natural gas pipeline exploded in southwest China on Sunday, killing at least eight people and injuring another 35, the official Xinhua news agency reported.

The pipeline, operated by the state-owned oil giant China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) in the town of Shazi in Guizhou province, sprang a leak after it was crushed by a landslide triggered by heavy rains, Xinhua reported.

It blew up around 10:00 am (0200 GMT). Emergency workers put out the blaze and evacuated residents, Xinhua said, citing rescuers.

Industrial accidents are common in China, where safety standards are often lax.

Last year a pipeline explosion at a power station in central China killed at least 21 people.

In 2015, giant blasts killed at least 165 people in the northern port city of Tianjin, causing over $1 billion in damage and sparking widespread anger over a perceived lack of transparency by officials about the accident's causes and environmental impact.

A government inquiry into the Tianjin accident released in February 2016 recommended 123 people be punished.

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The Disney company is lifting a ban on having its merchandise manufactured in Egypt, trade minister Tarik Kabil announced on Sunday.

Disney instituted the ban in February after a drop in Egypt's ratings in the worldwide governance indicator and the country not joining the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Better Work Programme, according to media reports.

Kabil said in press statements the lifting of the ban is due to the unprecedented economic and political reforms being executed in Egypt in coordination with the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

"An upgrade by credit rating agencies has also helped in the successful completion of negotiations on the lifting of bans by international firms, including Disney," he added.

Egypt has been holding talks with Disney since March to lift the ban.

Kabil said that following the lifting of the ban, Egypt will be implementing in two stages the ILOs Better Work Programme, which aims to "improve labour standards and competitiveness in global supply chains," according to the ILOs official website.

The first stage, which will be implemented from July till December, will involve a continuous audit of Egyptian factories by the trade and industry ministry.

The second stage will be implemented starting January 2018, with the possibility of including more sectors and geographical locations under the programme.

Kabil says the programme provides several services to clothes export chains, including an assessment of factories, consultancy services and training, with Disney and other international firms invited to visit Egypt for more export deals.

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The skeleton is an essential part of our body and yet there is still a lot unknown about it. Bones can seem straight-forward to study, but their complex composition at the nanometre scale makes them a challenge. This weekend, scientists from Aarhus University in Denmark are delving into the core of bones on ID13.

When doctors diagnose diseases like osteoporosis, they generally base themselves on X-rays showing a smaller density of bones than what is normal. However, there can be individuals with dense bones that are still prone to unprovoked fractures and other with low density bones and with a low risk of fractures. Scientists are trying to get to the heart of bones, in order to understand, in the long term, how bone diseases appear.

Bone is formed primarily from collagen fibrils, calcium phosphate nanoparticles, water and non-collagenous macromolecules. It is traversed by a network of cells, called osteocytes, which are located in lacunae interconnected by canaliculi that are only a few hundred nanometre in diameter, the LCN. Osteocytes are constantly formed by the bone as it repairs itself.

The bone matrix around the LCN differs in structure and composition from the surrounding normal bone matrix and is enriched in non-collagenous proteins. Today we have cartoon-like images on how bones look but there are disagreements in the community about the details, explains Henrik Birkedal, the leader of the team. And he adds The LCN makes up a sizeable portion of bone, yet almost nothing is known about the biomineral organisation or the distribution of oligo-elements in the bone matrix linked to the LCN. This information is important to ultimately understand bone properties and the role of osteocytes, which are thought to play a key role in maintaining bone and controlling calcium levels in the body.

Placing the sample in the experimental hutch.

Birkedal and his team will try to map the nanocrystals and oligo-elements by combining diffraction and fluorescence computed tomography on ID13. We need beams that can go under 100 nanometres, as well as outstanding detectors such as what we have on ID13, explains Birkedal. We are actually attempting to break a resolution record, aiming for a 50-nanometre beam, so it is a challenging experiment.

Getting down to this small beam sizes is not easy and it has been the subject of a long-term project collaboration between ID13, the Fraunhofer Institute of Materials and Beam Technology (Dresden, Germany) (Adam Kubec, Sven Niese) and the Erich Schmidt Institute of Materials Science (Leoben, Austria) (Jozef Keckes). The team very recently achieved a 35 nm beam by Multilayer Laue lenses, which will help researchers like Birkendal and his group to answer their scientific questions.

This is not the first time the Birkedal group is at the ESRF. Previous experiments on ID16 already concluded that there are additional void spaces in bone that were not previously accounted for.

On the beamline's control hutch.

The team is hoping to get a picture of the distribution of oligo-elements and calcium around the LCN (through fluorescence), as well as its mineral properties (through diffraction). The ultimate goal is to come up with improved models of bones hierarchical structure and osteocyte formation, which will help to understand bone mechanics.

The team, from left to right: Morten Bormann Nielsen, Maja stergaard, Nina Klln Wittig, Jonas Palle, Henrik Birkedal and ESRF local contact Tilman Grunewald.

Text by Montserrat Capellas Espuny
RBA keeps rates steady a 1.5%

Australian Dollar plummets as markets expecting a more hawkish tilt to the accompanying statement

Governor Lowe seen remaining on hold as inflation continues to fall below target.

RBA sees stagnant wage growth the world over

The Reserve Bank of Australia kept interest rates steady at 1.5% on Tuesday as expected but disappointed markets as to the lack of hawkishness from the accompanying statement. Given the number of other major central banks which are seen moving towards removing monetary stimulus, expectations were high for the AUD at this months meeting.

AUD/USD fell 0.72% on the day as the central bank indicated that now was not the time to change course,

"holding the stance of monetary policy unchanged at this meeting would be consistent with sustainable growth in the economy and achieving the inflation target over time

The bank also noted that lower energy had trimmed their expectations for inflation and that wage growth was largely stagnating throughout the world. This caused a number of hawkish bets to be flushed out of the market and hence the big drop in the AUD.

The upcoming Central Bank meeting on Tuesday in Australia, has become exponentially more interesting after events this week in Portugal, at the ECB forum. The markets interpreted the Canadian, British and European central banks all as making hawkish shifts in comments made at the conference. As a result, the newswires are filled with talk of the stars aligning as major central banks are seen as co-ordinating their moves towards tightening. Indeed, markets even see the ultra-doves at the Riksbank as making moves towards tightening in the not so distant future.

When we turn our attention to the RBA, who for a long time have been considered to be at the end of their easing cycle, it would appear almost inevitable that they might make some acknowledgments in regards to policy normalisation. The flip side of this, is there is a tremendous opportunity to create a dovish shock in the market to force their currency back down, especially if they still have major concerns in regards to the future outlook on Iron ore and some of their other key commodity exports. The rate is expected to be kept steady at 1.5%, with the major focus being on the accompanying policy statement.

A choppy day of trade saw the Australian Dollar eek out its 3rd straight day of gains against the USD. Closing at 0.7687, up just 0.09% the pair moved briefly above 0.7712 before falling later in the day.

Westpac firmly believe the market view that the cash rate will remain unchanged, but are open to speculation in regards to the content of the Governors statement,

The Reserve Bank Board meets next week on July 4 and is almost certain to leave the official cash rate target unchanged at 1.50%. Westpac continues to expect official rates to remain on hold throughout 2017 and 2018. The main focus will again be on the Governors statement accompanying the decision. Here we expect to see some tweaks, particularly around assessments of the labour market, but no substantive changes with conditions still evolving around the Banks other main area of interest, the housing market.

If the RBA are itching to come over all hawkish, then there couldnt be a better time to step things up a notch. At the same time, if they are less confident than some of their G10 counterparts in discussing removing stimulus, then it would be a bold statement to consciously keep things dovish. Indeed, with growing expectations globally; just maintaining the status quo might be a dovish enough move as it is, to check the Aussies uptrend.
As a British woman working in UAE (over 18 years now) I don't feel any differences to working in the UK. It is very safe (safer than the UK for personal safety in my opinion).

Some things to be aware of to get you started:

- Driving. UAE has among the highest rates of road deaths in the world. Women can drive. Cars and petrol are cheap compared to the UK.

- Alcohol. It can be purchased for home use from specially designated shops with a licence. There are also bars and restaurants serving alcohol - You are required to acquire an alcohol licence (which is free but requires sponsor's permission) before consuming alcohol in any location.

- School fees. Employer's arrangement may not cover 100% of the costs

- Accommodation. If rented is subject to 3% municipality charge

- Exchange rates. Salaries look attractive now because the pound is so weak. I've seen it around 8 Dirhams to the pound whereas it is now around 4.75. I am not saying the pound will ever get that high again but if you have big financial commitments at home factor in how it looks at 5 or 6 Dirhams to the pound.

- Cost of living. High and increasing with water and electric increasing every January. Food and other supermarket shopping is expensive. VAT will be introduced from January 2018. At 5% for most goods and services (except for a few essential foodstuffs).
I had the same issue when my previous employer cancelled my insurance card and i had to go to a doctor for some medical check, i searched in google but couldn't find anything then one of my roomate told this clinic having a Pakistani doctor, i went there and told him the scenario and luckily he understood and reduced the price fairly, the name is Talat Medical Center in Najda Street but i m not sure about anyone in Dubai. Better you can ask verbally someone around your area or in your friend circle.
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Lidia Garcia de Rodriguez is amazed that she now regards the United States with admiration, joy and comfort  years after she immigrated here in fear.

I always cried to my husband. I told him I didnt want to come here. I had a lot of fear, Garcia de Rodriguez, now a San Antonio grandmother, said in Spanish.

She moved to the United States 18 years ago from Coahuila, Mexico, not knowing the language or culture.

But there was a better life here for my children, and thats why I stayed. And now I wouldnt want to leave.

On Thursday, she joined 1,100 other immigrants from San Antonio, Austin and surrounding suburbs and became a U.S. citizen, joining a surge this year in citizenship prompted in part by President Donald Trumps hard-line immigration policies and his campaign vow last year to deport 11 million undocumented immigrants.

From January through March, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services received 289,988 applications for citizenship, an increase of 13 percent over the 252,254 applications submitted in the first three months last year. Over the same period in 2015, USCIS received 197,590 applications.

The number of approved applications has slipped slightly this year, due to a backlog in applications, said Arwen FitzGerald, spokeswoman for the USCIS regional office in Dallas.

At the agencys San Antonio field office, 4,134 applicants were approved for citizenship from January through March.

Last year, that number was 2,309, down about 200 from the year before. In the first three months of 2014, the office handled 1,922 applications.

The local immigration law firm DeMott, McChesney, Curtright and Armendariz has seen the same rise. The number of people applying for naturalization at its office could double this year. In all of 2016, 122 people filed applications. So far this year, 146 people have applied.

I see a lot of people applying after the election because theres a lot of fear, or theyre motivated by a sense of civic duty. (Some) have been living in the U.S. for a long time and they want to have the ability to vote and take part in selecting their leaders, said Lance Curtright, a partner at the firm.

And it doesnt stop there. Brenda Velazquez of the local nonprofit Academia America, which helps immigrants become citizens, said the number of walk-ins it gets has tripled in recent months. About 72 people are expected to celebrate their new citizenship at their in-house party this September, more than twice as many as in the past, she said.

The reasons people become citizens vary, and FitzGerald said you cant necessarily draw a line between the increase and the change of administration.

Everybody naturalizes for different reasons. I cant really speculate why that 289,000 people wanted to naturalize in January, FitzGerald said. It would be hard to generalize because you dont want to group everybody for the same reason and its not true for everyone.

But Curtright and Velazquez said they have seen some recent trends: fear of deportation because of the White Houses immigration rhetoric, a desire to vote and the hope that citizens can then help foreign family members move to the United States.

More Information Surge in citizenship Number of applications approved at the San Antonio immigration field office from Jan. 1 to March 31: 2017: 4,134 2016: 2,309 2015: 2,542 Number of applications received nationwide: Jan-March 2017: 289,988 Jan-March 2016: 252,254 See More Collapse

Theres a lot of rumors, and thats just the way it goes. Weve heard people say their disability checks are going to get discounted  I have people who have children here under DACA (the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program), and they want to find a way to help them, so becoming a citizen is also part of that. Its really out of that fear, Velazquez said.

Farhana Amin of Pakistan has lived in San Antonio for seven years  and in the U.S. for 10  but even with her legal status secure, Trumps initial attempt at a travel ban made her uneasy, she said.

Her daughter, Manahil, 9, exclaimed, Youre free! the moment Amin was sworn in as new citizen at the Austin ceremony.

Carlos Miranda immigrated legally from Mexico City to the United States 11 years ago, shifting from his investor visa to a green card five years ago. But even still, there always was this spot of doubt, he said. And then the national conversation shifted to talks of cracking down on undocumented immigrants.

I knew it didnt apply to me because Im here on a legal basis and everything, Miranda said. But still, I was relieved I was able to have everything all ready and in the process after January.

Miranda will be naturalized Tuesday at a special Fourth of July ceremony at the Bexar County Courthouse to swear in 50 new citizens.

In Thursdays large Austin event, handheld flags waved through the Delco Center while residents of all ages and races, genders and upbringings sat side-by-side. They were from 98 different nationalities, from Albania to Zimbabwe.

For over 200 years, new immigrants and citizens like you have come to our country and helped us build a better America, Paul Parsons, an immigration lawyer in Austin, told the crowd Youre living proof that the United States continues to thrive as a nation of immigrants.

Applying for citizenship

Ivette Gomezs first dream was to be with her mother. When she was 7, her mother left El Salvador for the United States. It took her seven years, but her mother eventually got a green card, which meant Ivette could get one, too.

I was so happy, I was so ready to come to the United States and be with my mom and daddy, Gomez, 22, said.

After she moved here, gazing around at unfamiliar people speaking an unfamiliar language, her world expanded and so did her dreams for a better life.

What if she could learn English? What if she could become a citizen? What if she could graduate from school, even with two children  now 7 and 5 years old  in tow?

I have a lot of dreams, Gomez said. And sometimes they come true.

To become a citizen, residents must have permanent residency for five years, demonstrate good moral standing, and pass a civics test and an English test, which has reading, writing and speaking components.

For some, the application process is a breeze. Miranda said the history and government test was straightforward and the oral conversation wasnt intimidating.

But for others, its terrifying. Gomez studied for the citizenship test for six months before she took it this spring.

I was sitting down outside from the building and I was telling myself I can do this. Im ready to do this. And the man got out from the office, and he said Ivette Gomez? and I said Yes its me! she laughed at the memory. I was so nervous that I dropped my passport. I was like, Im sorry! and getting all my stuff off the floor. I was so nervous and he was so nice.

They ask you crazy questions, said Velazquez, of Academia America, who went through the naturalization process herself years ago. They ask if youve been a part of a torture camp, or if youre affiliated with the Nazi group. So a lot of these questions scare people. It catches you by surprise and youre sitting there wondering What kind of person do you think I am to ask these kinds of questions? Its really, really scary.

Apart from the language and cultural obstacles for some, USCIS also made some changes to its citizenship process that make it more challenging for people to apply.

The cost of the application has increased by about 21 percent, to $640, the first increase since 2010 according to USCIS. The agencys budget is almost entirely paid for by these fees, FitzGerald said.

But even with these changes, the number of applicants keeps going up.

Weve had more applications than we did last year, FitzGerald said. People just want to be American, what can I say?

After fidgeting in her seat for the final interview in her application process, Gomez was told she had passed.

I said What? screaming, and almost crying. Because it was like, I was so, so happy. (Thinking,) I cannot believe this. Its happening! Im going to be a citizen of the United States! she said. I was so happy. So I called my mom. She was crying. So then I started crying. And then I told my whole family and they were so happy.

She also will be naturalized at Tuesdays Bexar County Courthouse ceremony.

Old idea of freedom

Across the nation, more than 15,000 people will become citizens in about 65 ceremonies around the Fourth of July. The Austin event helped kick off the weekend.

Your American story did not start today, it started years ago in small towns and cities from 98 countries around the world. It started with your dreams. And those dreams were made real by sacrifices  leaving home to a new one, Gregory Fenves, the University of Texas at Austin president, told the Delco Center gathering. Leaving a familiar place for a place unknown. Making that kind of sacrifice takes a great deal of courage. Its a courage immigrants have, and a courage that each of you have.

San Antonians seek citizenship for a variety of reasons. Ramon Diaz from Nicaragua fled a civil war for the United States  now he wants to give back. Lorena Galvan from Venezuela is hoping her citizenship will allow her to save her mother from the tumult there.

Its the old idea of freedom, Velazquez said. Because no matter what we see here, and no matter what concerns we may have, many of the places they come from, freedom might not be there.

At Thursdays ceremony, the new citizens stood up as the names of each of their countries of origin were announced. When Mexico was announced, almost half the crowd rose, and the silence requested by the USCIS staff was broken as people whooped and hollered.

From there, the floodgates opened, and the silent, prideful ceremony included bursts of shouts, including one lone voice from Sudan that yelled ow! when the country was called.

After they raised their right hands and said their oaths, the arena boomed with noise. People shook hands with each other in congratulations.

Garcia de Rodriguez felt her throat close and her eyes moisten, but she did not cry. She sat with impeccable posture in a well-ironed turquoise top and skirt  dignified, proud.

I feel a lot of emotions seeing so many from so many different countries. I never thought Id get here. And now Im here, she said.

Just a day earlier, she was worried about how to dress Im really nervous, she said Wednesday. I dont know what to wear, do I put pants on? A dress? How do I do my hair. I dont know.

And now, all the worries  from the long-ago fears about fitting in here to her anxiety over how a new citizen should look  were washed away.

Its overwhelming, Garcia de Rodriguez said. Im all done, I finished my goal. Now I must clear the way for those that follow.

sfosterfrau@express-news.net
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San Antonio Police Chief William McManus didnt mince words Saturday about the shooting that left one of his officers dead and another in critical condition.

Im angry at the police haters, Im sick of the police haters, said McManus, who was at a South Side McDonalds for the Police Departments monthly Coffee With the Cops. We protect them.  And they give us a big F-U.

Officers Miguel Moreno, 32 and Julio Cavazos, 36, were shot during a confrontation with Andrew Bice, 34, near San Antonio College on Thursday. Moreno and Cavazos were both taken to the hospital in critical condition. Moreno died Friday; he was the 14th officer killed in the line of duty since 2000. Cavazos is recovering.

Bice, who had a local address but was from Louisiana, died at the scene of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

McManus spoke briefly at the Saturday morning community event, which included activities for kids and crime prevention tips.

Saturday night, McManus announced that William Lawson, 30, who police initially thought had been accompanying Bice the night of the shooting but was later released and called a witness, had been arrested on unrelated firearms and drug possession charges.

He was not charged on Thursday because there was nothing we could charge him with  hes arrested (Saturday) on two completely different charges, McManus said. We brought him in here (Saturday) to see if we could get further information, maybe connect him to the shootings on Thursday.

However, McManus said, There was nothing that we came across that would give us any probable cause to charge him with that crime (Thursdays shooting).

McManus said police were responding to a call of a suspicious person in the 1600 block of McCullough when they found Lawson in possession of a .22-caliber firearm and heroin.

Earlier in the day, San Antonio residents continued to stop by the ever-growing impromptu memorial for Moreno at police headquarters on Santa Rosa Street. Flags were flying at half-staff throughout the city and at all state offices, as ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday.

Theres an officer down, and they need as much help as they can, said David Moreno, 31, who is not related to the fallen officer. Ive been putting it off, taking care of my family, but this family needs me now.

Meanwhile, a Louisiana woman who says she is pregnant with Bices child said Saturday that she was stunned when she heard about the fatal confrontation.

He was ready to become a father, Shelia Landry, 22, said in a telephone interview from Mandeville, Louisiana. Andrew just needed help  he just had a substance abuse problem, but hes not a cop killer. I have no idea how he could have done something like this.

Landry, the mother of two, said she started dating Bice in 2015 and that they became engaged last year. Her Facebook page has photos of the happy couple and her children, but also includes posts that show distress and a possibly troubled relationship. She said they lived together in Mandeville where she works at a Waffle House.

Something had been troubling Bice, Landry said, prompting him to go to Texas, but she declined to say what it was.

He came down (to San Antonio) and he was just calling me, texting me, telling me he needed me to come down there and take care of him, Landry said. I couldnt get down there because I was still saving up enough money to go.

jgerlach@express-news.net
The Pilbara Ports Authority (PPA), which oversees ports at Port Hedland and Dampier, Ashburton, Cape Preston East and Anketell at Karratha, has also approved a 17pc increase in port dues at Dampier and Port Hedland, which will be applied to shipowners.
There is a lot of information out there about what to do with farm employees and fair work, but no-one at this point of time has a detailed manual for what to do with grain-farming employees, how to induct them, how to manage their wages and super and there is no one-stop shop to help with these things, she said.
He is credited with helping build Wellards export business from 2009 to before the public float in 2015 when he left to work as a consultant to a range of industries, focusing on digital strategies and business organisational change and transformation.
James Adomians debut Edinburgh Fringe comedy show Lacking In Character will be at the Gilded Balloon  Sportsman for the month of August so we caught up with him to talk about what we can expect.

James Adomian

Please tell us about your brand of comedy.

Brand is not a buzzword I would use. My comedy is gay and political, and features a lot of characters and impressions. I can range from dark to exuberantly joyful, like I think everybody should!

What can audiences expect from your new show?

They can expect a lively and clumsy American trying to explain his country and figure out yours. They can also expect some impressions of American political and media figures that they may be familiar with from popular American podcasts I regularly appear on, like Comedy Bang Bang and Chapo Trap House. Im going to talk about myself and my real life, and weave these impressions into these stories of my life. Its a look at the current world stage.

Which comedians have been your biggest influence since you decided this was your path?

Im a big fan of MR SHOW, Kids in the Hall, and the Jerky Boys. Im a fan of Todd Glass, Andy Kindler and Eddie Pepitone, who I am lucky enough to now work with and be friends with as well.

What random things make you laugh in everyday life?

I could say Trump, but more honestly what really makes me laugh is the way Trump echoes and ripples in the American news media. Also good for a laugh is ignorant homophobia in small doses.

Please tell us about your best and worst moment on stage so far?

Best moments on stage have been the improvised Trump Vs Bernie back and forth with Anthony Atamanuik that we did on the live tour. For the purposes of this interview, the show in London in July 2016 with Mark Hamill was the best one!

Worst moment on stage was bombing opening for Joan Rivers in front of 3,000 old people. In hindsight, they may have had a point.

Do you still get nervous when you do a gig?

Yes, I get nervous doing gigs and I get nervous doing interviews about gigs.

Why is Edinburgh Fringe Festival such a great platform for comedians?

I did a brief run of short sets a few years ago and had fun. Fringe brings people together from around the word in a way that no other festival does. Its a unique pleasure to find out there are people who know about me from the UK and other countries. Its fun to be able to make new fans! Its great to see UK comics that I love and find new ones too. So seeing other shows is also part of the fun.

Who are you looking forward to seeing at the Fringe?

I always love seeing Daniel Sloss. I love Max & Ivan - they are hilarious. My very good friend Sean Patton is also performing this year, along with other Americans like Andy Daly, and the Reformed Whores. Between the comics I know, and the ones I have yet to see, I am very excited to be able to catch what I can.

What is your advice to aspiring comedians?

Hire me once youve made it!

What is the oddest heckle you've ever received?

Actually two years ago at Edinburgh, someone got up and pissed on the stage, which I hope does not happen this time!

What is next for you?

Im filming the new Christopher Morris film in the Caribbean this summer. So if something happens to me, take it up with Johnny Depp.

James Adomians debut Edinburgh Fringe comedy show Lacking In Character will be at the Gilded Balloon  Sportsman for the month of August for tickets go to www.edfringe.com
Sophie Turner has been involved in some of the most brutal scenes during her time as Sansa Stark in critically-acclaimed, award-winning HBO fantasy series Game of Thrones. One of those scenes saw her raped by Ramsay Bolton; a scene that still to this day draws criticism.

Sophie Turner will return as Sansa Stark

Now in a new interview with The Times, Turner recalls that scene and talks about how it may have been a positive thing for a lot of people watching.

The more we talk about sexual assault the better, she said, and screw the people who are saying we shouldnt be putting this on TV and screw the people who are saying theyre going to boycott the show because of it.

This sort of thing used to happen and it continues to happen now, and if we treat it as such a taboo and precious subject, then how are people going to have the strength to come out and feel comfortable saying that this has happened to them?

She also spoke out about some of the consensual sex scenes which have been scattered throughout the series.

Id be doing a read-through and wed be talking about very graphic stuff. The first time I ever found out about oral sex was from reading the script, she explained. I was like Wow! People do that? Thats fascinating! I guess that was my sex education, being on Game of Thrones.

Turner returns to Game of Thrones when it returns for its seventh season on HBO in the US on July 16, with the series making its UK comeback on Sky Atlantic on July 17.

by Daniel Falconer for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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She's an actor with several hits to her credit, successful TV personality, fitness expert, food writer, entrepreur and a doting mom. We cannot get over how gorgeous Shilpa Shetty Kundra looks on the cover of the latest issue of Femina. Watch, as the actor shoots for the latest cover in this fun behind-the-scenes video and talks about the importance of fitness and the one thing necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Fethiye Times News  our pick of whats been going on in Fethiye and around the region over the last week.

Booking.com expected to resume activities in Turkey

Online reservation portal Booking.com is expected to resume its operations in Turkey, the Ministry of Culture and Tourisms Assistant General Manager of Promotions, Ahmet Temurci, confirmed last week.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Ahmet Temurci said Technical, financial and tax-specific arrangements will be made after talks are concluded. Booking.com may continue to operate in Turkey after fulfilling these requirements, he said.

Restrictions on Booking.com are solely a domestic issue, and it is still possible for users to make reservations in Turkey from abroad and vice versa via the companys website.

Turtles with satellite tracking released into the sea at Iztuzu Beach

Two turtles wearing satellite trackers were released into the sea in Dalyan on Wednesday. The turtles were released by members of DEKAMER  Sea turtle research rescue and rehabilitation centre at Iztuzu Beach.

Most research conducted on marine turtles is carried out on nesting beaches and well over 90% of a sea turtles life is spent in the water  feeding, mating, migrating and doing whatever else a sea turtle does when no one is watching. The satellite trackers provide important information to help improve the protection of sea turtles.

Click here for more information on how sea turtle tracking works.

Bodybuilder makes false claim for food poisoning contracted in Turkey

Last week we gave you an update on travel advice from GOV.UK about making false insurance claims for gastric illnesses contracted whilst on holiday in Turkey.

This week Leon Roberts, a bodybuilder from Derbyshire, claimed compensation for food poisoning that left him bedridden on a Turkish holiday. He was caught out by photos of him tucking into meals and drinking beer  that HE posted on Facebook.

Roberts told The Sun he was willing to withdraw his claim for compensation!

Click here to read the full article in the Daily Mail.

Holidaymakers flock to Fethiye during Ramazan Bayram holiday.

Ramazan Bayram was expected to be busy and it certainly was!

Traffic queued from Oludeniz to Fethiye on Monday evening and the new junction struggled to cope with the level of traffic. The gendarmerie traffic teams were kept busy controlling the flow of traffic around the town.

The second day of the holiday saw the beaches around Fethiye packed with holidaymakers enjoying temperatures of 35 degrees and water temperatures of 25 degrees. A great way to keep cool!

Over four million people were expected to visit Mugla during Ramazan Bayram and it certainly looked as though they did!

Fethiye asphalt roads melt due to heatwave

Daily life came to a halt on Friday when temperatures reached 45 degrees, melting the asphalt on the streets.

Fethiye has been affected by extreme heat coming from North Africa since the early hours on Friday. Residents and holidaymakers flocked to air-conditioned shops and restaurants. Some holidaymakers, who chose to go out, found their footwear stuck to the asphalt.

Some headed to the Green Valley at Yanklar only to find a large part of the road was a pool of liquid asphalt.

One driver, Adem Onal, said The weather is very hot and the asphalt has melted. We are going slowly to avoid an accident

The Fethiye Meteorology Station Directorate have advised that the temperatures will continue until Tuesday.

Turkish Money

The British Pound bought 4.58 Turkish Lira (TL) by the close of business on Friday.

The week before it was selling for 4.45TL.

Weather Forecast

After last weeks heatwave from Noth Africa, temperatures are beginning to drop to more normal levels for this time of year.

You still need to drink plenty of water and wear a high factor sunscreen.
Chinas textile conglomerate China Hi-Tech Group Corporation has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of China National Machinery Industry Corporation (Sinomach), an equipment manufacturing group, after the State Council gave nod for the same. The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) will no longer supervise China Hi-Tech.

Post this announcement, the number of central State-owned enterprises (SOEs) has reduced to 101. The SASAC aims to bring down the number of central SOEs to under 100 as part of the ongoing reforms to increase efficiency of the companies.

The merger of China Hi-Tech with Sinomach is also in line with the Chinese governments objective of raising the competitiveness of SOEs, and bringing technology and research capabilities to companies such as China Hi-Tech Group. (RKS)

China's textile conglomerate China Hi-Tech Group Corporation has become a wholly-owned subsidiary of China National Machinery Industry Corporation (Sinomach), an equipment manufacturing group, after the State Council gave nod for the same. The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) will no longer supervise China Hi-Tech.#

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  China
Alibaba Group has said it will invest about $ one billion to lift its stake in Lazada Group to around 83 per cent from the current 51 per cent, citing confidence in the growth potential of Southeast Asian markets and Lazadas business. With the move, Alibaba also reaffirms its commitment to the region as part of its strategy to globalise operations.Alibaba said in a statement it would buy shares from certain Lazada shareholders at an implied company valuation of $3.15 billion, reflecting a significant increase in Lazadas value from when Alibaba took a majority stake in April 2016. The transaction increases Alibabas investment in Lazada to over $ two billion.Lazada has been a key element of Alibabas expansion of its global footprint. The two have collaborated over the past year, giving them unrivaled access to the approximately 560 million consumers in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. And yet, with only three per cent of the regions total retail sales done online. Southeast Asia remains a hotspot for growth.As a market leader, Lazada has demonstrated its ability to execute and further lead the region in products and services with the best consumer experience in Southeast Asia while growing a strong ecosystem that supports small businesses going online. The e-commerce markets in the region are still relatively untapped, and we see a very positive upward trajectory ahead of us. We will continue to put our resources to work in Southeast Asia through Lazada to capture these growth opportunities, said Daniel Zhang, CEO of Alibaba Group.Alibaba has so far provided scale, e-commerce know-how and technological expertise to support Lazadas efforts. That has allowed Lazada to invest further in the marketplace, technology, payments and logistics, enhancing its services and the customer experience. Lazada has also focused on supporting the regions merchants, many of whom are small businesses.Specifically, Lazada and Alibaba have established an e-fulfillment centre in Malaysia as part of Alibabas Electronic World Trading Platform, advancing Thailand 4.0 and launching Taobao Collection in Singapore and Malaysia, giving local customers access to high-quality products from China.Thailand 4.0 is a government initiative aimed at turning Thailand into a high-income nation, but one thats inclusive and focuses on sustainable growth and development.

I couldnt be more excited to deepen our relationship with Alibaba. With their support, we will continue to empower brands and sellers to offer a wide selection of unique assortment to consumers across Southeast Asia while delivering an exceptional customer experience backed by our best-in-class logistics network, said Maximilian Bittner, CEO of Lazada Group. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
HON PM BAINIMARAMA OPENING ADDRESS AT THE CLIMATE ACTION PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP EVENT





Your Excellencies my fellow Pacific Island leaders,The Honourable Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand,The Honourable Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific,The Chair of the CAPP event - our Climate Champion, the Honourable Inia Seruiratu.Distinguished representatives of governments and regional organisations,Representatives of civil society and the private sector,Ladies and Gentlemen,Bula vinaka and a very good morning to you all.The next 48 hours are an extremely important opportunity for us all, as we come together to do what we can, here in the Pacific, to advance the global climate action agenda.We face an unprecedented threat to our way of life from the rising sea levels, extreme weather events and changes to agriculture brought about by climate change.No one living in the Pacific can be left in any doubt about what is at stake. As the incoming President of COP23 - the ongoing UN climate negotiations - I still get some people saying to me: Why are you doing this? Why are you spending so much time travelling the world when you have a job to do in Fiji? And my simple answer is this:As Pacific Islanders, we are fighting for our very survival. For all we hold dear. For all that God has given us and has been entrusted to us by our forebears to care for and pass on to generations to come. And for some of our number, their very existence as sovereign nations with land and coastlines hangs in the balance.I want to particularly welcome and honour the leaders of two of our neighbours who are most at risk - President Maamau of Kiribati and Prime Minister Sopoaga of Tuvalu.Excellencies, you carry the grave responsibility of trying to save your nations and your peoples from existential threat - the prospect of the islands you love and the resting place of your ancestors disappearing beneath the waves altogether.Of all the vulnerable nations of the world, you are the most vulnerable. Of all the moral force we can muster to remind the world of its obligations, you have the greatest moral force of all. Because to allow sovereign nations to slip beneath the rising seas altogether to preserve the economies and lifestyles of others would be an act of unparalleled selfishness and injustice. And any global citizen who believes in justice has no moral choice other than to side with you in your struggle.On behalf of everyone in this room, I ask you to convey to your people that we rededicate ourselves to that struggle today. We are with you. We are doing everything we can to stand up for you in the great forums of the world. We will never abandon you, just as we will continue to fight for justice for every single vulnerable person on earth.And even if the battle to keep your islands above the water is lost, we will continue to stand shoulder- to-shoulder with you. Fiji has offered to give permanent refuge to the people of Kiribati and Tuvalu, our closest neighbours under threat. And we expect the United States to do the same for the people of the Marshall Islands - who share your plight - because of their long-standing historical ties.In a worst-case scenario, we know that there will be climate refugees throughout the world. But the people of Kiribati and Tuvalu will not be refugees. We Fijians will embrace you and take you into our homes and our hearts. That is our solemn promise to you as Pacific neighbours and friends. And we ask other countries to offer the same hospitality to anyone who is displaced by climate change. Because ultimately, we are one world, one people. And as the new French President said so aptly the other day: there is no plan B other than decisive climate action because there is no planet B.Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, I also offer a special welcome to our distinguished guests from our larger neighbours - the Honourable Paula Bennett, the New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Climate Change Issues and the Honourable Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, the Australian Minister for International Development and the Pacific.I often say that our best chance of achieving lasting change in any sphere is to tap the energy and resourcefulness of our women. So it is wonderful to see the leadership role that these two women are taking on the issue of climate change. We in the Pacific Islands look to Australia and New Zealand for leadership in helping us to highlight our own challenges. And we very much hope that both countries can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the PSIDS leaders by supporting the position we adopt here and throughout Fiji's Presidency of COP23.Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, in this room today are the various Pacific elements of the Grand Coalition I am helping to forge across the world as incoming COP President to step up the momentum for climate action. Representatives of governments, regional organisations, civil society and the private sector - all focused on the huge task that lies before us.We are not pointing our fingers at the rest of the world and saying it is your responsibility to solve this problem. We recognise that it is the collective responsibility of every global citizen to contribute to a solution.In this spirit of collective responsibility, I was honoured, on Fiji's behalf, to formally endorse the "Under2 Coalition" and appoint the Governor of California, Jerry Brown, as my Special COP23 Envoy to the States and Regions. This important initiative has mobilised nearly 180 sub-national governments around the world to do their part to tackle climate change. And you will hear from Governor Brown shortly.Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, today we bring together some of the best minds, biggest investors, and most committed climate action campaigners in our own region to examine what we can do. A fresh exchange of ideas, a search for innovation, for solutions that we can pursue here in the Pacific that can be part of a global solution. And that can even inspire others to pursue greater ambition and action elsewhere.As many of you already know, this Climate Action Pacific Partnership Event - CAPP - is part of the program of activities of the High Level Champions appointed under the Paris Agreement. They include our own High level Champion, The Honourable Inia Seruiratu - Fiji's Minister for Minister for Agriculture, Rural and Maritime Development and National Disaster. And I want to warmly thank him for the energy and commitment he is bringing to this role.Our agenda over the next two days includes a number of interactive sessions with contributions from Pacific leaders, civil society and the private sector. All of you have a great deal in the way of skills, knowledge and experience to add to our collective ability to design solutions to the challenges we face.As incoming COP President, I want to stress the importance of three basic principles as we examine the various options.First, any potential solutions we embrace must be transformative. They must be able to make a real difference and be game-changers.Second, they must also be practical and affordable enough to be embraced on a greater scale. So that something that works in Fiji can also work across the Pacific.And finally, they must be able to be replicated. Something innovative that happens in one community can also happen in communities across the region.After my speech here this morning, I'm going to open something that ticks all of these boxes - one of the biggest companies in Fiji, Coca-Cola Amatil, embracing solar energy to help power its local plant in Nasinu. Almost 4000 solar panels have been installed across almost 11-thousand square metres of roof space to generate 40 per cent of the site's energy requirements. The plan is to take this to 80 per cent and extend the solar program to plants in Lautoka and Labasa. But already, the company is saving 415-thousand litres of diesel every year, along with 975 tonnes of carbon.I certainly encourage other companies and investors to follow this lead. Because it's a practical and highly effective way in which the private sector can make its own contribution to the fight against climate change.Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, as we embark on our discussions this morning, I want to emphasise the critical importance of teamwork, not only within nations and regions but the entire world. The various strands of the grand coalition each of you represent must be fully committed to working collaboratively together and be totally focused on the mission ahead.I have said before that we are all in same canoe, not just the island nations but the whole world. No-one is immune to the effects of climate change. All 7.5 billion people are in the same boat. And to symbolise the critical importance of the one world concept, we are going to have an ocean-going Fijian canoe - a Drua - in the main foyer in Bonn when we gather for COP23 itself in November. There'll be a taste of this when another Drua sails past us here at lunchtime. And I hope you all enjoy the spectacle.It is to remind everyone that we need to fill our sails with a collective determination to move the climate agenda forward. To not only maintain the course that was set in Paris at the end of 2015 - to fully implement the historic agreement we reached - but speed up the process. Because if we don't, the world - and especially our precious island homes - face certain catastrophe.We all know the challenge the world faces because the American Government has abandoned its leadership on this issue. But we must do whatever we can to encourage America to resume that leadership. The door is always open to President Trump. But in the meantime, we must support those Americans who remain committed to climate action. And we must fortify every other nation to stay the course.So on behalf of us all, I want to send the strongest possible message to the leaders of the G20 Group of Major Economies - including President Trump - who will gather for their summit in the German city of Hamburg later this week.Please do not abandon us, we in the Pacific who are among the most vulnerable to climate change. Please commit yourselves to showing solidarity with vulnerable nations around the world. Whether it is embracing more decisive climate action. Or giving developing nations readier access to adaptation finance and insurance that builds greater resilience and cleaner economies. Or to work more closely with the private sector and investors to do both.To the leaders of the G20: We have not caused this crisis, your nations have. As our opening prayer this morning put it, we have trodden lightly on the earth whereas you have trodden heavily. And those carbon footprints pose a threat to us in the Pacific and to all humanity.The vulnerable nations expect you to genuinely work towards the objectives you agreed to in the Paris Agreement - to keep global temperatures well below 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.We expect you to meet the initial climate action commitments you have already made. But we also ask you to go a lot further, because what we have all committed so far is simply not enough to deal effectively with the scale of the crisis the world is facing.Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, as COP President, my formal role come November will be to continue to develop the implementation guidelines of the Paris Agreement - the Rulebook - and prepare for more ambitious climate action through the Facilitative Dialogue of 2018. But it has become very clear to me as incoming President that what is considered ambitious now isn't nearly ambitious enough. We must all make a greater effort, and it is simple logic, basic science, that the biggest carbon emitters must make the greatest reductions of all.The full implementation of the Paris Agreement is a critical first step and every nation must fulfill the Nationally Determined Contributions or NDCs they have made. But it has become clear since Paris that the pace of climate change is even faster than was thought at the time and its impacts are far more serious.So let me leave you with some of the very latest information that has alarmed me and ought to be of grave concern for every global citizen, and especially those of us in the Pacific.The current NDCs fall well short of what is needed to achieve the objective of the Paris Agreement - again - to keep global temperatures well below 2 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial level and pursue efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. In fact, even if all of the commitments are honoured, the global temperature will be on track to be just under three degrees. And this would be a disaster for the whole planet.It would mean that Kiribati, Tuvalu and the Marshall Islands are doomed, along with a great many other atolls as well. It would intensify the extreme weather events like Cyclone Winston and Cyclone Pam that have caused so much havoc for Pacific nations. And it would make it virtually impossible for our agriculture to be able to continue to feed our people.The scientists are now telling us that with the disappearance of the summer ice around the North Pole and the eventual melting of the Arctic and Greenland, the global average sea rise would be a terrifying seven metres. Which means this room would be flooded to the ceiling.Much of Suva, as we know it, would be under water, and so would large parts of every coastal city in the world. And given that 80 per cent of the world's cities are on coastlines, the global economy would be devastated. And along with that, the living standards of people throughout the world.Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, on the best scientific advice, that is the nightmare scenario we face. So to anyone who questions my own commitment to making this a priority I say: What would you do? When the survival of your capital city is at stake, much of your own country and the very existence of some of your neighbours.That is why I am doing what I have to do. That is why Fiji has taken on the COP Presidency. To show leadership and guide the world towards a solution to undoubtedly the greatest challenge humanity has ever faced.On the best advice, we must by 2020, fundamentally turn the current position around. We must not abandon our Paris target of 1.5 degrees above the pre-industrial age however difficult it may be to reach. We must also achieve net zero emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gasses within a few decades. That means shifting away from fossil fuels altogether and embracing renewable energy. As well as taking carbon out of the atmosphere through such means as planting forests and mangroves.I must also be very frank with my own people and other Pacific islanders that in some instances for us, it is already too late. We are already one degree above the temperature of the pre-industrial age. And with that, we are already seeing the destruction of some of our reefs through coral bleaching, with all that entails for our food security, our tourism, our entire way of life.And so Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, there is an urgency about the task ahead that cannot be overstated. I ask you all to use these next two days to continue to put the Pacific on a leadership footing as we alert the world to the challenges we face. Help make the Pacific story one of investment and innovation, not one of destruction and despair.I have said all along that Fiji has taken on the role of incoming President of COP23 on behalf of all Pacific Islanders, as well as the citizens of vulnerable nations everywhere. This is very much a Pacific Presidency, an inclusive process in which you all have a role to play. So I thank you all for honouring us - honouring me - with your attendance. I wish you well in your deliberations and as always, encourage our visitors to enjoy your interaction with our people, our environment, and our world famous Fijian hospitality.Vinaka vakalevu. Thank you.
Kurukshetra, the film, is touted to be Sandalwood's costliest and will be Challenging Star Darshan's 50th movie. Having finalised only one actor for the film, the Kurukshetra team is all set to launch the film shoot on July 23.

Kurukshetra has been delaying its selection of stars for its cast. At this juncture, it is said that Challenging Star Darshan is upset on the film team. The team has officially revealed only one information, that Darshan will be playing Duryodhana.

Apart from that one information, no other supporting official information give us any extra details about the cast. Darshan too has not revealed any information until now. Now, gossips say that Darshan is upset on the team of Kurukshetra and that he might not be a part of the film after all!

With this information coming in, what will happen to Kurukshetra? Are the reports for real? Will Darshan be a part of the movie or not?

Read more..
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Facebook (FB) announced Thursday it has agreed to release advertisements purchased by Russians in an effort to influence last year's election to congressional investigators. A statement from Facebook General Counsel Colin Stretch noted the social media giant found more than 3,000 ads addressing social and political issues that appear to have come from accounts associated with a Russian entity known as the Internet Research Agency. Stretch said Facebook previously agreed to provide information related to those ads with Special Counsel Robert Mueller. 'Since then, some people have asked why we aren't sharing the content of the ads more broadly,' Stretch said, 'After an extensive legal and policy review, today we are announcing that we will also share these ads with congressional investigators.' He added, 'We believe it is vitally important that government authorities have the information they need to deliver to the public a full assessment of what happened in the 2016 election.' Stretch called the decision to release the content of the ads difficult but said Facebook concluded sharing the information can help provide a full accounting of what happened in the election. The news of the move by Facebook comes amid the ongoing investigation of Russian efforts to influence the election and possible collusion with President Donald Trump's campaign. 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.
Bengaluru: Union Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday hit out at the opposition, especially the Congress, saying by boycotting the GST launch event at Parliament Saturday night they have "abandoned their own child".

"Its (GST's) credit does not go to the BJP, the Congress or anybody alone. It is everybody's credit and we want to share that with everybody. But, for the first time Saturday, I saw some parents abandoning their own children," he said.

"The GST is their child. How can you abandon it? But that was how things happened," Javadekar said at the 68th Chartered Accountants day celebration, organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in Bengaluru.

The Union HRD minister said that ultimately, collective wisdom has prevailed and everybody has started implementing the GST and that is the best way forward.

The Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Left and some other parties had boycotted Saturday's special midnight meeting convened by the government on GST implementation.

Taking a dig at the opposition for boycotting the event, Ananth Kumar said, "As the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, I had requested every political party, everybody to participate in yesterday's midnight event which unified India in the economic sense."

He said the presence of the president, the vice president, the speaker of the Lok Sabha, and former prime minister Deve Gowda, along with leaders of various parties have sent a "wonderful signal across the world that India has made a big stride in integration of the economy."

The opposition stood a divided house as several parties, said to be "like-minded" with the Congress, such as the JD(U), the BSP, the BJD, the Samajwadi Party and the Janata Dal(S) along with the NCP, a key constituent of the UPA, participated in the midnight launch of the GST.

Speaking at the event, Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu termed the GST as a "game changer".

Himself a chartered accountant, he called on the CAs to think differently in the GST era.

"Chartered Accountants should not only be tax consultants or auditors, but essentially business advisers. We should think about our role in advising businesses," Prabhu said.
Oscar winning director and overall genius Quentin Tarantino, 54, has reportedly got engaged to girlfriend Daniela Pick.

This will be Tarantino's first marriage and the couple is reportedly very happy with the new development in their relationship.

The official New Beverly Cinema (owned by Tarantino) profile broke the news on Twitter on 2 July. The tweet had the link to a report by the Times of Israel.

Quentin Tarantino engaged to Israeli Daniela Pick  https://t.co/DcFqyIVZxo via @timesofisrael  New Beverly Cinema (@newbeverly) July 1, 2017

Daniela, 33, is the daughter of veteran Israeli musician Svika Pick, who confirmed the news to Ynetnews.com, an Israeli news and general content website. Ynetnews.com also reported that Daniela and Tarantino got engaged on Friday night in Los Angeles.

Tarantino reportedly met his fiance when he was in Israel to promote Inglourious Basterds in 2009, with the two carrying on an on-again, off-again relationship.

"It's true. We're very happy and excited," Daniela told Ynetnews.com of the engagement rumours.

Tarantino is most known for his unending genius displayed in Hollywood classics such as Pulp Fiction, the Kill Bill movie franchise starring Uma Thurman, Django Unchained. These movies just form the tip of the iceberg.

His fiance Daniela Pick is a popular Israeli musician. "Yes, there's joy in our family. They got engaged yesterday, we wished them Mazal Tov," said Daniela's mother Svika, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Though Daniela and Tarantino first met and subsequently started seeing each other in 2009, it is reported that they reconnected sometime last year , although its unclear when as Tarantino was still dating The Hateful Eight costume designer Courtney Hoffman in December 2015. The couple was then seen together in Tel Aviv in January this year, according to a report by the LA Times.

 With inputs from IANS.
After police investigation pointed to foul play when struggling actress Kritika Choudhary was found dead in her flat on 12 June, there have been no new developments in the news.

But there seems to be a big break in the case; Mumbai Mirror has reported that the Amboli police probing into the murder case suspect that she was in touch with drug peddlers.

Suspicions of involvement of drugs emerged when police found a packet of white powder when they discovered her body. Samples of the powder have been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for chemical analysis but the first test available with police showed the powder was methamphetamine (MD or Meow Meow).

The Mumbai Mirror report also stated that the two watchmen at Shree Bhairavnath SRA Society, where she had rented a oneroom apartment, have pointed there fingers at two men who regularly visited her to give her 'medicines' and these men were the last ones to enter the deceased actress's flat. One of the watchmen told the police that the two men never drew suspicion because Choudhary identified them as her friends. Senior inspector Bharat Gaikwad of Amboli police station said, "All angles including drugs are being probed. The accused will be nabbed soon."

Police speculate that she had frequent fights with these drug peddlers because she was unable to pay them. Choudhary was frequently out of work because her acting career never really took off. The two men who visited her house might have had a altercation with her regarding the payment for drugs.

Kritika Choudhary's ex husband Vijay Jagatnarayan Dwivedi was also arrested in connection to the murder, in addition to being accused of conning a man out of money. Dwivedi is now under arrest for conning someone for Rs 55 lakh.
This year at the 39th Moscow International Film Festival, that closed on 29 June, more than 33,000 spectators visited the shows and screenings, as reported by the Russian news agency, TASS.

According to them, Nikita Mikhalkov, Russian film director and producer and the president of the festival informed the press that 406 full-length and short-length films from 64 countries across the world were screened at the festival.

Mikhalkov said, "The main thing was the atmosphere, of course. The very opportunity to watch movies is much more important than an opportunity to sort out conflicts."

The same night, i,e, on 29 June the awards ceremony also took place. Chinese film Yuan shang (Crested Ibis) won the Golden St George, the top honours, at the festival this year, notes The Hollywood Reporter.

The film is directed by Chinese director Qiao Liang and is set around a Beijing reporter who visits his hometown to report a crested ibis, an endangered species, and in turn learns about the environmental ramifications and issues associated to it at a macro-level.

Turkish director Fikret Reyhan picked the best director award, the Silver St George for his film Sari Sicak (Yellow Heat) which is a story about an immigrant family who are trying to make ends meet through traditional farming.

Verena Altenbergerlead won best actress for her performance in the German film Die Beste Aller Welter (The Best of All Worlds) and the best actor award was given to the South Korean actor Son Hyun-Joo for his role in Korean director, Kim Bong-han's Botongsarsam.

The Special Jury Prize was awarded to Meshok bez dna (The Bottomless Bag) directed by Russian director Rustam Khamdamov. Italian actor Michele Placido was conferred with the Stanislavsky Special Prize for lifetime achievement.

This year, to commemorate 70 years of bilateral relations between India and Russia, the film festival also featured a section exclusively dedicated to Indian cinema and showcased some of the path breaking films from the Indian film industry this year with films like the Baahubali series, Badman, A Death in the Gunj, BeyYaar, U Turn and Kothanodi, reports Hindustan Times.
What's more fun than passing off stalking celebrities on social media as work?

Very little, right?

And so, we scanned the Instagram and Twitter accounts of celebs from India and abroad, to bring to you weekly updates from the interwebz. Who tweeted to whom? Who reposted last night's party pics? Who went on a rant about-... well, whatever Kanye West rants about. Whatever it is, don't worry, we've got you covered.

We stalk, you read. Deal?

Amitabh Bachchan celebrates 12 years of Sarkar

T 2471 - SARKAR 12 years .. !! a joy and a wonder .. first film with RGV .. pic.twitter.com/QmeN4PPgfK  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) June 30, 2017

Amitabh Bachchan took to Twitter to celebrate 12 years of his uber famous and critically acclaimed socio-political drama Sarkar on 1 July. Directed by Ram Gopal Varma (Sr. Bachchan's first collaboration with the controversial director). Through the tweet Amitabh called the movie a 'joy and a wonder'. also starred Sr. Bachchan's son Abhishek Bachchan, along with the talented Kay Kay Menon, actress Katrina Kaif, Anupam Kher, Supriya Pathak and more. The stellar star cast ensured the movie was received well by the audience, and it added another feather to Sr. Bachchan's already extravagantly adorned cap.

Katrina Kaif gives us work out envy

Working out with your picture on the wall ... not at all narcissistic .  #yrfrehearsalhall A post shared by Katrina Kaif (@katrinakaif) on Jul 2, 2017 at 5:23am PDT

Katrina Kaif shared a photo on Instagram as the actress worked out on a Lamaze ball with her trainer Yasmin Karachiwala guiding her mid crunch. The caption of the photograph hinted at Kaif's subtle narcissism, as the actress acknowledged the huge photograph of herself that adorned the walls in the background of her snapshot. Kaif also hashtagged the photo #yrfrehearsal, giving us a slight sneak peak into what the actress is up to these days.

Nicole Richie shares bizzare photo breastfeeding dogs (!?)

This weekend is gonna be LIT A post shared by Nicole Richie (@nicolerichie) on Jun 30, 2017 at 2:33pm PDT

Famous reality star, actress and fashion designer Nicole Richie took to Instagram to share a bizzare photo of herself donning a massive brassiere which had bottle nipples attached to them. Two dogs (!!??) were at the receiving ends of this outrageous contraption, and we were just left feeling really confused and possibly still reeling from the trauma.

Bella Hadid in Venice for Bulgari Festa

 A post shared by Bella Hadid (@bellahadid) on Jun 30, 2017 at 9:10pm PDT

Bella Hadid can't stop rocking this planet with her gorgeous fashion choices and her stunning looks. The super model has been giving us major jealousy as she has religiously been sharing breathtaking snapshots from her current trip to Venice to promote the Bulgari Festa, a brand for which she is one of the leading ambassadors. We're just going to leave this photograph here and let it do the talking.

Sushant Singh Rajput hints at next project

UFO working on his next in some undisclosed location #New #Script #love A post shared by Sushant Singh Rajput (@sushantsinghrajput) on Jul 1, 2017 at 9:21pm PDT

Sushant Singh Rajput shared a pensive looking photograph to his Instagram handle to pique the curiosity of his fans. The actor can be seen chewing on a pencil as he reads a script. Singh further titillated his followers by keeping his location undisclosed on purpose.
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand police has filed a chargesheet against noted Bollywood filmmaker Rakesh Roshan, accusing him of plagiarising portions of a story written by a city-based man and using it in his 2013 blockbuster Krrish 3.

The chargesheet was filed on Thursday in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate Vivek Diwedi by sub-inspector Subodh Kumar, posted at Dalanwala police station, Sunil Kumar who is the lawyer for the author said.

According to an FIR filed at Dalanwala police station here in May last year, Roshan, who is the producer and the director of the movie, had allegedly plagiarised portions of local writer Roopnanarayn Sonkar's novel Sooardan in his 2013 blockbuster.

The chargesheet claimed that enough evidence has been found against Roshan for violation of Section 63 of the Copyright Act and urged the court to send summons to Roshan and take appropriate action against him if he does not respond.

Krrish 3 is an obvious fantasy flick, in which people fly and rays of sunlight look like glowing straws. The only rule from reality that applies unfailingly in the Krrish universe is that women can't be heroes. So we have Kangana Ranaut's Kaya shape-shifting, walking through walls, and executing superb ninja moves against powerful fighters, carrying off ridiculous, body-hugging costumes, but strictly not being allowed the spotlight, a default setting that the majority of Bollywood has been operating on, for as long as we can remember.

(With inputs from agencies)
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford began filming George Lucas' Star Wars saga in the late 70s.

In a recent development, the lightsaber prop used by legendary actor Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, has been sold for nearly half a million dollars.

The prop was sold to the Orlando-based Ripley company, according to the Orlando Sentinel, read a statement by The Hollywood Reporter. The lightsaber was part of the collection owned by producer Gary Kurtz and may be on display at one of the Believe It or Not locations around the country. But the details are yet to be out.

This is still not the biggest "Star Wars" item auctioned off. An original R2-D2 unit used for the original trilogy sold for nearly $3 million. The 43-inch-tall unit was sold through the auction house Profiles in History and was compiled from parts used throughout filming the original films.

In March, as a testament to the role that made him famous, Hamill shared a throwback photo from his first day at work, wearing his Luke Skywalker garb in the Tunisian desert that served as the set for Tatooine. Nearly 41 years later, Hamill is now preparing for his debut as an older Skywalker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi following an earlier cameo in The Force Awakens.

Iconic actress Carrie Fisher, more famously and loving known as our Princess Leia from the same franchise passed away on 27 December, 2016, leaving Star Wars fans in inexplicable grief.

 With inputs from IANS.
New Delhi: Air India's largest employees' union will hold its general body meeting in New Delhi this week to "organise its members for a movement" against the government's decision to privatise the debt-ridden national carrier.

The Air Corporations Employees' Union (ACEU) is also planning to meet a group of ministers to be set up by the government to look into the disinvestment of its stake in the airline.

The ACEU is a grouping of Air India's non-technical staff and comprises nearly 8,000 of the total 21,137 employees.

"The meeting will be held to enlighten the rank and file about the privatisation of Air India and how it will affect them. This will also be a forum to organise them as we plan a movement against the privatisation of the national carrier," said a member of the ACEU.

"The move is clearly aimed at benefiting private airlines. If the government is so concerned about the taxpayers' money, then why does it not recover Rs 7.5 lakh crore borrowed by corporates from public sector banks?" the member asked.

Seven unions of Air India have already joined hands to oppose the privatisation of the financially bleeding airline. Their representatives met in June and wrote to Union Minister for Civil Aviation Ashok Gajapthi Raju, warning him of an "industrial unrest".

The letter was written jointly by the AI Air Corporate Employees Union, AI Employees Union, AI Aircraft Engineers' Association, United Air India Officers' Association, AI Engineer's Association, AI Cabin Crew Association and AI Service Engineers' Association.

These unions will also hold talks with the two pilots' unions  Indian Commercial Pilots' Association and Indian Pilots' Guild  and Indian Aircraft Technicians' Association to bring them on board.

They have called NITI Aayog's report on Air India "arbitrary and unilateral" and said it was prepared without consulting the employees, who are the largest stakeholders.
Panaji: BJP president Amit Shah Saturday said the party was committed to governance that treats all communities equally, while noting it was a Congress government which had imposed a ban on cow slaughter in Goa in 1976.

"As far as the issue of beef ban is concerned, it is not the BJP which has imposed that. There is already prohibition on slaughter of cows in Goa (gau hatya bandi)," he said, responding to a question during an interaction with a group of professionals here. "Right from 1976 it has been there, and it was there even when the Congress government was in power, but no one posed questions to the Congress," he quipped.

Responding to a query on the minorities under the BJP rule, Shah said the party has been in power in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan where the population of minorities was more than the overall population of Goa.

"Gujarat, MP, Rajasthan have minorities more than the overall population of Goa. There has been no problems in those states," he said. "I don't recognise the Sachar Committee but it has given a report that the minority community is most wealthy, educated and employed in Gujarat," he said.

Shah said since its inception, the BJP has followed the ideology of not carrying out governance on the basis of religion, caste or creed. "When Narendra bhai (Prime Minister Modi) says that all the villages in the country will have electrification, that means the electricity would be supplied even to the house of a minority community member," he said.

The BJP leader said when his party talked about providing LPG connections to 5 crore poor people and constructing 4.5 crore toilets, it included members of the minority community.

"I believe we should eradicate words like minority and majority from governance. Every citizen should be treated at par, and that is being done by our government," he added.
Panaji: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah on Saturday said after Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly criticised mob violence, there was no apprehension about lynchings in the country.

Shah also said criticism of the central government led by PM Modi was unfair vis-a-vis the issue of lynchings and also questioned why journalists were being caught in the flow.

"There is no (apprehension anywhere in the country," Shah said, when asked if apprehension about public lynchings had been quelled by Modi's recent public statement criticising such incidents.

Shah suggested that there was an orchestrated effort to wrongly blame the Modi-led government on the lynching issue.

"I do not want to undermine lynching incidents, by presenting a comparison. In 2011, 2012, 2013, there were more lynchings in each year than in these three years (of National Democratic Alliance rule). But the question was not asked then. How are questions being asked now?" he said.

"Mohammad Akhlaq died in Uttar Pradesh, when the Samajwadi Party was in power. It was their responsibility and yet there is a protest against Modi government," Shah added.

"What is this fashion? I can understand about the citizens but why are journalists getting caught in such a flow," the BJP President said.
Since Bashir Ahmad Wani alias Lashkar orchestrated the killing of six policemen in an ambush on 16 June, Kashmir Police had been working round the clock day to nab the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant. Lashkar had been in and out of militancy often in 18 years, but had become active in the last 21 months. Security forces had cornered him around a dozen times but he always managed to give them a slip.

Despite being a master player with the forces, Lashkar could not survive more than fifteen days after he led the attack against six policemen. SHO Firoz Dar, a resident of Pulwama, was among the casualties when Lashkar with other militants resorted to indiscriminate firing.

Police officers in Anantnag said from the day of the attack, a network of informers and counter-insurgency wing of the Kashmir Police was keeping a close watch on Lashkar's movements. They were waiting for an opportunity when Lashkar would have fewer chances of fleeing with the civilians not being anywhere close. That moment came on Saturday morning.

It was a great challenge, said Muneer Ahmad Khan, Inspector General of Police, Kashmir range, adding, we worked round the clock.

However, things took an ugly turn when the forces, who had cordoned off a cluster of houses in Dialgam village, realised that the number of civilians trapped inside the houses near the site where Lashkar was holed up, exceeded their expectations. Altogether four people were trapped along with Lashkar and his aide. Though there were attempts to break the cordon, the forces managed to keep the people at bay.

The army officer said Lashkar was followed for hours before he was cornered on Saturday. It was not an easy operation, the army officer said,  Had there been no civilian he would have been killed in one hour, but we waited till the civilians including the four were rescued.

A video circulate on the social media showed when Lashkar got trapped, he asked local boys for help but that call failed to yield any results.

While the encounter was on, hundreds of civilians thronged the site to help the militants escape, while others kept looking for their loved ones in the neighbouring houses. Eyewitnesses say more than 50 people were trapped in the houses adjoining the house were Lashkar was holed up.

Tahira Begam, a 42-year-old woman, whose teenaged son was trapped near the encounter site, argued with forces for hours to get her son out, but they refused. She was part of the protests later and lost her life. Another young man was hit by a bullet in the neck and succumbed to his injuries in a Srinagar hospital.

Lashkar, a resident of Sopshali area of Kokernag in South Kashmir, was a category A++ militant and district commander of LeT for Anantnag. Although security agencies said he had a history of being either an OWG or a militant group sympathiser, he was last recruited by the LeT on 2 October, 2015.

Lashkar studied till Class IX and was first recruited in 1999 when the insurgency had ebbed in the state. At that time, Hizbul Mujahideen was almost missing from the Valley but the LeT had dozens of militants spread over south Kashmir. In 2002, Achabal police arrested him in Anantnag for the possession of arms. He was later released in 2005 after being granted bail.

In 2009, he again became active and was arrested with arms and ammunition in 2010 in Bijbehra before being released in 2014. During that time, the security forces kept a close watch on his activities and he was continuously asked to appear at police stations. In October 2015, he joined the LeT and started operating as their district commander for Anantnag.

It was a concerted effort by different agencies and justice has been done. He was no ordinary terrorist. He had done everything from killing people to looting banks, DGP SP Vaid said.

Lashkar was among the 12 most wanted militants in Kashmir and the third one to die after the army published the list of militants in the first week of June.

Imtiyaz Hussain, Senior Superintendent of Police in Baramulla district, was more direct in a tweet. RIP Feroz. Justice delivered. Wish good sense prevails and there are no more killings in Kashmir and we all live in peace, Hussain tweeted.

Sources in the army say efforts are on to neutralise the twelve most wanted militants first and then deal with the others who are less lethal.

I think by the end of August all them would be killed, a senior army officer told Firstpost on Saturday. The 12 militants are way more dangerous than the rest of them put together, he added.
It was supposed to be just another event for Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. However, what happened next next set tongues wagging.

Just seconds after Modi completed his speech hard-selling GST to chartered accountants across India at the foundation day event of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in New Delhi, the organisers played the Imperial March, the music associated with Star Wars' iconic villain Darth Vader. Perhaps, unaware of its significance in popular culture, the prime minister continued to wave blithely at his supporters.

PM of India, Narendra Modi, actually ended his speech with Darth Vader soundtrack. How befitting. pic.twitter.com/f2rbHURhSS  Sacha Saeen (@Sacha_Saeen) July 2, 2017

Twitterati was, to say the least, amused:

Here you go: The official event video where Darth Vader's Imperial March is played at the end of the PM's GST speech https://t.co/Y3FNTVbvjl  Krish Ashok (@krishashok) July 1, 2017

Did they just play Darth Vader's music at the end of that Modi ICAI speech?!?! What happened there! #GST #ICAIspeech  Ankur Kapoor (@alienesque18) July 1, 2017

As ironic as it may seem that they played Darth Vader's Imperial March after Modi's speech, you'd be surprised how often the govt does it.  TCA Sharad Raghavan (@SharadRaghavan) July 1, 2017

*Narendra Modi leaves the stage with the ominous theme music of Darth Vader. * Obi wan : I felt a great disturbance in the force.#GST  Siddharth Panda (@realslimsiddy) July 2, 2017

It wasn't Modi's first brush with Star Wars. During his 2014 visit to the United States, Modi, in the presence of X-Men star Hugh Jackman, blessed a gathering with a legendary dialogue from the franchise: May the force be with you.
Beijing: The Chinese state-run media on Sunday urged India to get over its "China anxiety" and said that New Delhi and Beijing, instead of being rivals, "could become cooperative partners".

"Concerns over a rising China have, to some extent, spiralled into a kind of 'strategic anxiety' regarding the country among some Indian politicians," Xinhua news agency said in a commentary.

It said the "misleading, unfounded 'China-phobia' might lead to strategic myopia and hurt India's own interests". The commentary said while the Indian decision to boycott the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative may be understandable, "staying away is not the best choice New Delhi could have made".

"It could have voiced its concerns and opinions on public occasions or in official statements as China is always willing to discuss all problems and possibilities with India on the basis of mutual benefits."

The commentary insisted that though proposed by China, the Belt and Road was not a "Chinese project". "As many experts and analysts have pointed out, the Belt and Road provides a monumental opportunity for the win-win cooperation between India and China, which are quite complementary economically."

India is strongly opposed to the construction of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) through the Pakistan-administered Kashmir which it claims is its territory.

"While bearing in mind its sovereignty concerns, it is in India's own vital and long-term national interests to join the initiative and become an important player in it," it said. "Instead of being rivals, the two countries, both of which are ancient civilizations endowed with a rich history, could become cooperative partners."
Darjeeling: The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), spearheading a movement for a separate Gorkhaland state in West Bengal's northern hills, on Sunday demanded a CBI probe into the violence in the Darjeeling hills and Siliguri.

The GJM has blamed the ruling Trinamool Congress and the anti-Gorkhaland forces for the trouble. It also sought the central government's intervention against the "draconian governance" of the Mamata Banerjee regime.

Even as sporadic violence continued in the hills, with a car set on fire in Kurseong, the GJM came out with a media statement condemning the ongoing incidents in Darjeeling hills, Siliguri and its adjoining areas.

"The GJM demands an enquiry into the arson, police atrocities, breach of communal harmony in the plains in the last three weeks including police firing on 17 June which led to the death of three of our Gorkha brothers and left 33 injured," GJM Assistant General Secretary Binoy Tamang said in the statement.

"We demand immediate intervention of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in these matters as well as the central government's intervention to stop the draconian governance of the Mamata Banerjee-led Bengal government," Tamang said.

The GJM claimed that 'anti-Gorkhaland forces and the Trinamool government sponsored elements' have come together in the hills for fomenting the violence to 'defame the GJM party and its leadership'.

It charged these forces with inciting communal hatred and creating a division between the hills and the plains.

"Anti Gorkhaland forces and Trinamool government sponsored elements have also been actively inciting the people of Siliguri, Odlabari, Malbazar, Meteli and parts of Dooars in communal hatred and division between hills and the plains."

Claiming that it had believed in a democratic form of agitation for Gorkhaland since its inception, the GJM said it found it intriguing "that these arsons and attacks on government offices and properties are taking place in the presence of a large number of West Bengal Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel".

"We doubt that the people who are doing this are hand in glove with the West Bengal government to defame the GJM," Tamang said.

The GJM also condemned the harassment faced by the people of Sikkim in Siliguri and the vandalisaiton of Sikkimese vehicles.

"Sikkim and Darjeeling have always shared a cordial and warm relationship. Sikkim coming forward in support of Gorkhaland is an example of it.

"India being a democracy, everyone has the right to voice out their opinion, that does not mean that Sikkimese vehicles should be vandalised and Sikkimese people harassed in broad daylight in Siliguri for the support that they have extended to the Gorkhaland movement," the statement said.

The GJM-sponsored indefinite shutdown in the hills to press for Gorkhaland state entered its 18th day on Sunday, with normal life continuing to be severely hit. Shops, markets have remained closed, with vehicles mostly keeping off the roads.
New Delhi: A Delhi court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah in an over a decade-old case of money laundering registered against him for alleged terror financing.

Additional sessions judge Sidharth Sharma issued the arrest warrant after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the court that Shah was repeatedly evading the summons asking him to depose before it and join the investigation.

According to Special Public Prosecutor NK Matta, the matter relates to August 2005 wherein the Delhi Police's Special Cell had arrested 35-year old Mohammed Aslam Wani, an alleged hawala dealer, who had claimed that he had passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah.

The ED had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah and Wani.

Wani was arrested allegedly with Rs 63 lakh, received through 'hawala' channels from West Asia, and a large cache of ammunition on 26 August, 2005.

During questioning, he had told the police that Rs 50 lakh was to be delivered to Shah and Rs 10 lakh to Jaish-e-Mohammad area commander in Srinagar, Abu Baqar, and the rest was his commission.
Kozhikode: The Kerala Intelligence has received reports of death of five persons from Malabar while fighting for Islamic State in Syria, but the news cannot be authenticated as the information was first received by the victims' family, an official has said.

"Such news is not authenticated, it is only information. But the reports could be true as they were received by family circles," a senior officer in the intelligence wing said.

He said relatives of one Sibi from Kanjikode in Palakkad district, had received the news of his death a few days ago. Sibi was working in Bahrain before joining the Islamic State in Syria. "Further details could not be known," the official said.

Similar is the case of one Muhadis, reportedly killed in Aleppo in Syria in military operations.

His brother who works in Bahrain broke the news of Muhadis' death to family members at Vaniyambalam in Mallapuram district when he came home about a month ago, the officer said.

Abu Tahir from Palakkad district was reportedly killed in US military strikes in Syria in April this year. The intelligence official, however, did not give details of the other two persons reportedly killed in Syria.

The official said the earlier deaths of four others from Kasaragod and Kozhikode districts of Kerala at Nangahar in Afghanistan have been confirmed.

"But it will be difficult for us to confirm the present deaths of five persons reportedly killed in Syria," he added.
Thiruvananthapuram: Union Minister Harsh Vardhan on Sunday said that only a small section of people are criticising Goods and Service Tax (GST), either due to political reasons or out of their ignorance.

He said the new tax regime is one of the biggest reform movements the country has witnessed post-independence and it should be celebrated in all possible ways.

"I fail to understand why some political parties are now raising objections or some sort of hue and cry unnecessarily (against GST) without any substantial reason," he said speaking at a discussion on GST with city's businessmen in Thiruvananthapuram.

Listing out various benefits of the GST, he said it is the duty of everyone of the country to support it.

"I would like to appeal to them not to oppose a positive reform ... a reformatory step ... just for political reasons," he said.

The minister for science and technology also said those who oppose GST should be educated about its positive results.

"I am sure that only a small number of people are raising some small protest here and there. It is either due to some political reasons or most probably due to ignorance. Because they have not been educated amply about the positive outcomes

of this great development that has taken place," he said.

Detailing the achievements of the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre in the last three years, Vardhan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had ensured that all good laws, which would benefit the common people, were enacted despite Opposition protests in Parliament.

The previous UPA government had made India synonym of corruption, but the whole system of the country is now undergoing a cleansing process under Modi, the minister added.
Ahmedabad: Manguben Makwana will never forget the night of 29 June. The 32-year-old delivered a baby in the vicinity of the Gir forest in an ambulance after midnight: But that was not all. Even as she gave birth to a boy, a group of 12 lions emerged from the adjacent forests and surrounded the vehicle near a remote village in Amreli district.

Amreli(Gujarat): Woman delivered baby in an ambulance surrounded by a pride of lions pic.twitter.com/X5oYZ45vNL  ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

During this ordeal, which lasted for around 20 minutes, the paramedic staff of the '108' ambulance tackled the situation with courage and helped Makwana in giving birth, while the lion pride, including three males, blocked the vehicle's passage.

The incident occurred around 2:30 am on Thursday when the ambulance was shifting Makwana, a resident of Lunasapur village, to the government hospital in Jafarabad town, said Chetan Gaadhe, emergency management executive of '108' in Amreli.

"When the ambulance was on its way to Jafarabad with Makwana, the on-duty Emergency Management Technician (EMT) Ashok Makwana realised that she would give birth anytime, as the head of the baby was protruding out. Thus, he asked the driver Raju Jadav to stop the ambulance mid-way to deal with the emergency," said Gaadhe.

While the EMT contacted a physician over phone to take directions, the pride of lions, sensing human presence, emerged from the nearby bushes and surrounded the ambulance.

"Though Jadav, who is a local and understood the behaviour of lions, tried to scare them away, the lions refused to budge. Some of them even sat in front of the vehicle, blocking its passage," he said.

Meanwhile, inside the vehicle, the calm EMT Ashok helped the woman deliver as per the directions given by the physician over phone while the driver Jadav monitored the movement of the "curious" lions, said Gaadhe.

"Later, Jadav started the ambulance and moved slowly so that lions would give way. Upon seeing the movement of the vehicle as well as the blinking of lights, the big cats eventually moved and gave way to the ambulance," he said.

The mother and the child are currently admitted to Jafrabad hospital. Both are hale and hearty.
Srinagar: Hundreds of mourners joined in the funeral of militant commander Bashir Lashkari, who was killed a day earlier, as he was buried on Sunday at his ancestral graveyard in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district.

Shouting pro-Islam and pro-Azadi slogans, a large number of people carried the body of Bashir Lashkari to the Sofshali village graveyard.

The dead man belonged to the Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Pakistan-backed militant outfit which is fighting to end Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

Several militants also joined the funeral procession and fired in the air from their weapons as a mark of respect to the slain commander.

The security forces did not disrupt the funeral nor did they stop mourners from reaching the village where Lashkari was buried.

The LeT commander, who carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was killed in a gunfight with security forces on Saturday along with his Pakistani associate Abu Maaz in Brenthi village in Anantnag district.

The killing of the commander was a major success for the security forces in their anti-militancy campaign as Lashkari had masterminded and carried out the gruesome killing of six policemen, including an officer, in Achabal area last month.

Two civilians were also killed on Saturday in Brenthi village.

While the police said the civilians were killed in a cross-fire between the security forces and the militants, locals said they died due to firing by security forces.

A mob had engaged the security forces in Brenthi village when the operation against the holed up militants was on.
After Sonu Nigam stoked controversy by criticising azaan over "forced religiousness", the Islamic call for prayer is once again in the line of fire. Now, a Class 6 ICSE textbook has equated azaan with noise pollution, Times Now reported.

The depiction in the science textbook, Integrated Science, led to an online petition and has also received flak on social media for Islamophobia. The picture, shared widely on social media, shows a train, car, plane and a mosque, all with symbols depicting loud sound, next to a man grimacing and shutting his ears.

The ICSE, however, maintained the board did not publish or prescribe textbooks, and that schools had to deal with the issue. Gerry Arathoon, chief executive and secretary of the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations, said the board does not publish or prescribe textbooks for schools.

"If any book with objectionable content is being taught at certain schools, it is for schools and publisher to ensure such a thing does not happen," he told PTI.

Selina Publishers issued an apology, saying they did not intend to hurt the sentiments of any community. "This is to inform all concerned that we will be changing the picture in subsequent editions of the book," publisher Hemant Gupta said on social media sites.

Gupta added that the diagram on page 202 of its publication consisted of "a structure resembling a portion of a fort and other noise producing objects in a noisy city".

In April, Sonu Nigam went on a Twitter rant against the blaring loudspeakers used for religious sermons, especially during the wee hours of the morning.

While his comments drew support and censure in equal measure, it particularly raised the hackles of a maulvi in West Bengal, who branded Nigam an "anti-national" and offered a Rs 10 lakh award to anyone who would "shave his head, garland him with torn shoes, and parade him around the country".

Nigam promptly offered to get celebrity hairstylist Aalim Hakim to shave off his hair, in exchange for the promised Rs 10 lakh.

Recently, the imam of Chandigarh's Jama Masjid added that the noise of the loudspeakers must not disturb non-Muslims.

We should not bother our neighbours unnecessarily. The volume of our loudspeakers should be brought down to a level that it does not disturb them. I believe that disturbing the neighbours is a nuisance, which is forbidden in Islam, Hindustan Times quoted Maulana Ajmal Khan as saying.

With inputs from PTI
New Delhi: The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) on Sunday announced exemption of fees for its transgender students of all programmes.

Vice Chancellor Ravindra Kumar announced the initiative during the 22nd Professor G Ram Reddy Lecture, a release issued by the varsity said.

The university holds the lecture on 2 July every year in the memory of the founding vice chancellor of the university Professor G Ram Reddy. It invites eminent educationists and scholars to deliver lecture on higher education, especially in the open and distance learning domain.

JNU vice chancellor M Jagadesh Kumar, who was the chief guest, urged the teaching community to give precedence to quality of life rather than standard of living.

Also present was former vice chancellor of Telangana's Kakatiya University Y Vaikuntham. He advocated spending 6 percent of the GDP on education.

"The government should give freedom and spend 6 percent of the GDP on education. Main thrust should be to devise effective strategies to address the challenges to the growth of education in India and to realise the potential of the country's demographic dividend as envisaged in the national education policy of 2016," said Vaikuntham.
New Delhi: Deputy prime minister of Vietnam Pham Binh Minh and Singapore's senior minister of state for defence and foreign affairs Maliki Bin Osman will be among the leaders who will attend the ninth India-ASEAN ministerial dialogue on 4 July with an aim to intensify and broaden political, strategic and economic cooperation in the region.

Also known as Delhi Dialogue, the conference has emerged as an important forum in which political leaders, policy makers, researchers, academicians, business leaders and media persons converge for brainstorming on a range of issues pertaining to ASEAN-India relations.

Coming in the backdrop of evolving security and economic scenario in the region, the meet will also provide an opportunity to leaders to explore ways to boost cooperation in these key areas and also in the field of connectivity and tourism.

Relationship with the ASEAN grouping is one of the cornerstones of India's foreign policy and Act East Policy, which has deepened across the three pillars of politico-security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation.

ASEAN-India dialogue relations have grown rapidly from a sectoral dialogue partnership in 1992 to a full dialogue partnership in December 1995.

The relationship was further elevated with the convening of the ASEAN-India Summit in 2002 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Since then the ASEAN-India Summit has been held annually.

The leaders are also expected to have bilateral meetings with the leadership here.

Apart from Singapore and Vietnam, the other ASEAN countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand.
Mumbai: An app modelled on an Israeli technology, which gives the residents of Thane city a say in civic matters, will be showcased during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to the West Asian country.

Thane municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal has said the 'DigiThane' mobile application will give the city residents a stake in civic governance and help boost local businesses.

The app is being developed under the Tel Aviv civic body's guidance, he said.

It uses the technology which earned Tel Aviv the tag of the 'smartest city in the world', Jaiswal said. The development of the app follows the visit of a delegation led by Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to Israel in 2015, he said.

David Akov, consul general of Israel in Mumbai, said DigiThane will be showcased during Modi's three-day visit to his country which begins on 4 July.

The DigiThane concept "provides citizens with information about the government and updates related to their areas, and also encourages them to have a say in the civic administration's functioning," Akov said.
Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad police early on Sunday arrested a man who claims to be a Jet Airways official, in connection with a land grabbing case.

"The arrested official has been identified as Avneet Singh Bedi," Superintendent of Police (City) Ghaziabad Akshhay Tomar said.

"Singh was arrested at 12.35 am from his Panchsheel Park residence in south Delhi," the police said.

Jet Airways Vice President(Security) Col. Avneet Singh Bedi arrested by Sahibabad Police on charges of grabbing municipal corporation land pic.twitter.com/gZb5SaW8hT  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 2, 2017

The police action comes in the wake of a case of land grabbing registered against Singh at Sahibabad police station on 21 June by the Municipal Corporation of Ghaziabad.

A police team will question Singh some time during the day, the officer said.

According to the police, Singh told them that he was stationed in Mumbai and headed Jet Airways' security functions.

His credentials are being verified.
Jammu: Union minister Jitendra Singh said Goods and Services Tax (GST) will be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir in the next three to four days, as he ruled out any difference between the BJP and the PDP, the ruling coalition partners in the state.

The minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) replied in negative when asked whether the BJP has "surrendered" before the PDP as far as GST was concerned, amid reports of difference between them.

"All of us should be assured that the GST will soon be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir. There is no surrender. I have told you that the GST will be implemented very soon. It will be implemented in next 3-4 days," he told reporters.

He said not only the BJP or the PDP but the entire nation was on the same page vis-a-vis the implementation of the GST, which is billed as the biggest tax reform in India since Independence.

"It is not a question of the BJP, the PDP or the Congress. 125 crore people of this country are dictating us to be on the same page and there cannot be anything otherwise," he said.

"Both the coalition partners are on the same page. There is no difference of opinion on the GST. There were hiccups raised by opposition parties for political consideration, but they have also realised that they cannot carry it forward. Now they are exposed," he added.

Singh, Lok Sabha MP from Udhampur, said the traders faced loss everyday on account of non-implementation of the GST in

Jammu and Kashmir. "The state government will take a call. Each day, there will be loss to the traders. We do not have any problem in implementation of the GST, but the opposition is creating hurdles," he said.

"Our stand is clear before you on GST. There is no difference between us. They (PDP) are in agreement. There will be soon some way out. All political parties are on one page on the GST," he added.

Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the core group of the BJP, its state unit chief Sat Sharma said all party legislators will take part in the four-day special Assembly session starting from 4 July. "The session is being specially held for GST. All (legislators) have been asked to remain present there. There will be discussion on GST, as the session is being exclusively held for it," Sharma said. "I feel before 8 July, the announcement will be made for implementation of GST in J-K. We have a clear stand on the GST."

He said GST was to be ushered from 1 July along with the rest of the country but due to some reasons it could not be implemented in Jammu and Kashmir, and the Opposition has been "repeatedly creating hurdles" in its implementation. "We want all political parties to be on the same page. The government organised all parties meeting which was boycotted by the Congress and the National Conference. Now the session will be held and some decision would be taken there," Sharma said.
New Delhi: The sharp differences between the government and the judiciary over a document to guide future appointment of judges to higher courts are unlikely to be settled during the tenure of Chief Justice of India JS Khehar who demits office in August.

Sources in the government said that the Centre is unlikely to respond soon to the objections raised by the collegium on various clauses of the memorandum of procedure. The final call on the objections raised by the collegium lies with the Prime Minister's Office.

The sources said the response is yet to be articulated to ensure that the document is finalised without fresh differences. They said the response may not come before Justice Khehar demits office on 28 August.

Since January 2016, the government and the apex court are trying to finalise the memorandum of procedure (MoP)  a document to guide appointment of judges to the higher judiciary.

While rejecting the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act, the Supreme Court had agreed to revise the memorandum of procedure to usher in more transparency in appointment of judges to the apex court and the high courts. The new law had sought to overturn the over two decade old collegium system where judges appoint judges. It had sought say of the executive in appointment of judges.

The national security and the secretariat clauses are part of the draft MoP which has been shuttling between the government and the collegium since 22 March, 2016.

In its latest response in March to the revised draft of the document, the collegium has made it clear that it will have the last say in cases where its recommendation for appointment of a judge is returned by the government on the grounds of national security and public interest.

The body of five senior-most judges of the apex court headed by the Chief Justice of India has made it clear that if the government has objections on the ground of national security and public interest, it will convey the same to the collegium. The collegium will then take a final call.
Mandya: Traffic on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway was affected on Sunday for a brief period as farmers blocked it to protest against the release of Cauvery water from Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) Dam to Tamil Nadu.

"Traffic was affected for a brief period after farmers blocked Bengaluru-Mysuru highway. They were protesting against release of Cauvery water from KRS Dam to Tamil Nadu," Mandya additional superintendent of Police B N Lavanya told PTI here.

The farmers staged protests at Gajalagere and Ilavala villages on the highway and accused the Karnataka government for releasing water, instead of taking steps to increase the storage level at KRS Dam, she said.

Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited executive engineer K Basavaraje Gowda said as much as 2,000 cusecs of water has been released from KRS dam on Sunday.

On 29 June night, 3,000 cusecs of water was released,he said.

On 30 June, farmers and pro-Karnataka outfits staged protests by getting down into the bathing ghat in Srirangapatna, accusing the government to release Cauvery water.

Farmers' leader G Madegowda had on the same threatened government officials of dire consquences if they did not stop the supply of water.

"We want the government officials to stop the excess supply of water, especially when we don't have enough water for our farmers. If they don't they will have to face dire consequences," he had said.
KK Venugopal has taken charge as the new Attorney General of India after the government issued the required notification, News18 reported.

Govt issues notification appointing KK Venugopal as A-G; KK Venugopal takes charge as new Attorney General of India pic.twitter.com/LLklNvMWrX  News18 (@CNNnews18) July 2, 2017

After former attorney-general, Mukul Rohatgi asked the NDA government to not reconsider him for reappointment to the top constitutional post, the government had decided to appoint senior constitutional expert Venugopal as the Attorney General.

The proposal to appoint the 86-year-old veteran lawyer as the successor to Rohatgi was discussed before the departure of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his recent visit to the US, Portugal and the Netherlands.

A noted constitutional expert, Venugopal is the recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan. He would become a law officer for the second time after being an Additional Solicitor General during the Morarji Desai government during the seventies.

He has been associated with several government instrumentalities and has been representing them as a senior advocate. Lately, he has been appearing for the CBI and the Enforcement Directorate before the Supreme Court in the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

The apex court had asked him to continue in the matter despite Venugopal's replacement by the ED after he had taken a view different from the agency and the government on the removal of an investigation officer.

He also represented the Madhya Pradesh Government during the hearing of National Judicial Appointments Commission Act in which he supported the validity of the central law to do away with the collegium system of appointment of judges for the higher judiciary.

However, his association with the BJP regime goes back to the Ayodhya movement when he had appeared for the then Kalyan Singh Government in Uttar Pradesh, assuring the Supreme Court that the disputed medieval structure would be protected.

Later, when on 6 Decemeber 1992, the structure was brought down by the kar sevaks, he had appeared before a bench of then Chief Justice MN Venkatachaliah at his residence in the evening.

Venugopal had recently appeared for senior BJP leader LK Advani and others before the apex court which restored the charge of criminal conspiracy against them and ordered the completion of the trial in the Babri Masjid demolition case, in two years.

He has also appeared for PJ Thomas when his appointment as the Chief Vigilance Commissioner by the erstwhile UPA government was challenged in the apex court which had set aside the government's decision.

He also appeared for Dandi Swamy Sri Vidyanada Bhartiji and J Jayalalithaa, the then Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, in 2008 in the Sethusamudram case, popularly known as Ram Sethu matter, against the construction of the ambitious shipping canal project of the previous UPA government.

The Supreme Court had stayed the construction of the controversial Ram Sethu or Adams Bridge project, a barrier located southeast of Rameshwaram, which connects Talaimanar coast of Sri Lanka.

With inputs from PTI
On Saturday night a gangrape survivor was attacked with acid for the fourth time, according to media reports. The incident reportedly occurred at her home in Lucknow.

2008 gang rape & acid attack victim, attacked again with acid in at her home in Lucknow's Aliganj. UP CM Yogi Adityanath met her on March 24  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 1, 2017

NDTV reported that the attack took place sometime between 8 pm and 9 pm on Saturday when she stepped out of her hostel to fill water from a hand-pump. The attack took place despite the fact that the survivor had round-the-clock police protection and an armed guard.

She was rushed to a hospital where her condition was stated to be stable. She has sustained burn injuries on her face and neck, police said, adding that no FIR has been registered yet and they are awaiting a complaint. A probe is on in the matter, they said.

The survivor had earlier been gangraped and attacked with acid over a property dispute in 2008. The present attack was carried out by the same suspects, reported The Times of India.

Two people were arrested and the trial is ongoing, according to NDTV. She was attacked with acid in 2011 and 2013.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath met the survivor in March after she was reportedly forced to drink acid by two men on a train near Lucknow. Adityanath directed the police to arrest the accused and gave the survivor Rs 1 lakh.

The survivor works at Sheroes Hangout Cafe in Lucknow, which is run by acid attack survivors, according to CNN-News18.

With inputs from PTI.
Bhopal: With an aim to create a Guinness World Record, the Madhya Pradesh government on Sunday carried out a drive to plant six crore saplings in 12 hours along the banks of river Narmada.

The plantation drive that started from 7 am continued till 7 pm along the banks of the river covering 24 districts of the state.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the daylong campaign by performing puja and planted saplings this morning at Amarkantak, from where river Narmada originates.

Chouhan said the entire state is fulfilling the commitment to enrich greenery around Narmada on Sunday.

"By planting trees we are not only serving Madhya Pradesh but the world at large," Chouhan said in a tweet.

"Children, youth, women, cutting across religion and class are participating in this noble cause of planting trees," he tweeted.

According to a state public relations officer, a total of 6.67 crore saplings is being planted in 12 hours across 24 districts located in Narmada basin.

He said representatives of Guinness World Records were present at different spots to monitor the drive.

Arrangement for three crore saplings was made by the forest department while remaining three crores by other departments and private nurseries.
New Delhi: India's small community of Jews is looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel  the first ever by an Indian Premier  hoping that it will lead to Jews being granted a minority status in India.

Some 6,000 Indian Jews live in the country, which has been home to the community for the past 2,000 years. Jews are spread across cities in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala and Gujarat, apart from Delhi.

The community says while they have never faced any form of discrimination in India because of their religion, a minority status for Jews is among their foremost expectations from the Prime Minister's visit, which starts on 4 July.

"We look forward to the PM's visit and hope that a minority status is conferred upon the community," says Ezekiel Markel, priest at the Judah Hyam Synagogue in Delhi, the only synagogue in the National Capital.

He says that in Maharashtra, Jews have been recognised as a minority, and a similar step should be taken at the central level. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and Jains are currently notified as minority communities.

The community, he adds, has not faced anti-semiticism in India.

"For us, India is out motherland. We are Indians first and Jews second. If Israel is in our hearts, India is in our blood," he says.

His views are echoed by Queenie Hallegua, one of the last five Israeli Jews inhabiting the Mattacherry locality in Kochi. Jews who chose to move to Israel did not leave India because of persecution, she stresses.

"They were all very happy, they were all well settled. But they desired to live in their own country and die there," she says.

Navras J Aafreedi, an assistant professor at Presidency University in Kolkata, stresses the need for more direct flights between India and Israel.

"I want that during this visit both the countries should take initiatives to start more direct flights from India to Israel, so that it becomes easier for us to visit our families and friends there," says Aafreedi, adding that there are about 26 Jewish families left in Kolkata.

Modi's Israel trip, besides strengthening ties on the defence, agriculture and medical fronts, should lead to enhanced cultural exchanges between the two countries, Jonathan Solomon, chairman of the Indian Jewish Federation in Mumbai, says.

"We feel honoured that our Prime Minister should take the trouble of visiting a small country. It speaks volumes about his intentions and of the goodwill that the two nations share," he adds.

The Mumbai-based advocate says that he expects New Delhi to render "all possible help" in preserving the community's links with Israel.

"The next generations should know the rich history that binds Jews in Israel and India," he says.

Markel believes that while Jews are "a microscopic minority community, a drop in the ocean" in India, their contribution to the country's development in agriculture, cinema, medical science and other fields must be recalled.

He also hopes that the visit will lead to increased student exchange programmes to enable the younger generation to "learn about the cultures and teachings in both the countries".

An improved "people to people contact" between the two countries is also what Ian Zachariah, a Kolkata-based retired advertising executive, hopes for.

Hallegua of Mattacherry says that her relatives in Israel have told her that over 4,000 people of Indian origin are expected to attend the PM's meeting with Indian Jews in Israel.

"That is something wonderful. They have made arrangements from every state. Names and phone numbers of people from every state have been given so that those who wish to attend the meeting can be transported to the venue," she says.

Asked why she did not leave for Israel when her relatives did, she says, "You have to learn Hebrew, which is difficult. And I am too old to start life there. I am happy here."
New Delhi: Stating that the number of voters in India is increasing, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi on Saturday said a compulsory voting regime is not feasible to improve it further.

"India is one of the few countries where in reality, the voter turnout is increasing. Compulsory voting system can help increase the number of voters but the system is not feasible in India owing to its population," Zaidi said in an interview with Facebook's Public Policy Director Ankhi Das on Saturday.

"Model of compulsory voting is successful in small countries. They can manage it as the number of electorate is very small but bringing that system is not feasible in a hugely populated country like ours," he said.

He emphasised that the Election Commission cannot force people. "Constitutionally, people have the right to vote or not to vote," he said.

Noting that in the 2014 elections, of the 850 million people, 550 million had participated, he said that if there is a mandate to vote, "we will have to proceed against 300 million people".

"The cost of administrative compliance subjecting 30 crore people to action is not feasible. As an alternative to mandatory voting, voter education is the right method," Zaidi explained.

He said that there was a problem of a lower voter turn out in the country a few years ago and thus the ECI had to introduce the programme named Systematic Voter Education Electoral Participation (SVEEP) Programme.

"The important contributed factor to the increased voter turn out in the nation has been SVEEP. It is a household name under which we focus on voter registration as well as voter participation," he said.

"Under this programme, we undertake surveys that contain the knowledge of voters' attitude. Then we design specific measures categorised by those survey parameters."

"This programme goes down to the level of polling stations where we identify stations with the lowest number of registrations, the areas with less women participation etc. These aspects are taken into account to take specific initiatives," he said.

Zaidi also touched upon the issue of urban apathy. He suggested people's mundane interests as the reason behind it. "People in urban areas are more interested in mundane things. They only talk about the things that go wrong in the system. Young people in urban areas have attitude problems. They unnecessarily feel that nothing will change."
Dubai: About, according to a media report.

Citing the Indian Consul General of Dubai, Vipul, the Gulf News said that the number of distress calls from Indian sailors stranded in UAE waters had hit its peak this summer.

"We are currently dealing with cases of 22 ships. There are 97 Indians aboard these vessels," the diplomat said.

Though the exact number of crew members belonging to other nationalities is not available with the Indian consulate, the mission said there are sailors from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Myanmar and Pakistan also on these ships.

"Outstanding salary, non-availability of food, fresh water, fuel, harsh living conditions and no sign-off after the contract period are the major concerns voiced by the sailors," the mission said in reply to questions by the paper.

Majority of the sailors have complained about not being paid by their employers for several months. They have also sought to sign off and fly home after receiving payment of their pending dues, the paper said.

The consulate said it had been contacting the owners and agents for settlement of the dues, provision of food, water and fuel, request for sign off, it added.

The mission has helped repatriate 36 sailors from six ships  MV Gulf Pearl, MV Ayah, Enjaz 2, MV Salem, MVRock and Al Hamad 1  in the past few weeks, the daily said.

In some cases, the Consulate has been providing food, water and even fuel and recharge of their mobile phones, it added.

Vipul said the mission had been taking up the issues of the stranded sailors, case by case, with the relevant authorities.

"We alone cannot solve their problems, especially related to their pending salaries," he explained.

He also urged Indian seafarers to conduct proper checks on the credibility and financial status of shipping companies before joining them to avoid such situations.

Girish Pant, an Indian social worker, who has been closely working with the consulate in aiding the stranded sailors, said the growing number of such cases is a big concern that authorities need to address immediately.

"I would like to request authorities to take strict action against such companies owners and agents. Most of them are not showing any humanitarian consideration to these sailors who have been stuck without salaries, food and water.

"The situation on some of these ships is really pathetic. Without fuel to operate the generator, they are suffering a lot in this scorching summer," he was quoted as saying by the Gulf paper.

Sailors from a couple of vessels have also been stranded in UAE waters following fire accidents on their ships.

Vipul said the consulate facilitated the repatriation of 13 such crew members of MSV Al Hamd1, which was gutted in a fire on 22 April near Sharjah port just in time for Eid Al Fitr.

"The ship had caught fire in Sharjah, somewhere near the port, a day or two before the crew were to dock. The case was first brought to our notice through India Club, Dubai about two weeks back," he said.

The crew was all from Kutch, Gujarat. The owner also belonged to Gujarat.

Vipul said the mission contacted the state government to put pressure on the owner of the vessel.

"Finally, he contributed a portion of the ticket fare for sending them back home. We funded the rest of the amount and facilitated their journey by issuing emergency (exit) certificates."

He said the consulate was also following up on five other Indian sailors, who survived the blast in MT Rojean which killed one sailor on 13 May.
New Delhi: An aide of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and a businessman from Kashmir have been questioned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the funding of terror and separatist groups in the Valley.

The NIA has been questioning Shahid-ul-Islam, a close aide of the Mirwaiz, and businessman Zahoor Watali for last three days about the alleged assets possessed by them, official sources said here.

The questioning of the two by the officers of the central probe agency, which has registered a case against separatists and terror organisations operating in the Valley, was continuing separately, they said.

The businessman has been asked about his association with the separatists, especially hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the sources said.

The NIA may also seek a production warrant from a special court against close aides of Geelani, including his son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah alias Altaf Fantoosh and his spokesman Ayaz Akbar, they said.

Both were placed under preventive custody by the Jammu and Kashmir police on 27 June on account of law and order situation in the Valley.

This move by the state police had raised many eyebrows as neither of them had ever been taken into preventive custody during the peak of agitations earlier.

Shah was questioned by the NIA early last month after which he had sought time from the probe agency on account of

Holy month of Ramzan and Eid festivities, the sources said.

Shah has been asked by the NIA about his movable and other properties, including houses in the Valley as well as in Jammu, and the source for their funding, they said, adding that the questioning also related to the alleged funds received by the Geelani-led Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.

Shah's Srinagar house was raided by NIA sleuths, who also searched the premises of others like Shahid-ul-Islam, an aide

of Mirwaiz Umer Farooq who heads the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, and businessman Zahoor Watali.

Apart from being the son-in-law of Geelani, Shah is perceived to be influential in the evolving the policies of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.

Hafeez Saeed, Pakistan-based chief of Jamaat-ud Dawah, the front for banned Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT), has been named in

the FIR as an accused, besides organisations such as the Hurriyat Conference (factions led by Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer

Farooq), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Dukhtaran-e-Millat.

The raids were part of NIA's efforts to clamp down on separatist groups allegedly receiving funds for subversive activities in the Valley.

The NIA had recovered some account books, Rs two crore in cash and letter-heads of banned terror groups, including LeT

and HM during its searches.

The NIA investigation seeks to identify the chain of players behind the financing of terrorist activities, including those who pelted stones at security forces, burnt down schools and damaged government establishments.

This is for 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.

In 2002, the Income Tax department had conducted searches against some separatist leaders including Geelani and seized

cash and documents. However, no criminal case was registered then.
The political activist said the need of the hour was to bring together different energies in the country.
Hyderabad: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi Sunday accused the BJP of reverting to its "original agenda" by raising issues like Ram temple and cow protection as it had failed to deliver on its poll promises of economic revival and job creation.

The Lok Sabha member from Hyderabad also said that a law banning cow slaughter across the country, as mooted by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, cannot be formulated as the matter was a state subject.

"All this cow, Ram Mandir (issues) are part and parcel of the BJP (agenda). Basically, the aim and objective is to make India a 'Hindu Rashtra'," Owaisi alleged while talking to PTI here. "The BJP has completely failed to provide jobs ... (They had) promised creation of two crore jobs a year. They have failed to revive the economy. You have seen lot of ceasefire violations (by Pakistan). These are the core issues where the BJP has failed to deliver. So they have reverted back to their original agenda," Owaisi alleged.

While the Vishwa Hindu Parishad has reportedly started stock-piling stones for the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya, BJP MP from Unnao Sakshi Maharaj recently said the date of construction would be finalised at a religious congregation scheduled in November in Karnataka.

To a question regarding a recent proposal to set up 'cow sanctuaries' and initiating a 'Project Cow' on the lines on 'Project Tiger', Owaisi said India has 550 million farm animals but there was only 40 percent fodder for them.

"So where and how is the (remaining) 60 percent going to be created? Are you going to create forests," he asked. "Urbanisation is the phenomena all over the world. We have only 40 percent fodder for 550 million farm animals. Where are you going to get the fodder from? Are you going to import it? We have high malnutrition among children. We are not able to provide nutrition to our children. More than 40 percent of the children have stunted growth," Owaisi said.

When asked about Swamy's recent statement that the government will bring in a law banning cow slaughter across the country, Owaisi said constitutionally, it cannot be done because the matter is a state subject.
Puducherry: Opposition presidential hopeful Meira Kumar on Sunday reiterated that she had requested members of the collegium comprising all MPs and members of state assemblies to "heed the inner voice of conscience and act in the best interest of the country."

Talking to reporters after meeting the legislators of the ruling Congress and its ally, the DMK, jointly at a star hotel here, she said, "I have written to members of the collegium -all MPS and MLAs of every state and party seeking their support to my candidature in the forthcoming presidential poll."

"Our country is now standing at cross-roads and I requested members of the collegium in my letter to heed their inner voice of conscience and act in the best interest of the country and stand for the poor and by the philosophy of secularism," she said.

Replying to a question, the former Lok Sabha Speaker said, "From my side it is an ideological fight for secularism. It is not just for tolerance but even more and to respect every one and their belief. Our fight is for freedom of expression. I am also fighting for freedom of press."

She said for the last one week "there has been historical development. Seventeen major political parties have come together under the chairmanship of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and unanimously decided to choose me as the presidential candidate."

"I am honoured by the trust they have reposed in me. Their coming together is an articulation of the legacy of composite thinking and philosophy that we have inherited. This unity is based on ideological position that all the parties have taken," she added.

She praised Puducherry and said, "it has a history of always maintaining peace and having respect for every individual cutting across religious and castes, and also whether the individuals are poor or humble or weak or marginalised."

Kumar said the message of Auroville, Aurobindo and The Mother of the Ashram here had been promotion of peace, dignity and this message emanating from Puducherry had spread across the whole country.

Earlier, on arrival at the venue of the joint meeting of the Congress and DMK legislators, the former Lok Sabha Speaker was received by Chief Minister V Narayanasamy, his ministerial colleagues, Deputy Speaker V P Sivakolundhu and legislators of the Congress and DMK.

PCC president and PWD Minister A Namassivayam welcomed her at the meeting.

Among those present included TNCC leader Su Tirunavukarasar.

All the 30 elected legislators of the Union Territory of Puducherry are members of the electoral college for the presidential poll.

Kumar had met MPs and MLAs of DMK, Congress, IUML and Left parties from Tamil Nadu in Chennai on Saturday and sought their support in the presidential poll.
Chennai: Opposition's presidential nominee Meira Kumar on Saturday appealed to all MLAs and MPs from Tamil Nadu to listen to their "inner voice" when they cast their votes in the presidential poll.

She urged them to support her in "this ideological battle".

"I am fighting an ideological battle," she told reporters after a meeting here with MPs and MLAs of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), Congress, Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the Left parties.

She said, the collegium members should only listen to their inner voice and conscience and act. "This is my request to everyone."

DMK working president MK Stalin, his party legislators, Left parties MPs TK Rangarajan (CPM) and D Raja (CPI), Congress party MLAs, and leaders participated in the meeting.

Besides DMK's 89 MLAs, Congress's eight and IUML's lone MLA ruling AIADMK Amma's ally M Thamimun Ansari, MLA representing Nagapattinam has pledged support to Kumar.

The DMK also has four Rajya Sabha MPs and CPI and CPM have one Rajya Sabha MP each from Tamil Nadu.

She alleged that principles like transparency and the fight to end the caste system are "under threat" in the Modi regime.

"I am sorry to say that all the 17 Opposition parties (who have supported her) feel that these principles are now in danger, under serious threat."

Kumar said she was honoured by the trust the 17 parties led by the Congress have show in her. "This Opposition unity is inspired by the value system which we all hold so dear."

She said she dedicated her life for the cause of the downtrodden and suppressed people.

"This is my agenda. Wherever I go and whatever position I hold, this will always be my agenda," she asserted.

She praised Tamil Nadu calling it a state which fought for ideals like social justice and hailed DMK chief M Karunanidhi as a force in upholding such values.

Later, Kumar called on nonagenarian leader M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence.

She is scheduled to visit Puducherry on Sunday.

Senior Congress leader Mukul Wasnik also participated in the meet.
Guwahati: Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal Sunday said India and Bangladesh should fight their common enemies like poverty and terrorism together.

"We have common enemies, problems and threats. Those have to be combated and fought together. Our common enemy is poverty and together we have to fight that. Our common threats, which of course are also a global threat, are terrorism and fundamentalism," Sonowal said.

He was addressing the inaugural programme of the 8th Round of India-Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue here.

Territories of India and Bangladesh should not be allowed to be used for activities inimical to the interest of either of the countries, Sonowal said.

He also highlighted the need to improve market access and remove barriers of trade, including port restrictions, to ensure smooth movements of goods.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar said both the countries were showing a model relationship for mutual growth. He said 35 agreements were signed during Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India and 22 pacts were inked during her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh.

Of these agreements, 13 were commercial in nature, which were expected to bring industrial growth in both the countries, Akbar said.

Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said both the countries need to cement ties for mutual growth. Stating that a prosperous Bangladesh can contribute to the growth of India, he requested the India government to provide market access for their products.
Beijing: Amid rising tensions over their border row, China has cancelled the upcoming visit by a group of Indian journalists to Tibet.

China has been organising annual trips for journalists from Nepal and India for quite some time.

"I looked forward to visiting Tibet. But two days ago I was told by the Chinese embassy that the trip has been cancelled," Vijay Naik, Convenor of the Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents, told IANS.

"Perhaps, it is because of the recent tension. They would have thought let things cool down first," Naik added.

The duration of the trip was from 8 to 15 July.

Like Naik, journalists from other India media houses were invited. It was not known if the trip for journalists from Nepal was on.

Last year, Indian and Nepali journalists were taken to the Tibetan capital Lhasa, Chengdu in Sichuan and other places besides Beijing.

Tension has risen between India and China over the current standoff between their armies in Doklam (Donglong) in the Sikkim sector.

The region at the tri-junction of Bhutan, China, and India is a disputed territory between Thimpu and Beijing.

India troops reportedly stopped the Chinese from building a road in the area since its ownership is yet to be decided.

China calls the area its own, a claim which Bhutan contests.
Jaipur: Family members of slain gangster Anandpal Singh are holding on to their demand for a CBI inquiry and have refused to cremate him, eight days after he was gunned down by Rajasthan Police in an encounter.

On Saturday, police had handed over Anandpal's body to his daughter Yogita Singh and maternal uncle at their hometown in Sanvrad in Nagaur district following a fresh post-mortem, which a local court had ordered after the family moved court.

"In the re-postmortem application, family members had demanded that Supreme Court guidelines on encounter be followed. We followed it and investigation has been handed over to an independent, higher officer under the supervision of IG, Bikaner," Nagaur SP, Paris Deshmukh told PTI.

Family members have been demanding a CBI inquiry in the encounter and were not accepting the body unless the government refers the case to CBI.

However, after fresh post-mortem at the Churu district hospital, family members on Saturday accepted the body and have kept it on ice slabs in their home till their demand it met.

"Elaborate security arrangements are in place in Ladnu sub division where the village is situated," SP Nagaur Deshmukh said.

Anandpal, who had managed to escape from police custody while being taken back to a high security prison in Ajmer from a court in Nagaur in September 2015, had taken shelter in a house in Churu.

He was killed in an encounter with police last Saturday.
New Delhi: In a bid to make the Supreme Court paperless, the apex court has made all the preparations to implement an ambitious digital project. According to the court registry, the project would be implemented gradually and at the first instance, only fresh matters listed in first five courts would be accessed by the judges digitally on a interactive display device.

The registry said that all the high courts in the country had been provided with login IDs to upload digitised records in the prescribed format.

"The Supreme Court has made all the preparations to make the court paperless. As the concept of paperless court involves various technical and functional issues, it is proposed to implement the project gradually, as it would be a new method of working for the advocates and judges," the apex court registry said in a press release.

The release said that after the launch of the integrated case management information system (ICMIS) of the Supreme Court, different high courts in the country had uploaded a large number of case files on it.

"The Supreme Court registry is communicating with all the high courts, even video-conferences have been held with the nodal officers of the high courts. The process will be periodically updated with the eventual aim of making the court paperless," it said.

The registry said that the apex court had extended the facilities of disseminating details of all those concerned by providing two help desks at both the reception counters in the court premises and anyone desirous of having any information about implementation of ICMIS and related issued could approach these help desks.
The female police officer from Bulandshahr district in Uttar Pradesh, who stood up to a group of BJP workers trying to bully her, was transferred to Bahraich on Saturday, reported Hindustan Times. The decision to transfer Shrestha Thakur, a senior police officer, came a week after she sent five BJP workers to jail for creating obstacles while doing her duty.

The Hindustan Times quoted Mukesh Bharadwaj, BJP city president, as saying that the action was taken to "keep the party leaders and workers' pride intact".

On 23 June, BJP's district-level worker Pramod Lodhi reportedly misbehaved with police officers when he was issued a challan for not carrying documents for his vehicle.

Lodhi was later arrested, after which the BJP workers raised slogans against the police officer and demanded that she be placed under arrest.

The video of Thakur chiding BJP workers had gone viral, in which the senior police officer could be heard saying, "You please go and get written orders from the chief minister that the police have no right to check vehicles... that we can't do our job. Hum raat mein parivar ko chhor ke duty karte hain, maze lene ke liye nahi (we leave our families at home at night not to have fun but to do our job)."

Woman police officer in UP takes on angry BJP workers in Bulandshahr pic.twitter.com/nr1X3TKF53  News18 (@CNNnews18) June 25, 2017

In the video, Thakur could be heard admonishing the workers. She told the workers that she would slap additional sections (of the law) for creating public disorder.

The BJP had defended its workers, insisting they did nothing wrong. When Lodhi was produced in court, he alleged that he was arrested because he refused to pay a bribe.
Larissa Waters, a Greens MP, addressed the Australian Parliament while breast feeding her 14-week-old baby on 22 June 2017. The picture of Larissa standing on the floor of the Parliament with the baby latched to her breast went viral, and made international headlines.

But she was not the first woman Parliamentarian to make such a statement. Last year, a senator in Iceland breastfed her baby on the podium while defending a Bill. The headline in Huffington Post then read Icelandic Lawmaker Breastfeeds Her Baby Like A Boss While Addressing Parliament.

'Like a boss' is right. Because if at all any woman can feed her baby while at work, she would have to be the boss. Not a regular working professional who has to leave her baby in someone elses care with bottles of expressed milk. Could such a woman even attend an office meeting with her baby at her breast, let alone address it? Most probably she wouldnt be allowed to bring her baby into the office at all.

Or what if she is a garment factory worker who is not even given a proper lavatory break? Will she get time off to feed her baby? She would probably have left her infant at home with an older sibling or relative who would feed it diluted formula milk. Yes, ironically, the nourishing breast milk which comes for free and breast feeding which is a natural act of bonding, have both become luxuries which many working mums cannot afford today.

All the more ironic because not so long ago, in our country, breast feeding was the norm. The mothers might have been malnourished, but often the babies grew up exclusively on breast milk which was the only nourishment they could afford to give. Formula milk was being touted as a healthier alternative to breast milk those days and for many a working class mum, it was aspirational to feed her baby formula.

Breast feeding in public was no big deal then. Ordinary women breastfed their babies without attracting any special attention. In the train, at weddings, at family functions, in the park and even on street platforms, one would find women with their saris covering their breasts and the tiny heads of their suckling babies. The sari covering served two purposes: it gave the baby a private and peaceful place to suckle and more importantly in our Indian context, it gave no space for the evil eye to fall on the feeding baby! A partially-exposed breast was the least of their concerns under those circumstances.

Women not only breastfed their own babies, but they also fed other babies who did not have access to mothers milk. And they were not ashamed to talk about it. My grandmother, who passed out of Queen Marys college in (then) Madras in 1921, had just joined college when she gave birth to my father. She got a relative to feed her baby when she had to attend class. This woman was respected for having nourished my father and my mother was asked to get her blessing when she married into the family.

A lactating woman could even hire out her services to a mother who couldnt feed her own child because her milk had dried up or to the family of a child who had lost its mother. All this was acceptable and spoken about openly in family circles. Suckling a child was a natural act and women were not self-conscious about it.

So when and why did this change? When did women get queasy about exposing themselves while feeding their babies? Did the British impose some kind of distorted Victorian moral code which dictated women should not expose their breasts in public?

It is more likely that women stopped feeding their babies so extensively and in public once they started getting into the professional mainstream.

Offices have traditionally been male-dominated spaces. They were created by men and sculpted to suit their comfort levels. The office became a sacrosanct space which excluded the family and all the domestic issues which went with it, including child bearing and child rearing. Office going professionals had to shed their families and all thoughts of their families when they crossed the threshold of their work places.

For a long time, women were excluded from these all-male preserves and when they did enter very tentatively, they became ersatz men. No maternity leave. No coming late to office. No creches. No time off to attend to a sick child. And certainly no space for thinking of breast feeding. They accepted these rules because they needed the money and the independence it brought.

Legislation brought in some change, but not enough. They still had to leave breast feeding infants in someone elses care and rush back to office to hold onto their jobs.

Thats when scientific innovation came to their rescue. First there was formula milk then came the breast pumps. Breast pumps are more than 100 years old and were initially used mostly for relieving women whose breasts were engorged with milk. Today the breast pump, the fridge in which the milk can be stored and the caregiver who will see that the baby gets it on time ensure that the woman can focus on her work, just like the wet nurse ensured my grandmother could focus on her studies.

But what about the working women who cannot afford these luxuries? What about domestic service providers or shop assistants or garment factory workers? They cannot take their babies to work and they cannot afford high end care for their babies. Breast feeding often becomes an unaffordable option as they do not get feeding breaks and cannot afford the entire paraphernalia of breast pumps et al. And so the baby who once would have grown up solely on nourishing mothers milk now has to survive on low quality, diluted formula milk.

Some of the public spaces which were available for breast feeding have now disappeared. Very rarely do you see women feeding their babies on trains or in a waiting room. Feeding in public has become something to be ashamed of. And sadly, in most public places like railway stations bus stops or even airports, there are no places where a woman can feed her infant in privacy.

Yes, the two senators made powerful statements all right and I cannot ever imagine anything remotely similar happening in any of our Houses of Parliament in the foreseeable future.

But, forget women MPs, how relevant are such gestures to ordinary working women anywhere in the world?
Panaji: Social activist Aires Rodrigues on Sunday filed a complaint with authorities against the alleged illegal and unauthorised public meeting organised by the BJP on Dabolim Airport premises which was addressed by the party's president Amit Shah.

The BJP has, however, denied the charge and said the event was held outside the airport premises and all required permissions to host it were taken.

In the complaint addressed to the Secretary of Ministry of Civil Aviation, chief secretary of Goa and the director general of police, Rodrigues sought that an FIR be registered against the organisers of the event besides Shah and all other dignitaries present at the meeting on Saturday.

"They cannot now claim to be ignorant of the legal provisions," he said in the complaint, a copy of which was made available to the media here.

Rodrigues, who is also an advocate, claimed that probably for the first time ever in the history of the country, a public meeting was organised in the high-security precincts of an airport.

He alleged that Shah was allowed to address party workers within the airport premises in total violation of the law.

Stating that the Goa civilian airport functions within the naval air base and is a defence establishment, he added a carpeted podium, chairs for dignitaries and sound system were all set up at the entrance of the airport terminal.

"Shah had arrived at 11.15 am and addressed the public meeting with the airport and police officials conveniently looking the other way while the law was being blatantly breached," he alleged.

He claimed the event, which was held in "complete and gross abuse of power", was attended by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Union minister Sripad Naik, Goa BJP chief Vinay Tendulkar, ministers and MLAs besides hundreds of people who were "herded" to the airport.

Rodrigues claimed the event also caused inconvenience to travellers. Also, the airport being considered a security installation, no public meeting could have been held there and it amounted to a violation of the other enactments covering vital installations like airports, he said.

Rodrigues has sought an immediate inquiry to ascertain which officers allowed the "illegal" public meeting and "stringent" action in accordance with the law be taken against them.

When contacted, a BJP leader said all permissions required to host the event were taken.

"As far as my knowledge goes, we have taken all the permissions required to host the function," state panchayat minister and Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho said.

The airport is located in Dabolim constituency.

He said the function was held outside the airport and not inside, as it was made out to be.

"The function was held only for seven minutes and no one was put to inconvenience," Godinho said.

He said the people who had come for the function had parked their vehicles far away and no one was put to inconvenience.
Bhubaneswar: With BJP focussing on expanding its base in Odisha ahead of the 2019 elections, party president Amit Shah is set to embark on a three-day tour of the state from Monday.

The much-awaited Odisha visit of Amit Shah is a part of BJPs strategy to strengthen the party in the state under Mo Booth Sabuthu Majboot (My Booth is the Strongest) programme, BJP Odisha unit president Basant Panda said.

Buoyed by its impressive performance in the panchayat poll performance in the state in February this year, BJP is gearing up to strengthen the party in Odisha.

Besides attending party workers' meetings in Ganjam, Jajpur and Khurda districts, Shah is scheduled to interact with leaders and discuss strategies to strengthen the organisation in the state, Panda said.

He is scheduled to attend a party workers conference in Ganjam district on 4 July and another the next day in Jajpur district. On 6 July, Shah is slated to meet BJP zilla parishad (ZP) members, block presidents and vice-presidents in Khurda district.

The BJP president is also slated to meet senior party leaders and hold discussion on strategies to be adopted to further widen its base in Odisha, where assembly elections are due in 2019 together with the Lok Sabha polls.
Agartala: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) quizzed Tripura's ruling CPM leader Gautam Das last month on the Rose Valley chit fund scam involving duping of investors.

In a statement issued last evening, Das, while denying media reports that he was interrogated twice last month by the CBI, said he was quizzed only once.

Das, a central committee member of the party, said the questioning was held on 16 June in the office of party mouthpiece Daily Desherkatha.

In his statement, Das said, "An inspector of CBI's Kolkata office contacted me over mobile phone on 15 June last and said he was keen to speak to me about the Rose Valley group court case at any convenient place. I told him to come to Daily Desherkatha office on 16 June. The officer got my e-mail address and sent me a notice under 160 CrPC as witness."

Das said an Additional SP and an inspector met him in the office and asked him some questions in the presence of an advocate. "They spoke to me for about one hour and then issued me a written certificate that I have fully cooperated with them. I want to clearly state that I have no connection with the Rose Valley or any chit fund group," he said.

Das said he did not tell anyone about the matter and the report in the newspaper was defamatory and "aimed at maligning me and my party".

CBI officials had earlier interrogated Tripuras Social Welfare Minister Bijita Nath in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam here on 29 June last.
Panaji: Congress has demanded probe into Amit Shah's public meeting at Goa Dabolim airport complex on Saturday, terming it as "illegal" and "gross abuse of power".

Congress has asked for an inquiry into the "unprecedented and unacceptable" misuse of power, reported ANI.

"We strongly condemn the act of the BJP holding a meeting at the Goa airport complex which was addressed by their president Amit Shah in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar," All India Congress Committee secretary Girish Chodankar said in a statement issued in Panaji.

Chodankar added that the BJP has not set a right example of good governance by this act.

He demanded the officials of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) who allowed the meeting to be held at the airport complex be investigated.

According to ANI, a carpeted podium, dozens of chairs for dignitaries and a sound system were set up at the entrance of the airport.

Shah, who is on a two-day visit to the coastal state, was accorded a warm welcome outside the airport where he addressed party workers.
Is gau rakshak violence  meaning the killing of Indians over beef  a problem in India? If so, what can be done to solve it?

The non-profit data journalism website Indiaspend reported that 97% of gau rakshak violence occurred after the Modi government came to power.

Once the Union and state governments run by the BJP in Maharashtra, Haryana and elsewhere began to push for a beef ban, the murders began.

The facts here are clear and to illustrate them, lets have a look just at the last few weeks and what has happened across India.

Jharkhand, 29 June

Alimuddin Ansari, a trader, was killed after being assaulted by a mob in Ramgarh, near Ranchi. This happened hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he opposed violence.

Jharkhand, 27 June

Usman Ansari, a dairy farmer, was beaten up by a mob of about 100 people and part of his house set on fire, reportedly after a dead cow was found outside his house. Police officials told journalists that the attackers also threw stones at them, injuring 50 police personnel.

West Bengal, 24 June

Nasirul Haque, Mohammed Samiruddin and Mohammed Nasir, three construction workers, were beaten to death by a mob, allegedly for stealing cows, in North Dinajpur, West Bengal. Three people have been arrested so far, and a murder case registered.

Haryana, 22 June

15-year-old Hafiz Junaid was stabbed to death inside a train in Haryana. Junaid was called a beef-eater, and his skull cap thrown away, before he was stabbed. His brother was severely injured. Survivors accounts in some media reports say that at least 20 people were involved in the attack. The state police have arrested one person.

Maharashtra, 26 May

Two Muslim meat traders were attacked by a cow vigilante squad in Malegaon, Maharashtra on suspicion of possessing beef. Video footage of the incident appeared to show the men being slapped and abused, and told to say Jai Sri Ram (Hail Lord Ram). Nine men have been arrested. However, the two meat traders also face criminal charges for outraging religious feelings.

Assam, 30 April

Abu Hanifa and Riazuddin Ali were lynched by a mob in Nagaon, Assam on suspicion of cow theft. The police have registered a murder case, but have not yet made any arrests.

Rajasthan, 1 April

55-year-old Pehlu Khan, a dairy farmer, and four other Muslim men were assaulted by a mob near a highway in Alwar, Rajasthan. Khan died two days later. The mob falsely accused the men of being cow smugglers. Following the killing, the Rajasthan home minister, in a statement that appeared to justify the killing, said that Khan belonged to a family of cow smugglers. Three people have been arrested.

When the Jharkhand lynching of 27 June occurred, Indians rallied across the country to say that these killings were happening under government protection and they should be stopped.

Modi tweeted a couple of days later: "There is no place for violence in India. Let us create an India that would make Gandhi ji proud." The tweet had a video attached that is 2 minutes and 16 seconds long.

There is no place for violence in India. Let us create an India that would make Gandhi Ji proud. pic.twitter.com/NZS1svMOpY  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 29, 2017

It is a speech Modi gave in Gujarat on 29 June, where he spoke on cow slaughter. One minute and 45 seconds of that clip are Modi praising gau raksha. In the last 30 seconds he speaks about violence but says only that killing is unacceptable.

Of course it is. We dont need the prime minister to tell us that. We need him to tell us why the killing is happening and what he will do to stop it. The problem can be understood in the priorities as revealed in those 2 minutes and 16 seconds. So long as Modi and the BJP push gau raksha, India will produce gau rakshaks. It should not be difficult to understand.

There is a second problem: The refusal of Modi and the BJP to accept that their actions have a communal angle. Meat and leather are the occupations of Muslims and Dalits. These are the communities that have become vulnerable because of gau raksha and to deny that is hypocrisy.

Union minister Venkaiah Naidu said after the latest killing in Jharkhand that it should not be linked to religion. The problem is that the data shows Naidu to be wrong. It is linked to religion if it is only, or mainly, Muslims that are being assaulted and murdered by the gau rakshaks.

The Congress does not have a real position on this. In Gujarat it has spoken in favour of gau raksha, even as individuals in the party have attacked the government. Former Union minister P Chidambaram said after Modis speech that on a day when PM warned gau rakshaks, Mohd Alimuddin was lynched by a mob in Jharkhand. Obviously, lynch mobs don't fear PM. He added, "PM warned gau rakshaks and lynch mobs. Good. Let him tell the country how he will enforce his writ.

Indiaspend says that 25 attacks happened in 2016. In 2017, in only six months, already 21 attacks have taken place. The problem is escalating and obvious. The whole world is waiting to see how Modi will put an end to it.
Panaji: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Goa showed black flags to BJP president Amit Shah on Sunday to protest against the increasing incidents of lynching.

The AAP members carried placards saying 'Not in My Goa' and 'Go Back Shah.'

Shah, who is on a two-day visit to the coastal state, was in Margao for the opening of the party's office in south Goa along with Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar.

"The protest was against the increasing number of lynching in India. We don't want similar things here," a senior AAP leader Pradip Padgaonkar said.

"It was a silent protest against the hate politics of the BJP," he said.

Around 100 protestors were standing opposite South Goa collectorate building, nearly 100 metres away from the venue where Shah arrived with Parrikar.

The protestors who wanted to march to the venue were stopped by the police.
Agartala: Six Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators in Tripura are likely to cast votes in favour of NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind in the 17 July presidential poll, a party leader said on Sunday.

"We have held a meeting here on Saturday night and decided not to cast our votes in favour of Congress-led opposition-backed presidential candidate Meira Kumar since she is also supported by the CPI(M)," Tripura TMC President Ashish Saha told IANS here.

"Since there is no candidate other than Ram Nath Kovind and Meira Kumar, we might support the BJP-led NDA candidate. The picture would be clear within the next few days," he said.

Saha, one of the six TMC legislators, said that "it is final that all the six party legislators in Tripura would not cast their votes in favour of CPI(M) supported nominee".

The TMC, led by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, is officially supporting opposition-backed contender Meira Kumar, the former Lok Sabha Speaker.

There are media reports that BJP general secretary Ram Madhav and Assam's powerful BJP minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the convenor of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), have urged the TMC legislators in Tripura to vote for Kovind.

According to media reports, all the six TMC legislators are likely to join the BJP in July.

Saha said: "It was not yet decided that the TMC MLAs would join BJP. We want a united fight in 2018 assembly elections in Tripura to oust the CPI(M)-led Left Front government from power."

"We might do any sacrifice to vote out the Left parties in the next assembly polls," he added.

Last week, BJP's Tripura unit president Biplab Kumar Deb said that the party's doors are shut for the nine TMC and Congress legislators.

Deb had told reporters: "In consultation with the party's central leaders, we had earlier announced a deadline of 31 May for the entry of the nine TMC and Congress MLAs into BJP. That deadline being over, the doors are also accordingly shut for them."

"It is, however, open for other leaders and workers of the TMC, Congress and other parties but not for the nine sitting MLAs," he added.

Six Congress MLAs, led by Sudip Roy Barman, resigned from the party in 2016 and have joined the TMC in protest against the Congress' electoral alliance with the Left parties in the West Bengal assembly elections.

Another Congress legislator, Jitendra Sarkar, resigned from the Tripura assembly and re-joined the ruling CPI(M), reducing the Congress' strength in the state assembly to three. Sarkar joined BJP last month.

The TMC's Tripura unit former president and former minister and also the former president of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee, Surajit Datta, party's Tripura unit coordination committee chief Ratan Chakraborty, TMC's Tripura unit's founder-chairman and incumbent vice-president Arun Chandra Bhowmik and many other state committee members had joined the BJP in the past few months.

Besides, several thousand workers from the Congress, TMC and CPI-M also walked over to the BJP, making it the main opposition party in Tripura. The state goes to elect a new assembly in about eight months.

Meanwhile, the Congress has also recently served a show cause notice to senior legislator Ratanlal Nath for "anti-party activities and meeting BJP leaders, including party president Amit Shah".

"We have served a show cause notice to Ratanlal Nath in May for his closeness with BJP leaders, including Biplab Deb," Tripura state Congress president Birajit Sinha said.

According to Congress sources, Nath might be expelled from the party after the presidential election on 17 July.
Gandhinagar: Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu slammed the Congress for boycotting the parliamentary session for GST rollout and said the opposition party has been isolated as people are "very happy" with the uniform tax structure.

Naidu said though Congress was instrumental in introducing the Goods and Services Tax Bill, it is now opposing it. "People are supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking good decisions. People are very happy about the GST. It is unfortunate that Congress, which was instrumental in introducing the Bill, decided to boycott the session for no reason." Naidu told reporters here.

He was here to take part in the valedictory function of 'Textiles India 2017', held at Mahatma Mandir here. "There was no reason for Congress to boycott the function. Congress was totally isolated, as several allies of past UPA regime, such as Samajwadi Party, were also present. I appeal Congress leaders not to trivialise the issue," Naidu told reporters after his speech at the function.

He also slammed Congress for fielding Meira Kumar as the opposition presidential candidate against NDA's Ram Nath Kovind. "Presidential election is all about the capacity, conduct and commitment towards the Constitution. However, Congress says they are fighting a battle of ideologies. Which ideology they are referring to? The ideology of imposing emergency on people or failing to alleviate poverty?" he asked.

"Since many non-NDA parties, such as JDU and YSR Congress, are with us, we are confident that Kovind will win the election. Congress will only get disappointment," Naidu added.
Kabul: Afghan officials say the Taliban have attacked a local militia, killing 13 pro-government fighters.

Munir Ahmad Farhad, spokesman for the governor of the northern Balkh province, says the local forces were on their way to take part in a security operation when they were ambushed in the Chemtal district.

The men were part of a local militia established under the authority of the interior ministry to defend the area from insurgents.

The Taliban, who have increased their attacks since the start of their annual spring offensive in April, claimed responsibility for the ambush.
Addis Ababa: The African Union (AU) has called upon African countries to speak with one voice as an impetus in the continent's aspiration to get more representation at the UN Security Council.

The call by AU Commission deputy chairperson Thomas Kwesi Quartey came as African leaders were expected to adopt proposals for the continent to get two permanent seats at the expanded UN Security Council during their meeting on Monday and Tuesday at the 29th AU summit in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

"We have noticed that people are beginning to take Africa seriously because of the African Union," Quartey was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

"The more Africa is able to put its acts together and the more the continent is able to speak coherently with one voice, the more likely it is that people will be less able to ignore us," he added.

In 2005, Africa established a united position on UN reform, calling for the inclusion of two permanent and five non-permanent seats for African countries on the reformed UNSC and extension of veto powers (should they remain) to new permanent members.

Africa argued that in 1945, when the UN was being formed, most of Africa was not represented and that in 1963, when the first reform took place, Africa was represented but was not in a particularly strong position.
Mosul: Iraqi forces have recaptured a hospital and other medical facilities in west Mosul, further isolating Islamic State group holdouts in the Old City, officers said.

The country's security forces are in the final stages of the gruelling battle to retake second city Mosul, which they launched more than eight months ago.

Interior ministry forces recaptured the Ibn Sina Teaching Hospital along with other medical facilities including a blood bank and a clinic, Staff Lieutenant General Abdulamir Yarallah said in a statement Saturday.

Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat, the commander of the country's federal police, said the area where the hospital is located, Al-Shifaa, had been completely retaken, limiting Islamic State's presence in Mosul to the Old City.

"Our forces are advancing from three sides and are pursuing the terrorist groups in the few remaining areas of the Old City," Jawdat said in a statement.

Iraqi forces have been fighting to retake the Old City for weeks, and launched a renewed assault on the area on 18 June.

On Thursday, they recaptured the remains of the mosque where Islamic State chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his only known public appearance, a significant symbolic victory for security

forces.

But Islamic State made sure that the Nuri mosque was not captured intact, blowing it up along with its famed leaning minaret as Iraqi forces closed in.

Islamic State overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost.
Rio de Janeiro: Brazilian police say they have captured a major drug lord known as "White Head" who used plastic surgeries to help him evade authorities for nearly three decades.

Police say Luiz Carlos da Rocha was arrested Saturday in the state of Mato Grosso. He's been sentenced by Brazilian courts to more than 50 years in prison for international drug trafficking and money laundering.

Police say Rocha's cartel produced cocaine in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia and exported it to Europe and the United States via Brazil and Paraguay. In Brazil alone, police estimate Rocha brought in 5 tonnes of cocaine per month.

Police also seized approximately $10 million worth of the drug lord's assets, including planes, properties and luxury cars.
Dhaka: In a setback to former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia, the Supreme Court upheld a high court judgment rejecting her plea for re-investigation into a graft case against her.

With the apex court's order, all obstacles have been removed to continue a trial in a lower court against Zia, 71, the chairperson of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which does not have representation in Parliament after boycotting the 2014 general elections.

A four-member bench led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha of the appellate division upheld the high court's order rejecting the petition filed by the two-time former prime minister, The Daily Star reported.

Zia, through her lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali  a former attorney general  had sought the Supreme Court's order for a re-investigation into a portion of the Zia Orphanage graft case against her, the report said. Now, there is no legal bar for the lower court to continue the trial proceedings of the graft case against her, anti-corruption commission's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said.

The orphanage case is under trial at the Dhaka Special Judges Court. In March, the high court had rejected Zia's petition seeking its order for a fresh probe into a portion of the Zia Orphanage corruption case against her.

In the petition, which focused on the source of the money in the orphanage fund, she requested the high court to stay the trial proceedings of the case and to issue a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the lower court's rejection order should not be declared illegal.

Zia claimed that the chargesheet said the money in the trust came from Saudi Arabia, insisting in her plea that it actually came from Kuwait. The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had filed the case in 2008 accusing Zia, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others for misappropriating over 2.10 crore taka ($248,154) that was received as grants for orphans of the Zia Orphanage Trust via a foreign bank.

In addition, in 2011, the ACC accused the BNP chief and three others of misappropriating 3.15 crore taka ($372,231) from the Zia Charitable Trust Fund.
London: Four paintings created by the German dictator Adolf Hitler, along with an unsigned piece thought to painted by the Nazi leader, is set to be auctioned in the UK.

The four works of art for auction all bear the signature 'A Hitler,' and two of the paintings are dated in the early 1900s, according to the Mullocks auction house in the UK.

Each painting is estimated to fetch between 5,000 to 7,000.

The signed paintings include a village street scene, an Alpine bouquet with edelweiss, a scene depicting the town gate at Durnstein in Hitler's native Austria and a still life showing a clock, fruit and flowers.

The unsigned painting, which is oil on canvas, shows the grave of Hilter's half-niece, Geli Raubal. The Nazi leader was romantically involved with Raubal, who committed suicide in 1931 with his pistol. The painting is thought to have been produced by Hitler.

"We have sold Hitler's paintings in previous sales, ranging between 600 and 1200 pounds," said Ben Jones, consultant at Mullocks auction house was quoted as saying by

the 'New York Post'.

"We offer all sorts of items - some with darker history than others - and for whatever reason, it is these items that attract most attention," he added.

Hitler is estimated to have created between 2,000 and 3,000 drawings, watercolours and oil paintings in his lifetime.

The auction will take place on 6 July in the UK.
Ramla (Israel): Israeli ex-prime minister Ehud Olmert was freed from prison on Saturday after being granted parole in a corruption case that reduced his sentence by a third.

Olmert, the country's first former premier to serve jail time, did not speak to reporters when leaving the Maasiyahu prison in central Israel.

The 71-year-old, premier between 2006 and 2009, was convicted of graft and entered prison in February 2016. He had been sentenced to 27 months.

Olmert was granted early released by a parole board on Thursday and prosecutors decided not to appeal the decision.

He had resigned as prime minister in September 2008 after police recommended he be indicted for graft, but remained in office until March 2009, when right-wing Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in to the post, which he has held ever since.

Olmert won international acclaim for relaunching peace efforts with the Palestinians at the Annapolis conference in the US in 2007, but they failed to bear fruit and the corruption charges against him have come to define his legacy.
Tehran: French energy giant Total will finally sign its multi-billion-dollar agreement to develop an Iranian offshore gas field on Monday, the oil ministry said, in the biggest foreign deal since sanctions were eased last year.

"The international agreement for the development of phase 11 of South Pars will be signed on Monday in the presence of the oil ministry and managers of Total, the Chinese company CNPC and Iranian company Petropars," a ministry spokesman told AFP.

Total signed a preliminary deal with Iran in November, taking a 50.1 percent stake in the $4.8 billion (4.2 billion euro) project.

China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) will own 30 percent and Petropars 19.9 percent.

Total will put in an initial $1 billion for the first stage of the 20-year project.

The gas produced will "feed into the domestic Iranian market starting from 2021," a Total spokesman told AFP in Paris.

He said the company would "implement the project with the strictest respect for national and international law".

The contract was initially due to be signed in early 2017, but CEO Patrick Pouyanne said in February that Total would wait to see whether the US adminstration of President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran.

Trump threatened during his campaign to tear up the landmark accord between Iran and six world powers that came into force in January 2016 and eased sanctions in exchange for curbs to Tehran's nuclear programme.

His administration has taken a tough line on Iran and imposed fresh sanctions related to its ballistic missile programme and military activities in the region.

But the White House has kept the nuclear deal alive, continuing to waive the relevant sanctions every few months as required under the agreement.

It is partway through a 90-day review on whether to uphold the deal, although any move to abandon it would be strongly opposed by the other signatories  Britain, France, Germany, China and Russia.

Return to Iran

Monday's signing will mark Total's return to Iran, which has the second-largest gas reserves and fourth-largest oil reserves in the world.

The French firm led development of phases two and three of South Pars in the 1990s and had signed up to develop phase 11 back in 2009.

But it was forced to abandon its projects in Iran in 2012 when France joined European Union partners in imposing sanctions, including an oil embargo, over the country's nuclear programme.

Iran's oil officials have been keen to attract Western investment and know-how to improve the country's outdated energy infrastructure.

Iran has also signed preliminary agreements with Shell and Russia's Gazprom to develop oil and gas projects.

Such deals have not been without controversy in Iran, which has bitter memories of exploitation and interventions driven by foreign oil interests.

Conservatives criticised the move to award tenders to foreign firms last year.

That forced the oil ministry to confirm that domestic conglomerates, including one controlled by the elite Revolutionary Guards, would be allowed to compete.

The first stage of the new 20-year project at South Pars will cost around $2 billion and consist of 30 wells and two well-head platforms connected to existing onshore treatment facilities.

The site will eventually pump 50.9 million cubic metres (1.8 billion cubic feet) of gas per day into Iran's national grid.
London: Britain's Parliament has been hit by a new wave of cyber attack after hackers attempted to trick lawmakers into revealing their passwords, prompting officials to warn MPs and their aides to guard against such threats.

Politicians have been warned that hackers were posing as parliamentary officials asking for their passwords. "This afternoon we've heard reports of parliamentary users being telephoned and asked for their parliamentary username and password," a message sent to MPs and staff earlier this week warned.

"The caller is informing users that they have been employed by the digital service to help with the cyber attack. These calls are not from the digital service. We will never ask you for your password," it read.

According to The Sunday Telegraph, parliamentary officials have said that hackers are still attempting to gain access after a "sustained" assault last week lasted for more than 12 hours as unknown hackers repeatedly targeted "weak" passwords of staff. Security sources told the newspaper the attack was the biggest they could remember.

The network affected is used by every MP, including Prime Minister Theresa May and her Cabinet ministers for dealing with constituents.

It remains unclear whether the hackers were successful in gaining access as the investigation is ongoing. The UK Cabinet Office, which blamed human error for the breach, said the details were publicly available on data.gov.uk, which publishes charts and graphs of public data and is widely used across UK government circles.

A parliamentary spokesperson said, "On Thursday afternoon, a small number of parliamentary users were telephoned and asked for their parliamentary username and password by a caller claiming to be employed by 'Windows' on behalf of the Parliamentary Digital Service to help with the cyber attack. No usernames or passwords were disclosed in these calls."
India-China ties have once again taken a hit, with the stand-off between the PLA (People's Liberation Army) soldiers and the Indian Army on the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China having the three nations on the edge. Tension between the two Asian giants escalated since mid-June when the Indian Army came to Bhutan's aid to stop the construction of a motorable road from China to Jomperi near a Bhutanese army camp.

This is being seen in China as a provocative act, of Delhi flexing its muscles. Is this part of a new, muscular foreign policy of the Modi government? Or is this a one-off incident that wasn't handled well on the ground level by the field commanders of both sides?

Whatever it is, it's imperative to quickly diffuse the tension and talk through the problem. Scaling up the rhetoric will help neither party.

Caught between the dragon and the elephant is tiny Bhutan, which relies on India for its security. It certainly does not wish to be trapped between the two large Asian rivals. The Chinese foreign ministry as well as the PLA have accused India of crossing into Chinese territory to halt construction of a road. The ministry also released photogrpahs to prove its point.

The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan is one of India's closest allies. With a small army, Thimphu is hardly in a position to protect itself and leaves it to India to look after its defence interests. It does not have diplomatic ties with China, though the latter has been trying its best to have an embassy in Thimphu. China has protested to India, both in Beijing and in New Delhi over the 16 June incident.

At the same time, Bhutan too has protested the construction of a road in Doklam by China, at a region where the border between China and Bhutan remains disputed. Beijing and Thimphu had signed a bilateral agreement in 1998 to maintain peace and tranquility on the border. The dispute was to be solved through talks between the two parties and without resorting to violence.

Initially it was the Royal Bhutanese Army which asked China to stop construction work. When Bhutan's plea was not heeded, Indian soldiers went in to halt the work. In retaliation, PLA destroyed Indian bunkers. Talks between commanders in the area haven't helped ease the tension. Earlier in 2013 and 2014, incursions by the PLA across the Line of Actual Control in the western sector had led to ratcheting up of tensions along the border.

In India's first official note on the happenings at the tri-junction, New Delhi said, "India is deeply concerned at recent Chinese actions and has conveyed to the Chinese government that such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India."

India and China are both proud of the fact that despite a major border dispute, which has not yet been resolved despite 16 rounds of talks, the border remains peaceful. Not a single shot has been fired since the two countries decided to hold talks between their special representatives. At the same time, they have also continued to do business with each other.

The serious nature of the current crisis, if not carefully handled by both sides, could lead to a major confrontation in the Himalayas.

The tri-junction in the Sikkim sector is also of strategic significance for New Delhi. The area is not far from the narrow strip of land called the "chicken neck" which connects the Northeast to the rest of India. This narrow strip is the lifeline for the region and the Indian Army in the Northeast gets its suppliers through this region. In case of a border war, China can quickly cut off the main supply route to the Northeast and ensure that Indian Army's supplies are stopped. So while India at one level is keeping its commitment to Bhutan, this does impinge greatly on New Delhi's own security considerations.

Army chief Bipin Rawat, who was in Sikkim on Thursday to review the situation, has not helped matters with his belligerent talk. He was quoted by news reports as saying that India could take on a "two-and-a-half front war", possibly referring to China, Pakistan and Kashmiri separatists.

This kind of cavalier statement from a serving army chief is new to India, and is something which has troubled many retired army officers as well. Reacting to general Rawat's statement, which was dubbed as "war mongering" by China, they have also reminded India about the "lessons of history"  an obvious reference to the humiliating defeat PLA troops handed out, when it overran Arunachal and reached the foothills of Assam. The Chinese abruptly turned back, but neither the Indian Army nor the people of India have forgotten that humiliation, and have since been extremely suspicious of China.

Many government loyalists have reminded China that there is a vast difference between 1962, when the army was unprepared, to 2017 when India is in a much better position to take on the PLA. Many within the Indian armed forces also want to get back at Beijing.

However it is one thing to boast about taking on China, quite another to actually do it. While India's military capabilities are vastly improved, they are not a patch on China. The second largest economy in the world has progressed economically and used its excess funds to phenomenally modernise its military capabilities. It is foolish for an army chief to issue belligerent statements at a time of renewed tension.

Neither India nor China want a war, and the only way out is talk, talk and more talk. All the diplomatic and political tools must be used to bring the situation back to normal.

India-China relations are already under strain over Beijing's refusal to allow India entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) over UN sanctions against Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, and at the spread of Chinese footprints across India's neighbourhood, especially the China Pakistan Economic Corridor which runs through Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK).

India regards POK as its own, and considers building infrastructure there a direct hit on its sovereignty. India's refusal to attend the 'One Belt One Road' mega summit in Beijing was also because of this. Ties between India and China were already fragile and could get much worse unless better sense prevails.
Jakarta: A volcano on Indonesia's main island of Java has erupted, injuring 10 people.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho says the eruption of Sileri Crater at Dieng Plateau spewed cold lava, mud and ash as high as 50 meters (164 feet).

He says the sudden eruption occurred at around 11:30 am. Sunday, when there were about 17 visitors around the crater.

Ten people were injured and were being treated at hospital.

The Dieng Plateau in the Central Java province district of Banjarnegara is a popular tourist attraction because of its cool climate and ninth-century Hindu temples, located at an altitude of about 2,000 meters (6,600 feet) above sea level.

Some 142 people were reportedly asphyxiated in 1979 when the volcano spewed gases.
Kabul: The Islamic State (IS) militants have beheaded 10 Taliban men in Afghanistan's Jawzjan province.

The IS militants captured Aqbalaq village in Darzab district last week and arrested 10 Taliban militants. They were beheaded on Friday, Xinhua news agency cited local Daily Weesa as reporting on Sunday.

Both the Taliban and IS militants have been fighting for consolidating positions in parts of the Afghan district over the past several weeks.

Neither Taliban nor IS group made comment on the report.
Rome: Italy's interior minister called Sunday on other European countries to open their ports to rescue ships ahead of talks with France and Germany on tackling the migrant emergency.

Marco Minniti, who meets his counterparts in Paris later Sunday to prepare for EU talks in Tallinn this week, said in an interview with Il Messaggero daily that "we are under enormous pressure".

With arrivals in Italy up nearly 19 percent compared to the same period last year, Rome has threatened to close its ports to privately-funded aid boats or insist funding is cut off to EU countries which fail to help with the crisis.

"There are NGO ships, Sophia and Frontex boats, Italian coast guard vessels" saving migrants in the Mediterranean, he said in a reference to the aid boats as well as the vessels deployed under EU border security and anti-trafficker missions.

"They are sailing under the flags of various European countries. If the only ports refugees are taken to are Italian, something is not working. This is the heart of the question," he said.

"I am a Europhile and I would be proud if even one vessel, instead of arriving in Italy, went to another European port. It would not resolve Italy's problem but it would be an extraordinary signal" that Europe wanted to help Rome, he said.

Over 83,000 people rescued while attempting the perilous crossing from Libya have been brought to Italy so far this year, according to the UN, while more than 2,160 have died trying, the International Organisation for Migration says.

Italy's Red Cross has warned the situation in the country's overcrowded reception centres is becoming critical.

Interior minister Minniti was set to meet counterparts Gerard Collomb of France, Thomas de Maiziere of Germany and European Union Commissioner for Refugees Dimitris Avramopoulos at 6.00 pm local time in the French capital.

Screen migrants in Libya

The Italian minister said Rome would be pushing for a way to shift the asylum application process from Italy to Libya, and safely bring to Europe those who win the right to protection.

"We have to distinguish before they set off (across the Mediterranean) between those who have a right to humanitarian protection and those who don't.

"And, on the basis of the decisions made by the UNHCR, we must ensure the former depart for Europe while economic migrants are voluntarily repatriated" to their countries of origin, he said.

Unsourced Italian media reports said Rome was likely to call for a European code of conduct to be drawn up for the privately-run aid boats, with the Corriere della Sera saying vessels that did not comply could be "seized".

Critics have said the NGOs attract traffickers by sailing close to the Libyan coast. The NGOs insist they have no choice, because smugglers put the migrants out to sea in flimsy vessels that sink as they reach international waters.

Rome would like a regional maritime command centre to oversee all rescue operations from Greece to Libya to Spain, which would spread the migrant arrivals between European countries, the Corriere della Sera said.

And Italy insists that the EU refugee relocation programme  which is largely limited to people from Eritrea and Syria  should be expanded to include other nationalities, such as Nigerians, La Repubblica said.

Between September 2015 and April 2017, some 5,001 asylum-seekers  14 percent of the 34,953 target  were relocated from Italy to 18 European countries, the UN's refugee agency said.

"While some participating states have showed greater commitment towards relocation, the number of pledges made available continues to be inadequate and implementation remains slow and challenging," it added.
London: Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has sacked three Members of Parliament from his leadership team who defied him by voting in favour of an amendment calling for Britain to stay in the European Union's single market, deepening rifts in his Labour party over Brexit.

Labour lawmaker Chuka Umunna had proposed an amendment to the Conservative government's policy programme on Thursday calling for Britain to remain in the single market and customs union.

The motion was defeated by 101 votes to 322, with most Labour lawmakers following the party line and abstaining.

But 49 lawmakers supported the amendment, defying Corbyn's orders to stick to the party's policy that Britain should leave the single market.

Among those who voted in favour of the amendment were shadow housing ministers Andy Slaughter and Ruth Cadbury and shadow Foreign Office minister Catherine West, all of whom Corbyn later fired.

Another lawmaker Daniel Zeichner also resigned as shadow transport minister before the vote as he planned to oppose the official party line.

"I'm a passionate pro-European and straight-forward politician so I've taken hard decision to resign as shadow minister to back Single Market," Zeichner wrote on Twitter.
Zurich/New Delhi: India has slipped to 88th place in terms of money parked by its citizens with Swiss banks, while the UK remains on the top.

Also, the money officially held by Indians with banks in Switzerland now accounts for a meagre 0.04 percent of the total funds kept by all foreign clients in the Swiss banking system, as per an analysis of the latest figures compiled by the SNB (Swiss National Bank) as on 2016-end.

India was placed at 75th position in 2015 and at 61st in the year before that, though it used to be among top-50 countries in terms of holdings in Swiss banks till 2007. The country was ranked highest at 37th place in the year 2004.

The latest data from Zurich-based SNB comes ahead of a new framework for automatic exchange of information between Switzerland and India to help check the black money menace.

The funds, described by SNB as 'liabilities' of Swiss banks or 'amounts due to' their clients, are the official figures disclosed by the Swiss authorities and do not indicate to the quantum of the much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in the safe havens of Switzerland.

SNB's official figures also do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of entities from different countries.

There is a view that the Indians alleged to have parked their illicit money in Swiss banks in the past may have shifted the funds to other locations after a global clampdown began on the mighty banking secrecy practices in Switzerland.

Swiss banks have also said Indians have "few deposits" in Swiss banks compared to other global financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong amid stepped-up efforts to check the black money menace.

The total money held in Swiss banks by foreign clients from across the world, incidentally rose by a small margin from 1.41 trillion Swiss francs (CHF) to CHF 1.42 trillion during 2016.

In terms of individual countries, the UK accounted for the largest chunk at about CHF 359 (over 25 percent) of the total foreign money with Swiss banks.

The US came second with nearly CHF 177 billion or about 14 percent. No other country accounted for a double-digit percentage share, while others in the top-ten included West Indies, France, Bahamas, Germany, Guernsey, Jersey, Hong Kong and Luxembourg.

Indians' share not even one-hundredth of the total money.

India is now ranked 88th with 676 million Swiss francs (about Rs 4,500 crore) - a record low after falling for three consecutive years amid a continuing clampdown on the suspected black money stashed behind their famed secrecy walls.

The share of Indians' money in the total foreign funds of Swiss banks also fell to 0.04 percent (from 0.08 percent in 2015).

Pakistan continued to remain placed higher than India at 71st place (although down from 69th in 2015) with about CHF 1.4 billion - though down to below 0.1 percent of total foreign money parked with Swiss banks.

India was also the lowest ranked among the BRICS nations - Russia was ranked 19th (CHF 15.6 billion), China 25th (CHF 9.6 billion), Brazil 52nd (CHF 2.7 billion) and South Africa 61st (CHF 2.2 billion).

Among these five, only China has moved up.

Others ranked higher than India included Mauritius, Iran, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Angola, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada and Mexico.

A number of offshore financial centres are also ranked higher including Cayman Islands, Panama, Cyprus, Marshall Islands, Bermuda, Seychelles, Isle of Man and Gibraltar.

Among India's neighbouring countries, Bangladesh was ranked 89th (CHF 667.5 million), while Nepal was 150th (CHF 312 million), Sri Lanka was 151st (CHF 307 million) and Bhutan was way below at 282nd (about half a million Swiss francs).

The total money belonging to the developed countries fell to CHF 824 billion, while those from developing nations actually rose marginally to CHF 208 million.

The money from developing economies in Asia-Pacific region rose to CHF 50 billion.

The funds parked in Swiss banks from offshore financial centres rose to CHF 389 billion.

India was ranked in top-50 continuously between 1996 and 2007, but started declining after that - 55th in 2008, 59th in 2009 and 2010 each, 55th again in 2011, 71st in 2012 and then to 58th in 2013.
Pyongyang: North Korea on Sunday denounced South Korean president Moon Jae-in for displaying "sycophancy and submission" to the US during his visit to Washington last week.

The official daily Rodong Sinmum said in a commentary that the new South Korean government "suffered mental pressure from the US even before taking office and went without principle", Xinhua news agency reported.

"South Korean authorities revealed their miserable appearance seized with sycophancy and submission to the US occasioned by the chief executive's first junket to the US," said the daily.

"Now their behaviour raises doubt as to whether the pro-US regime really ended," the commentary said in reference to the former South Korean government under President Park Geun-hye.

Moon and US President Donald Trump during talks last Thursday vowed to strengthen military alliance between Seoul and Washington.

They also agreed upon imposing stronger sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear and missile programmes.

"Tragedy is that no matter how loudly they talk about the 'alliance' with the US, the latter regards them as a mere puppet and colonial servant," said the official daily of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

In an article published earlier, Rodong Sinmum accused South Korea's new Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha of "going reckless" in making anti-North Korea remarks.

Kang said after taking office that the North Korea's nuclear issue is "the top priority task" of the new South Korean government and called for "international cooperation for checking the north from modernizing nuclear and missile capabilities."
Dubai: Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz has ordered an over-enthusiastic columnist to be suspended from his job after he equated him with God, Saudi media reported on Sunday.

King Salman has frequently been lauded by columnists in local media, in traditional deference to authority, since the 81-year-old assumed office in 2015.

But Ramadan al-Anzi's column in al-Jazirah newspaper describing King Salman as "Haleem", or forbearing, and "Shadeed al-Eqab", strict in punishment  both terms associated in Islam with God  appeared to have gone too far.

Attributing divine qualities or giving individuals any of the 99 names of God is frowned upon in the kingdom, which follows the strict Sunni Muslim Wahhabi school of Islam.

The newspaper published an apology late on Saturday.

"The phrases and tribute which the author bestowed on the personality of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, are not acceptable, despite what God had bestowed upon him, may God protect him, of the honour of serving the two holy mosques, Islam, the homeland and the people," al-Jazirah wrote.

Saudi media reported that the king had ordered that action be taken against the newspaper, but no specifics were given.

In a message to Information Minister Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad, the king wrote that he was "astonished by some of the phrases used in the column", according to Okaz newspaper.

Online newspaper, sabq, quoted the king as saying in his written complaint: "This is an issue that has distressed us, we don't accept it and don't approve of it, recognising its dangers and the danger of being lenient towards it."
Colombo: Sri Lanka's former president Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday warned that the constitutional reform process undertaken by the Sirisena government would end up with a federal Constitution for the country replacing the current unitary charter.

Speaking at a political gathering at Bibile in the central region of the country, Rajapaksa said, "It will be a federal Constitution. We are all opposed to it".

Rajapaksa alleged that Tamil National Alliance (TNA) had said that in Tamil-dominated region in the North, the new Constitution will be a federal constitution even if it will not be named so.

"This government has no mandate to create a new constitution. They only have the mandate to abolish the presidential system," Rajapaksa said.

The current government of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe launched their action for a brand new constitution in early 2016. Several committees comprising members of all political parties were appointed.

A 21-member steering committee which was formed last year, consists of the Prime Minister (Chairman), Leader of the Opposition, Leader of the House, the Minister of Justice, and not more than 11 other Members of the Constitutional Assembly.

The committee report to the parliament soon with its final recommendations.

Rajapaksa said the Joint Opposition (JO) members will join the constitutional process only if the local council elections are held.

The government has been postponing elections for over 300 local councils since 2015 for want of electoral reforms. But the JO has dubbed the postponement as one taken for political reasons as the government feared losing the election to JO.

He said the election was now likely to happen in September.
Damascus (Syria): A series of car bomb explosions, including a suicide attacker who blew himself up after being surrounded by security forces, rocked the Syrian capital on Sunday, killing at least eight people and wounding a dozen more, state TV reported.

State media said security forces intercepted the two other car bombs, suggesting they were controlled explosions.

Footage on state TV from the scene of one explosion, along the road to the airport, showed at least two scorched vehicles.

The closed-off street was littered with debris, while security men roamed the area. Footage from Tahreer Square in central Damascus showed the facade of one building badly damaged, and mangled vehicles parked in the small roundabout.

State TV said security forces detected two car bombs at an entrance to the city, and foiled a plot to target crowded areas on first day of work after the long Muslim holiday that follows Ramadan. The state news agency SANA said the security forces detonated two car bombs at the airport road intersection.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-run monitoring group, also reported the three explosions. It put the death toll at 12, including the suicide bomber.

Such attacks have been relatively rare in Damascus, the seat of power for President Bashar Assad. Pro-government forces have been fighting to drive rebels from Ain Terma, one of their last strongholds on the eastern outskirts of Damascus.
Beirut: A big fire tore through a camp for Syrian refugees in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Sunday, killing three people, Lebanese media reported.

Flames and thick clouds of black smoke rose from the site near the town of Qab Elias, around a hour's drive east of Beirut, and at least one explosion was seen in footage broadcast by Lebanon's MTV.

A security source said the cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Lebanon is hosting at least 1 million registered Syrian refugees, many of them living in informal tented settlements scattered around the country. The government says there are some 1.5 million Syrians in the country.
Beirut: The Syrian government on Saturday dismissed a report by the international chemical weapons watchdog that said the banned nerve agent sarin was used in an April attack in northern Syria, saying it lacked "any credibility".

Western governments including the United States have said the Syrian government carried out the attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun which killed dozens of people. The Syrian government has denied using chemical weapons.

The attack prompted a US missile strike against a Syrian air base which Washington said was used to launch the strike. The report into the attack was circulated to members of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, but was not made public.

In a statement, the Syrian foreign ministry said the fact-finding team had based its report on "the testimonies offered by terrorists in Turkey". Turkey is a major backer of the Syrian opposition to President Bashar al-Assad.

After interviewing witnesses and examining samples, the fact-finding mission of the OPCW concluded that "a large number of people, some of whom died, were exposed to sarin or a sarin-like substance".

Russia, Assad's most powerful ally, has described the report as biased.

The attack on 4 April in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in northern Idlib province was the most deadly in Syria's civil war in more than three years. Western intelligence agencies had also blamed the Assad government. Syrian officials have repeatedly denied using banned toxins in the conflict.

A joint United Nations and OPCW investigation has found Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015 and that Islamic State militants used mustard gas.

Syria joined the chemicals weapons convention in 2013 under a Russian-US agreement, averting military intervention under then US President Barack Obama.

The United States said on Wednesday the Syrian government appeared to have heeded a warning this week from Washington not to carry out a chemical weapons attack.

Russia warned it would respond proportionately if the United States took pre-emptive measures against Syrian forces after Washington said on Monday it appeared the Syrian military was preparing to conduct a chemical weapons attack.
Istanbul: Turkish authorities banned transsexual rights activists from holding a planned march this weekend in Istanbul, the country's largest city, a week after police used rubber bullets to thwart a Gay Pride parade.

Organisers however vowed to press ahead with the Trans Pride March, planned for Sunday, despite the ban.

The Istanbul governor's office on Saturday said in a statement the march could not take place because the venue for the event  the central Taksim Square  was not suitable and because the office had not received a proper application for permission to hold the march.

"After an evaluation... it has been decided not to give permission for the holding of this event," the office said in a statement. City officials also urged citizens to ignore calls to participate in the parade and abide by the security forces' warning.

But the organisers wrote on their Facebook page that "we don't recognise bans... we will be at Taksim on Sunday for the Trans Pride."

The Trans Pride march, if held, would have been the eighth edition of the event, which promotes rights for transsexuals in Turkey, but it has suffered crackdowns in recent years. Similarly, the Gay Pride parade had been held annually in Istanbul until 2015  an event routinely attended by thousands of people before a police crackdown.

Last Sunday, police fired rubber bullets at a group of around 40 activists attempting to hold a gay pride march and at least four people were detained. Witnesses said there was a heavy police presence which outnumbered the activists.

The year before, organisers were denied permission to march with the city on the edge over bombings blamed on Islamic State group and Kurdish militants, sparking anger from gay rights activists.

Critics have accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of having overseen a creeping Islamisation since he came to power, first as prime minister in 2003 and then president in 2014. But authorities say they are merely acting in the interest of public security.
Istanbul: Turkey's official news agency says two ruling party officials serving in district organisations have been shot and killed, and ruling party officials blamed Kurdish militants.

The Anadolu news agency says Orhan Mercan, a vice president of an AKP branch in the southeastern Diyarbakir province, died on Saturday after being shot near his house. It says Aydin Ahi, who was serving as vice president for a party branch in the eastern province of Van, was killed late Saturday.

AKP officials decried the slayings, which they blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

Minister Omer Celik tweeted Sunday that "terror is attacking our nation's "political" institution."

A cease-fire between Turkey and the PKK collapsed in 2015, restarting a more than three-decade-long conflict that has left an estimated 40,000 people dead.
Istanbul: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday held talks with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Istanbul as tension soared on the Syrian border between Turkish troops and a Kurdish militia.

Turkey and Russia were long at loggerheads over the Syrian conflict, with Ankara seeking the ouster of President Bashar al-Assad and Moscow remaining his chief international ally.

But cooperation had tightened markedly since last year, with the two countries jointly sponsoring peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana.

Sunday's meeting took place at Istanbul's Tarabya Palace by the Bosphorus, the presidency said, with images showing Turkey's top general Hulusi Akar and spy chief Hakan Fidan were also in attendance.

Last August, Turkey launched its Euphrates Shield cross-border operation aimed at clearing the border zone in northern Syria of both Kurdish militia fighters and jihadists.

The operation was wound up in March but Erdogan has not excluded a new cross-border offensive should the need arise.

Turkish troops and Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) have repeatedly exchanged cross-border fire in recent days and there is speculation Ankara may be planning an assault on the group in Afrin.

Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist group and the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984.

But Washington is arming the YPG and the group is heavily involved in the US-backed operation to oust Islamic State (IS) jihadists from their stronghold of Raqa.

The Sabah daily said Sunday that pro-Ankara Syrian rebels were on standby for an operation against the YPG and Russia could ensure security in the air.

Asked about the possibility of an operation around Afrin, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Saturday: "We take all measures to protect our borders and national security."

He said the Turkey would "instantly" hit back against any threat from Syria, be it from IS, the PKK or the YPG.
Washington: The US state department has issued the necessary license for the export of 22 predator Guardian drones to India, a government source here said, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump had their first bilateral meeting at the White House.

The state department has "issued the DSP-5 Guardian export licence" for India, the source told PTI. A DSP-5 category licence is issued for permanent export of military hardware as found in the US Munitions List, which is defined by the International Traffic Arms Regulations.

The Guardian drones will enhance India's maritime surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean region and their sale was announced by Trump on 26 June after he met Modi for their first face-to-face meeting.

The drones are estimated to cost around $2 billion and are being built by General Atomics, considered a pioneer in the unmanned aerial vehicles domain. The speed with which the Trump administration decided on India's request for the drones, the source said, is reflective of the desire in White House to strengthen India's military capabilities in the Indo-Asia Pacific region, where China's aggressive diplomatic and military posture has unnerved other countries.

"We are extremely pleased that Trump and Modi have had excellent deliberations and the path forward for a game-changer in US-India defence relations has been charted," said Vivek Lall of General Atomics.

Lall, who in his previous capacity at Boeing, was instrumental in the sale of high-tech military hardware to India, is believed to have played a role in convincing the Trump administration to accelerate the sale of the drones. "Given the Sea Guardian's capabilities, such a response to the Indian Navy's request demonstrates a major change in US policy as this type of aircraft capability is only exported to a very select few of America's closest defence partners," he said.

"This represents tangible implementation of US Congress' designation of India as a 'Major Defence Partner'," said Lall.

On Tuesday, Lall met US vice-president Mike Pence on the sidelines of the annual US-India Business Council summit, when

Pence endorsed the deal to provide India with Apache attack helicopters, C-17 transport aircraft, besides the drones. The deal is seen as the biggest tangible takeaway from the Trump-Modi meeting towards the operationalisation of the major defence partner relationship.

The Indian Navy requested for the drones early last year. But no tangible action was taken under the previous Obama administration, apparently because of the stiff opposition from the state department, which argued that this could upset Pakistan, America's ally in war against terror in Afghanistan.

The Trump White House spearheaded the inter-agency process to make a significant policy change in favour of India by granting this technology based on government-to-government interactions, the source told PTI.

India had been eyeing the Predator technology for years, and it was only the Trump-Modi combination that they were able to move the decision to this point, the source said. Pakistan is said to be actively lobbying Washington against the sale of the drones to India. However, the White House overruled all objections, paving the way for a new phase of India-US defence relationship.
Washington: The United States Congress is "broadly positive" towards India-US strategic and commercial partnership despite areas of "serious discord", according to a congressional report that was prepared ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Washington.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) report prepared for American lawmakers reviews major facets of the US-India relations. A copy of the 43-page report was provided to PTI, days after Modi's US visit on 26-27 June.

In recognition of India's increasingly central role to influence world affairs and with a widely-held assumption that a stronger and prosperous democratic India is good for the US, the Congress and two successive US administrations have acted both to broaden and deepen engagement with New Delhi, the report said.

"Despite many areas of sometimes serious discord, the US Congress has remained broadly positive in its posture towards the US-India strategic and commercial partnership," the bipartisan and independent CRS said in its latest report.

"Such engagement is unprecedented after decades of cold war-era estrangement and today takes place 'across the spectrum of human endeavour for a better world', as described in a 2015 US-India Declaration of Friendship," it said.

"Washington and New Delhi launched a 'strategic partnership' in 2005, along with a framework for long-term defence cooperation that now includes large-scale joint military exercises and significant defence trade," it said.

Bilateral trade and investment have increased while a relatively wealthy Indian-American community is exercising "new-found domestic political influence", and Indian nationals account for a large proportion of foreign students on American college campuses and foreign workers in the information technology sector, it said.

Yet more engagement has meant more areas of friction in the partnership, many of which attract congressional attention, said the report authored by Alan Kronstadt and Shayerah Ilias Akhtar.

"India's economy, while slowly reforming, continues to be a relatively closed one, with barriers to trade and investment-deterring foreign business interests," it said.

According to the CRS, differences over US immigration law, especially in the area of non-immigrant work visas, remain unresolved; New Delhi views these as trade disputes.

India's intellectual property protection regime comes under regular criticism from US officials and firms.

The June 2017 announcement of US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change dismayed many in India and brought into question significant ongoing bilateral collaboration in the energy field, it said.

"Other stumbling blocks  on localisation barriers and civil nuclear commerce, among others  add to sometimes argumentative associations," the report said.

Meanwhile, cooperation in the fields of defence trade, intelligence, and counter-terrorism, although vastly superior to that of only a decade ago, runs up against the obstacles variously posed by India's bureaucracy, limited governmental capacity, difficult procurement process, seemingly incompatible federal institutions, and a lingering shortage of trust, not least due to America's ongoing security relationship with and aid to India's key rival, Pakistan, it said.

Finally, members of Congress take notice of human rights abuses in India, perhaps especially those related to religious freedom, the report said.
Dubai: The capital of the United Arab Emirates became the first city to be exempt from a US ban on laptop computers being in the cabins of airplanes coming from the Mideast, the country's flag carrier said Sunday.

Long-haul airline Etihad said it welcomed the decision by the US Department of Homeland Security, which comes "subject to enhanced security measures" at Abu Dhabi International Airport. That airport already has a US Customs and Border Protection facility that allows passengers to clear screening they'd otherwise have to go through when landing in America.

Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan said US officials already had seen that "the measures have been implemented correctly and to the full extent required" in Abu Dhabi. He said American monitors would make further visits to ensure the checks were being done properly.

"The enhanced security measures, both seen and unseen, include enhanced screening of passengers and electronic devices," Lapan said, declining to elaborate. "We commend Etihad for working swiftly to implement these additional measures. Their efforts are a model for both foreign and domestic airlines."

Abu Dhabi International Airport did not respond to a request for comment. The airport is home to Etihad, which has over 120 planes in its fleet and 204 aircraft on order. It operates 45 flights a week between Abu Dhabi and six cities in the US.

.@AUH #InAbuDhabi first airport to lift ban on personal electronic devices.  UAE Embassy US (@UAEEmbassyUS) July 2, 2017

New security measures now in place @AUH Abu Dhabi airport will allow passengers to bring laptops and tablets in cabin.  UAE Embassy US (@UAEEmbassyUS) July 2, 2017

#UAE appreciates cooperation with #US govt./@DHSgov to protect passengers and global aviation.  UAE Embassy US (@UAEEmbassyUS) July 2, 2017

The US ban, first announced in March as a security measure, now applies to nonstop US-bound flights from nine international airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Cairo; Istanbul; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar; and Dubai in the UAE.

In late May, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said he was considering banning laptops from the passenger cabins of all international flights to and from the United States. Kelly's comments came after US president Donald Trump shared highly classified intelligence about the Islamic State group wanting to use laptops to target aircraft with senior Russian officials visiting the White House.

The laptop ban, as well as a Trump administration travel ban on six predominantly Muslim nations, has hurt Gulf carriers. Dubai-based Emirates has slashed 20 percent of its flights to America in the wake of those decisions. The airline also has been trying to get the laptop ban lifted for its direct flights to the US. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dubai International Airport, Emirates' home, is the world's busiest international air travel hub. Meanwhile, long-haul carrier Qatar Airways has been hurt amid a diplomatic dispute with Arab nations that has seen its own routes in the region cut off.

All this also comes amid a wider dispute between Gulf airlines and American carriers, which accuse the Middle East airlines of flooding the market with capacity while receiving billions of dollars of unfair government subsidies. The Gulf carriers all vigorously deny that.
Sydney: Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell's Australian supporters have set up a fund to help pay his legal fees after he was charged with historical sexual offences, a report said Sunday.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney said last week it would help Pell with accommodation on his return to Australia to face the charges, but would not foot his legal bills.

Pell was ordered to face a Melbourne court hearing on 26 July, and has been granted a leave of absence by Pope Francis.

John Roskam, the executive director of the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA), a high-profile conservative Australian think tank, said that Pell supporters had set up a bank account for donations to pay for Pell's legal team. "The point of this (fund) is that there are a lot of people who want to support the cardinal and want to give him the opportunity to clear his name," Roskam told Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper.

An IPA spokesman told AFP that Roskam would not be commenting further, but confirmed the details of the story. Australia's Catholic leaders have spoken out in support of Pell describing him as a "thoroughly decent man".

The pre-eminent cleric rose through the ranks to the highest offices of the church in Australia before leaving to manage the Vatican's powerful economic ministry.

Pell said he had been the victim of a campaign of "relentless character assassination", and vowed to beat the charges and return to work in Rome.

Police have not revealed details of the charges against the 76-year-old, citing the need to preserve the integrity of the judicial process.
An energy company that owns a natural gas pipeline linked to a fatal home explosion in Colorado said more than 99 percent of the pipelines it tested afterward showed no sign of leaks.

Anadarko Petroleum said late Friday the pipelines that failed the test are being repaired and will be re-tested.

State regulators ordered energy companies to test all pipelines within 1,000 feet (300 meters) of occupied buildings after the natural gas explosion in April that killed two people.

Investigators blamed the explosion on a severed pipeline that was thought to be abandoned but was connected to one of Anadarko's wells with a valve turned to the open position. Investigators have not said why it was connected.

Friday was the deadline for the tests. About 9,700 test results were made public, and the vast majority indicated that the pipelines passed.

Anadarko said it tested more than 4,000 of its active flow lines, and 99.6 percent passed.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, which regulates the industry, also ordered energy companies to identify and report the locations of all pipelines near buildings, and to make sure any inactive pipelines were disconnected, sealed and buried.

About 150 companies reported the locations of nearly 129,000 pipelines.

The pipelines are known as flow lines and connect wells, tanks, collection points and other equipment. A well site can have multiple flow lines of varying lengths and diameters.

Anadarko said it located, disconnected and plugged more than 2,400 inactive flow lines. Many of those lines were between storage tanks and were not connected to a well, Anadarko spokesman John Christiansen said.

The Oil and Gas Conservation Commission said the goal of locating all flow lines near buildings was to make sure that inactive ones could not be inadvertently put back in use.

The fatal home explosion occurred in Firestone, about 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Denver. Investigators said the cause was odorless, unrefined gas from the severed pipeline that seeped into the home's basement.

The house that exploded was within 200 feet (60 meters) of the gas well, and the pipeline was severed about 10 feet (3 meters) from the house, officials said. The well and pipeline were in place several years before the house was built.

Anadarko said it would permanently shut it down.

The proximity of oil and gas wells to communities has long been a source of tension in Colorado, especially northeast of Denver, where both the population and drilling have boomed in the past decade.

___

Follow Dan Elliott at http://twitter.com/DanElliottAP. His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/dan%20elliott.
Winslo Edwards' new office is on the shimmering waterways around New York City, his backdrop its sweeping skyline, his job title: deckhand.

Edwards, a 55-year-old Brooklyn man who had been struggling since he was laid off as a transit worker five years ago, was lured by the chance to work on the city's new fleet of high-tech ferries, especially since it required no maritime experience, only a high-school diploma, people skills and ambition for advancement.

"This is my second chance in life," Edwards said. "I knew I was able to meet the requirements. I'm young at heart, and young in mind. And I'm in good shape."

Also among the novices is Pierce Collazo, a 28-year-old Army veteran of Iraq from Jacksonville, Florida, who had been kicking around odd jobs for years until he heard about the call for deckhands. It wasn't the $15-an-hour pay or the steady health insurance that drew him in, but the chance to move up in the ranks.

"Finally, I decided to come to New York and look for a real opportunity," he said.

About 80 deckhands will be working by August for the first wave of a 20-boat, six-route fleet linking Manhattan and waterfront neighborhoods in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.

NYC Ferry is Democratic Mayor Bill de Blasio's $335-million attempt to ease New York's overcrowded and deteriorating public transportation system. Three routes are up and running now, with the one more to be added in August and two more by next summer, with a goal of at least 4.6 million rides a year.

On Edwards' first day in May, he boarded a ferry at 5:30 a.m. on a Manhattan pier for the East River route to Brooklyn.

"I was hand in hand with the captain, signaling that the coast was clear," he said. "It was an exhilarating position."

Hornblower is the San Francisco-based company that operates the New York ferries and plans to employ at least 100 deckhands by next year. The company was looking specifically for people with ambition, noting that some of the company's top executives were people who rose up from the humblest of jobs.

In orientations for new deckhands, "the first question I always ask the group is, 'How many people want to become a captain?' said Rich Paine, NYC Ferry's head of training. "And almost every time ... 99 percent of the entire class puts their hands up."

Weeks of hands-on training on the decks of the catamarans include lessons on how to dock and undock at ferry, ensure passenger and crew safety, including responding if someone falls overboard. In case of an accident or a fire, deckhands also must know how to use extinguishers and life preservers.

And they train to perform less dramatic tasks, such as securing bicycles, scooters and surfboards, making sure the bathrooms are working, collecting boarding tickets and giving customers directions once they're on land.

"They are very, very serious about the safety standards, and about helping passengers," Collazo said. "And if you do well at entry level, you'll definitely move up."

It's not an easy job. Collazo leaves home in the middle of the night for a shift that starts at 5:15 a.m. Daytime work begins at 2 p.m. and ends close to midnight, followed by the subway ride home to the Rockaways that can take up to two hours.

"We like to call it a life of controlled chaos," Collazo said, laughing. "But I enjoy the job."

Once on water, Edwards added, "I feel like a kid, like I'm not working."

____

Online:

NYC Ferry: https://www.ferry.nyc
Key government ministers are pressuring Conservative British Prime Minister Theresa May to ease austerity and remove a pay cap for public sector employees.

The Observer newspaper said Sunday that Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is lobbying to lift the 1 percent cap on pay increases for National Health Service workers after a government report warned of staff shortages.

The Telegraph reports Education Secretary Justine Greening wants the government to abandon plans to cut per pupil spending, which would cost an additional 1.2 billion pounds ($1.6 billion).

Meanwhile, Damian Green, May's deputy, says the government may need to reconsider university tuition fees to appeal to younger voters.

The pressure comes after a disastrous election in June in which May lost her parliamentary majority amid calls to end seven years of austerity.
Some billionaire investors are concerned about the markets, so they've been investing in gold and gold stocks to help protect themselves from increasing market volatility. If you want to protect your portfolio, too, you should check out this one investment that gold investors have been piling into...iShares Gold Trust (NYSEMKT: IAU).

Never fear?

So who's concerned about the market, which is trading at a Shiller P/E (a cyclically adjusted price-to-earnings ratio) that is 80% higher than its historical average? Try billionaire investors like Lord Jacob Rothschild (a member of the famously wealthy Rothschild family, at RIT Capital Partners), David Einhorn (Greenlight Capital), and Ray Dalio (Bridgewater Associates). It's not so much the valuation of the market for this trio, however, but the increasing uncertainty surrounding world events. Essentially, they are worried the market is poised to tumble if there's a shock to the economic and political systems we have in place today.

For example, Rothschild has been placing "an emphasis on capital preservation," because he's worried that -- using very diplomatic words -- the "patiently crafted international cooperation" of the last 70 years is under threat. David Einhorn is a bit more direct, saying that "The new administration comes with a high degree of uncertainty," and specifically highlighting the Donald Trump presidency as a worry. This concern is echoed by Ray Dalio, who recently noted: "When faced with the choices between what's good for the whole and what's good for the part, and between harmony and conflict, he has a strong tendency to choose the part and conflict."

All three have money in gold and gold stocks. And they aren't alone if the numbers from iShares Gold Trust are any indication.

What to watch

The iShares Gold Trust is an exchange-traded fund that owns physical gold. Owning shares of the trust is basically equivalent to owning gold but without the need to take possession of it and store it yourself. The expense ratio of the trust is 0.25%, not a bad trade-off when you consider the hassle of buying gold on your own. The trust owns around 6.744 million ounces of the yellow metal.

The interesting thing about exchange-traded funds, however, is that their share counts go up and down with demand. Essentially, when investors want more iShares Gold Trust shares, more are made, increasing the share count. And when investors are moving out of the ETF, shares are redeemed, reducing the share count. It's a complicated process, but an increasing share count shows increasing demand for the trust. And in this case, for gold:

The share count trend has been nothing but up at iShares Gold Trust lately. At the start of 2016 iShares Gold Trust had roughly 508 million shares. By the end of that year, the share count had increased to 655 million shares, a nearly 30% jump. The share count has continued to head higher this year, with the number up to 701 million as of June 28. That's another 7% increase through roughly the first half of 2017, bringing the increase over the last year and half to nearly 40%.

Maybe it's time to be worried

Investors are clearly piling into iShares Gold Trust. And with investors like Rothschild, Einhorn, and Dalio including gold in their portfolios, it might be a good idea for you to take a second look at the yellow metal, too. If you don't want to buy gold directly, which can be a real hassle, iShares Gold Trust is a good option for easily adding gold to your portfolio.

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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) granted approval to Etihad Airways to allow electronic devices inside cabins of aircraft on U.S.-bound flights from Abu Dhabi.

This approval is verified with visual confirmation by TSA officials ensuring the measures have been implemented correctly and to the full extent required, Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan told FOX Business, adding that officials from the TSA will continue to regularly observe operations at the Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH).

The airport has U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) facility that allows passengers flying Etihadthe flag-carrier of the United Arab Emiratesto clear customs, immigration and security procedures in Abu Dhabi, instead of having to do so upon landing in America. Abu Dhabi International is the only airport in the Middle East and Africa to host the CBP facility, according to the AUH website.

It is the second-largest airport in the UAE, after Dubai International, with more than 23 million passengers using it for travel in 2015, according to the website, which anticipates the number to rise to more than 45 million within the next 10 years.

Etihad currently operates 45 flights per week from Abu Dhabi to six destinations in the U.S., including New York and Washington, D.C.

We commend Etihad for working swiftly to implement these additional measures. Their efforts are a model for both foreign and domestic airlines looking to adopt the new measures, Lapan said.

In March, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly banned electronic devices from cabins of U.S.-bound flights from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa, areas of high terrorist activity. Then, in late May, Kelly said he might consider increasing the ban to all international flights both into and out of America, during an interview on Fox News Sunday.

More recently, at the end of last month, Kellys DHS announced new aviation security measures regarding all commercial flights to the U.S. The new steps required by the department include enhanced screening of electronic devices and more thorough vetting of passengers, and will be both seen and unseen. If airlines refuse to comply with the new rules or take too long to adhere, they could face further restrictions, including banning electronic devices onboard or having their flights to the U.S. suspended.

Security is my number one concern, Kelly said in a prepared statement to the Center for New American Security in late-June. Our enemies are adaptive, and we must be too. A number of the measures we plan to put in place can be dialed up or down in a risk-based, intelligence-driven manner. And over the next several weeks and months, well work with our partners to ensure these measures are fully implemented.
Gwyneth Paltrows plans to build a 14,000-square-foot mansion in Montecito, Calif., are even less popular than the jade vagina eggs she sells on Goop for $66.

Shes created an uproar with neighbors on all three sides, Andrew Rice, a spokesman for one neighbor, Michael MacElhenny, told the New York Post.

The neighbors say the new building is too big, too tall and incompatible with the adjacent houses, and it blocks their views.

Rice said Paltrow  who has owned properties in Amagansett, London, Malibu, Calif., and Los Angeles Brentwood area, where a complaint was filed against her for erecting an oversize 9-foot gate  has left a trail of tears on two continents.

Michael and the other neighbors have tried to work with her, and theyve gotten nowhere, Rice said.

The Montecito Board of Architectural Review voted in favor of the plans last week when her architect claimed the house had been lowered 8 feet. Rice said the real shrinkage was just 1 foot and that the project was moving forward to the next step based on incorrect information.

Click here for more in the New York Post.
A sinister industry has crept across the globe and into the United Statesthe buying, selling, and enslaving of human beings for sex.

In the shadows, the dark world of human trafficking has lived and, tragically, grown. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates that nearly 200,000 unique incidents of sexual exploitation of minors happen annually in the U.S., and the State Department estimates anywhere from 14,500 to 17,500 individuals are trafficked into the United States each yearnot counting those trafficked inside the country.

These are frightening numbers and law enforcement is underequipped to challenge the growing industry. America at large remains unaware of the problem, as is the American faith community. The grisly and perverse details of human trafficking make it a hard reality to stomach and confront. But this must changeand indeed, such change has already begun. More and more people of faith are coming together to protect life and innocence, however they are threatened.

A major part of protecting these victims is recognizing that their situation sometimes results from a deep and systematic failure of our nations justice system. Few of the thousands of victims of trafficking ever receive justice. Although the Trafficking Victims Act of 2000 started the process by making trafficking a federal crime, it failed to address the scope and depth of the problem. Of the thousands impacted by human trafficking in 2015, the federal government undertook only 257 prosecutions. According to a 2016 report, there is no standardized method to monitor state and local human trafficking prosecutions.

Sadly our current system often confuses victims with criminals. When sophisticated traffickers coerce their victims into committing crimes, the victims themselves wind up being prosecuted. Few state laws take this distinction into account.

So how are these people slipping through the justice systems cracks? The answer is complex, but sadly our current system often confuses victims with criminals. When sophisticated traffickers coerce their victims into committing crimes, the victims themselves wind up being prosecuted. Few state laws take this distinction into account.

Without a comprehensive new approach to the problem, we will continue to fail these victims.

On the ground, law enforcement officers must receive the training that enables them to identify trafficking victims. A 2013 study undertaken by Allison L. Cross at McGeorge University Law School recounted the case of Silvia Gonzalez, a Brazilian woman living in the United States who was being exploited by another woman who promised to assist Silvia in getting a green card.

Over two-and-a-half years, Silvia was convicted 86 times either for prostitution or loitering with the intent of prostitutionand at no point did law enforcement realize she was a victim. Proper training can help police identify and assist people like Silvia.

On a legal level, more states should adopt what are known as vacatur lawslaws that permit victims to clear their records of crimes committed during the time they were trafficked. Around 80 percent of employers perform a criminal background check on potential employees, and unjust convictions can keep victims from employment, leaving them susceptible to being trafficked again. Convictions can also keep victims from education, health care, affordable housing, immigration assistance and more.

In 2010, New York took a step in the right direction and passed a vacatur lawhowever, it only allowed prostitution or loitering for prostitution convictions to be erased. In 2013, Florida passed a more comprehensive law permitting victims to clear any and all crimes from their records. As of May 2016, a total of 31 states have adopted some form of vacatur laws. Such progress is encouraging, but we in the faith community must keep pressing for adoption of laws and effective implementation programs that help protect victims and ensure the justice they deserve.

Lastly, increasing judicial discretion when adjudicating human trafficking cases gives victims a better opportunity at receiving fair treatment. The US Sentencing Commission found that there is at times significant discrepancy between the involvement of a criminal and their sentence. Mandatory minimum sentencing guidelines often strip a judge of the ability to consider cases on an individual basis, forcing the judge into a one-size-fits-all sentencing structure. Allowing judges to actually judge each case will streamline the process and help ensure each victim receives justice and relief in each unique case.

Fortunately, there is hope on the horizon. Just this past December, the End Modern Slavery Initiative Act passed as a part of the National Defense Authorization Act. Introduced by Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), the legislation allocates federal funds for a non-profit foundation dedicated to cutting human trafficking by 50 percent in key locations across the U.S. and across the globe and permits the foundation to apply for funding from international governments and private donors. Even more recently, President Trump met with various groups that are working to eliminate human trafficking and declared his intention to end this epidemic.

Leaders from the Show Me State also have joined in the fight to bring justice for victims. Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-Mo.) recently introduced the bipartisan Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017, which is designed to empower law enforcement to effectively combat online sex trafficking hubs that profit from and provide safe haven for modern-day slave traders and is up for markup after July 4th. And Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley has taken the lead at the state level by forming a statewide task force specifically intended to combat trafficking. As part of this task force, Hawleys office will work with local law enforcement to prosecute businesses that serve as fronts for trafficking rings.

Innovations by elected champions such as Senator Corker, Congresswoman Wagner, and Attorney General Hawley are combatting trafficking operations, but officials at the federal and state level must also equip federal and local law enforcement with the resources needed to shut down and prosecute trafficking cases.

President Trump is right to identify trafficking as an epidemic: human trafficking is a cancer that affects us all. Government and law enforcement must work in collaboration with the faith community so that victims of trafficking receive justice. As Americans, we believe that all men and women are created equal and that we all are endowed by our Creator with inherent dignity that is worthy of protection.

Empowered with these convictions, we must recognize this threat, come together, and fight to stop it, always remembering the words of Christ: Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
There are two ways of looking at the Roman Catholic Church under the rule of Pope Francis: an increasingly tolerant, inclusive, mercy-based charity, or a spectator blood-sport between ideological rivals who will reconcile their differences. Under the second scenario, Francis just scored what might be a knockout punch.

By removing Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Francis neutralized one of the few princes of the church whose job it was to call out the pope for his seemingly endless appetite for doctrinal change. Muller, who was installed in his job by Franciss predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, represented the conservative wing of the church that has looked askance at the current pontiffs disregard for centuries-old tradition and restrictions.

Making matters even worse, Francis replaced Muller with Archbishop Luis Ladaria, who like Francis is a Jesuit. That reduces the likelihood that the pope will meet opposition from the one office in the church with the duty to interpret Catholic magisterium  that is, spreading doctrinal teaching to the churchs billion plus adherents.

Ever since Francis assumed the Throne of Peter in 2013, he and Muller seemed to be on a collision course. Soon after becoming pope, Francis floated the idea of letting divorced Catholics who had remarried outside the church receive Holy Communion. In his role as chief interpreter of church doctrine, Muller let the pope know that was a non-starter.

Nor was he pleased when Francis, answering a question about his feelings toward gay Catholics, shrugged and said, Who am I to judge? When Francis announced that he wanted to create a commission to discuss allowing women to become deacons  a job one step beneath the priesthood  Muller effectively quashed the idea. And when Francis was preparing his encyclical Amoris Laetitia, or the Joy of Family, Mullers proposed alterations were simply ignored.

No chief executive can be expected to put up with insubordination for long, and Francis is within his rights to move Muller out of his position. But the pope, despite his sweet smile and crowd-pleasing talk about making the Catholic Church more tolerant and focused on the poor, has created a serious division among the faithful. His suggestions that affluent Catholics give away their money, or that capitalism is a sin dont wear well with some in the United States, which is by far the largest financial contributor to the Churchs coffers.

If the pope intends to keep removing conservative thinkers from the Vaticans inner ranks, he might find there is a price to pay for imposing his socialist agenda on an institution that has, after all, gotten along for more than 2,000 years without him.
I remember the day like it was yesterday.

We already had two boys, our first was three years old and the second was just one.

When we found out we were having our third baby we were overjoyed. It was definitely sooner than expected, but a totally welcomed gift. We could not wait to find out the sex of this one. When it came time for that ultrasound, the doctor joyously told us "It's another boy!" We were so excited!

The next few weeks were so thrilling.

Wow, we are having another boy.

Will I be a good dad?

Will their mom ever wish she had a girl?

My wife's answer was always this "Its nice being the only Queen among my men."

At 21 weeks pregnant, it came time for the big ultrasound. The one where the docs measure the arms, the legs, the nuchal fold behind the neck. Basically the docs painstakingly analyze every tiny part of your exciting bundle of joy growing fast inside mommy. We even decided to have my mom come to this ultrasound. She never came to any for the other two. This one would be fun, and we can even get a 3-D photo.

We had the last appointment on a Friday, at a top hospital in the area. We also had the director of the Maternal Fetal Medicine Program. Wow - how lucky were we? We got the big cheese! The best of the best!

My dad watched the older two boys, as my wife, my mom and I went to the appointment. We talked about names and daydreamed of a life with three boys. Also we were excited that the due date would be in June - before it gets really really hot. Maybe we will take the baby to the beach for the summer? So much hope. So much excitement. So much anticipation. So much dream.

We walked in moments before the 4:30pm appointment. The three of us skipped into the ultrasound room. We literally could not wait to see the new baby boy again!

Karin got greased up and the technician was silentlooking at the screen. Saying nothing.

My mom nervously looked at me whispering "why is she quiet?"

Realizing this was not the norm, I became increasingly more nervous as the minutes passed. My wife was looking pale too. The silence was deafening.

Finally we spoke up and said, "so how does he look?" Coldly the tech replied, "something is not right. I need the doctor."

The doctor came in after we heard LOUD whispering in the hall. The doctor looks around and says, "This baby has an abnormal heart. He does not have a fourth chamber. The aortic valve is not formed - the blood in the heart is not flowing in the right direction. Come into my office."

Say what?

In silence, my wife, my mom, and I all walked right next door to his office. The second we get seated the doctor bluntly and coldly said, "This baby will die at birth. He doesn't have a proper heart. You need to abort. My office can make the appointment for you for next week."

Us: "But you may be wrong, right?"

Doctor: "I'm always right. I've been doing this a long time and I know what I see and what I don't see. This is obvious."

He then left the room.

We were in utter shock.

As we got to the elevator, my wife broke down crying. My mom looked like she'd seen a ghost. And I just could not even speak.

We drove home in silence.

As we got home, after we had a sort of family therapy session, we called our OBGYN. He told us to stay calm. He also realized we were Baptists and believers and kept apologizing for the doctor's frankness and said many doctors are just clinical. He suggested we see another specialist and that we drive down to CHOP (Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia) - and he sent the report from this doctor ahead of us.

Unfortunately, that Monday was a holiday. So for five days we lived with knowing that our baby would die. The whole weekend we felt selfish we even wanted a third child. It was awful.

Tuesday came. My mom and dad watched the two boys. My wife and I made the two-hour trek to Philly. We did not even talk.

We walked into our appointment at CHOP. They were so human, so calming. As the doctor did the ultrasound, she was utterly silent. Wow - we knew this all too well. We didn't even bother asking her any questions. She examined the growing baby inside my wife. After literally 45 minutes, she spoke.

"This baby is totally healthy. Perfect. I am not seeing anything that the other doctor saw. His heart is healthy. He is healthy."

We sobbed uncontrollably. How could this be?

What if we chose to listen to the first doctor?

Sixteen weeks later Matthew was born. Chubbier and stronger than even the first two.

To that extra-sure, oh-so-confident doctor: we have no words.

Happy seventh birthday, Matthew Dean. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
With time further expiring on House Republicans long list of legislative goals, members have again asked Speaker Paul Ryan to cancel the chambers August recess.

During the 2016 elections, President Trump and Republican candidates running for the House and Senate promised the American people that with unified Republican government we could achieve many of the policy priorities that have been mere wishes for the last several years, Arizona GOP Rep. Andy Biggs wrote in his letter to Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican.

Biggs and the 11 other House Republicans who signed the letter Friday cited a long list of pressing issues on our docket including the repeal of ObamaCare, passing a tax reform plan, reign in federal spending and working toward balancing the budget.

The American people put their faith in us and are counting on us to carry out these goals, they also wrote.

Congress on Friday broke for a roughly two-week Fourth of July recess and will return to Washington for about 14 legislative working days before their month-long August break.

The letter also cited the need to pass a federal budget and appropriate federal funding by Sept. 30, when the U.S. government technically runs out of money.

And it cited the need to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration, the Childrens Health Insurance Program, the National Flood Insurance Program and Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

The House Freedom Caucus -- roughly 30 of the chambers most conservative members including Biggs -- was among the first to support the effort to cancel the August recess.

The group said in early June that Congress must remain in session this summer to continue working to accomplish the priorities of the American people.

White House budget Director Mick Mulvaney recently said that he supports Congress staying in session through at least part of August.

And White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway has made clear that President Trump, a businessman and real estate mogul by trade, wants faster results.

When he says drain the swamp, its not just about getting rid of all the crocodiles in the water that we dont need. Its about moving at a different pace, she recently told Fox News Fox & Friends.

The GOP-led Senate is perhaps under an even tighter deadline, after leaving for July break without passing their ObamaCare overhaul bill.

Still, getting Republican congressional leaders to cancel or shorten the August recess, practically a perennial request, is unlikely.

Capitol Hill lawmakers historically use August to travel in delegations to foreign countries.

This year, a trip to China is scheduled through the U.S. Asia Institute, and a trip to Israel is being led by the American Israel Education Foundation, according to a high-ranking congressional aide.
For the second time since President Trump took office, the Pentagon dispatched a U.S. Navy warship to sail near a disputed island claimed by China in the South China Sea, two U.S. defense officials told Fox News.

The USS Stethem, a guided-missile destroyer based in Japan, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, which is part of the Paracel Islands located in the South China Sea between China and Vietnam.

The destroyer was trailed by a Chinese warship during its Sunday voyage.

While occupied by China, Vietnam and Taiwan also lay claim to the island. A defense official said the operation challenged Vietnam and Taiwan's claims to Triton Island in addition to China.

Twelve nautical miles is the territorial boundary that extends beyond the shores of all nations, sailing inside that distance sends a signal the United States does not recognize the claim.

The move comes as the Trump administration appears to be losing patience with Beijing over its continued military build-up in the South China Sea. The U.S. has been frustrated with Beijings failure to reign in North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

Triton Island is not part of China's artificial islands in the region which were constructed in the past few years atop former reefs, but is located among the landmasses in the Paracel chain. The U.S. Navy last sailed a warship off the coast of Triton Island in October. The Obama administration conducted similar operations.

The Pentagon wants to conduct what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations, or FONOPS, to challenge China's claims with enough frequency in the hopes they become more routine and not as newsworthy, according to an official with knowledge of the discussions.

Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, would not confirm the operation but said in a statement to Fox News, "We conduct routine and regular FONOPs, as we have done in the past and will continue to do in the future."

In late May, another guided-missile destroyer, USS Dewey, sailed approximately six miles from one of China's man-made islands in the South China Sea, a first for the Pentagon since Trump assumed office. The American warship conducted a "man-overboard" drill off the coast of Mischief Reef sending a signal to Beijing that the United States does not honor its claim to the reef--one of seven former reefs China has turned into artificial islands. Three contain runways and other military fortifications.

"Fake islands should not be believed by real people," said the head of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris, in a speech Wednesday in Brisbane, where the United States is participating in the largest ever joint military exercise with Australia, aimed in part to send a message to Beijing.

"China is using its military and economic power to erode the rules-based international order," Harris added.

Friday, new satellite imagery published by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) part of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think-tank showed new military facilities including radar systems being installed on Mischief, Fiery Cross and Subi Reefs in the Spratly Islands located south of the Parcel Islands in the South China Sea.

While U.S. officials had seen the build-up for months, they are more concerned about the potential for China to place advanced surface-to-air missiles on the artificial islands, which could challenge U.S. military flights in the region. Fox News first reported in December that China moved SA-21 missile batteries with a 250-mile range to the island province of Hainan for training, which could be sent to the artificial islands at a later date. For the time being, they remain inside China.

The last time the U.S. Navy challenged China's claims in the South China Sea, the Trump administration pushed back on accusations it was turning a blind eye to China's military build-up on its artificial islands, while looking for Beijing to help with negotiations to halt North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs.

"While I greatly appreciate the efforts of President Xi & China to help with North Korea, it has not worked out. At least I know China tried!" Trump said in a tweet last month.

On Friday, the Trump administration unveiled new sanctions against a Chinese bank linked to North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs, a day after announcing a new $1.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan.

Announcing the sanctions, Treasury Secretary Steve Munchin said the move was not in retribution for Beijing failing to rein in North Korea. "This is not directed at China, this is directed at a bank, as well as individuals and entities in China," he said.

China is sending messages of its own.

As Beijing marked the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British rule this weekend, President Xi Jinping presided over the largest military parade ever held in the territory. Standing in the back of a jeep, Xi was driven past more than 3,000 assembled troops in formation in a show of strength.

On Wednesday, China launched the first of its newest class of destroyer called the Type 055, which many analysts say resembles the size and capability of the U.S. Navy's Arleigh-Burke class of guided-missile destroyers, like the one which conducted the operation near the contested Chinese island this weekend.

According to the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), China has 183 cruisers, destroyers, coastal ships and submarines compared with 188 for the U.S. Navy. CNAS projected in a March report that China will surpass the United States Navy in these types of warships by the end of the next decade, one of the reasons the U.S. Navy has requested a buildup to a 350-ship fleet, a view shared by many in Congress.

China claims most of the South China Sea where more than $5 trillion of commerce passes through each year.

Last week, the U.S. State Department called out China for being one of the worst human trafficking offenders--dropping Beijing to its lowest designation joining Iran, North Korea and Russia. The report said China had done little to stop what has amounted to modern slavery and sex trafficking affecting millions.
Republican senators have joined the call to get leaders of the GOP-controlled Congress to cancel members August recess so they can stay in Washington to fix the countrys health care system and address other key issues, including passing a budget before the end of the fiscal year when the federal government technically runs out of money.

Our current Senate calendar shows only 33 potential working days remaining before the end of the fiscal year, nine GOP senators said in a letter to Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

This does not appear to give us enough time to adequately address the issues that demand immediate attention. Therefore, we respectfully request that you consider truncating, if not completely foregoing, the scheduled August state work period, allowing us more time to complete our work.

The senators said they are united toward working "with a sense of urgency to deliver conservative solutions for pressing legislative issues and cited five imperatives to be accomplished by years end.

Those include completing the first phase of ObamaCare repeal and replacement, passing a budget that leads the way to reforming the U.S. tax code, and agreeing on appropriations as well as addressing the country's debt limit before the start of October, when there is technically no more money left to run the government.

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., who has pushed the idea of repealing ObamaCare first, then voting later to replace it, on Sunday also backed cancelling the August recess.

We should do a repeal with a delay, he told CNNs State of the Union. And then I think the president should call on the Senate to cancel our August state work period.  I think we should get straight to work at around-the-clock hearings on the replace plan.

House Republicans, particularly the most conservative members, have been leading the effort to remain at work through August.

On Friday, before Congress adjourned for the July 4 holiday, 12 GOP House members asked Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., to cancel the recess so they could tackle their long list of legislative goals.

During the 2016 elections, President Trump and Republican candidates running for the House and Senate promised the American people that with unified Republican government we could achieve many of the policy priorities that have been mere wishes for the last several years, Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., and the 11 others told Ryan in a letter.

The House list of goals includes the repeal of ObamaCare, passing a tax reform plan, reining in federal spending and working toward balancing the budget. The letter also cited the need to pass a federal budget and appropriating federal funds by Sept. 30.

When Congress returns from its 10-day July 4 break, members will have about 14 legislative working days before their month-long August recess.

The House Freedom Caucus -- comprising roughly 30 of the chambers most conservative members, including Biggs -- was among the first to support the effort to cancel the August recess.

The group said in early June that Congress must remain in session this summer to continue working to accomplish the priorities of the American people.

White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney recently said that he supports Congress staying in session through at least part of August.

And White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway has made clear that President Trump, a businessman and real estate mogul by trade, wants faster results.

When he says drain the swamp, its not just about getting rid of all the crocodiles in the water that we dont need. Its about moving at a different pace, she told Fox News Fox & Friends.

The GOP-led Senate is perhaps under an even tighter deadline, after leaving for July break without passing their ObamaCare overhaul bill.

Still, getting Republican congressional leaders to cancel or shorten the August recess, practically a perennial request, is unlikely.

Capitol Hill lawmakers historically use August to travel in delegations to foreign countries.

This year, a trip to China is scheduled through the U.S.-Asia Institute, and a trip to Israel is being led by the American Israel Education Foundation, according to a high-ranking congressional aide.

Fox News' Joseph Weber, Chad Pergram and Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.
Washington Republicans are taking no July 4 holiday on the Senates ObamaCare overhaul bill -- with President Trump calling senators and Kentucky GOP Sen. Rand Paul pushing a conservative alternative to the existing measure that he says is lit up like a Christmas tree with spending.

I dont think were getting anywhere with the bill we have, Paul said on Fox News Sunday. Every time you add more federal money, more spending for the big-government Republicans, it offends the conservatives.  Senate leadership is loading (up) the bill like a Christmas tree, with billion dollar ornaments.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., didn't have enough support last week to vote on the measure, leaving it behind as Congress departed for the July recess.

MCCONNELL REJECTS TRUMPS ADVICE ON REPEAL OBAMACARE NOW, REPLACE LATER

The Kentucky Republican will need support from at least 50 of the chambers 52 GOP senators to pass the bill.

Paul is pushing a plan to divide the Senate bill into two parts -- a vote on repealing ObamaCare and a separate vote on replacing it.

Forty-nine GOP senators voted in 2015 in favor of repealing the 2010 health care law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act. However, they knew that then-President Barack Obama would veto the effort.

President Trump over the past few days has expressed his support for a separate repeal-and-replace plan, in an effort to fulfill Republicans long-standing promise to end ObamaCare, struggling under increasing premium costs and fewer policy options for Americans.

However, McConnell said Friday that he wants to stick with the existing bill.

Paul said Sunday that he would support the repeal effort but seemed unlikley to back the replace effort in its existing form, which he said includes roughly $200 billion in insurance "bailouts."

Mac Short, Trump's director of legislative affairs, told Fox News Sunday that the White House has already stated its preference for passing the existing Senate bill.

He also said Trump is talking to GOP senators over the weekend and expressed confidence about the bill being passed this summer so the president and Congress can move to tax reform by the fall.
A top ally of President Trump who was at the center of a retracted CNN story again accepted the cable networks apology Sunday, but said he was frustrated by the ordeal and the pervasive politics of personal destruction in Washington.

It was definitely frustrating, Anthony Scaramucci, a Wall Street investor recently appointed by Trump to the U.S. Export-Import Bank, told Fox News MediaBuzz.

CNN published a story June 22 on its website that purported congressional investigators were looking into a meeting between Scaramucci and Kirill Dmitriev, the head of a Russian investment fund, that took place days before Trump's inauguration.

Scaramucci said he warned CNN beforehand that its story was incorrect. He claimed he unexpectedly ran into Dmitriev, whom he had met before, while having a business dinner in Switzerland. He said they spoke for several minutes but that the conversation did not include talk of the United States lifting economic sanctions again Russia.

"We must have talked for three to five minutes at the table," Scaramucci told "Media Buzz" host Howard Kurtz.

Dmitriev is the chief executive officer of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, a business arm of the Kremlin.

Scaramucci said Sunday that CNN officials moved pretty quickly to take down the story after he further explained how the details were incorrect.

They didnt seem to do their homework. [I'm] trying to be fair and generous to them, he said.

CNN retracted the online story the following day and apologized to Scaramucci.

On Monday, CNN accepted the resignations of three journalists involved in the story: author Thomas Frank, assistant managing editor Eric Lichtblau and investigations unit head Lex Harris.

However, Scaramucci acknowledged that he mentioned legal action as CNN executives wrestled over whether the story was completely incorrect the night of June 22.

Scaramucci said a photograph of him talking to Dmitriev apparently added to the speculation, as did a public suggestion by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., that Scaramucci discussed sanctions with Dmitriev.

That was outrageous, an example of Scandal Inc. nonsense and the politics of personal destruction here, he said. I Dont like it at all, to be candid.
President Donald Trump delivered an Independence Day address honoring American veterans  hundreds of whom came from the Washington, D.C. area to attend the Celebrate Freedom Rally at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

America is a land rich with heroes, said Trump at the event, which included wounded warriors who are patients at the Walter Reed Medical Center.

During his speech, the president personally saluted World War II veteran Harry Miller for his lifelong service and wounded warrior Luis Avila. Miller enlisted in the reserves at 15, even though he was not old enough to serve. He fought in Europe and in The Battle of the Bulge. Avila, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, was on a fifth deployment when he was wounded, losing his leg, during an intelligence reconnaissance mission.

We all bleed the same red blood, said Trump, promising an adoring crowd that America would win again.

TRUMP ATTACKS MEDIA AS 'FAKE' AND 'FRAUDULENT'

Choirs performed The Battle Hymn of the Republic and other hymns and debuted a song with the lyrics make America great again  Trumps campaign slogan.

Since the signing of the Declaration of Independence 241 years ago, America always affirmed that liberty comes from our creator. Our rights are given to us by God, and no earthly force can ever take those rights away. That is why my administration is transferring power out of Washington and returning that power back where it belongs to the people, Trump said.

Our religious liberty is enshrined in the very first amendment in the Bill of Rights. The American founders invoked our creator four times in the Declaration of Independence," said Trump. "Benjamin Franklin reminded his colleagues at the Constitutional Convention to begin by bowing their heads in prayer. Inscribed on our currency are the words: In God We Trust.

TRUMP CHIDES STATES FOR NOT COMPLYING WITH VOTING COMMISSION

Evangelical megachurch First Baptist Dallas sponsored the event. First Baptist Pastor Robert Jeffress, who was a strong backer of Trump, said in a statement: We have in President Donald J. Trump one of the great patriots of our modern era and a president who cherishes the sacrifice and service of those in our armed forces.

Overwhelming support from evangelical voters helped propel Trump to victory in 2016. The fake media tried to stop us from going to the White House, but Im president and theyre not, he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
More than 500 San Diego high school students have been told they must retake Advanced Placement tests that have been declared invalid.

The College Board, which oversees the exams, said Friday that it is invalidating AP tests taken at Scripps Ranch High because new seating arrangements established two years ago were not followed. The move means 540 students will have to take the tests again.

The College Board did not claim any students cheated on the exams, which can earn college credits by meeting the requirements for certain subjects.

The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the retests will be free, and eight teachers have agreed to return to school to teach refresher courses.

Seventeen-year-old Jonathan Lu, who took four AP tests in May, called the retests a "huge bummer."

___

Information from: The San Diego Union-Tribune, http://www.utsandiego.com
Its not every day that a U.S. high school's class project ends up washing ashore in Scotland.

But that is, in fact, what happened to a 4-foot drifter boat that students at a Maine high school launched in December.

The boat landed on an island in Scotland last week, exactly 168 days and 12 hours after it was launched by students at Kennebunk High Schools Alternative Education program.

Not surprisingly, it is named the Little Boat That Could.

The boat was equipped with a GPS that enabled students and their teacher to track its movements. It also had a camera and sensors  designed by the KHS students -- for wind speed, according to the Bangor Daily News.

Currents pushed the boat northeast toward Spain, then west past Ireland  wherethe KHS students originally had envisioned it ending up -- and onto Scotlands Western Isles, the Daily News reported.

This boat went completely against what it was supposed to do...and then all of a sudden it ended up where it was supposed to go.  Leia Lowery, Kennebunkport Conservation Trust

United Kingdom officials retrieved the boat and delivered it to a school teacher in Scotland who will ensure it gets any repairs it needs before being sent on its way for another adventure. Plans call for the boat to be launched from Scotland and end up in South America, the newspaper said. The Scottish students plan to send data chips to their American counterparts for analysis.

Its super exciting, Leia Lowery, director of education at the Kennebunkport Conservation Trust -- which took part in the project with KHS students  was quoted as saying in the newspaper. We kind of felt like it was sort of an epic journey for them in that all of it was so metaphorically perfect. This boat went completely against what it was supposed to do  and then all of a sudden it ended up where it was supposed to go.

Lowery said she would like to see KHS and Scotland students speak via video and go over steps for repairing the boat.

Lowery noted that the experience of tracking the boat teaches students about the ocean and how people have an effect on it.

"As were doing this were talking about some of those things, like how our trash follows the currents as well and we have entire microplastic trash areas in our oceans, she said. Were trying to teach them a little bit about that.

Some students at Kennebunk High School were skeptical about its odds of making it as far as it did, said Alternative Education Teacher Ed Sharood.

"There were a couple that said, Theres no way this things going to make it, itll be eaten by a whale or hit by a ship and sink, Sharood told the newspaper. I sent out texts to all of them and got responses like, No way, I cant believe it, or Are you serious?

The alternative education program serves students with an individualized teaching style.

Some students said projects such as the one involving the boat prompted them to consider certain careers. Kristen Cofferen, a junior, said the alternative education programs more creative approach to learning kept her from quitting school.

Lowery, meanwhile, sees a connection between the boats journey and the students.

"(The boat is) just like them in that they end up where theyre supposed to be and sometimes they just take a different route, Lowery said, adding that the boat project really kind of [showed] the kids that they can be part of something a lot bigger than themselves. That even just building just a little boat in Kennebunk can have this reach.
A Memphis rapper was taken into custody early Sunday in Alabama along with a second suspect on unrelated charges after a shooting at an Arkansas nightclub that left 28 people injured, authorities said.

Ricky Hampton, 25, of Memphis, Tennessee, also known as Finese 2Tymes, was arrested on outstanding warrants out of Forrest City, Arkansas, police in Little Rock said on Twitter. No arrests have been made in the shooting at the Power Ultra Lounge in downtown Little Rock, which police have said they believe stemmed from a dispute in the crowd and may be gang-related.

Hampton, also know as Finese2Tymes, along with another suspect was arrested outside of Side Effects Club in Birmingham, Alabama, FOX 6 News reported.

U.S. Marshals, along with the ATF and FBI apprehended Hampton and the other male, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Cliff LaBarge told Fox News.. Both are currently being held at the Jefferson County jail. The Marshal Service says the men were arrested on a "fugitive from justice" warrant.

Twenty-five people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds at the Power Ultra Lounge in downtown Little Rock at Power Ultra Lounge early Saturday, officials said.

Three others were hurt, perhaps while fleeing, Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner said. Two people were in critical condition Saturday afternoon.

Courtney Swanigan, 23, told The Associated Press that when the gunfire rang out, "I just closed my eyes, got down on the ground and put my hands on my head."

Frankie Bledsaw told FOX 16 he drove from Stoddard, Arkansas, to Little Rock with his brother and a few friends for the concert.

He said he didnt know what sparked the dispute, but shortly after the concert began shots rang out.

Everything was good, thats why I dont understand, he said. I mean, crowd was in a good mood. Just senseless really. Come out to have a good time and this what happens.

Bledsaw said his first instinct was to run but as the gunfire continued and the club erupted into chaos, he hit the ground.

Took about 10 minutes to get up out of there, he said, later adding that it was a blessing that no one died. He was able to walk away with a minor bruises and scratches.

City officials said they would move Monday to shut down the club under a "criminal abatement" program. State regulators suspended the club's liquor license earlier Saturday.

On Saturday night, a representative for the landlord's office posted an eviction notice on a door to the club. The notice stated that the club must move out of the property within three days "due to your failure to maintain the premises in a safe condition."

Mayor Mark Stodola said the city must "keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people" and suggested that people refuse to patronize clubs that seem to promote violence. Material advertising the concert by Tennessee rapper Finese 2Tymes showed a man pointing a gun at a camera.

"A promotional video with a gun on the front cover inviting people to a concert ... should also be totally unacceptable in our community," the mayor said.

The shooting capped a violent week in Arkansas' largest city. Police had responded to a dozen drive-by shootings over the previous nine days.

"I'm sick of all the killing and I'm tired of all the shooting. The kids getting hurt," said Raida Bunche, who was waiting outside the club after hearing from a friend that her son had been inside. She found out later that he had run from the club when the shooting started and was not hurt.

The shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. about 1 mile east of the state Capitol building. First-responders are stationed through the central part of the city and hospitals are a quick ride away.

"We had professional people responding to that incident and they did what they were trained to do, and I know they probably had something to do with the fact we didn't have any fatalities," Buckner said. He also credited divine intervention.

About 100 people gathered at Second Baptist Church on Saturday night for a candlelight vigil, seeking healing for those injured, and the community. Stodola sat in the front row.

"God bless our community. ... God bless our first responders," Robert Holt, president of Let Our Violence End and pastor at Healing Waters Outreach Center, said at the vigil.

Top state officials offered to help the city respond to an increasing number of incidents.

"Little Rock's crime problem appears to be intensifying," Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement. "Every few days it seems a high-profile shooting dominates the news, culminating with (Saturday) morning's event. I have spoken this morning with Mayor (Mark) Stodola and I have offered both my heart felt concern over this senseless violent tragedy and state assets as needed to address the continued threat of violence in our community."

A Facebook video posted from inside the club included audio of at least 24 rounds fired in about 11 seconds. Darryl Rankin, who posted the video, said a friend of his who attended the concert with him had a bullet "stuck in his spine." Buckner said police had not yet spoken with the rapper, who he said has outstanding warrants in the state.

Calls to a number listed for Finese 2Tymes' booking agent weren't returned Saturday, but a message was posted on the artist's Facebook page offering thoughts and prayers for those injured: "THE VIOLENCE IS NOT FOR THE CLUB PEOPLE. WE ALL COME WITH 1 MOTIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND THATS TO HAVE FUN."

Before Stodola announced that the city would shutter the club, officials at the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control office suspended the club's liquor license and set a July 10 hearing on three potential charges: disorderly conduct, allowing possession of weapons on the premises and "failure to be a good neighbor."

The club's license has been suspended 11 times for failing to pay taxes, and it has been cited seven times for 14 various violations including unknowingly furnishing alcohol to minors and allowing alcohol to leave the premises since 2012, ABC Director of Enforcement Boyce Hamlet said.

Arkansas lawmakers this year passed a law allowing concealed handguns in bars, with permission of the businesses' owners and if the gun permit holder completes additional training. The law takes effect Sept. 1, but the training likely won't be available until next year.

Read more from FOX 6 News.

Read more from FOX 16.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The landlord that owns the Little Rock nightclub where a shooting resulted in 28 people being injured officially evicted the club.

The volley of gunfire inside the Power Ultra Lounge early Saturday came so fast that investigators believe multiple people had to have been involved. Police Chief Kenton Buckner credited quick work by first responders for there being no fatalities.

Twenty-five people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others were hurt, perhaps while fleeing, Buckner said. Two people were in critical condition Saturday afternoon. Police said officers did not have any suspects in custody.

Courtney Swanigan, 23, told The Associated Press that when the gunfire rang out, "I just closed my eyes, got down on the ground and put my hands on my head."

City officials said they would move Monday to shut down the club under a "criminal abatement" program. State regulators suspended the club's liquor license earlier Saturday.

On Saturday night, a representative for the landlord's office posted an eviction notice on a door to the club. The notice stated that the club must move out of the property within three days "due to your failure to maintain the premises in a safe condition."

Mayor Mark Stodola said the city must "keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people" and suggested that people refuse to patronize clubs that seem to promote violence. Material advertising the concert by Tennessee rapper Finese 2Tymes showed a man pointing a gun at a camera.

"A promotional video with a gun on the front cover inviting people to a concert ... should also be totally unacceptable in our community," the mayor said.

The shooting capped a violent week in Arkansas' largest city. Police had responded to a dozen drive-by shootings over the previous nine days.

"I'm sick of all the killing and I'm tired of all the shooting. The kids getting hurt," said Raida Bunche, who was waiting outside the club after hearing from a friend that her son had been inside. She found out later that he had run from the club when the shooting started and was not hurt.

The shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. about 1 mile east of the state Capitol building. First-responders are stationed through the central part of the city and hospitals are a quick ride away.

"We had professional people responding to that incident and they did what they were trained to do, and I know they probably had something to do with the fact we didn't have any fatalities," Buckner said. He also credited divine intervention.

About 100 people gathered at Second Baptist Church on Saturday night for a candlelight vigil, seeking healing for those injured, and the community. Stodola sat in the front row.

"God bless our community. ... God bless our first responders," Robert Holt, president of Let Our Violence End and pastor at Healing Waters Outreach Center, said at the vigil.

Top state officials offered to help the city respond to an increasing number of incidents.

"Little Rock's crime problem appears to be intensifying," Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement. "Every few days it seems a high-profile shooting dominates the news, culminating with (Saturday) morning's event. I have spoken this morning with Mayor (Mark) Stodola and I have offered both my heart felt concern over this senseless violent tragedy and state assets as needed to address the continued threat of violence in our community."

A Facebook video posted from inside the club included audio of at least 24 rounds fired in about 11 seconds. Darryl Rankin, who posted the video, said a friend of his who attended the concert with him had a bullet "stuck in his spine." Buckner said police had not yet spoken with the rapper, who he said has outstanding warrants in the state.

Calls to a number listed for Finese 2Tymes' booking agent weren't returned Saturday, but a message was posted on the artist's Facebook page offering thoughts and prayers for those injured: "THE VIOLENCE IS NOT FOR THE CLUB PEOPLE. WE ALL COME WITH 1 MOTIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND THATS TO HAVE FUN."

Before Stodola announced that the city would shutter the club, officials at the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control office suspended the club's liquor license and set a July 10 hearing on three potential charges: disorderly conduct, allowing possession of weapons on the premises and "failure to be a good neighbor."

The club's license has been suspended 11 times for failing to pay taxes, and it has been cited seven times for 14 various violations including unknowingly furnishing alcohol to minors and allowing alcohol to leave the premises since 2012, ABC Director of Enforcement Boyce Hamlet said.

Arkansas lawmakers this year passed a law allowing concealed handguns in bars, with permission of the businesses' owners and if the gun permit holder completes additional training. The law takes effect Sept. 1, but the training likely won't be available until next year.
A man sentenced in a Georgia vehicular homicide case must carry around his victims photo as part of his punishment.

Tractor-trailer driver Daniel Crane, 50, had pleaded guilty to causing a seven-car pileup that killed 18-year-old high school student Summer Lee 11 months ago.

The judge who meted out the novel punishment said he was moved to do so after Lees mother told the court that she had forgiven Crane for her daughters death.

"I said to myself, 'This fella needs also to be reminded of the fact that she forgave him and of the life that he took,'" Carlisle told the Associated Press Friday.

"It may stay folded in his pocket and he may never look at it, but if he knows he's got to pick it up every morning and put it in the pocket of whatever clothes he wears, then maybe that will make him think a little bit about what happened," Carlisle said.

Crane admitted rear-ending Lees SUV and pushing it into five other vehicles on I-70 near Atlanta. The sentencing was held June 22 in Carlisles courtroom in Henry County.

Crane, who is from New Mexico, was ordered to serve 60 days in jail followed by 22 months of probation.

He will have to keep Lees photo with him as an added condition of probation.

Carlisle imposed another condition, ordering Crane to carry around the victim impact statement Kimberly Lee read in court about her daughter.

Crane could be jailed if he violates those conditions.

"We were pleased when the court took an extra step to require the defendant to carry my daughter's picture with him as well as the statement I read to the court," Lee said.

She told the Henry Daily Herald that she wanted to hear Crane apologize.

In court he never apologized, not even for the wreck, but to never apologize for the life that was taken  thats what we had a problem with, she told the paper. To not show any remorse is what has torn us apart.

She told the paper her daughter was an original soul.

Carlisle said it appeared Crane was distracted at the time of the crash.

"It's a sad thing," said the judge. "There's nothing in the world that anybody can do to change what happened, but maybe things can change in the future."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An 18-year-old has been arrested and accused of prostituting two juveniles at a metro hotel.

Oklahoma City Police Department report show that Makinzie Nida, 18, was arrested June 28.

At approximately 11:30 p.m. members of the Vice Enforcement Unit reportedly found Nida to be prostituting two juvenile girls from Studio 6 motel, 4601 SW 3 Street.

Officers allegedly found marijuana and a powdery substance inside the room. The substance later tested positive for a cocaine base.

Read more from FOX 25 News.
An Army veteran who served his country in Vietnam and Saudi Arabia also contributed in a spectacular way to his adopted home state of Oklahoma.

Sergeant 1st Class Stephen Florentz, who had retired from the U.S. Army and did in December, left $2.25 million from his estate to the Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity, FOX 25 News reported. The gift from Florentz means that about two dozen will be built.

"It's a life-changing experience for our families," Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity CEO Ann Felton-Gilliland said. "Because most of them are living in apartment houses that are in unsafe areas, where their children aren't able to ride their bicycles or even play in the front yard."

Homeownership was a dear subject to Florentz, a Purple Heart recipient who grew up in tenements in New York. His friends say he wanted others to experience the joy he did when he bought his first home, in Oklahoma City.

Read more from FOX 25 News.
A Pennsylvania man was arrested Sunday in last weeks killing of a teen during a road rage incident at a merge that authorities said turned into a high speed cat-and-mouse game.

David Desper, 28, of Delaware County in Pennsylvania, was charged with first degree murder in the death of 18-year-old Bianca Roberson after turning himself in to police.

This was a savage, senseless, brutal act, Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan said.

He said Desper became enraged Wednesday afternoon as he and the teen, who had just graduated high school, jockeyed for position on a two-lane West Goshen road that merges into one lane.

This defendant wasnt happy with the way it was going and pulled out a gun and killed this young woman, Hogan said.

The DA said detectives seized the red Chevy pickup truck that Desper was driving and the gun he used to kill the Roberson.

Hogan said the gun was a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson semi-automatic that Desper had legally purchased in 2015.

On Saturday, West Goshen Township police released photos of Despers vehicle.

They also released a sketch of the suspect on Twitter Friday.

Police came up with the sketch after speaking to a witness who was near the suspect's pick-up truck around the time of the shooting, Fox 29 Philadelphia reported.

Highway cameras show Roberson and the pickup driver having some sort of altercation before the shooting, WPVI-TV reported.

Roberson was shot in the head and died instantly. Her car veered off the road and was later found in a ditch. The shooter fled, driving partly along the shoulder of the highway until exiting the road.

Roberson graduated in June from Bayard Rustin High School in West Chester. She was headed to Jacksonville University in Florida in the fall.

Click for more from Fox 29 Philadelphia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An Amber Alert for a kidnapped 13-year-old Texas girl was canceled Sunday after the FBI and police raided a home and found two bodies.

One of the victims was Shavon Le'Feye Randle who was snatched from a home in Lancaster Wednesday, triggering the Amber Alert.

The other victim was a man who authorities haven't been able to identify.

"We didn't have the positive result we were looking for, but being able to let Shavon's family know that we've located her was our goal," Eric Jackson, head of the FBI Dallas office said.

"We're going to continue our investigation and anyone we find that were involved in this heinous crime against Shavon, we will bring you to justice and we will hold you accountable," he said.

Jackson said a tip led authorities to the East Oak Cliff home where the bodies were found.

SHAVON RANDLE: TEXAS AUTHORITIES BELIEVE MISSING TEEN GIRL IN GRAVE DANGER

Shavons family reported the abduction Wednesday, Fox 4 Dallas reported.

They went to police after a caller told a member of Shavon's family that he had the girl, the station reported. The caller also threatened to harm her.

On Saturday, three men and a woman were arrested in connection with the kidnapping, according to the station.

Two of the men Devontae Owens, 24, and Laquon Wilkerson, 30, were arrested on aggravated kidnapping charges.

Police were also searching for a fifth suspect, the station reported.
An Upstate man is behind bars on multiple charges including sexual exploitation of a minor and impersonating an officer.

Anthony Jkwan Briggs, 22 of Chesnee, was arrested on Friday and charged with the following crimes:

Sexual exploitation of a minor - 1st degree

Sexual exploitation of a minor - 2nd degree

Impersonating a police officer

Criminal sexual conduct with a minor - 3rd degree

Distributing obscene material to a minor under the age of 18

Distributing obscene material to a minor under the age of 12

Distributing obscene material to a minor under the age of 18

In a hearing Saturday morning in Spartanburg County, prosecutors said Briggs crimes involved three young boys, ages 12, 14 and 14. Prosecutors said Briggs met two of the young boys at an after-school program.

Prosecutors said in the hearing that Briggs admitted to sending pictures and video of his genitals to the 12-year-old victim and requested the child send photos back to him. He did the same to one of the 14-year-old victims, the prosecutor said.

Briggs was charged with criminal sexual conduct after investigators said an incident occurred at his grandmothers house. Prosecutors said one of the boys told investigators that he was sleeping at Briggs' grandmothers house when he woke up to Briggs touching his genitals. Prosecutors said in court that at another time, Briggs' placed the boys hand on his genitals.

Briggs is also charged with impersonating an officer. Prosecutors said he posed as an officer after one of the boys stopped communicating with him. Prosecutors said Briggs stopped the young man with a gun, badge and police letterhead and told him he was on probation.

"All these young men and their families believed that Mr. Briggs was a police officer and he put the young man on probation and told him he had to check in with him every day while he was on probation.

Read more from FOX Carolina.
A Vietnam War memorial in northern Indiana was designed to honor veterans  but instead whats getting the most attention is bad spelling.

The memorial was put in place last Tuesday outside the Whitley County courthouse in Columbia City, Ind. The word terrorism was misspelled on a nearby bench. A photo of the bench went viral on Reddit.

Memorial designer Ty Murphy said the error  misspelling terrorism as terriorism  is getting too much attention.

Murphy put tape over the errant i. He told TV station WANE that its a pretty small thing to worry about but phones have been ringing off the hook.

Murphy said many people overlooked the mistake, including the Muncie company that made the stone bench. He added that the mistake will be fixed or the bench will be replaced.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
A website that hosted an "Abduction 101" forum linked to a 28-year-old suspect in the kidnapping of a Chinese scholar at the University of Illinois bills itself as the most popular sexual fetish networking site on the internet  and it has faced pressure in recent months to be clearer about not tolerating behavior that could be regarded as criminal.

Brendt Allen Christensen, who earned a master's degree in physics from U of I this year, is charged in the June 9 abduction of 26-year-old Yingying Zhang, who investigators believe to be dead. The federal complaint says Christensen's phone was used on April 19 to visit the FetLife.com forum, including to view threads titled "Perfect abduction fantasy" and "planning a kidnapping."

Christensen remains jailed and is due to make an initial appearance Monday in federal court in Urbana, not far from the University of Illinois campus where Zhang conducted research in agricultural sciences. Christensen, who is from neighboring Champaign, was arrested Friday after agents monitoring him heard him tell someone he had kidnapped Zhang and held her against her will.

FetLife describes itself as "the Social Network for the BDSM, Fetish & Kinky Community," stressing in online policy statements that it is a place for consenting adults to trade advice and images of themselves, and to arrange to meet. The acronym BDSM stands for bondage, dominance, sadism and masochism. Established in 2008 by Canadian software developer John Baku, it now claims more than 5 million registered members.

FetLife early this year decided to prohibit hundreds of fetish categories after it was cited in a few criminal cases, including one in Australia, Baku said in a February online note to members. He said that, among other things, he wanted to reduce any legal liability and risks to the wider community.

As of Sunday, however, the site still included multiple forums focused on abduction fantasies, and an "Abduction Play" group had more than 78,000 FetLife members expressing interest in the topic. Among the threads still available on the site was one called "Tools of the Kidnapper" and another titled "Original kidnapping Play."

One registered user who commented in the kidnapping forum agreed that anyone who engages in such fantasies must first provide consent. But the person goes on: "I enjoy the knowledge that I COULD do anything I wanted to them. I'm well aware that once I render them helpless, their very life is in my hands."

The Australian case, which Baku mentioned, involved a man who met a younger woman through FetLife. He was charged last year with assaulting her sexually and has denied the allegations. In a New York case, a couple who first met on FetLife were sentenced to lifetime prison sentences in 2015 for kidnapping and sexually abusing two Amish girls. FetLife wasn't accused of wrongdoing in either case.

Anyone can register on the site and become a member in a process that takes just a few minutes and that doesn't require independent verification. Users give their ages, genders and roles they wish to play, but otherwise remain anonymous.

Detailed policy guidelines on the site stress that any interaction online or in person with members must be between adults and consensual.

"FetLife's community is ... open-minded and non-judgmental," it says, adding, "Our number one priority is to create a fun and safe place for kinksters."

Neither FetLife nor Baku responded to messages seeking comment.

Authorities say Christensen kidnapped Zhang during the day as she headed to sign a lease for an apartment and was running late. She tried unsuccessfully to flag down a bus, and minutes later, is seen getting into a Saturn Astra the complaint says belonged to Christensen. While authorities say facts in the case indicate Zhang isn't alive, a body hasn't been found.

Zhang's father traveled from China to Illinois in June for the search. Zhang, who received her master's degree in environmental engineering in China last year, was described by friends and family as bright and caring. She aspired to one day land a professorship so she could help her family financially.

___

Follow Michael Tarm on Twitter at http://twitter.com/mtarm
Turkey's official news agency says two ruling party officials serving in district organizations have been shot and killed, and ruling party officials blamed Kurdish militants.

The Anadolu news agency says Orhan Mercan, a vice president of an AKP branch in the southeastern Diyarbakir province, died Saturday after being shot near his house. It says Aydin Ahi, who was serving as vice president for a party branch in the eastern province of Van, was killed late Saturday.

AKP officials decried the slayings, which they blamed on the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.

Minister Omer Celik tweeted Sunday that "terror is attacking our nation's "political" institution."

A cease-fire between Turkey and the PKK collapsed in 2015, restarting a more than three-decade-long conflict that has left an estimated 40,000 people dead.
Taliban insurgents ambushed a local militia group in northern Balkh province, killing 13 pro-government fighters, provincial officials said Sunday.

Munir Ahmad Farhad, spokesman for the governor of northern Balkh province, said local forces were on their way to take part in a security operation when they were ambushed. The men were part of a local militia established under the authority of the Interior Ministry to defend the area from insurgents.

A Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attack in a statement sent to media.

Also on Sunday, Taliban insurgents launched attacks on the city of Kunduz from two different directions in the country's northeast, according to provincial officials.

Mahmood Danish, spokesman for the provincial governor in Kunduz, confirmed that Taliban fighters attacked the city and heavy fighting was continuing Sunday.

"Taliban attacked from two different directions around the city, but Afghan security forces have repelled their attacks," he Danish.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid released a statement confirming the group's fighters attacked Kunduz and overran a number of police check points.

In May, Taliban insurgents overran the Qala-e Zal district police headquarters after two days of intense fighting that Afghan security forces later were able retake.

The Taliban have launched attacks on Kunduz in the past and at least twice briefly captured the provincial capital, reaching the central roundabout and hoisting their flag around in the city.

The Taliban have increased their attacks against the Afghan security forces since their annual spring offensive began April.
An Egyptian court on Sunday sentenced 20 people to death for their part in the August 2013 massacre of more than a dozen policemen in a village west of Cairo.

The latest ruling caps three years of legal proceedings in the case, which in 2015 saw another court sentencing 186 people to death. An appeal against the mass death sentences was accepted last year and a retrial was ordered.

The charges the defendants faced since their trial began in May last year were related to the ransacking of a police station in the village of Kerdassah and the subsequent killing of the policemen. The assailants dragged some of the bodies by cars, scalping at least one and pouring acid on another.

The assault was believed to be revenge for the deadly breakup by security forces on Aug. 14, 2013 of two sit-in protests in Cairo staged by supporters of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, ousted a month earlier by the military after just one year in office. At least 600 Morsi supporters were killed on that day.

Of the 186 people referred to trial in February 2014, 25 remain at large. Two more died while in detention.

On Sunday, the court sentenced 80 to life imprisonment, 34 to 15 years in prison, and a minor to 10 years. Twenty were acquitted, while four others were referred back to prosecutors.
A tower of human skulls unearthed beneath the heart of Mexico City has raised new questions about the culture of sacrifice in the Aztec Empire after crania of women and children surfaced among the hundreds embedded in the forbidding structure.

Giving a glimpse, perhaps, into a practice of human sacrifice by the Aztecs, archaeologists working in Mexico City have discovered more than 650 skulls.

The skulls were encrusted in lime near a main temple in the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, as Mexico City formerly was known.

The skulls include those believed to have been of children and women, Reuters reported.

Experts say the tower of human skulls evidently is linked to Huey Tzeompantli, which horrified Spanish conquerors when, let by Hernan Cortes, they took over the city. Prior to the Spanish conquest, severed heads of defeated warriors were displayed on skull racks, Reuters said.

"We were expecting just men, obviously young men, as warriors would be, and the thing about the women and children is that you'd think they wouldn't be going to war," said Rodrigo Bolanos, a biological anthropologist investigating the find, to Reuters.

"Something is happening that we have no record of, and this is really new, a first in the Huey Tzompantli," he added.

Raul Barrera, an archaeologist who worked at the site, believes the skulls were placed in the tower after being displayed on the tzompantli. Barrera expressed certainty that the tower is one of several skull groups discussed by a Spanish soldier who accompanied Cortes in the 1521 conquest of Mexico, Reuters reported.

Barrera expects the number of skulls to rise as the excavations continue.

Human sacrifices were a ritual of the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples who used the practice to make offerings to the sun.
South Africa's parliamentary speaker says lawmakers will vote on a motion of no confidence in President Jacob Zuma on Aug. 8.

The vote on Zuma, who has faced calls for his resignation because of scandals and corruption concerns, previously had been scheduled for Aug. 3.

But the parliament said Sunday that speaker Baleka Mbete changed the date because a Cabinet meeting is occurring around the time of the previous date.

Mbete has yet to decide whether the vote will be held by secret ballot.

The opposition had gone to court to try to get the motion conducted by secret ballot, which it believes could tip the balance against Zuma. The Constitutional Court said it was up to Mbete, a Zuma ally, to decide how the vote should be implemented.
Im always on the lookout for interesting stories, and some come along every now and then that are nothing short of fascinating.

Lucky for me, thats happened twice in recent weeks, with two individuals who are practically within a stones throw of each other.

Heres the deal.

Months ago, I heard about the Rev. Leonard Lee Gandiya, the new rector at St. Pauls Episcopal Church in King George County. He was born in Zimbabwe, educated in the United States and served 18 years as a British chaplain in Her Majestys Armed Forces.

Beyond the interesting background, Padre, as he likes to be called, is one of the nicest guys youll ever meet. Genuine, caring, real.

You can see the kindness in his face, the hint of a mischievous sense of humor in the twinkle of his eyes.

A week or so after the interview, Free LanceStar photographer Peter Cihelka and I were out on another assignment in the area, and we dropped by the church to say hello to Padre. He welcomed us like long-lost relatives.

Lots of people tell you to stop by if youre in the neighborhood, but most dont really mean it. Padre clearly did.

What really intrigued me about him, though, was the fact he and his family are the only people of color at St. Pauls. When I asked him about that, and that some of the people who started the historic church owned slaves, he said in his charming accent that it is neither here nor there.

What we see are people of God, not color, he said.

Then I met Al Reed, who lives 3 miles away as the crow flies. King George County is considering condemning 10 acres of the farm he lives on for a fire station, and the plans have caused quite an uproar in the neighborhood.

Reed is 83, and like Padre, a kind and genuine spirit. His eyes also light up when he laughs, and his good nature comes through.

While Padre doesnt see color, Reed has seen a lifetime of trouble because of it.

Soon after he bought the farm in 1979, he said he was told a black person wasnt gonna live there. His house was set on fire, three of his cattle killed and his farm equipment tampered with, seemingly all because of the shade of his skin.

I aint had nothing but trouble, ever since I been up there,  Reed told the King George Board of Supervisors on June 20.

About 20 years ago, Reed sold about 40 acres of his land to his church for less than the market value. With the sale came the deal that he could live on the property the rest of his life.

As we talked about his experiences in life, that he didnt have the chance for much of an education, Reed said he wasnt bitter about the way blacks were treated in the past. Nor did he hold any hatred toward those who had harmed him.

There wasnt any point to it, he said. It just brings a person down.

He mentioned his second wife, who must not have been the most pleasant person for him to live with. They divorced, and when an acquaintance called to tell him she had died, the person must have expected Reed to badmouth her.

He didnt.

He said she hadnt found any peace in this life, and he hoped she would find some in the next.

What a kind soul, I thought.

Just like the Padre down the road.

Clearly, both have lived by the golden rule, to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

It breaks my heart that not everyone returned the favor.
The heat continues but the humidity takes a short break in Fredericksburg.

July might as well be known as the month when cold fronts perish over Virginia. Saturday evenings storms were the result of such a front pushing cooler dryer air  darker shades on the water vapor satellite image  into the hot and sticky conditions ahead of it. The upper level energy steering the front then fled northward across New England causing said boundary to lose its forward momentum across the Old Dominion.

This morning (Sunday) that slowing cold front is creeping its way down the Northern Neck and will stall out completely near the Chesapeake Bay. Behind it slightly dryer air will arrive such that the dew point will drop several degrees across the Fredericksburg area and lower the stickiness factor this afternoon. Thermometers will still soar into the low 90s under mostly sunny skies so it wont be particularly cool but the sauna-like feeling of yesterday will back off a bit.

Monday will look and feel much the same as today with temperatures again rising into the low 90s under mostly sunny skies. That surface front near the Bay will slowly fall apart as another one sags southward across the Mason-Dixon line (a backdoor front). This next boundary will increase humidity levels ahead of it for the Fourth which will in turn increase storm chances Tuesday. Yes, once again Nature may be adding her fireworks to the man made ones.

Well take a closer look at weather on the Fourth in tomorrows blogpost. Meanwhile enjoy the (slightly) less humid air today.
"Building X," long said to be the foundations of the home where George Washington was born in Virginia's Northern Neck, turns out to be a big mystery.

That's the main notion that historian and archaeologist Philip Levy will share with viewers over July Fourth weekend in an episode to air on cable's American History TV. CSPAN will broadcast "The Presidency: Reassessing George Washington's Birthplace" Sunday at 8 p.m.

Levy, a professor at the University of South Florida who has written two books on Washington, discusses the archaeological record at George Washington Birthplace National Monument in Westmoreland County.

For years, he has been studying the places associated with the first U.S. president's life, including Ferry Farm in Stafford County, Mount Vernon and the Potomac River acreage in Virginia where Washington was born.

The question, though, is where exactly on Pope's Creek was the house in which Washington came into the world. That's unclear, Levy and a team of USF graduate students concluded.

Collaborating with the National Park Service propertys cultural resource staff, they re-analyzed field notes, photographs, drawings and colonial artifacts from excavations of the Building X site in 1930 and 1936. When that spot was excavated, archaeology was in its infancy.

Levy argues that the upcoming 300th anniversary of Washington's birth in 2032 makes it urgent to determine exactly where he was born.

His lecture at the national monument was taped on May 20. Find a preview of it and other history programs online at c-span.org/series/?ahtv.

Levy was part of the team that found the long-lost remains of Washingtons boyhood home on the Rappahannock River opposite Fredericksburg. An interpretive replica of that house is now being built on the site by The George Washington Foundation.

Levy is the author of several history books, including Where The Cherry Tree Grew: The Story of Ferry Farm, George Washingtons Boyhood Home and George Washington Written Upon the Land: Nature, Memory, Myth, and Landscape.
Voters in November will see a familiar name on their ballots.

The Republican candidate challenging Attorney General Mark R. Herring, the Democratic incumbent, is John Adams.

This John Adams, a 43-year-old father of four from Chesterfield County and a lawyer at one of the states most powerful firms, is a descendant of the same Massachusetts family as the nations second president. His views on social issues like gay marriage and the role of the attorney general are the opposite of Herrings. The two sparred in a recent debate and will continue through November as Herring seeks to hold his seat in a state that has been trending Democratic in statewide contests.

Adams is making his first run for public office and is already feeling the sting of Virginia politics. Some of his words in the debate were so twisted by Herrings campaign, he said, that his words became the exact opposite of his position.

The fact that so early his team and his supporters are pushing a narrative that is just objectively false tells me that Im doing a good job, Adams said. Tells me that theyre scared.

Adams was born in Richmonds Chippenham Hospital. His father was a business manager and lobbyist for a telephone company and his mother was the daughter of a Kentucky coal miner.

Adams paternal grandfather, the Rev. Theodore F. Adams, relocated his family to the Richmond area from Toledo, Ohio, in the 1930s to become the pastor at First Baptist Church. The minister grew so well-loved that he was featured on the cover of Time magazine.

Adams, the youngest of four boys, grew up in Midlothian and graduated from Midlothian High School. Virginia Military Institute was the only college he applied to. While there he became executive officer of the VMI Corps of Cadets.

He lived in Pearl Harbor and Virginia Beach while serving five years in the Navy, then went to law school at the University of Virginia. He clerked for Judge David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, who recommended he clerk for a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

Adams clerked in 2006 and 2007 for Justice Clarence Thomas, whose son had attended VMI with Adams. From there he worked as an associate counsel in the White House of President George W. Bush in 2007 and 2008 before moving back to Richmond near the end of the Bush administration to become an assistant U.S. attorney.

Adams said he doesnt come from an overtly political family but was naturally a Republican. He knows of no one in his family whos ever run for office before.

As a prosecutor he handled the case of John W. Forbes, a former state finance secretary who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2010 for defrauding the state tobacco commission of $4 million.

In 2010 Adams left the U.S. Attorneys Office to join the law firm McGuireWoods in Richmond, and his friend and neighbor Mike Gill, also an assistant U.S. attorney at the time, handled Forbes sentencing.

The two worked on several cases together. Gill went on to become chief of staff for the Drug Enforcement Administration and is now a director at the law firm Hancock, Daniel, Johnson & Nagle.

He is one of the most intelligent, hard-working guys that Ive ever known, Gill said of Adams. He worked hours on end in that job on the cases and he was very passionate about the cause, doing the right thing. And I really developed a deep respect for that. And also how he treated people. Hes got a great sense of whats right.

Gill added: I was very excited when I found out that he wanted to run for attorney general because I think that he is one of the most solid, grounded individuals Ive known.

Adams is on unpaid leave from McGuireWoods, whose law firm and consulting wing are one of the most powerful political entities in the state, and a national presence.

Most of Adams work in white-collar criminal defense at McGuireWoods was in other states. His brother Tray Adams is senior vice president of state government relations with McGuireWoods Consulting. The law firms chairman is Richard Cullen, a former state attorney general and U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia whose current clients include Vice President Mike Pence.

John Adams work for the firm included representing banks, accounting firms and corporations under federal investigation. He rose to head the firms government investigations and white-collar litigation department.

A lot of what I do is representing clients who are in sometimes difficult spots, so I tend not to talk about it, he said. One of the things about being a lawyer is respecting your clients privacy.

Adams handled the defense of Simon Hounslow, who was the only one of five defendants a jury acquitted in 2013 in a vast federal fraud trial in Norfolk involving the Bank of the Commonwealth.

Adams is a friend of U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who clerked for future Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito while Adams clerked for Thomas. Lee, as a senator, has suggested Adams run for office. And I always said no, Adams said.

Adams has supported Republican candidates but said, I never actually thought I would be running for office, he said.

What changed, he said, is how Herring has handled the job. Adams announced his run in January 2016. At the time, state Del. Robert B. Bell, R-Albemarle, was already running for the Republican nomination.

When I saw the way that Mark Herring had politicized the office, and then when he said that he was going to run for re-election, thats when I decided that I could do something about it, Adams said. And the reason I got inI had a lot of respect for Rob Bell, who I knew was runningbut I thought because of what had happened in the Attorney Generals Office, a candidate who wasnt a career politician would have the strongest argument for running against Mark.

Bell ended his campaign in November 2016, citing his duties as a father to two young children, one with special needs. Virginia Beach attorney Chuck Smith did not qualify for the June primary ballot, leaving Adams unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Among people Adams asked for advice was Jerry Kilgore, a Republican who served as Virginias attorney general from 2002 to 2005. I had never done anything like this, Adams said.

When asked for examples of how Herring had politicized the office, Adams first cited the states law requiring voters to show a photo ID. Herring opposes the law on policy grounds, but defended it in court via outside counsel. Adams said that cost taxpayers extra, though, and Herring should have defended the lawwhich has withstood challengeshimself.

Adams also criticizes Herring for not defending the states ban on gay marriage, which Virginia voters approved in 2006. The U.S. Supreme Court later made gay marriage the law of the land. But Adams says he would have defended the ban and any law passed by voters or the legislature because its the attorney generals job.

We have an attorney general whos not enforcing or defending the laws of Virginia, he said.

Adams is opposed to gay marriage while Herring, who opposed it as a state senator, has championed it as attorney general.

I have a religious faith that tells me that marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman. Thats what I believe, Adams said.

Among other critiques, Adams noted that Herring has filed briefs in court opposing right to workthe laws that say workers cannot be forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment. Virginia has such a law, making it a right to work state.

And he said Herrings political activism in the areas of gun control and his opposition to President Donald Trumps proposed travel bans from certain Muslim majority countries are further examples of politicization of the office. Adams backs Trumps position.

The two candidates held their first debate July 17 in Virginia Beach. Herring painted Adams as a defender of embezzlers and money launderers, said Adams would ban abortion in all cases and had fought against womens access to birth control.
Richmond law enforcement officials are offering strong hints that theyre working with federal officials to bring Project Exile back to the city amid a rising number of homicides and shootings.

Theres going to come a time when I think the city is in a position to announce a more aggressive, as my federal partners like to say, forward-leaning strategy toward gun crime, Commonwealths Attorney Michael N. Herring told the Richmond City Councils public safety committee during a recent meeting. This isnt the time to announce that, but I think it will come.

Exile was pioneered in Richmond in 1997 as a partnership between local and federal law enforcement to give people caught with illegal guns long sentences in faraway prisons.

Police Chief Alfred Durham has been calling for the programs return for nearly two years. After a 7-year-old and his father were shot at a bus stop last week, Durham said he had a meeting scheduled to discuss Exile with the U.S. Attorneys office.

We have to bring that back, Durham said at the shooting scene last week. A lot of people are against it, but when does it end? We have to send a message that it will not be tolerated, and we need to send these gun toters and shooters away from our city.

The meeting occurred, but the department has since declined to comment further. Herring, whose remarks came after that meeting, told the council committee that while he was not at liberty to commit that we are going to do Exile, he hoped he was speaking in a code everybody translates.

The U.S. Attorneys Office declined to comment through a spokesman, but Attorney General Jeff Sessions said during a March visit to Richmond that he would push for a wider use of Exile nationwide.

Herring told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that he has been more hesitant than Durham to pursue Exile because of concerns over its effectiveness and racial disparities in how its enforced. Exile was put in place in Richmond at a time when violent crime was beginning to drop nationwide.

But Herring said hes recently come around to the idea that the time has come to renew the federal partnership.

I reluctantly agree with the chief now, Herring said in an interview. I was reluctant to go along. I didnt agree with him as recently as two years ago, because people tend to over simplify Exile, law abiding citizens like us, oversimplify sometimes, if not overstate its effectiveness.

What changed his mind? The number of gun crimes keeps going up, he said, citing the difficulty of policing the seemingly random, unpredictable shootings the city has recently seen. We have no other choice, he said.

There have been 133 people shot between Jan. 1 and June 26. Of those shootings, 22 were fatal. During that same time period, Richmond police says they seized 387 guns.

Project Exile came out of the homicide epidemic that plagued Richmond in the 1990s. The city, with 200,000 residents, had one of the highest per capita rates in the U.S., peaking in 1994 with 160 homicides.

The program was designed to leverage federal sentencing guidelines and the far flung federal prison system to hit felons caught with guns with longer sentences in further away prisons than theyd get if the case had been prosecuted in state court. The program also targeted armed people caught selling drugs or engaging in violent crime.

When the program began in 1997, there were 140 homicides in Richmond. Comparing the first 10 months of 1998 with the same period in 1997, homicides in Richmond were down 36 percent and those committed by firearms down 41 percent, and Project Exile was given a lot of the credit.

By 2010, authorities said more than 1,300 people convicted of firearms charges in Richmonds U.S. District Court were sentenced to a combined 8,000 years in federal prisons under Project Exile.

Exile never formally ended, but the number of local gun cases accepted by federal prosecutors has dropped dramatically.

So did publicity around the program, which included billboards and advertising on buses that warned firearm violators they would be leaving home for a long time if they were caught carrying. Herring said that branding would be critical to any new initiatives success.

Some smarter offenders will change their behavior if they know they now have to be worried about showing up in front of a judge in federal court, he said.

Some City Council members, however, are already expressing concerns, citing some of the same misgivings Herring said he shares.

Mike Jones, who represents the citys 9th voter district in south Richmond, pointed to studies that suggested Exile just happened to come about at a time when violent crime was already falling.

I hope we dont just run to mandatory minimums, Jones said. Because studies have shown it does disproportionately impact minority communities.

Herring said he and others are mindful of the concern. In the event we do Exile, your point is a valid one, he said. But he said if the city does go down that route, everyone will need to agree politically to support it or it wont be successful.

It is going to be essential that there not be disagreement among us about the use of exile as a tool, he said. Because that will embolden the folks in the community. Their calculus will be if the city and City Hall cant agree that Exile was a valid approach then Im going to take my chances that juries wont agree either.

So if in fact we go down that road, I hope we take that leap of faith together and apply the law in a nondiscriminatory way, but that we support it.

Mayor Levar Stoneys office deferred to Herring in response to questions about the programs return, but Stoneys press secretary, Jim Nolan, said in a statement, the mayor firmly believes that addressing violent crime requires an all hands on deck approach.

Herring also called on the city to conduct what he called a root-cause analysis of whats causing crime to increase in the city. He said such studies are common in the medical field. Doctors regularly investigate what leads to bad health outcomes so they can be avoided rather than just treated. Herring the approach is less common when it comes to crime, but that the city would benefit from the approach, which he said would require cooperation from a number of city departments and perhaps a collaboration with a local university.

You dont simply look at bad outcomes and plot reactions to the bad outcomes, he said. You try to address the causes for the bad outcomes and then you attack the cause. Most cities dont do root cause analysis for crime, because what happens is you peel back layers and you discover causes that are beyond the control of traditional law enforcement. But I think Richmond should do just that.
PRESIDENT Trump has it right about one thing. The nations air traffic system is an important part of our Americas transportation infrastructure. But his approach to improving it, privatization, is the wrong legislation at the wrong time.

The management of the system itself isnt necessarily the problem. Its that the airline industry, through years of mergers, 12 since 2005, is no longer competitive. Giving the few airlines that dominate the industry power over the system itself, through a private corporation that they would run, isnt the answer. More competition is.

Ten years ago, there was a dramatic all-day hearing of the House Aviation Subcommittee on the merger of Northwest Airlines and Delta. The full committee chairman, Rep. James Oberstar, DMinn., took a special interest in the trend towards airline mergers. He asked each witness, Wouldnt it lead to reduced competition and the possibility of reduced quality of service and higher charges?

It was a good question. The airlines thought there was nothing to worry about. Even the Justice Department, which enforces anti-trust legislation, saw no major issues. But they all had it wrong.

Today, four airlines control 68.8 percent of the domestic air travel market.

This has made it easier to reduce the quality of service and jack up the prices, even when costs such as the price of jet fuel was going down. And they treat customers like boxes of freight, or worse. Its also a lot easier to cancel flights or fail to invest in updated computer systems because passengers rarely have any alternatives.

Reform is desperately needed. Break up some of these markets and allow more airlines slots at large regional and national hubs, and service will change. Its fundamental economics.

However, airlines dont like competition. Thats why they went to such great lengths to consolidate. Yes, they got more stable profits and dont have to worry so much about uppity start-ups undercutting their strong money-making routes.

Congress has had hearings about the way passengers are treated, particularly when theyre removed from flights due to overbooking. Thats just a symptom. Airlines treat passengers badly because they can. If there was more competition, it would be a different story.

However, with the airlines leading the way, the not-so-new proposal touted by the Trump administration is to take aim at the Federal Aviation Administration and the air traffic control system itself. Thats the entire personnel and technical infrastructure that keeps America flying. Its massive, highly technical, and has an unmatched safety record.

Advocates for this move say it will make it easier to modernize and to be more efficient. What it really means is that airlines that would be on the board of directors of this new company would be able to run the system as they see fit. Namely for their benefit. The voices of business aviation and general aviation might be lost altogether.

One of the arguments the airlines make for wanting to privatize the system is that it will make it easier to implement the Next Generation Air Transportation System. This is a large-scale transformation of the system from our current passive and active radar detection systems to one where satellite-based displays, using GPS-type inputs, make pilots aware of where they are in relation to other aircraft and vice versa.

Its neat stuff. But it also has a lot of moving parts. And contrary to what the industry often says, the new technolo-gies implemented by the FAA are already doing a lot of good. Thanks to more direct routing and the ability to handle more airplanes in high-traffic areas, operations have significantly improved. In other words, the money invested so far has yielded benefits, and transforming a system that carries over 700 million passengers a year takes time.

Another question is who regulates the system. The FAA has worked hard to build a safety culture. Would a privatized system, watched over by the FAA, have such a strong focus on safety? Or would it be so pressed to push tin that it might become easier to cut corners?

Congress, in looking at ways to improve the way we fly, seems to be focused on the wrong things. A privatized system sounds like a nice idea, but when given any kind of scrutiny, seems like just another power grab on the part of the airline industry to dominate every aspect of an already overly concentrated industry.

If flying is ever again to be something Americans look forward to, what we need is more competition in the industry itself. Not privatization.
THE BIRTH OF the United States of America 241 years ago this Tuesday was a happy occasion, but it was no fairy taleand many of the 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence did not live happily ever after.

Some lost everything they owned and died bankrupt. Some emerged from prison broken men. Others saw wars tribulations claim wives and children. Nine forfeited their own lives for liberty. Reflect on the last sentence of the Declaration, reprinted belowthe words about pledging Lives and Fortunes. Often, the pledges were called in. But no one lost the third treasure laid at freedoms altar. Whether well-to-do or impoverished, surrounded by family or cruelly shorn of loved ones, each Signer passed on with his sacred Honor intact and shining.

This long holiday weekend, amid the entirely appropriate hooplah, consider that in a Republic, now as then, there is no living happily ever after. Preserving and perfecting our freedom is a job from which no generation can retire, lest it give up the third, and best, treasure.

WHEN IN THE COURSE of human Events, it becomes necessary for one People to dissolve the Political Bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the Earth, the separate and equal Station to which the Laws of Nature and of Natures God entitle them, a decent Respect to the Opinions of Mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the Separation.

WE hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of HappinessThat to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed, that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these Ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its Foundation on such Principles, and organizing its Powers in such Form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient Causes; and accordingly all Experience hath strewn, that Mankind are more disposed to suffer, while Evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the Forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long Train of Abuses and Usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a Design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their Right, it is their Duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future Security. Such has been the patient Sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the Necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The History of the present King of Great-Britain is a History of repeated Injuries and Usurpations, all having in direct Object the Establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid World ...

[The Signers list their many grievances against the king.]

... IN every stage of these Oppressions we have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble Terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated Injury. A Prince, whose Character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the Ruler of a free People.

NOR have we been wanting in Attentions to our British Brethren. We have warned them from Time to Time of Attempts by their Legislature to extend an unwarrantable Jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the Circumstances of our Emigration and Settlement here. We have appealed to their native Justice and Magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the Ties of our common Kindred to disavow these Usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our Connections and Correspondence. They too have been deaf to the Voice of Justice and of Consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the Necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of Mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace, Friends.

WE, therefore, the Representatives of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, in GENERAL CONGRESS, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the World for the Rectitude of our Intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly Publish and Declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be, FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political Connection between them and the State of Great-Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as FREE AND INDEPENDENT STATES, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which INDEPENDENT STATES may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm Reliance on the Protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.
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Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
There currently are 93 Fisher Houses in the United States and in Europe with plans for more.
We use various terms for the changes and chances of life. Yet the troubles of this world pass, and what we have left is what we have made of our souls. How can we become more spiritual and draw nearer to God, no matter what our human minds and bodies experience and endure? All are welcome to join the sharing of Baha'i texts and general discussion. Information: 541-745-7916.

HU Song: A Community HU Song will take place at 10 a.m. Sunday at the Eckankar Center of Corvallis, 425 SW Madison Ave., Suite N, downstairs in Madison Plaza.

This opportunity to learn and sing the HU, a love song to God, is open to people of all faiths. For more information about Eckankar and local events, visit www.miraclesinyourlife.org or www.eckankar.org.

Discussion: A spiritual discussion of life after death is set for 10:45 a.m. Sunday at the Eckankar Center of Corvallis.

This open discussion is offered as an opportunity to explore questions and share experiences and concerns about near-death experiences, as well as death, dying and the afterlife. Love is stronger than fear and even death, wrote Harold Klemp, the spiritual leader of Eckankar, in "Spiritual Wisdom on Life After Death."

This booklet offers techniques to experience heaven in this lifetime, practical spiritual guidance in times of grief, and new insights on reuniting with departed loved ones. The discussion will be based on the booklet, and all attending will receive a copy as a gift.

Quartet performs: The Craguns Gospel Quartet will perform at 6 p.m. Sunday at Hope Church, 2817 Santiam Highway in Albany.

An offering will be received.

Festival: The annual St. Benedict Festival is set for noon to 4 p.m. July 8 at Mount Angel Abbey, 1 Abbey Drive in St. Benedict.

Join the monks for a farm-to-fork picnic featuring Swiss-German cuisine, local wines and Benedictine Brewery craft beers. Tickets include the catered picnic, beer, wine, a festival logo glass and all activities. Tickets have sold out the last two years; advance purchase is recommended. Free parking with shuttle service to the abbey lawn is provided; carpooling is recommended; call ahead for tour bus parking information. This is an adults-only, 21-and-over event.

Admission is $50 per person. Tickets are available at www.mountangelabbey.org/sbf-2017. Information: 503-845-3030 or info@mtangel.edu.

Creativity celebrated: "Messy Church" will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. July 8 at First United Methodist Church in Corvallis.

The event is a time for adults and children to reflect a God of creativity through interactive activities.

Day camp: "Come Dive In with Us!" is set for July 10 through 14 at Grace Lutheran Church, 435 NW 21st St. in Corvallis.

This is a day camp for all children. Information: https://lutherwooddaycampcorv.wordpress.com.

VBS: Calvary Baptist Church, 800 34th Ave. SE in Albany, will offer a Vacation Bible School, "Galactic Starveyors," from 9 a.m. to noon July 10 through 14.

The week will feature stories, songs, games, crafts, refreshments, fun and adventure for children from age 4 through those who have just completed fifth grade.

Information is available at 541-926-5662.
Niger Delta Militant, Asari-Dokubo Declares Biafra As His Country,Calls For Nigeria To Split (VID)

kacylee at 2-07-2017 09:19 PM (5 years ago) (f)

Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has reiterated his support for Nnamdi Kanu, declaring that he is not a Nigerian but a Biafran.

Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has reiterated his support for Nnamdi Kanu, declaring that he is not a Nigerian but a Biafran.

He also called for Nigerias split, saying, The solution is for us to leave! Every one of us. Simple. We want to; we wan leave. No gragra, no nothing. Na gragra dey tear cloth.



Asari-Dokubo also said that he did not have any investment in Nigeria because it was an enemy territory and that his investments would not be safe.



The former warlord said these in a video he posted on his Facebook page on Sunday.



His words: Im not concerned about what Nigerians think about me, Im only concerned about what Ijaw people think about me. Sometimes I think that, what would those who call themselves Nigerians think about me, they are stealing from us.



What sort of worry is more than they go to Abuja every end of the month, 36 states plus Abuja, plus agencies plus 747 local governments to share the resources of souk? What is more criminal than that, while souk remain at the backyard of the world.



What is more that somebody come to your house, take your pot of soup, and look at you, and share the pot of soup to different people and then give you just one spoon of the soup that you cooked? So I dont give a damn about what Nigerians think about me. They will never think anything good about me.



Id be surprised if any Yoruba man, if any northerner, any Nupe man having think anything good about me. I will be surprised. Even though Im married to a Yoruba woman, yes, I will be surprised because my action is injurious to them.



They enjoyed the money that they never suffered for. Today Lagos is achieving but let Ijaw oil go let us see whether Lagos would be what it is. Let Ijaw oil be cut off and let us see whether Lagos will be anything.



Alhaji Asari-Dokubo added, Im not a Nigerian. Nations are not imposed on people. People dont sit down in Berlin or anywhere and make people Nigerians. Nations are created by the will of the people. My people have never accepted Nigeria and so, how can I be a Nigerian? Nobody can impose Nigeria on me.



The free will of the people create nations. If everybody gathered together, the Ijaw people, you know which includes the kalabari people, nobody forced the Kalabari people to become Ijaw people, because naturally, they know they are Ijaw people.



Nobody will force an Owerri man, an Nkwere man to be an Igbo person, he naturally knows he is an Igbo person.



So, if we want to be Nigerians, then we have to sit down, and decide for ourselves that today, we are going to be, or as separate identities, and accept Nigeria as our country, as our nation and we become Nigerians. Weve not done that.



When I go up north, do they see me as a Nigerian? They dont! They call me Nyamiri. They call me Nyamiri! When I go to Yoruba land, do they see me as a Nigerian? They call me Omo Kobokobo. Thats what they call me! Omo Kobokobo.



When a Yoruba man goes up north, they call him Oyede Banza. When a Fulani man comes up to Yoruba land, what do they call him? They call him Gambari!



I used to hear a story that there were about three people in a bus and the driver asked the conductor, how many people were in the bus and the conductor said two persons and one Gambari. He said shut up your mouth, is Gambari not a human being? But the conductor said that is your business o, me I know that in this bus there are two persons and one Gamari.



So, if in the north there is a riot, they dont kill Senegalese, they dont kill British, they dont kill Lebanese, they will kill a Yoruba man. They will kill an Igbo man, they will kill an Ijaw man. They will kill an Efik man, they will kill others but they will not kill a Lebanese, they dont kill a Senegalese, they dont kill Nigerien or Malian. That clearly shows that they dont need you.



Listen to the interview of that rogue that they are celebrating. People who joined to steal Ijaw peoples resources, Ahmadu Bello. What did he say in his interview? That if they want to employ people in the north, they will first of all take Europeans and so on, then when it comes, if they are going to consider Africans they will take Sudanese and so on but when they are going to consider other Nigerians, they will take them on contract. It is there, they cant deny it.

What country are you talking about? Obafemi Awolowo said Nigeria is just a geographical residence. But me, Im not a Nigerian, I will never be a Nigerian!

He also called for Nigerias split, saying, The solution is for us to leave! Every one of us. Simple. We want to; we wan leave. No gragra, no nothing. Na gragra dey tear cloth.Asari-Dokubo also said that he did not have any investment in Nigeria because it was an enemy territory and that his investments would not be safe.The former warlord said these in a video he posted on his Facebook page on Sunday.His words: Im not concerned about what Nigerians think about me, Im only concerned about what Ijaw people think about me. Sometimes I think that, what would those who call themselves Nigerians think about me, they are stealing from us.What sort of worry is more than they go to Abuja every end of the month, 36 states plus Abuja, plus agencies plus 747 local governments to share the resources of souk? What is more criminal than that, while souk remain at the backyard of the world.What is more that somebody come to your house, take your pot of soup, and look at you, and share the pot of soup to different people and then give you just one spoon of the soup that you cooked? So I dont give a damn about what Nigerians think about me. They will never think anything good about me.Id be surprised if any Yoruba man, if any northerner, any Nupe man having think anything good about me. I will be surprised. Even though Im married to a Yoruba woman, yes, I will be surprised because my action is injurious to them.They enjoyed the money that they never suffered for. Today Lagos is achieving but let Ijaw oil go let us see whether Lagos would be what it is. Let Ijaw oil be cut off and let us see whether Lagos will be anything.Alhaji Asari-Dokubo added, Im not a Nigerian. Nations are not imposed on people. People dont sit down in Berlin or anywhere and make people Nigerians. Nations are created by the will of the people. My people have never accepted Nigeria and so, how can I be a Nigerian? Nobody can impose Nigeria on me.The free will of the people create nations. If everybody gathered together, the Ijaw people, you know which includes the kalabari people, nobody forced the Kalabari people to become Ijaw people, because naturally, they know they are Ijaw people.Nobody will force an Owerri man, an Nkwere man to be an Igbo person, he naturally knows he is an Igbo person.So, if we want to be Nigerians, then we have to sit down, and decide for ourselves that today, we are going to be, or as separate identities, and accept Nigeria as our country, as our nation and we become Nigerians. Weve not done that.When I go up north, do they see me as a Nigerian? They dont! They call me Nyamiri. They call me Nyamiri! When I go to Yoruba land, do they see me as a Nigerian? They call me Omo Kobokobo. Thats what they call me! Omo Kobokobo.When a Yoruba man goes up north, they call him Oyede Banza. When a Fulani man comes up to Yoruba land, what do they call him? They call him Gambari!I used to hear a story that there were about three people in a bus and the driver asked the conductor, how many people were in the bus and the conductor said two persons and one Gambari. He said shut up your mouth, is Gambari not a human being? But the conductor said that is your business o, me I know that in this bus there are two persons and one Gamari.So, if in the north there is a riot, they dont kill Senegalese, they dont kill British, they dont kill Lebanese, they will kill a Yoruba man. They will kill an Igbo man, they will kill an Ijaw man. They will kill an Efik man, they will kill others but they will not kill a Lebanese, they dont kill a Senegalese, they dont kill Nigerien or Malian. That clearly shows that they dont need you.Listen to the interview of that rogue that they are celebrating. People who joined to steal Ijaw peoples resources, Ahmadu Bello. What did he say in his interview? That if they want to employ people in the north, they will first of all take Europeans and so on, then when it comes, if they are going to consider Africans they will take Sudanese and so on but when they are going to consider other Nigerians, they will take them on contract. It is there, they cant deny it.What country are you talking about? Obafemi Awolowo said Nigeria is just a geographical residence. But me, Im not a Nigerian, I will never be a Nigerian!

Post Reply I have been reporting for several years now and I am very interested in visual news reportage with strong inclusion of photos and video multimedia. Posted: at 2-07-2017 09:19 PM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero

Zaki68 at 2-07-2017 09:41 PM (5 years ago)

(m) THIS MAN THAT SAID NIGERIA WILL BURN IF JONATHAN WAS NOT REELECTED, BIAFRAN PEOPLE MAKE UNA KNOW BELIEVE THIS MAN OOH. Posted: at 2-07-2017 09:41 PM (5 years ago) | Upcoming THIS MAN THAT SAID NIGERIA WILL BURN IF JONATHAN WAS NOT REELECTED, BIAFRAN PEOPLE MAKE UNA KNOW BELIEVE THIS MAN OOH. Reply

emydaddy at 2-07-2017 09:56 PM (5 years ago)

(m) Brave G Posted: at 2-07-2017 09:56 PM (5 years ago) | Upcoming Brave G Reply

Bebold at 2-07-2017 09:58 PM (5 years ago)

(m) Quote from: Zaki68 on 2-07-2017 09:41 PM THIS MAN THAT SAID NIGERIA WILL BURN IF JONATHAN WAS NOT REELECTED, BIAFRAN PEOPLE MAKE UNA KNOW BELIEVE THIS MAN OOH.



We believe him Is Nigeria not burning now? Or don't you have eyes to see what is happening in Nigeria ? Posted: at 2-07-2017 09:58 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac We believe him Is Nigeria not burning now? Or don't you have eyes to see what is happening in Nigeria ? Reply

Lodigliani at 2-07-2017 10:17 PM (5 years ago)

(m) I see this as someone with no sense at all with what he was saying. Ask him when he entered a bus that they identify one as Gambari. This are hateful words that lingered aggression.

I think he is out of pocket so he needed so cash again to uploft hisuniversity in ghana. The one he collected during Babangida and Abacha or so is finished.He has no morale again as at the time he changed his name... 9ja is a country where area boy or militant they get mouth. What a ridoculous country is this for God sake. ....well God dey..na ibo man slogan Posted: at 2-07-2017 10:17 PM (5 years ago) | Newbie I see this as someone with no sense at all with what he was saying. Ask him when he entered a bus that they identify one as Gambari. This are hateful words that lingered aggression.I think he is out of pocket so he needed so cash again to uploft hisuniversity in ghana. The one he collected during Babangida and Abacha or so is finished.He has no morale again as at the time he changed his name... 9ja is a country where area boy or militant they get mouth. What a ridoculous country is this for God sake. ....well God dey..na ibo man slogan Reply

osayan1 at 2-07-2017 10:26 PM (5 years ago)

(m) dis one way knw no where dey pain ham,he think say na to marry plenty wifes nd born plenty childrens anyhow,Confuse man Posted: at 2-07-2017 10:26 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac dis one way knw no where dey pain ham,he think say na to marry plenty wifes nd born plenty childrens anyhow,Confuse man Reply

james987 at 2-07-2017 10:29 PM (5 years ago)

(m) E be like this Biafra waka money dey inside.. Because e b like some people dun dey reason am.. People wey dey fight for their own pocket at the same time claiming for fight for the masses Posted: at 2-07-2017 10:29 PM (5 years ago) | Hero E be like this Biafra waka money dey inside.. Because e b like some people dun dey reason am.. People wey dey fight for their own pocket at the same time claiming for fight for the masses Reply

luckingto50 at 2-07-2017 10:33 PM (5 years ago)

(m) This man will open his gutter mouth to say he's not a Nigeria after perpetuating a crime of militancy using his stolen money to build university in Benin Republic. Even if you think other parts of Nigeria as a whole is not worth of establishing in, why not build d school in your state? Posted: at 2-07-2017 10:33 PM (5 years ago) | Upcoming This man will open his gutter mouth to say he's not a Nigeria after perpetuating a crime of militancy using his stolen money to build university in Benin Republic. Even if you think other parts of Nigeria as a whole is not worth of establishing in, why not build d school in your state? Reply

freethinker at 2-07-2017 10:54 PM (5 years ago)

(m) Quote from: Bebold on 2-07-2017 09:58 PM We believe him Is Nigeria not burning now? Or don't you have eyes to see what is happening in Nigeria ?

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU Posted: at 2-07-2017 10:54 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU Reply

freethinker at 2-07-2017 10:58 PM (5 years ago)

(m) Quote from: Zaki68 on 2-07-2017 09:41 PM THIS MAN THAT SAID NIGERIA WILL BURN IF JONATHAN WAS NOT REELECTED, BIAFRAN PEOPLE MAKE UNA KNOW BELIEVE THIS MAN OOH.

MY FRIEND NIGERIA IS NO LONGER WORKING, LET EVERYONE ANSWER HIS FATHER'S NAME.

WE ARE TIRED OF THIS FORCED MARRIAGE Posted: at 2-07-2017 10:58 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac MY FRIEND NIGERIA IS NO LONGER WORKING, LET EVERYONE ANSWER HIS FATHER'S NAME.WE ARE TIRED OF THIS FORCED MARRIAGE Reply

HiddenGenuis at 2-07-2017 11:39 PM (5 years ago)

(m) Posted: at 2-07-2017 11:39 PM (5 years ago) | Upcoming Hummmm! Reply

benosky4 at 3-07-2017 03:15 AM (5 years ago)

(m) Sorry Asari-Dokubo, Biafra is not a habitable place for brainwashed Islamic extremists. #MyVerdict. Posted: at 3-07-2017 03:15 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac Sorry Asari-Dokubo, Biafra is not a habitable place for brainwashed Islamic extremists. Reply

blackman1980 at 3-07-2017 05:07 AM (5 years ago)

(m) I don't know why they still address this weak ass blowclat a war lord this phyuking fat face wey no get sense u get paid from your militant job and relocate your family to another man land financing deadly group to enrich your pocket after federal government settle them Man u re a joke i mean a phyuking loser lets wait and see how expert you re to hold a riffle or you can run miles to safe guide your family when the drum of war sound phyuking bitch dick head senseless human being NA ogun go kill you Posted: at 3-07-2017 05:07 AM (5 years ago) | Newbie I don't know why they still address this weak ass blowclat a war lord this phyuking fat face wey no get sense u get paid from your militant job and relocate your family to another man land financing deadly group to enrich your pocket after federal government settle them Man u re a joke i mean a phyuking loser lets wait and see how expert you re to hold a riffle or you can run miles to safe guide your family when the drum of war sound phyuking bitch dick head senseless human being NA ogun go kill you Reply

dleg at 3-07-2017 06:51 AM (5 years ago)

(m) HE DID NOTHING FOR HIS COMMUNITY AND STILL BOLD ENOUGH TO SAY THAT TO HIS COMMUNITY FACE.



Asari Dokubo took all his community resource to University at Ghana and gave nothing to his community.

ASARI DOKUBO IS WORSE THAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.........At least Federal Government still brought something back to the community.



HE IS A LOOSER AND NO ONE LISTEN TO SUCH PEOPLE



Posted: at 3-07-2017 06:51 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac HE DID NOTHING FOR HIS COMMUNITY AND STILL BOLD ENOUGH TO SAY THAT TO HIS COMMUNITY FACE.Asari Dokubo took all his community resource to University at Ghana and gave nothing to his community.ASARI DOKUBO IS WORSE THAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.........At least Federal Government still brought something back to the community.HE IS A LOOSER AND NO ONE LISTEN TO SUCH PEOPLE Reply

kacylee at 3-07-2017 07:39 AM (5 years ago)

(f) ASARI AGAIN, JUST LOOKING FOR A CHANCE TO CAUSE UPROARS I have been reporting for several years now and I am very interested in visual news reportage with strong inclusion of photos and video multimedia. Posted: at 3-07-2017 07:39 AM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero ASARI AGAIN, JUST LOOKING FOR A CHANCE TO CAUSE UPROARS Reply

segfol at 3-07-2017 07:53 AM (5 years ago)

(m) Noise maker Posted: at 3-07-2017 07:53 AM (5 years ago) | Newbie Noise maker Reply

pricklong at 3-07-2017 08:14 AM (5 years ago)

(m) Asari animal on the loose Posted: at 3-07-2017 08:14 AM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac Asari animal on the loose Reply

ruthie at 3-07-2017 08:45 AM (5 years ago)

(f) THIS USELESS FAT FOOL IS AT IT AGAIN...EMPTY VESSEL ..ALL THE THREATS MADE BEFORE....HE RUN AWAY GO ANOTHER COUNTRY..BASTARD Posted: at 3-07-2017 08:45 AM (5 years ago) | Hero THIS USELESS FAT FOOL IS AT IT AGAIN...EMPTY VESSEL ..ALL THE THREATS MADE BEFORE....HE RUN AWAY GO ANOTHER COUNTRY..BASTARD Reply

johnnychuks2 at 3-07-2017 10:58 AM (5 years ago)

(m) My Biafran and igbo brothers, open your eyes, Stop spreading fake news, use ur time and strenght to preach and fight against the suferering of our people, the unfare treat we the igbos recieve from the nigerian goverment, at the same time let us stand in one voice against the evil our igbo brothers do. Let us build our home, and make it a safe and comfortable place. Onitsha, aba owerri enugu, awka, ebonyi, is filled with, evil men and woman, armed roberry, kidnaping, ritualist, develish & ritualist pastors. All this persons are our brothers, our sisters, they ve mothers and fathers' lets start by uncovering them one by one.lets clean and dis infect our land so that progress will come in.

our governos should de held responsible for there poor delivery. And for not investing our govt, alocacion in rehabilitating and well being of the entire igbo land. Instead of enriching themselves the more.

Nnamdi kanu/ biafran agitatosstop bringing hatred and divicion to the entire igbo race. All of u should go and look for good work, & genuin business to do.

All this biafran agitatos, Ur real problem is laziness, ilitracy and greed, u are all loosers just like ur mento, that criminal 419 called nnamdi kanu, who should better be lost in jail for the death of innocent citizens whom he has fooled.

Ask ur self where is the millions of dolars & pounds, the containers load of used electronics the igbos all over the world contributed to him for his so called radio antena?, which he said he bought for 100.000pounds.

How much does it cost to buy a laptop and get access to internet and set up a life broadcast just like he does in london. Why should the same, cost 100.000 pounds in nigeria!!! Open ur eyes!!!!

Recently its revealed, he collected donos from criminals like evan and many others unmentioned.

He critisized the ijaws, deltas, he called all the yourubas cowards in his days of broadcasting while in london,

Today he says they are all biafrans.

He even had the gots recently to speak evil of late pa Azikiwe. He doesnt ve a steady world, he is a great liar a fraudstar? Wake up, shine ur eyes, trace his tracks backward and u will find out the truth about him.

My fellow igbos NNAMDI KANU is our worst enemy, he is a liar, a thief, a deciever, and a criminal. He nnamdi kanu is a treath to the entire igbo race.

One thing is sure NIGERIA is too great a nation for him and his kingpins. Time shall tell.

Ndigbo! Look for better things to do and stop causing more problems for we the hard working igbos.

(A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE) I am and remain always an igbo.

Johnny spain.

Long live our Biafran land,

Long live the fedral republic of Nigeria Posted: at 3-07-2017 10:58 AM (5 years ago) | Upcoming My Biafran and igbo brothers, open your eyes, Stop spreading fake news, use ur time and strenght to preach and fight against the suferering of our people, the unfare treat we the igbos recieve from the nigerian goverment, at the same time let us stand in one voice against the evil our igbo brothers do. Let us build our home, and make it a safe and comfortable place. Onitsha, aba owerri enugu, awka, ebonyi, is filled with, evil men and woman, armed roberry, kidnaping, ritualist, develish & ritualist pastors. All this persons are our brothers, our sisters, they ve mothers and fathers' lets start by uncovering them one by one.lets clean and dis infect our land so that progress will come in.our governos should de held responsible for there poor delivery. And for not investing our govt, alocacion in rehabilitating and well being of the entire igbo land. Instead of enriching themselves the more.Nnamdi kanu/ biafran agitatosstop bringing hatred and divicion to the entire igbo race. All of u should go and look for good work, & genuin business to do.All this biafran agitatos, Ur real problem is laziness, ilitracy and greed, u are all loosers just like ur mento, that criminal 419 called nnamdi kanu, who should better be lost in jail for the death of innocent citizens whom he has fooled.Ask ur self where is the millions of dolars & pounds, the containers load of used electronics the igbos all over the world contributed to him for his so called radio antena?, which he said he bought for 100.000pounds.How much does it cost to buy a laptop and get access to internet and set up a life broadcast just like he does in london. Why should the same, cost 100.000 pounds in nigeria!!! Open ur eyes!!!!Recently its revealed, he collected donos from criminals like evan and many others unmentioned.He critisized the ijaws, deltas, he called all the yourubas cowards in his days of broadcasting while in london,Today he says they are all biafrans.He even had the gots recently to speak evil of late pa Azikiwe. He doesnt ve a steady world, he is a great liar a fraudstar? Wake up, shine ur eyes, trace his tracks backward and u will find out the truth about him.My fellow igbos NNAMDI KANU is our worst enemy, he is a liar, a thief, a deciever, and a criminal. He nnamdi kanu is a treath to the entire igbo race.One thing is sure NIGERIA is too great a nation for him and his kingpins. Time shall tell.Ndigbo! Look for better things to do and stop causing more problems for we the hard working igbos.(A WORD IS ENOUGH FOR THE WISE) I am and remain always an igbo.Johnny spain.Long live our Biafran land,Long live the fedral republic of Nigeria Reply
China: Confidence on the Rise

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Following a recent trip to Beijing, Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein discusses why he believes the mood in China today is one of confidence, stability and a sense of place in the world. Despite Chinas challenges, Blankfein highlights a relatively strong growth rate and a strong commitment to infrastructure as contributing factors to Chinas sense of optimism.
#NZ murder suspect Court OKs extradition of 'suitcase' murder suspect to New Zealand A Seoul court on Friday approved the extradition of a woman believed to be the mother of two children whose bodies were found in suitcases in New Zealand in August. The Seoul H...

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In the process, fermentation of sugars produces itaconic acid, which undergoes catalytic hydrogenation to produce 3-methyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF). The MTHF then undergoes catalytic dehydra-decyclization to isoprene. This catalytic process dehydrates MTHF to isoprene via several combinations of temperatures, pressures, and space velocities (reactant volumetric flow rate per volume of catalyst) and achieves selectivity of MTHF to isoprene.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota, with colleagues at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, have developed a new high-yield processa hybrid of fermentation followed by thermochemical catalysisto produce renewable isoprene from biomass.

The University of Minnesota, through its Office for Technology Commercialization, has applied for a patent on the renewable rubber technology and plans to license the technology to companies interested in commercializing the technology. A paper on the basis of the process was published earlier this year in ACS Catalysis.

The search for a commercially viable process for renewable isoprene is not new. In 2010, for example, Dr. Joseph McAuliffe from Genencor noted that:

An intensive search has been underway for years for alternative sources of isoprene, in particular those from renewable resources such as biomass. One technical challenge has been the development of an efficient process for converting sugars into isoprene. Dr. Joseph McAuliffe ( earlier post

Although processes exist for the production of isoprene from biomass, these processes suffer from low overall yields or low conversion rates, preventing them from being economically feasible. With a less expensive precursor and a high yield,; the Minnesota method is not only economically viable, but economically competitive with current petroleum processes, the University claims.

Natural rubber is the precipitated polymer chain product (~106 Da) obtained from the latex of rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) as an important material for automobile tires. The dominant form of natural rubber consists of isoprene units (2-methyl-1,3-butadiene) polymerized to form poly(cis-1,4- isoprene), a natural polymer from southeast Asia. Isoprene is also currently manufactured as a byproduct of naphtha and gas oil cracking, serving as one of the major monomers for rubber and elastomers. The majority of fossil-derived isoprene is used to produce poly(cis-1,4-isoprene) as a synthetic natural rubber, providing a non-renewable source of rubbery material at the scale of one million tons per year.

Renewable synthetic natural rubber (RSNR) or biobased poly-isoprene requires isoprene from alternative renewable feedstocks such as glucose. Genencor and Goodyear have pursued microbial fermentation to BioIsoprene via engineered bacteria, with competitive synthetic biology routes to renewable isoprene pursued by Amyris and Michelin. Five existing thermochemical pathways to isoprene also include: (i) acetone addition to acetylene followed by partial hydrogenation and dehydration, (ii) propylene dimerization, (iii) isoamylene dehydrogenation, (iv) isopentane dehydrogenation, and (v) the Prins condensation of isobutene and formaldehyde. Any of these five processes can be renewable provided the feedstocks are sourced from biomass; for example, dehydration of glucose-derived isobutanol produces isobutene. Abdelrahman

The first step of the new process is microbial fermentation of sugars, such as glucose, derived from biomass to the intermediate itaconic acid. In the second step, itaconic acid is reacted with hydrogen to MTHF. This step was optimized when the research team identified a unique metal-metal combination that served as a highly efficient catalyst.

The process technology breakthrough came in the third step to dehydrate methyl-THF to isoprene. Using a catalyst recently discovered at the University of Minnesota called P-SPP (Phosphorus Self-Pillared Pentasil), the team was able to demonstrate a catalytic efficiency as high as 90% with most of the catalytic product being isoprene. By combining all three steps into a process, isoprene can be renewably sourced from biomass.

The performance of the new P-containing zeolite catalysts such as S-PPP was surprising. This new class of solid acid catalysts exhibits dramatically improved catalytic efficiency and is the reason renewable isoprene is possible. Paul Dauenhauer, a University of Minnesota associate professor of chemical engineering and materials science and lead researcher

The invention of renewable tire technology is part of a larger mission of the Center for Sustainable Polymers, an NSF-funded Center for Chemical Innovation led by the University of Minnesota. Initiated in 2009, the CSP has focused on transforming how plastics are made and unmade through innovative research. Researchers aim to design, prepare and implement polymers derived from renewable resources for a wide range of advanced applications.

Resources
One afternoon, years ago, I decided to make a barbecue pilgrimage to a restaurant called Keatons, located about an hour away from Greensboro just off I-40 near Statesville.

Though known for their exceptional barbecued chicken, Keatons is a little disappointing from the outside  a very ordinary cinder block building more or less in the middle of nowhere. Inside there were strange signs which, among other things, warned customers not to use foul language and limited each to two beers.

Id begun to wonder what Id gotten myself into, but then on the wall I noticed a portrait of the late Mr. Burette Walter Keaton, who had started the business back in 1953.

Mr. Keatons apron and the cigarette languidly dangling from the corner of his mouth suggested the aplomb of someone who was serious about his craft. I began to sense I was in for an unusual barbecue experience.

Like many of Keatons customers, I ordered the spicy chicken, which is absolutely permeated by Mr. Keatons secret sauce. And when I had concluded my meal, proof of how much I enjoyed it lay right there on my plate: for of that bird nothing remained but a pitiful little pile of bones. Later that day I exclaimed to one of my colleagues here at the library, Ive just been to the best restaurant in the world!

That may have been an exaggeration, but North Carolina does seem to have more than its fair share of great barbecue restaurants.

If youd like to read about Keatons and many of North Carolinas other barbecue treasures, you should try Bob Garners Book of Barbecue: North Carolinas Favorite Food (2012). Garner is, of course, familiar to many North Carolinians as a reviewer of Southern cuisine on UNC-TV.

His book chronicles the best barbecue restaurants in North Carolina, explains such things as differences between Eastern-style and Lexington barbecue, and includes plenty of barbecue history too, which goes back more than 300 years. Bob Garners Book of Barbecue is a more up-to-date version of his Guide to North Carolina Barbecue, published in 2002.

Still other useful titles on North Carolina barbecue in the librarys collection include John Shelton Reeds Holy Smoke: The Big Book of North Carolina Barbecue (2008) and Jim Earlys The Best of Tar Heel Barbecue: Manteo to Murphy (2002).

Of course, some folks like adventures in their own kitchens. And if cooking your own barbecue is your thing, the library has lots of recipe books. In fact, when I did a subject search in the librarys catalog, I counted well over 70 titles that contain barbecue recipes.

One recent book that focuses on barbecue cooking and has a North Carolina connection is Buxton Hall Barbecues Book of Smoke: Wood-Smoked Meat, Sides, and More by Elliott Moss (2016). Youll find lots of tasty recipe ideas here, and as Chef Mosss Book of Smoke makes clear, hes a real expert on how to get the most flavor out of smoked meats. Buxton Hall Barbecue is an Asheville restaurant Ive never been to, but I really must plan a visit.

Broadening beyond North Carolina, another great barbecue title in our collection is Meathead: The Science of Great Barbecue and Grilling by Greg Blonder (2016). Blonder has academic credentials to prove his bona fides: this cook has a Ph.D. in physics from Harvard!

In addition to an avalanche of recipes, Meathead includes all kinds of information on topics such as rubs and sauces, smoking meat and charcoal grills. I guess Dr. Blonders recipes should make a useful test of whether cooking good barbecue is more art than science, or should I say, more science than art?

There are a few exotic recipes in Meathead too, but if youre really interested in international fare, Steven Raichlens Planet Barbecue!: An Electrifying Journey Around the Worlds Barbecue Trail (2010) probably cant be beat. Just listen to the names of some of the dishes that Raichlen can help you conjure up in your kitchen: Uzbek Tandoori Chicken, Peanut-Crusted Lamb Kebabs, Moroccan Lamb Chops with Harissa and Cumin and Australian Chipotle-Glazed Lamb Churrasco, to name just a few.

However, though I really admire folks who make their own barbecue (especially those brave enough to experiment with Uzbek Chicken), and I know weve got some fantastic barbecue restaurants right here in Greensboro (Stameys, Country Barbecue, Smithfields and others), for me its always been the barbecue road trips  to restaurants like Coopers in downtown Raleigh, Fuzzys in Madison, and Short Sugars in Reidsville  which Ive enjoyed most.

And on my trips theres always the hope Ill have another special barbecue encounter like I had long ago at Keatons.
Award-winning author and poet Carole Boston Weatherford calls North Carolina home. After living for years in the Triad, Weatherford moved to Fayetteville in 2011 to take a position teaching at Fayetteville State University. Her books of poetry for children have won honors and awards almost every year, and she is on track to publish four picture books of poetry this year.

The Legendary Miss Lena Horne is a beautiful biography written in free verse by Weatherford and illustrated by collage and paint artist Elizabeth Zunon. Released in January of this year, the book has garnered positive reviews. Weatherford uses free verse to describe the life of the first-ever African-American actress to be under contract to a studio.

She provides a view of Lena Horne as a strong woman who had a supportive family while she pursued a career using her talents. Hornes family furnished her with examples of civil rights leadership she followed during her life.

Zunons illustrations capture a small child sitting on the floor surrounded by books, a young chorus line member and a beautiful woman dressed like a Hollywood star. She also depicts Horne on stage at the March on Washington in 1963 where she spoke only one word: Freedom!

Zunons collage-and-paint works draw the reader into the pages and complement Weatherfords text. The illustration chosen for the cover is especially three-dimensional, showing Lena Horne in a beautiful evening gown with net and beads.

Weatherford provides author notes and a bibliography of other sources about Horne, including audio and video. In her notes, Weatherford explains her fascination from childhood with the actress, who was one of the few African-American faces on television in the 1960s. This picture-book biography will be enjoyed by children ages 7 and up.

A second picture-book biography written by Weatherford and released in February is Dorothea Lange: The Photographer Who Found the Faces of the Depression, illustrated by Sarah Greene and published by Albert Whitman and Co. In the 1930s, Dorothea Lange was a female photographer who managed to bring the attention of the nation to people forgotten and neglected during a time of national crisis.

Her famous photograph of a migrant mother was a product of her background and passion for capturing the essence of people, sharing their life struggles and joys.

Weatherfords free verse includes facts about Lange such as her childhood bout with polio, her work with portrait photography and her collaboration with writers. Again, Weatherford provides an authors note with more information for the older reader or for parents to summarize and share with a read aloud for ages 6 to 10.

This is Greenes first book. By depicting the jaunty Lange with her camera on top of her vehicle, she incorporates Langes independent nature and willingness to take risks to get the photograph she envisioned. Green takes some of Langes best portraits of children and through her more primitive illustrations manages to emphasize the same features that Lange highlighted, giving the photos a new look.

Weatherford also will publish two other picture books in September, both illustrated by exemplary veteran artists.

In Your Hands, illustrated by Brian Pinkney (Simon & Schuster), is a poetic ode to motherhood. Weatherford incorporates her own hopes and dreams for her son with those of many African-American mothers into a poem.

Schomurg, The Man Who Built a Library, illustrated by Eric Velasquez (Candlewick), is another picture biography. Readers may recognize the name given to the New York Public Librarys Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Weatherford tackled another subject that interested her  the life of Arturo Schomburg, a mixed Puerto Rican and African-American man who acquired books and art that provided the foundation for the New York Public Librarys famous collection.

In 2018, readers will look forward to Weatherfords Be A King: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.s Dream and You, illustrated by James Ransome, and published by Bloombury.

You can be a King. Stamp out hatred. Put your foot down and walk tall.

You can be a King. Beat the drum for justice. March to your own conscience.
As prosecutors, Craig Blitzer and Wallace Bradsher were sworn to uphold the law. But last week, they were charged with breaking it.

Both men walked into the Wake County Detention Center and turned themselves in, closing a chapter in a saga that has enveloped the district attorneys offices in Rockingham, Person and Caswell counties for nearly a year.

The men face criminal charges for the alleged theft of state money through the states payroll system. Those charges stem from allegations that Blitzer and Bradsher schemed to hire each others wives in order to eventually collect more than $100,000 in combined annual unearned salaries.

No additional charges are expected against either man or other people involved, including the prosecutors wives, Cindy Blitzer and Pamela Bradsher.

On Thursday and Friday, Craig Blitzer and Wallace Bradsher had their fingerprints and mugshots taken and met with a magistrate before being allowed to go home.

It was a moment they knew might be coming and it was emotional.

That moment was set into motion almost a year ago. It was on July 25, 2016, when Superior Court Judge Joe Crosswhite ordered a State Bureau of Investigation inquiry into the offices of Blitzer, the former Rockingham County district attorney, and Bradsher, the former Person/Caswell district attorney.

In the subsequent months, residents of the three counties learned through court records about allegations that Cindy Blitzer took full-time nursing classes while filing time sheets that said she was working full time as a legal assistant in Craig Blitzers office and as an investigator in Wallace Bradshers office making $50,160 annually. According to court records, former employees accused Craig Blitzer of forcing his employees to take online college courses for his wife using state computers and Wallace Bradsher of taking bribes from defendants and their attorneys.

Initially, the men denied any wrongdoing.

In October 2016, Craig Blitzer told the News & Record the investigation didnt involve him. In November 2016, Bradsher said that the investigation involved a former employee, but he and his staff would be found innocent.

As the year went on, things began to unravel as more details about the case began to surface.

And last Tuesday, the final thread was pulled: A Wake County grand jury indicted Blitzer and Bradsher.

***

That both men were charged with one count of failure to discharge the duties of their office  a misdemeanor  was a shock to many. The charge originates from a 1901 statute that prevents public officials from being exempt from the law.

If convicted, a judge would order Blitzer and Bradsher to be removed from office  a moot point since the prosecutors have already resigned.

Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman assumed the investigation in February after a whisteblower lawsuit was filed in Wake County Superior Court. Sitting in her office last week, she said that while other allegations exist, the focus of her investigation remained solely on the theft of state money.

I think when the case is complete, there will be more of a sense of understanding about why we made certain decisions, Freeman said. Ultimately, the elected officials were the ones in the position to hire and maintain someone on payroll.

Freeman said one of her main goals is to return any misappropriated funds to the state, but she would not go into details on how she plans to do so.

Freeman said the prosecutors, both first-time offenders, dont face jail time but could be sentenced to community service.

I feel comfortable that there will be sufficient accountability for the individuals involved, Freeman said.

Freeman said she knows its difficult for many to understand that what seems like a criminal act is essentially professional misconduct.

None of their behavior is what we hope for in elected officials or other individuals, she said.

***

With the job-swapping scandal over, now comes the hard part: moving on.

Bradsher stepped down May 19 from an office he held since Jan. 1, 2011. His move from private practice to prosecutor came after a tumultuous investigation of the Person County District Attorneys office. At the conclusion of that investigation, predecessor Joel Brewer pleaded guilty to inappropriately touching women and dismissing cases in exchange for votes.

Bradsher, who brought his Christian faith to the office, has since returned to private practice.

Unlike Bradsher, Blitzer didnt get a chance to finish his first term. His resume includes being a commercial pilot, a defense attorney and a capital defender before he decided to run for public office in 2014.

When he was campaigning, he promised to be a full-time district attorney who would fight crime and serve Rockingham County.

His attorney, Chris Clifton of Winston-Salem, said that Blitzer was looking into becoming a commercial pilot again.

On Thursday, Blitzer told jailers he was unemployed after turning himself in to the Wake County Detention Center at 9:45 a.m.

Hes trying to make the best out of a bad situation, Clifton said, and right the wrongs he has done.

As far as Cindy Blitzer, South University has suspended her and launched an internal investigation, Freeman said.

Freeman said she is also required to report the investigation to any of Cindy Blitzers associated medical boards.

Freeman added that she met with the FBIs Public Integrity unit, which investigates allegations of criminal misconduct by elected officials, early on in the investigation.

At this time, I have no knowledge that they are pursuing an investigation, Freeman said.

Freeman said she will turn over her investigation to the N.C. State Bar after all court proceedings conclude.

Depending on its findings, the state bar could hold its own hearing to decide whether the former prosecutors should face any discipline, which could range from a reprimand to disbarment.
According to WRAL, police reviewed video footage Thursday from a gas station in Wake Forest that showed Cope walking into the store around 4:15 p.m. on Monday. She took a scheduled break from her job at the airport at 3 p.m. but did not return. She was reported missing around 7 p.m.
Charlotte Pride, the organizer of this summers Pride Parade focusing on the LGBT community, welcomes all those who share its vision to join in the celebration.

That invitation seemingly would be extended to a group that self-identifies as gay.

Charlotte Pride, however, has decided that a group styling itself Gays for Trump (alternatively known as #Deplorables) should not be part of its commemoration of LGBT rights and sexual diversity on Aug. 26-27. The organizing committee has rejected a Gays for Trump application to exhibit a float in the parade.

Since the word gay in the groups title was clearly not the reason for the exclusion, one should probably focus on the word Trump.

Basically any march other than one conducted by a gun rights group is at its core an anti-Trump protest, be it pro-environmental activism, pro-women or pro-any other progressive cause. However, before banishing the pro-Trumpists, perhaps Charlotte Pride should have asked itself exactly how it is that Trump is hostile to the LGBT aspirations and values.

Trump is a twice-divorced libertine who is anything but a social conservative. Those with memories that extend beyond the last election campaign may remember that not so many years ago Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both voiced their opposition to gay marriage, or at the very least failed to support it.

Has Trump ever voiced a concern with gay marriage? He seems to be a supporter of marriage in general, and the more often the better. Perhaps because Trump came late to his role as a politician, he never had to hedge his bets by taking the anti-gay marriage view that was prevalent through the end of the last decade.

If a march were being held in support of immigration or against Islamophobia, the exclusion of a pro-Trump group might seem logical. But since the Pride Parade is a celebration of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender persons, Id like for those in Charlotte Pride to explain how anything Trump has said is antithetical to full rights for LGBT citizens.

Some people may argue that the U.S. Justice Department under the Trump administration has rescinded Obama administration guidelines on transgender access to locker rooms in public educational institutions. That is a thin reed on which to hang an alleged animus toward the LGBT community, particularly when politicians now embraced by gay rights advocates were once unabashedly against the right of gays and lesbians to enter legally into marriage.

In todays America we have the strange but oft-seen phenomenon of those most loudly advertising their tolerance being loathe to actually practice it. Witness those anti-fascists who use violence and obstruction to prevent conservative speakers from appearing on university campuses, while purporting to further the cause of acceptance and diversity.

And so it is with Charlotte Pride: Yes, diversity is great, as long as you follow our exact party line and support everyone who we support and oppose everyone whom we oppose.

And if you dont, even if you stand in solidarity with us on gay rights, you are not welcome in our tolerant community.
Their original plan was to work at Six Flags.

The girls they would meet. The fun they would have. Free admission to the amusement park on days off. Perfect, right?

Except they didnt get the jobs. Too much competition.

So they tried something else, said Raymond Bell, who understood the spirit of the boys plan and has his own plans for them. But well get to that later.

See, the teens decided to make lemons out of lemonade and become entrepreneurs by selling cold, bottled water to hot tourists on a parched National Mall in Washington.

Makes sense. Some of the water fountains on the Mall dont work, vendors arent everywhere and the District of Columbia topped out at 95 degrees two weeks ago.

Heck, even the U.S. Park Police encouraged folks to hit the water bottle: HYDRATE, while working/exercising outdoors during hot weather. Drink water before you feel thirsty.

So selling water during the recent heat wave is the kind of get-up-and-go that most of America would cheer.

But instead, the D.C. Water Boys became a national story. And another clear example of the way the world continues to see them. And fear them.

Selling Water While Black was enough to get the teens  one 16 and two 17  handcuffed and humiliated by U.S. Park Police working an undercover sting operation targeting illegal vendors.

There they were, hands behind their backs, one splayed on a sidewalk, as tourists walked by them and gawked. Officers pulled their badges out  broke their cover for this hardcore case of kids making a buck without a license.

My kids sell water and everyone smiles at them, tweeted Tim Krepp, the Washington author and tour guide who happened upon the scene June 22 and took the photos that went viral. These kids do it and get arrested. It IS racist.

Why handcuffs? It was just water.

They broke the law! Twitter howled.

Nope. The haters and I both know this isnt the way police would treat white kids who set up a lemonade stand without understanding the rules.

Heres where we get to the race part.

The kids were handcuffed for the safety of the officers and of the individuals, U.S. Park Police spokeswoman Sgt. Anna Rose said in a statement.

There you have it. Fear is what it comes down to.

Fear of Trayvon Martins Skittles.

Fear of Tamir Rices toy gun.

Fear of Michael Browns size.

Fear of water bottles?

Over and over again, we see nonblack folks acting out of fear when they interact with black Americans.

The fear factor was firmly established more than two weeks ago, when a Minnesota jury decided that being afraid of a black man was reason enough for a police officer to kill him.

Officer Jeronimo Yanez testified that he feared for his life when he killed Philando Castile, a 32-year-old cafeteria worker who was calm and cooperative in one of the clearest videotaped police shootings America has seen. Castiles girlfriend livestreamed his death from their car on Facebook when it happened in July 2016, and the dashcam video released at his trial last month shows an equally devastating angle of the killing.

That officer didnt see a beloved cafeteria worker who knew every kids name. He didnt see the gun owner licensed to carry a concealed weapon. Nope. He saw danger. His fear was his license to kill.

What happened to the D.C. Water Boys, obviously is different. No one was shot or killed.

They were eventually uncuffed and released. But the judgment that society placed on them that day  handcuffs and public humiliation, rather than a stern warning and a reading of the rules that would be more appropriate for kids  will stay with them for a lifetime.

When all they wanted was a summer job.

Heres where we get back to Raymond Bell.

The mother of one of the Water Boys (who also is a godmother to another) called Bell earlier this year to ask about his job training program, the H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Excel) Project.

For eight years now, Bell has been helping kids train for jobs in the information technology workforce.

He has a summer program for high school students and a year-round program for adults, graduating about 150 people and placing them in jobs every year.

I know its not the sexiest thing, Bell said But we need more positive images out there that are not just about rapping, singing and playing ball. It bothers me that so many kids see that as the only path to success.

Water Boy mom agreed. So she called Bell, got the details and gave him all of their information.

Only, the boys had the Six Flags plan. An understandable miscalculation for a teen.

But that didnt pan out, Bell said.

So he went into his files to find their information and called the mom after someone in his social circle identified the kids from Krepps photo.

Theyll start at the HOPE Project this week, he said.

I want to change that perception, he said, of how those young men are seen.

Kids. Entrepreneurs. And not dangerous.
EDEN  When the Rev. Robert Bob E. Peterson, pastor of Leaksville Moravian Church for the past 14 years, told his father he was retiring, his father asked, Why so soon?

Petersons father, the Rev. F. Peter Peterson, still preaches every Sunday as the supply pastor for Bixby Presbyterian Church in Advance.

Bob, who will be 66 in October, preached his last sermon at Leaksville Moravian on June 25. Robert Peterson started as pastor in January 2003, replacing the Rev. John Christman, who retired because of health problems after serving for 32 years.

There were several pastors before us, but between the two of us we served for a long time, Bob said.

The two served the congregation for more than half its existence. The church was organized 1929.

The Petersons are a very ecumenical family, said Bobs wife, Sarah, who retired in May 2016 as director of donor relations from Elon University, but still works two days a week.

Her husband is a second-generation Moravian minister as is his brother. Both their children, Benjamin and Rebecca, attended Elon University, where they met their spouses. Benjamins wife, Elizabeth Luedeke of Maryland, is daughter of a retired Lutheran minister; and Rebeccas husband, Joseph Magyar of LeHigh Valley, Pa., is son of a retired minister of the United Church of Christ.

One of Bobs final duties as pastor was baptizing granddaughter, Aurora Rory Magyar, who was born May 5. Joes mother assisted with the baptism.

Born in Allentown, Pa., Bob grew up in LeHigh Valley until he was 10. At that time, his father accepted a call to a church in Downey, Calif.

Prior to graduating in 1969 from Warren High School in Downey, Bob was an exchange student in Germany for one summer. He returned to Bethlehem, Pa., to attend Moravian College. He met Sarah, a Bethlehem, Pa., native, in college. He was a religion major; she, an English major.

The couple married in 1973 immediately after his graduation. After his 1976 graduation from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Va., they then went on a six-week tour of Europe, visiting several Moravian centers in Germany, England and Czechoslovakia.

Bob has served at First Moravian Church in Riverside, N.J.; Lancaster Moravian Church; and East Hills Moravian Church in Bethlehem. In 1989, he was called to First Moravian Church in Greensboro.

We have lived in North Carolina ever since then, Bob said. We are quite at home.

Sarah laughed as she recalled how she thought the move south was temporary, but here we are, she said. Our children put down roots here.

For eight years, Bob was out of the parish ministry while on the staff of Hanes-Lineberry Funeral Home of Greensboro.

I received a call to return to parish ministry to serve at Leaksville Moravian in January 2003, he said.

Its the smallest church he served.

But I was impressed by the commitment to ministry by its members, Bob said. At that time, the church had about 110 members. Today, the membership is in the lower 90s range.

Leaksville Moravian really fills a commitment to ministry in a struggling community, Bob said.

Christman had helped organize the Cooperative Christian Ministries, a program involving 14 Eden area churches that work together to provide food for hungry residents. Leaksville Moravian was one of the founding churches and has remained very committed to that ministry over the years, Bob said. The pantry is housed in the basement at Leaksville Moravian.

The membership also supports Hospice of Rockingham County, Rockingham Habitat for Humanity and the Rockingham Homeless Shelter.

When Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005, the church sent two mission teams to Mississippi to help with the rebuilding. It also supports Moravian Missions internationally.

During Bobs tenure, the church bought the land next door, where Burton Grove Elementary once stood.

The congregation built a handicapped parking lot on the site and also uses it for outdoor worship and recreational events. The hill on the lot makes the perfect site for the congregation to watch the sunrise at the churchs annual Easter Sunrise Service.

Although they dont have any specific plans, the Petersons, who live in Reidsville, plan to do some traveling.

Our shared joys and sorrows have made us family, Bob told his congregation in his final sermon. Our love for God and desire to serve others in his name have determined our journey together.

We say goodbye casually, often several times a day, he said. Goodbye was originally God be with you. That is my prayer for you. As we pursue our separate paths, may God be with you all.
WASHINGTON - Ivanka Trump's office: clean, white, quiet. A zone of punctual start times and promptly offered water bottles, and a conference table at which she conducts meetings. A short, winding walk away from her father's Oval Office downstairs.

She does not necessarily appreciate daily schedules. Neither does her father. When Ivanka needs to see the president, she stops by. When he needs to see her, he calls. When he wants her opinion, he asks for it and she gives it, but without expectation that it will be followed.

She sees her role as not to persuade, but to inform and support: That much is clear to White House staffers and friends who have observed the first daughter's early months in the White House. Anyone who has invested in her the ability to change her father clearly doesn't understand the dynamic that has always governed their relationship and also the dynamic of a president and his staff. After all, she works for him.

"The people are different. The decisions are different and the office is different," Ivanka, an assistant to the president, said in a recent extended interview in her office, one of the few she's granted. "But he is the same person and I am the same person. And we interact in the same way as we always have."

_ _ _

One morning last week, she was one of the senior staff who convened around a long table in the White House's Situation Room. On the agenda was solidifying her father's remarks at the upcoming G-20, a global economic summit, particularly in a session relating to the economic empowerment of women.

"She's been the advocate to put these things on the president's agenda," said a senior White House official who was in the meeting.

Ivanka argued that the administration's message should focus on the barriers facing women: access to capital, access to markets - issues that were her personal interests before she maneuvered them onto her father's official platform.

In the meeting, she was, as usual, collegial and thoughtful, thanking the mid-level staffers present for their research and work.

A few hours earlier, her father had already issued a few words on one woman. Just before 9 a.m. the president had gone on a Twitter bender targeting MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski. He called her "crazy" and "low IQ." He described her as coming to his Florida estate, "bleeding badly from a facelift."

The media and political world exploded -- another days-long uproar over a sexist remark by the impetuous @RealDonaldTrump. His words were again seen as tearing down the platform Ivanka says she is trying to build. People wondered: Who would dare tell him to stop undermining his office and damaging himself.

"Where are Jared and Ivanka right now?" Politico demanded.

Ivanka was discussing policy.

And then she went, presumably, back to her West Wing Office - small by CEO standards, big by White House ones - and to what has become the most complicated father-daughter dance in the history of American politics.

For Ivanka, moving to Washington has been a master's course in the zigzagging political process. But there is no rule book for dealing with a president's discombobulating tendency to overshadow everything she and everyone else in his administration is trying to do.

Her response to what she called "all the noise" has been to retreat into a cocoon of carefulness, to put her head down and work. "Every time I'm a little tired or frustrated - I remind myself that it's the greatest privilege in the world to do this, to be in the White House," she said.

She is learning to more carefully weigh the consequences of her opinions, which impact not the family business, but the country and the world. Unlike in business, where she felt comfortable exchanging off-the-cuff opinions with her father, she now tries not to respond too quickly. She waits until he has asked her opinion multiple times on the same issue, taking that as a cue to its importance, and then she reaches out to subject-matter experts to help her develop a reasoned position.

When she disagrees with her dad, she asks herself whether the issue was a campaign promise or not. If it was, she readily suppresses her own wishes. She believes that doing otherwise would undermine what the American people voted for. She asks herself why her opinion is more right than the 46 percent of the country who put her father in office.

Foremost, she presents him with information. She tells him what she thinks, and then lays out what the other side's strongest arguments are. Then the president decides. As he always has.

"My father trusts me to be an honest broker," Ivanka said. "I don't have a hidden agenda. I have a very clear agenda. He knows exactly where I stand and I express why I care. There's no secrecy about it."

_ _ _

In a meeting with CEOs in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, she is her father's mouthpiece, hosting business leaders who want to support his plan to boost workforce training. On a tour through a technical school in Wisconsin, she stayed at his shoulder, shaking hands and passing compliments to a man demonstrating an automated cutting machine. In a briefing with reporters, she constantly revised her notes with a felt-tip pen, but rarely needs to consult them as she speaks about the administration's proposal for a workforce training program.

She said she's pushing the administration's "working family agenda." She uses the language of her father - "tremendous," "incredible."

"When you say daughter, when you say staffer - she is definitely not a staffer," said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee, who has met with Ivanka multiple times in the 16 weeks since she took on a role as adviser to the president. "No question. That is not the case. I think it's very much she is - I don't want to use the word 'peer,' but she is a partner."

Donald Trump has relied on his daughter's advice since she began working for him as a vice president at the Trump Organization, the tempered Athena to his furious Zeus. She was 24.

"She did not build her life thinking she was going into politics," said a person close to Ivanka.

Over the course of a decade working for her dad, she grew accustomed to offering her opinion, sometimes off the cuff, on the family's business portfolio: deals, properties, hotel openings and hotel design.

This is her portfolio now: workforce development. Childcare tax credits and paid parental leave - issues that no American Congress has ever passed, and which have become Ivanka's signature topics, and bellwethers for her success. Human trafficking. Last Tuesday, she stood by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at a crowded State Department ceremony, honoring award recipients who have contributed to the study and eradication of trafficking.

"When I have conversations with her, it's really not about trying to influence the president," said Corker, who was at the event and has counseled Ivanka on the issue. In meeting with Ivanka, "I feel like I'm dealing with the principal who is going to be carrying out these issues in the White House."

At the conclusion of their meetings, on occasion Ivanka has walked Corker downstairs to wander into the Oval Office and say hi to the president. And it was clear to the senator that Ivanka has real power in the White House over issues that are on her agenda.

She may not be able to sway her father's opinions, but she is throwing her weight behind issues such as family leave -- building coalitions and, if all miraculously aligns, could see Congress pass legislation that she has helped to push.

Says her husband, Jared Kushner: "I think she's very lucky in that she cares less about what people think and more about if she's doing the right thing and will be able to get positive results. Ultimately that's what has and will make her very successful."

_ _ _

At its heart this is a story about fathers and daughters, and what happens when one becomes president of the United States and the other follows him to the White House and tries to make heads or tails of it.

This is a story of a daughter who leaves her beloved New York. Moves her three children to D.C. Marvels at having a house with an actual back yard, and wonders if the paparazzi who post themselves in front of their new home are paid in 10-hour shifts, because they're always there to photograph when her husband leaves for work at 6 a.m., but then are always gone by 4 p.m.

This is a story that gets exceptional because it's the Trumps, for whom life and career are also always entwined with family: Ivanka as a child, building future Trump towers out of Lego sets, as one of her favorite stories goes. An older Ivanka, using the interoffice envelopes in the real Trump Tower to send her father positive press clippings about himself, as an acquaintance remembers. Season after season of "The Apprentice," with the fates of D-list celebrities determined by the opinions of the two Trumps.

Then as now, when Ivanka presents her dad with information, she said she tells him what she thinks, and then tries to tell him what the other side's strongest arguments are.

"A lot of the way people try to get things done, or sell things in Washington, is they present facts that align with the outcome that they want the other person to come to," she said. "In business it's the same - they tell you the good facts about a company, not the bad facts. I don't do that. I have never done that."

Maggie Cordish, a longtime friend whose husband now works in the Trump administration as an assistant to the president, said Ivanka "understands what a privilege it is to find herself in this position and to be able to move the needle on things she cares about. . . . She uprooted herself from New York to come down here to get things done."

As she goes about her work, there is another oddity that is Ivanka-specific: the fact that she becomes a cipher into which people pour their own beliefs and aspirations, the fact that multiple people can sit in a room with her and each believe she is speaking directly to them.

Republican female lawmakers who have met with Ivanka spoke about her preparedness, and their excitement to have a representative from the White House who cared about issues they had worked on, in some cases, for years. Multiple male lawmakers spoke at length about her "elegance" and her "grace"; and then worried out loud that they seemed enamored of her.

In the eyes of Democrats, Ivanka is forever moving one step forward and two steps back, forever caught up in her father's unseemly dramas. Three months into her official role, observers who analyze her influence on Donald Trump are still doing so via a method of reading her tweets like tea leaves: Ivanka sends out support for refugees on World Refugee Day, against a father interminably stumping for a travel ban. Ivanka wishes her LGBT followers a happy Pride month, while her father eschewed Barack Obama's tradition of issuing a proclamation. At times, she comes across as earnest, if slightly oblivious; at times it seems like she knows exactly what she is doing, which is goading her dad.

Ivanka, taken out of context, is rarely offensive. But Ivanka is all context - the context of her father. He is why people write about her, dissect her, fret over her. She is playing a flute in an orchestra. He is running around banging a gong in the background, making her look tone-deaf.

_ _ _

Rep. Trent Franks, R-Arizona, recently received an invitation from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, for a meeting to brainstorm a pro-family tax code. A special participant - the "predicate" of the meeting, as Franks saw it - would be Ivanka Trump, the woman whose father had spent an election cycle gleefully referring to the meeting's host as "Little Marco."

Nine Republican lawmakers gathered around a table at which the first daughter spoke softly enough that other participants fell silent to hear her bring greetings from the president and talk about her desire for a child-care tax credit and paid family leave. The roundtable, and Ivanka's behavior in it, was representative of how she has come to conduct business in Washington.

"She was a very active listener," said Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Nebraska, noting that Ivanka responded to each participant's favored issue -- an adoption tax credit, a caregiver tax credit -- as if she had personally researched them.

"In every sincere way," Franks said, "I left and felt like this was a meeting of consequence."

Ivanka left and told Kushner -- in one of the frenetic catch-ups that the couple holds, sometimes in his office, sometimes in the 11-11:20 p.m. timespan between when her husband gets home and when the two go to bed -- that the meeting had been "really positive."

Paid parental leave is on the administration's proposed budget this year: a mandated six weeks for birth and adoptive parents. Ivanka knows proposed budgets never survive intact, an aide said, and that the proposal could struggle to find support from either Democrats, who don't think it goes far enough, or from conservative Republicans, who disagree with a mandate at all.

"I think there's going to be a question of whether it gets there, but you know, she's happy that people are talking about this -- and again she's working hard to build coalition and understanding around the issue," said a person close to Ivanka in the White House, who requested anonymity to speak openly.

While Ivanka did meet privately with her home state senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, according to the Associated Press, her early public meetings have largely included Republicans on Capitol Hill, leaving some Democrats who have pressed the legislation for decades wondering about her strategy.

"I appreciate what Ivanka Trump is doing to elevate the issue to make it part of the public discourse," said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, a veteran advocate for family leave whose own proposed bill was analyzed alongside the Trump administration's in a recent collaborative study by the liberal Brookings Institution and the conservative think tank American Enterprise Institute.

"I haven't met with her. I haven't been asked to meet with her," DeLauro adds. "I don't want to be presumptuous, but since I have been engaged in these issues on the House side for such a long time I'd hope that I would be included in a discussion of these issues."

_ _ _

When Donald Trump announced he would be pulling out of the global climate change agreement known as the Paris Accords, it angered liberals who had put their hopes in Ivanka. She had personally met with former Vice President Al Gore, and gotten actor Leonardo DiCaprio into a room with her father to talk about climate change. She telephoned business executives, encouraging them to tell her father to stay in the deal. He didn't.

"Is it possible she's doing nothing to moderate her father?" exasperated HBO host John Oliver asked. Aides say she felt frustrated. She had done her job, as she saw it, exposing her father to a variety of ideas, but she couldn't make her father commit to something he didn't want to.

That is her typical approach. "I am not sort of trying to selectively curate information that will lead him to agree with me," she said. "Debate is good."

In other interviews, she has said she would never criticize her father in public. "Where I disagree with my father, he knows it," she told CBS's Gayle King in a televised interview in April. People who know her say that speaking out in public would be "inappropriate."

At times it seems as if the question of whether Ivanka could change her father's mind misses the question of how much she wants to. Understanding her requires understanding them as a unit.

A childhood friend of Ivanka's remembers a moment during the campaign. Ivanka was scheduled to come to California and be interviewed on stage for a Fortune magazine-sponsored summit on powerful women. The friend lived nearby, so Ivanka invited her to attend. "It was supposed to be more about her, and being a successful woman in business," the friend recalls. "But it was hard for them not to turn it around to something like, 'How do you define your father's actions about X that day?' "

Day "X," a quick Google search reveals, took place shortly after the president's leaked "Access Hollywood" tape. Without preamble, the Fortune interviewer asked for Ivanka's reaction.

"Way to warm up!" Ivanka said, laughing. "It's lovely to be here in California."

The friend, who asked to speak anonymously, remembered being nervous on Ivanka's behalf, but then unsurprised at Ivanka's easy response. Ivanka noted that her father had apologized and had always treated her with respect.

That ease could be traced to half a lifetime in the public eye: She started modeling as a teenager and spent nearly a decade on prime time TV with her father. And she had become used to explaining his behavior.

The same thing happened in April in Germany: Ivanka was invited by Chancellor Angela Merkel to attend a summit on how to achieve equality for women. Ivanka showed up and was immediately asked to defend her father's statements about women. The fact that Merkel announced Ivanka's involvement with a World Bank fund for women-owned businesses was overshadowed by stories about whether some audience members had booed Ivanka's rationalization of her dad's behavior.

The same thing happened last week while she was in theSituation Room for the G-20 meeting. On Twitter, a flurry of commenters were blasting Ivanka to explain her father.

Ivanka is always asked to explain her father.

But, the childhood friend notes: In more than two decades of knowing Ivanka, she has never once heard her complain about that.
This week  on Thursday  the iPhone turned 10! Well take this opportunity to reflect on how the best-known phone in the world changed the smartphone landscape and even its parent company.

A pivotal moment in Apples history was the introduction of the iPod. It was the first truly successful non-computer product by Apple (after many bumps in the road) and it helped propel iTunes to be one of the dominant music providers in the world.

The iPhone was the next pivotal moment, so in its honor, lets look at the 10 most important moments of its history. Weve already looked at the individual iPhones, now well try to focus on the bigger picture.

100 songs

We begin with Motorola. Yes, really  the ROKR E1 was the first phone to support iTunes. It featured a 2.5mm audio jack, stereo speakers and could sync your music library with your computer's iTunes. Its downfall proved to be that it had a hard limit of 100 songs. It wasnt even a memory issue, a 1GB microSD card (the maximum supported) could hold a lot more.

The thing is, the hardware business is expensive while uploading songs to users over the Internet is cheap. This digital content distribution proved lucrative with revenue growing each year.

Shopping for apps

Naturally, apps are another easy source of revenue. Its even better than music since there are no negotiations with music labels and no royalty payments  Apple just pockets 30% of the apps price, leaving the other 70% to the developer.

The App Store was not a feature of the original iPhone, instead it came a year later alongside the iPhone 3G. Apples original vision was one of web apps, but rampant jailbreaking forced its hand.

The store launched with only 500 apps on its virtual shelves. That number has grown to over 2 million since then. The store proved profitable for Apple, but for developers as well  during the WWDC, Apple revealed that devs have earned over $70 billion in the nine years since the store launched.

Photography, reinvented

Apple has an uncanny ability to create markets. The iPhone camera was nothing special at first, the 2G and 3G couldnt even record video (officially). Starting with the iPhone 4, Apple focused on image quality has been in the leading pack ever since (though competition has gotten quite fierce).

Instagram, Snapchat, Vine and many other camera apps launched on the iPhone first. Instagram was acquired for $1 billion, but Snapchat dwarfs that with a $21 billion market cap. Vine was cheap ($30M) and shuttered early, but it popularized short mobile video.

Apples FaceTime pushed people to use video chat. Video calls was one of the headlining features of 3G networks and the first 3G phones made a big deal out of it, but few bothered to use it. At this point its hard to tell if a phone supports 3G video calls or not. All iPhones support FaceTime, though, and people actually use it.

Hey, Siri

Apple is rarely the first to do something, but when it does get into something, it makes a huge splash. Siri is a is a great example of that  it wasnt original Apple tech (it's acquired an iOS app), but it was the first digital assistant people know by name (well, not counting Clippy).

Since then weve had Amazon, Google and Microsoft enter the market, with the first two selling smart speakers where the assistant can live. At the WWDC, Apple unveiled its own  the HomePod.

Its yet to reach consumers, but the company is a wiz at building platforms. The cooperation between the various iGadgets you can have and the HomePod seemed highly impressive in Apples demos. Google has Nest and Chromebooks, but its not quite the same.

Lightning strikes twice

Apple can be a destructive force as well as a constructive one. iPhone 5's Lightning port replaced the 30-pin port, which was sorely outdated. It also paved the way for reversible USB-C. But it also killed the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Apples strength in building a cohesive platform is that it rules with an iron fist. Standard headphones were an uncontrolled variable, but all Lightning port headphones and adapters need to be Mfi certified.

Dropping the standard jack gave Apple subsidiary Beats something to do, plus it gently nudged people towards going wireless  using Apples AirPods, of course.

A bigger iPod

We called the iPod and the iPhone pivotal, was the iPad the same? Many thought so at first  it was the first successful tablet, after Microsofts prototypes failed to gain traction. Many others thought it was just a bigger iPod. Which it was until it gained its own identity with things like the Pencil and split screen multitasking.

While people still use iPads, they only buy them occasionally. Buying a new iPhone each year isnt that uncommon and neither is keeping an iPad for 3-4 years. The upwards trend in revenues reversed and currently hover around 2011 levels.

Payday

Launched with the iPhone 6, Pay is Apples newest service that has the potential to be a huge cash cow. Lets just say that theres a reason Visa is as big as it is.

With the App Store, Apple gained 30% of the purchase price of apps. With Apple Pay, the company doesnt even have to run its own store  it can charge a tax per transaction whether you are in a store, on a website or buying something in app.

Apple is reluctant to reveal individual numbers, but in the first three months of 2017, the company saw a revenue of $7 billion from iTunes, App Store, Pay and iCloud (the so-called Services division). Keep in mind that Services accounts for less than 10% of Apples revenue.

Still, it brought in more revenue than Sonys mobile division, much more than HTC. Even Google  well, parent company Alphabet  reported Q1 revenues of $24 billion. That should put things in perspective and explain why we focus on Apples digital plays so much.

Tick-tock

The tablet market is stagnating  it didnt kill the PC as predicted. The smartwatch market didnt set the world on fire either, but nonetheless, Apple is the king of it. Cupertino edged out Xiaomi, even though it ships only expensive, high-end watches while its competitor deals mostly in $20 Mi Bands.

Its unclear how essential the Apple Watch is in supporting Apple Pay  you need to have an iPhone on you to use the Watch anyway. Still, the Watch gives a boost to Apples other services  Siri, iMessage, iTunes even.

On the road

In the early days, Apple used Google Maps  back then the companies were friendly. That relationship soured and Cupertino started plotting its own maps. The first iteration was heavily mocked (rightly so), things have improved much since then. And the competition is thinning out, after Nokia sold Here to a consortium of German car makers.

Speaking of, iOS CarPlay is the new hotness in cars (competing with Android Auto). Car infotainment systems always find a way to be convoluted, sluggish or downright dumb, but a smartphone  the heart of your digital world  can do a much better job. CarPlay support is now a major selling point on new cars. Something that would not have worked so well without maps.

The future

What does the future hold for the iPhone? We can only guess, but looking at Apples business deals one thing is clear  the company wants to own the tech used on the production line.

It has an in-house CPU designer, an in-house GPU is coming, the company is investing in microLED displays, we wouldnt be surprised to hear rumors that Apple is looking into making camera sensors too. In short, we think Cupertino will not be satisfied until every cog in the iPhone machine has an Apple logo stamped on it.

Bonus fact: Diablo II and the iPhone were both released on June 29 (in 2000 and 2007 respectively).




Haiti - Politics : Moise calls on farmers to regroup their land





Friday in Desseaux in front of a large crowd, President Jovenl Moise, accompanied by Prime Minister Jacques Guy Lafontant, proceeded under the rain to a partial demobilization of equipments https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21388-haiti-flash-significant-traffic-disruptions.html of the Caravan of the change engaged in the realization of works in the valley of the Artibonite https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20822-haiti-politics-launch-of-the-caravan-of-change.html



In his speech he explained to farmers and to the population the mechanisms that enabled the implementation of this Caravan, as well as the measures adopted to perpetuate the results and significantly improve agricultural production in the Valley.



The Head of State took the opportunity once again to call on the farmers to regroup in order to avoid the fragmentation of the land and to benefit from the support of his administration. Finally, he promised the return of the Caravan in the Artibonite in November, to initiate major projects and the concreting of canals.



At the end of this ceremony of demobilization of equipment which should allow the Caravan of the Change to set the course on the Great South (Grand'Anse, South, Nippes) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21378-haiti-great-south-a-caravan-of-change-of-35-billion-gdes.html , the Head of State, accompanied by the Prime Minister, of some members of the Government and several parliamentarians and local authorities, made a tour of the works carried out in the Artibonite Valley, including irrigation canals, drains, the agricultural tracks and the banks built at the level of Bocozelle and Pont Sonde.



HL/ HaitiLibre
























Haiti - Education : Almost $25M expected from EU budget support





This week, Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet, Minister of National Education, had an important working meeting with Ambassador Vincent Degert, Resident Representative of the European Union (EU) in Haiti, on budget support in education whose two agreements was signed this week for a total of 19 million euros https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21392-haiti-france-8-million-euros-to-support-the-3rd-af-and-the-new-secondary.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21383-haiti-politics-11-million-euros-for-agricultural-vocational-training.html



This session, held in the offices of the National Office of the Partnership in Education (ONAPE), made it possible to specify the steps to be taken to unblock the funds, in particular the achievement of a number of key indicators in education.



Ambassador Degert said he hoped that the process would accelerate in order to achieve the commitments expected by both sides. Minister Cadet, who welcomed EU action, said he was determined to speed up the process to allow the government to benefit from this EU budget support quickly.



Note that around $25 million (  22 million) is expected in budget support at the end of the implementation of Haitian state actions.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21392-haiti-france-8-million-euros-to-support-the-3rd-af-and-the-new-secondary.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-21383-haiti-politics-11-million-euros-for-agricultural-vocational-training.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















By William Schwartz | Published on 2017/07/01

To those unfamiliar with South Korean political culture, the explicit veneration a significant portion of the population holds toward former president Park Geun-hye may seem a bit odd. To this day there are still protests in Seoul against her impeachment. It's not something the South Korean media or anyone else especially likes to talk about, since the existence of this political cult of personality in a supposedly democratic country is a bit of an embarrassment. In "Mis-President", director Kim Jae-hwan allows these people to explain themselves on their own terms.

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As it turns out the veneration of Park Geun-hye has very little to do with Park Geun-hye but is more residual feeling regarding her father, Park Chung-hee, the dictator who ruled South Korea through the sixties and seventies. And from the very first interview the defense offered of Park Chung-hee is pretty direct. Sure he was a dictator. So what? So were the great Korean kings of antiquity. Park Chung-hee brought us out of starvation and suffering, so he ranks among them and deserves the same form of respect.

Honestly it's not a bad argument. I don't agree with it, and find the whitewashing of Park Chung-hee's dark side to be a tad disconcerting, but the opinion is well-expressed and I get it. Free speech, supposedly, means that people are allowed to have different opinions without automatically being attacked for them. Besides that, it's not like any of these people are clamoring for the days of dictatorship to return. They just want good government.

That's where Park Geun-hye comes in, a woman who ran for president in South Korea in 2012 largely on the power of her father's brand name. And honestly, it's kind of sad watching the people in the Park Chung-hee cult of personality, be they middle class, working class, or that weirdo who wears traditional mourning clothes, come to terms with the fact that Park Geun-hye is not her father. With Park Chung-hee you can point to a wide range of tangible improvements from when he took power to his death. With Park Geun-hye there's just...random corruption that benefited no one save for a small group of cronies.

And seeing the disappointment in their eyes, I can also understand better why some people just refused to acknowledge her failures. They took to the street denouncing laborers, newspapers, communists, anyone they thought was spreading malicious lies about their fearless leader. Because what else are they supposed to do? Admit that South Korea's modernization was more complicated than the act of a single strongman and his hypercompetent family?

It's a disquieting resolution in general because the universal political parallels are so obvious. Park Chung-hee's statues are eerily and ironically reminiscent of their North Korean equivalents. Then there's the United States, where a small loud group continues to refuse to acknowledge that the Clinton political machine was not the invincible juggernaut we thought it was. More than the literal death of our heroes, metaphorical death, as seen in "Mis-President", is the part some people just can't overcome.

Review by William Schwartz

"Mis-President" is directed by Kim Jae-hwan.
By William Schwartz | Published on 2017/07/01

In central Asia there resides an ethnic Korean minority large enough to support their own theater, the Koryo Theater. The high times of the Koryo Theater are long behind us- their main claim to fame is in grainy newsreel footage from the thirties. This footage, what little of it remains, celebrates traditional Korean music and performances fused with the musical and cultural style of Central Asia. This sound is utterly unique and, it would seem, particular to its place and time in history.

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Director Kim So-young-I does not get into the history of where this cultural mix came from. We can, of course, easily guess that it goes back a long way. Note how these ethnic Koreans identify themselves as Koryo, the name of Korea dating back to the fourteenth century, rather than even Joseon. They're refugees from back before anyone had any concept of political motivation behind migrant movements. They left Korea because it sucked, and that was as much thought as they put into it.

No, what Kim So-young-I does is try to contextualize the Koryo Theater through the life stories of two of its most famous performers, Bang Tamara and Lee Ham-deok. Famous being a relative term, of course, since only people in central Asia had any idea who they were, and even then, how well do you know your local ethnic theater groups? They performed because they liked performing, and their lives of obscurity seem worthy neither of praise nor censure.

This is the nomad mindset- one that does not obsess over specific outcomes and endlessly try to rethink them, but one that just involves a shrug of the shoulders and going, eh, that's life. There's this weird air of indifference in all of the interviews. Everyone is extremely polite and they have very good memories. It never seems to occur to anyone that Kim So-young-I has some sort of actual point in mind through all these simple historical questions, nor do they care.

I could never figure out what Kim So-young-I's point was either, which oddly enough works to the advantage of "Sound of Nomad: Koryo Arirang". The people influenced by the classical performers of Koryo Theater are aware of the cultural distinctions, yet not defined by them. They understand cultural mixing as a daily part of unremarkable day-to-day life, and indeed, I have to be vague about this "Central Asia" stuff for good reason. Scene by scene it's surprisingly difficult to tell which combination of Russian, Korean, Kazakh, Uzbek, Turkmen, and Kyrgyz culture informs this person's life, and in what proportions.

This is because as time goes on, and the more we see of these people, the clearer it becomes that this is a continuous melding process that continues into the modern day. When we finally meet modern-day descendants of Bang Tamara and Lee Ham-deok, we can see how they are subtly Korean. Even if they don't look Korean or speak Korean or consider themselves Korean, the tiny subtle cultural markers we saw in the Koryo Theater yet persist.

Review by William Schwartz

"Sound of Nomad: Koryo Arirang" is directed by Kim So-young-I.
With no path to win, Mastriano still silent on conceding blowout loss

The Trump-allied Republican is still silent about his 14-point thumping. He instead trashed Shapiro on a Veterans Day post: "You never served a day."
Two farmers allegedly committed suicide while a woman farmer attempted to kill herself in Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday.

More than 30 farmers have committed suicide allegedly due to debt burden since June 6, when violent farmers protests rocked the state.

Prem Lal Ahirwar (23), from Semraghat village in Sagar district, allegedly committed suicide by jumping in front of a running train plying between Silodha and Khurai railway stations on Saturday evening.

Kalyan Ahirwar, brother of the deceased, said their 2.5 acre farmland was mortgaged for Rs 2.5 lakh loan with a local money lender. They had taken the loan to repay an earlier debt.

The money lender was exerting pressure on the brothers to either repay the loan or get the land registered in his name, he alleged.

Our gold and silver ornaments are already mortgaged with local jeweller. Hence, we didnt have any other money to repay the loan. Prem was under huge stress due to the circumstances, Kalyan said.

Assistant sub-inspector of police, Jagdish Bhagat, the investigation officer in the case, said seven slips regarding the ornaments mortgaged were recovered from the deceaseds pocket.

He said the suicide for debt can be confirmed only after investigations.

In Tikamgarh district, Dharam Singh (45), a resident of Bandha village allegedly committed suicide by hanging from a pole on the outskirts of the village.

His neighbour Surendra Singh told reporters that the deceased had two acre farmland and had a burden of loan taken from a local money lender. On June 18, the deceaseds daughters marriage was solemnised with financial help from neighbours.

Assistant sub-inspector of police, Nandkishore Viswakarma said the deceased had a small land holding and he was addicted to liquor. However, police were investigating to know the reason behind the death.

In the third case, a 35-year-old woman farmer, Ahilya, allegedly made an attempt to end her life by consuming poisonous substance.

However, her family members rushed her to a nearby community health centre from where she was referred to Damoh district hospital.

She had taken loans from a bank, a co-operative society and a local money lender.

Her husband Radhe Shyam Kurmi told reporters that they had six acres of land. In the last few years, they faced drought while this year, the crop was not good. They had a loan burden of about Rs 2 lakh.

The local money lenders repeated demands and bank notices for repayment of loans nagged them.

Damoh additional SP, Arvind Dubey said police were looking into the matter.

The farm crisis in Madhya Pradesh has been under the spotlight since June 6, when five farmers died in police firing during demonstrations to demand a loan waiver and better crop prices. The spate of suicides has continued since then.

Farmers in the central state have demanded the government to make arrangements to procure the crop on time nor intervened to ensure a reasonable price.

From February 2016 to mid-February 2017, 1,982 farmers and farm labourers reportedly committed suicide, which was one-fifth of the total suicides in the state, where 21,000 farmers have taken their lives in 16 years.

The National Crime Records Bureau attributed the reasons to crop failure, failure to sell produce, inability to repay loans, and other non-agriculture factors such as poverty and property disputes.
A lot of actors in Bollywood are either taking up work in Hollywood or turning directors and producers. However, actor Vidya Balan says she does not have plans of doing either, at least not at the moment. I have never been interested in any other area of filmmaking enough, to want to learn more about it. Whether its direction or production, honestly, I have no inclination and more than that, I dont think I have the bandwidth to manage a complete project, says Vidya.

Calling acting her first and only love, the 38-year-old adds that she is really good at taking instructions. I want to be handled. I dont want to handle people. As a director, you have to handle everything and everyone aur woh mere se nahi hoga. [Also] I am very selfish about my space in front of the camera. I want to play every role that comes my way. And I cant do cameo appearances because little se mere kya hoga, laughs Vidya.

Ive always wanted to use this dialogue from Devdas..Yoohoo here it is... "Kaun kambhakt bardasht karne ke liye peeta hai "...  A post shared by Vidya Balan (@balanvidya) on Jun 30, 2017 at 4:20am PDT

Whether it is playing a adult film actress in Dirty Picture (2012) or the owner of a brothel in Begum Jaan (2017), Vidya has never shied away from taking up roles that defy set norms. Shes won awards and critical acclaim for her off-beat roles but the actor says she has never felt the pressure to excel. I rather look at it as a compliment and enjoy it. I take it as a blessing that people have expectations from me, but Ive never let these expectations come in way of my thinking while deciding to do something, she says.

So has it been a conscious choice to take up roles that mostly address strong social issues? I work for myself. I do roles that Im convinced about. Even though I enjoy the fact that people say I do something different each time, thats not whats guiding my choices. Its my own need to do something different every time to explore a new aspect of myself or to live another persons life, she says.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Finally the monsoon has hit Delhi-NCR, the MeT department said on Sunday.

Even as the city had seen overcast conditions and rain in the past few days and record rainfall in a decade this June, it wasnt monsoon. The official date for arrival of the monsoon in Delhi is June 29.

On Sunday morning, however, MeT officials declared that the monsoon has hit Delhi as southwest monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, remaining parts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, entire National Capital region NCR (Delhi) and some parts of Haryana.

Till 8.30 in the morning, 20.4 mm of rainfall was recorded while the minimum temperature was 26.4 degrees celsius.

According to a Met official, a western disturbance will ensure similar rain in Delhi for two more days at a stretch.

The monsoon arrived in east UP yesterday. Today, it arrived in west UP and Delhi NCR. For the next two days, this rain will continue due to a western disturbance. After that, there are forecasts of light rain, a MeT official told HT.

This year, monsoon in Delhi arrived a few days late. Sometimes the monsoon current is strong enough and advances on its own. But at times it needs some push or a drag to advance over the Indian landmass. Certain atmospheric conditions such as a cyclonic circulation, a low pressure or a depression in the sea provide this push.

Water logging was reported from many areas in south Delhi. However, being a Sunday with minimal vehicular movement compared to weekdays, not many traffic snarls were reported.

In June, New Delhi area (Safdarjung observatory) has received 191.9 mm of rain. It broke a 10-year-old record of 150.9 mm rain in June 2007. It never rained more than that over a decade. In June 2013, it received around 119.5 mm of rain. The wettest June Delhi has ever witnessed was in the year 1936 when the city received around 414.8 mm of rain.

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This time the frightening news reports originated from Jharkhand. At a remote village in Giridih district, people saw a carcass of a large animal outside a persons house. The rumour spread like wildfire that it was a cow-killing. Around a thousand people surrounded the house and mercilessly beat up the ageing home-owner. The police reached the spot and tried to save his life but he succumbed to injuries at the hospital. Before the ink could dry up on this shameful story, another tragic incident in Ramgarh came to light. Here again a vehicle driver was beaten up so badly on allegation of transporting banned meat that he breathed his last on reaching the hospital.

Dont you think we are passing through an extraordinary phase when murders are becoming the favourite pursuit of the mobocracy?

If this wasnt the case, why was a group of young men beaten up near Ballabhgarh on the eve of Eid? In this tragic incident, 16-year-old Junaid was murdered while returning home after Eid shopping. Knife stabs were discovered on half of Junaids body. This happens only when the murderer is seething with obsessive rage.

Before this too people have been beaten to death in Assam, Alwar and Dadri. Many other people have been beaten up at other places.

Looking at these incidents, you shouldnt jump to the hasty conclusion that the victims of violence are only from minorities.

In Srinagar, DSP Ayub Pandith was killed by his own people. Senior officers of the Kashmir police had deputed him to keep a watch on proceedings during special prayers outside the Jamia Mosque to commemorate the holy night of piety. The mob reportedly attacked him after tearing his clothes.

What did the mob want to see by taking his clothes off? Unconfirmed reports say that his nameplate bore his name A Pandith. Did the word Pandith lead to his death? Was that the motive behind tearing off his clothes? Despite this he was not saved, but killed. The surnames Pandith, Pundir and Chauhan dont symbolise a caste or religion: They are a symbol of our tradition. How can our tradition be a murderer?

Spreading hatred in the name of religion is the easy option, but when the fire of violence begins to rage, it doesnt singe you after asking you your caste or religion. The bloodshed in Saharanpur is its biggest example. The clash here wasnt religious but was on the basis of caste. As a result three people had to lose their lives and the time that the government machinery would have spent on development projects was instead spent restoring law and order.

Certain intellectuals want to push their selfish interests by blaming these incidents on the ruling dispensation. I want to make it clear that it isnt a transgression committed by a particular government. The history of the misdeeds carried out in the name of mob justice goes back decades. According to a BBC article, numerous incidents of mob lynchings came to light during the long Left Front rule in West Bengal. Between 1982 and 1984 alone, more than 300 people became victims of angry mobs in different parts of the country.

This long and bloodied history makes it obvious that our politicians enjoy encouraging the malaise rather than fighting it. The statement made by former Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan about the armed forces shows how serious our politicians are about such incidents. He is not alone. Every party and political outfit has people who are keen to promote this mud-slinging. Just read a few statements by maharajs and sadhvis. You will realise that the same people who were given the responsibility of emotionally strengthening a people divided by Partition betrayed their own supporters.

Is this happening only in India? No, the entire world has been afflicted by this. Most European nations and the United States have been split wide open owing to social tensions. Even a Buddhist country like Myanmar where social harmony should prevail is seeing a regime of torture unleashed on the Rohingya Muslims. It is having an impact on the Indian subcontinent too.

Has the 21st century brought in the danger of strife and distrust along with unprecedented technological progress?

It is a matter of relief that on Thursday Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned the violence and killings carried out in the name of cow protection. He has done it before but it didnt have any effect on the hardliners. One hopes theyll be dealt with strictly when required.

Shashi Shekhar is editor-in-chief Hindustan

letters@hindustantimes.com
Union agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh may not have faced penal action for urinating in public, but a junior engineer in Uttarakhand was not lucky for doing a similar act.

The Haridwar district administration has slapped a fine of Rs 5,000 on Jagdish Prasad, a junior engineer working with Manglore municipality, for urinating against a wall at the district collectorate campus, where he had come to attend a meeting.

District magistrate Deepak Rawat issued the order against Prasad on June 30  the day when a junior engineer was caught  for recovering Rs 5,000 from his salary as fine.

The DMs notice. (Source: DM office)

The order addressed to the executive officer of the Manglore municipality in Haridwar district said that failure to comply with the order would attract departmental action for the executive officer.

Rules are in place to discourage littering, open defecation or urination. I caught the engineer red-handed. He was urinating despite the fact there are numerous toilets within the campus. The idea is not to defame a person but to bring discipline among people, DM Deepak Rawat told HT on Sunday.

The engineer was not available for his comments.

As per the Centres direction, the state urban development department framed the rules under Swachh Bharat Mission in November last year.

However, people defecating in public were hardly penalised months after the rules were framed. Even in Haridwar, a holy town, several people can be spotted relieving themselves daily.

The action against the engineer spurred a debate on social media as some praised the district magistrates order, but others sought to know questioned why the Union minister, Radha Mohan Singh, who was pictured in an undated photograph relieving himself in public, was not penalised.

Any idea how much fine was slapped on mantriji (Radha Mohan)? asked Deepa Kaushlam. Its another issue whether we have enough public toilets but that does not mean offenders should be spared, said Ramesh Pahari on Facebook.

The minister had defended himself, saying there were no urinals for long distances on the national highway NH28 in Bihars East Champaran district.

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The World Quality Congress (WQC), an independent body that judges the standard of quality by corporates, has adjudged services provided by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) at Delhi airport as the best airport security across the country.

With this, CISF becomes the first armed police force to get this recognition by the WQC.

Last year, the security provided at Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) was adjudged better than that in international airports such as Dallas, Heathrow, Paris and Dubai by a survey on Airport Service Quality (ASQ).

The removal of baggage tag stamping played a crucial role in CISF winning this award, apart from restoring missing items of passengers and catching passengers trying to smuggle cash or drugs.

This again shows our commitment towards providing security at the most sensitive airport of the country. We are providing security without causing any inconvenience to the passengers and were judged on various points such as waiting time at security points and the courteous behaviour of staff, said OP Singh, director general, CISF.

Doing away with stamping of tags allowed passengers to move on from the security area once their baggage is scanned, Singh said.

The World Quality Congress recognises and gives awards for excellence to organisations in their attainment of world-class standard of quality excellence. The awards focus on the contribution of individuals, projects, organisations and technologies.

The award has different categories and CISF had nominated itself for quality excellence award for best airport security. With the entry, CISF had given details of the Delhi airport security in 2,500 words and data to support why they are the best.

The armed police force provides security at airports across the country.
The Delhi Police on Sunday filed a 32-page chargesheet in the KC Patel honey-trap case in Tis Hazari Court.

Patel, a BJP parliamentarian, had accused a woman lawyer of honeytrapping and blackmailing him to cough up 5 crore, threatening that she would make public a video clip of him in a compromising position. The MP for Valsad in Gujarat filed a complaint with Delhi Police after the lawyer accused the lawmaker of rape.

Patel had said the woman befriended him and took him to her home in Ghaziabad to meet her family. He alleged that she gave him a drink laced with sedatives and he fell unconscious, following which she recorded his objectionable videos and clicked photos that she later used to blackmail him.

She even allegedly threatened to press rape charges against him if he refused to pay. The woman had also alleged that the MP had assaulted her. When asked about why she made a CD she had said that the MP was threatening her and she wanted to keep it as a proof.

According to sources, the chargesheet includes name of three accused, including the woman lawyer and statements of 21 witnesses. The three men, police said, used to take care of the logistics while her job was to trap businessmen or politicians and get them to her residence.
The Delhi government has proposed setting up of a separate agency to tackle the menace of drug abuse, especially among children, in the national Capital.

Hindustan Times had on June 26 reported about a study on drug abuse patterns among children residing in east Delhis Seemapuri. The study revealed that at least 80% of them were addicts.

Social Welfare minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, who is also the MLA from Seemapuri, said a separate body to tackle drug abuse will ensure awareness, treatment and enforcement.

We dont have enforcement power. So for that we will take help of police. Enforcement can check the menace. Because of addiction, crime is on the rise and we are losing a young generation. An action plan is being prepared and we will have zero tolerance on this, Gautam said.

Sources said that a cabinet note has been prepared and the name of the autonomous body would be Delhi State Substance Abuse Control and Rehabilitation Society (DSSACRS).

We need to work at all levels, including prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Right now there are negligible activities and there has been no study or reliable data on the drug users in the capital, said a government official.

The study in Seemapuri underlined some of the common factors that often led to addiction peer pressure, family history, involvement in jobs like rag picking and segregation and easy accessibility.

The study also points out that children as young as seven and eight years old in Seemapuri were taking drugs. Most of the parents knew that their children were consuming drugs. But they were either helpless or unperturbed by the problem. The residents of the neighbourhood were found to be mostly addicted to ganja (marijuana), smack (heroin), beer or tobacco.

Most of the children take drugs because it is easily available. Police know the drug suppliers, but dont control them. Better enforcement can solve the problem. The Central government should direct the police to launch a crackdown, Gautam added.

The study conducted by Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses (SPYM) also suggested association between drug use and increased likelihood of engaging in crime was commonly fuelled by the environment that the children inhabit. Participation in criminal activities is most often for collecting funds required to finance drug dependency.

ENDS

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A four-storey building collapsed in east Delhis Laxmi Nagar area on Sunday morning, injuring at least five people.

Police said that the building that collapsed was located at G Block near a Metro pillar and there were no casualties in the incident. The injured had been shifted to a hospital for treatment.

The owner of the building Mohan Sharma later told HT that the structure was around 25 years old. He said that he lived with his family in the building, which also houses six offices and some shops.

Rohit (who goes by just one name), a local resident who lives in a nearby building and had a close shave, said, Around 2am, I heard loud sounds that sounded like the cracking of glasses. I rushed out to see what was happening. In six to seven seconds, the whole building collapsed.

This building was more than 25-years-old and was in a dilapidated condition. The neighbours had even complained to the east corporation a few months ago warning that it might collapse due to lack of maintenance. But no action was taken, he said.

People living in the neighbourhood said that the damage would have been more if the incident had happened during the day or on weekdays as the building was located on the main road in Vikas Marg.

Shubham Verma, a neighbour said, There were no causalities as all the shops were closed and not more than six to seven people were inside the building.

A resident of the ill-fated building, Balkar singh, sustained minor injuries. (Sushil/HT Photo )

One of the injured Balkar Singhs arm was fractured, while the others sustained minor injuries. All other residents escaped unhurt.

Fire officials said that the building might have collapsed because of the continuous downpour over the weekend causing seepage in the basement.

Fire officials said eight police teams, five fire tenders, an excavator and an emergency response team were sent to the spot after they received a call about the building collapse at around 1.34am.

Subham Aggarwal, a shopkeeper in the area said, When I came to open my shop, I saw that the building had collapsed. It was a dangerous sight. There are several other dilapidated buildings in the area which too might collapse if authorities do not force the owners to carry out their maintenance.

Owner of the collapsed building, Mohan Sharma, too believed that that seepage in the basement due to rain could be the possible reason for the collapse.

The East Corporation has started the process of clearing the debris. We are in the process of cleaning up the debris. We have accounted for all the residents. We do not suspect any casualties, said a police officer.

The district magistrate of east, along with the SDM, senior police officers and deputy fire chief visited the spot and were overseeing the rescue operations.

Cars damaged after iron rods fall on it

A bunch of iron rods, put up for the construction of a government school in southeast Delhi, came down on Saturday after heavy rains, injuring one person and damaging four cars parked in the vicinity.

According to police, the iron frame had been put on Saturday but the construction had to be stopped midway after the rain started.

The rods fell on four cars that were parked under the building. They were damaged. One person who was passing by also sustained minor injuries. No casualty was reported in the incident, a senior police officer said.

The police beat staff was informed about the incident by one of the car owners. We received a complaint and we are conducting an inquiry into it, a police officer said. No case has been registered in the matter.
More than a month has passed since the National Green Tribunal in a landmark order on May 19 had banned open defecation on the floodplains of Yamuna. It had directed the authorities, including Delhi police, to impose a fine of Rs5,000 on defaulters.

But little seems to have changed on the ground.

While open defecation continues unabated, police are yet to react. The Delhi Development Authority (DDA), which looks after the O Zone (the river front), has however put up some boards, declaring that waste dumping and defecation is prohibited.

Hindustan Times visited a few spots along the Yamuna Bank such as Yamuna Bazaar and Kailash Nagar. Hundreds of homeless, rickshaw pullers and slum dwellers live in these areas and most of them still go to the Yamuna banks to relieve themselves every day.

There are a few public toilets here but one has to walk for at least 10-15 minutes to reach them. We all go to the Yamuna. Now the court has directed the police to impose a fine. But what are we to do? said Sarita Devi, who lives on the bank of the Yamuna.

Residents of a slum on Pushta Road at Kailash Nagar on the eastern bank of Yamuna claimed that the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has installed a few community toilets inside the slum, which they have started using. But the toilets turn unusable early in the day.

Most of the slum dwellers use the toilets but some relieve themselves in the bushes and vegetation on the river banks. There are however no lights and no water inside. One has to carry water. Sometimes they get too dirty. Then we prefer the river bank, said Ram Lal, a resident of the slum.

Locals claimed that even though the toilet is now functional, it was out of order for at least two months. The septic tanks had become full and waste water was flooding the area. The contractor who was supposed to clean the tanks came after two months.

This could be a stray incident. The public toilets are usually maintained properly. In case of any grievance, the public should approach us. We take immediate action, said DUSIB chief executive officer (CEO) VK Jain.

On the west bank, one could see scores of homeless and rickshaw pullers living under the bridge. Ask anyone about a public toilet and they would instantly point towards the river bank.

There are a few public toilets in Yamuna Bazar (a 10-minute walk) but we usually go to the river. There are a lot of bushes and forest patches where one can find an isolated spot, said Md Hussain, a rickshaw puller.

Every morning, sights of locals carrying plastic bottles and vanishing into these bushes on the river banks are a common sight in these areas. But the police turn a blind eye.

It is not that people dont know about the order and the fine. But most of the people living in these areas dont have option. You cant walk for 10 minutes and then wait outside a toilet for another five to 10 minutes, said Saraswati Mandi, a resident of Jamuna Nagar.

On the west bank, one could see scores of homeless and rickshaw pullers living under the bridge. Ask anyone about a public toilet and they would instantly point towards the river bank. (Arun Sharma/HT PHOTO)

In the order, the NGT had not only banned open defecation but even dumping of waste in and around any water body and on the floodplains of river Yamuna. The principal bench, headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, had directed the authorities to take stringent action against defaulters and impose a fine of Rs5,000 as environmental compensation.

But to date, not a single person has been fined. Locals, police and even DDA officials pointed out practical problems in implementing the order.

Most of the dwellers, who live in slums along the banks, are poor and wont be able to shell out Rs5,000. There could be law and order problem, said a senior official of the DDAs planning department.

Police pointed out that the river front, which comes under the O zone under the Master Plan of Delhi 2021, is nearly around 24,000 acres.

It would be herculean task to keep a tab on people who are defecating in the open round the clock. Do you catch them red-handed and issue a challan? How do you prove who has defecated? Several questions need to be answered before a crackdown, said a senior police official.
Textbooks today are aimed at creating activists and not educating students, and universities like JNU are becoming a nurturing ground for activists and not a place for education, according to Braj Bihari Kumar, the newly-appointed chief of the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR).

Kumar, who took over last month as the head of the apex body for promoting research in social sciences, also believes that caste-based conflicts and intolerance are fringe phenomena and should not be seen as a reflection of the Indian society as a whole.

Textbooks are not meant for making students activists but for educating them. Unfortunately, books are driven by an agenda today and there is a need for a curriculum rehaul, said the 76-year-old former anthropologist, who once famously called Prime Minister Narendra Modi the worst victim of intolerance.

Textbooks are in bad shape today. I had found a map in a social science textbook which showed Jammu and Kashmir out of India, there was another one not showing northeast area as part of the country. There are several lapses in our textbooks, Kumar told PTI in an interview.

Kumar, who used to used to edit a journal, Dialogue, before he joined the ICSSR, had written in an editorial in 2016 that NCERT textbooks are driven by political agenda and are partly responsible for the increasing social conflicts and anarchical trends in society.

I had also written two letters to former HRD minister Smriti Irani pointing out the issue but I did not get any response, he said.

Kumar lashed out at JNU-like universities, claiming, several persons from a single family are massacred in Chhattisgarh and there is jubilation in JNU and a march in praise of the killers, much cannot be said about the kind of varsity that is. He, however, did not elaborate.

He said though the JNU projected itself as one of the best universities, they cant claim excellence when they are hurting nationalist sentiments and becoming a nurturing ground for activists and not a place for education. Taxpayers do not pay money for activist-making.

Kumar also said caste-based conflicts and intolerance should not be seen as reflection of the Indian society in entirety.

Caste-based conflicts, untouchability and intolerance are all fringe phenomena. They should not be treated as general phenomena and reflection of Indian society, he said.

Kumar, who had in one of his editorials in the journal Dialogue had said that caste in its present form and intra- Hindu societal exploitation were entirely non-Hindu factors caused by aggressive anti-Hindu agenda of conversion by Muslim rulers, also said subjects like Hindu-Muslim riots and caste-based conflicts should not be part of curriculum.

The ICSSR was established in 1969 by the central government to promote research in social sciences. It gives grants to institutions and scholars, and reviews the progress of social science research.
Residents of 360 villages in Gurgaon district held a mahapanchayat in Silokhra village on Sunday and warned the Haryana government against constructing a group housing project and an office of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 12 acres of the village acquired by the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda). They asked the government to announce cancellation of the proposal before August 6.

The representatives of panchayats of the villages passed a resolution that included demands such as setting up a community centre for the village, recharging pond with water and cancelling group housing and party office plan. The panchayat was concluded with a warning to the government.

This was the fourth panchayat since May 14  including those on May 24 and June 4  over the Silokhra land issue.

Mahender Singh Thakran, the pradhan of 360 villages, said, We warn the government against restarting construction on the land. We do not want violence but if the government starts constructing the road, cutting trees and other such activities without agreeing to our demands, it will serve to anger us. We want Huda to use the 12 acres for the welfare of the village only.

Nearly 2,500 people attended the panchayat held on the land in question in Sector 30, which is in the vicinity of South City-I.

The panchayat members said that the 12 acres in question belonged to the village panchayat until it was acquired by Huda in 2011, which sent had the first acquisition notice in 1989. They said that they fought a long legal battle to save the land from acquisition but alleged that the MCG, which replaced the panchayat in 2008-09, failed to contest for the land in the court.

After Huda acquired the land, we continued to press for a community centre and also continue to protest against filling of a natural pond in the village. But, we decided that the situation has worsened three months ago, when we learnt that the land is being used for group housing for MLAs and MPs, besides setting up of a party office. This is unacceptable, Mukesh Sharma of Silokhra said.

Later, BB Gogia, subdivisional magistrate (North), came to meet panchayat members and we handed over a memorandum. We are hoping that the Haryana chief minister will consider our demand, said Om Prakash, another resident of Silokhra.

Gogia, when asked, said, I asked them to send a representative to the additional deputy commissioner (ADC) of Gurgaon, Vinay Pratap, to discuss this issue.

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The bustling community health centre (CHC) in Ichhawar in the Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh is surprisingly clean even though its teeming with patients and their families, who sit huddled across the compound with their medicines, tea and snacks. They throw rubbish in bins and though people chew betel, no one spits on the spotless walls.

The Ichhawar centre is the states first ISO 9001-certified CHC. This CHC was built in 1956, its walls are made of mud. We worked on the existing structure, improved ventilation, installed solar panels, and are now adding private rooms, including an air-conditioned one, for which we will charge R 300, said block medical officer Dr BB Sharma, who heads the 30-bed CHC that feeds a population of around one lakh. Rs 300 get patients a long way at the Ichhawar CHC, where the OPD charges are Rs 5, hospital admission costs Rs 10, and a non-AC private room costs Rs 100 a day.

The centre is also among a handful of Indias CHCs that have adopted WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) practices. Training staff on hygiene and providing facilities such as elbow taps, autoclaving equipment, waste segregation, clean toilets and drinking water has helped infection control not only in the operation and labour rooms but across the centre, said Dr Sharma.

Baby boom

The results show. Almost all (99%) women in this peri-urban district deliver at the CHC, with around 2,000 deliveries taking place each year. Newborn deaths are rare and less than 15% cases are referred to the district hospital because of complications, such as indications of preterm birth or a caesarean section.

Around six babies are born each day. Obstetrictician-gynaecologist Dr Madhu Sharma was delivering the fourth healthy baby of the day by 5 pm on Thursday this week. She was in relay-mode, handing the baby over to the staff nurse before scrubbing her hands to attend to the other three mothers undergoing birth pangs in the labour room.

All four babies are healthy, weighing 3.7 kg, 3.5 kg and 2.6 kg. The fourth baby was yet to be weighed, but it seems around 3 kg. The mothers are fine, none of them are anaemic and all will be discharged in 48 hours, said staff nurse Sangeeta, who goes by one name.

Around 1.2 million children die before their fifth birthday in India, which puts the countrys under-5 mortality rate (under-5 deaths/100,000 live births) at 45. India also has the highest newborn deaths in the world, with an estimated 707,032 babies dying within the first 28 days of birth each year, shows data from the new Unicef report, Narrowing the Gaps: The Power of Investing in the Poorest Children.

More than half of Indias newborn deaths take place in the four states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Women and children belonging to Scheduled Tribes are the most vulnerable.

In Madhya Pradesh, an estimated 68,000 infants die within 28 days of birth and about 100,000 before their first birthday, with the high maternal mortality  227 per 100,000 live births  also contributing to newborn deaths. A majority of these deaths occur among underserved Scheduled Tribe population, which accounts for 21.1% of states 72.6 million population, shows 2011 Census data.

Clean India

Since most newborns die within the first seven days of birth and among them, 70% die within the first 24 hours, adopting good hygiene and clinical practices during and after childbirth saves lives by lowering infection and sepsis, which accounts for 30% of newborn deaths.

The WASH initiative was started as a pilot by National Health Mission, Madhya Pradesh government and Unicef in 2016 in seven district hospitals, 43 CHCs, 25 primary health centres and one sub-centre in the seven high priority districts of Guna, Shivpuri, Sheopur, Mandla, Umaria, Anuppur and Shahdol. Implementation is tracked on a dashboard based on 60 key WASH, indoor cleanliness and biomedical waste management indicators, which are reviewed bimonthly for course correction.

Improving infection control and WASH practices in labour rooms, SNCUs (sick neonatal care units), paediatric wards and nutrition rehabilitation centres will not only reduce maternal, newborn and infant deaths due to sepsis, but also help to reduce morbidity, cost of treatment, duration of hospital stay and antibiotic use, says Michael Juma, UNICEF Madhya Pradesh, which is partnering with the state government.

Next comes scaling up to another 67 high delivery centres to cover 95% of births in these seven districts. And with that, thousands of newborns and mothers will be saved each year.

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The reality is that here we are together and wed best get along and make the best of it. Like the Pejawar Mutt swamiji at Udupi and peaceful people across communities, visit each other, share food, friendship and activities as individuals, not blocs.

And speaking of South India, last week I finally got to see Seringapatam (Srirangapatna) near Mysore. I recall what I know of the first mutiny against the British. It took place on 10th July, 1806 at Vellore Fort, in modern Tamil Nadu. Vellore Fort was built in the 14th century in the days of the Vijayanagar Empire. It was taken over by Shivaji in 1677 and by the East India Company in 1768.

The British had tried to make their troops look more soldierly with a new dress code and a new turban, and this had upset Hindu men, who wanted to retain their caste marks and earrings. It also upset Muslim men, who wanted to retain their beards. These sepoys were incited to revolt by Tipus many sons and daughters, who lived a luxurious life with large retinues to wait on them within Vellore Fort after the fall of Srirangapatna in 1799. They were also mocked in the bazaar by fakirs who were sent by old associates of Tipu reportedly in league with the Marathas of central India and the French in Pondicherry.

Some sepoys garrisoned at Vellore who were former soldiers in Tipus army began to openly abuse their new masters. The news of trouble brewing was carried to the British by a fellow-sepoy, Mustafa Baig, for which the British later rewarded him with a subedars pension for life.

Flustered by word of the tip-off, the rebel sepoys broke out in Vellore Fort earlier than planned by killing their garrison commander and another English officer and chased the other officers into hiding. But since nobody had a proper plan, the mutineers then began to loot the British quarters without further thought. A quick dash to the rescue by Major Rollo Gillespie and his troops from Arcot town fourteen miles away had won the day for the British within eight hours and they had blown the captured mutineers to bits from cannons.

The British officers who had ordered the new dress code had been recalled to England and their orders had been cancelled. Sir William Bentinck, Governor of Madras, had been dismissed.

But the British had taken out their fury only on the political rebels in their employ, not on Tipus family. They sent the family away to Calcutta, far from its area of influence, just as they were to send away Bahadur Shah Zafar, whom we cannot rightly call the last king of Delhi (that was the King-Emperor of India, George the Sixth). A hundred cannons reportedly boomed every year on King Georges birthday in Delhi, Calcutta, Bombay and Madras, as they had boomed since the days of Kaiser-e-Hind Victoria.

Thinking of the peaceful atmosphere of those old forts today, I keenly appreciate how far weve come, and realise how far we have to go.

shebaba09@gmail.com

The views expressed are personal.

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The Patna police will impose a penalty of Rs 600 each on those found taking selfies on the new rail-cum-road bridge across Ganga river, connecting Digha with Sonepur.

The bridge named after freedom fighter Jayaprakash Narayan, was on Saturday declared a no selfie and no halting zone, after seven accidents, which claimed four lives, were reported since chief minister Nitish Kumar inaugurated the road deck of the JP Setu on June 11. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had opened the rail section of the 4.56 km bridge on March 12 last year.

Six days ago, three minors had lost their lives. Mohammad Afzal, a Class 7 student, Mohammad Arman and Mohammad Ahsan (both Class 6 students) were crushed to death by a speeding vehicle when they were allegedly taking selfies on the bridge.

Precautionary Steps Traffic SP suggests installing close circuit television on JP Setu Cranes and ambulances to be deployed at both ends of the bridge 60 cops and NCC cadets deployed on bridge to regulate traffic and guide people

In addition, the police would also penalise Rs 100 each for those halting their vehicles  two-wheelers or four-wheelers on the Setu.

Traffic superintendent of police (SP) Prantosh Kumar Das said, No vehicle is allowed to stop on the bridge. How can someone stop when there is no footpath made? If people are taking selfies on the bridge, they are putting their lives at risk, said Das.

He said altogether 60 policemen, besides NCC cadets, have been deployed on JP Setu to regulate traffic and guide people.

On the very first day, the police realised Rs 5,200 in fine from at least 71 vehicle owners who violated traffic norms. Several bikers were fined Rs 600 each and also made to return from the bridge after they were found driving without helmets.

Ever since the bridge was opened, youngsters, especially from the Patna side, have been seen performing bike stunts on the bridge and its approach roads at high speed. According to Saran SP Ansuiya Ransing Sahu, many youngsters were also seen clicking photographs of the bridge or taking selfies on it.

We are often faced with the menace of people walking on a bridge meant solely for vehicles. A lot of people come here and stand on the bridge to take snaps. Unfortunately, it is very risky for both citizens and motorists. A lot of people also sit on the railings of this bridge, which poses an additional hazard, a police source said.

Altogether, seven accidents were reported in the last 19 days in which four persons died. Three cases have been lodged  two in Sonepur and one in traffic police station of Patna.

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An aide of Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and a businessman from Kashmir have been questioned by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in connection with the funding of terror and separatist groups in the Valley.

The NIA has been questioning Shahid-ul-Islam, a close aide of the Mirwaiz, and businessman Zahoor Watali for last three days about the alleged assets possessed by them, official sources said here.

The questioning of the two by the officers of the central probe agency, which has registered a case against separatists and terror organisations operating in the Valley, was continuing separately, they said.

The businessman has been asked about his association with the separatists, especially hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the sources said.

The NIA may also seek a production warrant from a special court against close aides of Geelani, including his son-in-law Altaf Ahmed Shah alias Altaf Fantoosh and his spokesman Ayaz Akbar, they said.

Both were placed under preventive custody by the Jammu and Kashmir police on June 27 on account of law and order situation in the Valley.

This move by the state police had raised many eyebrows as neither of them had ever been taken into preventive custody during the peak of agitations earlier.

Shah was questioned by the NIA early last month after which he had sought time from the probe agency on account of Holy month of Ramzan and Eid festivities, the sources said.

Shah has been asked by the NIA about his moveable and other properties, including houses in the Valley as well as in Jammu, and the source for their funding, they said, adding that the questioning also related to the alleged funds received by the Geelani-led Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.

Shahs Srinagar house was raided by NIA sleuths, who also searched the premises of others like Shahid-ul-Islam, an aide of Mirwaiz Umer Farooq who heads the moderate faction of the Hurriyat Conference, and businessman Zahoor Watali.

Apart from being the son-in-law of Geelani, Shah is perceived to be influential in the evolving the policies of the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.

Hafeez Saeed, Pakistan-based chief of Jamaat-ud Dawah, the front for banned Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT), has been named in the FIR as an accused, besides organisations such as the Hurriyat Conference (factions led by Geelani and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq), Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and Dukhtaran-e-Millat.

The raids were part of NIAs efforts to clamp down on separatist groups allegedly receiving funds for subversive activities in the valley.

The NIA had recovered some account books, Rs two crore in cash and letter-heads of banned terror groups, including LeT and HM during its searches.

The NIA investigation seeks to identify the chain of players behind the financing of terrorist activities, including those who pelted stones at security forces, burnt down schools and damaged government establishments.

This is for 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.

In 2002, the Income Tax department had conducted searches against some separatist leaders including Geelani and seized cash and documents. However, no criminal case was registered then. PTI SKL ARC
The Centre has sought comments from the state on creation of an All India Medical Service (IMS) under all India service, on lines of the Indian administrative service (IAS) and the Indian police service (IPS).

In a letter, dated June 9, to chief secretaries of all states and union territories, received here on June 22, Union health secretary CK Mishra said the government was considering creation of an all India medical service for setting up a body of professional doctors across the country.

Talking to the Hindustan Times over phone from New Delhi, Mishra said, It is just an idea, which came up during discussion with some secretaries. We are exploring responses of all states. Only if they react positively, we will proceed ahead on the issue, otherwise we will not.

Asked by when he expected states to respond, Mishra said, Ideally, they should in two months time. If they do not, we will proceed with whatever responses we get from states and union territories.

He said, The doctors of Central health service, an organised group A service under the ministry of health and family welfare, dealing with monitoring of various government health schemes, have never worked in states, and as such, do not have an appropriate perspective of the problems being faced by the state governments. Creation of the all India medical service may facilitate bridging this gap and improve technical leadership and management both at the Centre and the state levels.

HTs efforts to know Bihar governments stand proved futile. Chief secretary Anjani Kumar Singh said, Please contact principal secretary, health.

Health brass, RK Mahajan, however, did not respond to calls or text message, informing him that the chief secretary had asked this reporter to contact him for comments on the IMS issue.

General secretary of the Contractual Doctors Association (CDA), Bihar, Dr Abhishek Kumar Sinha said, We have sought opinion of our members on this. We had first raised the issue of having an all India medical service at our meeting in Panchkula (Haryana). We also submitted a memorandum to the then Union health minister Harsh Vardhan during his visit to Patna in 2014.

Dr Sinha said, The core committee of the CDA-Bihar and the Bihar State Health Services Association (BSHSA) will meet on July 9 to discuss the issue.

BSHSA general secretary Dr Ranjit Kumar said, I have already spoken to state units of Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand and asked them to discuss the issue threadbare before arriving at a consensus on IMS. We will then hold a national level meet on this and come up with a unified stand on it to be put forth to the Centre. We will also invite the Indian Medical Association (IMA) to join us in our core committee meeting.

IMA-Bihar vice president Dr Sunil Kumar Singh said the IMS proposal was pending for almost three decades. The department of personnel and administrative reforms notified its formation on January 25, 1977, but subsequently cancelled it. Since then various committees and even the 5th Central Pay Commission in 1997 had recommended it, he added.

Those in favour of IMS believe that for starters, a central cadre of doctors, having perks and pay at par with IAS officers, could improve service conditions and address the exodus of doctors and shortage of manpower in public healthcare.

Government data reveals that there is only one doctor for every 1,700 Indians as against the desired ratio of 1:1,000. Better implementation of national health programme was another argument in favour of the idea.

Others also opined that creation of IMS would take care of the administrative part of healthcare sector while those out of it could concentrate on medical education and treatment of patients.

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A Chhattisgarh government-appointed committee has rejected former chief minister Ajit Jogis claim to tribal status, dealing a blow to the political heavyweight.

Jogi will challenge the decision, which is yet to be made public, in court, his son, Amit Jogi, told HT on Sunday. This is a BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) conspiracy. This is a CM (Raman Singh) powered committee and it prepared the report as per his will, Amit, whose political ambitions will also be affected by the final decision on their tribal status, added.

In January, Chhattisgarh high court directed the state government to examine Jogis tribal status claim through a high-powered committee.

The courts order came on former BJP MP Nand Kumar Sais writ alleging that Jogi was claiming tribal status attained through fake documents.

Amit said, There are many flaws in the committees report and we will raise them in court. The report is with us and we found that a vigilance team of the high-powered committee concluded after visiting our village that we are tribal, but their findings were overpowered.

Sai, who was recently appointed chairman of National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, said, Action should be taken against Jogi as per law and FIR should be registered.

In November 2000, Jogi had contested the by-election from Marwahi (ST) assembly segment to fulfil the requirement of becoming a member of the newly formed state assembly within six months of assuming office as CM.

After Jogi won the election, BJP leader Sant Kumar Netam lodged a complaint and questioned his tribal status. At present, Amit is the MLA from Marwahi.

In January 2016, the Congress expelled Amit for six years over his alleged role in fixing a by-election that led to a BJP win. In June, his father resigned from the Congress. Before resigning, Jogi formed Chhattisgarh Janata Congress party.

The Congress has demanded that the committees decision, which was apparently made last week, on Jogis tribal status be made public. We have filed an application regarding the report and once we get it, the party will decide its stand, said Congress spokesperson RP Singh.

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India acted recklessly by stopping China from carrying out construction activity on its own soil, Beijings official news agency Xinhua said on Sunday, accusing New Delhi of violating international law.

The commentary in Xinhua, owned and controlled by the Chinese government, is a reflection of the leaderships position. Beijing has over the last week released photographs and maps to buttress its claim that Indian troops entered Donglang area  a region claimed by China and Bhutan  and violated its sovereignty.

India has claimed that Chinas activities caused a serious security impact (for India), it is untenable. How can China affect others in their own territory? In fact, it is the Indian side that has ignored international law and has seriously interfered with Chinas construction activities, the piece said.

Indias ministry of external affairs rejected the Chinese accusations, calling the road construction at the strategic India-China-Bhutan tri-junction deeply concerning .

Trouble began early last month when Indian and Chinese troops came face-to-face over the road construction in Donglang, bordering the Indian state of Sikkim.

In retaliation, China stopped the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage from the Nathu La pass, and its troops reportedly destroyed a number of old Indian bunkers. Last week, the PLA also invoked the 1962 war  which India lost  prompting Indias defence minister Arun Jaitley to hit back by saying that the situation in 1962 was different, the India of today is different.

Xinhua said the recent developments defied recent attempts to better the relations between the two countries.

At a higher level, the cross-border behavior (of India) is a further departure from the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries on the development of China-India relations, the commentary said.

Since India has promised to properly deal with the differences, since Indias foreign ministry recently said it cherishes peace and tranquillity in the India-China border region, why is it (the Indian army) still allowed to cross the border? After the incident, why not acknowledge the error and reverse (the decision). This is clearly paradoxical.

Xinhua cited the Convention between Great Britain and China relating to Sikkim and Tibet of 1890 to bolster its argument. Chinas defence and foreign ministries too recently referred to the accord to point fingers at India.

After Indias independence, the Indian government has repeatedly confirmed it in writing, acknowledging that the two sides have no objection to the direction of the Sikkim section. There is a lot of evidence, including images and it is an undeniable fact that the Indian government has violated the historic covenant and the commitment of successive Indian governments, the Xinhua commentary argued.

The piece didnt mention  as per the MEA statement  that India had underlined that the two Governments had in 2012 reached agreement that the tri-junction boundary points between India, China and third countries will be finalised in consultation with the concerned countries. Any attempt, therefore, to unilaterally determine tri-junction points is in violation of this understanding.

It essentially means that 1890 treaty is not set in stone and differing perceptions of the border in the region can only be aligned after more discussions.

Misrepresentation of facts by China is how India is looking at Beijings point on the 1890 treaty.

To China, of course, Indias position doesnt work.

In todays world, win-win cooperation is the main theme, and dancing with the dragon is the rational choice that meets the trend of the times, it said.

In a separate commentary, Xinhua said Indias strategic vision was myopic because of a rising China.

Concerns over a rising China have, to some extent, spiralled into a kind of strategic anxiety regarding the country among some Indian politicians. Their misleading, unfounded China-phobia, however, might lead to strategic myopia and hurt Indias own interests, it said.

Harbouring suspicion and apprehension toward Chinas intention, India has recently decided to stay away from the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, citing sovereignty concerns as its main reason, the commentary said.
A group of Dalit protesters from Gujarat were stopped at the Jhansi railway station on Sunday evening, with police saying the preemptive step was taken as their presence in Lucknow could disturb peace.

The 45-member group is carrying a 125kg bar of soap with the image of Buddha carved on it, which they want to gift to Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath to allegedly cleanse his mentality towards Dalits.

The gift is viewed as a tit-for-tat response against reports of officials distributing shampoo and soap bars to 100-odd Musahar Dalit families at a village in Kushi Nagar a day before their meeting with the chief minister this May.

The 125kg bar of soap with the image of Buddha carved on it. (HT Photo)

Village workers gave the toiletries and allegedly instructed the people to clean themselves properly before the meeting.

The incident happened after bureaucrats placed comfortable sofas, new curtains, carpets and an air-conditioner in a freshly painted room of slain BSF soldier Prem Sagar Prasads humble home when Adityanath called on the family to offer his condolences. These items were later taken away.

Images of the stage-managed frills attracted criticism for the government, prompting the chief minister to instruct his staff to desist from making special arrangements during such trips.

But the Kushi Nagar embarrassment followed for priest-politician Adityanath, who is a Thakur from Uttarakhand by birth.

Thereafter, more than 300 people were streaming into Lucknow from across the country with soaps, according to a protester from Gujarat.

Senior police officers said the Gujarati protesters were offloaded from the Sabarmati Express and would be kept at a guesthouse before they are sent back home.

The group is associated with a social organisation, the Dr BR Ambedkar Bechan Pratibandh Samiti.

They staged a sit-in at the platform after police cut short their journey.

Their presence in Lucknow on Monday could have caused law-and-order trouble. We acted on inputs from state intelligence, said Avinash Chandra, additional director general of police (Kanpur zone), who is in Jhansi.
India has more than 30 million young adults who are eligible to vote but have not enrolled themselves for voter identity cards, the election commission has said, announcing a new campaign where its officials will go door-to-door to urge people to sign up as electors.

Participation in Indias elections has grown in recent decades but is still far from ideal levels. For the 2014 general elections, 66% of the 834 million registered electorate turned up to vote. And unregistered adults add a new dimension to the problem.

From July 1 we are starting a special campaign for left out voters, particularly those between 18-21 years. For example, in Uttar Pradesh, there are 75 lakh young voters who were left out (of being enrolled) in the earlier process (sate elections held in February-March) and we want to include them, chief election commissioner Nasim Zaidi told Hindustan Times.

The 33 million unregistered adults  almost as much as the population of Saudi Arabia  are in the 18-19 age group. The number of people who dont have voter identification could be significantly higher.

UP has the highest number of unregistered adults. It is followed by Bihar (46 lakh) and Maharashtra (30lakh). Delhi has 5 lakh adults who did not sign up for voter IDs.

A lack of awareness and a bureaucratic lethargy among state election commissions are seen as among key reasons for millions being left out.

Zaidi, who retires on July 5, said that among the poll panels initiatives to get more registrations is also an attempt to modify the age rule.

Currently, Section 14 (b) of the Representation of People Act, 1950 says that a person becomes eligible for voting if they were at least 18 years old on the first day of January of the year in which they apply for enrolment. As a consequence, a person born on January 2, for instance, will need to wait a year. Zaidi wants the rule tweaked to allow enrolments the day an applicant turns 18.

The election commission has also tied up with popular social media platforms such as Facebook to remind eligible adults to sign up.

The commission also reaches out to the youth through campus ambassadors, who explain the processes of registering as voters even if living away from home, or how someone can shift their vote from one constituency to another.

The Commission has also reached out to all recognised political parties, seeking their cooperation to enrol voters.

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The Congress on Sunday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah and said it was high time they took corrective action against the mob frenzy and lynching incidents across the country, which President Pranab Mukherjee had rightly flagged.

It is high time the BJP government takes note of this widespread mob frenzy and lynching incidents, rightly flagged by the President of India and Congress president. Instead of falsification, lies and distortion, without any facts or numbers, the BJP would do better to take note of the anger which is engulfing the citizens of India against the vigilantism by their own partymen, said Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

He said three years had passed since the BJP came to power at the Centre and we have seen enough of platitudes, speeches and alibis, it is time for some corrective action.

Hitting out at Shah, the Congress leader said even the president had shown the mirror of truth to the BJP on the growing incidents of mob frenzy which had become irrational, uncontrollable and had tacit protection and support of the government, yet the BJP chief had resorted to falsehood and utter brazenness.

Shah, he said, instead of listening to the conscience keeper of the nation, had most shamelessly chosen to ignore the reality of a bizarre yet concerted Lynching Movement, which the government had overtly supported and encouraged in the last few months.

Surjewala also asked Shah whether it was not a fact that more than 50 cases of lynching and mob justice had taken place in the country in the three years of the BJP rule.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about a new India. Is this the new India his party wants to create, where ruthless mobs take the law in their own hands and hapless people are lynched and beaten to death?, he asked.

Surjewala alleged that the Sangh Parivar organisations associated with the BJP, including the Bajrang Dal and the VHP, had actively been instrumental in many of these dastardly acts. Why has no action been taken against them?, he asked.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, recently at the Sabarmati Ashram, said vigilante justice in the name of Gau Raksha (cow protection) was completely unacceptable. He had made a similar statement in August last year. But, nothing seems to have changed. Why doesnt the voice of Modi, who sheds crocodile tears occasionally (for public consumption) by invoking Gandhiji and Vinoba Bhave, never reach the vigilante, nor is the rule of law and Constitution upheld to punish them?, he asked.

Surjewala said Nityanand Mahato, the media in-charge of the BJPs Ramgarh unit in Jharkhand, was arrested by the police on Saturday over an incident of mob lynching of a man which was reported from the eastern state last week.

Mahato, he alleged, had instigated the mob and added that a video of the incident not only showed that the BJP leader was present at the spot, but that he dragged the deceased, Alimuddin Ansari, out of his vehicle.

As he (Mahato) kept watching, the mob thrashed Ansari mercilessly, he alleged quoting the Jharkhand Police.

Will Shri Amit Shah blame the Congress-UPA for the merciless death of these individuals, in which his own partymen are involved?, the Congress spokesperson asked.

He claimed that such incidents of mob lynching had occurred in every BJP-ruled state.

Rumours are spread by the vested interests to mobilise the mobs, who then are encouraged to attack their targets with a state-aided licence to kill, alleged the Congress spokesperson.

Surjewala said Modi and Amit Shah must had taken note of the nationwide protests launched by the citizens and civil society groups, which had once again shaken the conscience of the nation.
Dehradun:

To speed up approvals of linear projects in wildlife areas, the environment ministry has approved eco-friendly guidelines framed by Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) that entails safeguards for animals and birds.

Official sources said that the ministry agreed to the document prepared in consultation with National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and it would be a template for project proponents and national board for wildlife that examines projects in over 660 wildlife areas in India.

The objective of the document is to help faster clearance and rigorous compliance of the road, railway and power transmission proposals for balancing biodiversity and developmental planning in wildlife habitat, an official said.

The first project where these guidelines are most likely to be referred would be Kandi Road in Uttarakhand that aims to connect Garhwal and Kumaon region by minimising the distance to 90 km from 162 km and travel time by at least two hours.

The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has already been asked to prepare Detailed Project Report by the union minister of roads and surface transport, Nitin Gadkari, Harak Singh Rawat forest minister Uttarakhand said.

TRENDS

India offers a second largest network of roads after USA --- 5.2 million kms of roads as compared to 6 million km in US.

Railways have a network of over 64,000 km in the country among the widest in the world. Indian Railway operates 12,000 passenger trains and 7000 freight trains. Nearly 2.8 million ton of freight traffic and 30 million passengers avail track service.

Read more | Indias death fields: More animals electrocuted

The country ranks fifth after USA, China, Japan and Russia for having installed power generation capacity of 271 GW. The transmission circuit expanded from 52,034 circuit kilometers (ckm) during 6th plan to 2, 21, 549 ckm during 11th plan.

IMPACT OF LINEAR INFRASTRUCTURE

The report says, the degree of impact is likely to be proportional to the width and length of the disturbance corridor with degradation highest in close proximity of the highway.

The impact of heavy metals like lead from motor vehicles and other chemical elements generated from fuel and corrosion is also noticed with rail network polluting soil, water and air and posing noise pollution.

This, the report says, can cause non-induced physiological and behavioural changes. For instance, headlight glare and artificial light can temporarily blind an animal, quotes the report.

As per Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) report of 2013, over 200 elephants died after getting hit by a train in two and a half decade.

MITIGATION

The report has presented multiple mitigation measures including construction of overpass --- an eco duct or wildlife bridge passing above roads and railways for wildlife movement --- canopy bridges and glider poles.

The report also has suggested bridge or viaduct for the movement of vehicles allowing clear ground passage for animals or box culverts --- Square or box like passages constructed below linear structure allowing safe passage to wild animals.

For small animals and birds, pipe culverts for their passage away from roads and railways and water streams to preserve fishes by constructing a bridge for movement of vehicles.

In addition, the WII has also recommended non-structural like enhancing tree cover along linear infrastructure to reduce noise levels.

VB Mathur, director Wildlife Institute of India, said: The document is prepared after thorough research and analysis by our scientists. It would help the government in understanding impacts and design linear infrastructure so as to balance development and conservation.

Debabrata Swain, additional director general (ADG) National Tiger Conservation Authority, said; We have already started using the document in two of the road projects in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Now we have a clear vision of how we could proceed with roads and railways projects in wildlife dominant regions.

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Five decades ago, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi came under attack from Beijing for committing to protect Bhutan against intruding Chinese troops in the Doklam plateau --the scene of the current standoff.

In 1966, Beijing lashed out at Gandhi for supporting Bhutan and accusing China of intruding into Bhutan; the Communist country was particularly angry because she did it at a press conference in New Delhi on October 7.

Quoting from official papers exchanged by the two governments in 1967, Hindustan Times reported last week that months of allegations and counters between India and China had preceded the violence that broke out in the Sikkim sector that year.

A set of new official papers accessed by HT now show that accusations of territorial intrusions between China and India started a year before in the Doklam (Donglang) area, which was disputed between China and Bhutan even then.

Bhutan, like now, had asked for Indias help to counter the intrusions and New Delhi had agreed.

China wasnt happy.

The Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi openly asserted at the press conference on October 7 (1966) that India was committed to protect Bhutan. It is thus quite clear that in slanderously charging China with intrusions into Bhutan, the Indian government not only wants to create a new pretext for opposing China and sow discord between China and Bhutan but also is vainly attempting to realise its sinister design of tightening its control over Bhutan under the guise of protection. But these despicable schemes will not succeed, official news agency Hsinhua (now Xinhua) said in a report the same month.

This time, China has accused Indian border troops of trespassing into Chinese territory on June 18 and asked New Delhi to withdraw its troops from the Donglang area as a precondition for a meaningful dialogue to resolve the issue.

Union minister, Arun Jaitley, told a news channel that the statement from Bhutan makes it clear that the land in question belongs to them.

Bhutan government had issued a statement yesterday (June 29) in which it made it clear that the land in question belonged to Bhutan. It is located near Indias land. There is an arrangement between India and Bhutan for giving security, Jaitley said.

The Chinese government has dismissed Indias version of events in a manner recalling its response back in 1966.

In its note to the Chinese government dated September 30, the Indian government concocted stories about intrusions into Bhutanese territory by Chinese herdsmen and patrols and claiming to be acting on behalf of Bhutan, lodged a so-called protest with the Chinese government, the report from 1966 added.

Following that, with much fanfare Indian government set its propaganda machine in motion raising a hue and cry about Chinese intrusions into Bhutan and the Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi came out in person to conduct the campaign against China, the official news agency wrote.

The argument and the language used to argue by the Chinese was similar to what the ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) and ministry of defence (MOD) have used last week  clearly there is a template.

The Dongnan (Donglang) grassland (referred to as Doklam pasture by the Indian side) where the Indian government alleged that Chinese intrusions had taken place is located in the vicinity of the tri-junction of the boundaries of China, Bhutan and Sikkim and has always been under Chinese jurisdiction and Chinese herdsmen have grazed there for generations, the report said.

Like this time, China was seemingly soft on Bhutan in 1966  the language was literally the same.

It is true that the China-Bhutan boundary has never been formally delimited and if the Bhutanese sides understanding is not quite the same as that of the Chinese side as regards the alignment of the boundary between the two countries at certain specific points, a fair and reasonable solution can very well be found through consultations on an equal footing between the two sides on the basis of mutual understanding and mutual accommodation.

Bhutan too had issued a statement in October that year; the statement said China had been informed about intrusion by his troops and Chinese herdsmen.

Local attempts were made to inform the graziers and the Chinese troops that they had strayed into Bhutanese territory but these have not been heeded, the statement said.

In view of the succession of violations of the frontier, Bhutan government urged the Government of India to represent to the Chinese government so that Chinese nationals and troops refrained from entry into Bhutan in future, the statement said.
Trade at the Indo-Bangladesh border through Mahadipur land port in Malda district of West Bengal came to a halt on Sunday as computers of the customs department were not upgraded as per requirements of new goods and services tax (GST).

The deadlock started from Sunday morning and continued for hours. Later, although the port authorities managed to resume operations by shifting to manual mode, the queue of trucks at the border had become quite long.

According to sources, every day around 500 trucks pass through the land port at Mahadipur with export items.

General secretary of West Bengal Exporters Coordination Committee, Ujjal Saha said the stuck trucks were stocked with fruits, onions, stone chips, spices and boulders, among others.

Later, senior officers of customs department directed shifting to manual system of issuing export bills, following which the work started, though, at a slow pace, he said.

Fortunately, trade was closed on Saturday, July 1, due to holidays in Bangladesh for Eid. Else, the confusion would have started from Saturday only, said an officer of the land port on condition of anonymity.

Sources said India annually earns over Rs 1,500 crore from the export of goods through Mahadipur land port.

The estimated loss because of failure of timely upgradation of computer software at Mahadipur land port on Sunday could be around Rs 10 crore, said an official.

Local MLA of Englishbazar assembly constituency in Malda, Nihar Ranjan Ghosh condemned the lack of preparation of the BJP government in implementing the new tax system at the grassroots level.

Because of the whimsical decision of the Modi government, businessmen are suffering, he said.

The question that was raised by traders was that when a crucial department under Union government failed to upgrade its computer software, how could the same be expected from millions of small traders?
Caught napping over Bhadrak riots in April and communal violence in Rourkela last year over inflammatory remarks on social media, Odisha police are looking at creating a social media lab to gather intelligence, according to official documents.

Odisha director general of police KB Singh declined to confirm his departments plan for such a laboratory (wing). No such lab is in the offing, he said. However, copies of official documents with HT show there is a proposal for such a lab on the lines of those in Maharashtra and (West) Bengal to track public views and analyse sentiments on various social media platforms.

The advanced social media monitoring tools would help in gauging and analysing the public media and sentiments, draw up-predictive analysis of projected events and provide indicators to police regarding the size and seriousness of the public emotions, states the Odisha police concept note for the lab.

It would provide pre-actionable intelligence regarding rise in digital chatter and participation of general people or community groups in social media websites. The idea of the project is to raise red flag over any inflammatory posting which may have a bearing on the law and order situation, the note adds.

Sources said the lab would work round the clock in the state police headquarters at Cuttack and would be headed by a deputy superintendent of police with 60 police and software personnel under him.

Social media networks in India are growing exponentially at an annual rate of 50 per cent. More than 12 crore of the 25 crore internet users are hooked to sites such as Facebook. Twitter, WhatsApp, Tumblr, Instagram and Linkedin.

Eye on mischief-mongers

In April, communal violence lasted for days in Bhadrak town, about 125 km northeast of state capital Bhubaneswar, over an inflammatory comment by a Muslim youth on a Facebook post. About 450 institutions, including business establishments, godowns and houses, were damaged in arson and property worth more than Rs 9 crore was destroyed.

The communal violence led to imposition of curfew in the town for over a month, the longest in the state so far. Though police arrested nearly 200 people over their role in the violence, they came in for criticism for failing to prevent the riots despite telltale signs of the anger building up on social media.

Police also had to deal with communal tension in coastal town of Kendrapara in April after an offensive video on Facebook poked fun at prayers of a minority community.

In July 2016, the steel city of Rourkela saw minor communal violence during Rath Yatra when a boy posted an objectionable comment on a minority community in a WhatsApp group.

Having faced severe criticism over communal violence in Kandhamal in 2008, chief minister Naveen Patnaik is wary of any religious violence that may give a leg-up to opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to sources, his Biju Janata Dal (BJD) governments message to the police is do not get caught off guard.
Goas lone Rajya Sabha MP Shantaram Naik said on Saturday that India needs a full time defence minister considering the threat perception to the nation from the neighbouring countries.

The threats given by China and the killings of our soldiers on the border with Pakistan demand that India should have a full time defence minister, the Congress leader said.

Chinese threat is looming large along the Sino-India border. Indians have been denied permission to visit the Kailash Mansarovar (through Nathu La). China is reminding us of the 1962 war, he said in an e-mail to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley took additional charge of the defence ministry in March after incumbent defence minister Manohar Parrikar stepped down to go back to Goa as chief minister.

The absence of a full time defence minister, with one bureaucrat, Ajit Doval (the National Security Advisor), running the defence ministry, has further encouraged the Chinese to believe that India cannot do anything beyond empty rhetoric, he alleged.

Naik also criticised the GST rollout celebrations saying, Your (the Centres) focus in celebrating the GST regime and fooling the people, just as the government did during demonetisation, will not help the nation.
Nasim Zaidi will end his tenure as the 20th chief election commissioner on July 5. After a five-year stint at the poll panel, he says he is leaving office with satisfaction of having made voters the centre of all electoral activity. But he would have been happier if the government had accepted the commissions recommendations to reform the system by making political funding transparent.

In an interview to Hindustan Times, Zaidi hoped the introduction of the VVPAT machines, which give a paper receipt, will end the controversy over electronic voting machines, or EVMs.

Excerpts

Q: Looking back at your tenure, are you satisfied about having accomplished your goals?

A: It has been a very positive experience. I have truthfully discharged my constitutional responsibilities to conduct and supervise free-and-fair elections. I have been able to bring voters to the central focus of all activities.

The entire vision of the commission has been voter-centric. Whenever we planned anything, we used to see how the voter will be impacted.

Another area of satisfaction is that I was able to bring in institutional strengthening that ranged from documentation of processes, regulations and procedures. A large number of new initiatives have been implemented in the past two years.

We made the electoral process easy to understand, and offered an ambient environment by providing facilities at polling stations. A few years ago, the polling stations were in shabby conditions; the compartments were separated by jute bags.

We changed that, offered nice voting compartments and ensured minimum facilities. Another focus was on persons with disabilities. Many associations have complimented the EC (for providing facilities for them). We provided facilities according to the type and number of disabilities.

What has really been an issue of satisfaction is that we controlled muscle power totally and did not allow musclemen to intimidate the voters anywhere. I did not hear complaints that at a particular habitation or village voters have been stopped from casting their votes or prevented them from travelling to polling stations.

Wherever such cases came to our knowledge, we immediately took action and ensured that voters came to the polling station.

Q: What were the challenges you faced?

A: We faced a big challenge of money power; we faced it in Tamil Nadu where assembly elections in two constituencies were countermanded a couple of times.

This is the first time that, invoking Article 324, we countermanded the elections. And we are seeking powers for the Election Commission to countermand elections under such conditions.

Q: Is there anything left unfinished?

A: Every commission would have liked many more reforms to come. Some minor changes in the rules have taken place, but the bulk of reforms still remains. I would have been more satisfied to see these reforms take place.

Q: Could you give examples?

A: Most of these reforms fall into two or three categories. One, the biggest concern of people is transparency in political funding. The second, is the anti-corruption plank in our electoral area and here the proposal of making bribe cognisable offence, criminalisation of paid news and countermanding power (to revoke elections on grounds of bribery), we have been demanding these. Another area refers to the use of totalisers. Correspondence has been going on between the EC and the law ministry and I would have been more satisfied if this had reached its logical conclusion.

I was also keen that voters should get registered the day they turn 18, rather than wait for a whole year. This I would have liked to see happen.

Q: What do you attribute the governments reluctance to accept these recommendations?

A: That answer I cannot provide. One thing we have been hearing is that there is a need to build political consensus. It is not a difficult thing in certain areas, but what is happening (at the government end) I cannot comment. We have been pursuing issues, and doing so relentlessly. For instance, on the issue of getting powers to countermand elections on charges of bribery, the letter has gone (to the law ministry) three or four times. We are insisting that the powers be given, because this is the major challenge for the commission going forward.

Q: The government claims to be a votary of reforms and has introduced electoral bonds to make the funding process more transparent. But election watchdogs and even the Opposition have concerns. What is your view?

A: We have not received the details of the scheme yet. Once it comes to us, we will be able to comment. We have been reading about it, but the government has not officially shared the scheme with us.

Q: What about the move to lower the cash component from Rs 20,000 to Rs 2,000 or allowing companies the liberty to not mention donations to parties?

A: There are concerns there. To a large extent it is a welcome feature. What was hidden earlier is not being made accountable. It is being criticised, but we will have to see how it works. There are many more areas where there are concerns.

Q: Have you shared these concerns with the law ministry?

A: We are still waiting for the details to be shared with us (about these changes) and then we will take these up.

Q: Some political parties such as the AAP have accused the EC of bias.

A: EC remains apolitical, neutral and independent. To say it is biased or soft on the government is not true. The commission has been discharging its duties in a manner to ensure a level-playing field for all. We tried to stay in the centre of the circle. We have been fair to all parties.

The controversy over the electronic voting machines was a surprise. It was not expected. Our mechanism is non-tamperable.

Q: Some accuse you of not doing enough to stem the EVM controversy. Others who doubt the credibility of EVMS claim you did not allow them a free hand to tamper the machines.

Zaidi: People can say that we were late in responding; it is their perception. From the day the controversy broke out to the day the EVM open challenge was held, as a responsible constitutional authority we have dealt with it in the manner it should have been dealt with. We could neither go overboard nor be lying extremely low.

When the controversy broke out, we issued a detailed response to the parties concerned. This was followed by detailed press notes and frequently asked questions.

We have held discussions with political parties and then held the challenge; we couldnt have done any other way. We were followed a charted path.

As for the challenge we were going by the allegations raised. And the allegations were that some people can alter the results stored in the machines by using mobile, Wi-Fi or activating a secret code by pressing a combination of keys.

So, we asked them to come and prove these allegations by using the same techniques. We got the same machines used in the elections.

Nobody came forward. Two parties came, but said we have come to learn more about the EVMs.

I think we have handled the issue in the most effective manner. The Bhind incident was an unfortunate one and that too was proven totally wrong.

Q: Do you think by raising doubts about the safeguards of the EVMs, some political parties have sown suspicion about Indias electoral process?

A: We are among the few that use EVMs on such a large scale. Political parties can raise issues; but if they raise issues that are constructive, helpful or credible then we are open to suggestions. Our only point is that wild and baseless allegations were not expected.

We wrote to all (parties) to provide us credible and material information so that we can inquire and proceed to investigate how EVMs are tampered, but till date nobody has provided (it). We expect everybody to engage with us constructively.

I have a great sense of satisfaction that we will employ VVPATs (paper audit machines) at all polling stations going forward. That in itself was a hard-fought battle. The government took too long to release funds.

Yes, but we now have the money, over Rs 3,000 crore, the order of the Supreme Court and we have the manufacturers with us. We have assured voters that in future all elections will be held with VVPATs.

Q: Even the forthcoming assembly polls?

A: Yes, all elections going forward. All voters must see who they have voted for and if they have complaints they must inform the election officer.

We are going to launch an awareness programme. We are ready with a footprint of our strategy to create awareness. And will be on the lines of what was done when EVMs were introduced.

This will be a multi-pronged strategy. We will begin this from the upcoming two elections  our officers will go from village to village from town to and town with EVMs and VVPATS to make people practice using these. The voter needs to be educated about the VVPAT.

The other point is recount rules that are under consideration. We have assured political parties we will count up to a determined percentage of VVPAT slips and compare those with EVM results.

This will be a total game-changer and this is where the EVM controversy will finally be laid to rest.

Q: Recently, the EC debarred Madhya Pradesh minister Narottam Mishra from contesting polls for three years after finding he had not mentioned expenses under paid news during the 2008 assembly polls. Why did it take so long to dispose the case?

A: The delay has been explained in the judgment and it has been attributed to dilatory tactics (of the accused) from 2008-2013, after that it took only three years or so. There is not much delay.

The second part is that under section 10 (A) of the RP Act, the disqualification begins from the date of order. Even murder cases take up to 20 years.

Paid news is yet to be criminalised. Since it is not so, we have another power under the RP Act to disqualify him. Paid news is a menace that must be curbed.

Q: Is the commission ready to allow NRIs to vote?

A: It is a long-term vision and under evaluation. We wanted one-way e-postal ballots for NRIs, but we are waiting for the law. We have written to the law ministry, we are ready and have been saying it, we only need a law.

It will be on the lines of the one-way postal ballot for military personnel. The moment we have the law we will be ready to implement it in three months. We have proved that the technology works.

There was also a discussion on allowing voting rights for domestic migrants, for which a committee report has been given. The government has to take a call.

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Security officials in a joint operation began to cordon off Pulwamas Malangpora area in search of a militant.

Army, local police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) began search operation to nab a militant suspected to be trapped in the area.

The operation is underway. Further details are awaited.
A senior Jet Airways staffer was arrested on Sunday over allegations that he grabbed land in Ghaziabad, according to police.

Avneet Singh Bedi, a former army officer who is identified as the vice president of security on Jet Airways website, was picked up from his Panchsheel Park residence by Ghaziabad police at 12:35am.

The land is worth crores of rupees and allegedly encroached by Bedi. He has been formally arrested and is being questioned, said Akash Tomar, superintendent of police (city), Ghaziabad.

Bedis family refuted the allegations and said the land was bought in 1959 and was in the name of Bedis mother.

We have the entire land documents in her name and allegation of land grabbing is baseless and false. In fact, it is suspected to be a conspiracy, engineered by an ex-employee who was posted at Lucknow airport and is well connected, politically. My husband arrived around 8.45pm on Saturday from Mumbai and was sleeping when a Ghaziabad police team of nine personnel arrived and barged inside our bedroom. They later took him away and did not allow us to speak to him, said Guneet Bedi, Col Bedis wife.

Accusing police of using disproportional amount of force, she said the entire family had been named in the FIR. From the timing of the arrest late night, it is made out that they were well informed about my husbands time of arrival from Mumbai. The matter is civil in nature but police acted as if it is some heinous crime case. We will resort to legal recourse to get him released, she added.

Allegations against Bedi were made in an FIR lodged by a senior officer of Ghaziabad municipal corporation on June 21. It names five members of Bedis family and six other individuals.

Bedi has a corporate and military experience of more than 40 years and his last assignment before Jet Airways was as senior vice president of Walmart India Limited.

Jet Airways refused to comment on the issue saying, The airline does not comment on matters that are entirely personal in nature.

Ghaziabad municipal officials said they carried out physical inspection of the encroached land at Chikambarpur near the Delhi border on May 30 and found that 532 square metres of land was allegedly grabbed by Bedi and his relatives and rented out to a logistics company.

Officials have been taking up inspections and filing cases against alleged land-grabbers on the directions of the UP state government.

The anti-land mafia task force constituted by Yogi Adityanath government after it assumed power.

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His library has been quietly shifted to his new address at the capitals Rajaji Marg. He has cancelled his last foreign trip and has decided to write about his five years at Raisina Hills  President Pranab Mukherjee, 81, is getting ready for a life after Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Mukherjee, the 13th President of India, will demit office on July 25. On the same day, he will shift to 10 Rajaji Marg, his address for the rest of his life. As former President, he will be entitled to all facilities enjoyed by Union cabinet ministers.

All gifts which he has received in the last five years has been sent to the Toshakhana of the Presidents House, except the books, as the President is entitled to keep them.

When he set foot into Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2012, his hectic political career paved way for a slow life. Now, even as Mukherjee will be a much more relaxed and free man, he remembers APJ Abdul Kalam told him once, In comparison to the amount you read, you write very less.

President Pranab Mukherjee (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO)

The President has almost decided to write his next book on the memories of his Presidential Years.

I am also thinking of writing an autobiography in Bengali, Mukherjee said in close quarters. Since becoming President, he has written three books on his political life.

What about the famous diaries he had meticulously written throughout the last 43 years, which is believed to contain fascinating information and deep insights of important events and days? Mukherjee has given strict orders to his family members not to open the diaries as long as he is alive.

And after that, no one can read my bad handwriting, he quipped with a mischievous laugh, adding, My relatives allege that it is like an ant, soaked in ink, crawling on paper!

Mukherjee will drastically cut down on his travel. His plan for a visit to Africa, where he had inaugurated key infrastructure projects as the then-finance minister, has now been dropped. In the remaining three weeks of his tenure, he will travel to Bengaluru, Dehradun, and to rural West Bengal.

But I will definitely be back in my village during Durga Puja, Mukherjee said.

A practicing Brahmin, Mukherjee never failed in all these years to be perform puja in his ancestral village of Kirnahar. Once, when he had to sign the Indo-US nuclear deal in Washington, Mukherjee spent 36 hours flying from Delhi and back, and spent just six hours on American soil to ensure that he was back before Puja.

He is, however, willing to travel if any good Indian university invites him for lectures. The man, who started his career as a college professor, feels sharing knowledge with students is the best tribute to his mentors.

From this week, Mukherjee will be hosting several dinners and banquets as a part of his farewell programme. On July 24, he has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union ministers for his last banquet.

And by now, he has also learnt by heart, the process and the protocol involved in the swearing-in ceremony of the new President.

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When Chief Justice of India JS Khehar retires next month, the improved guidelines for appointing judges that he ruled in favour of before he began his tenure as CJI would still be pending.

Sources in the law ministry say the government is nowhere close to resolving the differences between the executive and judiciary over the matter.

A response from the government to the Supreme Court collegium is unlikely before the CJI retires, a senior official said. The collegium is a body of Indias five top judges that clears judicial appointments to the high courts and the SC.

After a bench headed by Justice Khehar ruled on December 16, 2015 in favour of a fresh Memorandum of Procedure (MoP)  the guiding document for such appointments, the law ministry prepared a draft that was sent to the collegium.

Judicial appointments continue to be based on the old MOP, which both the executive and the judiciary agreed long ago needs drastic improvements.

The government has appointed 17 judges in the SC and nearly 250 judges in the HCs in the last three years, a majority of them after the December 2015 judgement ordering a revamp of the guidelines.

After several rounds of to and fro between the two sides since January 2016, the collegium had sent back the draft to the law ministry, reiterating its objections in a note in March.

The collegium is learnt to have objected to a clause in the draft that says the government can override a recommendation for appointment on the grounds of national security. It wants to have a final say in the matter and the power to overrule the objection.

The collegium wants the government to provide evidence backing its objection rather than allow the executive the power to decide on a judges appointment.

In June, the collegium withdrew two of its recommendations for appointment to the Allahabad high court based on feedback from the government.

Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad a fortnight ago said the case of Justice CK Karnan  who was awarded a jail term by the Supreme Court as a sitting HC judge -- highlights the need for greater scrutiny in judicial appointments.

At the same press conference, called to highlight achievements of his ministry in the last three years, Prasad also said that the MOP continues to be a work in progress.

The judiciary has also objected to a clause that calls for setting up of a secretariat for vetting and clearing names for judges before the collegium takes them up and forming a committee of SC judges who are not part of the collegiums to screen complaints against sitting judges.

Parliament had passed the National Judicial Appointments Commission Act (NJAC) in the first year of the current governments tenure and it came into effect on April 13, 2015.

But the law which effectively aimed to end the two-decade-old collegium system of appointments was struck down by the five-judge SC bench headed by Justice Khehar as unconstitutional in October 2015.

In a separate order on December 16 that year, the bench asked the government to come up with a fresh MOP in consultation with the CJI.

The December 2015 order was passed by the bench headed by Justice Khehar, we had hoped the differences would be resolved during his tenure, the official said.

The CJI retires on August 28.

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PATNA Peeved over the Congress attack on him for supporting NDA presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind, JD(U) president and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, here on Sunday, gave it back in full to its partner in Bihars ruling grand alliance.

It is you (not me), who is changing principles, Kumar said, taking a dig at the Congress and its senior leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for accusing him of harbouring many principles. He was addressing the JD(U) state executive committee meeting, presided over by state president Bashistha Narayan Singh, at the party headquarters.

I am a firm believer in the views of Mahatma Gandhi. But the Congress has never been consistent in treading the path shown by Gandhi or Nehru. We dont need to take lessons on principles from them, Kumar is learnt to have said, while venting his displeasure over Azads accusation.

Kumar said that he adhered to the alliance dharma and would have attended the June 22 meeting of Opposition leaders, but for Azads unprovoked attack on him. I had tried for Opposition unity twice  in UP and Assam  but it fizzled out, paving the way for BJPs landslide victory in UP, he said.

Kumar said he had supported the surgical strike by the India army on the other side of the line of control in Kashmir only after AICC president Sonia Gandhi had done so. We have stood behind the GST since UPA days and continue to tow that line even today, as it is beneficial for the state, he said.

Instead of directing anger at the right places, the Congress chose to target me. It is time that everyone understands that we are not blind followers. There is absolutely no need to take lessons on principles from anybody, he said, asking party leaders to strengthen the JD(U) organisational set-up.

But amid the continuing acrimony, there was a note of consolation for the GA, as well. On being asked whether Nitish Kumar would attend the BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao rally, convened by RJD on August 27, JD (U) leaders said after the meeting if party president Nitish Kumar is invited, he will definitely attend it.

This appeared to set to rest speculations over Kumars participation, in the wake of the recent spat over the divergent stand taken by the JD(U) on extending support to presidential candidate. Earlier, JD(U) leaders Shyam Rajak and RCP appeared to indicate Kumar might not attend the Lalu show.

Continuing his speech, JD(U) president Kumar advised party spokespersons to stay away from loose talk in the present atmosphere. He also asked JD(U) leaders to filter the entry of unscrupulous elements and time servers into the party fold.

As for me, I dont pay heed to what people have to say. My faith in party has led me to my present position, Kumar said.

While JD(U) sources testified to the strong note of Kumars speech, party spokesman Sanjay Singh remained tightlipped about it while briefing the media after the meeting.

Singh said the participants in the meeting endorsed the agenda for raising the number of active party members from 1.47 lakh to 2 lakh, observe birth anniversary functions of socialist leaders like Rammanohar Lohia, JP, Kaproori Thakur, BR Ambedkar at panchayat level, increase the participation of women in the organisation and create awarenessabout his governments achievements.

Singh, flanked by spokespersons Rajiv Ranjan Prasad, Neeraj Kumar and Ajay Alok, did not confirm that Kumar had attacked the Congress. He, however, explained that while being part of NDA, the JD(U) had supported UPA candidate Pranab Mukherjee.

This time, the JD(U) is with the GA. But it has, once again, not supported the NDA but a person (Kovind).

================================================

Clearing the air

In a consolation to GA partners, senior JD(U) leaders said, if invited, Nitish would definitely attend the rally convened by RJD chief Lalu Prasad on August 27

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Hidden from public, on the shores of the Bay of Bengal at Kalpakkam near Chennai, Indian nuclear scientists are in the final throes of starting a high-tech giant stove more than 15 years in the making.

This novel nuclear reactor is a kind of an akshaya patra, the mythical goblet with a never-ending supply of food.

The Department of Atomic Energy is getting ready to commission its ultra-modern indigenously designed and locally mastered fast breeder reactor.

Experts say to make nuclear energy sustainable, one sure shot way is to make fast breeder reactors mainstream.

Yukiya Amano, director general of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, says fast reactors can help extract up to 70% more energy than traditional reactors and are safer than traditional reactors while reducing long lived radioactive waste by several fold.

Easier said than done, since these reactors are also notoriously unstable and hence difficult to run reliably over long periods.

Called a Fast Breeder Reactor, these are a special kind of nuclear reactors that generate more atomic fuel than they consume as they work.

India has been running an experimental facility called a Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) now for 27 years.

This is a small nuclear reactor a forerunner for the monster that India has constructed at Kalpakkam called the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). This will generate electricity commercially using the fast breeder route.

The worlds only commercially operating fast breeder reactor is situated in the Ural Mountains of Russia at the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant, not far from Russias fourth largest city Yekateringburg.

The Russians today are the global leaders in fast breeder reactors having operated a fast breeder reactor called BN 600 since 1980.

In 2016, the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom commercially commissioned its big brother -- the BN 800 fast breeder reactor.

This reactor produces about 800 MW of electricity and supplies it to the Ural region including the city of Yekateringburg.

While electricity that is produced is no different than any other electricity but the global community of atomic boffins is suitably chuffed about this unique achievement.

M Chudakov, now with the IAEA and well-known Russian fast breeder expert, calls these reactors a bridge to the future as they can supply an almost unlimited supply of electricity.

All eyes are now on southern India where another global nuclear milestone is likely to be crossed this year.

Arun Kumar Bhaduri, director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam says, fast breeder reactors are far safer than the current generation of nuclear plants and that all efforts are being made to kickstart within this year Indias first commercial fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam.

Such is the interest in fast breeder reactors that more than 700 of the best atomic scientists from over 30 countries gathered at Yekateringburg in IAEAs conference on the next generation nuclear systems for sustainable development. The scientists deliberated on how to make nuclear energy last for several centuries.

Given Indias expertise, the co-chair of the conference was Suresh Chetal, one of the early pioneers of fast breeder reactors who helped tame fast breeder reactors for New Delhi when he was at the IGCAR.

Many countries have dabbled with fast breeder reactors and have given up, first off the block was the US but it gave up since inherently American governments have an allergic response with re-processing of nuclear waste in addition since USA has enough supplies of fissile material there is no hunger to maximally extract energy from uranium.

Japan and France both had robust programs with fast breeder technology but repeated failure to safely handle liquid sodium forced them to more or less give up on fast reactors.

China is more than a decade behind India in trying to master this complex beast.

Russia invested heavily in developing the fast breeder technology but since it commissioned its first fast breeder reactor BN 600 in 1980 it suffered an economic meltdown as the former Soviet Union broke up and only recently Russia could gather enough resources to complete its upgraded fast breeder reactor BN 800.

Today the BN 800 is a flagship reactor that uses both uranium and plutonium as fuel and generates electricity that is supplied to the grid. A visit to the facility reveals a squeaky clean reactor where seasoned operators like Ivan Sidrow are also experimenters as they go about trying to design a bigger 1200 MW fast breeder reactor.

Indias own PFBR is unique and rather different from the Russian fast breeder reactor though both use the same basic principle of physics.

Fast breeder reactors are called such not because they run faster but because the neutrons that sustain the atomic chain reaction travel at a much higher velocity than neutrons that help run the traditional atomic plants.

These are called breeders as they generate more fuel than they consume a fact hard to fathom since they seem to defy the laws of conservation of energy.

But a very unique quirk of elemental uranium makes this possible.

Nuclear reactors use a flavour of uranium called U-235 which unfortunately constitutes a minuscule quantity even in super purified uranium.

The larger component is what is called U-238 this flavour is the bulk but is essentially a waste product as the atomic reaction cannot be sustained by this elemental flavour.

In a fast breeder reactor the very special fast neutrons interact with the so called wasted uranium U-238 and converts it into a valuable resource. This is why fast breeders are akin to an akshaya patra.

Indias fast breeder reactor is even more unique as within it the country also deploys special rods of thorium which when they get exposed to or irradiated by fast neutrons they generate U-233 and a normally benign thorium turns into a valuable atomic material.

It is well known that India is very energy hungry and as economic growth takes place mega quantities of electricity will be required.

Unfortunately, nature has not been bountiful on India as the Indian land mass is not endowed with enough uranium but on the other hand the country has the worlds second largest store of thorium.

Today the country in a well thought out strategy is mastering fast breeder reactors that can be an effective via media for utilising the vast thorium reserves.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will adopt Kakrahia, a village known for its wrestlers and wrestling arenas, under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said on Sunday.

This will be the third village to be adopted by the Prime Minister in his Lok Sabha constituency of Varanasi.

In the previous two years, Modi adopted Jayapur and Nagpur, as his first and second villages.

Yogi Adityanath visited Kakrahia on Sunday, and informed the people there that the Prime Minister has selected the village under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana.

Budding grapplers Siddhant Singh and Vikas Singh expressed delight over the news.

Adityanath congratulated the locals, and also distributed five solar-operated charkhas (spinning wheels) to women in the village.

The chief minister also asked the villagers to thank Modi for adopting Kakrahia, as it would bring in various facilities.

Yogi Adityanath distributes solar-opearated spinning wheels at Kakrahia village. (HT Photo)

Jayapur has become well known after it was adopted by the PM. I hope my village will also get into the limelight and will be known across the nation, said Asha Devi, a villager.

We are quite happy as chief minister Yogi visited our village to give us the great news, she said.

Sandhya Singh was delighted as Adityanath gave her a solar-operated spinning wheel. She thanked the chief minister for the gift, saying it will help her earn her livelihood.

She also hoped that Prime Minister Modi visits her village in the future. The village is also known for flower cultivation.

Yogi Adityanath distributes school bags and uniforms among school children. (HT Photo)

Ravindra Singh, who coaches youngsters in wrestling for free, said, This is a matter of great joy for all of us that Prime Minister Mod has selected our village.

Our village will now have facilities like a solar power plant, a bank and a post office. We request the authorities to develop a sports stadium in view of love for sports among the youths here.

Singh has trained a number of youths in wrestling. Many of these trained wrestlers are now working in government departments in other cities.

By adopting their village, Singh said, the Prime Minister has brought new hope for development among the locals.

Adityanath also distributed schools bags and clothes among children.

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Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar,who has led his support to Centres nominee for the post of President on Sunday, asserted that he will not blindly follow anybodys ideology, as he has his own viewpoints and he believes in them.

Taking a dig at the Congress, Kumar, in a meeting with party colleagues, raked Ram Manohar Lohia and said, the great leader had dubbed that the grand old party practices Gandhian rules for political benefits.

We will not blindly follow anyone, we will deal with whatever happens in the future. We have our principles and we believe in them. And we are firm on our Principles and beliefs , said Nitish.

Our principles did not change, their (Congress) principles are changing. Lohia ji had dubbed Congress as Sarkari gandhiwaadi.

Kumar last week broke ranks with the opposition to support Kovind.

National spokesperson of the JD(U) KC Tyagi made a formal announcement in the evening about the JD(U)s decision support Kovind.

We had discussions with party MLAs and it was decided to support Kovind. The MLAs were of the opinion that Kovind is a good man and had a non-controversial stint as Governor of Bihar, he said.
The Rajasthan education department has replaced the name of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi from a scheme for meritorious girls in secondary schools in June this year.

The Indira Priyadarshini Puruskar Yojana, given to girls who score the highest in their district in Classes 10 and 12 of the Rajasthan Board of Secondary Education (RBSE), will now be called Padmakshi Puruskar Yojana.

Padmakshi, meaning a woman with lotus-like eyes, is another name for Goddess Saraswati, the deity of wisdom and knowledge. The award will be given on Basant Panchami at district-level functions every year, beginning 2017-18 session, said a press note from the education department.

Basant Panchami  celebrated as the birthday of the goddess  marks the beginning of spring (Basant in Hindi) and falls on the fifth day (Panchami) of Maagh month in the Hindu calendar. Hindus worship the goddess on this day and wear yellow  the colour of spring.

Girls of general, scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, other backward class, minorities and below poverty lines categories who score the highest in RBSE exams in Class 8, 10 and 12 will be awarded with cash and a certificate, the note quoted the education minister, Vasudev Devnani, as saying.

However, the press note was silent on renaming of the scheme.

The Ashok Gehlot government started the Indira Priyadarshini Puruskar Yojana in 2010-11 to award Rs 50,000 to Class 12 and Rs 40,000 to Class 10 district toppers in four categories: Schedules caste, scheduled tribe, other backward class and minorities.

In 2013, the former chief minister included general category girls in the scheme and increased the award money to Rs 1,00,000 for Class 12 and Rs 50,000 for Class 10.

Apart from the new name, the Padmakshi Yojana now has extended the award to toppers of Class 8 and included BPL families as the sixth category. The education department note said girls of each category scoring the highest in Class 8 in their district will be given Rs 40,000.

The award scheme, Devnani has been quoted as saying, is to promote girls education in the state and to maintain their enrolment rate in government schools.

When HT reached out to the minister for a comment on the rechristening of the award scheme, he said, Focus on the positives of the scheme  we have included a new category and extended it to include Class 8 toppers.

Gehlot, though, reacted sharply to the change. Changing names of government schemes is a manifestation of a mean mentality. Schemes are named after leaders of the country and not of parties. This (the name change) is a dangerous trend, he told HT on telephone.

Last year, Rajasthan government came under fire for erasing Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru from the Class 8 textbook.

In the new textbooks for Class 10 and Class 12 introduced this year, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled state has an extra dose of nationalism, with Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar pushing the role of the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi, to the margins.

Educationists criticised the rewritten textbooks, calling the new curriculum Hinduisation of the countrys freedom struggle.

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India has pushed in more troops in a non-combative mode to strengthen its position in an area near Sikkim, where its soldiers have been locked in a standoff with Chinese troops for almost a month now in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962.

India brought in more troops after the destruction of two of its bunkers and aggressive tactics adopted by the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), sources said. In a non- combative mode, the nozzle of a gun is placed downwards.

Giving details for the first time about the events that preceded the face off between the two armies, the sources said the PLA on June 1 asked the Indian Army to remove the two bunkers set up in 2012 at Lalten in Doka La, which falls in the vicinity of Chumbi Valley at the corner of India-Bhutan- Tibet tri-junction.

The Indian Army, which had been patrolling this area for many years, decided in 2012 that two bunkers would be positioned there as a backup option, besides providing security to the Bhutan-China border.

The Indian Army forward positions informed Sukna-based 33 Corps Headquarter in North Bengal about the Chinese warnings on the bunkers, the sources said.

However, during the night of June 6, two Chinese bulldozers destroyed the bunkers, claiming that the area belonged to China and that India or Bhutan had no right over it, the sources said.

Indian troops on the ground prevented the Chinese men and machines from doing any further damage or transgressing into the area, they said.

Additional forces from nearby brigade headquarters, located 20 km from the face off point, were moved in on June 8 during which a scuffle led to soldiers on both sides suffering minor injuries.

PLA troops were rushed in from its 141 division located in the area, prompting the Indian Army to also strengthen its position.

This is the longest standoff between the two armies since 1962. The last one, which carried on for 21 days, occurred at Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh division of Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when Chinese troops entered 30 km into Indian territory till the Depsang Plains and claimed it to be a part of its Xinjiang province.

They were, however, pushed back.

Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state which has a demarcated border with China. The lines are based on a treaty signed with the Chinese in 1898.

After the India-China war of 1962, the area where the Indian troops are stationed was placed under the Indian Army and the ITBP, which is the border guarding force and has a camp 15 km from the international border.

As the scuffle broke out between the two sides, the Indian Army rushed an officer of the Major General rank to the area and a flag meeting was sought with the Chinese counterparts.

China rejected two such requests from the Indian side, but accepted the third call for a meeting, where it asked the Indian Army to withdraw its troops from the Lalten area, which falls in Doka La.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it to be part of its Donglang region.

As a fallout of the standoff, the Chinese refused to allow the first batch of 47 pilgrims, who were to conduct the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, into Tibet. They also conveyed to the Indian side that visas of another batch of 50 yatris had also been cancelled, the sources said, describing the move as an indication of increased tempers in Beijing.

The Sikkim route to Mansarovar, which is in Tibet, was opened in 2015, enabling pilgrims to travel the 1500-km long route from Nathu La to Kailash by buses.

It is not the first time that such a transgression has happened at Doka La. The Chinese forces had in November 2008 destroyed some makeshift Indian army bunkers there.

Defence experts believe China wants to exert its dominance over the Chumbi Valley, which is a part of the southern reaches of Tibet. By claiming the Doka La area, Beijing wants to maximise its geographical advantage so that it can monitor all movements along the India-Bhutan border.

China has also increased diplomatic pressure on India and lodged a protest over the alleged crossing of boundary by Indian troops in the Sikkim section.

They demanded their immediate withdrawal, as Beijing warned that future visits of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar would depend on the resolution of the standoff.

Our position to uphold our territorial sovereignty is unwavering. We hope the Indian side can work with China in the same direction and immediately withdraw the personnel who have overstepped and trespassed into Chinese border, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang had told the media in Beijing last week.

Peoples Liberation Army spokesman Col Wu Qian also spoke a tough language while making a reference to the 1962 Sino- India conflict, saying that New Delhi should learn historical lessons.

Qian described Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawats remarks that India was ready for a two-and-a-half front war as extremely irresponsible and asked him to stop clamouring for war.

Rawat had said India was prepared for security threats posed by China, Pakistan as well as by internal threats.

Such rhetoric is extremely irresponsible. We hope that the particular person in the Indian Army could learn from historical lessons and stop such clamouring for war, he had said.

The Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, made New Delhis stand clear when he said the India of 2017 was different from that of 1962. If they are trying to remind us, the situation in 1962 was different and the India of 2017 is different, Jaitley had said when asked about Chinas warning.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.
Leaders of at least eight statehood movements, some dormant, in the Northeast see the Gorkhaland stir as a source of fuel for their self-rule battles.

The Northeast has eight states, and three of them  Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland  were carved out of Assam after statehood movements.

If Gorkhaland becomes a reality, the region could have eight more states, the strongest movement for which is Bodoland comprising areas of western and north-central Assam.

These areas are inhabited by the Bodos, the largest plains tribe of the region.

Assam is facing two more statehood movements, one by the Karbi tribe for Karbi Anglong state and the other for Dimaraji by the Dimasa tribe. The two tribes inhabit three hill districts of central Assam.

Another movement by the Koch-Rajbongshi community for Kamatapur state straddles Assam and West Bengal. The proposed map of Kamatapur covers much of areas demanded for Gorkhaland and Bodoland.

If language can be the basis of creation of states across India, the Bodos with a distinct language deserve a state for which they have been fighting since 1967. There is no reason to deny us a state, Pramod Boro, president of the All Bodo Students Union, told HT.

According to the 2011 census, there are almost 2 million Bodos in Assam, which is 5.5% of the states population of 31.2 million.

Read more: Assams Bodoland demand group supports Gorkhaland movement

No one deserves a state more than us, and there is historical evidence of Koch-Rajbongshis ruling over large swathes of present-day Assam and West Bengal, Pradip Ray, president of Assam Koch Rajbongshi Students Union (AKRSU), said.

The AKSRU has been periodically imposing shutdowns in Assam to demand Kamatapur state for about 14 million Koch-Rajbongshis across Assam and West Bengal.

The movements of Karbi Anglong and Dimaraji states  the Bharatiya Janata Party rules the tribal councils that cover these areas  have been on the backburner for some time. So have been a few others such as demand for carving out Eastern Nagaland state from Nagaland and Kukiland from Manipur.

The creation of seven new districts, reportedly to appease the Kuki-Zomi tribes, in Manipur last year is believed to have put the Kukiland demand in cold storage.

The Garoland movement in Meghalaya, on the other hand, has been intermittent. But the Garo Hills State Movement Committee (GHSMC) has indicated it is waiting for Gorkhaland to intensify its demand.

The proposed Garoland covers five districts and 24 of Meghalayas 60 assembly seats. The movement is to safeguard the identity of the Garos, who are often deprived of their rights, GHSMC leader Augustine Marak had said some time ago.

Gorkhaland could also impact the demand for Twipraland, a state for indigenous tribal groups, in Tripura. This statehood demand had witnessed violence in August last year.

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BJP president Amit Shah said on Saturday that the surgical strike conducted by the army in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir last year changed the worlds outlook towards India and showed the country is committed to self-defence.

The decision to conduct the surgical strike was taken with a political will, he said.

Speaking to a group of people in Panaji, he said Indian forces are attacked on the border everyday and terrorists enter our territory.

I dont say it is not happening today. It is happening today also. But when the Uri attack happened, the BJP government led by Narendra Modi took a decision, he said as he listed the Centres achievements in the last three years.

An army battalion headquarter in Uri was attacked by terrorists on September 18 last year in which 19 jawans were killed.

Later that month, the Army conducted surgical strike on terror launchpads in PoK.

We told the world that India is capable of self- defence, the BJP president said. Nobody has dared to do this except the USA.

Since the surgical strike, the worlds outlook towards India has changed, he added.
On October 29 last year, Adapur sub-inspector Rajesh Prasad received a strange SMS message that seemed to divulge important information on a bomb blast attempted a month ago.

SP sir, greetings! it said in Hindi. Save Bihar, because the group that had planted a bomb near Ghorasahan railway station in East Champaran district is now planning to carry out similar bomb attacks at five to six places. The man in charge of these operations is Umashankar Patel of Nahar Gamhariya.

When Prasad called back on the number (9102577909), the man on the other side introduced himself as Giri from Nepal. Then he went on to identify Patel, the person who had allegedly planted the bomb, as a local criminal.

When subsequent attempts to speak to Giri failed to get through, the matter was shrugged off as a hoax call. It wasnt.

The caller was referring to an improvised explosive device (IED) found by passersby on a railway track near Ghorasahan on September 30. Fortunately, it had failed to explode.

The story didnt end there. A second incident of the kind occurred on December 2, when an IED exploded on the tracks connecting Adapur and Nakardei railway stations in the same district. However, it failed to cause any damage.

A probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) identified the mystery caller as Brij Kishore Giri. He was allegedly roped in by Samsul Hoda  another Nepalese national  at the behest of Pakistani terrorist handler Mohammed Shafi in Karachi. Giris task comprised recruiting local criminals to execute explosions on railway tracks.

The probe into the two incidents has been completed, and the NIA wants the Union home ministrys sanction to prosecute eight people  including Patel, Giri and Hoda  under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Our probe has revealed a conspiracy hatched in Pakistan, Dubai, Nepal and India to damage railway bridges and derail trains, a senior NIA official said on the condition of anonymity.

Giri and Hoda were arrested in Nepal, and an NIA team had gone there to interrogate them.

Elaborating on the accused, an investigator said Hoda had contested the elections from Bara in Nepal a few years ago. When Shafi asked Hoda to recruit men for executing blasts in India, the latter contacted Giri in July and transferred Nepali Rs 7 lakh to his account in Beergunj branch of Himalayan Bank (A/C no 00906306390014). He also deposited INR 42,000 in his Indian bank accounts, said an investigator. Giri allegedly used this money to hire a few local criminals, including Patel, to execute the blasts.

However, relations between Giri and Patel soured after the Ghorasahan bomb failed to detonate. Our investigation shows that five goods trains and one passenger train passed on those tracks before the IED was detected by passersby. This dispute between the two may have spurred Giri to spill the beans on Patel over the phone, the investigator said.

The NIA believe Giri carried out the December 2 attack with a different group of criminals.

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An acid attack survivor was targeted with the corrosive liquid in Lucknow by unidentified people, police said on Sunday, the latest assault on the woman pursuing court cases against two men who had allegedly gang-raped her in 2008.

Police said the woman, a mother of two, was attacked at a hostel in Lucknows Aliganj area on Saturday night. She cannot be named for legal reasons.

She suffered injuries on the right side of her face and shoulder and is undergoing treatment at the trauma centre of the King George Medical University.

The Rai Bareli police detained Bhondu Singh and Guddu Singh, the two men accused of gang raping her, late on Saturday night.

The incident came barely three months after chief minister Yogi Adityanath met her at the same hospital after the two suspected rapists allegedly forced acid down her throat on a train in which she was travelling with one of her daughters.

The accused were arrested for the crime but released on bail.

The BJP stormed to power in Uttar Pradesh earlier this year, riding on a promise of ensuring womens safety in the state which has one of the highest rates of crime against women in India.

Read| Woman who survived gangrape, acid attack forced to drink acid on train

The repeated attacks on the woman, first targeted with acid in 2011, also indicated the easy availability of the liquid in the state despite a Supreme Court ban on its open sale.

Acid attack was made a separate category of crime in 2013 amid growing incidents of revenge on women who spurn sexual advances or reject marriage proposals.

On Saturday night, two assailants allegedly entered the hostel by scaling the perimeter wall of the hostel and threw acid on her.

Sandeep Singh, an armed constable deployed by the state government for her security, was in the waiting hall of the hostel when the incident occured.

Vivek Tripathi, Aliganj circle officer, said video footage from cameras installed at the hostel and commercial establishments in the area were being scanned to identify the accused.

The woman works at Lucknows Sheroes Hangout Cafe, which is run by several acid attack survivors. Her husband and two kids live in Rae Bareli.

The woman had lodged at least eight FIRs against the two accused and their accomplices.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday expressed doubts over an alleged acid attack on a gang rape victim, saying it needs to be seen if actually an attack happened.

The chief ministers comments came a day after the woman said she was attacked with acid by two unidentified assailants at her hostel in Lucknows Aliganj area.

It needs to be seen if actually an attack happened. Investigations are on. I think by evening we will know if the attack happened or not, he told a private news channel in Varanasi.

This turns out to be the sixth acid attack on the woman. I had visited her at the KGMU and then we made arrangments for her treatment and security. She was kept in a secure place under police protection, he said, referring to his visit to the King George Medical University in March following an earlier acid attack.

Law is for protection of people, but if someone misuses it for whatever reasons or to victimise someone, then all will act on such misusers too, he added.

Police said she suffered injuries on the right side of her face and shoulder and is undergoing treatment at the trauma centre of the KGMU.

Sandeep Singh, an armed constable deployed for her security, was in the waiting hall of the hostel when the incident occured.

The woman, a mother of two, is pursuing court cases against two men who had allegedly gang-raped her in 2008.

The Rai Bareli police have detained Bhondu Singh and Guddu Singh, the two men accused of gang raping her, late on Saturday night.

The accused were arrested earlier but released on bail.

The BJP stormed to power in Uttar Pradesh earlier this year, riding on a promise of ensuring womens safety in the state which has one of the highest rates of crime against women in India.

The repeated attacks on the woman, first targeted with acid in 2011, also indicated the easy availability of the liquid in the state despite a Supreme Court ban on its open sale.

Read| Woman who survived gangrape, acid attack forced to drink acid on train

Acid attack was made a separate category of crime in 2013 amid growing incidents of revenge on women who spurn sexual advances or reject marriage proposals.

On Saturday night, the two assailants allegedly entered the hostel by scaling the perimeter wall of the hostel and threw acid on her.

Vivek Tripathi, Aliganj circle officer, said video footage from cameras installed at the hostel and commercial establishments in the area were being scanned to identify the accused.

The woman works at Lucknows Sheroes Hangout Cafe, which is run by several acid attack survivors. Her husband and two kids live in Rae Bareli.

The woman had lodged at least eight FIRs against the two accused and their accomplices.

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A village panchayat in Dholpur has said that girls should not wear jeans and attractive clothes and avoid using mobile phones as they are ruining our culture. The decision will bring a stop to incidents of molestation, the members said.

The Baldiyapura panchayat  under Sepmau sub-division also initiated a ban on alcohol consumption and have also said in the case of a dispute villagers should not approach the police, but try and solve it through the panchayat. In case, they fail to arrive at a solution at the panchayat, the villagers can then approach the police.

The panchayt also announced that those found consuming alcohol would be fined Rs 1,100 and those who inform the panchayat about the sale and consumption of alcohol would be given Rs 500. Selling of tobacco pouches will be banned at all shops in the village.

According to panchayat members, girls wearing jeans and using mobiles ruin Indian culture. Most girls in villages, nowadays, follow western tradition and wear wearing clothes. Parents of girls were asked to not give them jeans and mobiles and also advised to monitor their daughters activities. The panchayat members also clarified that their decisions will be implemented forcibly in the village.

Good decisions were taken by the panchayat to eradicate social evils. Incidents of rape and molestation are on the rise as women wear attractive clothes, said Kanasil Hariom Singh Parmar, the panchayat sarpanch said.

Members appointed by the panchayat will take action against those who flout the rules. The panchayat will hold a meeting on the first day of every month to discuss developments.

Baldiyapura, which is dominated by the Kushwaha community, has a population of around 2,500. The same initiatives will soon be implemented in other villages under Kansil panchayat.

Our aim to do away with all bad habits in the village. We have put a ban on girls wearing jeans and attractive clothes for the overall development of the village, said Dhaniram Kushawaha, a panchayat member.

Block development officer Vinay Singh said that he was not aware of the panchayats decisions but will investigate the matter.

Additional district collector of Dholpur Vinod Kumar Meena said that the panchayats ban on consumption and sale of alcohol is a good step but the decision to ban girl from wearing jeans and using mobiles is against law. We have not received any complaint, but will consider legal action against them (panchayat members) after getting a complaint, said Meena.
Barring a few big stores, most traders and restaurants in Uttar Pradesh were caught unprepared to implement the Goods and Services Tax (GST) system that came into effect from July 1.

Most of them had not even configured and modified their billing software in accordance with the new tax rates. Consequently, many dealers issued manual cash memos to consumers while others preferred to keep their establishments closed waiting for the billing software to be changed by Saturday evening or Sunday.

Expert private agencies that update the billing software and then link it with commercial tax departments central billing server were also overburdened, said sources. This was also one of the reasons behind the delay in the switch over.

Many businessmen even cited confusion over last minute changes in the GST rates by the Centre and lack of proper official communication on the issue by either state or Union government, as one of the reasons behind their unpreparedness.

Chikan traders in Lucknow protesting against GST (HT Photo)

Sample this: Ritz, a prominent restaurant in Mahanagar, issued manual bills to consumers as their software was not updated in accordance with the GST. Manual bills are being issued as we have not been able to update our billing software largely due to late intimation about the final GST rates, said Mohan, an employee. But the GST is welcome move, he added.

Nand Kumar of the busy Mamta Medical store at Bhootnath also said he was issuing manual bills to customers. We are waiting for our agent to come to update our billing software and till then we are issuing manual bills as per the GST rates, he said.

Agarwal Mobile dealer, Bhootnath, Universal Book Sellers, Mahanagar and the Veg Express (restaurant) all had similar stories to share.

Read more | GST rollout: Bandh, protests in UP greet new tax regime

However, a hotel owner, who did not wish to be identified, said contrary to the claims the GST had complicated the tax system by prescribing different rates for the same commodity. For example, same food will be taxed on different slabs at a non-AC, AC and five star restaurants. Similarly a hotel will have to tax room rental differently depending on the tariff amount, he said. According to him lack of preparedness both on the part of the state government and traders might make things difficult during the transition period.

Big stores, on the other hand were better prepared for the D-Day. We had got our software updated well in advance everything going on smoothly without any confusion or dispute, said an executive at the Big Bazaar at Saharaganj. The situation was same at the Spencers.

However, despite protests against the GST by some traders bodies and confusion on the first day, businessmen in general were all praise for the new tax system, which they believed was a win-win situation for all.

Uttar Pradesh Adarsh Vyapar Mandal president, Sanjay Gupta said, What we saw on the first day of the GST is nothing but teething problems and things will become normal very soon, he said. The GST, he stressed, promised a lot of hope for the countrys economy. The opposition by some traders is politically motivated or is a result of their ignorance, he said.

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Peoples rekindled hope for a Ram temple in Ayodhya is a good thing, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said in a television interview on Sunday, reiterating that Hindus and Muslim should talk and resolve the dispute.

The 44-year-old priest-politician visited and prayed at the makeshift Ram temple in Ayodhya this May, the states first chief minister do so in 15 years. Also, he stated that his government will support any step to resolve the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute through dialogue.

In an interview to a private TV channel this weekend in Varanasi, he said: Logon mein Ram mandir ke liye umeed jagna achcha baat hai.

His remarks are significant since the BJP is committed to building a permanent Ram temple, which has been pivotal to the partys politics.

The temporary temple is located within a 2.7-acre disputed plot, where the Mughal-era Babri Masjid stood before it was demolished by thousands of kar sevaks or supporters of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) on December 6, 1992. Many Hindus believe the mosque was built on top of the birthplace of god Ram.

The demolition triggered riots across the country, killing more than 3,000 people, and the site remains Indias most potent religious flashpoint. Many Muslim groups want the mosque rebuilt.

The Supreme Court is hearing the case.

Yogi, who is the head priest of the Gorakhnath shrine in Gorakhpur, repeated his recent statement on Taj Mahal that the most popular Mughal-era monument in the world should not be linked with Indian culture.

It is not Indias identity, he said, but contended that Hinduism is the most secular religion.

The chief minister, who is a Thakur from Uttarakhand by birth, dismissed allegations that the community is dominating the powers corridors since he took office this March.

There is no Thakur raj in the state, he said and asserted: There is no hooliganism by the saffron brigade (right-wing Hindu outfits) either.

The first test his government faced after coming to power with an overwhelming majority in the February-March assembly polls is caste clashes in Saharanpur.

But Yogi said: The mining mafia was behind the clashes and then there was a conspiracy to turn the clashes casteist.

The BJPs poll promise was to improve law and order in the state, which the party alleged plummeted under the previous Samajwadi Party government.

Yogi said law and order has improved now, and FIRs and charge-sheets were filed in criminal cases.

Among the chief ministers first orders since taking power was to implement the partys poll promise of banning all illegal abattoirs. He repeated that his government will not allow any illegal slaughterhouses to operate.

The decision to close illegal slaughterhouses was in sync with orders of the Supreme Court and the NGT (National Green Tribunal), he said, deflecting criticism that the move was linked to cow protection, which has spawned vigilantes and attacks on cattle traders and beef-eaters.

Cow protection is Sanatan Hindu tradition but no one will be allowed to take the law in his hands in the name of gau raksha, said the chief minister, who champions cow protection and keeps a bunch of cattle at his temple.

His remarks were in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modis stern warning on Thursday against mob attacks on cattle traders, beef-eaters and dairy farmers, saying killing people in the name of protecting cows is unacceptable.

Such attacks waged by so-called cow vigilantes in India have targeted mostly Muslims. Cows are considered sacred by many Hindus, and slaughtering cattle or eating beef is illegal or restricted across much of the country.

Another much-debated move by the Yogi government was the setting up of anti-Romeo police squads that target couples at public places, especially parks.

Yogi defended the step, saying the drive is designed to stop people from harassing women. t will be a continuous process  and will continue.

The chief minister had set a June 15 target to repair all roads in Uttar Pradesh to make them pothole-free. But the goal has not been achieved.

It will take the time to fill the holes that are the outcome of sins of previous governments of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, he said.

Had the previous SP government worked with honesty, there wouldnt have been potholes on the states roads.
The two housing units of the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai police registered 11 cases against builders for allegedly duping flat buyers till May this year compared to 16 cases last year, revealed a Right To Information (RTI) application filed by Hindustan Times.

Theses cases were registered under the Maharashtra Ownership Flat Act (MOFA).

Most of the cases refer to instances in which the builder had accepted a huge amount from buyers and later refused to hand over the flats with the promised time period.

The MOFA Act came into existence in 1963. The EOW probes cases in which the duped amount is above Rs3 crore. Any MOFA case with amount less than Rs3 crore is registered with the police station.

The duped amount in 15 cases registered with the housing unit 1 stood at Rs223.51 crore between 2016 and May this year while the housing unit II which registered the rest 12 cases refused to divulge the amount.

According to the procedure, an official said they verify a complaint first and then file a first information report. After receiving a complaint, we verify it. We also listen to the version of the accused. Once we establish that the intention of the builder was to cheat the buyer, we register an FIR, added the official.

Giving an example, the official said, We have registered multiple cases against a builder who has duped hundreds of flat buyers and investors. The builder showed a forged commencement certificate and sold one flat to more than one buyer. He also sold flats in the building they have mortgaged to banks.

The major reasons cited by builders for not meeting deadline are paucity of funds, change in government rules or pending approvals from government agencies. The official said it takes a minimum of four years to recover the money.

Staff crunch at EOW is another reason why it takes so long to recover the amount. Each official handles about seven to eight cases against the ideal number of two to three cases. The EOW ensures the accused is convicted and the money trail is established.

READ

RERA effect: Maharashtra govt to name and shame officials who dont clear builders files on time, delay construction

The 1BHK makes a comeback in Mumbai realty market
Schools in Mumbai are angry with the municipal corporations plan that asks the institutions to help corporators who recommend students for seats.

After one corporator was refused entry into a Kandivli school, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which is in charge of primary school education in the city, said last week that it will ask schools to treat the elected representatives with respect.

The end of the admission season in schools  usually between May and July  is the time when institutions face threats and violence from local politicians.

A few years ago, members of a political party threatened to vandalise a Santacruz school after the principal refused to allot seats to students recommended by him. The principal, who had copies of letters from the politician recommending students for kindergarten admissions, filed a complaint with the police.

A corporator threatened a school in Bhandup for refusing seats to two students recommended by him.

Corporators said this is social work, but schools do not agree. They (corporators) say they are doing social work but it is not always so; some of them take money from parents after ensuring them a seat in a school of their choice, said the former manager of a school.

When the demands are not fulfilled, schools are harassed. A priest who was the manager of a school at Saat Rasta (Jacob Circle) said that the local corporator would demand 30-35 seats  an average government-aided private school in Mumbai has an annual intake of 150-250 students in its kindergarten - for students recommended by him. He behaved so badly when we refused to give him so many seats. He complained to the (municipal) ward office that the roof that we had put over our parish house was dangerous. Though we argued that the roof was safe, it was demolished, said the priest.

In other schools, the corporators have interfered in fee disputes between the school and parents of students. The local corporator would not allow the PTA (Parents Teachers Association) to approve the fee hike though a majority of the members had agreed to an increase, said a former principal of a school.

Some schools reserve a few seats in anticipation of the demands. But these are for students recommended by the BMC education department, not politicians. If we have to oblige every corporator, MLA and Shakha Pramukh (branch heads of political parties), we will have no seats left to allot to applicants, said a Matunga resident who is associated with the management of school.

The use of coercion is largely restricted to private institutions that receive grants from the government  called aided schools. The grants  reimbursement of salaries paid to teachers and some infrastructure grants  is irregular, but that does not stop the politicians from demanding what they think is quid pro quo.

The harassment from politicians, school managements said, is one of the reasons why many institutions are severing their affiliation to the state education board and shifting to national school curriculums. Apart from the fact that the curriculum is better, there is no pressure from politicians who cannot arm-twist unaided schools. I know one school in Dadar which said that will not allow politicians into their premises because the institution does not take money from the government, said a member of the managing committee of a Sion school.

Corporators said that they have no option but to approach schools when parents seek their help for school seats. Children come to us; what do we do? asked Subhada Gudekar, a corporator and chairperson of the municipal education committee. What is our use if we cannot help children from poor families to get seats in good schools? What will the public say (about us)?

Gudekar said that many schools humiliate corporators. They do not even ask them to sit. We are elected representatives; they have to give us respect.

Read more

Time to clean up Mumbais railway stations and tracks

Is the political iftar fading away in Mumbai?

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Two days days after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) was rolled out, traders and wholesalers are yet to adopt to the new system and worried about their old stock. Traders particularly from sugar and textiles industry fear losses owing to a higher GST rate on inventories and ambiguity on input tax credit.

After the state government subsumed the sugarcane cess and excise in the GST, the difference between the old and new stock is Rs30 a quintal. In the absence of clarity on input tax credit, traders fear, they will have to bear losses.

Before GST, each quintal of sugar attracted Rs71 in excise duty and Rs124 in cess. Now, the 5% GST rate is levied on sugar. As a result of the difference, the old stock is dearer. The industry has made representation to the Union finance ministry and the decision is awaited, said Sanjeev Babar, managing director of State Co-Operative Sugar Factories Federation Ltd.

Meanwhile, traders complained about glitches while registering themselves on the GST network owing to slow servers and crashes. The registration of the existing assessee is fast, but the new one are facing problems owing to an unfriendly system and lack of clarity on many fronts. In Bhiwandi, which is known as powerloom town, only 17 traders have registered against expected registration of 25,000, said an official.

In the absence of the GST-enabled system at many outlets, customers faced the inconvenience. At a garment outlet of a leading brand in Phoenix Malls, I had to stand for more than an hour for billing as they were preparing the bills manually. Customers were told that the system was not ready, said Gaurav Shah.

Trades and suppliers were also found insisting for the cash payments instead of credit card or cheques.

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The Ghaziabad police on Sunday arrested three members of the Harendra Khadkhadi gang and a manager of a petrol pump in Indirapuram for allegedly hatching a conspiracy and robbing a petrol pump agent of Rs 8.3 lakh.

The four arrested were identified as Sonu Khadkhadi, Kapil Mawi, Dharmendra and Brajesh Kumar, the manager at Yadu Petrol Pump in Indirapuram.

According to police, Kumar knows Mawi for the past 15 years. The huge daily collection from the petrol pump and the gas agency business of the owner prompted Kumar to hatch the plan.

He roped in Mawi and other members of Khadkhadi gang who robbed the pumps collection agent. They used a KTM Duke bike they had stolen from Delhi 5-6 months ago. The bike was recovered. A total of Rs 8.3 lakh was robbed from the collection agent in Indirapuram, said Akash Tomar, superintendent of police (city).

During the incident on June 10, Rajesh Gupta, the collection agent, was returning with bag containing Rs 8.3 lakh. He was robbed at gunpoint by several armed bikers who fled the spot. A case was lodged by the police at Indirapuram police station.

Apart from the four arrested, our teams are in search of another member who escaped with the bag. So far, we recovered Rs 2.05 lakh cash while the rest is to be traced. We hope more cash will be recovered from the absconding accused, Tomar added.

Earlier in April, 2015, Harendra Khadkhadi was arrested by Ghaziabad police during an encounter near Madhuban Bapudham near NH-58 where nearly 50 rounds were exchanged.

He allegedly operated a dreaded gang involved in extortion, murder and robberies in Ghaziabad, Baghpat and East Delhi areas.

His arrest came while Khadkhadi and accomplices were proceeding to avenge the death of Khadkhadis guru, Jaggu Pehalwan, who was previously murdered during a gang war.
Continuing its crackdown on breeding of mosquitoes in stagnant water, the district health department issued notice to the district hospital, Super Specialty Child Hospital and Post Graduate Institute and sector 39 police station on Saturday evening for allowing waterlogging on their premises.

According to district health officials, the authorities of these three bodies were neglectful in their approach towards destroying breeding grounds for mosquitoes in their office premises.

They have been asked to remove the stagnant water in three days.

We conducted another round of inspection on Saturday morning and found mosquito breeding places in their premises. We issued notices to Dr Vandana Sharma, chief medical superintendent of the district hospital; Dr AK Bhatt, director of Super Specialty Child Hospital & PGI and Ajay Kumar Singh, station house officer of Police Station sector 39, said Rajesh Sharma, district malaria officer.

This is the third time in a week when the health department conducted surprise inspections and issued notices over stagnant water and mosquito breeding.

The department had earlier issued notice to Noida Authority two times and other bodies such as the Uttar Pradesh State Roadways Transport Corporation.

If the bodies refuse to remove the breeding grounds, health department staff will themselves visit the site and take action and recover the cost of their services from the defaulters.

The inspections were part of a campaign launched by the health department ahead of the monsoon season to stop the breeding of mosquitoes.

Residents have been asked to clean and dry all utensils, vases, discarded tyres, coolers and any instrument that can hold water for days. Mosquitoes breeding in stagnant water are carriers of vector borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya.

Taking cognizance of the past notices, Sharma said the health department will revisit the places that have been issued notice to see the steps taken in compliance.

We will begin that drive from Wednesday after a video conferencing with senior officials of state health department, said Sharma.

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The Noida authority has decided to issue notices to builders who have failed to fulfil promises made to buyers in tripartite meetings. The authority is examining each builders tower-wise delivery schedule.

In total, 36 builder-buyer-official meetings have taken place since May 10. However, homebuyers said there is no solution emerging from these meetings.

Of the 36 projects, pertaining which meetings have taken place, builders have submitted the tower-wise delivery schedule of 34 projects. We are examining the schedule submitted to us. Apart from this, in each meeting, the additional chief executive officer also gave some instructions to builders to address buyers issues. We are examining whether the builder has implemented those instructions, Praveen Shrivastava, chief architect and town planner of the Noida authority, said.

Following instructions of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the authority began calling builders, homebuyers and officials concerned for the meetings to address issues faced by the developers in finishing the projects. In each meeting, the authority directed builders to submit a written delivery schedule of flats.

We are evaluating each realty project, the delivery schedule plan and also listing the violations. It means if the builder is not taking authoritys instructions seriously and not addressing homebuyers issues, we will make a list of the same and later issue notices to those who have committed violations, said Santosh Kumar, officer on special duty (OSD), Noida authority.

Homebuyers, however, are not satisfied with the meetings. Builders are not taking these meetings seriously. My realtor made a promise to resume construction at the site following the meeting. I had on April 27 met the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. He assured me of action and the authority officials also assured me of help, but there seems to be no development. Now we will meet the Union minister for urban development, housing and urban poverty alleviation, M Venkaiah Naidu, for help, said Mitroo Krishan, a homebuyer.

Noidas officer on special duty said, Buyers should have patience because we are working to resolve their issues. It takes a while to reach a solution.

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MOTIHARI A doctor in East Champaran district of north Bihar has stopped going to his clinic out of fear, after he received an extortion demand of Rs 10 lakh, late evening on Saturday. The sender(s) of the demand note said he needed to pay up the amount for his own protection.

Police said this was the first reported incident of a doctor being targeted for extortion in Bihar in the current year. This followed a lull of several months after several such incidents were reported in 2016.

The recipient of the note, Dr Binod Kumar Singh, a practitioner of ayurvedic medicime at Bairia Bazar under Turkaulia police station of East Champaran, has filed a complaint in this regard, following which an FIR has been registered on Sunday.

A resident of Majhar Village, located close to Bairia Bazar, Dr Singh, BAMS, told the police that the sender of the extortion letter had warned him to pay up or be prepared to be killed.

Station house officer (SHO) in-charge of Turkaulia PS, Dharmajit Mahto confirmed he had received the doctors complaint. Efforts have been initiated to catch the persons who had sent the threat letter, he said.

Citing an eye witness account, police said a stranger came and handed over a letter to an eight year old boy with the instruction to give it to the doctor. The boy handed over the letter to a man named Babloo Kumar, who conveyed it to the doctor.

Police said it was being investigated whether or not the sender of the letter was actually an extortionist. This may be the handiwork of one of Dr Singhs competitor, said a police officer, recalling such cases had come to light in the recent past.

Earlier, a doctor couple - Dr Kiran Singh and Dr Santosh Singh had lodged a case against unknown persons at the Mohania police station of Kaimur district in western Bihar on November 15 last year, after receiving an extortion call for the first time. Two persons were later arrested in connection with the incident.

In May last year, Dr Hemant Verma, a child specialist of Patna, had filed a police complaint claiming an extortion demand of Rs 1 crore had been made upon him.

The same month, senior medical officer Dr Harikishore Singh, posted in Forbesganj, Araria, had also received an extortion demand of Rs 2 lakh on his cell phone. Police arrested two persons, Diwakar Kumar Sah and Abhishek Kumar Yadav, in this connection.

Before that, Dr Hena Rani Debnath of Patna had received an extortion demand of Rs 5 lakh on January 18 last year. Thereafter, another doctor, Vivekanand Jha of Hajipur, was threatened and shots were fired at his house when he refused to pay extortion money.
Six persons, all of them from Pune, died, while seven others were injured after a water tanker rammed into a Tempo Traveler and a car near Lonikand on the Pune-Ahmednagar road on Sunday.

According to police officials, the accident occurred at around 7:30 pm when the water tanker, going towards Ahmednagar, first crossed the median and hit a Tempo Traveler first, killing six persons. It then also hit a car. The Lonikand police officials said the deceased were returning to Pune after attending a wedding at Sonai near Shani Shingnapur.

While coming back to Pune in the Tempo Traveler, the speeding tanker hit their vehicle. All the victims died on the spot, said Sarjerao Patil, Inspector, Lonikand Police station. So high was the impact of collision that the car involved in the accident was completely damaged, while the Tempo Traveler overturned. The two persons travelling in the car sustained severe injuries, said Santosh Kulthe, constable at Lonikand police station.

The deceased have been identified as Vaibhav Mane, 27, Mahesh Pawar, 28, Nupur Sahu, 26, Nikhil Jadhav, 26, Akshay Dabhade, 28 and Vishal Chavan, 29. All the injured were shifted to Imax and Lifeline hospital at Wagholi.

One of the injured persons Suresh Gaikwad said, all the victims were returning to Pune after attending the wedding of their colleague. We saw this water tanker crossing the road divider and hitting our vehicle, said Gaikwad.
The arrival of Goods and Services Tax (GST) has forced Chandigarh excise and taxation employees to put in extra working hours even on a Sunday.

Almost seven to eight employees of the department starting from clerks to taxation officers are on duty today to answer questions and solve queries related to the new tax regime.

The employees were also kept functioning on Saturday as the phones at excise and taxation department kept ringing throughout the day. The department had cancelled Saturday and Sunday offs for the employees and the manpower at the help desk was increased from two to four people.

Pressing a button at the stroke of midnight on Friday, President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched Indias biggest tax reform from the historic central hall of Parliament, cheered on by some of the countrys top names in politics, business and law.

Within one hour we have got 15 calls, mostly from Chandigarh and Mohali. Apart from this, 4-5 have visited us as well, so far, said Devinder Singh, an employee at the GST help desk.

He added that officials are helping people in queries relating to billing format and assisting them with uploading digital signatures online.

Vishnu Kumar, Inspector, excise and taxation department said: Most of the traders are writing SGST (State GST) instead of UTGST. So, we are advising Chandigarh traders to write UTGST.

Usually, the helpline is open from 9 am-5 pm but during this weekend it will remain open from 10 am to 5 pm.

Interestingly, the Chandigarh helpline is also getting calls from other states and cities such as Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Mumbai.

The UT administration has organised a rath yatra daily for the past week to spread awareness on GST. Within this initiative, a team of two conducts seminars at two places every day.

We educate traders about the new tax regime and answer their queries. It was started last Friday and will continue till July 20. However, if needed we may extend it further, said an excise officer.

Chandigarh was one of the first cities in the country to achieve 100% migration to the GST system.

Chandigarh has recorded one of the highest migrations. We started in December and by April, 98% traders registered under the new system, said an official, adding that 15,000 traders registered under GST received their provisional IDs and passwords for logging onto the GST portal.

Deputy commissioner Ajit Balaji Joshi said, In the coming days, our main focus will be to answer any GST-related query. We will conduct more seminars and the help desk will also be there to guide people.

OFFICERS SHOULD GEAR UP

The visibility of GST is more than required. All of us have heard about GST, but we may not know its nitty-gritty. There is fear, misconception and confusion related to the tax reform. This is not only limited to traders, but officers too, said Anil Kumar Gupta, a master trainer for GST

Also the additional director general of National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (Nacin), Gupta was addressing the officers of Chandigarh GST zone. He added, Changes will happen every day; the council made one on Friday. We will be flooded with more in the next three months. So, officers have to keep abreast of all changes so as to help others.

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Colonel Bipin Pathak who recently retired to Chandigarh is a dogged intelligence officer with long experience of operations in Jammu and Kashmir, the North-East and across borders.

He talked to me about the brutal, exacting intelligence war in Kashmir. There was the case of Iram (not her real name) who was so infatuated with Tamim, a top Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) commander, a Pakistani that her anger knew no bounds upon learning that he was two-timing her (hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and all that!). Her revenge was to give him up to military intelligence. It was agreed that she would inform the Army about her next meeting with the Pakistani. A simple code involving the number of rings on a cellphone would identify the location where the tryst was to take place.

To cut the long story short, the Army raid was successful with Tamim and two other Pakistani terrorists being killed. Like the security forces, terrorists too carry out comprehensive postmortems on operations to identify chinks in their own security and informers. To locate security forces sources, they look for villagers doing conspicuous consumption  purchase of luxuries, electronic items, vehicles, jewellery, clothes or repaying loans. Our heroine was unfortunately unmasked by her spending pattern and was hanged from a tree by the terrorists to set an example.

Terrorists try to lure security forces into ambushes by their comrades by pretending to surrender. The favoured method is to snatch weapons and run into pre-designated killing areas with security forces personnel in hot pursuit. Therefore, the Army insists on accepting surrenders only in their own camps. Another ploy, according to Bipin is to direct the security forces to what are supposed to be weapons caches which actually have improvised explosive devices (IEDs) implanted.

Wiser now, the security forces insist on having the terrorists uncover the caches themselves. Intelligence operatives function under onerous conditions, working in civil clothes, without protection and courting death at every step.

General Iqroop Ghumman

General Iqroop Ghumman took over as Chief of Staff at Western Command headquarters, previous year and quickly established a reputation for thoroughness, probity and professional competence. Now he and his charming wife, Ginny are moving to Bhopal where the General takes over command of XXI Corps, the designated strike formation for the desert area. A consummate soldier and an alumnus of Kapurthala Sainik School, the general is well placed both in terms of service acumen and residual service to be the next occupant of 4, Rajaji Marg in Lutyens Delhi. One wishes him happy hunting.

Ludhiana Veterans Body

Ive always been in favour of a single, united organisation to protect veterans interests and work for their welfare. However, bodies of ex-servicemen working at the grassroots and run by dedicated, knowledgeable ex-servicemen are a welcome addition. I was privileged the other day to attend a meeting of the Ex-Servicemen Welfare Society at Ludhiana. Headed by Colonel Rajinder Singh, formerly of the Signals the Society does some extremely useful work in aiding officers and especially Jawans in the three critical areas where they need help  pensions, ECHS and canteen services. Colonel Sohis core team comprises other knowledgeable, committed officers and junior commissioned officers (JCO). It was an eye-opener to interact with them. One can only applaud their fine spirit of giving to their fellow veterans. Specialised data available with them is invaluable.

(Please write in with your narratives of war and military life to msbajwa@gmail.com or call/WhatsApp on 093161-35343)
While making trips during the monsoon season, you need to be careful where you are heading and take the necessary precautions for certain areas.

On the other hand there are certain places which need to be completely avoided, as it may end up being a bad idea heading out if ultimately due to some weather conditions you end up getting stuck, ruining your holiday.

1) Dont plan a trip to any of these 5 destinations in Uttarakhand this monsoon

Exits from Nainital in Uttarakhand are often blocked in the monsoon. (Shutterstock)

Uttarakhand is quite a tricky place to visit during this time of the year owing to overflowing rivers, waterfalls and landslides. You need to avoid certain hill stations and treks here.

While the state has not issued any advisory for visitors, nevertheless, the first-hand experience of some travellers is enough to highlight the problems one might face.

Read the full story HERE.

2) Monsoon trek over the weekend? Dont go to these 15 dangerous sites in Maharashtra till September

After 55 students got stranded near a waterfall in Raigad recently, trekkers from across the city have come up with a list of 15 spots that are unsafe for vacationers, amateur trekkers and picnickers till September.



The group of 55, stuck at Devkund between two streams of the Kundalika river, was rescued after a six-hour operation.

Read the full story HERE.

Follow @htlifeandstyle for more
The capital of the United Arab Emirates became the first city to be exempt from a US ban on laptop computers being in airplane cabins, the countrys flag carrier said Sunday.

Long-haul airline Etihad said it welcomed the decision by the US Department of Homeland Security, which comes subject to enhanced security measures at Abu Dhabi International Airport. That airport already has a US Customs and Border Protection facility that allows passengers to clear screening theyd otherwise have to go through when landing in America.

Etihad did not elaborate on what additional security measures passengers would face to be allowed to have their laptops, tablets and other electronics with them on their flights. Neither Abu Dhabi International Airport nor Homeland Security immediately responded to a request for comment.

The US ban, first announced in March, now applies to nonstop US-bound flights from nine international airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Cairo; Istanbul; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar; and Dubai in the UAE.

In late May, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said he was considering banning laptops from the passenger cabins of all international flights to and from the United States. Kellys comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump shared highly classified intelligence about the Islamic State group wanting to use laptops to target aircraft with senior Russian officials visiting the White House.

The laptop ban, as well as a Trump administration travel ban on six predominantly Muslim nations, has hurt Gulf long-haul carriers. Emirates, the long-haul carrier based in Dubai, has slashed 20 percent of its flights to America in the wake of those decisions. The airline also has been trying to get the ban lifted for its direct flights to the U.S. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Dubai International Airport, Emirates home, is the worlds busiest international air travel hub. Meanwhile, long-haul carrier Qatar Airways has been hurt amid a diplomatic dispute with Arab nations that has seen its own routes in the region cut off.
Bangladesh police have arrested three female members of an Islamist extremist group blamed for the deadly Dhaka cafe siege, officials said Sunday, as authorities continue to crack down on militant outfits a year after the attack.

The three women were arrested late Saturday following a failed suicide bombing after their hide-out was raided in western Kushtia districts Bheramara town, 228 kilometres (141.6 miles) from the capital Dhaka.

Local police chief Nur Hossain Khandker told AFP that one of the suspects wearing a suicide bomb vest tried to blow herself up as she rushed towards authorities after being asked to surrender.

She failed and we arrested her without any harm. Later she said she couldnt find the trigger, or else, there would have been many casualties, Khandker said.

Kushtia police chief Mehedi Hasan said the women were members of Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a local group blamed for the 2016 Holey bakery attack in Dhakas diplomatic zone where militants killed 22 people.

Police said one of the women, Tithi Khatun, 30, is the wife of acting JMB chief Ayyub Bacchu who is on the run and allegedly visited the hideout frequently.

We conducted a clean sweep operation inside the den and found 10 kilos of gunpowder, two armed (suicide) vests and a loaded pistol, Khandker said.

Two minor children were also rescued from the hideout, he added.

Bangladesh has been reeling from a spate of extremist violence in recent years, with dozens of foreigners, secular writers, atheist activists and members of religious minorities killed.

Many of those, including the cafe carnage, were claimed by the Islamic State group or Al Qaeda but the secular government of Sheikh Hasina denies the claims, blaming homegrown militants.

However, since the cafe attack, authorities have gunned down nearly 70 Islamist extremists across the country and arrested scores.
For all the hue and cry in both Indian and Chinese media on the border standoff along Nathu La Pass, their fledgling counterpart in Bhutan the third party in the issueis relatively quiet.

India and China are engaged in a war of words over mutual allegations of breach of territory in Nathu La Pass in Sikkim, which led to China suspending the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through the area. China has alleged that India is fighting on behalf of Bhutan, which had opposed the construction of a motorable road by the Chinese military from Dokala in the Doklam area towards the Bhutan Army camp at Zornpelri on June 16. Doklam, also referred to as Donglang, is claimed by both China and Bhutan. Bhutans envoy to India had issued a demarche to the Chinese embassy in Delhi asking the Chinese side to stop the construction.

Bhutans media is offering only matter-of-fact reportage on the issue if one goes by what is available in the online versions of its newspapers and on social media. There are not too many aggressive editorials or opinion pieces on the issue, in stark contrast to Indian and Chinese media.

Kuensel, the state-owned newspaper, reported that New Delhi had expressed concern over the road construction as it would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India.

The paper said Doklam is one of four disputed areas between Bhutan and China in the western region of Haa and Paro dzongkhags.

Kuensel and other news outlets of Bhutan cited a foreign ministry statement of June 29 asking for maintaining status quo, and conveying that the construction inside Bhutanese territory is a direct violation of the agreements and affects the process of demarcating the boundary between the two countries.

In a post that appeared on the Facebook page of another newspaper The Bhutanese, its editor Tenzing Lamsang said: The Royal Bhutan Army first tried to dissuade the Chinese road construction team that refused to cooperate. This was soon followed by Indian soldiers who entered the area and halted the construction. The Chinese soldiers in response came back later and destroyed a couple of small Indian military outposts.

Lamsang offered some insight into the issue, saying: The Chinese side has built a major road till the Yadong town in the Chumbi valley. The attempt by the Chinese is to take as much roads as it can from there to the Indian and Bhutanese borders in the vicinity.

For India, any roads moving south towards the Chicken neck a small piece of land that connects its mainland to northeastern statesis seen as being particularly harmful for its security, Lamsang wrote.

The Chumbi Valley is seen by India as a dagger pointing to its chicken neck. However, for the Chinese side its efforts in the region are hampered by the fact that while it has territory in the Chumbi valley, it lacks the strategic shoulders due to the narrowness of the entire area with India and Bhutan one both sides.

This in part explains why China is claiming 269 sq km of Bhutanese territory in the areaIndia on its part sees this as a major threat, he noted.

Highlighting the strategic importance of the area China in a package deal in 1996 offered to give up its claims to 495 sq km of land in the Pasamlung and Jakarlung valleys in Bhutans north-central sector of Bumthang in return for giving up the 269 sq km in Doklam to China, Lamsang pointed out.

Another newspaper, The Journalist, as well as Business Bhutan, carried similar stories on Bhutan asking China to restore staus quo.

In its report, The Journalist said despite a three-week stand-off with the Indian and Bhutanese militaries, the Chinese army continue to deploy construction machines in an effort to drive a dirt track along this strategic plateau.

Officials of the Indian government said that PLAs road works are aimed at bringing a road close to Dokola, Indias last military post on the junction in boundary with China and Bhutan, the report said.

However, in most of the Bhutanese media reports, there is a general sense that the issue may not see a major escalation or a military conflict.

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Brazilian police say they have captured a major drug lord known as White Head who used plastic surgeries to help him evade authorities for nearly three decades.

Police say Luiz Carlos da Rocha was arrested Saturday in the state of Mato Grosso. Hes been sentenced by Brazilian courts to more than 50 years in prison for international drug trafficking and money laundering.

Police say Rochas cartel produced cocaine in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia and exported it to Europe and the United States via Brazil and Paraguay. In Brazil alone, police estimate Rocha brought in 5 tones of cocaine per month.

Police also seized approximately $10 million worth of the drug lords assets, including planes, properties and luxury cars.

The name of the operation was Spectrum, referring in Portuguese to the phantom-like nature of a fugitive who lived discreetly and in the shadows... evading police attempts for almost 30 years, the police statement said.

Police said that in addition to using extreme violence da Rocha was being protected by forces with heavy caliber weapons.

When narcotics police homed in on their suspect in Mato Grosso, agents studied photographic data with the old facial characteristics of Luiz Carlos da Rocha and the current identity photograph of Vitor Luiz de Moraes, and concluded that Luiz Carlos da Rocha and Vitor Luiz are the same person.

The captured fugitive is accused of having headed an enormous cocaine network, which included production in the jungles of Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, and continued through to distribution on the continent and as far away as the United States and Europe.

He is also accused of being one of the main suppliers to the violent drug traffickers that hold sway in large areas of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Cocaine would be flown in small planes from manufacturing points via Venezuelan airspace to remote farms in western Brazil. From there it would be shipped in secret compartments in specially adapted lorries to Brazils big cities or for shipment abroad, police said.

Da Rocha is believed to have amassed $100 million in personal wealth in the form of vehicles, property and deposits in offshore bank accounts, which authorities said will be the subject of the second phase of Operation Spectrum.

While ruthless drug dealers are a constant and visible presence in Brazils favelas, the wholesale -- and far more lucrative -- end of the trade is largely hidden.

Less than a week ago, however, there was a dramatic glimpse into the shadowy business when an air force jet fired a warning shot to force a small plane to land in Goias state in western Brazil. The suspect aircraft was found to contain half a ton of cocaine.
Police in Chicago say an officer responding to an emergency call shot and killed a man armed with an AK-47 assault rifle and a handgun.

Police spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi tells The Associated Press that officers were responding to a report of a person with a gun late Saturday when they encountered the man in the backyard of a home on the citys west side. One of the officers shot the man, who died later at a hospital. His identity wasnt immediately known.

Guglielmi says the officer, whose name wasnt released, will be limited to routine administrative duties for 30 days. He says the shooting will be investigated by the Independent Police Review Authority, which provides police oversight.

Guglielmi says police found bullet holes in a vehicle on the street.
A Delhi child with cerebral palsy inspired the development of the first commercial exoskeleton for children with disabilities by two young Indo-Canadian engineers.

Manmeet Maggu and Rahul Udasi, both 26, who first met as students of mechatronics engineering at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, have set up the fledgling start-up, Trexo Robotics, to roll out the exoskeleton.

Maggu, born in Chandigarh, was influenced by the film Iron Man, and robotics was a natural pull. Initially, he looked at building an upper body exoskeleton as a side project during his years as an undergraduate.

However, his project turned personal after his Delhi-based brother Upinders son Praneit was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a disease that greatly impairs motor function.

I found out my nephew has cerebral palsy and he might never be able to walk. That really pushed us to consider our purpose as mechatronics engineers. And it became the motivation for us to build something for my nephew, Maggu told Hindustan Times.

Maggu and Udasi bonded and roomed together and subsequently moved to Toronto, where Maggu completed an MBA at the University of Torontos Rotman School of Management while Udasi finished a Masters in Robotics.

Now, with an office located in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto, they will formally release the device this quarter.

The two decided to build the exoskeleton around a walker that the child used in India after spending last summer at Upinders house in Delhi .

Rahul Udasi (left) and Manmeet Maggu, founders of Trexo Robotics. (Chris Sorensen/University of Toronto)

Last year we watched my nephew taking his first steps using our device. It was an incredibly proud moment. It was proof of concept that showed us this can work, Maggu said.

Our current version is the final version that children will be able to use, while there are some features we want to add in the future, Udasi said.

The exoskeleton and the metal and plastic-based casings for the legs are powered by batteries and help ease the process of walking for a child.

Its a robotic device that can provide the child with rehabilitation and mobility, Maggu said.

Often disabled children get tired easily and develop an awkward gait. ReX is intended to address that.

Their body has never been taught the correct gait and they naturally fall into a lowest energy gait cycle. So, if one leg is weaker, youre putting a lot more force on the other leg. When the exoskeleton is attached onto the walker, firstly its going to move your legs in the correct gait pattern. Secondly, you can adjust the parameters, so if one leg is weaker than the other, you can adjust the settings accordingly so that both of them are being exercised at the same time. Thirdly, it can actually help you walk longer periods. So, our vision is this can actually be a wheelchair replacement, Maggu said.

The device will also allow such children to enjoy walking outdoors, which is problematic with walkers. At this time, they have prototypes of the device at clinics in the region, and have parents bring their children to their office to try them out.

Watch| Footage of the exoskeleton and interview with engineer Manmeet Maggu

A lot of the fabrication is being done in India, with Maggus brother involved in that process. Part of the effort is to make the device cool for the child, from the Iron Man vibe to gamifying it and having an interactive interface with a tablet which can also play the kids favourite cartoon to keep them engaged, Maggu said.

These are, in a sense, the first steps for the young company.

We envision that our technology can be used to build a pathway for all those with disabilities, not just children but adults as well. We envision a future where exoskeletons can be used to augment any sort of human effort. Thats not restricted just to disability but even to increasing the ability of the individual as well, Maggu said.

But for now, the focus is on getting the device in the market. And just as importantly, getting it to its prime inspiration as Maggu said, Im going to take it to Delhi for Praneit.

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Iraqi forces have recaptured a hospital and other medical facilities in west Mosul, further isolating Islamic State group holdouts in the Old City, officers said.

The countrys security forces are in the final stages of the gruelling battle to retake second city Mosul, which they launched more than eight months ago.

Interior ministry forces recaptured the Ibn Sina Teaching Hospital along with other medical facilities including a blood bank and a clinic, Staff Lieutenant General Abdulamir Yarallah said in a statement yesterday.

Lieutenant General Raed Shakir Jawdat, the commander of the countrys federal police, said the area where the hospital is located, Al-Shifaa, had been completely retaken, limiting ISs presence in Mosul to the Old City.

Our forces are advancing from three sides and are pursuing the terrorist groups in the few remaining areas of the Old City, Jawdat said in a statement.

Iraqi forces have been fighting to retake the Old City for weeks, and launched a renewed assault on the area on June 18.

On Thursday, they recaptured the remains of the mosque where IS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi made his only known public appearance, a significant symbolic victory for security forces.

But IS made sure that the Nuri mosque was not captured intact, blowing it up along with its famed leaning minaret as Iraqi forces closed in.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost.
Ehud Olmert, Israels former prime minister, was released from prison Sunday morning days after a parole board granted him early release from his 27-month corruption sentence, a Prison Service official said.

Spokesman Assaf Librati said Olmert, 71, was whisked away by Israels security service after his release and driven home.

He said that under the terms of his early release, Olmert for the next few months has to do volunteer work, must appear before police twice a month and cannot give interviews to the media or leave the country.

He added that President Reuven Rivlin could relieve him of the parole restrictions.

Olmert was convicted in 2014 in a wide-ranging case that accused him of accepting bribes to promote a real-estate project years in Jerusalem and obstructing justice. The charges pertained to a period when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister before he became premier in 2006.

His imprisonment ended the last major Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and ushered in the era of Benjamin Netanyahu in 2009.

Olmert was a longtime fixture in Israels hawkish right wing when he began taking a dramatically more conciliatory line toward the Palestinians more than a decade ago. He played a leading role in Israels withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and became prime minister in January 2006 after then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke.

He resigned amid a corruption scandal that clouded his administration. He was later charged, convicted and imprisoned.

A gifted orator, Olmert broke a series of taboos while in office  warning that Israel could become like apartheid South Africa if it continued its occupation of the Palestinians and expressing readiness to relinquish parts of the holy city of Jerusalem under a peace deal.

He led his government to the Annapolis peace conference in November 2007  launching more than a year of ambitious, but ultimately unsuccessful U.S.-brokered peace talks.

Olmert has said he made unprecedented concessions to the Palestinians  including a near-total withdrawal from the West Bank and an offer to place Jerusalems Old City under international control  and was close to reaching an agreement at the time of his resignation.
Hundreds of thousands of revellers young and old danced, cheered and partied on the rainbow streets of Madrid Saturday in the worlds biggest march for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights.

Carried along by the slogan Viva la vida! (Live life!), drag queens, policemen, activists and politicians made their way through the centre in celebration of sexual diversity and in defence of LGBT people the world over, under the watchful eye of security forces.

Young people mixed with parents and their kids to cheer on as the noise of hovering helicopters blended in with the drums of the march, with onlookers wearing outfits as varied as regular shorts and t-shirts, tight swimwear and sailor uniforms.

Diana Vanegas, a 30-year-old Colombian who lives in California, was on holiday in Spain with her husband and her toddler daughter, who sat in a push chair waving a mini rainbow-coloured flag.

She doesnt know what the flag represents... but she has to respect people for what they are and not judge them because of their sexuality, Vanegas said.

People gather at the Cibeles square to watch participants on floats during the WorldPride 2017 parade in Madrid on July 1, 2017. (AFP)

As night started to fall and the last marchers made their way through the crowds, police pushed people back and set up barriers to create a larger space along the route and open the road for a parade of 52 floats.

And the party really got started.

Opening the procession was a fire engine with firefighters in gear egging the cheering, whistling crowd on, followed by a slow-moving, music-blaring convoy of open trucks and double-decker buses.

Sponsored by entities as varied as LGBT rights groups, Spains Socialist party or music streaming site Spotify, the floats all had one thing in common -- their occupants danced hard, so hard that their vehicle sometimes swayed from one side to the other.

Authorities and organisers were expecting one to two million people to attend the parade in the 3.1-million-strong Spanish capital, which has become a global reference in LGBT openness.

So far, Madrid city hall had no official count but said hundreds of thousands were on the streets of the Spanish capital, drinking and laughing along the way or standing on lampposts to get a better view.

A balloon raises as people gather at Cibeles square during the WorldPride 2017 parade in Madrid on July 1, 2017. (AFP)

Political message

Beyond the fiesta and glitz of an event accused of becoming too commercial, organisers said it was a political demonstration.

Pablo Iglesias, leader of far-left party Podemos, and Albert Rivera, head of the centre-right grouping Ciudadanos, were part of the demonstration earlier on in the day, where people held banners in support of those persecuted in other countries, or more generally urging greater tolerance.

Forty years after Spains gay community started to march for its rights in Barcelona, the country is now held up as an example of LGBT acceptance.

Participants smile as they take part in the WorldPride 2017 parade in Madrid on July 1, 2017. (AFP)

But it wasnt always so.

During the nearly 40-year reign of dictator Francisco Franco -- whose rule was blessed by the church in Roman Catholic Spain -- homosexual acts were illegal and thousands of gays were shipped off to rehabilitation centres, or even jailed.

Spain emerged from Francos conservatism in the late 1970s into an exuberant era of liberal reforms and social freedom, with director Pedro Almodovar breaking ground with openly gay and trans characters in his films.

In 2005, Spain became the third country after the Netherlands and Belgium to legalise same-sex marriage.

Disgusting and inexcusable

But further afield, the picture is not so rosy.

According to the ILGA, an international LGBT association, intercourse between people of the same sex is still illegal in 72 countries.

The death penalty, meanwhile, is implemented in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen, in parts of Nigeria and Somalia, and in territory controlled by the Islamic state group.

Jonathan Franklin, a 35-year-old pilot who is half Australian, half Dutch, was dancing in the march with his boyfriend, alongside gay friends from Pakistan and Cuba.

We have to fight for our rights together, he said.

In Holland, we can get married but do you know that in Australia, we are still fighting to obtain gay marriage? Surprising isnt it! Disgusting and inexcusable.

Participants wave rainbow flags as they take part in the WorldPride 2017 parade in Madrid on July 1, 2017. (AFP)

The WorldPride parade took place against a background of high tension across Europe, hit by a string of attacks, and thousands of police, firefighters and other security agents were mobilised for the event.

Traffic restrictions, bag searches and mobile medical units were also in place.
Saudi Arabias King Salman bin Abdulaziz has ordered an over-enthusiastic columnist to be suspended from his job after he equated him with God, Saudi media reported on Sunday.

King Salman has frequently been lauded by columnists in local media, in traditional deference to authority, since the 81-year-old assumed office in 2015.

But Ramadan al-Anzis column in al-Jazirah newspaper describing King Salman as Haleem, or forbearing, and Shadeed al-Eqab, strict in punishment - both terms associated in Islam with God - appeared to have gone too far.

Attributing divine qualities or giving individuals any of the 99 names of God is frowned upon in the kingdom, which follows the strict Sunni Muslim Wahhabi school of Islam.

The newspaper published an apology late on Saturday.

The phrases and tribute which the author bestowed on the personality of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, are not acceptable, despite what God had bestowed upon him, may God protect him, of the honour of serving the two holy mosques, Islam, the homeland and the people, al-Jazirah wrote.

Saudi media reported that the king had ordered that action be taken against the newspaper, but no specifics were given.

In a message to Information Minister Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad, the king wrote that he was astonished by some of the phrases used in the column, according to Okaz newspaper.

Online newspaper, sabq, quoted the king as saying in his written complaint: This is an issue that has distressed us, we dont accept it and dont approve of it, recognising its dangers and the danger of being lenient towards it.
A suicide bomber attacked a camp for displaced Iraqis in Anbar province on Sunday, killing 14 people, a police major and a doctor said.

The blast at the camp in the 60 Kilo area, west of Anbar capital Ramadi, also wounded 13 people.

The doctor and the major both said that most of the victims were women and children, but the officer also told AFP that two security personnel including a captain were among the dead.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but the Islamic State jihadist group frequently carries out suicide bombings targeting civilians in Iraq.

Iraqi forces retook the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah from IS, but the jihadists still hold areas in western Anbar, and the province still faces major security challenges.

IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes and other support have since regained much of the territory they lost.
A suicide car bomber pursued by security forces blew himself up in eastern Damascus on Sunday, with a monitor reporting 18 killed in the deadliest attack to hit the Syrian capital in months.

Syrian state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said security forces intercepted three car bombers on their way into the city early on Sunday morning.

State television said two of the vehicles were blown up on the outskirts of the city.

A third managed to reach the eastern Tahrir Square district, where he was surrounded but able to detonate a bomb.

The Observatory, a Britain-based monitor, said 18 people were killed in the bombing, including at least seven members of pro-regime security forces and two civilians. It had not identified the remaining victims.

Syrian state news agency SANA quoted an interior ministry statement as saying two of the vehicles had been destroyed at a roundabout on the road to the citys airport.

The driver of the third blew himself up while being pursued, it said, killing a number of civilians, injuring others, and causing material damage to public and private properties.

Extensive damage

An AFP correspondent at Tahrir Square saw extensive damage to nearby buildings. Two bombed-out cars were visible to one side of the square, which was strewn with debris.

A woman was crying in an apartment near the site of the attack. Her balcony had collapsed and the living room was a mess of broken glass and shattered masonry, with pictures and curtains strewn across the floor.

The woman said her daughter had been taken to hospital after being injured by flying glass.

Tahrir Square resident Mohammad Tinawi told AFP that he had heard gunfire at around 6:00 am (0300 GMT), then an explosion which smashed the glass of houses in the neighbourhood.

He said he had seen Red Crescent volunteers treating two wounded soldiers. A shopkeeper confirmed that the explosion had gone off at around 6:00 am.

Damascus has been spared the large-scale battles that have devastated other major Syrian cities during the countrys six-year civil war.

But dozens of people have been killed in bombings, particularly on the outskirts of the capital.

In mid-March, bomb attacks on a courthouse and restaurant in central Damascus killed 32 people. That rare assault in the heart of the city, which remains under government control, was claimed by the Islamic State group.

That came days after two explosions that left 74 dead in the capitals Old City and were claimed by the Tahrir al-Sham coalition led by the jihadist Fateh al-Sham Front.

Battlefronts around Damascus have calmed since a May deal that saw opposition fighters withdraw from several neighbourhoods, along with a separate agreement on de-escalation zones -- including one in a rebel stronghold just outside the capital.

Syrias conflict broke out with anti-government protests in 2011, but has since evolved into a multi-front war that has killed more than 320,000 people.
Pakistan on Sunday denied India consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav, with its foreign office claiming that it was a travesty of logic to link his case to that of common prisoners.

The previous day, the two countries exchanged lists of prisoners in each others custody and New Delhi requested that it be provided consular access to Jadhav, an Indian national that Islamabad accuses of spying for intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). The external affairs ministry also released a statement saying that Pakistan is working to implement a two-way agreement and will implement the consular access agreement in its true essence.

However, the Pakistan foreign office rejected the ministrys statement and said India was suppressing facts by calling Jadhav a civilian prisoner. A statement released by the foreign office claimed RAW sent Jadhav to Pakistan to disrupt the countrys peace, and that he had confessed to his crimes.

Jadhavs activities have affected the lives of many Pakistanis, the statement read.

Foreign office spokesperson Nafees Zakaria, terming the Indian attempt to equate Jadhavs case with civilian prisoners and fishermen a travesty of logic, said: Commander Jadhav is a serving Indian naval officer and sent to Pakistan by its intelligence agency for espionage, terrorism and subversive activities which resulted in loss of many innocent lives and damage to property.

Claiming that Pakistan remains committed to implementation of the 2008 agreement on consular access between the two countries, Zakaria said Indian humanitarian claims appear contrary to reality in view of the impossible conditions imposed for medical visas for Pakistani patients.

Under the directive of the prime minister (Nawaz Sharif), arrangements are being made for such treatments/operations to be carried out in Pakistan, he added.

The agreement on consular access between Pakistan and India stipulates the exchange of comprehensive lists of each countrys nationals in the others jails twice a year  on January 1 and July 1.

Pakistan has implemented the bilateral consular agreement in letter and spirit and is committed to ensuring that humanitarian cases are not held hostage to politics, the foreign office statement said. We expect India to reciprocate through action rather than rhetoric.

Jadhav was arrested on March 3, 2016 during a counter-intelligence operation in Mashkel, Balochistan. A few weeks later, the Pakistan Army released a recorded statement in which he allegedly admitted to have been working for RAW to stoke unrest and instability in Pakistan.

India denies Jadhav was a RAW agent but admits he was a retired naval officer.

In a second confessional video released last month, Jadhav allegedly expressed remorse at the loss of innocent lives due to his activities. He also filed a mercy petition with Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, urging him to spare his life on compassionate grounds.

If the army chief rejects his appeal, Jadhav will still be able to file a mercy plea with the Pakistan president.
US President Donald Trump, whose offensive posts on Twitter have troubled even family and supporters, has defended himself against fresh criticism over his use of social media being unpresidential and tweeted on Saturday he has been modern day presidential.

Trump also escalated his war with media at an event to honour US military veterans ahead of July 4, the American Independence Day. The fake media tried to stop us from going to the White House, but Im president and theyre not, he said, reprising a line of attack all too familiar by now.

My use of social media is not Presidential - its MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL. Make America Great Again! he tweeted earlier, pushing back against criticism of his tweets about Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, hosts of Morning Joe programme on MSNBC network.

Referring to a meeting with the two anchors at his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago in December 2016, Trump posted a tweeted in which he called them psycho Joe and low IQ crazy Mika, and then, wrote that Brzezinski was bleeding badly from a face-lift.

Outrage was swift and brutal, even from Republican lawmakers. Its unworthy of the office of President of the United States, Senator Susan Collins said. And Adam Kinzinger, a member of the House of Representatives, said thats a tweet thats not even becoming of a city councilman.

This was not the first time Trump, previously as a businessman then a candidate for White House, had made disparaging remarks about women.

Trump had once suggested news anchor Megyn Kelly had asked him tough questions at presidential debate because she was menstruating  there was blood coming of her eyes, there was blood coming out of her wherever.

Trumps use of social media  specially Twitter  was found problematic by his aides during his presidential campaign, which he had tended to send off incendiary posts and off-the-script remarks at election rallies. And they had tried to persuade him to curb his impulse, especially when punching back.

His family had seemed troubled as well. Asked by an interviewer in 2016, which of Trumps habits she would like him to give up, Melania Trump had said, The tweeting. Trump was noticeably quieter in the days after but not for long.

He firmly believe his use social media was crucial to his victory. I won the 2016 election with interviews, speeches and social media, he tweeted on Saturday, before he went on to call his social media usage  not presidential, but modern day presidential.
Kurdish militants shot and killed two officials from the ruling AK Party in southeast Turkey over the weekend, while the Turkish military killed more than a dozen militants in air strikes, state authorities said on Sunday.

Orhan Mercan, the AKPs deputy head in the Lice district of Diyarbakir province, was shot in front of his home on Friday night and died of his wounds in hospital, the provincial governors office said.

Militants killed Aydin Ahi, deputy head of the AKP in the Ozalp district of Van province on Saturday night, the governors office said. Security sources said the gunmen seized Ahi from his home at gunpoint and killed him nearby.

Energy minister Berat Albayrak wrote on Twitter that Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants had killed both men. There was no immediate comment on the attacks from the PKK, but the group has targeted officials from the party in the past.

The PKK launched a separatist insurgency against the state in 1984 and more than 40,000 people, mostly Kurds, have been killed in the conflict. It is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union.

A ceasefire between the Turkish state and the militants broke down in July 2015 and the southeast region of the country, where the PKK is strongest, subsequently saw some of the worst violence since the insurgency began.

Violence flared across the region on Saturday.

In an air strike in the southeastern province of Mardin, the Turkish military killed five PKK militants preparing an attack on an army base, a general staff statement said.

In separate airstrikes on Saturday, the army also killed five PKK fighters in southeast Turkeys Bingol province and another four militants in the Metina region of northern Iraq, the army said.

It said another three PKK militants were killed in clashes on Saturday in the southeastern provinces of Diyarbakir, Hakkari and Sirnak.
British business leaders have been told to brace for the possibility that Prime Minister Theresa Mays government may walk out of Brexit talks this year, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

The move would be designed for domestic consumption to show the government is negotiating hard with the European Union, the newspaper reported. The newspaper did not reveal how it obtained the information.

The Sunday Telegraph said the briefing of business leaders by a senior May aide took place after last months general election and the person has since left in the recent overhaul at the top of government.

Mays office did not immediately to a request for comment.

The Sunday Telegraph quoted a source in Mays office saying a retreat from talks is not part of its plans.

Brexit minister David Davis said two months ago that Britain will not pay 100 billion euros ($114 billion) to leave the European Union after it was reported that the EU was preparing to demand that amount.

The EU wants to agree with Britain on a formula for calculating how much it will owe the bloc after it leaves before it starts talks on its future trading relationship.
Police officers across the United States shot 492 people dead in the first half of 2017, on track to approach 1,000 such incidents for the third year in a row, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.

The Post, which has been tracking all fatal shootings by police since 2015, said the tally on June 16 of this year was identical to last years count.

The paper said that since 2015 it had found twice as many police shootings than those recorded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

These numbers show us that officer-involved shootings are constant over time, Geoffrey Alpert, a criminologist at the University of South Carolina, told the Post. Some places go up, some go down, but its averaging out. This is our society in the 21st century.

The Post began its tracking project following the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in August 2014.

Brown is one of a series of black men killed by law enforcement over the past three years that have sparked a national debate over racial bias in the U.S. criminal justice system.
On the surface, the investigation was routine -- US federal agents persuaded a judge to issue a warrant for a Microsoft email account they suspected was used for drug trafficking.

But US-based Microsoft kept the emails on a server in Ireland. Microsoft said that meant the emails were beyond the warrants reach. A federal appeals court agreed.

Late last month, the Donald Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene.

The case is among several legal clashes that Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft and other technology companies have had with the government over questions of digital privacy and authorities need for information to combat crime and extremism. Privacy law experts say the companies have been more willing to push back against the government since the leak of classified information detailing Americas surveillance programmes.

Another issue highlighted in the appeal is the difficulty that judges face in trying to square decades-old laws with new technological developments.

In the latest case, a suspected drug trafficker used Microsofts email service. In 2013, federal investigators obtained a warrant under a 1986 law for the emails themselves as well as identifying information about the user of the email account.

Microsoft turned over the information, but went to court to defend its decision not to hand over the emails from Ireland.

The federal appeals court in New York agreed with the company that the 1986 Stored Communications Act does not apply outside the United States.

The administrations Supreme Court appeal said the decision is damaging hundreds if not thousands of investigations of crimes  ranging from terrorism, to child pornography, to fraud.

The emails, the administration noted, may reside on a server somewhere, but said Microsoft can retrieve them domestically with the click of a computer mouse.

Microsofts president, Brad Smith, said in a blog post following the high court appeal that the administrations position would put businesses in impossible conflict-of-law situations and hurt the security, jobs, and personal rights of Americans.

Technology companies and privacy experts are among those watching the case closely.

This is a big deal in an era of a global internet. Servers are not just in the United States. Theyre all over the world, and figuring out the rules for foreign-stored data is really important, not just for us, but for foreign governments, said Orin Kerr, a George Washington University law professor whose work is cited in the appellate ruling.

One problem identified by Kerr and other privacy scholars is that courts might not be the best place to resolve these issues.

Should the same rules apply to the emails of an American citizen and a foreigner? Does it matter where the person is living?

The Supreme Court cant answer these questions in the nuanced way thats needed, said Jennifer Daskal, an American University law professor.

Even Judge Gerard Lynch on the New York panel that sided with Microsoft called for congressional action to revise a badly outdated statute.

The Stored Communications Act became law long before the advent of cloud computing. To the extent personal information was kept online, it was mainly on personal computers.

Today, companies build data centers around the world to keep up with their customers demands for speed and access.

Members of Congress have introduced legislation to update the law, but nothing has been enacted.

Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, opposes the administrations appeal, but said in a statement that Congress can and should modernize data privacy laws to ensure that law enforcement can access evidence in a timely manner.

Microsoft also supports revising the law. The company also is among those challenging gag orders that prevent service providers from notifying customers that their data have been turned over to the government under court order.

Companies have been more willing to assert their customers and their own privacy interests since former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowdens leak of classified US material about Americas surveillance programs, Kerr said.

The technology companies wield enormous power, perhaps more than governments do, in shaping the scope of digital age privacy rights, Daskal said.

The companies decide what to retain, where to keep it, for how long, and whether to encrypt it, she said. And when governments produce court orders for customers information, its the companies call about when to comply and when to resist, Daskal said.

The justices wont decide whether to hear US vs Microsoft, 17-2, before the fall. If they do, argument wouldnt occur until next year.
Co-founder of the doomed Fyre Festival Billy McFarland has been arrested and charged with wire fraud, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York. One of the organizers behind the luxury fest that began and ended with disaster on its opening day in April, McFarland has been accused of making false representations to investors, and was arrested Friday in New York. His charges stem from alleged fake documents the founder shared with investors that led to millions of dollars being put into the event.

Anyone who was on the internet the weeks following Fyre Festivals opening day should be aware of the chaos that erupted from the massively underequipped concert. Posts from ticketholders revealed pitiful food preparation and disaster relief tents in place of gourmet dishes and luxurious accommodations promised to guests.

The 25-year-old McFarland will appear a federal magistrate judge Saturday, the Associated Press reports. He faces up to 20 years in jail, according to ABC News.

Ja Rule, who was involved in the organization of the event, is not facing charges at this time. However, he has been hit, alongside McFarland, with a reported $100 million lawsuit for his role in the failed getaway.

Fyre Festival
A day after Prodigys funeral service, Havoc of Mobb Deep made an appearance in New Jersey at the Art of Rap Festival for the first time without the late Prodigy.

The producer and Hip-Hop veteran took to the stage alongside Big Noyd and Ice-T for a performance of Give Up The Goods, and a well-received Shook Ones.

Make some noise for my motherfing brother, he cried out to the crowd. Make some noise for Prodigy! Say R-I-P!

It was on Thursday (June 29) that some of Hip-Hops biggest names came together to honor the memory of Prodigy who passed away at the age of 42 after a life-long battle with sickle cell anemia.

HAvoc
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Roshaunda Jones was standing in line at the bank a few weeks ago, trying to ignore what she was hearing.

"These people, they don't want to work. They're lazy," loudly declared one of the older women in front of Jones.

"They've always got their hand out. They have all these babies and then they want to government to do everything for them," agreed the second woman in disgust.

That did it.

"Excuse me, ma'am," said Jones, a 38-year-old single Houston mother of three. "I'm one of those people who gets some of that assistance you're talking about. I work, sometimes seven days a week, and I pay taxes. My son uses Medicaid because he has an illness."

The women immediately muttered embarrassed apologies.

"Don't be sorry," Jones told them. "Just choose your words carefully because you never know people's situations."

RELATED: Health leaders urge Cruz, Cornyn to protect Medicaid funding

In Texas, the face of Medicaid might not be what you think.

Of the roughly 4 million Texans who currently receive Medicaid, 70 percent are children from low-income families who rely on the program for routine medical care. The remainder are nearly all pregnant women who are dropped two months after giving birth; the elderly poor, including those with serious conditions such as Alzheimer's disease who have exhausted their savings and are in Medicaid nursing homes; and the disabled.

The fate of many Medicaid recipients in Texas and across the nation is now in the hands of the U.S. Senate as lawmakers attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it with their version of health care reform. In this bitterly politicized debate, the two sides throw out numbers but often the people behind those numbers remain unheard.

In Texas, about 160,000 children and young adults who have profound disabilities. It is those Medicaid recipients who are often seen as the most vulnerable of the vulnerable, said Adriana Kohler, senior health policy associate for Texans Care for Children, a child advocacy group.

They are medically fragile children whose parents say would not be alive today but for the complex surgeries, the specialized therapies and equipment, and the day-to-day care paid for by Medicaid.

Some are poor, but others dwell in the culs-de-sac of middle class whose parents may have traditional insurance but their policies do not or will not cover all of the ancillary support and programs their disabled children need.

Love not always enough

"There are all of these things we need to help him in life," Jones says of her 17-year-old son, Rashad, who was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia as a baby. "I need help. I can love him, but I can't do it all."

Every four weeks, the slightly-built teenager with shoulder skimming dreadlocks and oversized horn-rim glasses goes to Texas Children's Hospital for a blood transfusion. He has had them since he was 2.

"They take my old blood out and put new blood in," he explains. He does not remember any other life.

RELATED: Big health gains in Medicaid expansion states elude Texas' poor

His mother does, though. From ages 2 to 5 he would suffer repeated strokes. "His whole face turned to the left and he would be drooling and his speech was slurring," she said, tears falling even now at the memory.

In 2005, she and Rashad fled to Houston from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. It was here that 5-year-old Rashad underwent brain surgery to curb some of the damage the strokes had done.

Next fall, Rashad will be a senior at Davis Senior High School. He receives special education because his short-term memory is wrecked and he has some learning difficulties. He gets help with reading and writing from a specialized computer. He used to get speech therapy paid through Medicaid.

At first glance, he could be any teenage boy. He shoots hoops with his cousins, plays video games on his PlayStation with his younger brothers, and listens to rapper Meek Mill.

But some things elude him. Last year, he learned to tie his shoes.

Jones earns $11.45 per hour as a package handler for FedEx. She works full time and will soon be eligible for a health plan through work when the next enrollment period opens. But she doubts it will pay for all of her son's needs. She hears talk of big cuts possibly coming to Medicaid out of Congress and fears for Rashad.

Her mother, Cassandra Jones, brushes off such concerns. "Trump isn't going to let them do that," she said.

Changing by the hour

Under the U.S. Senate's health care plan, unveiled two weeks ago and still constantly evolving, states could face $772 billion in reduced federal funding to Medicaid over the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

While much of the political clamor has been around the impact to the 31 states that expanded Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act, non-expansion states like Texas will feel the bite as well. It just might not be as obvious.

Texas could face a $9.1 billion reduction in federal Medicaid money between 2020 and 2026 under the Senate bill known as the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, according to an analysis released last week by Avalere, a leading national health care consulting firm, which was commissioned by the Children's Hospital Association, a group representing 220 children's hospitals nationwide.

SPECIAL SERIES: The Uncovered tells personal stories about struggles with getting or keeping health insurance

Conservatives decry the use of the word "cuts" when discussing the Senate's plan to revamp the nation's Medicaid program, saying the proposal instead sets limits on the amount of future dollars going to states based on current costs.

"Medicaid reform is urgently needed," said Betsy McCaughey, the former lieutenant governor of New York and a senior fellow for the London Center for Policy Research, a New York-based Conservative think tank.

She said in an interview on Friday that the Senate bill had been "demagogued" and argued that the Medicaid funding recalculations are merely curbing future growth.

But critics aren't buying such hair-splitting semantics.

"We are a very lean program in Texas already. Make no mistake, this is a cut," Kohler said.

Anne Dunkelberg, associate director of the Austin-based Center for Public Policy Priorities, agreed. "Our per-person spending in Texas is already low. We will be locked in at a cost per person that is already inadequate."

Much of the concern is in the unknowns.

If federal funding becomes insufficient, states will have to make up the shortfalls. In Texas, it is widely expected those could come in one of three ways: Through less reimbursement to providers who could in turn stop seeing patients; reductions in services or tightening of eligibility.

Texas is already tied with Alabama as having the strictest eligibility threshold in the nation. Children's health advocates worry there is no fat to be trimmed.

"Health and Human Services Commission is going to be faced with some extraordinarily difficult decisions. Who do you choose?" asked Stacy Wilson, president of the Children's Hospital Association of Texas.

She and others said to see what that future could hold under the Senate bill, look no further than what happened in the state when Texas lawmakers cut $171 million in Medicaid reimbursement for pediatric services such as speech, occupational and physical therapy.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick argued for the cuts because of rising costs for such services and incidences of fraud within the therapy provider ranks.

The Legislature approved the cuts in 2015, but implementation was delayed until late last year. In this year's session, about a quarter of the cuts were restored. Still, some providers have stopped offering services because they say they cannot financially stay afloat.

"That was $171 million in cuts per year," said Kohler, "Congress is asking for $1.5 billion each year in Texas."

Born too soon

Nicholas Cantu was born Dec. 26, 2007 - 12 weeks early.

He spent 110 days in neo-natal intensive care. Today, he has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Developmentally, he is at the level of a 2-year-old.

"I used to think Medicaid was for other people," said Angela Cantu, who lives a middle-class life with her husband and two sons on a block of tidy brick homes in Spring.

Both she and her husband, James, work full time and get insurance through their jobs. But their policies come nowhere near covering all that Nicholas needs.

"Medicaid has been able to sustain our daily life," she said.

There is the equipment needed for his daily feedings through a tube, the private duty nurse, the cabinet full of medicine and his specialized bed, wheelchair and car seat.

For instance, her private insurance allows only 15 minutes of nursing help per day and denied her son's wheelchair.

She has watched what the Texas cuts in reimbursement have done. In June, she got a letter from Nicholas' physical therapist who said she would no longer be able to accept Medicaid.

"I cried myself to sleep that night," Cantu said.

Nicholas defies the odds every day. As she watches the unfolding drama in Washington over Medicaid she wants to scream at the television. It's not politics. It's personal.

"When they make it political they take away the faces of those who are benefiting from these services and put dollar signs in front of them," she said, her voice tinged with fear but also bewilderment.

"Why do they have to target the kids?"
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The story - so strange and beautiful that Sam Axelrad decided to write a book about it - began in 1966, when he was a 27-year-old Army surgeon in Vietnam.

A helicopter delivered a North Vietnamese soldier to Axelrad's base on a stretcher. The enemy's right arm was rotting away from a bullet wound. The flesh was black, and pieces of fractured bone peeked through where the tissue was missing.

There was clearly no saving the arm. But Axelrad decided to try saving the man.

"He was a patient in need of healing," said Axelrad, now a retired urologist in Houston. "And my rule was that whoever came off the helicopters was going to get the best care. I don't care where they came from."

With a one-year medical residency behind him, Axelrad had been in Vietnam only two months and had never before attempted an amputation.

But the procedure worked: The man, Nguyen Quang Hung, healed, then stayed on base and began to learn a few medical skills himself.

Axelrad's fellow soldiers saved Hung's arm bones. They boiled off the rotten flesh, reconstructed the arm and hand, and presented them to Axelrad as a gift. They intended it as a celebration of the surgeon's act of kindness.

After he returned home, the bones spent the next 45 years tucked away in a military trunk. Then Axelrad decided to return them to their rightful owner.

More Information Author appearance Sam Axelrad will discuss and sign "Peaceful Bones," 7 p.m. Thursday, Brazos Bookstore, 2421 Bissonnet; 713-523-0701, brazosbookstore.com. See More Collapse

'Charlie'

Nguyen Quang Hung was the man's name. But to the Americans, Vietnamese names were hard to remember. They nicknamed him "Charlie."

Hung was a North Vietnamese Army soldier who'd been shot in an ambush and escaped by floating down a river. He hid in a rice warehouse for at least two months while his wound festered. Finally, desperate and starving to death, he flagged down a U.S. helicopter.

In the months after his amputation, as his arm healed, Hung stayed in the U.S. camp, taking care of the Vietnamese children brought in with injuries or malaria. He learned to give the kids medical treatments and he kept them entertained. The U.S. soldiers were fond of "Charlie." But eventually a new division commander arrived and insisted that the men get rid of him.

Hung ended up in An Khe, where U.S. troops had set up a medical clinic to treat the locals, and Axelrad persuaded the chief medic there to give him a job. That could easily have been the last time they ever saw each other.

The bones

Fast forward nearly 45 years to an afternoon in Houston, when Axelrad's grandson Owen asked what was inside the old military trunk in his grandfather's study. Axelrad hadn't opened the red-white-and-blue box in 40 years. "I think I was trying to avoid it," he said.

He'd never talked much about Vietnam to his family. But it had been four decades, so he indulged his grandson and let him open the trunk.

Inside - amid hundreds of color slides and every document the military had issued - was a gray plastic bag. In the bag: the bones of an arm and hand.

Seeing those bones "shocked me," Axelrad said. He had spent decades trying to move on. But here were a man's bones - a man he knew and had cared for.

Suddenly, he knew he needed to return them.

Not a trophy

Axelrad is clear: The bones weren't a trophy or a souvenir.

"I considered myself a custodian - just a custodian," he said. "I wasn't going to throw them away." He'd mentioned "Charlie" to his family, said his son, Chris Axelrad, but he'd never pulled out the bones to show anybody.

For all Axelrad knew, Hung could have died in the war. After all, he was a North Vietnamese soldier with one arm, known to be working with the Americans; what were his chances?

But the next year, Axelrad, two of his children and Owen traveled to Vietnam.

In Hanoi they talked to a woman named Tran Quynh Hoa, a journalist who moonlighted as a weekend tour guide at the Sofitel Metropole Hotel. Axelrad told her about his quest - and as a reporter, she recognized a good story when she heard one. The same day, she emailed Axelrad that she'd like to write about his search. Maybe Hung's family would read the story and come forward.

In November 2012, Hoa's story was published on the front page of Thanh Nien, one of Vietnam's biggest newspapers, complete with a photograph.

Hoa waited eagerly for her phone to ring, hoping she'd hear from someone. After five days, "I almost gave up hope altogether," she writes in a foreword to Axelrad's book. But then, on a chilly Saturday, she got a text message: "Call me, he's found."

Hung's son-in-law had seen the story and contacted the newspaper, recognizing his father-in-law in the 45-year-old photograph.

The next summer, Axelrad and his family headed back to Vietnam.

A lesson about love

Against all odds, Hung had survived the war. After Axelrad dropped him off in An Khe, he got training to be a medical assistant. When American troops pulled out, he was the only one in the village with medical training, so for almost a decade he practiced medicine.

In Axelrad's book, Hung contributes a chapter to explain his own story. As a young man he'd wanted to be a teacher, but in 1964 the war escalated and he felt obligated to join the army. "Stories of heroes sacrificing themselves for the cause of independence were passing from people to people, calling on you to do something for the country," he wrote.

So he became a soldier. Soon after, his team was ambushed and he was shot in the arm.

When his amputated arm healed, he assumed he'd be taken straight to prison - but the American troops were merciful and took him to An Khe instead.

After the war, Hung married, had seven children, worked for the government and moved his family into a nice home not far from where Axelrad last saw him.

"The way (Axelrad) treated me was full of love and sympathy," Hung writes. "If I had been in his position, I would not have done the same thing. Now in my seventies, I have been taught a new lesson about love of mankind."

'A close relative'

Axelrad's son Chris captured their reunion on video - the way the men started to shake hands, then embraced instead, kissing each other like family.

"We sat there and drank beer and enjoyed a good meal," Axelrad said. "He was - a good friend. He remained to me like a brother." He pauses, searching for the word to describe Hung. "He's a close relative. That's how I categorize him."

Axelrad spent two years working on his book; he wrote down what he remembered, and Chris Axelrad and a rabbi, Ranon Teller, formed it into a narrative.

Some of the proceeds are donated to Texas for Heroes, an organization that helps veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, and to Hoa Binh Peace Village, which aids those born with birth defects due to exposure to Agent Orange.

Hung and Axelrad, both in their 70s, stay in touch through Hoa, the journalist.

Hung has told everyone that he has plans for the bones he's recovered, Axelrad said: "He said, 'Now I can be buried whole.' "
GREENBUSH, MAINE -- Deb McLaughlin's 3-year-old grandson climbed all over her, pleading to play trucks, restless as always. Her 1-year-old foster daughter, who had just woken from a midday nap, sat in her lap, wearing a frilly dress and an irresistible smile. At least McLaughlin doesn't have to worry about the daily shots of methadone anymore; at least these babies no longer scream and shake for the opioids to which they were born addicted.

This isn't what McLaughlin envisioned for her empty nest years in rural Maine, trading camping and four-wheeling trips for social-worker check-ins, meetings with behavioral therapists and supervised visits with the drug-addicted biological parents who had to give up these children. McLaughlin's daughter, who once dreamed of being a lawyer, is one of the millions of Americans addicted to opioids and one of thousands of parents whom state governments have deemed unfit to care for their own children.

"It's heartbreaking to watch a baby go through withdrawal, and then give that baby back to Mom," McLaughin said as she prepared snacks in her blue mobile home outside Old Town, along the Penobscot River. "Because she did that to her."

More than 1,000 children are born addicted to drugs in Maine each year, many of whom end up in foster care. The two children in McLaughlin's home were among the more than 1,800 in foster care statewide in 2016, a nearly 45 percent increase in foster children here since 2011.

The trend in Maine is echoed in foster-care systems throughout the country, especially in rural areas hit hard by addiction. Many are becoming overwhelmed as the opioid crisis has forced more and more children into state custody.

Massachusetts experienced a 19 percent increase in children in foster care between 2011 and 2015. Ohio's foster population has gone up nearly 10 percent, with more than 60 percent of children in the system because of parental drug abuse. The number of North Dakota children in need of foster care has gone up more than 27 percent.

Foster-care experts say that as the drug epidemic has intensified during the past two years, another rush of children has entered the system. State budgets are stretched, social workers are overloaded, and not enough families are willing to provide children with temporary homes.

American foster care, experts say, is in crisis.

"It's pretty much every state -- except maybe four or five -- that have seen an increase in the number of children in foster care," said John Sciamanna, vice president of public policy at the Child Welfare League of America. "What you are seeing now is just a straining of the system."

_ _ _

The widespread and growing abuse of opioids and methamphetamines has played a significant role in reversing what had been a positive trend in the number of children needing foster homes. At its modern low point in 2012, 397,000 U.S. children were in foster care, according to data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. By 2015, that number had risen 8 percent, to 428,000, and experts say the past two years -- the height of the opioid epidemic -- has increased that number dramatically, although concrete data is not yet available.

The progress in the early 2000s was linked to the implementation of laws meant to prevent children from languishing in foster care and providing financial subsidies as incentives to adopt, Sciamanna said, including President Bill Clinton's signing of the Adoption and Safe Families Act in 1999.

But as the increase in drug abuse affects many layers of society, it also is complicating the typical pathways to adoption. When children come from a violent home, for example, it's a relatively straightforward decision about whether to permanently terminate a parent's right to care for them. With drug addiction, which can be a hidden issue and can involve treatment, recovery and relapse, the decision to take a parent's children away can be difficult and take a very long time.

"You begin to look at all these various impacts across multiple systems, but I would say the child welfare system is really the canary in the coal mine of a growing crisis that's not going to go away anytime soon," said Wendy Ellis, a public health expert at George Washington University.

Danylle Carson, a lawyer who represents children in foster care and who grew up in Maine state custody herself, said the ultimate goal is to reunite foster children with their biological parents. But that is often a lofty -- and unattainable -- goal.

She has worked with children in rural Maine who were plucked from their schools and moved to a foster family hours away because there were no closer options. Social workers have been staying with children in hotels overnight because they can't find a foster home. Cases have been delayed because social workers are too overworked to make all their required visits.

"There are not enough caseworkers, and there is not enough funding," Carson said as she worked inside a Lewiston courthouse, arguing that proposals to cut $140 million from the state's Health and Human Services budget could have terrible effects across Maine. "These are signs of a system crashing."

Add to that the opioid problem. Medical research, including a 2015 study from the National Institutes of Health, has found that children exposed to opiates during pregnancy suffer from behavior and attention problems. Such children require therapy and often specially licensed and trained foster families, and states say they are struggling to recruit foster families to house them.

_ _ _

The little girl whom McLaughin fosters and hopes to adopt suffers from hepatitis C and severe asthma. McLaughlin, who works at a therapeutic foster center, describes her 3-year-old grandson -- who likes morning snuggle sessions and giggles with delight when his foster sister wakes from naps -- as an "adrenaline junkie."

Instead of drugs, the toddler seeks out pain. He has a sensory-processing disorder, his little body covered in bruises and scabs and his bedroom floor covered in padding because, as an infant, he would bang his feet so hard against the floor they bled. He sometimes turns violent and is no longer in group day care because he has tried to hurt his classmates.

"It's hard to see, especially your grandchild," McLaughlin said. "It's hard to see him go through these emotional meltdowns when he's inconsolable. I have seen my husband near tears because his grandson is in such an emotional state."

Other foster parents similarly described hosting children who had sensory disorders, speech delays, and sleep anxieties that developed while the children were living with their drug-addicted parents.

Bette Hoxie, executive director of Adoptive and Foster Families for Maine, said far more infants are entering the foster system now, in large part because of a state law that requires infants to be tested for drugs at birth if their mother is suspected of using them while pregnant.

Hoxie's organization, which has a contract with the state, provides support and training to foster families. It has had to boost staffing to try to meet the growing demand, about 900 calls for help each month, she said.

Hoxie lost a son to drug addiction two years ago, and she has fostered more than 100 children in her Bangor home, including a 2-year-old who lives with her now. She also is hosting an adopted son, who suffers from addiction, and his wife. They are working to regain custody of their young child.

"I don't think there's been a conversation in the last year about foster families or kinship families that didn't allude to substance abuse," Hoxie said.

_ _ _

The dramatic increase in the need for foster care has states scrambling.

Massachusetts hired 15 people last year to recruit new foster families, according to a spokesman from the state's Department of Children and Families. Vermont officials have begun collecting car seats for the state's foster parents because there are so many infants and toddlers seeking refuge there. Texas passed legislation allowing religious adoption and foster-care agencies to refuse to place children in the homes of gay or transgender families in part to encourage those organizations to remain involved in fostering.

Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, D-North Dakota, introduced bipartisan legislation that would address and study the impacts of trauma on children in an effort to prevent another generation of drug-addicted parents. The number of children living in state custody in North Dakota has soared because of drug addiction, a crisis that she said has hit their Native American population particularly hard.

"When we look at people who have been traumatized as children, they have a much higher rate of addiction as an adult," Heitkamp said. To break the cycle, Heitkamp said, the nation must address the drug problem as early in life as possible.

Part of that solution rests in the nation's foster-care systems, which are seeking more families like McLaughin's.

McLaughin and her husband, a former fire chief, originally wanted to become foster parents after their two daughters left the house, saying they still had energy and love to give children. They mostly took in teenagers, whose portraits still adorn their walls. But when their daughter became addicted to opioids and other drugs, they decided to care for her young son.

Then Maine, desperate for help with young children, asked the couple whether they could care for another child. They obliged, welcoming the young girl into their family.

"We definitely feel we are blessed. It's hard work, it's tiring work, but we feel we are blessed," McLaughin said. "They keep us young, and we couldn't imagine our lives without little ones running around."

- Bever reported from Washington.
AUSTIN - Stacey English has modest desires for her 7-year-old daughter Addison: Be able to eat without gagging and move both her arms.

But since Addison's occupational therapist went out of business this winter, the child with a rare genetic disorder has regressed in her fight to do even that much.

"I don't know where to go from here," said English, who has been unable to find a replacement therapist in their town, College Station. "How do you continue to help her make progress when you don't have someone to teach her?"

Some Texas children with special needs like Addison have lost critical services since December when the state implemented $350 million in Medicaid cuts to speech, occupational and physical therapy. In Texas, reimbursement offered to providers fell up to 50 percent for certain therapy procedures, said Rachel Hammon, president of Texas Association of Homecare and Hospice. Clinics closed and therapists quit.

More cuts possible

The Texas cuts are separate from Republican proposals now before Congress, which academics say could cut federal Medicaid spending as part of a law to replace the Affordable Care Act. But the fallout could eventually be similar if some form of what's been approved in the U.S. House, and is under consideration in the Senate, becomes law, said Elizabeth Burak, the senior program director of Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy's Center for Children and Families.

The Texas Legislature voted in 2015 to cut the state's Medicaid reimbursement for pediatric acute therapy services, which effectively capped how much providers can be paid. Proponents of the cuts argued that Texas' previous reimbursement rates were too high, sometimes even encouraging fraud.

In a 2015 letter, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and state Sen. Jane Nelson, the chamber's chief budget writer, argued then costs for acute care services to Texas' Medicaid program had risen 66 percent in the five years from 2009 to 2014. They also said nearly one in seven of the state's Medicaid legal sanctions cases for fraud were for therapy providers.

Some funds restored

Relatives of children with disabilities and providers sued unsuccessfully to block the cuts. Republican House Speaker Joe Straus vowed to restore the lost funding during this year's legislative session, which ended May 29 - though lawmakers eventually approved a budget replacing only about a quarter of what was cut.

Texas' Health and Human Services Commission hasn't yet seen a drastic decrease in therapy providers because of the cuts, said spokeswoman Carrie Williams.

She said three agencies terminated contracts with Medicaid networks for that reason and "all clients are receiving assistance finding new providers."

Providers say that since Texas' cuts, they've struggled to stay financially afloat.

"I couldn't get any therapists to keep working for me who were registered or licensed," said Kathi Strawn, owner of Therapy Options Texarkana. She closed her clinic June 1.

Hammon said Texas has no accurate way of tracking children deprived of services, calling them "the hidden victims" in the Medicaid cuts. Children relying on home care therapists have the most severe disabilities, and those agencies have been hit hardest, she said.
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The military trial of a Jordanian soldier accused of killing U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Jimmy Moriarty of Houston has taken place under heavy security in a courtroom in Amman, and prosecutors now have rested their case after about a week of testimony. The defense is poised to start Tuesday.

The trial has been taking place under the watchful eyes of U.S. State Department observers and Moriarity's father, Houston trial attorney James Moriarty.

"The U.S. Embassy in Jordan is observing the trial and offering assistance to the family, in coordination with the Department of Justice," officials said in a statement to the Houston Chronicle.

The trial of M'aarek Abu Tayeh has gotten scant news coverage in the Arabic-speaking world, said Samy Ayoub, with the Department of Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Abu Tayeh is a member of the Howeitat tribe, which played a significant role in the World War I-era Arab Revolt and today remains an important local force in Jordan.

"They are trying to handle this trial without angering or alienating a major tribe," Ayoub said. "They really want to keep this very low profile."

But Ayoub, an expert in Islamic law, said he doesn't believe tribal politics will significantly influence the outcome of the trial.

"The suspect is a soldier, so military laws will determine the case," he said. "Also, in tribal customs, there are severe consequences in cases of intentional homicide."

Questions gunshot

Jimmy Moriarty was among the three Green Berets who were fatally shot Nov. 4. His father attended the first stage of the tribunal held in a government compound in Amman, Jordan. The elder Moriarty, who has been vocal about his views, said prosecutors called their last witness on June 21 - about a week after the trial began. They will have until Tuesday to decide if they want to call any other.

The court listened to the testimonies of about a dozen witnesses, Jordanian troops who were nearby when Abu Tayeh allegedly killed the 27-year-old Moriarty along with Staff Sgt. Kevin McEnroe, 30, and Staff Sgt. Matthew Lewellen, 27.

The three American soldiers were from the 5th Special Forces Group at Fort Campbell, Ky., and were in Jordan to train Syrian rebels in the fight against the Islamic State. They were killed when they stopped at an inner gate while returning to their temporary home base at King Faisal airbase in Jafer, about 145 miles south of Amman, the nation's capital.

Abu Tayeh, a gate guard at the base, has been charged with premeditated murder.

During the trial, the witnesses said a riot erupted among the Syrians being trained by the U.S. Special Forces teams two days before the fatal shooting.

"That's why they claim they were on hyper alert when the (U.S. troops) came through the gate," Moriarty said, now back home in Houston.

The witnesses also said they heard what sounded like a gunshot coming from the three-vehicle convoy the Americans were riding in.

"I don't believe for a second that there was, in fact, a pistol shot," Moriarty said. "I believe this is just another Jordanian lie."

Wants copy of video

Before the trial, Moriarty was allowed to watch a security video that showed the deadly encounter between the shooter - allegedly Abu Tayeh - and the U.S. troops.

"That video, to me, conclusively shows there was no reaction for the other gate guys until (Abu Tayeh) opened fire," he said. "There's no evidence in the world that there was a shot fired or accidental discharge anywhere around the Americans."

The video has not been released to the public and on Friday, FBI officials told family members Jordan's government wants it to stay that way. Moriarty has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for his own copy.

The judge in the military trial asked the other Jordanian personnel why they didn't open fire themselves if they heard gunshots.

"They said they couldn't identify the source of the fire," Moriarty said.

At first, Moriarty - who has been a vocal critic of the way Jordan has handled the situation - said he doubted whether the country would allow family members to attend the trial. He said security in the area around the courtroom was particularly tight, with several armed guards in the vicinity.

The trial also gave Moriarty an opportunity to finally lay his eyes on the man he believes murdered his son. Abu Tayeh was being held in a cage with heavy iron bars going from the floor to the ceiling.

"He looked like a cornered rat. His head was down and he was shifty-eyed, avoiding eye contact with us," Moriarty said. "It was a surreal experience."

Plans to return

Ayoub said he believes a prison sentence of about 20 years, if Abu Tayeh is convicted, will be supported by the tribal officials.

"The tribe is very much a key ally to the King," Ayoub said.

Moriarty said the defense team in the trial is scheduled to begin its case on Tuesday, if prosecutors have not called any other witnesses.

He said the video clearly shows no other activity until Abu Tayeh begins firing at the American soldiers. He was only about 7 feet away from McEnroe when opened fire with an M-16 rifle.

"If M'aarek (Abu Tayeh) had a bayonet, he could have stabbed him," Moriarty said.

Moriarty said he intends to return to Jordan at some point when the trial resumes. He believes the verdict may come as early as mid-to-late July.
ORANGE, Va. - Alice Jacobs, 90, once owned a factory and horses. She raised four children and buried two husbands.

But years in an assisted living center drained her savings, and she relies on Medicaid to pay for her care at Dogwood Village, a nonprofit, county-owned nursing home here.

"You think you've got enough money to last all your life, and here I am," Jacobs said.

Medicaid pays for most of the 1.4 million elderly people in nursing homes, like Jacobs. It covers 20 percent of all Americans and 40 percent of poor adults.

On Thursday, Senate Republicans joined their House colleagues in proposing steep cuts to Medicaid, part of the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Conservatives hope to roll back what they see as an expanding and costly health care entitlement.

Under federal law, state Medicaid programs are required to cover nursing home care. But state officials decide how much to pay facilities, and states under budgetary pressure could decrease the amount they are willing to pay or restrict eligibility for coverage.

"The states are going to make it harder to qualify medically for needing nursing home care," said Toby S. Edelman, a senior policy attorney at the Center for Medicare Advocacy. "They'd have to be more disabled before they qualify for Medicaid assistance."

States might allow nursing homes to require residents' families to pay for a portion of their care, she added. Officials could also limit the types of services and days of nursing home care they pay for, as Medicare does.

Contributing factors

A combination of longer life spans and spiraling health care costs has left an estimated 64 percent of the Americans in nursing homes dependent on Medicaid. In Alaska, Mississippi and West Virginia, Medicaid was the primary payer for three-quarters or more of nursing home residents in 2015, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Even if Congress does not repeal the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid will remain a target for cuts, experts say.

"The Medicaid pieces of the House bill could be incorporated into other pieces of legislation that are moving this year," said Edwin Park, a vice president at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington nonprofit that focuses on how government budgets affect low-income people. "Certainly, nursing homes would be part of those cuts, not only in reimbursement rates but in reductions in eligibility for nursing home care."

The House health care bill targets nursing home coverage directly by requiring every state to count home equity above $560,000 in determining Medicaid eligibility.

That would make eligibility rules tougher in 10 states - mostly ones with expensive real estate markets, including California, Massachusetts and New York - as well as in the District of Columbia, according to an analysis by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities.

Quality of care questions

Dogwood Village receives about half of its $13 million annual operating costs from Medicaid, with rates from $168 to $170 a day. Some residents who come to the nursing home after a hospital stay are initially covered by Medicare, but if they stay longer than 100 days, that benefit ends, and those without savings move to Medicaid.

Major Medicaid cuts would compel Dogwood Village to slash staff, supplies and amenities - changes that would affect the quality of care for all residents.

Some residents do not know they are on government insurance; administrators often complete the paperwork to start Medicaid once other insurance expires.

Others are embarrassed they are dependent on a program that carries stigma.

They should not be, said Jennifer Harper, assistant director of nursing. Relying on Medicaid for nursing home care has become the new normal.

"These folks have worked their whole lives  and paid into the system," she said.

But with changes looming, she said, "It may be a system that fails them."
WASHINGTON - In the four months since he took office as the Environmental Protection Agency's administrator, Scott Pruitt has moved to undo, delay or otherwise block more than 30 environmental rules, a regulatory rollback larger in scope than any other over so short a time in the agency's 47-year history, according to experts in environmental law.

Pruitt's supporters, including President Donald Trump, have hailed his moves as an uprooting of the administrative state and a clearing of onerous regulations that have stymied American business. Environmental advocates have watched in horror as Pruitt has worked to disable the authority of the agency charged with protecting the nation's air, water and public health.

But both sides agree: While much of Trump's policy agenda is mired in legal and legislative delays, hampered by poor execution and overshadowed by the Russia investigations, the EPA is acting. Pruitt, a former Oklahoma attorney general who built a career out of suing the agency he now leads, is moving effectively to dismantle the regulations and international agreements that stood as a cornerstone of President Barack Obama's legacy.

"Just the number of environmental rollbacks in this time frame is astounding," said Richard Lazarus, a professor of environmental law at Harvard. "Pruitt has come in with a real mission. He is much more organized, much more focused than the other Cabinet-level officials, who have not really taken charge of their agencies. It's very striking how much they've done."

Relying on a network

Since February, Pruitt has filed a proposal of intent to undo or weaken Obama's climate change regulations, known as the Clean Power Plan.

In late June, he filed a legal plan to repeal an Obama-era rule curbing pollution in the nation's waterways. He delayed a rule that would require fossil fuel companies to rein in leaks of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, from oil and gas wells.

He delayed the date by which companies must comply with a rule to prevent explosions and spills at chemical plants. And he reversed a ban on the use of a pesticide that the EPA's own scientists have said is linked to damage of children's nervous systems.

In a sign of both Pruitt's influence in the White House and the high regard in which Trump holds him, he will take a leading role in devising the legal path to withdraw from the 194-nation Paris agreement on climate change, a job that would typically fall to lawyers at the State Department.

And he is doing all this largely without the input of the 15,000 career employees at the agency he heads, according to interviews with over 20 current and former EPA senior career staff members.

"I have been consistently informed by multiple career people at EPA that Administrator Pruitt is not meeting with them ahead of making decisions like rolling back these major regulations," said James J. Jones, who had worked at the agency since the Reagan administration before retiring in January. Jones, an expert in chemical and pesticide pollution, was appointed by Obama as the EPA's assistant administrator for chemical safety in his final years at the agency.

Instead, Pruitt has outsourced crucial work to a network of lawyers, lobbyists and other allies, especially Republican state attorneys general, a network he worked with closely as the head of the Republican Attorneys General Association.

Since 2013, the group has collected $4.2 million from fossil fuel-related companies like Exxon Mobil, Koch Industries, Murray Energy and Southern Co., businesses that also worked closely with Pruitt in many of the 14 lawsuits he filed against the EPA.

Within the agency, Pruitt relies on the counsel of a small network of political appointees, including a number of former lobbyists and senior industry officials.

For example, he tapped Nancy Beck, previously a policy director for the American Chemistry Council, which lobbies on behalf of companies such as Dow and DuPont, to oversee the EPA office charged with enforcing regulations on hazardous chemicals.

"It amounts to a corporate takeover of the agency, in its decision- and policymaking functions," said Robert Weissman, the president of Public Citizen, a government watchdog group.

'Back to basics' agenda

Pruitt, 49, sees himself as a champion of states' rights, pressing to diminish the intrusive authority of an overbearing federal agency.

Hanging near the fireplace on the wood-paneled walls of his office is a portrait of President James Monroe, who opposed ratifying the Constitution because he said it gave too much power to the federal government.

Pruitt pushed that message in his first speech to the agency's staff. "Congress has been very prescriptive in providing, in many instances, a very robust role, an important role of the states," he said. He did not mention public health or climate change.

Since then, Pruitt has begun what he calls his "back to basics" agenda for the EPA - one that he has described to multiple people as an effort to rein in the regulatory efforts of the Obama era, which focused on invisible greenhouse gases from tailpipes and smokestacks. Instead, Pruitt has said, he wants to focus on "tangible" pollution - for example, the Superfund program, which cleans up hazardous waste at old industrial sites.

"I am making it a priority to ensure contaminated sites get cleaned up," he said. "We will be more hands-on." (His proposed budget for 2018, however, would cut the Superfund program by about 25 percent.)

Pruitt made his message explicit in a visit to the Harvey coal mine in Sycamore, Pa., to kick off a "back to basics" promotional tour in April.

"It's sad that a regulatory body of the government of the United States would declare a war on any part of our economy," he told the miners. "The regulatory assault is over."

Cut out of the process

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who worked closely with Pruitt when he was Oklahoma's attorney general to sue the EPA, said he was pleased that Pruitt's new job hadn't changed him.

On March 1, Paxton met with Pruitt to request that the agency withdraw a rule requiring energy companies to collect data on emissions of methane from oil and gas wells. Paxton delivered the letter with the signatures of 11 attorneys general, laying out the case for walking back the rule.

"I personally handed him the letter, and the next day the rule was personally withdrawn," Paxton said.

Meanwhile, the agency's career scientists and legal experts say they have been largely cut out of the process. Senior staff members with decades of experience in environmental law and science said they had been consulted rarely on the agency's major decisions to undo environmental protections.

It is not unusual for EPA administrators to consult with lobbyists, state officials, and industry and advocacy groups as they develop major policy proposals.

But veteran EPA employees say Pruitt has gone much further in cutting out career staff members.

"Going back to the Reagan administration, I was never aware of a substantive decision made without input from career staff," said Jones, the former head of the EPA's chemical regulation office. "It's hard to imagine that you have all the relevant facts if you're not meeting with the people who have a greater depth of knowledge on these issues than almost anyone in thecountry."

But Pruitt's main source of counsel on industry regulations appears to be the industries he regulates. An excerpt from his calendar for Feb. 21 to March 31, acquired through the Freedom of Information Act by the energy trade publication E&E News, details multiple meetings with chief executives and lobbyists from oil, gas, chemical, agribusiness and other industries regulated by the EPA, as well as with Pruitt's personally appointed political staff - but few meetings with career employees or environmental groups.

Leaders of at least three major environmental and public health groups - the Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy and the American Lung Association - have had meetings with Pruitt, they said. EPA officials said he had also met with advocacy groups such as the American Public Health Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the March of Dimes, the National Medical Association, the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of American, and the National Environmental Health Association.

But the influence of those groups, which have pushed to retain environmental rules, appears to be outweighed by the counsel of industry groups.

'We're being heard'

On March 9, Pruitt met for 25 minutes on the sideline of an energy conference in Houston with Andrew Liveris, the chief executive of the Dow Chemical Co. Dow had pushed the EPA to reconsider an Obama-era ban on the use of chlorpyrifos, a pesticide that the EPA's scientists have concluded causes developmental damage in children. On March 30, Pruitt reversed the ban.

On March 13, Pruitt met with agriculture lobbyists, including Dale Moore, executive director of the American Farm Bureau Federation, which has lobbied heavily for the repeal of an Obama-era regulation that could restrict the use of fertilizers near waterways. Last month, Pruitt filed a draft plan to repeal the Waters of the United States Rule.

On March 22, he had dinner at the Trump International Hotel in Washington with 45 members of the board of directors of the American Petroleum Institute, a body composed largely of chief executive officers of the oil and gas industry.

At the time, oil and gas companies were pushing the EPA to roll back a set of rules on methane leaks from drilling wells, which the industry estimates could cost it over $170 million.

On June 13, Pruitt filed a proposal to delay those regulations by two years, and the agency is expected to rewrite them. In the filing, he noted that the EPA had concluded that a delay of the pollution rules "may have a disproportionate effect on children." But he also said the rules would come at a significant cost to the oil and gas industry.

"The nice thing is," Paxton, the attorney general of Texas, said, "now we feel like we're being heard."
The Texas Supreme Court held Friday that same-sex couples are not necessarily entitled to government employment benefits, opening the door to a renewed legal battle over whether marriage equality has limits in the Lone Star State.

The unanimous opinion does not prevent the city of Houston - at the center of this case - or the state from continuing to offer employment benefits to employees' same-sex spouses.

Rather, it says the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark 2015 decision Obergefell v. Hodges, which recognized a right to gay marriage, did not resolve whether same-sex spouses have a right to benefits and sends the case back to trial court.

"The Supreme Court held in Obergefell that the Constitution requires states to license and recognize same-sex marriages to the same extent that they license and recognize opposite-sex marriages, but it did not hold that states must provide the same publicly funded benefits to all married persons," Justice Jeffrey S. Boyd wrote. "Of course, that does not mean ... that the city may constitutionally deny benefits to its employees' same-sex spouses. Those are the issues that this case now presents."

The high court initially declined last fall to hear the case, but relented in January after top Republican officials urged justices to reconsider.

"While Obergefell obligates the State to grant and recognize same-sex marriages, it does not bind state courts to resolve all other claims in favor of the right to same-sex marriage," Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote in an October amicus brief.

Appeal's technicalities

Friday's decision steers clear of the merits of the case, focusing instead on more technical issues with the appeal.

"The thought that the opinion is earth-shattering is much ado about nothing," University of Houston Law Center Professor Peter Linzer said, adding that "there's very little doubt" the court ultimately will decide same-sex spouses are entitled to the same benefits afforded those of the opposite sex.

Nevertheless, Linzer said, "the city attorney's office is going to be busy with this thing, wasting some taxpayers' money on it."

In the meantime, Houston plans to continue providing spousal benefits to same-sex couples while it reviews the decision.

"Marriage equality is the law of the land, and everyone is entitled to the full benefits of marriage, regardless of the gender of their spouse," Mayor Sylvester Turner said in a statement.

Plaintiffs' attorney Jared Woodfill, on the other hand, cheered the decision as "a huge win."

"The court has limited Obergefell in terms of how broadly it should be interpreted," Woodfill said, adding, "It recognized that there's an argument to be made at the trial court that taxpayer dollars should notbe used in violation of one's deeply held religious beliefs."

Marriage's legal issues

Paxton echoed Woodfill, saying he was "extremely pleased" with the ruling.

"While the U.S. Supreme Court declared a right to same-sex marriage, that ruling did not resolve all legal issues related to marriage," Paxton said in a statement.

The state of Texas has been offering benefits to same-sex spouses of its employees since 2015, just after the Obergefell decision.

Houston began providing benefits two years earlier, after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated part of the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

Plaintiffs Jack Pidgeon and Larry Hicks quickly sued, alleging the payments were an illegal use of taxpayer money.

A year later, a trial court temporarily blocked the city from providing same-sex benefits, a ruling that held until July 2015, when the state's 14th Court of Appeals removed the temporary injunction in light of Obergefell.

The state Supreme Court's ruling essentially wipes that slate clean and instructs the trial court to reconsider the case.

Woodfill said he intends to ask for another injunction preventing the city from providing same-sex benefits and requiring Houston to "claw back" benefits paid to employees' same-sex spouses before Obergefell.

Undercutting equality

The city did not respond to questions about the monetary value of benefits paid during that period or the number of same-sex spouses currently receiving employment benefits.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender advocacy organizations condemned the decision as undercutting marriage equality.

"The Texas Supreme Court's decision this morning is a warning shot to all LGBTQ Americans that the war on marriage equality is ever-evolving, and anti-LGBTQ activists will do anything possible to discriminate against our families," Sarah Kate Ellis, president and CEO of the New York-based group GLAAD, said in a statement.

Lambda Legal, which co-authored an amicus brief backing the city, said it would work with Houston attorneys on the case.

"This absurd contortion of the Obergefell ruling defies all logic and reason," Dallas-based Lambda Legal attorney Kenneth D. Upton, Jr. said in a statement. "Marriage is marriage and equal is equal."
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Leaders at the Texas Capitol love to bash what they call out-of-control bureaucrats at city halls and in Washington, D.C., but a recent case pitting the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission against Specs Wines, Spirits & Finer Foods looks like state regulatory overreach on steroids.

After an investigation of the states largest liquor retailer, the TABC sought to yank permits for all 164 of the companys stores  which would effectively shut it down  or hit Spec's with fines of up to $713 million, according to court documents filed last week.

The agency also put the companys expansion plans on ice by freezing Specs new permit applications during the three-year probe, records show.

What did Specs, a family-run company based in Houston, do to deserve the business equivalent of the death penalty? Thats what a couple of Texas administrative law judges wondered last week.

They poured out the TABC like stale beer in a blunt 151-page ruling. The judges said TABC failed to prove dozens of allegations, rebuked agency lawyers for failing to disclose evidence to their own witness (and the court) and called out the agency for stacking charges, a tactic commonly used to pressure defendants into a settlement.

(Story continues below)

In the end, the multi-year prosecution and an eight-day March administrative law hearing  similar to a trial  turned up evidence that Specs may have paid a $778 invoice from a wine supplier a day or two late in 2011 under the complicated liquor credit law spelling out when payments for booze must be made.

The sum total of the sanctions recommended by the judges: a warning, and no fines.

TABC spokesman Chris Porter said the penalties described by the judges "are the maximum available penalties for the alleged violations under the Alcoholic Beverage Code," and added that "TABC never seriously pursued the listed sanctions and did not seek to levy such heavy fines or cancel all the permits for all 164 Specs stores."

The judges have given Spec's the green light to start expanding in Texas again.

Specs, meanwhile, is on the hook for north of a million dollars in legal fees, court fees and other costs, said Al Van Huff, the company's attorney. That doesnt count the scrapped plans to expand and grow at a time when out-of-state chains like Total Wines are adding outlets in Texas.

Its an abuse of power, Van Huff said. How did you waste all this agencys time and the taxpayers money by prosecuting a case of this magnitude against somebody and the end result is the guy gets a warning for a late payment that happened five years ago? They should have to explain their behavior to somebody.

Specs is expecting the TABC to ask the State Office of Administrative Hearings to reconsider at least some of the judges' findings. If that doesnt happen, the regulatory agency has some discretion to change the proposed decision. But that would likely trigger more legal wrangling  this time in state district court.

Porter, the TABC spokesman, said because the case remained open, the agency could not comment on the specific allegations or disclose what steps it would take next.

But he said the TABC is required under law to "issue citations if an investigation uncovers evidence of an alleged violation" and that whatever the outcome, "the agency believes in the ideals of due process and rule of law."

Van Huff said Specs is considering its own legal options, which could include a lawsuit against an agency already in the hot seat at the Legislature after a series of spending controversies and reports of abusive treatment of companies it regulates.

Last week, newly-appointed TABC Chairman Kevin Lilly, tapped by Gov. Greg Abbott to help clean up the embattled agency, visited the TABCs Austin headquarters, where he reviewed the personnel files of senior staff and conducted a series of closed-door meetings with them.

Abbotts office expressed concern about TABCs handling of the Specs case and other matters.

"The governor continues to be deeply concerned about the pattern of practice at TABC, said Abbott spokeswoman Ciara Matthews. The governor's office is actively working with newly-appointed Chairman Lilly, who has been conducting a top-to-bottom review of all personnel and operations to reform TABC."

Specs lawyer was particularly critical of the TABC's auditing and investigations chief, Dexter Jones, who oversaw the Specs investigation, and TABC General Counsel Emily Helm.

Van Huff alleged Helm abused her power in early 2016 by offering to get three new permit applications approved for Specs President John Rydman if the company would agree to settle the existing cases.

According to court documents, the TABC said denying the new permits was justified because Specs threatened the general welfare, health, peace, morals and safety of Texans due to the concerns raised in the agencys probe.

Van Huff said he told Helm that the allegations against Spec's were "hyper-technical violations of the code" that had nothing to do with health and safety. Helm's response, he said, was: If Specs could be our real friend instead of our fake friend and settle these cases then we can let (Rydman) have his permits.

An email seeking comment from Helm went unanswered. Porter, the agency spokesman, said Helm "disputes the wording of this quote" and "any assertion of unlawful conduct."

"Such settlements are offered (often multiple times) during the course of any administrative case in which TABC is involved," Porter said. "This is a common, lawful practice for any administrative or civil court case."

Flimsy charges fell apart

The case against Specs started with an audit of the retailers operations that began in February 2013.

Two years later, Van Huff and Rydman, Spec's president and owner, were summoned to TABC headquarters and given a settlement agreement proposing to fine the retailer $8.6 million, cancel 16 of its liquor store permits and agree to enhanced oversight for two years.

Once Rydman and Van Huff started looking through the allegations, Van Huff said they knew there was no way they were going to settle.

The TABC claimed Specs had illegally accepted millions of dollars in payments from both a wholesaler and a competing liquor store. A liquor retailer such as Spec's generally cant receive money from those entities under the state's byzantine alcohol regulations, adopted after Prohibition was lifted in the 1930s, that strictly control who can own what piece of the alcohol business.

In both cases, Specs said it could easily explain the payments TABC auditors discovered. In the case of the wholesaler, Specs had accidentally paid an invoice twice, so the money coming back into its account from a wholesaler was merely a refund of an overpayment; in the case of the competing liquor store, Specs was legally purchasing the store and using its merchant accounts during the transition process, Van Huff said. A phone call could have cleared up those supposed infractions, he said.

Instead of the auditor who was doing the investigation seeing something questionable and then asking us to explain it, they just made it an allegation in this settlement agreement as the basis for us to agree to write a check and to agree to all these settlement terms, Van Huff said.

A turning point in hearing

The same dynamic  scandalous-sounding charges that didnt survive a cursory check of the evidence  played out repeatedly during the March hearing.

During the proceedings, TABC officials attempted to convince the court that Specs engaged in a pattern of behavior so egregious that it deserved to have all of its liquor permits canceled, the court said.

But one allegation after another crumbled before the judges. TABCs star in-house witness, Houston-based auditor Kathy Anderson, alleged Specs engaged in illegal price negotiations for wine. Her proof? Emails between a wholesaler and a wine maker discussing what price Specs might want to charge. But Specs didn't participate in that email exchange.

She agreed that there was no evidence Specs accepted the terms, the judges noted in tossing the allegation. She also admitted that there was no documentary evidence that Specs actually purchased any of the products.

Even more damaging to TABC was Andersons claim that one of Specs wholesalers, United Wine & Spirits, had admitted to violations that implicated Specs in a scheme to skirt liquor laws designed to keep alcohol manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers all in separate lanes. The supposed proof: an agreed-to waiver order  basically an acceptance of punishment  that United Wine & Spirits signed.

That order was cited like a Kings X over and over in TABCs case against Specs. A long string of allegations relying on that document collapsed when Van Huff asked Anderson if she had read the settlement agreement attached to the waiver order  which stated that United agreed to pay a fine to resolve the contested allegations but did not admit guilt.

She said she was not aware of that stipulation. This was the gotcha moment of the trial.

Van Huff asked Anderson: We now see that the TABC agreed ... that this wouldn't be construed as an admission by United, correct?

Anderson: Correct.

Van Huff: So each and every time you refer to the waiver order and say it was United Wines & Spirits admission of wrongdoing that reflects poorly on Specs, that was all incorrect, wasn't it?"

Anderson: It appears so.

Van Huff: Thank you. We'll take that as a yes, right?"

Anderson: Yes.

Andersons admission came within the first few hours of the proceedings. It went downhill from there.

When the TABC called United Wine & Spirits executives to the stand, the executives quickly threw TABC under the bus, testifying that although they disputed the agency's charges, they agreed to pay the TABC $100,000 to make the case go away. They calculated it would be cheaper and easier than fighting it out.

Not all witnesses called by (TABC) Staff provided testimony helpful to Staffs case, the judges said in a footnote. In fact, when called to testify for the Commission, the testimony of the witnesses from United Wine directly contravened Staffs case.

The judges also ruled that the TABC failed to reveal the contents of United Wine & Sprits settlement agreement to its own witness and to the (administrative court)."

And they determined that  contrary to (TABCs) contention that the charges are not stacked  the agency piled one allegation on top of another in a controversial practice that uses the same evidence for multiple charges.

This is what they do. They intimidate people, said Dick Wills, a former TABC licensing supervisor for the Gulf Coast region who is now a liquor industry consultant. He served as an expert witness for Specs during the proceedings.

People should be fired over this. This is the most egregious case Ive ever seen filed by the TABC. The most, bar none.

Case takes its toll

The TABC's legal Waterloo is helping to lift the cloud that has been hanging for three years over Specs, launched with a single store in 1962 by Rydmans father-in-law, Spec Jackson.

After the company branched out into upscale wines and gourmet food, it went on to become the largest liquor retailer in Texas and the second-largest family owned alcohol retailer in the nation, according to Rydman.

Rydman, who began working at Specs in 1972, took the stand during the trial and recounted how the probe has taken a toll on his business. He said the company hasnt been able to expand for three years, and earlier this year a landlord threatened to cancel a lease because he was unable to renew a permit.

This whole process has cost my company a tremendous amount of money, Rydman told a TABC lawyer during the proceedings. And people throughout the industry chuckling at us, laughing at us, and afraid to do things with us, afraid to talk to us because they don't want to get tainted and have y'all come after them.

The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans  and engages with them  about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.
The following are excerpts from reports generated by the Texas County Sheriffs Department:

A 58-year-old Elk Creek woman reported on June 29 that a neighbors son had come to her Watson Road residence asking if she had any work he could do.

The woman said she told him she didnt and that she was in a hurry and had to leave. When she returned, she noticed her UTV was gone.

The woman stated she went to the neighbors house and asked the boys father if he had seen her UTV, He told her he had seen it because his son had gotten it as a down payment for some yard work. The woman told the man she had told his son she had no work. The man showed her the UTV, which had been wrecked.

The woman stated the man agreed to pay for the damage, and she just wanted the incident documented in case anything else happened.

A man called just after midnight June 26 to report hearing gunshots fired near his Roby Road residence at Plato.

An investigating officer spoke to several neighbors who all said they heard no gunfire. The officer searched all of Roby Road and didnt locate anyone shooting.

A deputy on June 24 investigated a report by Licking Fire Department personnel of gunshots being fired during a family dispute at a Buck Hollow Lane residence at Licking.

The officer spoke to neighbors at the location about what was going on, and they said they had heard gunfire, including two shots after firefighters arrived on the scene. The deputy spoke to firefighters there, and they all said they had heard no shots.

The officer determined the neither the property owner or any family members were present, and that neighbors were the only people around and they were not squabbling. The officer checked with dispatch and was told no report had been received of shots being fired. The area was checked out and no sign of gunfire was found.

A 46-year-old Cabool woman reported on June 22 that a white gold wedding ring valued at $199 had been stolen from her Highway U residence.

The woman told an investigating officer that a woman from the Division of Family Services had come to her home to remove her children from her care, and after the woman left she noticed the ring was missing from a bowl on a coffee table. Investigation continues.

A 63-year-old Houston man reported on June 27 that a Glock model 20 pistol valued at $1,300 and a Lamson fly reel valued at $295 had been stolen from his Horseshoe Drive residence. A 19-year-old Houston man is a suspect and investigation continues.

A 70-year-old Licking man reported on June 26 that a Ruger .45-caliber pistol valued at $750 had been swiped from a storage unit on Highway 32 at Licking. There are no suspects.

Texas County Jail admissions

June 27

Amanda J. Wake  possession of controlled substance

Justin D. Bowling  possession of controlled substance

Michael D. Bowler  7-day commitment

June 28

Kristina M. Shelton  bond or 2-day hold

June 29

Jeanne M. Bourbon  possession of controlled substance

Shiloh N. Christ  tampering with motor vehicle
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Barring the most extraordinary political upset, that would eclipse anything we have seen in the past couple of years, Vince Cable will be the next leader of the Liberal Democrats. Now that prospective rivals, Ed Davey and Norman Lamb, have decided not to stand and Jo Swinson is running to be deputy leader, it seems unlikely another credible candidate will come forward before nominations close on July 20.

I was privileged to introduce Vince Cable at a party event in London the week before the election and I am convinced he will be an excellent party leader. He drew a big audience - the room was packed, with every seat taken and many more standing - and spoke compellingly, and with real authority, about the dangers that lie in store as the Government ploughs ahead with Brexit. It was the best analysis of the situation I heard during the entire campaign.

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He has more than 40 years of experience in politics and that counts for a lot - with so much at stake this is not a time for amateurs. Just look what a mess Theresa May's inexperienced advisors, Fiona Hill and Christopher Timothy, made of the election campaign. He is a well-known public figure and still carries a lot of political clout for accurately predicting the 2008 recession. When he was interim party leader, before Nick Clegg took over, he described Gordon Brown as having gone from 'Stalin to Mr Bean', a brilliant jibe which stuck.

As leader of the Liberal Democrats, Vince Cable has an opportunity to re-brand the party. He will be starting with a clean slate and can carve out distinctive new policies. During the election, I left the Conservatives and joined the Liberal Democrats, but a lot of my friends, and people I talk to, are confused about what the party stands for. The middle ground doesn't have to be wishy washy - just look at what Macron has achieved in France - but you need to articulate a strong point of view and have a point of difference.

It's time to think outside of the box. The party needs to have an identity that is more than just 'Neither Conservative or Labour', it needs to do something different. The party is small enough to evolve and create a new identity. People instinctively trust Vince Cable and that counts for a lot at a time when there is so much cynicism about politicians.

I'm sure he will have his own distinctive ideas, which he will want to bring forward, but I have three suggestions:

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First, I would scrap tuition fees for anyone taking STEM subjects. Labour's manifesto pledge to scrap all tuition fees was clearly not realistic because it was unaffordable, but we know that, if we are to compete in the global economy, we need to up-skill our workforce. This would send a strong message that the government is prioritising STEM as the way to equip young people for the challenges posed by automation.

Secondly, I would take the NHS out of politics by setting up an independent commission to determine its future. You cannot fix the NHS in a single five-year parliamentary term - no party has ever managed to do it - and, with my project management background, I know you need a ten-year programme to reach a political consensus. The government needs to devolve responsibility by taking a cross-party approach.

Thirdly, I would create a compulsory, national community service programme underpinned by the school curriculum. Too many teenagers have lost a sense of identity - this is especially true in Muslim communities where they are confused about their place in British society - and this would be a way of restoring a sense of purpose and self-worth.
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It's impossible to describe how it feels to lose a parent. When you hear of other people's losses, you have an idea in your head of what it might feel like. You imagine more often than not that initial sickening, explosive feeling when you find out they have gone. But nothing can prepare you for finding a way to cope with the longevity of losing someone who, from birth, has played such an enormous part in your life.

My dad and I were always incredibly close. We shared the same silly sense of humour, both sociable and talkative, we loved sport and going walking. As a family, our getaways were often to the Lake District or, as I got older, to craggy parts of Ireland to climb mountains. Before I was a teenager I had already climbed the highest mountains in Wales and Ireland.

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When my friend told me this year that she was going to be doing the Three Peaks Challenge on the 25 June a shiver went down my spine. My dad had once completed the Three Peaks (the highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales within 24 hours) and on the 25 June, six years ago, he took his life.

He battled a mental illness for 18 months before he brought it to an end in 2011. But despite how my dad's life ended, he was, and still remains, the most positive person I have ever known. Always upbeat, he loved to sing, crack jokes, act the fool. A sociable and out-going bloke with so many friends, a loving husband, dad and grandad. He was all the proof anyone needed that mental illness can happen to anyone.

I don't think you'll ever know the exact reasons why someone commits suicide, there are so many factors. From things that are happening in the here and now, to past memories, experiences and years of suppressed emotions. Like cancer, mental health does not discriminate. It doesn't matter if you're rich, poor, from a caring family or had an unloved childhood. Mental health is a real and all consuming disease.

I was seven months pregnant when I lost my dad. My sister had a one-year-old boy. We were all totally heart broken, but I knew that for him to end his life on the sunniest of days, he was without question in the most darkest of places.

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For over a year my dad suffered with insomnia, he also developed tinnitus. Soon after these conditions developed he had what he said felt like an explosion in his head. It got worse after that. We had MRI scans, saw counsellors, he was put on medication, which was regularly changed by his doctors.

I have never felt any bitterness or anger over what my dad did, I wish beyond anything that I could change what happened, but I can't. I have learnt to live with it and I think it has made me become a more understanding person. But the one thing I will always be incensed by is the help and support we received from the psychiatric doctors and hospitals. What also made it difficult is that for many people, particularly of my dad's generation, mental health is a silent disease. My dad felt ashamed and embarrassed about what was happening to him, and so we promised him that we would keep it a secret from our friends.

This stigma has to change, the "what have they got to be depressed about?" question has to be stamped out, because for whatever reasons it happens to one in four of us. Both my brother and sister have suffered from depression, and what is important to realise is that you are never alone, there is help out there and talking about it breaks down the walls of stereotypes.

After I lost my dad I always knew that at some point I would want to do something to raise awareness for mental health, but until that meaningful moment when my friend told me about the Three Peaks I hadn't felt ready. At that juncture the signs were all there that I had to take on this challenge too.

Exercise has always helped me to let off steam and I have loved training for the Three Peaks with my daughter on my back. After my son and the loss of my dad, my husband and I struggled to conceive for two and a half years. Following a miscarriage, and at a point when I was starting to lose every ounce of hope, I finally fell pregnant. The due date that they gave me was my dad's birthday, the 8 July. Just five per cent of babies are born on their due date, my baby girl was born on the 8 July.

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It seems only right that she has been the one in my backpack, pushing me up the hills just like my dad did. It has always been his voice in my head that encourages me to keep going, push through. His positivity that tells me to believe in myself, to try again.

I launched my business, Little Dot Company, after my daughter, my Little Dot. The STRONG MAMA exercise vests support mental health with 10 from every sale donated to Heads Together.

Sadly, my Three Peaks Challenge was postponed due to dangerous conditions on Ben Nevis. Instead we are doing it this weekend 1st to 2nd July. I will have my dad's Three Peaks rucksack on my back.
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Another day goes by and another senseless attack is launched against the British values we hold so close to our hearts. The question that a savage and tragic attack at a Finsbury Park mosque has thrust into our minds is clear - "When will the violence end?"

In the UK, one of our greatest qualities is our ability to pull together in the wake of catastrophe. As a community, we emanate a rare kind of patriotism, a respect for one another and a widespread willingness to lend a compassionate helping hand wherever it is needed. We saw this after the bombings in Manchester - in just three days, over 5m was raised for the victims. And after the more recent Grenfell Tower disaster so many donations were received from the public that supplies had to be sorted through on the street, and many collection centres were completely filled and unable to accept further donations.

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Our hearts are in the best place and we are passionate about maintaining a collaborative community, this much is clear. But it is all too easy for all of us to play on stereotypes, or worse still create them, when we are discussing subjects that are often nuanced and full of subtlety. Whether it is print, online or social media, content is often sensationalist and dripping with hate where minority communities are involved. Stigmatising faith groups should not be tolerated and can lead to serious division within our society.

The evidence trail is just a Google search away. Over the past 12 months we have seen headlines such as "BBC put Muslims before YOU!" and "Muslim plot to kill Pope". While these headlines may be intended as nothing more than 'clickbait, in most instances, designed to draw someone into an article, they damage our ability to look forward and find solutions, and are deeply offensive and divisive. I recently witnessed a march where participants made anti-Semitic comments and brandished flags of terrorist organisations. Just as the Jewish Community continues to protest against that, we all need to speak out against this type of hyperbole. Society cannot tolerate hatred, whatever the means of expressing it.

The need for social media companies to be held accountable for the content that is hosted on their sites has grown over the last six months, particularly in the case of hate speech. It is vital that we take every step to stop our youth being exposed to inflammatory and misguided information. Across all kinds of media, not just social, sensationalist messages do nothing but misinform and create hate. The trickle-down nature of news means you are not just hitting those that read papers cover-to-cover and are well-versed in current affairs. You are also hitting the scan readers - those that dip in and out, perhaps picking up a paper on a seat of the tube or see a headline on their social media timeline.

With this in mind, the messaging we push out needs to be clear and impartial. It is too easy to play on the public's emotions, especially following the horrific attacks we have witnessed this summer. But using emotive language around faith issues means we are unable to take a measured and responsible approach to solving the issues that arise from national disasters. When everything is masked by hate, fear and unhelpful conspiracy theories, it's easy for our coordination as a community to get lost in the noise, and even easier for those who are most impressionable - on both sides - to be swept up in it.

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If we wish to work together as a nation that prides itself on tolerance, respect and kindness, we must make sure that every facet of our society is working towards that goal. It should not need to be stated that the media, in all its forms, is one of those facets. As it stands, not enough is being done to counter the divisive rhetoric which is all too common placed in our country. It is a major block to progress, and not conducive to peace.
As the Internet-of-Things (IoT) revolution continues to connect everything around us, cities and urban areas present an excellent space for tech startups to play in. The bright minds at CB Insights put together this market map with about 80 startups helping to build smarter cities:

Lets take a look at some of the types of startups looking to create the smart cities of tomorrow.

Tracking Water Usage with Big Data

Water is the next big thing and we recently wrote about 7 Water Tech Startups Helping Keep You Alive. One startup using big data to help us use water more efficiently is WaterSmart Software, a company that is working to provide advanced intelligence to water utility managers. This San Francisco company has taken in $13.35 million through six rounds of equity funding to help increase customer engagement through the use of big data. If water is such a vital resource, we should be tracking how its used. WaterSmarts system provides access to visual analytics, reporting, and customer relationship tools.

The customer-facing portions of their platform give customers access to information that helps them to save money on their water bill, protect their property, and conserve water.

Artificial Intelligence in Emergency Management

After surviving a flood in India, Stanford engineering student Ahmad Wani wanted to build a technology solution that would save every possible life in a disaster. Founded in 2015, Silicon Valley startup 1Concern has raised an undisclosed amount of funding so far to invest in a team of data scientists and engineers who plan to make cities safer by using machine intelligence to provide insights into disaster preparedness and mitigation. Their system allows cities to prepare for hazards like earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes with real-time disaster coordination, training simulations to prepare, and analysis that helps allow for a quick recovery.

Solutions are being built for monitoring transportation, hospitals, schools, humanitarian assistance, supply chains, and search and rescue, so that all these entities can work together more effectively in times of disaster. While we were initially skeptical about their references to state of the art AI and the shotgun approach used to describe what they do, it looks like they are making things happen.

Big Data for Traffic Analysis

Founded in 2004, Kirkland, Washington startup INRIX specializes in real-time traffic analytics that uses traffic data to offer actionable for freeways, highways, and arterials. The Company has raised $143.1 million through seven rounds of equity funding to date from investors that include Intel and Porsche and was recently chosen by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration as their travel-time data source for highways. INRIXs system uses big data (like weather forecasts, school schedules, anonymous mobile phones, road construction, etc.) to help cities in a variety of ways including optimizing parking management, preparing for large events, improving driver safety, and improving emergency response inefficiencies.

Roads that Talk to You

Missouri startup Integrated Roadways has a big vision for the future of roads. Their goal is to create modular pavement that acts as a digital network to connect drivers, support driverless technology, and generate recurring revenue from private party app development. The startup has taken in an undisclosed amount of funding to develop their patented Smart Pavement platform which provides a better, faster (95% less costly to install), less expensive (80% less total cost), and more durable (lasts 4X longer) way to create roads and highways. Heres what it looks like:

The system could also communicate with emergency services during an accident, providing added safety and facilitating quicker emergency response times. Currently, theyre working with the State of Missouri on a pilot to determine its suitability to reconstruct I-70 between Kansas City and St. Louis, a $4 billion project. They see themselves as a technology integrator and said theyve had interest from companies like Cisco, Sprint, Amazon, Google, and others who all want to participate. Its probably about time to partner up then.

Windows Enabled by Nanotechnology

We first covered View in 2014, and to date the company has taken in a whopping $645 million through 9 rounds of funding including a $200 million round just this month. Views technology uses a nanoscale metal oxide transparent film and layers this on top of a normal window. By applying a small electric charge, the ions move between the layers tinting the glass. The dynamic glass can tint building windows based on weather conditions outside or to fit personal preferences of the inhabitants inside who no longer have to deal with blinds, but can now control the windows digitally. HR will tell you that its because we care about employees, our greatest asset but dont listen to that drivel. Its about cost savings:

Theyve completed 350 commercial installations with 150 in the works. Their website has gone through a major overhaul and now contains a wealth of info. Is View Glass prepping for an IPO perhaps? If youre interested in learning more about the smart glass market, check out our recent article titled Is Smart Glass a Smart Investment Yet?.

Optimized Bus Routes

Remix is a San Francisco-based company that provides a public transportation planning platform. They have raised $12 million through 2 rounds of funding to date with Sequoia Capital leading their last round of $10 million which closed in May 2017. Remix is already used by transit agencies in more than 200 cities across the globe. Once installed, the platform will pull data about the areas existing transit networks, evaluate alternatives, and make suggestions for changes and improvements. Staff can use the system to create and test new routes and transportation scenarios, allowing them to see the effects of a change before implementing it as seen below:

We can see some interesting demographics in the above example which show just how granular information is getting these days.

Civic Management in the Cloud

San Ramon, California startup Accela provides a cloud-based platform for managing civic engagement and governmental duties, helping cities to take quicker, more effective action. The company has raised $235.62 million through six rounds of equity funding to date and have used that money to acquire 10 different companies since opening their doors in 1999. Accelas platform is comprehensive, covering a range of areas including asset management, environment, finance, land management, licensing, utilities, and citizen relationship management. 35 of the biggest cities in the US use them and an IPO may be imminent. If you feel a yawn coming on when the topic of civic management comes up, we know how you feel. Lets move on to our next startup.

The Internet of Garbage (IoG)

Founded in 2010, Finnish startup Enevo has raised $26.75 million to provide analytics for waste management companies by collecting and analyzing data from wireless sensors they put inside of refuse containers. The startup claims to improve cost efficiency for cities, saving as much as 50% on their waste costs by only emptying bins when they are predicted to be full, and generating smart collection routes for garbage truck drivers.

This allows waste management companies to deploy resources to more pressing collection routes. Their platform also provides cities with a detailed reporting system that allows them to track changes and observe improvements.

Smart City Connectivity

SIGFOX provides a cellular network that is dedicated to low-throughput communication between internet-connected objects. In short, they provide a platform for communication between Internet-of-Things devices. The company has raised $309.7 million through six rounds of funding to date from investors that include Intel and Air Liquide. In order for smart cities to be more connected, a platform is necessary to bridge the gap. SIGFOX uses a low-power wide-area network that is compatible with Bluetooth, GPS, and Wifi. Their lightweight protocol is designed to handle small incoming and outgoing messages, leading to less energy consumption and longer battery life. SIGFOX already has a presence in more than 30 countries, amounting to more than 2 million square kilometers of coverage. Their stated goal is covering 100% of the globe within the next few years. The company is already regarded as a leader in the IoT industry with a lot of potential for growth moving forward.

Real-time Air Quality Maps

Israeli startup Breezometers mission is to help cities and businesses by providing accurate air quality data in order to help make environmental decisions. The company has raised $4.8 million through 2 rounds of equity funding to date. Breezometer provides customers with hyper-local air quality data, updated in real-time. The system collects data from sensors, including current conditions and dispersion patterns, comparing current data against historical data.

The system then provides health recommendations, real-time notifications, and additional information about pollution sources from their cloud-based platform. Seems like the more important problem to solve here is how to clean up that air but at least now we have a way of accurately measuring if the changes were proposing are having an effect on air quality. We dont need a fancy tool to tell us that Beijings perma-haze means the city is polluted.

Energy & Grid Management

Spun out of Stanford in 2011, AutoGrid aims to help energy companies by improving grids through the usage of big energy data and analytics. So far the Company has raised $41.75 million through 4 rounds of equity funding with many large energy companies participating. AutoGrid works directly with utility companies, energy service providers, and new energy developers to offer a platform that optimizes the generation and storage of energy. You can only imagine how fragmented the energy industry is with all kinds of legacy hardware and software systems that dont talk to each other. With AutoGrids platform, you can actually create virtual power plants that stand to transform the $2.4 trillion utility sector.

Conclusion

Soon, all cities and urban areas in developed markets will be smarter and more connected. The main driver of IoT is the falling cost of sensors which now are half the cost they were ten years ago and now cost about 60 cents a unit. While retail investors cant just go and invest in any of these interesting startups weve just covered, they may be able to invest in the companies that are building all these sensors. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter so you dont miss our coming article on investing in IoT sensors.

Worried you might not have enough for retirement? Fed up with all the corporate greed out there? With Motif Investing Impact Portfolios, you can save for your retirement and at the same time only invest in companies that do good for our planet. You can even roll over your existing IRAs into the plan and also automatically enrolled in Motif BLUE, giving you access to commission-free trading benefits for your trading account. Click here for a free trial of Motif Impact Investing.

Source: http://www.nanalyze.com/2017/07/11-smart-city-solutions-smarter-cities/
Looking back, the smart city movement has been focused on the core infrastructure needed to support it (think broadband and sensors). This week, however, the conversation began to shift to an even more important element  people.

And this week, the Smart Cities Connect Conference kicked off to unpack the latest trends, technologies and tools that cities are using to tackle some of these shifts. In fact, a major topic of conversation was what the next generation smart city  or Smart City 2.0  will look like.

AUSTIN, Texas  19,519. That is the number of cities that exist in the United States. Over the past decade, each one of those cities experienced major shifts brought on by changes in technology, business and overall consumer behavior.

Austin Mayor Steve Adler, alluded to this shift in his opening remarks when he explained Austins definition of a smart city.

At its very core, a smart city is a city that has been able to look inside and identify what its challenges are  what its people and residents need to have the quality of life they want to have  and to craft unique solutions that enable the city and the community to deal with those challenges," he said. "That truly is what a smart city is.

Additional validation of this approach came from Salesforce Chief Digital Evangelist Vala Afshar, who stressed that cities can look to the private sector for inspiration.

Companies that are growing and obtaining market share have the customer at the center of their design thinking principles," he said. "And as you [the government] think about building and evolving smart cities, you have to have citizens at the center.

Even with that knowledge, one of the biggest challenges for government is trying to identify what citizens' expectations are. And again, Afshar said, juridictions can look to the private sector to see that citizens expect engagements that are personalized, immediate and intelligent.

The math seems simple, companies incorporate those elements to keep customers and survive, and government agencies can use those same elements to more effectively serve and engage their citizens.

Take the town of Cary, N.C., where Innovation and Analytics Manager Reid Serozi is leveraging this people-centric approach with One Cary, an omni-channel government strategy for its citizens. Whether delivering citizen information through its Amazon Echo skill or through its main website, the town is focused on building the experience of government around its people and their needs.

Technology will remain a vital aspect of the smart cities conversation, and the backbone of how much of it will be delivered, but cities that focus and design technology around their people will be more prepared for the inevitable future.

Afshars closing words sum it up best: Companies dont disrupt, cities dont disrupt," he said. "People disrupt.

Source: http://www.govtech.com/fs/Smart-City-2-0-Shifting-the-Focus-From-Infrastructure-to-People.html
Construction on the bridge is expected to start in mid-July.

Construction on Lanesborough's Narragansett Bridge Expected to Start

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  It should be only a matter of weeks before the Narragansett Avenue causeway bridge is replaced.

But, the passing of state Rep. Gailanne Cariddi has caused some unknowns.

The state was looking to reconstruct the bridge last year and the town began securing the needed easements. But, five pieces of land around the bridge are in control of the Department of Capital Asset Management and protected by Article 97  a conservation restriction requiring a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to remove it for the construction.

Cariddi had hoped to usher along that vote, but the town was late in issuing a legal notice, and the bill got entered with only two weeks left of in last year's legislative session. The House of Representatives clerk reviewed it and determined the bridge was "navigable waters"  though not much more than a kayak could get under the bridge  and it had to get approval from the secretary of state's office. The bill did not make it to a vote before the end of the session.

Meanwhile, the town continued to proceed with securing a total of 18 easements allowing the state to perform the work. Cariddi re-submitted the bill when the latest legislative session opened earlier this year, and since then it has been going through the process. It is currently at the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight, awaiting to be passed out of committee.

Town Manager Paul Sieloff said the state has plans to start working in mid-July. But, "I do not know the potential impact is with Gail's passing." He believes the bill will continue through the process; someone else will have to help push it along.

Board of Selectman Chairman John Goerlach said Maxymilian Construction is "mobilizing." According to the state Department of Transportation's website, the winning bid was $5,950,513.15 and a notice to proceed was issued at the end of May. Selectman Henry "Hank" Sayers said a groundbreaking was scheduled but that got delayed with Cariddi's death. He said it hasn't been rescheduled yet.

The plan will be for the state to build a temporary bridge and then reconstruct a new one. Sieloff said the good news is MassDOT is now looking at putting in a small parking lot near the bridge. The causeway is used heavily by people for fishing or launching kayaks, but there is a lack of parking. A small lot would allow for vehicles to be off the road next to the causeway.

In other business, resident Stephen Ciepiela asked the Board of Selectmen for help in controlling noise from Matt Reilly's Pub. Ciepiela is a neighbor and said that this year, there has been loud music, talking, and people throwing garbage onto his property late at night.

"They stay out until 11, 12, 1," he told the Selectmen. "I have to close every window in my house."

Ciepiela has called the police multiple times. Police Chief Timothy Sorrell said there is little the department can do about it.

"They aren't serving on the deck and there is nothing stopping them from being on the deck," Sorrell said.

The Selectmen told Ciepiela to keep calling the police when noise is too loud. The board told him to start getting a record of incidents in which any noise ordinances are broken because right now it is only Ciepiela's opinion of what is too loud versus Matt Reilly's.

The Board of Selectmen also approved a new landfill monitoring contract. The waterline project up Ore Bed Road has translated to annual cost savings with the reductions of the number of test sites required. The town has been paying for well testing since contaminants were found in residents' drinking water there and some believe it could be coming from the landfill, though it that hasn't been proven.

The Selectmen opted two years ago to put in a new water line to service the homes, and cut down the amount of testing. The town was budgeting for some $20,000 per year, but that was repeatedly overspent by double when the state Department of Environmental Protection issued orders for more testing.

"It is down to around $15,000 now that we moved a lot of the more expensive well sites out," Sieloff said. "We're really getting to the point where it is under control."




iciHaiti - Justice : Conditions of detention, urgency to act





As part of the Prison Monitoring Program in Haiti, a delegation of the Citizens' Initiative for Human Rights (ICDH) visited the National Penitentiary to observe the detention conditions in which prisoners live.



According to information gathered by the ICDH, 4,132 people were in custody at the time of their visit, 3,588 (87.02%) of whom were in prolonged pre-trial detention.



Inmates were piled up to 80 in a single cell, exposed to all sorts of contagious diseases. In addition, about 100 detainees in the National Penitentiary were suffering from mental disorders without receiving care and psychiatric care.



At the end of the visit, the ICDH delegation recommends to the authorities concerned :



To put in place and urgently a concrete program to combat prolonged pre-trial detention ;



Provide more budgetary resources to prison officials in order to improve prisoners' detention conditions (health, food, etc...) ;



Develop psychosocial activities to maintain a psychological and social balance among inmates ;



Develop professional activities in order to promote socio-economic reintegration after leaving prison ;



REnforce the medical center by increasing health personnel (doctors, nurses...) and by providing more drugs corresponding to the different pathologies identified.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20317-haiti-justice-gustavo-gallon-harshly-judge-the-haitian-prison-system.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20157-haiti-flash-minustah-calls-on-authorities-to-take-urgent-measures.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-13410-haiti-justice-haitian-penitentiary-system-welcome-to-hell.html



IH/ iciHaiti


















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ExxonMobil has repeatedly claimed to be involved in the fight against climate change, but official documents show it continues to spend millions supporting climate deniers.

The company's executives along with a string of other senior representatives at major oil and gas companies including Shell and BP appealed to Donald Trump last month urging him to remain in the Paris Agreement.

Former ExxonMobil CEO and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was said to be one of the US President's advisors encouraging him not to withdraw from the historic climate accord.

On its website, the company says it taking action on climate change by supporting research for technology breakthroughs. It has also come out in support of a carbon tax.

However, the finance records of the oil and gas giant appear to tell a different story.

The annual list of beneficiaries of the companys public information and policy research grant shows that in 2016 ExxonMobil spent $1.65m (1.23m) on dozens of think tanks and advocacy groups that contest climate legislation and oppose the Paris Agreement, reported Alternet.

This was part of a $6.5m (5m) pot used by ExxonMobil, one of the worlds biggest companies, to fund research and policy groups that year.

Some of these groups also appear on the website ExxonSecrets, a platform created by Kert Davies, a former researcher director at Greenpeace US who now runs the Climate Investigations Centre.

 We still don't know if Trump believes climate change exists

ExxonSecrets aims to provide a record of the companys funding history to organisations which contest man-made climate change.

It claims that between 1998 and 2014, ExxonMobil spent nearly $31m (24m) on funding 69 organisations that worked to spread climate denial.

The latest findings revealed by the document published on ExxonMobil's website would still have to be added to that figure.

Among the funding donated to climate denier groups last year, about 87 per cent went to four institutions including the US Chamber of Commerce, the Manhattan Institute, the American Legislative Exchange Council and the American Enterprise Institute.

The four institutions are also listed on ExxonSecrets as previously having received money from ExxonMobil.

The US Chamber of Commerce is known for its lobbying activities to fight climate change legislation including its call for the US President to pull out of the Paris Agreement. It received $1m (768,000) from ExxonMobil.

In a report in March this year, the US Chamber of Commerce claimed that the Paris Agreement could cost the US economy $3trillion (2.3trillion) and cut 6.5 million jobs from the industrial sector by 2040.

But several leading publications, including the Washington Post, found that the numbers which Mr Trump quoted in his speech announcing the US was pulling out from the Paris Agreement had been overestimated and did not take into account a range of other factors, including the benefits of reducing climate change.

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. 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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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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

Among the other organisations supported by ExxonMobil is the American Enterprise Institute, which has called the Paris Agreement an absurdity and said the US should withdraw from the accord.

But on the ExxonMobil site, the company says it is working to provide the world with energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and supporting climate research.

It reads: The risk of climate change is clear and the risk warrants action. There is a broad scientific and policy consensus that action must be taken to further quantify and assess the risks.

ExxonMobil is taking action by reducing greenhouse gas emissions in its operations, helping consumers reduce their emissions, supporting research that leads to technology breakthroughs and participating in constructive dialogue on policy options.

The Independent has contacted ExxonMobil for comment.
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The UK looks set to miss a key renewable energy target, campaigners have warned, in the latest sign that the Government is backsliding on the fight against global warming.

As Angela Merkel prepares to lead attempts to take climate science denier Donald Trump to task at the forthcoming G20 summit in Germany, Whitehall officials quietly published a report revealing that Britain is falling behind.

Despite having the relatively low target of getting 15 per cent of all energy  including electricity, domestic heating and transport  from renewables by 2020, the UK still has more ground to make up than all other European Union countries except three.

The report, which is the latest update on progress, said the UK had reached 8.9 per cent in 2016 and admitted hitting the 2020 target would be challenging.

Leonie Greene of industry body Solar Trade Association said the figures underlined how big a challenge it will be to meet the UK 2020 renewables target, which is modest by European standards.

Its clear renewable energy now needs some serious ministerial attention, she added.

The sector was not seeking further taxpayers money, Ms Greene stressed. For solar we are not even asking for new subsidies  simply a fair and level playing field with other generation technologies.

Alasdair Cameron, a renewable energy and climate campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said there was a danger that other countries think the UK was cosying up the US President, who has decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement on climate change.

The UK needs to make it perfectly clear it doesnt stand with Donald Trump, he said.

One of the best ways to do that is to make sure we get ahead and meet the targets we have already committed to.

If countries like the UK, one of the richest, most developed countries in the world, cannot do their fair share, its obviously a very negative signal to the rest of the world.

Mr Cameron, who described the switch to a low-carbon economy as a new, global industrial revolution, said Britain was unlikely to meet the 15 per cent target unless the Government produced some ambitious new policies.

But he added: I think if the UK gets serious about clean electricity, heating and transport, then it can certainly get pretty close.

The UK target of 15 per cent was agreed as part of a wider EU commitment, that saw other countries given targets ranging from 10 per cent (Malta) to 49 per cent (Sweden).

Gareth Redmond-King, head of climate and energy policy at conservation group WWF, said the UK had done well in boosting the amount of renewable electricity generation.

However, the former civil servant added: Where the UK is very much not on track is in relation to renewable heat in our homes, and renewable fuels in our transport; this is the reason we look likely to miss the 2020 target."

Dr Doug Parr, chief scientist of Greenpeace UK, said: Theresa May has been talking the talk on climate action, and now its time for her to walk the walk.

The [Tory] manifesto reflected her intention to be a world leader on climate change, but first she needs to look closer to home, and ensure the UKs transition to a low-carbon economy is not delayed.

To hold her head up amongst other G20 heads of state, shell need to push forward the advantages that properly sustainable renewables like offshore wind have both for the planet and for UK jobs.

10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Show all 10 1 /10 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A group of emperor penguins face a crack in the sea ice, near McMurdo Station, Antarctica Kira Morris 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Floods destroyed eight bridges and ruined crops such as wheat, maize and peas in the Karimabad valley in northern Pakistan, a mountainous region with many glaciers. In many parts of the world, glaciers have been in retreat, creating dangerously large lakes that can cause devastating flooding when the banks break. Climate change can also increase rainfall in some areas, while bringing drought to others. Hira Ali 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Smoke  filled with the carbon that is driving climate change  drifts across a field in Colombia. Sandra Rondon 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Amid a flood in Islampur, Jamalpur, Bangladesh, a woman on a raft searches for somewhere dry to take shelter. Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable places in the world to sea level rise, which is expected to make tens of millions of people homeless by 2050. Probal Rashid 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Sindh province in Pakistan has experienced a grim mix of two consequences of climate change. Because of climate change either we have floods or not enough water to irrigate our crop and feed our animals, says the photographer. Picture clearly indicates that the extreme drought makes wide cracks in clay. Crops are very difficult to grow. Rizwan Dharejo 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Hanna Petursdottir examines a cave inside the Svinafellsjokull glacier in Iceland, which she said had been growing rapidly. Since 2000, the size of glaciers on Iceland has reduced by 12 per cent. Tom Schifanella 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A river once flowed along the depression in the dry earth of this part of Bangladesh, but it has disappeared amid rising temperatures. Abrar Hossain 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A shepherd moves his herd as he looks for green pasture near the village of Sirohi in Rajasthan, northern India. The region has been badly affected by heatwaves and drought, making local people nervous about further predicted increases in temperature. Riddhima Singh Bhati 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change A factory in China is shrouded by a haze of air pollution. The World Health Organisation has warned such pollution, much of which is from the fossil fuels that cause climate change, is a public health emergency. Leung Ka Wa 10 photographs to show to anyone who doesn't believe in climate change Water levels in reservoirs, like this one in Gers, France, have been getting perilously low in areas across the world affected by drought, forcing authorities to introduce water restrictions. Mahtuf Ikhsan

For years, Britain has been widely regarded as a world leader in attempts to reduce climate change, but there have been ominous signs in recent years. There are also fears that the UKs departure from the EU, which depending on the terms of the Brexit deal could mean the renewable target was no longer enforceable, will see a bonfire of environmental regulations.

The Governments own independent advisers, the Committee on Climate Change, recently warned Ministers that global warming is happening, not waiting and their lack of action was neither justifiable nor wise.

One of Ms Mays first acts as Prime Minister was to scrap the dedicated Department for Energy and Climate Change, transferring its responsibility to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

The solar industry has complained the lack of a fair playing field with fossil fuels has brought it to the brink of collapse, and policies designed to discourage onshore wind farms have been introduced, despite these being the two cheapest forms of new electricity generation.

The Clean Growth Plan, the UKs main climate change-fighting strategy, is only due to be published in September  about a year late.

 Arnold Schwarzenegger attacks Donald Trump's climate change stance

Ministers have also been forced twice by the courts to produce a better Clean Air Plan following legal action by campaigners ClientEarth, who are to sue for a third time.

Ms Merkel, the German Chancellor, has said the EU is more determined than ever to make the Paris Agreement on climate change a success, pledging she would not overlook tensions with the US over the issue when she meets Mr Trump at the G20.

In contrast, Ms May, who famously held hands with Mr Trump in Washington, was noticeably quiet over his decision to withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement, only belatedly expressing her disappointment in the mildest of terms.

In a statement, BEIS said the UK had surpassed interim targets for renewable energy in 2011/12, 2013/14 and 2015/16.

We are currently progressing in line with the trajectory set out in the EU Renewable Energy Directive, it said.

However, the Governments report suggested the target might be difficult to achieve.

The UK is now challenged to increase its share of renewable energy by a further 6.8 percentage points to meet its 2020 target of 15 per cent, the fourth highest increase required behind The Netherlands, France, and Ireland, it said.

 Vice President Mike Pence says climate change is just an issue for the left

And Antoinette Sandbach, a Conservative MP who was a member of the previous parliaments Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, agreed more work was required.

I do think its possible to hit the 15 per cent target, but its clearly going to require focus from the Government  and it looks like that focus is starting to happen in the transport sector, she said, pointing to the Governments plans to help boost the number of electric vehicles.

Its the transport sector thats the greatest concern. Im glad to see the Government has actually issued a report and they are focussing on it as clearly it is something that does need focussing on.

While climate science denial has become common on the right of US politics, the same is not true in the UK  despite a few notable exceptions.

Ms Sandbach stressed global warming was one of the greatest challenges our country ... and our world faces.
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The world's most expensive countries to live in were calculated by MoveHub, a company dedicated to helping people move abroad, in a new survey.

MoveHub based its assessment on a range of costs, such as the price of groceries, transport, bills, restaurants and how much renting somewhere to live is. These figures are then compiled into an index, using the notoriously expensive city of New York as a benchmark.

New York was given an index score of 100, and countries were then ranked based on this. So a country with a score higher than 100 is more expensive than New York, while below signals that it is cheaper.

 Eight places that hate tourists the most

As a reference point, the average score for the United Kingdom was 51.03, making it the 29th most expensive country in which to live.

You can see the top 21 countries below:

T=20. Ghana  53.89: Ghana is one of Africa's more prosperous nations, and this is reflected in the cost of living, which is higher than any other African nation, according to MoveHub.

T=20. Italy  53.89: The cost of living in Italy is higher than in the eurozone's two largest economies, Germany and France.

19. Israel  54.11: Israel is, comparatively speaking, pretty inexpensive compared to other states in the region like Kuwait and the UAE.

18. Kuwait  57.31: Kuwait's currency, the Kuwaiti dinar, is one of the strongest currency units in the world, with a single dinar worth 2.63.

17. Japan  57.62: Japan's economy may have stagnated somewhat in recent years, but it still remains one of the world's powerhouses, and that is reflected in the cost of living.

16. New Zealand  58.26: As a country that has to import a large proportion of its goods, New Zealand is a pretty expensive place to live.

15. USA  58.59: New York may be the benchmark for MoveHub's index, but the USA as a whole is a lot cheaper. Living in big cities like New York and Los Angeles may be costly, but in rural areas and smaller cities things are different.

14. Ireland  59.56: Since the Brexit vote, Ireland has seen a huge surge in passport applications from Brits looking to leave the UK. Should they move across the Irish Sea however, they'll find a country more expensive than their own.

13. Denmark  60.01: Denmark is the most heavily indebted country in Europe on a personal level, with average household debt equivalent to 265% of incomes, according to Eurostat. That may not be surprising given the cost of living in the country.

12. Australia  62.39: Like its nearest neighbour New Zealand, much of what is consumed in Australia  besides its big exports such as iron ore  must be imported. This drives up the cost of living significantly.

11. US Virgin Islands  62.56: The idyllic island nation may look beautiful, but it is a costly place to live, outstripping its parent state, the USA. Costs vary wildly on different islands in the nation, with expat site Expatistan noting that living on the island of St Thomas is much more expensive than the neighbouring Saint Croix.

10. Luxembourg  64.18: Luxembourg consistently ranks close to the top of lists of the world's wealthiest nations, and it comes close to the top when it comes to the cost of living as well.

9. Qatar  68.06: The country brings in highly-skilled workers from overseas at extremely competitive salaries, but much of that salary is often cancelled out by the cost of living.

8. United Arab Emirates  68.39: Famed as a home for the rich and famous, cities in the UAE like Dubai and Abu Dhabi are notoriously expensive.

7. Bahamas  73.63: The Caribbean state of the Bahamas faces the same problem as many island nations, that imports far outstrip exports, pushing up the price of goods.

6. Norway  74.47: Scandinavian countries are notoriously expensive, and Norway is no exception. According to Numbeo, the average 1 bedroom apartment in the country costs around 925 per month to rent.

5. Singapore  76.57: According to the blog Singapore Life News, the average cost of a pint of beer in the city-state is around 8.50.

4. Iceland  80.47: Cut off from the rest of Europe and with very little fertile ground, Iceland is forced to import much of its food, pushing up costs.

3. Hong Kong  81.93: Hong Kong is notoriously expensive, and with space at a premium in the incredibly crowded city, apartments are usually both tiny and pricey.

2. Switzerland  90.68: Switzerland frequently tops lists of the best places on earth to live thanks to great infrastructure, healthcare and a clean environment. However, all this comes at a price and it is the most expensive place in Europe to live.

1. Bermuda  126.34: The Atlantic Ocean tax haven of Bermuda is officially the most expensive nation on earth, with the country's capital Hamilton also the most expensive individual city on the planet.

Read more:

 This chart is easy to interpret: It says we're screwed

 How Uber became the world's most valuable startup

 These 4 things could trigger the next crisis in Europe

Read the original article on Business Insider UK.  2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.
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International aid money set aside to help impoverished and war-torn countries should be used to bring overseas students to the UK post-Brexit, a university academic has suggested.

Len Shackleton, a professor of Economics at the University of Buckingham, said the higher tuition fees currently asked of foreign students is extortionate and should be scrapped altogether to encourage applicants.

Instead, the Government should take money from the Department for International Development (Dfid) to recruit candidates and enable student mobility.

Bright, underprivileged students from across the globe could be funded to study in the UK, and young Brits should also be given access to loans if they wish to study abroad.

Presenting the ideas at an education conference at the University of Buckingham, he said: Weve got Dfid sitting on huge sums of money  why not direct some of it towards bringing third world students to UK universities?

In order to plug holes, any leftover funding should be available to promote research collaborations anywhere in the world, he added.

He later told The Independent: Were committed to spending 0.7 per cent in GDP every year and we cant spend it.

It ends up in corrupt payment, in schemes that dont do anything, in consultancy fees which run into the millions of pounds.

Why not divert some of that money to perhaps having two-stage fee levels for different countries. Certainly it would compensate in a way for the things that are happening [to higher education] by opening out to the wider world the opportunity of studying in the UK.

His comments follow on from frequently voiced concerns among industry members about the future of the UKs reputation as a hub for higher education and research.

QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Show all 10 1 /10 QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Cambridge University Flickr (Mihnea Maftei) QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Oxford University Picture: Getty QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions University College London University College London (Getty Images) QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Imperial College, London Imperial College, London Flickr/Andrew Crump QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Kings College London Kings College London iStock QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Edinburgh University Edinburgh University expects staff to report to their department whenever they leave the office Getty QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Manchester University Manchester University Rex QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions London School of Economics London School of Economics Rex QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions University of Bristol University of Bristol Ben Birchall/PA Wire QS World University Rankings: top 10 UK institutions Warwick University Flickr/Nicholas Smale

Presenting evidence to MPs at a public hearing in Oxford earlier this year, university vice chancellors warned a hard Brexit could spell the biggest disaster for the industry for years to come.

Applications from EU candidates hoping to study at Cambridge University dropped by 14 per cent last year, the Commons Education Select Committee was told, before official figures revealed applications had fallen nationwide following the Brexit vote.

A survey undertaken by Times Higher Education last year also suggested as many as nine in 10 academics were in favour of remaining in the EU.

Prof Shackleton said that while the vast majority appeared to feel even more negatively towards Brexit as negotiations take place, the UKs separation from the EU should be seen as an opportunity rather than a threat.

Amid uncertainty over research funding and staff recruitment, he said there were some things to gain from Brexit.

The UKs Higher Education sector is highly detached from the rest of the world, he argued, concentrating largely on European partnerships when there were better collaborations to be had with countries such as China and Japan.

Separation from the EU could help UK universities open up to the rest of the world, he added, but student mobility was key to ensuring top candidates from Europe were not lost to international competitors.

 Government stance on Brexit 'nonsense' and Labour 'cowards', Anna Soubry says

Ive thought this for a very long time, said Prof Shackleton. Weve moved to a position for many years now where many universities are dependent on the flow of international students paying vastly [higher] fees.

Referencing his own institution, he said: Just look at our fee list here  undergraduates are paying 35 to 40 per cent more. But for what? They have the same classes, same teaching.

I think it's something the Competition and Markets Authority should have looked at long ago because its a kind of cartel - all the universities do this and they take it for granted.

Weve got students from the EU who are used to paying the lower fees and now theyre facing a dramatic mark-up.

This is a moment where we could radically rethink this, he added, its an opportunity that doesn't come round very often.

EU citizens studying in the UK currently pay the same tuition fees as British residents.

Following the UKs separation from the EU, new candidates will be classed as international students, however, subject to the same tuition fees  which can reach more than 30,000 per year for some degree courses.

If the UK withdraws from existing agreements on freedom of movement, future EU students may also need to apply for a student visa or a short-term study visa in order to study in the UK.

I could tell you awful stories of families who have put their entire lives savings into sending a student from Pakistan or Bangladesh to the UK, only to have them fail the exams, said Prof Shackleton.

We really ought to find ways in which we can open up education to the wider world. If it means a few less Germans or French getting in well, they can go somewhere else.

A Dfid spokesperson said the department has a zero-tolerance approach to fraud and corruption and is committed to providing the worlds most vulnerable young people with access to school.

By creating opportunities for people in developing countries we are encouraging the future leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, doctors, lawmakers.

This will allow developing countries to leave aid dependency behind in the future, which is firmly in the UKs national interest.
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Religious people are more tolerant of different viewpoints than atheists, according to researchers at a Catholic university.

A study of 788 people in the UK, France and Spain concluded that atheists and agnostics think of themselves as more open-minded than those with faith, but are are actually less tolerant to differing opinions and ideas.

Religious believers "seem to better perceive and integrate diverging perspectives", according to psychology researchers at the private Catholic University of Louvain (UCL), Belgium's largest French-speaking university.

Filip Uzarevic, who co-wrote the paper, said his message was that "closed-mindedness is not necessarily found only among the religious".

He told Psypost: "In our study, the relationship between religion and closed-mindedness depended on the specific aspect of closed-mindedness.

Religion vs science: can the divide between God and rationality be reconciled? Show all 2 1 /2 Religion vs science: can the divide between God and rationality be reconciled? Religion vs science: can the divide between God and rationality be reconciled? 60009.bin Getty Images / The Bridgeman Art Library Religion vs science: can the divide between God and rationality be reconciled? 60008.bin Getty Images / The Bridgeman Art Library

Somewhat surprisingly, when it came to subtly measured inclination to integrate views that were diverging and contrary to ones own perspectives, it was the religious who showed more openness."

Dr Uzarevic's paper, called "are atheists undogmatic?", states that "irreligion has become normative" in some Western countries.

He inspected three aspects of mental rigidity in 445 atheists and agnostics, 255 Christians, and a group of 37 Bhuddists, Muslims, and Jews.

The study claims that non-believers measured lower than religious people in "self-reported dogmatism", but were higher in "subtly-measured intolerance".

Recommended The most and least popular religions in America

Dr Uzarevic said: "The idea started through noticing that, in public discourse, despite both the conservative/religious groups and liberal/secular groups showing strong animosity towards the opposite ideological side, somehow it was mostly the former who were often labeled as closed-minded.

Moreover, such view of the secular being more tolerant and open seemed to be dominant in the psychological literature.

The findings also said that the strength of a person's belief in either atheism or religion is directly correlated to how intolerant they are.
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A palm cockatoo called 'Ringo' has been filmed making drumsticks for a rhythmic mating ritual in the Australian rainforest.

The birds are thought to be the only species other than humans to make musical tools and use them to repeat musical patterns.

Males looking to impress potential mates typically use a large seed pod or snap off a branch and trim it down to eight inches  the perfect length for the parrots to clench it between the strong claws in their feet.

Females watch closely as their suitors bang away on trees with the makeshift instruments while making complex calls and erecting their large black feathery crests.

The palm cockatoos' distinctive red cheek patches will change colour if they get excited during the seductive performances, which were first described in 1984, but have now been captured on film by researchers in Queenslands Kutini-Payamu National Park.

It took biologist Robert Heinsohn's team hundreds of hours to gather footage of more than 60 cockatoo drumming events over a seven-year period.

Presumably some bright spark of a male stumbled across this behaviour, females found it pleasing and it took off in the population, he told the New York Times.

Palm cockatoos are unique in their ability to make a tool to amplify sound and then in using it to generate a percussive rhythm."

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Dr Heinsohn said that each of the 18 palm cockatoos observed had a unique drumming style, with some preferring slow steady beats and others laying down faster, more varied rhythms.

But the birds produced predictable repeated patterns which Dr Heinsohn said is the closest [thing] we have so far to musical instrument use and rhythm in humans.

One cockatoo, who researchers called 'Ringo Starr', started his performances with a fast intro before settling into a steady stroke.

The drumming is said to be part of a mating ritual, though females have not been seen to react in any observable way.

Palm cockatoos also have a complex vocal abilities, and are able to whistle and say "hello".

They live in rainforests and woodlands in Indonesia, New Guinea and Australias Cape York Peninsula, where they are considered at risk due to aluminium ore mining.

In 2005 a chimp called Barney played a five-minute drum solo said to replicate characteristics of human drumming.

However apes, including wild chimps, bonobos, and gorillas, don't maintain a steady, recognisable rhythm when they slam on trees with their hands on feet.
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The first woman to fly solo from England to Australia, British aviator Amy Johnson is one of the inspiring female figurehead of the 20th century.

On 26 May 1930, she completed the 11,000 mile round-trip from Croydon to the northern Australian city of Darwin in 19 days.

She was the first female to make the flight and although she failed to beat a previous record of 18 days, her time from Croydon to India set up a new record in the history of aviation.

To commemorate the 114th anniversary of her birth in Kingston upon Hull in 1903, Google is celebrating her life achievements in a Doodle.

She flew from Britain to Australia just over a year after being introduced to flying

After graduating from the University of Sheffield with a degree in economics, Ms Johnson worked in London as a solicitor. There, she was introduced to flying as a hobby at the start of 1929.

She was quick to prove that women could be as competent as men in a male dominated field and about a year later, in 1930, she took off from Croydon to complete the feat of flying to Australia.

The same year, her strong determination and drive qualified her to be the first British-trained woman ground engineer  for a brief time, she was the only woman in the world to hold that job title.

Throughout the 1930s, she went on to set many other records including becoming the first pilot to fly from London to Moscow in a day, she set a record time for Britain to Japan with her co-pilot Jack Humphreys and a solo record for the flight between London and Cape Town.

She named her first plane Jason

She managed to gather the funds to buy her first aircraft thanks to the support of her father, who remained one of her strongest supporters. Her first plane was a second-hand Gipsy Moth, she named Jason after her fathers fish business trademark.

The aircraft is now on display at the Science Museum.

A pilot proposed to her in the air, eight hours after meeting her

It is reportedly during a flight together than Scottish pilot Jim Mollison proposed to her - only eight hours after meeting her.

The couple married in 1932 and went on to fly as a duo. They were both injured during a crash in Connecticut in the US. But the the romance was short-lived and six years later Ms Johnson divorced him.

She worked as a pilot during the Second World War

During the Second World War, Ms Johnson was part of the Air Transport Auxiliary. It was set-up to transport Royal Air Force aircrafts around the country.

During that time, she rose through the ranks as First Officer.

Her death remains subject of great controversy

Ms Johnson died in 1941 when her plane crashed in the Thames Estuary. She was 37-years-old.

Her body was never recovered and her death has since remained a mystery.

But Dr Alex Gill, a historian from Hull, previously claimed the pioneer aviator's death was deliberately covered up after she was killed by an unsuccessful rescue mission.

A witness on the ship that was meant to rescue her said the engines were reversed and Dr Gill has suggested Ms Johnson may have been pulled into the propellers.

The historian claims the Royal Navy may have covered up the accident because it did not want to admit to the Royal Air Force that it had killed Britain's favourite pilot while the nation was at war.
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A large blaze tore through the roof of a multi-million pound development next to Regent's Canal in east London.

Eighty firefighters were dispatched to tackle the fire at the unoccupied five-storey building in Bow Wharf, Wennington Road, at 11.10am.

The flames engulfed the fourth floor and the entire roof of the waterside flats, which were under construction and reportedly on the market for up to 1m each.

Mile End park and a number of roads surrounding the development in Mace Street were evacuated, and the London Fire Brigade has announced road closures in the area including Wennington Road.

A huge blaze broke out at some unoccupied flats in Bethnal Green, east London (@IbrahimChsTV Twitter)

Huge plumes of smoke could be seen rising from the roof in photos and footage posted social media users including @IbrahimChsTV and @canterburygeeks.

@WhartonHouseRes tweeted: "This is 5 mins from us right now near Mile End. When will When will @Official_OHG take fire risk seriously?"

The fire is now said to be under control following efforts by twelve fire crews, two aerial appliances and police.

But firefighters will remain at the scene for some time as they continue to dampen down the flames.

Officials confirmed that nobody was injured during the incident, and the cause of the fire is yet to be identified.

Firefighters continue to tackle the blaze in Mace Street, Bethnal Green, east London (@IbrahimChsTV Twitter)

The development, at the junction of the Regents and Hereford Union canals, consisted of 24 units with prices of up to 1m.

Building work was expected to be completed there this Summer.
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The new minister for exiting the EU has links to a group that channelled 435,000 to the DUP to campaign for Brexit during last years referendum.

Steve Baker received 6,500 from the Constitutional Research Council, the body which used a legal loophole to make the donation to the DUP, Parliaments register of interests shows.

Interest has grown in the Constitutional Research Council, which has links to a number of powerful groups on the UKs political landscape.

These include the DUP, which signed a deal with Theresa May to prop up her minority government, and the European Research Group, an influential group of about 80 pro-Brexit MPs which was chaired by Mr Baker until last month.

According to The Observer, the Constitutional Research Council - which has no website and no accounts - is one of several organisations that emerged as having played a key role in securing a Brexit vote.

The council is chaired by Richard Cook, a former vice chairman of the Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party. His business associates reportedly include a former Saudi spy and a man involved in a major arms scandal.

In his register of interests, Mr Baker writes: As Chair of the European Research Group (ERG), I accepted 6,500 from the Constitutional Research Council to fund hospitality for ERG members and their staff at an event on 19 December 2016.

A loophole in the electoral rules created at the time of the Troubles means that unlike the rest of the UK, parties in Northern Ireland are not obliged to reveal the identity of their donors for security reasons.

Just before last years referendum, the DUP received a 435,000 donation from an anonymous donor.

An investigation by Opendemocracy forced the DUP to admit the money had been donated by the previously unknown Constitutional Research Council.

The DUP, which was the only party in Northern Ireland to campaign in favour of Brexit, funded some of the Leave camp advertisement campaign, including a wrap on the free newspaper Metro which is not distributed in Northern Ireland.

Neither Mr Baker not the Department for Exiting the European Union responded to requests for comments.

Christopher Howarth, senior research at the European Research Group, told The Observer: Its a registered donation from a permissible donor. Thats all the information you would need.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA 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

Lord Bew, chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, told the Sunday paper a change to bring greater transparency to Northern Irelands party finance laws was long overdue.

He called on the government to commit to a timetable for introducing transparency arrangements in Northern Ireland in line with those in the rest of the UK.

The origin of the funds gathered by the Constitutional Research Council remain unknown.

In May, Mr Cook told the Sunday Herald in Scotland the council decided who to fund after receiving project submissions, which aimed to promote the union of the UK regions.

A spokesman for the DUP said: The Electoral Commission has raised no issues in relation to the DUP campaign, including the donation which came from a permissible donor, who in turn are themselves regulated by the Electoral Commission.
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Gatwick airport's runway was closed and flights diverted after a drone was spotted flying "in the vicinity of the airfield", officials said.

The Sussex airport has the busiest runway in the world, with intense activity on a Sunday evening. The runway initially closed for nine minutes from 6.10pm. Landings and take-offs resumed briefly, but a second closure took place from 6.36 to 6.41.

Gatwick tweeted: "Unconfirmed reports of a drone sighting led to runway suspension for a total of 14 mins. Operations fully resumed and police investigating."

Some flights were diverted, with easyJet, the biggest airline at Gatwick, worst affected. Its flight from Milan to Gatwick was over three hours late after it diverted to Bournemouth. Passengers were told: "We're very sorry that your flight has diverted to Bournemouth because of a drone flying around Gatwick. We plan to fly you to Gatwick soon. We're very sorry for this inconvenience."

The inbound flight from Bodrum in Turkey landed at Southend. Also disrupted were easyJet flights from Naples and Inverness, which diverted to Stansted.

Craig Jenkins was on the flight from Naples when his journey was disrupted. He told the BBC:

"We were crossing over the Channel and it started circling. It did four or five circles, heading further east, before the captain said we were landing at Stansted.

"First, they said Gatwick was closed because of an incident. Then, shortly after, they said it was a drone."

Mr Jenkins added that those onboard were being given a choice between waiting for an hour and flying back to Gatwick or getting off.

"If one person gets off here, all the bags need to get off. There are lots of babies on this flight. I feel for the parents," he added.

An easyJet spokesperso told The Independent: easyJet can confirm that as a result of an earlier runway closure at London Gatwick Airport four flights were diverted.

While the circumstances are outside of our control, easyJet apologises for any inconvenience caused.

BA flight 2575 from Valencia, which was due in at 6.40pm, held for a while then diverted to Bournemouth. It finally arrived at 9.15pm.

Outbound flights were also held up, leading to knock-on delays. Passengers from Aberdeen hoping to be touching down at Gatwick at 10pm will now arrive after 1am.

The longest delay of the evening, four hours, was easyJets service from Belfast  but that was because of a technical problem.

If police can trace the drone owner, he or she could be liable for the tens of thousands of pounds that the disruption has cost airlines, as well as criminal prosecution.

Endangering the safety of a plane with a drone is a criminal offence punishable with up to five years in prison.

It is believed that a number of drone owners deliberately fly close to airports, aiming to film close encounters with landing aircraft.

The British Airline Pilots' Association (BALPA) has had a long-running campaign aimed at cracking down on the practice. It tweeted: "Keep your drones away from airports! They are a serious threat to safety if not flown sensibly."

The Civil Aviation Authority's 'Drone Code' says users must not fly their remote-controlled aerial devices near airports or airfields, or close to aircraft.

Endangering the safety of a plane with a drone is a criminal offence with a possible sentence of five years in prison, it warns.

Last July a passenger plane flying near the Shard skyscraper in central London had a "very near miss" with a drone as it approached Heathrow airport, according to a report.

The number of near misses involving drones and aeroplanes quadrupled between 2015 and 2016, according to a report by the UK Airprox Board last year.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA

Of 23 near misses recorded between April and October last year, 12 were given an A rating of a serious risk of collision.
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Jeremy Corbyn has secured his position as Labour leader and could bring together an unbeatable coalition of young and working-class voters, according to his deputy leader Tom Watson.

Mr Watson, who one year ago warned that Labour was facing an existential crisis, now claims his party can win a majority in the next election by reaching those people who doubted us or werent quite convinced.

The MP for West Bromwich East urged activists to focus on winning over voters in Labours traditional working-class heartlands, rather than changing party rules to strengthen Mr Corbyns position.

 Momentum looks like it is orchestrating a 'takeover from the hard left' says Tom Watson

In March, Mr Watson pleaded with Mr Corbyn to deal with hard-left activists, warning that they were themselves trying to seize permanent control of Labour through its powerful executive.

I think everyone knows now Jeremys position is completely secure as leader, he told the Observer.

What comes out of it is a potential new alliance for Labour.

If we can bring [in] these young voters, enthuse them to stay with us and then give greater reassurance to our traditional working-class voters, some of whom left us on issues like policing and security, then I think weve got an election-winning alliance and I think it is an unbeatable one.

Mr Watson said the Labour leader now has a highly enthused PLP [parliamentary Labour party] around him to take him through the years ahead.

The interview comes after Mr Corbyn stamped his authority on his party by sacking three shadow ministers who defied the Labour whip on Brexit.

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One of his key allies, the new Labour chairman Ian Lavery, has said he wants to look at different ways to select MPs after the left wing of the party gained confidence following the general election result.

In June 2016 Mr Watson called on Mr Corbyn to quit, telling the BBC: My party is in peril; we are facing an existential crisis.

But following the party's general election gains he said voters had responded to Mr Corbyns honesty, candour, and energy.

A study by the left-leaning thinktank Policy Network, cited in the Observer, found that Labours core support now lies among the richest and poorest voters in the country.

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But the party won just 33 per cent of the vote among those earning between 21,000 and 34,000 a year, compared with the Conservatives share of 48 per cent among that income bracket.

Just 22 per cent of that group said they felt Labour had moved closer towards the interests of traditional working-class supporters.

Nearly two-thirds of the 64 seats Labour must win to gain a majority have more C2 voters than high-earners.

Mr Watson said Labour have got to give reassurance to those traditional, working-class communities if they are to beat the Conservatives at the next election.

The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Show all 11 1 /11 The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He called Hezbollah and Hamas friends True. In a speech made to the Stop the War Coalition in 2009, Mr Corbyn called representatives from both groups friends after inviting them to Parliament. He later told Channel 4 he wanted both groups, who have factions designated as international terror organisations, to be part of the debate for the Middle East peace process. I use (the word friends) in a collective way, saying our friends are prepared to talk, he added. Does it mean I agree with Hamas and what it does? No. Does it mean I agree with Hezbollah and what they do? No. Reuters The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn thinks the death of Osama bin Laden was a tragedy Partly false. David Cameron used this as a line of attack at the Conservative Party conference but appears to have left out all context from Mr Corbyns original remarks. In an 2011 interview on Iranian television, the then-backbencher said the fact the al-Qaeda leader was not put on trial was the tragedy, continuing: The World Trade Center was a tragedy, the attack on Afghanistan was a tragedy, the war in Iraq was a tragedy. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is haunted by the legacy of his evil great-great-grandfather False. A Daily Express expose revealed that the Labour leaders ancestor, James Sargent, was the despotic master of a Victorian workhouse. Addressing the report at the Labour conference, Mr Corbyn said he had never heard of him before, adding: I want to take this opportunity to apologise for not doing the decent thing and going back in time and having a chat with him about his appalling behaviour. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn raised a motion about pigeon bombs in Parliament This one is true. On 21 May 2004, Mr Corbyn raised an early day motion entitled pigeon bombs, proposing that the House register being appalled but barely surprised that MI5 reportedly proposed to load pigeons with explosives as a weapon. The motion continued: The House believes that humans represent the most obscene, perverted, cruel, uncivilised and lethal species ever to inhabit the planet and looks forward to the day when the inevitable asteroid slams into the earth and wipes them out thus giving nature the opportunity to start again. It was not carried. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He rides a Communist bicycle False. A report in The Times referred to Mr Corbyn, known for his cycling, riding a Chairman Mao-style bicycle earlier this year. Less thorough journalists might have referred to it as just a bicycle, but no, so we have to conclude that whenever we see somebody on a bicycle from now on, there goes another supporter of Chairman Mao, he later joked. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn 'Jeremy Corbyn will appoint a special minister for Jews' False so far. The Sun report in December was allegedly based on a rumour passed to the paper by a Daily Express columnist who has written pieces critical of the Labour leader in the past. The minister did not materialise in his shadow cabinet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn wishes Britain would abolish its Army False. Another gem from The Sun took comments made at a Hiroshima remembrance parade in August 2012 where Mr Corbyn supported Costa Ricas move to abolish it armed forces. Wouldnt it be wonderful if every politician around the worldabolished the army and took pride in the fact that they dont have an army, he added. The caveat that every politician must take the step suggests Mr Corbyn does not support UK disarmament just yet. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn stole sandwiches meant for veterans False. The Guido Fawkes blog claimed that the Labour leader took sandwiches meant for veterans at at Battle of Britain memorial service in September but a photo later emerged showing him being handed one by Costa volunteers, who later confirmed they were given to all guests. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He missed the induction into the Queens privy council True. After much speculation about Mr Corbyns republican views and willingness to bow to the monarch, his office confirmed that he did not attend the official induction to the privy council because of a prior engagement, but did not rule out joining the body. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn Jeremy Corbyn refuses to sing the national anthem. Partly true. The Labour leader was filmed standing in silence as God Save the Queen was sung at a Battle of Britain remembrance service but will reportedly sing it in future. Mr Corbyn was elusive on the issue in an interview, saying he would show memorials respect in the proper way, but sources said he would sing the anthem at future occasions. The most ridiculous claims made about Jeremy Corbyn He is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Cheese True. The group lists its purpose as the following: To increase awareness of issues surrounding the dairy industry and focus on economic issues affecting the dairy industry and producers.

Patrick Diamond and Charlie Cadywould, who co-wrote the Policy Network report, said Labour had to dispel voters worries about their economic incompetence and policies on security.

They told the Observer: A one more push approach at the next election may be enough to allow Labour to cobble together an unstable minority government, but much more is needed to win an outright majority even of one, let alone a comprehensive victory which would produce a two- or three-term government able to deliver radical reform.

For Labour to win a majority, it cant forget about the lower middle classes, and this polling shows it has a lot more work to do before it wins sufficient support from making ends meet Britain.
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As many as 58 per cent of people who voted to leave the EU are now willing to pay to keep their European citizenship, a poll has found.

The survey shows a total of 68 per cent of Britons would pay potentially large sums of money to retain the rights enjoyed by EU citizens in addition to their British citizenship.

 Nicky Morgan says Theresa May should be replaced after Brexit negotiations finished

Michael Bruter, professor of political science and European politics at the London School of Economics, revealed the findings to The Independent. The full study has not yet been made public.

The poll was carried out by professor Bruter and Sarah Harrison from the LSEs research initiative for the study of electoral psychology, ECREP, in conjunction with polling firm Opinium.

In some instances, people were ready to pay very large sums of money for the citizenship, and this includes people who voted to exit from the union.

Of those who voted Leave in June last year but would now be willing to pay for EU citizenship, one in 10 said they would pay more than 1,000 a year to guarantee their rights.

On average, respondents said they would expect to pay 405 per year, which included 32 per cent of people who would not be willing to pay anything.

Among those who said they would be willing to pay, the average sum cited rocketed to 594.

Professor Bruter told The Independent that the issue of EU citizenship could crystallise the Brexit negotiations.

This is a real symbolic issue that is also linked to peoples emotions. We wanted to do this study to find out what people thought about the issue while the negotiations are ongoing.

It shows that young people are very attached to their European citizenship. These are people who were born in a world with 28 member states and more than 500 million people  suddenly, their world has got much smaller.

Previous research we carried out also showed that despite the UK having a very large number of people who did not feel European at all it also had the third biggest proportion of people who said feeling very European.

The LSE-Opinium survey also found that 73 per cent of respondents would increase EU citizens voting rights with 48 per cent saying they want to give EU citizens living in the UK the right to vote in general elections as well as local elections.

Only 10 per cent supported the Governments position of withdrawing the right of EU citizens to vote in local elections.

Professor Bruter said he was surprised by these numbers and called the response progressive.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 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

A total of 2,004 people representative of the British population completed the survey online.

In a separate question which did not mention payments, six out of 10 respondents said they want to keep their European citizenship.

Among 18- to 24-year-olds, the poll found 85 per cent want to keep their EU citizenship when the UK officially withdraws from the bloc.

There is no existing legislation or precedent over whether EU citizenship can be stripped from an individual whose nation is leaving the union.

The findings come as Theresa May is under pressure to soften her plan for a hard Brexit following a disastrous result in the general election.

The Prime Minister is reportedly preparing a dramatic walkout in September over Britains divorce bill to show she is willing to be tough with the EU.

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

She previously came under fire over her offer on rights for EU citizens with many saying it provided more questions than answers.

The plan would see anyone arriving after a cut-off date but before Brexit being given a period of grace of up to two years to regularise their positions and possibly manage to stay for five years and gain settled status  but with no guarantees.

The settled status is expected to allow EU citizens to stay if they have lived in the UK for five years, securing rights on healthcare, education and benefits broadly similar to those enjoyed by EU citizens in the UK currently.

Earlier this week, it emerged that tens of thousands of EU nationals who filled the complex 85-page form to secure UK residency after Brexit will have to apply again.
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Northern Irelands ban on same-sex marriage is un-Christian, an Anglican minister has said at a marriage equality rally in Belfast attended by thousands.

Canon Charles Kenny, who has been a Church of Ireland priest for nearly half a century, said the UK countrys laws on same-sex marriage are just as unjust and un-Christian as the historical sectarian ban on Catholics and Protestants marrying, The Guardian has reported.

The priest, joined by Methodist and Presbyterian ministers, joined protesters in calls for gay marriage to be made legal in Northern Ireland on Saturday.

Addressing the crowds on the steps of Anglican cathedral St Annes, the church minister said: There was lots of lobbying against mixed religious marriages and nowadays we are all embarrassed about that. And I think in the future, we will also be embarrassed about this ban on same sex marriage.

He added: I grew up in the 1950s and I know what is was like. If I had had a girlfriend who was Catholic, for some people the sky would have fallen in. Thank goodness that kind of attitude doesnt happen often now so this current ban is comparable to those old sectarian attitudes.

Gay rights activists, trade unionists and civil servants turned out for a procession to Belfasts City Hall, waving rainbow flags and banners in support of same-sex marriage.

The demonstration was led by the Lord Mayor of Belfast Nuala McAllister, Northern Ireland-born The Fall actor Bronagh Waugh and The Rainbow Project director John O'Doherty.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where same-sex couples cannot get married, despite the Republic voting gay marriage into law two years ago.

Five separate votes have been held on the issue in Stormont, the last of which saw a narrow vote in favour of marriage equality.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has ruled out any law change however, claiming it wants to defend the traditional definition of marriage.

Unitarian minister, Reverend Chris Hudson from All Souls Church in South Belfast also showed his support for same-sex marriage at the protest.

Rev Hudson said some ministers were strongly in favour of equal marriage  and that the current status quo prevented him from marrying a same-sex couple.

 Thousands campaign for same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland

He appealed to the DUP not to block any bid to legalise it.

I hope the next time round that the Holy Spirit will descend upon them and we will see that it is fair, that it functions well in every other part of the UK. Why should Northern Ireland be any different?

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams also attended the protest.

Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams, and the leader of Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill, join marriage equality demonstrators in Belfast (Reuters)

He said he does not expect a deal to restore power-sharing and cross-community government in Northern Ireland to be reached by Monday.

A number of deadlines have already been missed to restore multi-party devolved government in Northern Ireland and Mr Adams said: The DUP are showing no urgency or no real inclination to deal with the rights-based issues which are the crux and the heart of these difficulties which we are talking here about.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA 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

In particular, he said those included demands for marriage equality, an Irish Language Act, a Bill of Rights, and dealing with the aftermath of decades of past violence.

The Government has extended talks until Monday, despite Stormont parties missing a deadline for Thursday.

Unless they step-change I just cannot see ... and we told them this directly, how a deal can be put together by then, Mr Adams said.
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Marriage equality campaigners have predicted victory in Northern Ireland as they called for action from the country's deadlocked politicians.

It is the only part of the UK or Ireland where same-sex marriage is banned.

Demonstrators said any new government must be for all the country's people as thousands thronged Belfast city centre on Saturday in a colourful and noisy parade.

Gay rights activists, trade unionists, civil servants, firemen, drag queens and same-sex couples turned out for a procession to the City Hall bedecked with rainbow flags and banners.

Campaigners call for the introduction of same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland at a parade and rally in Belfast City centre (Press Association)

The Lord Mayor of Belfast Nuala McAllister, Northern Ireland-born The Fall actor Bronagh Waugh and Rainbow Project director John O'Doherty led demonstrators.

Mr O'Doherty told political leaders nice words at election time were not enough, saying: We need action.

Action to make communities safe, action to make schools safe, an over-arching commitment from all the public institutions to addressing the historical and current inequalities which prevent Northern Ireland from being the society that we all want it to be.

It is one sticking point delaying the formation of a new devolved powersharing government at Stormont.

Mr O'Doherty alluded to the shift in public opinion, on Friday Germany became the latest country to vote for gay marriage.

Together we are the future of Northern Ireland. We are the progressive majority and those who oppose us will lose, just like they did every time before.

When we win this battle do not think that we are done. This campaign is not just about changing the law, we are about changing the world.

Sinn Fein's Northern Ireland leader Michelle O'Neill (L) and party president Gerry Adams (R) join campaigners (Press Association)

Anne Madden, 41, entered a civil partnership with Heather two years ago.

She said: My relationship is called something different to what my next door neighbour's is called.

"I would have preferred to have a marriage than a civil partnership than go to the trouble of converting it if that happens in future years.

She added: What this is about is equality. I pay my taxes like everyone else so why should I not enjoy the same rights and privileges as everyone else has?

A Unitarian minister, the Rev Chris Hudson from All Souls Church in South Belfast, clutched a banner in support of same-sex marriage on the steps of St Anne's Church of Ireland Cathedral.

The main Christian churches in Northern Ireland believe marriage is between a man and a woman.

Rev Hudson said some ministers strongly favoured equal marriage and the status quo harshly discriminated against him because he could not marry a same sex couple. He appealed to the DUP not to block any bid to legalise it.

I hope the next time round that the Holy Spirit will descend upon them and we will see that it is fair, that it functions well in every other part of the UK, why should Northern Ireland be any different?

Gay rights campaigners take part in a march through Belfast on 1 July to protest against the ban on same-sex marriage (Getty Images)

Titty von Tramp, a drag queen, wore a heavy necklace, thick red lipstick and a revealing outfit at the rally. Her top proclaimed equality and she brandished a megaphone to noisily drive home the message.

She told politicians: Don't forget about me and my gay brothers and sisters, we are here and we are not going away.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA 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

Ms McAllister attended with her son Finn, who is 10 months old, and said she hoped to see marriage equality in the city soon.

This was her first rally as Lord Mayor, the cross-community Alliance Party councillor was elected a month ago, and she said her son was having a good time.

He loves all the people and he especially loves all the colours," she added.

Press Association
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Thousands of pupils are at risk in unregistered faith schools, according to the new Ofsted boss.

Amanda Spielman has called for new powers to protect children who are forced to study religious writings from the Koran, the Talmud and Torah and the Bible full time.

It is clear that weaknesses in current legislation allow some organisations to teach school-aged children religious texts full time  and avoid proper scrutiny, Ms Spielman told The Sunday Times.

Since January 2016 my inspectors have visited numerous establishments that they believe should be registered as schools. The fact that such places are able to operate and remain unregistered leaves pupils at risk.

Inspectors have discovered 286 unregistered schools in England over the past 18 months.

Less than half of them have been inspected, 36 have been issued warnings and the inspectors have not managed to gain access to the rest, The Sunday Times reported.

The world's toughest school run Show all 5 1 /5 The world's toughest school run The world's toughest school run Children carry their schoolbags climb on a cliff on their way home in Zhaojue county in southwest China's Sichuan province Chinatopix/AP The world's toughest school run Children carry their schoolbags accompanied by adults climb on a cliff bu using ladder as they on their way home in Zhaojue county in southwest China's Sichuan province Chinatopix/AP The world's toughest school run A child carry her schoolbag looks as she takes a rest on a cliff as she and other children on their way back to home in Zhaojue county in southwest China's Sichuan province Chinatopix/AP The world's toughest school run A village in China's mountainous west where schoolchildren must climb an 800-meter (2,625-foot)-high bamboo ladder secured to a sheer cliff face may get a set of steel stairs to improve safety Chinatopix/AP The world's toughest school run Schoolchildren carry their schoolbags climb on a cliff on their way home in Zhaojue county in southwest China's Sichuan province Chinatopix/AP

We will do everything we can to make sure they comply with the law or are closed. But action is also needed to protect the children who attend these places, said Ms Spielman.

Up to 6,000 pupils are taught in unregistered centres. Some schools have closed, but none of the places Ofsted recommended for prosecution have come to court.

In one Hasidic Jewish school in Stamford Hill in North London, Talmud Torah Tashbar, former pupils told the newspaper about being hit with a stick for asking questions, having a finger broken or being forced to stuff chalk or soap in their mouths.

Many pupils are registered as home-educated but attend the school during the day.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA 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

The Department for Education said: We have given Ofsted resources to step up investigations, identify them and work with us to take whatever action is required, including closing the school or working with the police and Crown Prosecution Service as necessary.

There are already powers in place for local authorities and the police to safeguard children and intervene where they are not receiving a suitable education. We will support them in using these powers.

Ms Spielman, speaking last month at Wellington College after the spate of terrorist attacks in London and Manchester, said pupils should be taught British values.

They should, she said, be given the knowledge and resilience to combat violent rhetoric from hate preachers who "put hatred in their hearts and poison in their minds".


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A rogue Special Air Service (SAS) unit is suspected of executing unarmed civilians in Afghanistan and fabricating reports to cover up potential war crimes, according to reports.

Special forces soldiers allegedly murdered Afghans during raids on their homes and then planted guns at the scene to make it appear as though they had been Taliban insurgents.

Some of the victims were handcuffed and hooded before being shot dead, Royal Military Police (RMP) sources told the Sunday Times.

Many of the alleged assassinations relate to a campaign of night raids designed to bring down the Taliban by capturing their leaders and taking them to detention centres for interrogation.

British Army officers speaking to the Times claimed some SAS soldiers adopted a shoot-to-kill policy during the missions, which were often said to rely on flawed intelligence.

Credible and extremely serious evidence about the potential scandal has been gathered by Operation Northmoor, a classified RMP investigation based in an underground bunker in Cornwall.

The initial inquiry, which was investigating unlawful killings between 2010-2013, and offences including false imprisonment and assault, was expected to run until 2021.

However, the Ministry of Defence recently told RMP officers to finish most of their work by this summer.

 Yemen's prime minister accuses UK of war crimes

Detectives had been looking into 52 alleged killings, but are now investigating just one incident which involved four family members being shot dead during a night raid in Helmand province in 2011.

A military police source told the Times that the MoD wanted to avoid any of the detail of the accusations getting into the press and thereby undermining, in their view, national security, public trust, [and] work with allies.

Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear Show all 16 1 /16 Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2001 Afghans at the Killi Faizo refugee camp desperately reach for bags of rice being handed out to the thousands who escaped the bombardment in southern Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. (Chaman, Pakistan, December 4, 2001) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2002 Mahbooba stands against a bullet-ridden wall, waiting to be seen at a medical clinic. The seven-year-old girl suffers from leishmaniasis, a parasitical infection. (Kabul, March 1, 2002) All photos Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2003 A mother and her two children look out from their cave dwelling. Many families who, fleeing the Taliban, took refuge inside caves adjacent to Bamiyans destroyed ancient Buddha statues now have nowhere else to live. (Bamiyan, November 19, 2003) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2007 Students recite prayers in a makeshift outdoor classroom in the Wakhan Corridor, a mountainous region in northeastern Afghanistan that extends to China and separates Tajikistan from India and Pakistan. (Northeastern Afghanistan, September 2, 2007) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2007 Bodybuilders in the 55-60 kg category square off during a regional bodybuilding competition. Many Afghan men, like others around the world, feel that a macho image of physical strength is important. (Kabul, August 6, 2007) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2008 A woman in a white burqa enjoys an afternoon with her family feeding the white pigeons at the Blue Mosque. (Mazar-e-Sharif, March 8, 2008) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 Addicts inject heroin while trying to keep warm inside the abandoned Russian Cultural Center, which the capital citys addicts use as a common gathering point. Heroin is readily available, costing about one dollar a hit. (Kabul, February 9, 2009) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 An elderly man holds his granddaughter in their tent at a refugee camp after they were forced to flee their village, which US and NATO forces had bombed because, they claimed, it was a Taliban hideout. (Surobi, Nangarhar Province, February 7, 2009) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2009 Seven-year-old Attiullah, a patient at Mirwais Hospital, stands alongside an X ray showing the bullet that entered his back, nearly killing him. Attiullah was shot by US forces when he was caught in a crossfire as he was herding sheep. (Kandahar, October 13, 2009). Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2010 US Army Sargeant Jay Kenney (right), with Task Force Destiny, helps wounded Afghan National Army soldiers exit a Blackhawk helicopter after they have been rescued in an air mission. (Kandahar, December 12, 2010) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2010 An Afghan National Army battalion marches back to barracks at the Kabul Military Training Center. (Kabul, October 4, 2010) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Eid Muhammad, seventy, lives in a house with a view overlooking the hills of Kabul. He and millions of other Afghans occupy land and housing without possessing formal deeds to them. (Kabul, November 21, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Razima holds her two-year-old son, Malik, while waiting for medical attention at the Boost Hospital emergency room. (Lashkar Gah, Helmand Province, June 23, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Young women cheer as they attend a rally for the Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani. (Kabul, April 1, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2014 Burqa-clad women wait to vote after a polling station runs out of ballots. (Kabul, April 5, 2014) Paula Bronstein Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear 2015 Relatives, friends, and womens rights activists grieve at the home of Farkhunda Malikzada, who was killed by a mob in the center of Kabul. Farkhunda was violently beaten and set on fire after a local cleric accused her of burning a Quran. (Kabul, March 22, 2015) Paula Bronstein

Drone footage gathered by Operation Northmoor reportedly shows soldiers in British uniform opening fire, contradicting claims that the British armys Afghan partners, who acted as backup and interpreters, were responsible for shooting civilians.

It is alleged that SAS operatives doctored mission reports to pin the blame for the killings on their Afghan partners, so the incidents wouldnt be passed onto regular army command and investigated.

Bullets recovered from civilians bodies also matched the 5.56mm calibre used by the SAS, rather than the larger bullets used by Afghan special forces.

An unnamed source told the Times: It says [in the after-action reports] only the Afghan partners fired... hes dressed in British military equipment, and the guy was shot and killed with a 5.56.

There have been further allegations that SAS soldiers planted Russian Makarov pistols on victims' bodies and then took photos of the corpse as evidence that they had killed armed Taliban insurgents in self defence.

A spokesperson for the MoD said the RMP had decided to discontinue more than 90 per cent of the 675 cases it started, adding: The Royal Military Police has found no evidence of criminal behaviour by the armed forces in Afghanistan.

It is understood that Operation Northmoor is now continuing with fewer than 10 investigations.
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Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams has said he does not expect a deal to restore powersharing in Northern Ireland to be struck by Monday.

He said the door was still open but there had been no sense of urgency around piecing together an agreement.

A series of deadlines have been missed to restore multi-party devolved government in Northern Ireland.

Mr Adams said: I don't believe that there is going to be a deal by Monday.

The DUP are showing no urgency or no real inclination to deal with the rights-based issues which are at the crux and the heart of these difficulties which we are talking here about.

He said those included republican demands for an Irish Language Act, a Bill of Rights, marriage equality and dealing with the legacy of decades of past violence.

Unless they step-change I just cannot see, here we are on Saturday afternoon, I just cannot see how, and we told them this directly, how a deal can be put together by then.

The UK Government has extended the talks process until Monday, despite Stormont parties missing Thursday's deadline set in law.

Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire will make a statement to the House of Commons on Monday outlining the Government's intentions going forward.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA 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

In the absence of agreement, the options open to Mr Brokenshire include setting another deadline for the talks process, calling a second snap Assembly election or re-imposing some form of direct rule from London.

The institutions imploded in January when DUP leader Arlene Foster was forced from office after Sinn Fein's then deputy first minister, the late Martin McGuinness, quit.

That was in protest at the DUP's handling of the renewable heat incentive (RHI), a scheme that left the administration facing a 490 million overspend.

One of the main sticking points is over Sinn Fein's call for an act officially protecting the Irish language.

Republicans argue bestowing the status on the minority tongue would represent a major step towards respect and equality for all in Northern Ireland.

The DUP has said it already supported Irish medium school education during years of devolved government and has accused Sinn Fein of politicising its use.

Mr Adams attended a noisy and colourful equal marriage rally in Belfast city centre on Saturday afternoon which attracted thousands of trade unionists, gay rights activists, students and supporters.

He added: If there is a step change, part of that step change is for everybody to understand that equality and respect has to be at the heart of the institutions.

They have to deliver for everybody, not just the Sinn Fein vote, not just the DUP vote, but for everybody including those people who don't vote, those people who are vulnerable, who are in poverty, who want their rights.

There will be no return to the status quo, that is the only basis in which these institutions are going to be put together.

Mr Brokenshire told Q Radio he could see where areas of compromise may lie.

But we are not there yet and time is running short, he said. There are no deadlines that I have set, I am simply making a statement to Parliament on Monday afternoon to update the House of Commons and to update on what the next steps might look like.
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Seventeen-year-old Kyefer spends 23-and-a-half hours a day between the four walls of a small cell. In the room is a bed, a shower and a desk. He lies on his bed and does nothing.

A meal is delivered three times a day through a slot in the door, which he eats alone. He has no television, and only a few books to keep himself occupied. Since he was referred to Cookham Wood Offenders Institution's Segregation Unit several months ago, the teenager has been receiving no form of regular education.

The only stint of daily exercise he gets in the Kent jail is at around 8:30am, when inmates on his wing are allowed half an hour outside.

Kyefer was sentenced to life at the age of 14 on a joint enterprise conviction for a murder and has been at Cookham Wood since January. He has been repeatedly moved between the segregation unit and B1, also known as the progression wing, during which he says he experienced solitary confinement for more than 20 days in a row.

A report published by the Inspectorate of Prisons earlier this year on Cookham Wood, which holds boys aged 15-18, revealed that in both units, inmates are routinely locked in their rooms for more than 23 hours a day, in a regime it described as inadequate.

Its depressing. Its stressful, says Kyefer, according to his mother. He speaks in short sentences and sounds worn out, despite having been cooped up for hours. Its around 2pm, but he says he woke up just moments before. I sleep a lot. Sometimes being stuck in here makes me angry. Mostly its lonely, he adds.

Locking juveniles up for 23-and-a-half hours is a breach of human rights law, according to the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture (CPT). Earlier this year, the Committee found that young offenders at Cookham Wood were on occasion being held in conditions akin to solitary confinement for up to 80 days for reasons of discipline and good order.

An investigation by The Independent in February exposed more than a dozen examples of child inmates being held in solitary confinement, including teenage prisoners with serious mental health conditions for whom it caused considerable distress and psychological damage.

Kyefer, who grew up in Liverpool and, since his sentence, has been held in five different jails, was recently diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder. His mother, Sheena Evelyn, says she was told by his psychologist that his mental state is declining due to the trauma of being separated from his family at a young age and then locked up with no human contact.

A recent psychiatric report on Kyefer seen by The Independent shows that on a number of occasions he reported feeling stressed by being in his cell too much, frustrated with being in segregation and frustrated with being in his cell for a long time.

Ms Evelyn says Kyefer phones her whenever he can because he is so distressed. He phones me whenever he can just to speak to someone. Theres no education. Nothing. These boys are getting 30 minutes out of the cell exercise and that is it," she told The Independent.

Staff have told me that's the standard procedure. Off the back of that, theyre going to be misbehaving. Theyre caged like animals. So then they go back to segregation. Its a vicious circle. They bounce from segregation to B1 wing."

The Howard League for Penal Reform, which recently launched a court case challenge over a teenage boy's prolonged solitary confinement in Feltham Young Offenders Institution, has warned of the irreversible risk of harm that can result from the prolonged isolation, saying it raises serious child protection concerns.

Kyefer has always been an energetic child. Now he always disengaged and depressed. Even when I visit him with his younger siblings, he isn't engaging as well as he used to. This prison is breaking him," says Ms Evelyn.

Hes threatened to take his own life on multiple occasions. Staff have ignored his pleas. Its falling on deaf ears. Has there got to be a death of one of these boys before something happens?"

Recommended Young offenders locked in cells for almost 24 hours with no education

It comes as the Chief Inspector of Prisons warned this week that young offenders aged 15 to 18 in Feltham Young Offenders Institution, where Kyefer reportedly spent six months in solitary confinement before being moved to Cookham Wood, are being locked in their cells for almost entire days and deprived of education and activity.

A restricted regime has resulted in a notable rise in the use of solitary confinement, in which four in 10 inmates are locked up during the school day, inspectors said.

An earlier report by the Inspectorate on Cookham Wood found that while there were some positive developments in the prison, the regime on the segregation unit was inadequate, while the regime for the most challenging boys on B1 was insufficient.

Kyefer's mother, Sheena Evelyn, says the well-being of her son and other children being held in solitary confinement is 'falling on deaf ears'

Laura Janes, legal director of the Howard League for Penal Reform, told The Independent: This practice of keeping a child in isolation has been raised as a very serious issue by a range of expert bodies. It raises really serious child protection concerns.

Research suggests that prolonged isolation of anyone, let alone children, can bring with it irreversible risk of harm. Prisons are sometimes permitted to limit children from mixing with other children, but that can only be in accordance with prison rules in which require all sorts of reviews to take place.

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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 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 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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. 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We know the prison system is in crisis, but isolation is such a potentially damaging thing to do to children. It cannot be justified by lack of resources. If a parent locked their child in their bedroom or house without having meaningful human contact for 22 hours a day I think it would be seen as a serious child protection issue.

Ms Janes said conditions in the B1 unit of Cookham Wood was a matter of great concern, arguing that for young offenders to have to remain in their rooms for 23-and-a-hours a day when they are supposed to be showing progression created a catch 22 situation.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice told The Independent they did not comment on individual cases, but claimed we do not have solitary confinement in the UK. They added that segregation is only be used as a last resort, under specified safeguards and regular review, where young people are putting themselves and others at risk.
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Andrea Leadsom has pleaded for unity on Brexit amid claims that Cabinet ministers want Theresa May to ease up on her red lines and with the minority Government already facing pressure in the House of Commons.

The Commons Leader said ministers would listen and consult and be open and responsive to MPs and peers in a two-year Parliament set to be dominated by Britains exit from the European Union.

But she also called on parliamentarians to work together wherever possible in the national interest.

It comes amid claims of Cabinet splits over Brexit, with Brexit Secretary David Daviss former chief of staff James Chapman claiming the Prime Ministers insistence on leaving the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) had hamstrung his former boss in negotiations.

Mr Chapman also claimed that the likes of Mr Davis and Boris Johnson could welcome an easing of the PMs Brexit red lines, including on leaving the ECJ and Euratom (European Atomic Energy Community), and potential on immigration.

It also follows a Government concession on the Queens Speech, with ministers pledging that women from Northern Ireland could have free abortions in England after an amendment from Labour MP Stella Creasy apparently gathered support from several Tory MPs.

It highlighted the vulnerability of the Government, which is relying on the support of the Democratic Unionist Partys 10 MPs to get its business through the House of Commons, after the Tories lost their majority in a disastrous general election.

Ms Leadsom, a leading Leave campaigner who has caused controversy with calls for broadcasters to be patriotic over Brexit, said MPs and peers must prepare to leave the EU in a way that brings the country together.

Writing for The Telegraph, she went on: Government ministers will listen and consult, doing our best to be open and responsive to Parliament.

Equally, we hope parliamentarians can set aside partisan politics to work together wherever possible in the best interests of our country.

Such a cooperative approach is easiest when there is already a degree of consensus, yet it matters most on the many issues where there are real disagreements.

We can of course rely on politicians of all colours to keep challenging the Government whenever they take a different view.

The great clamour of discussion and debate is what makes our democracy so admired the world over.

Yet by channelling our collective energies towards a single endpoint, and by coming together to improve our country, we can show British voters that there is more to our politics than just pessimistic bickering.

Her comments follow widespread calls for a cross-party approach to Brexit, reiterated by Liberal Democrat spokesman Tom Brake on Saturday.

When David Davis ex-chief of staff is telling you your approach to Brexit is too inflexible, it might be time to think again, he said.

Theresa May has tied herself up in knots by setting so many red lines so early on in the negotiations.

We need a cross-party Joint Cabinet Committee on Brexit to provide scrutiny and consensus in the national interest as we navigate these vital negotiations.

PA
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Conservative MPs have reportedly been ordered to come clean about rebellious colleagues and potential challenges to Theresa May's leadership due to the fragility of her grip on power in the Commons.

Party whips grilled some 40 MPs on what they knew at a meeting in Parliament on Wednesday, according to The Sunday Telegraph.

It would take only a handful of rebels to derail any of the Prime Minister's planned legislation after her majority evaporated in June's disastrous snap general election.

"We were told to hand over all intelligence. It was clear they were talking about leadership moves and possible rebellions," one MP told the paper.

Rumours swirled of senior Tories planning to topple Ms May in the wake of the vote on 8 June, including Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.

But he quickly labelled them "tripe", while David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, said a leadership contest now would be "self-indulgent" and damaging for Britain's prospects.

Whoever deposed Ms May now, however, would be faced immediately with the difficult task of negotiating Brexit.
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The majority of voters in the UK view Theresa May in a more negative light than they did on the day of the general election, a new poll has found.

The survey shows a rise in public respect for Jeremy Corbyn while the reverse is evident for the Prime Minister.

Ms Mays approval ratings were sky-high as late as April and the rate of decline for the Tory leader has been described by experts as remarkable.

The Opinium survey for The Observer found that Ms Mays personal approval ratings are currently at minus 20 per cent, while Mr Corbyn is 24 points ahead coming in at 4 per cent.

The Labour leader's lead over Ms May also translates through to his newly invigorated party which is now polling at 45 per cent with the Tories behind on 39 per cent.

Robert Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester, said the result adds further pressure to Ms May.

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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

"This new poll suggests that the remarkable swing in political fortunes which began in the general election campaign has continued in the weeks after the vote. Theresa Mays personal ratings have collapsed further, while Jeremy Corbyns have surged," he told the newspaper.

"There have been a few occasions when the public have turned rapidly against a prime minister, for example Gordon Browns collapse in support in the autumn of 2007, when Vince Cable noted his 'remarkable transformation... from Stalin to Mr Bean'," Mr Ford added.
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The Conservatives 1bn deal with the Democratic Unionist Party is good for the whole of Britain because it keeps the Conservatives in power, Michael Gove has said.

The Cabinet minister, who played a leading role in the Brexit campaign, denied that the payment was a bung and said everyone would benefit from the extra cash for Northern Ireland because it meant Theresa May could continue to deliver a secure and stable Government.

I think there is one only way in which we could have a secure Government in this country and thats with Theresa May as Prime Minister, he told BBC Ones Andrew Marr Show.

Recommended Tory MPs vote down Labour bid to end cuts to emergency services

The alternative would have been to allow Jeremy Corbyn to take over, that would have meant higher taxes, and in due course our economy going over a cliff and less money for everyone.

In that sense, making sure not just that Theresa is Prime Minister but that Philip is Chancellor of the Exchequer ensures that we can continue to pursue the policies that are generating growth and bearing down on the deficit.

He argued that the payment was about strengthening the whole United Kingdom.

Mr Gove, who spent the last year on the backbenches but who was appointed as Environment Secretary after last months election, dismissed the suggestion that the deal was a bung to the hard-right protestant unionist party.

I think thats unfair, thats unfair to the people of Northern Ireland and its also unfair to the way in which during this negotiation decisions were taken in the interests of everyone in the United Kingdom, he said.

Bung, the implication is, it implies that this money is somehow going to the DUP on their own, as though it were a partisan deal. Its not  its about strengthening the whole United Kingdom and helping people in one of its most vulnerable areas.

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

The Conservatives are governing as a minority but have secured support on supply and confidence  money bills and the Queens Speech  from the DUP in exchange for extra public spending in Northern Ireland and extra cash raising powers for the Northern Ireland executive.

The party has also pledged to abandon its manifesto policy of paring back pensioners benefits for older pensioners.

With support from the DUP the Government has a working majority of 13 when the Speaker is included and Sinn Fein continue not to take their seats. The Commons maths means that the Conservatives can also win any vote if the DUP abstain and do not vote against them.
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The Government should take on board recommendations of independent review bodies regarding the public sector pay cap, Michael Gove has said.

The Environment Secretary broke ranks as he piled pressure on Theresa May and Philip Hammond, both of whom have received increasing criticism after the Conservative Party and the Democratic Unionist Party came together to vote down Labours amendment to the Queens speech calling for the end of the public sector pay cap.

Pay rises have been capped at one per cent since 2013 with a two-year freeze before that. Now Mr Gove has called on the Government to respect the integrity of the pay review process and take on any advice which is given.

I think that we should listen to the pay review bodies who govern each individual area of public sector pay, Mr Gove said on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show.

The Conservative party went into the election with a pledge to maintain the cap until 2020, and Mr Marr suggested the policy itself actually set the parameters for review bodies recommendations.

They take account of that, but they also take account of other questions as well, including the number of people who enter the profession, whether we need to have an increase in pay in order to ensure we get the very best people into the profession, Mr Gove said.

These pay review bodies have been set up in order to ensure that we can have authoritative advice on what's required, in order to ensure that the public services on which we rely are effectively staffed and the people within them are effectively supported.

Mr Gove also suggested he was suppressing his personal views on austerity to ensure the cabinet could function effectively.

You sometimes have to suppress your own views. I sometimes might suppress mine in order to ensure that we can operate successfully as a collective team.

Maria Caulfield, the Conservative MP and former NHS nurse, said the pay cap coming to an end was inevitable.

When asked if Ms May would bow to the pressure, Ms Caulfield said the situation was being looked at seriously now.

We need to look at independent pay review bodies recommendations and look at those. But in nursing in particular it isnt just about the pay cap, I was getting increasingly frustrated as a nurse about the pay structure, she said on Sky News.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA 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

The comments came as cabinet ministers continued to push Ms May and Mr Hammond to ease austerity after the Tories lost their majority in the general election.

Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has apparently demanded the pay cap is lifted for NHS workers, according to the Observer.

Mr Hunt isnt the only minister to do so, as Education Secretary Justine Greening also told Ms May she wants the Prime Minister to abandon plans to cut per pupil funding.

Damian Green, the newly appointed First Secretary of State and effectively Ms Mays deputy, suggested a dramatic rethink was required on a range of policies if the Tories wanted to regain voters they had lost to Labour.
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Labour might have won last months general election had it chosen Owen Smith as leader, Owen Smith has said.

The shadow Northern Ireland secretary, who lost to Jeremy Corbyn in a leadership contest last year, said it was impossible to know what would have happened but appeared confident in his own abilities.

Asked on Sky Newss Sophy Ridge programme whether the party would have done as well under his leadership, Mr Smith said: I dont know. I hope so. I hope I might have even got us to win  but I cant know that, Sophy.

The newly-returned shadow cabinet minister however said that his party leaders position was not under threat and that he had been clearly wrong about Mr Corbyns abilities as a leader.

I think Jeremy has clearly galvanised young people in this country, weve seen that not just in the election but since, Mr Smith added.

I met people in the election who hadnt voted ever  certainly people who hadnt voted for a long while  who felt that Jeremy was speaking to and for them and that Labour was speaking to and for them.

I dont think any of us can argue with that and therefore I think hes earned the right to try and get Labour into power and earned the right to be our next prime minister.

Mr Smith has returned to the shadow cabinet under Mr Corbyn to handle the issue of Northern Ireland, where powersharing talks have repeatedly failed to produce a new executive.

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

The former leadership candidates return to the front bench has been seen as a sign of the parliamentary Labour party rallying around Jeremy Corbyn  though Mr Corbyn last week sacked three frontbenchers for defying the whip on a Brexit vote.
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Tory austerity appeared to be crumbling at the edges today, as Theresa May further distanced herself from a hated public sector pay freeze.

Downing Street said the Government would consider potential wage increases for nurses, police officers and firefighters on a "case by case" basis after a string of top cabinet ministers signalled backing for an end to the blanket 1 per cent cap on all public servants.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said the Government should now listen to the recommendations of salary review bodies ignored by ministers for almost ten years.

Education Secretary Justine Greening and Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt are also both reported to be pushing for new deals for teachers and nurses.

The Independent reported last week how the Government faced a first ever strike from the Royal College of Nursing over a crisis in the profession. There has also been mounting pressure from Jeremy Corbyn's Labour - whose party fought a successful election campaign on an anti-austerity message.

A Downing Street spokesman defended the Government's record, but pointed to potential changes ahead.

He said: Dealing with the economic mess we inherited from Labour has meant hard work and sacrifice, including for public sector workers. That hard work and those tough decisions have helped get our deficit down by three quarters, and public sector pay restraint has helped us protect jobs.

Independent public sector pay review bodies are currently reporting to Government and we are responding to them on a case-by-case basis. While we understand the sacrifice that has been made, we must also ensure we continue to protect jobs and deal with our debts.

Mr Gove  newly returned to the Cabinet after a one year absence  this morning suggested the Government could lift the pay cap for NHS workers and that he personally supported such a move.

The now Environment Secretary said the Government should respect the view of independent public sector pay review bodies  which have openly recommended increases to stop the health service going into meltdown.

The NHS pay review body had warned in March about "widespread concerns" within the health service on recruitment and retention of staff and said the NHS was approaching the point when the current pay policy will require some modification, and greater flexibility.

Speaking on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show Mr Gove also suggested that was suppressing his own views on the subject of austerity for the benefit of collective responsibility.

Asked about his own views on the subject he said: You sometimes have to suppress your own views, I sometimes might suppress mine in order to ensure that we can operate successfully as a collective team.

Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show (Reuters)

Mr Gove intervention comes after another senior Cabinet minister, Damian Green, said Britain needed to have a national debate about whether tuition fees should continue to exist. Mr Gove said he agreed with the First Secretary of State and de facto deputy prime minister that a debate was needed but that nobody should end up paying more tax to fund higher education if they did not go on to study there themselves.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA 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

Sunday newspapers were awash with reports of other Cabinet ministers apparently hungry of more cash for their departments. The Sunday Times reported that Education Secretary Justine Greening wants an extra 1 billion for schools funding, the Observer says Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt is calling for more cash for NHS staff.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has suggested increasing public sector pay in line with the private sector would cost 6 billion a year by 2019/20.
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Theresa May spent 20,000 on an RAF plane to fly Arlene Foster home after the DUP leader signed the 1bn deal to prop up the Conservative Government.

Ms Foster is said to have been given a ride in the military aircraft from No 10 in London to her home in Belfast.

Now the Tories will have to foot the bill after being told that taxpayers could not pay for the trip because it would breach anti-sleaze rules which ban ministers from charging taxpayers for political activities, the Mail on Sunday reports.

The Sunday paper estimates the Conservative party will have to pay up to 20,000 for Ms Foster's journey home.

The Tories said the flight had enabled Ms Foster to return promptly to negotiations about forming a power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland and break the impasse between the DUP and Sinn Fein.

But opposition parties were quick to criticise the expensive trip, which followed Ms May's pledge for extra public spending in Northern Ireland and extra cash raising powers for the Northern Ireland executive to help her prop up her minority government.

The deal raised eyebrows among some Tories but Michael Gove defended it on the Andrew Marr Show saying everyone would benefit from the extra cash in Northern Ireland because it meant Ms May would continue to deliver a "secure and stable government".

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn slammed the private shuttle as "a shoddy bung" and asked for answers over how the government had intended to pay for the bill in the first place.

He said: "Theresa May has already given an extra 1 billion to Northern Ireland to hang on to power and now it appears she gave a free RAF flight to Arlene Foster to seal the deal.

"This is a shoddy bung to shore up a government that has lost its mandate. The Conservatives must come clean. Did they try to make the taxpayer foot the bill for this flight and how often does the Tory Party book RAF flights?"

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron also said it is not for the Prime Minister to use the RAF as "a personal taxi service".

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA 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

A Conservative Party spokesman denied any wrongdoing and said the aircraft had been used so Ms Foster could return sooner to negotiations with the nationalists in Northern Ireland.

"Arlene Foster was in London to conclude the signing of the confidence and supply agreement. The Conservative Party paid for a flight back to Belfast to allow her swiftly to resume talks on re-establishing a power-sharing executive in Northern Ireland," he said.

A DUP spokesman did not respond to requests for comment.
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Sir Vince Cable has said he plans to tackle the irrational cult of youth as he attempts to become the leader of the Liberal Democrats.

The 74-year-old described his age and experience as an asset, adding that Britain's current "sober mood" means now is the time for an older leader.

His political opponents Jeremy Corbyn and Theresa May are aged 68 and 60 respectively and the former Business Secretary believes age is no longer important.

 Sir Vince Cable's political career in 60 seconds

I think there was an irrational cult of youth at one point in our political cycle, Sir Vince told The Times.

There are occasions when you get some young and exciting politician that is exactly right. Obama was exactly right and you could argue the same of Tony Blair and there are periods of history where thats the public mood.

There is now a more sober mood and one that values experience, and there is nothing to stop older people being radical in their views. Its the mood of the age, where the age you have is much less important than what you feel and what you can do with it.

Sir Vince has so far suggested he would attempt to rebrand the partys image in an attempt to win back the voters the party lost after going into coalition with the Tories.

We stand for things which millions of people in Britain want who dont currently vote for us, he said.

We are a moderate pro-business, pro-enterprise party but also we are committed to the welfare state... The space which we could occupy is potentially enormous.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA 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

The comments come as Sir Vince claimed scrapping university tuition fees would be "very dangerous and stupid" on Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Sky News.

He described the policy as a "cheap populist gesture" and claimed it would create an unfair system.

He said: "If you don't have any form of fees, I mean who pays for universities?

"How do you end this discrimination between the 40 per cent of students who go to university and would be subsided as opposed to the 60 per cent who don't? That would be highly inequitable."
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The Victorian ethos of Samuel Smith pubs apparent in their old-fashioned decor now reportedly extends to the use of language.

Owner Humphrey Smith, 72, is believed to have introduced a zero tolerance swearing policy for all 200 pubs owned by the chain in April.

We wish to inform all of our customers that we have introduced a zero tolerance policy against swearing in all of our pubs. Please kindly respect this policy, signs informed pub customers.

The policy was dramatically implemented one evening last month when a mystery man at the Arlington Hotel bar in North Yorkshire overheard customers swearing, according to The Guardian.

He cleared the bar, shouting everybody out, only reopening it several days later. The man may have been founder Mr Smith himself, one source told the newspaper.

Arlington Hotel declined to comment when contacted by The Independent.

Mr Smith has a reputation as an eccentric, and is said to frequently intervene in the management of his pubs.

He allegedly closed Junction Inn in Royton, Oldham on New Years Eve in 2011 because landlords were overfilling pint glasses, before charging them 10,733 retrospectively for lost stock over 12 years.

The GMB union has criticised the company for its treatment of pub managers and opened court cases against them in the past.

Samuel Smith pubs are all conspicuous by the absence of television or music, and their old-fashioned style.

One of the most striking examples is Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese in London, rebuilt in 1667 and now a Grade II listed building which used to boast Samuel Johnson and Arthur Conan Doyle as regulars.

All pubs belonging to the chain only stock products from Samuel Smiths Brewery.
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People across Canada came together this weekend to celebrate the countrys 150th anniversary of confederation.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kicked off celebrations outside the countrys parliament in Ottawa, joined by as many as 25,000 revellers.

However, the celebrations were dampened not only by rain, but also by the reminder that for Canadas Indigenous community, the anniversary represents little more than 150 years of oppression and is considered a celebration of brutal colonisation and genocide.

Protests in the countrys major cities drew attention to the stark contrast between the idealised version of Canada that its leader strives to represent and the lived realities of Indigenous communities still suffering the consequences of a history of abuse.

Some 100 protesters marched through the streets of Toronto, holding Canadas flag upside down  a symbol of opposition.

Activists also erected a teepee on Parliament Hill earlier in the week.

Mr Trudeau led Canada Day celebrations joined by thousands of revellers in Ottawa (PA)

The protest group had originally clashed with police, who arrested nine people, according to CTV news. Eventually, all nine people were released however, and the structure was permitted to be set up.

Mr Trudeau visited the teepee on Friday morning, meeting with activists for roughly 45 minutes.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau leaves a teepee on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, where he met with Indigenous activists protesting ahead of Canada Day celebrations (AP)

The Prime Minister admitted the Canadian government has a history of neglecting Indigenous communities and failing to strengthen its relationship with them.

It is important that even as Canadians celebrate Canada 150 we reflect upon the experiences and the importance of folding in and hearing the stories and experiences of Indigenous Canadians, Mr Trudeau told reporters when asked about the teepee protest.

We recognise over the past decades, generations, indeed centuries, Canada has failed Indigenous peoples ... I can understand the impatience from many people.

Indigenous groups have made it clear for months that they believe the 150th anniversary celebrations gloss over a history of abuse committed against members of their communities.

The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall visited Ottawa for Canada Day celebrations with Prime Minister Trudeau, his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and their children (PA)

Activist group Idle No More issued a call for a national day of action dubbed UNsettling Canada 150 to celebrate our Indigenous and human rights to self-determination, our lands, territories, and resources.

The day was also meant to educate Canadians about how their constitutional framework, first established 150 years ago ... illegally confiscated our lands, territories, and resources, spawned by the post-confederation Indian Act and attempted to write Indigenous jurisdiction  and Indigenous Peoples  out of existence, the group wrote on its website.

Canada has a long history of abuse towards Indigenous communities that has had a lasting impact on the welfare of millions of people today.

Historically, the country attempted to force assimilation of Indigenous communities through repressive policies, including residential schooling. Today, Indigenous communities suffer from higher levels of poverty, as well as a shorter life expectancy than other Canadians.

Many communities also do not have access to safe drinking water and several more remote communities, such as Attawapiskat in northern Ontario, have been plagued by suicides in the past year.

Indigenous rights activists march after in the Unsettle Canada Day 150 Picnic, as the country marks its 150th anniversary (Reuters)

Mr Trudeau had vowed to improve the governments relationship with Canadas around 1.4 million Indigenous people, who make up about 4 per cent of the countrys population, when he entered office in 2015.

Two years later, however, many communities have accused the Prime Minister of failing to do enough to help communities in need.

Its mostly just photo ops. Hes not really doing anything with these issues at hand, Paul Francis, 23, a member of the Mimaq Warrior Society from Elsipogtog First Nation, who travelled from New Brunswick to join the protest in Ottawa, said.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Idle No More said the assault has not stopped on Canadas Indigenous communities. If anything, it has accelerated under the current government.

Prime Minister Trudeau has been approving pipeline projects and continues to bank on the exploitation of our resources. He does not want to recognise Indigenous land rights.

Mr Trudeau greenlighted two controversial oil pipelines last year  Kinder Morgans Trans Mountain pipeline and Enbridges Line 3, despite strong criticisms from environmental groups and Indigenous community leaders.

He also welcomed Donald Trumps decision to approve the Keystone XL pipeline project in February, which the Prime Minister assured Canadians would lead to economic growth and good jobs, despite widespread opposition from protesters across Canada and the US.
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An African American woman has filed a federal lawsuit against a Mississippi school district, claiming that a white student was named "co-valedictorian" alongside her daughter, despite the white student having a lower grade point average (GPA).

The day before Jasmine Shepard graduated from Cleveland High School in Cleveland, Mississippi, in May 2016, the school awarded her and a white student the title "co-valedictorian," according to the suit filed to a federal court in the Northern District of Mississippi on Tuesday. This was a first in the 110-year history of the school, the suit said.

"Prior to 2016, all of Cleveland High School's valedictorians were white," the suit says. "As a result of the school official's unprecedented action of making an African-American student share the valedictorian award with a white student, the defendants discriminated against."

An attorney for the Cleveland School District called the lawsuit "frivolous" and said the students "had identical grade point averages."

"As such, under school board policy, they were both named valedictorian of their graduating class," Jamie Jacks wrote in an email. "The district's policy is racially neutral and fair to students."

Sherry Shepard, Jasmine's mother, said it was easy to calculate the students' grade-point averages because the community is so small.

"These children have been attending school with each other since middle school," she said. "We know the schedule, we know what they take, and we have a good idea where the discrepancy lies."

The "co-valedictorian" designation also came "on the heels of a federal judge's ruling that the Cleveland School District had failed to desegregate its schools approximately 50 years" after being ordered to do so, the lawsuit says. In her ruling from last year, the judge ordered the schools to be integrated.

"The delay in desegregation has deprived generations of students of the constitutionally-guaranteed right of an integrated education," US District Court Judge Debra M Brown wrote last year. "Although no court order can right these wrongs, it is the duty of the district to ensure that not one more student suffers under this burden."

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 school district in Cleveland, a town of 12,000 where railroad tracks largely separate white and black families, initially fought the judge's order but later dropped the challenge.

In an interview, Sherry Shepard, who maintains a "Justice for Jasmine" Facebook page, said her daughter was forced to speak after the white valedictorian at graduation, and also was slated to walk behind her before she objected.

"A child, when they earn honours, they are entitled to receive them," Sherry Shepard said. "There is no inclusion in the Cleveland school district. When the district wants something, they just take it."

The suit asks for unspecified monetary damages and for Jasmine Shepard to be declared "sole valedictorian."

The white valedictorian was identified in the suit only as "H.B." and Sherry Shepard called her "the kindest-hearted, sweetest person."

Copyright The Washington Post
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A former GCHQ specialist says he was recruited by a Republican Party researcher to help verify emails apparently hacked from Hillary Clintons private server by Russia.

The claims come amid allegations of collusion between Donald Trumps presidential campaign and Russian intelligence last summer.

Matt Tait said he was approached around the time WikiLeaks published 20,000 hacked Democratic National Committee emails and Mr Trump publicly called for Russia to obtain Ms Clinton's private server emails.

Democratic Congressman Joaquin Castro called for the House Intelligence Committee to hear from Matt Tait as soon as possible on Saturday.

In a post published on the Lawfare national security blog, Mr Tait describes a series of phone calls with political operative Peter Smith, and later with one of his associates John Szobocsan, from July to mid-September 2016.

Mr Smith, a seasoned opposition researcher claiming to work with the Republican Party, said he was searching for the 33,000 emails Ms Clinton deleted from her private server used for official business while secretary of state.

He asked for Mr Taits help in verifying the authenticity of emails obtained via the "dark web". Mr Smith said he wanted to make the emails public before the election in November, and expressed indifference at Russias potential role in their release, according to Mr Tait.

The American allegedly discussed his conviction that Clintons private email server had been hacked  in his view almost certainly both by the Russian government and likely by multiple other hackers too  and his desire to ensure that the fruits of those hacks were exposed prior to the election.

"They had a reckless lack of interest in whether the emails came from a Russian cut-out, Mr Tait says in the blogpost.

Mr Smith appears to have known enough details about the Republican campaign to suggest he was closely tied to them.

In a recruitment document from September 2016, he listed officials including Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway and then foreign policy adviser Mike Flynn as being associated with his research company. Mr Bannon has denied meeting with Mr Smith.

Mr Smith died just over a month ago at age 81, just ten days after speaking to the Wall Street Journal about his search for Clinton's emails.

He had a long history of tarnishing opponents of the Republican party and had in the past tried to find a woman to claim Hillary Clinton had an illegitimate child.

Mr Tait, who now runs a UK-based security consultancy, believes he was approached because he had publicly studied Hillary Clintons emails as well as the hack of Democratic National Congress emails.

The former information security specialist wrote: "My suspicion then and now was that Hillary Clintons email server was likely never breached by Russia, and moreover that if Russia had a copy of Clintons emails, they would not waste them in the run-up to an election she was likely to win."

He refused to sign a nondisclosure agreement suggested by Mr Smith towards the end of their contact.

Mr Tait admits that he never actually saw the emails described by Mr Smith, and said the late researcher could just have been talking a very good game.
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A Syrian rebel group has accused the Syrian army of using chlorine gas against its fighters in battles east of Damascus, after Donald Trump warned Bashar al-Assad's regime that it would pay a heavy price if it launched another chemical attack.

The Failaq al-Rahman group has said more than 30 people suffocated as a result of the assault in Ain Tarma in the Eastern Ghouta region, which Mr Assads forces have been fighting to take back from insurgents.

In a statement circulated by state-run media, a military source said the Syrian army command completely denied the accusation that it used chemical weapons: It has not used any chemical weapons in the past, and will not use them at any time.

Syria was said to have destroyed all of its chemical weapons under an agreement reached by the US, Russia, and the Assad regime in 2013.

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons  the global chemical weapons watchdog  confirmed last week that the nerve agent sarin was used in an attack in April that killed more than 80 people in northwestern Syria. The Syrian government is alleged to have carried out the attack, but Mr Assad's regime has denied any role and dismissed the OPCWs report, saying it lacked any credibility.

The OPWC also found that hexamine  a known component of the Syrian government's stockpiles of chemical weapons  was contained in samples taken from the scene and from the blood and urine of victims.

A United Nations investigative taskforce will try to determine who was responsible for the attack.

National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Show all 24 1 /24 National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Joshua Trees in the Mojave Trails, California Encompassing 1.6million acres, this monument includes mountain ranges, sand dunes and ancient settled lava, meaning it is studded with gems and minerals. The Mojave Trails make up 105-miles of Route 66. Kiskamedia-iStock National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument, Maine This is the Atlantic Oceans first marine national monuments, and covers almost 5,000 square miles of underwater canyons and mountains off the coast of New England. It was named a national monument in September 2016, shutting off commercial fishermen. The act protects resources and species including whales, deep-sea corals, Kemp's Ridley sea turtles (left), and deep-sea fish. Getty Images National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Bears Ears National Monument, Utah Bear Ears is a 1.3million acre monument characterised by cliffs, plateaus, rock formations, rivers and canyons, and is the site of an estimated 100,000 archaeological sites, including ancient cliff dwellings. It was created in December 2016, in what was hailed as a victory by Native American tribes and conservationists but a blow to Republicans who wanted to area open for energy developments. The land is considered sacred to a number of tribes, who visit the area to collect herbs and wood for medicinal and spiritual healing, as well as to perform rituals. Bear Ears is a 1.3million acre monument characterised by cliffs, plateaus, rock formations, rivers and canyons, and is the site of an estimated 100,000 archaeological sites, including ancient cliff dwellings. It was created in December 2016, in what was hailed as a victory by Native American tribes and conservationists but a blow to Republicans who wanted to area open for energy developments. The land is considered sacred to a number of tribes, who visit the area to collect herbs and wood for medicinal and spiritual healing, as well as to perform rituals. Getty Images National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Sand to Snow, California Over 240 species of birds and 12 wildlife species that are endangered and threatened live on what the Bureau of Land Management describes as one of the most biodiverse areas of Southern California. Unfolding across 154,000 acres of land, the monument includes thirty miles of the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, used for camping, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, and skiing. Flickr/Creative Commons/Bureau of Land Management National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Basin and Range, Nevada This area - which is about twice the size of the city of Los Angeles - gets its name from its typography, which abruptly alternates between mountain chains and flat valleys that are comparable to the moons surface. The monument covers 704,000 and encompasses desert mountains and valleys, as well as Native American rock at and sites. It was designated in 2015 Bureau of Land Management/Creative Commons National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Berryessa Snow Mountain, northern California The monument comprises of 330,780 acres of land, and includes the Cache Creek Wilderness. It was designated as a national monument in in 2015. It is the habitat of animals including bald and golden eagles, black bears, mountain lions, tule elk, black-tailed deer, norther spotted owls, as well as salmon and some of the worlds rarest plants. Native American tribes have lived in the area of 11,000 years. Bureau of Land Management National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Organ Mountains Desert Peaks New Mexicos Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks covers 496,000 acres of land, and includes canyons, mountains and the Chihuahua Desert. It was used to train WWII bomber pilots and crews for NASAs Apollo space program. Bureau of Land Management National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Rio Grande del Norte The Rio Grande del Norte National Monument is made up of rugged plains that are 7,000 above sea level which spread across 242,500 acres of land. The topography includes volcanic cones - including the Ute Mountain which stands at 10,093ft - canyons, and rivers. People have been living in the area since prehistoric times. Bureau of Land Management National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, Northern Mariana Islands and Guam The monument established in 2009 protects 95,216 square miles water in the Mariana Archipelago, which consists of submerged islands and volcanic sites. Velvetfish /iStock National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Pacific Remote Islands Soldierfish swim off Baker Island, which are part of the Pacific Remote Islands. This collection of islands became the most widespread collection of marine and terrestrial life protected areas on the planet under a single country's jurisdiction when it was designated in 2009. Public Domain National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Papahanaumokuakea, Hawaii Papahanaumokuakea is the worlds largest marine protected area, and is almost double the size of Texas. The remote area stretches 583,000-sq miles, and is home to tuna and the endangered Hawaiian monk seal among others. Public Domain/NOAA National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Upper Missouri River Breaks Designated in 2001, the monument protects badland featuring rock outcroppings, steep bluffs and grassy plains. Bureau of Land Management National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Sonoran Desert The desert has an area of 100,000sq miles and covers parts of Mexico, Arizona, California, Sonora, Sinaloa, and Baja California, and is the habitat of unique plants and animals including the organ pipe cactus. Tonda-iStock National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Carrizo Plain The grassy plain sitting to the northwest of Los Angeles is 50miles long and 15miles wide in some parts. It was designated in 2012 because of its archaeological value. Zeiss4Me/iStock National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Vermilion Cliffs, northern Arizona and southern Utah This monument has an intense red colour thanks to the iron oxide in its deposited silt and dunes. It was designated a monument in 2000. fotoVoyager/iStock National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Ironwood Forest National Monument, Arizona President Clinton declared the Ironwood Forest a monument in 2000. It covers 188,619 acres and is home to endangered animals, plants, as well as the ironwood trees which give it its name. Creative Commons National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Hare Handford Reach, Washington This area is named after the bend in the free-flowing area of the Columbia River. It was designated a monument in 2000. Public Domain National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Canyons of the Ancients Designated a monument in 2000, its 176,056 acres feature archaeologically significant landscapes including the settlement of the Ancient Pueblo people in the 10th century. iStock National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Giant Sequoia In 2000, President Bill Clinton set aside an area around 328,000 of land in central California where giant sequoia trees grow. As he made the designation President Clinton said: "These giant sequoias clearly are the work of the ages. They grow taller than the Statue of Liberty, broader than a bus." pavliha/iStock National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Grand Canyon-Parashant National Monument Established as a monument in 2000, the area stretches across over 1million acres of land which has no paved roads or visitor services. It takes its name from the Paiut word meaning tanned elk hide, and features canyons, mountains and buttes. Bureau of Land Management National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Grand Staircase Escalante, Utah Encompassing almost 2million acres of land, the monument designated in 1996 features platueas, colourful cliffs, and canyons Creative Commons/John Fowler National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump San Gabriel Mountains This monument - established in 2014 - is not on the list of White House monuments under review, but meets Zinkes criteria. It encompasses 246,000 acres of land. Rennett Stowe/Creative Commons National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Rose Atoll marine National Monument The monument, established in 2009, covers 13,400 square miles in the South Pacific Ocean and encompasses a Samoan island. It is the habitat of creatures including rare giant clams and reef sharks. National monuments reviewed by Donald Trump Gold Butte National Monument, Nevada Situated to the northeast of Las Vegas, this monument covers 300,000 of desert land which features rock art, sandstone towers and the habitat of the threatened Mojave Desert tortoise Bureau of Land Management

In retaliation for the April attack, the US launched 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield, marking the first direct military action the US has taken against Mr Assad's regime since the beginning of the country's six-year civil war. Six people were reportedly killed.

US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said the strike did not signal a policy change toward Syria, but proved Mr Trump is willing to act when governments and actors cross the line ... and cross the line in the most heinous of ways.

Last Monday, the White House said that it had identified potential preparations for another chemical weapons attack by Mr Assad's regime.

"As we have previously stated, the United States is in Syria to eliminate the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria," the White House said in a statement. "If, however, Mr Assad conducts another mass murder attack using chemical weapons, he and his military will pay a heavy price."

During a congressional hearing, Nikki Haley, the USs ambassador to the United Nations, that many innocent men, women and children were saved as the result of Mr Trump's warning.

I can tell you, due to the presidents actions, we did not see an incident, Ms Haley said.
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Chinas stance over Hong Kong could lead to a perpetual crisis as Beijing sparks more distrust and uncertainty in the region, an expert said.

As the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the handover of Hong Kong from British colonial rule to China comes to an end, activists are growing increasingly concerned over the full implications of Beijings position on the future of the territory.

Speaking to The Independent, Professor Kerry Brown from Chatham House said the events of the last few days were a continuation of the tightening of Chinese grip over the territory in the last few years, which was inevitable.

Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters took to the streets campaigning for universal suffrage and against the degradation of civil liberties on the day of the 1 July 1997 anniversary.

Under the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 which led to the handover, Hong Kong was destined to become part of China as part of a one country, two systems principle.

Professor Brown said the agreement granting Hong Kong autonomy was always very abstract and flexible and that by becoming one of the world's great economic power, the importance of the territory diminished over the years, enabling Beijing to nibble at the agreement which seems to grow weaker by the day.

The anniversary also coincided with the inauguration of the new chief executive Carrie Lam, who is seen by critics as a puppet to Beijing.

But concerns among Hong Kong activists deepened when Beijing said the joint declaration was a historical document that no longer had any practical significance.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also warned the territorys people that they can have autonomy as long as they remain obedient to the authority of the central government.

Professor Brown said this was not the first time China made similar remarks but that the political symbolism of President Xis comments were important.

China is saying that it is no longer interested in the old colonial links, now it shows that Hong Kong is 100 per cent their own show, he said.

While Hong Kong has nourished a culture of protests since 1997, Professor Brown said the relationship between the territory and mainland China will remain a tough, strange relationship.

He said: There will be no panacea coming out of the sky but a perpetual crisis. Hong Kong wants to assert its own identity and they dont have the autonomy that they wanted.

It is not in Beijings interest to see Hong Kong not succeed but at the same time they are not willing to see Hong Kong decide what they can do.

Chinas contempt for the agreement that set out the blueprint over how the city should be ruled will also contribute to water down trust towards the growing regional power, Professor Brown said.

Beijing is becoming a hard ball unilateralist and it is creating more distrust and uncertainty in the region. If in the short term the balance remains, in the long-term this could have a negative effect, he said.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

As part of the handover deal, the UK has a continuing moral and political obligation to Hong Kong but in recent years it is clear that Britains influence on the situation has faded.

The events of the last few days showed that despite the UKs commitment to uphold the agreement over the Hong Kong handover, it has little say over the way Beijing implements a deal that seems increasingly different than the one agreed in 1984.

When Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called for Hong Kong to progress towards a more democratic and accountable system of government he was quickly rebuffed by the Chinese Foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang.

The British side has no sovereignty, no power to rule and supervise Hong Kong after the handover. It is hoped that relevant people will come around to this, he told reporters.

Professor Brown said the UK was now preoccupied with its own internal problem and that in the wake of a likely future trade deal with China in the light of Brexit it would have to pick carefully its field of action.

For Professor Brown this is unlikely to mean standing up for Hong Kong.
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Meeting Donald Trump has eased the concerns of South Korea's president over their potentially conflicting approaches to peace on the peninsula, it has been reported.

Moon Jae-in plans to pursue his policy towards North Korea "with more confidence" following his meeting with Mr Trump in Washington, according to a government official quoted by Yonhap.

"With regard to our government's resolve to resume South-North talks, it's true that there was some burden from worries that it may undermine [international] sanctions on North Korea," he told the agency.

Recommended North Korea could be sitting on trillions in mineral wealth

But after the US President backed Mr Moon's plans for renewed dialogue those fears appear to have faded, Yonhap reported.

"Noting that sanctions are a tool of diplomacy, the two leaders emphasised that the door to dialogue with the DPRK remains open under the right circumstances," read a joint statement following their summit.

Successive rounds of sanctions on Pyongyang have followed its repeated weapons tests. Under Barack Obama, the policy of imposing sanctions and isolating the North diplomatically was known as "strategic patience".

Mr Trump's rhetoric towards North Korea has been robust. Earlier this year he warned a "major, major conflict" was "absolutely" possible while Vice President Mike Pence said "all options" were being considered during a visit to Seoul in April.

Speaking after the death of Otto Warmbier, a student who had been detained for more than a year in North Korea and was returned to the US suffering severe neurological injury, Mr Trump said "patience is over".

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

In the past he has appeared to praise dictator Kim Jong-un, however, saying: "He's 27 years old. His father dies, took over a regime. So say what you want, but that is not easy, especially at that age."

Other officials have taken a less combative tone.

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said the US would seek to talk to Pyongyang over its nuclear weapons programme, while Defence Secretary James Mattis admitted outright war with North Korea would be "catastrophic" and "probably the worst kind of fighting in most people's lifetimes".
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Maori Television has withdrawn the series Jonah from Tonga from screening on the channel over concerns that the show perpetuates negative stereotypes of Pacific people.

The Australian television series, written by and starring comedian Chris Lilley, follows the life of a rebellious 14-year-old Australian schoolboy of Tongan descent who was originally introduced in Lilleys 2007 series Summer Heights High.

The television company said in a statement: Once the full Board of Maori Television became aware of the screening of the programme on Thursday evening, a decision was made then to pull the series.

The Chair of the Board Georgina te Heuheu said the values of Maori Television include respecting all communities  and that the show did not meet the channels standards.

We are a Maori media outlet with our own standards, and a mandate to protect and promote the Maori language and culture, Ms te Heuheu said.

This means that as a leading Indigenous broadcaster we have a responsibility to present all cultures with a degree of respect and aroha not least those of our Pacific Whanaunga. The Whanaunga are an Indigenous group of the Coromandel Peninsula.

New Zealands Minister for Pacific Peoples, Alfred Ngaro, said ahead of the programmes release that the series perpetuates negative stereotypes of Pacific people.

Mr Ngaro said: Its particularly disappointing to see this programme being picked up within weeks of The Human Rights Commissions Give nothing to racism campaign, Fairfax Media has reported.

Maori Television has said a replacement show called Te Taumata Kapahaka is set to go to air next Thursday in Jonah from Tongas place.

Media representatives for Chris Tilley did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
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All six of Germany's Muslim members of parliament voted in favour of same-sex marriage as Angela Merkel faced criticism for opposing the bill and announcing: "Marriage is between a man and a woman."

Despite the Chancellor's opposition, the historic marriage for all measure was approved with 393-226 votes in the Bundestag on Friday, leading hundreds of MPs to rise to their feet in a spontaneous standing ovation.

The Green Party, who launched rainbow confetti into the chamber when the result was announced, have since confirmed that the party has four Muslim lawmakers  Cem Ozdemir, Ekin Deligoz, Ozcan Mutlu and Omid Nouripour  who approved the legislation.

Aydan Ozoguz, a Muslim MP for the centre-left Social Democratic Party, also voted in favour of the bill after his party criticised Ms Merkel for "embarrassing" delays to the legislation.

The issue has divided the Chancellor's Christian Democratic Union (CDU/CSU) party, which remains the largest in the German parliament and has enjoyed comfortable poll leads and local election victories ahead of Septembers federal elections.

Ms Merkel has always been unequivocal with her personal opposition to marriage equality, but her party's MP Cemile Giousouf, the first Muslim elected into the Bundestag in 2013, was praised on social media after endorsing the landmark measure.

Activist Filipe Henriques tweeted: She's a Muslim woman and a Conservative. She voted for marriage equality, most of her CDU colleagues voted against.

Merkel thinks marriage is sacred bond between men and woman. Most Germans and all Muslim MPs believe in equality. Who needs integration?

Only three lawmakers are listed as being Muslim on the Bundestag website, but German newspaper Welt spoke to the parties and confirmed that all six consider themselves Muslim.

Ms Merkel said after the vote: I hope that the vote today not only promotes respect between different opinions but also brings more social cohesion and peace.

The Chancellor also said she supported the bills introduction of full adoption rights for same-sex couples  a move she had previously opposed  and was fighting anti-LGBT discrimination.

When opposing same-sex marriages she has cited German law, her values as an evangelical Christian and those of her party, which describes its foundations as the Christian understanding between people and their accountability before God.

In December 2015 the German leader claimed that multiculturalism was a "lie" and responded to criticism of her move to open the country's borders to one million refugees by saying: We want and we will reduce the number of refugees noticeably.

With almost all of its neighbours supporting legal unions between gay partners, calls had been increasing in Germany for the government to drop resistance that appeared increasingly anachronistic.

The Netherlands was the first European country to legalise same-sex marriage, back in 2001, followed by countries including Belgium, Spain, Canada, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Iceland, Denmark, France and the UK.

LGBT in Istanbul Show all 8 1 /8 LGBT in Istanbul LGBT in Istanbul Hakan, 20, is a student of medicine at the university, and after discovering cross-dressing he's currently in a transition process to define his sexual identity, seeing himself either as a gay man or gender queer. His special place is Macka Park, in the central part of Istanbul (Turkey), where he used to have encounters during the night, after the parties around the area of Istiklal Road and Taksim Square. The park is still one of the few locations in the city where straight and homosexual couples meet up during the night for some outdoor sex, in this side of the city. LGBT in Istanbul Celik, 41, is an activist, member of Beyoglu City Council and a Sisli municipality worker at the department of social equality. He chose to be portrayed in Gezi Park, in the heart of Istanbul, where heavy protests happened in the spring of 2013. It was at that time, when he was still a manager for an international company in the retail sector, that he realised it was time for a change: he decided to leave his job and get involved in politics and human rights. Nowadays, Celik is working with lgbti+ refugees, and on lgbti+ rights, in collaboration with the Republican People's Party, the main opposition party in Turkey. LGBT in Istanbul Remi (fake name), 22, was recently exempted from the army conscription service because he is gay and HIV positive, and got the so-called "Pink Paper" (a document certifying the discharge for reasons concerning homosexuality). He decided to hide his face for security reasons. Remi choose Mis Sokak (Mis Street) as his special place: 'It's a famous road full of bars, near Taksim square, and most of them are or were gay friendly.' LGBT in Istanbul Seyhan, 37, theatre actress and performance artist. As a transgender woman both her private and professional life have been complicated by a widespread trans-phobia. Being an artist, though, helped her in many different ways, and years of hard work on stage taught her confidence in herself. Instead of having her picture taken in a place related to a memory, she chose to portrayed in a random street of Istanbul, because to her any public space is important: being visible, being able to walk every single street of the city in total freedom, without any trouble, is the key to every other right. LGBT in Istanbul Avdil, 20, originally from Diyarbakr is a student of Arabic language and culture, activist at HEVI LGBT, an NGO based in Istanbul that supports especially Kurdish LGBT individuals. His special place in the city is the garden of this cafe near Taksim Square, where he met his first love a year ago. When his family discovered he was gay there were big fights between them, but things gradually improved and when Avdil love story finished, after a few months, he could even speak with his mother about his feelings and the problems he had with his former boyfriend. Avdil and his first love remained good friends, though, and are still in touch with each other. LGBT in Istanbul Emre, 35, is an interior designer. He decided to have his portrait taken in Gezi Park, looking on the buildings on Taksim Square because of its symbolic importance. For him and many others, Gezi Protests were a key moment in the history of the LGBTQ movement in the city of Istanbul, when the different souls of the liberal society and the LGBTQ community came together and found in each other the energy to organize, protest and advocate for their rights. LGBT in Istanbul Gokhan, 34, is a video editor for a media company in Istanbul. His special place here is a strip of rocks near the harbor of Kadikoy, on the Asian side of the city, that terminates with a small unmanned radar tower. A few years ago Gokhan was chatting with a possible date on an app, and they decided to meet, all of a sudden and in the in the middle of the night, here. It eventually didn't work between them, in the long run, but the view from this place and the memories of that night stuck with him through the years. Gokhan still goes there, from time to time, sitting on the rocks and thinking about that night, while watching the sun setting behind the golden horn. LGBT in Istanbul Cagla, 27, is the daughter of Zuleyha, a LGBT rights activist. Her special place in Istanbul is this sea walk in the area of Bakirkoy, near where she lives. She decided to have her portrait taken ere, together with her mother, because time ago they had an important discussion in this place: Zuleyha had to get some help because of a momentary nervous breakdown, as At that time she couldn't accept Cagla being a transgender woman. After an afternoon at the hospital, on their way home they stopped in this area, and Zuleyha told Cagla that even if it was going to be difficult, even it it was going to take time, she was not going to give up, because they were family. now Zuleyha is part of LISTAG, a peer support group that helps parents to understand their LGBT kids.

Germany has allowed same-sex couples to enter civil partnerships since 2001, but same-sex marriages remained illegal.

The draft law legalising same-sex marriage was first moved in 2015 in the upper house of parliament by the state of Rhineland Palatinate.

It is expected to be signed into law by the President some time after 7 July but could face legal challenges.
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European ministers are holding emergency talks on the migrant crisis, after Italy threatened to block rescue ships due to the unsustainable flows of people.

Interior ministers from Germany, France, Spain and Italy will discuss the situation in Paris on Sunday, and consider the request from Rome for rescue ships with foreign flags to disembark in other countries.

Speaking on Sunday, Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti told newspaper Il Messaggero: If the only ports refugees are taken to are Italian, something is not working.

We are under enormous pressure, he added.

Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni also accused other European nations of looking the other way.

More than 500,000 migrants have landed at Italian ports - most arriving in Sicily - since 2014 and the numbers are on the rise.

Since the start of this year, 83,650 people have reached Italy by sea, a 20 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2016.

Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Show all 7 1 /7 Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants arriving in Italy on MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie DeardenI Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants undergoing health checks after disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants undergoing security checks after disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants being fingerprinted after disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily Refugees and migrants being fingerprinted after disembarking from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden Refugees and migrants arriving in Catania, Sicily A man being taken to hospital from MSF rescue ship the Bourbon Argos in Catania, Sicily Lizzie Dearden

Many people have also died while crossing the Mediterranean in rickety boats. The UN estimates 2,030 people died in 2017 alone.

The situation in Italy was described as an unfolding tragedy by UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.

But this cannot be an Italian problem alone, he said. It is, first and foremost, a matter of international concern, requiring a joined-up, comprehensive regional approach."

The Italian Government has already filled up its 200,000 beds for migrants, and a government source told Reuters last week that the country had reached saturation point.

EU migration commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos has already promised that the EU is ready to increase financial support for Italy to manage the flow of people.

 Refugee crisis: More than 500 migrants rescued in single day in Mediterranean Sea

But as the will wanes in Europe to help migrants, Italy has toyed with the drastic idea of blocking ships, except those from its own coastguard and military.

Humanitarian groups have warned that any attempt to block rescue boats would violate international law.

Italy has already closed its borders to prevent migrants from travelling through Europe over land.

The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea stipulates that any ship learning of distress at sea must assist regardless of circumstances, and that the country responsible for operations in that area has primary responsibility for taking passengers off the ship.

If Italy did close its ports, boats from charities such as MSF, Frontex and Save the Children would be affected, as well as those vessels involved in the EUs Operation Sophia anti-smuggling mission.

Most of the migrant boats come from Libya following the UK-based removal of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. This allowed smugglers to set up lucrative trafficking routes from African nations, the Middle East and Bangladesh to Europe.

The UN has warned of people in Libya being bought and sold like slaves, and that a high rate of migrants to Europe have been tortured or suffered sexual assault.

EU countries were meant to relocate 160,000 asylum seekers between them, under a plan set out in 2015. So far only 20,900 people have been relocated.

The UK and Ireland were exempt from the plan, and several countries voted against the mandatory quotas.

The EU has begun legal action against the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland for refusing to accept their share of asylum seekers.

In local elections last weekend, Italians opted for the centre-right, led by the anti-immigrant Northern League and former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who advocate a tougher stance on immigration.
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Norway is set to become the first country in the entire world to ban the use of gas to heat buildings.

The Scandinavian country, which is the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas outside the Middle East, will wholly stop the use of both oil and paraffin to warm buildings from 2020 onwards.

The country, which hopes to ban the sale of all fossil fuel-based cars by 2025, has made a concerted effort to introduce policies which shrink domestic emission of greenhouse gases.

Vidar Helgesenlaid, the nations Environment Minister, laid out the plans in a statement, saying: Those using fossil oil for heating must find other options by 2020.

The country advises its citizens to research alternatives to oil such as heat pumps, hydroelectricity, and even special stoves that burn wood chips. By some stage, the legislation could be widened to include restrictions on using natural gas to heat buildings.

The Ministry of Climate and Environment said the ban would apply to both new and old buildings and cover both private homes and the public space of businesses and state-owned facilities.

The ministry says the plans are expected to lessen Norway's emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gases by an estimated 340,000 tonnes per year, compared to overall national emissions of 53.9 million tonnes in 2015.

Norway's radioactive reindeer Show all 6 1 /6 Norway's radioactive reindeer Norway's radioactive reindeer There are more than 30,000 reindeer in Norway Although the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster in Ukraine happened nearly 30 years ago and more than a thousand miles from Norway, the country's reindeer are still suffering from increased radioactivity. Amos Chapple, RFE/RL Norway's radioactive reindeer A reindeer eats lichen When the disaster happened, larger areas of were covered by clouds of radioactive dust. When it rained or snowed in Norway that dust made its way into the landscape, contaminating everything it touched. Amos Chapple, RFE/RL Norway's radioactive reindeer Semi-domestic reindeer roam freely around Norway's rugged landscape Norway's reindeer feed on lichen, mushrooms and grass. The unusually high radioactivity observed in the reindeer is thought to be linked to this years' bumper crop of mushrooms. Aina Bye Norway's radioactive reindeer Sami heard the reindeer several times a year Norway's indigenous people, the Sami, are known for their reindeer herding. The animals provide a vital source of income for them. Amos Chapple, RFE/RL Norway's radioactive reindeer Reindeer meat is widely eaten in Norway Because of the unusually high radioactivity measured in the reindeer, many are not fit for human consumption and so have been released back into the wild. Aina Bye Norway's radioactive reindeer The legacy of Chenobyl The Sami people of Norway fear that it could be many years before the reindeer return to normal levels of radioactivity. Amos Chapple, RFE/RL

Marius Holm, head of ZERO, a foundation that campaigns hard for cuts in emissions, celebrated the unprecedented policy change, saying: This is a very important climate measure that significantly cuts emissions, sending a powerful signal that we are moving from fossil to renewable energy.

Recommended Most cars sold in Norway are now either electric or hybrid

Green organisations argue the fossil ban is something of a contradiction in terms given the country, which paradoxically is both an oil giant and a climate leader, gets half its export revenues from crude oil and natural gas.

Nevertheless, the new measure could pave way for other countries to follow suit as the building sector is a massive CO2 emitter. In the US, it accounts for 39 per cent of CO2 emissions.

Norway, which is widely seen to be becoming one of the most ecologically progressive countries worldwide, became the first country in the world to commit to zero deforestation last year.

The Norwegian parliament promised the governments public procurement policy will become deforestation-free after a committee of MPs recommended imposing regulations to ensure the state did "not contribute to deforestation of the rainforest".

Norway funds forest conservation projects worldwide and also supports human rights programmes for forest communities.


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Ukraine has accused Russian security services of being behind a major cyber attack that crippled operations around the world earlier this week.

The Eastern European country said its security service, the SBU, has determined that the attack, which appeared to begin in Ukraine before spreading across the globe on Tuesday, was orchestrated by the same hackers who attacked the Ukrainian power grid in December 2016.

The available data, including those obtained in cooperation with international antivirus companies, give us reason to believe that the same hacking groups are involved in the attacks, which in December 2016 attacked the financial system, transport and energy facilities of Ukraine using TeleBots and BlackEnergy, the SBU said in a statement.

Recommended Cyber attack that spread around world was intent only on destruction

This testifies to the involvement of the special services of Russian Federation in this attack.

The SBU had also said on Friday that it had seized equipment it claimed belonged to Russian agents in May and June to launch cyber attacks against Ukraine, as well as other countries.

Ukrainian politicians were also quick to lay blame for Tuesdays attack on Russia, but a Kremlin spokesman dismissed the allegations as unfounded blanket accusations.

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

Cyber security firms are working to figure out who was behind the virus, dubbed NotPetya, which shut down computers, affected banks and brought operations at a Cadbury chocolate factory in Australia to a standstill.

The attack also affected major Russian firms, leading some cyber security researchers to believe it unlikely that Moscow could be behind the attack.

Experts have said that the software appeared to be part of a plan to crash as many systems, companies and countries as possible.

While the software appeared to operate as ransomware, demanding that users pay $300 (227) to get their files back, making a payment wasnt actually possible, suggesting that the ransom demands may have been a way of masking the true motives of those behind the malware.

The SBU also said in a statement on Saturday that the ransom demand was a cover, asserting that the attack was instead aimed at disrupting the operations of state and private companies in Ukraine and causing political instability.

 Major organisations among those affected by worldwide cyber attack

The main purpose of the virus was the destruction of important data, disrupting the work of public and private institutions in Ukraine and spreading panic among the people, the SBU said.

It is clear that this was targeted indiscriminately at Ukrainian businesses, and the Ukrainian government, Jake Williams, president of the security firm Rendition Infosec and a former member of the US National Security Agencys elite cyberwarfare group told Associated Press earlier this week.

He agreed that the ransomware component is just a smokescreen (and a bad one).

Relations between Ukraine and Russia have been in turmoil following Moscows annexation of Crimea in 2014 and the Kremlin-backed separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine that has left more than 10,000 people dead.

A cyber attack on a Ukrainian state energy computer in December caused a power failure affecting the northern part of Kiev.

Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of being behind cyber attacks, including the hacking of Ukraines voting system ahead of the countrys 2014 national election, as well as an attack that forced its power grid offline in 2015.

The Russian foreign ministry and Federal Security Service have yet to respond to the new allegations.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz has ordered an over-enthusiastic columnist to be suspended from his job after he equated him with God, Saudi media reported on Sunday.

King Salman has frequently been lauded by columnists in local media, in traditional deference to authority, since the 81-year-old assumed office in 2015.

But Ramadan al-Anzi's column in al-Jazirah newspaper describing King Salman as "Haleem", or forbearing, and "Shadeed al-Eqab", strict in punishment - both terms associated in Islam with God - appeared to have gone too far.

Attributing divine qualities or giving individuals any of the 99 names of God is frowned upon in the kingdom, which follows the strict Sunni Muslim Wahhabi school of Islam.

The newspaper published an apology late on Saturday.

"The phrases and tribute which the author bestowed on the personality of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, are not acceptable, despite what God had bestowed upon him, may God protect him, of the honor of serving the two holy mosques, Islam, the homeland and the people," al-Jazirah wrote.

Saudi media reported that the king had ordered that action be taken against the newspaper, but no specifics were given.

In a message to Information Minister Awwad bin Saleh Alawwad, the king wrote that he was "astonished by some of the phrases used in the column", according to Okaz newspaper.

Online newspaper, sabq, quoted the king as saying in his written complaint: "This is an issue that has distressed us, we don't accept it and don't approve of it, recognizing its dangers and the danger of being lenient towards it."

Reuters
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Leaders of Afghanistan's three major ethnic minority political parties, all of whom hold senior positions in the government, announced from Turkey on Saturday that they have formed a coalition to save Afghanistan from chaos, issued a list of demands for reforms by President Ashraf Ghani, and vowed to hold mass protests unless they are met.

The stunning development followed weeks of gathering political turmoil and public unrest after a devastating terrorist bombing in the capital on 31 May. It brought together a group of powerful ex-militia leaders, once rivals in a civil war, in an extraordinary alliance that could present Ghani and his shaky government with its most serious challenge since taking office in 2014.

The group's statement was issued from Ankara where Abdul Rashid Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek strongman who is still technically first vice president in the Ghani government, moved recently on grounds of ill health despite being under investigation in Kabul for sexual assault against an elderly political rival. Dostum's aides circulated the statement on social media.

The other leaders -- Muhammad Atta Noor, an ethnic Tajik and provincial Governor; Mohammed Mohaqiq, an ethnic Hazara leader and deputy to the government's chief executive; and Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, a member of Noor's Jamaat-e-Islami party -- have been visiting Dostum in the past week for a family wedding in the lavish home where he has often lived in periods of exile.

The group, calling itself the Coalition for the Salvation of Afghanistan, said their aim was to "prevent the collapse of the government, avoid chaos and restore public trust." They demanded that Ghani devolve power to cabinet ministries and provinces, stop "overreaching" his authority for personal motives, schedule long-promised elections, and obey the constitution and the law. It also called for Dostum's full authority to be restored and a government attack against him to be investigated.

Ghani's office responded coolly and calmly to the provocative salvo. Presidential spokesman Shahhussain Murtazawi told news outlets that the Government "welcomes any move" that contributes to national interests, but noted that the individuals leading the coalition are "involved in the Government" and thus also "accountable for its shortcomings." If the group has "any alternative plans for overcoming the current situation," he said, "they should share them."

There was no comment from the office of Abdullah Abdullah, the chief executive officer who has been estranged from Ghani for many months. Abdullah, from the Jamaat-e-Islami party, has disappointed party figures such as Noor for making too many concessions to Ghani in an effort to keep the struggling government afloat.

A variety of political figures and observers reacted sceptically to the news, suggesting that the ethnic minority leaders, all of whom have had differences with Ghani while in office, may be less interested in government reforms than in using a period of public anger and unhappiness to press for political advantage. They also noted that Ghani, an ethnic Pashtun, has been criticised for concentrating power in the hands of his ethnic and tribal allies and marginalising other ethnic groups.

A spokesman for Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the Pashtun former fugitive warlord who returned to Kabul recently in a peace deal with Ghani, said the new coalition seemed "suspicious" and might be more interested in "personal demands" than public ones. "Why have they been silent for so long?" asked the spokesman, Kareem Amin. "You can't be inside the system and criticise it too. "

Hekmatyar, in a separate statement Saturday, called on all Afghans to unite and support the Ghani government at a time of crisis. The country is suffering from high unemployment and a protracted insurgent conflict. The 31 May bombing was a major blow to the nation's confidence in its rulers.

It was unclear whether the ethnic opposition leaders, who have called for city-wide demonstrations starting Monday, would be able to draw much support from the protesters that filled the streets of Kabul for most of June after the huge bombing and several subsequent violent incidents.

The groups erected tent colonies on major streets where speakers demanded change night after night. The tents were dismantled by security forces on 20 June, but protest groups vowed to return to the streets in force after Ramadan and Eid, the Muslim fasting month and holiday that ended this week.

But although many of the protesters' demands were similar to those listed by the ethnic leaders, the composition and tone of their impromptu movement, called "Uprising for Change," was completely different. A mix of students, academics, liberal activists and women's groups, as well as families of bomb victims, they called mainly for justice, security and more responsive governance.

The most strident voice in the new coalition has been that of Noor, a wealthy northern Governor who, until recently, was negotiating with Ghani to obtain a greater share of power. During the fraud-plagued 2014 elections, which both Abdullah and Ghani claimed to have won, Noor threatened to create violent unrest if Ghani was declared the winner.

Last week, delivering a message to a large crowd at the end of Ramadan in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, Noor warned that if Ghani did not meet the group's demands, "we will come by the thousands and thousands to Kabul." Sources in the security community said the group planned to gather its forces in several suburban locations and march to the Presidential Palace.

Copyright The Washington Post
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Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert left prison early on Sunday after a parole board granted him early release from his 27-month corruption sentence.

Prison Service spokesman Assaf Librati said Olmert, 71, was whisked away by security and driven home after serving 16 months.

Librati said the terms of Olmert's early release stipulate that for the next few months he must do volunteer work, appear before police twice a month and not give interviews to the media or leave the country. Olmert will reportedly volunteer at a food bank and for a group that provides medical aid to needy families. However, President Reuven Rivlin could relieve him of the parole restrictions.

"We are very happy, a great burden has been lifted and a great sorrow and pain has ended," Eti Livni, a friend of Olmert, told Army Radio.

Olmert was convicted in 2014 in a wide-ranging case that accused him of accepting bribes to promote a real-estate project in Jerusalem and obstructing justice. The charges pertained to a period before he became Prime Minister in 2006, when he served as Mayor of Jerusalem and Trade Minister..

His departure from office in 2009 ended the last major Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and ushered in the era of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Olmert was a long-time fixture in Israel's hawkish right wing when he began taking a dramatically more conciliatory line toward the Palestinians more than a decade ago. He played a leading role in Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and became Prime Minister in January 2006 after his predecessor Ariel Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke. He resigned amid a corruption scandal that clouded his administration.

A gifted speaker, Olmert broke a series of taboos while in office  warning that Israel could become like apartheid South Africa if it continued its occupation of the Palestinians and expressing readiness to relinquish parts of Jerusalem under a peace deal.

He led his government to the Annapolis peace conference in November 2007, launching more than a year of ambitious, but ultimately unsuccessful US-brokered talks.

Olmert has said he made unprecedented concessions to the Palestinians  including a near-total withdrawal from the West Bank and an offer to place Jerusalem's Old City under international control  and was close to reaching an agreement at the time of his resignation.

Olmert was rushed to hospital with chest pains last month, but doctors ruled out a heart attack. A few days before that, Israel's Justice Ministry asked the police to investigate whether Olmert committed a "criminal offence" while behind bars.

It said a book Olmert is writing touches on "sensitive security issues" and that his lawyer was caught leaving the prison with a chapter on "secret operations" not approved by the censor for publication. Police searched the publishing house of the Yediot Ahronot newspaper, but not the paper itself, over the incident.

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked welcomed Olmert's release, telling Army Radio that he deserved to have his sentence reduced and that "all in all his behaviour in prison was very good."

A few hours after his release, a somber-looking Olmert was seen walking around a shopping centre in Tel Aviv. A public relations company representing the centre released photos of the former Prime Minister in a clothing store, saying that people had greeted him and wished him well.

AP
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France and its African partners must work together to wipe out Islamist militants in the volatile Sahel region, President Emmanuel Macron said at the opening of a summit in Mali's capital Bamako on Sunday.

At the meeting, leaders of the G5 Sahel bloc - Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, Niger and Chad - were expected to launch a new multi-national force aimed at combating Islamist militants and illegal activity in the vast region.

"Every day we must combat terrorists, thugs, murderers ... who we must steadfastly and with determination eradicate together," said Macron, who was making his second visit to Mali since taking office in May.

Islamist militant groups, some with links to al-Qaeda, seized control of Mali's desert north in 2012.

While they were driven out of major cities and towns a year later by a French-led military intervention, they continue to carry out attacks against UN peacekeepers, Malian soldiers and civilian targets.

The violence has spilled over into neighbouring countries in West Africa's Sahel region and Paris has deployed thousands of French troops to combat Islamists as part of a cross-border operation known as Barkhane.

Reuters
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Abu Dhabi has become the first airport to lift the US electronics ban, it announced today.

Etihad, the UAE airline, announced that its hub airport had been cleared to lift the ban at by the US government after implementing extra security measures. It has taken place with immediate effect, after the Transport Security Administration (TSA)  part of the Department of Homeland Security  completed an observation and verification session this morning. Passengers were immediately allowed to take electronic devices onboard Etihad flights to the US.

The laptop ban, as it has become widely known, was imposed by the US government in March on the grounds of innovative methods being used by terrorists. Laptops, e-readers, tablets, DSLR cameras and other large electronic devices were banned on flights to the US from 10 airports, including Abu Dhabi.

Although sceptics mooted that it was a ploy to assist US carriers - none of which flew to the airports involved - the UK swiftly followed with a variation on the ban, prohibiting electronics on flights from six Muslim-majority countries. The UAE is not included in the UK ban.

It is not known whether the UK will follow suit in relaxing the ban in other countries if airports take Abu Dhabi's lead and implement extra security measures.

Airlines have been scrambling to make the ban work logistically since it was imposed with little warning. Experts have also warned that the ban could cause a catastrophic fire if devices caught alight in the hold.

Last week, the TSA announced it was demanding extra screening requirements for electronics as a security measure at 280 airports around the world, impacting 2,000 flights a day. It was said to be a bid to ensure the electronics ban was not expanded. Abu Dhabi is the first airport to meet with its approval.
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Since the financial crisis of 2008, the Conservatives have argued that austerity was an economic necessity. Now they seem to accept it is a political choice, as Jeremy Corbyn and John McDonnell have long claimed. Labour did not win last months election, but it has won this big political argument.



Theresa Mays unseemly deal with the Democratic Unionist Party, which will support the Tories in key Commons votes in return for an extra 1bn for Northern Ireland, has undermined the Governments ability to say no to other demands for spending. The magic money tree soundbite used to attack Labours plans during the election is no longer on Tory lips. Indeed, Cabinet ministers queue up to demand more spending, notably by lifting the 1 per cent cap on public sector pay rises.



It appears that May agrees as she tries to learn lessons from her catastrophic election. So do many Tory backbenchers. A lonely Philip Hammond, the Chancellor, is trying to hold the line as he contemplates a mounting pile of post-election bills. Projected savings from changes to the state pension and the winter fuel allowance for pensioners will not materialise as the cuts have been abandoned. A shake-up of social care funding is in the long grass. More money must be found for schools, and the NHS remains close to the edge. A hit to the public finances from Brexit looms.



Hammond will probably squash Tory calls, led by Damian Green, the First Secretary of State, for a debate about university tuition fees. (Green's move is another backhanded compliment to Labour after its pledge to abolish them). But the Chancellor should and surely will give way on public sector pay. A two-year freeze, followed by five years of 1 per cent rises, has taken its toll on seven million workers.

The policy may soon be counterproductive for the Treasury; the NHS pay review body has warned that filling gaps from growing staff shortages could cost more than the cap saves. Ministers are likely to honour the recommendations of the eight pay review bodies. It is impossible to justify a pay squeeze when the budget deficit has been brought down from an admittedly unsustainable 9.9 per cent in 2009-10 to 2.4 per cent.



The Tories expected U-turn is welcome but their warm words about public servants are probably a cold political calculation. Would they be ending the pay cap if May had won the big majority she expected? No. We should also judge the Tories new rhetoric on austerity against whether they maintain their four-year freeze on working age benefits, which is hurting many of the just about managing people May set out to champion a year ago on becoming prime minister.



There is also a strong case for relaxing the purse strings for local authorities, who have seen their budgets cut by 40 per cent since 2010, more than any Whitehall department, as the Government passed the cuts parcel. Councils will have some big bills as the lessons of the Grenfell Tower tragedy are learned and the Government should meet them in full.



If the Tories are hoping to reap a political reward from their new language on austerity, they may be disappointed. They are a party of sound money or they are nothing. They have a difficult balancing act to perform and could end up falling between two stools.



Some of the Tories natural supporters may not be impressed that the annual budget deficit, which was supposed to be cleared by 2015, is still running at 58bn and not due to be eliminated until 2025, a target that could now easily slip. At the same time, many people might be rather sceptical about the Tories sudden conversion and, if they want an anti-austerity party, will vote for the real thing.
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The Independent's article Labour's right wing draws up new plan to undermine Jeremy Corbyn (Jon Stone, 1 July) points to what has become almost traditional, destructive Labour Party infighting.

It also begs the question whether anyone in the current Labour Party has a memory longer than that of the average goldfish.

Having witnessed first-hand the Militant Tendency years I would have thought it obvious, many moons ago, to Momentum that a new party was the answer. But no, the Jeremy groupies choose, yet again, to waste time, energy and, yes, lose momentum to infighting rather than take the Macron route, shake off the old and surge ahead capitalising on their popularity.



Amanda Baker

Edinburgh



With the Labour Party once again preparing for war amongst themselves, it is rather predictable that they want to ruin the momentum of goodwill that has been built up in the aftermath of the election. With both sides warring against themselves could we perhaps see the breakup of the Tories and Labour into smaller factions? I know it might seem unlikely but it might just be the healthiest thing to happen to what has become a fossilised form of democratic politics.



David Murphy

Address supplied



Labour First group secretary Luke Akehurst has put forward his groups proposal to increase (from two to four) the number of delegates directly elected by 7,000 councillors to Labours ruling body, the National Executive Committee, at the expense of reducing the number (from six to four) directly elected by 600,000 members.

Thats democracy, folks. It took years of campaigning to raise the number of delegates elected by members from four to six and we wont give that up now.

Corbyn has his work cut out in his laudable attempts to fashion a party that once again reflects the will of its members, which is anathema to those whose inclinations have been at odds with the altruism which led people to first form, and then support the party through thick and thin. We are many, they are few.



Eddie Dougall

Suffolk

The vicars daughter

Jonathan Longstaff (Letters, 30 June) asserts that It is a sad comment on the morals of this nation when a Prime Minister has to go against her religious principles and allow more women to obtain abortion paid for by the NHS, and at the same time undermine the democratic decision in Northern Ireland regarding abortion.

I have no idea what Theresa May's religious principles are, or, indeed, whether her moniker 'the vicar's daughter' conveys anything other than the profession of her father. The sadness  and, indeed, a source of shame  is that a political party in the UK still legislates against abortion and puts 'religious principles' before any other considerations.

Religious principles are, after all, social constructs imposed (typically by men) as a means of social control. If one wishes to make reference to Christianity for their religious principles, one may wish to reflect that, in contrast to the established church, Jesus was not so condemnatory.

Beryl Wall

London W4

Work place reviews

So Iain Duncan Smith now feels that work capability assessments are too harsh, does he? I think that the issue might simply be that they have been applied incorrectly. Perhaps it would be more advisable to carry out these assessments on people who are already in work. I would suggest that it might be more advisable to carry out such assessments  to pick examples entirely at random  on Health Secretaries, Education Secretaries, Ministers for Work and Pensions, Transport Secretaries and Foreign Secretaries; just to make sure that those in office are up to the job, you understand.

Julian Self

Milton Keynes
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Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have taken to the streets across the country since April to demand elections, solutions to hunger and shortages, and an end to President Nicolas Maduro's plan to overhaul the constitution. Last Thursday, a thousands-strong march that was aiming to reach the chief prosecutor's office in Caracas was broken up by security forces with tear gas and pellets. Protesters burnt a truck, before dispersing to a wide junction on an urban freeway that has been the site of clashes on several occasions recently.

The freeway runs past La Carlota air base, and soldiers and National Guards fired gas from inside the perimeter of the base to try to clear the highway. About a hundred protesters threw rocks back and began to tear a part of the fence.

(Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

(Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

Garcia, who has photographed this spot many times, used a concrete barrier in the road for protection and shot the scene with a long lens. "There are several points, on the bridge of the junction, or below, but always trying to keep ourselves covered by the crash barrier of the freeway," said Garcia, 38.

"Yesterday, the protesters broke open the fence."

(Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

In a matter of seconds, a youth standing in the gap in the fence jumped down as a group of military men carrying long firearms approached from inside the base. David Jose Vallenilla, 22, was crouched down on the highway by the fence. At this moment he stood up, protected only by a small rucksack strapped to his chest, and just a few feet from the soldier, who began shooting.

(Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

Garcia captured the moment in a series of photos, as Vallenilla falls to the ground, then gets to his feet to escape, as another activist wrapped in the Venezuelan flag and carrying a flimsy wooden shield tries to give him cover and also comes under fire. Garcia rushed in as protesters gathered round Vallenilla to drag him away, and captured another stark image, of the young man's face as paramedics drove him away on a motorbike.

(Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

(Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

(Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

"By then he looked very bad, badly injured," he said. Vallenilla died in hospital a few minutes later. At least 75 people have been killed since the protests began in April. The protest outside the air base carried on after shooting.

It was the second time in a week that media caught on camera military elements firing weapons at protesters resulting in deaths. In response, the government has swiftly detained several members of the security forces accused of the shootings. A former small businessman who owned phone shops, Garcia has been covering Venezuela for Reuters for more than a decade. His daughter was born two weeks before the latest protests exploded in April. He says the mood is different than a previous round of demonstrations three years ago.

(Reuters/Carlos Garcia Rawlins)

"This time people have lost their fear of authority, they are furious," Garcia said. "Before, many protesters would run as a soon as they smelt tear gas, now they don't run."

He said that over the past month the protests against Maduro have become more intense and less organised, meaning photographers must move with the ebb and flow of the demonstrators. His team tries to place itself in different spots, somewhere high up, somewhere at mid distance and somewhere close.

"The opposition protests have been getting more chaotic as the days pass, more disorganized, now it's not two groups fighting each other," said Garcia, describing the challenge of following the protests as the fracture into small groups.

"Every day is different."
A trade deal between the UK and the US does not mean that UK food standards would be loosened, according to Michael Gove.

The UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Michael Gove told the Andrew Marr Show on BBC this weekend that Britain has a reputation for producing top quality food and the UK can be a world leader in environmental measures.

When asked about the UK accepting hormone beef or chlorine washed chicken, he said that a trade deal with the US would not mean any loosening of food and environmental standards.

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"With no tariff barriers, British food, which has a world reputation for quality, will be able to be bought by more people. That means that as we grow and produce more, that we can ensure that our countryside and rural economy is more productive.

"We can also...ensure that not do we maintain high environmental standards, we enhance them."

The UK, he said, take steps to ensure that live exports are to a higher welfare standard.

"We can have a green Brexit that ensures that Britain is an environmental leader."

He also said that UK farmers who currently receive large amounts of EU subsidies will get less money under the new regime.

Gove also told Andrew Marr that the UK would be taking back control of the waters for fishing with the 12-mile radius of the UK. He said the UK would decide the terms of access and would extend control of its waters for up to 200 miles.

He said taking back control would mean sustainable fish stocks for the future.
I rang a neighbour last week looking for the loan of a machine. During the conversation he mentioned how annoyed he was with his latest Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF) evaluation for his stockbull, which had fallen from a five-star to a two-star bull (across breeds) in the past year.

This is a real good farmer so I knew that this was a genuine complaint.

It also came on the back of a series of chats with farmers over recent months expressing their disquiet with the apparent litany of issues surrounding the ICBF over the last year.

Here are some of those issues as I see them.

Has the National Cattle Breeding Centre (NCBC) too much influence on the board of ICBF through its direct involvement in Progressive Genetics (PG) and Munster AI?

PG and Munster board members account for almost a third of the board. Other board members would also have close connections to the NCBC operation.

But the NCBC plays a pivotal role in the national breeding programme with the most homebred bulls on annual test.

Why did the ICBF discourage any dairy farmer from signing breeding contracts with New Zealand AI company LIC?

The NCBC had secured 32 'Keystone herds for its own breeding contracts. Talking to Keystone herd owners, they seem very happy with the three year deals they have entered with NCBC, especially given the possibility of flogging a bull calf to the stud for as much as 25,000.

This is an Irish business seeking to develop the best of Irish breeding. Should they be treated differently from a foreign breeding company? Absolutely.

Why has there been so little progress made on sexed semen when it has the potential to avoid a PR disaster with unwanted crossbred dairy bull calves?

I believe that it is up to the farmer shareholders of the AI companies to force their management to be more proactive on this. The trial some years back proved that sexed semen has a role but it needs real support from the AI studs to make it main-stream.

What about the tension between the ICBF and pedigree beef breeders and moves towards whole herd evaluations?

For me, whole herd evaluations are the only way to avoid interference by unscrupulous breeders. The introduction of a 'bull finder' function where any farmer will be able to search out the best stockbulls from any of the herds registered for whole herd evaluation will be a real incentive for more pedigree herds to go this way.

Why should the ICBF be entitled to a compulsory levy on tags, as is being mooted for next year?

Ever since the Department of Agriculture allowed tag companies to make the contribution to the ICBF optional, a significant chunk of farmers have chosen to stop paying.

That's fine if you don't care about the future of the country's breeding industry, but it ignores key contributions by the ICBF to cattle breeding in Ireland.

For example, research shows the progeny from a five star cow are 10kg heavier and a month earlier to slaughter than progeny from a one star cow.

Other studies suggest that the EBI has put an extra 631m into dairy farmers' pockets since its introduction. That figure is set to rise to over 1bn over the next five years.

If you don't believe the independent analysis, consider why geneticists from so many other countries have come over to Ireland to see how they can replicate what the ICBF have achieved.

The research and data crunching can't be funded by commercial interests because this would eventually compromise the direction of breeding programmes.

Why was there a cock-up in the most recent dairy bull evaluations, and just how long has the problem been going on for?

In the same way that you upgrade the software on your phone apps, the ICBF is constantly upgrading the software that generates the genetic info that drives our breeding programmes.

Unfortunately for the ICBF, and especially farmers, that last upgrade chose to omit certain bits of data on milk and fertility when it was transferring across the information.

Zeros were inserted instead, and bulls with minus figures in these traits got the benefit, while others with plus scores were unfairly penalised.

Because the amount of data missing altered the EBIs for bulls by no more than 40 either way, it wasn't statistically significant enough to set off alarm bells with the geneticists tasked with over-seeing this process. For this reason the problem went unnoticed for a few years before it was flagged.

Is this good enough? No, and the ICBF have since been audited in an effort to improve their cross-checks to prevent something like this happening again.

Why did some bulls' EBIs drop by over 100 when the evaluations were re-engineered?

I'm told that at the same time the reference population for fertility traits was upgraded for the first time in two years. As genetic advances continue, what was a good fertility score two years ago is now a middle-of-the-road one.

Why does this upgrade only happen every two years?

It takes more than one geneticist from two to three months to run the update. Again, this is being worked on and, in the future, updates in the reference population will be a push-button job.

So what about my neighbour's bull that was a five star chap just 12 months ago and is now rated a two star - how can we had confidence in figures that do that?

The bull was rated a five star bull on the basis of his genomic test.

These are almost twice as reliable as the old predictions based on pedigrees which had reliabilities closer to 30pc.

But no matter how good your genomic test is, it still isn't as reliable as the proof generated by the daughters on the ground, which brings a bull's reliability closer to 70pc.

The downside is that you have to wait around for four or five years to get facts on how a bull's daughters are performing from the time of his birth.

Genomics wipes five years off that timeline, and hence the massive advances in breeding in recent years.

What changed this year for my neighbour's bull was the inclusion of data from his daughters. They were scored by the farmer as having less milk than the average animal in the herd.

As he acknowledged himself, the calf from the cow with plenty of milk is always the one that kills out best at the end too - in other words, milk yield is key.

In this case the bull is producing progeny that are a lot worse than his genes otherwise predicted. You would be forgiven for thinking that the genomic test is no more accurate than the old pedigree proofs.

The reality is that sometimes genomics loses, but on average it is twice as likely to win.

Fortunately, the way the Beef Data Genomics Programme is structured, once your bull has been registered as a five star, he stays that way in terms of qualifying for the payment.

The obvious downside is that you have to work that bit harder on reversing the damage done to his daughters' indexes for future generations.

But that's the breeding game isn't it?

In the same way that breeding requires a really long-term view and a bit of faith, farmers need to keep the faith in the ICBF.

It's a strange thing to urge in relation to something that is so fundamentally rooted in science and facts, but confidence can be a delicate flower.
FARMERS have been urged to carry out faecal egg counts to assess worm burdens and look at wormer efficacy, as ivermectin resistance has now been identified on sheep farms.

Teagasc's Barbara Good warned multiple drug resistance has also been confirmed in Irish flocks.

Dr Good said the examination of data from the STAP figures of about 1400 farms identified treatment failure in 49pc of flocks.

Treatment failure of the white drench for worms was found mid- season in 68pc of flocks.

The parasite expert said it also found treatment failure of yellow drenches was found in 48pc of flocks and for ivermectin in 38pc.

"We can say with reasonable confidence that a lot of that is to do with anthelmintic resistance as opposed to dosing issues as such," she said, adding the STAP results mirrored work carried out by Teagasc.

However, she urged farmers to ensure they were not contributing to treatment failures by giving the incorrect dose or not checking the calibration of the dosing gun.

"The fact is your choices are more limited if you have resistance - we do have two prescription only medicines on the market which gives farmers more choice. All hope is not lost I suppose."

Dr Good pointed out the white drench should still be used as the first dose for the early gut worm, nematodiris.

"It is important that farmers actually test their own flocks," she said.

"The drench test is a simple test to do. It is effective - it gives you information on whether your doses are working.

She said knowing the flock faecal egg count will give the farmer the knowledge to make the decision on whether they should be dosing or not.

Dr Good said another study looked at some farms where there were suspicions of ivermectin resistance. It found resistance in two of the four farms to the medium brown stomach worm.

"That is new knowledge that we actually have ivermectin resistance out there," she said.
A major row has broken out between Aer Lingus and the DAA over what the airline's chief operating officer described as "unacceptable infrastructural deficits" at Dublin Airport.

In a stinging memo seen by this newspaper, Aer Lingus chief operating officer Mike Rutter attacked the DAA over alleged lack of investment after baggage belt failures cost the airline hundreds of thousands of euro last week. Rutter said the airline has serious concerns over DAA's failure to invest in key infrastructure such as taxiways, contact stands and baggage belts at the airport.

The attack was in an update Rutter sent to staff on Friday about "significant infrastructural issues" which arose on a number of days last week and caused major delays.

On Monday and Tuesday of last week Aer Lingus "experienced major operational disruption as the baggage belts failed in our T2 baggage hall", said Rutter. "This occurred due to the DAA's uploading of new software to the airport IT infrastructure, which rendered the baggage belts inoperable."

This forced Aer Lingus's baggage hall team to manually process bags using "bingo cards" to assign them to the appropriate aircraft. This, said Rutter, was a business process more suited to the 1970s.

The failure, which DAA said was by an external service provider, caused hundreds of bags to be short-shipped and caused significant delays to departing flights, he said. But Rutter wrote that the issue had "translated into thousands of dissatisfied Aer Lingus guests separated from their baggage and/or arriving late to their desired destinations".

The technical problems stabilised mid-week but recurred on Friday morning when the baggage transfer belt in Terminal 2 malfunctioned, followed by the breakdown of all the baggage belts in the terminal, affecting all carriers based there.

This meant that check-in agents were forced to transport bags on trolleys to the baggage hall and again assign bags to aircraft using "bingo cards".

"Today's departures have been significantly delayed and the already large backlog of short-shipped bags at Dublin has grown even further with knock-on costs for Aer Lingus running into the hundreds of thousands," said Rutter.

"This week's service failures follow a number of other serious infrastructural issues at Dublin Airport and we continue to be very concerned about the DAA's lack of investment and failure to address these key issues," he said.

Rutter said Aer Lingus continues to be "concerned with the DAA's failure to invest sufficiently in the provision of taxiways, contact stands, baggage belts and many other aspects of important airport infrastructure and have raised these matters with the DAA at the highest level."

A Dublin Airport spokesman said "an upgrade by an external service provider, which was introduced this week, did create some technical issues and we are working closely with the company in question and our airline customers to resolve them. Dublin Airport is currently investing 100m per year to upgrade and maintain its facilities for the benefit of airlines and passengers".
'The unions told the Labour Court that the company had "in the region of 1bn of free cash" and has "outperformed all its peers within the IAG Group".'

Airport unions have hit Aer Lingus with a pay and profit-share claim of almost 80m, the Sunday Independent has learned.

Labour Court documents which have been seen by this newspaper reveal that airline staff are seeking a 5pc increase in pay each year for three years, which would cost the company 30m.

The unions are also demanding the introduction of an ongoing profit-share scheme, as well as the payment to staff, by way of a lump sum, of a share of the 233m profit reported by the company in 2016.

Based on the current level of profitability, a 5pc share would cost Aer Lingus 35m over the period.

The unions are also seeking 13m worth of double increment payments for two years to make up for increments that were not paid to staff between 2008 and 2016.

The pay claim follows the sizeable claim lodged by Siptu with Dublin Airport Authority, which was revealed by this newspaper last week.

"It is our contention that the exceptional financial performance of the company is in large measure due to the efforts of employees in Aer Lingus," said the submission from Siptu, Impact and Unite.

The unions told the Labour Court that the company had "in the region of 1bn of free cash" and has "outperformed all its peers within the IAG Group".

Aer Lingus had achieved a return on invested capital in 2016 of 23.1pc, well ahead of its annual target of 15pc, it said. A spokesman for the airline had no comment.

Meanwhile, this newspaper has also learned that despite its strong performance, the airline is deeply unhappy with DAA after a serious malfunction of baggage belts at Dublin Airport caused it delays last week.

A botched software update, that DAA said was caused by an external provider, forced Aer Lingus to resort to trolleys and so-called "bingo cards" to handle baggage in Dublin's Terminal 2.

In a memo, Aer Lingus chief operating office Mike Rutter described this as "a business process more suited to the 1970s".

The problems had caused hundreds of bags to go missing and thousands of passengers to be delayed last week, said Rutter.

"This week's service failures follow a number of other serious infrastructural issues at Dublin Airport and we continue to be very concerned about the DAA's lack of investment and failure to address these key issues," he wrote.
A GROUP of Killybegs fishermen has raised a further 4m in the latest fundraising by protein powder maker Biomarine Ingredients Ireland (BII).

The company, which is about to start full production at its new 10m processing plant in Monaghan, has now raised more than 15m since setting up three years ago.

The new plant will produce a range of protein and calcium powders derived from fish caught by the local Donegal fleet and be aimed at food manufacturers and the functional ingredients market. The bulk of that money has come from fishermen represented by the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, who are BII's main shareholders. Its chief executive is former Bord Iascaigh Mhara boss Jason Whooley.

Norwegian company Biomarine Science Technology is also a minority shareholder but largely contributes through the provision of technology and expertise.

The company is planning to build a second 35m processing plant in Killybegs, Co Donegal, for which it has planning permission and which would be the biggest such facility in the world.

It said: "Through Goodbody Corporate Finance, we just had a funding round and all of the shareholders decided they wanted to be involved. We raised just over 4m over the last three months, bringing the total raised so far to 15m. The majority of that money has come from our shareholder pool."

BII is working with key dairy industry scientists and commercial experts and Whooley said it has discussed the possibility of formal partnerships with Irish dairy companies.

"We have identified significant opportunities, particularly in the Asia Pacific market and the global protein ingredients market is projected to be worth $39bn (34bn) by 2020," said Whooley. But he added that the company had not raised money from Irish banks.

"There's lots of promotion to say the banks are backing Irish businesses but that certainly would not have been our experience.

"We were fortunate in that we didn't need it. We estimate that the Killybegs plant will cost 35m to develop."
Jason Whooley, chief executive of Bio-Marine Ingredients Ireland, says the company is looking to capitalise on the functional ingredients market. Photo: Steve Humphreys

When Biomarine Ingredients Ireland (BII) chief executive Jason Whooley finally held up a jar of white powder in front of his shareholders he knew it had been all worthwhile.

The endless commuting from West Cork to Dublin, Donegal and Monaghan. The long hours spent away from his four small children. The risk of quitting a safe pensionable job at the top of a state agency. The stress over planning delays. The raising of tens of millions of euro. It had all been worthwhile.

The protein powder in the jar was produced in BII's new Monaghan factory from fish caught off the west coast. For Whooley, the former head of Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), it was a very visible sign that BII was closer to its goal of finding lucrative markets for a plentiful local supply of blue whiting and boarfish.

In 2014 Whooley had been approached by Killybegs fishermen with a plan to add huge value to their catch of the two species. They were frustrated that of the 1.2 million tonnes of fish caught annually in Irish waters, 80pc of it was by foreign boats.

"Even Killybegs-based vessels often steam for up to three days up to the Faroe Islands or Norway to unload what they catch off the west coast of Ireland to find a market and get a better price for their catch," said Whooley.

A year earlier, as head of BIM, he had launched a plan for the Irish seafood industry to generate 1bn in sales within five years. BII's protein powder proposal fits exactly into that model for adding value to the industry.

Whooley made the jump back into the private sector to head up the joint venture between the 15 fishermen, represented by the Killybegs Fishermen's Organisation, and Norwegian marine biotech firm Biomarine Science Technology.

Three years on, after crossing some major hurdles, the company is about to begin commercial production of high-end proteins, oils and calcium from fish at a 10m facility in Co Monaghan for use as food ingredients by the global food industry.

BII also finally has permission to build a second, much larger, plant in Killybegs after a long planning battle. That facility will likely go ahead in 2018. It will cost 35m and take 18 months to build. When complete, BII will have the largest marine food ingredients plant in the world.

"Traditionally, value-added seafood was seen as putting breadcrumbs on fillets," said Whooley. "Our powder can be used as a food ingredient for protein fortification in breakfast cereals, drinks and a range of other foodstuffs. We have identified significant opportunities, particularly in the Asia Pacific market, for protein fortification and the global protein ingredients market is projected to be worth $39bn by 2020."

The company is also looking to capitalise on the rapidly-growing functional ingredients market. Protein derived from fish has health benefits for sufferers of conditions as varied as muscle wastage, weight management and diabetes and Biomarine has established a research programme to research opportunities, said Whooley.

"There's a growing world population and an insatiable demand for protein. Our raw material - fish - is a great source of protein. BII is the piece in the middle that takes a traditional raw material and converts it into an application that fits the demands of the modern market."

For Whooley, the scale of the ambition was similar to what Irish dairy companies had previously achieved by turning Irish milk into global ingredients businesses.

"We are trying to leverage what has happened in the Irish dairy industry where there was an underutilised pool of milk that companies used to become global players in food and ingredients. Kerry, Glanbia, Lakeland, Carberry, Ornua - all of these Irish companies have shown successfully how you can make the transition. We are the first company, not only in Ireland but in Europe, to try doing it at a scale with fish. We see ourselves very much as an ingredients company or biotech, rather than as a traditional seafood company."

BII is already working with key dairy industry scientists and commercial experts and Whooley says it has discussed the possibility of formal partnerships with Irish dairy companies. But there were major challenges along the way. Within six months of quitting his secure job in the public sector, BII's new boss faced a massive challenge. A planning objection lodged with An Bord Pleanala meant that the huge new Killybegs plant - then the only factory it was planning to build - was placed in an 18-month limbo. The company had to rewrite its business plan.

"'I've got this great new product for you' I would tell potential customers," says Whooley. "'Sounds good. When can I have it?' they would say. 'I don't know, whenever we come out the far side of An Bord Pleanala.' We had to make a decision as to how we could bring certainty to our timelines."

Whooley's solution was to park the Killybegs plan until the planning issue could be resolved. A vacant and much smaller food-processing facility was found in Monaghan.

"It was the best thing that ever happened the company. We had a period of time where, instead of focusing on building plants, we could focus on researching the product. We conducted product trials in various facilities around Europe and we now have strong market interest from global food companies, both domestically and internationally."

"We won't invest in the Killybegs plant until we know from Monaghan that we have a really, really strong commercial prospect," he says.

The hold up did not dent the ambitions of BII's shareholders. While the full 35m budget for the Killybegs plant has not yet been needed, over the last three years the Killybegs fishermen were happy to stump up over 12m for the Monaghan plant so as to retain their equity in the company.

"Through Goodbody Corporate Finance we just had a funding round and all of the shareholders decided they wanted to be involved. We raised just over 4m over the last three months bringing the total raised so far to 15m. The majority of that money has come from our shareholder pool."

A company like Biomarine that required major capital investment "isn't really suited to the banking environment in Ireland", said Whooley.

"There's lots of promotion to say the banks are backing Irish businesses but that certainly would not have been our experience. We were fortunate in that we didn't need it. We estimate that the Killybegs plant will cost 35m to develop, but when that time comes we will have a range of more traditional funding options available to us because we will have a proven business and a more established cashflow."

For Whooley, the move to BII was the latest step in a varied career that has always had one thing in common: the sea. During college he helped out with his family's successful mussel farming operation. After graduating he went straight into the role of chief executive of the influential fishing organisation Irish South and West Fish Producers Organisation. After 10 years in that role he was appointed ceo of BIM, where he stayed for seven years before moving to BII in 2014.

"It was a massive change. I had gone from the private sector into BIM and spent seven years as a public servant. I loved BIM. It is a great organisation, with great people and set up for the right reasons, as a development agency for the sector. So it has always been a bit special to me."

But Whooley also experienced first hand the frustrations felt by ambitious public servants.

"BIM is part of a public service infrastructure and because it is part of that it means that decision-making and control of your destiny isn't necessarily your own."

No sooner had he taken up the role in mid 2007, Whooley was faced with a challenging change of circumstance in the form of recession.

"Things went into lockdown. Our budget in my first year was about 60m and in year two it was about 20m. But never waste a good recession as they say and I think - necessarily - there was a lot of tightening up of the decision-making process."

He also found himself mired in a three- or four-year battle to implement the Government's decision to decentralise the organisation from Dun Laoghaire to Clonakilty, Co Cork.

"That distracted the organisation and myself from what we should have been doing, which was developing the industry. It was too much of a distraction and was not what our mandate should have been about. We implemented it but it was hugely time-consuming.

"In the public service there are a lot of different stakeholders that need to be taken into account and you don't have the same autonomy. What we have here in BII is a very simple mandate: delivery of our strategic plan following approval from our shareholders. There's no big long lines of communication before making a decision. That is what frustrated me most in the public sector. The system found ways of making things happen and not making things happen."

But for Whooley, there was always one overriding goal: "It's about trying to move the industry away from its Cinderella status." He strongly believes that the potential of the entire industry has been undervalued. "If you look at Irish society, probably most people are one generation removed from a farm so there is an understanding as to the role it plays and its importance to the economy. That level of understanding isn't there for the seafood sector so as a consequence it has been in the shade for decades and the sector has suffered."

So when Whooley held up that first jar of powder for his BII shareholders it felt like the start of something big.
We welcome the decision by the US Department of Homeland Security to lift the electronic devices ban on flights between Abu Dhabi and the United States, following the successful validation of security measures at the US Preclearance facility at Abu Dhabi airport earlier today (2 July 2017).

Effective immediately, the removal of the restrictions allows passengers flying to the US to carry all laptops, tablets, and other electronic devices onto the aircraft, subject to enhanced security measures.

We would like to thank our guests for their understanding and loyalty while the ban was in place.

All Etihad Airways guests travelling to the United States clear US Immigration and Customs at the US Preclearance facility in Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi International Airport, the only one of its kind in the Middle East. When guests land in the US, they arrive as domestic passengers with no requirement to queue for immigration and custom checks again.

Affecting 180 airlines and 280 airports, it is anticipated that Etihad Airways is one of the first airlines to be able to satisfy the short-term measures required by the Transportation Security Administration due to the superior security advantages provided by the preclearance facility.

Etihad Airways currently operates 45 flights a week between Abu Dhabi and six cities across the United States  including double daily to New York, daily to Washington, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, and three-times-per-week to San Francisco.

The US is one of Etihad Airways largest markets, with 203,515 passengers flying to the US from Abu Dhabi between 1 January and 30 April 2017. This was up by 13,157 passengers for the same period in 2016.
Garry McMahon set up his own business in 2004 to service the linen needs of the hospitality sector. Today, his company, Linen Direct, based in the M1 Business Park, Balbriggan, in North Co Dublin, employs nine staff and has an annual turnover of more than 5m.

"We supply the hospitality trade with everything from bed linen and table linen to towels, quilts, pillows, robes, slippers and mattress protectors," says Garry.

"Our customer base can broadly be divided into three main segments. Firstly, we sell direct to hotels, hostels, student accommodation and B&Bs. In fact, anywhere there are heads on beds," he says.

"Secondly, we sell to resellers who, in turn, sell our products on to their own customers in the hospitality space.

"And finally we sell to large commercial laundries who supply linen as a service to hotel where they then collect it when it needs washing, launder it off site, iron it and then return it to the hotel to be used again."

Garry goes on to explain that if you have ever stayed in a hotel, then you'll be familiar with the room service staff arriving in the early morning to clean your room and dress it again for the next guest. This usually includes changing the bed linen, pillow cases, four towels and a bath mat. Add to this the table linen from the restaurant where the guests may have dined the night before and you get the typical laundry needs of each guest.

Given the amount of work involved, most hotels tend to outsource this service to commercial laundries which, in turn, buy much of their linen needs from Garry's company.

But Garry's journey did not start out in the linen business. He grew up in Dublin's Drumcondra where his father ran a successful drapery wholesale business, Frank McMahon & Co. During his school holidays, the young Garry would help out in the business.

However, having finished school, he decided to take a different road and joined Irish Shipping where he spent the next seven years working his way up from a deck cadet to second mate. However his seafaring days ended abruptly when, in 1984, Irish Shipping went into liquidation, leaving him without a job.

He then joined his father full-time in his wholesale drapery business and when in 1994, his father semi-retired, Garry and his brother Terry took over the running of the company.

"However, I could see the writing was on the wall for the drapery wholesale sector," says Garry. "So I began looking around for other opportunities. I started by asking myself what items from our existing stock in the wholesale business could I sell to new customers?

"I had, by then, built up good relationships with a number of key suppliers of household textiles and so had the contacts with suppliers for these.

"I could also see there was growth taking place in the whole hotel and hospitality sector and I decided that selling linens and towels into this sector might be a good place to start," he says.

At that time too, the hospitality sector was predominantly being serviced from the UK and having assessed what they were offering, Garry felt that he could easily provide a faster service and at more competitive prices.

In 2004, he set up Linen Direct with a small range of products that included table linen, white cotton sheets and pillow cases. As the business grew, he added additional items such as towels and duvets.

"The whole world of men's, ladies' and children's wear was a complex one with many different styles and variations whereas the home textiles business was a much more straight forward and simpler business model," says Garry.

However, his journey got off to a bumpy start when having just landed his first container of stock, his competitors suddenly dropped their prices resulting in the margins he had planned for being immediately eroded.

"There was only myself in the business at the start and it was certainly an uphill struggle in the beginning," says Garry.

Again in 2008, when the downturn in the economy kicked in, Garry found that many of his hotel customers went into receivership leaving him with bad debts.

Rather than give in or give up, Garry's response was to dig in and work even harder than before.

"I decided I would invest further and increase our range of stock and by doing so, we actually increased our sales," says Garry

Working with commercial laundries also brought increased sales.

They began passing business to Garry for items they did not supply such as pillows, quilts and mattress protectors. With a commitment to quality, good customer service and value for money, Garry's reputation within the sector began to rise.

But the business was to face further challenges when three years ago, Garry needed funding to expand in line with increasing demand.

He was disappointed when the bank with whom he had been a customer for 37 years turned him down for a loan.

"It was a case of 'the computer says no'," says Garry. "I was determined, however and changed to Ulster Bank. They could see the potential we had at the time to grow the business and that's what we have since done. We have now more than doubled our turnover in that three-year period," he adds.

The business is now no longer just Garry on his own. Today, he has a small but hard-working team.

"We operate with a relaxed informal atmosphere but when needed, everyone is willing to jump up a gear and get the job done, whatever it takes," he says.

As he looks to the future, Garry is focused on continuing to grow the Irish market.

He has also recently begun to supply a small amount of stock into the UK and sees opportunities there. For now at least, he is content to keep an eye on what happens with Brexit before pursuing more business there.

Garry's story is a fitting example of how it is possible to create a business by combining your existing experience to harness opportunities that are often right in front of you.

Related: Use our calculator to estimate your small business loan repayments

Proving that success can often come from doing what you can, with what you have, starting right where you are.

For further information: www.linendirect.com
Two Galway sisters have created a successful business by breaking down the stigmas associated with wheelchairs.

Ailbhe Keane (24) is the founder and creative director of Izzy Wheels, a company that creates customised spoke guards for wheelchairs.

It started off as a college project when she was studying Visual Communication in Dublin's NCAD. When asked to create something that would benefit the lives of people with long-term lifestyle health conditions, she was inspired by sister Izzy.

Izzy (20), the brand ambassador, was born a spiral condition called Spina Bifida. She is paralysed from the waist down and requires the use of a wheelchair.

"I wanted Izzy to feel more confident in her wheelchair, it's the first thing that people notice about her and it doesn't reflect her personality at all," Ailbhe told Independent.ie.

So she set up a college project where she designed customised spoke guards that could match wheelchair users' personalities. But the project has now become a successful business and through it, the Keane sisters have been challenging people's notions about wheelchairs.

Expand Close Izzy Keane. Photo: Conor McCabe / Facebook

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"When someone meets you and they see the spoke guards they can discover something about your personality and it just opens up conversation. It immediately addresses the wheelchair and there's no awkwardness there," said Ailbhe.

"We're on a mission to make people with disabilities stand out for all the right reasons. When passers-by see people in a wheelchair they feel bad for them and wheelchair users hate that sense of pity.

For Isabel, a wheelchair is something that should be celebrated and fun because it's given her freedom and independence.

"My wheelchair isn't a negative thing. It's a positive thing," she said. "It gives me my independence and freedom. If I didn't have my wheelchair I couldn't get around.

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"I've always had a positive relationship with my disability and my wheelchair. It doesn't stop me from doing anything. It enables me. Most wheelchair users I know feel that way but I want everyone to feel that way."

A set of Izzy Wheels spoke guards cost 99 and are attached by straps so that they can be interchangeable. Interest in the product started to grow when Ailbhe shared her designs on social media. Curious customers were quick to contact her requesting their own designs.

"I started to take photos and created an Instagram account to share them and it took off instantly. I got emails from parents around the world inquiring where they could get their hands on these spoke guards.

"It seemed like such an obvious idea but one that had been overlooked. The only other spoke guards available were designed by hospitals and not with care and love. They were also hugely expensive and permanent fixtures. Our idea was to create more affordable ones that you could swap and change."

Expand Close Marylou Faure designed spoke guards. Pic: Izzy Wheels / Facebook

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A website was set up last September and it has taken off in a way that neither girl expected. It received 15,000 backing from Enterprise Ireland's New Frontiers Development Programme, as well as business mentoring and workspace.

In April, Izzy Wheels won Accenture's Leaders of Tomorrow Award and a place on the National Digital Research Centre LaunchPad. It also placed second at the AIB Start-up Academy in the same month.

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Whatsapp Izzy and Ailbhe Keane of Izzy Wheels. Pic: Conor McCabe for IWA Magazine

And business is booming across the Atlantic ever since the company was featured in Silicon Valley bible, TechCruncher magazine. Business Insider created one-and-a-half minute video about Izzy Wheels and it immediately went viral, racking up 2m views in 24 hours and 11m views in one week.

Instagram bosses were quick to spot the hype surrounding Izzy Wheels and asked the company to take over their official Instagram story for 24 hours last Friday.

"We got contacted by Instagram's head office. They said 'we love what you're doing, do you want to be our story for 24 hours?' Of course we said yes. We took over their account yesterday and we tripled our amount of followers in just one day," said Ailbhe.

"We woke up to hundreds and hundreds of emails. It's crazy but we're absolutely delighted. We've had artists and designers contact us to ask can they get involved. It means we now have the best quality of work available to us. It's really exciting."

The Keanes found a gap in the market and owned that problem, creating a successful business in a short space of time. But they also credit their success to the story behind their brand.

"People can really relate to to it because it's a story of two sisters," said Ailbhe. "Anyone with a sibling will understand that bond. Also anyone who knows someone with a disability can relate.

Expand Close Karol Banach designed spoke guards. Pic: Izzy Wheels / Facebook

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Whatsapp Karol Banach designed spoke guards. Pic: Izzy Wheels

"Our tagline really resonates with people too: 'If you cant stand up, stand out', it's a strong and positive message."

The Keane sisters have released two collections since launching last September and have donated some of the profits to charity. Proceeds from their first collection to the Irish Wheelchair Association. The summer collection, wich launched in June with a line-up of Irish and international artists including Maser and James Earley, donated proceeds to Spina Bifida Hydrocephalus Ireland.

A third collection is on the way and the girls are currently hiring new staff as they look to expand their team. They also have plans to design a wheelchair accessories collection that, like their spoke guards, have a stylish and practical function.

"We're looking at accessories like bags, umbrellas, cuffs and more," said Izzy. "Right now I can't wear a bag on my back when I'm in my wheelchair because I can't reach it. It's also uncomfortable. So we're looking at ways around that. We've lots of ideas."

Ailbhe, who is based in Dublin, recently ran a spoke guard design workshop for children, where they could create their own masterpieces.

The girls don't mind being busy, it's a "wonderful complaint to have" and they're keen to spread their message that "wheelchairs are a good thing".

"I'm so used to people looking at [my wheelchair]," said Izzy. "But as soon as I put my bespoke spoke guards on and went outside the door people started smiling at me, rather than giving me that accidental look of pity. I've had people come up to me and compliment my chair.

"I never want people to feel awkward about my wheelchair. I don't want people to pretend it's not there. With the spoke guards they can address it in a way that makes them feel comfortable. It's a really good thing."
'If the tests are successful, the San Francisco-based company will roll out the service broadly, the people said.' Stock photo

Airbnb is planning to launch a new rental service for mega-homes, mansions and penthouses that will be inspected to ensure they pass muster.

The company will start testing the new offering in some markets at the end of year, according to people familiar with the matter.

If the tests are successful, the San Francisco-based company will roll out the service broadly, the people said. Airbnb declined to comment.

Looking to appeal to well-heeled travellers, Airbnb has been segmenting its offerings much the way hotel chains do.

The company has already started testing a tier called Airbnb Select, which requires hosts to maintain consistent standards for their lodgings.

Just like you can walk into any hotel and expect a consistent set of towels, blankets, and quality, Airbnb Select is designed to do the same. Those homes must also be inspected.

The new tier is fancier - penthouses versus apartments, mansions versus family homes. It's known internally as "Airbnb Lux," but an official name has yet to be determined, said the people, who requested anonymity to discuss a private matter.

Its creation follows Airbnb's acquisition earlier this year of Luxury Retreats, a Canadian company that before its sale listed more than 4,000 villas and vacation homes. Those listings are not yet featured as a separate section on Airbnb's website.

A luxury tier of rentals represents a lucrative revenue source for Airbnb. The company takes a percentage of the cost of each booking it brokers, so more-expensive inventory would generate higher margins and help justify the privately held company's $31bn valuation.

Pushing high-end rentals also enables Airbnb to target the sort of clientele willing to pay for its more expensive tourism services.

In November, the company began offering truffle tastings, mushroom hunting and guided tours provided by local experts. Airbnb is looking to expand into other parts of the travel business and is working on a flight-booking tool.

Bloomberg
Q My son says he wants to buy a drone with his Confirmation money. I'd like to let him but does he need some sort of licence or have to be a certain age? Also, what's the best one to get?

A He doesn't need a licence or to be over a certain age to fly a drone, but he needs to register the drone with the Irish Aviation Authority (at www.iaa.ie). Given that you say he's of Confirmation age, you'll need to register it for him (as is the case with anyone under 16).

When you say 'drone', I'm assuming you mean one of the bigger ones that have cameras on them and cost over 500, such as the DJI Phantom series. Smaller toy drones that can only fly a few dozen metres away from you don't need to be registered.

The laws governing drones in Ireland are still not completely clear, but there are a few basic rules. In general, you can't fly drones in built-up areas like residential estates. The law defaults towards safety, and drones over houses are still considered to be too risky. It's a similar general rule for flying over crowds.

(You can fly in built-up areas or over crowds if you apply for a special licence, but this is aimed at professional users and requires completion of an officially recognised training course.)

Similarly, you can't fly drones in obviously sensitive areas, such as anywhere near an airport. And the IAA has a rule that you can't fly them over 120m (roughly 390 feet) in altitude.

There is still some ambiguity over whether you can fly drones at a beach or a rural location with no-one else around. Some insist that a landowner's permission is required to fly over fields or, in the case of public property, the say-so of the local council. Others say that this isn't strictly necessary and point to the fact that no-one appears to have been cautioned by authorities for doing so. Unfortunately, the IAA doesn't have any real clarity on issues like this.

In my own case, I choose not to fly drones around Dublin at all, but do so in very rural areas such as coastal northwest Mayo and the tip of Cork's Beara Peninsula. I have publicly posted videos from the drones in these locations and have never had any regulatory feedback.

As for choosing the best drone, there is not a huge amount of choice. DJI is the company that dominates the market. The two most appropriate models for a 12-year-old with Confirmation money are its Phantom 3 Standard drone and its brand new Spark drone. Both cost 599. The Phantom 3 is about two years old but still flies beautifully and produces excellent videos from its 12-megapixel HD camera. It's about the size and weight of a regular laptop (although obviously taller and thicker).

The latest Spark model is less than half the size and weight of the Phantom 3. It's designed more as a portable drone to bring around with you. It has some advanced tricks like being able to launch from your hand.

Both of these drones have good cameras attached that produce high-definition footage. The larger model flies for longer (25 minutes) on a single charge than the smaller one (16 minutes). Neither can be flown in strong wind or rain. The Phantom 3 comes with a remote controller, but you have to pay extra for it with the Spark, which is designed more to work from your phone.

The bottom line is that if it's for messing around and having fun, I'd get the Spark. If he wants something a bit sturdier for video projects or weekend flights, I'd get the Phantom 3. I can attest that both are great machines - I own the Spark, as well as the big brother of the Phantom 3, the Phantom 4.

RECOMMENDATION: DJI Phantom Spark, 599 from Camera Centre (Camera.ie)

Email your questions to caomahony@independent.ie

Two to Try

Sony RX100 Mark V (1,099, Conns Cameras)

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This is the best ultra-compact camera on the market - a do-it-all, very powerful snapper that fits right in your pocket. It has a 3x zoom, a flip-out screen and a really clever pop-up viewfinder. It records video in 4K and its f1.8-2.8 lens means it's brilliant in low light. If 1,100 sounds too steep, Sony still sells the four previous versions, which start at 400.

HTC U11 (699, 3 Ireland)

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HTC's latest competition to the iPhone 7 and Samsung S8 is a 5.5-inch phone that comes with a 'squeeze' feature. This lets you control certain functions by applying pressure on each side of the lower bit of the phone. By default, a short squeeze takes a photo while a long squeeze turns on the torch. It's a little gimmicky, but the phone also has an excellent 16-megapixel selfie camera, screen and speaker system to back it up.

Sony RX100 Mark V (1,099, Conns Cameras)
I'm of the view that you should always take public polling with a pinch of salt. Whether it's Ireland getting shafted year after year in the bloated Eurovision, or the consistently angry holidaymaker taking to TripAdvisor to argue about hotel towels, there's a grain of truth in there somewhere, but it's a case of don't take the votes and gripes as Gospel.

But airlines do take the Skytrax awards seriously (well, the ones which do well in them, at least). Each year I'm bombarded with press releases from carriers which have been given the coveted five-star status, or even an honourable mention, by the flying public.

Aer Lingus made a hullabaloo last year about achieving a four-star airline award from a website that the average Joe Soap probably has never heard of. But a win is a win is a win.

This year there's a bit of an edge, with Qatar Airways regaining top spot from Gulf rival Emirates as the planet's best airline, in a region that's had its own nasty diplomatic spats.

Aer Lingus, by the way, kept its four-star rating, and climbed 11 places to be named 38th-best carrier in the world.

Eclipsed in recent years by the Gulf carriers, Singapore Airlines is this year's runner-up, followed by ANA, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, EVA Air, Lufthansa, Etihad, Hainan and Garuda.

Etihad beat Emirates to be awarded best first class; Qatar got the nod for best business class; while Thai has the best economy class, according to Skytrax respondents.

Another Irish-serving carrier, Turkish Airlines, won best business class airline lounge (its lounge in an otherwise cramped Istanbul Airport is exceptional), and with its chefs in the sky, was named best business class onboard catering and best business class lounge dining.

Is your seat more important than your food? Then look to Etihad for best first-class seats, Qatar for its business class seats, and Qantas for its premium economy offering.

While Etihad has done well in the Skytrax ratings, it could be a different story for the Middle Eastern carrier next year.

The airline wrote to me to say it's about "to amend its chauffeur policy". This decision follows "a review of usage by premium guests across all major markets". For "amend", read "scrap" the free chauffeur policy for corporate travellers.

I'm not sure who they polled but it sure wasn't the business market, particularly those who've gotten used to being picked up on time, every time, by trained Irish drivers.

The complimentary chauffeur service will be retained at Etihad Airways' Abu Dhabi hub and replaced with a paid option at specially negotiated rates in all other cities. So that's a boon for economy passengers while the business traveller, or their employer, suffers the hit.

In case you've already booked to travel, the new state of affairs won't affect first class and business class tickets issued prior to July 3.

Local rivals Emirates will continue to offer the free chauffeur service in Dublin, and are also outing the new 520i Touring vehicles for Business Class passengers in Dubai, or onboard wifi for First class passengers in that city too with Mercedes V-class cars.

Etihad's move is most likely a sign of the times as all the Gulf carriers look to cut costs in a tougher environment. Emirates recently opened up its business lounges in Dubai to paying customers (no matter what cabin they flew in).

And Etihad do have the upper hand in one regard - their Dublin Airport lounge is head and shoulders above anything else on offer at the airport. It's now offering economy class guests paid access to that facility, among others around the world, and it's one of those lounges that is worth paying for.

Business travellers will have good access to worldwide connectivity via Schiphol with the news that KLM's Dublin to Amsterdam service will remain five daily for winter and a B737-800 will replace the smaller Embraer on one of the rotations.

KLM's Amsterdam hub won an award for innovation at the recent Future Travel Experience event held in Dublin, and it's currently trialling biometric boarding, whereby passengers don't have to use boarding cards to gain access to planes, instead using specific lanes which will utilise facial-recognition technology to catalogue their journey.

It's the latest bid by the Dutch airport to be the most technologically advanced in Europe.
Netflix has done it again. Hot on the heels of the 13 Reasons Why controversy, a series that was almost universally criticised for glamorising suicide, Netflix has released a trailer for To The Bone - a film that looks to be repeating the sins of 13 Reasons Why, this time with anorexia.

The film features actress and model Lily Collins (daughter of Phil) as a 20 year-old trying to recover from anorexia in an "unconventional" group home with "non-traditional" doctor Keanu Reeves.

Very few people have actually seen the film - it isn't on Netflix yet. The platform has just released a two-minute trailer, which has been enough to cause uproar. It opens with Collins pushing food around her plate as her sister tells her it's like she has "calorie Asperger's". So funny. Collins adorably shakes her fist.

Just 17 seconds into the trailer and we see Reeves touching her delicately jutting spine. This is the kind of imagery rife on pro-ana sites - dark corners of the internet for sufferers to exchange tips and encouragement. A brief look on one of these sites shows that Collins's emaciated arms and legs are already popular "thinspiration".

Like with 13 Reasons Why, professionals and sufferers are expressing serious doubts about the film already. Once again, they point out that it can work as a how-to, suggesting it makes mental illness beautiful, romantic and aspirational. Once again they warn that it will do serious harm.

Earlier in the month, the worst fears about 13 Reasons Why were realised - a 23-year-old man in Peru died by suicide and left behind audio recordings - exactly what the protagonist on screen did.

It won't be enough to persuade the industry it has a real responsibility when it comes to depicting mental illness.

Collins's apparently extremely unwell character doesn't look all that different from the models in the pages of magazines. In fact, Collins models in real life. In the film, she looks thin but still gorgeous. Indeed, the problem with To The Bone starts perhaps with the reality of the filming, not just its fiction.

Collins, who has suffered with an eating disorder (ED) in the past, said she lost weight for the role in a "healthy" way, with the help of a nutritionist. This is disturbing. One ED therapist Jennifer Rollins says it's akin to saying that an alcoholic is able to "drink in a healthy way".

It's confusing and triggering for those in recovery. This isn't fiction - this is a woman with a history of anorexia actually losing a lot of weight so that she looks anorexic again.

Collins admitted that she was apprehensive about taking on the role but "it was like the universe was sending me the message that there's a reason that you are able to talk about this right now".

Aside from cosmic messages, the other justification we're given for the film is that old chestnut "raising awareness" - but this doesn't fly either.

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The story has been told many times: young, white, beautiful woman with supportive family and money for private treatment. It's in Glee, Skins, Gossip Girl. This isn't groundbreaking, this isn't new. Just like with 13 Reasons Why, it's tired and reductive. And incredibly alienating for those suffering from eating disorders who don't look like Collins.

The director defended the film against such criticism, saying it's "just one of the millions of ED stories that could be told in the US at this very moment". So why not tell any one of those stories? Why tell this one? Again? This is the story we expect to be told. This isn't the kind of "awareness raising" that is needed. We are very aware of all the models like Collins who can't eat.

What about awareness of the people suffering from eating disorders who are not skeletal, who are not white, not female, who do not find missing meals and doing sit-ups so easy, whose families aren't concerned, who can't afford treatment? A well-documented problem with eating disorders is the idea that "I can't be ill because I don't..." fit into whatever culture keeps telling us is anorexia. This is why wide-ranging and challenging storytelling is crucial.

Eating disorders are not pretty. Collins also wrote that her real-life illness caused her hair to fall out and her nails to become brittle. But this doesn't appear to be photogenic enough to feature.

The show's director Marti Noxon also suffered with an eating disorder in the past. I do not doubt the pain and reality of Collins's and Noxon's eating disorders; but I don't think it gives them carte blanche to produce whatever they want on the topic. A 13 Reasons Why writer had a history of suicidal ideation - it didn't make the show helpful or even acceptable.

Sophia, a young woman I know recovering from an ED, says in a vlog that she can't believe how wrong they got it. "There are moments that resonated, but for the most part it was just like, 'That's not how it works'. When you're malnourished, your hair falls out in clumps, and the hair that is left is brittle and thin. Why does she have a full head of really nice hair? Your teeth turn yellow or even rot and fall out. Your skin is dull and spotty. Your lips are tinged purple because you're so f***ing cold. And the clothes? No one has the body heat to dress that way. In the middle of summer I was wearing a coat and thermals."

Sophia is clear the show glamorises anorexia and could be a trigger for those who have, or have previously had, eating disorders. She finishes her vlog with a warning: "If you haven't watched it, don't put yourself through that."

When the film was initially announced, it provided fodder for pro-ana message boards. One girl wrote: "I'll probably watch it by myself once it's out on DVD just to trigger me tbh." She wasn't the only one. But she won't even have to buy the DVD - from July 14, her and thousands of others will be able to access it on Netflix.

Noxon wrote that her goal "was not to glamorise EDs but to serve as a conversation starter about an issue".

This was the same defence of 13 Reasons Why and every other irresponsible bit of 'art' out there and I'm sick of it. I'm sick of imploring people to 'talk', as if that's enough.

Awareness raising is not an end in itself. Starting conversations on the basis of fuzzy and unrealistic information is careless and exploitative. Don't open the Pandora's box and then run away.

The industry needs to stop wrapping up these cynical offerings in psuedo philanthropy. If you're going to make this stuff, don't pretend it's some noble project for the benefit of sick people. Don't pretend that you don't have a responsibility to the vulnerable people watching. Don't fall back on your own history of mental illness as if that makes you an expert in producing responsible and realistic content. Until it figures this out, Netflix should stick to prison lesbianism and Gilmore Girls reboots.
False imprisonment charges brought against the Jobstown demonstrators were "over the top" for a "highly untoward" public protest, according to criminal solicitor Frank Buttimer.

Mr Buttimer said such charges implied a degree of criminality and intent that would more usually be associated with serious crimes such as kidnapping.

"To imprison someone falsely is normally associated with a high degree of criminality, such as in cases of kidnapping or rape, where there is a conscious and deliberate act behind the event which is the subject of prosecution," he said.

"This was a highly untoward, over-the-top public protest.

"It is very hard to imagine that one or more of that group set out consciously and deliberately to falsely detain people.

"When you pitch the alleged offences at the level of criminality proposed by the Director of Public Prosecutions, the prospects of a conviction must have been extremely limited."

Mr Buttimer said the Public Order Act addressed the type of misbehaviour at public protests, and prosecuting those offences did not require a decision from the DPP.

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"There are at least three offences under the Public Order Act that would have been appropriate to the circumstances," he said.

"Section 9 covers interrupting the free flow of traffic while Section 6 covers aggressive, abusive or insulting words or behaviour. Section 8 is failure to obey a direction of a garda to leave the scene of a public order event."

Gardai also have extensive powers of arrest under the Public Order Act, allowing them to detain and charge suspected offenders immediately or alternatively apply for a summons within six months of the alleged offence taking place.

Mr Buttimer said the question had to be asked "whether appropriate consideration was given to dealing with these matters summarily in the District Court, by initiating the appropriate legal charges".

He said people were acquitted all the time in criminal trials, when appropriate charges were brought against them in the appropriate courts. However, a question arose in this case as to whether the appropriate charges were prosecuted in the appropriate court.

"There is also a question as to how the situation escalated from routine crowd control to the case it became in the criminal courts," Mr Buttimer added.

"Joan Burton may have made an allegation in which it was implicitly or explicitly stated to gardai that she was falsely imprisoned. If she did, that would have had to have been investigated and a file would have had to have gone to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

"However, a criminal complaint does not necessarily have to result in a prosecution for the matter complained of."

The DPP is not obliged to account for decisions made by her office.
A retired Dublin Bus driver is fighting for his life after suffering from a stroke on a long-haul flight to Miami.

Dublin man Thomas Campbell (65) was on a nine -hour flight with his wife Margaret, his son, his daughter-in-law and his grandchildren when he suffered from a stroke.

The former Dublin Bus and An Post employee, was to spend one night in Miami before heading on a cruise to Orlando with his family.

Thomas's daughter, Leonie Campbell, told Independent.ie that her father remains in a critical condition in a Miami hospital.

"He was only meant to be in Miami one night before heading on a cruise, but three hours from Miami he suffered from a stroke.

"The staff on the plane were going to make an emergency landing in the Bahamas but it would only have been 10 minutes shorter than landing in Miami so we went ahead.

"He was without oxygen for a long time so we weren't very hopeful."

Thomas, from Glencullen Co Dublin, was rushed to the intensive care unit in a Miami hospital where he underwent urgent brain surgery.

"They removed blood clots from his brain and the right side of his skull had to removed because his brain was swelling and bleeding so much.

"He was completely unresponsive and wasn't talking or moving or anything."

After a second surgery, the 65-year-old became responsive when his family played him some of his favourite music by Elvis.

"He moved his thumb and then he began to improve. He started speaking and he could move his right side but not his left."

The Dublin man, who will turn 66 in August, has six children, 11 grandchildren and four step grandchildren.

"We all want to be out here with him but we're taking it in turns. It's so hard that something like this has happened so far from home. It took me nine and half hours on the plane to get to him."

The family are now fundraising to help raise money for Thomas's wife, Margaret, who has remained at his side.

"My mam needs accommodation and she could be here for months with my dad because he won't be able to fly home for a very long time. We're trying to raise money to help her with her living expenses while she's here.

"The cruise was all- inclusive and they had already bought the tickets for the Orlando theme parks so they didn't have a lot of spending money on them. My man has been putting everything on her credit card so we're trying to help her."

Leonie said that her dad is getting "the best care, probably better than he would have got at home".

"He's doing well. They don't really know what to expect but he's getting great care."

You can donate to the Campbell family here
Health watchdogs will be given new powers to examine the accounts of nursing homes under radical Government proposals aimed at clamping down on hidden costs within the industry.

Minister for Older People Jim Daly said he wants the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) to review nursing homes charges after the Sunday Independent revealed concerns over the hidden cost of social service packages.

The minister's proposals effectively mean private nursing home operators will have to disclose for the first time what, if any, profits they make from the mandatory extra charges they levy on residents.

Mr Daly said that he has asked the industry association, Nursing Homes Ireland, about preparing "profit and loss type" accounts for social care charges.

"They have stated they are quite happy to ask their members to comply with such a request," he said.

"I will explore the possibility with Hiqa this week of having them examine the expenditure by private nursing homes on social care activities compared to the amount of monies collected by nursing homes towards these costs, as part of their ongoing inspections of care homes."

The Sunday Independent has also learned that Hiqa is already in talks with the Department of Health about changing legislation to introduce greater protections for older residents in its nursing home contracts.

The amendments would empower the health regulator to examine additional nursing homes fees, which are currently outside of its remit.
Private nursing homes will be asked to disclose to the regulator any profits they make in fees for 'social programmes' and other services, under measures proposed by Minister for Older People Jim Daly.

He said he will "explore the possibility" of asking the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) to examine what private nursing homes actually spend on social activities and what they collect in social care fees.

The minister's proposals effectively mean that private nursing home operators will have to disclose for the first time what, if any, profits they make from the mandatory extra charges they levy on residents. It follows a week of controversy sparked by a Sunday Independent investigation that revealed fees of 25-95 a week for "social activities".

In an interview with the Sunday Independent, the Minister of State for Mental Health and Older People said he had asked the industry association, Nursing Homes Ireland, about preparing "profit and loss-type" accounts for social care charges. "They have stated they are quite happy to ask their members to comply with such a request," he said.

"I will explore the possibility with Hiqa this week of having them examine the expenditure by private nursing homes on social care activities compared to the amount of monies collected by nursing homes towards these costs, as part of their ongoing inspections of care homes."

The Sunday Independent has learned that Hiqa is already in talks with the Department of Health about changing the legislation to introduce greater protections for residents in their nursing home contracts. In a statement to the Sunday Independent, Hiqa said it is specifically concerned about residents being charged for services they cannot avail of and, "more worryingly", for "services that they are already entitled to receive for free". Nursing Homes Ireland said it had "long argued that private operators must contend with stringent Hiqa regulations, that the fees they receive per resident under Fair Deal are ad hoc, unfair and far less than is paid to public nursing homes".
A search is underway for a 26-year-old man who went missing after going swimming with friends on Friday afternoon.

The man - who has been named locally as David Gavin - was last seen diving off a bridge in British Columbia, Canada but failed to surface.

Mr Gavin is originally from Castlebar, Co Mayo and is said to have only moved to Canada a few months ago for work.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have said they received a report of the incident after 3.30pm on Friday and a search and rescue operation was immediately launched in the Kinbasket Lake area.

The Calgary Herald reports that two boats and a dog were involved in the search over the weekend and the E Division Underwater Recovery team is also set to be deployed.

Police have contacted the man's family, who are set to arrive in Canada today.

His parents both work for Mayo County Council and the family are said to be well-known and well-liked.

Mr Gavin was a member of Breaffy GAA.

Councillor Michael Kilcoyne said his thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

He told Independent.ie: "I'm very saddened to hear the news.

"It's a terrible time for the family, this is every parent's nightmare."

The Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: "The department is aware of an incident in British Columbia involving an Irish citizen.

"Our Embassy in Ottawa is liaising closely with the local authorities and the department is providing consular assistance in this case."
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar plans to unveil cuts to the Universal Social Charge aimed at the working middle class in the next Budget in defiance of stark warnings from the European Commission about cutting taxes, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

But Government ministers fear that any additional money may be wiped out by the "perceived and real risk" that waste companies will dramatically increase bin collection charges for a "significant number of households".

Mr Varadkar told the Sunday Independent that his first Budget would have a "particular focus" on reducing income taxes, with a significant emphasis on cutting USC.

The Taoiseach also revealed that he would allow ministers to spend savings found within their departments rather than control the additional funding centrally.

The move is aimed at expanding the amount of financial resources available for tax cuts and spending within the strict European Union budgetary rules.

"Rather than just bidding for a small sliver of the available fiscal space in the next Budget, ministers should think about what might be reallocated within their own budgets," Mr Varadkar said.

However, the Sunday Independent can reveal that there are serious concerns at the heart of Government over the introduction of pay-by-weight bin charges.

Ministers discussed the new system at length behind closed doors at last week's Cabinet meeting where fears were expressed over the issue becoming another water charges controversy.

In briefing documents, ministers were warned that there was a "perceived and real risk" of domestic waste companies dramatically increasing charges for a "significant number of households" once the new charging regime was introduced.

The Cabinet briefing seems to be at odds with the Taoiseach insisting in the Dail last week that people should not be "panicked and fearful" about the introduction of the new charging system.

Last year, bin companies voluntarily imposed flat-rate charges after public outrage forced the Government to delay the introduction of pay-by-weight charges. The price freeze ended yesterday but has been extended until September.

The Cabinet was told last Tuesday that bin companies were now expected to significantly increase fees because collection charges had remained unchanged for a year while business costs, such as for fuel and insurance, had risen.

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Dublin households, which benefited from cut-price rates from companies seeking to build business, are expected to see their charges rise in the coming months.

In addition, ministers were told waivers for low-income households were likely to be abolished by waste companies.

Some local authorities struck deals when bin collections were privatised which entitled some existing customers to waivers. However, most of these contractual arrangements have now expired.

The Cabinet was also warned of a "lack of competition" for domestic waste collection in some parts of the country as it prepared to radically change the charging system for bins.

A statement prepared for ministers by the Competition and Consumer Commission (CCPC) said it had concerns about competition in areas where there was "little, if any, choice of waste collector".

The watchdog urged the Government to introduce a waste company regulator to monitor charges, as has also been proposed by Fianna Fail.

It can also be revealed that Public Expenditure and Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe warned Communications Minister Denis Naughten against committing public funding to a 75-a-year bin charge subsidy for 90,000 sick and elderly people.

Mr Donohoe said there was "no public commitment" to fund a subsidy for households disposing of incontinence wear.

The subvention payment, which was eventually secured by Mr Naughten, will cost up to 6.75m a year.

Mr Donohoe also raised concerns about the 9m cost of a new waste management enforcement scheme for local authorities.

There are also concerns among ministers that the verdict in the Jobstown trial will encourage left-wing parties to become militant in their protests against new bin charges.

Solidarity TD Paul Murphy yesterday said he was waiting to see the Government's policy on bin charges before forming "tactics and a strategy to defeat them".

As concerns rise in Government over the impact of bin charges, Mr Varadkar said his "number one priority" for the Budget was "not to repeat the mistakes of the past".

"That means achieving a balanced Budget this year and continuing to reduce debt. After that, the 2:1 split applies between additional spending, which includes welfare and public services, and tax relief, with a particular focus on income taxes including USC," Mr Varadkar told the Sunday Independent.

"I have also set out my priority that we need to allocate more resources for infrastructure and capital spending, because we need to increase the economy's capacity to grow and meet the needs of our young and growing population.

"At the same time, we need to increase capital spending in a planned and measured way, rather than doing it too quickly which could drive up the cost of building, and would mean getting less from more."

Fianna Fail Social Protection spokesman Willie O'Dea said: "The Taoiseach has raised the possibility of funding tax cuts by cutting expenditure elsewhere or raising indirect taxes. Whatever juggling with figures he may try, he can be assured that I will not be supporting him if it involves denying increases for pensioners or for people on disability or carers' allowances," he said.

The EU Commission last week warned against abolishing USC as it sees the controversial charges as a progressive tax.

Mr Varadkar, meanwhile, urged his ministers to find "hidden fiscal space" in their departments and increase spending outside the strict EU spending rules.
"But while we live and let live, forgive me for hoping that one day hell extend the same courtesy to his cattle." Photo: Stock Image

Cities are often cited as Meccas of multiculturalism that are down with diversity. But it takes more than a love of skinny lattes to be truly liberal, especially if your core is conservative. So if you want to experience egalitarianism, come to a country town.

The saying "it takes all sorts" really comes to life in any rural community worth its salt. Like the farmer who enjoys shooting the breeze with this vegetarian, unfazed by how vile I consider the treatment of "livestock", as such folk euphemistically refer to those sentient beings that are bred to be butchered.

In true country fashion, we've helped each other out over the years; this friendly farmer offering me lifts when thieves temporarily relieved me of my motor, while I contacted him when his cattle broke free from their field.

Sometimes he'll mention an old country custom or superstition, before worrying that I'll broadcast it countrywide via this column.

The truth is that he's one of my favourite people around these parts. Maybe because beneath the butchery and unabashed love of steak, I suspect he has a kind heart. Certainly, he's smart enough to have pulled off a bit of provincial paradise for himself, being father to five fine children and with a fair and lovely lady for his wife.

Of course, being Irish means he's also a charming mass of complexity and contradiction. He's fond of casually quoting Shakespeare in the sauna - where many around here gather for steamy sessions - after a day spent sweating over pregnant ewes. While, like many of us, he is suspicious of change, believing it rarely is for the better. Yet he embraces blow-ins, such as this former city slicker, being of the view that they bring fresh blood and stimulus to the country life table.

Maybe it isn't so funny that we get on. After all, we have in common finding each other's attitude to animals a bit absurd. But while we are miles apart when it comes to meat, we share a love of nature - as well as a general nosiness.

Take the time I was having a closer look at his lambs, when he arrived with one of his sons and loaded them in a trailer. I asked their fate, wondering if he was sending them to slaughter, and in response he beckoned me to his battered Jeep. Next thing I knew, I was sitting in the back next to his son as he drove us to heaven knows where.

We passed the turn that farmers often take when livestock are doomed to become late stock. We wound down country lanes, his son and I chatting about all and sundry, from his favourite subjects in school to the fact that I don't eat animals. Mr Farmer watched from the rear-view mirror as I explained my views to his interested offspring, looking as happy as Larry.

Finally we arrived at his farm, where he unloaded the lambs before dropping me home.

But while we live and let live, forgive me for hoping that one day he'll extend the same courtesy to his cattle.
While a certain tee-total individual may be busy making America great again, as others steel their nerves by gazing into the bottom of a glass, there will no doubt be a resolute clinking of glasses this weekend as the celebrations for the USA's Independence Day on Tuesday get under way. In keeping with Fourth of July tradition, the White House will greet a procession of dignitaries, followed by parades, fireworks, and live music to salute the American dream. But Trump himself will be toasting the day with an alcohol-free glass, "Not that there's anything wrong with that", as Jerry Seinfeld said in another context.

While Trump is not the first president to forswear drink - George W Bush banished the divil from his highly indulged palate on his 40th birthday, quite a bit before he upgraded to the oval-shaped office, and Jimmy Carter was bone dry in his hospitality during his reign - Trump does hold the distinction of being the only US president to have shied away from drink throughout his life. Fr Mathew would be proud.

As I am married to an American, whose mother was born on July 4, this is always a day for celebration in our house. If we celebrate in the US, Californian Chardonnay with steamed lobster on one of Maine's wonderful wharfs is the order of the day, but beyond the shores of those 50 states, I tend to forget to seek out American wines. This is something I have started to change.

In case your reference point for American wine is a blush pink, easy drinker loaded with sugar, it's time to think again. While Zinfandel may be used for rose, which is the number one wine for export, people are discovering that there is a lot more to American wine than the low-cost, high-volume supermarket wines. California, with its Mediterranean climate, is the number one producer, and Washington state and Oregon come in strong as the next biggest states producing quality wine.

In the US, rather than the Zinfandel blush we so often see, the top varietals are Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Blended Red, Pinot Grigio/Gris, Merlot and Pinot Noir. And Pinot Noir is the breakout star. It's not just the Sideways effect - cooler climate wines are the hot trend in the US and at the recent London Wine Trade Fair, Pinot Noir made a big impact. Much of this comes from the fact that wine buyers and sommeliers outside of the US are beginning to realise that top US wines offer great value for money and, at the same time, consumers have started to trade up to more premium bottles.

But it's not just about the perfect climate for growing grapes which have global appeal. California takes sustainable practices in vineyards seriously and organic is becoming the norm. Trump may have withdrawn from the climate agreement, but the state of California hasn't. Mendocino County in California is one of the greenest agricultural growing areas in the world and has the highest density of organic vineyards globally.

Of particular note is Parducci Wine Cellars, where a water conservation programme captures, treats, and reuses 100pc of the water used in winery operations, and the wildlife habitat in the wetlands beside the vineyard provides biodiversity and a natural system for managing the vineyard's pest population. This all makes for very good wines, so do check out wines from Mendocino, as well as other regions of California, Oregon and Washington State.

4 wines to try...

Atalon Paulines cuvee 2011

14.5pc, 27.45 OBriens

Sideways may have shunned Merlot, but this beautiful Pomerol-style Merlot is a stunner. With an intense aroma of ripe plums, cherries and a touch of spice, this beautifully structured wine is rewarding on the palate. Worth every cent.

Cambria Estate Julias Vineyard Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2012

13.5pc, 29.95, OBriens

The cool climate of Santa Barbara Countys Santa Maria Valley ensures that this beautifully crafted Pinot Noir is awash with lots of red fruit  rich cherry and raspberry with notes of vanilla and spice. Perfect for a special occasion.

Parducci Chardonnay 2011

13.5pc, 23-24.95, Redmonds of Ranelagh, Jus de Vine, and Blackrock Cellar, all in Dublin; Parting Glass, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow; and leading independent off-licences

Lively and well balanced, the flavours of Asian pear, apple and wildflower honey in this Chardonnay finish with a touch of vanilla and nutmeg.

Ravenswood Zinfandel Old Vine Lodi 2011

13.5pc, 20, McHughs, Whelehans Wines, Donnybrook Fair, all in Dublin; La Touche Wines, Greystones, Co Wicklow

From the Sonoma Valley, this smooth Zinfandel has a delicious nose of ripe blackberries, cherries and plums. Round and easy to drink, theres a touch of sweetness on the finish.
Little Italy is famous for its restaurants and festivals

There's a line from the immortal movie Beaches in which Bette Midler's character says of her hometown, New York, "Do you remember when we said we wouldn't be caught dead above 14th Street?"

When I first saw the film as a child, I had no idea what she was talking about. But when I rewatched it recently, I absolutely got what she meant.

After a dozen visits and trips to every neighbourhood on the island of Manhattan, I can safely say that, to me, the very best of New York exists below 14th Street.

When most people head to The Big Apple for the first time, they stay in the cosy environs of Midtown. It's there that the bright lights of Broadway shine, and where the high-rise buildings, billboards and buzz live. And I absolutely get that. Everyone should visit Time Square and soak it all in at least once in their lives. But when you've been to NYC a few times, it can start to feel old. And not only that, it's criminal not to explore outside of the tourist bubble in a city of such diversity.

Below 14th Street is where many New Yorkers live, alongside the students of New York University. As with the rest of the city, it's a melting pot of cultures living side by side.

The big divider is Union Square, a transportation hub complete with a park and regular farmers' market, as well as the requisite superstores, bars and restaurants. It's here you'll often connect on the subway if heading uptown to the theatre or Central Park.

Much like the rest of New York, there's an area of downtown to suit every taste and budget - all it takes is a little information to make the best decision as to which neighbourhood would suit you.

Here are a few tips!

Greenwich Village

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The area below Union Square is referred to as the Village, but it's really the spots surrounding Washington Square Park that encapsulate Greenwich to the west and the East Village. You might remember the famous arch from When Harry Met Sally, and the park itself is a hang-out for dog lovers, students of NYU and tourists alike.

Greenwich Village is an affluent residential area with a hipster edge. Everything downtown is on a smaller scale to the excesses of Midtown, and Greenwich is crammed with independent shops, restaurants, bars and hotels. It's picturesque and pretty, and the setting for the sitcom Friends. It's also littered with traditional New York brownstone buildings, many divided into high-end apartments, others the private residences of the rich and famous.

The East Village is a little more beatnik and rough around the edges, but equally charming. Both areas have become chintzier in recent decades, and they're popular with those interested in the Sex and the City side of New York.

To me, this is the best Lower Manhattan neighbourhood to dip your toe into when first venturing outside of more touristy areas.

Stay: The Walker Hotel (walkerhotel.com), a gorgeous Art Deco-style boutique hotel in a great location just off 6th Avenue. Rooms from 269 per night.

Eat: Meatball Obsession (meatballobsession.com), a little hole in the wall where you can buy (you guessed it) meatballs in a cup smothered in sauce.

Don't Miss: Washington Square Park and its famous arch.

Tribeca

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The name comes from its location, the Triangle Below Canal Street, and it's relatively recently gentrified. That said, it's still affluent and expensive, and achingly hip.

Stay: The Roxy (roxyhotelnyc.com), formerly the Tribeca Grand. It's in a fantastic location and the design is incredible.

Eat: Brekkie at Bubby's (bubbys.com), where you can get good southern grits as well as classic staples.

Don't Miss: Tribeca Tavern, a cute little pub with a good atmosphere. It's pretty old-school, and doesn't have a website.

Little Italy and Chinatown

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Walk south in SoHo and you'll come to NoLita (North of Little Italy), a charming and less posh version of SoHo with independent boutiques and restaurants on a smaller scale. Keep walking south, and you'll encounter Little Italy itself; these days, it's mostly a tourist trap filled with overpriced restaurants and souvenirs, but in the early 20th century, the area was chock-a-block with immigrants from the boot.

Next to Little Italy, in the blocks surrounding Canal Street to the Bowery, you'll encounter Chinatown, a far more authentic experience than its neighbour; thousands of first generation Chinese immigrants live and work in the area, and apart from a couple of the more famous stretches, it's no more touristy than Dublin's Moore Street.

Stay: Sohotel (thesohotel.com). Don't let the name fool you, it's practically in Chinatown, but on a quieter stretch.

Eat: Joe's Shanghai (joesshanghairestaurants.com), but be warned - there will be a queue.

Don't Miss: The Nom Wah Tea Parlour for dim sum (nomwah.com), Whiskey Tavern for drinks (whiskeytavernnyc.com).

SoHo

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Affluent, glitzy and glamorous, the area 'South of Houston Street', also known as SoHo, is where the fashion and art set meet. It's a pretty area; full of cobbled streets with white buildings (old converted warehouses) and decorative fire escapes, high-end boutiques and lots of bars and restaurants.

Stay: Hotel East Houston (hoteleasthouston.com) is a pocket-friendly option - you can get a room for as little as 110 a night. It's small but perfectly formed and in a great location near Katz's Deli (where Meg Ryan faked it in When Harry Met Sally).

Eat: Schillers (schillersny.com), a nice little steakhouse with incredible French fries and strong cocktails.

Don't Miss: A stroll down Broadway; it has all the same shops as Midtown, but is far less manic.

The Meatpacking District

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As you might have realised, the names of New York neighbourhoods are quite on the nose. This is literally the area where meat is/was packed, and you'll notice the trucks dropping off and picking up in the wee hours if you're leaving a bar or going for an early morning stroll. It has recently become incredibly chic (and quite overpriced), but still a gorgeous area of low-rise buildings, wide avenues and views of the southern tip of the island.

Stay: The Standard High Line, a popular design hotel perched atop the former railway track turned park. Go for a drink in the rooftop bar at sunset - it's pricey, but the views of Lower Manhattan are second to none. standardhotels.com

Eat: Catch (catchrestaurants.com), a very trendy fish restaurant.

Don't Miss: The High Line itself (thehighline.org). Walk along as much of it as you can - it offers a lovely view of the city below.

Lower East Side

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Low-rise and pretty, the LES used to have quite a dodgy reputation, but it's possibly the hippest neighbourhood there is these days and full of bars and restaurants. Think of it as SoHo's slightly less upmarket neighbour, but with buckets of charm.

Stay: Sixty LES, a cool, chic hotel with rooms from about 175 a night. sixtyhotels.com

Eat: Beauty and Essex (beautyandessex.com), a very trendy establishment you enter through a pawn shop. Go for brunch (and order the Caesar Toast) or for dinner (there's a free champagne bar in the ladies' loo), but go hungry and order as much as you can. This restaurant is quite simply fantastic.

Don't Miss: Economy Candy (economycandy.com), an incredible old-fashioned sweet shop that has everything you can think of.

The Financial District

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This encapsulates pretty much everything below Tribeca, right down to the tip of Battery Park. It's where the buildings rise up once again, where the Freedom Tower sits at One World Trade Centre Plaza (complete with its 9/11 memorial), and where greed is good on Wall Street. This is the beating heart of New York's economy, and not exactly tourist-friendly; many of the hotels down this far are business rather than tourist-oriented.

Stay: Club Quarters Wall Street (clubquartershotels.com), it's cosy and in a fantastic spot.

Eat: Blue Ribbon Federal Grill (blueribbonrestaurants.com), the newly opened sister restaurant to the original well-loved Blue Ribbon in the Village. The menu is slightly old-school and eclectic; steak and fish are the specialties.

Don't Miss: The 9/11 museum (911memorial.org). Queues can be long, but worth it.

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NYC by boat

The best way to see the southern tip of the island? By boat. But not just any boat - a lovely, warm one where you can sit and eat and be entertained.

We took a Bateaux New York dinner cruise from Chelsea Piers, and sailed the Hudson and the East River marvelling at the skyline from the comfort of our table (and eating delicious food). The boat goes right out to the Statue of Liberty. See bateauxnewyork.com.

For more ideas, including shopping, dining, tours, museums, sightseeing, green spaces and more, see nycgo.com
What barrier? The number of pupils rejected by Catholic schools for not having a baptismal cert is tiny

I'm occasionally accused of being a conservative but when it comes to education I'm actually a radical. Given a blank slate, I'd be Finland. In the 1990s, in the teeth of a recession and dealing with big public spending cuts, Finland closed one-third of its primary schools. They piled all the pupils into large schools in the nearest big town, and trained up the teachers. Though it was done to save money, the result was a dramatic improvement in standards and the country shot to the top of the OECD academic league tables.

So in Finland; there's one school and no "ethos" menu. No picking and choosing over gender, religion, language; and no parents fretting over which school might confer an advantage on their little pet. And almost no private schools. I entirely approve. Children shouldn't be separated for any reason, class being the most destructive division of all.

But if we tried that here can you imagine the reaction? There would be a revolution.

I have five points to make about Richard Bruton's latest proposals to "do something" about the "baptism barrier" and that's the first and most important one.

If we abolished choice, trade unions and churches would protest but the shrillest cries would come from the vast bulk of parents who demand that whatever else happens in education, they reserve the right to choose which school their child attends. From the rural school aficionados to the private-school class in Dublin, not to mention the Gaeilgeoir, religion would be lost in the mob of those clamouring to choose their choice.

This is the cultural and let us not forget - constitutional - reality behind any initiative to deal with the legacy problem of our school patronage system.

The second point is that nothing the Minister for Education is proposing will create a single extra school place. If the Department of Education is incapable of counting children who live in well-known congested areas and providing an adequate number of school places for them; it doesn't matter if they kicked every priest out tomorrow: there would still be a shortage of school places.

Further, the number of pupils rejected by Catholic schools for not having a baptismal certificate (the "baptism barrier") is actually tiny.

In an albeit incomplete survey of schools in the greater Dublin area, where school places are in short supply, just 1.2pc of pupils were rejected for not being Catholic. This problem occurred in 17 particular schools where demand for places exceeded supply. In fact, Catholic pupils were rejected, too, but for other reasons unrelated to religion.

So we need to distinguish between these two separate issues: shortage of places and religious patronage. Both are problems, but tweaking the latter will have no impact on the former.

Thirdly, let me refer back to my idyllic blank slate and Finland. Accustomed as we are to being reminded we aren't Greece, the problem is we're not Finland either. Dr Maija Salokangas is a Finnish academic who works in the education department in Trinity College Dublin and she cautioned me that you can't transplant elements of one education system into another and expect the same results. Education systems arise out of cultures, not merely government strategies.

There is no guarantee - none at all - that adopting the Finnish system would work here.

We aren't a blank slate. Our primary schools are the product of a 150-year-old system, with which most people are quite satisfied. Or at worst, are anxious about changing lest we end up worse off.

I can see why. Our local priest is a powerhouse of energy and a genuine anchor in the community, which in a world of social atomisation is not something I take for granted.

In the midst of "austerity", two of our three parish schools were significantly extended and refurbished. The third, our one, was demolished and completely rebuilt. We have brilliant principals but I have no doubt that our priest's drive and determination was a key factor in that infrastructural achievement. Why would I want this guy kicked out? He's doing a good job.

But what about the presence of religion in the day-to-day life of the school? I know it's far from ideal, but with my first-hand experience, I see it as fairly benign.

In fact, a quite different narrative is played out than that presented by oppressed columnists in national newspapers. Each year our catechist has to give a talk to parents of children preparing for Communion and Confirmation, in which she smilingly and gingerly suggests that if the parents have no interest in religion or ever attending Mass, they might want to ask themselves why they are presenting their children for the sacraments. She has to do so carefully because the tension does not emerge from those who feel "forced" to comply, but those who'll be ringing up Liveline if they think they're being cut out for being bad Catholics.

I usually end up feeling sorry for the priest who has to indulge the demands of his shamelessly fickle flock, rather than seeing him as the indoctrinator of small children.

Also, having twice participated in the parent-led part of the programme for Confirmation, I see it as a fantastic opportunity to talk about ethics, values and choices with the children. It's a great vehicle for important conversations, which true, could be achieved with a philosophy class. But we don't have a philosophy curriculum. Come back to me with one and I'll happily support it. In the meantime, let's keep what we have until there's something else there.

But to crucial point four: equality: what about those children who are of a different religion or none, and are involuntarily exposed to religious instruction and feel excluded? It's just wrong.

I accept the soundness of the principle, but there's another way of looking at it. At my son's sixth-class graduation this year, I studied the cohort of nearly 60 pupils. There were a handful of black students; some freakishly tall girls; a couple of red-heads; and presumably a peppering of gay boys or girls.

Lots of those 12-year-olds differed in fundamental ways from various norms and there was nothing they could do about it. It is certainly the obligation of the majority to ensure that any differences in identity are not merely tolerated but accepted. But likewise, people in minorities also have to travel a path in which they accept that being different is OK. Ask any gay person about that journey. It's all part of accepting who we are and a key milestone in developing resilience.

Looked at it this way, we shouldn't worry too much about the minority in the class that aren't Catholics.

Once they aren't being forced to believe anything then what is the actual harm done? They are learning that some people believe strange things and say weird prayers and sure if that's what they're into, so what? Has anyone ever considered that being an atheist in a class of Catholics might actually be a good thing?

Finally, point five: What Bruton appears to be suggesting is that Catholic schools will not be allowed to refuse admission to a pupil on the basis of religion: but minority faiths will. Of course, the reason religion is protected in schools in the first place was in order to protect a minority: Protestants.

Conveniently, State funding of Protestant private schools resulted in funding of Catholic private schools which suited upper middle-class Catholics. Under the guise of religion the class system was preserved.

But consider a new factor: Islam and the concern over radicalisation in this multicultural approach. If Richard Bruton is serious about introducing pluralism into primary schools, which is a good thing, how can he force it upon Catholics, whilst simultaneously doubling down on protectionism for other religions, in particular one giving rise to concerns about fundamentalism?

In the name of equality, I'd say it's got to be all or nothing. We either protect all religions or none, and, as far as I'm aware, that's what the Constitution says, too.

To my mind there are simply too many clashing principles at work to solve the school patronage problem by a bit of tweaking here and there.

There is no way to preserve the right of parents to choose schools and the obligation to protect religious ethos in schools.

Choice and multiculturalism are, I believe, in conflict with true pluralism and genuine equality. As with health, we've a system whereby the State happily agreed to pay public servants to work in privately church-owned buildings. As with health that had enormous benefits, whilst simultaneously creating tricky problems as our society diversified.

As with health, it's going to take decades to unravel.

I think it will happen school by school and most probably require a referendum at some point.

In the meantime, those parents who cannot get a school place should ask the department to create those places, and those who have a place but in a Catholic school should know that SnapChat is their real problem.

You can wind yourself up about this, but, honestly, in this day and age, there are worse things in life than being subjected to a few Hail Marys.
Barristers and judges are intrinsically linked. Not all barristers want to become judges but it is safe to say most ambitious legal practitioners do see themselves one day donning the wig and gown.

The money is not necessarily any better once you become a judge but the prestige, honour and power of ruling over cases can outweigh the financial reward.

Barristers, not all but some, also like to get involved in politics. It's natural they would do so. Politicians and legal professionals socialise in the same circles and - whether they want to admit it or not - there is an overtly political element to how members of the judiciary are appointed.

There's a decent smattering of judges who, before becoming eminent, had a go at politics. Some even went before the electorate. Nothing wrong with that, you say. Naturally enough. Being a member of a political party - particularly if said party is in power - is useful to a barrister hoping to become a judge.

At a very basic level, the Constitution states that the Government of the day appoints all judges to courts. There is a process in place for selecting the best candidates to be presented to the Government for appointment, but the Cabinet has the final say. The Judicial Appointments Advisory Board (JAAB) is responsible for selecting barristers to be those candidates. The board is predominantly made up of judges and legal professionals and it is chaired by the Chief Justice, currently Susan Denham.

Transport Minister Shane Ross is trying to change the process. He wants a lay majority on the board and a non-legal professional to be chair.

Ross has come up against caustic and personalised opposition to his proposals in the Dail chamber, especially from TDs who also happen to be barristers. The vitriol has mostly come from Fianna Fail but the Labour Party is also backing its eminent friends in the four gold mines. The Dail register of members' interests shows there are currently five TDs who list their occupation as barrister.

The most well-known is Fianna Fail's justice spokesman Jim O'Callaghan. O'Callaghan, brother of RTE's Miriam O'Callaghan, has a very successful career as a defamation lawyer. He has thrown his full weight behind attacking Ross and his reforms of judicial appointments. O'Callaghan has been media shy at times but he is out front and centre leading Fianna Fail's defence of the judiciary. Last week he denied his work as a barrister posed a conflict of interest in his campaign to protect the status quo around judicial appointments.

"My job as a barrister is to represent the interest of a client on the basis of whatever their instructions are in accordance with the law. I've no conflict of interest in respect of it," he said.

Out of interest, the Sunday Independent asked Fianna Fail if O'Callaghan was involved in drafting the party's policy on defamation law reform, given that he has a keen interest in the area. We also asked if there could be a perceived conflict of interest in O'Callaghan working in the High Court on defamation cases while also overseeing the party's policy in the area.

Fianna Fail did not answer either question. Instead, a spokesman said: "Fianna Fail does not have any current plans to change the defamation laws."

The Department of Justice is undertaking a review of Ireland's archaic and needlessly punitive defamation legislation. Once this review is published, "Fianna Fail will make its response known in respect of any legislative changes that are suggested".

O'Callaghan's main concern with Ross's legislation is that the new judicial appointments board will be filled with pro-life and pro-choice activists, and he also believes it to be very unbecoming for the Chief Justice to be on a board she does not chair. I'm sure she'd make the most of the situation.

There are two other Fianna Fail TDs who list their occupations as barristers in the register of interests. Mayo's Lisa Chambers says she is working through some cases she took on before becoming a TD but when asked if she planned to take on new cases she said: "It's none of your business." She also said there was no conflict between being a lawmaker and practising law.

Chambers was not one of Fianna Fail's fine legal minds attacking the judicial appointments reform in the Dail last week. I'm not sure why.

Wexford TD James Browne also insisted there was no conflict but said he planned to wind down his practice due to time and energy constraints. During last week's debate on the Judicial Appointments Bill, Browne branded the legislation as Ross's "hobby horse" and said the new laws were "motivated by the whim of one member who has had a particular agenda for a long time and who has sought consistently to undermine judges".

His Fianna Fail colleague James Lawless, who is a trained but non-practising barrister, went one step further and likened Ross's reforms to the attack on the UK judiciary by some of the British press in the aftermath of Brexit.

Here's the quote: "The crusade of the Minister, Deputy Ross, in respect of the judiciary is reminiscent of the worst excesses of the jingoistic, little Englander, Brexit yellow press - my grandfather called them 'the Tory papers' - which engaged in an anti-judicial assault during the Brexit debate."

Without so much as a hint of irony or humour, Lawless added: "Unfortunately, this type of anti-electoral tyranny appears to be at the heart of this Bill."

Anti-electoral tyranny? We're still talking about reforming a process for selecting judges, yeah?

In an attempt to filibuster, Fianna Fail rolled out a raft of reluctant TDs to make stilted criticism of the new laws which most knew would have no impact on how many votes they got at the next general election.

However, Labour Party TD Willie Penrose, who is a practising barrister in the Midlands, was wildly scathing and personal in his criticism of Ross. Penrose described previous judicial reforms proposed by Ross as "hair-brained" and "daftness on stilts". He said Ross was a "noisy distraction" in opposition and was now an "empty space" in Government.

"It is one thing to come out with gadfly blustering, which is clearly entertaining for a readership in the leafy suburbs, but it does not contribute anything serious to the debate on this issue," he told a near-empty Dail chamber.

Such is Penrose's glowing admiration for the judiciary he even used last week's debate to attack his own party leader Brendan Howlin for cutting judges' pensions during the years of painful austerity we all had to endure.

He said changes to pension arrangement for judges by Howlin while he was Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform were "wrong" and "emasculated the pensions of judges". He noted it wasn't "most attractive to say" but insisted the pension changes should be undone. Contacted by the Sunday Independent last week, Penrose got a little upset at the suggestion there could be a conflict of interest in defending judges in the Dail and acting as a barrister.

"Only fools like you would think that," he said. "And who are fools like me?" I asked. "People with a "narrow view of life or those who live in a bubble", he responded.

Barristers, it seems, like to ask questions but are not so keen on answering them.
President of the High Court Peter Kelly is held in high esteem by nearly everybody. Including me. He has always been a no-nonsense judge, happy to kick against the pricks.

Last week he waded in on the side of the judges against the mildly reforming Bill set to remove the selection of judges from the grip of political cronyism. He dubbed the Government's Judicial Appointments Commission Bill as "ill conceived, ill advised" and being processed with "undue haste".

Not surprising from a judge, but maybe a bit surprising from Peter Kelly. Such a statement is expected from some of his friends on the bench. On a daily basis they have been circling the wagons round the ramparts of the Four Courts, eager to denounce the Bill as a "kick in the teeth" for the judiciary. Legal celebrities have been wheeled out one by one, to heap pressure on TDs.

Peter Kelly is a good man and a good judge. On past performance he ought to be on our side. Those unfamiliar with his outspokenness might like to know that less than five years ago he caused another stir when he rightly claimed that appointments to the Supreme Court were "purely political". He went on to explain that the current flawed set up - the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board (JAAB), supposedly designed to take the filling of judicial appointments out of the political arena - "doesn't really work". Wow. At the time, some of us cheered loudly for Peter.

With impeccable logic, in the same interview, Peter Kelly called for an independent body to appoint judges and insisted that currently some people who would make excellent judges were "passed over" in favour of others who were not so well qualified. Bravo.

Peter Kelly was on the button. But that was 2012, when there was no hope of reform. Today, there is. Today an end of political favouritism in the appointment of judges beckons. In response they are mobilising the judicial lobby as never before. An avalanche of vitriol is floating across the Liffey from the Four Courts to Leinster House. It is eloquently delivered there by the voices of the Law Library in our parliament, Fianna Fail barrister Jim O'Callaghan in the Dail and the former Progressive Democrat leader, barrister Michael McDowell, in the Seanad. It has echoes of the row between the elected government and the judges in 2011. On that occasion well-paid judges showed stubborn resistance to a referendum allowing their high level of pay to be reduced in line with ordinary public servants suffering real hardship.

The occupants of the Four Courts know how to pick a political row. In my experience in Leinster House, the most wily lobbyists against reforms are the judges, followed closely by the publicans and the bankers. All three are immensely powerful. All three know how to press political buttons. And all three are uncannily media savvy.

Our judiciary are good at their job. Unfortunately, as they see the end of political patronage on the horizon they have spotted perfect new patrons: themselves.

They can puff and blow all they like. A pity none of them acknowledged an independent, but highly embarrassing, entry into the controversy last week. A Council of Europe anti-corruption body (GRECO) found that Ireland was "globally unsatisfactory" in the area of judicial appointments and independence. Ireland had failed to implement eight out of 11 of its recommendations made in 2014. Tough timing.

The Bill before the Dail is our response. It has twin aims. First it will end the scourge of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Labour picking their own favourites for judicial preferment - when they are in power. Second, it will allow competent ordinary citizens to participate in the selection of judges.

Who is afraid of ordinary citizens? Who fears a lay (non-legal) majority on the commission?

A significant number of our legal elite does. How on earth, they whisper, could mere citizens select learned judges? The opponents of such mortals' participation bear the strong whiff of condescension. Statements from the judiciary's apologists imply that they alone have the wisdom to decide who is worthy of sitting alongside themselves on the various benches.

They should cool it. The Bill accommodates their wisdom. The proposed commission of 13 includes no less than six legal eagles. Three judges will sit on the body, accompanied by a nominee of the Bar Council, a Law Society representative (solicitor) and the Attorney General. The commission will be bursting at the seams with heavyweight legal advice, legal expertise, legal experience and legal wisdom. The other seven members will be responsible representatives of civil society including those with experience of victims groups, diversity, equality, mediation, corporate governance, human rights and other important non-legal interests. Gender balance and diversity will be specific requirements. The lay members will be recommended by the Public Appointments Service. For the first time - incredibly - the need for "merit" will be legally required in the selection process.

Yet the judges are thundering against the "humiliation" of the chief justice having to serve on a body to sit alongside a lay chairperson. Are they serious? The lay chair (and the lay majority) are included to ensure that the commission does not deteriorate into a body of insiders, chaired by an insider. No one has anything but a high opinion of current chief justice Susan Denham, but she is, sadly, retiring in the coming weeks. No law should be tailored for capable incumbents. It is written for future decades, if not generations, of unknown chief justices.

Similarly, the legal elite are openly uncomfortable with a lay majority. God forbid that these independent novices, uneducated in the mysteries of the law, could pick candidates in defiance of the preferences of wise insiders!

The lay majority is protection against legal insiders - at some date in the future - lining up to promote their own personal favourites. The Four Courts is a cosy place.

There may be some unfamiliar moments ahead for ambitious lawyers. Legal luminaries with aspirations towards the bench will have to face independent citizens, as well as judges, across the table in interviews. It will be a bit of a culture shock. Under the current system of selection, there has never, in its 22-year life, been a single interview for a judicial position. That lapse alone underlines the crying need for reform.

Reform is hard to achieve in conservative Ireland. Yet we are on the brink of a breakthrough. Judges and barristers may be fighting a rearguard action, but the Law Society, representing Ireland's solicitors, has broken ranks and is broadly supporting our reform. The majority of independent TDs and smaller parties are expected to join the Independent Alliance and Fine Gael when the Dail votes this week. Fianna Fail, led by barrister O'Callaghan, will be joined by a few maverick supporters of the old regime in opposition to it.

Whatever the final contents of the Bill, we are on the cusp of finally removing toxic political influence from our judicial system.

Shane Ross is Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport
Top-up fees levied by private nursing homes on residents struck a chord with many Sunday Independent readers. What was most striking about the families who contacted this newspaper in the wake of last week's revelations of charges amounting to thousands a year for social activities was their fearful insistence on protecting their identities.

There is the woman whose semi-paralysed husband is paying 104 a month for social activities, and takes 100 a month out of her own pension to pay for this and other additional charges. "If you complain, you are the worst in the world," she said.

There is the daughter of a woman who was charged a 20pc administration fee on top of actual fee for having her hair done or having a newspaper delivered.

And there is the woman who challenged the private nursing home that terminated her elderly father's contract and gave him a month to leave. She was told the nursing home did not have to give her a reason. "The family were quite shocked," she said. The nursing home eventually withdrew the termination notice, after a meeting with her.

In each case, the families involved insisted that neither their names nor that of the nursing homes should be disclosed. It is not so much about fear of retribution, but nursing homes hold most of the cards.

According to the support and advocacy group Sage, spiralling compulsory extra fees are the symptom. The underlying problem lies in the nursing home contracts themselves, which the organisation claims delivers the power to the nursing home.

Mervyn Taylor, manager of Sage, said contracts need to contain more safeguards for residents. The organisation has started analysing nursing home contracts with its legal adviser, and has come up with some troubling findings.

Its research has found "clear evidence" that nursing home contracts were being signed on behalf of people who were capable of doing so themselves, and were also being signed on behalf of people who did not have capacity but who had not been properly assessed. In either situation, the contracts were "illegal" and the issue requires "urgent attention". Sage found that a nursing home's rights to terminate a contract with immediate effect are "far-reaching and provide little or no protection for residents". In fact, private tenants have greater rights than an old person in a nursing home.

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The typical contract allows for a four-week notice period if the contract is to be terminated by either nursing home or resident. However, the nursing home can cancel the contract "with immediate effect" based on the "opinion" of the owner that the resident or family member is "disruptive" or "aggressive" or a health and safety risk.

The owner can also "terminate" with "immediate effect" if the resident has not given 12 weeks' written notice that he or she can no longer afford "all fees and sums". The owner is not obliged to consult in advance with either the State authorities or the resident's next of kin.

Nursing homes can be fraught places, and staff and residents are entitled, of course, to work and live in a peaceful environment, without risk from other residents or their families of disruption or danger. But no agency is actually monitoring whether residents are actually evicted, or are threatened with eviction, and why. Mervyn Taylor said his organisation has had a number of experiences in relation to notices to quit, "which is why we have started gathering data on this issue", he said.

Sage conducted its own analysis of 61 cases on its books relating to nursing home accommodation. It found 27 cases in which notices to quit were issued to residents. The data is still being analysed and there may be a simple explanation, such as a nursing home closing. But the exercise does highlight the gap in what is known.

Many nursing homes base their contracts on templates - including one for those who don't have capacity - created by Nursing Homes Ireland, the industry association. It includes a general four-week notice period for ending the contract and no notice in "exceptional circumstances".

In a statement, Nursing Homes Ireland said that its contracts "enshrine the protections offered in law through legislation and regulation" and are "effective arrangements" for residents.

"All nursing homes have a duty of care to the resident, all residents and staff members. It may be necessary to discharge a resident to a more appropriate setting for their own safety and the safety of others. Such discharges are a very rare occurrence. All nursing homes have to ensure a safe discharge to an appropriate setting." The statement added that "complaints legislation is very clear that the complainant should not be discriminated against for making a complaint".

When residents and their families raise concerns about issues in nursing home contracts, such as fee increases, agencies such as the HSE or the Ombudsman are often unable to intervene. This is because a contract is a legally binding agreement only between the residents and the nursing home.

The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) clearly has concerns about nursing home contracts too, or at least its powers to examine them. The regulator is in talks with the Department of Health to amend the regulations in the Health Act to provide greater protections for nursing home residents in contracts, according to a statement to the Sunday Independent.

"Specific concerns include situations where residents are charged for services that they are not availing of, such as social activities," the statement said. "More worryingly, residents are charged for services which they are already entitled to receive free of charge."

Even though all nursing homes are supposed to have contracts in place, listing all fees, the Hiqa statement said "vulnerable people will often have taken up residence in a nursing home before they have seen, agreed and signed the contract of care". The existing regulations don't allow Hiqa to conduct any sort of "in-depth analysis" of nursing home contracts. "As long as there is a contract in place and it sets out the relevant charges, a nursing provider has met the current regulatory requirement."

According to the regulator, this is no longer enough.
The most interesting comment in the Jobstown trial came from Judge Melanie Greally who told the jury they had shown "extreme bravery and courage" in taking on the case. Why so? Such a comment, one imagines, would usually be reserved for a jury, should there be a jury, in a terrorism or serious organised crime case. Indeed, that was why the Special Criminal Court was established and is continued, not only in view of the continuing threat to State security posed by instances of violence, but also of the particular threat to the administration of justice, including jury intimidation.

So what was Judge Greally referring to? I am not suggesting that those on trial in the Jobstown case would intimidate the jury or even countenance such intimidation were it to occur. But that a judge should feel obliged to commend the "bravery and courage" of the jury surely raises uncomfortable questions about the administration of justice.

*****

Another outcome has been a focus, however brief it will prove to be, on legal and other fees paid to barristers and other professionals, with various estimates running into millions of euro as to the overall costs associated with the Jobstown trial.

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This was an issue repeatedly highlighted by the EU institutions and the IMF in the bailout period and, as a consequence, something former Justice Minister Alan Shatter was obliged to tackle, which led to him running the gauntlet with the powerful Bar Council of Ireland, the representative body of barristers, that most influential of influential lobby groups.

The upshot, subsequently introduced by Shatter's successor, the wily Frances Fitzgerald, was the establishment of something called the Legal Services Regulatory Authority.

This regulatory body held its first meeting less than a year ago and was described at the time as a "key step in the historical structural reform of the legal services and legal costs regimes". But it is not due to be fully functioning until the end of this summer - that is almost a full decade after the Troika highlighted the legal costs issue. Interestingly enough, the new regulatory authority has a lay chairperson.

*****

There are always risks associated with regulation, among them that a regulator will act in the interests of the profession rather than in the public interest. In the case of Ireland's banking collapse, evidence emerged that the banking regulator became too close to the institutions he was supposed to regulate, for example.

The proof of the pudding, or one of the proofs in the case of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority, will be a subsequent reduction in legal costs. So, we shall hold our breaths, but not for another decade.

This, of course, also raises another thorny issue frequently asked, but never suitably answered: who regulates the regulator?

*****

Fianna Fail's proposal to establish a regulator for the waste industry in response to proposed changes to the bin charges regime is reasonable. The potential for anti-competitive collusion, such as price-fixing and market division, in the waste area is significant, but no firm evidence exists that such collusion, in fact, occurs, whatever the suspicions.

That said, under the confidence and supply arrangement, Fianna Fail finds itself in another bind: unable to outwardly oppose the proposed changes, as no doubt will Sinn Fein and our friends related to the Jobstown trial; and unable to fully support those changes, a common position which is fast becoming untenable. Fianna Fail will hope the soon-to-be alight bin charges controversy will do to this Government what water charges did to the last, a prospect that is not entirely unimaginable, even if it speaks to a lack of imagination.

Meanwhile, legislation to underpin the recent, tortuous resolution of the water charges issue has been kicked back until September, at the earliest. I am given to understand that Fine Gael intends to legislate not entirely in keeping with the recommendations of the Oireachtas committee on water charges, but to introduce a volumetric usage charge regardless. This is a development, should it happen, that will once again put the focus back on Fianna Fail and the hopeless position in which it finds itself.

*****

Notwithstanding his expressed pause for thought following the outcome of the UK election, with his every utterance Leo Varadkar gives the impression of a man preparing to soon call an election, particularly his repeated references to those who "get up early in the morning" and his determination to cut income tax for those regularly referred to as the "squeezed middle", that is, to quote Varadkar, those who "go to work every day and pay the taxes that allow us to pay for everything else".

To do so, he has signalled, he may need to raise taxes elsewhere; or, indeed, in his determination, perhaps curb spending elsewhere. Herein still lays the potential for the Budget in October to fall, and an opportunity for the new Taoiseach to go to the country to seek his mandate. What better platform, he may think, than to give a break to those who go to work every day and pay the taxes that allows for everything else?

With such a mandate, he may also then feel free to impose a water charge regime as Fine Gael deems fit for purpose, not to mention a new bin charge regime should the introduction of both be delayed a little beyond September; and, for good measure, possibly to be rid of that inherited terrible child Shane Ross, which, as a consequence, may allow Varadkar to reassess the concerns of the judiciary, which is finding such sympathy behind the scenes in Fine Gael.

No doubt the new Taoiseach would also assess the evidence which will eventually emerge from the Legal Services Regulatory Authority should he want to introduce horse-before-cart legal reform and complete the job so assiduously undertaken at the behest of the Troika by Alan Shatter, before his untimely political demise.

*****

To undertake these tasks, Varadkar will need, and is assured of, the capable assistance of his learned Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, the bookish Paschal Donohoe, who delivered his second interesting speech in a matter of weeks last week, this time at the National Economic Dialogue. The other was a fortnight ago to the Fine Gael think-tank the Collins Institute, to which he presented a critique of those populists such as our friends in Jobstown and others, but surely not that decent man Fr Sean Healy.

At the National Economic Dialogue, Donohue quoted the novelist Colum McCann, whose late father Sean McCann was a journalist at the former Irish Press and a gentleman to boot.

Specifically, the Finance Minister referred to the novel Transatlantic, which he said "actually touches on many of the things our country is about, about how it engages with the outside world". There was a "gorgeous" line in it, he said: "The world spins, we stumble on, it is enough." No, said Donohoe: "Can't be any more, can't be about stumbling on. It has to be about how we have a framework and a debate for doing far better than that."

The Finance Minister also spoke of what he called the "value of regulation" and having a steady regulatory structure on things that "move the needle in a small open economy".

*****

Colum McCann's father would not have been surprised that the mainstream media got it in the neck during the Jobstown trial, as represented by a vignette reported in The Irish Times. Barrister Michael O'Higgins, himself a former journalist, complained at one point of a post tweeted by Peter Murtagh, a journalist with that newspaper, referring to the cross-examination of Joan Burton, who wondered who was actually on trial.

The Jobstown defendants and/or their supporters, meanwhile, used social media during the trial in such a manner that, to say the least, risked contempt of court, most of which went unremarked upon in court. Then again, perhaps this is what Judge Greally had in mind when she referred to the "extreme bravery and courage" of the jury.

It was a bad week for the mainstream media in general. After one step forward at the European Court of Human Rights recently, the Supreme Court knocked us two steps back, literally, to the High Court, in terms of the ongoing campaign to reform the country's defamation laws. The case concerned a 900,000 libel award against the Sunday World. There will be a wide benefit: the knock-back, if that course is taken, is sure to financially benefit our learned friends, of course.

Independent of Government and press, the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman was established in 2008 to consider complaints about newspapers, magazines and online news publications.

The press signed up to and committed to this form of regulation, the quid pro quo said to be proper reform of the defamation laws, which has still not arrived almost a decade on. The legal profession, meanwhile, is only now getting to a similar point almost 10 years after the Troika came to town, and the jury is out on the success, or otherwise, of that compromise.

Meanwhile, our friends on the bench now protest most vociferously against the relatively modest reform proposals of Shane Ross, having for years, with their colleagues in the Law Library and friends in the Oireachtas, contrived to nobble the Fourth Estate. Forgive us a wry smile. You reap what you sow. Who regulates the regulators? Why social media, of course.
Summer 1906. In Glasgow, the world's biggest ship, the RMS Lusitania, is launched. In Paris, Captain Alfred Dreyfus is exonerated.

In Cork, my grandmother is at home, rinsing a pan after warming milk for her younger siblings at bedtime. She is 12. It's been one of those golden evenings where even the trumpet-playing angel on St Fin Barre's Cathedral is molten. As she runs the solitary tap in the house, there's an urgent knocking at the door.

Her father gets up from his paper, makes sure the bedroom door is closed, puts his arm around his eldest girl. Together they stand at the front window as the rapping rings around the house. Outside, there's a young woman. As usual, she's looking directly at them. My grandmother knows she will hear the knocking as long as she sees the woman. The woman is her mother. She is dead a year.

So it was that, several months after she was buried, Catherine Tanner began to visit her family. It was only when the knocking started that husband and daughter confessed to seeing her previously in the kitchen and the yard.

Richard Tanner was a carpenter. He was also a Protestant and an epileptic. In an era when epileptics were freaks, feeble-minded or outcasts, apparitions of his dead wife were things he kept to himself. Particularly when he was rearing their six children on his own and determined to do so. He and Catherine had already lost their babies Margaret, Patrick and Minnie to turn-of-the-century epidemics. According to my grandmother, they were an especially loving family.

Until she joined them at 87, my grandmother continued to see the dead among the living. Having "the gift" of being able to walk people over and come back herself, she was much in demand to sit with the dying. She used to say that at almost every death she attended, "someone came" for the dying. She believed the dead wouldn't harm a hair on our head, rather, it's the living we should dread, especially the vindictive, the 'respectable' and the righteous. My father was of a similar view. The longer I live, the more I appreciate their wisdom.

In that summer of 1906, Richard Tanner was convinced his dead wife would return to the family for one reason only: to warn him of danger to their children. He was right. On August 7, he died unexpectedly in a catastrophic epileptic seizure. Within days, his eldest son would leave for Canada, his baby son would be taken in by neighbours, his other two sons and two daughters, aged between five and 12, would be committed to industrial schools, "sentenced to detention" for their 'crime' of "being found destitute orphans".

I have written here how Thomas (five) and Richard (nine) were detained at Passage West and Greenmount Industrial Schools. Thomas's committal to Passage West came to light only through the generosity of the Presentation Brothers, in particular archivist Brother John Brazil. In the weeks since, the archivists of the Mercy Sisters, Cork Diocese and The Good Shepherd Sisters, too, have been helpful.

The records of the children are scant, even pitiful. They give committal dates, reason, age, levels of literacy and numeracy, previous character. Why take the risk? A five-year-old orphan could well have been a recidivist murderer or marauder before their rounding up and incarceration.

I find the section "identifying marks" disturbing, imagining the children, unprotected by their parents, being examined by strangers. We seem to have been a unremarkable family, because only Thomas merits an entry. He was of "dark complexion" and had "a long nose". On transfer to Greenmount aged nine, the only description of this child by the Mercy nuns is as "a good, obedient boy". I wonder what it took to make him so? For three of the children, release was on "expiation of sentence" at 16. Or in the case of my grandmother's younger sister: death. Kathleen Tanner died of meningitis five months after she arrived at the Good Shepherds, Sunday's Well. She was nine.

From the records it is clear the State - and the Church as its agent - were focused on what the children were as a category, not on who they were as individuals. Plus ca change. The cultural carry-on at Tusla/HSE in high-profile cases such as 'Grace' suggests that, as a country, we haven't evolved that much in 111 years.

In 1906, even the sparse record of my grandmother contains the wrong date of birth. This is in marked contrast to the breathless detail the holy herdswomen kept of another child who was her contemporary at the institution: Nellie Organ, or Little Nellie of Holy God.

I don't wish to offend anyone with devotion to Little Nellie - and I do believe in miracles - but I find it unimaginable and unconscionable that a small girl with dental decay so catastrophic it had invaded her jaw bones, would be carried in a white frock to a pew in a chapel to nurture her 'mysticism', and not first in a white gown to a dentist's chair to relieve the stench, the foul taste, the agony. Maybe the child was hallucinating from toxins and pain as she allegedly clutched the crucifix intoning, "Poor Holy God".

Even the copious records kept on Little Nellie of Holy God diminish her. Nellie was a suffering, vulnerable child. What she was as Little Nellie of Holy God was a bulletproof martyr barrelling to sainthood, magnifying the Good Shepherds, exalting the local clergy in the icy sight of Rome. As what she was, Little Nellie was conscripted to infantilise a Catholic city, manufactured as an icon for the kind of lunatic piety that dismantled individual lives and damaged our psyche as a nation.

The Tanner girls also suffered from what they were, not who they were, and long before the Good Shepherds. When I was growing up, my grandmother's constant narrative was that when her father died, his brother Benjamin came for the children but the local priest prevented him from taking them. Why? Benjamin was a Protestant and their Catholic souls had to be saved, in honour of their Catholic mother. The same Catholic mother who came back from the dead in warning to her family.

As a child, I took the story as gospel. As an adult, I began to discount it, not as a lie but more as a salve, so that the children's abandonment might not seem so abject. But I shouldn't have doubted her. According to the records, the local curate presented the children to the courts for sentencing by RM Starkie. On that day, Magistrate Starkie, too, saw the four children for what they were - orphaned, destitute, alone in the world, presented by the curate. I wonder what he would have thought, if anything, if he knew who they were by blood: the direct descendants of his ascendancy, county social set.

Growing up, I lived in my grandmother's house. For 17 years, I saw her every day, thought I knew every story. But she never mentioned her younger sister Kathleen. Just as she never mentioned that her sojourn was at the Good Shepherds - the traditional dread of every girl in Cork.

My grandmother went on to marry a man who had a dim view of colonial Catholicism and the African race for souls. And as her marriage descended into silence, she began to live more with the dying and the dead, among them her own four children, the first her baby daughter, Kathleen.

In researching the family story, it is striking how time and again when it comes to how life turned out for its members, the what assassinates the who: Catholic or Protestant, male or female, old English or old Irish, Cromwell's soldier or Quaker, heir or disinherited, rich boy marries poor girl and vice-versa. Yet those same records reveal the who of the family in its fortitude and intelligence. I love, particularly, the unmarried, God-fearing Protestant woman raising her son openly with love and pride in a society redolent of The Scarlet Letter. Equally, who the family is can be found in the marriages for love, regardless of religion or class and the inevitable loss of status and money.

So, reader, take a few minutes to remember your dead: it took thousands of them to make you who you are. St Augustine of Hippo said: "The dead are invisible beings, they are not absent." His saintly reckoning didn't take account of the who or the what of Catherine Tanner: Corkwoman, mother who defied death itself to defend her children.

Catherine Tanner died of pleurisy on June 30, 1905. She was 36. Now her great-grandchildren have claimed her children, she can rest in peace.
In an interview with The Parchment, the magazine of the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association, Mr Justice Peter Kelly, the then head of the Commercial Court, said in 2012 that there should be an independent body to appoint judges. At that time, the judge, who is now President of the High Court, claimed that some people who would have made excellent judges were "passed over" in favour of others who were not so well qualified. "It's purely political in any event," he said with reference to appointments to the Supreme Court.

More recently, Mr Justice Kelly has led the charge in opposition to the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2016, what has been described by solicitors as a forward-looking, inclusive and contemporary approach to reform of the judicial selection system as championed by Shane Ross, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

However, the High Court President has described the proposed legislation as "ill-conceived, ill-advised" and said that it was being processed with "undue haste". In fact, reform of the judicial selection process in Ireland has been under discussion since 2013, so if anything we would contend that it is beyond time the issue of judicial selection reform was dealt with. The proposed legislation is not a panacea for all ills in the selection process. It still leaves the ultimate decision in the hands of the government of the day, for example, but the selection of judges would no longer be so "purely political" under the proposed legislation and that is to be welcomed.

Indeed, the proposed legislation is to be more broadly welcomed as a latest step in long, overdue reform of the appointment of judges, not least because its intention should increase the diversity of the judiciary to include the appointment of more women, legal professionals from all backgrounds and, in general, more candidates from wider social and geographical origins.

The proposed reform is being strongly resisted by the Association of Judges of Ireland, the mandate of which includes the protection and enhancement of judicial independence, the improvement of the administration of justice and the promotion of a better public understanding of the role played by the judiciary both within the justice system and as an arm of government. It is also being opposed by the Bar Council of Ireland, the representative body for barristers practising law, from whose membership judges have been usually selected. The concerns of these bodies should be noted, in so far as that is practicable. However, it should also be noted that the Law Society of Ireland, the representative and regulatory body of solicitors, has broadly welcomed the proposed reform.

The proposed Judicial Appointments Commission will accommodate representatives of the legal profession and increase to a majority lay or non-legal representatives, including the chairperson. These will be capable people of high standing and more representatives of civil society, including those with experience of victims' groups, diversity, equality, mediation, corporate governance, human rights and other important non-legal interests. This has been unfairly criticised by no less a figure than Michael McDowell, the former attorney general and justice minister, currently a senator and practising barrister, as "some kind of tokenistic dumbing down process in pursuit of some elusive form of political correctness". Mr McDowell could never be accused of 'political correctness' but we think he doth protest too much and too intemperately. The reforms proposed by Mr Ross will, we believe, enrich the judiciary with the additional talents, skills and insights which are required, and are to be welcomed. The Judicial Appointments Commission Bill should be passed into law with all urgency.
Singer Kerry Katona is pictured leaving the ITV studios with her daughters Molly and Lilly-Sue after co-presenting Loose Women. Picture: Simon Earl / Splash News

Molly McFadden is following in her mother and father's footsteps.

The 16-year-old daughter of Kerry Katona and Brian McFadden took to the stage with her mum at the Big Day Out in Kent this weekend and wowed the crowd with her vocals.

Former Atomic Kitten star Kerry (36), who has just split with her third husband George Kay, wore a playsuit and biker jacket while Molly wore black and a denim jacket.

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Molly the eldest of her five children and is sister to Lily Sue (14) who is also former Westlife star Brian McFadden's daughter. Kerry and Brian married in 2002 but split two years later and divorced in 2006.

The performance is the second milestone for Molly this week after she went to her prom.

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Kerry, who lives in the UK, shared photos of her daughter on social media and admitted she was in tears as Molly headed off to the event.

She also recently shared her heartbreak over Molly's planned moved to Dublin in August to live with her grandparents, Brian's parents, as she studies to become a surgeon.

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Prince William with wife Kate Middleton and children Prince George and Princess Charlotte exclusively for British GQ. Picture: Norman Jean Roy/British GQ

Emulating Kate Middleton's style doesn't have to break the bank, although you have to be quick if you want to snap up her favourite threads!

Her off duty style is particularly accessible and her latest favourite trainers are no exception.

Lately she's often snapped wearing her gleaming white Superga 2750 Cotu trainers and the Italian brand has revealed that the 'Kate effect' has resulted in increased sales.

"We are both honored and excited that the Duchess of Cambridge has chosen to wear our shoes on several occasions, each time Kate wears Superga both our own website and stores see a significant increase in demand," Head Of Marketing at Superga told the Mail Online.

It's hardly surprising - they're the perfect casual plimsolls, working just as well with a tea dress or playsuit as with jeans and a Breton top, which is Kate's favourite combo.

Shew also wore them for the family photo that featured in GQ magazine recently.

The good news is they're affordable. You canvas or leather versions ranging from 67 to 81 from Schuh, Debenhams, and ASOS.
Best Dressed Lady finalists with Breeda Mcloughlin (centre) of Dubai Duty Free with fellow judges Chanelle McCoy, Bairbre Power & Melanie Morris at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. . Photo: Anthony Woods

Sligo woman Suzanne McGarry was announced as the Most Stylish Lady at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh Racecourse on Saturday.

Suzanne wore all Irish designers with a bespoke dress by Anna McGuire and a hat by Laura Hanlon.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close Best Dressed Lady finalists with Breeda Mcloughlin (centre) of Dubai Duty Free with fellow judges Chanelle McCoy, Bairbre Power & Melanie Morris at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. . Photo: Anthony Woods Best Dressed Lady Suzanne McGarry of Co. Sligo with Breeda McLoughlin of Dubai Duty Free & Chanelle McCoy pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Photo: Anthony Woods Gemma Sugrue pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Gemma enjoyed a wonderful day courtesy of the airport retailer in their private hospitality suite. Photo: Anthony Woods Carmel & George Horan pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Photo: Anthony Woods Best Dressed Lady Suzanne McGarry of Co. Sligo with Breeda McLoughlin of Dubai Duty Free & Chanelle McCoy pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Photo: Anthony Woods Breeda & Colm McLoughlin pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Photo: Anthony Woods Best Dressed Lady Suzanne McGarry of Co. Sligo with Breeda McLoughlin of Dubai Duty Free & Chanelle McCoy pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Photo: Anthony Woods Best Dressed Lady Suzanne McGarry of Co. Sligo pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Photo: Anthony Woods Annette Rocca and Jane Given pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Annette and Jane enjoyed a wonderful day courtesy of the airport retailer in their private hospitality suite. Photo: Anthony Woods Anna Fortune pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Photo: Anthony Woods Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman Colm McLoughlin whose company, Dubai Duty Free played host to almost 400 guests in the private VIP Dubai Duty Free pavilion at the world famous track. This is the tenth year the airport retailer has been the title sponsor of the Irish Derby which is now a complete festival featuring various local initiatives, a Golf Classic and charity ball, both of which are held at The K Club. Dubai Duty Free also sponsored the Best Dressed Lady Competition on the day which was won by Suzanne McGarry from Sligo. AP McCoy, Breda Mcloughlin, Chanelle McCoy, wife of legendary jockey AP McCoy and star of Dragons Den & Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman Colm McLoughlin photographed at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh Racecourse County Kildare. Chanelle was one of the judges of the Best Dressed Lady Competition, sponsored by Dubai Duty Free which saw the Best Dressed Lady on the day scooping a five star holiday to Dubai courtesy of the airport retailer. Photo: Anthony Woods Vanessa and Sheila Greaney pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Vanessa and Sheila enjoyed a wonderful day courtesy of the airport retailer in their private hospitality suite. Photo: Anthony Woods Triona McCarthy & William White pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh Racecourse. Picture: Anthony Woods Suzanne & Keith Walsh pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Suzanne & Keith enjoyed a wonderful day courtesy of the airport retailer in their private hospitality suite. Photo: Anthony Woods Susie Hopkins pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Photo: Anthony Woods Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman Colm McLoughlin whose company, Dubai Duty Free played host to almost 400 guests in the private VIP Dubai Duty Free pavilion at the world famous track. This is the tenth year the airport retailer has been the title sponsor of the Irish Derby which is now a complete festival featuring various local initiatives, a Golf Classic and charity ball, both of which are held at The K Club. Dubai Duty Free also sponsored the Best Dressed Lady Competition on the day which was won by Suzanne McGarry from Sligo. Ramesh Cidambi & Sinead El Sibai pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Photo: Anthony Woods Dubai Duty Free Executive Vice Chairman Colm McLoughlin whose company, Dubai Duty Free played host to almost 400 guests in the private VIP Dubai Duty Free pavilion at the world famous track. This is the tenth year the airport retailer has been the title sponsor of the Irish Derby which is now a complete festival featuring various local initiatives, a Golf Classic and charity ball, both of which are held at The K Club. Dubai Duty Free also sponsored the Best Dressed Lady Competition on the day which was won by Suzanne McGarry from Sligo. Meabh O'Leary & Grainne O'Leary pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Meabh & Grainne enjoyed a wonderful day courtesy of the airport retailer in their private hospitality suite. Photo: Anthony Woods Melanie Morris pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Melanie enjoyed a wonderful day courtesy of the airport retailer in their private hospitality suite. Photo: Anthony Woods Lisa O'Donohue and Evelyn McDermott pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Lisa and Evelyn enjoyed a wonderful day courtesy of the airport retailer in their private hospitality suite. Photo: Anthony Woods Liam El Sibai & Sofia Gozalez pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. They enjoyed a wonderful day courtesy of the airport retailer in their private hospitality suite. Photo: Anthony Woods Kate Fortune & Anna Fortune pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Kate & Anna enjoyed a wonderful day courtesy of the airport retailer in their private hospitality suite. Photo: Anthony Woods Karl Broderick & Alan Hughes pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Karl & Alan enjoyed a wonderful day courtesy of the airport retailer in their private hospitality suite. Photo: Anthony Woods Jim Sheridan with Breeda & Colm McLoughlin pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. . Photo: Anthony Woods Jihad & Sinead El Sibai pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Photo: Anthony Woods Legendary Jockey AP McCoy & wife Chanelle McCoy, star of Dragons Den photographed at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at The Curragh Racecourse County Kildare. Chanelle was one of the judges of the Best Dressed Lady Competition, sponsored by Dubai Duty Free which saw the Best Dressed Lady on the day scooping a five star holiday to Dubai courtesy of the airport retailer. Photo: Anthony Woods / Facebook

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Whatsapp Best Dressed Lady finalists with Breeda Mcloughlin (centre) of Dubai Duty Free with fellow judges Chanelle McCoy, Bairbre Power & Melanie Morris at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. . Photo: Anthony Woods

She was chosen as the overall winner by judges including Irish Independent Fashion Editor Bairbre Power, Dragon's Den star Chanelle McCoy, Image Magazine's Editor-in-Chief Melanie Morris, and Breeda McLoughlin, wife of Colm McLoughlin, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free.

Her stellar prize includes a trip to Dubai with accommodation in the 5 star Jumeriah Creekside Hotel, and a 1,000 Dubai Duty Free spending spree. Suzanne will also spend the night before her trip at the 5 Star K Club before being chauffeur driven to Dublin Airport.

Im so honoured to be chosen as the Most Stylish Lady here at The Curragh; the style stakes rise each year and Im so delighted to have won the title," she said.

Expand Close Best Dressed Lady Suzanne McGarry of Co. Sligo pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Photo: Anthony Woods / Facebook

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Whatsapp Best Dressed Lady Suzanne McGarry of Co. Sligo pictured at the Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby at the Curragh racecourse Co Kildare on the 1st of July. Photo: Anthony Woods

"It has been such a wonderful day out as always at The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby, only made better by my fabulous prizes! I cant wait to book my trip; pampering in the K Club, luxury travel to Dubai, shopping til I drop and unwinding at the Jumeriah Creekside Hotel  what could be better!

Suzanne is no stranger to winning in the racing style stakes. She won Best Dressed at Galway in 2011 wearing a simple red vintage dress accessorised with a 'big talking' Lina Stein hat featuring pearls and handmade silk roses. in 2012 she won 25,000 at the Moyglare Stud Stakes for her outfit. Her prize also took her to the White Turf races held on the snow in St Moritz in February and the sales consultant also won 5,000 of Newbridge Silverware presented to her by Gay Byrne.

Expand Close Suzanne McGarry from Sligo scooped 25,000 prize. / Facebook

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Of her present win, Chanelle McCoy added, The Judges and I loved seeing so many stylish women out today at The Curragh. I discovered some great young and new Irish designers and milliners so a big thanks to todays attendees who showcased the very best of Irish style.

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"We were looking for someone who let their personal style shine through and of course brought some colour in to the mix. While it was a hard decision we all agreed Suzanne was our number one choice.
Stephen Hawking talks about his life and work during a public symposium (Joe Giddens/PA)

Professor Stephen Hawking was serenaded by a full auditorium singing Happy Birthday as he attended a symposium.

The physicist and cosmologist  who turned 75 in January  gave a talk reflecting on his life and scientific work at Cambridge University.

The series of public lectures about gravity and black holes also welcomed other distinguished scientists including Professor Brian Cox.

Prof Hawking joked: Actually, for those keeping count, Im closer to 75-and-a-half. But that shouldnt get in the way of a good celebration.

In his talk, titled My Life In Physics, he recalled his diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the age of 21.

At first I became depressed, he said. I seemed to be getting worse really rapidly.

There didnt seem any point working on my PhD because I didnt know I would live long enough to finish it.

But then the condition developed more slowly and I began to make progress in my work.

After my expectations had been reduced to zero, every new day became a bonus and I began to appreciate everything I did have. While theres life theres hope.
The ban on carrying electronics in the aeroplane cabins of flights arriving from Abu Dhabi to the US has been lifted.

The capital of the United Arab Emirates is the first city to become exempt from the US ban on laptops and tablets being brought in hand luggage following the airports increased security measures.

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Passengers flying from Abu Dhabi International Airport were already able to clear screening at a US Customs and Border Protection facility, that they would otherwise have to go through upon their arrival to the States.

Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan said officials were satisfied the security measures at the airport have been implemented correctly and to the full extent required.

He added enhanced procedures had been put in place, and commended airline Etihad for working swiftly to ensure they were implemented.

The US laptop ban was announced in March and now applies to nine international airports in the Middle East: Amman, Kuwait City, Cairo, Istanbul, Jeddah, Riyadh, Casablanca, Doha and Dubai.

Abu Dhabi International Airport is home to long haul airline Etihad, which has more than 120 planes in its fleet and 204 aircraft on order.
President Xi Jinping of China evoked his country's "humiliation" at the hands of British imperialists yesterday, as he warned against "impermissible" challenges to Beijing's authority over Hong Kong.

President Xi was speaking in the former British colony on the 20th anniversary of its return to China, as thousands of people gathered for a mass demonstration against Beijing's tightening grip in the city.

In a sweeping speech in which the Chinese leader warned opponents in Hong Kong not to cross a "red line", Mr Xi recalled how Britain's victory in the First Opium War of 1839-42 - when Hong Kong Island was ceded to the British Empire - set in motion decades of humiliation for China.

"After the Opium War, China has been repeatedly defeated by countries which were smaller and less populous," Mr Xi said. He spoke after swearing in Carrie Lam, the new leader of Hong Kong, at a venue only yards from where former governor Chris Patten tearfully handed back the territory in 1997.

Mr Xi also said Hong Kong should do more to boost "patriotic education", which has been opposed by local residents who fear losing their identity.

The Chinese President was speaking at the end of a three-day visit to Hong Kong, a city which has freedoms that are not enjoyed on the mainland under a principle known as "one country, two systems".

Campaigners believe such rights are being eroded by China. The city's colourful grassroots political scene was on show on the streets around Hong Kong's Causeway Bay area before the march set off from the nearby Victoria Park.

Among the most obscure groups seeking support was the Hong Kong-UK Reunification Campaign, which is seeking to "urge the UK to resume British sovereignty over Hong Kong". Elsewhere, a placard showing support for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was spotted in the crowd.

Many of the marchers held yellow umbrellas, a symbol of mass protests in 2014 which brought the city to a standstill.

Other marchers carried placards with slogans branding Ms Lam, Hong Kong's new chief executive, a Communist Party stooge, or similar insulting posters featuring the city's outgoing leader CY Leung.

The Chinese president had a stern warning towards those expressing opposition to Beijing's rule. "Any attempt to endanger China's sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government... or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line and is absolutely impermissible," Mr Xi said.

The Chinese President's strong words came a day after Beijing said the joint declaration, a treaty signed by Margaret Thatcher in 1984 that supposedly guarantees Hong Kong's unique rights until 2047, had "no practical significance".

The remarks prompted a sharp response last Friday from Britain, which said it was "committed to monitoring its implementation closely".

Democracy activists in Hong Kong also called on Britain to live up to promises it made under the treaty.

Nathan Law, a protest leader who was elected to Hong Kong's parliament last year, told newspapers: "The Chinese government is trying to erase the duty of responsibility that Britain has.

"It is their duty to monitor the implementation of the joint declaration and they should do it in accordance with their promises in that treaty."

Mr Law is one of the leaders of the Demosisto party, which staged a demonstration along with other pro-democracy groups yesterday that resulted in violent scuffles with police and pro-Beijing counter protesters.

Joshua Wong, another Demostiso leader and the face of the 2014 Umbrella Revolution, was briefly detained by police during the flare-up.

Journalists witnessed Mr Wong and other activists attempting to march to a flag-raising ceremony, which was being attended by Mr Xi. They were confronted by a group of protesters who were waving Chinese flags and shouting "Joshua Wong: Traitor", and, "Long live the Communist Party of China".

The pro-democracy group replied by shouting back, "Communist Party Triads", but their protest was halted by the angry pro-China mob and police.

Despite the setback and Mr Xi's warning over a "red line" for activists, Mr Law has vowed that he will continue his campaigning.

"The red line is movable," he said. "It is there to serve Beijing's political needs, but we fight for democracy, and that is a fight that is unstoppable."

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Brazilian police have captured a drug lord who used plastic surgery to evade authorities for nearly three decades.

Luiz Carlos da Rocha, who was known as White Head, was arrested on Saturday in the state of Mato Grosso. He has been sentenced by Brazilian courts to more than 50 years in prison for international drug trafficking and money laundering.

Police said Rocha's cartel produced cocaine in Colombia, Peru and Bolivia and exported it to Europe and the United States via Brazil and Paraguay. In Brazil alone, police estimate Rocha brought in five tonnes of cocaine per month.

Police also seized approximately 10 million dollars (7.7m) worth of the drug baron's assets, including planes, properties and luxury cars.

AP
A fire has swept through a new block of flats in east London.

London Fire Brigade said some 80 firefighters were battling the blaze, with dramatic images posted online showing the roof consumed by flames.

The third floor and roof of the four-storey building are said to be fully alight.

The fire service was called to the building on Bow Wharf, Wennington Road, shortly after 11am, with 12 fire engines sent to the scene.

Flames from new flats under construction (nearing completion) at Bow Wharf, E3, Tower Hamlets.Thankfully no one has yet moved into the flats pic.twitter.com/vms7FDScct  Dickie's Ticker (@DickiesTicker) July 2, 2017
Victims of the Grenfell tower fire could boycott the inquiry into the disaster if the proposed scope is not widened, campaigners have said.

Sir Martin Moore-Bick, who will lead the probe, had previously said he was "doubtful" the investigation would be far-reaching enough to satisfy those who survived the blaze.

The current proposals are for the inquiry to look at the events of June 14 - such as how the fire started and how it developed so rapidly - but calls have been made for the investigation to be broadened.

It comes as:

The Government said it will keep a "close eye" on Kensington and Chelsea Council as pressure builds for the troubled authority to be taken over by commissioners.

One Grenfell Tower resident claims she had her rent deduced from her bank account after the disaster.

It has emerged an executive from the company that made the insulation fitted to Grenfell Tower is an adviser to the Government on building regulations.

Yvette Williams, one of the organisers of the Justice 4 Grenfell campaign group, said Grenfell survivors and victims' families are "very, very angry" and want the "systemic issues" surrounding the fire to be looked at as part of the inquiry.

She told Sky News: "They cannot just look at 14 June, when that building became an inferno. They can't do that.

Expand Close The Grenfell Tower (David Mirzoeff/PA) / Facebook

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"If we don't get good terms of reference for the public inquiry and we don't get a wide remit so that those people can take responsibility for what they've done, then we won't participate in it."

It follows Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writing to Prime Minister Theresa May, urging her to widen the scope of the public inquiry.

He has asked for a two-part inquiry, the first looking at specific issues around the fire in at the 24-storey building in Kensington, west London, and reporting back soon, with an additional second part "looking at the national issues".

Meanwhile, communities secretary Sajid Javid said it was "right" that council leader Nicholas Paget-Brown resigned following intense criticism of how the Grenfell Tower tragedy was handled.

Expand Close Grenfell Tower in west London. Photo: PA / Facebook

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Mr Javid said: "It is right the council leader stepped down given the initial response to the Grenfell tragedy.

"The process to select his successor will be independent of government, but we will be keeping a close eye on the situation. If we need to take further action, we won't hesitate to do so."

Outgoing leader Nicholas Paget-Brown said he had to share responsibility for "perceived failings", departing alongside deputy Rock Feilding-Mellen.

The council has now been hit by three high-profile resignations in the aftermath of the fire, with chief executive Nicholas Holgate also exiting.

The authority came under fire for its slow response to the disaster, in which at least 80 people are thought to have died.

The Labour Party launched a drive for the council to relinquish its handling of affairs until the crisis was brought under control, with a string of party figures weighing in.

London mayor Sadiq Khan, who welcomed the resignation, said the Government had "no option" but to appoint "untainted" commissioners who had "a genuine empathy for local people and the situation they face" to take over running the authority.

He said: "The council now needs to find a way to move forward and find a way to restore the confidence in that community.

"That can only be done with new leadership and a new approach that reaches out to residents who quite rightly feel desperately neglected.

"I ... feel the response from the council and subsequent breakdown in trust is so severe that there is now no alternative and the Government needs to step in quickly."

Commissioners were brought in to run Tower Hamlets Council in 2014 after a critical independent report into the council's award of grants and sale of properties under former mayor Lutfur Rahman.

Shadow housing secretary John Healey said the move would amount to "specific, immediate, obvious and necessary action", while shadow communities secretary Andrew Gwynne added the powers should be used to "get a grip on what has gone dreadfully wrong".

In his resignation statement, Mr Paget-Brown acknowledged the council had been criticised for "failing to answer all the questions that people have" but that the scale of the tragedy "was always going to mean that one borough alone would never have sufficient resources to respond to all the needs of the survivors and those made homeless, on its own".

Calls were also made for Kensington and Chelsea Council to be scrapped altogether, making way for a larger body.

Foreign Office minister Mark Field, a former Kensington councillor, suggested London should have bigger authorities so they are better-equipped to respond to major crises.

He told the Sunday Times: "I doubt that K&C, or any London authority, has the critical mass to deal with something like this.

"It raises questions about whether the model of London governance, with 33 unitary authorities, is really a sustainable model. Thirty-three does seem too many.

"You could look at the New York model, where they have five boroughs. I think that's what we will move towards."

Labour MP David Lammy, whose friend Khadija Saye died in the fire, indicated Sir Martin must work hard to maintain the confidence of victims.

"He is a white, upper-middle class man who I suspect has never, ever visited a tower block housing estate and certainly hasn't slept the night on the 20th floor of one," he told Sky News's Sophy Ridge On Sunday.

"I hope he would do that in the days ahead.

"The job is not just to be independent and judicious - I am sure he is eminently legally qualified, of course he is - it is also to be empathetic and walk with these people on this journey.

"To sit with them and understand that their lives were in the hands of the state and something badly, badly failed.

"It is a shame we couldn't find a woman to lead this inquiry or indeed an ethnic minority to lead the inquiry in 2017.

"I think the victims will also say to themselves: when push comes to shove, there are some powerful people here - contractors, sub-contractors, local authorities, governments - and they look like this judge. Whose side will he be on?

"He needs to get close to those victims and survivors very, very quickly and establish he is after the truth and he is fearless and independent and won't be swayed because he is part of the establishment."
ALGONA | An Algona woman was taken by ambulance to Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa for a possible injury when the car she was driving was rear-ended shortly after noon Friday in Mason City.

No condition report was available late Friday afternoon on 18-year-old Savannah Rahm.

Neither car was damaged in the accident, which took place at the intersection of Fourth Street Southwest and Pierce Avenue, according to Mason City Police Lt. Frank Stearns.

He said Rahm is pregnant, but he didn't know how close she is to her due date.

Rahm was headed north on Pierce when she was stopped in traffic, according to Stearns.

The motorist behind her, Dawana Norris, 19, Mason City, tapped the back of Rahm's car with her vehicle, he said.

Norris told police she thought Rahm was moving forward, according to Stearns.

Norris was cited for no valid driver's license, no insurance and failure to stop in assured clear distance.

 Mary Pieper
Israel's former prime minister Ehud Olmert has been released from jail after serving time for corruption.

Prison Service spokesman Assaf Librati said Olmert was freed early on Sunday morning.

The parole board last week granted the Olmert, 71, early release from his 27-month sentence.

He was convicted in 2014 on charges of accepting bribes to promote a property project in Jerusalem and obstructing justice.

The charges related to a period when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister before he became premier in 2006.

Olmert was a long-time fixture in Israel's hawkish right wing when he began taking a dramatically more conciliatory line towards the Palestinians.

His imprisonment ended the last major Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and ushered in the era of Benjamin Netanyahu in 2009.

AP

Mr Librati said Olmert was whisked away by Israel's security service after his release and driven home after serving 16 months.

He said the terms of Olmert's early release stipulate that for the next few months he has to do volunteer work, must appear before police twice a month and cannot give interviews to the media or leave the country.

Mr Librati added that President Reuven Rivlin could relieve him of the parole restrictions.

AP
A woman doctor gunned down by an ex-colleague ousted from a New York City hospital was not his intended target, authorities have said.

The new details of Dr Henry Bello's rampage emerged along with an email rant against colleagues he blamed for forcing him to resign from Bronx Lebanon Hospital amid sexual harassment allegations two years earlier.

Bello, 45, smuggled an AM-15 assault rifle hidden in his white lab coat past security in search of a colleague he was going to hold responsible.

But when that person was not there, he opened fire anyway, killing Dr Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, who was covering a shift as a favour.

Bello sent an email to the New York Daily News just two hours before the shooting on Friday afternoon that left six other people wounded and Bello dead from a self-inflicted shot.

"This hospital terminated my road to a licensure to practise medicine," the email said.

"First, I was told it was because I always kept to myself. Then it was because of an altercation with a nurse."

He also blamed a doctor for blocking his chances at practising medicine.

Bello had warned his former colleagues when he was forced out in 2015 that he would return some day to kill them.

A law enforcement official said Bello arrived at the hospital with the assault rifle under his coat and asked for a specific doctor whom he blamed for his having to resign, but the physician was not there at the time.

It was not clear if Bello knew Dr Tam, 32, who was killed in the shooting on the 16th and 17th floors of the hospital and was, like him, a family medicine doctor.

Hospital officials said Dr Tam normally worked in one of the hospital's satellite clinics and was covering a shift in the main hospital as a favour to someone else.

"It makes you think that anything can happen to anybody," said Dr Tam's neighbour, Alena Khaim, 23, who saw Dr Tam's sister outside the home on Friday night overcome with grief, shaking and unable to walk.

"She was such a sweet girl. You would never think something like that would happen but it happened."

Judy Beckles-Ross, 46, said she was not surprised Dr Tam volunteered to cover the shift.

"She never said no," said Ms Beckles-Ross, a friend from medical school who knew Dr Tam for 11 years.

"She had a good heart. Anybody that needed help, she would help them."

The six others injured - a patient, two medical students and three doctors - largely suffered gunshot wounds to the head, chest and abdomen.

One physician remained in a critical condition and the rest were stable, officials said.

Hospital vice president Errol Schneer said his staff responded heroically.

"Many of our staff risked their own lives to save patients," he said at the hospital where the 16th and 17th floors remained closed and staffers were still recovering from the rampage that sent people diving for cover and huddling in patients' rooms while the gunman was on the loose.

Adding to the chaos, authorities said, was a fire alarm that went off when Bello attempted to set himself ablaze. The flames were extinguished by sprinklers shortly before he shot himself.

Detectives searched the Bronx home where Bello was most recently living and found the box where the gun came from.

Investigators were checking serial numbers and trying to determine where it was purchased.

His former co-workers described Bello as aggressive, loud and threatening.

"All the time he was a problem," said Dr David Lazala, who trained Bello as a family medicine doctor.

When Bello was forced out in 2015, he sent Dr Lazala an email blaming him for the dismissal.

Dr Maureen Kwankam told the New York Daily News that "he promised to come back and kill us then".

According to New York State Education Department records, Bello graduated from Ross University and had a permit to practise as an international medical graduate that was issued on July 1, 2014, and expired last year on the same day.

In 2004, the doctor pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment, a misdemeanour, after a 23-year-old woman told police Bello grabbed her.

He was arrested again in 2009 on a charge of unlawful surveillance, after two different women reported he was trying to look up their skirts with a mirror. That case was eventually sealed.

Mr Schneer told the New York Times that the hospital did not know about Bello's criminal history when he was hired.

"At that time, and as a result of a human resources and security department background check, which includes fingerprinting, there was no record of any conviction for sexual abuse," he said.

AP
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert walks out of the prison door as he is released from prison after a parole board decided to cut his sentence by a third, at Maasiyahu prison near Ramle, Israel July 2, 2017. Walla!news/Rubi Kastro via REUTERS

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert speaks to the media after a hearing at the Supreme Court in Jerusalem December 29, 2015. REUTERS/Debbie Hill/Pool/File Photo

Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, 71, was released on parole on Sunday from a prison in Ramle, near Tel Aviv, after serving 16 months in jail for corruption.

Olmert was found guilty in 2014 of accepting bribes from real estate developers when he was Jerusalem's mayor, before his 2006-09 term as prime minister and head of a centrist political party.

On Sunday, a parole board decided to cut short his 27-month term, a common practice in Israel for prisoners who have not committed violent crimes. Olmert, accompanied by a government bodyguard, made no comment to reporters as he left. The corruption allegations led to Olmert's resignation as prime minister in September 2008. He stayed in office in a caretaker capacity until a February 2009 election brought right-winger Benjamin Netanyahu to power.

During his time as Israel's leader, he claimed significant progress in talks with the Palestinians on securing a peace deal, offering an Israeli withdrawal from much of the occupied West Bank. But no agreement was reached.

Expand Close Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert walks out of the prison door as he is released from prison after a parole board decided to cut his sentence by a third, at Maasiyahu prison near Ramle, Israel July 2, 2017. Walla!news/Rubi Kastro via REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert walks out of the prison door as he is released from prison after a parole board decided to cut his sentence by a third, at Maasiyahu prison near Ramle, Israel July 2, 2017. Walla!news/Rubi Kastro via REUTERS

A lawyer by profession, Olmert began his political career in the 1970s as a right-wing lawmaker who targeted organised crime in Israel. As prime minister, Olmert waged war against militants in Lebanon in 2006 and the Gaza Strip in 2008.

His original six-year sentence - the judge in the case said his corruption offences were tantamount to "treason" - was cut to 18 months on appeal, but another month was later tagged on over obstruction of justice charges.

Olmert's term was ultimately lengthened to 27 months after he was convicted in a separate case involving cash payments from a U.S. businessman.

Leaving prison for his home in Tel Aviv dressed in a black tee shirt and black trousers, Olmert looked gaunt, 12 days after being treated in hospital for what Israeli media reported were chest pains. He was returned to prison several days before the parole hearing.

Any attempt at a political comeback seems unlikely. A court found that his crimes entailed "moral turpitude", which under Israeli law would preclude Olmert from running for public office for seven years after his release, when he will be 78.
Almost three years to the day, the secretive leader of what was then a relatively unknown jihadist group stood on the ornate balcony of Mosul's Grand al-Nuri Mosque and declared the new caliphate of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant - Isil.

Dressed in a black turban and robe, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi urged young Muslims across the world to "make jihad". Under his direction, he proclaimed, the Islamic world would be restored to "dignity, might, rights and leadership".

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Last Thursday, Iraqi government forces stormed the ruins of the same now bomb-shattered 12th-century mosque, their long siege of the city almost complete. Should Mosul soon fall, Raqqa will be next; the last Isil stronghold in Syria is encircled by US-backed coalition forces.

Territories held by the terrorist group have now been reduced by 60pc from their peak. Revenues have plummeted by 80pc as it has lost its grip on regions vital for bringing in money from oil and taxes - although they still stand at around 14m a month. Perhaps we should have dared to believe the Iraqi prime minister last week, when he hailed "the end of the Isil state".

Souad Mekhennet (39) is one of only a handful of Western journalists to have made it into the self-declared caliphate and out again alive.

The German-born Washington Post reporter has travelled deep into Isil zones to interview some of its most senior commanders. And in 2015, she used those contacts to reveal to the world the identity of the executioner known only then as Jihadi John: the London-born Mohammed Emwazi, who even among the butchers of Isil came to symbolise the group's barbarity.

Sitting in a London hotel room, in a city and country still coming to terms with its own latest wave of atrocities, Mekhennet warns that the rumours of the end of Isil are being greatly exaggerated.

"If people focus too much on what is going on in Syria and Iraq, they might miss that the caliphate has spread into so many countries now," she says. "I would not put my money on saying it has become less dangerous."

Mekhennet is a surprising figure to have the ear of the jihadis (as well as Isil commanders, she has interviewed senior figures in the Taliban and al-Qaeda). She is a Muslim but does not conform to the strict dress codes Isil imposes on women, and is not afraid to argue against their twisted ideologies. She has received numerous threats - including warning of a plot to kidnap her in Syria and force her either to marry a jihadist or be beheaded - but refuses to be cowed.

When we meet to discuss her newly published memoir, she tells me her success is down to a desire to listen to both sides of every story and question everything.

"Whoever you are, you will be challenged," she says.

Mekhennet's contacts make her an invaluable mine of information on the motivation and tactics of those wishing to spread terror. Within hours of Salman Abedi detonating a bomb in the Manchester Arena in May, killing 22 and injuring more than 200 others, she was on the streets of the city investigating his links to Libya.

While she insists it is still too early to say for certain the extent of his network, one possibility suggested by intelligence sources is that a professional bomb maker could have been touring Europe, instructing would-be terrorists on how to piece together explosives.

The concept of localised terror cells, such as that of the 7/7 bombers in London has, she says, been turned on its head by Isil - with the group now linking up sympathisers across Europe, who have possibly never even met. The arrest last Thursday of Tarik Chadlioui, a Birmingham cleric accused of using YouTube to recruit and lead an Isil cell in Spain, illustrates the ease with which poisonous ideologies can flow across borders.

"Isil is changing the landscape of how a jihadist group used to be organised in the past," she says. "This is why it's becoming very difficult. They've realised the longer it takes to plot as a group, the easier it becomes for security services."

But the shockingly crude nature of incidents like the London Bridge attack should not, she says, fool us into believing that the group has now abandoned plotting atrocities on a far larger scale. "They have planned ahead", she says. "It might be part of their calculation to use lone wolves here and there but at the same time be preparing for something bigger."

One key reason why Mekhennet has so successfully managed to infiltrate terrorist networks is her ability to understand the sense of alienation that drives angry young Muslims to jihad.

Born in Frankfurt to a Moroccan father and Turkish mother, she speaks - and writes - eloquently about the discrimination she faced growing up in Germany. Aged 16, she recalls being chased by a car full of neo-Nazis shouting at her and her brother to "get out of our country".

As a girl, she was told journalism was only a job for "German Germans". At times, she says, the vulnerability and alienation she felt would have made her ripe for any Isil recruiter. "They are very good at playing on the fear of people. That's why we need to look more into what is happening inside our societies."

She has also experienced the agony of victims. In 2016, her cousin's 14-year-old son, Can Leyla, was one of nine people shot dead by a German Iranian teenager who went on a rampage through a Munich mall. It was discovered he had no links to Islamist terrorism but instead had a history of psychiatric problems and was obsessed with mass shootings.

Mekhennet's unmasking of Jihadi John - who was later killed in a drone strike - came about in early 2015, after Isil had shocked the world with a wave of brutal videos beheading hostages.

She spoke to a number of UK-based Isil and al-Qaeda recruiters and sympathisers - including one previously linked to Abu Hamza, the radical former preacher at the Finsbury Park mosque. Eventually she confirmed Emwazi's identity through a "senior Isil official".

When the Washington Post contacted the British security services saying it was planning to run with Mekhennet's story, it was asked to delay publication for 48 hours so they could warn the families of hostages being held by Isil. The paper agreed but, 24 hours later, it was discovered that someone had leaked the name to the BBC. "We were a little surprised," she says with an arched eyebrow.

Mekhennet is unmarried and says she has had more proposals from jihadists wanting to make her their second wife than from Western men.

"People say in Western societies that men like strong women but I have not seen that yet. People seem to have a weird idea of how women who cover security issues or war zones must be," she said.

Addressing the sense of alienation felt by some European Muslims is, she says, the only way in which the poisonous ideologies spread by Isil can ever be beaten.

She has spoken to imams in Europe who admit when angry young men come and talk to them about politics they have to turn them away, for fear they could be misconstrued as promoting extremism.

"We are leaving a gap open which is being filled by radical recruiters," she warns. "Sometimes I have the impression this whole terrorism topic is handled as something from the outside. But a lot of those people were born and grew up in our societies. We can't always blame other countries for that."

Mekhennet insists that listening to their concerns and providing them with another path is the only way to stamp out this poisonous creed. Otherwise, the terrorists will keep rising up. "This ideology is not going to die with any person," she says. "It will go on."

'I Was Told to Come Alone' by Souad Mekhennet (Virago)

Telegraph

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
The landlord that owns a nightclub in the US where 28 people were injured in a shooting has officially evicted the club.

The volley of gunfire inside the Power Ultra Lounge in Little Rock, Arkansas, early on Saturday came so fast that investigators believe multiple people had to have been involved.

Police chief Kenton Buckner credited quick work by the first emergency services on the scene for there being no fatalities.

Twenty-five people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others suffered other injuries. Two people are in a critical condition.

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Police said officers do not have any suspects in custody.

Courtney Swanigan, 23, said that when gunfire rang out during a performance by rapper Finese 2Tymes: "I just closed my eyes, got down on the ground and put my hands on my head."

City officials said they would move on Monday to shut down the club under a "criminal abatement" programme. State regulators also suspended the club's alcohol licence.

On Saturday night, a representative for the landlord's office posted an eviction notice on a door to the club. The notice states the club must move out of the property within three days "due to your failure to maintain the premises in a safe condition".

Mayor Mark Stodola said the city must "keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people", and suggested people avoid clubs that seem to promote violence.

Material advertising the concert by Finese 2Tymes showed a man pointing a gun at a camera.

"A promotional video with a gun on the front cover inviting people to a concert... should also be totally unacceptable in our community," the mayor said.

It occurred around 2.30am local time about a mile east of the state Capitol building. First-responders are stationed through the central part of the city and hospitals are a short distance away.

"We had professional people responding to that incident and they did what they were trained to do, and I know they probably had something to do with the fact we didn't have any fatalities," Mr Buckner said.

About 100 people gathered at Second Baptist Church on Saturday night for a candlelight vigil, seeking healing for those injured, and the community.

The shooting capped a violent week in Arkansas' largest city. Police had responded to a dozen drive-by shootings over the previous nine days.

Republican governor Asa Hutchinson said: "Little Rock's crime problem appears to be intensifying.

"Every few days it seems a high-profile shooting dominates the news, culminating with (Saturday) morning's event. I have spoken this morning with mayor (Mark) Stodola and I have offered both my heart-felt concern over this senseless violent tragedy and state assets as needed to address the continued threat of violence in our community."
The man who killed a female doctor at a hospital at a New York hospital last Friday sent a disturbing email to a New York newspaper just two hours before the attack.

Dr. Henry Bello (45) opened fire with an AR-15 assault rifle at the Bronx-Lebanon hospital where he used to work, killing one person and wounding six others before turning the gun on himself.

The New York Daily News has since reported that Mr. Bello had sent them an email two hours before the attack to blame the medical centre for ruining his career in medicine.

Bello was forced to resign from the hospital within a year of working there after he was accused for sexually harassing a co-worker.

Expand Close Patients exit the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital as they respond to an active shooter north of Manhattan in New York on June 30, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZEDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

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In an email sent to the Daily News, Bello wrote; "The hospital terminated my road to a licensure to practice medicine.

"First I was told because I always kept to myself. Then I was told because it was because of an altercation with a nurse. I only told her I would be there to see the patients family in a minute, but she felt I was rude to her."

Expand Close NYPD officers stand guard outside the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital as they respond to an active shooter north of Manhattan in New York on June 30, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZEDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

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He explained that he congratulated her after the nurse supposedly sent out an email urging other staff members to file complaints against him.

"She sent out an email to everybody telling them to file complaints against me so I can be terminated for being rude to her," Mr Bello said.

"I only said it in the email, it remains to be seen if my life is meaningless or disposable."

He continued by saying all of the complaints were the work of one doctor, whose identity was protected by the Daily News when publishing the email.

Expand Close NYPD officers walk outside the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital as they respond to an active shooter north of Manhattan in New York on June 30, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZEDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/AFP/Getty Images / Facebook

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Whatsapp NYPD officers walk outside the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital as they respond to an active shooter north of Manhattan in New York on June 30, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZEDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/AFP/Getty Images

Bello said that the unnamed doctor "felt the chairman should have never hired me and he made sure I never completed my program.

"Blocking me from getting a permit, telling me I am not guaranteed to finish despite $400,000 of my money went to this hospital and the family medicine department."
The world's press, including our own, was unanimous last week. Caitriona Perry, RTE's Washington bureau chief, had been humiliated and demeaned by Donald Trump's complimenting of her smile.

The sexist-in-chief had struck again, they all sighed, and, though Caitriona herself gave no indication that she was upset, various vicariously outraged journalists condescendingly insisted that she had plastered the smile on her face and that she had simply carried on in the face of hurt.

Only Charlie Bird, Perry's predecessor in the role, sounded a note of dissent, saying that most bureau chiefs would love to be addressed directly by the president - whatever the context.

There can be no doubt that the comment that Trump made toward Perry was awkward, a little creepy, and certainly sexist, but crucially it wasn't in any way damaging.

In fact you could say it was deeply enhancing. Gone now is any sense of the issue that both she and Bird have spoken about - being a small fish in a big pond.

From this week on everyone in Washington knows her name. After the incident her face appeared in media around the world and her professionalism and poise were praised at every turn. She was martyred to the situation and, for such an apparent atrocity, it all seemed curiously enhancing. Waterford Whispers predicted a nine-hour Late Late in her honour.

Most of the articles written about Perry extrapolated her situation with Trump with more mundane office situations - so that ordinary women could get vicariously outraged - and missed the mark by miles.

Tanya Sweeney, writing in The Irish Times, argued that Charlie Bird had 'never been the subject of an American's president's ire' (is ire really what Trump was directing at Perry? Really?) and said that, when issuing a compliment, men "want to be arbiters of praise. It's a way of taking control. Their opinion on your looks matters".

Trump, whatever we think about him, is still the president of America; it's kind of a given that he's in control, especially when you're standing on his own carpet, and that his opinions on everything matter.

The difference between him and the average leery boss is that the White House is a type of theatre and the world knows Trump's form so well. When he sulked beside Angela Merkel and ignored her handshake, this wasn't humiliating or demeaning for her. It wasn't "proof of the way men ignore women all the time" as one columnist in the UK argued.

No, this was him confirming his essential childishness before an audience of billions - and the half-smile on Merkel's face as the whole thing unfolded told you that she understood this immediately. She knew it would play well at home.

As much as the sisterhood back home wanted to make a victim of her, Perry didn't just smile as the Trump incident played out; she beamed. Perhaps she was doing the only think she could do or perhaps she had an inkling how this would play out.

There was a lesson perhaps in the case of Mika Brzezinski - the host of MSNBC's Morning Joe, whose feud with Trump got spectacularly ugly last week (he made allegations about plastic surgery on Twitter; she responded that he was mentally ill and alleged that Trump had threatened her and her co-host/fiance with bad press).

Despite Trump's bluster to the contrary, Brzezinski has seen the ratings of her show skyrocket since she began to really get under Trump's skin. After he attacked her this week, she cut short a holiday to go on the air and boasted that she had "played" him.

You could see through the whole thing the complete myth of the oft-repeated sentence 'no journalist wants to become the story'.

Brzezinski was at the centre of the story - and revelled in it. She is now a sexism martyr and a journalism star: Woodward, Bernstein and Anita Hill all rolled into one.

Why did journalists all rush to impute motivations and reactions to Caitriona Perry?

The truth of the matter is that there is, of course, sexism in media, and in the words of Gloria Steinem it oppresses both genders differently.

Telegenic young women are given chances early in their career that would seldom be granted to young men. When people like Joe Brolly note this fact, they themselves are accused of sexism.

Journalists have a hard time thinking clearly about sexism because it's personal: most of them are victims or beneficiaries of it.

There's a strange sense with Perry and Trump as well that the politics of the man inform the outrage.

A few years back, I met a group of Irish women who had just been to a dinner here which had been attended by Bill Clinton. The stories of his supposed flirting were recounted with a eye-rolling indulgence, the humble brag of "I've still got it" implicit in each of them.

Nobody thought to feel humiliated. All had clamoured for pictures with him and the placement of his hand on their backs was recounted in breathless detail.

One of them pulled out a camera phone to show me a grainy picture of her back touching Clinton's back as they stood up. It looked more down to the clumsy positioning of the chairs than anything, but one thing is certain: if it had been Trump in the picture, it would have been evidence of harassment.
A doctor angry that his career was derailed at a New York City hospital smuggled in his gun past security, in search of a colleague he was held responsible. When that person wasn't there, he opened fire anyway - killing a doctor who was only covering the shift as a favour.

The details of Dr Henry Bello's rampage emerged along with an email rant against colleagues he blamed for forcing him to resign from the Bronx Lebanon Hospital amid sexual harassment allegations two years earlier.

The email was sent to the New York Daily News just two hours before the shooting on Friday that left six other people wounded and Bello dead from a self-inflicted shot.

When he was forced out in 2015 Bello warned former colleagues that he would return someday to kill them.

28 wounded in shooting at US rap show

Police say 28 people were shot yesterday when gunfire rang out at a rap show at a club in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The shooting at a show by rapper Finese 2Tymes was the result of a dispute among clubgoers and not a terror incident. All 28 wounded were expected to survive.

A video posted online by a club patron showed that about a half-minute into a break in the raucous concert, more than 24 shots rang out in an 11-second period.

Pope axes conservative chief theologian

Pope Francis has decided to replace a conservative cardinal who openly questioned the Pontiff's attempts to create a more inclusive Church.

Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller will not have his five-year mandate as Catholicism's chief theologian renewed.

Muller's departure follows on the exit of fellow conservative Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican economy minister, who took leave of absence on Thursday to face charges of historical sexual abuse in his native Australia.

Mexican gang power-struggle errupts

At least 19 people died yesterday in clashes between gunmen and security forces in the gang-ridden northwest state of Sinaloa, Mexico, where violence has spiked since the extradition of drug boss Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman.

A power struggle has broken out between opposing factions of the cartel, which also faces challenges from other newer gangs. During the first half of the year, homicides jumped 76pc on the same period a year earlier.
A police vehicle is parked outside the cordoned off entrance to the Power Ultra Lounge nightclub in Little Rock following a shooting (Andrew DeMillo/AP)

The landlord that owns a nightclub in the US where 28 people were injured in a shooting has officially evicted the club.

The volley of gunfire inside the Power Ultra Lounge in Little Rock, Arkansas, early on Saturday came so fast that investigators believe multiple people had to have been involved.

Police chief Kenton Buckner credited quick work by the first emergency services on the scene for there being no fatalities.

Twenty-five people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others suffered other injuries. Two people are in a critical condition.

Police said officers do not have any suspects in custody.

Courtney Swanigan, 23, said that when gunfire rang out during a performance by rapper Finese 2Tymes: "I just closed my eyes, got down on the ground and put my hands on my head."

City officials said they would move on Monday to shut down the club under a "criminal abatement" programme. State regulators also suspended the club's alcohol licence.

On Saturday night, a representative for the landlord's office posted an eviction notice on a door to the club. The notice states the club must move out of the property within three days "due to your failure to maintain the premises in a safe condition".

Mayor Mark Stodola said the city must "keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people", and suggested people avoid clubs that seem to promote violence.

Material advertising the concert by Finese 2Tymes showed a man pointing a gun at a camera.

"A promotional video with a gun on the front cover inviting people to a concert... should also be totally unacceptable in our community," the mayor said.

It occurred around 2.30am local time about a mile east of the state Capitol building. First-responders are stationed through the central part of the city and hospitals are a short distance away.

"We had professional people responding to that incident and they did what they were trained to do, and I know they probably had something to do with the fact we didn't have any fatalities," Mr Buckner said.

About 100 people gathered at Second Baptist Church on Saturday night for a candlelight vigil, seeking healing for those injured, and the community.

The shooting capped a violent week in Arkansas' largest city. Police had responded to a dozen drive-by shootings over the previous nine days.

Republican governor Asa Hutchinson said: "Little Rock's crime problem appears to be intensifying.

"Every few days it seems a high-profile shooting dominates the news, culminating with (Saturday) morning's event. I have spoken this morning with mayor (Mark) Stodola and I have offered both my heart-felt concern over this senseless violent tragedy and state assets as needed to address the continued threat of violence in our community."

AP
A friend dropped by the other day to talk about the future of Mason City and suggested we could learn some valuable lessons from the works of Meredith Willson, one of the city's most well-known favorite sons.

There are those among us who say Willson is past history and have no interest in him, while others among us are working feverishly to preserve his legacy.

Willson's greatest hit, "The Music Man," premiered on Broadway 60 years ago and the legendary musician died in 1984. What lessons did he leave us in his music?

As my acquaintance and I talked, I was reminded of a conversation I had many years ago with Dr. R. Galen Hansen, of Benson, Minnesota, when I was doing research for a book on Willson.

Hansen, who died in 2004, was a sociologist who specialized in the study of small towns. He was author of the book, "Small Town and the Nation: The Conflict of Local and Translocal Forces."

I still have my notes from that interview. "There have been all sorts of sociological studies done of life in small towns, dozens of them. I've participated in some," said Hansen. "There's never been a better study of small-town life than what Meredith Willson did in 'The Music Man'."

Here come the lessons for today.

Hansen said the same theme shows up in most of Willson's works -- someone bringing an uplifting message of hope.

Professor Harold Hill brought new life to Winthrop, the boy with the lisp; he brought new life to Marian the Librarian, the spinster with an attitude, as she did to him, the flim-flam man.

Hansen said one of the most transforming messages in "The Music Man" is when Professor Hill stands on the footbridge, waiting for Marian, and he breaks a twig. It is symbolic of breaking away from his past -- a new life, said Hansen.

Later, toward the end of the story, when they are in a classroom where the Professor is being vilified by the townspeople, Marian takes a pointer from the blackboard, breaks it and gives it to Hill as if it is a baton. But for her it is a break from her past, according to Hansen.

He said one line from a Willson song epitomizes what he was all about: "May the good Lord bless and keep you, never mind what might have been, may the good Lord bless and keep you 'til we meet again."

The key phrase in that line, said Hansen, is "never mind what might have been" -- the essence of forgiveness.

Then there's the scene in which little Winthrop realizes Professor Hill is a fraud and asks him a series of questions to which the professor fesses up.

Except for one. Winthrop asks him if there is really a band, and Hill answers, "I always think there's a band, kid." -- the essence of hope and optimism.

As we approach a festive holiday in small towns throughout North Iowa, perhaps we should give thought to what twigs we should break, areas in our lives where we should say "never mind what might have been" and always be listening for the band.
Whenever someone holding elective office offers common sense solutions to problems facing society, its refreshing. Such was the case on these pages last week when Richard Hudson, U.S. Representative for the 8th District of North Carolina, discussed his support of the type of training found in community colleges and for the need to prepare young people for manufacturing jobs.

Over the decades weve emphasized to young people the merits of obtaining a four-year degree before entering the workplace, and thats certainly a worthy pursuit. Higher education is needed and required, particularly in a world with evolving technology.

What weve lost, however, is the respect we once had for skilled manufacturing jobs and for blue collar jobs that can lead to lucrative careers outside of college-educated career tracks. Ive heard this basic message from construction company executives and from logistics-related companies. I know of at least one local company with numerous unfilled seasonal jobsjobs often requiring very little except dedication to the task at hand.

Breaking down a high school class

Yet, when I ask a roomful of high school students how many plan to attend college, invariably each individual raises his or her hand.

Lets use an average classroom of, say, 27 students as an example. Of those 27 I can break into three categories the viability of college as the be-all, end-all goal. Ill offer generalizations for the purpose of demonstration, but typically one-third of students are college material, students who have demonstrated the academic initiative and focus needed to succeed in college. They can thrive, or at least survive, in that atmosphere.

Students in the middle third have the potential to succeed at the next level, given the right circumstances. At some point, the proverbial light switch is tripped for many in this category. They eventually get it in other words, demonstrating the traits they may have possessed all along but lacked the motivation to show.

The final nine, or bottom third, are the ones who have not demonstrated the necessary respect for academic rigor and powers of analysis required by most college environments. This is a key group, young people who need guidance to find their place in the world.

I can recall from my youth numerous classmates who fit this category, young people who floated through our system of public education without making a significant mark. They then find something that triggers in them a previously undetected skill or knowledge that traditional educational training failed to recognize.

Finding the trigger for success

One former classmate in this category became an expert in the repair of automatic transmissions for automobiles. Thats a skill that many very talented auto mechanics lack, simply because of the complexity involved with the many moving parts in a transmission.

I know of others who became highly skilled carpenters or electricians or plumbers. I have a friend who is an auto mechanicand a ninth-grade dropoutyet who is as sharp as anyone I know when faced with a mechanical dilemma. He can weld. He can solve problems. He can fix things.

All are careers that get lost in our endless promotion of four years of college as the ultimate goal of a dedicated, educated and productive workforce - hence the practicality of choosing the community college route.

I regularly tell students that there are options after high school other than four years of college. Our community colleges offer affordable options and can serve those who have yet to hit their stridethe middle third, as I mentioned previouslyor those who have untapped potential for blue collar careers, identified previously as the bottom, underappreciated third.

Connecting with community college

Thats why Congressman Hudsons column was refreshing. He highlighted the value of the connection between community colleges and high schools, while also detailing recent legislative moves to establish a connection between education and manufacturing.

We simply must get back to recognizing the value in blue collar work.

H.R. 2353, which Hudson wrote about while indicating his support, appears to strengthen the connection between Career and Technical Education programs and the workplace, while lessening federal oversight, always a plus.

The other bills he mentions, H.R. 338 and H.R. 2842, appear to strengthen the emphasis on supporting and training a workforce intended to meet the demands of a modern world. While our federal government is not known for its ability to create jobs or to make wise choices regarding education, it at least can offer support to those who may not otherwise make their mark in our system of public education.

That, in itself, is refreshing.

The writer resides in Harrisburg and teaches in the CTE department of Hickory Ridge High School.
RALEIGH  The main reason Gov. Roy Cooper and other North Carolina Democrats cited for opposing the Republican-led legislatures new budget plan was that it saved too much and cut taxes too much.

North Carolina would be better off, they argued, if the new budget had been more like Coopers original proposal. That would have raised core state spending by 5.1 percent in the 2017-18 and 6.7 percent over two years, compared to the legislatures 3.1 percent and 5.9 percent increases, respectively.

Unlike the federal government, North Carolina cant borrow to pay operating expenses (thanks goodness). Thus, for every dollar of revenue received, there are just three choices: spend it, give it back to taxpayers, or save it for future needs. I think the legislatures budget, approved by all Republicans and a few Democrats, struck the proper balance between those options.

First, some numbers for context. The part of the state budget most people focus on is the General Fund, which pays for schools, universities, prisons, and other programs funded primarily by state taxes and fees.

Over the next two fiscal years, the legislatures budget authorizes new General Fund spending on operations and capital needs of about $2.1 billion. Gov. Coopers proposal would have authorized $2.7 billion in new General Fund expenditures during the same period. This is a sizable difference, but hardly the fiscal equivalent of a clash of civilizations.

During the same period, the legislatures budget puts some $889 million in various savings accounts and credit balances, including the states rainy day fund, while the Cooper budget saves about $100 million less. The largest difference is on tax policy. Over the two years, the legislature authorizes $529 million in tax reductions, vs. $73 million in the Cooper budget.

Democrats pointed out, correctly, that the fiscal impact of the legislatures tax cuts  which reduced corporate and personal income tax rates while expanding the amount of income North Carolinians can receive tax-free, among other changes  werent fully accounted for within the 2017-19 budget biennium. Thats because their fiscal impact begins midway through fiscal year 2018-19.

On an annualized basis, then, the legislatures tax reductions will save North Carolinians between $900 million and $1 billion a year. A similar calculation is needed for Coopers tax proposals, by the way, which would likely amount to a tax reduction of about $93 million a year.

So, why do I think the legislature was right to save more and cut taxes more than Cooper wanted? The savings argument is straightforward  despite building up a sizable rainy-day fund, North Carolina is not yet adequately prepared for a major recession. Last year, University of Arkansas economist Erick Elder constructed models for all 50 states, using data on their revenue volatility and fiscal exposure to recessions. For North Carolina, he estimated that a savings reserve equal to 6.3 percent of annual revenue would be necessary merely to keep spending levels constant during all but the deepest recessions, while a 17.5 percent reserve would allow North Carolina to meet additional spending obligations during such times (for increased Medicaid caseloads and college enrollments, for example).

If you take the midpoint as a reasonable target, thats 11.9 percent of annual revenue, or $2.8 billion in the current environment. Under the legislatures new budget, North Carolinas rainy day reserve and unreserved credit balance together are just under $2.2 billion.

As for the tax cuts, legislative leaders recognize that while they have already enacted significant tax reductions, additional measures will benefit North Carolinas economy in the long run, particularly those that encourage capital investment and job creation. After all, Florida and other fast-growing regional competitors still have lower overall tax burdens than we do.

Both budgets devote most revenue growth over the next two years to expenditures. But the legislatures plan balances that with pro-growth tax cuts and savings to head off precipitous budget cuts or tax hikes if a recession comes. Some of the specific provisions of the legislatures budget may be objectionable, but its basic architecture is sound.

John Hood is chairman of the John Locke Foundation and appears on the talk show NC SPIN. You can follow him @JohnHoodNC.
What is the biggest challenge that we, as individuals, face in this time of angry, petty and deceptive politics that has infected our public life and seems to be pulling each of us under, sucking out of us every ounce of our humanity?

It is as if we are in an angry and turbulent ocean. The riptide is carrying us away from shore, and even as we fight with all our strength, it is still pulling us under.

So it is with the riptide of politics of anger and disrespect. We fight and flail with all our strength, and lose our battle in the ocean of politics by our own anger and mean-spiritedness.

So what can we do to save ourselves and not give up our strong political beliefs and principles?

I have no magic answers. Im still caught in that riptide. But I think there are things we can do to calm our personal waters without giving up our commitment to participate in the political system and try to strengthen our country and improve the lives of its citizens.

Here are a few things I am going to try to do:

Cut back or cut out cable news and opinion channels. Instead, watch the informative and enriching programs like those on UNC-TVs Explorer and North Carolina channels.

Be kind to those who oppose you, even when they show no kindness and reek of anger.

Resist mean-spiritedness. It is so easy to let provocative statements that ooze with anger jar us off balance and tempt us to respond in a similar fashion. Such responses are almost always ineffective and drag us down to the level of the person who made the original statement.

Think critically, check facts and frame your conversation about issues based on your own thinking, rather than on what people on your side have asserted. In The New Yorker in 1983, Ken Auletta wrote that the most important thing he had learned was to have an independent mind  to think for oneself, to analyze by oneself, not to follow fashions, not to think like everyone else, not to seek honor or decorations, not to become part of the establishment.

Build relationships with people who have distinctly different political views. Find ways to work with them in areas in which you both can agree to be helpful to others. Habitat for Humanity, prison ministries, and food services seem to be able to gather volunteers from all political persuasions to work together. In a recent column in The Herald-Sun, retired minister Joe Harvard asked, When someone does something to you that hurts or something happens that shakes you to the core, how do you respond? His answer: Build bridges.

Set aside a quiet time each day for reflection. In your prayers or meditations, seek wisdom rather than ask for specific help for your partisan political cause.

Generously support those whove taken on the burden of political service, and even give appropriate moral support to officials with whom you disagree.

Rejoice when there are unexpected acts of kindness from opponents. For instance, the next time the governor sends out cookies for you when you are demonstrating in front of the governors mansion against him or her, be gracious. Take a break and invite the governor to come eat the cookies with you before you go back to your protest.

Be cheerful, even when it hurts.

Smile.

Dont give up your fight for your principles, but never give in to the evil mean-spiritedness that too many others on all sides have adopted.

Dont let that riptide of angry politics pull you under. Swim away, find calm waters, and save yourself.

D.G. Martin hosts North Carolina Bookwatch, which airs Sundays at noon and Thursdays at 5 p.m. on UNC-TV. Preview the upcoming program on UNC-TVs North Carolina digital channel (Spectrum #1276) on Fridays at 8 p.m. This Thursdays (June 29) guest is Robert Morgan, author of Chasing the North Star. Next weeks (July 2, July 6) guest is Vivian Howard, author of Deep Run Roots.
A three-judge panel is currently tasked with interpreting one of our states thorniest issues, namely who is in charge of public education. Is it to be the State Board of Education or the state Superintendent of Public Instruction?

North Carolinas public school governance is confusing. We have a State Board of Education, appointed by the Governor. The State Superintendent of Public Instruction is elected by statewide popular vote. Add to this mix the legislature that both funds and passes laws regarding public education. Then factor in the 115 Local Education Agencies or school districts across the state, each with a Superintendent and elected local Board of Education. Additionally, charter schools and private school vouchers have served to make the governance picture even cloudier.

Article IX, Section 4 of the North Carolina Constitution, revised in 1971, supposedly provided clarity to the governance issue. It says, The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall be the secretary and chief administrative officer of the State Board of Education. The State Board of Education shall supervise and administer the free public school system and the educational funds provided for its support..and shall make all needed rules and regulations in relation thereto, subject to laws enacted by the General Assembly.

Instead of clarifying, this language raised many questions. Why go through the process of electing a statewide Superintendent when that person is merely the administrative arm of the State Board? Why shouldnt the State Board appoint the Superintendent, much as the UNC System Board of Governors and the State Community College Board, both of which appoint their presidents.

The courts have consistently upheld the State Boards overall authority, making the relationship between the Superintendent and the State Board of Education tenuous, especially when a Governor of one party appoints the Board and the Superintendent is of another political party.

Last December, the public school governance debate became even more contentious when the General Assembly, in special legislative session and with little or no discussion, attempted to strip many of the powers of the State Board of Education and vest them with the newly elected Superintendent. This struck many as curious because the new Superintendent was a Republican, as was the party in control of the State Board. Many suspected the hastily passed legislation was designed to rob incoming Governor Roy Cooper of power.

The Board determined that the legislation violated the Constitution and instigated a lawsuit, hoping the court would once again affirm its authority. But the current case hinges on a new issue the judges must interpret, namely the clause that says, subject to laws enacted by the General Assembly. New Superintendent Mark Johnson contends that the legislature has the authority to modify the statutes regarding his office and department. The State Board maintains that legislators dont have the authority to change the Constitution without an amendment approved by the voters. Regardless of how the three judges decide the case it will likely be appealed.

We are well past the point where our Constitution needs revising to clarify, once and for all, who is in charge of public education. Until this happens we will continue to see these court cases, which serve as a distraction from the challenge of providing 1.5 million students the sound basic education dictated by that governing document.

Tom Campbell is former assistant North Carolina State Treasurer and is creator/host of NC SPIN, a weekly statewide television discussion of NC issues. Show airs in Charlotte on WCCB Sundays at 6:30 a.m.
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India has slipped to 88th place in terms of money parked by the country's citizens with the Swiss Banks. UK remains at the top. Additionally, the money held by Indians in Swiss banks has shrunk and accounts for a meagre 0.04% of the total funds kept by all foreign clients in the Swiss banking system, as per an analysis of the latest figures compiled by the SNB (Swiss National Bank) as on 2016-end.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi also shared a few statistics about money of Indians stashed in Swiss banks in while addressing chartered accountants in Delhi.

Also Read: PM Modi's War On Black Money Is Showing Results, Indian Money In Swiss Bank At Record Low

In 2015, India was placed at 75th position and at 61st in the year before that, though it used to be among top-50 countries in terms of holdings in Swiss banks till 2007. The country was ranked highest at 37th place in the year 2004.

The latest data from Zurich-based SNB comes ahead of a new framework for automatic exchange of information between Switzerland and India to help check the black money menace.

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The funds, described by SNB as 'liabilities' of Swiss banks or 'amounts due to' their clients, are the official figures disclosed by the Swiss authorities and do not indicate to the quantum of the much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in the safe havens of Switzerland.

SNB's official figures also do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of entities from different countries.

There is a view that the Indians alleged to have parked their illicit money in Swiss banks in the past may have shifted the funds to other locations after a global clampdown began on the mighty banking secrecy practices in Switzerland.

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Swiss banks have also said Indians have "few deposits" in Swiss banks compared to other global financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong amid stepped-up efforts to check the black money menace.

The total money held in Swiss banks by foreign clients from across the world, incidentally rose by a small margin from 1.41 trillion Swiss francs (CHF) to CHF 1.42 trillion during 2016.

In terms of individual countries, the UK accounted for the largest chunk at about CHF 359 (over 25 per cent) of the total foreign money with Swiss banks.

The US came second with nearly CHF 177 billion or about 14 per cent. No other country accounted for a double-digit percentage share, while others in the top-ten included West Indies, France, Bahamas, Germany, Guernsey, Jersey, Hong Kong and Luxembourg.

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Indians' share not even one-hundredth of the total money.

India is now ranked 88th with 676 million Swiss francs (about Rs. 4,500 crore) -- a record low after falling for three consecutive years amid a continuing clampdown on the suspected black money stashed behind their famed secrecy walls. The share of Indians' money in the total foreign funds of Swiss banks also fell to 0.04 per cent (from 0.08 per cent in 2015).

Pakistan continued to remain placed higher than India at 71st place (although down from 69th in 2015) with about CHF 1.4 billion -- though down to below 0.1 per cent of total foreign money parked with Swiss banks.

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India was also the lowest ranked among the BRICS nations -- Russia was ranked 19th (CHF 15.6 billion), China 25th (CHF 9.6 billion), Brazil 52nd (CHF 2.7 billion) and South Africa 61st (CHF 2.2 billion).

Among these five, only China has moved up. Others ranked higher than India included Mauritius, Iran, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Angola, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada and Mexico.

A number of offshore financial centres are also ranked higher including Cayman Islands, Panama, Cyprus, Marshall Islands, Bermuda, Seychelles, Isle of Man and Gibraltar.

Among India's neighbouring countries, Bangladesh was ranked 89th (CHF 667.5 million), while Nepal was 150th (CHF 312 million), Sri Lanka was 151st (CHF 307 million) and Bhutan was way below at 282nd (about half a million Swiss francs).

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The total money belonging to the developed countries fell to CHF 824 billion, while those from developing nations actually rose marginally to CHF 208 million.

The money from developing economies in Asia-Pacific region rose to CHF 50 billion.

The funds parked in Swiss banks from offshore financial centres rose to CHF 389 billion.

India was ranked in top-50 continuously between 1996 and 2007, but started declining after that -- 55th in 2008, 59th in 2009 and 2010 each, 55th again in 2011, 71st in 2012 and then to 58th in 2013.
Haryana Police have arrested four persons for brutally killing 17-year-old Muslim youth after an altercation and eventual communal slur a few days before Eid. According to police, all the accused have been sent to judicial custody, after they produced before the district court. The swift police action seems to be an effect PM Modi's warning against lynching in the name of cow.

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Police said these accused were arrested on June 28 and were initially sent to two-day police remand. Junaid was stabbed onboard a Mathura-bound train. Him and his brothers were returning home in Palwal district's Khandawli village after Eid shopping in Delhi on June 22.

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His brothers - Hashim and Sakir - who were also travelling in the train with him, were injured by a mob which also allegedly hurled slurs against them.

Police have so far arrested five persons. Of the five, four arrested on June 28 are residents of Khambi village. The fifth one was arrested earlier.
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On the shores of the Bay of Bengal at Kalpakkam near Chennai, hidden from plain sight, Indian nuclear scientists are in the final stages of starting a high-tech giant stove that has been more than 15 years in the making. Read more

Here are more top news of the day:





1) BJP Leader Arrested For His Involvement In Muslim Traders Lynching In Jharkhand

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The Ramgarh police have arrested Bharatiya Janata Party leader on Saturday in connection with the mob lynching of a Muslim trader, Asgar Ali, in the Jharkhand district on June 29. Police suspect that he was there at the spot and might have been involved in instigating the mob. Read more

2) UP Woman Cop Who Confronted BJP Leaders & Sent 5 To Jail, Transferred To 'Keep Partys Pride'

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Woman police officer, Shreshtha Thakur, who warded off BJP leaders in Bulandshahar and sent five of them to jail for creating hurdles in discharging government duties, was transferred to Bahraich on Saturday. Read more

3) A 15-YO Boy From UP Could Be The Youngest Ever To Take Admission In IIT

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Abhay Agarwal, who will turn 16 in November this year, has been allotted a seat at IITBHU after scoring 2467 All India Rank. At 15, when students usually prepare for Class X Board exam, the teenager was at IIT-Kanpur to get his documents verified for admission. Read more





4) Homophobes At White House: Trump's Office Declines To Recognise June As LGBT Pride Month

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Breaking a precedent, President Donald Trump's White House refused to recognise June as the LGBT Pride Month. The decision marks an end to two of his predecessors' tradition of officially recognising the month, CNN reported on Friday. Read more

5) Fearing Govt's Action, Indians Are Not Depositing Black Money In Swiss Banks Anymore

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India has slipped to 88th place in terms of money parked by the country's citizens with the Swiss Banks. UK remains at the top. Additionally, the money held by Indians in Swiss banks has shrunk and accounts for a meagre 0.04% of the total funds kept by all foreign clients in the Swiss banking system, as per an analysis of the latest figures compiled by the SNB (Swiss National Bank) as on 2016-end. Read more
North Korea has enough untapped minerals to pay every single person on Earth  seven billion people  more than $1000.

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A Quartz report revealed that below the countrys surface there are large swathes of deposits of more than 200 minerals including magnesite, zinc, copper, limestone, molybdenum, iron and gold worth more than $7 trillion.

However, despite the abundance of mineral, North Korea has been unable to tap them because of a lack of mining equipment and machinery. Also sanction dont allow private companies to establish drilling sites.

Even under these circumstance, mining apparently makes up 14% of the countrys economy.

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In March 2016, North Korea was banned from exporting gold, vanadium, titanium and in November that year, the ban was extended to cover nickel, copper, zinc, and silver while also capping its coal exports.

On August 11, 2016, a North Korean ship was intercepted by Egyptian authorities bound for the Suez Canal. On-board they who found 30,000 rocket grenades buried beneath more than two million kilograms of iron ore.
An attractive model has recently been arrested in connection with an unsolved double kidnap case from six years ago in Colombia. Colombia's special kidnap police force seized popular television host Paulina Karina Diaz and a man nicknamed 'La Bruja'

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Official sources have accused her of using her good looks to 'lure' men into a trap. It is all part of their investigation for an alleged crime of blackmail and kidnapping that took place in 2011.

According to Colombian authorities, Diaz along with her partner conspired to abduct businessman Hugo Lopez Moncayo and lawyer Milton Caro Villamil in December six years ago. It is alleged that they tricked the pair into their room from a bar in Cali, Colombia.

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The accused then asked relatives for a ransom of 3 billion COP to release them, but the victims are still missing. Official sources said, Apparently, the TV host, taking advantage of her looks, had been in charge of the events and caused a distraction in the disco pub, luring the men into a room where they were locked up. Two more people in connection with the crime have been convicted and sentenced to 23 years in jail.

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Diaz, a 27-year-old model and a TV presenter reportedly worked for a show called Guia Magazine on Channel 2 for free. TV bosses claimed that she worked for the channel without getting a fixed remuneration in a bid to increase her fame and social media reach. They added that the channel regretted the personal situation of the woman, and added, We hope judicial authorities could clarify her situation and her responsibility in the facts.
Boko Haram members have been found among refugees returning to northeast Nigeria from neighbouring Cameroon, the Borno State Emergency Management Agency said on Saturday.

At least nine Boko Haram insurgents and 100 accomplices were identified among 920 Nigerian refugees who returned from Marwa in Cameroon on Wednesday, the agencys head, Ahmed Satomi told AFP.

They were arrested during screening of the returnees at the (Nigerian) border town of Banki by security personnel.

The eight-year conflict in northeast Nigeria has left at least 20,000 people dead and forced more than 2.6 million others to flee their homes.

Most of those who have fled have remained in Nigeria, staying with distant relatives and friends or in sprawling camps for the displaced.

Others have fled across the border into Niger, Chad and Cameroon around Lake Chad where the four countries meet, which have also been hit by suicide and bomb attacks.

Earlier this week, the UN refugee agency voiced concerns that Cameroon was forcing Nigerians to return because of the pressure it puts on already over-stretched services at camps.

The UNHCR representative to Nigeria and the West African bloc ECOWAS, Jose Antonio Canhandula, said a spate of recent attacks in northern Cameroon had made the authorities there nervous.

But he told AFP in an interview on Friday that it was not the time to repatriate and that Cameroon had a responsibility to give asylum to those who have fled.

In managing security they (Cameroon) are forgetting they also have to manage asylum, he said, adding that by forcing back Nigerians, they were sending them back to the fire.

Satomi said the returning refugees identified the accomplices as having worked for Boko Haram in different capacities when their villages were under Islamist control.

Some of those detained may have been forced to work for the group, he conceded.

So far, 800 of the returnees have been screened but more are coming. It will be a continuous process, he added.

Source: ( AFP )
Over 3, 000 faithful of Ahiara Diocese of the Catholic Church took to the streets on Saturday to protest against the restatement of the embattled Bishop Peter Ebele Okpaleke at the Mater Ecclesiae cathedral, Mbaise in Imo State.

Okpaleke was anointed and consecrated bishop of the diocese by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 but both the Laity Council and the priests in the diocese rejected his appointed on the grounds that he is not an indigene of the area, among other reasons.

The diocesan youths, who put on black attire, chanted solidarity songs to reaffirm their support for the position taken by the Ahiara Diocese clerics and the laity councils to rejection of Okpaleke.

Other Catholic men and women who dressed in different church uniforms, also participated in the rally, which started with a rosary procession round the cathedral.

Addressing the congregation inside the cathedral, the President of the Diocesan Laity Council, Mr. Gerald Anyanwu maintained that the people of Mbaise were not against the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis I, but that they were against the irregularities and injustices allegedly perfected against the people of the diocese in the selection of the bishop.

Anyanwu insisted that Okpaleke was forced on them, and that he was not a priest incardinated in the Ahiara Presbyterian.

He said, There was no time we insisted that the bishop of the diocese must be an Mbaise son, but the prelate must be a priest incardinated in the diocese. We shall accept any bishop whether an Hausa man or a Yoruba man as far as he is incardinated in Ahiara Diocese.

He frowned against the activities of the Nigeria representatives of the church in Rome and urged them (cardinals) in the Vatican city to urgently look into the case of the Ahiara Diocese.

Also addressing the gathering the Provincial Ambassador, Laity Council of Owerri Ecclesiastical Province, Mr. Lawrence Opara, dismissed as propaganda, reports that the Mbaise priests would be sanctioned by the Pope if the agitation continued.

Opara (82), who is also the Secretary, Ahiara Diocese Laity Council wondered why the case was different and difficult to resolve since it started in 2012.

He said, This is time of propaganda but the truth must be told. They gave us a bishop by hook and crook means. We cannot accept him.

It is biblical that if a priest is given to a people of God and he is rejected, he should go and be assigned to another people, who will accept him.

Opara described the rumour that the Mbaise priests would be sanctioned as false, maintaining that no priest had been derobed without his bishops consent and approval.

The traditional ruler of Okirika-Ama, Umuokirika in Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area, HRH Eze Dominic Okoro (75) also faulted the claims that some traditional rulers from Mbaise visited the Pope in the Vatican.

He said, Those people they said went to Rome to see the Pope were not our true representatives. Those who went from Nigeria deceived the Pope by telling him that they were the representatives of the Diocese.

I am a traditional ruler and in the way we conduct our traditional institution, no royal father would leave for the Vatican City without all the Ezes knowing.

We are not in any way against the authority of the Pope, but what we are fighting is injustice, corruption and evil among other vices in the Catholic Church.

Another member of the Laity Council of the Diocese, Mr. Sabestine Eke stated that Mbaise people can never be taken for granted by the Nigerian cardinals in Rome.

He noted that Okpaleke was not among the names of the priests sent for bishopric consideration and wondered why he was suddenly consecrated a bishop for the diocese.

He said, We are fighting for peace and justice. It is very unfortunate that the Ahiara Diocesan bishopric crisis has unraveled many ills in the most revered Catholic Church. However, the truth must be told and we cant take that high level of intimidation, injustice and corruption in the church.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
Over 3,000 women were offered monetary assistance by Sen. Binta Masi (APC-Adamawa North) to boost their petty businesses.

Presenting the assistance at a ceremony in Michika, Masi said the gesture was to help women victims of insurgency in the district who were just returning to pick up their lives once again.

The lawmaker added that the assistance was based on the believed that the women were more concern in managing little assistance in supporting the family.

She urged for peaceful coexistence among the diverse people of the area, adding that they should not allow the insurgency create suspicious and mistrust among them.

In this area there is no family that has no Christian and Muslim among it; we must therefore not allow this incident of Boko Haram divide us.

We must unite and continue to support and pray for our leaders at all levels to succeed in bringing more peace and development.

Masi tasked the women to embrace farming by keying into the various empowerment programmes in agriculture introduced by government.

Also speaking at the occasion, Gov. Muhammadu Bindow of Adamawa, lauded Masi for her special concern in women and tasked the beneficiaries to ensure judicious utilisation of the fund provided them to start or boost their businesses.

Bindow who noted the contribution of women to his victory and that of APC at all levels in the state, renewed his administrations commitment to people oriented programmes like empowerment, agriculture, health and roads.

The National President of Youth Wing of Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), Mr David Kadzai, who delivered a lecture on unity and peaceful coexistence, urged for tolerance among the diverse people of the area.

Kadzai, who hail from Michika, said that without peace no meaningful development would take place.

He lauded Masi for her efforts in promoting peace and empowering the underprivileged, adding that YOWICAN will continue to support her in that direction.

Many of the beneficiaries who got N10,000 and above thanked the senator for the support which they said would make a difference as they strive to pick up their lives after the insurgency.

Adamawa North Senatorial District comprised Michika, Madagali, Mubi North, Mubi South and Maiha local government areas.

Source: ( PM News )
The Bishop of Sokoto Catholic Diocese, Dr. Mathew Hassan Kukah has blamed the lack of public awareness and commitment on the side of all stakeholders involved in the control and management of the country are the causes of Boko Haram insurgency in the north east of Nigeria.

He also expressed his belief that Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria will come to past with time, noting that the insurgency is a lesson from God to test our faith.

Kukah who is the founder of The Kukah Center, a non governmental organization based in Abuja stated this on Saturday in Maiduguri during a 3-day workshop in deradicalization, rehabilitation and reintegration in the post Boko Haram insurgency in the North East of Nigeria.

He further called on the people to continue to pray for the end of the insurgency and peace to return to the region.

Bishop Kukah commended community, religious and ethnic group leaders in the state and region for preaching the gospel of peace, unity and hope to their people.

The cleric thanked the management of the University of Maiduguri for leaving the doors of the institution open for the students academic activities in spite of all the threats and attacks from the Boko Haram insurgents.

Kukah said that the only solution to Boko Haram is education which informed the acclaimed firmness of the management of the university for refusing to close the school despite all threats and attacks to fight back.

I must commend the university for leaving its doors open for more young people to be educated which is the antidote of Boko Haram. I once heard the Governor of Borno State Kashim Shettima saying that if Boko Haram is against education, the only solution to them is education which is why inspite of all odds your institution is still open.

Kukah noted that it was not in the interest of Nigeria for anybody to support Boko Haram insurgency, urging people to learn from history and ask the Germans how they survived after the war.

I believe in the power of the supremacy of God and it is important for Nigerians to understand that we are still understanding the blessings of God because some people have seen conflicts for up to fifty years and are wishing they never embarked on it.

He described the Boko Haram insurgency in the North East of Nigeria as a tragedy which is happening as a result of lack of awareness and collective commitment.

Source: ( PM News )
Despite the cry from the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB ), stakeholders and leaders of the South East have reiterated their commitment to a united Nigeria where peace, fairness and equality of opportunities are paramount to citizens irrespective of ethnicity or political affiliation.

The leaders also threw their weight behind the call for full restructuring of the country on the platform of fairness and equity.

The Chairman of the South East Governors Forum, Gov. Dave Umahi announced in the early hours of Sunday in Enugu while addressing newsmen on the outcome of an interactive forum of stakeholders.

Umahi, who is the governor of Ebonyi, said that leaders from the zone condemn all manner of hate speeches from any segment of the country.

He said that they were in consultation with leaders from other parts of the country with a view to engaging the Federal Government in a meaningful dialogue.

He said that the region was in full support of the 2014 National Conference report and urged the Federal Government to set up structures for implementing same within a reasonable time.

We are also in full support of the clamour for the restructure of the country and call on the Federal Government to start a dialogue with Nigerians on the modalities for achieving it, he said.

The governor said that the governors forum and South East National Assembly caucus would constitute the official organ that would speak for the people of the area.

Umahi appealed to the Federal Government to take steps that would ensure safety of the people of the area wherever they lived in the country just as we have guaranteed the safety of those in our domain.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor of Enugu State, Chief Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi had in an address of welcome charged the people of the area to forge a common front.

Ugwuanyi said that moment like that called for love among the people.

The governor said that nothing would please residents of the state than to remember that Enugu was the venue where the people of the zone gathered to resolve their differences.

NAN further reports that the meeting which held at the Nike Lake Resort had all governors of the zone in attendance.

Former Senate Presidents Chief Ken Nnamani and Chief Adolph Wabara as well as the Deputy Senate President, Chief Ike Ekweremadu was also in attendance.

Other prominent leaders in attendance included, Sen. Enyinnaya Abaribe, Sen. Gil Nnaji, Sen. Chukwuka Utazi and several members of the House of Representatives from the zone.

Members of the clergy, traditional rulers and the leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo was also represented.

Source: ( PM News )
Ex-prime minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert, has been released from prison after being granted parole in a corruption case that reduced his sentence by a third.

Olmert, the countrys first former premier to serve jail time, did not speak to reporters when leaving the Maasiyahu prison in central Israel.

The 71-year-old, premier between 2006 and 2009, was convicted of graft and entered prison in February 2016. He had been sentenced to 27 months.

Olmert was granted early release by a parole board on Thursday and prosecutors decided not to appeal the decision.

He had resigned as prime minister in September 2008 after police recommended he be indicted for graft, but remained in office until March 2009, when right-wing Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in to the post, which he has held ever since.

Olmert won international acclaim for relaunching peace efforts with the Palestinians at the Annapolis conference in the United States in 2007, but they failed to bear fruit and the corruption charges against him have come to define his legacy.

The parole board said last week that while Olmerts crimes were severe, he was punished for his deeds and paid a heavy price.

The inmate underwent a significant rehabilitation process in prison and displays motivation to continue it, it said.

All this significantly diminishes the risk he will deviate again from honest practice.

The decision came after Olmert was recently rushed to hospital after experiencing chest pains in prison.

The former premier underwent examinations which determined he was healthy and he returned to prison after a number of days.

A picture of a gaunt Olmert in hospital robes eating from plastic utensils found its way to social media, evoking a wave of sympathy from the public as well as politicians calling for his early release.

 Secretive content? 

Even after his release, Olmert could still face new criminal charges, though some Israeli media reported that the probe is expected to be dropped.

Last month, the state attorneys office instructed police to investigate suspicions Olmert had smuggled a chapter of a book he was writing out of prison, an act that would constitute a felony due to the secretive content, the justice ministry said.

Police had raided the office of the Yediot Aharonot publisher and seized Olmerts manuscript as well as other materials out of fears their dissemination  prior to the mandatory censorship they would be subject to  could cause severe security damage, the ministry said.

The investigation was ongoing, with the state attorneys office expected to announce in the coming days whether it would seek to press charges against Olmert over his conduct around the book.

Olmerts original 27-month prison term was comprised of 18 months for taking bribes in the early 2000s in connection with the construction of Jerusalems massive Holyland residential complex, eight months for a separate case of fraud and corruption, and another month for obstructing justice.

The main convictions against him dated to before his time as prime minister, to the years when he served as mayor of Jerusalem and economy minister, among other positions.

In a video message released just before he began his sentence, Olmert, a debonair man reputed to have a taste for fine cigars, maintained his innocence.

You can imagine how painful and strange this change is to me, my family, loved ones and supporters, said Olmert, looking haggard and downcast. I totally deny all the bribe charges attributed to me.

He added that over the course of my extensive career I also made mistakes, though none of them were criminal by nature in my opinion. Im paying a dear price for some of them today, perhaps too dear.

With a very heavy heart, Im accepting my sentence today. Nobody is above the law.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
In a new interview with Vanguardngr, Nollywood actress and single mother, Lola Alao, was asked why there are many single mothers in the Yoruba sector of the industry, and she had this to say:

I think it has to do with making the wrong choices. I will say they havent gotten to their final destination that is why they are single mothers. I think every single mother you see made a wrong choice.

Does that apply to you too?

Yes, I think every single mother you see made a wrong choice.

What is your relationship with the father of your child?

I will keep saying that the father of my daughter is the best. He is kindhearted and he is a very good person. Forget whatever he might have said about me out of annoyance, we have a very good relationship.

Do you have plans of going back to him?

If God says so, why not! Is there any man in the picture right now? No, there is none.

What are the prices you have paid for stardom?

I have paid a lot; stardom has its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages includes preferential treatments wherever you go and the disadvantages have to do with being harassed by area boys, any time you are in the public.

What is your relationship with Bisi Ibidapo Obe at the moment?

I dont have any problem with Bisi Ibidapo Obe, when I buried my father she was there to support me. She is like a younger sister to me, we dont have a problem. With your popularity you dont seem to have any endorsement, why? I have endorsements; I have with a network called Voda Phone which is not out yet. I also have with Funky Diva Hairs and Yoyo Bitters. I dont like to make noise about these things. At a time it was gathered that you worked as a dish washer in America? I washed plates in London but that was in one of my movies Iberu Alako. In the movie I also worked in a supermarket. The movie is about a lady who was living comfortably in Nigeria but was deceived by the lavish lifestyle of her friend who lives in London. She thought it was easy to make money abroad, she eventually travelled to London and was stranded, and then she had to work in a restaurant to survive.
The Police finally got hold of one of the biggest cocaine kingpins who evaded police for 30 years and even underwent surgery to change his face, on Saturday.

Luiz Carlos da Rocha, nicknamed White Head, was arrested in the western state of Mato Grosso in a city called Sorriso, the Brazilian police said in a statement.

Da Rocha was regarded as one of South Americas biggest cocaine kingpins.

He had changed his name to Vitor Luiz de Moraes and undergone plastic surgery to successfully dodge police while continuing to run his international drugs business.

His alleged right-hand man was also captured in a separate location during the operation in which police said 150 agents carried out 24 raids, seizing an estimated $10m worth of luxury cars, aircraft, farms and other property.

The name of the operation was Spectrum, referring in Portuguese to the phantom-like nature of a fugitive who lived discreetly and in the shadows evading police attempts for almost 30 years, the police statement said.

Police said that in addition to using extreme violence and being protected by forces with heavy calibre weapons, da Rocha changed his face.

When narcotics police homed in on their suspect in Mato Grosso, agents studied photographic data with the old facial characteristics of Luiz Carlos da Rocha and the current identity photograph of Vitor Luiz de Moraes, and concluded that Luiz Carlos da Rocha and Vitor Luiz are the same person.

The captured fugitive is accused of having headed an enormous cocaine network, which included production in the jungles of Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, and continued through to distribution on the continent and as far away as the United States and Europe.

He is also accused of being one of the main suppliers to the violent drug traffickers that hold sway in large areas of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

He is believed to have amassed $100m in personal wealth, police said.

Source: (AFP)
Five persons have been confirmed dead by men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), according to the officials it was a road traffic accident involving several vehicles on the Benin-Auchi road in Edo, on Saturday.

Mr Bisi Kazeem, FRSC Public Education Officer, disclosed in Abuja that 10 persons were injured in the incident that occurred at the Ewu slope area of the route.

The accident involved six vehicles, including two trailers, two Toyota buses and an Audi 80 car.

The crash was caused by a head-on collision and a total of 40 persons were involved, he said.

Kazeem said that the injured were taken to hospitals in nearby Auchi, Irrua and Agbede towns.

Source: ( PM News )
The publisher of Ovation Magazine, Dele Momodu has said that the Igbos have not done enough to produce a president for the country.

In a lengthy piece captioned, What Exactly Are We Restructuring?, Momodu noted that the presidency is not bequeathed to any group but rather won on the basis of hard work.

He cited the case of late MKO Abiola who lost out in the political power play in the South West but reinvented himself and won the 1993 Presidential election.

Ive asked many of those saying they feel cheated in Nigeria to explain what they mean and Ive concluded from their answers that it is more of politics than anything else. None could answer me when I asked why a strong and highly educated Dr Alex Ekwueme could not do much as Vice President under President Shehu Shagari from 1979 to 1983? Momodu asked.

I asked a similar question of why at least five Igbos were Senate Presidents, one Deputy Senate President, one Deputy Speaker and none has been able to seek and cede more power to the Igbo people in the last 18 years?

If the Igbos argue that they want the Presidency as a matter of legitimate right, then the answer is they must keep working like others. The example of Chief Moshood Abiola has demonstrated clearly that for anyone to win the race, he must build consensus everywhere.

Continuing, he said that, He showed that it is a game of mathematical numbers and it is never a gift to anyone. Out of the old six regions in Nigeria, a Presidential candidate must lock down about four to realise his dream.

The point is that you should never become Nigerias leader simply by virtue of where you come from but by what you have to offer in nation building. Rotation and zoning are largely responsible for proliferation of poor and preposterous leadership in Nigeria.
Angry residents set ablaze three suspected members of Badoo cult in Odogunyan, Ikorodu, Lagos.

It was learnt that the suspects were caught at about 2am in an SUV and flagged down by the residents who were doing stop and search around Odogunyan junction.

Our correspondent gathered that a big stone, diesel and a cutlass were found in the vehicle. The suspects reportedly could not offer any explanation on what they used the objects for and where they were heading to.

They were subsequently beaten up and burnt to death together with the vehicle.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole confirmed the incident, urging residents to desist from jungle justice.

Meanwhile, the PPRO said over 100 Badoo suspects had been arrested across Ikorodu, adding that investigations were ongoing to screen out innocent persons among them.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
Dr. Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital doctor shot dead by a former employee with a grudge, was supposed to be off duty when Dr. Henry Bello showed up.

She normally works in the clinic, Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Chief Dr. Sridhar Chilinuri said. Yesterday she was asked to cover one of the physicians who was out.She was on the floor at the time (Bello attacked). She was scheduled to cover only yesterday

Tam, a 32-year-old family medicine doctor had been working at Bronx-Lebanon for about a year and had no interaction with Bello, who was forced to resign two years ago in disgrace amid claims he had sexually harassed at least one staffer.

Police found her body just a few feet from Bello, who had taken his own life a few moments after shooting Tam and another doctor, who survived, on the 17th floor, sources said.

One patient and four more hospital employees were also wounded, hospital staffers said. Tams neighbors described the doctor as a friendly woman who kept to herself.

Source: ( Instablog9ja)
When the presidency decided that it would not make any statement about President Muhammadu Buharis health status on his second medical trip to the UK where he has now spent half of the year, it opened the door for rumours to thrive and fester.

Of course, there is a sense in which the government can argue that there is no point speaking on the matter because those who will not believe will not, even if they see him face to face and inspect his body and medical records with a magnifying glass.

Yet, sometimes I dont think its the unbelief that worries Buharis close minders, as it is what the unbelievers, especially the political elite, might do or undo with any information they may have.

But in an attempt to manage the secrecy to the advantage of a few for as long as practically possible, the presidency has left itself in an extraordinarily embarrassing spot twice in three weeks.

The first time was when a group of busybodies had to refute a report on behalf of the presidency about whether or not the First Lady, Aisha, saw her husband during her recent visit. The second is a voice note purportedly sent by Buhari at the end of Ramadan.

Its probable that it is Buharis voice but the haste and quality of the delivery leave room for reasonable suspicion. What is certain is that those who wanted to make a public relations coup out of the note may have swindled Buhari and the public at large.

What has been undone has been undone and theres no delicate way to put it without looking stupid. But at the risk of stupidity, I doubt very much that a Buhari with any presence of mind and even partial awareness of the flaring ethnic tensions in the country will, of his own free will, choose to address Nigerians in Hausa language at the time he did.

Why would he do that? Why, at a time when ethnic warlords are determined to set the country on fire, would Buhari choose to speak to the country in Hausa language after nearly 50 days of silence? Why would he do that except if a clique had told him the voice note would be broadcast to a narrower, homogeneous audience, only to supplant him after squeezing the note out of him? I think weve been swindled, though it seems pointless to say so now.

But I also think its dangerous to be silent. The president of Nigeria is too big to hide or be hidden, whatever the problem may be. At the current rate, a small clique will not only try to hide the president for as long as it pleases. It will also manipulate the presidency, leaving it only a shade better than it was during the last days of former President Umaru YarAdua. But we have seen that even that shade is not beyond manipulation.

If there is indeed one presidency, the apostles have to redeem it by investigating how Buharis voice note was procured, who authorised its distribution and why.

Thats part of the unspoken message from that voice note. OK, Buhari handed over to Yemi Osinbajo to co-ordinate as acting president. But where was the acting president in this voice note business? Did he get a copy, listen to it and wave it on as the best thing that happened since Gaskiya Tafi Kwabo?

If Buhari needed to convey a message to Nigerians, the proper thing would have been for such a message to go through the office of the acting president, and not through a clique that distributed it through backdoor channels to the Hausa service of the BBC and a few other broadcasters.

When he spoke briefly to worshipers in a Kano mosque by phone during his earlier medical trip this year, it was understandable that he did so in Hausa. But to speak to all Nigerians in Hausa in the midst of a storm is beyond me to accept as his rational wish.

The clique will do worse if we keep silent. As the days of Buharis absence lengthen and concerns rise that the political elite could mount a challenge, the clique might pull off another stunt, despite having its fingers burnt by wangling a voice note.

Its difficult to accept at this time that all the shenanigans is about saving the number 1 spot in the presidency for Buhari and nothing else. The clique has been playing its hands for far too long and its decision to keep the status of Buharis health in complete secrecy this time is proving too much for its own predations.

There had been all kinds of stories of power intrigues, especially about Chief of Staff Abba Kyari insisting that statements from the acting presidents office must be cleared with him. Not a big surprise if you keep in mind that Daily Trust reported the weekend before Buharis trip that Kyari met alone with the service chiefs in the Villa for God knows what.

The surprise, perhaps, is that one man  with possibly three or four others  can manipulate the system to the point where a note would be extracted from a sick president for dubious ends.

The frequent reminders that theres one, undivided presidency are useless, especially because we often get the lecture from the ones who are mainly responsible for the schisms. If there is indeed one presidency, the apostles have to redeem it by investigating how Buharis voice note was procured, who authorised its distribution and why.

I dont know the last time Osinbajo spoke with Buhari  assuming he has done so at all  in the last 50 days, but I think it should concern him that the reputation of the government, which he heads even in acting capacity, is unraveling rapidly. As long as silence and hypocritical requests for prayers remain the official policy to managing information about Buharis health status, we will have to contend with worse treachery than the voice note.

That voice note was just one scam in a long series of upcoming dramas.

Azu Ishiekwene is the MD/Editor-In-Chief of The Interview and member of the Board of the Paris-based Global Editors Network.

Source: ( PM News )
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.
Some vigilantes have caused quite a stir at an Oyo State community after shooting a tailor in front of his mother and wife.

Bukola Olaniyan, a fashion designer, said he was shot by vigilantes in his house at Opeyemi community, New Gbagi area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, as his mother and wife watched.

According to PuncOlaniyan, a father of four, said he was returning home around 9.30pm on June 13, 2017, when he was stopped by the vigilance group in the area, who began to beat him.

Olaniyan added that after he escaped from the scene, he was traced to his house where he was shot. He lost a finger in the incident and is currently receiving treatment at a traditional medical facility in the city.

Olaniyan said, It was raining that night. When I got to their post, they stopped me and asked why I stopped taking my usual route home. They said they had waited for me there before that day and did not see me. I explained to them that the rain delayed me till that time and that I had to buy food to eat at home. They began to beat me and tore my clothes.

When I begged them, one of them said that they were contracted to kill me. That was when I ran away. They shot at me but I escaped. When I got home, they traced me there again and continued to beat me. When my mother tried to intervene, they used the butts of their guns to hit her in the chest and she fainted. I later managed to free myself from them but then I heard a shot and used my hand to cover my head. The bullet tore through my hand and severed a finger. All this happened inside the house.

Asked if he recognised his attackers, Olaniyan said he had met them several times and that they knew he lived in the community.

Olaniyans mother, Abigael, who built the house where his son was shot, said for fear of further attack, they had to wait until dawn before his son was taken to a hospital.

The octogenarian said, The incident happened soon after our night prayer. My son and his family live with me. Five men with guns chased him to the house and beat him up despite my plea. They later used their gun butts to hit me and shot my son in front of the family as he tried to open the door to escape. They said they were asked to kill him. They boasted of finishing their mission after that and left, thinking he had died actually. On their way, they shot into the air again to scare people.

Olaniyans wife, Silifat, said despite notifying the landlord association of the brutal treatment her husband received, no one showed up at the hospital until the police intervened.

We are poor people and that is why we got such treatment. My husband almost bled to death and he spent 10 days at the hospital. We were asked to pay N20,000 but we had little money. The police at the Adelubi Police Station heard of the assault and visited us at the hospital, promising that the matter would be resolved. The landlords later paid N8,000. An ex-ray showed that there were 21 more bullet pellets in my husbands hand. We were advised to go to a traditional healer who specialises in removing bullets and pellets. The landlords paid the fee charged and begged us to forget the issue so that it would not go to court.

The Public Relations Officer of the Oyo State Police Command, Adekunle Ajisebutu, who confirmed the incident, stated that the divisional police officer at the Adelubi station was ready to charge the perpetrators to court if the victim and eyewitnesses were ready to appear.

He said, Oyo State Police Command will not tolerate crime being perpetrated in the state. The DPO said the matter was not reported but that when he heard about it, his men visited the victim.

The DPO said when the victims mother and brother came to the station, they ruled out approaching the court because it was a matter between neighbours. They told him that all they wanted was money to treat the victim. The DPO is ready to charge the case to court if they are ready to testify.
Curfew has been declared in Kwara State, after two persons were killed and properties worth millions of Naira were destroyed last Thursday when two communities, Iloffa and Odo-Owa communities in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara state clashed over new yam festival in a market.

The crisis, which erupted from a market bordering the communities resulted in the killing of two persons and destruction of properties, due to disagreements among the community leaders over the introduction of the traditional new yam festival in the said market.

Meanwhile, the state government had imposed curfew on the two warring communities as part of measures to curtail the crisis.

Alhaji Isiaka Gold, the Secretary to the State Government, announced the curfew in a statement after an on-the-spot assessment of damages in the communities.

He announced a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew with immediate effect.

Gold stated that with the curfew, all human and vehicular movement in the two affected communities had been barred.

According to him, the state government is also ordering the suspension of any activities relating to the yam festival in Oke Ero Local Government Area of the state.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who monitored the situation on Sunday reports that many houses and shops remained under lock.

A combined team of police and army were seen patrolling the metropolis to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

Gold added that the curfew was to assist security agencies to contain and prevent the escalation of the conflict, as well as restore peace.

He reaffirmed governments determination toward ensuring adequate security for citizens and urged residents of both communities to remain calm and continue to conduct their lawful affairs in peace.

He, however, warned that the full weight of the law would bear on any individual or group found to have initiated, participated or otherwise contributed to the violent conflict between the neighbouring communities.

Government had resolved to institute a judicial commission of inquiry to unravel the immediate cause and perpetrators of the act, he added.

Source: ( PM News )
After a long time of rising flaring in Iraq, political unrest in the country causes major damages in the initiative. However, with new investment, things are getting improved further.

Senior government advisor Thamir Ghadhban said that three new gas processing plants in southern Iraq will significantly reduce gas flaring at the nations sprawling oilfields. Work by producers during 2016 may have reversed the recent steep increase.

Iraq signed up to the WBs Zero Routine Flaring (ZRF) initiative, which commits Baghdad to phasing out the systematic flaring of associated gas by the year 2030, on May 10.

The Iraqi oil ministrys adoption of anti-flaring provisions in its oilfield licensing contracts paves the way for Baghdad to meet this goal, provided it is underpinned by strong political will.

Iraq's decision to join the initiative is a coup for the bank. Gas flaring in Iraq rose from 13.3bn in 2013 to 16.2bn in 2015. As a result, Iraq turns into the worlds biggest flaring nation after Russia. Had that 16.2bn wet gas been processed and monetized, it would have saved Iraq $2.5bn.

The World Bank says that the amount of gas flared in Iraq could support roughly 8.5 GW of new generation capacity.

It adds that gas shortages have led the frequent use of imported fuel, costing the country an estimated $6bn-$8bn/yr.



| Soruce: Natural Gas World | By S.Seal
Irish street name campaigners have renewed their call for the removal of names that stem from British colonialism.

The Cork Street Names Campaign is objecting to the use of names like 'Victoria' in public places.

Cllr. Diarmaid O Cadhla

Campaign spokesman Cllr. Diarmaid O Cadhla said that he is getting a lot of support.

"It's an ongoing plan," he said.

"Proposals were submitted to the City Council there before Christmas and the Mayor at the time refused to even accept the proposal, so the issue escalated.

Which members of @CorkCityCouncil will STOP this utter disrespect of Tomas Mac Curtain's memory? Vulgar Victoria must go! #1847 #1916 pic.twitter.com/W3Y1QHAyAG  Diarmaid O CADHLA (@GraTire) February 12, 2017

"But the basic issue is that, for example, in the name of 'Victoria', there are approximately 10 streets in Cork city named after Victoria, and in the whole of Cork city, would you believe, there is not a single monument to The Famine, An Gorta Mor," he said.

However, some Cork locals have complained about the campaign, saying that it sends a negative message to British tourists in particular.

C103s Cork Today show received calls earlier this week regarding signs in relation to Queen Victoria appearing on street poles across Cork City.

Listener Nancy said: I was walking around the city centre yesterday and I was disgusted to see posters up about the name Victoria and these posters referring to Irish History and Queen Victoria.

What is worse I came across a group of British tourists that took photos of these posters.

I feel this is so embarrassing for Ireland and Cork as we are trying to attract tourists and with Brexit this is the last thing we need.
Theyve been over 30 years in exile in Cork, but now Dublin living beckons once more for the owners of Lugano, on Corks Well Road.

They bought a different Lugano, after it appeared in these pages in August 05 with a then-young family back in 2005, and now after the passage of time, they are empty nesters, ready to sell up and to moved once more.

Last week when the Irish Examiner visited the new Lugano, all of their adult children and grandchild were in far-distant Australia  some now living there full-time, others visiting to coincide with the Lions tour.

Back 12 years ago, the house called Lugano which stood on this quarter acre (and which carried a peak time 600,000 asking price) was a mid 1900s, c2,100 sq ft dormer bungalow, and the family hoped then to enlarge it at upper floor level especially.

However, its construction didnt allow for what theyd envisaged, so by 2006, they went for planning for a brand new build on the original houses footprint. By late 2007, they were already in situ, in time for Christmas, with the task of picking out the Christmas tree one of the last of a long line of decisions to be made by years end.

Luganos construction closely followed that of another new-build right next door, on the site of another Well Road bungalow which also bit the dust, and right now, theres a planning notice up for a similar replacement on the third in a row of similar era bungalow, just between Lugano and the popular, upmarket Douglas Wells apartment development.

As the reborn, all-new (well, c 2007) Lugano now comes to market via agent Michael ODonovan of Savills Cork with a 895,000 AMV, its likely that a whole new family of owners will be in residence here by later this year.

And, as its in such immaculate walk-in condition, one of the very few tasks left for buyers might, again, be picking a Christmas tree. Christmas Day is only 177 days away now, and the days are already getting shorter....

Lugano scores with a top address, right on the Well Road and at the Douglas village end, a five- minute walk to two shopping centres and the villages other many amenities plus schools.

From upstairs at the back, there are views over Douglas Tennis Court to the glistening waters (or mudflats, at low tides) at Douglas estuary, a bit of a far cry though from the city in Ticino Switzerland region from which this Lugano gets its name.

Weighing in at 3,000 sq ft, over two floors, with very decent-sized rooms, this is a substantial home with very workable floor plan, designed by engineer Tom OBrien, and solidly masonry built by Ovens-based John OConnor Construction.

The owners quip that even though they are blow-ins from Dublin (albeit more then 30 years down now), they sourced nearly everything as locally as they could, and in many cases almost on the doorstep.

The walnut flooring came from OFlynns in Douglass St Patricks Woollen Mills, and Capitol Mouldings also in the woollen mills did the ceiling plasterwork, and much of the furniture also came from various interiors shops in the Mills.

The owners brought their own huge Mulberry-coloured very large sofa with them, though (they made sure doors were big enough to permit it be relocated to the new living room, and its set to go to Dublin next after its tenure here).

Going with a colour palette from that sofa, they had leaded/stained glass door panels in the same purples made up by Rapid Glass, while acclaimed craftworker Eoin Turner did some feature art glass panels, used in two sections of the hallway.

Ovens builder John OConnor pulled in some of his local contacts too, so joinery in the oak staircase is by Aherla-based Southwood, and the immense kitchen and island were made by Ovens-based Kieran Lehane of Creative Designs.

Lighting came from Galaxy and Cork Lighting, while the real heavy lifting was done by top stone mason Pat Crowley from Waterloo, Blarney.

He did the detailed feature stone wall onto the Well Road in Castleisland and Liscannor stone (also used in the patio and walls) and he used Castleisland stone for the living rooms fireplace wrapping around the stove, crowned with a highly-polished railway sleeper, sourced from House of Coolmore in Carrigaline.

Externally, the gardens were landscaped and heavily planted by Trevor Welch for year-round colour and visual impact, and the quarter acre site has an imprinted concrete drive front and back, intersecting several curving lawn areas, while theres also a large storage shed well hidden away, with power supply.

Two of its five bedrooms, ranged off a spacious landing, are en suite and the main bathroom is 13 by 7 with bath and separate shower.

At ground, off a tiled hall, are the very big and interconnected kitchen/dining room (28 by 18) with its high-end appliances, and the main comfortable 20 by 18 lounge. More normally sized are the front den, at 14 by 11, a utility room, guest WC, and still-capacious cloakroom.

Off the kitchen/diner too is a pleasant 12 by 8 family/hobby room, home to a large collection of blue and white china and delph from travels and trawls at home and abroad, in the hope perhaps of finding a rare, Qing dynasty heirloom amid the widespread purchases!

VERDICT: All-new, high-quality and in great order.
Two track maintenance supervisors have been suspended following Tuesday morning's A train derailment that left 34 injured and forced frightened passengers to evacuate through the subway tunnel.

The two supervisors will be suspended without pay pending the outcome of a formal review process and the final outcome of the derailment investigation, MTA spokesperson Beth de Falco told Gothamist. Jim Ganon, the Director of Communications with the Transit Workers Union, told us "two Track Maintenance Supervisors [are] taking the hit."

The suspension was ordered by their boss, and the two workers were made aware of the order at 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning, according to sources who spoke with the Daily News.

Hours earlier, the MTA blamed the derailment on "human error," rather than track defects or aging equipment. In a statement released late Tuesday night, new MTA Chairman Joe Lhota said that that a preliminary investigation indicated that the cause was "an improperly secured piece of replacement rail that was stored on the tracks."

"Storing equipment in between tracks is a common practice employed by railroads across the country to accelerate rail repairs," the statement continued. "The key to this being an effective and safe practice is making sure that the extra equipment is properly bolted down, which does not appear to have happened in this case."

The News reports that a replacement rail was installed Monday night near the site of the crash. According to de Falco, the two suspended supervisors were "responsible for the oversight of the work."

The investigation into the derailment is ongoing.
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Names and faces

Great West Engineering announces the hiring of two summer interns.

Trey Griffith, from Kalispell, graduated from Montana State University with a degree in civil engineering.

Mike Studiner, from Ashland, is completing his masters degree in civil engineering at Montana Tech.

Griffith and Studiner are part of Great West Engineerings summer internship program. Each intern will work under the supervision of a senior licensed professional engineer on real world engineering projects.

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Dr. Megan Smith has joined the staff at Valley Veterinary Hospital as a mixed animal veterinarian. Smith practices preventive medicine, herd health, and biosecurity for animal facilities of all sizes. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in animal science from Iowa State University in 2005. In 2011, she graduated as a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Iowa State Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine. Smiths previous work includes technical and educational writing, focusing on food security and disease prevention in livestock. Prior to joining VVH, Smith worked as a relief veterinarian in Iowa and North Dakota. Valley Veterinary Hospital is located at 4880 N. Montana Ave., and can be reached at 442-0188.

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The Montana Department of Revenue has announced its new administrator for the Property Assessment Division. Shauna Helfert began her new position in early June. Helfert has been with the department for 23 years, including 19 years with the Liquor Control Division in various leadership capacities. She has earned two Governors Awards and is a 2015 graduate of Leadership Montana.

The Property Assessment Division administers Montanas property tax laws. Staff appraise homes, business property, and agriculture and forest land throughout the state for property tax purposes. The division has a central office in Helena, and offices in four regions and in each county seat. For more information visit revenue.mt.gov.

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The Montana Society of CPAs (MSCPA) has announced the appointment of John Steinhoff, CPA, CFE, as president-elect of the Board of Directors for 2017-2018. Steinhoff is the co-founder and vice-president of consulting at Ascendant Advisory Group, LLC, in Helena.

Steinhoff grew up in Shelby and attended Montana State University. He joined MSCPA in 2007 and has been a member of the State Taxation and Legislative Committees throughout that time, receiving multiple awards for his advocacy work during legislative sessions. He was appointed to the board of directors in 2013.

He is also an active member of the Big Sky Chapter of Certified Fraud Examiners and Helena Exchange Club.

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Odegaard Braukmann Law, PLLC, has announced that Lucas Wallace joined the firm. Wallace will head the firms opening of a branch office in Helena, located in the Power Building, 7 West Sixth Ave., Suite 517. Wallace will focus primarily on representing injured workers in workers compensation claims.

Wallace is a 2003 graduate of the University of Wyoming and a 2014 graduate of the University of Wyoming College of Law. He is licensed in the state and federal courts for Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota. Prior to joining Odegaard Braukmann Law, PLLC, Wallace was an associate attorney with Crowley Fleck, PLLP, where he practiced in the areas of workers compensation defense and insurance defense. Wallace can be reached at lucas@oblawmt.com or 406-457-5537.

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CWG Architects has hired Megan Mullaney as the firms new marketing director. Mullaney earned her bachelors degree in communications and public relations from Carroll College. As the marketing director, Mullaney is responsible for maintaining the social media, publishing the monthly newsletter, promoting current and future projects, recruiting new staff, and designing print materials.

She can be reached at 443-2340, or by email at mmullaney@cwg-architects.com.

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Awards and honors

CPA named outstanding young professional

The Montana Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA) has announced that Krystal Stewart, CPA, PFS, shareholder at Anderson ZurMuehlen & Co, Helena, as the recipient of the 2017 MSCPA Outstanding Young CPA Award at the 104th annual Conference of the Montana Society of CPAs in June.

This award was created in 2012 to recognize the talent of young Montana CPAs. Nominees for the award must be members of MSCPA, under 35 years of age and display significant accomplishments within their community and their profession.

Steward is a native of Sidney and graduated from Montana State University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science in business with an accounting option

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CPA presented with community service award

The Montana Society of Certified Public Accountants (MSCPA) has announced that Helena CPA, Gary Carlson, shareholder at Anderson ZurMuehlen, was awarded the Societys inaugural Community Service Award on June 22, at MSCPAs 104th Annual Conference. This award is a celebration of the many contributions CPAs make in their communities .

Throughout his career, Carlson has been involved with Rotary, many local and statewide organizations, and the Rocky Mountain Development Council (RMDC). In 2000, along with representatives from Rocky Mountain Development Council, Inc., Carlson spearheaded the inaugural Spirit of Service day in Helena, Montana. Spirit of Service is an opportunity for business, not-for-profits, governments and their employees to give back to the community in which they live through lending a helping hand to homeowners in need.

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Health department awarded national accreditation

Lewis and Clark Public Health (LCPH) was awarded accreditation for the first time this month by the national, nonprofit Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB).

Only about 160 of 2,800 local health departments in the country have achieved this recognition since PHAB launched its program in 2011.

LCPH was only the fifth county health department in Montana to become accredited. The five-year-long effort involved not only public health staff, but also the City-County Board of Health and many community partner organizations.

To learn more about Lewis and Clark Public Health, visit its website at www.LewisAndClarkHealth.org or find it on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LewisandClarkHealth/ .

To learn more about public health accreditation, visit www.phaboard.org.

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Hampton receives excellence award

Hampton Inn by Hilton Helena has received a 2017 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence Award.

Now in its seventh year, the achievement celebrates hospitality businesses that have earned great traveler reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

Hampton Inn by Hilton Helena is located at 725 Carter Drive and offers amenities including free, hot breakfast each morning and Hampton's On the Run Breakfast Bags, available Monday through Friday. Additionally, it provides free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour business center with complimentary printing and a fitness center.

To make reservations, visit www.hampton.com and to read more about Hampton by Hilton, visit www.news.hampton.com.

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News and notes

Exterior refinishing company opens

Durable Finished Inc., is open for business in Helena to update the outside appearance of a home or business. The process uses a sustainable cork material, which keeps head, cold and moisture out and sticks to any prepared, stable surface such as brick, wood, metal, shingles and concrete. This eco-friendly spay has a negative carbon footprint and is new to Montana. The finished result is a maintenance-free exterior that is mildew resistant, hypoallergenic, water resistant, flexible and lightweight with a 10-year warranty. For more information, call 439-9301 or visit durablefinishes.com.

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Vocal Credit Union expanding

Vocal Credit Union is now serving the community of White Sulphur Springs, and will be opening a new branch of the credit union in October.

Vocal will expand the services they offer the Helena, Townsend and Boulder markets by adding commercial loans and health savings accounts. The credit union will also be offering a traditional mortgage product that they will serve locally.

Vocal Credit Union was originally founded in 1954 when eight teachers pooled their money to serve educators in Helena. In 2008, the credit union changed its name to Trico Community Federal Credit Union and began providing financial services to anyone who lives, works, or worships in Lewis and Clark, Jefferson or Broadwater counties.

For more information, visit www.vocal.coop or contact Eddie Black eddie@vocal.coop or 442-1421.

Guidelines

The IR welcomes reports of hiring, promotions, awards, recognition, learning opportunities and other news from local companies and nonprofits. We accept press releases and photos (digital images at 300 dpi or more are preferred). Email your information to irstaff@helenair.com.

There is no charge for items appearing in the Business Briefcase. Items are run on a space-available basis, and we reserve the right to edit and use information as we see fit.

The deadline is Tuesday at noon to be considered for publication the following Sunday.
BUTTE  Butte will soon be home to Sweetgrass Rods, a bamboo-rod manufacturer owned by master craftsman and Butte resident Glenn Brackett.

The business opened in 2006 in Twin Bridges, but come July the rod shop will have new digs at 121 W. Galena St. in Uptown Butte.

Brackett, who hopes to host a grand opening by Sept 1., said he decided to relocate the business to spend more time with family and cut down on his commute. Much like its former Sweetgrass location, the Galena Street facility will be primarily a manufacturing site and showroom.

Brackett has been in the bamboo rod business since the 1970s, but the Butte resident said the practice of building the rods goes back much further than that. Its a craft that has a 150-year history, he said, and involves splitting canes of bamboo and binding the pieces together to form fishing rods.

The idea sounds simple enough, but according to Brackett the process involves 120 separate steps and about 15 to 20 hours of labor.

Bracketts first encounter with bamboo rod making took place in San Francisco.

He grew up in the Bay Area, where he would often visit the very first R.L. Winston Rod Co., which was then located in downtown San Francisco.

One of the most interesting parts of visiting the shop, Brackett said, was watching the stores craftsmen manufacture the rods by hand.

It was fun to go back and watch the guys, said Brackett. It must have gotten into my blood.

When Brackett was in his mid-30s the rod shop went up for sale. Having a love for fishing and an interest in the bamboo rods the company produced, Brackett jumped at the chance to buy into the business. He partnered with friend and Montana native Tom Morgan, and together they purchased the business.

At Winston Brackett learned to make the bamboo rods from some of the masters, he said.

One of his teachers was a well-known rod craftsman named Gary Howells, whom Brackett said he used to bombard with questions on the technical aspects of rod making.

At one point he said Glenn, I can tell you everything you need to know but you wont know what the heck Im talking about until you build 100 of these rods on your own, on your own terms,' '' said Brackett.

Brackett said the San Francisco of his youth was very different from the high rent prices and the tech startups the city boasts today.

He remembers living in an apartment on Grand Avenue, where he would fish from the beach behind his apartment and later take a trolley into the city to work at the rod shop, which was then located off Market Street.

It was really a great business, said Brackett A lot of interesting people came through the door, one of which was Bing Crosby. He was a customer, a long-time customer of Winston, way before Tom and I got involved in the business. So when he came in, you know, Im short. Hes shorter. So me, Im looking down (and say), Hi Mr. Crosby.

In the 1970s Brackett and Morgan moved the business to Twin Bridges, where they eventually grew the company to about 20 or 30 employees and crafted thousands of rods each year. In the 90s they sold the Winston, but Brackett stayed behind and continued to work at the rod shop until 2006 when he and others started Sweetgrass.

You grow a company just so far and then you reach a plateau, said Brackett explaining the decision to sell and ultimately leave Winston. We had no interest in taking it to the next step.

The next step, he said, would have meant becoming more of an industrial operation, getting into large production numbers and outsourcing labor to contractors, among other things

In the end, he said, the move was about keeping a business culture alive that he and his fellow rod makers had created over the years, a culture that focused on craftsmanship.

It was very much a lifestyle choice, said Brackett.

Brackett's longtime business partner and friend Morgan died June 14.

Half a century ago we met on the banks of the Clearwater River in Idaho, said Brackett. We bounced around from coast to coast. We stood on a lot of stream banks through those 50 some odd years.

For Brackett, one of the things that makes bamboo rods special is the uniqueness of the material.

It has a spirit, a life to it that other materials lack, he said.

Hes learned a lot over the many years hes spent building the bamboo rods, including a good portion of patience. The craft is a tenuous process, he explained, and even the smallest detail left unobserved can cause things to go wrong  even for a master craftsmen.

Its very humbling, he said.
Dr. Jeffrey C. Zackeru, DMD has joined the practice of Dr. Lindsay C. Yancey, Jr. DDS as an associate dentist. Zackeru did his undergraduate study at UNC Charlotte and graduated from the East Carolina University School of Dentistry in May. He is a member of the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the N.C. Dental Association.

Triad Financial Advisors has been named to the Financial Times 300 Top Registered Investment Advisers, as of June 22. The list recognizes top independent firms throughout the United States. This is the second consecutive year that Triad Financial Advisors has received this honor. The annual Financial Times 300 list is produced independently by the Financial Times Ltd. in collaboration with Ignites Research, a subsidiary of the Financial Times that provides business intelligence on the investment management industry.

L. William Bill Vasaly, III has been named to the board of directors of Oak Ridge Financial Services, the holding company for Bank of Oak Ridge. He has served as executive vice president and chief credit officer of the bank since it began in 2000. Vasaly received a bachelors degree in marketing management from Virginia Tech. He serves on the board of directors of the Triad Chapter of the Risk Management Association and recently served as its president. Vasaly is also a former chairman of the Better Business Bureau of Northwest North Carolina and a former president of the Twin City Kiwanis Club.

Retired Army Sgt. Maj. Max Goelling has joined Thrivent Financial as a financial associate with the organizations Eastern Regional Financial Office. Before joining Thrivent Financial, Goelling completed his 35-year military career at Fort Lee, Virginia, where he was responsible for providing educational support to more than 50,000 soldiers. He attended Wake Forest University and holds masters degrees in business, healthcare administration, and Christian education from Pfeiffer University. Goelling is also a recent graduate of Forsyth Technical Community College, where he received an associate of science degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management and a certificate in Nonprofit Financial Management. Goellings office is located at 175 Charlois Blvd.

Dr. Richard Jackson has joined Novant Health Psychiatric. His specialties include general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. Jackson completed a child psychiatry fellowship at the University of Virginia Health System from 2014 to 2016. He was a general psychiatry resident at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. Jackson served as a volunteer Spanish interpreter for a free medical clinic and worked for Carolina Donor Services from 2000 to 2007. He received a bachelors degree from Duke University, and is a graduate of the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.

Dr. Todd Derreberry has joined Novant Health Psychiatric. He comes to Novant Health from Marshall University School of Medicine, where he was a faculty member from 2014 to 2016. He completed a geriatric psychiatry fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center from 2013 to 2014. Derreberry was a general psychiatry resident at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. He completed both his bachelors degree and medical school at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia.

Novant Health has been named the fourth best organization in the nation and second among U.S. hospital systems in the 2017 Diversity MBA Magazine rankings for Best Places for Women & Diverse Managers to Work. Diversity MBA is a national leadership organization that combines diversity and inclusion with talent management. Novant Health was recognized by Diversity MBA in 2015, it ranked number 47 overall and seventh among hospital systems.
After 19 days in the hospital, Houston Stafford had one thing on his mind  the Heavy Rebel Weekender.

Nothing could keep me away, said Stafford, who was released from the hospital Wednesday after a motorcycle accident resulted in a broken wrist, broken leg and major spinal fusion surgery. I wouldnt miss this for the world.

As he maneuvered his wheelchair along North Liberty Street among 1,000 or so attendees at the 17th annual event, Stafford said the weekend boasts the best of everything.

Theres not many places like this where you can look at cool cars, hear bands and hang out with 100 of your closest friends, said Stafford, who was attending the festival with longtime friend Callie Stanley. Its great.

Among many things, the annual event features mud wrestling, a burlesque showcase, pre-1972 cars and big wheel races outside the Millennium Center on Fifth Street.

The three-day event also spotlighted 50 bands  two of which came from Mexico  performing rock, rockabilly, country, honky-tonk, garage rock and more.

We try to cram as much fun as we can into the weekend and keep the spirit of rocknroll alive, said Courtney Southern, one of the event organizers. Its like everyone comes here to shake off their troubles. Everyones just so darn happy to be here.

Winston-Salem resident David Jones drove to the event in a car older than himself to a festival older than his son.

Sporting a blue 1966 Chevy C10, Jones said it was something they look forward to each year.

I like walking around looking at the cars, his son Greyson, 9, said. Maybe theyll do body slams (in the mud wrestling).

He wasnt disappointed. In a giant kiddie pool filled with mud soup, people took turns wresting and whacking each other with a pool noodle as the crowds egged them on.

I just love the atmosphere here, Adam Realman said. Its like a bizarre-o family reunion.

Realman, who is known for breathing fire at the event, drives 11 hours or more from New York to attend each year. Today, he will perform sword swallowing, nose whiskey and other stunts, he said.

You dont have anything like this in New York. Its just amazing with its Southern flare, he said. I wouldnt have come back 15 times if I didnt love it.

The festivities continue with one more day of fun today, kicking off with a Krispy Kreme doughnut-eating and a beer-drinking competition.

Southern said the event has something for everyone.

Sometimes people see the tattoos or black T-shirts and think Maybe not my crowd, Southern said. But the very beautiful thing is there is no in-crowd. If you come, youre welcomed with open arms to wear what you want and be who you are.
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RALEIGH  A couple of months ago, I wrote a column that outlined emerging threats to freedom of speech on college campuses  and noted with alarm that few of North Carolinas public or private universities had taken the necessary steps to ensure even a basic level of protection for students, faculty and visiting speakers.

I am pleased to report that the situation has improved significantly since I wrote that earlier piece. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) assesses the rules and procedures that protect, or fail to protect, free speech on campus. Just a few months ago, only one of the campuses in the University of North Carolina system  Chapel Hill  was given a green light in FIREs rating system. Most received yellow lights, while four campuses got red lights for failing to provide meaningful protections.

Several UNC campuses contacted FIRE to find out what they needed to do to address the problem, and then took action to remove their intrusive speech codes. As of late June, only one institution in the system, the UNC School of the Arts in Winston-Salem, still has a red-light designation.

Five campuses  UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Greensboro, UNC-Charlotte, North Carolina Central, and East Carolina  now have green lights. Thats fantastic! The other 10 universities are rated yellow, which in a couple of cases is still an improvement.

Among private campuses in North Carolina, the free-speech leader is Duke University, with a green light. On the other end of the spectrum, Wake Forest University and Davidson College are blinking red. While First Amendment protections of freedom of speech, press and assembly dont apply to private campuses, they should champion such practices as forming the core element of a truly liberal education.

North Carolina now leads the nation in the number of higher education institutions receiving FIREs top rating. North Carolinians who treasure free expression should be proud of this progress even as we continue to press other institutions to follow suit.

Why pay so much attention to this issue? Unless you are a professor, a student or a family member of either, you may not see free speech on campus as critical. But its related to a broader phenomenon that youve surely noticed and that may be affecting you more directly  the decline of civil, constructive dialogue across political difference.

To recognize the right of someone else to express a controversial point of view is not necessarily to endorse that view. To place a high value on the free exchange of ideas is not necessarily to place a high value on all of the ideas being exchanged, or to place a high level of trust or confidence in the individuals expressing those ideas.

There are at least two core arguments for freedom of speech. One is that we all have inherent rights as human beings to say (and do) whatever we please as long as we dont violate the equal rights of others to say (and do) the same. The other, more consequentialist, argument is that if we allow and foster an unencumbered exchange of views, the marketplace of ideas will sort itself out over time and provide us with better answers to important questions than we could ever get by constraining the debate.

The first argument only applies to government policy. That is, in a free society no politician or bureaucrat has the legitimate power to suppress the views of others through such means as fines or imprisonment. If you come on my property and start yelling at me about Medicaid expansion or whatnot, I can have you ejected. But if you stand on your own property and yell at me, or use private means to communicate your views through spoken or printed word, my only recourses are to answer or ignore you.

The consequentialist argument, however, applies even in non-governmental settings such as private universities where the search for truth is integral to their missions. However messy or uncomfortable it may be in some circumstances, free speech is better than the alternative.
The Austria Constitutional Court [official website, in German] on Friday ruled [opinion, PDF; in German] that the government seizure of the apartment complex where Nazi leader Adolf Hitler [Britannica profile] was born is constitutional. The Court elaborated [press release, PDF; German and English] that the expropriation of Adolf Hitlers birthplace in Braunau (Upper Austria) by law was in the public interest, commensurate and not without compensation, and therefore not unconstitutional. The government felt it was necessary to seize the property to ensure that it did not become a pilgrimage site for neo-nazis, who have turned it into a meeting place in recent years. The Court agreed and added:

Nobodynot even the legal counsel of the applicantdenies the public interest in measures taken to that effect. However, the measures recommended by the [expert] commissions [of the Federal Minister of the Interior] as necessary to prevent the identification of the property and, thus, deprive it of its symbolic power, can only be taken if the Republic of Austria obtains full power of disposal of the property.

The property, a few hundred meters away from the border with Germany was owned by Gerlinde Pommer-Angloher, and was seized through Austrias expropriation law. Pommer-Angloher rejected several offers [DW report] from the government to purchase the property from her, which was bought back by her mother post World War II after Nazi-Germany forced Pommer-Anglohers grandparents to sell it to the government. This was a constitutional challenge brought forth by Pommer-Angloher to Austrias expropriation law.

Efforts to seek justice and restitution for the victims of the Nazi Germany era are still underway, over 70 years after the close of World War II. In May, Romania enacted legislation [JURIST report] enabling restitution for Holocaust survivors. In November 2016, the Germany Federal Court of Justice [official website, in German] upheld [JURIST report] the conviction of former Nazi SS Officer Oskar Groening [BBC profile], known as the accountant of Auschwitz, for his role in the deaths of over 300,000 people during the Holocaust. Two months earlier, the Neubrandenburg state court in Germany started the trial of a 95-year-old former SS medic [JURIST report] who served at the Auschwitz camp. The same month, a court in Kiel, Germany, ruled that a 92-year-old woman charged with Nazi crimes was unfit to stand trial [JURIST report]. Prior to 2011, German prosecutors often chose not to charge individuals they regarded as cogs in, rather than active members of, the Nazi war machine. The 2011 conviction [JURIST report] of former Nazi guard John Demjanjuk [BBC profile] may have emboldened German prosecutors to pursue cases against all those who materially helped Nazi Germany function.
In a narrow 4-3 decision [opinion, PDF], the Supreme Court of Iowa [official website] ruled on Friday that former Iowa Workers Compensation Commissioner, and now chief judge of the board, Christopher Godfrey can sue high-ranking government officials, including Governor Kim Reynolds [official website] and former Governor Terry Branstad, for violating equal protection and due process rights granted by the Iowa Constitution [text, PDF]. Specifically, the decision allows Democrat Godfrey to seek damages against Republican Branstad for political retaliation. But more broadly, the ruling opens the door for private citizens to seek monetary damages from government officials who have violated their rights under the states constitution, a ruling with parallels to the landmark US Supreme Court [official website] case Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents [Opinion, text]. The Court stated that The fourth vote came from Justice Mark Cady, who concurred in the judgement but dissented on key issues, writing that the plaintiff did not need to rely on constitutional protections because statutory remedies for his claim are already available through the Iowa Civil Rights Act [text, PDF]. However, the majority disagreed with that position on at least some of the issues, and responded:

The due process claims based on alleged partisan motivation in depriving Godfrey of property and liberty interests contrary to due process are not claims within the scope of the Iowa Civil Rights Act. As a result, there is no basis to assert that Iowa Code chapter 216 provides an adequate remedy to avoid the necessity of a free-standing damages claim.

The Courts 104-page opinion overturns a lower courts dismissal most of the plaintiffs claims, but the Court declined to rule on the merits.

Godfrey, had been appointed [AP report] to the position by Democratic Governor Chet Culver in 2009. A year later, incoming Republican Governor Branstad asked for Godfreys resignation. When Godfrey declined the request, claiming the position was quasi-judicial and intended to be nonpartisan, Branstad reduced his salary from $112,000 to $73,000, the lowest possible amount for the position. Godfrey claims he was further subjected to harassment, including false statements regarding his job performance, and harsh treatment due to his sexual orientation. Both sides claimed some degree with of victory with the Courts ruling, with Godfrey calling it a decision that is really going to help Iowans who are impacted by improper government actions going forward, and counsel for former Governor Branstad praising the justices for leaving affirmative defenses intact once the matter ultimately goes to trial.
The nationwide bus tour for a movie alleging a government cover-up of injury connected to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine arrived Saturday to collect stories for a sequel.

Children in Montana are required to have this and other vaccinations before they can attend school unless granted an exemption. Day care operators may also require the array of vaccinations for children.

Medical associations and numerous studies say there is no link between vaccinations in children and autism. The Lewis and Clark County health officer, Melanie Reynolds, is among those who support vaccinations.

Those who challenge this assertion say they too have studies and offer interviews where physicians speak of the dangers from vaccinations.

But vaccination of young children has stirred an emotional debate and helping fuel that is Andrew Wakefield, a British doctor.

Wakefields 1998 research paper in The Lancet on the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and its relation to injury  he also called for further study  was retracted. The journals editor said Wakefield should have disclosed the existence of a second study although Wakefield denied that it had been done for litigation purposes or that lawyers involved in litigation paid for it.

Wakefield, a gastroenterologist, was banned in 2010 from practicing medicine in his native Britain for ethical lapses, according to the New York Times, that included unnecessary invasive medical procedures on children.

His online defense of his actions note he didnt appeal the decision by Britains General Medical Council that cost him his right to practice medicine there because of financial constraints.

Wakefield is also the director of a movie Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe that asserts an alleged cover-up between the vaccine and injury.

Wakefield was not a part of the bus tours team in Helena on Saturday.

Polly Tommey, the movies producer, is part of the tour and said she has a 21-year-old son, who was injured as a result of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

Hospital staff in the United Kingdom, she said, attributed his mental injury to the vaccine.

They were the ones that told me that was his injury, she said.

The goal of the bus tour, Tommey explained, is to bring forward the truth.

What has been so misunderstood is that were not out here spreading misinformation, as the other side would like to say,  parents come to us. We dont even know who these people are. They come to us and they tell us the story of what happened to their child, she said.

People who have not vaccinated their children come to cities where the tour bus has stopped to tell their stories too, she added.

So were literally collecting stories so we can understand the difference between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated. This is a study that the (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) should have done that were calling the peoples study.

I had no idea when I vaccinated my children that there could be a problem. Why would I even think to question  someone who has a white coat on? Why would I even question them?

So my first child was fine. She handled the vaccines. I was extremely pro-vaccine. I looked down on, to be honest, on people that didnt vaccinate. I thought they were irresponsible. I was angry with them.

Then her child had a seizure and the hospital staff who treated him assured her he would be fine and it was a common reaction to the vaccine, she said.

But he wasnt fine. Hes now 21 and hes brain damaged. So Im angry, Tommey continued and then asked why her pediatrician didnt tell her this could be a side-effect.

She said she could have vaccinated him a few months later after he was stronger and recovered from an ear infection that was being treated with antibiotics.

If this hadnt happened to my son, I would be probably out there with the protesters. Thats how pro-vaccine I was. So it had to happen to me for me to even understand it.

And now parents who come to tell their stories tell her that their children were vaccinated and then suddenly died and this too leads her to further question what vaccinations may be doing to young children and if vaccines are a link to the causes for sudden infant death syndrome.

That storys as important as my story, she said.

At the end of it, parents, you make your own mind up. Its your doctors but listen to the parents. You have to do your own research now. The side effects are there.

Outside of the motor home that carries the tour across the nation is Craig Egan, with a sign in each hand, accompanied by a few others whose signs also stress the need for vaccinations.

Egan is willing to argue with those who arent convinced the benefits of vaccinations outweigh the dangers. After a handshake and parting company with one such person, he talked about his beliefs.

His, he said, was to be a counter-voice and came about after he disagreed online with those opposed to vaccines.

Theyre actually very dishonest, that they are pushing false, misinformation. On this bus theyre promoting, theyre trying to push their documentary  its more of a propaganda film  trying to claim theres a connection between autism and vaccines.

But the thing is there is not. Its been studied into the ground. So theyre collecting a bunch of signatures and stories from people who claim not only that vaccines gave their children autism but really any medical condition under the sun: cancer, diabetes, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis.

Its scaring people away from vaccines, which protect against a lot of diseases, Egan said.

The tour and movie, he added I think its mudding the water of clear scientific discussion. They dont have science on their side so all they can do is collect anecdotes. I think its scaring people. I think its dangerous.

But even anecdotes have value to Anu Vaidya, who is the technical engineer for the bus who said, After a certain amount of anecdotal evidence  that should engender some curiosity in the scientific community.

Dr. Suzanne Humphries, a doctor who is board certified to handle routine medical issues as an internist and specializes in issues relating to the kidneys, is touring with the bus.

She began noticing vaccine injuries in her kidney patients in about 2011. The name Andrew Wakefield was not familiar to her, she said.

I entered the vaccine critical area all on my own, and I found there was a significant portion of medical literature that described vaccine injuries just like what I was seeing throughout the decades.

Ingredients in vaccines, such as aluminum that is intended to create inflammation to improve a vaccines response, adversely affected kidneys and brains, Humphries said.

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccine does not contain aluminum but others do, she added.

Thats pretty much how we got together on the same bus because theyre dealing with significant brain injury from inflammation, and I was dealing with significant autoimmune diseases and kidney disease from inflammation.

Her research led her to write a book, Dissolving Illusions, she said. From there she went on tours lecturing on infant immunity and the history of vaccination and immunology before she was contacted by those associated with the movie.

People hear about the bus and come without being invited, she said.

In my opinion as a medical doctor, any organ system can be affected by a vaccine. And it doesnt happen in 48 hours. So even the medical literature says it can take days, weeks or months to manifest the autoimmune diseases.

In addition to stories of injury and death blamed on vaccines were those from families who did not vaccine their children.

What were seeing consistently is the unvaccinated children are miles healthier are the vaccinated children, Humphries said.

She points to a pilot study in the Journal of Translational Science where vaccinated children were far more likely to develop problems such as for a learning disability and attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder.

However, the website for Retraction Watch said the study Humphries reference had been retracted.

The Center For Scientific Integrity, a not-for-profit corporation weve established, has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the MacArthur Foundation to expand the work of Retraction Watch," according to a link contained on the Retraction Watch website.

The goal of the grant  $200,000 per year for two years  is to create a comprehensive and freely available database of retractions, something that doesnt now exist, as we and others have noted, the website stated.

What were about is not telling people not to vaccinate, Humphries said. Were about saying doctors need to be giving people informed consent before they allow the children to get vaccinated especially because of this.

We need to look at the risk/benefit ratio for those.

There are major issues with the vaccines that need to be addressed, she said.
Montanas legislators voted on hundreds of bills this session that would directly benefit the businesses they run outside the state Capitol. Yet many do not see that as a problem.

More than a dozen state leaders said it is not unethical to bring bills that would advantage their professions or properties so long as others received the same gain and the link is openly shared. Most lauded the fact Montana has a part-time, citizen Legislature where farmers sit on agricultural committees, lawyers craft state criminal laws, teachers tweak education policy and business owners set industry regulations. Experience makes them experts, they say.

But the nonpartisan Center for Public Integrity gives Montana an "F" grade for its conflict disclosure laws, which make it difficult for the public to spot self-serving votes or sanction those who enrich themselves in public office.

Moreover, Lee Montana has found that legislators flout rules requiring them to disclose financial interests and that gaps in the complaint process make it difficult for the public to trigger penalties if they spot an abuse of power.

Some potential conflicts this year hit the public spotlight.

Billings Republicans Rep. Peggy Webb and Sen. Roger Webb, who jointly own several rental properties, collectively carried 15 bills to modify tenant-landlord laws or other state provisions that would have affected their business.

I will disclose before the committee: I am a landlord, the senator said in March as he introduced a bill that would have made it harder for tenants to trigger investigations of their landlords for illegal retaliation against them. It was among four of the senator's bills to be vetoed. Another that died in committee would have allowed police to charge people with theft if they leave a rental without notice.

If any of you are landlords, as I am, you might have had to deal with someone living in or on your property without your permission, Rep. Webb said in March while introducing a bill that would have rewritten trespassing laws to make it easier to remove squatters. Critics said it went too far and would have harmed legitimate tenants. It also was vetoed by Bullock.

Halfway through the legislative session, Roger Webb said he and his wife had received very, very, very nasty emails and voice messages from people who accused them of abusing their power.

I get upset, but you know what? We look at it, we listen to it, Im going to guess they probably didnt vote for me anyway. I dont care, he said.

Webb argued it makes sense to have landlords  or tenants  craft changes to those state laws because they know it best and are more willing to work through any backlash to find fixes. Politically, he said it might be easier to avoid touchy subjects altogether, but then some of the states thorniest problems would go unsolved.

If we dont fix it, who does? Webb asked. These are issues, or we wouldnt be bringing these bills.

Also in March, Sen. Ed Buttrey, a Republican who owns a Great Falls bar and casino, amended the brewery bill in a way that effectively reversed its intent and would have blocked growth of some craft beer tap rooms.

Critics on social media wondered whether a conflict of interest inspired Buttreys changes. The original bill would have allowed breweries to expand production without closing tap rooms that sell pints to customers during limited hours. In gutting the bill with his amendments, critics suggested Buttrey was trying limit the growth of his competitors.

None of which has any truth to it whatsoever, Buttrey said, laughing. I do own a small beverage license and that has been disclosed multiple times. It has absolutely nothing to do with personally benefiting myself or any other tavern owners.

Instead, he said his amendments were following through on a 2015 promise made by craft brewers with leaders of the three-tier system  alcohol manufacturers, distributors and retailers  that no changes would be made without consensus from all parties. Brewers, he said, reneged on that deal.

Nonetheless, Buttrey was the target of public criticism.

(He) wants to quash his competition at the expense of economic growth, wrote one Missoula man on Facebook. Another commented, Conflict of interest much?

The brewery bill amendments were soon reversed as the industry's key players brokered a compromise, perhaps spurred by pressure from the public. The governor's vetoes of tenant-landlord bills similarly might have been influenced by the public spotlight.

Many legislators argue actual conflicts are rare despite the social media posts and emails that accuse some lawmakers of self dealing.

Theres not been a large volume of complaints, to be honest with you, said Rep. Jeff Essmann, a veteran Republican legislator from Billings who previously served as Senate President.

In the 2015 session, one complaint was filed and dismissed as meritless without convening the Senate Ethics Committee. In 2017, two complaints filed against House members were similarly dismissed. One involved a legislators former work as an Uber driver and another was about the use of official state letterhead to send thank you notes for a community fundraiser.

If there was a reasonable question of validity, wed get together and discuss that, said House Ethics Chairman Bill Harris, a Mosby Republican.

Gordon Witkin doesn't buy the explanation that Montana leaders are simply more moral than colleagues in other states. The executive editor of the Center for Public Integrity pointed to years of reporting on abuses of power that repeatedly show state legislators are not forthcoming about potential conflicts without strong rules requiring it. And even then, most do not recuse themselves from decisions that personally benefit them.

If you have none of the systems in place that would reveal or root out ethical violations, then you cant expect any ethical violation cases to emerge, he said. That is a quaint, head-in-the-sand kind of attitude.

On Facebook in March, one man urged friends to contact legislators about Buttrey's amendments to the brewery bill and to file an ethics complaint with the Commissioner of Political Practices. A Billings woman similarly asked her friends to file complaints against the Webbs over their landlord-tenant bills.

Any complaints would have faced two problems.

The actions of the Webbs and Buttrey do not fit Montana's narrow legal definition of a conflict of interest. Also, the Commissioner of Political Practices has no involvement in legislative ethics complaints even though the office investigates similar allegations against other elected officials, such as the governor.

Montana law defines a conflict of interest by a legislator as an act that would have a direct and distinct personal impact, usually financial. If other members of their profession or community also benefit, that doesnt count.

For instance, the Webbs bills on rental laws are not an illegal conflict because they broadly affect landlords, not just their specific properties. Similarly, Buttreys amendments, seen by some as pro-tavern and anti-brewery, were not a violation because his bar was not going to benefit any more than another.

If an interest does create the kind of direct benefit banned in law, or if there is an appearance of impropriety, legislators must disclose the conflict at least once per session in a public meeting. Even then, a legislator may still cast a vote unless the legislative ethics committee has met and ruled against it, which has not happened in recent memory.

If someone is advised to abstain from a vote, legislators said leaders usually recommend it informally without convening the committee. That would take up time and draw undue public attention to what is likely a minor judgment lapse, many said.

It is rare for legislators to abstain from a vote after disclosing a potential conflict. But it's nearly impossible to know exactly how often it happens without reviewing video or audio from every meeting. Transcripts of those recordings do not note abstentions or conflict disclosures, only final vote tallies. And the vote tallies don't distinguish between abstentions and run-of-the-mill absences.

Legislative rules focus on public disclosure rather than abstaining from votes as the primary deterrent for abuses of power.

That emphasis was highlighted in 2001, the last time an ethics committee met.

Twenty Democrats filed a complaint against Rep. Keith Bales, R-Otter, for sponsoring a coal-bed methane bill that would have personally benefited him. At public hearings, he admitted as much. He passed out maps, with his own property circled, showing the area of the state affected by the bill, but later avoided questions about it, according to reports by Lee Newspapers at the time. The complaint was dismissed unanimously by the committee because hundreds of other landowners also could have benefited and Bales had disclosed the conflict.

One day in January also serves as an example of the emphasis on disclosure rather than avoiding votes.

When one of Webbs tenant-landlord bills reached the House floor, several buzzed in to speak and disclosed that they own rental property. So many people were queued that the Speaker of the House suggested to the chairman that a mass disclosure would be simpler.

Could everyone in the beloved House of Representatives who owns rental property raise their hand? Rep. Dennis Lenz said, chuckling at the lectern.

At least 20 hands went up among the 100 House members. None abstained a few minutes later when their votes advanced the bill, 63-37. The House Journal, the official record of legislative actions, includes no note that conflicts had been disclosed.

Regardless of conflict, House rules encourage and Senate rules require members to vote on every bill. The premise is that legislators are representing their district, not themselves, each time they push the green or red button on their desk.

Most legislative leaders say conflicts are an unavoidable characteristic of a citizen Legislature.

Members often describe pride at working in the communities and industries they govern rather than serving as career politicians, who are seen by many legislators as out-of-touch and vulnerable to the half-truths of lobbyists.

Sen. Chas Vincent, a Libby Republican whose family has long worked in the timber industry, is named by some colleagues as their go-to guy to understand forest management or water issues, saying he will present all sides of the debates as he sees them.

Vincent echoed others in celebrating Montanas form of lawmaking, conflicts and all.

The Legislature was purposely constructed with citizen legislators to create those situations, so they actually had people that would live under those issues. To be able to bring issues to Helena and then be able to live under the rules and laws that they passed, he said. It was designed specifically as a conflict, really. Where do the farmers go? They go to the ag committee. Where do the lawyers go? They go to judiciary. Its meant to be that way.

Another legislator joked, You cant swing a dead cat in the Capitol without hitting somebodys conflict of interest.

Veteran Butte Democrat Sen. Jon Sesso said apparent conflicts actually can strengthen the Legislature.

I ran specifically to represent local government, the Butte-Silver Bow planning director said. He ran for office to leverage his 25 years of experience as a professional planner to advance fixes for cities and towns, or to at least make sure changes are thoroughly vetted.

At times, Sesso has sought to compromise with Rep. Forrest Mandeville, a Columbus Republican and land use planner who consults for developers. They work in the same field but on opposite sides, one public and one private. Sesso thinks any approved bills are stronger for their insights and fights despite the appearance they both have of conflicts of interest.

You cannot not have some part of your life that is directly related to the bill in front of you, Sesso said. It just goes without saying if youve got a job.

Mandeville agreed.

I have carried a lot of bills that would smooth out the subdivision process or give a little more clarification to it. I never saw it as a financial benefit to me. Its mainly just to answer questions I get from clients or other people in the field, he said.

Mandeville said to keep the publics trust, legislators just need to make sure thats not a secret.

Sunlight Foundation Executive Director John Wonderlich said good accountability systems can be built around disclosure rather than vote recusals, but they only work if there is strong enforcement.

"Legislator financial disclosures are notoriously inaccurate, filed too late or insufficiently detailed to give meaningful oversight," said Wonderlich, who leads the country's primary nonpartisan nonprofit that advocates for open government and the public's right to know.

Montana is no exception: No one monitors those forms for completeness.

"That's absolutely not a sufficient system," he said.
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This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows people gathering at the scene of an explosion along the road to the airport in southeast Damascus, Syria, Sunday, July 2, 2017. Syrian state TV said Sunday that a series of car bomb explosions have rocked the capital, resulting in multiple casualties. (SANA via AP)
Two years ago, in an executive order, former President Barack Obama greatly expanded the right of Americans to engage in commerce and travel to Cuba. Reacting to the change, about 200,000 American tourists went there during the first year, with many more expected in subsequent years.

Thousands of Cubans responded by opening private businesses to cater to this expected rise in visitors. Thousands more have listed rooms in their apartments for tourist use. Friends of mine who recently spent two weeks in several Cuban cities report that you now see private businesses (restaurants, beauty parlors, various shops and the like) on every block. One could not hope for a greater opening of the Cuban people to contact and interact with people from democratic nations.

Yet President Donald Trump, in an obvious appeal to senior Cuban hard-liners living in Miami (whose votes enabled him to carry Florida in the national election), has now issued a countermanding order revoking the Obama initiative and returning American-Cuban relations to the hostilities of the past. A policy that was an abject failure, accomplishing nothing, has now been re-established. President Raul Castro of Cuba, who has announced he will retire at the end of this year, will now undoubtedly be replaced by a political hard-liner turning to help from China and Russia, and we will all return to a state of senseless conflict. Americans are encouraged to visit China, Vietnam and Saudi Arabia, but not Cuba.

As is the case with many of President Trumps executive orders, the language in his Cuban pronouncement is ambiguous and self-contradictory. We will need to wait for the Treasury and Commerce departments to supply specific details.

Yet from the general tone of the order, it appears that individual tourism to Cuba will be totally abolished, and people wanting to travel alone will be made to join a group led by a tour leader, who will be required to insist that the group follows a precise hour-by-hour itinerary of totally artificial encounters with Cuban actors. The provision of President Obamas policy that would permit individuals to engage in people-to-people activities has been specifically abolished by Trump, and the itineraries created by the Treasury and Commerce departments will be 100 percent group in nature. Not only will these tours be more expensive than individual tourism, preventing budget-conscious Americans from making the trip, they also will create barriers between American visitors and the Cuban people. One could not imagine a worse way of freeing up Cuba.

The elimination of inexpensive individual travel to Cuba already has caused several U.S. airlines to hold back on scheduling future flights to Cuba. Apparently, the airlines are concerned that they cannot fill their flights with groups alone. Although the Trump announcement specifically exempted airlines and cruise ships from his terms, even the passengers of a cruise ship will be made to disembark as a group and limit themselves to group activities supervised and enforced by an autocratic minder.

So there will be no widespread tourism to Cuba. A policy that has been completely ineffective for 50 years will be reinstated, and it will remain a total failure. We shall have to wait until a different person is elected president of the United States before sensible Cuban policies are adopted again.

Read Arthur Frommers blog at frommers.com.
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Mr. Jones, how are you this morning? I ask.

A muffled, incoherent reply.

Are you in pain?

No.

I perform a brief, perfunctory exam  its unchanged from yesterday. I then glance at his breakfast tray on the bedside table  still untouched. The plastic mug is still full of watery, lukewarm coffee, the rubbery pancakes on the plate are still intact. This is at least the third morning that my patient  who I am calling Mr. Jones

 has not eaten any breakfast. In fact, I realize, he has not been eating much of anything since he was admitted.

I am rotating for a week on the inpatient geriatrics consult service during my fourth year of medical school. Mr. Jones is one of the patients I have been assigned to follow. He has advanced dementia with lewy bodies and had been admitted to Duke University Hospital following a fall at his assisted living facility that resulted in a few cracked ribs. The trauma service consulted our team after some agitated behavior overnight raised their concern for delirium. At the outset, his story seemed fairly typical. Our team had rounded on him each morning that week and had dutifully attempted to mediate each possible cause of his delirium  pain, occult infection, medication side-effects, etc. However, he is still dwindling, and now he is not even able to feed himself. This does not bode well for him becoming strong enough to leave the hospital, much less return to his assisted living facility.

I am about to leave Mr. Jones room, but I stop and check my watch. I still have some time before rounds and am not aware of any emergent issues with my other patients. Sitting down next to Mr. Jones, I ask him if he is hungry. To my surprise, he answers that he is. Would you like some help eating? Again, a surprise  he is willing to let me help him eat.

I pull his tray over. Pancakes?

No, he doesnt want pancakes. How about cereal?

Cereal is acceptable. I open the miniature box of raisin bran and pour it into a foam cup, then add the milk. I carefully begin delivering spoonfuls of soggy cereal to his open mouth, giving him time to swallow in between. The process reminds me feeding a baby, though without the cajoling and use of train entering the tunnel metaphors. I persist until he indicates that he is done. He eats most of the cereal and even drinks a few gulps of orange juice.

I leave his room feeling triumphant. I feel as good as if I have just performed a complicated procedure or confirmed a difficult diagnosis. It seems laughable to consider feeding a cup of raisin bran to an elderly patient with dementia as something noteworthy. I know that what I just did probably made absolutely no difference in the course of his medical treatment. A meager breakfast of cereal and orange juice will not reverse his failure to thrive nor alter the progression of his disease. But perhaps I made some small difference in the comfort of my patient, and for me, this was the most meaningful thing I had done all week.

During my various clinical rotations throughout medical school  as I juggled long lists of differential diagnoses in my mind, scribbled lab values on bits of paper stuffed in the burgeoning pockets of my white coat and tried to feign confidence during morning rounds  I often struggled to feel that I was making a difference. The hospital to me felt like a giant RVU-generating machine that churned through patients like widgets, and I was an awkwardly fitting gear that slowed the process down more than it helped. The moments that mattered, however, were those moments when I was able to connect with patients on a human level and understand what they truly needed. Such moments reminded me how grateful and honored I am to study medicine.

A famous 1891 oil painting by Sir Luke Fildes entitled The Doctor depicts a country physician sitting faithfully at the bedside of young child, while the father stoically looks on and the mother weeps in the background. The painting is powerful and poignant not only because of its portrayal of empathy, but also its portrayal of powerlessness. The doctors furrowed brow and hand on his chin seem to convey his intense desire to do more without the means to do so. The only thing he can do is to be present with the patient, mourn with the suffering family and help out in any way he can. I can imagine him wiping the brow of the child with a damp cloth or offering a spoonful of hot broth, whispering silent prayers that Providence will grant the cure he cannot provide.

Medicine has come a long way since The Doctor was painted. Once a profession for the philosophers and poets, medicine is now a profession of engineers and entrepreneurs. Modern medicine is much more focused on procedures, evidence, and results than it is on human interactions and physician gestalt. Of course, this is not necessarily a bad thing. New discoveries and technologies have pushed the limit of possibility. More can be done today to save the lives of patients and prevent disease than at any point in history. The illnesses that plagued humanity during the lifetime of Sir Luke Fildes are virtually nonexistent today.

However, there are many situations  more than we care to admit  when modern medicine does not have any answers or offer any good cure. For my patient with dementia, nothing our team could do would beat back the inevitable advance of his cognitive and functional decline. There are few diseases as cruelly resistant to all forms of treatment as is dementia. To some physicians and trainees, this can be incredibly frustrating. Perhaps for this reason, we conveniently ignore these doomed patients or pass them off to other medical teams, preferring instead to focus on those with more treatable problems. After all, such patients are a disposition nightmare. Perhaps it is inevitable to feel and behave this way in our frenzied health care environment with ever more regulatory pressures and narrower profit margins. Nevertheless, what I have learned during my years in medicine is that sometimes being a good doctor does not entail having all the answers or being able to provide the latest treatments. Sometimes, being a good doctor means sitting down next to a patient and ministering to him or her in their moment of extremity. Feeding a patient, wiping a brow, offering a kind word  these are the interventions that sometimes make the biggest difference. These are the interventions that matter in the end.

Morgan S. Hardy is a psychiatrist.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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I see more and more patients decline to participate in clinical trials. Simultaneously, I hear patient advocates on the national stage clamoring for better trial access. Why the disconnect?

Lets explore 7 reasons why clinical trial participation is right for you:

1. The smartest minds in medicine designed this for you. Clinical trials are not designed by one doctor on the fly. Most oncology drugs have been studied for at least six years prior to entering clinical trial. There are a number of drugs that have proven track records in other diseases or other stages of the same disease. Trial design includes a large collection of many of the brightest minds in medicine  nationally recognized physician thought leaders, pharmaceutical industry pioneers, large collaborative international work groups and experienced regulatory oversight.

Trials compare head-to-head two (or more) therapy options. Those options include the current standard (which is sometimes studied by observation) vs. an experimental option we think might be better. If we didnt think the experimental arm had a chance to improve outcomes  the trial would never happen.

2. You trust your physician. When your doctor agreed to open this trial at your facility, he/she carefully reviewed the experimental medicine and the background science in careful detail. They agreed the trial is a valid option for treatment regardless of which arm of the study you are randomized to. It is why they are offering it to you in particular. Your physician believes the trial is a great option. Put your trust in their recommendation.

3. Institutional Review Boards that protect your rights. An institutional review board (IRB) is an independent body designated to evaluate and monitor all clinical research at your hospital/health system to protect the rights and welfare of human research subjects. The process is unique to trials and doesnt exist in standard practice. There is no independent group of people reviewing your care and watching out for your best interest unless you are on a clinical trial. The review boards were established as a result of research abuses that occurred in the 20th century. They ensure clinical trials are conducted both ethically and safely for all participants.

4. Clinical trials staff who closely monitor you. When you are on a clinical trial, every last part of your care is monitored not only by your physician, but by a trained set of clinical research staff members. They look at every lab, every medicine, every symptom and carefully interrogate the impact on you, your care and your outcome. They adhere to protocols making sure labs, imaging, and medications are all done exactly right. I do not think enough can be said for the value of adding people to your cancer-fighting team. It takes a village.

5. Science needs this. Trial participation is altruistic. There may or may not be benefits to you, but the trial results will significantly benefit patients that come after you because it helps us to see what is working and what is not. Science needs this. Former Vice President Joe Biden launched the Cancer Moonshot Initiative to increase cancer research and make more therapies available to more patients. The only hope to shoot the moon is to have more patients enrolling in trials. Science needs this. Trials are often widely criticized for not having enough gender, age, race, geographic or socioeconomic diversity. Your participation may fill an under-represented bucket. Science needs this. Every press release you see about a new promising therapy, every news story about a new miracle was made possible by clinical trial participants just like you. Science needs this.

6. Kids are doing it. Only 5 percent of adults with cancer are participating in clinical trials. Yet we hear regular outcries about finding a cure and fighting cancer. We fight with knowledge. We fight with science. And, do you know who has demonstrated that most eloquently? Children. Childhood cancer survival rates far exceed cancer survival rates in adults. 60 percent of children with cancer are treated on clinical trial. Coincidence? I dont think so.

7. Information is power. When you enroll in a clinical trial, you undergo informed consent, which means you receive a long, detailed document carefully outlining every step with information reviewed by dozens of experts, written in your language, on your reading level. It can be overwhelming. Yet, every current standard of care once had an informed consent form. In contrast, when offering standard of care, your doctor may not offer the same comprehensive, individualized written summary of risks and benefits. Informed consents are your right as a patient. You deserve information on your treatment. Information is power. Get all the information.

Physicians and patient advocates are fighting for better access to clinical trials and more comprehensive trial options for patients. This desperation speaks to the important role clinical trials play in cancer care. However, trials are not right for everyone. In our one-on-one discussions with patients, we aim to present balanced information between trial participation and standard of care. We never want to coerce a patient into clinical trial participation. We never want to oversell the benefits. It is only in large-scale formats like this that we can enthusiastically endorse why trials are so important and so valuable. We want you to feel confident and empowered in your decision. You deserve the best care in your journey with cancer and beyond. Know that your oncologist believes in clinical trials.

Stephanie Graff is an oncologist and can be reached on Twitter @DrSGraff.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Spending on prescription drugs has reached stratospheric levels, topping $457 billion in the U.S. last year, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Most large employers point to the cost of specialty medications as the single biggest impetus for rising health care costs, with no relief in sight.

Specialty drugs treat complex conditions such as cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. They cost more because they usually require special handling and storage, and they may need to be administered via injection or infusion. They usually dont have generic equivalents.

In the latest survey by the National Business Group on Health, large employers predict the cost to provide health benefits will rise by 6% in 2017, but they expect a 16.8% increase in spending for specialty medications. It has really exploded, says group president Brian Marcotte. Back in 2014, if you would have asked employers about their top driver of health care costs, specialty drugs wouldnt even have made the radar screen.

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Why are costs rising so fast? More people are living longer with chronic conditions, and drug companies have been introducing new specialty medicines that are expensive to manufacture and administer. Theyve also been hiking prices for other brand-name drugswith some eye-popping examples grabbing headlines. Finally, fewer patents have expired recently, slowing the introduction of new and cheaper generics.

In the past, you may have been shielded from the bulk of these costs if you had a low-deductible insurance policy with fixed-dollar co-payments. But employers and insurers have been making changes to their coverage as they search for ways to manage the skyrocketing expenses. Theyre dropping some high-priced drugs from their formularies (their lists of covered drugs), imposing new restrictions on coverage, and requiring patients to shoulder a bigger share of the costs themselves. Instead of paying a fixed amount, such as $20 per 30-day supply, you may have to pay a percentage of the costsuch as 20% of the cost of brand-name drugs and 40% or more for pricey specialty medications. And more people now have high-deductible health insurance plans, making them responsible for the full cost until coverage kicks in.

Even with a generous insurance policy, you could end up paying hundreds of dollars a month for your medications. A study by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that people with Medicare Part D coverage who took drugs for hepatitis C, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis or cancer could pay from $4,000 to $12,000 out-of-pocket in 2016 for one drug alone.

You will probably have an opportunity to reassess your coverage soon. If you have health insurance through your employer, you generally pick a plan in October or November. Open enrollment runs from November 1 to January 31 for Obamacare exchanges and from October 15 to December 7 for Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage. The following strategies can help you cut your drug costs. Keep them in mind as you compare plans during open-enrollment season.

Find a Lower-Cost Alternative

Prescription drug costs can vary widely, and doctors may have no idea how much youre paying. Switching to a similar, equally effective drug could save you hundreds of dollars. Always ask your doctor if theres a generic version, which can cost up to 85% less than the brand-name version. Pharmacists can generally switch your medicine to a generic without a new prescription.

If no generic is available, ask whether other therapies that do the same thing are available in a generic, says Jon Maesner, chief pharmacy officer for the insurer Cigna. Crestor, for example, a statin that lowers cholesterol levels, can cost $265 per month, and it did not have a generic version until earlier this year. But several other statins have generics, and they cost a lot less. For example, Zocors generic version, simvastatin, can cost $8 per month for 40 mg tablets; Lipitors generic, atorvastatin, can cost $11.36 per month for 20 mg tablets, says Michael Rea, a pharmacist who founded Rx Savings Solutions (opens in new tab), which compares options for employers plans.

If theres no generic, you may be able to use another brand-name drug that costs less or has a lower co-payment, says Dr. Jeffrey Rice, CEO of Healthcare BlueBook, which helps people compare costs for medical care and drugs. These therapeutic alternatives are in the same class of drugs but vary a bit chemically.

Your insurer or employer may have online tools to look up alternatives and see how much you can save (some doctors are incorporating such tools into their electronic medical records). Cigna, United Healthcare and Humana all have apps that show how much medicines cost under your plan.

Another option is to order a 90-day supply, which may cost only 2.5 times more than a 30-day supply, says John Lee, senior director of Medicare Part D for Walgreens. Or you might be able to pay less by switching from two tablets at a lower strength to one tablet at a higher strength, says Maesner. Splitting a higher-strength pill may help, but not all pills can be split. Your doctor or pharmacist may know of other creative ways to save.

Use a Preferred Pharmacy

The pharmacy you choose can also make a big difference in your out-of-pocket costs. Most Medicare Part D plans (and some other plans) now have preferred pharmacies, where youll pay a much lower portion of the costs.

The Humana/Walmart Part D plan, for example, usually charges a $10 co-pay for preferred generics (those with lower co-payments than other generics). But youll have a $1 co-pay at Walmart and Sams Club and a $0 co-pay from the Humana Pharmacy mail-order network. Generics that are not on the preferred list have a $4 co-pay at Walmart and Sams Club (compared with a $20 co-pay at other pharmacies), and a $0 co-pay from Humanas mail-order pharmacy. For nonpreferred brand-name drugs, youd usually pay 45% to 50% coinsurance, but at Walmart and Sams Club or through Humana mail order, that drops to 35%.

If your plan doesnt have a preferred pharmacy, or if youre paying full price until you reach your deductible, you could save a lot of money by shopping around. Compare costs at local and mail-order pharmacies at GoodRx.com (opens in new tab). (Dont assume that mail order will be the best deal, says Rice.)

Some generics cost less if you pay cash rather than use your insurance, such as the $4 deal at Walmart and Costco, says David Belk, of TrueCostofHealthcare.org (opens in new tab). You can get discounts on 8,000 drugs if you use cash with the Walgreens card.

More plans now offer specialty pharmacies for complex conditions. You may save money, and youll work with specially trained nurses and pharmacists who can complete paperwork for coverage and may know about resources for financial support, says Thom Stambaugh, vice president of specialty pharmacy for Cigna.

Get Extra Help

Even if your insurer covers the drug, you could face big out-of-pocket costs. And you will have to shoulder the full cost yourself until you reach your insurers deductible. But you might be able to piece together several sources of extra help. Ask your doctor and pharmacist about programs to help reduce the costs.

Many drug manufacturers offer coupons that lower the cost of their drugs by hundreds of dollars. You can find coupons by looking up your drug at GoodRx.com or by searching the drug manufacturers website. Your doctor may also have coupons. Jeffrey Rice says his son was prescribed a medicine that cost $500 and, when his wife called the doctor to ask about alternatives, he gave her a coupon that cut the cost to $10. The frightening thing is, this happens every day with medicines, and people dont know, Rice says.

The manufacturer programs arent available to Medicare beneficiaries, and some coupons and programs are not available if you use private insurance, either. But if you havent met your deductible, you could pay cash for the drugs using the coupon, then submit the receipt after you are closer to meeting the deductible, says Rice.

Or you may be eligible for a pharmacy assistance program offered by the drug manufacturer or a private foundation. Some of these programs are based on income, but the income requirements may be as high as 500% of the federal poverty level (which works out to nearly $80,000 for a couple). Other assistance programs may kick in if youve spent more than a certain percentage (such as 3%) of your income on out-of-pocket costs for your drugs, says Honora Gabriel, vice president of the Lash Group, which administers many assistance programs. Look up programs at www.needymeds.org (opens in new tab). Low-income Medicare beneficiaries can get extra help, too; see www.benefitscheckup.org (opens in new tab).

Local or state nonprofits may offer assistance. You can find them through advocacy groups for your condition. Your doctors office may also know of assistance programs, and some large oncology firms have a financial navigator specifically to help, says Kirsten Sloan, senior policy director for the American Cancer Society. Finally, check out free prescription savings cards, such as FamilyWize.org and GoodRx.com.

Make the Most of Tax Breaks

Take advantage of tax breaks that can help with your out-of-pocket expenses. You can withdraw money tax-free from a health savings account or a flexible spending account to pay for prescription drugs (insulin is eligible without a prescription). And you can use your account for over-the-counter drugs with a prescription (see a list of eligible expenses at FSAstore.com (opens in new tab)).

Any other drug costs can count toward the tax deduction for medical expenses, if you itemize. You can deduct eligible medical expenses that exceed 10% of your adjusted gross income (or 7.5% of AGI in 2016 if youre 65 or older).

Know the Rules and Fight Back

If your plan denies coverage for a drug your doctor prescribes, ask why. You or your doctor may only need to complete more paperwork. Almost all large employers now require prior authorization before covering certain expensive medications (requiring your provider to fill out forms about your medical condition) or use step therapy (requiring you to try other, less-expensive drugs first, if possible).

Sometimes coverage is denied because the drug is not on the plans formulary. More often than not, when something is not covered, there is an alternative that is covered, says William Fleming, president of Humana Pharmacy Solutions.

You can file an appeal if your doctor wants to use the drug that isnt covered. Get the doctor to explain why the drug is necessary, says David Lipschutz, senior policy attorney for the Center for Medicare Advocacy. And find out about the appeal rules before you pick a plan, especially if you have a complex medical condition, says Sloan, of the American Cancer Society.


July 2 (Reuters) - The value of Saudi Arabia's imports shrank 3.3 percent from a year earlier in April while non-oil exports rose slightly, data from the Central Department of Statistics and Information showed on Sunday. SAUDI FOREIGN TRADE 04/17 03/17 04/16 (in bln riyals) non-oil exports 14.464 16.336 14.194 imports 42.756 38.654 44.235 DYNAMICS OF TRADE (pct y/y change in riyal terms) nominal non-oil exports +1.9 +2.1 nominal imports -3.3 -20.1 NOTE: Non-oil exports traditionally account for around 12 percent of the overall exports of Saudi Arabia. The world's largest oil exporter does not release complete trade data on a monthly basis.

(Reporting by Andrew Torchia)

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.
BUENOS AIRES, July 2 (Reuters) - Argentina's Telecom Argentina SA and cable TV provider Cablevision SA reached a merger agreement enabling them to offer so-called quadruple play services, a result of President Mauricio Macri's telecom sector reforms.

The merger, announced in a statement over the weekend, needs to be approved by regulators and shareholders. It would enable the combined company to offer fixed line and cell services as well as pay television and broadband internet access.

Telecom Argentina will issue 1.184 billion shares, leaving Cablevision shareholders with 55 percent of the combined company, the statement said.

Shortly after taking office, Macri signed a decree to allow phone companies to offer pay television services, an area that had long been dominated by Cablevision, an internet, cable TV and data transmission company that was previously part of Grupo Clarin.

Grupo Clarin, Argentina's largest media conglomerate, said last August it was spinning off Cablevision.

Even though the reforms will not be fully implemented until 2018, the government said in September it expected $20 billion in investments over four years due to a more competitive market. Without a cable partner, telephone companies would need to improve their network cables in order to deliver television. They would also have to compete with satellite distributor DirecTV, Supercanal and some 1,000 small cable channels.

Local media and analysts had therefore long speculated that once the spin-off of Cablevision from Clarin was complete, it could merge with Telecom, which was acquired in March of last year by investment group Fintech. Fintech is also a minority shareholder in Cablevision.

More mergers and acquisitions could follow.

Spain's Telefonica SA , which owns Telefonica Argentina, has expressed interest in buying pay TV assets in Latin America, sources have told Reuters .

(Reporting by Eliana Raszewski; Writing by Caroline Stauffer; Editing by Mary Milliken)
CAIRO, July 2 (Reuters) - The average yields on Egypt's 10-year treasury bonds fell at an auction on Sunday, while yields on six-month and one-year bills rose at another auction, data from the central bank showed.

The average yield on the 10-year bond fell to 18.296 percent from 18.346 percent at the last auction on June 19.

The average yield on the 182-day bill rose to 21.032 percent from 20.384 percent at the last sale held June 15, while the yield on the 357-day bill rose to 21.047 percent from 20.307 percent in a similar auction.

Appetite for Egypt's domestic debt has increased since the central bank floated the pound currency in November as part of an International Monetary Fund loan agreement aimed at reviving the economy.

Egypt attracted $9.8 billion in foreign investment in domestic debt instruments in the 2016-2017 fiscal year compared to $1.1 billion the previous year, the finance ministry told Reuters on Sunday. (Reporting by Arwa Gaballa, editing by David Evans)
I am a

Canna



What Flower

Are You?



table width="145">"You stand up for what you believe in, even if it gets in the way of what other people think. You are proud of yourself and your accomplishments and you enjoy letting people know that."
Ingrid Drechsel, CEO and president of bayer Korea and chairperson of the Korea-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI), speaks during an interview with The Korea Times. / Courtesy of KGCCI



By Kim Ji-soo





Many people associate Bayer with aspirin. However, they may not necessarily realize Bayer was a startup too when it was founded in 1863.

"During that period, there was a Grunderjahre' spirit in Germany, a founding or founder's sentiment. Nowadays, that concept is more commonly known as the American term, startup," said Ingrid Drechsel, CEO and president of Bayer Korea. She is also the new German chairperson of the 500-member strong Korea-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI). She was elected in mid-May.

Having spent more than three decades with Bayer, it seems natural that Drechsel is enthusiastic about startups. Leading Bayer Korea since 2015, she was ardent about prospects for the Korean startups as well.

"Sometimes, internally, I call Korea Ko-valley,' because Korea is No.1 in IT. Sure everybody is talking about Silicon Valley, but Ko-valley is the entire Korean Peninsula," she said.

"If we can bring Korea's information technology and Germany's engineering and planning together, it would be a really great combination and cross-pollination for a better world."

She showed the most recent Bloomberg Innovation Index, which has Korea on top, followed by Sweden and Germany in that order.

"Cross-pollination" seems like a motto for Drechsel, a biologist who trained at Heidelberg University and worked in Germany, Indonesia and Japan. She also worked with Russian-speaking, Middle East and African countries. What she means by the word is to really "exchange things and learn from each other" for evolution.

"I believe all things evolve and there is evolution still ongoing," she said.

In that vein, she recommended that President Moon Jae-in take the opportunity to further Germany-South Korea relationships at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7 and 8. Prior to that, President Moon will make an official two-day visit July 5 and 6, meeting with Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin.

"Germany and Korea have a lot of things in common, including their difficult histories and post-war economic development," she said. German companies arrived in Korea early; Bayer Korea, for example, arrived in 1955, she noted.

Having noticed the nine months of instability in Korea from the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye to the eventual election of President Moon, she cautiously suggested it's time for the Moon administration to stabilize and find agenda to develop further.

The chamber has compiled another set of recommendations for bilateral exchanges for the Moon administration.

"Offering to co-work in these fields like green economics, green energy, sustainability, and also (to avoid) unemployment of the youth," she said. Another bilateral cooperation is for the Asian country to learn from German small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Located mostly in southern Germany, these German SMEs provide the necessary stability to the Germany economy with their long-term thinking process.

"Korea took another path to development, and perhaps it was right back in the 1960s and 1970s," she said. "The president has good ideas. The question is how. Change is how you manage transition. It should be an evolution, not a resolution. It would be better to evolve things," she said.

The chamber has various exchanges going on regarding these topics; a noticeable one on education is a project with BMW and Mercedes-Benz and the KGCCI to provide vocational training to 90 young Koreans.

"The German style of dual education, where people can work at companies and then go back to university and then back and forth, is important because it can help companies have down-to-earth, and operation- and customer-oriented employees," she said.

Also, she and the KGCCI hosted an event called "Startups Meet Grownups." The chamber's Innovation Award, in its third year, recognizes most innovative German and Korean companies in terms of business, sustainability and digitalization, to help promote innovation in business and nurture closer bilateral economic ties.

As the head of Bayer Korea she oversees around 780 employees. Bayer first came to Korea in 1955 with Bayer Korea entering the agriculture area and then drugs for animals and then people. She has also infused startup culture within Bayer Korea. She launched its Korea version, Grant4Apps Korea with KOTRA this year. The three winning Korean startups  RecensMedical, Sky Labs and GomiLabs  are now working in Bayer's Korea office through to September.

"They are currently staying in our company. They listen and look at how we develop our business in a more structured way, and our people look at them to see how they flexible they are," she said.

She said when she assumed the stewardship of the Korea office, there was initial surprise that she was a female CEO. But things soon changed.

"My interpretation of the glass ceiling is that there is a glass ceiling for people who are more process-oriented rather than goal-oriented," she said. Future leaders, a significant portion of whom will be female, are more process-oriented, she said.

She had an interesting interpretation of innovation as well. "I like to engage people to try new things. The iPhone, self-driving cars and aspirin  these are innovations. But I also think of innovation on a daily basis, of doing things differently amnd doing different things," she said. For example, the three Korean startups in Bayer Korea are providing fruitful impetus to her employees.

One of the biggest pending mergers today is that between Bayer Group and Monsanto; she said there will be a global integration of the two companies once authorities approve the merger.

"As a biologist, I do not think GMOs are negative," she said, adding that GMOs will be controlled with a view to sustainability and social responsibility within the group's umbrella.

On profit, Drechsel said, "I am a true believer in If you perform your tasks well, and if you engage the people and they do a good job, the figures will come," she said.

Bayer Korea's pharmaceutical division has grown double digits in the past three years, thanks to the strong performance of key products in the heart health, eye disease and oncology areas. Bayer Korea reported sales of 523.2 billion won in 2016.

On the future of Bayer Korea, Drechsel said it will continue to invest in the areas of cardiovascular risks and diseases, oncology and women's health care.

The company will also continue to invest in agriculture, to provide adequate support for aging farmers and shrinking farmlands in terms of producing more out of the hectares they have.

janee@koreatimes.co.kr
By Nam Hyun-woo



Korea should prepare for a possible renegotiation of its trade deal with the United States after the summit between President Moon Jae-in and his counterpart Donald Trump last week.



The two were apparently far apart in their views of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement (KORUS FTA).



While Moon neutrally said both Korea and the U.S. "agreed to make economic relations mutually beneficial for the people," Trump was more blatant, describing the FTA as "a rough deal" that should be more "equitable and fair for both parties."



"We are renegotiating a trade deal right now with South Korea," Trump said at the beginning of the summit.

"It will be much different and good for both parties," he said.



The Seoul administration is playing down the after-summit comments.



"The renegotiation remark is not included in the joint statement and we have yet to receive any requests from the U.S. regarding the FTA," said an official at the Ministry of Trade Industry and Energy.



"Our stance remains the same. We are preparing for all possible scenarios, but we cannot take any pre-emptive steps as there has been no official action from the U.S."



Moon also told reporters that Trump's remark was made outside of their agreement, adding that he assumed he was talking about what he wanted from Korea.



Since the start of his presidential campaign, Trump has been calling for the KORUS FTA to be renegotiated, while Moon has pledged to prevent this from happening because of potential losses to Korea's export-driven economy.



According to a Korea Economic Research Institute report, a renegotiation of the KORUS FTA could cause up to $17 billion losses in Korea's exports to the U.S. over the next five years.













Experts say Korea should raise its preparedness and convince the U.S. that the deal has benefited both parties so far, because Trump is highly likely to keep his word.



"As Trump puts American interests first, his administration was expected to seek a renegotiation of the KORUS FTA," Prof. Lee Phil-sang of Seoul National University.



"After Trump's inauguration many expected that and the summit reaffirmed it.



"I am afraid that the U.S. will make very bold demands, which could cause big damage. That would pose a threat to the Korean economy, which depends highly on trade."



Korea Center for International Finance economist Kim Sung-taek said the U.S. would especially take issue with the automobile and steel sectors.



"During the summit, Trump mentioned the non-tariff barriers in the Korean automobile market and Korea's exports of dumped steel," he said. "These would be the key sectors on which the U.S. will focus to demand a renegotiation.



"Thus, Korean companies and the government should pay extra attention to a scheduled omnibus report on the trade deficit by the U.S. Trade Representative, and the guidelines of the NAFTA renegotiation, which will show how the U.S. will act in a potential renegotiation of the KORUS FTA."



Shin Seung-kwan, president of the Institute for International Trade at the Korea International Trade Association, said Korea needed a fact-based approach to show that the KORUS FTA was mutually beneficial.



"Because Trump won the election on the back of support from workers whose jobs could be affected by FTAs, he is expected to stay tough about the issue," Shin said.



"Korea should convince him that it has tried to be fair about bilateral trade."



He said if a renegotiation took place, Korea should participate as an equal negotiation party without being afraid.



Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade President Yu Byung-gyu concurred.



"After intensive studies on the benefits of Korea-U.S. economic cooperation, we need to persuade the U.S.," Yu said. "In addition, we need a holistic approach involving not only the economic sector but also diplomatic and defense areas."
By Nam Hyun-woo



Anbang Insurance, the owner of Tong Yang Life Insurance, filed a suit against VIG Partners, a domestic buyout fund which sold its shares in Tong Yang to the Chinese insurer. It claims the buyout fund was negligent in reporting the risks of Tong Yang's massive meat-secured loans.



According to Yuanta Securities on Wednesday, Anbang Group Holdings has filed the damage suit worth 689 billion won ($603 million) against the brokerage and other former Tong Yang shareholders with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) Court of Arbitration in Hong Kong. Those accused include VIG Partners and Atinum Partners Chairman Lee Min-joo.



The brokerage said Anbang made the litigation claiming the sellers violated their duties "in statements and guarantee."



Anbang claims the sellers did not fully inform it that Tong Yang's meat-secured loans could cause a massive loss even though they were aware of the risk.



Anbang became the largest shareholder of Tong Yang Life in June 2015 when Korea's financial authority approved its purchase of a combined 63.1 percent stake in Tong Yang from VIG, Yuanta and Lee at 1.13 trillion won in February that year.



VIG sold a 57.6 percent stake and two others sold 5.5 percent, meaning it will be a legal battle between Anbang and VIG.



Eighteen months after the massive deal, however, the authority launched an investigation of Tong Yang as the insurer and 10 to 15 other financial firms were embroiled in a 500 billion won fraud case.



Those firms extended loans worth 500 billion won secured by imported meats. But those loans were later found to have been extended on multiple same consignments. Of those companies, loans provided by Tong Yang were the largest, amounting to 380.4 billion won. Some 75 percent of those loans are overdue.



Anbang claims the sellers were supposed to inform the buyer about the risk and it is a clear violation of contracts.



Regarding Anbang's move, Yuanta said, "The amount sought is exaggerated and an independent legal opinion shows some of the claimant's claims are untrue."



Market watchers say Anbang's litigation is apparent revenge for a separate suit regarding Anbang's payment for the Tong Yang acquisition.



After purchasing the stake, Anbang has been paying the money by installments but it did not send the last 50 billion won payment recently. In May, VIG and Yuanta filed complaints with the ICC over the unpaid last installment.



"The meat loan case was impossible to predict in 2015," a VIG official said. "Even if there is a fault in informing the loan situation of Tong Yang to Anbang, claiming 700 billion won for damages is too exaggerated."




By Park Hyong-ki





Park Hyeon-joo,

chairman of Mirae Asset Naver founder Lee Hae-jin

Mirae Asset Daewoo, Korea's biggest brokerage in terms of capital, is seeking to further expand overseas and boost its technological capacity through strategic partnerships, the company said.



It is considering setting up a global trading center in Dublin, Ireland later this year, along with a slew of financial companies looking to relocate there from London.



Early this year, Mirae Asset Financial Group Chairman Park Hyeon-joo shared his global vision with employees via an electronic letter, indicating his idea for the company's trading centers overseas in places such as the United States and Europe.



Its consideration of the center in Dublin came as the company found that there were not many options in terms of location with benefits, it said.



Mirae Asset did not go for London, which is considered the global financial hub, because of Britain exiting the European Union, or Brexit.



"We saw there weren't many options in Europe. The choice was London, Frankfurt or Dublin. We did not opt for London because of Brexit," its spokesman said.



He noted that JPMorgan Chase is expanding in Dublin following Brexit.



Ireland has been attracting global financial players that have been operating in London to relocate to Dublin following London's vote to leave the EU.



Germany has also been competing to lure financial companies to Frankfurt since the vote in June last year.



Dublin is known for offering lucrative tax benefits to foreign companies. Tech companies such as Google, Facebook and Microsoft have set up their European headquarters in Dublin.



However, Dublin has often been caught in the middle of U.S. political debates as those companies in the city hoard cash from retained earnings to avoid taxation at home.



JPMorgan has bought a building there. Mirae Asset Daewoo is also considering acquiring a building for its trading center in Dublin.



Mirae Asset's Dublin plan follows its strategic partnership with Naver, Korea's biggest search portal.



The two companies will join forces to develop and pursue a new digital business using emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.



This is part of efforts to help them better prepare for the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the spokesman said.



"To show our commitment to the partnership and agreement, we exchanged share, instead of just signing a memorandum of understanding," he said.



Naver disclosed via a regulatory filing that it has invested 500 billion won for a 7.1 percent stake in Mirae Asset Daewoo. Mirae Asset Daewoo invested the same amount for a 1.7 percent stake in Naver.



Last year, the two companies launched a fund to invest in startups in areas such as AI, the internet of things and augmented reality.



Mirae Asset Daewoo provided 45 billion won, while Mirae Asset Capital chipped in 5 billion won for the fund. Naver invested 50 billion won in the fund.



Mirae Asset Capital has become the biggest shareholder with an 18.47 percent stake in Mirae Asset Daewoo after the merger of Mirae Asset Securities and Daewoo Securities late last year. Chairman Park owns Mirae Asset Capital, a venture capital fund.
Chinese on average stay 5.4 days in Seoul, while Japanese stay 3.8 days. Visitors from around the world average 5.8 days, a recent study shows.

The Seoul Institute surveyed 1,045 respondents from Asia, North America, Europe, Oceania, the Middle East and Africa.

The visitors mainly came for tourism (54.7 percent), followed by shopping, vacationing, business, visiting acquaintances, experiencing hallyu and studying.

The survey showed there were more individual travelers (63.2 percent) than package travelers (26.8 percent), more female visitors (53.7 percent) than males (46.3 percent). People in their 20s and 30s accounted for 65.1 percent.

For 56.6 percent, it was their first visit to Seoul; for 18.8 percent their second and for 24.7 percent their third.

Among Japanese respondents, 52.5 percent visited Seoul at least three times.

The largest percentage of shoppers visited street shops, followed by department stores and traditional markets.

Foreign visitors' most popular purchases were cosmetics, followed by food and clothes. Among cosmetics, skin care products were most favored. For food, visitors mostly bought snacks and dried seaweed products.

Visitors on average spent 1.84 million won ($1,600) on their trips to Seoul.

Chinese spent 2.83 million won and visitors from the Middle East 2.75 million won. Japanese spent the least at 880,000 won.
CBA President Curtis Riskey, right, commemorates Noh Kyung-tae's new position as the director of CBA Korea during UNITE 2017, CBA's international convention, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Thursday. / Courtesy of Urim Books



Leading Korean publishing executive Noh Kyung-tae, CEO of Urim Books, was named the new director of CBA Korea. CBA President Curtis Riskey commemorated his new position during UNITE 2017, CBA's international convention, in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 29.

The position has been vacant since 2014, and Noh recognized the need for leadership among Christian publishing and retailing communities in Korea.

"I want to strengthen the impact of Christian resources in Korea and around the world," Noh said.

South Korea has a strong and vibrant Christian community. About a third of the nation is Christian, primarily Protestant denominations, with no dominant religion in the religiously pluralistic nation. Korea is the world's second-largest missionary-sending nation, just next to the U.S.

One of Noh's goals for CBA Korea is to help build healthy Christian media organizations to ensure continued distribution of Christian literature and resources in Korea and around the world.

Meetings at UNITE 2017 included discussion of a cooperative biannual conference in South Korea for training, international networking, and heightened awareness of Christian literature and content providers.

"Unity strengthens the power of organizations, and I see tremendous opportunity to advance the Gospel through cooperation among Christian organizations and associations," Noh said.

Riskey said CBA is honored to come alongside such a visionary leader as Noh. "Mr. Noh brings a broad range of successful experience that will benefit the development of Christian resources worldwide," Riskey said.

As the CEO of Christian publisher Urim Books and a board member of Korean Publishers Association, Mr. Noh serves as a visionary leader of the publishing industry. Urim Books has published more than 450 Christian titles authored by Dr. Jaerock Lee in 75 languages including English, French, Japanese, Chinese, Arabic and Hebrew. Dr. Lee's Manmin Central Church has 11,000 branches and associative churches around the world, according to Warren Bird, Director of Research and Intellectual Capital in the U.S.

In 2014, he founded Seoul Central Asset, a financial company in collaboration with Shinhan Financial Group.

He is the recipient of various awards, such as the Business Management Grand Prize by Hankook Ilbo Communication, and the Dong-A Ilbo Unity Prize. The Unity Prize recognizes key CEOs who help move the Korean economy. Noh has also received the Business Grand Prize from Shinhan Financial Group for six consecutive years.

Noh has always believed in strong relations between Christian companies and the community. He puts his beliefs into practice by conducting extensive social welfare projects through his company. His projects reach out to such organizations as Korea Youth Association, Seoul Hanyoung University (former Hanyoung Theological University) and Republic of Korea National Red Cross.

He is the president of Seoul Welfare Newspaper and received the Social Welfare Prize from the mayor of Seoul.

During Korea's recent elections, Noh was a special economy and industry adviser to Moon Jae-in, who was elected President in May.

There are 18 affiliate CBA groups around the globe, including CBA USA, each providing association services, training and events based on local needs and support. CBA began its international outreach in 1961 when it established a fund to support international Christian product retailers and suppliers.
The royal seal of Queen Munjeong / Courtesy of Cultural Heritage Administration



By Kwon Mee-yoo

Two royal seals from the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) illegally taken out of Korea around 65 years ago were returned home on the presidential plane Sunday evening with President Moon Jae-in heading back to Korea from his first diplomatic trip.

The royal seal of Queen Munjeong and the royal seal of King Hyeonjong were displayed at the South Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C., Friday (local time) and the Korean representative Kim Yeon-soo, director of the National Palace Museum of Korea, received the certificate of transfer from American representative Thomas D. Homan, acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Rep. An Min-suk of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, who contributed to getting the royal seals returned, also attended the ceremony.

The Cultural Heritage Administration (CHA) said the legal processes for returning the royal seals were completed in early June, but the two countries agreed to officially hold the ceremony during the Korea-U.S. summit.

The looted royal seals surfaced when the Los Angeles County Museum of Art acquired the royal seal of Queen Munjeong from an American collector in 2000. The U.S. Homeland Security Investigations confiscated the seal and the royal seal of King Hyeonjong, which was also in possession of the collector who purchased them in Japan, at the request of CHA.

This is the third case of Korean cultural property being returned home through cooperative investigations between Korea and the U.S., following "Hojotaehwangwon," the first paper bill in Korea, retrieved in 2013 and nine state seals in 2014.

The two redeemed seals are similar in size  10x10 centimeters  and have a turtle-shaped handle, but are made from different materials.

The royal seal of Queen Munjeong is in guilt bronze and produced in 1547, the second year of King Myeongjong's reign, to honor Queen Munjeong (1501-1565). She was the third wife of the 11th Joseon Dynasty king, Jungjong, and the mother of King Myeongjong. King Myeongjong created the seal to commemorate a eulogistic title given to the queen when she was ruling as regent.

King Hyeonjong's royal seal is made from jade and was created in 1651 to mark when he was proclaimed the crown prince.

Eobo is the name of a royal seal used for ceremonial purposes, different from "guksae," or the great seal, which was for official use such as on administrative or diplomatic documents. The royal seals represent the legitimacy and authority of the state and royal family and they were controlled strictly by Jongmyo (the royal ancestral shrine) from the production process.

During the Joseon Kingdom and the Korean Empire, a total of 37 seals of the state and 375 royal seals were produced. Many of them were stolen during the Japanese occupation (1910-1945) and the Korean War (1950-53) and four state seals and seven royal seals were retrieved since 1952. The CHA can still not account for 29 state seals and 46 seals as of now.

The seals will be stored and managed by the National Palace Museum of Korea, a subsidiary of the CHA. The CHA said the relics will be on public view during a special exhibit during August.
By Kim Rahn

In the left photo, first lady Kim Jung-sook wears a jacket with a pattern of trees in blue, when she and President Moon Jae-in arrives in Washington, D.C., for a summit, Wednesday. In the right photo, she wears an indigo blue hanbok. / Yohap

WASHINGTON, D.C.  The summit between South Korean President Moon Jae-in and U.S. President Donald Trump was also first lady Kim Jung-sook's debut in diplomatic circles, and she has shown her soft diplomacy in style.

In the two leaders' first meeting and dinner at the White House Thursday (Washington time), Kim wore an indigo blue skirt and hanbok jacket, matching the color of her husband's necktie. In the outer, she wore a cream-colored top, matching the color of U.S. first lady Melania Trump's dress.

Kim's outfit was made from fabric she received from her mother as a wedding gift. Her mother ran a fabric shop at Gwangjang Market in central Seoul for dozens of years. The fabric of the hanbok had been dyed through a traditional method rather than having a fancy design.

She also had a clutch bag made of mother-of-pearl, one of the traditional Korean fashion and furniture materials.

Throughout the visit, the theme of Kim's fashion is "Tradition meets fashion," according to Cheong Wa Dae.












South Korean President Moon Jae-in headed home Saturday, ending his four-day trip to Washington, during which he held what his aides called "productive" bilateral talks with U.S. President Donald Trump on ways to denuclearize North Korea and strengthen their countries' alliance.

Moon's visit here marked his maiden trip as a South Korean president. He came into office May 10.

The trip largely sought to reaffirm and enhance the alliance, as well as the United States' defense commitment to South Korea against provocative North Korea.

The new South Korean president apparently achieved his goals and maybe more.

"The main objective of the summit was to build strong trust between the leaders of the two countries. That is why the leaders held talks over the past two days, and they certainly built personal trust in the process that exceeds what we had hoped for," Moon's chief press secretary Yoon Young-chan said earlier.

Moon also appeared to have won a meaningful concession from Trump, who earlier advocated a resumption of dialogue with North Korea after the communist state completely dismantles its nuclear capabilities.

In a joint statement issued after their summit, they said, "President Trump supported President Moon's aspiration to restart inter-Korean dialogue on issues, including humanitarian affairs."

Accordingly, they agreed to seek a "phased" denuclearization of North Korea, which, according to Moon, may allow engagement with North Korea following a freeze of its nuclear activities, partly to discuss its reward for a nuclear freeze and/or denuclearization.

"We agreed to work together toward a fundamental resolution of the North Korea nuclear issue based on a phased and comprehensive approach, utilizing both sanctions and dialogue," Moon said in a joint press conference with Trump following their bilateral summit at the White House on Friday.

At the same time, the two allies agreed to boost their joint deterrence against the North.
President Moon Jae-in speaks at a Center for Strategic and International Studies dinner on the sidelines of his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., Friday. / Yonhap



By Kim Rahn

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- President Moon Jae-in called for North Korea to make the "right decision" on denuclearization and take a chance for peace and prosperity, Friday.

In a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C., on the sidelines of his summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, Moon said he and Trump will not take a hostile policy toward Pyongyang, saying they do not intend to attack the North and do not want the regime's collapse.

"But we clearly demand of North Korea that denuclearization is the only way it can secure both its security and economic development," he said. "The door to dialogue is wide open. At the crossroads of this important decision, I urge the North to make the right choice and seize this chance for peace and prosperity. If it wants to go this way, I'm ready to walk with them on the path toward peace and prosperity for the Korean Peninsula."

He also said Seoul and Washington would resume talks with Pyongyang under the right circumstances, adding what those circumstances are and when they will come will be the subject of ongoing discussions.

"For example, we may start talks if the North promises to stop nuclear and missile provocations. Or if the North releases the three American citizens it is detaining. We can't say what the conditions clearly are right now, but Seoul and Washington will decide while watching how it all will unfold," he said.












The Patent Court conducts a trial in English in Daejeon, Wednesday. Courtesy of Patent Court



Korea seeks to become patent litigation hub



By Lee Kyung-min



The Patent Court of Korea held a hearing, Wednesday, in which two lawyers argued a case in English, as part of continued efforts to become a foreigner-friendly venue for patent litigation amid a steady increase of such cases. Of the 611 patent dispute cases filed with the court last year, more than 40 percent, or 260 cases, were filed by foreigners.

The Intellectual Property Hub Court Committee under the Supreme Court has been seeking since 2015 to establish an international chamber, where lawyers deliver arguments in English.

A bill, now pending at the National Assembly, seeks to facilitate its establishment on a legal footing. Rep. Jeong Kab-yoon of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party first proposed the bill in December last year. The bill aims to revise the current law which requires all court cases be conducted in Korean.

At the court in Daejeon, lawyers representing each side argued in English over the case "3M Innovative Properties Company versus the Commissioner of the Korea Intellectual Property Office."

Attorneys for the plaintiffs included Kim Jong-deok, Park Chang-soo and Chang Deok-soon from Kim & Chang; while the defendant was Hong Young-wook. Judge Kim Whan-soo, who presided over this case, also used English to instruct the parties. Opening remarks and other instructions were given in Korean. Simultaneous interpretation both in English and Korean was provided via headsets.

Diverse members of Korea's international business community attended the hearing. Members of the Japan Chamber of Commerce as well as intellectual property representatives of Apple, Chanel, Hermes and Louis Vuitton were also in attendance.

Kim said Korea has great potential to become one of the most sought-after venues due to its strong advantages.

"Take the United States, for example. Litigation there is costly and time-consuming because cases are deliberated by a jury and most importantly, lack predictability," Kim said.

"Compared to that, Korea has numerous advantages. First, the case is relatively less expensive, as the appraisal of costs for damage assessment, for example, is conducted by judges, unlike other countries where a party asserting a patent infringement has to hire an accounting firm, which is an additional cost."

Having a case reviewed by judges rather than a jury also increases the predictability, he added.

The most worrisome aspect for the parties involved in a lawsuit, if it is deliberated on by a jury, would be that their decision would be rendered based on factors other than the appropriate interpretation or application of the law, Kim said.

"What both the plaintiffs and the defendants want is predictability, rather than risking their time and energy _ and most importantly, money _ on an outcome they cannot count on. What the Patent Court would like to offer them is that it's worth a try in Korean courts."

Wednesday's hearing was significant as it showed the Korean court was continuing efforts to better increase accessibility for foreigners to whom the language barrier is a major obstacle in selecting a country as the venue for litigation.

"I am aware that it is widely believed that conducting trials in English sounds like a challenge beyond comprehension to many people, but not really, because the points of contention and what's at issue are the same, regardless of the language itself," Kim said.

The outcome is not deliberated based on the level of English, but who makes a more compelling argument and whether they can produce conclusive, irrefutable evidence, he added.

Sven-Erik Batenburg, head of legal and international affairs at the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea, said he commended the efforts of the Patent Court.

"English is not a determining factor in selecting a venue for patent litigation. The outcome of the litigation supersedes the language barrier," he said.

"For foreigners, the location of Korea poses a geographical challenge. But I want to highlight that I'm impressed and happy with the fact that the Korean court is looking into the possibility of making English available for parties to the dispute."

While Batenburg agreed that passing the pending bill at the National Assembly would better lay the foundation for Korea to become an attractive venue for litigation involving foreigners, he declined to say whether the bill should be passed expeditiously.

"I am a firm believer in having the best access to court proceedings and making them easy and understandable. Also, people want fair, reasonable and unbiased judges, regardless of the nationality of the parties to a suit. People want their cases to be ruled based on merit, not by any other factors."

The Patent Court specializes in intellectual property disputes, and was the first of its kind established in Asia in 1998,.

It has published Patent Court Decisions and IP Law Journals in English and guidelines for court practice and procedures in English, Chinese and Japanese. It is also setting up procedures for witness examination via video conferencing, and building a database for its decisions in English.




Hearing on cultural blacklist to end this week







By Lee Kyung-min







Former President Park Geun-hye will likely appear as a witness in the trial of Samsung Electronic Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, Wednesday.



Lee has been indicted for allegedly offering 43.3 billion won ($38.9 million) in bribes to Park, an allegation that was integral in her removal from office.



Park has been a witness in the bribery trial of former and incumbent Samsung officials including the Samsung heir at the Seoul Central District Court.



Given the independent counsel-led special prosecution team failed to question Park face to face, the hearing will be a chance for her to give a first-hand account about the bribery allegation.



However, the possibility remains that Park may fail to appear citing health reasons. On Friday, a court hearing was abruptly postponed after Park claimed she could not sit up straight due to back pain.



The special counsel team concluded last year that Park and Lee met three times between 2014 and 2016 during which Park asked Lee to support Chung Yoo-ra, the daughter of Choi Soon-sil, Park's longtime friend.



Samsung, the team said, offered money to Chung, a former dressage competitor, to help her with overseas practice and to buy expensive horses.



In return, with the backing of the National Pension Service (NPS), Samsung signed a controversial deal merging two of the group's units _ Samsung C&T and Cheil Industries _ at the expense of minority shareholders.



Former NPS chief Moon Hyung-pyo and a senior executive, Hong Wan-seon, were convicted of abuse of power and sentenced to 30 months in prison.



The prosecution says questioning Park under oath will help find out the content of the conversation between her and Lee and whether she indeed extorted money from the conglomerate, as the prosecution claims. Samsung is eagerly awaiting Park's testimony so the group can argue that it had to cough up money because Lee was coerced, pressured and berated during the one-one-one meetings for not promptly acing to help Chung. The group denies the bribery allegation, saying it did not expect anything in return for the money.



Meanwhile, the trial of Park will continue. At a hearing today, Kim Jong-chan, a former key executive at the Korea Equestrian Federation (KEF) will testify as a witness.



At earlier hearings, Kim testified that Park Won-oh, a former head of the KEF and a former associate of Choi, told him that Samsung offered to help Chung because Choi helped the group merge its two units. Kim also said Park discussed how to handle the press, which kept seeking interviews with both Samsung and Chung.



Meanwhile, three former Cheong Wa Dae officials will testify over their involvement in the allegations.



One official earlier testified that former presidential secretary An Chong-bum pulled strings with the Fair Trade Commission to apply less stringent rules on cross-shareholding, which helped Samsung retain its shares after the units were merged.



The remaining two, who were in charge of writing the president's speeches, will testify that An ordered them to ask business groups to offer money to the K-Sports and Mir Foundations, set up and controlled by Choi.



They will also testify that An asked them to write, "The crisis for Samsung is the crisis for Korea. I hope Samsung can swiftly resolve the power transfer issue to focus all its energy to a survival strategy amid fierce competition in the global market."



The court will wrap up the case involving a "cultural blacklist," today. The prosecution is seeking prison terms for former presidential chief of staff Kim Ki-choon and former Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun. They will be sentenced in 15 days.



The first hearing in the trial of former presidential secretary for civil affairs Woo Byung-woo will be held today.



Three witnesses, including former Vice Culture Minister Song Soo-geun, will testify on allegations that Woo pulled strings to have six high-ranking culture ministry officials demoted in 2016 for failing, or showing reluctance to follow his policy directives and personnel management.








State lawmakers are asking the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to reconsider their decision to halt funding for two homeless veteran programs in Wisconsin.
President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington D.C., Thursday (local time). / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho

President Moon Jae-in shook hands with U.S. President Donald Trump  with a firm but not aggressive grip  in what appeared to be a tactic to avert Trump's notorious yank-and-pull handshake technique.

Moon, known for his politeness and gentle manners, looked confident during his state visit to the United States, the most important ally of South Korea in defense.

/ Yonhap

As soon as Moon got out of a car in front of the White House in Washington D.C., Thursday (local time), Trump offered his right hand and tapped Moon on the shoulder lightly with his left hand.

Moon responded by giving him a firm handshake as he placed his left hand high on Trump's arm  similar to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's action.

Their first handshake lasted for about 4 seconds and both men smiled.












By Kim Hyo-jin



The traditional Korean dish "bibimbap" was the White House's pick for a dinner welcoming South Korean President Moon Jae-in to Washington, Thursday.



The dish comprised of rice mixed with a variety of vegetables, has an implied meaning of harmony and collaboration.



At the first meeting between Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, it was served as the main dish at a reception dinner, a choice which officials believe reflected Washington's determination to emphasize the countries' strong alliance and hopes for cooperation.



Moon and Trump discussed North Korea's nuclear issue and Korea-U.S. trade deals over the "Chive Butter, Herbed Carolina Gold Rice Bibimbap."



It has been a popular dish when South Korean leaders welcome foreign leaders on their visits here.













Former President Park Geun-hye served her Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin bibimbap on his visit to Cheong Wa Dae in Novermber 2013.



Her predecessor Lee Myung-bak also treated his guests to the bibimbap with bean sprouts during a state banquet he hosted at the 2012 Nuclear Security Summit.



At the time, Cheong Wa Dae explained that the meal signified hope for worldwide cooperation against nuclear expansion.



During the 2007 inter-Korean summit in Pyongyang, ex-late President Roh Moo-hyun served North Korean officials with the dish, a move that reflected his hopes for conciliation and unity between the two countries.



The White House dinner between the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. was the first in six years since Trump's predecessor Barack Obama and President Lee had their dinner in October 2011.



Then, the main dish of the official dinner was wagyu beef from Texas but Obama treated Lee with bibimbap at Wooraeok, a Korean Restaurant in Washington D.C., a day before the state banquet.



The informal dinner was reportedly prepared as Obama hoped to communicate with Lee in a relaxed atmosphere. Hilary Clinton, then secretary of state, accompanied Obama and ate the dish too, according to officials.



The reception dinner for President Moon and first lady Kim Jung-sook lasted 125 minutes, 35 minutes longer than planned.
By Jun Ji-hye

After President Moon Jae-in wrapped up his first summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, attention is now turning to talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Moon and Xi are likely to hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G20 Summit scheduled for July 7 and 8 in Germany.

If accomplished, this will be their first-ever dialogue since Moon's May 10 inauguration and could be an opportunity to improve strained bilateral relations, which mostly result from the ongoing deployment of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery here.

Experts said Sunday that amid a pile of thorny issues facing South Korea and China, Moon will need to deal with relations with Beijing from a cautious and long-term perspective rather than rushing to make a breakthrough.

Park Won-gon, a professor of international relations at Handong Global University, said that Moon's summit with Trump went well in general neither officially mentioned the THAAD issue  the biggest question in Seoul-Beijing relations  during or after their summit,.

"This means that Seoul and Washington will stick to their existing policies, meaning that they will continue to deploy the system," Park said. "China will continue to complain about these."

Since the former Park Geun-hye government announced its decision to host the anti-missile system in July last year, China has been strongly opposed to the installation, claiming it seriously harms the country's national interests. Beijing has taken various economic and cultural retaliatory actions, including cutting off mutual exchanges.

While mention of the THAAD issue did not take place during the summit, Moon made it clear during his meeting with leaders of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives that Seoul does not intend to withdraw the THAAD deployment agreement as it was reached based on the alliance to protect the lives of the South Korean people and U.S. forces in Korea.












Employees work at the Fursys Gwanghwamun Business Center at the D Tower in Jongno, central Seoul. This is a second office the furniture company based in Songpa-gu's Ogeum-dong has established in the city center for its sales workforce last month. / Courtesy of Fursys

By Yun Suh-young

Have you ever thought that your level of stress or happiness could be influenced by the structure of the space you inhabit?

If you say yes, you're already thinking like an innovator.

When designing their offices, forward-thinking companies are extremely conscious of ergonomics. They pay meticulous attention to the details of movement and behavior of their employees to provide the best possible environment they can for them.

Their intention? Of course to increase their employees' productivity, but in order to achieve that, they must first make their employees happy.

Studies over the years have revealed a variety of interesting facts show the direct correlation between space, work efficiency and employee satisfaction. For instance, according to a report published by a group of professors at Stockholm University in the Journal of Environmental Psychology in 2014, "the higher the number of employees who work in an office, the higher the reported mean level of distraction and cognitive stress and given that distraction may divert focus from task-relevant behavior, it should affect personal efficiency." The study also reveals "better health of employees in cell (enclosed spaces occupied by one person each where every room has a window) and flex offices (flexible workspaces without fixed workstations) are likely to be related to the element of choice."

Here's a case in point.

Before The Korea Times moved to its current location, it occupied a smaller space in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. When it first moved there from its previous location in Chungmuro, the density of the employees in the office rose by three times as the office shrank in size to one third of its previous size. If a person made a phone call at one end of the office, others could hear the conversation clearly from the opposite end. People's voices were heard more loudly as they sat more closely to each other. As time went by, many started having strained faces and temperamental tones in their voices. The reporter had the strong conviction that all this was due to an environmental cause _ the density in the office and the way desks were laid out.

When her point was raised, however, people dismissed the argument as "interesting," but not scientifically convincing.

When the company moved to its current location near Seoul Station, the interior and design of the newsroom improved along with the layout. Spaces between desks enlarged and the occasional columns and space-dividing walls prevented everyone from seeing everyone or hearing everyone. The reporter noticed that the faces of employees became more relaxed and the pitch of the voices lowered.

"It's true, density plays a huge impact in office culture," said Park Jung-hee, leader of Workplace Solution Planning Team at Fursys, during an interview with The Korea Times in early June, following a seminar on the impact of office design on culture organized by Fursys at its headquarters. Park is an office environment expert who has studied the field for 20 years.

"Employees who move in and out of the office frequently or have simpler tasks aren't impacted greatly by density, but people who are in the office all day or have jobs that require a lot of intellectual energy are highly impacted by density and can get immensely stressed," said Park.







The interior of the Fursys Gwanghwamun Business Center, where employees can choose workstations flexibly. / Courtesy of Fursys



"What our company is proud of is the low density. When we conducted a survey of our client, what we found interesting was that even with the same furniture, employees' satisfaction differed based on the number of people occupying the surface area. It's the same difference we notice when being on a crowded bus or on a spacious one."

But workspace design isn't just about fixing the density problem. It's everything from the architecture, the lighting, the seating, what types of desks to use, how they're arranged, where to place the coffee lounge, how the lobby is designed and so on and so forth. It's the comprehensive art of reflecting a company's vision and philosophy but at the same time accommodating to its employees to make it a place where they want to stay longer.

Design changes behavior

After the furniture group Fursys consulted companies on renovating their workplaces, testimonials such as "The new office space changed our hierarchical culture. It feels more horizontal now" or "We used to avoid having meetings but now we interact more often" came back.

The impact of design on a company's culture can be immense. Depending on how the workspace is set up, it can make or break a culture.

Some concrete examples include Nestle Korea which has brought down physical barriers between high-ranking officials and junior employees. They literally got rid of partitions and the window seats were yielded to frontline employees while team managers and department leaders were seated in the middle. With an increased number of meeting spaces, the frequency of having conversations increased.

Korea Smart Card, the company that provides transportation cards, wanted to increase the space for relaxation lounges and enlarge personal workspaces for employees. However, they were short of office space. So the executive team decided to yield their office space to build these new spaces. The result? Higher satisfaction and loyalty to the company and an increased sense of collectiveness among the employees. The executives started communicating with the employees as they sat closer to each other.

Retail conglomerate, GS Retail, made its office a flexible space for employees to choose where to work. On a survey (Work and Organizational Process Measure) conducted after their office relocation, 87.5 percent of the employees responded that the company has a better working environment and 72.9 percent answered they felt the company was considerate of its employees.

"A good company culture, I believe, is one whose words match its actions. Even if a company has a great catchphrase, if the employees can't feel it, it's not a good culture. Employees have to feel like they can go out and tell other people that what is said is really true. For instance, our company says we're women-friendly, and we all agree. The company is considerate of working mothers who need to take leaves," said Park.

The relationship between space and culture is reciprocal and interactive, she said.







The office supply area of Fursys Gwanghwamun Business Center where employees share work-related supplies, instead of buying equipment by teams / Courtesy of Fursys



"I think if the space changes, people's behavior changes, and when behaviors change, the space changes in response. It's a cycle."

The furniture company has been a leader in the industry since it was established three decades ago. But it's only this year that they created the tagline "Office environment creates culture" and held a seminar about it for the first time.

"Now people are ready to embrace the concept," said Park. "We knew this was the shared vision within the company but we hadn't really expressed it well to the public. Our team, the Workplace Solution Planning Team, had existed since 1999. I believe we were the first in the industry to use that name. It was hard to get the concept through to our clients until now, because their focus was on the furniture itself. Now they're readily drawing the connections between space and culture."

In order to change a culture, should a space really change?

"Yes. I think it's easier to put it into action instead of words. Sometimes, there are things that are hard to express in words. But if you make it visible for people, they can understand it easily. It's not about saying "we should build this culture." Rather, the company should set up the infrastructure to make people work like that," she said.

"For instance, Hyundai Card settles the hardware (system) first before touching upon the software (culture). If a company wants to establish a "smart office," they should furbish the space with advanced IT infrastructure. Otherwise, people can't work. Same with my company. We recently refurbished the lobby and now employees love working there. But if there was nothing set up there, who would work there? Space is the soil where culture can flourish."







The central workspace area of Fursys Gwanghwamun Business Center is open to employees and guests / Courtesy of Fursys



Initiation from the leadership

The harsh reality is, all of this is impossible without the "go" of the CEO.

At the June seminar, Hyundai Card PR department head Yoo Yong-sang said, "In order for the company to change, the CEO needs to change," referring to the innovative steps its company is taking due to its forward-thinking CEO Chung Tae-young (Ted Chung).

Park agrees.

"The reality is, it's true that the CEOs must change. GS Retail could innovate because the CEO had the will to do so. Our company could change because our executives think culture is important and space, obviously, plays a huge role. Our executives don't have their own rooms. They all rolled up their sleeves to change the culture and they're all out with the employees sitting among them. They try to break the hierarchy themselves."
By Jacob Lotinga





South Korea's mountains are loved  come the weekend, legions of hikers treat these peaks as obstacle courses for an ad hoc al fresco keep fit class, dodging bears on Mount Jiri and marveling at Mount Seorak's Ulsan Rock. Shamanists head to the mountains, too, and pop up regularly in dedicated books  by, for instance, David Mason. Author Michael Breen, likewise, explores Korean peaks (and very much else) in "The New Koreans."

Korea's fortresses are less appreciated  yet these historic parapets dot the country and make for a literally uplifting day out. At Suwon's "Glorious Fortress," for example, step back into the Joseon period while keeping your eye on a 21st-century cityscape of motels and neon.

Information about fortresses is scattered here and there in travel guidebooks. Yet it is possible to fortress-hop your way from north to south. Gongju, Gochang and Jinju's walls can treat you to stunning outdoor history lessons: a South Korean equivalent of the layers of history you stumble upon in the U.K. at York or Lincoln.

Historian and travel writer John Man, author of "The Great Wall," puts it like this: "There is no substitute for an on-the-spot experience. That's the best way to develop curiosity and learn history."

To test out whether South Korea's fortresses were as underappreciated as I imagined, I asked visitors at Nottingham Castle which northeast Asian country they most associated with castles and fortresses.

Predictably, China was mentioned frequently. "Because of the Great Wall," said Calum, 24, a staff member at Nottingham Castle's gift shop.

Erica, 30, newly arrived from Mexico to study English, conceded: "Of course, China has the wall." But she added: "When I think of castles or fortresses, I think of Great Britain or France or Spain, but not Asia."

Charles, 76, retired, was a virtual expert on Japanese castles: "We went on a tour of Japanese castles last year."

He called them "fabulous" and added: "You have to be very fit to get up those stairs."

At Lincoln Castle, I put the same question to ten visitors as they appreciated views from the parapet. Only one associated castles or fortresses with South Korea.

For Colombine, 26, a nursing student from France, China sprang to mind. "My grandparents lived there for about ten years," she said, and described a family video shot at the Forbidden City.

Kevin, 61, retired, said he was a war-gamer. He spoke of the period leading to the Tokugawa Shogunate, and explained that participants erected Japanese-style castles to secure power bases.

Abi, 19, a psychology student, thought of China: "I think it's just cos of the Great Wall." She said she had learnt about China's wall at school; other parts of Asia had been neglected.

Only Emily, 18, another psychology student, associated fortresses with South Korea  thanks to the news. She said: "The Koreas always fight, don't they?" And then, apologetically: "It's probably a bit of a stereotype."

John Man tells me: "I'm not too surprised to hear that South Korean castles and walls are not well known in the UK. South Korea's history is not much publicized. Indeed, in historical terms, the Korean peninsula is overshadowed by its neighbors, and would benefit from better PR."

There is good reason to fortress hop. You can relish the aura of history, enjoy sweeping views, and get fresh air without venturing away from human civilization. Although we call China's wall "great" as a matter of convention, Korea's fortresses  and city walls elsewhere  can be spectacular.

Given a spare weekend in Seoul, I would always be tempted to revisit Suwon  caked with snow in winter, dragonflies flitting about in summer  or Gongju's "mountain fortress." The circuits at Cheongju, Gochang and Nagan are outstanding. As for Jinju, there are so many sights crammed into the fortress grounds that it's a treat to visit  especially for a festival.





Jacob Lotinga is an author based in Sheffield, U.K. Write to jblotinga@yahoo.com.
By Ricardo Hausmann





CAMBRIDGE  On whose behalf do business associations speak? Well, business. But who is "business"?



It's an increasingly urgent question, because while firms have radically changed how they think about themselves, business associations have yet to catch up. And the resulting lag is making capitalism less legitimate in many countries.



The traditional view of the firm  shared by both Karl Marx and Milton Friedman  is that it is an organization owned by capitalists (shareholders), on whose behalf it is run. It hires workers and buys other inputs to maximize returns for those who put up the money. According to Friedman, the social responsibility of the firm is to increase profits. Any goal that does not directly benefit shareholders is just another distortionary tax.



But what makes all of a firm's stakeholders behave in a way that maximizes value? In fact, modern corporations struggle to create a sense of a collaborative community of employees, managers, suppliers, lenders, distributors, service providers, customers, and shareholders, all cooperating to create value by better satisfying customer needs and aspirations.



That's why United Airlines would prefer that its employees treat passengers with grace. Or why Goldman Sachs wishes its bankers would not aid and abet massive corruption. Apple expects its suppliers to treat their workers humanely. UnitedHealthcare hopes its employees manage reimbursements honestly. Uber's shareholders worry that misbehavior by senior executives may cause customers to switch service providers and valuable workers to quit.



To create functioning collaborative organizations, humans have evolved a sense of "us," a feeling of belonging to what the historian and political scientist Benedict Anderson famously called an "imagined community." We owe such communities our loyalty, and we feel pride in their achievements, pain in their stumbles, and hope for their continued success. We cooperate not just because it is in our cold pecuniary interest to do so, but because a cocktail of moral sentiments  loyalty, pride, guilt, shame, outrage, glee  make us work and root for our team.



Anderson's focus was the rise of nationalism. But corporations try to create an analogous sense of allegiance by specifying their mission, vision, and values in lofty terms. When Chase Manhattan Bank bought J.P. Morgan in 2000, its managers assumed that they had also acquired the right to rename the organization. They soon discovered that J.P. Morgan was a more prestigious imagined community than Chase in the eyes of its customers and employees.



It is easy to see why the vision of the firm as a collaborative community is winning out in business schools and the most successful companies. One reason is that in most publicly traded corporations, shareholders are passive investors who just want to know enough about the firm to decide whether to buy or sell; they do not want to get involved in decisions.



At the same time, creating a sense of allegiance and trust by stakeholders facilitates running the show. A narrow focus on shareholders' interests would impel all other stakeholders to pursue their narrow interests as well, increasing strife and transaction costs. The CEO may be appointed by a board of directors whose members are chosen by the shareholders, but he or she is supposed to represent and motivate the network of stakeholders that underpin the corporation's success. The Fellows of the Harvard Corporation appoint my employer's president, but they try to choose someone who will make us stakeholders proud.



And yet the social and political representation of business more closely resembles Friedman's archetype. Business associations too frequently speak only on behalf of the narrow interest of the capitalist owners. In country after country  whether in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, France, Mexico, or the United Kingdom  business organizations give political voice to employers, not to the network of stakeholders.



Political representation of business per se, if well conceived, is invaluable for society. After all, economic progress requires that the invisible hand of the market be coordinated with the visible hand of the state. The cellphone industry requires the creation of property rights on the spectrum. The real estate industry needs to convince customers that their apartment building will not burn down. The IT industry would benefit if kids learned to code in school.



As these and many other examples show, business can become more efficient if governments provide the right combination of a diverse, relatively specific, and evolving set of public goods. Business associations need to interact with government in order to identify those public goods that would make economic ecosystems more productive, so that they can create more value for stakeholders.



But that task is burdened by the perception that those at the table are there to represent employers' narrow interests, as their policy agenda  often focused on shifting the burden of taxation onto others  clearly suggests. As a consequence, governments often require that they meet in the presence of labor associations, so that employees also get a voice.



Setting the table in this tripartite way dramatically changes the nature of the conversation, by focusing it on labor and other distributive issues that could be resolved within the business network, at the expense of addressing how to supply productivity-enhancing public goods that could benefit all stakeholders. And it happens because the transformation in the conception of what a business is has yet to be reflected in the conception of what a business association should be.



Naturally, this lag leads to confrontation with other stakeholders, who must respond with their respective organizations. But if business associations could transform themselves so that they represented and gave voice to the network of stakeholders on which businesses are actually built, they could contribute enormously to the creation of a much more collaborative and inclusive society.





Ricardo Hausmann, a former minister of planning of Venezuela and former Chief Economist of the Inter-American Development Bank, is Director of the Center for International Development at Harvard University and a professor of economics at the Harvard Kennedy School. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate.
By Oh Young-jin

Chung Eui-yong

Less than two months after his inauguration, President Moon Jae-in has faced a few diplomatic sticklers. One person has been involved in all of them  the chief of the presidential National Security Office, Chung Eui-yong.

Moon fought hard to get his foreign minister nominee, Kang Kyung-wha, confirmed by the National Assembly, but when there appeared no chance, he pressed ahead with the nation's first female foreign minister. A stylish former interpreter for the late President Kim Dae-jung with the habit of keeping her chin up, Kang has been the target of attacks for acts that are deemed unfit for a high office holder.

It may not need much explaining why Chung is Moon's wrong-headed lieutenant.

This was on the day after he was appointed when he was supposed to receive a briefing about the deployment status of a U.S. missile interceptor Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. Then, pandemonium broke loose as his office alleged that the Ministry of National Defense had cheated on the deployment. An unusual probe was conducted to question the current Defense Minister Han Min-koo and Chung's predecessor Kim kwan-jin. Only a working-level three-star general was relieved; but the mystery remains. Han is a leftover from the previous government because his successor is held up in a confirmation process.

Chung was sent to the United States to placate the ruffled feathers of President Donald Trump's administration as the situation made the U.S. an accomplice in the alleged THAAD smuggling. Chung, a career diplomat and one-term lawmaker, showed his lack of finesse when he came back to talk about the "understanding" expressed by a senior Trump official about the "SNAFU."

He had obviously taken it as U.S. consent for the delayed deployment.

But the atmosphere in Washington quickly got frosty as Trump and politicians, both Democratic and Republican, went up in arms over Korea's stance on THAAD. THAAD came back when the President said that he still didn't understand how the deployment was accelerated during a pre-summit interview.

As national security adviser, getting to the bottom of the issue was Chung's job. He apparently has failed. Theories abound. One is that Chung jumped to the conclusion that the previous government tried to cheat, while taking stock of the deployment. Another is that the probe failed to find a clear answer. What is still puzzling is that Moon has been kept in the dark. This can make short work of the Moon-Trump summit, where THAAD is emerging as a make-or-break issue.












By Kang Seung-woo





Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition

Samsung Electronics will launch a refurbished edition of its ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 this week with a safer battery and software upgrades.

"The Galaxy Note Fan Edition (FE) will go on sale on July 7," a Samsung official said Sunday.

The refurbished variant will be sold for 699,600 won ($611) and just 400,000 units will hit local shelves. Samsung will decide on its global launch later.

The world's largest smartphone maker had to kill off the high-end Galaxy Note 7 two months after its official launch last August after some devices caught fire while charging.

In January this year Samsung blamed poorly designed and manufactured batteries.

Samsung said the FE would come with a 3,200mAh battery as a safety precaution -- smaller than the original's 3,500 battery.

"The FE battery's safety has been much more enhanced thanks to its multi-layered safety designs and eight-point battery safety check," it said.

Samsung managed to recover from the unprecedented fiasco by successfully the Galaxy Note 8 this year.

In January, Samsung introduced a more-stringent eight-point battery check aimed at securing safety from the component level to assembly and shipment. The check includes durability, visual inspection as well as a charge and discharge test.

According to Samsung, the refurbished phones are made up of components from sealed and unused Note 7 handsets, which it believes prevents wasting resources.

There have been debates whether Samsung should resell the refurbished devices, but the tech giant opted to do so despite some concerns.

Observers point out that Samsung's decision showcases its confidence in its renewed safety check because even a single battery issue of the Note 7 FE would deal another blow.

"As the name Fan Edition shows, committed fans of the Note 7 would be ready to pick one up -- and there are quite a few fans," a Seoul analyst said.

When it comes to software upgrades, the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) is a headline feature among others.

The FE will partially support the Bixby voice assistant, which made its debut with the Galaxy S8 this March.

Among the intelligent interface's four features, the Bixby Home and the Bixby Reminder will be available on the refurbished edition.

The former allows users to see the content they care most about with just one swipe on the home screen or a short press of the designated Bixby button. The latter helps users remember important events and to-do tasks.

The FE handset will still come with some solid features from its predecessor such as a screen-off memo and the S-Pen that allows users to translate words.

It will also support biometric access via an iris or a fingerprint scanner and will be waterproof and dustproof so people can use the device without interruption when it rains or in a sandstorm.
By Kang Seung-woo



Samsung is expected to become the largest chipmaker in the world amid rising demand for memory chips, bringing to a halt Intel's decades-long dominance in the semiconductor industry, according to market reports, Sunday.



Since Intel released the Pentium CPU for PCs in 1993, the U.S.-based company has dominated the market without losing the top spot. Back then, Samsung was the No. 7 player in the world.



According to a recent report by Japan's Nomura Securities, Samsung is forecast to chalk up $15.1 billion (17.2 trillion won) in chip sales for the second quarter of the year in comparison with Intel's $14.4 billion.



The Korean company is also expected to outpace its American rival in its full-year forecast -- $63.6 billion to $60.5.



The Japanese brokerage house said surging demand for DRAM and solid state drives has led to a price hike, adding that the memory chip market has outgrown the CPU market.



DRAMs are used widely in personal computers and solid state drives are emerging as the replacement of hard disk drives.



The Nomura report is not the first market watcher to predict that Samsung could pass Intel in chip sales during the April-June period.



Industry tracker IC Insights said in May that Samsung, the world's largest memory chipmaker, is expected to generate sales of $14.94 billion against Intel's $14.4 billion.



"If memory market prices continue to hold or increase through the second quarter and the balance of this year, Samsung could charge into the top spot and displace Intel, which has held the No. 1 ranking since 1993," IC Insights said at the time.



In the same month, NH Investment and Securities also said Samsung is likely to defeat Intel in the second quarter thanks to the mounting demand for data centers and solid state drives.



If Samsung nudges past Intel in chip sales, it would be another milestone in the history of the company, which launched the company's semiconductor business in 1983 despite strong opposition.



Samsung founder Lee Byung-chul made the bold decision and made big investments in chips, prompting worries that the move might end up shutting the company down.



Chairman Lee Kun-hee, Lee Byung-chul's third son, took charge of the group in 1987 and made a big bet on semiconductors. Based on his deep knowledge of high-tech businesses, he spearheaded preemptive moves.



Under his leadership, Samsung saw its rankings steadily rise in the global chip industry from the seventh in 1993 to fourth in 2000 and second in 2006.



Thereafter, it took more than a decade for Samsung to exceed Intel if market trackers are right in their second quarter estimates.












A 75-ton liquid fueled engine undergoes a combustion test at the Naro Space Center on Oenaro Island in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, in this file photo. / Courtesy of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute



By Park Jae-hyuk

GOHEUNG, South Jeolla Province  The second Korea Space Launch Vehicle (KSLV-2) will be more powerful than any North Korean rocket, a project leader told reporters at the Naro Space Center on this southwestern island, Wednesday.

"Of course we've lagged behind North Korea in space technology, as we have yet to develop our own rocket," said Ko Jeong-hwan, executive director of KSLV-2 research and development at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute.

"If we accomplish our development, however, KSLV-2 will be superior to the existing Unha-3 rocket of North Korea in various capabilities such as output."

Among surrounding countries, South Korea is the only country that still lacks its own self-produced launch vehicle.

North Korea, on the other hand, brought Soviet-made Scud missiles and reverse engineered them with the help of Russian technicians in the 1970s. As a result, it developed its own rockets.

The reclusive state has already launched a three-stage solid fuel rocket in December 2012  a month before South Korea sent a two-stage KSLV-1, or NARO, to an altitude of 300 kilometers.

"From the beginning, we aimed to develop a space rocket, not a missile, using liquid oxygen and kerosene as propellants," Ko said.

The researcher was also confident of the upcoming projectile's thrust.

North Korea revealed photos of an 80-ton thrust engine combustion test last September, but Ko explained the KARI has also been doing a 75-ton thrust engine combustion test.

"Still, we should keep an eye on North Korea to know which rocket the country will make with such engines," he said. "It is not certain whether researchers there successfully developed the engines and whether they are making a missile."

Striving for successful launch

The KSLV-2 project aims to develop a three-stage 300-ton rocket that can send a 1.5-ton satellite to a low-Earth orbit. Unlike its two-stage predecessor, which was jointly developed with Russia, Korean researchers have led the whole process of the project.

The KARI ultimately seeks to explore the moon with a space rocket by 2020.

A test-launch of a 75-ton liquid engine is scheduled to take place in October next year, almost a full-year delay from the original plan of this coming December, due to technical problems discovered last year.

Critics at that time pointed out the government came up with a wildcat plan to carry out the test-fire before former President Park Geun-hye would have finished her five-year term.

However, the launch of the three-stage rockets are expected to take place in December 2019 and June 2020, as initially scheduled.

At the space center on Oenarodo Island, researchers have continued to test 75-ton and 7-ton liquid engines. Each of those engines has completed more than 20 combustion tests so far.

The three-stage KSLV-2 is designed to include the first stage with four 75-ton liquid fueled engines, the second with one 75-ton engine and the third with a single 7-ton engine.

"Liquid fueled engine technologies are hard to acquire from other countries, so we had to develop the engines to master the knowhow," Ko said. "For now, we're sure about our engines' endurance."

Long way to go

According to the KARI, space technology powerhouses such as the United States, Japan and Europe have long been working on their next generation space launch vehicles.

Lately, the U.S-based SpaceX accomplished the launch of its Falcon 9 reusable launch vehicles. The American aerospace manufacturer has commercially used its rockets as well.

"Demanding that we make a reusable vehicle is like forcing a newborn baby to run," said KARI researcher Han Young-min. "But we would be able to reduce a huge amount of cost, if KSLV-2 is commercialized."

Most of the researchers at the space center agreed that the direction of the government policy is one of the most important factors for the successful development of the nation's aerospace technology.
President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's new chief executive.



In a tough speech that also calls for consensus, the president warns that any challenge to Beijing is absolutely impermissible'



By Stuart Lau





President Xi Jinping warned Hong Kong on Saturday not to cross the "red line" of undermining Chinese sovereignty, urging consensus instead of conflict to solve major problems, as he mapped out his clearest, most comprehensive direction for the city.

Wrapping up his landmark three-day visit by swearing in the city's first female chief executive, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, on the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, Xi struck a tough yet tempered tone in his 31-minute speech before a 2,000-strong audience.

He praised the city for its successes but also pointed out the strains it had been under, alluding to the political and social tumult of recent years that has spawned radical dissent and even independence advocacy, to the consternation of Beijing.

Drawing a link between the political tensions in the city and missed opportunities for socio-economic development, Xi warned that the city "cannot afford to be torn apart by reckless moves or internal rift".

Put national interests first, Xi Jinping tells Hong Kong's new ruling team

He spoke of the value of the "one country, two systems" model of governing Hong Kong, saying: "It embodies a very important tenet, namely, seeking broad common ground while allowing for major differences."

The substitution of "minor" in the original Chinese saying with "major" was seen as a recognition of the city's problems with a conciliatory message.

"Hong Kong is a plural society. So it comes as no surprise that there are different views and even major differences on some specific issues," he said.

"However, making everything political or deliberately creating differences and provoking confrontation will not resolve the problems. Bear in mind the larger interests, communicate in a sensible way and build more consensus: this is the best way to find solutions to issues over time."

While the one country, two systems model' had worked well, there was a need to understand it better, and Hongkongers would have to "be guided by a strong sense of one country'," he said. But he stressed that the "two systems" aspect should not be neglected.

"Any attempt to endanger China's sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government  or use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line, and is absolutely impermissible," he said. "Hong Kong needs to improve its systems to uphold national sovereignty, security and development interests."

Asked later to respond to suggestions that Xi was paving the way for Hong Kong to enact its long- overdue national security legislation, Lam told reporters: "In view of the huge public controversy about the legislation, detailed analysis and explanation is required. I hope to create a favourable condition to start legislative work in my term of office."

Hours after Xi left the city for Beijing, thousands of Hongkongers took to the streets for the annual July 1 rally, with one of this year's themes accusing Beijing of "cheating" the city over "one country, two systems" with its escalating "interference".

Xi highlighted the need to enhance education and awareness on the history and culture of the Chinese nation. The city was facing challenges, he said, as its traditional strengths had begun to wane while new drivers of growth had yet to emerge. "Housing and other issues that affect the daily life of the people have become serious."

Xi also clarified the legal status of Hong Kong's Basic Law, the mini-constitution providing its rights and freedoms, stressing that it should be viewed as subordinate to China's constitution.

"We should improve the relevant institutions and mechanisms for implementing the Basic Law and raise public awareness of the constitution and the Basic Law in Hong Kong, particularly among civil servants and the young people," he said.

In the wake of political animosity over the past five years  culminating in the Occupy protests three years ago over political reform  Xi stressed that the key to addressing Hong Kong's problems was development, saying it was crucial for the city's survival.

Annual July 1 pro-democracy march in Hong Kong draws lowest turnout since 2003: police

He also encouraged Hong Kong to seize the mainland's development for its own gain, saying: "China's continuous and rapid development over the years provides an invaluable opportunity. It is important to cherish the opportunity, seize it and focus your energy on Hong Kong's development.

"Currently, more focus should be given to development," Xi said. "It holds the golden key to resolving various issues in Hong Kong."

Xi made no mention of political reform, an unfinished goal under the Basic Law. He offered a way forward to those who might not agree with the central government, saying Beijing was prepared to listen as long as they loved the country and loved Hong Kong.
Openings

Catlady Kevin Kelly and Nathan Shoops new play uses the story of a woman who hoards feral cats to explore socio-economic issues. Loft Ensemble Theater, 13442 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Sun., next Sun., 7 p.m.; Sat., 8 p.m.; ends July 30. $20. (818) 616-3150.

Welcome to Your Alternative Reality Open Fist Theatre Company offers one-acts and sketches satirizing the current state of post-election anxiety. Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., L.A. Sun., next Sun., 7 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends Aug. 12. $15, $20. (323) 882-6912.

Heisenberg A chance encounter between two strangers in a London train station opens up a world of possibilities in Simon Stephens romantic fable, featuring Mary-Louise Parker and Denis Arndt reprising their Broadway roles. Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. Thu.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2:30 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 1 and 6:30 p.m.; ends Aug. 6. $25-$95. (213) 628-2772.

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Its Only Lipstick Claudia DiMartino explores why she left the cosmetics industry to pursue her dreams in this solo show. The Whitefire Theater, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Thu., 8 p.m.; ends Aug. 17. $25. (800) 838-3006.

The Andrews Brothers The show must go on when a WWII-era USO concerts headlining act cant make it in this musical farce. Glendale Centre Theatre, 324 N. Orange St., Glendale. Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 3 p.m.; ends Aug. 12. $20-$32. (818) 244-8481.

Guys and Dolls Classic musical based on Damon Runyons tales of gangsters, gamblers and streetwise gals in old New York. The Old Globe, San Diego, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego. Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 and 7 p.m.; ends Aug. 13. $40 and up. (619) 234-5623.

The Hero Within Limited return engagement of this dramedy inspired by the stories of local veterans and their struggles transitioning back into society. Promenade Playhouse, 1404 3rd St. Promenade, Santa Monica. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 3 p.m.; ends July 9. $15. (310) 902-8220.

Paul Dooley The veteran character actor (Sixteen Candles, Breaking Away) looks back on his life and career in a solo show. Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd W., L.A. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends July 23. $25. (323) 851-7977.

The Thanksgiving Play Staged reading of Larissa FastHorses satire about four people trying to stage a show that honors both Thanksgiving and Native American culture. Grand Performances, 300 S. Grand Ave. L.A. Fri., 8 p.m. Free. www.grandperformances.org.

Annie Korzen Famous Actress The veteran character actress (Seinfeld) looks back at her life and career in this solo show. The Braid, 2912 Colorado Ave. #102, Santa Monica. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends Aug. 13. $35-$45. (800) 838-3006.

The Marriage Zone Three couples in different stages in their respective relationships interact in Jeff Goulds new comedy. The Secret Rose Theatre, 11246 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun. 3 p.m.; ends Aug. 27. $40. (323) 960-7784.

Mary Poppins Musical Theatre West presents this stage adaptation of the classic Disney film about a magical British nanny. Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 Atherton St., Long Beach. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 1 p.m.; ends July 23. $20 and up. (562) 856-1999.

Other Desert Cities Family members with differing political views clash in Palm Springs over the holidays in Jon Robin Baitzs hit comedy. Will Geers Theatricum Botanicum, 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd., Topanga Canyon. Sat., 7:30 p.m.; ends Sept. 30. $15-$38.50. (310) 455-3723.

Parade Tony-winning musical drama based on the true story of a Jewish man put on trial for the murder of a young girl in 1913 Georgia. Chance Theater, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim. Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 3 p.m.; ends July 30. $31-$45; discounts available. (888) 455-4212.

At the Old Place A fortysomething literature professor encounters two young strangers when she returns to her childhood home in Virginia in Rachel Bonds new drama. La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, La Jolla. Next Sun., 7:30 p.m.; ends July 31. $35 and up. (858) 550-1010.

Hairspray Hit musical comedy based on John Waters 1988 indie film about a plus-sized teen in 1960s Baltimore who becomes a regular on a TV dance show. Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. Next Sun., 5:30 p.m.; ends July 30. $45-$80. (949) 497-2787.

Magic Fruit Cornerstone Theater Company presents a concert reading of Michael John Garces apocalyptic tale about hunger in Los Angeles. Grand Performances, 300 S. Grand Ave. L.A. Next Sun., 7 p.m. Free. www.grandperformances.org.

Red Hen Press: An Evening of Poetry and Performance With Brendan Constantine and tai freedom ford. The Edye at Broad Stage, 1310 11th St,. Santa Monica. Next Sun., 4 p.m. $35 and up. (310) 434-3200.
CBS S.W.A.T. reboot will take on the Trump years, #BlackLivesMatter, says Shemar Moore By Meredith Blake Stephanie Sigman and Shemar Moore (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Dont let the funky theme song or the 70s origins fool you. While technically a remake  of both the original series and the subsequent 2003 film based on it  CBS upcoming cop drama S.W.A.T. is very plugged into the current moment, according to its cast and creators. In the series, former Criminal Minds star Shemar Moore plays a native Angeleno who runs a tactical unit for the LAPD and finds his loyalty torn between his fellow officers and the community in which he was raised. As co-creator Aaron Rahsaan Thomas told reporters Tuesday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour, the series was inspired by his experiences growing up in Kansas City, which have helped him understand both sides of the raging debate over police violence. I grew up in a neighborhood that had a very complicated view towards police officers, said Thomas, who created the series with veteran showrunner Shawn Ryan. On one hand, a 12-year-old kid who was a neighbor of mine was shot and killed by a police officer. On the other hand, another neighbor of mine was an actual police officer. Moore, best known for his long run on the CBS procedural Criminal Minds, noted the diversity of the cast and creative team and added that, while the show is primarily designed to entertain, it will also resonate politically. Were taking on the Trump years, he said. I dont care who you voted for. Its just whats happening today. Its Black Lives Matter. As much as some people dont want to hear it, its All Lives Matter. Its not just black versus blue or black versus white. Its every ethnicity. Its fear. Its racism. Its terrorism. Its subject matter of today. Ryan, who created the groundbreaking drama The Shield, about corrupt Los Angeles police officers, said he was excited about the chance to examine the often charged relationship between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Los Angeles is such a diverse, amazing community, and seeing an officer who kind of lives in the city and sort of sees the people that are being policed as humans and as neighbors and as friends was really important to me. Facebook

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Netflix getting A Little Help from Carol Burnett By Libby Hill What do you get when you pair up a living legend with a bunch of little kids? Comedy gold, if Netflix has its way. The online streaming service announced Monday that comedy icon Carol Burnett will be returning to television with A Little Help With Carol Burnett, an original unscripted series that pairs Burnett with children to tackle lifes dilemmas. Someone once asked me how old I am inside, Burnett said in a statement Monday. I thought about it and came up with, Im about 8. So its going to be a lot of fun playing with kids my age. Kids ages 4 to 8 will join Burnett as celebrities and everyday folks bring their real-life problems to the show to get advice in front of a live studio audience. Were thrilled Carol is bringing her unique sensibilities to Netflix, Bela Bajaria, the services vice president of content acquisition, said in Mondays announcement. Carol is truly a legend in the entertainment industry with unprecedented success and fandom across TV, film and the stage, and we are both honored and excited to work with her. A Little Help With Carol Burnett will be produced by Dick Clark Productions and is the companys first Netflix project. This is the second television project announced this year for Burnett, 84. In February, ABC ordered a pilot for the multi-camera comedy Household Name, starring Burnett, though the series has not been picked up in its current iteration. Debuting in 2018, A Little Help With Carol Burnett will feature 12 half-hour episodes. Facebook

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Ken Burns explains why his Vietnam War documentary is more relevant than ever By Libby Hill Ken Burns in Beverly Hilton on Sunday. (Richard Shotwell / Invision) History doesnt repeat itself, Ken Burns told a room of journalists gathered Sunday at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour in Beverly Hills Were not condemned to repeat what we dont remember, Burns explained. Its that human nature never changes. Its a curious statement from the storied documentarian, particularly given his latest project, the 18-hour, 10-part documentary series The Vietnam War, directed with Lynn Novick. But just because humanity isnt trapped in a constantly repeating cycle doesnt mean that the echoes of modern strife arent plentiful throughout the upcoming PBS series. This is a story about mass demonstrations all across the country against the current administration, Burns said in response to a question about what the youth of America will find relevant in The Vietnam War. About a White House obsessed with leaks and in disarray because of those leaks, about a president railing against you, the news media, for making up news. Its about asymmetrical warfare, which even the mighty might of the United States Army cant figure out the correct strategy to take, and its about big document drops of classified material thats been hacked, that suddenly is dumped into the public sphere, destabilizing the conventional wisdom about really important topics and accusations that a political campaign reached out to a foreign power at the time of a national election to influence that election. This is the film we started in 2006, and every single one of those points are points about the Vietnam War having nothing to do with today, Burns concluded. By creating a fully-formed picture of Vietnam, Burns hopes to shed light on the rancor and alienation defining this present moment, he explained. For Novick, the thematic relevance only serves to help teachers who have long struggled in tackling the Vietnam War. Weve had great response from teachers already that the Vietnam War is difficult to teach because its controversial and unsettled history and theyre looking forward to using the film in the classroom, Novick said. Those resonances that Ken is talking about, those will be assignments for students. Were not going to have to work very hard with teachers to come up with those themes, and students are curious about whats happening now. The Vietnam War premieres Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. PDT Facebook

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Goodbye, MTV Moonman trophy. Hello, Moon Person By Emily Mae Czachor MTVs token space cadet just scored an identity revamp  and gender didnt make the cut. In a recent interview with the New York Times, MTV President Chris McCarthy said the networks iconic Moonman trophy has been discontinued. From now on, the metallic figurine  whose impenetrably opaque helmet has become the unofficial face of MTVs Video Music Awards  will go by Moon Person instead. Because who knows whats really going on beneath that lacquered astronaut getup, anyway. Why should it be a man? McCarthy told the Times. It could be a man, it could be a woman, it could be transgender, it could be nonconformist. This new development is just the latest installment in MTVs string of efforts to do away with gender norms during its awards proceedings. The network eliminated gender-specific categories at its MTV Movie & TV Awards earlier this year, where all nominees were placed in neutral categories (i.e. best actor in a show, best actor in a movie). And the network isnt going to stop there. McCarthy also announced a new MTV reality series  still in development called We Are They about a group of gender-nonconforming young adults coming of age. With Katy Perry hosting, the VMAs will broadcast from the Forum in Inglewood on Aug. 27. Heres the full list of nominees. Facebook

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Sam Shepard: Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, actor and ... avant-garde drummer? By Randall Roberts Sam Shepard in 2014. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) Sam Shepard, whose death at 73 was announced on Monday, will be remembered for his cross-discipline versatility. As a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright, he penned classic off-Broadway plays including True West, Buried Child and Fool for Love. An Oscar-nominated actor, he starred in films including Days of Heaven, The Right Stuff, Crimes of the Heart and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. To fans of underground music, however, Shepard served a lesser-known role as the drummer for seminal New York avant-garde folk band the Holy Modal Rounders, with whom he performed on the crucial late 1960s albums Indian War Whoop and The Moray Eels Eat the Holy Modal Rounders. The band is best known for its song If You Want to Be a Bird, which plays during the classic scene in Easy Rider in which Dennis Hopper, Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson roar down the highway on their motorcycles. Thats Shepard playing drums as Rounders founders Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber whoop and yowl. It was in his capacity as a percussionist, in fact, that he drew the attention of a young Patti Smith, who, in her 2010 memoir Just Kids, recounted their first early 70s meeting at seminal music club the Village Gate. Escorted to the club by Todd Rundgren, who had just issued his album Runt, Smith described the Holy Modal Rounders set as like being at an Arabian hoedown with a band of psychedelic hillbillies. I was fixed on the drummer, who seemed as if he was on the lam and had slid behind the drums while cops looked elsewhere. Smith, who at the time was freelancing for Crawdaddy magazine, introduced herself to this drummer, who said his name was Slim Shadow. The two started hanging out, wrote Smith, describing his tales as being even taller than mine. He had an infectious laugh and was rugged, smart, and intuitive. In my mind, he was the fellow with the cowboy mouth. Only later did she learn Slims real identity when a friend pulled her aside after seeing them at a restaurant together. As recounted in Just Kids, Smith wrote that her friend asked, What are you doing with Sam Shepard? Sam Shepard? I said. Oh, no, this guys name is Slim. Honey, dont you know who he is? Hes the drummer for the Holy Modal Rounders. No, corrected her friend, Hes the biggest playwright off-Broadway. He had a play at Lincoln Center. He won five Obies! Once she learned of his reputation and acclaim, Smith and Shepard continued to see each other -- despite his being married at the time -- and eventually collaborated on a play called Cowboy Mouth. Smith described telling him of nervousness at writing for the stage, which she had never done. But Shepard urged her on, Smith wrote, telling her that you cant make a mistake when you improvise. Replied Smith: What if I screw up the rhythm? You cant, Shepard explained. Its like drumming. If you miss a beat, you create another. 7:15 a.m. Updated to correct the title of Smiths memoir, Just Kids, and to identify the Holy Modal Rounders co-founders, Stampfel and Weber. Facebook

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Lady Gaga subpoenaed in producer Dr. Lukes lawsuit against pop singer Kesha By Randall Roberts The ongoing offstage drama between the pop singer Kesha and her former producer Dr. Luke has entangled another platinum superstar: Lady Gaga. On Saturday, attorneys for Dr. Luke, whose real name is Lukasz Gottwald, issued a statement regarding their attempt to depose Lady Gaga about relevant conversations she may have had with Kesha. The artist, who was born Kesha Sebert, is the subject of a defamation suit filed in New York by Dr. Luke stemming from allegations of sexual misconduct, which the producer vigorously denies. The statement reads: Dr. Lukes counsel served a subpoena on Lady Gaga because she has relevant information regarding, among other things, false statements about Dr. Luke made to her by Kesha. This motion has become necessary because Dr. Lukes counsel has not been able to obtain, despite repeated request [sic], a deposition date from Lady Gaga. The protracted legal battle between Dr. Luke, left, and Kesha has brought Lady Gaga into the fray. (Kevin Winter / Getty Images) Representatives for Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, said in a statement issued to The Times on Monday morning: As Lady Gagas legal team will present to the court, she has provided all of the relevant information in her possession and is at most an ancillary witness in this process. Dr. Lukes team is attempting to manipulate the truth and draw press attention to their case by exaggerating Lady Gagas role and falsely accusing her of dodging reasonable requests. Among the information Lady Gaga has provided are copies of text messages that were, according to a report on TMZ, heavily redacted. Lady Gaga has been a vocal Kesha supporter. Last year, Gaga wrote about her peers plight in an Instagram post: The very reason women dont speak up for years is the fear that no one will believe them or their abuser has threatened their life or life of their loved ones/livelihood in order to keep their victim quiet and under control. What happened to Kesha has happened to many female artists, including myself, and it will affect her for the rest of her life. The news comes at a particularly crucial moment for Keshas career. On Aug. 11, she will release her highly anticipated new album, Rainbow. The record, featuring songs such as Learn to Let Go, will arrive via Dr. Lukes imprint, Kemosabe, a situation Kesha sought to avoid in a 2014 lawsuit of her own, which she later dropped. Facebook

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Ride on, genius: Celebrities mourn the loss of Sam Shepard By Emily Mae Czachor Acclaimed actor and playwright Sam Shepard died July 27 at age 73. (Charles Sykes / Associated Press) Sam Shepard  Oscar-nominated actor and critically acclaimed playwright, author, screenwriter and director  died on July 27 after suffering complications from ALS (Lou Gehrigs Disease). When news of his death broke Monday morning, Twitter erupted with posts to mourn, honor and remember one of show business beloved renaissance men. View Instagram post This story was updated with additional reactions. Facebook

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Macaulay Culkin got his first tattoo with goddaughter Paris Jackson, and its a match By Emily Mae Czachor For Paris Jackson, getting inked is nothing out of the ordinary. With more than 50 tattoos already under her belt, the 19-year-old daughter of late pop king Michael Jackson collects body art like postage stamps. According to E! News, the budding actress got her latest over the weekend: an understated sketch of a red spoon, just below the crook of her left arm. A new tattoo might be old-hat for Jackson, but it wasnt for Macaulay Culkin, Jacksons 36-year-old godfather -- and first-time tattoo patron -- who emerged from West Hollywoods Tattoo Mania with a matching spoon on his own forearm. Though neither Jackson nor Culkin spoke to the meaning of the double-inking, the design is supposedly meant to represent a kind of chronic struggle. And thats not the only news that Culkin made recently. The Internet nearly lost its collective mind last week when a new photo emerged of the Home Alone actor looking healthy and happy. E! News even declared that Culkin definitely just won 2017s greatest makeover. Your eyes aren't deceiving you. Macaulay Culkin definitely just won 2017's greatest makeover (thus far, at least). https://t.co/IdKjxii5KZ pic.twitter.com/SOAuSx57oU  E! News (@enews) July 27, 2017 Facebook

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Alex Jones products are almost as bad as his conspiracy theories, says John Oliver By Meredith Blake Over the last year, conspiracy theorist and influential radio host Alex Jones has come under intense scrutiny for his fringe beliefs, most notably his claim that the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School was a hoax perpetrated by the government. On Sundays Last Week Tonight, John Oliver noted that Jones status as a Sandy Hook truther qualified him for an Easy Pass to hells version of the champagne room. But he spent most of his time on a relatively overlooked aspect of Jones conspiracy empire -- the wide range of products that he sells in order to fund it. According to Oliver, Jones spends nearly a quarter of his airtime plugging InfoWars-branded merchandise, including Wake Up America Patriot coffee to Combat One Tactical Bath Wipes and a powder called Caveman True Paleo (made from chocolate and domesticated bird corpses, Oliver joked). As the comedian pointed out, it just so happens that many of the products Jones sells, often at a significant markup, purport to address the conspiracy theories with equally wild-eyed zeal. Think: water filters to remove chemicals that supposedly turn frogs gay or vitamins to boost your immunity and ward off germs from allegedly disease-ridden refugees. Jones even has his own in-house expert, Dr. Edward Group, with dubious qualifications (and equally questionable hair) to back up his various outlandish claims. InfoWars is essentially a QVC for conspiracy, Oliver argued. So in the spirit of InfoWars, Oliver decided to introduce his own personal care product, John Oliver Moisture-Armored Tactical Assault Wipes, available via Infowipes.com. The price? A mere $1 million. Worth every penny, were sure. You can watch the complete segment here. Facebook

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Vintage Casablanca poster sells for $478,000 By Trevell Anderson How much would someone pay for a vintage movie poster? Well, if that film is Casablanca, one persons answer is $478,000. Thats how much a bidder coughed up Saturday for the only known surviving Italian-issue poster for the 1942 film starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. The poster sold through Heritage Auctions of Dallas. The buyer has just set a world record and acquired what we in the poster collecting world would equate to a masterpiece, said Grey Smith, Heritages director of vintage posters. The stunning artistry put into this poster makes it stand head and shoulders above any paper produced for the film. The poster, measuring 55.5 inches by 78.25 inches, was produced in 1946. The film opened in Italy on Nov. 21 that year, almost four years after its U.S. premiere. Featuring artwork by Luigi Martinati, the poster is considered the best of the pictures numerous advertisements, Smith said. Previous Italian-issue posters for the film have sold for as much as $203,000. A U.S.-issue of the poster has fetched $191,200. The auction featured other rare posters for the film, with a half-sheet going for $65,725, and a postwar Spanish-release poster selling for $35,850. ---------- For the Record An earlier version of this article misstated the purchase price of the Casablanca poster sold Saturday as $487,000. Facebook

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There is no Plan B for public broadcasting without federal funding, PBS president says By Libby Hill Paula Kerger, chief executive of PBS (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images) PBS President and Chief Executive Paula Kerger wasnt pulling any punches Sunday at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour in Beverly Hills. When people say, What is the Plan B for [loss of federal funding]? There is no Plan B for that, Kerger said of the potential budget crisis public broadcasting faces under the Trump administration. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has been under fire for months, with President Trumps proposed budget axing the institutions $450-million budget. Though its easy to suggest that budget cuts would threaten Big Birds livelihood, the true victims of defunding would be far more human. Kerger explained that of PBS $450-million budget, one-third goes to radio. Of the television budget, most goes to community service grants that local stations use for up to 50% of their operating budgets. PBS itself will not go away. But a number of our stations will. If you are a station for whom 30 or 40 or 50% of your funding is suddenly pulled away, theres no way you can make up that money, Kerger said. You will find big parts of the country that will suddenly be without public broadcasting. The fate of public broadcasting is currently in flux, waiting for the end of Congress August recess for resolution. Currently, the House Appropriations Committee has approved the bulk of the PBS budget, while the House Budget Committee recommended doing away with funding altogether. Budget concerns aside, Kerger also addressed other unresolved PBS matters. The second seat of PBS NewsHour has been vacant since the untimely death of co-host Gwen Ifill in November 2016, leaving Judy Woodruff as the shows sole anchor. We have encouraged [executive producer] Sara Just and Judy Woodruff and the team at NewsHour to take their time and think very carefully about who that right person [to replace Ifill] is, Kerger said. Im hopeful that they will be making an announcement sometime over the next few months of a new anchor. Kerger also announced an upcoming project aimed at inspiring the country to come together in celebration of literature. The Great American Read is an eight-part series launching in spring 2018 that explores the nations 100 best-loved books, chosen by the American people and culminating in the first-ever national vote to choose Americas Best-Loved Book. Facebook

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AMC Visionaries adds Eli Roth, Roots, Gibney for new docu-series By Meredith Woerner Robert Kirkman, left, and Eli Roth at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour in Beverly Hills. ( Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for AMC) AMC announced several additions to its upcoming Visionaries docu-series Saturday at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour in Beverly Hills. Writer-director-actor Eli Roth (Cabin Fever, Hostel) will be offering a deeper look into his signature style of genre filmmaking with Eli Roths History of Horror (working title) and Ahmir Questlove Thompson, Tariq Black Thought Trotter (founding members of The Roots) and Alex Gibney (Going Clear, History of the Eagles) will executive produce a series called Rap Yearbook (another working title). The cable network also has three other installments in development: History of Video Games, Outlaws of the Internet, and History of Martial Arts. The new Visionaries members join the previously announced programs Robert Kirkmans Secret History of Comics and James Camerons Story of Science Fiction. Kirkman and Roth were present at the AMC panel with Cameron appearing via satellite to show sneak peeks from the comics and sci-fi iterations of the series. A sizzle reel for the Secret History of Comics utilized plenty of classic panel pages and a sort of motion comic-like animation to illustrate the early days of Marvel Comics, going all the way back to the Stan Lee and Jack Kirby days. But the real treat was a collection of cameos, famous faces opining about their love of the form including Lee himself, J.K. Simmons, Kevin Smith, and Method Man, who earnestly revealed, You have to be born a comic book fan, I think. And there are plenty more talking heads to come, the AMC press release promised Patty Jenkins, Lynda Carter, Famke Janssen, Michelle Rodriguez, and Todd McFarlane. The second clip shared a look at Camerons love letter to science fiction. Today, science fiction is mainstream but it didnt used to be that way, the director explained. When I was a kid science fiction wasnt cool, but I thought it was cool. Cameron wants to focus on closing the gap between current fans knowledge of modern day sci-fi to the pioneering works of literature that inspired the blockbuster offerings of today. The Terminator and Avatar director noted that without Jules Verne and H.G. Wells there would be no Avengers, Star Wars or his own works. The series will be divided by theme -- space travel, time travel etc.-- and include appearances from Paul W. Anderson, Roland Emmerich, Paul Verhoeven, Bryan Singer, Keanu Reeves, Jonathan Nolan, David Gerrold and D.C. Fontana. When asked how their respective series would showcase diversity -- the footage screened was very male-centric -- Kirkman responded that History of Comics would have two episodes devoted to diversity. One will focus on the women who helped Wonder Woman creator William Moulton Marston steer the course of the hugely famous female superhero, and another highlighting people of color titled The Color of Comics. The episode explores the history of black characters, and the lack of black characters in the comic book industry, said Kirkman. which touches on the creation of Black Panther  the Marvel character  and does a really cool focus on this company called Milestone Comics that was founded by a group of African American comic book creators to create characters that appealed to them and represented them, because there was a huge lack of representation in comics even in the 90s. You wouldnt have horror without Mary Shelley and Frankenstein, Roth added. He cited the late George Romero as an example of how he wants to break down the themes within the horror genre. At the height of the civil rights movement [Romero] puts an African American as the lead of Night of the Living Dead and at the end of the movie hes shot by a bunch of rednecks. Not because of the color of his skin, but because they think hes a zombie. But you can read into the implications of that. What [Romero] was doing with using genre to explore racism was so ahead of its time. its just as potent today as it was 50 years ago. Its absolutely something were going to be discussing. Roths urgency to document the horror masters was apparent. It was the death of Scream moviemaker Wes Craven that inspired Roth to get involved in Visionaries. The panel then took a turn for the analytical when the creators were asked how their series would reflect the world today. The fact that dystopian science fiction has come back, especially in television and in movies, is very important, said Cameron. It means that in the age that we live in right now the challenges that face us are technological. Theyre science challenges: climate change, genetics, artificial intelligence, things like that. These are really on our horizon as major, existential threats. The best horror reflects whats going on in our times, said Roth. He used Jordan Peeles Get Out  which addressed modern day racial tensions as a reference. Its no accident that movie coming out right now is making over $200 million at the box office. You can tell its really resonating with people. Bouncing off Camerons dystopia revelation, Roth then turned his lens onto the current political climate, I dont think weve ever seen a cast of characters like this in our White House thats straight out of WWF wrestling in the 80s. When [Anthony Scaramucci] is coming out with things that would make Rowdy Roddy Piper in his heyday blush. This is a farce, is this actually happening? When will we start seeing this dystopian outlook on the current political climate in the movies? Possibly before Roths series, which will air sometime in 2018, after History of Comics and the Story of Science Fiction in 2017. Facebook

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President Trump got a fan letter from a young boy this week. Stephen Colbert introduced another young fan Friday By Greg Braxton Stephen Colbert, host of CBS The Late Show. (Michael Loccisano / Getty Images) White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders took time during a White House briefing this week to read a fan letter to President Trump from a 9-year-old boy named Dylan who has the nickname of Pickle. Sanders read part of the letter to reporters: Youre my favorite President ... I dont know why people dont like you. Sanders interjected, Neither do I, Dylan. The letter continued, You seem really nice. Can we be friends? Sanders assured Pickle that she had spoken directly to Trump about him, and the president would be more than happy to be your friend. Stephen Colbert on Friday brought another young fan of Trumps onstage Friday night to read her own letter during his CBS Late Show. Dear President, my name is Norah, but everybody calls me Mustard, the little girl recited. She continued, Youre my favorite current president. Norah then presented some probing questions to Trump: I was wondering, does the attorney general enjoy your full support? And how do you plan to implement the ban on transgender people currently serving in the military? Will those on active duty be called home? Sounds like a logistical nightmare. She continued, One more thing: Are you a puppet of Vladimir Putin? I love puppets! I made one at camp! Love, Mustard. The Late Show audience cheered. Facebook

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Broadways Great Comet producer apologizes for controversial Mandy Patinkin casting By Nardine Saad (Jeff Schear / Getty Images) The producer behind Broadways struggling musical Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812" has joined the apologetic refrain for the diversity uproar that followed the decision to bring in Mandy Patinkin to replace departing star Okieriete Oak Onaodowan, who is black. The production came under fire this week following its move to replace Onaodowan, who was in the original cast of Hamilton, with Tony Award winner Patinkin in a titular role. As part of our sincere efforts to keep Comet running for the benefit of its cast, creative team, crew, investors and everyone else involved, we arranged for Mandy Patinkin to play Pierre, co-producer Howard Kagan said in an official statement posted Friday on Twitter. Kagan said they had the wrong impression of how Onaodowan felt about Patinkins casting and how it would be received by members of the theater community, which we appreciate is deeply invested in the success of actors of color  as are we  and to whom we are grateful for bringing this to our attention. We regret our mistake deeply, and wish to express our apologies to everyone who felt hurt and betrayed by these actions, he said. The legendary Broadway star dropped out of the musical on Friday after the announcement that he would be replacing the African American star was met with disdain. Patinkin was to join the cast for a limited run from Aug. 15 through Sept. 3, but declined the part because he would never accept a role knowing it would harm another actor. I hear what members of the community have said and I agree with them. I am a huge fan of Oak and I will, therefore, not be appearing in the show, the Homeland alum tweeted. Another tweet on the shows account included an apology to Patinkin for any misunderstanding and said they understood his decision to withdraw from the show. Our deepest apologies. pic.twitter.com/Mks7XLGxbq  The Great Comet (@GreatCometBway) July 28, 2017 pic.twitter.com/vSZk6K2KOV  The Great Comet (@GreatCometBway) July 28, 2017 Onaodowan, who had replaced recording artist Josh Groban in the role of Pierre earlier this month, is scheduled to continue to perform through Aug. 13, after which, he stated Friday on Twitter, he will not return to the show. It is unclear if his decision to leave the production was his own or prompted by other factors. Show creator Dave Malloy, whose musical was inspired by a portion of Leo Tolstoys War and Peace, also apologized Friday on Twitter for how everything went down and missing the racial optics of their casting decision. They had previously asked actress Brittain Ashford to step aside for the casting of better-known singer-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson during the summer months and they didnt anticipate that Patinkins casting would be viewed differently, Malloy said. Despite 12 Tony Award nominations, Comet only received two wins -- for set and lighting -- at the June ceremony and ticket sales ebbed when Groban departed. Malloy said that sales for shows after Aug. 13, when Michaelsons run would also end, were catastrophically low. So they decided to cast Patinkin, hoping that his star power would help boost sales, because the weird show was in desperate shape and on the brink of closing. Facebook

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Eagles, Doobie Brothers will play Classic Northwest show Sept. 30 in Seattle By Randy Lewis The reconfigured Eagles, shown during a July 15 performance at Dodger Stadium, will continue with a Sept. 30 Classic Northwest concert with the Doobie Brothers in Seattle. (Kevin Mazur / Getty Images) The EaglesClassic music festival series will continue with at least one more stop, this time in Seattle. But unlike the inaugural Classic West bill July 15-16 at Dodger Stadium, which is having a Classic East encore this weekend in New York, the added Classic Northwest show on Sept. 30 will be just a single day and feature the Eagles and Doobie Brothers only. The Classic West and East shows teamed the Eagles, Steely Dan and Doobie Brothers on one day, with Fleetwood Mac, Journey and Earth, Wind & Fire on the second day of each. Tickets for the Classic Northwest bill go on sale Aug. 5 at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster. At the outset of the Eagles portion of Classic West on July 15, co-founder Don Henley indicated it was still uncertain how much of a future his long-running band might have absent co-founder Glenn Frey, who died last year at 67. To make the Classic West and East shows possible, the group tapped Freys son, singer-guitarist Deacon Frey, and country music star Vince Gill to handle the lead vocals on the many Eagles songs that were originally sung by Glenn Frey. In case this is our last dance, Henley told the crowd at Dodger Stadium, where he was joined by longtime bandmates Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit, we want to thank all of you in Southern California for all your support. Facebook

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In her new Hulu series, Sarah Silverman wants to love America -- seriously By Greg Braxton Executive producers Amy Zvi, left, and Adam McKay, star/executive producer Sarah Silverman and executive producer Gavin Purcell at Hulus I Love You, America panel at the TCA summer press tour. (Willy Sanjuan / Invision/Associated Press) From her stand-up act to her Comedy Central series to her Twitter account, comic-actress Sarah Silverman has a long history of courting laughs and controversy. Her outspokenness and sometimes absurd, sometimes acerbic views on everything from celebrity to culture to politics, particularly President Trump and his administration, have raised eyebrows. On her upcoming Hulu series, I Love You, America, Silverman is focused more on forming bonds than being provocative. In surveying the current political landscape and the comedy shows that skewer it, Silverman says she wants to reach out to all on the political spectrum. For me, [those shows are] great, but they really connect with more like-minded people. Theyre brilliant. Theyre funny. But Im hoping to, with this show, connect with un-like-minded people, Silverman said Thursday during a panel at the Television Critics Assn.'s summer press tour in Beverly Hills. The mission of the show is that were all the same. But whats important is that its funny. Although the exact format of the show is still being refined, Silverman did reveal some elements, including a monologue, a focus group in the studio and field pieces in which she travels around the country talking to people. For example, Silverman says she plans to go to Slidell, La., to meet a family that says they have never met a Jewish person. I cant help but have preconceived notions. They cant help but have preconceived notions, said Silverman. All I can do is just try to be open and brave and go into the situation. And same for them. Although Silverman and executive producer Adam McKay didnt make any sharp criticisms about Trump at Thursdays session, they did take exception to his attacks against so-called entertainment liberals or the Hollywood elite. What is he talking about? said Silverman. Im from ... New Hampshire. Everybody out here is from somewhere else. The goal of the show will be to seek common ground and understanding, she said: Ultimately were all the same. The thesis of the show is that everybody just wants to be loved. Facebook

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Jerry Seinfeld is Forbes highest-paid comedian; Amy Schumer still only woman to crack the top 10 By Nardine Saad If Jerry Seinfeld is this years king of comedy, then Amy Schumer is the queen. The Comedy Central star once again landed on Forbes list of highest-paid comedians, the financial magazine announced Thursday. She was the first woman comic to crack the top 10 last year and remains the only woman on the list this year. The Trainwreck and Snatched star made an estimated $37.5 million between June 2016 and June 2017 thanks to her Netflix show The Leather Special, her memoir The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo and endorsement deals with Bud Light and Old Navy. That ranked the raunchy comic No. 5 on the list filled with veteran comedy heavyweights. Meanwhile, the Seinfeld and Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee star shot back to the top of the list this year, earning an estimated $69 million. Seinfeld was eclipsed last year by Kevin Hart, who this year dropped to the No. 6 spot with $32.5 million. Chris Rock trailed Seinfeld for the second spot on Forbes list, earning $57 million. His record-breaking $20 million-per-special contract with Netflix paved the way for several comics, including Seinfeld, to cut lucrative deals with the streaming service, which is poised to become the go-to-destination for comedy specials. In addition to touring, those deals significantly padded the incomes of several stars on Forbes list. In the third and fourth spots, funnymen Louis C.K. and Dave Chappelle, who earned $52 million and $47 million, respectively, also made expensive deals with the streaming service to make their millions. To see Forbes complete list, click here. For the record, 10:40 a.m.: A previous headline and version of this story said that Schumer was the first woman to make the top 10 list this year. Schumer was the first woman to make the top 10 last year. Facebook

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American Horror Story: Cult gets sickeningly sweet in official poster By Libby Hill We're just beneath the surface... #AHSCult pic.twitter.com/GvnMD1KieQ  AmericanHorrorStory (@AHSFX) July 27, 2017 What exactly is beneath the surface in American Horror Story: Cult? Bees, apparently. The seventh season of FXs hit horror anthology series is slowly revealing itself via its official Twitter account. On Thursday, the series shared the official poster for the series, and it is super messed up. The poster features a deathly pale woman who happens to be missing the top of her head and, for that matter, her brain. Instead, the inside of her head is a honeycomb, replete with bees and, of course, honey. This is creepy for so many reasons. Here are a few: This poor woman has had the top of her skull removed, bringing to mind that particularly gruesome dinner scene featuring Anthony Hopkins and Ray Liotta in the 2001 film Hannibal. Even more horrifying is that this poor, sweet woman is definitely dressed like a clown. The white makeup, lines through the eyes and exaggerated ruby red lips suggest that AHS: Cult is drawing inspiration from traditional grotesque whiteface clown makeup. Think more Pennywise, less juggalo. (And if none of that is enough to scare you, please enjoy this clown dating site I stumbled across while researching all of this.) FXs American Horror Story: Cult premieres on Sept. 5. Facebook

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Stephen Colbert had some [bleeped] thoughts on Anthony Scaramuccis NSFW rant By Yvonne Villarreal (Richard Boeth / Associated Press) Stephen Colbert took a cue from incoming White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci -- or the Mooch, as hes called -- by giving Thursdays episode of The Late Show a decidedly NSFW vibe. We got an incredible taste of unfiltered Mooch today, Colbert said during his monologue. He was, of course, referring to Scaramuccis disapproving -- and often vulgar -- comments about White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and chief strategist Steve Bannon in a New Yorker article that sent social media tongues wagging Thursday. But to even discuss the matter, Colbert had to issue a warning to CBS censors: Youre going to want to break out the extra bleeps for this one, he said before diving in. (If only we could get our ellipses to put in some overtime!) In his colorful conversation with New Yorker correspondent Ryan Lizza, which took place Wednesday night,Scaramucci was trying to get to the bottom of who leaked that he had dinner at the White House with President Trump, the first lady, Sean Hannity and the former Fox News executive Bill Shine. Scaramucci described Priebus as a  ... paranoid schizophrenic who had blocked him from the White House for six months -- prompting Colbert to break out an impression of Scaramucci. Yes, the guys paranoid, OK? He thinks his own communications director is gonna stab him in the back again, Colbert said with an exaggerated Italian accent. Front stab! he added with a knifing gesture. The New Yorker article also detailed how Scaramucci accused Bannon of seeking to build [his] own brand off the  strength of the president and made some other inflammatory remarks that we cant fully detail. So well let Colbert take it from here. Facebook

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Longtime Disney imagineer Martin Sklar dies at 83 By Richard Verrier (Jae C Hong / Associated Press) Martin Marty Sklar, the pioneering Walt Disney Co. imagineer who played an instrumental role in the design of Disney theme parks, has died, the company announced Thursday night. He was 83. During his 54 years at Disney, Sklar worked closely with Walt Disney and led the creative development of the Burbank companys theme parks, attractions and resorts around the world, including the companys ventures in the cruise business, housing development and the redesign of Times Square in New York. Everything about Marty was legendary  his achievements, his spirit, his career, Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger said in a statement. He embodied the very best of Disney, from his bold originality to his joyful optimism and relentless drive for excellence. He was also a powerful connection to Walt himself. No one was more passionate about Disney than Marty and well miss his enthusiasm, his grace, and his indomitable spirit. Sklar was born in New Brunswick, N.J., and attended UCLA, where he was editor of the Daily Bruin newspaper when he was recruited to create the Disneyland News for Walt Disneys new Anaheim theme park in 1955. After graduating in 1956, he joined Disney full-time and would become Disneys lieutenant. He wrote speeches, marketing materials and a film showcasing Walts vision for Walt Disney World and the Epcot theme park in Florida. READ MORE> Facebook

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Is a happily ever after coming to The Mindy Project? By Yvonne Villarreal The Mindy Project creator/executive producer/star Mindy Kaling with executive producers Matt Warburton, left, and Ike Barinholtz at the shows Television Critics Assn. press tour panel. (Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP) Is there a happily ever after written in the stars for the final season of The Mindy Project? Series creator Mindy Kaling, who also plays the titular heroine at the center of the Hulu comedy, took the stage Thursday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills to discuss the shows swan song season. And when asked if Kalings rom-com-obsessed character, Mindy Lahiri, would get her storybook ending, the 38-year-old actress suggested it wouldnt necessarily be in the way viewers expect. I think that all of us would agree that we do have happily ever after, the connotations of it, said Kaling, who was joined onstage by executive producer and showrunner, Matt Warburton, and producer and star Ike Barinholtz (sporting a neck brace from a recent stunt gone wrong). But happily ever after isnt the same as no loose ends, she said. That everything is tied up neatly in a bow is something we arent super interested in. That side of it I think were trying to avoid, Kaling added, while also leaving the audience with the sense of feeling that it was about something and that it really was a project and that she had some growth in the end. And for fans wondering whether or how Danny Castellano (played by Chris Messina) would factor into all that, the season promises to shed some light on that. For the unitiated, Messinas Danny is Mindys former fiance and the father of her child. Messina, who hasnt been a series regular since Season 4, is set to return for multiple episodes. And while the Season 5 finale ended with Mindy marrying boyfriend Ben (Bryan Greenberg), hints were thrown that the new episodes would bring some clarity to the Mindy-Danny relationship. The one thing we can promise the audience is a little bit of clarity about where they stand, Warburton said. Its so great to see him back because weve always known theyre always going to be in each others lives  but its great to actually see what that means this season. Its complicated, added Kaling. Theyre both married to other people, so we went into that season with all of that, which makes things sort of fun and delicious. Other familiar faces set to return for the final season are Mark and Jay Duplass, Adam Pally and Glenn Howerton. Kaling, in discussing the decision to end the series, promised a good finale. The decision to end the show was our decision, and I think thats always very hard, Kaling said. It was like, God, should this be the end? ... I think right now the idea of doing a prequel or something like that just felt  we just have such a good finale. We have such a good finale that weve known about for awhile. The final season of The Mindy Project will start its rollout on Hulu in September. Facebook

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Tiffany Haddish clarifies controversial Bill Cosby remarks: Im not afraid of the Big Bad Wolf By James Reed Actress Tiffany Haddish has clarified her remarks about wanting to work with Bill Cosby. (Christina House / For The Times) A joke that Tiffany Haddish recently told The Los Angeles Times has backfired on the breakout star of the new film Girls Night. Talking to The Times Trevell Anderson, Haddish credited Bill Cosby as a comedy inspiration, seemingly unfazed by the multiple sexual-abuse allegations levied against the beleaguered, 80-year-old TV legend. I still want to work with Bill Cosby, I dont care, she told The Times earlier this month. Ill drink the juice. Ill take a nap. I dont give a damn. But seriously, I would love for him to play my grandfather in something. Her remarks raised eyebrows and ire on social media, with some fans questioning her intentions and a New York magazine story noting that the actress seems to have wandered into problematic fave territory. I've been rooting hard for Tiffany Haddish but I find nothing funny about her making light of Bill Cosby drugging women  Stephanie. (@qsteph) July 26, 2017 Twitter: "We loved Tiffany Haddish in #GirlsTrip. Sweetie is doing amazing!"



Tiffany Haddish: "I'd love to work with Bill Cosby."



Twitter: pic.twitter.com/X23DQWb2wi  hellresidentNY (@hellresidentNY) July 27, 2017 On Thursday, Haddish attempted to clarify those comments while speaking on a panel at the Television Critics Assn.'s summer press tour in Beverly Hills. What I said was a joke, she said, noting that when youre expected to be funny in promotional interviews, there are risks. Youre going to say some bad jokes. Haddish said her point had been that Im not afraid to do anything. Im not afraid of any kind of job. Im not afraid to play any kind of girl as long as it doesnt compromise my morals.... Ive been through things. Ive been victimized, she added. I dont agree with what he did or anything, but, at the end of the day, Im not afraid of the Big Bad Wolf. Thats what I was trying to say, and I was trying to do it in a humorous way. Times staff writer Sarah Rodman contributed to this report. Facebook

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Tracy Morgan thanks God, and Tiffany Haddish reflects on her success at Last O.G. panel at TCA By Sarah Rodman Tracy Morgan, left, Tiffany Haddish and Ryan Gaul of the new TBS comedy The Last O.G. at the TCA press tour in Beverly Hills on Thursday. (Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images) Thank God. Thats what Tracy Morgan had to say about what it means for the 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live alum to be returning to TV three years after the devastating accident that put him in a coma and resulted in the death of his friend James Jimmy Mack McNair. The stand-up comic and actor, whose new TBS comedy, The Last O.G. premieres Oct. 24, was full of gratitude and thoughts on starting over during the presentation for the show at the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour Thursday in Beverly Hills. Executive produced by Morgan, Jordan Peele and John Carcieri, The Last O.G. chronicles the adventures of Tray (Morgan). Newly sprung from prison after serving 15 years, he has to acclimate to the changed times, his gentrified Brooklyn neighborhood and his former girlfriend (Tiffany Haddish of Girls Trip) raising the children he didnt know existed with another man. This is a show about humanity, this is a show about second chances, this is a show about redemption, said Morgan, answering a question about whether it would explicitly explore African American issues. I wanted to transcend that... I wanted to deal with humanity. Haddish, naturally, fielded several questions about Girls Trip, the new comedy film that has minted her as a star. I feel like a foster kid whos been in the system for a long time and then turned 16 and somebody adopted them and said, You can go to college and you aint got to pay no school loans or nothing,  she said of how shes been feeling in the wake of the films superb box office. Im happy! Ive been accepted finally after all these years of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. Haddish said she was looking forward to her role in The Last O.G. since its a character who has gone through a transition in her life, just as she herself has. Her fellow cast mates, including Cedric the Entertainer, good-naturedly ribbed her about becoming a diva since shes now a movie star. But Morgan noted seriously that Haddish has been nothing but a pro: She comes to work. Haddish joked: My bank account, it dont show movie star yet. Im waiting on it. They say nine months; its like a baby. Im waiting for the delivery. Morgan said it was important to surround himself with scene stealers such as Haddish and Cedric and was clearly earnest in his appreciation of his collaborators and their sensitivity to his physical needs. They make sure I sit down... they dont ask me, they [say] sit down for a little while. So Im good. Im taken care of by my people, and I love them with my heart. Facebook

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It can be TGIF every day on Hulu: The service lands popular ABC programming block in SVOD deal By Yvonne Villarreal Every day can be Friday in the 90s with help from Hulu. The streaming service announced Thursday it has signed a deal with Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution for the exclusive streaming rights to programs that were part of the popular ABC programming block known as TGIF. The announcement was made during the streaming services day of panels at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills. The shows under the deal include Full House, Family Matters, Perfect Strangers, Step by Step and Hangin With Mr. Cooper. Nabbing the rights to Full House is particularly noteworthy considering Hulus rival Netflixs success with reviving the comedy, which is returning for a third season in September. With the Hulu deal, more than 800 episodes of the five sitcoms from the bygone family friendly lineup will be available beginning Friday, Sept. 29. These shows are more than just beloved hits, they were part of a cultural tradition to tune in every Friday night, said Craig Erwich, Hulus senior vice president of content in a statement. Facebook

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TV Academy announces which awards will be handed out during Primetime, Creative Arts Emmys By Nardine Saad Get your Emmys ballot ready  the Television Academy has announced which categories will be awarded during this years 69th Primetime Emmy Awards and the separate Creative Arts Emmy Awards. The main event will take place at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 17 and will be hosted by The Late Show star Stephen Colbert. Prizes will be awarded to comedy and drama series, limited series, reality competition, variety talk and sketch, television movie, acting, directing, and writing during the live telecast on CBS. HBOs Westworld and NBCs Saturday Night Live lead the nominees with 22 nods apiece, a total that includes several below-the-line categories to be doled out at the two Creative Arts Emmys ceremonies the week before. Honoring artistic and technical achievements that could make or break your play-at-home ballot, the Creative Arts Emmys will be held in the same venue on two consecutive nights on Sept. 9 and 10. Theyll be put together for one show, produced by Bob Bain, that will air on FXX on Sept. 16. The first night will cover categories that include animation, choreography, cinematography, costuming, make-up, hairstyling, documentary and nonfiction awards, editing, lighting, sound-mixing, technical direction, variety special and some writing awards. The second night will lean more heavily on front-of-the camera talent, awarding the likes of guest actors and actresses and stunt work, in addition to childrens programs, commercials, main title designs and theme music, music composition and supervision, prosthetic makeup and additional sound and editing categories. For a complete list of this years nominees, click here. Heres the complete list of the awards being handed out during the Primetime Emmys telecast: COMEDY SERIES

DIRECTING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

DIRECTING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

DIRECTING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL

DIRECTING FOR A VARIETY SERIES

DRAMA SERIES

LEAD ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

LEAD ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

LEAD ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

LEAD ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

LEAD ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

LEAD ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

LIMITED SERIES

REALITY-COMPETITION PROGRAM

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES

SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A LIMITED SERIES OR MOVIE

TELEVISION MOVIE

VARIETY SKETCH SERIES

VARIETY TALK SERIES

WRITING FOR A COMEDY SERIES

WRITING FOR A DRAMA SERIES

WRITING FOR A LIMITED SERIES, MOVIE OR DRAMATIC SPECIAL

WRITING FOR A VARIETY SERIES Facebook

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Kesha finds redemption in new song: The past cant haunt me if I dont let it By Emily Mae Czachor For Kesha, Learn to Let Go is not just an aptly titled track off her upcoming Rainbow LP. Its become one of my mantras over the last few years, she said in a remarkably uplifting letter that the singer published Thursday to accompany a new video for the song. (This is her new M.O., it would seem.) Learn to Let Go, which Kesha co-wrote alongside her mother, Pebe Sebert, is a heartrending chronicle of redemption. Had a boogeyman under my bed/ Putting crazy thoughts inside my head, she sings, while real home-video footage of a whimsical young Kesha cuts between clips of a grown Kesha frolicking through the forest. The chorus rings like a self-empowered anthem: The past cant haunt me if I dont let it. My mom is always telling me how you have to learn to accept that you cant try to control everything, she wrote in the letter. When you realize that you are not the one in control and you stop holding onto regrets  its liberating. Your past only has as much effect on your future as you want it to, Kesha continued. Its about embracing your past, but not letting it define you. Her new album, Rainbow, will be released Aug. 11. Facebook

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Stephen Colbert to bring animated Trump series to Showtime By Meredith Blake Stephen Colbert has ridden anti-Trump sentiment to the top of the late-night ratings. Now hes riding it all the way to premium cable. On Thursday, Showtime announced it had ordered 10 episodes of an as-yet-untitled animated series featuring cartoon renderings of the president, his family and inner circle. The satirical half-hour series, executive produced by Colbert and The Late Shows show runner Chris Licht, will debut on Showtime this fall. According to the network, turnaround on the series will be quick in order to incorporate current events. Stephen and Chris have an uncanny genius for deconstructing the world of President Trump, and this series opens a new realm for them, Showtime President David Nevins said in a press statement. Tim Luecke, who co-created the animated version of Trump who frequently appears in Late Show bits  including a recent segment from the notorious presidential suite of the Moscow Ritz-Carlton  will serve as lead animator. The announcement caps off a period of good news for Colbert, who racked up six Emmy nominations this month and will be hosting the awards in September. The recently concluded Russia Week, in which the comedian traveled to Moscow and St. Petersburg, brought The Late Show its biggest margin over The Tonight Show since its premiere in 2015. While The Late Show airs on CBS, Colbert has also developed ties with his corporate cousins at Showtime. Many point to his riveting election night special Stephen Colberts Live Election Night Democracys Series Finale, which aired on the premium network, as a turning point after an uneven transition from The Colbert Report. For its part, Showtime has invested heavily in political content over the last 18 months, most notably the documentary series The Circus, from journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. Facebook

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Matt Damon gets punched right in the face in George Clooneys Suburbicon trailer By Nardine Saad  Matt Damon, Oscar Isaac and Julianne Moore star in the trailer for George Clooneys Suburbicon. In George Clooneys latest directorial effort, Suburbicon, the pleasantries of a 1950s town are undone when a home invasion exposes the communitys criminal subculture and racial tensions. And Matt Damons Gardner Lodge gets stuck in the thick of it -- defending his young son, making death threats, killing mobsters and getting popped square in his bespectacled face at the office -- as seen in the first trailer that Paramount unveiled Thursday. Did we mention this is a comedy? The dark, screwball kind from the minds of screenwriters Clooney and frequent collaborators Ethan and Joel Coen and Grant Heslov? Well, it is, in case that wasnt clear from the previous description. These animals took everything from us, a blood-splattered Gardner tells his son Nicky (Noah Jupe) at the dinner table. I have to make decisions like whats best for the family. After Gardners wife is murdered, he invites Auntie Margaret (Julianne Moore) to come live in the manicured suburban community to help with his son. Meanwhile, he gets mixed up with a loan shark that sets him on the warpath of a formidable, coffee-swilling collector named Roger (Oscar Isaac). The film is based on a script that the Coen brothers wrote years ago that Clooney found, and they agreed to have him direct it, according to Moore. Paramount acquired the U.S. rights to the film, billed as a comedy, crime and mystery, at the Berlin Film Festival last year. It will be shown at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and hits theaters on Oct. 27. Facebook

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Woody Allens Wonder Wheel to complete Amazons turn to full-service distribution By Mark Olsen Woody Allen at the American Film Institutes Life Achievement Award tribute to Diane Keaton on June 8, 2017, in Los Angeles. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images for Turner) Thursday it was announced that Woody Allens latest film, Wonder Wheel, will have its world premiere as the closing-night film at this years New York Film Festival. The film stars Kate Winslet, Justin Timberlake, Juno Temple and James Belushi in a story set around Coney Island in the 1950s. But that wasnt the only Allen item of the day. Variety reported that Wonder Wheel will also be the first film fully distributed by Amazon when it opens in theaters on Dec. 1. The company has already made fast inroads to the movie business, winning Academy Awards this year for Manchester by the Sea and The Salesman, but has up to now worked with established distribution partners such as Roadside Attractions or Bleecker Street to help get those movies into theaters. Amazon released Allens 2016 film, Cafe Society, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart and Steve Carell, in partnership with Lionsgate. The online giant also released Allens six-part Crisis in Six Scenes, in which he starred alongside Elaine May and Miley Cyrus, late last year via the Amazon Prime Video streaming service. The move by Amazon is yet another way the company is distinguishing itself in relation to streaming rival Netflix. Where Netflix has been seen as pulling back from theatrical distribution, opting for either extremely limited or no theatrical release at all of its titles to drive viewers to its own platform, this latest push by Amazon renews its commitment to traditional theatrical releases. The New York Film Festival slot for Wonder Wheel gives Amazon the three marquee spots at the showcase. Previously announced, Richard Linklaters Last Flag Flying will open the festival, and Todd Haynes Wonderstruck, which premiered at this years Cannes Film Festival, will show in the centerpiece slot. Other upcoming Amazon titles include Mike Whites Brads Status, starring Ben Stiller, and Luca Guadagninos remake of Suspiria, starring Dakota Johnson. Facebook

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Mick Jagger releases two new, politically charged singles By August Brown (Dave Gatley / Los Angeles Times) Mick Jagger has been looking to the past on recent albums and festival dates. But a pair of urgent new singles are firmly set in the present. On Thursday, the Rolling Stones frontman released two tracks, Gotta Get A Grip and England Lost, that describe, as he put it in a statement, the anxiety, unknowability of the changing political situation in a post-Brexit U.K. The production is resolutely modern, built on programmed drums and clanging guitar noise. The London grime artist Skepta even joins him for a verse on England Lost. Ostensibly, its about seeing an England football team lose, but when I wrote the title I knew it would be about more than just that. Its about a feeling that we are in a difficult moment in our history. Its about the unknowability about where you are and the feeling of insecurity, Jagger said in a statement. Its obviously got a fair amount of humour because I dont like anything too on the nose but its also got a sense of vulnerability of where we are as a country. The Girls actress Jemima Kirke also stars in a new clip for Gotta Get A Grip. The songs are Jaggers first new solo material since 2001s Goddess In the Doorway. Facebook

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Katy Perry to host 2017 MTV Video Music Awards By Libby Hill The MTV Video Music Awards are returning to California and getting a certified California Gurl to host. Katy Perry took to her Twitter feed Thursday to announce her upcoming gig hosting -- and performing -- at the VMAs in August. Ive been training with MTV in zero gravity, eating astronaut ice cream, and Im on a group text with Buzz Aldrin and Neil deGrasse Tyson, Perry said in a statement. Come August 27th, Ill be ready to be your MOONWOMAN! Brace for impact, kids. Perry will kick off the evening as the first announced performer for the ceremony. On Tuesday, Perry earned five VMA nominations for her video contributions over the last year, tying with the Weeknd, with only Kendrick Lamar earning more. Were thrilled to have global phenomenon Katy Perry as the host and a performer at the 2017 VMAs, said Bruce Gillmer, head of music and music talent for Global Entertainment Group, Viacom, in a statement from MTV. She is at the forefront of music culture and the perfect person to anchor this years show, which promises to be one of the most diverse and music-filled in VMA history. The 2017 MTV Video Music Awards will air from the Forum in Inglewood on Aug. 27. Find a full list of nominees here. Introducing your MOONWOMAN. Brace for impact! August 27th on @MTV @VMAs pic.twitter.com/WJsIYq7WiM  KATY PERRY (@katyperry) July 27, 2017 Facebook

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Turns out Larry David and Bernie Sanders are related! By Yvonne Villarreal Turns out Saturday Night Live was on to something when it cast Larry David to play Sen. Bernie Sanders. During his freewheeling appearance Wednesday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills to promote the upcoming ninth season of HBOs Curb Your Enthusiasm, David revealed that the resemblance is rooted in reality: Sanders is a distant relative. Hes in the line ... like a third cousin, or something, he said. The genealogical discovery comes courtesy of Davids appearance in an upcoming episode of the PBS series Finding Your Roots. I was very happy about that, David said. I figured there was some connection. David played Sanders on Saturday Night Live through the 2015-16 election cycle and also appeared alongside the senator on the late-night sketch show. Its the kind of family secret that David isnt ashamed to admit. I love Bernie, yes, David said. I love Bernie. Facebook

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Trumps proposed transgender military ban turns late-night into hostile territory By Libby Hill If theres one upside to the Trump administrations early-morning Twitter proclamations, its that it gives late-night shows all day to craft their reactions. Wednesday began with President Trump announcing a ban on transgender individuals serving in the United States military and ended with late-night hosts uniformly blasting the policy decision in hilarious fashion. On The Late Show, Stephen Colbert had plenty to say about Trumps tweets, which ended with an uncharacteristic thank you. Thank you? Colbert responded, shocked, before offering his own profane two-word response to the president. Colbert went on to discuss what he saw as the greatest fallacy of the presidents reasons for banning transgender soldiers: increased medical costs. Though a 2016 study funded by the Pentagon found that military medical spending on transgender soldiers would increase anywhere from $2.4 million to $8.4 million, Colbert wanted to reframe those figures. To put that number in perspective, the military spends five times as much on Viagra, Colbert explained, And if your erection lasts for more than four hours, thats too bad, because youre stuck on a submarine for the next six months. On The Daily Show Trevor Noah had similar concerns about the presidents cost-related excuse, pointing out that taxpayers are paying $60 million for Trump to travel to his various properties throughout his presidency. Noah also pondered which of Trumps generals hed consulted with, given that the Pentagon was unaware of his proclamation, suggesting that perhaps hed spoken with The General Online. Late Night With Seth Meyers also invoked the cartoon general from the car insurance commercials, when Meyers opted to turn discussion of Trumps tweets over to four of his female writers. Today it might be trans people, but tomorrow its gay people, and then the next day its black people, and after that its women, and then its immigrants, the writers pointed out, all of those groups represented between them. On The Tonight Show Jimmy Fallon had the good sense to turn over a portion of his monologue to transgender comedian Patti Harrison, who had plenty to say about Trumps Wednesday announcement. When I saw the headline this morning, at first I just read, Donald Trump bans transgender people, and I was like, Yeah, that sounds like him, Harrison deadpanned. But then I realized it was just in the military and I was shocked, because I assumed he already did that. But it was James Corden who took a completely different take on the transgender military ban, opting for a stylish and heartfelt song and dance, expressing his love and appreciation for the LGBT community. Facebook

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Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are on the road again in new song collaboration By August Brown Ringo Starrs new LP includes a collaboration with fellow former Beatle Paul McCartney. (Ethan Miller / Getty Images) Any time the surviving Beatles reunite on record is a historic occasion. But a new single from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr packs in even more classic-rock star power. Starrs new song Were on the Road Again is one of several collaborations with his former bandmate on his new LP, Give More Love. The song also has guest appearances from Joe Walsh, Edgar Winter and Steve Lukather. Its a slightly goofy ode to life on the road, as Starr boasts that, We play really tight; we play really loud and cheekily references his own song Photograph. The two Beatles last recorded together on Starrs 2010 album, Y Not, and performed McCartneys Queenie Eye at the 2014 Grammys. Starr announced the McCartney studio collaboration back in February, thanking the fellow Beatle in a Twitter post. Thanks for coming over man and playing Great bass. I love you man peace and love.  pic.twitter.com/Z5kpyLLlkO  #RingoStarr (@ringostarrmusic) February 20, 2017 Set for release on Sept. 15, Give More Love will also feature cameos from Peter Frampton, Don Was, Richard Marx and Dave Stewart, among others. You can hear Starrs new track with Paul McCartney via Rolling Stone. Facebook

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Curb Your Enthusiasm returns this fall -- and you can expect a Pirates of the Caribbean vibe? By Yvonne Villarreal Actor-creator-executive producer Larry David speaks at the Curb Your Enthusiasm panel during the Television Critics Assn. summer press tour at the Beverly Hilton. (Chris Pizzello / Invision/AP) Larry David revealed the real reason Curb Your Enthusiasm is at last returning after a six-year hiatus: People wouldnt stop bugging him about it. The Seinfeld co-creator took the stage Wednesday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills -- joined by his Curb cohorts Susie Essman, Jeff Garlin and J.B. Smoove and executive producer Jeff Schaffer -- to discuss the shows coming ninth season. So, why bring back the show now after all these years? Im not a misser, David told reporters. I dont really miss things, people that much, but I was missing it. I thought, yeah, what the hell. And I got tired of people asking me if the show was coming back. I couldnt get asked that question anymore and I wasnt ready to say, No, never. The often madcap and sometimes hilariously perplexing 30-minute panel -- led by Davids gruff wit and deadpans -- kicked off with a teaser for the season. There was David in a shower, David talking about constipation, David enduring the displeasure of middle-seat status on a flight. The amount of uncomfortable situations [real Larry David] has been in these last six years, Schaffer said, youre going to see it all. Its like were sitting in the Ft. Knox of awkward. As for TV Larry David, Schaffer said viewers will learn very quickly what hes been up to during the years that have passed. Once the show starts to air, it will be self-evident, he said. It goes to this really strange, fun, crazy place.... And you will never expect where it ends. The trip to that ending begins Oct. 1 when the comedy returns to HBO. The 10-episode season brings back Curb favorites like Cheryl Hines, as well as frequent faces Richard Lewis, Bob Einstein, Ted Danson and Mary Steenburgen. And what would a long-awaited return be without some guest stars? Elizabeth Banks, Ed Begley Jr., Carrie Brownstein, Bryan Cranston, Lauren Graham, Jimmy Kimmel, Nick Offerman, Nasim Pedrad and Elizabeth Perkins will get in on the fun. For those who still need something to pin their hopes on about what this season will entail, Garlin offered this absurdly brilliant comparison. It really thematically follows Pirates of the Caribbean. ... Its more like the last one than the first few. Facebook

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At TCA 2017, HBO defends Confederate, announces Jon Stewart special and says Deadwood movie is inching closer By Greg Braxton Casey Bloys, president of HBO programming, addresses reporters at the Television Critics Assn.'s summer press tour at the Beverly Hilton on Wednesday. (Chris Pizzello / Invision / Associated Press) HBO, which has the hottest show on television with Game of Thrones, recently came under fire with the announcement of a new series called Confederate from a team that includes Game of Thrones producers D.B. Weiss and David Benioff. The series revolves around events that lead to the Third American Civil War and examines an alternate reality in which the South seceded from the Union and thus, slavery is still legal. Casey Bloys, president of HBO programming, defended the project Wednesday during the premium networks session at the summer edition of the Television Critics Assn. gathering at the Beverly Hilton. Bloys said that, in hindsight, the announcement was mishandled because it lacked the context and the vision that he received from Benioff and Weiss in discussing the series. He admitted it was misguided to believe they could simply announce a series with such a sensitive and volatile subject matter. We could have done a better job with the press release, he said. There was no benefit of context. My hope is people will judge the actual material instead of what it could be or should be or might be, he said. Well rise or fall based on that material. He added that he felt the series, rather than being divisive, would be able to advance the racial discussion. Although the topic is controversial, he said he and the producers of the show all feel this is a risk worth taking. Bloys also stressed that the depiction of slavery would not echo Gone With the Wind and would not include whips and plantations. In other major HBO news, former Daily Show host Jon Stewart will perform a stand-up special at a date and time to be announced, and host the latest Night of Too Many Stars, an all-star benefit for autism. Also, a movie reboot of HBOs western Deadwood is closer to reality. Bloys said the shows creator, David Milch, has completed a script that will please fans of the series while also being accessible to those less familiar with the show. But, he said, reuniting the large cast, which included Timothy Olyphant and Ian McShane, may prove challenging. Facebook

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Two Jon Stewart comedy specials are coming to HBO By Yvonne Villarreal Jon Stewart, seen here presenting at the ESPYS, will return to HBO for his first stand-up special in two decades. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP) Jon Stewart will headline two stand-up specials for HBO. The news was announced Wednesday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills. The former Daily Show host will get a stand-up special  his first since since 1996s Jon Stewart: Unleavened aired on the network. A date and location have not been confirmed. Were excited to bring Jon to the network with this pair of specials, said HBO programming president Casey Bloys in a statement. Weve all missed his uniquely thoughtful brand of humor. Im really thrilled to be able to return to stand-up on HBO, added Stewart in a statement. Theyve always set the standard for great stand-up specials. Plus, I can finally use up the last of the Saddam Hussein jokes left over from my first special. Stewart will also host the latest Night of Too Many Stars, the all-star benefit for Next for Autism, a nonprofit organization focused on people living with autism spectrum disorder. The special will air live this fall and will take place from the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York. The specials are part of Stewarts four-year deal with the premium cable network. Facebook

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Angelina Jolie talks about difficult split from Brad Pitt By Nardine Saad A-lister Angelina Jolie is adjusting to the domestic growing pains of life as a single mom  making a proper breakfast, keeping house and picking up dog poop. I never woke up and thought, I really want to live a bold life. I just cant do the other. Its the same as I cant make a casserole. I cannot sit still, she said in a sprawling new interview with Vanity Fair, in which she discussed her high-profile split from actor Brad Pitt. Ive been trying for nine months to be really good at just being a homemaker and picking up dog poop and cleaning dishes and reading bedtime stories. And Im getting better at all three. But now I need to get my boots on and go hang, take a trip, the humanitarian said of her plans to head to Africa for a mission with the preventing Sexual Violence Initiative. Angelina Jolie opens up about putting her family first, life after Brad, health issues & her most personal film yet https://t.co/nKyf4dO8ls pic.twitter.com/WkXCgWR1PV  VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) July 26, 2017 The Oscar-winning actress explained how and when her marriage devolved, though she didnt go into great detail about the breakup for the sake of their six kids. The marriage began suffering in the summer of 2016 while she was in post-production on her fifth directorial effort, First They Killed My Father, a film about Cambodias Khmer Rouge genocide, which hits Netflix in September. Things got bad, Jolie said. I didnt want to use that word. ... Things became difficult. The director became slightly defensive at the mention of the familys globe-trotting lifestyle, which reportedly had been grating on Pitt. "[Our lifestyle] was not in any way a negative, she asserted. That was not the problem. That is and will remain one of the wonderful opportunities we are able to give our children. ... Theyre six very strong-minded, thoughtful, worldly individuals. Im very proud of them. After 12 years together and a few years of marriage, Jolie filed for divorce from Pitt in September 2016. While her ex was couch-surfing, she and the kids spent nine months in a rental property before settling into a six-bedroom, 10-bathroom Los Feliz manse once owned by film legend Cecil B. DeMille. Its just been the hardest time, and were just kind of coming up for air. [This house] is a big jump forward for us, and were all trying to do our best to heal our family. The divorce filing came suddenly for the health of the family on the heels of a spat Pitt had with their 15-year-old son, Maddox. They reached a divorce settlement privately in January after battling publicly for months over custody of the kids. The Oscar-winning producer had been vilified with accusations of child abuse and having an affair with his Allied costar Marion Cotillard. But he arguably won over public opinion with his introspective GQ Style interview in May in which he admitted to sobering up after boozing too much. Last year, Jolie was diagnosed with hypertension and developed Bells palsy when nerve damage caused one side of her face to droop. She took up acupuncture to treat it. Sometimes women in families put themselves last, she said, until it manifests itself in their own health. Thats just the latest in her medical history. Following a preventative double mastectomy in 2013, she had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed in 2015, which sent her into menopause. I cant tell if its menopause or if its just been the year Ive had, she said, quipping about her dry skin and the idea that she could still be considered a sex symbol. I actually feel more of a woman because I feel like Im being smart about my choices, and Im putting my family first, and Im in charge of my life and my health. I think thats what makes a woman complete. For the record, Aug. 4, 12:55 p.m.: A previous version of this story said that First They Killed My Father would hit Netflix this month. It debuts in September. Facebook

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Caitlyn Jenner questions why Trump isnt fighting for transgender service members By James Reed (Taylor Jewell / Invision/Associated Press) There are 15,000 patriotic transgender Americans in the US military fighting for all of us. What happened to your promise to fight for them?  Caitlyn Jenner, tweeting in response to President Trumps transgender military ban announced Wednesday Read More Facebook

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Robert Pattinson confirms hes kind of engaged to singer FKA Twigs By Nardine Saad (Mike Coppola / Getty Images for People) Twilight heartthrob Robert Pattinson says hes kind of " engaged to singer FKA Twigs. The actor addressed the engagement rumors Tuesday in a direct response to shock jock Howard Sterns questioning on Sirius XMs The Howard Stern Show. Youre engaged, right? Stern said after calling the edgy English songstress his fiancee. Yeah, kind of, Pattinson, 31, responded uneasily. The Good Time star, whose relationships have been intensely scrutinized since he dated Twilight co-star Kristen Stewart at the height of the teen vampire frenzy, agreed that hes been a bit protective of his romances. Hes been dating the Water Me singer, real name Tahlia Barnett, since 2014 and theyve been rumored to be engaged since April 2015. Save for public appearances together, Pattinson has kept pretty mum about the relationship. Its one of the most frustrating things in the world because you want to be able to show off a relationship, he told Stern. You kind of get stuck in this position where you have to make decisions whether you want to let the kind of crazy people in. Pattinson was referring to the Twi-hards or, as he called them, a crack troupe of crazies who believe every decision he makes is part of some big conspiracy. To protect [the relationship] you kind of think, I want to create a big boundary between it. But then it makes it difficult for your actual relationship, he said. Additionally, Pattinson also discussed the racial disparagement his fiancee faces on social media for dating him. He tries to tune out the hate when he can, but he isnt always successful. I think its like professional trolls, he said of rude commenters. They get so addicted to kind of just wanting to cause hurt and pain on someone and its just one of the most difficult things to know how to confront. Its a faceless enemy. ... It might seem fake to them, but its definitely real in your life. Pattinson said responding to hate can just be feeding into it. It makes me feel less powerful if youre trying to attack and make it go away. Its like trying to attack a reflection in the water or something. You just look crazy, he said. Facebook

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David Letterman cringes when late-night TV hosts refer to viewers as fans By Emily Mae Czachor A profoundly bearded David Letterman made a rare talk-show appearance Monday -- one of just a handful of public ventures since the end of his run on The Late Show in 2015. Only this time, Letterman arrived as a guest. In an unusual turn of events, the former late-night host played interviewee on the season premiere of stand-up comedian Norm Macdonalds podcast, Norm Macdonald Live. The longtime pals discussed a number of matters, from Lettermans first-ever hosting gig (a game show called Wordbusters) to the time he found himself face to face with Richard Nixon. The two also discussed late-night TVs changing landscape and how Letterman never felt comfortable thinking of himself as the star of his own show. I could not possibly, and still dont, consider myself a star, because I couldnt refer to myself as a star, Letterman said. Johnny Carson was a star, theres no question of that. So for me to adopt that -- Starring Dave Letterman -- that was just ridiculous. In the same way, I always cringe a little when people refer to the folks who watch their show as their fans, Letterman added. I just think thats a little too  you know, you kind of just stepped over the line of basic humility there. Macdonald commented on late-nights packed roster of big-name hosts -- none of whom he finds particularly unique, except Conan OBrien, who he thinks has changed it up a little. On any plans for a late-night return to the host seat, Letterman told fans not to expect too much. Ive done it for 30 years, he said. I dont want to do it anymore. Watch the full episode above (warning: some profanity). Facebook

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Olivia de Havilland, 101, files motion to expedite her Feud lawsuit By Nardine Saad Olivia de Havilland at her Paris home in 2003. (Jean-Marc Giboux / Getty Images) Citing her advanced age, legendary actress Olivia de Havilland has filed a motion in her Feud lawsuit for a preferential trial date this fall. De Havillands attorneys filed in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, requesting that the jury trial be set in November or no later than 120 days of her motion being granted. The 101-year-old is hoping that a judge will fast track the trial during her Sept. 13 hearing date, which is just days before Feud is expected to be a big winner at the Primetime Emmy Awards. (The miniseries is nominated for 18 awards.) The Gone With the Wind star sued FX and Feud showrunner Ryan Murphy last month over her depiction in the miniseries about rival actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. The two-time Oscar winner, who was played by actress Catherine Zeta-Jones on the show, makes legal claims about violations of her common law and statutory rights of publicity, her right to privacy and unjust enrichment. Based on her unusually advanced age, resulting particular susceptibility to disease, and recurring health issues, there is a substantial likelihood that she, as with anyone at this advanced age, may not survive for any extended period of time, the motion said. It is likely that if a trial preference motion is not granted, Olivia de Havilland will be prejudiced, because on the normal schedule, trial would not be set within the next 120 days. Her team also argued that because she is the sole plaintiff, De Havilland is crucial to the trial. Olivia de Havilland has a substantial interest in the litigation as a whole here as her personal statutory right of publicity cause of action does not survive her death. ... Further, should Olivia de Havilland die before her trial date, she will not be able to enjoy the benefits which she would receive in damages, the motion said. De Havillands June 30 lawsuit said the show damaged her professional reputation for integrity, honesty, generosity, self-sacrifice and dignity. She claimed that FX, Murphy and Fox producers never sought or obtained her permission to be depicted in the series and that Zeta-Jones portrayal of her in an episode about the 1963 Oscars cast her in a false, hurtful and damaging light. The defendants have not yet responded to de Havillands initial filing. According to Deadline, the Paris-based actress will not be attending the September hearing but may return to Hollywood if the trial is expedited to November. Olivia de Havilland 101: Everything you need to know as the movie legend celebrates her 101st birthday Facebook

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Despacitos Luis Fonsi, Daddy Yankee call out Venezuelan president for using song to push agenda By Nardine Saad Luis Fonsi, left, and Daddy Yankee. (Sergi Alexander / Getty Images) Despacito singers Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee and co-writer Erika Ender have condemned Venezuelas President Nicolas Maduro for appropriating their international hit song for political gain. The chart-topping Puerto Rican recording artists and Panamanian songwriter on Monday called out Maduro, currently the subject of violent and sometimes fatal nationwide protests over his policies, for reworking their lyrics to appeal to voters during his weekly television show on Sunday. The revision promoted the leaders plans for a controversial citizens assembly to be elected on July 30 and tasked with rewriting Venezuelas 1999 constitution and bypassing the opposition-led legislature. Our call to the Constituent Assembly only seeks to unite the country ... despacito, Maduros version said. The term despacito means slowly in Spanish and in the original version of the song refers to the singers wooing techniques. Maduros supporters swayed to the remix dressed in matching T-shirts and baseball caps that brandished campaign slogans. the Associated Press said. The president was seen clapping along to the remix while the audience danced, according to the BBC. I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS, Ender wrote in Spanish on Instagram, citing a news story about Maduros use of the song. I cannot see so much pain in people I love so much. Warrior people, people with iron will. Good people, who are fighting for freedom of rights and expression. ... I love Venezuela, a land that has given me true brothers and sisters. Brothers who suffer because of the situation that exists. Ender also lamented seeing the song she co-wrote be used without permission to advertise campaigns linked to a regime that has sowed so much discontent and suffering. View Instagram post On repeated occasions, I have said how much I enjoy the versions of Despacito that have been released on a global level. However there has to be a limit, Fonsi also wrote in Spanish on Instagram. I have never been consulted, nor have I authorized the use of or the change of lyrics of Despacito for political means, much less in the middle of the deplorable situation in a country I love so much, Venezuela. He added that his music is for everyone who wants to listen to it and enjoy it, not to use as propaganda that tries to manipulate the will of the people who are crying out loud for their liberty and a better future. View Instagram post Daddy Yankee took a much more blunt approach in his post, sharing an image of a news article about Maduro with a large red X superimposed on it. What can you expect of a person who has stolen lives from young dreamers and people who are looking for a better future for their children? the reggaeton rapper wrote in Spanish. That you illegally appropriated Despacito does not compare to the crimes you commit and have committed in Venezuela. Your dictatorial regime is a mockery not only for my Venezuelan brothers, but for the whole world. With that nefarious marketing plan, you will only continue to highlight your fascist ideology, which has killed hundreds of heroes and injured more than 2,000. View Instagram post Millions of Venezuelans joined a general strike last week amid economic turmoil and a shortage of food and medicine in the country. Government opponents dealt a symbolic blow on Sunday to Maduro, casting votes in an unofficial referendum that rejected his plan for the constitutional overhaul. The government denounced the opposition balloting as illegal and seditious, according to The Times, but turnout appeared high at thousands of makeshift voting places set up throughout the country and abroad. Facebook

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Netflix invests in Matt Groenings Disenchantment By Libby Hill Matt Groening is ready to take another crack at this television thing. The creator of The Simpsons, which debuts its 29th season on Fox this fall, has a new show courtesy of Netflix. The streaming service provider announced Tuesday that it had ordered 20 episodes of Disenchantment, an adult animated comedy series set in a deteriorating fantasy kingdom. The show centers around a hard-living young princess named Bean, voiced by Abbi Jacobson (Broad City), her elf companion, Elfo (Nat Faxon), and personal demon Luci (Eric Andre). Ultimately, Disenchantment will be about life and death, love and sex, and how to keep laughing in a world full of suffering and idiots, despite what the elders and wizards and other jerks tell you, Groening said in a statement Tuesday. Matt Groenings brilliant work has resonated with generations around the world and we couldnt be happier to work with him on Disenchantment,  Cindy Holland, vice president of original content for Netflix, said in a statement. The series will bear his trademark animation style and biting wit, and we think its a perfect fit for our many Netflix animation fans. The series joins Netflixs Bojack Horseman in aiming for an audience unafraid of exploring the less-savory aspects of adulthood. Disenchantment will premiere on Netflix 10 episodes at a time, beginning in 2018. Facebook

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Broad City stars talk about the decision to bleep President Trumps name on the show By Yvonne Villarreal Abbi Jacobson, left, and Ilana Glazer of the series Broad City speak at the Television Critics Assn. press tour at the Beverly Hilton on Tuesday. (Chris Pizzello / Invision/Associated Press) Broad City creators and stars Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson consider the bleeping out of President Trumps name from the comedys upcoming fourth season a different kind of joke. The two appeared onstage Tuesday at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Beverly Hills to discuss the new season and how they reworked the show in the wake of Trumps election. We just got to a point where in real life were talking about the current administration, were talking about Trump  and it sounds so gross every day saying it so many 
A military helicopter prepares to take off over the coast from Camp Pendleton , located south of the decommissioned San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station . (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The massive, 150-ton turbines have stopped spinning. The mile-long cooling pipes that extend into the Pacific will likely become undersea relics. High voltage that once energized the homes of more than a million Californians is down to zero.

But the San Onofre nuclear power plant will loom for a long time as a landmark, its 1,800 tons of lethal radioactive waste stored on the edge of the Pacific and within sight of the busy 5 Freeway.

Across the site, deep pools of water and massive concrete casks confine high-power gamma radiation and other forms of radioactivity emitted by 890,000 spent fuel rods that nobody wants there.

And like the other 79,000 tons of spent fuel spread across the nation, San Onofres nuclear waste has nowhere to go.

The nations inability to find a permanent home for the dangerous byproduct of its 50-year-adventure in nuclear energy represents one of the biggest and longest running policy failures in federal government history.

Now, the Trump administration and Congress are proposing a fast track fix. The new plan aims, after decades of delays, to move the waste to one or more temporary central storage sites that would hold it until a geologic repository can be built in Nevada or somewhere else.

But the new strategy faces many of the same challenges that have dogged past efforts, leaving some experts doubtful that it can succeed.

Americas nuclear waste failure

Left, Construction is underway of the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI) where dry cask storage of used nuclear fuel will be stored vertically at the closed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Right, view of the two domes at San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. The I-beams in foreground are part of the turbine structure, where steam was turned into electricity at the now closed facility. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

The shuttered San Onofre facility  not withstanding its overlook of prime surf breaks  is similar to about a dozen other former nuclear power plants nationwide that now have to babysit waste to prevent natural disasters, human errors or terrorist plots from causing an environmental or health catastrophe.

Though utilities and government regulators say such risks are remote, they have inflamed public fear at least since 1979s Three Mile Island reactor accident in Pennsylvania.

The sites are located on the scenic shores of northern Lake Michigan, along a bucolic river in Maine, on the high plateau of Colorado and along the densely populated Eastern Seaboard  each environmentally sensitive for different reasons.

No one wants that waste near them  including officials in the sleepy beach town of San Clemente, just north of San Onofre. Even Southern California Edison Co. officials, while insisting the waste is safe, agree it should be moved as soon as possible.

It doesnt make any sense to store the fuel at all these sites, said Thomas Palmisano, chief nuclear officer at the Southern California Edison plant. The public doesnt want the spent fuel here. Well, the fuel is here.

But every attempt to solve the problem almost instantly gets tangled in complex federal litigation and imposes enormous expense on taxpayers.

The Energy Department was legally bound to haul away the waste by 1998 under the Nuclear Waste Policy Act, making the agency about 20 years late in fulfilling its promise. That has saddled utilities with multibillion-dollar costs to store the waste onsite.

An aerial view of the closed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station hangs on the wall of a conference room at the facility. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

As a result, every nuclear utility, including Southern California Edison, has sued to recover its waste storage costs. So far, they have won judgments and settlements of $6.1 billion, and the Energy Department has projected that it may be liable for up to $25 billion more.

But the new plan is fraught with complex legal, political and financial questions, and has yet to be fully defined or vetted among powerful interest groups or receive approval by Congress or survive inevitable court challenges.

The House Energy and Commerce Committee last week overwhelmingly approved legislation that could clear up many legal questions. Similar bills have been introduced in recent years and failed to move ahead, but this legislation has strong bipartisan support and is backed by the White House.

Still, a lot could go wrong with the plan, as it has for every plan for decades.

Two little-known privately held companies, New Jersey-based Holtec International and Texas-based WCS, have unveiled plans and begun licensing applications with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for interim storage sites on each side of the New Mexico-Texas border. Officials in the area, a booming center of oil production, are enthusiastic about the potential economic benefits. And nuclear utilities have offered encouragement.

Company officials and other proponents say such temporary dumps could be opened in as little as three or four years, assuming the licensing goes smoothly. But other nuclear waste experts expect a timetable of 10 to 15 years for a temporary dump and much longer for a permanent repository.

Two dozen antinuclear activist groups and leading environmental nonprofits already have signaled in letters to the NRC that they will dispute the idea of creating temporary consolidated storage sites.

The groups, along with many longtime nuclear waste technical experts, worry that temporary storage will weaken the governments resolve to build a permanent repository. And they assert the plan would require transporting the fuel twice, first to the temporary site and then to a permanent dump, magnifying transportation costs and the fuels exposure to accidents or attacks by terrorists.

These trains hauling nuclear waste would go right by Trumps hotel in Las Vegas, said Marta Adams, a now-retired deputy attorney general in Nevada who is consulting with the state on its renewed legal battle.

Top, view from inside the turbine building where large pipes and valves are used to support generating electricity inside the closed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Left, Looking down at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) control room at the closed facility in San Clemente. Right, the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station provided electricity for almost 3 million customers. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Serious business problems cloud the plan. Among the most important is who would own and be legally responsible for the waste once it leaves the utility plant sites.

The federal government promised in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 to take ownership at a government-owned dump, but it never authorized such ownership at a temporary private facility  one of the legal questions that the Energy and Commerce Committees legislation would clear up.

A temporary facility by Holtec or another organization is intended as a segue to a permanent dump at Yucca Mountain, about 100 miles north of Las Vegas. Along with an interim storage site, the Trump administration wants to restart licensing of Yucca Mountain, which President Obama suspended.

But reviving Yucca Mountain is a long shot. A decade ago, the Energy Department estimated Yucca Mountain would cost nearly $100 billion, a figure that has undoubtedly increased. The cost could be a problem for deficit-minded Republicans.

The Energy Department collected a tiny monthly fee from utility customers to build the dump, and currently a so-called trust fund has $39 billion reserved for the purpose.

But a little known clause in federal budget law 20 years ago decreed that contributions to the trust fund would count against the federal deficit. There are no securities or bonds that back up the fund, unlike the Social Security Trust Fund. As a result, every dollar spent on Yucca Mountain will have to be appropriated, and the money will add to the national debt.

The money was collected for one purpose and used for another, said Dale Klein, a former NRC chairman who is now associate vice chancellor for research at the University of Texas. There is a moral obligation to address the issue. It will be a challenge to get Congress to pay for it.

The Trump plan has also rekindled the strident bipartisan political opposition of Nevada officials, including the governor, senators, representatives and attorney general, among others. They vow to erect every legal and political obstacle to delay or kill the Yucca Mountain dump.

The state filed nearly 300 formal objections to the plan before the Obama administration suspended licensing. They must be individually examined by the NRC, a process that could take five years.

Then, the design and construction of the underground dump will require construction of about two dozen big industrial buildings and 300 miles of new railroad track. It could cost $1 billion or more every year, ranking among the largest federal operations.

A permanent repository could take 10 years to 20 years by most estimates.

On the beach

Nowhere is the nuclear waste problem more urgent than at shuttered power plants like San Onofre.

After utilities dismantle the reactors, haul away the concrete debris and restore the sites to nearly pristine condition, the nuclear waste remains. Security officers with high-powered automatic weapons guard the sites round the clock.

About five years after the spent fuel rods cool off in a 40- to 50-foot-deep pool, they are transferred to massive steel and concrete dry casks about 20 feet tall. Almost every government and outside nuclear expert considers the dry casks much safer than the pools.

The 3 Yankee Cos., which are safeguarding dry casks at three former New England reactors, spend about $10 million annually per site for maintenance and security, company officials say. The costs could be higher at San Onofre if the waste is left in place, Palmisano said.

Clockwise from top left: A model of a fuel assembly inside the conference room at the closed San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. Thomas Palmisano, decommissioning and chief nuclear officer, holds No. 11 rebar, which is used in the structure of the dry cask storage. Construction is underway of the Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation, where dry cask storage of used nuclear fuel will be stored vertically. A view of a concrete dry cask facility where 50 canisters, about one-third of the used nuclear fuel, is stored horizontally. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Edison is building a massive concrete monolith for more storage, using a Holtec design called Hi-Storm UMAX. It will hold about two-thirds of the plants spent fuel in 73 stainless-steel canisters about 125 feet from the ocean. The 25-foot structure is about half-buried with the underground foundation just above the mean high-tide line. Tall cranes and swarms of hard hats are moving construction ahead.

The crucial question is whether it will be safe, especially if congressional inaction or litigation by opposition groups keeps it on-site for years.

The top has four feet of steel-reinforced concrete, said Ed Mayer, program director at Holtec. It is remarkably strong. The  steel lids are designed to take an aircraft impact.

NRC officials say the design is safe and meets all federal requirements. Although nuclear issues are within the NRCs jurisdiction, the Coastal Commission also examined the potential for a tsunami, sea level rise or an earthquake to undermine the facility.

Under our authority, which is limited, the commission approved the permit, and behind that is the evaluation that it is safe for a period of 20 years, said Alison Dettmer, deputy director of the commission.

But suspicion lingers. San Clemente city officials have demanded that the fuel be removed as soon as possible. An activist group, Citizens Oversight, has sued Edison for starting construction and the California Coastal Commission for approving it.

The waste is right down by the water, just inches from the high-tide line, said Ray Lutz, the groups founder. It is the most ridiculous place they could find.

In an effort to assuage local concerns, Edison participates in a community engagement panel that meets at least quarterly, led by UC San Diego professor David Victor.

Early on, I was surprised by how many people did not understand there was no place for the fuel to go, he said. Over the last year, the possibility of a temporary storage site has raised peoples hopes for a quicker solution, he said.

The history of nuclear waste, however, is replete with solutions that seem plausible but succumb to obscure and unanticipated legal, technical or financial issues.

Decades of delay

Two decades ago, the Skull Valley Band of Goshute Indians sought to create an interim storage facility for nuclear waste on its reservation about an hour out of Salt Lake City.

The NRC spent nine years examining the license application and approved it. But Utah officials and a broad swath of major environmental groups opposed the plan. Eventually, the state blocked shipping routes to the reservation.

Michael C. Layton, director of the NRCs division of spent fuel management, said a temporary facility would use the same technology as existing dry cask storage sites, like San Onofre.

But Layton said it is unclear how long it will take to license a consolidated storage site. The formal review is scheduled for three years, but the Skull Valley license that took nine years is the only actual licensing effort to compare it to, he added. Palmisano, the Edison executive, estimates that an off-site temporary storage facility could be operating in 10 to 15 years.

Problems have already delayed WSC, which wants to build a storage site in Andrews, Texas. It asked the NRC in April to suspend its license application.

The $7.5-million cost of just the license application review is significantly higher than we originally anticipated, the company said, noting that it is under additional financial stress because the Justice Department has sued it to block a merger.

Holtec officials say that WCS problems havent deterred their plans for an underground storage site, saying interim storage could save the federal government billions of dollars, particularly if the Yucca Mountain plan is again postponed.

The company has strong support in New Mexico, which already has a dump for nuclear weapons waste, a uranium enrichment plant, a nuclear weapons armory and two nuclear weapons laboratories.

We are very well-informed, said Sam Cobb, mayor of nearby Hobbs, rejecting arguments by antinuclear groups that the industry preys on communities that need money and dont understand the risk.

It is not a death grab to get money, he said. We believe if we have an interim storage site, we will be the center for future nuclear fuel reprocessing.

Transportation to an interim site would cost the federal government billions of dollars under the pending legislation. Aides at the House Energy and Commerce Committee said those costs would be recovered when the federal government no longer has to pay for legal settlements for failing to take the waste in the first place.

Thomas Palmisano, left, decommissioning and chief nuclear officer, and Lou Bosch, center, Southern California Edison plant manager, lead a tour near the electricity switch yard where two-thirds of the used nuclear fuel is in wet storage. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

Even if an interim site is built, it is uncertain who would get to ship waste there first. The timing of waste shipments to a permanent site is determined by the so-called standard contract queue, a legal document so complex that federal bureaucrats have dedicated their entire careers to managing it.

The queue was structured so that the oldest waste would go into a future dump first. In the unlikely event that Yucca Mountain were opened in 2024, Edisons fuel would be in line to start shipping in 2028 with the last bit of waste arriving in 2049, Palmisano said.

Whether that queue would apply to an interim site is unclear, even under the pending legislation.

The dry casks are designed to keep spent fuel confined only for decades, while the health standard for a permanent repository covers hundreds of thousands of years  longer than humans have roamed Earth. If the radioactive waste sits around in temporary storage for hundreds of years, it could be neglected and eventually forgotten.

So one outcome that nobody seems to want is for a temporary site to eventually become permanent by default.

It would derail momentum for a permanent repository, said Edwin Lyman, a nuclear physicist at the Union of Concerned Scientists. This issue has always pitted one community against another and those in between.

ralph.vartabedian@latimes.com

Twitter @rvartabedian

allen.schaben@latimes.com

Twitter @alschaben

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Several thousand protesters marched through downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, waving signs and chanting, Down, down, down with Trump  up, up, up with the people as they urged Congress to impeach the president.

The peaceful demonstration was one of dozens of events held across the country Sunday, aimed at voicing displeasure with Trump and his White House.

The Los Angeles march began at Pershing Square. John Meranda, 56, of Long Beach brandished a sign showing Trumps face on the body of a baby, with the word impeach spelled out in wooden blocks.

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Every day when I wake up, something is more terrible than it was yesterday, Meranda said.

In the last week, he said, hes been unsettled by Republican proposals to cut billions of dollars from the Medicaid program; some of his friends, he said, are kept alive by it.

His friend Angela Greene of San Pedro held a hot pink sign that read, We need a leader, not a creepy tweeter.

Further north on Broadway, Allen Levinson, 55, of Redondo Beach and two friends hoisted a plastic frame supporting a wide banner that read Illegitimate Corrupt Puppet.

It cuts to the heart of his personal insecurities and fears, said Levinson, describing Trump as an aspiring despot. And, he said wryly, we wanted something G-rated.

Allen Levinson of Redondo Beach said his huge banner took 40 hours to make: "It cuts to the heart of his personal insecurities and fears." pic.twitter.com/rFrEEvSmYt  Laura J. Nelson  (@laura_nelson) July 2, 2017

At a rally before the impeachment march, three to four dozen Trump supporters gathered on the sidewalk outside Los Angeles Police Department headquarters in an area roped off by yellow police tape. Many had American flags hoisted over their shoulders or tied around their necks.

Matthew Woods, a 55-year-old street musician from West Hills, dismissed the investigation into whether members of the Trump campaign or the presidents associates conspired with Russia during or after the election.

Its all been disproven, Woods said. He has a right to terminate this inquiry. I think its magnanimous of him to let them go on with it.

In February, White House officials said the president fired national security advisor Michael Flynn because the former three-star Army general had lied to Vice President Mike Pence and other officials about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak.

A day later, Trump met with FBI Director James B. Comey and told him he hoped you can see your way clear to letting this go, to letting Flynn go, according to Comey.

Trump has disputed Comeys account. The president and his aides have denied any wrongdoing.

Why shouldnt they have talked to Russia? said Hollee Garcia of Cathedral City, who drove in for the pro-Trump counterprotest. I dont agree with [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, but I respect him as a man who has a country behind him. Though does he have them under lock and key? Maybe.

At a nearby booth, where a vendor sold Trump T-shirts, someone propped up a sign that read, Trump 2020: Better crazy than stupid.

As the pro-impeachment marchers passed by, one anti-Trump demonstrator leaned toward the rally and screamed: Youre a fraud! Youre a fraud!

Bit of a heated confrontation here - one of the protestors accusing the other guy of being a Nazi. pic.twitter.com/xymtFZHgMl  Laura J. Nelson  (@laura_nelson) July 2, 2017

Similar events in favor of impeaching Trump were held in numerous cities, including Chicago, New York and Washington, D.C.

The impeachment march in Los Angeles ended at Fletcher Bowron Square near City Hall, where demonstrators heard anti-Trump speeches, including one from Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Porter Ranch).

The San Fernando Valley lawmaker has put himself at odds with House Democratic leaders by drafting and circulating articles of impeachment, accusing Trump of trying to thwart the FBIs investigation into Flynn.

We have to act now to protect our country from abuse of power and impulsive, ignorant incompetence, Sherman said. The crowd cheered and began chanting, Lock him up.

Edward Holzhauer of Palm Desert created his "This is the last straw" sign with green foam pool noodles and pink duct tape. pic.twitter.com/tHzh8BpVGx  Laura J. Nelson  (@laura_nelson) July 2, 2017

In the shade of a nearby ficus tree, Edward Holzhauer, 51, of Palm Desert clutched a long foam pool noodle wrapped with pink duct tape that he had molded to look like a giant drinking straw. The attached sign read, This is the last straw.

Holzhauer drove in from the Coachella Valley to attend the march because the Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act is hurtful, he said. I cant take it anymore.

A sticker on his shirt read Healthcare, not warfare.

Still, he said, Trumps election has created one silver lining: Hes become politically active for the first time since high school, supporting local candidates for public office and attending city council meetings.

Were not just against what Trump is doing federally, Holzhauer said. Were also learning how we can help here.

I'm now at the "empathy tent," where Impeach marchers and Trump supporters are talking, with the help of a mediator from Berkeley. pic.twitter.com/xoFL5BQX13  Laura J. Nelson  (@laura_nelson) July 2, 2017

As demonstrators left the rally, they passed a modest white tent on the lawn of City Hall, with a sign reading Empathy Tent.

Inside, Edwin Rutsch of Berkeley sat on an orange camping chair, mediating a discussion between a Trump supporter and an impeachment marcher. They sparred over whether Trump had ever lied or committed any impeachable offenses, their voices sometimes rising.

Rutsch repeatedly broke into the argument, urging them to reflect back, or summarize their debate partners points before launching into a counterattack. The exercise was designed to increase empathy, he said.

Neither participant seemed to like it much, and the discussion ended without any agreement.

Still, said mediator Dave Gottfried, who watched from the sidelines, that doesnt mean the discussion wasnt a success. All the group wanted, he said, was just to get people to stop yelling at each other and start talking.

Times staff writer Tony Barboza contributed to this report.

laura.nelson@latimes.com

Follow @laura_nelson on Twitter.

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UPDATES:

5:40 p.m.: This article was updated with more comments from marchgoers.

2 p.m.: This article was updated with remarks from Rep. Brad Sherman.

1:15 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the pro-impeachment march.

12:55 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the counterprotest and that the pro-impeachment march had begun.

This article was originally published at 5 a.m.
A body pulled from the Kern River over the weekend has been identified as that of an Orange County rapper swept away more than a week ago by dangerous currents, adding to the waterways grim toll during a treacherous few months.

The death of Michael Ramirez is the eighth since March along a river whose reputation has led some to call it Killer Kern. One of those dead suffered a heart attack. Two more people remain missing in Kern County alone.

A fatal mix of swift currents and frigid water temperatures has prompted law enforcement agencies to warn visitors to stay out of the water unless they are with a certified rafting company.

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Yanira Zelaya of Palmdale said her son Jeison Aviles, 20, found the body Saturday while he was fishing near the Keyesville south campground in Lake Isabella, where his family had gathered for the holiday weekend. He returned to camp, and Zelaya called 911 around 6:30 p.m.

Zelaya glanced over at her son, who sat bent over, holding his head.

He is in shock, she said.

Her son was adventurous and at times impulsive  he jumped off rocks into the river, she said. Now, she thinks, he may stay on the banks.

Not far from the site, a 22-year-old Los Angeles man had been swimming with his cousins Saturday morning when he was swept away and drowned. His body was recovered 16 minutes later, said Kern County sheriffs Sgt. Steve Williams.

He said officials from the Bureau of Land Management had passed by earlier that morning and warned the victim against swimming. The man has yet to be publicly identified.

Ramirezs girlfriend, Erica Zambada, said she learned from the Kern County coroners office that the latest body retrieved belonged to Ramirez, whom she had last seen June 22 after they spent the day at the Keyesville campground.

I want everyone to know he was a beautiful person. He put everyone else first, she said. Im devastated. I feel like my whole life has been shattered.

She said she would keep him alive by sharing his music.

The Kern County coroners office has yet to publicly identify the body as Ramirezs.

Ramirez, who went by Dossicc, was a member of the underground hip-hop group Rebellion Warfare. The group has performed with Immortal Technique, Raekwon, Aesop Rock and Method Man.

On the day he went missing, Ramirez and Zambada had been camping with friends and celebrating Ramirezs 27th birthday, which was June 19.

After they set up their tents and began preparing a meal, Ramirez took a swim to cool down. As Zambada dipped her feet in the water, Ramirez threw a rock into the river to check its depth, and then dove in.

Ramirez struggled to stay afloat, and was pulled under, she said in a previous interview.

The couples friend and bandmate tied a rope around his waist and jumped into the water to reach Ramirez. But an undercurrent swept Ramirez away, Zambada said.

Im devastated. I feel like my whole life had been shattered.  Erica Zambada, whose boyfriend, Michael Ramirez, was killed in the Kern River

About 10 minutes later, rescue teams with the Kern County Sheriffs Office arrived and searched the river until sundown.

Ramirez, a Buena Park resident, was nowhere to be found.

Dozens of friends and relatives joined the search for him along a miles-long stretch of the 165-mile river. They taped bright green posters with Ramirezs photo to the entrances to various campsites across the Kern Valley, asking visitors if they had seen him.

I truly believed he was alive, because I felt him with me in spirit, Zambada said.

On the day Ramirezs body was found, family and friends had been out searching with rope and machetes and a map of the valley, according to his father, Agustin Ramirez, 65. He had been hopeful before, but that afternoon he said he did not expect to find his son alive.

For the last several years, the drought severely depleted the Kern River, usually one of the fastest-flowing rivers in the West.

But the exceedingly wet winter returned the Kern, Californias 10th-longest river and a favorite among whitewater rafting enthusiasts, to a power not seen in years. Runoff from its headwaters at the base of Mt. Whitney is fueling dramatic rapids and swift flows.

Over the Memorial Day weekend, three people died and 24 were rescued in multiple incidents along the river, about three hours north of Los Angeles.

In the run-up to the Fourth of July, authorities repeated their warnings to visitors about the dangers. Still, in the past two weeks, two more people have died and one remains missing.

Times staff writer Veronica Rocha contributed to this story.

megan.bernhard@latimes.com

Twitter: @meg_bernhard

UPDATES:

5:35 p.m.: This article was updated with more details about the rivers dangerous conditions, the search for Ramirez and the discovery of his body.

2:15 p.m.: This article was updated with background about this years deaths and the discovery of Ramirezs body.

This article was originally published at 1:35 p.m.
For Kayla Chai, fresh from posing with her college diploma, theres only one spot to rush to for a treat  Diamond Jamboree.

At the bustling shopping and dining destination, she entered 85C Bakery Cafe one Friday and, grabbing a tray and tongs, moved through the display to satisfy her cravings with garlic and cheese bread, washed it down with pick-me-up sea salt coffee.

Its my favorite, said the newly minted UC Irvine graduate, a psychology major. This is one of those places that you come to every chance you get.

Others share the same idea. Countless families at the Irvine hotspot say theyre regulars, even if on many weekends, every parking space  all 747  are full.

Diamond Jamboree spokeswoman Suzie Won says customers constantly ask her:  What time of day is best to visit for best parking? 

As for business owners, they clamor to hear about restaurant vacancies.

Were so lucky people come back again and again, says Diamond Jamboree owner Alethea Hsu. We exist to give the consumer a taste of Asia. And since Irvine has changed to be so much like Asia, were meeting the need, but we never knew it would be so crowded.

Hsu, who also owns Diamond Plaza in Rowland Heights, bought the 12-acre Jamboree property in 2003, opening it in 2009 with tenants who now sell tempting bites from taro balls and gogi sliders to amberjack and bluefin toru. Folks head upstairs for laser skin treatments while downstairs, every manner of service from Asian banks to jewelers to wig and hair restoration is on offer.

Anchoring the center is H Mart, a Korean grocer thats home to fresh ingredients needed for beef seaweed soup, along with favorites such as dragon fruit, Thai desserts and Japanese green tea cake.

Thai Phi and Kenny Cheng from Toronto select their food from an electronic menu at the Kula Revolving Sushi Bar restaurant at Diamond Jamboree. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

In Irvine, boasting a population of more than 262,000, with 45% Asians, Hsu doesnt worry about future sales. She walks around the center weekly, taking photos of areas that could use touch-ups and sending them to her staff.

A city needs a gathering spot, says James Zarsadiaz, an assistant professor of history at the University of San Francisco whose research involves ethnic enclaves. This is that for Irvine, which has transformed in ways that are similar to how San Gabriel Valley transformed. Its now solidly on the map for communities of Asians to venture to because its set up to offer them everything.

And, he adds, people come back to a place that fills their longing, and its a longing of what theyve experienced, what they used to have, or what they once treasured where they came from.

The multicultural center has become so popular that visitors from across the globe say whenever they mention Irvine, friends ask if they want to meet up at Diamond Jamboree.

Toronto tourists Kenny Cheng and Thai Phi, both information technology consultants, squeezed in a recent stop, noshing on sashimi at the revolving Kula Sushi, where dishes slide on a conveyor belt, allowing guests to pick the plate they want.

Totally, I couldnt miss it, says Cheng, 31, of the cuisine, before heading to an Angels game.

Weve only been here half an hour, and we couldnt believe how crowded it is, adds Phi, 27.

A few doors down, Alex Hy, 85C Bakery supervisor, says his staff sells more than 1,500 loaves of tender, fragrant brioche a week, each for $2.25  an item almost as popular as berrytale, a blueberry and cream cheese pastry at $1.50 a pop. The store touts 85-cent Mondays, when its famed sea salt coffee is heavily discounted to that price, sparking lines as long as an hour.

Sweets just draw people, he said, grinning.

Julian Lai, 8, and his mom, Fiona Kwei, look at the pastries at 85C Bakery Cafe at Diamond Jamboree. (Scott Smeltzer / Daily Pilot)

The nook to the left of the bakery houses Lollicup, a beverage vendor selling the peachee lychee and the anteater, a concoction of milk tea and Thai tea mixed in honor of the mascot at nearby UC Irvine.

The top businesses at the center, aside from the bakery, include Tokyo Table, Kula Sushi, Ajisen Ramen and Capital Seafood, tied for fifth with the 24-hour BCD Tofu.

This is a city known for housing, but now it has more attractions, says Barry Payne, an advertising executive in his 40s whose office is a short drive from the center and who stops by weekly for a sushi lunch. In the beginning, I saw all these Asians and since Im not, I thought I would stick out. I found that actually, everyone comes for the food. They pay more attention to flavor.

Iranian Monica Shrif, a UC Irvine business major, says she too cant resist swinging by for sushi. Everyone talks about waiting for a quiet time  but theres hardly quiet time, adds the 28-year-old. This is a like a downtown.

Palace Beauty owner Jay Bae says foot traffic convinced him to stay open every day of the year. You never know who will show up, he said. People celebrate during the holidays, and theyre ready to eat and spend.

Rita Bai, shopping for skin potions one evening at Baes store, pops in whenever shes in town. At 24, shes studying for a masters degree in fashion management at Englands University of Southampton and misses the lures her Irvine hometown has to offer.

This place is really central and it has all the products from Asia  and by that, I mean everything you need for daily life from karaoke to groceries to cosmetics, she says. I feel like, why dont people go to other plazas? Why do they all come here?

anh.do@latimes.com

Twitter: @newsterrier
With American-backed ground forces poised to recapture Mosul in Iraq and Raqqah in Syria, Islamic States de facto capitals, U.S. commanders are confident they soon will vanquish the militant group from its self-declared caliphate after three years of fighting.

But the White House has yet to define strategy for the next step in the struggle to restore stability in the region, including key decisions about safe zones, reconstruction, nascent governance, easing sectarian tensions and commitment of U.S. troops.

Nor has the Trump administration set policy for how it will confront forces from Iran and Russia, the two outside powers that arguably gained the most in the bitter conflict  and that now are hoping to collect the spoils and expand their influence.

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Iran, in particular, is pushing to secure a land corridor from its western border across Iraq and Syria and up to Lebanon, where it supports Hezbollah militants, giving it a far larger foothold in the turbulent region.

Right now everyone is positioned for routing Islamic State without having the rules of the road, said Michael Yaffe, a former State Department envoy for the Middle East who is now vice president of the Middle East and Africa center at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Thats a dangerous situation.

The risk of a broader confrontation was clear in recent weeks when a U.S. F/A-18 shot down a Syrian fighter jet for the first time in the multi-sided six-year war, provoking an angry response from Russia, which supports Syrian President Bashar Assad.

U.S. warplanes also destroyed two Iranian-made drone aircraft, although its not clear who was flying them. The Pentagon said all the attacks were in self-defense as the aircraft approached or fired on American forces or U.S.-backed Syrian fighters.

What I worry about is the muddled mess scenario, said Ilan Goldenberg, a former senior State Department official who now heads the Middle East program at the nonpartisan Center for a New American Security. When you start shooting down planes and running into each other, it quickly goes up the escalation ladder.

The clashes occurred in eastern Syria, where Russian-backed Syrian and Iranian forces are pushing against U.S. special operations forces and U.S.-backed Syrian opposition fighters trying to break Islamic States hold on the Euphrates River valley south of Raqqah and into Iraq.

Except for a few towns, Islamic State still controls the remote area, and U.S. officials fear the militants could regroup there and plan future attacks. Many of the groups leaders and operatives have taken shelter in Dair Alzour province.

As a candidate, President Trump promised to announce in his first month in office a new strategy for defeating Islamic State. As president, he has promised for more than a month to hold a news conference to discuss the effort.

He has yet to do either. But an intense debate is underway among the Pentagon, the State Department and the White House over the way forward. At least in public, Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and national security advisor H.R. McMaster have signaled different priorities.

The Pentagon argues that it only aims to defeat Islamic State and has no intention of being pulled into a conflict with Iran. Mattis, who is wary of what he calls mission creep, has advocated de-confliction zones that would essentially divvy up Syria and keep competing forces apart.

We just refuse to get drawn in to a fight there in the Syria civil war, he told reporters Monday on a visit to Europe for North Atlantic Treaty Organization meetings.

Mattis acknowledged that military planning and operations have grown more difficult in eastern Syria because of the close proximity of Syrian, Iranian and Russian forces on one side, and U.S. troops and American-backed militias on the other.

Youve got to really play this thing very carefully, and the closer we get, the more complex it gets, he said.

Two days later, McMaster offered a different perspective. He called the war against Islamic State one part of a much broader campaign aimed at blocking transnational terrorist groups from taking root.

Speaking at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington think tank, he argued that Iran is a disruptive force and suggested U.S. policy in the post-Islamic State era will focus increasingly on isolating Tehran and preventing it from expanding its influence.

He gave few specifics beyond pulling back the curtain on Tehrans purported malign deeds, including support for Houthi rebels in Yemen and Shiite militias in Iraq, as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Iran is feeding this cycle of sectarian conflict to keep the Arab world perpetually weak, McMaster said. He estimated that 80% of Assads effective fighters in Syria were Iranian proxies.

Russia is fighting in Syria to prop up Assad, a key ally in the region, and to maintain its only foreign naval base, which is on the Syrian coast. Irans goals are more ambitious as Tehran tries to build a Shiite crescent of nations that would extend from the Arabian Sea, across Iraq and into Syria and out to the Mediterranean.

The situation in Syria could not be more complex, McMaster said.

Hawks in the White House are eager to block or rein in Iran, while the State Department and the Pentagon are trying to apply the brakes to avoid a direct confrontation, one official involved in the debate said.

Diplomats and some at the Pentagon warn that fighting Iran in Syria could prove futile  or disastrous. They also warn of blowback in Iraq, where U.S. diplomats and soldiers are working in a delicate balance with local Shiite leaders to contain Iranian influence.

Is eastern Syria where the Trump administration wants to draw the line on Iran? asked Robert S. Ford, who left Syria in 2014 as the last U.S. ambassador there. The question for the administration is how to confront Iran in eastern Syria, and is that the right place?

Equally unclear is whether the White House will back Assad, whose hold on power now seems all but assured. Unlike the Obama administration, Trump has not called on the Syrian autocrat to hand power to a transition government or made a major diplomatic effort to persuade warring parties into negotiations.

Ive seen no evidence that theyve given much thought to how you would bring the Syria conflict to resolution and how you would achieve a durable ceasefire, said Ford, now a fellow at the Middle East Institute, a Washington think tank.

Unlike in Iraq, the State Department has no government partner in Syria to help remove mines, restore electricity and otherwise help the stricken country recover after a war that has leveled ancient cities and left an estimated 400,000 dead so far.

Current and former U.S. officials say a strategy is needed to maintain peace among rival tribal leaders, to promote reform, to stamp out radical ideology  even just to pay police and get schools and hospitals working again.

The next Syria may look a lot like the emerging Iraq, where diplomats are forced to accept a de facto partition of the country along sectarian and tribal lines, while Islamic State reverts to a violent insurgency rather than a quasi-state.

Syria will continue to exist as one country on a map, said Derek Chollet, a former senior Pentagon official who is now an expert on security and defense policy at the German Marshall Fund. But it is hard to imagine it being governed from Damascus.

The growing concern about the next step comes as U.S.-backed Iraqi forces appear within days of ejecting the last few hundred Islamic State fighters from their redoubt in the crowded warren of Mosuls Old City.

On Thursday, Iraqi troops retook the iconic Nuri mosque, which militants destroyed last month and where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr Baghdadi proclaimed the caliphate, or religious empire, three years ago.

In Syria, a U.S.-backed alliance of Syrian Kurds and Arab militias has steadily closed in on Raqqah, encircling the city after heavy fighting. Much of Islamic States leadership already has fled east, U.S. officials say.

While the battle wont end once Mosul and Raqqah fall, the White House must decide whether to continue to arm and protect its proxy forces as Syria and Iran seek to consolidate their gains.

U.S. commanders say thousands of American troops should stay in Iraq to bolster the Iraqi army, which collapsed and fled when the militants first arrived on pickup trucks in 2014, three years after President Obama withdrew most U.S. troops from the country.

A tougher challenge lies in Syria, where the U.S. military has not been invited by the government and has no large fixed bases. The Pentagon has deployed hundreds of special operations forces and conventional troops to support the Syrian Democratic Forces, a coalition of Kurdish and Arab rebel groups that oppose Assad.

If the U.S. military pulls out, it could give a green light to Assad and Irans forces to turn their firepower on the U.S.-backed militias, potentially a nightmare scenario.

Pressure is growing on Capitol Hill for the White House to articulate a longer-term strategy for when the Islamic State threat has been neutralized.

In a surprise vote Thursday, the House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment from Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) that would repeal a 2001 authorization for use of military force, or AUMF, that three administrations have used as the basis for continued military action in the region.

A small cadre of lawmakers has argued for years that U.S. involvement now goes beyond what was authorized in the post-9/11 AUMF. Until now, leaders in both parties showed little appetite to sunset the measure or amend it for the current war.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), a former Air Force pilot in Iraq and Afghanistan, said any post-Islamic State strategy must go beyond military calculations. He was critical of a White House proposal to slash funding for the State Department and international development.

We have to understand that its not just about winning todays war on terror, he said at an event hosted by the Heritage Foundation. Its about winning the next-generational war on terror.

tracy.wilkinson@latimes.com

Twitter: @TracyKWilkinson

william.hennigan@latimes.com

Twitter: @wjhenn

michael.memoli@latimes.com

Twitter: @mikememoli

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A doctor angry that his career was derailed at a New York City hospital toted an assault rifle past security in search of a colleague he was going to hold responsible. When that person wasnt there, he opened fire anyway, killing a doctor who was covering a shift as a favor, authorities said Saturday.

The new details of Dr. Henry Bellos rampage emerged along with an email rant against colleagues he blamed for forcing him to resign from Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center amid sexual harassment allegations two years earlier. The email was sent to the New York Daily News just two hours before the shooting Friday afternoon that left six people wounded and Bello dead from a self-inflicted shot.

This hospital terminated my road to a licensure to practice medicine, the email said. First, I was told it was because I always kept to myself. Then it was because of an altercation with a nurse.

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He also blamed a doctor for blocking his chances at practicing medicine.

Bello had warned his former colleagues when he was forced out in 2015 that he would return someday to kill them.

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that Bello arrived at the hospital with the assault rifle hidden under his lab coat and asked for a specific doctor whom he blamed for his forced resignation, but the physician wasnt there. The official spoke on anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.

It was not clear if Bello knew Dr. Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, 32, who was killed in the shooting on the 16th and 17th floors of the hospital and was, like him, a family medicine doctor. Hospital officials said that Tam normally worked in one of the hospitals satellite clinics and was covering a shift in the main hospital as a favor to someone else.

It makes you think that anything can happen to anybody, said Tams neighbor, Alena Khaim, 23, who saw Tams sister outside the home Friday night overcome with grief, shaking and unable to walk. She was such a sweet girl. You would never think something like that would happen but it happened.

Judy Beckles-Ross, 46, said shes not surprised Tam volunteered to cover the shift.

She never said no, said Beckles-Ross, a friend from medical school who knew her for 11 years. She had a good heart. Anybody that needed help, she would help them.

The six others who were injured  a patient, two medical students and three physicians  largely suffered gunshot wounds to the head, chest and abdomen. One physician remained in critical condition and the rest were stable, officials said Saturday.

Hospital Vice President Errol C. Schneer said his staff responded heroically.

Many of our staff risked their own lives to save patients, Schneer told reporters at the hospital where the 16th and 17th floors remained closed, and staffers were still recovering from the rampage that sent people diving for cover and huddling in patients rooms while the gunman was on the loose. Adding to the chaos, authorities said, was a fire alarm that went off when Bello attempted to set himself ablaze  the sprinklers extinguished the flames  shortly before he shot himself.

Detectives searched Bellos Bronx home and found the box from which the gun came. Investigators were checking serial numbers and trying to determine where it was purchased.

His former coworkers described a man who was aggressive, loud and threatening.

All the time he was a problem, said Dr. David Lazala, who trained Bello in family medicine. When Bello was forced out in 2015, he sent Lazala an email blaming him for the dismissal.

Dr. Maureen Kwankam told the New York Daily News that he promised to come back and kill us then.

According to New York State Education Department records, Bello graduated from Ross University and had a permit to practice as an international medical graduate that was issued on July 1, 2014, and expired last year on the same day.

In 2004, the doctor pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment, a misdemeanor, after a 23-year-old woman told police Bello grabbed her. He was arrested again in 2009 on a charge of unlawful surveillance, after two women reported he tried to look up their skirts with a mirror. That case was eventually sealed.

Schneer told the New York Times that the hospital did not know about Bellos criminal history when he was hired.

At that time, and as a result of a human resources and security department background check, which includes fingerprinting, there was no record of any conviction for sexual abuse, he said.
On July 3, 1776, John Adams wrote two letters to his beloved Abigail exuberantly reporting that history had been made: One day earlier, the Continental Congress had voted to declare American independence from the British Empire. Henceforth, Adams predicted, July 2 would be celebrated by every generation with parades, speeches, songs and what he called illuminations. He got everything right, even the fireworks. But he got the date wrong.

Or perhaps we get the date wrong. The widespread assumption is that the Fourth of July is the day the Declaration of Independence was signed, the actual moment the founders pledged their lives, fortunes and sacred honor to the Great Question of Independence.

The popular musical 1776 dramatically depicts a signing ceremony on the Fourth. And the iconic painting Declaration of Independence, by John Trumbull, a version of which hangs in the Capitol Rotunda in Washington, is often captioned July 4, 1776.

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But neither the musical nor the caption is historically correct. Trumbulls picture depicts the moment on June 28 when the committee that drafted the declaration presented its work to John Hancock, chair of the Continental Congress. The plays signing ceremony is theatrically compelling, but it never happened.

Adams choice, July 2, makes more sense. That was the day independence was officially decided.

There was no singular moment when all the delegates signed the document. Most put pen to parchment on Aug. 4. (It had taken some time for the final draft to be engrossed  formally hand-copied.) Some signatures were added as late as November.

So why do we celebrate the Fourth? Because that is the day the declaration was sent to the printer, who then put that date on the top of the document, copies of which were distributed throughout the colonies and beyond. It became the date that readers then, and Americans ever since, recognized as the anniversary of American independence, even though nothing of historical significance actually occurred on that day.

By all rights, Adams choice, July 2, makes more sense. That was the day independence was officially decided and declared: A Resolution was passed, John told Abigail, without one dissenting Colony that these united Colonies, are, and of right ought to be free and independent States.  The revolutionary lightning struck at that moment, and the publication of the Declaration of Independence two days later was merely the thunderous aftermath, the sound following the fury.

The next year, however, the Continental Congress decided to take a commemorative day off on the Fourth; over the next decade, cities, towns and states also marked that date. And once established, it gradually achieved a kind of historical significance of its own that seemed to confirm the wisdom of the choice.

On July 4, 1803, word arrived from Paris that the Louisiana Purchase had been signed by Napoleon, an event of enormous significance rendered almost providential because of the chronological coincidence. On July 4, 1863, Gen. Robert E. Lees army began its retreat from Gettysburg, which newspapers in the northern states reported as a sign from the heavens that the Confederate cause was now lost.

The most providential event of all, however, occurred on July 4, 1826. For on that day both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson went to the hereafter. Adams last words were,Thomas Jefferson still lives, although Jefferson had died a few hours earlier. Jeffersons last words, muttered the preceding evening, were, Is it the Fourth?

Both founders seemed determined to die on schedule, thereby endorsing July 4 as the sanctioned anniversary for American independence. Even if the date had been wrong for 50 years, it has been right ever since.

Joseph J. Ellis is the author of Revolutionary Summer and Founding Brothers and many other books of American history.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinionand Facebook

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Its the endless possibilities that lead people of all ages to build things with the interlocking plastic bricks of Lego, according to the young founder of the touring Lego fan convention at Monona Terrace this weekend.

BrickUniverse was founded by then 14-year-old Greyson Beights three years ago as a way to bring Lego builders of all ages together and inspire people by showing them just how inventive Lego creations can be.

Visitors to the fan convention that runs through Sunday can spend time viewing the works of local Lego builders as well as featured artists, buy Lego kits and custom pieces, and have their caricature drawn to resemble a Lego person, known as a mini figure or minifig.

The hotbeds of activity on Saturday, though, were the build stations  several tables covered in loose Lego bricks and pieces waiting for convention-goers to use their imaginations and build their own unique creations.

You can take pieces from a set and make your own thing out of your own head, said William Hanson, 5, of Green Bay.

The toy is often marketed toward children using popular movies or television shows as themes for building kits. But many builders, like Hanson, find its more fun when they ignore the instructions.

I like building houses and diners and stuff. I like building differing things and creating different things, said Autumn Milsna, 8, of Middleton. She said the build she is most proud of creating is a spa she made out of loose bricks at her after-school program.

The members of the Wisconsin Lego Users Group, or WisLUG, showed off what builders can do with Lego when they open their minds. The adult creators built a tropical landscape including a pirate ship, a duck that moved its legs when pushed forward to look as if it was walking and even a functioning train to circle around a block of buildings.

We love coming here and seeing the reactions the kids have and a lot of the adults have to some of the stuff that we do with the bricks, WisLUG president Andrew Beckett said.

BrickUniverse came to Madison because Beights, now 17 and a recent college graduate, sought out Monona Terrace as a venue because of its link to world-famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

I was really interested in the venue with the Frank Lloyd Wright design. I thought it was interesting to have the architecture be a part of the convention, Beights said. Architecture and engineering and design are a big part of Lego.

Many Lego builders use architecture as inspiration, like featured artists Jonathan Lopes, who displayed a replica of New York Citys Woolworth building, and Rocco Buttliere, who brought several creations at a 1/650th scale of their original buildings.

As a recent graduate of the Illinois Institute of Technologys architecture program, Buttliere, 22, specializes in scale replicas with a focus on Chicago. He started by simply constructing buildings and their surrounding plaza, but soon found that building a chunk of the Chicago skyline was a better challenge.

Its been a great way to tie in my creative aspirations with my professional at the same time, Buttliere said.

Some Lego enthusiasts are even able to turn their love for Lego into a career.

Brickmania, a company that sells custom build kits made with Lego, displayed its history-inspired war scenes, including a scene from the Battle of the Bulge, as well as a 27-foot-long replica of the U.S.S. Missouri created by company founder Daniel Siskind.

Adam Stasiek, manager of Brinkmanias store in Schaumburg, Illinois, said people in the Lego business arent in it for the money  its about loving what you do for a living.

I have a ton of fun with what I do, Stasiek said. My hobby is my job, and my job is my hobby.
Niccolo Machiavelli wrote that a ruler should seek to be both loved and feared  but if a prince must choose one, he should opt for fear. President Trump has managed the opposite: Among Republicans in Congress, he is neither loved nor feared. Instead, at least when it comes to legislation, hes made himself almost irrelevant.

Last week, Trump called GOP holdouts to the White House to demand their support for their partys healthcare bill, a traditional exercise of presidential muscle. None of them switched sides; they saw nothing to be afraid of.

Before that, a pro-Trump group announced that it would run attack ads against Dean Heller, a GOP senator from Nevada who had the temerity to denounce the Trumpcare bills deep cuts in Medicaid. The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell, told Trump to stop the negative campaign. Heller was afraid of Nevada voters, not the White House.

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When a similar bill was in trouble in the House, Trump warned conservative hard-liners that theyd lose their seats if they didnt vote yes. They ignored the threat, voted no  and Trump promptly caved, supporting the changes they sought.

No Republican dissident has been punished for straying from the White House. If anything, theyve been rewarded.

So much for fear. What about love?

The president is often described as a master salesman, but hes not using his talents much.

Since he came to the White House, Trump hasnt enlarged the number of voters who support him; hes reduced it. His job approval rating has slumped to about 40% and stayed there.

Hes still backed by more than 80% of Republicans, and that should count for something. But he hasnt even mobilized his own base to help the healthcare bill.

The president is often described as a master salesman, but hes not using his talents much. Hes given no Oval Office speech telling Americans why they should embrace this healthcare bill, made no presidential tour to tout its advantages.

The bill isnt in its final form, which makes it hard to sell the details. But Trump hasnt done much to promote its premises. Thats one reason even Republican voters arent sure they support it, according to recent polls.

When the president spoke at a rally in Iowa last month, he barely mentioned healthcare  and instead of talking the bill up, he suggested he still wasnt happy with it. Add some money to it! he said.

Trump hasnt done much to build amicable bonds of loyalty with GOP members of Congress, either.

In a recent television interview, Trump criticized the House bill he had earlier praised, calling it mean. The message to members of Congress was jarring: I want you to cast a vote that could risk your career, but dont expect me to protect you from the consequences.

And on Friday, Trump undercut his chief negotiator, McConnell, by suggesting it might be time to throw in the towel.

If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date! he tweeted in apparent frustration.

Thats exactly what conservative holdouts would like  but it wasnt the solution McConnell was laboring for.

Part of the problem is that Trump often appears unaware of the content of his own partys legislation. According to one report, he didnt seem to realize the healthcare bill looks to many voters like a giant tax cut for the wealthy.

That makes it harder for him to be an effective salesman, in public or in private. When he does talk about the legislation, he describes it breezily as great healthcare, providing better insurance at a lower price. Thats a promise the bill, with its massive spending cuts, cant possibly keep.

Theres more at stake here than this months version of a Republican healthcare bill.

Trumps scattershot approach, his chaotic management style, his inattention to detail, his failure to bring GOP dissidents into line and his sagging popularity are all making it harder for Republicans to enact their entire legislative agenda.

The central challenge for Republicans is how to make it clear that they are focused on the No. 1 issue  the economy, jobs and incomes, David Winston, a GOP strategist who has advised congressional leaders, told me last week. Theyre spending a lot of time talking about other things.

Including tweets? Including tweets, he acknowledged.

They need to define the outcomes of their agenda items, including healthcare, in a way that people will support them. And thats not happening.

Five centuries ago, Machiavelli concluded that what a ruler needs most is a quality he called, in Italian, virtu. The word doesnt mean virtue in our moralistic sense. Instead, it means something more like prowess, a combination of boldness and skill.

Trump clearly owns the first half of that equation, boldness. But he has shown little skill. If hes ever read Machiavelli  an unlikely proposition, to be sure  it doesnt show. Hes neither feared nor loved. As a result, whether he realizes it or not, his power as president is already eroding.

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com

Twitter: @DoyleMcManus

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion or Facebook

To read the article in Spanish, click here

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In todays political climate, its rare to find bipartisanship. But as President Trump calls on Senate Republicans to pass a bill in the coming weeks that would overhaul the Affordable Care Act, governors from both sides of the aisle are unified in opposition.

The Senate GOP healthcare bill would cut Medicaid spending by $772 billion over the next decade, leaving millions of low-income people uninsured in states where Medicaid was expanded under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.

The governors from states that took advantage of the Medicaid expansion have worked together in crafting letters, holding teleconferences with reporters and hosting private meetings with members of Congress. Some have called for no repeal, others a more measured approach. Who are they? Heres a look:

Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R)

Medicaid expansion: 2014

Ohioans covered since expansion: 682,922

Impact:

Expansion has helped increase coverage for those with mental health and substance abuse issues. Nearly a third of the enrollees covered by Medicaid in the state have depression or anxiety disorders, according to an Ohio Department of Medicaid study. The study found nearly a third of Medicaid recipients also had some sort of drug or alcohol dependence. Like many states, Ohio is dealing with an opioid abuse epidemic and some officials, including Kasich, fear cuts to Medicaid will hinder access to drug abuse treatment.

I believe these are people who need to have coverage, Kasich said at a recent news conference, alongside Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper . If you dont have a system that does that, then you have a problem.

Political future:

Throughout the 2016 campaign, he assailed Trump for harsh rhetoric toward, among others, women and Muslims. After Kasich withdrew from the GOP presidential primary, he never endorsed Trump. Many political observers believe that if any Republican challenges the president in 2020, Kasich will be in the best position to do so. Hes term-limited in 2018.

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D)

Medicaid expansion: 2014

Coloradans covered since expansion: 421,111

Impact:

Before Medicaid expansion in 2014, more than 14% of Coloradans were uninsured. That number is now about 6%, according to the nonpartisan Colorado Health Institute. Expansion has benefited many people who live in rural counties along the states southern border.

Political future:

Hickenloopers term ends in 2018 and in recent months hes been asked by reporters  on several occasions  if he plans to run for president in 2020. His response? Wait and see. The former Denver mayor, a quirky guy who was once a beer brewer, could also run for a Senate seat in 2020, challenging Republican incumbent Sen. Cory Gardner.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R)

Medicaid expansion: 2014

Nevadans covered since expansion: 203,929

Impact:

The states uninsured rate was 23% in 2012  one of the highest in the country. By 2015 it had fallen to 11%. Sandoval was among the first Republican governors to enroll his state  where many lower-income workers are the backbone of the tourism and hospitality industry  in Medicaid expansion. This is a way for me to protect these people, Sandoval told the Associated Press when he announced his support for expanding Medicaid.

Political future: A moderate Republican, Sandoval won reelection in 2014, but has not hinted about his plans once he exits office. Before Sandoval became governor, he served as a U.S. district court judge. Hes currently the vice chairman of the National Governors Assn.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R)

Medicaid expansion: 2014

Arizonans covered since expansion: 416,349

Impact:

Like Ohio and other states, Arizona is dealing with an opioid epidemic. In June, Ducey declared a statewide health emergency to combat the growing number of opioid deaths in the state  about two a day last year. Healthcare officials estimate tens of thousands of Arizonans who rely on Medicaid to treat substance abuse could lose coverage if Obamacare is repealed. Although Ducey has repeatedly called Obamacare flawed, he asked Congress to not repeal it without a solid replacement.

Political future:

Ducey, a former state treasurer, emerged from a primary field of a half-dozen GOP gubernatorial candidates in 2014 and easily won the general election. Ducey, 53, is relatively young for a governor and is running for a second term in 2018.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D)

Medicaid expansion: 2015

Montanans covered since expansion: 70,000 (estimate)

Impact:

Medicaid expansion dropped the uninsured rate in Montana from 15% in 2013 to about 7% in 2016, according to the governors office. Bullock and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards held a joint phone call last month to urge the Senate to not pass its healthcare bill. Bullock said the bill would "disproportionately affect" rural states like Montana, and it would slash Medicaid reimbursements that help keep many rural hospitals afloat.

Political future:

Bullock was narrowly elected to a second term in 2016 as Trump won the state by 20-percentage points. Many political observers in Montana speculate Bullock might have sights on a possible 2020 presidential run. Or, perhaps, he could opt for Senate bid that year against incumbent Republican Sen. Steve Daines.

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D)

Medicaid expansion: 2016

Louisianans covered since expansion: 300,000 (estimate)

Impact:

Joining the Medicaid expansion, Bel Edwards said, would prevent Louisianians from slipping further into poverty and give them a fighting chance for a better life. It was a sharp departure from his predecessor, Republican Gov. Bobby Jindal , who opposed expansion.

Political future:

Before winning election in 2015, Bel Edwards had served in the state House since 2008. The state often votes Republican in presidential races, but a handful of Democratic governors have been elected since the early 1990s.

kurtis.lee@latimes.com

Twitter: @kurtisalee

Times staff writer Sean Greene contributed to this report.

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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
Angelenos who devote themselves to food and food culture bring a certain worldview to dining in other American cities.

They will, if pressed, acknowledge the charms of San Francisco, New Orleans or Portland, Ore. They pretend not to be in awe of New York. Washington, D.C., and Chicago tempt us.

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For the record: This article reported that Dalessandros Steaks & Hoagies is in the Manayunk neighborhood northwest of downtown Philadelphia. It is in the Roxborough section.

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But Philadelphia  a city known for its cheesesteaks, hoagies and soft pretzels?

America's first capital city is blanketed with vendors who specialize in all of the above, and in the right hands the traditional fare is irresistible. But in the last few years, Philadelphia's culinary landscape has been transformed by chefs and restaurateurs who are challenging outdated reputations and expectations.

During a visit-the-daughter trip in April, restaurant bingeing was the only scheduled activity. And after five days of nonstop eating, we agreed that the best of Philadelphia will leave you wanting more.

An initiation

Scene from Reading Terminal Market. (Reading Terminal Market) (Reading Terminal Market / Reading Terminal Market.)

Although Reading Terminal Market is not known for its cutting-edge fare, a visitor (especially a first-timer) might want to launch a multiday food expedition at the popular site in Center City.

The market, a relatively short walk from some of the city's best-known attractions  Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell and the Benjamin Franklin Museum  houses dozens of stalls that sell doughnuts, pretzel dogs, pierogies, cold-pressed juices, falafel, cannoli, cheesesteaks, cookbooks and coffee. The disparate offerings make for a happy introduction to the City of Brotherly Love.

During this visit to the market, my third, Madeline and I purchased fresh mozzarella at Valley Shepherd Creamery, lattes from Old City Coffee, cannoli from Termini Bros. Bakery and slabs of fudge from the Sweet As Fudge Candy Shoppe. We sampled a Pennsylvania Dutch-style chicken pot pie at the Dutch Eating Place.

If you're partial to sandwiches, Reading Terminal may fulfill your every fantasy. Favorites include the roast pork at DiNic's, or the pastrami Reuben or corned beef at Hershel's East Side deli.

The market is often crowded, bordering on chaotic, but customers on this outing and others were patient  and animated. Perhaps that's what comes from ingesting caffeine, chocolate, pastry and pork.

The new(ish) wave

The Mesibah meal at Zahav. (Michael Persico) (Michael Persico / Michael Persico)

You could spend weeks sampling the fare at new, newish or new-to-those-not-paying-attention restaurants in Philadelphia. One of the most celebrated is Laurel, a tiny space in South Philadelphia from owner/chef (and Top Chef champion) Nicholas Elmi. It's one of scores of restaurants and bars on East Passyunk Avenue, a narrow street where parking is scarce and patrons are plentiful.

Step inside Laurel, however, and the South Philly vibe is eclipsed by atmosphere worthy of the French-influenced tasting menu. The elegant interior  cream-colored walls, wood floors and lantern-like light fixtures  is calming, the better to prepare diners for the experience that is to come.

We walked in (reservations were made long in advance) on a warm Wednesday evening and dined on hand-torn New Jersey scallops with black truffle, sea grapes and clam dashi; confit octopus with black curry, heart of palm and crispy shallots; and Lancaster County Yorkshire pork with first spring herbs, fermented day-lily root and roasted onion jus.

Each presentation was meticulous; each bite, remarkable. The only off note occurred when we asked for a copy of the menu at the start of the evening. We were told that diners get a copy only when the meal is over so they can focus on what's in front of them. Is it possible that knowing the details ahead of time would have enhanced the experience? We'll never know.

On another night, I dined solo at Zahav, a renowned Israeli restaurant and the crown jewel in the empire of Michael Solomonov, named outstanding chef at this years James Beard Awards.

Zahav opened in 2008, which hardly qualifies it as new, but it may come as a surprise to a visitor whose only exposure to local food is the mention of a cheesesteak or hoagie during a conversation about dining at Citizens Bank Park.

Zahav is a short walk from Independence Hall in the downtown area. The vibe is post-industrial meets faux Middle Eastern, but as soon as the food started to arrive all thoughts of decor vanished.

The hummus (with roasted cauliflower), served with flatbread out of the oven, was creamy and rich. I worked my way through an order of stuffed grape leaves; haloumi with strawberry amba, green strawberries and English peas; and grilled duck hearts with spring onion tabbouleh and fiddlehead ferns, a dish that was both artful and ethereal.

One day we opted for lunch at V Street in Center City, the second Philadelphia restaurant from vegan restaurateurs Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby, who earned their first wave of acclaim with Vedge.

We ordered cauliflower with whipped dal, mint chutney and curry hot sauce; noodles with char sui tempeh, crunchy shallots, peanuts, pickles and cilantro; grilled avocado with pickled red chile tofu; and Peruvian fries. The food, and the casual, friendly atmosphere (exposed brick walls, graffiti wallpaper, wood floors) inspired us to contemplate the notion of eating there every day for the rest of our lives.

On another afternoon we drove west to King of Prussia, a suburb worlds away from downtown Philadelphia and best known for its sprawling mall. For us, the main attraction was Mistral, a recently opened America-by-way-of-Japan restaurant and antidote to everything you've ever consumed in a mall.

The menu, printed on the place mats, is divided into snacks, small bites, large bites and salads and sandwiches. Among our picks: wings with tamarind glaze and sesame; beef tartare with yolk and crispy potatoes; market greens with kabocha squash, pumpkin seed vinaigrette and smoked gouda; and pork riblets with scallion pancake, shiitake mushrooms and cucumber.

The restaurant is light and airy with an open-beam ceiling and a welcoming bar. Is it reason enough to go malling? It is.

Comfort food

The Schmitter was created more than 50 years ago at McNallys Tavern. Referred to as Philadelphias Big League Sandwich since appearing at Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005. Served only at the tavern and Lincoln Financial Field. (J. Pie) (J. PiZ / J. Pie)

If youre in Philadelphia, you shouldn't leave without experiencing at least one of the city's iconic dishes  perhaps the cheesesteak sandwich? According to eater.com, the combination of thin slices of steak, onions and cheese on a long roll  is "forever." A "proper" cheesesteak is, at its core, divine intervention  life-giving (in the worst way), and life-taking (in the best way)."

You can find the sandwich at countless restaurants, food carts and gas stations, but "best of" lists often include McNally's Tavern, John's Roast Pork, Dalessandro's Steaks & Hoagies, Gooey Louie's, Jim's Steaks, Cosmi's Deli and Tony Luke's.

We opted for Dalessandro's, a tiny storefront in the Manayunk neighborhood northwest of downtown, with 10 counter seats and a few folding chairs and tables inside and a handful of seats outdoors. At 12:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, business was robust but the wait time was short. We ordered cheesesteaks to go, which we inhaled in the car in a matter of minutes. The combination of carbs, meat, salt and cheese was life-affirming.

The Schmitter  sliced beef, grilled salami, cheese, tomato and onions on a Kaiser roll  is another local sandwich that has inspired legions of devotees. It originated at McNally's Tavern, which is reason enough to make the trip to the Chestnut Hill neighborhood. My trips to McNally's have involved ordering from an extensive (burgers, steak sandwiches, hoagies, chili, hot dogs) takeout menu, but the order is always the Schmitter.

One hectic afternoon, we disregarded a longtime (and perhaps ill-informed) family rule: Never order Mexican food in an old, historic East Coast city. We consumed sweet potato and pork tacos and all the accouterments from Honest Tom's Taco Shop, just west of the downtown area. And we'd do it again.

If you go

THE BEST WAY TO PHILADELPHIA

From LAX, American offers nonstop service to Philadelphia, Southwest offers direct service (stop, no change of planes) and United, American, Delta, Southwest and Frontier offer connecting service (change of planes). Restricted round-trip fares from $278, including fees and taxes.

WHERE TO EAT

Reading Terminal Market, 51 N. 12th St.; (215) 922-2317, readingterminalmarket.org

Laurel, 1617 E. Passyunk Ave.; (215) 271-8299, www.restaurantlaurel.com

Zahav, 237 St. James Place; (215) 625-8800, www.zahavrestaurant.com

V Street, 126 S. 19th St., (215) 278-7943, vstreetfood.com

Mistral, 160 N. Gulph Road, King of Prussia, Pa.; (610) 768-1630, www.mistralkop.com

Dalessandro's Steaks & Hoagies, 600 Wendover St.; (215) 482-5407, dalessandros.com

McNally's, 8634 Germantown Ave.; (215) 247-9736, www.mcnallystavern.com

Honest Tom's Taco Shop, 261 S. 44th St.; (215) 620-1851, www.lat.ms/honesttoms

travel@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimestravel
When she flew into Nairobi airport, Marci Bowers huge suitcase was crammed with sutures and medical instruments, everything she could fit inside.

The doctor from San Francisco was bound for a hospital in one of the Kenyan capitals slums and needed the equipment for the work ahead: repairing womens bodies, undoing the work of genital cutters who drag young girls from their homes to fulfill an ancient coming-of-age ritual.

It was the first time the operation to address female genital mutilation has been performed in Kenya, where some 5 million women from many ethnic groups are victims.

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When women heard about the operation, they boarded buses and queued up from early morning outside the hospital for hours. Some traveled hundreds of miles to get there. Another flew from Ireland. The oldest patient was 64.

The hospital was inundated with requests. It was beyond my wildest expectations, said Bowers.

The operation Bowers performs was pioneered by a French surgeon, Pierre Foldes, and though it cannot replace lost tissue, it can improve sexual function by removing scar tissue covering the clitoris and cutting ligaments to allow the clitoris to descend.

Bowers Kenyan patients were drawn from an extensive waiting list, but some women who turned up at the clinic were added if the procedure seemed suitable to repair their injuries. The women had to pay about $96 U.S., and the $200 balance was covered by Clitoraid, a Las Vegas-based nongovernment organization, and a local organization, Garana.

Although illegal in most parts of Africa, female genital mutilation, which involves removing part of the clitoris, has proved to be tenacious. In many communities there is no other path to adulthood. Kenyan Christian missionaries tried to eradicate the practice in the late 1920s, but met strong community opposition.

The women ... grabbed my legs and pinned me against the wall. Then an old woman performed the cut.  Cynthia Simantoi, 23, forced to undergo female genital mutilation about age 12

Girls who flee female genital mutilation may be shunned as dirty, seen as unmarriageable and taunted as eternal children. One major reason parents force their daughters to undergo the procedure is to avoid social stigma.

Cynthia Simantois parents both opposed ritual cutting, yet she was still forced to undergo it against their wishes. Bowers operated on the 23-year-old university student from the Masai community.

One December evening in 2007, Simantoi was at home alone washing the dishes when seven women, including her aunts and other relatives, came for her. Her father, a government administrator, and mother, a schoolteacher, were away from home.

There was nothing I could do, Simantoi recalled. It was so abrupt. There were no signs at all, so I couldnt have escaped. About 12 at the time, she struggled in vain.

The women who were not so old grabbed my legs and pinned me against the wall. Then an old woman performed the cut. It was painful. I passed out, and when I woke up I was overwhelmed.

I felt so bad, so hopeless. I cried the whole evening. They tried consoling me and telling me I am now a big woman.

But she felt violated and betrayed, and as years passed, the bitterness never left her.

I felt like I had lost my self-esteem, she said. I didnt want to do it. In fact it affected me psychologically. Around the same time she was cut, Simantoi added, one of her cousins died because of complications in childbirth caused by the scarring left by female genital mutilation.

Gynecologist Marci Bowers took a big suitcase full of medical instruments to Kenya, where she operated on 44 women and trained six Kenyan surgeons. (Carl de Souza / AFP/Getty Images)

Bowers said that the practice can leave women traumatized for years, even decades. When they were cut, her patients were often warned not to show pain or speak about the cutting.

A lot of communities tell them if they cry, theyll bring shame on the family, she said.

The secrecy around female genital mutilation makes it difficult to eradicate, with men often unaware that is extremely painful and may lead to complications, such as infection or childbirth difficulties.

Even Dr. Abdullahi Adan, a Nairobi plastic surgeon who initiated the Clitoraid project after patients sought help, was unprepared for what he learned. As he and Bowers held counseling sessions with patients, he realized how his mother and aunts, all of whom underwent cutting, had suffered in silence.

I learned a lot, he said. I was ignorant about a lot of these things. It has made me a better man. What struck me was that all of them felt less of a woman than other women who have not had the cut. Literally, all of them said, I want to feel like a full woman. It had scarred their minds.

Bowers was part of an unsuccessful Clitoraid effort in 2014 to establish a hospital in Burkina Faso, West Africa, to perform female genital mutilation reversals. The hospital was built, but the government withdrew permission for it to open and canceled the visas of Bowers and other members of the medical team.

A doctor trained by Bowers has recently begun to carry out the procedure in Burkina Faso, but not at the Clitoraid hospital.

According to UNICEF, about 125 million girls and women, mainly in Africa and the Middle East, have undergone female genital mutilation, usually around age 5.

It is most prevalent in Egypt, Sudan, Mali, Guinea and Sierra Leone, where 80% of girls and women ages 15 to 49 have been cut, according to a 2013 UNICEF report. About 27% of Kenyan women in that age group have undergone the procedure, even though the Kenyan government banned the practice in 2011.

Some immigrant communities in the U.S. and Europe also carry out the practice, often on small girls. A Detroit doctor, Jumana Nagarwala, was charged in April with performing genital mutilation on girls as young as 7 at a clinic in Livonia, Mich.

When Simantoi had the operation to reverse it, she did not tell her family because they may think I am against our culture. I feel better now and after going through the counseling I know my body well. I hope there will be more awareness about the operation.

In all, Bowers spent two weeks in Nairobi and operated on 44 women. She trained six local doctors, including Adan, in the procedure, while 12 more doctors observed.

Hundreds of women who had come seeking help had to be turned away, and put on a waiting list. It is not clear when, or if, they will be helped.

robyn.dixon@latimes.com

Twitter: @RobynDixon_LAT

To read the article in Spanish, click here

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An Al Qaeda-linked group in Mali has released a proof-of-life video showing six foreign hostages, says a group that monitors jihadist communications, shortly before the French presidents arrival in the West African country for an anti-terror summit.

The recently formed Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen issued the video Saturday on Telegram, the SITE Intelligence Group said. The video shows Stephen McGowan of South Africa, Elliot Kenneth Arthur of Australia, Iulian Ghergut of Romania, Beatrice Stockly of Switzerland, Gloria Cecilia Narvaez of Colombia and Sophie Petronin of France.

No genuine negotiations have begun to rescue your children, a narrator says.

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The narrator also mentions the recently elected French President Emmanuel Macron, saying that Petronin is hoping that the new French president will come to her rescue.

Macron meets Sunday in Mali with heads of state from five nations across Africas Sahel region to build support for a new 5,000-strong multinational force meant to counter extremists there. Deadly attacks in recent years in countries once considered relatively safe have alarmed the international community.

In March, a video announced the creation of Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen from a merger of three extremist groups: the Al Qaeda-linked al-Mourabitoun, Ansar Dine and Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen claimed responsibility for last months attack on a resort area popular with foreigners outside Malis capital that killed at least five people.

A number of the hostages in Mali have been held for years. Of the six shown in the video, McGowan was the earliest seized, abducted in 2011 from a hostel in Timbuktu. Narvaez, a nun, was the most recently seized, abducted in February near the border with Burkina Faso.

The video comes after Swedens government on Monday announced the release of Johan Gustafsson, who was held by Islamic extremists in Mali for six years.
A series of car bomb explosions rocked Syrias capital Sunday, killing at least eight people and wounding 12, as officials claimed to have foiled a plot to target crowded areas during the first morning commute after a Muslim holiday.

State media said a suicide car bomber detonated his payload after being surrounded by security forces, and that two other car bombs were intercepted before entering the city, suggesting those blasts were controlled detonations.

Damascus Gov. Bashr Sabban said two attackers were stopped before rush hour at security checkpoints on the airport road at the entrance to the city, where forces dealt with them, without elaborating. He said the attackers were heading to the city center where they hoped to cause maximum damage.

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The Syrian minister of local administration, Hussein Makhlouf, said the response marked a major success in foiling a plot to cause mass casualties.

Syrian state TV reported the toll, without saying whether those killed and wounded were security forces or civilians. The attack came on the first full work day after the Eid al Fitr holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Such attacks have been relatively rare in Damascus, the seat of power for President Bashar Assad, who made a series of public appearances last week in a show of increased confidence after more than six years of battling a rebellion.

Pro-government forces have engaged in heavy fighting in Damascus suburbs during the war, but have largely kept the rebels out of the city center. In recent days, Syrian troops and allied forces have been fighting to drive the rebels out of Ain Terma and adjacent Jobar, on the citys eastern outskirts, areas controlled by insurgents since the start of the conflict in 2011.

Footage on state TV from the scene of one explosion, along the road to the airport, showed at least two scorched vehicles. The closed-off street was littered with debris, while security men roamed the area. Footage from near Tahrir Square in central Damascus showed the facade of one building badly damaged and mangled vehicles parked in the small roundabout.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-run monitoring group, also reported the three explosions. It put the death toll at 12, including three attackers.

The attacks come days before Russian-sponsored talks are to resume in the Kazakh capital, Astana, where the two sides agreed to a cease-fire earlier this year that has been repeatedly violated. The new round of talks is expected to delineate de-escalation zones. Russian officials said the talks are also to discuss the formation of a Syrian national reconciliation committee.

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CHICAGO  Thank you, thank you, thank you, President Trump.

I offer my gratitude because after years of being the last of my immigrant family members to undertake the naturalization process, my mother just took the oath to become a U.S. citizen.

It finally happened after 10 years of prodding and needling and of painting doomsday scenarios about crazy, obscure ways that legal permanent residents can accidentally become deportable. For instance, paperwork mishaps like failing to file a change of address form to the Department of Homeland Security within 10 days of a move could put a green card holder at risk of fines, jail or even deportation.

But, ultimately, all it took was a new president promising to do his best to rid the country of immigrants to get her to undertake the long, arduous process. She started her application process less than a month after the November election and now I can sleep easy knowing that no bureaucratic slip-up will send my mom back to the country where she spent only the first third of her life.

My mom was hardly alone in hesitating to make the leap. Though Mexicans represent the largest group of legal permanent residents, their rate of naturalization is only about half that of green card holders from all other countries combined, according to the most recent tally by the Pew Research Center.

There are many reasons for this: Many of the immigrants surveyed indicated they werent engaging in the process because they felt their English skills were not good enough or were scared that the citizenship test would be too difficult.

In my moms case, what had been keeping her from taking the plunge was a combination of comfort with her legal status and the hassle of undertaking a complex administrative process.

But once mere legal permanent residence status stopped feeling like the most secure way to ensure her future in the United States, it was an easy decision.

People who tsk-tsk that more eligible immigrants dont naturalize rarely realize it takes money and time that many people dont have. The process took six months from filing the initial forms to completing the interviews and taking the test. But it was, effectively, a walk in the park since shes an educated professional who has been a fluent English speaker for more than 40 years. And she had all the time in the world to manage the process because she recently retired. Plus, the $800 it cost to pay for the application, get photos taken, and travel to multiple appointments was of little consequence to her budget.

For someone without all those resources, a task that could take up to a year or more is far less attainable than an uninformed observer might imagine. According to Pew, 94 percent of those who say they have not naturalized cite the cost of the application.

Nonprofits such as The New Americans Campaign, a nonpartisan national network of organizations, help immigrants navigate and pay for the citizenship process. Since its inception in 2011, the campaign has helped more than 250,000 applicants and saved them more than $206 million in legal and application fees, but the group is hardly a household name.

The latest data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services says 752,800 people were naturalized in fiscal year 2016  a little higher than the average of 740,000 per year over the last decade, an increase thats almost surely due to people who wanted to be eligible to vote in the 2016 election. But it will be some time before statisticians can determine whether, or how many, new U.S. citizens resulted directly from fears prompted by Trumps election.

No matter. What counts is that last week in Chicago my mother and 114 others from 33 countries spanning Armenia to the United Kingdom closed their journeys as immigrants and took the oath to be upstanding and honorable citizens. They joyously swore to support our Constitution, renounce allegiance to all other countries, and also vowed to bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law.

Thats right, America, my moms got your back!

Hopefully, President Trump will inspire an unprecedented number of immigrants to become new Americans. And may they be energized to help others attain the safety of citizenship.
CARLINVILLE, Illinois  Few dates in American history have been so profound.

On July 4, 1826, as the nation celebrated the 50th anniversary of its independence, both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson died. The loss of two of the first three presidents, as well as two of its Founding Fathers, is a remarkable coincidence.

The two men are inextricably linked to the Revolution. Both were among the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence, and Adams and Jefferson were on the Continental Congress Committee of Five to compose the document.

Both debated who should take the lead, and Adams finally persuaded Jefferson, claiming a Virginian ought to appear at the head of this business. Adams also assessed himself as obnoxious, suspected, and unpopular, while adding that Jefferson can write 10 times better than I can. Jefferson then drafted the document.

Despite their mutual efforts for independence, Adams and Jefferson later became political rivals. The short-tempered, prickly Adams clashed with Jeffersons laid-back approach, and Adams Federalist devotion was also at odds with Jefferson, who believed the states should have more power.

The two former friends met in the 1796 presidential election, which became a mud-slinging affair of polarizing political views, largely on foreign affairs. The outcome, however, was razor-thin, as Adams edged Jefferson in electoral votes, 71-68.

As was custom in the day, the loser became the vice president, and Jefferson soon opposed Adams on a host of issues. Among them was the controversial Alien and Sedition Act of 1798, which induced Jefferson to forego Washington in favor of his Monticello home.

They again squared off in the 1800 presidential election, and this time, federalism vs. states rights was the dominant theme. The rematch was even more bitter than the 1796 campaign, and is considered one of the dirtiest elections in American history. Jefferson tied Aaron Burr with 73 electoral votes, while Adams, with 65, went down in defeat.

Adams, stung by the loss, proceeded to reel off a succession of midnight appointments of Federalists to judicial offices and in his last hours in office, designed to leave his mark against Jefferson. He then slipped out of town early in the morning of the inauguration, choosing not to welcome the incoming president, as is tradition.

The relationship remained frigid for many years until intervention by a mutual friend, Benjamin Rush, a Philadelphia doctor who had also signed the Declaration. Though Adams was noncommittal to Rushs efforts, he took the initiative, and on Jan. 1, 1812, wrote a note with well-wishes to Jefferson. On January 21, Jefferson responded in kind, recalling when we were fellow laborers in the same cause of independence and extending my sincere esteem for you  . I salute you with unchanged affections and respect. Thus renewed a friendship of decades past, and Adams and Jefferson continued to send respectful, thoughtful letters to each other, a source of great mutual satisfaction.

Jefferson, who suffered from rheumatism and an enlarged prostate, had to decline an offer to attend the 50th anniversary celebrations that July 4 in Washington. By July 2, he was barely lucid, and he died at Monticello on the Fourth.

At his Quincy, Massachusetts, home, Adams also had declined an invitation to the 50th anniversary extravaganza in Boston due to poor health. Early on July 4, he lost consciousness. He recovered slightly near mid-day, and according to most accounts, his final words were some form of the words Thomas Jefferson still survives. The irony is that Jefferson had died just hours earlier, though modern researchers cite no proof that Adams made such an utterance. He died around 6 p.m. that evening.

Incredibly, Adams and Jefferson were not the only early Presidents to die on July 4. Five years later in 1831, James Monroe passed away at age 73, marking the third of the first five chief executives to die on the date of the nations birth.

One President, Calvin Coolidge, was born on the Fourth of July holiday in 1872, though most historians rate him among the weakest of chief executives, unlike Adams and Jefferson.
Bethlehem's police horses have been enjoying their new home for a few months, and now it's the public's turn to check out the new digs.

Grey, Asa, George and Pharaoh moved in in May, and have been enjoying a new stable and wide-open pastures.

Now the Bethlehem Police Department is throwing open the barn doors for a public open house. It's set for Saturday, July 8, at the stables at 615 E. Langhorne Ave.

From 1 to 4 p.m., rain or shine, there will be barn tours, food trucks, face painting and free popcorn. Bethlehem's horses will be joined by the Budweiser Clydesdales, in town for four days of visits.

When the police horse unit was relaunched in 2009, the horses lived at Burnside Plantation. Officials said the historic barn couldn't provide the climate-controlled space needed for the team and its supplies, and the search for a new home began.

The Diocese of Allentown owns land near Holy Saviour Cemetery on Linden Street, and part of it is leased to a farmer for crops. The diocese carved out a 10-acre spot for the Mounted Unit, and the Friends of the Bethlehem Mounted Police signed a lease for the spot.

Construction began in January on the new stable, but the conditions at Burnside became too dangerous, so the horses were moved to Bay Ridge Stables outside Northampton Borough while waiting for the barn to be completed.

The new barn has seven stalls -- four for Bethlehem's horses and three for guest horses -- as well as an isolation stall for when the horses are ill or injured.

The new home has surveillance cameras that connect to the police department's system, and can also be accessed by officers' cellphones.

The project was built without taxpayer money, and the nonprofit friends group is still raising money for the $500,000 capital campaign. The open house will include information on the Adopt-A-Post campaign, where donors get an engraved tag on the pasture fence posts.

What do you do when the sun hits you just right, Grey? Take a nap. This is, of course, until Pharaoh slinks over to take this opportunity to proceed with his Tomfoolery! Posted by Bethlehem Mounted Police on Thursday, June 22, 2017

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
For kids in trouble, Wanda Fucci was always there to help.

The longtime bus driver for Community Services for Children offered a place for troubled kids to spend the night, a little advice or even some sorely needed attention.

"You don't know how many kids call me 'mom,'" said the 64-year-old South Side Easton woman.

This summer it was Fucci's turn to receive the assistance rather than offer it.

Longtime friend Paul Keastead installed a new sidewalk in front of her home at 1125 W. Berwick St. A utility crew tore up her brick sidewalk three years ago. It was reinstalled but was never the same.

"After a rain the brick was all uneven," Fucci said. "I was afraid someone was going to trip on it."

Keastead put in a concrete sidewalk between Wednesday, June 21, and Wednesday, June 28.

"She's helped a ton of people out. I thought it would be a good deed," he said.

Keastead grew up on the South Side a few blocks from Fucci and has known her for decades. He now lives in Bethlehem Township and runs P.K. Masonry out of Palmer Township.

Fucci lives in the home she grew up in with her son and two grandchildren, who she's helping to raise. Fucci has four children, 10 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.

Keastead said she's held fund drives for accident victims. She still lends a helping hand when she can despite a recent diagnosis of Parkinson's disease.

"She's helping everybody else out and forgetting about herself. That's who she is," Keastead said.

When he explained what he was doing, others pitched in too. Drake's Rental of Phillipsburg loaned him a mini-backhoe for free. S.C.C. Concrete of Phillipsburg sold him the concrete "practically for free." Integrity Lawncare & Landscape donated gravel. His nephew, Bubby Keastead, helped finish the concrete.

"I ain't loaded by any means, but I thought I could help her out," Paul Keastead said.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
In her June 22 guest column ("A climate scientist's promise to her son") Lafayette Professor Kira Lawrence engaged in quite a bizarre exercise. After presenting the mantle of scientist, she goes on to recite the wild, unscientific assertions used by global warming extremists (droughts, floods, famine, refugees) all of which are demonstrably untrue. Lawrence translates this into a vow to raise her young son in a household where he will be indoctrinated incessantly into irrational fears that can only leave him permanently scarred.

Her column was apparently prompted by President Trump's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Treaty. He did this for a myriad of reasons, not the least of which was that it was illegal, gave the biggest carbon dioxide emitter (China) and others a free pass, and would channel endless billions of principally American dollars to Third World dictators who have ruined their own countries. The vast majority of nations ratifying the treaty didn't do so to change Earth's future temperatures. They signed on to benefit from the big money transfers. For this, she paints America as unethical.

Lawrence is likely a member of at least the second full generation of academics whose science training and practice have been hopelessly corrupted by the global warming movement. Lafayette College and its students deserve much better.

James M. Policelli

Plainfield Township
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Going to the cinema can be a challenging experience for families when the child or young person has a diagnosis of autism.

Many of the things that are seemingly part and parcel of going to the cinema - for example, lights out and loud noises - don't suit everyone, and this can be especially true of people with autism. All of these things together can have an overwhelming effect on the child or young person and can overload their senses.

Fortunately, more and more leisure suppliers are recognising this and offering sessions with young people and adults on the autistic spectrum in mind.

All of the following screenings have made adjustments to make them more ASD-friendly, including:

a relaxed environment where people understand the needs of children and families with autism

lights left on low

sound turned down

no trailers or advertisements (unless they are embedded in the film)

staff trained in autism awareness

disabled access

chill out zone, where available

freedom to move around and sit where you like

bring your own food and drink

free entry for carers with valid CEA Card.

Dimensions UK work with ODEON, Cineworld, Vue and Showcase cinemas to screen films in a sensory friendly environment for people of all ages to enjoy the cinema. They compile a list every month of the relaxed cinema screenings in your area. Here are July's films that are available in the Leicester and Leicestershire area.

Cineworld host an autism friendly cinema screening on the first Sunday of every month at 11am.



Cineworld's next autism friendly film screening is Despicable Me 3 on Sunday 2nd July at 11am.



Find out more



Showcase host an autism friendly cinema screening on the second Sunday of the month at 10am.



Showcase's next autism friendly film screening is Despicable Me 3 on Sunday 9th July at 10am.



Find out more



ODEON host an autism friendly cinema screening every month at 10:15am. At a select number of cinemas, ODEON are trialling screenings for older audiences.



ODEON's next autism friendly film screening is Despicable Me 3 on Sunday 23rd July at 10:15am.



ODEON's next autism friendly films for older audiences at 9 cinemas is Spiderman: Homecoming on Monday 24th July at 6pm.

(Image: Alex Hannam)

Extra summer screenings at ODEON

During the school holidays, ODEON are putting on some extra autism friendly cinema screenings.

See Cars 3 on Monday 31st July at 10:15am, at participating cinemas

See Captain Underpants on Monday 7th August at 10:15am, at participating cinemas

See The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature on Monday 14th August at 10:15am, at participating cinemas

See Despicable Me 3 on Monday 21st August at 10:15am, at participating cinemas

Find out more





Vue host an autism friendly cinema screening on the last Sunday of every month at 10:15am, from 1.99.



Vue's next autism friendly film screening is Smurfs: The Lost Village on Sunday 30th July at 10:15am.



Find out more .
The Leaving Certificate has come to a close and a blissful summer of freedom has began for many young people in Ireland, the CAO and life decisions lay on the horizon.

This is a journey well-traveled by many Irish people, year in, year out, young people must make decisions on their future.

The youngest priest in Ireland, David Vard, knew at a young age that a different path lay ahead for him.

Father Vard knew that he wanted to join the priesthood throughout his final year in secondary school.

While the decision to become a priest was certainly a big one, support came from his family and friends who knew this was something he had been considering.

"I told my friends the summer after the Leaving Cert, they were supportive, they kind of knew it was something I had been thinking of. They would have noticed that I was practicing my faith more. They were supportive because everyone was going off doing what they wanted to do, there were people going off being doctors and nurses and teachers so this was just something I was going to do," he said.

Choosing to go to a seminary after school is not hugely common in Ireland and Fr Vard's inspiration came from a trip to Lourdes.

"I went to Lourdes with my school and parish as a helper when I was 16 at the end of Transition Year and it was there that I really saw a whole different side to the church that I hadnt seen growing up. It was a real active church and a real loving church over there," he said.

Following the Leaving Certificate, Fr Vard went to St Patrick's College, Maynooth, which is the National Seminary for Ireland.

Philosophy is a subject that all of those in the priesthood must study and because he was so young, Fr Vard had the opportunity to study a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy and History in NUI Maynooth.

In this way the Newbridge native did get to experience college life alongside his friends, but this was not without its differences.

"When I was in the system I felt how different it was, my friends were having a normal college life and I couldnt do that. At the time when we were going off and doing things I just thought that they were on their path and this was my path and when I was in the system I realised how different it was," he explained.

"Sometimes it was difficult; I couldnt go to all my friends 21st birthdays because I wasnt allowed. I suppose it was hard at the time but looking back now I realise what I was sacrificing and this is something I wanted to do so I had to make sacrifices for it," he added.

Throughout his college years, Fr Vard was fully supported by his father David Vard, his mother Elizabeth Yelberton and his sisters Rebecca and Charlotte.

"When I decided I wanted to become a priest, my mother was one of the first people I told. She told my sisters and they have been nothing but supportive, I am the only son in the family so they realised the name wouldnt be carried on and all that, but they are fully supportive," he said.

Following his ordination by Bishop Denis Nulty of Kildare and Leighlin on Sunday, June 25, Fr David Vard will begin life as a priest in Portlaoise Parish from August 1.

Graduating and walking into your first job is hard for anyone but to 25-year-old Fr Vard, priesthood is a lifelong calling.

"Priesthood is very different to a career because it is our life, we are priests forever we dont have a nine to five job, it is every day, all day, every minute of every day we are priests. It is definitely more of a calling. It is more who we are than what we are," he said.

But just like any role taken on for the first time, while it is exciting, it can take some time to settle in.

"I hope to be involved in the community, as it is my first parish it might take me a bit longer to work everything out and see where I fit in. I am just looking forward to meeting as many people as I can and getting stuck in," he said.

While Fr Vard is looking forward to meeting everyone, one thing that will take some getting used to for the new priest is saying mass.

"Learning to say mass is definitely one of the things I have to get better at. You don't really do it in seminary a lot. It is very different, we go to mass every day during our training and we work hard to go to mass every day during summer but it is very different doing it. It is like driving a car, you think you would be able to drive a car until you are actually in the drivers seat," he explained.

Msgr. John Byrne P.P. is looking forward to welcoming the new, young priest to the community and wishes him every success.

"We will be rolling out the red carpet for Fr Vard's arrival in Portlaoise," he said.
Progress is being made on Kildare County Councils plan to take ownership of the old band hall in Newbridge.

Cllr Mark Lynch (SF) asked the recent Kildare Newbridge Municipal District meeting if the council could proceed with the Compulsory Purchage Order (CPO) of the derelict site at OModhrain Hall, Cutlery Road.

The council said it had served the CPO on foot of the Derelict Sites Act.

Councillors were told there was an objection on the part of the owners, being trustees, who are currently in the process of being reconstituted.

The report said the council were given assurances in recent weeks that the property would be put up for sale, subject to the consent of the Charities Regulatory Authority.

The council said it was seeking assurances regarding timescales and reserves its position to re-enter the CPO depending on the response. It assured Cllr Lynch the matter was a priorty. Official Liam Dunne said there was progress being made and asked for support to hold off on the CPO.
Saddle up for family fun and adventure at the 2017 Dublin Horse Show August 9-13.

Why not bring your family to an event where horseplay is positively encouraged? The always popular Kids' Zone will keep them entertained with face painting and magic shows, meanwhile circus like performers will find you as they roam around the Showgrounds.

You can take your time with the elegant equestrian and fashion stalls that dot the RDS Showgrounds, or sample the artisan food. And thats before we get on to the abundance of equestrian competitions that happens from dawn to dusk, from world-ranking international competitions to junior pony classes.

Long regarded as one of the top equestrian shows in the world, the Dublin Horse Show has become a fabled summer experience, an occasion that this August will seamlessly combine horses, style and socialising and family fun as it does every year.

The Dublin Horse Show is truly an event for all the family.



To celebrate the 2017 Dublin Horse Show we have a family pass for Sunday August 13 to give away. Just answer the following question:

On what dates does the Dublin Horse Show take place this year?

Send your answer with your name, address and phone number to leitrimobservercomp@gmail.com

Closing date is July 16.

Terms & Conditions

Winner will receive one family ticket for Sunday August 13. (A family ticket admits two adults and four children under the age of 16).

Tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable.

There is no cash alternative to any prize.
A Huntington's Disease Awareness Walk to be held in Lough Key on Saturday July, 15.

Joe Doran, a HD advocate who recently met Pope Francis will lead the walk

Huntingtons Disease is a devastating hereditary degenerative condition.

Symptoms which include uncontrollable jerking movements, slurred speech and progressive cognitive and emotional impairment, usually present between the ages of 30 and 50 years.

Symptoms gradually worsen over the 1025 year course of the disease. Eventually, people with HD will be completely dependent on others.

It affects more than 750 people in ROI with over 3000 at risk.

Each child who has a parent with HD has a 50% risk of inheriting the faulty gene that causes the disease.

HD families face discrimination with mortgages, insurance and employment  People will be asked about their family history and are weighted for insurance cover even when they dont have the faulty gene.

Many are afraid to disclose to their employers that they are from a HD family in case they will be passed over for promotion.

In the past people with HD were often misdiagnosed with Alzheimer Disease or Parkinsons so people were not aware of the condition in their family.

It is hoped that greater awareness will decrease stigma surrounding the disease and encourage families impacted to seek support.

Ireland lags behind most European countries with regard to HD research and specialist services. Dedicated clinics and specialist services are critical to pursue research and improve standards of care.

The Huntingtons Disease Association of Ireland helps families living with HD through the provision of counselling, support and information.
Last week, the Royal Bank of Scotland announced that it was cutting 443 jobs in Britain. This is of great concern to our new Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, Christine Jardine, for three reasons. First of all, the banks HQ is in her constituency, secondly local businesses might be affected by the quality of service and, thirdly, could this be yet another effect of Brexit.

She wanted to find a way to raise this in the House, but how? She wasnt down to make her Maiden Speech until Wednesday and it couldnt wait until then. Back in the day, you couldnt say anything until you had done that, but there was a way. She used the device of a point of order. That way, it is on the Parliamentary record that she raised it quickly. Speaker John Bercow knew exactly what she was up to but both he and Brexit Secretary David Davis praise her ingenuity. Watch the exchange here. The text is below.

On a point of order, Mr Speaker. As a new Member, I wonder whether the Chair can advise on the most effective way of raising the worrying news from my constituency today that the Royal Bank of Scotland has announced more than 400 job losses, to ascertain the potentially serious economic implications and whether this is in any way connected to the uncertainties surrounding Brexit. Mr Speaker: The hon. Lady is undoubtedly a new Member, but she is clearly not a novice in finding very public opportunities to air her concerns on behalf of her constituents. The short answer is that she has of course already aired that concern through the deviceor ruse in this caseof a perhaps slightly bogus point of order. However, my advice to her is that she should seek to question Ministers either orally at the appropriate timethere are many such opportunities, on which her colleagues can advise heror through written questions. If, however, she wishes to dilate on the matter more fully and to hear a Minister do so in response, the mechanism available to her is an Adjournment debate. She should wend her way to the Table Office, where she will find highly qualified and very conscientious staff, who are only too happy to advise her. I just have a sense that we are going to hear further from the hon. Lady on this matter, and probably before very long. May I start by commending the hon. Member for Edinburgh West (Christine Jardine) for learning the ropes quicker than the rest of us did? I hope she has success with her Adjournment debate.

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
One of the most interesting developments in domestic politics of recent years is the return of the debate over nationalisation in many public services: notably rail and utilities.

Labours 2017 manifesto put nationalisation firmly back on the agenda. Seeing as that is the case, I would argue that this offers the opportunity to make a strong case to the public for the largely ignored, but very credible model that mutualisation offers.

There is no disputing that there are many flaws with the privately-owned models that have been adopted for many public services, but equally its worth remembering that fully nationalised industries have had more than their fair share of problems.

In both cases, it stems from the innate conflict between the interests of shareholder interests and the interests of the workforce. In the privatised case, the interests of the workforce become a peripheral issue in favour of maximising returns, often leading to short termism, lack of public accountability, and a disenfranchised and disinterested workforce.

On the flip side, the weakness of nationalisation is that government control of the organisation means that management is heavily influenced by public opinion, which inevitably leads to a situation where unions can politicise the issues towards favouring the interests of the workforce over and above the interests of providing a good service to the public. Rewind 40 years and we can see these problems at their worst, with the nation pretty much crippled by the dominance of unions influencing public opinion and making sensible management in the public interest all but impossible.

Mutualisation resolves this conflict by enfranchising both staff and customers while also insulating it somewhat from outside political interference. It is time that this concept got to the top of the political agenda. In my view, every enterprise can benefit from the inherent removal of conflict that mutualisation delivers. Imagine a rail franchise where both customers and workforce alike have a vote relating to their local franchise and benefit from the efficient-running of the operation. The same could equally apply to other areas, including power generation and all of the other things that Jeremy Corbyn chose to put on the agenda for nationalisation.

Now is the time to start putting all the ducks in a row to make viable plans for transforming public services in this fashion that are convincing and viable. Credible models and viable financing strategies need to be in place to make the case to the public.

Services that work, where both users and the workers delivering that service are fully enfranchised in the profitability, good-running, and general sustainability of the organisation is not something that any level-headed person would fail to support. The Liberal Democrats need to be pushing this option in the absence of it from other parties. Its good for the country and also good for the Liberal Democrats to be pushing something really transformative for the UK on the domestic scene.

* Adam Penny is a Lib Dem member living in France
Tom Brake achieved a bit of a baby step towards the 21st Century for MPs this week when he had the audacity to ask a Minister a question while not wearing a tie. Heaven forfend!

Conservative MP Peter Bone grassed him up to the Speaker and asked if the rules had changed. John Bercow replied that as long as the attire was business-like it was fine. No tie was necessary.

So far as the Chair is concerned, I must say to the hon. Gentleman, although I fear this will gravely disquiet him, that it seems to me that as long as a Member arrives in the House in what might be thought to be business-like attire, the question of whether that Member is wearing a tie is not absolutely front and centre stage. So am I minded not to call a Member simply because that Member is not wearing a tie? No. I think there has always been some discretion for the Chair to decide what is seemly and proper. Members should not behave in a way that is disrespectful of their colleagues or of the institution, but do I think it is essential that a Member wears a tie? No. Opinions on the hon. Gentlemans choice of ties do tend to vary, and it has to be said that the same could be said of my own.

This is of course not the first time that Lib Dem MPs have been at the forefront of such change. It was Duncan Hames who took his baby son through the division lobby back in 2014.

So thats all well and good, but what about addressing some of the bigger issues about the way the Commons operates? There is so much else that needs to change to bring the Parliament closer to the people. Anyone watching the proceedings for the first time would not feel that they had any relevance in the real world.

In this day and age, for example, it should not take 20 minutes for 650 people to cast a vote. It might bode well for News Channel drama, but the technology exists for MPs to be able to press a button and for us to know the result pretty much instantly. Having to queue up in a corridor to give your name to a teller seems more than ridiculous.

I also think that its time to ditch the Honourable Lady/Gentleman for Bloggshire form of speech. Why not just use peoples names? I dont particularly want MPs head space being taken up with having to remember 630 ish constituencies when they are speaking in the Chamber. They have much more important things to think about. Again, its something that looks incomprehensible to the average person

Finally, and not for the first time, I think its high time to sort out the childish behaviour in the Chamber. The shouting, the disdain, the disrespect shown by some does not set a good example for our public discourse. People should take note of that new Jo Cox memorial plaque thats in there and behave accordingly.

What would you change about the way the House of Commons operates?

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
Welcome to the Golden Dozen, and our 484th weekly round-up from the Lib Dem blogosphere  Featuring the five most popular stories beyond Lib Dem Voice according to click-throughs from the Aggregator (25 June -, 1 July 2017), together with a hand-picked seven you might otherwise have missed.

Dont forget: you can sign up to receive the Golden Dozen direct to your email inbox  just click here  ensuring you never miss out on the best of Lib Dem blogging.

As ever, lets start with the most popular post, and work our way down:

1. The deliciously ironic leadership contest Vince Cables coronation will deprive us of by Stephen Tall on Stephen Tall.

The party deprived of a contest between its two most Eurosceptic MPs.

2. Why the Conservatives lost their majority in 2017  fascinating account from an insider by Mark Pack on Mark Pack.

With a couple of additional observations from Mark.

3. What do the centrists do now? Heres my suggestions by Stephen Tall on Stephen Tall.

Pretty simple. Join the Lib Dems.

4. Lib Dems hold Eastleigh Council seat with huge swing from the Conservatives by Mark Pack on Mark Pack.

Good result from Eastleigh.

5. Another update on the leadership race: the coronation of St Vince by Jennie Rigg on KlaatuVerataNecktie.

Not a happy Jennie.

And now to the seven blog-posts that come highly recommended, regardless of the number of Aggregator click-throughs they attracted. To nominate a Lib Dem blog article published in the past seven days  your own, or someone elses, all you have to do is drop a line to [email protected] You can also contact us via Twitter, where were @libdemvoice

6. Were all mad here by Dani Tougher on More than Nothing.

There is nothing that works to quell anxiety about the current political situation.

7. What future for Liberalism by Helen Belcher on Challenging Journeys, Phase 2.

We have the policies, says Helen. We just need the message.

8. Hi. Youre being sexist! by Rebecca Plenderleith on Some Ramblings.

On the pressure on female Lib DemMPs to stand.

9. Critical words missing from the Queens Speech by Zoe OConnell on Complicity.

Perhaps not as LGBT friendly as we night have wished.

10. Remainers Diary Day 281 by Jo Hayes on Facebook.

Britain is a laughing stock

11. Britain adrift by Cicero on Ciceros Songs .

Cicero isnt known for optimism, but this is particularly compellingly scary.

12 Recent events a wake-up call to politicians: austerity must end, we need a kinder, fairer way by Edward Lord on Edward Lord .

How the City of London Corporation is taking steps towards a fairer, kinder society

And thats it for another week. Happy blogging n reading n nominating.

Featured? Add this to your blog post!



<a href="https://www.libdemvoice.org/top-of-the-blogs-the-lib-dem-golden-dozen-484-54781.html"><img src="https://www.libdemvoice.org/images/golden-dozen.png" width="200" height="57" alt="Featured on Liberal Democrat Voice" title="Featured on Liberal Democrat Voice" /></a>

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
THE NEED for a confidential helpline for priests was one of the issues raised at an open and frank discussion by the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP) in Caherconlish.

The meeting was hosted by local parish priest, Fr Roy Donovan, who is also a member of the ACP leadership team. Twenty two men of the cloth were present at the regional meeting for Cashel & Emly, Killaloe and Limerick dioceses. The theme was the well-being of priests.

Fr Gerry OConnor, chairman, outlined the issues priests are struggling with. They include authority, personal battles, being alone, retirement, workload, future of young priests, the right to say no, bullying, leaving ministry, being wrongly accused and sick leave.

The question is how can the ACP take these issues forward for the AGM to seek approval to enable ACP advocate with bishops to make protocol, said Fr OConnor, according to minutes on the ACP website.

On the night in Caherconlish, the issues discussed were a priests role, safeguarding statutory rights, workload, shortages, public relations, priests homes, health and supports.

We need a national confidential priests helpline. Were slow to look for help, said one of the priests in attendance.

We need to unmask and say I need help. There is a great sense of being alone, making our own way in the diocese. There is a lack of dialogue among priests in the diocese. Yet, people are fantastic and generous in parishes, if given half-a-chance. Our morale is affected because we are on a sinking ship. When will the counter Reformation take place? Were like an All-Ireland team without a goalie! said another.

The issues of workload and clustering were raised. An example of a cluster of nine parishes held together by priests 84-years-old, 83-years-old and the remainder all over 70 was given.

The shortage of priests is a constant topic with one saying, We are in denial about vocations  not facing reality  we are part of a dying system.

The meeting heard that some of their workload is unnecessary with too many Masses in near empty churches.
A RATHKEALE man is hitting the Big Apple in September after being accepted to one of the worlds most prestigious acting schools.

David Collins will be honing his craft at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Manhattan - the same path one walked by Grace Kelly, Robert Redford, Danny DeVito, Paul Rudd, Kim Cattrall, and Anne Hathaway, to name just a few of the schools star-studded alumni.

David, who will turn 28 just ahead of his life-changing journey Stateside, only started acting in his college years, and is a qualified auctioneer by trade.

Im still in a state of shock. The past week has just flown by in a haze of disbelief, I really cant believe it, David told the Limerick Leader.

A friend of mine who I have worked with over the last couple of years, Simon Thompson, who is an immensely talented actor, said to me, why dont you try to apply for the American Academy? So I went about doing the application process even though the chances of me landing it were pretty slim, he said.

Applications cost 200, and a few weeks after pushing the form aside, Davids first stroke of luck came when he was emailed to say that his application fees were waived.

I got an email in January, saying that audition dates had become available. The closest one to me was in London, so I set a date. I flew out to London about three or four weeks ago, he said.

I thought my audition only went okay itself. I genuinely thought no more of it, after that. I had spent the past few years applying for agents, casting directors, and I mean I bombarded people, and its just been rejection after rejection, no after no. So you kind of develop a thick skin, you dont tend to take it personally, and you dont tend to get too excited if something does come through. Youve got to be realistic, and you try your level best not to get your hopes up and let your imagination run away with you.

Once I saw that email congratulating me, I was stunned. Thank God I was lying down in bed, because my legs would have went from under me, said David.

Having never been to New York before, David will be living around a block away from the Empire State Building.

Im just going to be smack bang in the middle of it all, he said.

The past pupil of Colaiste na Trocaire and graduate of LIT started his acting career with the local Orchard Theatre Company.

They were looking for anyone that could do an English accent, and luckily I fit the bill - my dad is a North Londoner, so I grew up listening to his exotic lilt! I got one show with Orchard Theatre Company, and it snowballed from there, he explained, saying that he has since craved formal teaching in dramatic arts.

Amid all the good news, his parents Robert and Maria Collins will be waving goodbye to their son as he aims to forge a career in America.

One thing I am going to find tough is being away from the family. Both of them couldnt have been more supportive of me, said David.
THE Shannon Estuary Way is a cop-out and should more properly be called The Hedges on the N69 Way Sinn Feins Cllr Seighin OCeallaigh has declared, predicting that the new tourist drive would be a disaster.

And he has accused Minister of State Patrick ODonovan of failing to deliver for tourism in Limerick.

He was the Junior Minister for Tourism, and he couldnt even get his own county on the Wild Atlantic Way. Thats a failure if ever I saw one, Cllr OCeallaigh said.

But Minister ODonovan, who launched the Shannon Estuary Way on June 16 in what was one of his last acts as Minister of State for Tourism, has vigorously rebutted the city-based councillors claims and accused him of talking through his hat.

It is obvious he knows nothing about the Shannon Estuary, Minister ODonovan said this week, adding that there had been widespread consultation on the Shannon Estuary Way but that he had received no submissions whatsoever on the matter from Sinn Fein.

What Junior Minister ODonovan has basically done is accept the Silver Medal, instead of fighting for Gold. The Shannon Estuary Way is a consolation prize, a participation medal,  Cllr OCeallaigh said, claiming that he had been campaigning since 2014 for Limericks inclusion in the Wild Atlantic Way.

.It doesnt take a genius to work out that the tide comes up to Limerick City, and that it should be on the Wild Atlantic Way. The Shannon Estuary Way is going to be a disaster, for the fact it doesnt go along the estuary.

They should have called it The Hedges on the N69 Way, because it doesnt even include the scenic parts of County Limerick, he argued. People wont even see any water until they come into Limerick City.

But Minister ODonovan has ridiculed these remarks, pointing out that they clearly demonstrate the councillors lack of familiarity with and knowledge of the estuary. It would appear, he remarked, that Cllr OCeallaigh has never been beyond Mungret.

He should take a drive from Ringmoylan down to Foynes, down to Loughill and on to Glin and back along the river in Askeaton. He might understand you do see the water. He would get an even better view from the top of Knockpatrick but he would need sat-nav to get there,  Minister ODonovan said, adding that a tour could be arranged to show Cllr OCeallaigh the sites in Co Limerick that he doesnt know about. We can arrange a tour for him.

Sinn Feins only contribution to the tourism debate, Minister ODonovan said, had been to call for the abolition of the 9% VAT rate for hotels and restaurants, a move which, he believed, would have led to lost jobs.
WHEN rugby legends Tony Ward and Moss Keane dropped Denis Hooper off at Glenstal Abbey they said they would be back to collect him in three hours.

That was in 1983. Br Denis has now become Fr Denis after he was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop of Cashel and Emly, Kieran OReilly.

In his over 30 years as monk he has served in a wide variety of roles, mainly in Glenstal Abbey School, including a seven-year term as headmaster.

But aged in his early sixties he decided the time was right to become a man of the cloth.

Over the past couple of years I felt some sort of a calling for a more active ministry. God certainly has a sense of humour. So, in consultation with former Abbot Mark Patrick and current Abbot Brendan we decided that priesthood was the logical step for me, said Fr Denis.

It was a wonderful couple of days here in Glenstal and people came from Australia, the United States, India, England and from all around Ireland. It was all a bit nerve-wrecking but everything turned out well without too many hitches, thank God, he added.

Fr Denis was born in Hatch Street, Dublin in October 1954. His late parents were Dr Ivor and Margot Hooper and and there were seven children in the family.

His oldest friend is former rugby star Tony Ward who was born two days before Fr Denis. We have been friends since the age of seven. I arrived in Glenstal in August 1983. Moss Keane and Tony Ward were driving to a Munster training session in Limerick and they gave me a lift to Glenstal.

Moss was driving and when we arrived in Glenstal he said that he and Tony would drive back to Glenstal after training to collect me because he reckoned I wouldn't last three hours in the place! smiled Fr Denis.

For the past academic year he has been resident at the Primatial Abbey of Sant Anselmo in Rome, and studying at the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas (the Angelicum) in preparation for his ordination as priest.

He had previously studied Theology at Saint Patricks College, Maynooth.

At the end of Mass, he administered his first blessing to the people present. The following day, Fr Denis presided at the Eucharist for the first time, at the Sunday Conventual Mass in the abbey church. Once again, many relatives and friends were present for the celebration.

Fr Denis is now looking forward to working as school chaplain in Glenstal.
SHANNON has hailed the start of new transatlantic services with budget airline Norwegian as a major milestone for the airport.

The budget carrier started two new routes from Shannon to the US this Sunday, with Norwegian CEO Bjorn Kjos promising more choice and lower fares for travel to the USA as a result.

The scheduled services with Norwegian Air International  four a week from from Shannon to Stewart International in Orange County and to Providence Green Airport, Rhode Island  mean Shannons transatlantic offering is at its largest number for 17 years.

The new services will provide additional transatlantic capacity this year of 40,000 seats, with 80,000 across 2018 when the flights operate year round for the first time, bringing transatlantic capacity at Shannon next year to over 550,000 seats.

Shannon Airport is proud to welcome Norwegian Air International to Shannon. The launch of these two new US destinations is another major milestone for our passengers, said Mary Considine, deputy CEO of the Shannon Group.

The new services open up exciting opportunities for Irish people to explore amazing parts of the States and for US visitors to explore our Wild Atlantic Way. We look forward to working closely with Norwegian to ensure the success of the services, which we are confident will pave the way for many more great things to come.

Mr Kjos said: "The launch of these new transatlantic flights is a significant milestone for Norwegian, Shannon Airport and most of all passengers who now have more choice and lower fares for travel to the USA.

We are grateful for the huge support from across Ireland over the last three years and we are delighted to see everyone's hard work pay-off as our first transatlantic flights take to the skies this weekend."
Jul 2, 2017, 9 AM

This 19 Flag card of 1991 reportedly received a locally applied imprint reading Additional 1 Cent Postage Paid/Columbus OH 43229 on a run of about 5,000 cards, of which some 100 survive in collectors hands. H.R. Harmer found it a new home for $153.

Among postal stationery in the H.R. Harmer sale was an interesting essay for a postal card that was never issued. This example, featuring an indicium similar to the 1974 10 ZIP Code stamp, sold for $1,062.

H.R. Harmer, during its May 31-June 3 auction, offered a complete set of Farleys Follies imperforate sheets, each signed and personalized in the margin by Postmaster General James A. Farley. The new owner paid $59,000 for the sought-after, favor-made s

The H.R. Harmer sale included a set of the National Parks series of 1934 in marginal blocks of eight or 12, three of which are signed by then-Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes and dated Aug. 30, 1934. The set of blocks, which all include marginal

Auction Roundup  By Matthew Healey

The firm of H.R. Harmer held a sale in Costa Mesa, Calif. on May 31-June 3. The sale was previewed in Linns issue of May 29.

The blockbuster attraction of the sale was several lots made up of Farleys Follies, the imperforate, ungummed sheets of commemorative stamps that were prepared in 1934 as exclusive souvenirs for President Franklin D. Roosevelt and other senior officials by the postmaster at the time, James A. Farley.

These favor-made sheets caused such an uproar among collectors at the time that the USPOD was obliged to issue the imperforates to the general public the following year, in a series of special printings (Scott 752-771).

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But while the special printings of 1935 are quite common, the original follies of 1934, identifiable by handwritten and dated inscriptions in the sheet margins, are rare and highly sought after.

A full set of 15 uncut sheets, representing commemoratives, souvenir sheets and one airmail special delivery stamp (Scott 738-751 and CE1), was each inscribed in the margin with an extensive dedication by Farley to Third Assistant Postmaster General Clinton B. Eilenberger.

The set sold for $59,000, including the 18 percent buyers premium H.R. Harmer adds to all lots.

The sale also included a set of the National Parks series of 1934 in marginal blocks of eight or 12, three of which are signed by then-Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes and dated Aug. 30, 1934.

These come from two sets of imperforate sheets that Ickes requested to have gummed so that he could give the stamps to friends as gifts.

The set of blocks, which all include marginal arrow markings, sold for $2,832.

Among postal stationery in the sale was an interesting essay (artwork for a proposed design) for a postal card that was never issued.

Bearing a nondenominated indicium very similar to the 10 It All Depends on ZIP Code stamp of 1974 (Scott 1511), the design is horizontal rather than vertical, and the streamlined train is red, white, and blue rather than red and pink.

Supposedly conceived for international mail, the essay was described as very fine and rare. It fetched $1,062.

Another lot featured a postal card, this time an issued one but with a surcharge that is unlisted in Scott.

The 19 Flag card of 1991 (Scott UX153) reportedly received a locally applied imprint reading Additional 1 Cent Postage Paid/Columbus OH 43229 on a run of about 5,000 cards, of which some 100 survive in collector hands. The used card sold for $153.

Want to see what other auction houses had to offer?

Matthew Healey provides a detailed roundup of other auctions that took place recently. The content can be found in the latest issue of Linn's Stamp News. If you would like to read more, subscribing to either the print or digital edition of Linn's is easy and fast.
The energy industry is growing nervous as more oil pours onto the world market and the price of a barrel hovers in the mid-$40s  a decent, but not robust price point.

Friday, the number of drilling rigs at work in U.S. fields fell for the first time since January.

It dropped by just one rig, though, to 940, and remains up by an enormous amount  509 rigs  from the same week a year ago, according to the service firm Baker Hughes.

While the oil industry is having a far better year than in 2016, when the price of a barrel of oil hit $26, down from 2014 highs of $107, the same issue remains that first caused those prices to fall: The world is awash in barrels, and more keep coming onto the market.

Internationally, Libyan and Nigerian oil production is rebounding. Despite production cuts from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries announced late last year and extended through March in a move to bolster prices, OPEC production rose in May, led by Libya and Nigeria, which are member countries but were exempt from the cuts.

In the U.S., shale fields are adding more oil to the market.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects shale oil production to rise by 127,000 barrels in July, to 5.5 million barrels per day.

Theres even more oil waiting to come online. The U.S. has an estimated 5,770 wells that have been drilled but not completed. Theyre knowns as DUCs, and the Permian Basin in West Texas and eastern New Mexico and Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas have more than 3,300 such wells between them.

A Goldman Sachs client report on oil this week was titled, Still searching for the equilibrium. The investment bank lowered its 3-month forecast for the benchmark West Texas Intermediate from $55 to $47.50.

Oil closed at $46.04 per barrel Friday, up 1.11 percent for the day, and around the price point at which Goldman thinks activity in shale fields could falter.

The oil market is back to searching for an anchor and we believe that this will likely be for now the price at which shale activity slows, the bank said.

Fred Beach, assistant director for policy studies at the University of Texas at Austins Energy Institute, said its possible  though there arent enough years of data at this point to prove it  that U.S. oil consumption has peaked, though its still rising in the worlds developing economics.

We may have hit peak consumption. How quickly can the world trend follow the U.S. and European trend? Beach asked. How can you tell when weve hit peak oil? The price will go down.

The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas this week released its latest quarterly energy survey, and the numbers looked far more optimistic than the anonymous comments from oil and gas executives.

Even as service companies reported higher use of their equipment, and exploration and production companies said they were seeing continued but slower growth, executives had these sorts of things to say about the business:

There are too many rigs running and too much production coming online. The oil glut continues, and operators are ignoring market signals.

A lot of equity is being destroyed.

Any animal spirits seem to be tamped down as quickly as they emerge.

Others talked about skinny margins at $45 oil and OPEC production cuts as mere window dressing.

Of course, now that everything seems bearish in oil, Dennis Elam, an accounting professor at Texas A&M, said the market could be shifting the other direction. When prices are high, its hard to imagine theyll ever be low again. When prices are low, it seems thats permanent too.

Nobody remembers the gas lines of 1979, Elam said.

Hes not buying all the talk of the new normal in oil  the idea that supply will overwhelm demand for years to come, creating sustained lower oil prices for as far as the eye can see.

I dont know that anything is ever normal, Elam said. Were always transitioning from unrealistic lows to unrealistic high in any of these markets.

In the meantime, consumers should enjoy the lower gasoline prices while they last, said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for the gas price tracking firm GasBuddy. Oil prices tend to go in cycles, up or down for a few years.

Were talking about new technology with shale drilling and so this could be much longer than that. But my attitude is always been to take advantage while you can, DeHaan said, adding that good gasoline prices may be around this summer and next summer, but it may not always be this good.

jhiller@express-news.net

Twitter: @Jennifer_Hiller

Staff writer Rye Druzin contributed to this report.
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Thirty years ago Laredoans took their first bite of Taco Palenque thanks to the dedication of Juan Francisco "Pancho" Ochoa.

Taco Palenque celebrated its 30th anniversary Saturday where it all began, at the San Bernardo location. Ochoa, in turn, celebrated seven employees who have been with him throughout the 30 years. Among them was Gloria Guevara, who worked for 21 years in the kitchen and now oversees the quality of the food.

"I'm very happy," Guevara said. "Because they are magnificent people. I would not have left them for anything. They treat me like I am part of the family."

U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, was in attendance and gave congratulations to Ochoa for being both a great businessman and member of the community. Ochoa's commitment to quality food and customer service was evident as patrons continuously flowed into the restaurant as the celebration went on.

RELATED: City delegation uses Taco Palenque to woo Congress members in DC

While Laredo was introduced to Taco Palenque in 1987, the world met Ochoa's creation in 1975. Originally from Sinaloa, Mexico, Ochoa's success began with a roadside chicken stand known as El Pollo Loco. The restaurant took off with locations established throughout Mexico. Ochoa brought the restaurant to the states in 1980 with the first El Pollo Loco in Los Angeles.

Since its inception, Taco Palenque has grown across Texas with 21 locations, and eight are in Laredo. Cuellar noted the creation of jobs that followed with the food chain and said there are now over 1,500 employees. Cuellar also recognized Ochoa on behalf of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"Forever and ever and ever this recognition is going to be there on the congress journal," Cuellar said.

Ochoa expressed his happiness on reaching the milestone and gratitude toward Laredo for their support.

"Thanks to them we're able to grow," Ochoa said.
A man has been arrested for allegedly allowing the consumption of alcohol at a local bar during prohibited hours, according to Laredo police.

Sergio Munoz, 42, was charged with consuming or permitting the consumption of alcoholic beverages on licensed premises during prohibited hours.
Laredo police said Friday they need the community's assistance to locate a missing man who was last seen in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico.

LPD said there have been confirmed sightings of Duane Brian Murphy, 39, in the Sister City near the Gateway to the Americas International Bridge, also known as International Bridge I.

Mexican authorities and U.S. officials in Mexico have been notified, according to police.

READ MORE: Authorities searching for missing child from Honduras that could be in Laredo area

Murphy was reported missing June 2 to LPD. He was in the Laredo area until he crossed into Mexico. He has a tattoo of a cross in the upper area of his right arm. Murphy also has a short beard and mustache.

He is about 6 feet tall and weighs about 210 to 220 pounds.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of Murphy is asked to call LPD at 795-2800 or call Crime Stoppers at 727-TIPS (8477). Callers will remain anonymous.
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Fresh off his first session as state representative, Rep. Ernest Bailes was back in the district to update his constituents on his votes, bills he authored, successes and challenges working within the politics at the capital.

Last Thursday, Bailes spent most of his day in Dayton meeting with Rotarians at noon and educators shortly after and then a drop-in at the Dayton community meeting later that night.

The freshman representative's biggest announcement came with confirmation that progress had been made on the headache at the railroad crossing on US 90 in Dayton.

Bailes said there had been several meetings with officials from BNSF, CMC, Union Pacific and other stakeholders in Austin at the capital to iron out the issue.

"I can't discuss it in full detail but because it's still in negotiations phase, however, I can say with full confidence that UP is at the table, which they have not been before, and willing to work with us," he said.

Bailes also confirmed that TxDOT officials from Beaumont and Austin at the state level were in on the negotiations realizing that the public safety issue and growth coming from new developments and SH 99 resonating with officials.

"They have all agreed to a concept that will move the railroad crossing further to the west on US Highway 90," Bailes told Rotarians.

Bailes said it not only made sense for them operationally inside the rail yard, but also will alleviate the congestion at the current crossing.

He told Rotarians that TxDOT is now in the process of developing a cost estimate for an overpass that would go over the new US 90 location and would be fairly close to the SH 99 area south of Dayton.

Bailes also said that Union Pacific was considering double-tracking into Houston, including through Dayton making it a north-south line. UP would have to acquire some private land that they do not own but no acquisitions have been made to date.

"The overpass will have to be wider than it is on most because of their traffic flows," he said.

Bailes used Plum Grove, a once small logging community, as an example of the shocking growth coming to the county.

"Their population at the last census was 660 or 670 and now their platted for 17,500 half-acre lots and that's growth," he said.

Not all of those have homes on them yet, but the growth has been nothing short of exponential.

The Dayton development River Ranch promises to be a little slower with homes being built first on 150 lots on the northwest corner of the property close to SH 146. According to a spokesperson from River Ranch, homes won't be built on that property for another 12 to 18 months.

Another of topics of interest, particularly for educators, was the idea of a consumption tax for public education instead of property taxes.

"The problem with that is that in Shepherd, Texas, for example, where I live, if my wife buys groceries at the Cleveland Walmart, she's actually taking away from Shepherd ISD and giving money to Cleveland ISD with a consumption tax," he said. "The only way to make funding equitable for all students across the state of Texas is to use a Robin Hood system, but we can't go back to a system we have already deemed as not fair."

That was only one of the issues with having to deal with funding education, a huge piece of the pie in the state's budget.

"We're trying to find out how we can get a meaningful fix for school funding," he said.

School choice and vouchers remain at the center of the debate, particularly with the Lt. Governor telling lawmakers that he would not pass any measure that effects school funding without them.

Bailes discussed how many private schools wouldn't be willing to accept special needs students, particularly knowing that they might lose money with their care and education.

Having closed enrollment is not comparing apples to apples, he said.

"Public schools are tied with those strings where they have to," the freshman representative said.

Bailes also announced that negotiations with TxDOT may bring a turning lane on 146 coming in from Hardin into Liberty.

"I've met with TxDOT and they have done the traffic studies on addressing a turning lane there and that will be another help to Liberty," he said.

Bailes also addressed the $1,000 pay increase for teachers across the state.

"No one knows yet how that will be funded and probably won't know until we return for the session and hear if it will be an unfunded mandate on school districts or not," he said.

Another proposal for half a billion to help fix the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) and showing that educators across the state are facing nearly doubling insurance.

"We were only able to put in about two-thirds of that, but teachers will probably face a near doubling of their insurance. If we could have come up with the money to fix the insurance mess, teachers would have been able to keep more money in their pockets and that would have probably exceeded the $1,000 pay raise," he said.

Bailes said the legislature will return to Austin in July and face 20 charges from the governor to address.

"We have a lot of issues to settle, some of these have already been addressed, others much more important than another, but they all must be addressed," he said.
Top Trump administration officials insisted Sunday that the odds of passing health-care legislation when the Senate returns to Washington next week remain high, but others in the GOP charged that the bill's problems require more than a quick fix.

Health and Homeland Security Secretary Tom Price and White House legislative affairs director Marc Short are fighting off a tide of discontent that has been exacerbated in recent days by President Donald Trump's tweet that the Senate could simply repeal Obamacare and replace it later if it cannot pass the pending measure.

Price and Short both argued in television appearances Sunday that Trump doesn't actually endorse the staggered approach. They said Trump was working the phones this weekend to urge senators to get on board with the Senate bill.

Still, Trump's comment - a sharp departure from his campaign promises - is undercutting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's efforts to collect 50 GOP votes to support the current bill. Conservative Republicans are calling for separate efforts, urging quick action to undo Obamacare to allow more time for the difficult endeavor of structuring its replacement.

Those senators are still divided, however, on whether the replacement must be devised now or sometime in the future.

"I want repeal to work, and the way you do it is you separate into two bills and you do it concurrently," said Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who declared on Fox News Sunday that "we are at an impasse" with the current health-care bill before the Senate.

"We should do repeal with a delay," Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said on CNN Sunday, saying that he was still willing to give the Senate bill another week before declaring it dead.

In an appearance on Face the Nation, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, also endorsed repealing Obamacare with a "delayed implementation" that would give lawmakers time to craft a replacement, noting that approach might be "easier."

"Sometimes when you lump too many things into one piece of legislation, you doom its chances of success," Lee said. "That might be where we are."

Lee is also one of the senators pushing a change to current legislation to insist that every state have at least one Obamacare-compliant insurance plan, in exchange for lifting the rules on the others. Short endorsed that change on Sunday, calling it "perfectly appropriate," and "part of the process of bringing everybody together."

But Republicans from the other side of the party spectrum are also distancing themselves from the Senate bill, as Democrats suggest they are ready for a bipartisan approach.

Last week, Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., asked the president to relaunch the health-care push in a bipartisan fashion, declaring that Democrats are ready to work across the aisle.

Trump surrogates scoffed at that offer Sunday, with Short declaring that "Senator Schumer might talk about bipartisanship, but he has no interest in bipartisanship whatsoever."

Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., used a Sunday appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" to hawk the health-care proposal he drafted with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, which they say was designed to build bipartisan support. Both have been skeptical of the current Senate bill. But on Sunday, Cassidy said he too is skeptical that Democrats are serious about cooperation.

"Until a Democrat says they are willing to sign on to the Patient Freedom Act, which allows a blue state to do what they're doing now, but allows a red state to do something different, I'm not sure we're ready for bipartisanship," Cassidy said.

Trump administration officials identified three areas that could need last-minute changes to win a more favorable impact score from the Congressional Budget Office and more support from members. Price said the administration and lawmakers are working to ensure that individuals transitioning off Medicaid do not fall through the cracks, that more coverage options are available and that opioid abuse is addressed.

Not all Republicans are convinced that those efforts will help. In an appearance on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos," Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, warned against "efforts to try to buy people off" with little, last-minute fixes to things like opioid abuse programs that he called "anemic. It's like spitting in the ocean. It's not enough."

Kasich had harsh words for both Democrats and Republicans, excoriating them for being too consumed with politics to be anything but shortsighted and disingenuous when it comes to fixing the health-care system, and complaining that "sometimes my party asks too much."

"Right now, they're not ready, they are not ready to sit down and put the nation first in my opinion," Kasich said of congressional lawmakers. His problems with the bill, he said, cover "the whole package."
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A Louisiana woman who claims to be pregnant by a man who shot and killed a San Antonio police officer, and wounded another, said Saturday that she was stunned when she heard about the fatal confrontation.

"He was ready to become a father," said Shelia Landry, 22, in a telephone interview from Mandeville, Louisiana. "Andrew just needed help  he just had a substance abuse problem, but he's not a cop-killer. I have no idea how he could have done something like this."

Officers Miguel Moreno, 32 and Julio Cavazos, 36, were shot during a confrontation with Andrew Bice, 34, near San Antonio College on Thursday. Moreno and Cavazos were both taken to the hospital in critical condition. Moreno died Friday; he was the 14th officer killed in the line of duty since 2000. Cavazos is recovering.

RELATED: Gunman who shot 2 officers had extensive criminal history in Louisiana, Texas

Bice, who had a San Antonio address but was from Louisiana, died at the scene of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.

Landry, the mother of two, said she started dating Bice in 2015 and that they became engaged last year. Her Facebook page has photos of the happy couple and her children. She said they lived together in Mandeville, where Landry works at the Waffle House.

Something had been troubling Bice, Landry said, prompting him to go to Texas, but she declined to say what it was.

He came down (to San Antonio) and he was just calling me, texting me, telling me he needed me to come down there and take care of him, Landry said in a telephone interview Saturday. I couldnt get down there because I was still saving up enough money to go.

RELATED: Gunman in fatal police shooting identified as 34-year-old from Northeast Side

In a text message Landry said she had with Bice on the day of the shooting, Bice tells Landry he is sad and that he misses her. He also tells her he is eager for her "too get here so we can go on this journey together."

Phone calls to other members of Bice's family went unanswered Saturday.

jgerlach@express-news.net

mySA staff contributed to this story
Texans have always been partial to whiskeys and tequilas. But thanks to the pioneering efforts of a few Texas distillers, vodka is quickly becoming a favored spirit.

Titos Handmade Vodka got the ball rolling. When San Antonio native Burt Tito Beveridge set up shop in Austin in 1997, his became the first legal distillery in Texas history (a remarkable fact given Texas has been a state since 1845). Titos put Texas vodka on the map in 2001, when it took home the Double Gold medal for vodka from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Since Titos great success, vodka distilleries have been popping up across Texas.
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Fresh from confirmation Center Parcs is to secure access to Ireland's gas pipeline, Ballymahon has received another timely boost with revelations the south Longford town is to get a major water upgrade.

Details over the announcement were confirmed by local Fine Gael TD Peter Burke yesterday (Tuesday).

Mr Burke said he had received confirmation from Irish Water that Ballymahon would be subject to a "significant water network upgrade" over the coming months.

The Longford-Westmeath TD said the announcement came in the wake of several complaints and representations he had made to the state utility on behalf of local constituents.

I was delighted to receive notice from an official in Irish Water responsible for handling complaints from Oireachtas members that there will be a comprehensive upgrade to the water works on Main Street, Ballymahon which will begin shortly," he said.

I have been informed that contracts are prepared and are due for signing in the coming weeks. Irish Water have given a commitment to myself and to Longford County Council that the large-scale project will be completed by April 2018."

Details of yesterday's announcement comes a week after UK holiday giant Center Parcs confirmed it had secured agreement to bring Ireland's gas network to its proposed 233m holiday village at Newcastle Wood.
Edgeworthstowns Matt Farrell was honoured at a Civic Reception in Aras an Chontae last Thursday night.

The Longford man was named as Irelands Heritage Hero a couple of months back and his extensive work on the Edgeworth family has led to a series of literary trails and historic buildings becoming available to the public over the past few years.

This recognition tonight is mainly on the back of Edgeworthstown heritage, he added.

Edgeworthstown has a proud literary and cultural heritage and the Edgeworth name is recognised worldwide.

Mr Farrell went on to say that the town had now established the Edgeworthstown Heritage Trail and it was a great feeling when people from all over the world descended on the mid-Longford town to enjoy all that was on offer there.

Recently we had a group from Australia who were on a three week literary tour of Ireland, he said.

The leader of the group, who has travelled all over the world - Suzanne Fullerton - told us that the visit to Edgeworthstown was the highlight of the groups trip.

It was wonderful to hear that and it is the feedback from visitors that keeps us going.

Meanwhile, Mr Farrell is well-known as a staunch community organiser in Edgeworthstown.

He has been involved with the Edgeworthstown Development Association for a long number of years and is a stalwart of the Edgeworth Literary Festival which now attracts a global audience.

The Edgeworth Family is itself steeped in history and includes writers, scientists, inventors, astronomers and economists among its members!

Paying tribute to Mr Farrell before bestowing him with his civic honour last Thursday night at Aras an Chontae, Cathaoirleach, Cllr Mick Cahill said that Edgeworthstowns heritage and cultural success was testament to the hard work and dedication of Matt Farrell.

In 2015, Edgeworthstown Development Association won First Prize in the special category at the National Pride of Place Awards, he added.

This was due in no small part to you, Matt.

Judges were particularly impressed by Matts natural warmth and the genuine love that he has for Edgeworthstown, its history and its people.

The Cathaoirleach went on to say that Mr Farrell was a great example of what community activism was all about here in Co Longford.

You prove, concluded Cllr Cahill, what can be achieved through dedication and collaboration.

You are a wonderful ambassador for our our county.
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Congress (B) Chairman R Balakrishna Pillai on last day slammed Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, over the recent drama unfolded at a press meet related to the sexual assault of a prominent actress.

However, backing his son and MLA Ganesh Kumar, Mr Pillai said that Ganesh did not show any misconduct at the press meet. He also termed the events at the press meet as an 'anti-social one'.

The press meet of the 'AMMA' at Kochi witnessed a fire works and later it dissolved into a shouting match when some journalists questioned the association's stance in the sensational case.
United Nations: India has contributed $500,000 to the UN Peace Building Fund, expressing hope that more funding by the nations will boosts the efforts to sustain peace in the world.

India, the largest democratic country in world has been a member of the peace building Commission since its interception in December 2015 and so far contributed $5 million to the peace building fund.

The fund was launched to support activities, actions, programmes and organisations that seek to build a lasting peace in countries emerging from conflict.
Odiyan, the upcoming Mohanlal movie is undoubtedly one of the much anticipated movie of the year. On last day, Mohanlal himself shared an excited news that 'Odiyan' will be live on

Face Book today. The actor also added that 'Odiyan' will meet them at sharp 8 PM.

Produced by Antony Perumbavoor and directed by VA Sreekumar Menon 'Odiyan' has a whooping budget of Rs 600 crores and is supposedly a fantasy thriller. Actress Manju Warrier essays the lady lead in the movie.
The Boston Celtics will not keep free agent Amir Johnson, who is headed to the Philadelphia 76ers on a one-year contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Free agent Amir Johnson has agreed to a one-year, $11M deal with Philadelphia, agent Kevin Bradbury tells ESPN.  Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2017

The 76ers have made it clear they want to surround their promising young core with quality humans on one-year contracts. Earlier Saturday, they reached agreement with sharpshooter J.J. Redick, who, like Johnson, can still help on the court, but might be even more useful as a positive veteran presence.

For Johnson, the $11-million payday was likely enough to offset the lack of long-term security. Because of the Celtics' salary-cap situation, he was never likely to return for a third season with the team.

With Johnson's departure now promised, Boston's frontcourt situation remains a bit fluid. Though he didn't play a ton of minutes, especially during the playoffs, Johnson started 77 games last season. Tyler Zeller could be waived, Jonas Jerebko's an unrestricted free agent, and Kelly Olynyk's a restricted free agent. The Celtics will have some new blood with Ante Zizic, but still have some depth issues to figure out up front.
It was July 4, 1957.

Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was in the White House. The Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 3-2 at Yankee Stadium. Pat Boone's "Love Letters in the Sand" was the top of the charts for music that week, and Elvis Presley had two songs on the top 10 list, "Teddy Bear" and "All Shook Up."'

If life had gone as planned, Richard Greene would have been getting ready to start classes at Springfield College on a swimming scholarship after his graduation that June from Springfield Technical High School.

Life doesn't always go as planned, though, and, if you talk to the now 78-year-old Greene today, you'll learn he's just as happy things turned out the way they did.

Sixty years ago this week, Greene was among 100 young men from all across Western Massachusetts, southern New Hampshire and northern Connecticut who were sworn into the U.S. Navy on that Independence Day.

The group induction took place on the grounds of the Eastern States Exposition in West Springfield. The members of Navy Co. 125 would become known as the Greater Springfield Honor Guard, returning to the Big E that fall to serve as a ceremonial unit for the governors of all six New England states during their visits to the exposition. What may have started as a sort of publicity gimmick by the Navy wound up establishing a connection that would quite literally last a lifetime.

On Tuesday at 11 a.m., dozens of the recruits and their family members are due to gather at the Big E, celebrating the camaraderie they built as young men over three life-changing months in that summer of 1957 and recalling the experiences which provided a foundation for the rest of their lives.

For Greene, the scholarship to Springfield College didn't come through, and, when a friend suggested the Navy, much to his father's chagrin, he signed up.

"My friend said, come on in the Navy. We'll have a wonderful time and have a ball in boot camp," Greene recalled recently. "Back then boot camp was 10 or 12 weeks. I didn't think about the next four years." His father didn't speak to him for six months afterwards.

Fast forward to 2017, and Greene will tell you his Navy experience was one of the best things that happened in his life. "It was the best foundation I could have had for life," he says. "It taught me the principles of life, formed character for me, gave me a proper outlook on the future. We had good mentors."

One of those mentors was the company's drill sergeant, Ken Hagan, now in his 90s, who will be in West Springfield this week for the reunion of a grateful group of men now in their late 70s and early 80s. By all descriptions, Hagan could be one of those mythic figures who knew how to bring out the best in those under his command.

"He was almost like the old Marine drill instructor you hear about. He was very strict, but he kept us together," remembers Jack Rioni, of Agawam. "He would keep us in line and give us hell, but guys still love the man. I think he is the main reason we've kept together as we have over the years."

Adds Greene about Hagan, "Back when we were an impressionable age, we had to find someone to look up to and respect. He was only 10 years older than us. He was small and wiry, but a very disciplined commanding officer. He set the stage for becoming someone who could be self-sufficient."

Rioni was fortunate to have had an about nine-month head start on the other teenagers of Co. 125. While at Springfield Trade High School, he joined the Navy Reserve right when he turned 17. His principal, the late Edward Garvey, also happened to be the commander of the Navy Reserve station in Springfield. Lessons he garnered from Garvey would play out later in life, Rioni says.

For Robert P. Cahillane, of Northampton, it was a particularly strident encounter with his father that May that prompted him to enlist in the Navy on a purely emotional whim as a way out of town.

"I was a wild child, probably a little too big my britches" Cahillane remembers. His father, James F. Cahillane, then the mayor, admonished him for having a bit too heavy a foot on the gas pedal, and the son headed to the recruiting office. By the time he thought about it, the Navy had him, Cahillane says.

He was among three recruits from Northampton in the group. Just about every community up and down the Pioneer Valley was represented, he says. Today, Cahillane acts as the reunion coordinator and keeps track of who's where and how everyone is faring.

Two of their company mates died in service to their country, according to Cahillane. Radioman Joseph Walski, of Easthampton, died when the submarine Thresher sank off the coast of New England on April 10, 1963. James F. Edes, of Buckland, died in 1981 from wounds he suffered during the war in Vietnam. Both will be remembered this week, and members of their families have been invited to take part of the reunion, according to Cahillane. All of the men at the reunion will be feted by American Legion Post 185 in Feeding Hills at a luncheon following the gathering at the Big E.

Our nation was in between wars at the time Co. 125 went through basic training, so many of the members wound up serving their four-year hitches and then bailing on the Navy.

"Four years to the minute," says Rioni, who was a submariner. He'd gotten married in the midst of his service and decided to give civilian life a try at his wife's urging. (She did also tell him he could reenlist if things didn't go well on the homefront, Rioni remembers.)

Rioni, again thanks to Garvey's guidance which had seen him study electronics at Trade High and his Navy service as a radioman, wound up being among the first graduates of Springfield Technical Community College. Armed with an associate degree in electronic technology, he launched a 30-year career as a systems engineer with IBM.

Greene, who was a dental technician in the Navy and thought he might go back to college and dental school when his four-year hitch was up, wound up having a 42-year career in insurance.

Greene says the camaraderie is what he looks forward to by participating in the reunion. "We're enjoying something in life that probably most people cannot experience," he says. "We've been living with each other for 60 years. It's kind of like deja vu. We were all 18 years old together, and now we're looking at each other 60 years later."

Age is one of the reasons Cahillane doesn't know how many more reunions there will be for Navy Co. 125.

"I promised 10 years ago I wouldn't do this again," he says. That was before the call from Hagan in which he was reminded he promised to keep the reunions going as long as the drill instructor could be here.

The men of Co. 125 remember all the awards their flag company, drilled long and hard by Hagan, earned while they were in Navy boot camp. Some, like Cahillane, now know well why the "old man" made a point of drilling home how much more the honors would truly mean to them.

On the night before their graduation, Cahillane remembers being summonsed by Hagan for a chat. The message was simple: "As you go through this man's Navy, if anybody pats you on the back, ask for it in writing."

Cahillane followed those instructions, and, he says, he was fortunate to have "crowded about 20 years worth of experiences into four years in the Navy" and to have then put together a career afterwards, from time spent with the Hampshire Sheriff's Department and as veterans services director for his hometown, for which he says he "owes a lot to Ken Hagan."

On Tuesday, he'll be able to say "thank you" in person. One more time.

Cynthia G. Simison is managing editor for The Republican. She may be reached by email to csimison@repub.com.
A 30-year-old Boston man is accused of shooting at police Saturday morning and Boston Police's top cop is praising his officers for using restraint while under fire.

Members of Boston Police's Youth Violence Strike Force were on patrol in Mattapan around 12:35 a.m. Saturday when they saw a man drive by them on a scooter without a helmet.

As officers followed the scooter, a gunshot rang out from nearby. Police say a man standing on a sidewalk shot at them.

"Officers promptly observed a black, non-Hispanic male with his arms fully extended in officers' direction,"police said. "Believing that this was the individual responsible for the gunfire, officers immediately exited their cruiser and gave chase."

Police chased the suspect, identified later as 30-year-old Kristopher Jordan of Boston, and repeatedly demanded he drop the gun, police said.

Officers chased the suspect up and over a fence in the rear of 60 Deering Road where they were able to take him to the ground. Police said they were able to find a loaded gun used by Jordan.

"I continue to marvel and be impressed by the split-second decision making, courage and selflessness displayed by my officers in their ongoing commitment to protect and serve our community," Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said. "The fact that none of my officers was injured during this incident is miraculous. The fact that the suspect in this case thought it was okay to point a gun and fire at a police officer is nothing short of mind-boggling and should be disturbing to every member of our community. Thankfully, my officers got to go home to their loved ones and a dangerous felon is off the streets and no longer in a position to terrorize our neighborhoods."

Jordan was charged with discharging a firearm within 500 feet of a dwelling, assault with a dangerous weapon and other firearms charges.
GLOUCESTER - A 45-year-old Gloucester man was airlifted to a Boston hospital in critical condition Thursday afternoon after he fell from a fourth-story balcony while apparently trying to escape a knife fight with a woman in his apartment.

The Gloucester Times reported that the Gloucester Fire Department rescue squad found the unidentified man lying on the pavement outside his apartment building suffering from multiple trauma and several stab wounds. Inside the Eastern Street apartment, emergency crews found a woman also suffering from knife wounds.

The man was taken to the helicopter landing area at U.S. Coast Guard Station Gloucester and airlifted to a Boston hospital with critical injuries. The woman was transported to Addison Gilbert Hospital for the treatment of her wounds. Her condition was unknown.

Police said a preliminary investigation indicated the man was trying to climb from his fourth-floor balcony to the one below when he fell. They say they consider the incident a domestic dispute and have not released either person's name.
The nurses at Tufts Medical Center in Boston plan to strike on July 12 after the hospital and union have been unable to negotiate a new contract.

WCVB News reports that the Massachusetts Nurses Association told the hospital they plan to strike on July 12 and continue the strike until the following day.

Temporary workers will be brought in and the hospital will lock out the nurses who strike for four more days, the television station reports.

Dr. Michael Wagner, president and CEO of Tufts Medical Center, told WCVB News that he is disappointed the union has opted to strike. The hospital is prepared however and will bring in temporary nurses.

The union represents 1,200 nurses at Tufts. Mary Havlicek Cornacchia, an operating room nurse, told Boston25News that one of the biggest concerns is staffing levels.

The television station reports contact negotiations have been going on since April 2016. Some of the issues raised by the union are: patient safety, salary and lack of resources, Boston25News reports.
Its not often that a business comes up with an idea thats good for the environment and saves money at the same time. But thats what Clearas Water Recovery http://clearaswater.com/ , a Missoula tech company, believes it has done.

Formed eight years ago, the company has developed a patented process to use algae to remove nitrogen and phosphorous from public wastewater treatment plants, keeping waterways from being inundated with the compounds that starve fish and plant life of oxygen. In turn, the algae can be sold to other companies for fertilizer, biofuels and other uses.

Think of it as high tech farming.

Andy Gordon, the companys market development manager, said he believes the technology could transform the world.

"When we say that we want to be a billion-dollar company from Montana, were not kidding," he said.

DAVID ERICKSON [email protected]

Full Story: http://missoulian.com/news/local/high-tech-farming-missoula-company-cleans-wastewater-to-feed-algae/article_73781ec8-9b55-5756-a038-7768c51adb7a.html

***

Missoula, Montanas CLEARAS Water Recovery to Supply Utah Sewer District with 4,000,000 Gallon Transformative Wastewater Nutrient Recovery Solution http://www.matr.net/article-77092.html

Clean water technology from Missoulas Clearas Water Recovery could have global impact http://www.matr.net/article-73910.html

Missoula-based Clearas Water Recovery Closes $4MM Series B Funding Round http://www.matr.net/article-73801.html
For young lawyers in all but the most elite schools, jobs are already harder to find. While a newly minted Harvard, Yale or Stanford Juris Doctor (JD) will nearly always find security and top-paying work, those attending non-rated or poorly rated schools will struggle as their profession contracts. Even students at moderately rated schools could see their prospects shrink, statistics suggest.

Greg Toppo , USATODAY

Full Story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2017/06/28/law-schools-hunkering-down-enrollment-slips/430213001/
To develop an idea into a business, incubation seems to be the new industry "normal." There are thousands of incubators worldwide and each year that number is continuing to grow. There are private, public and corporate incubators, many with a distinct focus on local economies, global, communities, or a specific vertical.

At this point, it sounds like variations of ice cream. Over 9,000 flavors, all around the world. If theres incubation happening, its because there is a demand from companies, and because the companies that incubate probably accelerate beyond their competition.

Kyle Ellicott

Full Story: https://readwrite.com/2017/06/22/3-critical-things-incubator-dl1/?bt_alias=eyJ1c2VySWQiOiAiZDM0ODkxZTAtMjg1NS00ZGM3LTljMzYtMDYyMWJmYmM5Mzc4In0%3D&utm_source=Boomtrain&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=20170623%3Futm_source%3Dnewsletter
The woolly mammoth has been extinct for over 4,000 years  but some scientists think they can bring it back. Video provided by Newsy Newslook

Video: https://www.usatoday.com/videos/tech/2017/07/02/paypal-founder-invests-100000-bring-back-woolly-mammoth/103375710/
It comes as no surprise that advocates for the smaller Montana State University campuses in Billings and Havre are complaining they are neglected by the administration of the main campus in Bozeman. Both those schools have suffered enrollment declines  by 21 percent over the last 10 years at MSU-Billings  while enrollment climbs steadily and new buildings are popping up like daisies in spring here in Bozeman.

While the small-campus concerns should be taken seriously by the state Board of Regents, all should be cognizant that those differences are more a matter of culture, economics and geography than policy.

Full Editorial: http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/opinions/editorials/cure-for-small-campuses-won-t-be-simple/article_2abdb7ee-f1af-59fc-9c3a-1d6830abd642.html
The Trump administration is debating whether to launch a governmentwide effort to question the science of climate change, an effort that critics say is an attempt to undermine the long-established consensus human activity is fueling the Earths rising temperatures.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who once described the science behind human-caused climate change as a "contrived phony mess," also is involved in the effort, two officials said.

By Brady Dennis and Juliet Eilperin

Full Story: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/07/01/epa-chief-pushing-governmentwide-effort-to-question-climate-change-science/?hpid=hp_hp-more-top-stories_epa-835pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.3ef394c62fe1
SPRINGFIELD - Traditionally, the 4th of July weekend is reserved for family, fun, and festivals. But Representative Allen Skillicorn (R-Dundee) says Illinoisans have been without a budget for over 24 months, the 2017 financial year ended June 30th, and the state is on the brink of a credit downgrade.

The politicians who havent done their jobs need to stay in Springfield and pass a balanced budget that avoids tax hikes. The current scheme from Speaker Madigan includes massive tax hikes and does absolutely nothing to curb spending or reign in Illinois deep structural problems. Illinois has been drowning from inefficient and wasteful bureaucracy, high taxes, and public corruption for the past 30 years, said Skillicorn.
The sea is a beautiful yet scary thing. It's vast; it's open; it's deep and it's always flowing. It never stops for what lies in its path. It just goes on; moving forward, changing its course and spreading out far and wide; washing away all that stands in its stead.

Pexels

Ever witnessed a flood that drowned people? A tsunami? Chances are that if you're reading this right now, you probably haven't. If you did, you wouldn't be here because you'd either be dead or you'd be too busy actually doing something to relieve the stricken areas, dedicating the rest of your life to just the cause. Nature can be extremeboth human and the world. And that's probably why as temperatures increase, glaciers melt and sea levels rise, we sit oblivious to the harsh reality of a decaying planet. For how does it even matter? We have our lives to live before global warming is a real mass event across the world; one to which we won't be invited because we simply won't be around. But, we have our future generations to worry about; we have the lives of our children's to worry about. And if not, then we have a planet to worry abouta planet which has provided for us since time immemorial.

Pexels

And truth be told, global warming is happening around the clock. It's not like us. It never sleeps; never rests; never takes a break. It's constant and continuous. It's consistent, even; something humans aren't. But, it needs to be stopped; or at the very least slowed down. If not, then we go down with itdead or alive.

According to a recent study conducted by a multinational team of researchersthe findings and report of which have been published in the Nature Climate Change journalglobal sea levels are rising faster than ever before. While it spells out bad news for the whole world, it particular spells doom for coastal cities and people residing along coastal areas, especially. You can be in Miami; or you could be in Goait doesn't matter. The speedy rise in sea levels means that in just a few months', or years' time, coastal residents could find their homes moving closer and closer to the sea.

Pexels

According to the report, "Global mean sea level (GMSL) has been rising at a faster rate during the satellite altimetry period (19932014) than previous decades, and is expected to accelerate further over the coming century. The report further states that the level has increased from about 50% in 1993 to 70% in 2014 owing to mass contribution from the Greenland ice sheet, which was less than 5% of the GMSL rate during 1993; but more than 25% during 2014.

What causes Global Mean Sea Level Rise?

According to the researchers, the rise in global sea level results from the ocean thermal expansion, loss of mass from glaciers, the Greenland ice sheet, as well as the Antarctica ice sheet. Yet another cause for changes in the global ocean mass come from terrestrial water storage which includes groundwater extraction, irrigation, impoundment in reservoirs, wetland drainage and deforestation; not to mention natural climate variability. The report further states that in recent decades, the acceleration of the mass loss from the GIS was the largest and its contribution to the GMSL became almost equal to that from thermal expansion and glaciers by 2014. The year-by-year contribution from the Antarctica ice sheet mass loss is nearly constant while the glacier contribution increases slowly, it says.

Pexels

The researchers used data collected from satellites to provide detailed insight into the rate of acceleration which, they claim has been on the rise since the 1990s. According to the data collected and analysed, sea levels are all set to rise by a whole 13% this century, with the rate of acceleration slated to increase and the ocean levels likely to rise by three feet.

Sea level rises affect coastal communities, increasing temperature can affect crop growth, drought puts stress on water resources, etc, said Chris Harig, assistant professor in the Department of Geosciences at the University of Arizona and co-author of the study, in an interview with Vice News. I hope the biggest takeaway is that it's far past time for meaningful government action to address climate change.

Pexels

He further added, For sea levels, in particular, I hope this increases the urgency for open discussions about the mitigation costs we face over the next century.

We just hope that you're alarmed enough to start rethinking things, along with your perception of global warming.
A few weeks ago, news of the Kerala government providing jobs to 21 transgender people in the Kochi metro made headlines. We all lauded the government's attempt to include the trans community into mainstream society and give them a chance to lead a normal life. Sitting behind our computer desks dreamily looking at the horizon from our windows, we felt sufficiently satisfied  India is moving forward, change is happening, the government is taking the right measures towards creating an inclusive society.

(C) BBC

But we somehow never wondered about the happily ever after'. Out of the 21 transgender people hired by Kochi Metro, 9 resigned within the first month. The reason: they couldn't find accommodation as no house-owner was ready to rent them a flat.

One 9 June 2015, the appointment of Manabi Bandopadhyay as India's first transgender college principal made headlines. The progressive move was hailed as a gamechanger. But after a year and a half, Manobi resigned due to non-cooperation from a section of colleagues and students, and tremendous mental pressure due to the harrassment.

(C) ET

"All of my colleagues went against me. Some of the students went against me. I tried to bring back discipline and an atmosphere of education in the college. Most probably, that is why they went against me. I always got co-operation from the local administration, but never got it from my colleagues and students," she had told media.

"I feel tired due to the agitation and gherao by the students and teachers. I faced a lot of legal notices from their end. I had come to this college with new hopes and dreams but I was defeated...," she also said.

(C) Reuters (Image for representational purpose only)

Even after repeated efforts by NGOs and now the government, change is too slow to come. Change has to happen at a grassroot level  at the level of ideology, at the level of mindset. We don't live in isolation; we are not just our jobs; we thrive in a society on the basis of an identity  an identity that is normalized on a routine basis. It is normalized when we step out of the house and buy vegetables, it is normalized when we sit amongst colleagues and have lunch.

These regular validations of a normalized identity aren't afforded to the transgender community  they are perceived as different than what we have created as the normal'. Our heterosexual identities are validated every moment we spend in the public eye while theirs is questioned with every routine action they take.

Of course, the job grants is a great step towards giving them better opportunities, but along with it, there is an equally dire need to see that those very jobs don't become another platform for oppression and discrimination.
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Domains purchased with payment plans are not eligible to transfer until all payments have been made. Please remember that our 30-day money back guarantee is void once a domain has been transferred.

For transfer instructions to GoDaddy, please click here.
Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says he's now convinced the United States must help bring stability to Afghanistan, even if that means recommitting large numbers of U.S. air and ground forces and keeping a presence there indefinitely.

Panetta served as Pentagon chief when more than 100,000 U.S. troops operated in Afghanistan. Now four years into his retirement, he's joining the growing number of voices calling for a new and aggressive strategy aimed at ridding Afghanistan of the Taliban and other terrorists groups.

"The one thing that is very clear is that it is time for a new and more effective strategy for how we can try to restore stability in Afghanistan," Panetta recently told Military.com.

"It seems to me that there has to be a serious look at what is the larger strategy," he said. "You've got ISIS and the Taliban in control of over 40 percent of the country; that's unacceptable," he added, referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.

"So, one of the first targets of a new strategy would be how do we regain those areas that we have lost control of and how do we maintain control of those areas," he said.

The Pentagon and the White House face increasing pressure from Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain and other lawmakers to accomplish what has become a nearly 16-year mission to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a safe haven for terrorist networks.

But as Defense Secretary Jim Mattis prepares to unveil a new strategy for Afghanistan in July, it's becoming clear to former military leaders and combat veterans that any solution will have to involve a long-term U.S. troop presence in the region.

"Right now there is a lack of political will in this country to deal with what I call the forgotten war," Retired Army Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Jack Keane told Military.com.

Keane characterized Afghanistan and the surrounding region as a "breeding ground" for terrorist organizations.

"You have to recognize that ... U.S. vital national interests are at stake here because it is directly related to the security of the American people," he said. "It's a disgrace that it has been 16 years, and we have not brought this to a favorable conclusion, which is certainly within our capability."

Currently about 8,400 U.S. troops are in Afghanistan, training and advising Afghan forces and hunting terrorist networks, excluding as many as a couple of thousand American service members in the country on a temporary basis. In addition, there are about 5,000 NATO and allied troops in the country. Army Gen. John Nicholson, commander of U.S. Forces-Afghanistan and NATO and coalition troops, has asked to increase the U.S. presence by 3,000 to 5,000 troops.

Keane, a respected military leader who was one of the architects of the 2007 strategy to surge additional U.S. forces into Iraq, maintains that 3,000 to 5,000 troops isn't enough to change the momentum of the conflict in Afghanistan.

Keane has publicly argued the U.S. will have to increase its troop presence by 10,000 to 20,000 to begin to properly support the Afghan army, which is mostly an infantry-based force.

The Obama Administration's decision to shrink the U.S. presence in Afghanistan by about 100,000 troops took away many of the combat enablers that the Afghan army simply do not have, Keane maintains.

"We can't strip the Afghans of all these enablers they had. What am I talking about -- anti-IED capability, medevac, Apache helicopters, close-air support, intelligence, communications and logistics -- things that make an army function effectively."

"So some of that capacity you have to put back. I don't know what the right number is," he said. "I'm not privy to the data that our military commanders have had, but I do know we have to put some of that capability back."

Andrew Bacevich, a retired Army colonel and Vietnam War veteran, characterized Nicholson's modest troop-increase proposal as a "Goldilocks" response.

"It avoids the core issue which is this: exactly how important is Afghanistan to the United States? If pacifying Afghanistan qualifies as a national security interest, then accomplishing the mission will take a lot more than 4,000 additional troops -- and they'll probably have to stay for a couple more decades, while consuming trillions of dollars," Bacevich told Military.com.

A former professor of history and international relations at Boston University, Bacevich was a long-time critic of America's war in Iraq. His 27-year-old son, 1st Lt. Andrew J. Bacevich, was killed by a bomb while on patrol in Balad, Iraq, in 2007.

In a recent Los Angeles Times op-ed, Bacevich wrote that "some wars can't be won. Afghanistan falls in that category."

When Military.com asked him to explain further, Bacevich responded by saying "because the world's best military has been trying to win for sixteen years and has failed to do so."

Keane disagrees with Bacevich.

"That is the same thing we heard in Iraq by the same group of people when they said we couldn't turn the war around in Iraq -- of course you can," Keane said.

"The overwhelming majority of all insurgencies are defeated," he said. "Government resources usually can outlast insurgents' resources, which is largely the reason why they are defeated.

"Insurgents, though they may be determined, are fighting with light weapons AK47, [rocket-propelled grenades] and homemade explosive devices," he said, "and if we had the political will and moral courage to tell the American people the truth, we certainly have the capability to defeat the Taliban."

Bill Duttweiler, a captain in the Marine Corps Reserve, said he isn't sure sending large numbers of troops back into Afghanistan is the answer.

During his active service, Duttweiler served in Helmand Province on a police advisory team in Musa Qala District from November 2012 to June 2013.

"I was on the ground and advising Afghans; that's who I worked with every day. I saw more Afghans than I saw Marines," Duttweiler said.

"I had a personal interest in them having success," he said. "Two weeks ago, the Taliban claimed Musa Qala as the Taliban capital of Helmand -- that doesn't make me feel good because most of those guys are probably dead."

Duttweiler said he isn't sure what to do, but leaving is not an option.

"We have a responsibility to fix this," he said.

Duttweiler said a new strategy will have to eliminate the safe haven terrorist groups have across the border into Pakistan.

"I don't think it will be successful if we don't have cross-border support from Pakistan," he said.

That point has also been part of Keane's message.

"It has got to be a comprehensive strategy, that is at first, regional, in terms of U.S. national interests, yet specific as to a Pakistan and Afghanistan," Keane said.

"In Pakistan, the Afghan Taliban have two safe havens where the Taliban leadership are based, fighters are refreshed and trained, while the Pak military who, is supposedly our ally, provides intelligence and resources to the Taliban," he said. "This has got to stop either voluntarily by the Pak military to deny safe haven or the U.S. will target and destroy them."

"The other strategy is specific to Afghanistan in terms of the political, economic and military situation," he added. "The government of Afghanistan needs to be supported and sustained while insisting on political and institutional reform."

Panetta said his biggest regret is the United States never seriously thought about what it was going to take to ensure that Afghanistan remained secure.

"I think we did a good job training the force there; I think we did a good job of trying to build the Afghan capabilities," Panetta said. "But very frankly, I don't think we ever asked the question of what presence is going to be required there over the long term to make sure that we assure ourselves stability in Afghanistan."

The U.S. can't continue to "dribble force in there and have to constantly try to backfill because it's not working," Panetta said.

"You want to be able to have some confidence; whatever number you decide -- whether its 10,000 or 15,000 or 20,000 -- is going to have a better than 50-50 chance of being able to be successful, and you don't have that right now," Panetta said.

"I think we are going to have to maintain a troop presence in Afghanistan for the long-term," he added. "This is not something we are going to be able to turn around in just a few years."

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.
Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go.

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune...
For the second time since President Trump took office, the Pentagon dispatched a U.S. Navy warship to sail near a disputed island claimed by China in the South China Sea, two U.S. defense officials told Fox News.

The USS Stethem, a guided-missile destroyer based in Japan, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, which is part of the Paracel Islands located in the South China Sea between China and Vietnam.

The destroyer was trailed by a Chinese warship during its Sunday voyage.

While occupied by China, Vietnam and Taiwan also lay claim to the island. A defense official said the operation challenged Vietnam and Taiwan's claims to Triton Island in addition to China.

Twelve nautical miles is the territorial boundary that extends beyond the shores of all nations, sailing inside that distance sends a signal the United States does not recognize the claim.

Related Content:

The move comes as the Trump administration appears to be losing patience with Beijing over its continued military build-up in the South China Sea. The U.S. has been frustrated with Beijing's failure to reign in North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

Triton Island is not one of China's seven artificial islands in the region. It has been constructed in the past few years. The U.S. Navy last sailed a warship off the coast of Triton Island in October. The Obama administration conducted similar operations.

The Pentagon wants to conduct what it calls "freedom of navigation" operations, or FONOPS, to challenge China's claims with enough frequency in the hopes they become more routine and not as newsworthy, according to an official with knowledge of the discussions.

Lt. Cmdr. Matt Knight, a spokesman for the U.S. Pacific Fleet, would not confirm the operation but said in a statement to Fox News, "We conduct routine and regular FONOPs, as we have done in the past and will continue to do in the future."

In late May, another guided-missile destroyer, USS Dewey, sailed approximately six miles from one of China's man-made islands in the South China Sea, a first for the Pentagon since Trump assumed office. The American warship conducted a "man-overboard" drill off the coast of Mischief Reef sending a signal to Beijing that the United States does not honor its claim to the reef--one of seven former reefs China has turned into artificial islands. Three contain runways and other military fortifications.

"Fake islands should not be believed by real people," said the head of the U.S. Pacific Command, Admiral Harry Harris, in a speech Wednesday in Brisbane, where the United States is participating in the largest ever joint military exercise with Australia, aimed in part to send a message to Beijing.

"China is using its military and economic power to erode the rules-based international order," Harris added.

Friday, new satellite imagery published by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) part of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think-tank showed new military facilities including radar systems being installed on Mischief, Fiery Cross and Subi Reefs in the Spratly Islands located south of the Parcel Islands in the South China Sea.

While U.S. officials had seen the build-up for months, they are more concerned about the potential for China to place advanced surface-to-air missiles on the artificial islands, which could challenge U.S. military flights in the region. Fox News first reported in December that China moved SA-21 missile batteries with a 250-mile range to the island province of Hainan for training, which could be sent to the artificial islands at a later date. For the time being, they remain inside China.

The last time the U.S. Navy challenged China's claims in the South China Sea, the Trump administration pushed back on accusations it was turning a blind eye to China's military build-up on its artificial islands, while looking for Beijing to help with negotiations to halt North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs.

"While I greatly appreciate the efforts of President Xi & China to help with North Korea, it has not worked out. At least I know China tried!" Trump said in a tweet last month.

On Friday, the Trump administration unveiled new sanctions against a Chinese bank linked to North Korea's nuclear weapons and missile programs, a day after announcing a new $1.4 billion arms sale to Taiwan.

Announcing the sanctions, Treasury Secretary Steve Munchin said the move was not in retribution for Beijing failing to rein in North Korea. "This is not directed at China, this is directed at a bank, as well as individuals and entities in China," he said.

China is sending messages of its own.

As Beijing marked the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover from British rule this weekend, President Xi Jinping presided over the largest military parade ever held in the territory. Standing in the back of a jeep, Xi was driven past more than 3,000 assembled troops in formation in a show of strength.

On Wednesday, China launched the first of its newest class of destroyer called the Type 055, which many analysts say resembles the size and capability of the U.S. Navy's Arleigh-Burke class of guided-missile destroyers, like the one which conducted the operation near the contested Chinese island this weekend.

According to the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), China has 183 cruisers, destroyers, coastal ships and submarines compared wth 188 for the U.S. Navy. CNAS projected in a March report that China will surpass the United States Navy in these types of warships by the end of the next decade, one of the reasons the U.S. Navy has requested a buildup to a 350-ship fleet, a view shared by many in Congress.

China claims most of the South China Sea where more than $5 trillion of commerce passes through each year.

Last week, the U.S. State Department called out China for being one of the worst human trafficking offenders--dropping Beijing to its lowest designation joining Iran, North Korea and Russia. The report said China had done little to stop what has amounted to modern slavery and sex trafficking affecting millions.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Ann Arbor Mayor Christopher Taylor and some of his City Council colleagues are discussing ways the city could use its "rebate" from a newly proposed countywide tax.

Should the tax go on the ballot and be approved by voters, they're proposing putting the city's share of the revenue toward pedestrian safety, affordable housing and fighting climate change.

Taylor and three other council members -- Zackary Ackerman, Jason Frenzel and Chip Smith -- are co-sponsoring a resolution to that effect on the council's agenda for Monday night, July 3.

The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners is considering putting a 1-mill tax proposal before voters in November.

As currently proposed by county officials, it would be a 10-year tax raising an estimated $15.4 million in the first year, with 37 percent going to Washtenaw County Community Mental Health, 38 percent going to the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office and 25 percent being rebated to municipalities that have their own local police.

Ann Arbor would get a $2.3-$2.5 million share of the revenue in the first year, according to the resolution on Monday's council agenda, which describes it as a "general fund rebate," meaning the money would go to the city's general fund for general city use.

The resolution lays out a plan to put 20 percent of the city's share toward pedestrian safety improvements, 40 percent toward affordable housing and 40 percent toward fighting climate change.

"I'm glad that the county proposal honors Ann Arbor's longstanding and substantial investment in safety services," Taylor said. "The general fund rebate would enable us to address longstanding, chronically underfunded needs. I'm excited by the prospect of being able to help bring Ann Arbor residents enduring improvements in pedestrian safety, affordable housing, and climate action."

The resolution states that the city already is allocating more than $46.5 million to police, fire and court services this year, accounting for nearly 45 percent of the city's general fund budget.

"The promotion of pedestrian safety, affordable housing and climate action are goals that are important to the Ann Arbor community for which there are presently insufficient resources to bring municipal action in line with community aspiration," the resolution states.

The resolution indicates the money for pedestrian safety would support police traffic enforcement, crosswalk improvements, pedestrian-activated crosswalk signals known as rapid rectangular flashing beacons or RRFBs, and streetlights.

The portion that would go toward affordable housing would help the city with its goal to significantly increase the availability of affordable housing in the city, including workforce housing for people with decent-paying jobs in addition to low-income housing.

The portion that would go to fighting climate change would help with the city's goal to significantly reduce the community's greenhouse gas emissions, potentially including efforts to embrace solar and other forms of renewable energy. City officials are discussing putting solar panels on city buildings and parking garages.

It's the hope of Taylor and his colleagues that by articulating how the city would use its share of the revenue, it might be helpful to county commissioners when they vote July 12 on whether to put the tax proposal on the ballot. The main purpose of the tax is to provide more sustainable funding for countywide mental health services, as well as public safety services through the Sheriff's Office.

The 25 percent rebate for municipalities that already have their own police agencies is intended to keep those jurisdictions from subsidizing public safety services for townships served by the Sheriff's Office.

In addition to Ann Arbor, other municipalities that would get a proportional rebate include Chelsea, Milan, Saline, Ypsilanti, Pittsfield Township and Northfield Township.

The Ann Arbor City Council meets at 7 p.m. Monday night, July 3, on the second floor of city hall, 301 E. Huron St.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Protesters against President Donald Trump gathered in Ann Arbor on Sunday, July 2 to request his impeachment.

An estimated 100 to 150 protesters gathered at the University of Michigan's Diag and marched to Liberty Plaza in Ann Arbor as part of nationwide protests Sunday.

The local effort was organized by a group called Stop Trump Ann Arbor.

"Stop Trump Ann Arbor invites all individuals and organizations to join us in expressing our collective outrage at what the Trump Administration is doing to our country and world," the Facebook page for the event states.

Reasons the group advocates for impeachment are listed on the Facebook page, and include allegations Trump committed obstruction of justice by firing FBI Director James Comey.

Trump has denied accusations of obstruction of the FBI's investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.
ORANGEVILLE, MI -- At least one person was injured following a boat crash on Gun Lake Saturday afternoon.

The Barry County Sheriff's Office said a 16-foot boat and and smaller personal watercraft collided around 4 p.m. on the southeast side of Gun Lake.

The driver of the smaller boat was injured and fell into the water. The operator of the larger boat jumped into the water to assist the injured driver.

Several citizens along with Orangeville Firemen responded to assist, police said.

Citizens found the wife of the boat operator floating face up and unconscious and administered CPR to her. All people involved in the crash were transported to area hospitals.

The crash remains under investigation.
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Joan Larsen's nomination for a seat on federal court remains in limbo as the U.S. Senate continues consideration of President Donald Trump's court picks.

Larsen, who was named to the Michigan Supreme Court by Gov. Rick Snyder in 2015, was announced as Trump's choice for an opening on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati on May 8.

She's not yet had a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the next step in the process towards a confirmation vote in the full Senate. Larsen has been given a "well qualified" rating from the American Bar Association.

A spokesperson for the committee chair, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, told Politico the committee is moving forward with other nominees while the home-state senators -- Sens. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, and Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Twp., review the nomination.

As the senators representing Michigan, Stabenow and Peters are given deference at the committee level for Larsen's nomination through the "blue slip" practice, which allows home-state senators to submit their opinions to the Judiciary Committee prior to a hearing on judicial nominees.

According to the Washington Post, Senate Republicans are considering changing that practice to remove the possibility of Democratic obstruction as the Trump administration works to fill more than 100 vacant federal court positions.

Stabenow said in a statement she is thoroughly reviewing Larsen's record prior to the Senate's consideration.

"I will continue to listen to public input and consult with Michigan's legal community to ensure that our state is served by highly qualified fair and impartial judges that put the people of Michigan first," Stabenow said.

A spokesperson for Peter's office said the senator just received all of the requested paperwork from Larsen this week and will be reviewing that material before making a final blue slip decision.

Some conservatives have criticized Stabenow and Peters for not being quicker about giving Larsen their approval.

On Friday, the conservative-leaning group Judicial Crisis Network announced the launch of a $140,000 ad buy in Michigan to support Larsen's nomination. The 30-second ad accuses Stabenow and Peters of holding up the process due to partisan politics and highlights Larsen's legal career.

Before taking up her current post, Larsen served on the faculty of the University of Michigan Law School, according to her Supreme Court biography.

She also served as deputy assistant attorney general in the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel, and clerked for David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, and for former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in the U.S. Supreme Court.
MACKINAC ISLAND, MI - David Lorch has built some pretty ambitious creations out of tiny Legos. His 9-foot replica of Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel that's being celebrated this weekend was created after the 36-year-old biomedical engineer got a look at the famous hotel - but from arms-length and at an odd side angle.

Lorch's day job for the University of Michigan is figuring out how to make low-cost, high-quality medical devices that can be easily distributed. But after work, the Lego model creator has channeled his creativity into snapping together a moving model of U-M's famous Cube sculpture And he's created a giant flower pot with a motorized flower that actually "blooms."

When Lorch decided he wanted to recreate a building for his next project, he turned to his finacee's native Upper Peninsula for inspiration.

Something clicked when he saw Mackinac Island's Grand Hotel from a distance. He liked its stately width. Several months ago, he was on the island and walked up the path to the hotel. Not being a guest there, he didn't pay the fee required to walk any closer, so he studied the hotel's front and massive porch from a side angle.

It was that view - bolstered by pictures he found online - that he relied on when building his replica.

"I had only seen it from one angle in person," Lorch said. "So it was really hard to do that one section in any amount of detail."

In February, he debuted his creation at the Brick Bash at Skyline High School, where Lego enthusiasts show off their work. A Grand Hotel employee was at the event.

"I must have done a good job extrapolating (the building's details) because someone from the hotel ... thought it looked really good."

Lorch and his fiancee, Alivia Lawrence, were invited to stay at the Grand Hotel and display the model this weekend for the hotel's 130th Anniversary Celebration.

In the last few months, Lorch has improved his replica, working with hotel staff who have sent him more pictures and details.

To make the trip to the island, the long model had to be broken into chunks. It was packed into a 40-gallon container and two smaller briefcases. From there, Lorch and Lawrence brought it - first by ferry, then by horse and carriage - to the hotel, where it took hours to reassemble it on Friday.

The best part: In between talking to admirers about his Lego creation, Lorch and his bride-to-be have been able to enjoy the real Grand Hotel as its guests this weekend. As first-time visitors, they've delighted in exploring the grounds and the iconic building.

It's given Lorch lots of ideas about how to expand his model.

"It's been a fantastically luxurious time here," he said.
JACKSON, MI - For interns working at Jackson-area companies, the city becomes their temporary homes and possibly future homes.

The College of Engineering at Michigan State University has created a new class for their students to get to know their new towns a little better.

EGR 393 is a one-credit class for engineering students at MSU who are interning in one of four cities across Michigan - Detroit, Lansing, Grand Rapids and Jackson.

Its purpose is to immerse interns in the community they are working in, said instructor Kyle Liechty. The class uses social events within the community to help interns not only learn about the city, but network with other professionals there.

"If you're really looking at destinations to work in, you may as well figure out what's going on in the community," Liechty said. "This forces students into the community life with fixed events, but also with options to explore and network beyond that."

The group of Jackson interns range from sophomores to seniors working at companies like Consumers Energy, Gerdau, Chemetall and CertainTeed Corporation. There are 13 students from MSU's College of Engineering interning at Jackson-area companies who are registered in the class.

They have done events like the Cell Block 7 prison tour , eaten at local restaurants like Chilango's Burrito Bar and volunteered at the Ella Sharp Museum Beer and Wine Festival.

They plan on spending a day at Jackson Speedway, trying West Texas Barbecue and touring Grand River Brewery later this July.

Jordan Mulcahy grew up in Jackson and graduated from Jackson High School. The MSU sophomore is spending the summer interning at Consumers Energy. Despite living in Jackson for most of his life, he's seeing Jackson in a new light, he said.

"It's showing me a lot of different things to do in Jackson I never knew about," he said. "It's making me realize I must have just been sleeping as a kid. There's good, quality stuff here in Jackson, especially if you're getting paid well. I grew up kind of impoverished. I didn't get to see a lot of the stuff here you might have to pay for like I'm seeing now."

For other interns like Logan Eby and Holly Iglewski, Jackson is an entirely new setting.

Eby, originally from Bay City, is interning at Chemetall. Although Jackson's roads need improvement, he said, the city is a pleasant surprise - the buildings are taller than he expected.

It's the first year the class has included Jackson interns. Students can take the class more than once.

The goal, Liechty said, is to show students what Michigan cities have to offer.

"Ultimately, we want students to open their eyes to various experiences to create and appreciate what's around them in their communities within the state," he said.
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Hidden from public, on the shores of the Bay of Bengal at Kalpakkam near Chennai, Indian nuclear scientists are in the final throes of starting a high-tech giant stove more than 15 years in the making.

This novel nuclear reactor is a kind of an 'akshaya patra', the mythical goblet with a never-ending supply of food.

The Department of Atomic Energy is getting ready to commission its ultra-modern indigenously designed and locally mastered fast breeder reactor.

Experts say to make nuclear energy sustainable, one sure shot way is to make fast breeder reactors mainstream.

Yukiya Amano, Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, says "fast reactors can help extract up to 70 per cent more energy than traditional reactors and are safer than traditional reactors while reducing long-lived radioactive waste by several fold."

Easier said than done since these reactors are also notoriously unstable and hence difficult to run reliably over long periods.

Called a 'Fast Breeder Reactor', these are a special kind of nuclear reactors that generate more atomic fuel than they consume as they work.

India has been running an experimental facility called a Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) now for 27 years.

This is a small nuclear reactor a forerunner for the monster that India has constructed at Kalpakkam called the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR).

This will generate electricity commercially using the fast breeder route.

The world's only commercially operating fast breeder reactor is situated in the Ural Mountains of Russia at the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant, not far from Russia's fourth largest city Yekaterinburg.

The Russians today are the global leaders in fast breeder reactors having operated a fast breeder reactor called BN 600 since 1980.

In 2016, the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom commercially commissioned its big brother -- the BN 800 fast breeder reactor.

This reactor produces about 800 MW of electricity and supplies it to the Ural region including the city of Yekaterinburg.

While electricity that is produced is no different than any other electricity but the global community of atomic boffins is suitably chuffed about this unique achievement.

M Chudakov, now with the IAEA and well-known Russian fast breeder expert, calls "these reactors a bridge to the future as they can supply an almost unlimited supply of electricity."

All eyes are now on southern India where another global nuclear milestone is likely to be crossed this year.

Arun Kumar Bhaduri, Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam says, "fast breeder reactors are far safer than the current generation of nuclear plants and that all efforts are being made to kickstart within this year India's first commercial fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam."

Such is the interest in fast breeder reactors that more than 700 of the best atomic scientists from over 30 countries gathered at Yekaterinburg in IAEA's conference on the 'next generation nuclear systems for sustainable development'.

The scientists deliberated on how to make nuclear energy last for several centuries.

Given India's expertise, the co-chair of the conference was Suresh Chetal, one of the early pioneers of fast breeder reactors who helped tame fast breeder reactors for New Delhi when he was at the IGCAR.

Many countries have dabbled with fast breeder reactors and have given up, first off the block was the US but it gave up since inherently American governments have an allergic response with re-processing of nuclear waste in addition since the USA has enough supplies of fissile material there is no hunger to maximally extract energy from uranium.

Japan and France both had robust programs with fast breeder technology but repeated failure to safely handle liquid sodium forced them to more or less give up on fast reactors.

China is more than a decade behind India in trying to master this complex beast.

Russia invested heavily in developing the fast breeder technology but since it commissioned its first fast breeder reactor BN 600 in 1980 it suffered an economic meltdown as the former Soviet Union broke up and only recently Russia could gather enough resources to complete its upgraded fast breeder reactor BN 800.

Today the BN 800 is a flagship reactor that uses both uranium and plutonium as fuel and generates electricity that is supplied to the grid. A visit to the facility reveals a squeaky clean reactor where seasoned operators like Ivan Sidrow are also experimenters as they go about trying to design a bigger 1200 MW fast breeder reactor.

India's own PFBR is unique and rather different from the Russian fast breeder reactor though both use the same basic principle of physics.

Fast breeder reactors are called such not because they run faster but because the neutrons that sustain the atomic chain reaction travel at a much higher velocity than neutrons that help run the traditional atomic plants.

These are called breeders as they generate more fuel than they consume a fact hard to fathom since they seem to defy the laws of conservation of energy.

But a unique quirk of elemental uranium makes this possible.

Nuclear reactors use a flavour of uranium called U-235 which unfortunately constitutes a minuscule quantity even in super purified uranium.

The larger component is what is called U-238 this flavour is the bulk but is essentially a waste product of the atomic reaction cannot be sustained by this elemental flavour.

In a fast breeder reactor the very special fast neutrons interact with the so-called wasted uranium U-238 and converts it into a valuable resource. This is why fast breeders are akin to an 'akshaya patra'.

India's fast breeder reactor is even more unique as within it the country also deploys special rods of thorium which when they get exposed to or irradiated by fast neutrons they generate U-233 and a normally benign thorium turns into a valuable atomic material.

It is well known that India is very energy hungry and as economic growth takes place mega quantities of electricity will be required.

Unfortunately, nature has not been bountiful on India as the Indian land mass is not endowed with enough uranium but on the other hand, the country has the world's second largest store of thorium.

Today the country in a well thought out strategy is mastering fast breeder reactors that can be an effective via media for utilising the vast thorium reserves.
Supporters of Congress party are framed by the party's symbols installed at the venue where Rahul Gandhi is addressing a rally at Bardoli

The Mumbai Congress, along with a non-profit organisation, has organised a 'tweet morcha' on July 4 against the alleged unfair charges and fees being levied on customers by banks.

Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam and Sucheta Dalal, founder of NGO MoneyLife Foundation, recently put out a video on a social media platform calling on the affected customers to take part in the agitation.

They have appealed to the aggrieved customers to tweet about their grievances to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"#TweetMorcha #BankSeBachao Join me & @suchetadalal on 4th July at 3 PM. Tweet to PM Modi from wherever You are," Nirupam recently tweeted.

He alleged that banks have been twisting and tweaking the existing norms to levy arbitrary charges.

Some banks have limited the monthly free use of ATM card, penalised the customers for having a balance less than Rs 5,000 in their savings accounts or restricting them from depositing money into their accounts free of cost beyond a certain number of times, the former Congress MP said.

"Since the customers are unhappy with these policies, we are tweeting and tagging (their complaints) to the prime minister as he is very active on Twitter," Nirupam said.

Dalal, a veteran financial journalist, said the objective of the tweet morcha is to unify the voice of angry and helpless bank customers who are allegedly being subjected to exploitation and unfair practices by banks.

She alleged that since the finance minister and the RBI did not pay heed to the issue, they have now decided to make their voice reach the PM.

"We would start our tweet morcha at 3 pm and people across the country or overseas can tweet with #TweetMorcha #BankSeBachao and tag the PM," said Dalal.
India has slipped to 88th place in terms of money parked by its citizens with Swiss banks, while the UK remains on the top. Also, the money officially held by Indians with banks in Switzerland now accounts for a meagre 0.04 per cent of the total funds kept by all foreign clients in the Swiss banking system, as per an analysis of the latest figures compiled by the SNB (Swiss National Bank) as on 2016-end.

India was placed at 75th position in 2015 and at 61st in the year before that, though it used to be among top-50 countries in terms of holdings in Swiss banks till 2007. The country was ranked highest at 37th place in the year 2004.

The latest data from Zurich-based SNB comes ahead of a new framework for automatic exchange of information between Switzerland and India to help check the black money menace. The funds, described by SNB as 'liabilities' of Swiss banks or 'amounts due to' their clients, are the official figures disclosed by the Swiss authorities and do not indicate to the quantum of the much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in the safe havens of Switzerland. SNB's official figures also do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of entities from different countries.

There is a view that the Indians alleged to have parked their illicit money in Swiss banks in the past may have shifted the funds to other locations after a global clampdown began on the mighty banking secrecy practices in Switzerland. Swiss banks have also said Indians have "few deposits" in Swiss banks compared to other global financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong amid stepped-up efforts to check the black money menace.

The total money held in Swiss banks by foreign clients from across the world, incidentally rose by a small margin from 1.41 trillion Swiss francs (CHF) to CHF 1.42 trillion during 2016. In terms of individual countries, the UK accounted for the largest chunk at about CHF 359 (over 25 per cent) of the total foreign money with Swiss banks.

The US came second with nearly CHF 177 billion or about 14 per cent. No other country accounted for a double-digit percentage share, while others in the top-ten included West Indies, France, Bahamas, Germany, Guernsey, Jersey, Hong Kong and Luxembourg. Indians' share not even one-hundredth of the total money. India is now ranked 88th with 676 million Swiss francs (about Rs 4,500 crore) -- a record low after falling for three consecutive years amid a continuing clampdown on the suspected black money stashed behind their famed secrecy walls.

The share of Indians' money in the total foreign funds of Swiss banks also fell to 0.04 per cent (from 0.08 per cent in 2015).

Pakistan continued to remain placed higher than India at 71st place (although down from 69th in 2015) with about CHF 1.4 billion -- though down to below 0.1 per cent of total foreign money parked with Swiss banks.

India was also the lowest ranked among the BRICS nations -- Russia was ranked 19th (CHF 15.6 billion), China 25th (CHF 9.6 billion), Brazil 52nd (CHF 2.7 billion) and South Africa 61st (CHF 2.2 billion).

Among these five, only China has moved up.

Others ranked higher than India included Mauritius, Iran, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Angola, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada and Mexico. A number of offshore financial centres are also ranked higher including Cayman Islands, Panama, Cyprus, Marshall Islands, Bermuda, Seychelles, Isle of Man and Gibraltar. Among India's neighbouring countries, Bangladesh was ranked 89th (CHF 667.5 million), while Nepal was 150th (CHF 312 million), Sri Lanka was 151st (CHF 307 million) and Bhutan was way below at 282nd (about half a million Swiss francs). The total money belonging to the developed countries fell to CHF 824 billion, while those from developing nations actually rose marginally to CHF 208 million.

The money from developing economies in Asia-Pacific region rose to CHF 50 billion.

The funds parked in Swiss banks from offshore financial centres rose to CHF 389 billion.

India was ranked in top-50 continuously between 1996 and 2007, but started declining after that -- 55th in 2008, 59th in 2009 and 2010 each, 55th again in 2011, 71st in 2012 and then to 58th in 2013.
Kulbhushan Jadhav

Pakistan today again rejected India's demand for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav handed down the death penalty by a military court, saying it would be a "travesty of logic" to link his case with Indian civilian prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails.

India yesterday had sought consular access to the 46- year-old Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer sentenced to death in April by Pakistan's Field General Court Martial for "involvement in espionage and sabotage activities."

Pakistan's Foreign Office said in a statement today that "the Indian attempt to equate Commander Jadhav's case with civilian prisoners and fishermen is a travesty of logic."

It claimed Jadhav was a serving Indian Navy officer "and was sent to Pakistan by its intelligence agency RAW for espionage, terrorism and subversive activities which resulted in loss of many innocent lives and damage to property."

Pakistan has dismissed India's consular access request to Jadhav more than 15 times. And India has accused Pakistan of repeatedly violating the Vienna Convention by doing so.

India moved the International Court of Justice against Jadhav's death penalty and the ICJ on May 18 restrained Pakistan from executing the death sentence.

Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav from its restive Balochistan province on March 3 last year after he reportedly entered from Iran. However, India maintains that he was kidnapped from Iran where he was dealing with his business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy.

The denial for consular access came a day after India and Pakistan exchanged a list of prisoners lodged in each other's jails. According to the list Pakistan shared with India, at least 546 Indian nationals are lodged in its jails.

The lists were exchanged as per the provisions of the bilateral agreement on consular access signed on May 21, 2008. As per the pact, such lists have to be exchanged twice a year, on January 1 and July 1.

The Foreign Office also said that Pakistan is committed to implement the 2008 agreement and ensure that humanitarian cases are not held hostage to politics. "We expect India to reciprocate through action rather than rhetoric."

It said five Indian nationals, who had completed their sentences, were repatriated on June 22. "In contrast, 20 Pakistani civilian prisoners who have completed their sentence still await repatriation, while consular access to 107 Pakistani fishermen and 85 civilian Pakistani prisoners is also pending," it said.

"Indian humanitarian claims appear contrary to reality in view of the impossible conditions imposed for medical visas for Pakistani patients," it claimed.
French energy giant Total is to sign a USD 4.8 billion deal to develop an Iranian offshore gas field, the oil ministry said today, in the biggest foreign deal since sanctions were eased.

"The international agreement for the development of phase 11 of South Pars will be signed on Monday in the presence of the oil ministry and managers of Total, the Chinese company CNPCI and Iranian company Petropars," a ministry spokesman told AFP.
By CNBCTV18.COM

The dispute between Qatar, a major natural gas exporter, and its neighbors is now entering its fifth week. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and implemented a partial blockade on June 5 in a bid to bring the tiny Persian Gulf monarchy in line with Saudi-dominated foreign policy.

A diplomatic crisis on the Arabian Peninsula is turning into a protracted standoff, and some analysts now say the risk of armed conflict is emerging.

The dispute between Qatar, a major natural gas exporter, and its neighbors is now entering its fifth week. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar and implemented a partial blockade on June 5 in a bid to bring the tiny Persian Gulf monarchy in line with Saudi-dominated foreign policy.

Some analysts initially thought the parties would seek a resolution by the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, but last week, the anti-Qatar alliance issued a series of harsh demands.

"It's escalated to a stage where it's very difficult for both sides to back down," Firas Modad, analyst at IHS Markit, told CNBC this week.

The demands include non-starters such as shutting down Al Jazeera news and closing a Turkish military base. The coalition also calls on Qatar to end its alleged ties to terrorist groups and political opposition figures in Gulf nations and Egypt. It demanded Qatar pay reparations and submit to compliance reviews going forward.

Qatar has rejected the demands. That is likely to trigger a series of additional economic and political sanctions against the government in Doha, causing the impasse to stretch out for months, risk consultancy Eurasia Group concluded in a briefing this week.

"The crisis will continue to escalate before the Qatari leadership ultimately adjusts its policy positions, or in a slightly less likely scenario, opts to cement an alliance with Turkey and closer ties with Iran," Eurasia Group said.

Qatar, the world's largest exporter of liquefied natural gas, has long chafed the region's pre-eminent Sunni Muslim power Saudi Arabia by attempting to forge its own foreign policy. That includes maintaining ties to Riyadh's Shiite Muslim rival Iran, which shares a massive gas field with Qatar and has sent food supplies to Doha since the crisis began.

Meanwhile, Turkey has moved forward plans for military cooperation with Qatar. On Friday, fresh Turkish armed forces arrived at the military base in Qatar, where training missions began last week.

Charles W. Freeman Jr., U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia during the first Gulf War, this week suggested the recent escalation risks pushing the crisis into armed conflict.

"The Qataris and the Turks and others have said that these demands are unacceptable. So, we are clearly in a crisis with the potential to lead to armed conflict," he told the foreign policy blog LobeLog.

The severity of demands lends credence to the idea that Saudi Arabia's true goal is regime change in Qatar, said Helima Croft, global head of commodity strategy at RBC Capital Markets. If the demands were formulated knowing that Qatar would reject them, that at least raises questions about Riyadh's real objective, she said.

The U.S. State Department itself has questioned whether Qatar's alleged support of terrorism is truly what is driving the dispute.

Croft said she has gone from being primarily concerned about the lifting of the blockade to increasingly worried about Gulf countries blundering their way into a military conflict due to unintended escalation or miscalculation this summer.

"I now can't say this is not going to lead to some kind of military escalation," she told CNBC.

Violent outbreaks have already occurred amid heightened tensions. Iran alleged the Saudi navy killed an Iranian fisherman in a Persian Gulf confrontation two weeks ago. The Saudis later said the Iranian vessel was trying to carry out a terror attack on an offshore oil field.

Eurasia Group said the U.S. commitment to resolving the dispute is a critical factor. President Donald Trump has at times undercut efforts by the State Department to de-escalate the situation by tweeting his support for the Saudi-led group and publicly calling Qatar a funder of terrorism.

"If U.S. diplomatic investment in the dispute proves insufficient, or if Washington offers mixed signals, the likelihood that a diplomatic solution fails would increase," Eurasia Group said.
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
Jarrett Coleman goes from school board to statehouse with win in 16th Senate District race
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Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
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 []
'The big truck is still on ...
Plainview firefighters and airport personnel inspect a 1960s-era military jet trainer after it made an emergency gear-up landing about 1:40 p.m. Saturday at the Plainview-Hale County Airport. There were no injuries. The craft, an Aero L-29 Delfin jet trainer, was making a refueling stop at Plainview when the pilot reported that the landing gear would not drop. The pilot, Scott Farnsworth, was able to bring the plane safely to a stop on the main runway. The plane was en route to California. According to Wikipedia, Aero L-29 Delfin was designed and built in Czechoslovakia and served as the standard air force jet trainer in the Warsaw Pact.
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A man was detained Saturday afternoon in connection with a hit-and-run crash in Concord that killed two children, the California Highway Patrol said.

Lemuel S. Wilson Jr., 35, was detained hours after the crash.

The fatal collision occurred around 11 p.m. Friday when a silver 2004 Infiniti, traveling at a high rate of speed, missed a turn on the exit from Highway 4 to Solano Way and sped across a field to the adjacent on-ramp, slamming into the back of a 2006 Durango, said Officer Brandon Correia, a spokesman for the CHP.

Two San Pablo boys  ages 5 and 10  were ejected from the Durango and declared dead at the scene, he said. A 3-month-old boy who had been in an infant car seat was taken to UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital in Oakland with major injuries. A 35-year-old woman who was driving the Durango was also taken to a local hospital with major injuries, Correia said.

Police did not immediately release the identities of the victims.

Correia said witnesses told authorities that the driver of the Infiniti ditched the car and fled the scene on foot toward a drive-in movie theater across the highway. Witnesses said he had injuries to his head and face and was bleeding heavily. Wilson later went to Highland Hospital in Oakland, Correia said.

The collision was so severe the Durango was pushed sideways down to the edge of the on-ramp and the Infiniti was catapulted over the dividing fence and landed a few feet from the front door of a local restaurant, Correia said.

Tyrone Duckett, a pastor with Duckett Memorial Church of God in Christ in Oakland, said the Wilson family had been going through a great deal after Wilsons stepdaughter died in a shooting last year.

Hes really a quiet guy, Duckett said. He works. Hes a family member.

Chronicle staff writer Wendy Lee contributed to this report

Hamed Aleaziz is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: haleaziz@sfchronicle.com
PITTSBURGH  Nobody can argue with the fans on this choice. Buster Posey, who leads the majors in hitting at .339, was elected the starting catcher for the National League in the All-Star Game in Miami on July 11.

Posey received 3,368,263 votes to win the catcher election handily over the Cubs Willson Contreras, who got 1,561,151. No other Giants player finished in the top five at his position.

Posey thus becomes the first catcher to start three consecutive All-Star Games for the National League since Mike Piazza had a stranglehold on the spot from 1994 through 99. Posey will start his fourth All-Star Game overall in his fifth appearance.

For the first time since 2007, the Giants will have just one All-Star, which makes Poseys selection a tad bittersweet.

Of course, it would be more fun if a few of us were going from the team, Posey said.

But he will not be alone.

The All-Star Game is close enough to his Georgia home for his parents to visit. Posey will bring his wife, Kristin, and his twins, who turn 6 next month.

Posey will get to sit with his family on the field for the Home Run Derby next Monday, which he said was his favorite part of the All-Star experience.

I remember watching it as a kid, he said. Its fun for me now to be down there on the field, watching it.

Manager Bruce Bochy was pleased to hear of Poseys election.

This will be another milestone for him, even though its happened before, Bochy said. To be the starting catcher in the All-Star Game, thats such a great honor. And were lucky to have him.

Posey will have a tiring journey, flying from San Francisco to Miami after Sundays first-half finale against the Marlins, then boarding another flight to San Diego for the July 14 second-half opener.

I might spend as much time in the air as I will in Miami, he said.

Henry Schulman is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
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Fireworks displays are supposed to be fun holiday events for the whole family.

But are they for every member of the family? What about babies?

Deciding whether to take the baby along to the nearest fireworks display is, like most parenting choices, best done on a case-by-case basis, according to the experts. Some babies will no doubt be terrified by the percussive explosions of these pyrotechnic shows. And some wont even realize theyre going on.

Dr. Heather Becker, an attending pediatric emergency medicine physician at Bridgeport Hospital, remembers attending a fireworks show with a friend and the friends 2-month-old child. He slept through the whole thing, she said.

But Becker and other experts said these shows can pose real risks to babies and young children, and parents and other caregivers need to take precautions to keep them safe.

One of the primary risks with fireworks is someone getting burned or otherwise hurt by one of the devices. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, fireworks were involved in an estimated 11,100 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during calendar year 2016.

Children younger than 15 accounted for 31 percent of the estimated 2016 injuries.

Becker said, the good news is she doesnt have many babies coming into the emergency rooms with fireworks-related injuries. We dont see a lot of babies  teenagers, sure, she said.

More Information Fireworks by the numbers Here are some key statistics on fireworks injuries, from the Consumer Products Safety Commission. Fireworks were involved in an estimated 11,100 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during calendar year 2016. An estimated 7,600 fireworks-related injuries (or 68 percent of the total estimated fireworks-related injuries in 2016) were treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments between June 18, 2016 and July 18, 2016 Of the fireworks-related injuries sustained, 61 percent were to males, and 39 percent were to females. Children younger than 15 years of age accounted for 31 percent of the estimated 2016 injuries. 39 percent of the estimated emergency department-treated fireworks-related injuries were to individuals younger than 20 years of age. See More Collapse

There are other risks, though. For instance, if a family is too close to a fireworks display, the smoke produced by the explosions can be harmful or irritating to babies, said Kevin Borrup, associate director of the Injury Prevention Center at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center in Hartford.

You probably dont want babies or young children breathing that in, he said.

And what about the noise generated when the fireworks erupt? Can that damage babies hearing? Probably not, said Dr. Alison Tothy, associate professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Emergency Medicine at the University of Chicago.

The noise can be loud, but its probably not enough to damage an infants hearing, Tothy said.

Becker agreed. Loud noise in general can affect anyones hearing, but one night of fireworks probably wont be damaging, she said.

However, babies can be frightened by the noise  if they dont sleep through it. You plan ahead and be prepared to leave if the baby reacts badly to the noise, Borrup said.

In general, he said, distance is the best defense when it comes to keeping babies safe and calm during a fireworks show.

If you stay far enough away (from where the fireworks are being fired off), the baby is not exposed to noise or any atmospheric effects, Borrup said.

And, of course, experts agreed pyrotechnics of any kind should be kept far away from babies and young children, including sparklers.

Borrup said, even though sparklers have a reputation as being relatively harmless, they can burn at up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is hot enough to melt metal.

Never give something like that to a young child, he said.
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Although LISD is facing a tight budget for next fiscal year, the district is proposing a salary increase for teachers.

The Laredo Independent School District board of trustees discussed the proposed $203 million budget for the 2017-18 school year during a workshop held Thursday. The budget adopted for 2016-17 was $204 million.

During the workshop, LISD administration recommended a step increase for teachers, which is an increase in salary based on a teacher's years of experience at a school district. The increases would cost LISD $950,000.

RELATED: Lone finalist for LISD superintendent spot speaks out

Another option is to adjust the teacher pay scale. That adjustment would cost LISD $1.8 million.

LISD Chief Financial Officer Flor Ayala said the district can't afford to give raises to administrators and paraprofessionals.

"We can't fund projects and raises at the same time right now," she said. "We don't have enough."

The district said it needs roofing and heating, ventilation and air conditioning replacements and other repairs.

Property taxes

LISD administration is not proposing an increase in the property tax rate. They recommended a rate of $1.3860 per $100 property valuation. The current tax rate is $1.3897.

READ MORE: 9 things to know about the lone LISD superintendent finalist

The proposed tax rate would generate an estimated $18 million in revenue. If trustees decide to increase the rate, administration recommended a tax rate of $1.3998. That rate would generate about $19 million in revenue.

LISD trustees' next budget workshop is scheduled for July 27. On Aug. 24, they are set to hold a public meeting to discuss the proposed budget and tax rate. Following the meeting, they may vote to adopt them.
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Pastor Stephen Missick of the King of Saints Tabernacle in Cleveland is putting the finishing touches on his independent film that details the life of an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Missick, who is the acting producer, presented the film, titled "Saint Thaddeus: The Legend of the Shroud," at the International Christian Film Festival held in May 2017 in Orlando, Fla. The film was nominated for an Official Selection.

The film depicts the story of Thaddeus as he founds the church among the Assyrian people. While Missick planned to make a film about the apostle Thomas and his work in India, the plan changed in the wake of the current political climate.

"ISIS is trying to commit genocide against the Assyrian people," said Missick.

Missick says there is a large Assyrian community in the United States, which he hopes to represent in the film upon its completion.

The film relies upon period accurate costumes, with Missick looking for the best articles of clothing up for bid after their service to various films and television shows such as "Hercules" starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Spartacus and many more.

"The costumes I use are screen used," said Missick.

The story handles various parts of the tale of Thaddeus, including his journey to Mesopotamia before the apostle makes his way to meet King Abgar of Assyria. Abgar suffered from an illness before Thaddeus healed and converted him to Christianity. This, in turn, converts the Assyrian people.

"It's a pivotal and very important story," said Missick. "Telling this story could make people aware of what's going on."

The film was also accompanied by a music video performed by Leah Sayad, an Assyrian-American performing artist and voice teacher at New York University, who sang the song titled "The Assyrian King's Letter to Jesus."

The music video tells the same story as the movie and was nominated for Best Music Video by the International Christian Film Festival. Sayad also portrays Queen Augustine, the wife of King Abgar, who helps Thaddeus escape the wrath of their son when he turns to paganism.

The film also deals with the Shroud of Jesus Christ, a linen cloth that bears the face of a man alleged to be Christ. The cloth is believed to be what Jesus wore during his crucifixion as a burial shroud.

The movie is 48 minutes long. However, Missick plans to extend the film's length. His crew filmed a new scene on July 1 in a creek located next to Low Water Bridge Rd. The scene involves the baptism of Armenian Princess Sandukht, played by Karina Carielo.

Sandukht is one of the earliest martyrs of Christianity, refusing to renounce her faith before her death at the hands of her own father.

Once the project is finished, Missick hopes to be able to show the film to as many people as he can.

"Hopefully when the movie is done we'll look at distribution," he said. "We're just looking at various options."

Josiah Missick, Pastor Missick's brother, directed the feature and portrays the Apostle Thaddeus in the movie.
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AUGUSTA, Maine - Little in politics has surprised Richard Malaby as much as the power of dentists.

For years, local dentists held four Christmas parties at Malaby's 19th-century country inn in the picturesque town of Hancock. But in 2014, Malaby, a Republican lawmaker in the Maine state legislature, voted to create a new type of dental provider to perform basic services in poor and rural areas.

The Maine Dental Association, which opposed the bill, was furious. And the dentists took their Christmas parties elsewhere, costing Malaby $6,000 that December and every Yuletide since.

Among the general public, dentists tend to have a Norman Rockwell appeal - solo practitioners who clean your teeth, tell your kids to cut down on the candy, and put their seal of approval on a range of minty toothpastes and mouthwashes. But lawmakers from Maine to Alaska see a different side of dentists and their lobby, the American Dental Association, describing a political force so unified, so relentless and so thoroughly woven into American communities that its clout rivals that of the gun lobby.

"I put their power right up there with the NRA," Malaby said. "Dentists do everything they can to protect their interests - and they have money."

As the cost of dental care rises beyond the reach of millions of Americans, the dental lobby is coming under increasing scrutiny. Critics say the ADA has worked to scuttle competition that could improve access to dental care in underserved areas and make routine checkups and fillings more affordable.

The Federal Trade Commission has battled dentists in state after state over anti-competitive conduct. In 2007, the FTC successfully settled a complaint over a South Carolina dental board requirement that dentists examine children in school clinics before hygienists can clean their teeth, adding greatly to the cost. In 2015, the FTC won a Supreme Court ruling against the North Carolina dental board, which tried to block teeth-whitening businesses from operating in malls.

This year, the FTC publicly commented on a growing campaign to improve access to dental care by creating a category of mid-level practitioners, or "dental therapists," to provide some routine services. In a letter to the Ohio lawmakers considering such a measure, FTC officials said therapists "could benefit consumers by increasing choice, competition, and access to care, especially for the underserved."

More than a dozen states are considering similar proposals, despite fierce resistance from the ADA and its state affiliates. During the Maine debate, so many dentists flooded the statehouse in Augusta that besieged lawmakers taped up signs declaring their offices a "Dental Free Zone."

The dentists had a unique way to get around the blockade: the regular checkup. While the bill was pending, some lawmakers found themselves getting an earful when they stretched out and opened wide for an oral exam.

"I'm certainly a captive audience when I am in the dental chair," said Brian Langley (R), a Maine state senator who also got calls from four other dentists in his district and ended up siding with them.

The bill establishing a new provider type ultimately passed, but "it was brutal, very brutal," recalled David Burns, a Republican state senator who retired after supporting the measure. Afterward, Burns said, he got a call from his dentist, who vowed never to treat him again, saying, "This relationship is over."

Most of the 200,000 dentists in America work solo, in offices that are essentially small businesses. They are known for projecting a remarkably unified voice on issues relating to their livelihood. The ADA says 64 percent of dentists belong to the association. By comparison, only 25 percent of physicians belong to the American Medical Association.

The ADA agrees that too many Americans are getting inadequate dental care. They argue that the answer is not the creation of "lesser trained" therapists, but more government funding and "community dental health care coordinators" to educate people and get them to a dentist.

"Dentistry has a fundamental belief that dentists should be the only ones to do surgical, irreversible procedures," said Michael Graham, senior vice president of the ADA's Division of Government and Public Affairs. "A lot of things can happen when you cut into a tooth."

Others argue that the American model of dentistry is badly in need of innovation and competition. The Pew Charitable Trusts and other foundations advocate therapists as a way to improve access and affordability.

Therapists cost less to train than dentists do, and states set the rules governing their training and scope of practice. Supporters say the idea is for the therapists to work in concert with a licensed dentist but be more mobile, visiting people in nursing homes and underserved rural areas to perform basic oral exams and fill and pull some teeth.

They would also treat people on Medicaid, the government health-care program for the poor. Two-thirds of licensed dentists do not accept Medicaid, and hospital emergency rooms are swamped with people with neglected teeth.

"Therapists are not a silver bullet but a significant way to begin addressing the problem," said John Grant, director of the Pew Charitable Trusts' dental campaign.

Louis Sullivan, a physician who served as secretary of health and human services under President George H.W. Bush, said dentists' opposition to therapists is largely about money.

"They think dental therapists will be competing against them and therefore will compromise their income," he said.

Sullivan noted that doctors strongly opposed the creation of nurse practitioners in the 1970s. Now doctors - and the health-care system - can't live without them, he said.

As in the nurse-doctor battle, there is a gender factor: More than 95 percent of dental hygienists are female. As a group, they support the idea of therapists and, with additional training, could join their ranks. Currently, hygienists work in small offices with licensed dentists, 70 percent of whom are male.

Dentistry has "been an old boys' club," said Ruth Ballweg, a professor and physician assistant at the University of Washington School of Medicine who has been involved in the fight for dental therapists. "But the model is changing."

More than 50 countries, from Canada to New Zealand, have dental therapists. Alaska Native tribal areas first introduced dental therapists to the United States in 2004. Since then, Minnesota, Maine and Vermont have approved them. Ohio, Kansas, Massachusetts, North Dakota and several other states are now contemplating their authorization.

The ADA has spent millions of dollars trying to block the bills. It also filed multiple lawsuits trying without success to stop the Alaska program.

"They went after these Alaskan therapists like they were ISIS. It was embarrassing," said Jack Dillenberg, a dentist who has taught at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine.

Dillenberg visited the Alaska program, where therapists working in consultation with a licensed dentist - sometimes by telemedicine - visit islands, remote villages and other underserved areas.

"I thought they were awesome," said Dillenberg, one of few dentists to publicly support the therapist idea.

Of two dozen dentists interviewed, a handful said they liked the idea, with some arguing that the existence of therapists would let them concentrate on more complicated procedures. Another proponent, Maine dentist Aatif Ansari, posted pro-therapist comments on Facebook during the 2014 debate. He got hammered by his colleagues.

"It was very aggressive. Folks were upset," Ansari said. "They said things like, 'How could you? I spend this many years in school and how could you let someone with inferior training do this work?' "

The ADA and its state associations often argue that therapists provide second-class care. Jonathan Shenkin, a Maine dentist who is active in the lobby, said the push for therapists is misplaced. He argues for more emphasis on prevention, including better nutrition and regular brushing.

The issue is "intensely debated and can be very emotional," said Mary Otto, author of a new book, "Teeth: The Story of Beauty, Inequality, and the Struggle for Oral Health in America." "It has to do with dentists' identity and the professional autonomy they have fought to keep for generations."

In Maine, the therapist bill turned out to be the most contentious issue of the 2014 legislative session. It passed only after opponents added multiple restrictions, including a requirement that therapists work only in the presence of a dentist. Supporters failed even to persuade lawmakers to let therapists travel to nursing homes alone.

Three years later, resistance remains high. Dentists control the dental schools and the state licensing board, and not one therapist has yet been trained. Supporters of the legislation say restrictions and bureaucracy have made becoming a therapist less desirable.

Meanwhile, people who can't pay continue to put off care. On a recent Friday, Michael Hanson, 54, a lobsterman who went 15 years without seeing a dentist, was sitting in the community health clinic near Maine's Acadia National Park. Over time, lack of care and poor health ruined Hanson's teeth. In February, they were all pulled. He sat toothless, talking about eating soft food for months while he awaits his dentures.

Hanson said his daughter, too, skips annual exams because it is hard to come up with the money.

The dental system is broken, he said. "You go to the hospital and they give you time to pay your bill. But you go to the dentist and they want you to pay right there, and people just don't have the money."

Heather Sirocki, a Maine lawmaker who backed the therapist bill, is a hygienist by training. She has seen the swollen jaws and blackened teeth of people who can't afford dental care. She's even heard of people driving to Canada to seek treatment.

People like Hanson "are not asking for a free handout," Sirocki said. "They are asking for a dental appointment."
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  The Trump administration said Friday it will begin arresting parents and other relatives who hire smugglers to bring their children into the U.S., a move that sent a shudder through immigrant communities nationwide.

The new "surge initiative" by Immigration and Customs Enforcement marks the latest get-tough approach to immigration by the federal government since President Donald Trump took office. The government says the effort aims to break up human smuggling operations, including arresting people who pay coyotes to get children across the U.S. border.

That marks a sharp departure from policies in place under President Barack Obama's administration, during which time tens of thousands of young people fleeing spiraling gang and drug violence in Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador crossed the border. The children are then placed with "sponsors"  typically parents, close relatives or family friends  who care for the minors while they attend school and their cases go through the immigration court system.

The government now says it plans to arrest the sponsors.

"ICE aims to disrupt and dismantle end-to-end the illicit pathways used by transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling facilitators," agency spokeswoman Sarah Rodriguez said. "The sponsors who have placed children directly into harm's way by entrusting them to violent criminal organizations will be held accountable."

Officials did not respond to questions Friday seeking details on the number of sponsors who would be targeted or already had been arrested, or what charges would be applied. Immigrant advocacy groups said they were investigating a dozen arrests or ongoing investigations in Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Virginia.

Elsy Segovia, an immigration attorney in Newark, New Jersey, said armed agents visited her client on Wednesday under the guise of checking something with his Social Security number, then announced he was being investigated for smuggling his 16-year-old nephew from El Salvador, who crossed the border in Arizona last week.

"They coerced him into giving over his phone, and they said if you don't tell the truth, we will take away your temporary protected status," Segovia said, referring to a program that has allowed many Salvadorans to legally live in the U.S. "He is very, very worried."

The man's nephew had been fleeing gang violence in El Salvador, and the agents told him they knew he had wired money to smugglers coyotes to get his relative to the U.S., Segovia said.

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said that as a matter of policy, the agency could not comment on an ongoing law enforcement action.

"Arresting those who come forward to sponsor unaccompanied children during their immigration proceedings, often parents, is unimaginably cruel," said Wendy Young, president of Kids in Need of Defense, a nonprofit that has matched thousands of unaccompanied minors with attorneys in the last eight years. "Without caregivers to come forward, many of these children will languish in costly detention centers or be placed in foster care at great expense to states."

Immigration enforcement was a centerpiece of Trump's presidential run, and he has sought to carry through on his campaign promises by cracking down on people in the country illegally. He has vowed to build a wall on the U.S-Mexico border and go after "sanctuary cities" that enact favorable policies toward immigrants, while emboldening ICE to arrest more people.

At the Annunciation House shelter in El Paso, at the westernmost point of Texas' border with Mexico, director Ruben Garcia said more families are beginning to arrive after a big decline in numbers in recent months. The Trump administration had sought to take credit for that decline, saying its policies and Trump's signature promise to build a U.S.-Mexico border wall were keeping people away.

"To zero on you smuggled so and so and so you contributed $3,000 to the cartels, and to try to isolate the discussion that way, is pretty disingenuous," Garcia said. "If we really cared anything about the impact of some of these policies and some of these practices, then we would be much more engaged in how do we solve this."

Children whose sponsors were arrested would be placed with another verified relative or guardian, or under the care of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, the federal agency that takes custody of unaccompanied minors, Rodriguez said.

Since October 2013, nearly 170,000 unaccompanied minors have been placed with sponsors in all 50 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and many are still awaiting their day in court, according to federal data. ICE officials said they were intervening after three incidents in Texas in recent years in which unaccompanied minors had been injured, sexually assaulted or locked into tractor trailers.

Last year, an Associated Press investigation and a bipartisan congressional probe found that the agency's own inadequate screening had endangered more than two dozen migrant youth in the government's care, including six Guatemalan minors who were placed with traffickers and forced to work on egg farms. The office later made numerous internal changes to strengthen its safeguards, but the program again came under fire recently after some unaccompanied minors were recruited by gangs in the U.S.

Leon Fresco, a former Obama administration Justice Department official, said Trump's recent move likely would be challenged in court, given limits on the amount of time children can be detained.

"This sends a signal to young people who would cross the border not to cross, or your relatives will be placed in removal proceedings," said Fresco. "This is a policy change to say a minor is no longer to be treated as a person worthy of our sympathy, but instead to be treated as another unlawful entrant whose entrance must deterred at all costs."

___

Associated Press writer Nomaan Merchant in Houston, Tex. contributed to this report. Follow Garance Burke on Twitter: @garanceburke
With four Maryland progressive groups holding major events in different parts of the state last weekend, activists had to make tough choices about which activity to attend - or rush from one to the other.

Trying to avoid the same problem, another group is rethinking plans to hold a forum for gubernatorial candidates on Sept. 9, the day a different coalition of activists is scheduled to march on Washington for racial justice.

The scores of left-leaning organizations that have cropped up since the 2016 election often trip over each other as leaders try to harness a groundswell of opposition to President Donald Trump and Republican Gov. Larry Hogan in a way that could impact the state's 2018 election.

In addition to scheduling problems, they have clashed over issues as basic as whether to endorse a candidate early in the Democratic gubernatorial primary, or wait until all the hopefuls have had a chance to campaign.

"There always seems to be some kind of conflict," said Betsy Halsey, who chairs United for Maryland, which had proposed the Sept. 9 forum.She hastened to add that she thinks the proliferation of groups is good for the progressive movement, and that efforts are underway to improve coordination.

Bob Muehlenkamp, a longtime activist who chairs Our Revolution Maryland, said the leaders of many emerging groups are new to political activity and are strategizing as they go along.

"They've been very effective with various resistance activities since Trump was elected, but that's not enough," he said. "You can't have an effective state legislative program or political program with these groups functioning on their own."

The Maryland groups are part of a vocal and visible wave of activism that has swept the country since the 2016 election cycle. Progressive organizations fueled the upstart presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and turned the selection of a Democratic National Committee chair after the election into a battle between the party's left and centrist elements. But progressives ultimately lost both battles, with the nomination of Democrat Hillary Clinton and the selection of establishment favorite Tom Perez for DNC chair.

It remains to be seen whether progressive groups in Maryland will succeed in nominating one of their own to challenge Hogan in 2018, or will be able to achieve their other goals of pushing the party to the left in Annapolis and denting the governor's sky-high approval ratings.

"I'm not sure yet how this will play out in the Democratic primary for governor, but I think it means going into the general election that there will be a lot of energy and activity," said Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md.

When progressive and resistance groups have formed a united front, they have often made an impact. For example, several joined forces this year to successfully fight a Baltimore County Council measure that would have required localcorrectional officers to participate in a federal program to carry out certain immigration-enforcement measures.

Many activist leaders say collaboration will be key to replicating that kind of success in the midterm elections.

"We have to demonstrate and write letters to elected representatives, but that has to be backed up by then working on elections, supporting candidates that meet our ideology and even recruiting candidates," said Sheila Ruth, of the Baltimore County Progressive Democrats. "In order to do that, we have to work together. There's a lot at stake here - not only the Trump-Republican thing we have to resist, but we want to go beyond that and start to work toward progressive priorities."

Kathleen Matthews, who was tapped by party elders this year to chair the Maryland Democratic Party, has made a point of reaching out to progressives, inviting activists to participate in voter-outreach training sessions and giving Ruth a seat on the organization's diversity leadership council.

Matthews said she sees progressive groups becoming "more and more organized" despite their disparate efforts.

"I see them as rocket fuel to help us move forward our efforts," she said. "They have a lot of passion and determination and are working with us in many parts of the state."

State Sen. Richard Madaleno. a Montgomery Couunty Democrat who has said he will run for governor in 2018 and is courting the progressive vote, said he sees some value in the chaos, as long as the groups are generally pointed in the same direction.

"People are bringing their own activism and issues and enthusiasm to the table," he said. "It's organic, it's exciting, and I'd hate for any part of that to be lost because there is a sense that we all have to coalesce around certain issues."

Similarly, Georgetown University history professor Michael Kazin, who specializes in U.S. politics and social movements, said that "movements are messy" but tend to succeed because "people agree in general what direction to move."

For their part, Maryland Republicans say they are not particularly concerned about the surge in activism, and are focused on their quest to win enough seats in the state Senate to disrupt the Democrat's veto-proof majority.

"Anger is not a strategy," said state GOP chair Dirk Haire. "We're pretty unified, and I've been working closely with all of our various Republican groups across the state to make sure everyone is on the same page. Republicans aren't sitting around in a salon in Takoma Park talking about how bad Trump is. They're walking the streets with an app on their phones, figuring out who might vote for us next year."

With just under a year until the Democratic primary, progressive groups disagree over whether and when to endorse one of the candidates vying for the right to challenge Trump.

Some want to hold off until candidates have participated in debates and proven that they can appeal broadly to an electorate, while others plan to endorse early, in part out of concern that the state's Democratic leaders move quickly to help centrist candidates win the party's nomination.

"We have to make the decision earlier and unite around one candidate and bring in all the resources - the money and the people - behind them," said Muehlenkamp, of Our Revolution, which on Friday started canvassing its supporters about endorsing Jealous, a former board member. "You won't get the establishment Democratic Party to hold off. They'll get together and quietly come up with whoever they're going to support."

Groups associated with the Indivisible movement and Women Indivisible Strong Effective, say that endorsing a gubernatorial candidate could hurt their cause in conservative-leaning districts. Their leaders said they will focus instead on educating voters about the voting records of incumbents and where candidates stand on the issues.

"If we go issue by issue, there's a lot more room for consensus," said Katherine Bain, a member of the steering committee for WISE's Severna Park chapter. "We want to create a wealth of information for people and hopefully avoid this habit of people marking an entire column for either the D's or the R's."

Together We Will, which hosted a June 24 meeting with progressive leaders from across the state, is working to organize a follow-up session this fall, with the goal of coordinatingstrategies for the state's 2018 legislative session and primary elections.

Additionally, a coalition of activists organizing as the "progressive caucus" plans to meet July 26 to discuss how to better coordinate their efforts.

"There's room for different strategies," Bain said. "And we'll see at the end of the day if that adds up to more progressive candidates winning elections."
A therapy-animal trend grips the United States. The San Francisco airport now deploys a pig to calm frazzled travelers. Universities nationwide bring dogs (and a donkey) onto campus to soothe students during finals. Llamas comfort hospital patients, pooches provide succor at disaster sites and horses are used to treat sex addiction.

And that duck on a plane? It might be an emotional-support animal prescribed by a mental health professional.

The trend, which has accelerated hugely since its initial stirrings a few decades ago, is underpinned by a widespread belief that interaction with animals can reduce distress - whether it happens over brief caresses at the airport or in long-term relationships at home. Certainly, the groups offering up pets think this, as do some mental health professionals. But the popular embrace of pets as furry therapists is kindling growing discomfort among some researchers in the field, who say it has raced far ahead of scientific evidence.

Related: Pig greets passengers at San Francisco airport

Earlier this year in the Journal of Applied Developmental Science, an introduction to a series of articles on "animal-assisted intervention" said research into its efficacy "remains in its infancy." A recent literature review by Molly Crossman, a Yale University doctoral candidate who recently wrapped up one study involving an 8-year-old dog named Pardner, cited a "murky body of evidence" that sometimes has shown positive short-term effects, often found no effect and occasionally identified higher rates of distress.

Overall, Crossman wrote, animals seem to be helpful in a "small-to-medium" way, but it's unclear whether the critters deserve the credit or something else is at play.

"It's a field that has been sort of carried forward by the convictions of practitioners" who have seen patients' mental health improve after working with or adopting animals, said James Serpell, director of the Center for the Interaction of Animals and Society at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. "That kind of thing has almost driven the field, and the research is playing catch-up. In other words, people are recognizing that anecdote isn't enough."

Using animals in mental health settings is nothing new. In the 17th century, a Quaker-run retreat in England encouraged mentally ill patients to interact with animals on its grounds. Sigmund Freud often included one of his dogs in psychoanalysis sessions. Yet the subject did not become a research target until the American child psychologist Boris Levinson began writing in the 1960s about the positive effect his dog Jingles had on patients.

But the evidence to date is problematic, according to Crossman's review and others before it. Most studies had small sample sizes, she wrote, and an "alarming number" did not control for other possible reasons for a changed stress level, such as interaction with the animal's human handler. Studies also tend to generalize across animals, she noted: If participants are measurably soothed by one golden retriever, that doesn't mean another dog - or another species - will evoke the same response.

Even so, media headlines are often about the happiness bounce. Hal Herzog, a Western Carolina University psychologist who has long studied human-animal interactions, recalls a 2015 study on the health benefits for children of having a pet dog. "Here's a reason to get a puppy," NBC announced. "Kids with pets have less anxiety."

That's actually not what the study concluded. The authors did find that children with dogs had lower anxiety based on screening scores than children without dogs. Still, they cautioned that "this study does not answer whether pet dogs have direct effects on children's mental health or whether other factors associated with acquisition of a pet dog benefit their mental health."

RELATED: Hospital introduces special dog to patients

It was a classic case of conflating correlation and causation, which Herzog says is common. Cherry-picked positive results also are a problem, as he says happens in promotional materials from the Human-Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI). The pet-industry backed organization funds research on the topic.

"The number of papers I see that start out, 'It is now well-established that there are health benefits from owning pets' - that drives me crazy," Herzog said. "Yes, there's literature that supports that. But there's also literature that doesn't find that."

HABRI Executive Director Steven Feldman takes a more positive view of the science while acknowledging that more research needs to be done. "Just like getting vegetables and getting exercise, I would say having animals in our lives is also an essential element of human wellness," he said.

To many animal lovers and pet owners, the back-and-forth might sound horribly wonky. There's something intuitive about the good feelings animals give us. Why over-analyze it?

Alan Beck does not disagree. Beck, who directs the Center of the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University, cites one common theory for why animals might be therapeutic. It's called the biophilia hypothesis, and it argues that humans evolved a built-in need to affiliate with other living beings.

"Throughout history, animals gave us some comfort. So if it works for you and me in a relatively normal environment, maybe it has a special role for someone who has a depression and stress disorder - that just makes sense," he said. "The literature does show it's not bad. And that's just as important."

Focusing too much on scientific support sometimes feels like a form of "physics envy," Beck added, "where you try to quantify everything without appreciating it."

But there are good reasons for rigorous research on animals and mental health. In 2012, the Department of Veterans Affairs said it would not cover costs of service dogs for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, citing "a lack of evidence to support a finding of mental health service dog efficacy." The department is now in the midst of a multiyear study on the topic, which could lead to government funding for these pooches.

Story continues below.

Another reason, the scientists say, is for the animals' sake. Crossman pointed to a 2014 incident at Washington University as an example of animal therapy gone wrong. A bear cub brought to campus during finals week nipped some students, causing a rabies scare that almost ended with the animal being euthanized. More generally, Serpell said, the popular idea that pets make you happier "is not a harmless distortion. ... If the public believes that getting an animal is going to be good for them, many times an unsuitable person will get an unsuitable animal, and it doesn't work out well for either."

The research is getting stronger, in part because funding is growing - from HABRI as well as from a public-private partnership between the National Institutes of Health and the Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition. Crossman's recent study at the Yale Innovative Interactions Lab was among the work being supported.

It relied not just on the Labrador retriever Pardner but seven other certified therapy dogs. Several times a month over much of the past year, they hung out at the university for 15-minute sessions with children who had just finished two stressful tasks: spontaneously crafting stories and telling them to strangers, followed by doing math problems.

The strangers were the researchers, and their mission was to assess whether the kids, ages 10 to 13, would find their time with the dogs to be therapeutic. The study was designed to avoid some of the pitfalls that Crossman has seen elsewhere, which is why some of the 78 young participants got to play only with a fuzzy blanket - because tactile stimulation is known to reduce stress - and why others simply waited for the 15 minutes.

"Without the controls, the changes could be due to all kinds of things, like the fact that lots of time has passed," Crossman said. "Kids are actually pretty good at coping."

The children completed questionnaires to assess their mood and anxiety before and after; spit samples, to measure the "stress hormone" cortisol, were taken at three points. At the end, all the kids got a "junior scientist" certificate, lots of praise and an open play session with the dogs.

Crossman, who emphasizes that she is an animal lover, declined to reveal the findings before they're published. But "hopefully" they will show that dogs can affect children's stress, she said - before quickly offering a researcher's clarification.

"I say 'hopefully' not just because I think it works or hope it does, but because these programs are used so widely," she explained. "Kids are already participating in this on a huge scale. Ideally, the order goes the other way around: We test the idea, and then we implement."
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ZAWIYAH, Libya - The doors of the detention center were bolted shut. Hundreds of migrants were locked inside, with as many as 20 crammed into each cell. Scrawny and barefoot, the men peered through the small, square openings in the metal doors as the stench of urine and body odor hung in the stale air.

"I've eaten only a piece of bread today," an Algerian man whispered. "I beg you, can you help me?"

Yet for these migrants, mostly Africans fleeing poverty, war or persecution, the worst part of their experience in Libya began before they reached this crowded facility. Many were bought and sold by smugglers who operate freely in the lawless areas of the country.

"They flogged me, they slapped me, they beat me while I was on the phone with my mother so she could hear me cry," said Ishmael Konte, a 25-year-old from Sierra Leone, recounting his time in southern Libya.

Libya, the biggest jumping-off point for migrants trying to reach Europe, is now home to a thriving trade in humans. Unable to pay exorbitant smuggling fees or swindled by traffickers, some of the world's most desperate people are being held as slaves, tortured or forced into prostitution.

Their deteriorating plight raises questions about European Union agreements to stem the flow of migrants. Under these deals, Libya was promised more than $225 million to enforce stricter border controls and maintain migrant assistance centers that respect "international humanitarian standards." Last week, Libya's Western-backed government asked European leaders in Brussels for more money to cope with the crisis.

But instead of getting better treatment, migrants found at sea are being returned to Libya to face more exploitation and violence.

Meanwhile, the number of migrants departing from Libya is surging, with more than 70,000 arriving in Italy so far this year, a 28 percent increase over the same period last year. More than 2,000 have drowned crossing the Mediterranean Sea, and the summer peak season for sea crossings is just starting.

To report this article, The Washington Post visited two main government-run detention centers in Tripoli, as well as a third in the coastal city of Zawiyah that is controlled by a militia allegedly involved in human trafficking, according to U.N. investigators. Although the migrants' accounts corroborate recent reports by human rights groups and aid agencies, they also reveal how much more systematic and clandestine the trade in migrants has become.

"They are not treated like humans," said Ahmed Tabawi Wardako, a Libyan tribal leader and community activist in the southern city of Sabha. "They are treated like merchandise."

E.U. officials are working with international organizations and the Libyan government to address the concerns, spokeswoman Catherine Ray said. "We are aware of the unacceptable conditions in which some migrants are treated, in detention or reception centers in Libya," she said. "And we do not turn a blind eye to it."

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For decades, African migrants flocked to this oil-producing country in search of work. Reports of abuse, including slavery-like conditions, by Libyan employers abounded. But the situation worsened after the 2011 Arab Spring uprising and the toppling of dictator Moammar Gaddafi.

Awash with weapons, the state collapsed. In the chaos, borders and coastlines were left unpatrolled, and crime and trafficking by well-armed militias along migrant routes grew.

Now, human trafficking is a multibillion-dollar business involving countless militias and influential tribes, activists and security officials say. The Western-backed government exerts little authority outside the capital, Tripoli, and infighting is rampant within some of its ministries. It competes with two other governments, and none has real authority in the southern part of the country, where most migrants are smuggled through.

"No one even thinks about making arrests in the south," Wardako said. "The human traffickers have lots of money. They buy off people, including the police and local officials."

In March, Mack Williams left his home in Ivory Coast's commercial capital of Abidjan. He was 29 and unemployed. With money borrowed from relatives, he traveled several days and hundreds of miles by bus to the smuggling town of Agadez in central Niger, on the edge of the Sahara Desert.

A recruiter introduced him to a "connection man," one of the many middlemen on the migrant pipeline to Europe.

For about $600, Williams was transported across the border, through Sabha and the town of Bani Walid, and then to Tripoli. At each stop, another connection man was expected to guide him along - if he survived.

"It's the road of death," Williams said, referring to the 1,400-mile stretch between Agadez and Sabha, typically a week-long drive through intense desert heat.

The deaths of migrants along the land route seldom draw much attention. In a rare instance, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported in June that 44 migrants, including five children, died of thirst when their vehicle broke down in the Saharan desert. A few weeks later, 51 more were presumed dead after smugglers abandoned them, the agency said.

Other migrants said that when someone fell off a truck, the drivers often left them behind to die in the desert.

Williams, who is tall and slender, was packed into a Toyota pickup truck with two dozen other migrants, "stuck like a piece of fish in the back," he recalled. Food and water were in short supply. Breaks were infrequent. If the migrants took too long to urinate on the side of the road, the driver and his companion would beat them with a stick and prod them like cattle back into the truck.

Three days into the journey, as they neared the Libyan border, the traffickers spotted a convoy of troops from Niger and were worried about being caught. They veered off the road and ordered the migrants to get out of the truck and get down - and then sped away.

"They left us in the desert with no water or food," Williams said.

Two days later, as some of the migrants approached death, another Toyota pickup arrived with a different group of traffickers. None had the same name or contact information Williams was given in Agadez. He understood what had happened.

"If your connection man doesn't come, it means you've been sold," he said. "Anyone can sell you to another group."

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When Ishmael Konte arrived in Sabha, nearly 500 miles south of Tripoli, the traffickers drove directly to a warehouse and sold him to a Libyan.

It was one of numerous "connection houses" where migrants wait while they are moved through the smuggling pipeline.

Konte and the 20 other migrants in the truck with him were put in a tiny cell, where guards - mostly from Niger - beat them with pipes and electric cables for the slightest infraction. Every two days, they were given a bowl of gruel. Other food had to be bought from the guards, Konte said, but most of the migrants had no money.

"We had to drink the water in the toilet," said Alassana Bah, 34, a soft-voiced teacher from Gambia who lost his left arm in an accident years ago. "Every day, they beat me on the soles of my feet."

The men were incarcerated for different reasons. Some still owed money for their journey, others had traveled on credit and were now the property of the smugglers. Most, like Konte, said they had paid in full but were tricked by their drivers and sold to the prison's Libyan owner for as little as $50.

Every morning, the guards would force the migrants to call their relatives back home.

Four days after he arrived, Konte called his mother. As he spoke, a guard whipped him with a thick cable. She could hear his cries.

"People have caught me," he recalled telling her. "They want $400."

"Where can I get such money?" she replied. Konte could hear her weeping.

"You have to," he said. "These people will kill me."

The threat of death was real. Osama Quaitta, 28, a slim, muscular man from Mali, spent three months in another prison in Sabha. Several migrants in his cell died, he said, after beatings or from poor health and a lack of food.

"All the time, they killed people," he said.

It took Konte's mother a month to raise the money. She wired it to an associate of the traffickers in Agadez, and Konte was released. For the next few weeks, he worked in Sabha to earn enough to pay for his trip to Tripoli.

Traffickers drove Mohamed Jalloh and 26 others from village to village on the way to Tripoli. Jalloh, a 25-year-old from Guinea, said the group he was in was forced to work on farms and houses for several weeks at a time without pay.

"They were renting us out," Jalloh said, shaking his head.

Beauty Oriri, 25, was forced to drink her urine after she ran out of water in the desert. Then she was "sold" to a connection house in Tripoli.

What Oriri saw there terrified her.

"They are forcing girls to have sex with men against their will," the Nigerian hairdresser said. "If you don't do it, they can kill you. They can lock you up for days. If you don't do it, you will not eat."

There are dozens of connection houses in Tripoli, some windowless to prevent detection, security officials say. In most cases, the government "doesn't know anything about them," said Capt. Wajdi Muntassar, a police officer who runs a detention center. Migrant boys taken to the houses are forced to sell drugs, he added, and girls are forced into prostitution.

Oriri said the connection men told her she would be forced into prostitution if she couldn't pay $500. She frantically called her family and friends in Nigeria. Eight days later, the smugglers had the money and she was released, she said.

Most of the other migrant girls and women who traveled with her couldn't afford to pay. So they had no choice, Oriri said. They received a small cut of what the customers paid, and it would take months to afford the boat fare to Italy.

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The Libyan coast guard and local fishermen have stopped more than 10,000 migrants this year and sent them back to Libya, according to IOM data. Most have ended up in one of Libya's 29 official detention centers, which international aid and medical charities visit.

All are woefully underfunded, in part because of militia and government rivalries. Funding has been frozen and bills to feed migrants haven't been paid in months, Muntassar and two other officials said.

Abdulrazag Shneeti, a spokesman for the government's Department for Combating Illegal Migration, did not respond to repeated calls for comment.

The Zawiyah facility - known as the al-Nasr detention center - was set up by the al-Nasr Brigade, a militia involved in oil and human smuggling that has links to the coast guard, U.N. investigators said in a report released in June. Christine Petre, an IOM spokeswoman, said the facility is now being run by the Western-backed government, but migrants and coast guard members said the militia and its tribesmen are still in charge.

Migrants sleep and eat on the dirty floors. Lunch is a six-inch loaf of bread. Dinner is a plate of macaroni.

On a recent day, the mattresses had been taken away from a group in a cell as "punishment" for fighting, said Fathi al-Far, the center's director. Last year, he said, four migrants were killed and a guard was injured in clashes.

Two migrants died of treatable problems in the past two years, Far said. He has been awaiting a water purifier for months. Nearby, an Algerian migrant lay on the floor against a wall, clutching his stomach and writhing in pain. But there was no doctor to help him.

Guards are quick to give beatings, several migrants said.

"It happens," Far said.

In their report, U.N. investigators described Far as a former army colonel and said that the center is used to sell migrants to other smugglers.

Far acknowledged that smugglers come to the center to take migrants but said he is unable to stop them. Guards or militia members call the migrants' families to extort cash - if they pay, the migrant is released and put back on a boat to Europe.

"The guards can do anything," Far said. "They have the keys to the cells."

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Video: Libya is no longer just a crossing point for people trying to reach jobs and opportunity in Europe. It's now home to a thriving, well-organized trade in humans, where slavery, torture and extortion inflict more misery on the world's most desperate people. (Sudarsan Raghavan / The Washington Post)

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Its nose, unlike that of most mammals, was right between the eyes, like an elephant's trunk. It weighed about as much as a horse. Its neck is long, leading scientists to believe that this strange creature discovered almost two centuries ago in South America could be an oversized llama.

But Macrauchenia patachonica is neither a llama nor a horse, nor an elephant, a new analysis of its fossils shows. What exactly this creature was puzzled scientists, including the father of evolution, Charles Darwin. Its origin and what happened to its species had largely remained a mystery - until now.

Scientists from the University of Potsdam in Germany and the American Museum of Natural History analyzed mitochondrial DNA extracted from a fossil found in a cave in southern Chile. Here's what they discovered: Macrauchenia is a distant relative of horses, rhinos and tapirs, and together, they're part of a group called Perissodactyla. The animal's lineage and that of modern perissodactyls, which includes zebras and rhinos, split about 66 million years ago, around the time of the dinosaurs' extinction, and hadn't had a common ancestor since then.

"We were able to, for the first time using DNA evidence, place a very weird mammal in its proper evolutionary context," Ross MacPhee, a curator for the American Museum of Natural History and one of the leaders of the study published last week, told The Washington Post. "Prior to this study, that was not clear."

In studying ancient DNA, scientists usually rely on genetic material from a species' close evolutionary relatives, according to the American Museum of Natural History. But because Macrauchenia doesn't have any close living relatives, scientists had to find another way to reconstruct its genetic makeup, the lead author, Mick Westbury of the University of Potsdam, said in a news release. Scientists used the DNA of a number of living species as reference points and eventually recovered about 80 percent of Macrauchenia's mitochondrial genome.

A related 2015 study analyzed protein from the bones of Macrauchenia and another strange creature that existed around the time, called Toxodon. Darwin first discovered the fossils of both animals in the 19th century.

The earlier study had much of the same findings and placed Macrauchenia and Toxodon under the Perissodactyla group. But the most recent DNA analysis is more precise and allowed scientists to pinpoint when Macrauchenia separated from the evolutionary lineage that produced modern-day horses, rhinos and tapirs, MacPhee said.

"In science, it's always important to corroborate results, use different approaches, different molecules," MacPhee said.

The group was unable to conduct the same DNA analysis on Toxodon. But MacPhee said he's optimistic considering the success with Macrauchenia.

The two were the last of the South American native ungulates, a highly diverse group of hoofed mammals that roamed the continent millions of years ago. Many of them disappeared 20,000 years ago, and Macrauchenia and Toxodon vanished about 10,000 years ago.

Darwin discovered the first Macrauchenia and Toxodon fossils in 1834 during his travels to South America. He found Macrauchenia on the southern coast of Argentina.

And while in Uruguay, he heard about a farmer who dug up "some extremely strange beast" and went to check it out, MacPhee said. That animal was Toxodon, which was about twice the size of Macrauchenia. Darwin described it as the "strangest animal ever discovered." It had curved teeth, similar to that of a rodent. It was about the same size as a rhino, had very short legs, a huge body and an enormous skull, MacPhee said.

"He was really amazed by the beast, which is something to underline," MacPhee said of Darwin. "He had never seen anything like them. Nobody had ever described anything like them."
With the Republican push to revamp the Affordable Care Act stalled again, even some allies of President Donald Trump question whether he has effectively used the bully pulpit afforded by his office and are increasingly frustrated by distractions of his own making.

Trump has spoken out repeatedly during his tenure about the shortcomings of Obamacare, which he brands a "disaster." But he has made relatively little effort to detail for the public why Republican replacement plans - which fare dismally in public opinion polls - would improve on the former president's signature initiative.

The lackluster sales job, combined with recent controversial tweets and public statements targeting the media, has diminished the focus on the president's leading legislative priority at a key juncture in the Senate, allies and analysts say.

"It's a mystery," said Barry Bennett, a Republican operative who advised Trump's campaign last year and remains close to the White House. "I don't know what they're doing."

In recent days, Trump, who heads to Poland and Germany later this week, has seemed largely preoccupied by other things, including a Twitter feud with multiple news outlets. On Sunday, Trump sent around a video showing him body-slamming a CNN avatar, just days after calling an MSNBC host "dumb as a rock."

A top Trump lieutenant, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, was pressed Sunday on whether the media attacks are interfering with the president's push of the unpopular Senate bill.

"The fact of the matter is that he can do more than one thing at a time," Price said during an exchange with host Chuck Todd on NBC's "Meet the Press" that grew testy at times.

Price argued that Trump has been holding "multiple meetings within the White House itself, with physicians, with small-business groups, with other folks who have been harmed by Obamacare, with patients, individual stakeholders from across this land who tell him and have told us repeatedly that the current system is collapsing."

Trump's public efforts to dismantle the health-care law, however, contrast sharply with President Barack Obama's efforts to build support in advance of its 2010 passage. Obama gave a joint address to Congress on health care. He fielded questions at town hall meetings around the country. And he even bantered on live television with hostile lawmakers at a Republican retreat.

Not only has Trump been unsuccessful at swinging public opinion toward the legislation, but also "he hasn't really tried that much," said George Edwards, a professor of political science at Texas A&M University and author of "On Deaf Ears: The Limits of the Bully Pulpit."

"He hasn't been out there consistently making a case for the legislation," Edwards said of Trump.

It's not hard to imagine other things Trump could be doing to try to boost support for the GOP plan among the public and, by extension, on Capitol Hill, Bennett said.

Trump could make much better use of Twitter, urging his 33 million followers to call their senators and ask them to back the GOP bill, Bennett said.

Trump could have visited several states last week, holding events that highlight the sharp rise in premiums under Obamacare, he said. And Trump could mobilize his supporters to come to Washington and rally outside the Capitol, demanding passage of a bill.

Trump's seeming ambivalence about selling the GOP plan may reflect that he has always been more animated about getting rid of Obamacare than he has been about what should replace it.

To the degree he has discussed what the American health-care system should look like, Trump has talked about "insurance for everybody" and coverage that would be "much less expensive and much better" - standards that the bills produced by the House and Senate don't come close to achieving, according to analyses.

Trump's public statements about the bills, at times, have risked doing more harm than help, leading to questions about how dedicated he is to the task at hand - a view bolstered by Trump's head-scratching comments that he considered the House bill "mean" and that it would be unfortunate but "OK" if senators are unable to pass a bill.

Trump further muddied the waters last week by floating the possibility on Twitter that lawmakers could repeal the ACA now and replace it later - a view that Price on Sunday emphasized is not the administration's preference.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that there's no reason Trump should follow models used by Obama or other past presidents to build public support.

"You use the model that works for you," Spicer said, noting that Trump has advanced a health-care bill further in the process at this point in his term than Obama. The ACA did not pass until the second year of Obama's first term.

"We've been more efficient," Spicer said.

Marc Rotterman, a GOP consultant based in North Carolina, said Trump needs to be more repetitive when speaking to the public about why the bill should pass.

"When you push a measure, redundancy matters, and these constant tweets against the media distract from the real issue, which is getting health care done," said Rotterman, adding that he'd like to see Trump deliver an Oval Office address on the subject.

To bolster support for their initiatives in Washington, presidents often travel to friendly territory outside the Beltway to make their case. Trump has traveled outside of Washington several times lately, but those events have mostly focused on other issues, and when he has mentioned health care, he hasn't dwelled on it.

During Trump's recent travels to Ohio and Wisconsin, he staged secondary events meant to highlight "victims of Obamacare."

In a mid-June trip to Milwaukee, for example, Trump invited two local families to join him on Air Force One to talk about their struggles to pay for insurance under the ACA. Afterward, Trump and the families spoke briefly to the news media on the tarmac, with Trump telling reporters, "these citizens deserve so much better."

His motorcade then whisked him to a technical college to talk about workforce development and apprenticeships - an event that received the majority of local coverage.

At a Trump rally late last month in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the president could have made an extended argument about the need for moving forward on health care. But Trump didn't discuss the issue in much detail as he pledged to deliver a bill with "heart."

He made at least as many headlines for pledging to crack down on the use of welfare by immigrants and to use solar panels to help pay for a promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ari Fleischer, the press secretary to former president George W. Bush, said Trump to this point deserves "mixed" marks for his use of the bully pulpit on health care.

Fleischer credited Trump with having "kept his foot on the gas" while the House was struggling to pass its version of the bill in early May.

In the Senate, Trump seems to be hindered by his low job-approval ratings, which have undercut his ability to reach out to some conservative Democrats, in particular, Fleischer said.

If Trump were more popular, Fleischer said, a handful of those Democrats would probably be more willing to support the bill, out of fear of incurring the president's wrath. Instead, they're now worried about drawing a Democratic primary challenger if they work too closely with Trump.

Since the focus turned to the Senate in recent weeks, Trump has also delegated much of the lobbying to Vice President Mike Pence and senior administration officials, who have more extensive knowledge of the bill and a better sense of how to bring senators on board.

Trump is also faced with the prospect of selling a very unpopular product. A Congressional Budget Office analysis of the Senate plan projected that it would lead to 22 million fewer Americans having coverage within a decade.

Only 17 percent of adults nationwide approved of the Senate health-care bill, while 55 percent disapproved. according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Wednesday.

Even among Republicans, support was tepid, with 35 percent voicing approval and 21 percent saying they disapprove. Other recent polls have had similar numbers.

Meanwhile, even as Trump has repeatedly railed about shortcomings of the ACA, public support for Obama's initiative has increased, polls have found.

In December, as Trump prepared to take office, 43 percent of American adults viewed the ACA favorably, while 46 percent viewed it unfavorably, according to a Kaiser Health tracking poll.

In the June poll, 51 percent viewed the law favorably, compared with 41 percent unfavorably. That was the best the ACA had fared since Kaiser started its polling in 2010.

The term "bully pulpit" was coined by President Theodore Roosevelt, who used the powers of the office to court reporters and deliver major speeches on legislation related to railroad regulation and food inspection.

Frances Lee, a government and politics professor at the University of Maryland, said presidents traditionally have poor records of changing public opinion when pushing unpopular initiatives, as Trump is attempting to do.

"Use of the bully pulpit is mainly effective when presidents are pushing Congress to do something the public already favors," she said, citing the wide latitude Bush had with Congress after that Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Still, there is no shortage of suggested initiatives Trump could be taking that he has not.

After the House narrowly passed its health-care bill in early May, Aaron Kall, the director of debate at the University of Michigan, penned a piece for the Hill newspaper, urging Trump to give an address to a joint session of Congress to bolster Senate support.

In an interview, Kall said he still thinks that would be helpful to Trump, given the large television audience such an address would command.

If Trump wants legislation to pass at this point, he "really needs to adopt some new tactics," said Kall, editor of "Mr. Speaker, The President of The United States: Addresses to a Joint Session of Congress."

Kall suggested that Trump also make himself available for television interviews focused on health care with outlets beyond the friendly confines of Fox News.

"I think we've underestimated him sometimes," Kall said. "With a few days' preparation, I think he could withstand an interview on this subject. He has a persuasive story to tell. It just needs to be packaged in the right way."

Others say that Trump would be well-served by putting down his phone.

Asked Sunday whether Trump's tweets made it harder to work on health care, Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., admitted that he gets "frustrated" when the media and lawmakers focus on what the president says on Twitter.

"Our focus cannot be on the tweet," Cassidy said on "Meet the Press." "Our focus has to be on that kitchen-table family paying $20,000, $30,000 and $40,000 for their premiums, wondering how they're going to make ends meet."

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The Washington Post's Jenna Johnson and Ashley Parker contributed to this report.
Passengers onboard the AI 880 flight were left breathless, as the air-conditioning system on the flight wasn't working.

By Poulomi Saha: It was a flight straight from hell for the passengers of AI 880 that took off from Bagdogra airport this afternoon at 1:50pm and landed in New Delhi at 4:05pm.

Passengers onboard the flight were left breathless, as the air-conditioning system on the flight wasn't working.

Passengers speaking exclusively to India Today said they discovered even before take off that the AC wasn't functioning. But when they brought this to the notice of the Air India staff, they were told that the system would work just fine after the flight takes off.

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But that didn't happen.

For the next two hours, they relied on whatever they could get their hands on - from newspapers to instruction manuals - to keep themselves from sweating and suffocating.

RIDE TO HELL

Some passengers like Debasmita, an asthama patient, were horrified further. "When I realised that the AC wasn't working and the oxygen masks were of no help, I asked for the oxygen cylinder since I could barely breathe. That's when I learnt that even the oxygen cylinder was empty,", she narrated to India Today.

Passengers complain that nobody responded to their repeated pleas and even when they landed in Delhi, and wished to speak to Air India authorities, nobody came forward to offer them a listening ear or even apologise for the inconvenience caused.

India Today spoke to experts, who confirmed that the pilot of a flight cannot take off with the air-conditioning system malfunctioning. It amounts to putting passengers' lives at risk and can amount to heavy penalty.

When India Today contacted Air India, it was told an enquiry has been ordered. It remains to be seen if an example is made out of the airline staff that watched such a horror unfold before their own eyes.

Also read: IndiGo first to show interest in buying debt-laden Air India

Also read: Before Tatas buy Air India, look at 5 bad decisions that brought the Maharajah down

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Few residents have lived at the trendy Tobin Lofts apartments longer than Sebastian Sanchez, and hes never felt unsafe in the bustling neighborhood near downtown that draws an eclectic mix of college students, bar hoppers and occasionally people begging for money.

But the sound of gunshots last week and the sight of a fallen police officer, bleeding on the street mere feet from Sanchezs doorstep, left him shaken and asking how such a tragedy could happen.

Im still in shock, said Sanchez, who moved to the Tobin Lofts near San Antonio College four years ago and heard the gunfire outside. I cant wrap my head around it.

RELATED: Gunman who shot 2 officers had extensive criminal history in Louisiana, Texas

What began as a random police encounter Thursday with two men walking in the 200 block of West Evergreen Street near North Main Avenue suddenly turned deadly when one of the men pulled a handgun and opened fire on officers Miguel Moreno and Julio Cavazos, who had pulled over in their patrol car to talk to the pair.

Theyre up there patrolling specifically for vehicle burglaries and that type of crime, Chief William McManus said at a news conference last week. And they happened across a vehicle that looked like it had been broken into. So the next thing they did was see the two individuals, who they stopped.

Moreno was shot in the head and died Friday. Another bullet struck Cavazos in the chin and lodged in his chest, but he was wearing body armor. The injured officer managed to pull his partner out of the line of fire and shoot back at the gunman, McManus said. Cavazos is expected to undergo multiple surgeries, McManus said, but doctors say hell survive his injuries.

The gunman was identified as Andrew Bice, 34, who had faced past criminal charges that included kidnapping, burglary, resisting arrest and family violence. Bice was struck in the buttocks by Cavazos as he ran from the officer. Officials say Bice made it to a street corner and shot himself in the head, killing himself. Police said the second man wasnt armed and cooperated with officers.

The deadly shootout occurred in a neighborhood thats changed dramatically over the years.

RELATED: Social media tributes pour in for slain SAPD Officer Miguel Moreno

The intersection of Evergreen and Main used to be a collection of boarded up businesses, a parking lot and Luthers, a burger joint.

Then San Antonio College opened Tobin Lofts, a three-story apartment complex, in fall 2013. The boarded-up buildings across the street from the lofts now are shops and a bar. Luthers still is there  only now its in the first floor of the complex in a new bar and restaurant.

Officers from SAPD and campus police officers from SAC both respond to emergencies in the area. On Thursday, McManus said Cavazos and Moreno were patrolling the area after SAPD received complaints about crime in the neighborhood.

But a day later, McManus said the shooting was completely random and bristled at a San Antonio Express-News article that quoted residents and local workers expressing concerns about vagrants, drug users and prostitutes.

There is one media outlet, not an electronic one, that thinks this may have happened because that area is dangerous and there is a lot of crime in that area, McManus said. And that is simply not the case. That horrible, tragic incident could have happened anywhere in the city, depending upon where those two individuals may have been. They just happened to have been up there.

The article didnt blame the shooting on high crime rates near the Tobin Lofts. But some residents and employees of local businesses told the newspaper they dont always feel safe in the neighborhood.

Campus alerts

In the past, campus police have alerted students and SAC employees about crimes that included a nearby off-campus shooting, a disturbance with a gun and robberies that occurred in or near the lofts.

One of the most disturbing crimes sparked no public warnings to SAC students.

On Nov. 11, 2014, a man identified by police as Zachary Gonzalez boarded a VIA bus traveling on North Main Avenue and appeared eager to start a fight.

Police said none of the passengers engaged him, but Gonzalez finally approached a man and asked, What are you looking at? He pulled out a handgun and fired several shots, killing the passenger. Gonzalez exited the bus at Main and Cyprus, two blocks south of the Tobin Lofts. Police arrested him a day later after a manhunt.

Most recently, campus police sent a community alert about a robbery at the Tobin Lofts on April 14. A man visiting a friend at the apartments told police that he was sitting outside when a robber attacked him and stole his laptop.

The robbery happened at the first-floor apartment of college student Micaela Mize, who said in an interview with the Express-News that the robber had attacked her friend with pepper spray. After a struggle that left her friend with a black eye, the robber fled in a getaway car.

Last weeks shooting happened right outside her apartment. Mize was driving home at the time, she said, and saw the aftermath.

After my friend was mugged, I felt a little more uncomfortable living over here, Mize said. My cars been broken into, my cars been hit while parked. Its a lot of stuff to happen in just nine months.

RELATED: Second officer in Thursday's fatal shooting has a 'long recovery' ahead

Im moving out in 21/2 weeks.

At a nearby apartment, Jordan Satterfield said he and his girlfriend had been sitting outside when Bice and the other man walked by on Evergreen, which usually is busy with pedestrian traffic.

Satterfield said he didnt take a hard look at them because they seemed like the type that might hit them up for money. Then he saw a police cruiser stop alongside the pair.

I figured these guys must have done something, Satterfield said.

Then he and his girlfriend heard gunshots and they took cover inside the apartment. They later learned they had been sitting in the line of fire when they discovered a bullet hole in a metal hand rail nearby.

Its not a bad area, Satterfield said later. Theres crime everywhere.

Until last week, the worst thing he had heard about was the robbery at his neighbors apartment, and petty property crimes that at times left him scratching his head in wonderment.

We had a whole iron bench stolen, he said, gesturing to an empty, landscaped area outside the apartments. A heavy, heavy bench, and now its gone. That takes some planning and some teamwork.

RELATED: SAPD Chief William McManus: 'I'm angry at the police haters'

Don Adams, chief of police for the Alamo Colleges district that oversees SAC, did not respond to interview requests last week.

SAPD spokesman Sgt. Jesse Salame said Friday that the department hadnt received any complaints or concerns in the area before the shooting. He said its possible McManus misspoke about the department receiving a complaint.

That is generally a very, very safe area, said Salame, who emphasized that officers usually respond to nonviolent offenses and property crimes.

High number of police calls

Records show the Tobin Hill neighborhood near SAC is a busy area for police. SAPD received 654 calls for service in May, the most recent month crime statistics were available, from the area within the Tobin Hill Community Association, which includes Tobin Lofts, SAC, the neighborhood of Tobin Hill, the Pearl Brewery and the St. Marys strip of clubs and restaurants. Disturbances, traffic crashes, thefts and assaults were the most frequent complaints.

Compared to the other 230 San Antonio neighborhood associations that had reports of crime in May, Tobin Hill ranked ninth in the total number of police calls that month, according to data published on SAPDs website. The number of calls for police in the Tobin Hill community was five times higher than the overall neighborhood average of 134 calls in May.

The busiest area for police in San Antonio was downtown, with more than 2,800 calls in May. Each community in SAPDs crime reports varies in size and demographics, but SAPD doesnt publish per-capita crime statistics for individual neighborhoods.

Calls for service are a reliable indicator of how often people summon police, but sometimes the information detailing the nature of each crime is inaccurate. A concerned citizens initial report of a robbery might actually turn out to be a burglary when police officers arrive and investigate what happened. But the call for service report remains unchanged as a robbery.

SAPD keeps more accurate crime data internally, but Salame said he couldnt immediately provide a copy of that data, which might help pinpoint criminal activity near Tobin Lofts and whether its increasing.

Across a longer time frame, people in the Tobin Hill community called SAPD 3,116 times from January to May this year. Compared to previous years for that same January-to-May time period, thats slightly below average. From 2011 to 2017, police officers were called to the Tobin Hill area an average of 3,251 times.

Cody Doege, president of the Tobin Hill Community Association, said he lives about six blocks away from the site of the shooting and hes witnessed vast improvements over the years in the area where Tobin Lofts was built.

But there are still rough areas nearby that havent changed.

We live in an eclectic neighborhood, Doege said. Certainly its in transition with urban renewal. But a lot of bad stuff still lingers.

Sebastian Sanchez was one of the first tenants to move into Tobin Lofts and until last week the worst problem hes dealt with was noisy college students.

But on Friday afternoon, he sat outside his apartment a few feet from where the gunbattle occurred, quietly grappling with what happened.

Sanchez had been watching TV when he heard the gunshots. He dialed 911 and went outside.

There was blood everywhere, he said. Sanchez saw an officer lying motionless in the street. Another officer  Cavazos  was yelling at residents to get inside and to get help.

Sanchez complied. But he said the sight of Cavazos cradling the head of his fallen partner always will haunt him.

jtedesco@express-news.net
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San Antonio police said the man who was with Andrew Bice when he shot and killed officer Miguel Moreno and wounded officer Julio Cavazos, was arrested Saturday on unrelated charges.

Saturday night, Chief William McManus announced that William Lawson, 30, who police initially thought had been accompanying Bice the night of the shooting but was later released and called a "witness," had been arrested on unrelated firearms and drug possession charges.

Two SAPD officers responded to a call of a suspicious person in the 1600 block of McCullough Avenue when they found Lawson in possession of a .22-caliber firearm and heroin.

"He was not charged on Thursday because there was nothing we could charge him with," McManus said. "He's arrested tonight on two completely different charges. We brought him in here tonight to see if we could get further information, maybe connect him to the shootings on Thursday."

But because he was arrested in the same area of the fatal shooting, McManus said he thought it important enough to bring him to SAPD headquarters to be questioned again by homicide detectives.

However, McManus said, "There was nothing that we came across that would give us any probable cause to charge him with that crime (Thursday's shooting)."

McManus said the information from Lawson was unreliable.

"Mr. Lawson seems to be a pathological liar, so we don't know what information he gave us is true or not," McManus said.
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San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said Saturday he was angry at those who hate and do not back the police force.

McManus and other SAPD officers met with members of the South Side Saturday morning as part of a monthly event called "Coffee with the Cops."

McManus, visibly upset, said he was angry at those who hate the police.

"I'm angry at the police haters, I'm sick of the police haters," McManus said. "We protect them. We defend them. And they give us a big F U. And I'm sick of it."

RELATED: McManus provides details on shootout that killed one officer, wounded another

His comments come a day after officer Miguel Moreno died at Brooke Army Medical center from wounds received in a shootout with man with an extensive criminal history.

A second officer, Julio Cavazos, was also wounded in the shootout that happened Thursday while the officers were on patrol near San Antonio College.

Cavazos was shot in the chest but will recover, SAPD reports.

Last November, Detective Benjamin Marconi was shot and killed while issuing a traffic citation.

His death marked the first for the department since officer Robert Deckard Jr. was killed while pursuing robbery suspects in December 2013.

Like many other police departments around the country, SAPD has regularly hosted community events such as "Coffee with Cops" to provide a more public interface with the their communities.

Many folks turned out to wish the police well and especially offered kind words to Chief McManus at the event.

Sylvia Ornelaz, carrying her 10-month-old granddaughter, slowly worked her way toward McManus and greeted with a smile and a hug.

RELATED: Gunman who shot 2 officers had extensive criminal history in Louisiana, Texas

They posed for a photo as Ornelaz rested her head against McManus near his badge which bore black band to signify the loss of an officer.

"He's got a good heart," Ornelaz said. "You can hear it when he speaks (like) the other day when I heard him, you can hear that he worries about every single police officer that goes out, and prays that they come back the same shift to their families."

At police headquarters on Santa Rosa, the impromptu memorial for Moreno continued to grow Saturday with more flowers, heart-felt messages and blue balloons. Flags were flying at half-staff throughout the city and at all state offices, as ordered by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday.

Numerous people stopped by during the day to pay their respects.

"There's an officer down and they need as much help as they can," said David Moreno, 31, who is not related to the fallen officer. "I've been putting it off, taking care of my family, but this family needs me now."

smartinez-beltran@express-news.net

Twitter: @SergioMarBel

Photographer Kin Man Hui and mySA staff contributed to this report
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) Tech giant Apple has slashed prices of products, including iPhone, iPad and Mac, India from July 1, as it looks to pass on the benefits accrued from the recently rolled out GST to customers.

The iPhone 7 Plus (256GB version) -- the most premium device in Apples smartphone portfolio -- will be available at Rs 85,400. This is Rs 6,600 cheaper than the earlier price tag of Rs 92,000.

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Similarly, price of iPhone SE (128GB) has been reduced by Rs 2,200 to Rs 35,000.

The new prices listed on the companys website is upto 7.2 per cent lower than previous iPhone prices.

The 12.9-inch iPad Pro (512GB) will see its price coming down from over Rs one lakh to Rs 97,000.

Apple declined to comment on whether the price reduction was on account of GST, which will see smartphones being taxed at 12 per cent as compared to an earlier range of 8-18 per cent depending on the states.

Interestingly, the government has also introduced a 10 per cent basic customs duty on mobile phones and certain parts, in a bid to promote domestic manufacturing.

However, domestic players like Micromax and Lava are unlikely to revise their prices after GST implementation.

India is an important market for Apple and this move could help the US-based firm further consolidate its position here.

According to industry estimates, Apple has a 44 per cent share of the premium market (USD 400 and above), while rival Samsung had 41 per cent share in the January-March 2017 quarter. Other players in the category include the likes of OnePlus, LG, Sony and HTC.

Apples revenue grew more than 20 per cent in India in the quarter ended March 2017.

Acknowledging that Apple is "underpenetrated" in India, CEO Tim Cook has said the US tech giant is strengthening its local presence in the country and is optimistic about its future given the fast-growing economy and improving 4G network infrastructure in the country. PTI SR SRK

--- ENDS ---
For our family, the Fourth of July holiday is one of our favorite days of the year.

Its a day when everyone of us shows our pride in our country. We visibly shed all doubt about the promise of freedom that our nation still provides the world. And we truly understand, if only for this one day, the deep obligation we have as the most powerful force for good the world has ever seen.

For those of us who served in the armed forces, its yet another opportunity to not just wave the flag but to remember those who served with us overseas, fighting for the freedoms we enjoy, and to think of those who never made it home.

Im asked from time to time why we do it.

As a veteran, I can tell you that those who join up do so for their own reasons, from a desire to defend country and Constitution, to stuff thats much more deeply personal.

My story in the Air Force began right after 9/11. I was drawn to the militarys unrelenting drive for excellence in everything it did. As a combat medic in Afghanistan, deploying in support of an elite team of special operators, I had to know my medicine, had to be ever mindful of safety, and had to make good decisions in times of stress. Thats what lured me, in addition to love of country and a desire to defend our way of life against the terrorists who struck at us, killing 2,996 when the towers fell.

While we may join for different reasons, we stay and we fight and we give our lives for one. Thats love for one another, for the brother or sister whos next to us in the foxhole or, in my case, the helicopter.

That may surprise some people. The notion that love keeps us in the service. But it does.

When you prepare for war together, you get to know people. You know their spouses, you know their kids, youve heard conversations with family back home when those on both ends of the phone call shed tears.

I can tell you that there is nothing more worth fighting for than to make sure your brother or sister in uniform gets home to see those children. And theres nothing more heartbreaking than losing a friend and picturing the reactions of the children left behind when they learn of it.

Im one of the lucky ones. I returned from Afghanistan after having served there in Helmand Province from 2013 to 2014. I had a chance to serve in a unit that literally rewrote the book on air medical qualifications, training and certification for the entire Army, based on experiences overseas. And today, I love my job working in the air medical services industry as a flight nurse here in San Antonio.

I get the chance every day, when we get the call, to deploy with my team, several of whom are also veterans, and save lives. We get to deliver the highest quality of care that exists on the planet to local residents who may be suffering from traumatic injuries or having a heart attack or stroke and need medical evacuation.

Some 85 million Americans live more than an hour away from the critical care facility they need, and air medical transport can be their only hope for survival.

Those of us on my team and throughout the air medical transport world, an industry that provides a perfect landing spot for many veterans, get to win each day. We get to rewrite those stories we carry with us from combat, where not everyone made it back, and replace them with stories here at home where everyone gets to take another breath and see their families again.

But we must not forget those who didnt make it home. And we must mourn our losses on behalf of our military families, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, sons and daughters who carry the burden of war for all of us.

This Fourth of July, Ill be thinking about a brother-in-arms, 18-year old Pvt. Errol Milliard. He was hit by an RPG on July 4, 2013, four years ago. He died a hero.

His story motivates me every day to give nothing but the best and to strive for excellence.

Most of us in San Antonio have some connection to the military. I challenge you to find a story to tell this Fourth of July of a hero you knew and the family he or she left behind. And to never forget that we live in the land of the free because of the brave.

Neil Murray is a registered flight nurse for Air Methods at the AirLIFE 6 Base in Laredo. He served in Afghanistan as a combat medic.
As a 7-year-old trying to become an adult, I remember asking for coffee one morning because I saw my grandparents around the kitchen table sipping the steamy drink and eating pan dulce.

No coffee for you because itll stunt your growth, Grandma admonished.

The allure of the dark beverage was hard to avoid. And who could resist the TV coffee commercials with the smiling Mrs. Olson, plying her mountain-grown coffee brand in her Swedish accent, competing against the perky good-to-the-last-drop coffee percolator rival? My all-time favorite commercial featured Juan Valdez with Conchita, his faithful mule, lugging sacks of Colombian coffee beans and popping up in kitchen windows.

Just the aromatic whiff of coffee throws the brain neurons into high gear as the scent pierces through the foggy veil of sleep. The olfactory receptors trigger memories of childhood and adolescence, indulging our chemoreceptors to detect a mild chocolate or a caramel flavor mingled with hickory taste of coffee beans grown in the Colombian Andes.

Coffee has long been a boon to civilization.

According to online coffee mythology, an Ethiopian herdsman named Kaldi observed his goats eating red berries and frolicking joyfully. He decided to partake of a few berries and became exuberant.

Kaldi then rushed to a nearby monastery proclaiming his new discovery, whereupon the head monk tried them, spit them out and tossed them into a large, fiery oven. Before long, the smell of roasted coffee berries engulfed the monastery, enticing the monks.

The rest is coffee history.

The delicious, eye-opening effects of coffee were once considered a diabolical plot by the Ottoman Empire to deceive Christendom. But Pope Clement VIII (1265) was so taken by the dark drink that he blessed it, saying, We shall fool Satan by baptizing it and making it a truly Christian beverage.

The first coffeehouse opened in Oxford, England, in 1650, where caffeinated young men established the Oxford Coffee Club for imbibing the drink and engaging in ferocious intellectual exchanges and debates. Brainiacs like Sir Robert Boyle developed innovative theories and ideas that transformed the club to the Royal Society, Englands premier think tank.

According to Edward Bramah in his Tea and Coffee: A Modern View of Three Hundred Years of Tradition, intellectuals, like Richard Steele and Joseph Addison, published The Spectator and Tattler, in early English coffeehouses. Their daily news changed a caffeinated society.

Even Sebastian Bach extolled the heightened adrenaline virtues of coffee, composing a Coffee Cantata with humorous lyrics about a flummoxed father urging his daughter to forgo the coffee addiction and get married.

More than a century later, crooner Frank Sinatra would record The Coffee Song, a novelty ditty lampooning Brazils coffee surplus and its consumption by governmental fiat.

But coffee does have deleterious consequences if not taken in moderation. An apocryphal story suggests that French writer Honore de Balzac consumed 50 cups of coffee, which led to cardiac arrest and death. A connoisseur of coffee, Balzac went to extremes to select the best varieties of beans  Bourbon, Martinique and Mocha  from his personal inventory of wholesalers.

Coffee may well be the choice of intellectuals and bourgeoisie, but tea is primed to surpass it. Harvested in 2700 B.C by Emperor Shen Nung, the leaf predates the bean by 3,000 years.

But that, dear readers, is another story.

Rafael Castillo, the author of Distant Journeys (Bilingual Review Press) and Aurora (Berkeley Press), teaches English and humanities at Palo Alto College.
State Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels, has dismissed concerns about the impacts of encroaching development on area military installations as a false narrative, one deployed simply to undercut her mission to limit city annexation powers.

But there is nothing false about the concern that uncontrolled growth could diminish military missions in the region and across the state.

During the regular session, state Rep. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, proposed creating buffers around military installations where cities could regulate use. The buffers could be either 5 miles or whatever the military might recommend.

Campbell fought the amendment, and her bill ultimately died in a dramatic filibuster to close out the session.

It deserved that demise. Campbells anti-annexation legislation, which would give residents the right to vote on annexation, is flawed because it ignores the strain residents in unincorporated areas put on cities and because it encourages sprawl. But if it becomes law in the special session, then it should at least include protections for development around military bases.

At a recent state hearing, roughly a dozen officials with the military spoke about how development could affect missions at military installations  light and noise pollution, higher densities or a lack of tree canopy.

With another round of base realignment and closures, or BRAC, possible in 2018, its foolish to put our military bases at any disadvantage. San Antonio is home to Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, JBSA-Lackland and JBSA-Camp Bullis.

These bases generated an estimated $48.7 billion in economic impact in 2015. City regulations can help ensure that continues.

The annexation debate has focused on limiting cities without any consideration for empowering urban counties to control and manage growth. Its a gaping hole in the policy discussion, which is exactly why these buffers are needed.

The city has far more tools in its toolbox than Bexar County to manage growth around these bases. Yes, as annexation opponents have noted, some big growth has already occurred. But its occurred in a way that doesnt jeopardize military missions. For example, at the hearing, Maj. Gen. Juan G. Ayala, head of San Antonios Office of Military Affairs, said development south of Camp Bullis happened with city and military approval.

City projections call for massive growth over the next 20 years in the proposed 5-mile buffers around Camp Bullis and Lackland. Nearly 25,000 more people will live around Lackland. More than 10,000 more people will live near Camp Bullis.

If that growth undermines area bases and their missions, we will have only ourselves to blame.
Our president has called former FBI Director James Comey a leaker. He can only be a leaker if he revealed the truth to the news media. If it was false, he would be a liar. Thank you for tweeting the truth. So sad!

Keith Fife

Perry as expected

Re: Protecting Earth starts at the local level, Brian Chasnoff, June 20:

Brian Chasnoff described Energy Secretary Rick Perrys answer to a climate change question as nonsensical and wrong.

Like Rep. Lamar Smith, Perry is a climate change denier. Nonsensical and wrong statements are the norm for climate change deniers. Therefore, Perry met expectations. If Chasnoff was disappointed, his expectations are too high.

Ken Phelps

Military misnomer?

How can San Antonio call itself Military City, USA and have all kids go to school on Veterans day?

Richard Olivarez, U.S. Air Force, retired

Eroding rights

Religious freedoms are just other words for nothing left to lose if youre not religious.

The governor and lieutenant governor are determined to make the right people use the right bathrooms even if it kicks Republicans in the wallet. These tea party social conservatives will eventually be known by the fruit of their labors. Nothing keeps me up at night more than Texas GOP officials having power over who uses which toilet.

Mark A. Hall

Just be right

Re: Stories of sexism in the workplace; Women tell of being made fun of, worse, Business, June 26:

Yes, those and a million other stories of men dismissing and/or shutting up a female with brains and power take place. Just look how the Republicans, with the help of the press, treated Hillary Clinton in the last two elections.

I have a solution. Women need to stop being polite. Women need to call out this behavior every single time it happens.

What should they say? All of them should use the same comment every time. Pardon me, but your testosterone is reeking.

Our go-along to get-along mentality has never worked. So stop trying to be friends. Just try to be right.

J.K. Hood
By Jerri-Lynn Scofield, who has worked as a securities lawyer and a derivatives trader. She now spends much of her time in Asia and is currently researching a book about textile artisans. She also writes regularly about legal, political economy, and regulatory topics for various consulting clients and publications, as well as scribbles occasional travel pieces for The National.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has yet to take action against the widespread use of mandatory arbitration clauses in consumer contracts. These clauses require consumers to submit to mandatory arbitration in the event of a dispute and crucially, waive their right to pursue class action litigation, an admittedly flawed mechanism that occasionally and erratically forces corporations to pay some price for abuses theyve committed against consumers.

I discuss this issue at greater length in this post from last year, Business Groups Aim to Strong-Arm CFPB on Arbitration, which outlines the general problem.

I have no special insight into what, if anything, CFPB director Richard Cordray is going to do about issuing the long-delayed rule that was expected either to eliminate or circumscribe the use of mandatory arbitration clauses, and I instead refer interested readers to this recent post In Ballard Spahrs Consumer Finance Monitor, Will he or will he not issue the arbitration rule?, which lays out some key issues,

If the CFPB were to issue a new rule at this time, Republicans in Congress would almost certainly invoke the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to scupper it and when Trump would inevitably approve that action future rule-making in this area would be precluded. Ive discussed how this mechanism works in various posts discussing the CRA, including Trump and Congress Use Congressional Review Act to Roll Back 14 Midnight Rules; More to Follow?:

the CRA allows rules finalized during the past 60 session days to be overturned, by a simple majority vote in both houses on a CRA resolution of disapproval, using expedited procedures, followed by a presidential signature. If the president vetoes the CRA resolution, the regulation could still be rescinded if a 2/3 majority in each house votes to override the presidential veto. Crucially and importantly, once the regulation has been successfully voided, the regulatory agency is barred from reviving the rule in substantially the same form foreverin the absence of new legislative authority.

The CRA was originally intended to prevent an outgoing administration from enacting a flurry of last-minute measures that would constrain a new administration and/or Congress, but there is no reason it cannot be used by Congress to overturn agency rule-making of which it does not approve.

California Action

As Ive written is occurring in other policy areas, state actions may be the major game in town for reining in corporate excesses for the duration of Trump administration especially given Trumps well-known business-friendly bias and the anti-regulation predilections of the Cabinet hes installed (see, for example, EPA, Agencies to Rescind Clean Water Rule and States Launch New Joint Probe into Company Sales and Marketing Practices for Opioids).

On the arbitration front, the Consumer Finance Monitor reports, California anti-arbitration law nears passage:

Californias legislative effort to allow consumers to sue financial institutions for fraud even though they have agreed to arbitrate such disputes passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee this week and is expected to pass the full Assembly later this summer. The bill, which passed the state Senate in May, would amend Californias civil procedure rules governing arbitration to prohibit courts from granting a motion to compel arbitration made by a financial institution which seeks to apply an otherwise valid arbitration agreement to a purported contractual relationship fraudulently created by the institution with the consumers personal identifying information and without the consumers consent.

Unfortunately, that same source concludes that even if the California measure is passed:

[it] will be preempted by the Federal Arbitration Act (FAA), which makes arbitration agreements valid, irrevocable, and enforceable. For example, the U.S. Supreme Court has held that states are prohibited from creating categorical exceptions to the FAA that Congress did not authorize.

I think this analysis is correct, and given precedents and the Supreme Courts composition, state anti-arbiratration initiatives will likely count for nothing. So, unlike in other areas where state policies can be important, absent some federal action, mandatory arbitration clauses are here to stay for the moment at least

Which sucks for consumers.

Some Democrats Take on Mandatory Arbitration

Five Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal, Al Franken, Patrick Leahy, Edward Markey, and Ron Wyden wrote a letter to AT&T in June, requesting information on deals and promotions that the company offers to its customers, as well as its use of mandatory arbitration clauses in consumer contracts.

This letter referred to:

[a] recent CBS News investigation revealed that over the past two years, over 4,200 AT&T customers have made complaints against AT&T and AT&T-owned DirecTV alleging that the company is not honoring its deals and promotions, resulting in subscribers being overcharged for services (citation omitted).

Allow me to quote at greater length from the Senators letter regarding the problems raised by forced arbitration, as it well-summarises that systems flaws from the perspective of consumers:

Forced arbitration provisions in telecommunications contracts erode Americans ability to seek justice in the courts by forcing them into a privatized system that is inherently biased in favor of providers and which offers virtually no way to challenge a biased outcome. Forced arbitration requires consumers to sign away their constitutional right to hold providers accountable in court just to access modern-day essentials like mobile phone, internet, and pay- TV services. Also, forced arbitration provisions frequently include a class action waiver; language which strips consumers of the right to band together with other consumers to challenge a providers widespread wrongdoing. As reported by the New York Times, most consumers lack the means or will to fight a powerful corporation alone in arbitration. This is particularly troubling in the telecommunications context when consumers can be overcharged for relatively small amounts of money, but when multiplied over a large base of affected customers, can amount to millions of dollars. Whats ATTs response? Lets allow a ATT a free and fair opportunity to set forth its position. According to their June 30, 2017 Letter to the Senators: At the outset, no AT&T customer is ever forced to agree to arbitration. Customers accept their contracts with AT&T freely and voluntarily; no one forces them to obtain AT&T wireless service, DirecTV programming, or other products and services. Well. Now that Ive stopped chortling. Ahem. Strictly speaking, that may be true. No one pops out of a dark alley, gun in hand, and says: Sign up for AT&T now or else. But, whats the reality? Allow me to turn to this Ars Technica report, AT&T: Forced arbitration isnt forced because no one has to buy service, for an answer: While AT&T is correct that no one is forced to sign up for AT&T service, there are numerous areas of the country where AT&T is the only viable option for wired home Internet service. Even in wireless, where theres more competition, AT&T rivals Verizon and Sprint use mandatory arbitration clauses, so signing up with another carrier wont necessarily let customers avoid arbitration. One exception is T-Mobile, which offers a way to opt out of arbitration. So, if youre in a part of the US where AT&T is the only game in town and you must sign up for their service or forego the benefits of being wired, what does that mean? Again, from Ars Technica: The terms of service for AT&T Internet and DirecTV require customers to agree to arbitrate all disputes and claims against AT&T. Class actions and trials by jury are prohibited, although individual cases in small claims courts are allowed. AT&T doesnt offer any way to opt out of the arbitration/small claims provision, so the only other option is not buying service from AT&T. By contrast, some home Internet and TV providers such as Comcast offer a method for opting out. That sound like forced arbitration to me. I wonder what readers think, and encourage you to weigh in in comments. What Do the Senators Think? Even after a little poking around, the only answer I found came from Senator Franken. While I note that The Hill has covered the issue, in AT&T, senators spar over customers right to sue, please allow me to turn again to the Ars Technica account, which includes the detail that Naked Capitalism readers crave and indeed, have come to expect:

Franken was not convinced by AT&Ts response. In a statement provided to Ars, he continued using the phrase forced arbitration to describe the AT&T customer contract clause. AT&T claimed that its arbitration clause is customer-friendly, but Franken said, Theres nothing friendly about AT&Ts take-it-or-leave-it contracts that eliminate consumer choice and take away Americans ability to resolve legal disputes with their telecom provider in a court of law. Further, forced arbitration agreements that prohibit customers from banding together as a class deter consumers from seeking justice and allow widespread wrongdoing by powerful corporations to go unchecked. An arbitration clause can only truly be customer-friendly if it is entered into voluntarily after a dispute has arisenand after a customer has fully considered their optionsto ensure that Americans are not deprived of their constitutional rights, Franken said.

Franken has introduced legislation to bar forced arbitration clauses. I dont expect this proposal will go anywhere soon given that Republicans control Congress, Trump is President, and even the nominally independent CFPB has failed to confront the problem, despite years of mulling both it and the appropriate response.

But I do want to note Frankens proposal is on the table, and perhaps would be part of future legislative program or the agenda for a future CFPB uncowed by worries about a CRA overturn if we turn the corner and can move to a more progressive future.

Small beer perhaps, but maybe something to consider.
(Natural News) Once upon a time, being a journalist meant going out, collecting information, and reporting it to the public in a fair and balanced way. As a matter of fact, a journalist was considered to be one of the best if he or she was able to report on current events without revealing their own personal political views. Sadly, things have changed, and journalism is not at all what it used to be. Today, the media consists mostly of left-wing ideologues who have abandoned fair reporting altogether, and instead seek to destroy anyone who believes in limited government and free market capitalism and their favorite target happens to the current president of the United States.

One of the most unbalanced and politically biased television networks in existence today is CNN, which has essentially launched an all-out war against President Trump. Its not a stretch to say that nearly every single commentator on that network would love nothing more than to see Trump impeached, which is why they are constantly spreading false information and anti-conservative rhetoric across the airwaves (RELATED: Trump administration blacklists fake news CNN).

Case in point: CNN is now under fire from both sides of the political spectrum for publishing and then retracting an egregiously inaccurate hit piece on Donald Trump.

On Thursday night, CNNs Thomas Frank published a report alleging that both the Treasury Department and the Senate Intelligence Committee are investigating a Russian investment fund that is indirectly linked to President Trump. The source said the Senate intelligence committee is investigating the Russian fund in connection with its examination of discussions between White House adviser Jared Kushner and the head of a prominent Russian bank, wrote Thomas Frank, who never disclosed the name of this anonymous source. The bank, Vnesheconombank, or VEB, oversees the fund, which has ties to several Trump advisers, he continued. Both the bank and the fund have been covered since 2014 by sanctions restricting U.S. business dealings.

Normally, such an explosive story would dominate the news cycle for days on end. Unfortunately for CNN, though, people on both sides of the political spectrum knew almost immediately that this was an example of very fake news, to quote the president. Even the website BuzzFeed, which has also developed a bit of a reputation for spreading false information about President Trump, reported on the fact that CNN was forced to retract an inaccurate report on Donald Trump. One source close to CNN even told BuzzFeed that the story was a massive, massive f*ck up and people will be disciplined.

To anyone who is not politically involved and doesnt know the ugly truth about how networks like CNN operate, this report may appear to be nothing more than an honest mistake. However, to those who understand CNNs deep hatred for anyone that doesnt subscribe to the progressive agenda, its quite obvious that the cable news network knew this piece was entirely inaccurate before they even published it. To reporters like CNNs Thomas Frank, whether a story is factually correct or not is irrelevant  the only thing that matters is how much damage it will do to republicans.

Tensions between CNN and the President of the United States have been steadily getting worse since the election last November, and it doesnt look like there will be a truce anytime soon. CNN is out to destroy Donald Trump, and they are using this phony Russia scandal to do it. That is why it so important that the president keeps tweeting out messages to the American people, because if theres one thing that the liberal media hates, it is not being able to control what information goes out to the public and what remains behind closed doors. Find more news on corporate media hoaxes at HOAX.news.

Sources:

Breitbart.com
(Natural News) Even though it spends more per pupil than every other large school district in the country save for two, Baltimore City Public Schools is failing to teach students even the basics they need to get by in life. Reports indicate that at least six schools in the district failed this past year to produce even one single student who was proficient in either English or math.

An investigation by Project Baltimore found that five high schools and one middle school in the district should pretty much be shut down at this point because theyre serving no useful purpose whatsoever. Booker T. Washington Middle School, Frederick Douglass High School, Achievement Academy at Harbor City, New Era Academy, Excel Academy at Francis M. Wood High, and New Hope Academy all failed to pass even just one student that met the minimum requirements for exceptional proficiency in either of the two subjects.

Frederick Douglass High School had the worst results out of all six schools. With 185 students in total, a shocking 165 of them achieved a 1/5 on the proficiency scale, with 1 indicating that these students in no way met proficiency expectations. Nineteen students partially met expectations ranking at 2/5, but were still considered to be not proficient. Only one student scored a 3/5 for approaching expectations, though even this one was dubbed not proficient. Not a single student at Frederick Douglass achieved a 4/5 or a 5/5, which would have put them in the proficient category.

Amazingly enough, some of these non-proficient students are still on track to graduate. According to Freedom Project, this is because of radically dumbed-down exams linked to Common Core, a controversial curriculum approach that in many ways deforms traditional mathematics and corrupts childrens minds.

Baltimore school officials: Its not our fault, even though were teaching kids common core and other educational quackery

What this investigation reveals is the pressing need for major reforms within the government school systems of our country. They spend gobs of taxpayer dollars  in this case, a whopping $16,000 per student, ranking in as the third highest spending district in the country  and yet theyre utterly failing to teach our children what they need to know to get by in life.

And yet, they routinely demand more money in spite of all this, including in Baltimore where district officials refuse to even admit that they should take any blame for the dismal success rate amongst its students. Speaking to the media, Baltimore City Schools Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, Janise Lane, for instance, expressed adamant opposition to the notion that the problem stems from anywhere other than the students themselves.

I wouldnt say the school district is at fault, she stated.

Made up of mostly poor, minority children, Baltimores public schools are, indeed, affected by other problems besides just those that occur in the classroom. Many of the students who attend school there come from broken families without fathers, and are victims of what one news outlet describes as dumbed-down indoctrination program[s] masquerading as education.' This includes learning things like whole word and sight words instead of traditional phonics.

By turning these otherwise healthy children into functional illiterates with quackery first exposed more than 100 years ago, the government schools set the stage for a lifetime of failure, dependency, and deception, writes Alex Newman for Freedom Project.

Illiteracy prevents these children from going out and learning on their own  no reading of the Bible, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, or anything else. And the results of that are predictable, too: violence, broken families, drugs, gangs, hatred, support for government dependence, and more.

Sources:

FreedomProject.com

FoxBaltimore.com

TheFederalist.com
(Natural News) When a trend goes viral, millions of Americans board that train without giving it a second thought; however, come to find out, most of these massively popular trends arent trends at all, but rather propaganda-led health Ponzi schemes that have led millions of sheeple (people who act like ignorant sheep) off their own health cliff. Long before the internet, and even before television, science demons (evil humans in white lab coats) were hard at work inventing ways to slowly poison Americans with chemical-based food and chemical-laced medicine, and they needed marketing experts to fool the public with catchy tag lines and slogans that could be plastered all over print media.

Anything that sounds well-researched and is broadcast through thousands of advertised media outlets catches on eventually, and no matter how sick and demented the lie, after enough marketing and advertising, the masses buy in. Thats called cognitive dissonance  something irritates your brain just enough to peek your interest, and then you investigate a little, see everyone else doing it, and you hop aboard that trendy train. From bad food science to bad medicine science, it all boils down to bad choices and bad health, and there are no bigger money-making machines in America than those run by Big Food and Big Pharma. Lets dig right in by dialing it all back a whole century, when the evil plotting first began in the land of toxic processed food and chronic sick care.

Beware of the 10 worst health HOAXES pushed as science over the last 100 years

LIE #1. If a health study is peer reviewed, then it is evidence-based, reliable and true. Did you know that as much as 90% of the published medical information that doctors rely on is completely wrong? Its true. Many science studies and research have predetermined outcomes and results that are scripted first by the companies and corporations that will profit from the product, then, after that, the tests are run by shill scientists who twist, distort or even discard the findings that dont fit the scripted conclusion. Then big bucks trade hands and the findings are published in quack journals like JAMA (Journal of the American Medical Association). This has been going on for a century.

LIE #2. If a food additive, prescription drug or immunization is approved by the FDA or the CDC, then scientists have tested it thoroughly for safety and efficacy and you should consume it without question. The CDC and FDA are businesses that function for profit at the health expense of Americans. Never rely on anything approved by these rogue regulatory agencies that are in the business of chronic sick care, and have been since their inception. Ask your naturopathic doctor for advice about food and medicine thats approved by the FDA or CDC.

LIE #3. Cigarettes are good for digestion and recommended by more than 20,000 doctors in America. Yes, they did do that. Doctors advertised their favorite brands and lied to Americans for decades after science had proven cigarette smoke causes lung cancer.

LIE #4. The Polio vaccine is a miraculous invention that eradicated the polio pandemic that was sweeping the world. The infamous Dr. Salk did not invent a vaccine that prevented polio, but rather he mixed several strains of polio and helped spread the disease around the world. The hoax worked because statistics were skewed to show that any polio cases that didnt cripple the victim were labeled as meningitis, therefore proving the vaccine nearly wiped out polio around the world! Thats how 200 million Americans have been brainwashed into believing todays vaccines are safe and effective.

LIE #5. Artificial sweeteners contain no calories, so they help you lose weight. Fake sugars are hundreds of times sweeter than sucrose, fooling your body into ingesting them and making you crave sugar even more. So much for self control.

LIE #6. Any high cholesterol is bad cholesterol and so you should ask your doctor about a medication to lower yours. Wrong! Conversely, according to a highly informative article published in Metabolic Healing, Efforts to reduce the bodys production of cholesterol and its adjacent lipoproteins, whether through medical intervention, or through nutritional intervention, may have very serious repercussions for ones health.

LIE #7. All saturated fat is unhealthy and causes cardiovascular disease. The conspiracy against saturated fat has been completely debunked.

LIE #8. Milk  it does a body good. Most processed (homogenized / pasteurized) dairy products cause inflammation and excess mucus production. Look it up.

LIE #9. GMOs (genetically modified organisms) are drought resistant, safe for human consumption, increase yield for farmers and are totally sustainable. GMO means that toxic pesticides have been infused into the genes of crops, and many farmers who plant GMOs are finding they have to use much more pesticide to control the bugs and weeds now.

LIE #10. Chemotherapy is your best chance and may be your only chance at surviving cancer. Chemotherapy yields a miserable 2.3% average success rate. Chemotherapy destroys your immune system  the one thing that helps you survive cancer. Go figure.

Ask your naturopathic doctor if health hoaxes are right for you

Conclusion: When you hear a health slogan on television, see it printed in the newspaper, or some politician keeps harping on it over and over, you can be 99.9% sure its a health hoax designed and propagated to steal your money and your peace of mind. Side effects of health hoaxes include cancer, Alzheimers and loss of critical thinking skills. Ask your naturopathic doctor if popular health hoaxes are right for you. For real science with true results published, check out Science.NaturalNews.com, where truth reigns supreme.

Sources for this article include:

AHRP.org

TruthWiki.org

CDC.news

Tobacco.Stanford.Edu

TruthWiki.org

Science.NaturalNews.com

MetabolicHealing.com

NaturalNews.com

RealFarmacy.com
Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the demands were made to be rejected, adding that the Arab ultimatum was aimed not at tackling terrorism but at curtailing his country's sovereignty.

By Reuters: Qatar faces possible further sanctions by Arab states that have severed ties with Doha over allegations of links to terrorism, as a deadline to accept a series of demands is expected to expire on Sunday night with no signs of the crisis ending.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the demands were made to be rejected, adding that the Arab ultimatum was aimed not at tackling terrorism but at curtailing his country's sovereignty.

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But he told reporters in Rome that Doha remained ready to sit down and discuss the grievances raised by its Arab neighbours.

"This list of demands is made to be rejected. It's not meant to be accepted or ...to be negotiated," Sheikh Mohammed said in Rome. "The state of Qatar instead of rejecting it as a principle, we are willing to engage in (dialogue), providing the proper conditions for further dialogue."

He added that no one had the right to issue an ultimatum to a sovereign country.

The feud erupted last month when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic and travel ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and being an ally of regional foe Iran, charges which Doha denies.

The countries have threatened further sanctions against Qatar if it does not comply with their list of 13 demands which were presented to Doha by Kuwaiti mediators 10 days ago.

The demands include closing a Turkish military base in Qatar and shutting down the Al Jazeera pan-Arab television network, which Doha also rejected.

Qatar's Gulf critics accuse Al Jazeera of being a platform for extremists and an agent of interference in their affairs. The network has rejected the accusations and said it will maintain its editorial independence.

FRESH PENALTIES

Gulf countries have insisted the demands were not negotiable.

The UAE ambassador to Russia has said Qatar could face fresh sanctions if it does not comply with the demands.

Gulf states could ask their trading partners to choose between working with them or with Doha, he said in a newspaper interview last week.

But UAE foreign affairs minister Anwar Gargash played down the chances of an escalation, saying "The alternative is not escalation but parting ways", suggesting Qatar may be forced out of the six-member alliance.

The Western-backed body was formed in 1981 in the wake of Iran's Islamic Revolution and the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war, by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.

Speaking in Washington last week, the Qatari foreign minister said the GCC was set up to guard against external threats.

"When the threat is coming from inside the GCC, there is a suspicion about the sustainability of the organization," Sheikh Mohammed told reporters.

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The crisis has hit travel, food imports and ratcheted up tensions in the Gulf and sown confusion among businesses, while pushing Qatar closer to Iran and Turkey.

But it has not hit energy exports from Qatar, which is the world's biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and home to the region's biggest US military base.

The rift opened days after US President Donald Trump met with Arab leaders in Riyadh and called for unity against regional threats such as Iran and hardline Islamist militant groups.

Also Read:

Qatar dismisses Gulf demands but says open for dialogue

Arab states send Qatar 13 demands to end crisis

--- ENDS ---
A rapper whose concert in Little Rock was the site of a shooting that left 28 people injured was arrested early Sunday on unrelated assault charges while outside an Alabama club where he was performing just 24 hours later, and authorities said several firearms were recovered during the arrest.

Ricky Hampton, 25, of Memphis, Tennessee, also known as Finese 2Tymes, was arrested on outstanding charges of aggravated assault with a gun out of Forrest City in eastern Arkansas, the U.S. Marshals Service said. A second man also was taken into custody, and two handguns and an assault rifle were seized from the Mercedes in which the two men were riding, said Cliff LaBarge with the U.S. Marshals Service in Alabama.

The firearms will be sent to a crime lab in Arkansas to determine whether they match shell casings found at the scene of the shooting early Saturday at the Power Ultra Lounge, said Little Rock Police Lt. Steven McClanahan.

It was previously reported that Hampton was a suspect himself, but McClanahan described Hampton as a "person of interest" and said the rapper will be extradited to Arkansas so that police can interview him.

McClanahan said no arrests have been made in the shooting in which 25 people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others were hurt afterward. He said police did not recover any weapons at the scene of the shooting, which authorities believe may have been gang-related.

"We are definitely looking at that possibility," McClanahan said. "We know that gang members were present inside."

Prison records from the Tennessee Department of Corrections show a Ricky Hampton with the same date of birth, home town and a similar appearance was released from prison in August 2016 after serving six years for two counts of aggravated robbery.

Material advertising the concert by Finese 2Tymes showed a man pointing a gun at a camera, drawing a rebuke from Mayor Mark Stodola.

Hampton was being held Sunday without bond in Alabama. A message posted on the rapper's Facebook page Saturday offered thoughts and prayers for those injured: "THE VIOLENCE IS NOT FOR THE CLUB PEOPLE. WE ALL COME WITH 1 MOTIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND THATS TO HAVE FUN."

A woman who answered a phone number listed on Finese 2Tymes' Instagram account for booking said the rapper didn't consider canceling the Birmingham show, despite the shooting, because he wasn't responsible for what happened. The woman didn't give her name before hanging up.

The volley of gunfire inside the Power Ultra Lounge came so fast that investigators believe multiple people had to have been involved. Police Chief Kenton Buckner credited quick work by first responders for there being no fatalities.

City officials said they would move Monday to shut down the club under a "criminal abatement" program. State regulators suspended the club's liquor license Saturday, and a representative for the landlord's office later posted an eviction notice on a door to the club. The notice stated that the club must move out of the property within three days "due to your failure to maintain the premises in a safe condition."

About 30 people attended a news conference Sunday with Arkansas Stop the Violence, which is seeking more resources to fight poverty and crime in the southern half of the city. The event was held in front of a police station near where a boy was shot in a drive-by last week.
A man charged with the kidnapping of a visiting Chinese scholar at the University of Illinois allegedly researched the "perfect abduction" before the crime, according to the FBI.

Brendt Christensen, 27, was charged Friday with kidnapping Yingying Zhang on June 9, authorities said.

Zhang, 26, was about a month into a yearlong appointment at the University of Illinois' Urbana-Champaign campus when she vanished.

Her friends told police she had gone out to sign an apartment lease, and she was last seen on surveillance video entering a Saturn Astra around 2 p.m., authorities said.

On June 12, University of Illinois Police traced the car to Christensen, a former graduate student earned a masters degree in physics in May, according to a university spokeswoman and the criminal complaint filed by the FBI.

Christensen initially said he couldn't recall his whereabouts on June 9, later telling police that "he must have been either sleeping or he was playing video games at his residence all day," according to the complaint.

Three days later, officials said Christensen admitted in an interview with investigators to picking up an Asian female who said she was late for an appointment on June 9.

Authorities said he claimed to have made a wrong turn, at which point the woman panicked and he said he let her out of the car a few blocks away.

At the same time as Christensen's interview, agents searched his residence, seizing several computers and a cell phone belonging to the suspect, according to the complaint.

It was at this point investigators said they discovered Christensen used his phone to scan a forum on the website FetLife called "Abduction 101."

Authorities allege Christensen visited sub-threads on the site called "perfect abduction fantasy" and "planning a kidnapping," according to the complaint.

On June 29, while he was under law enforcement surveillance, the FBI said agents overheard Christensen explaining that he kidnapped Zhang, bringing her back to his apartment against her will.

"Based on this, and other facts uncovered during the investigation of this matter, law enforcement agents believe that Ms. Zhang is no longer alive," the complaint concludes.

Christensen will remain in law enforcement custody pending his initial federal court appearance in Urbana scheduled on Monday, July 3, at 10 a.m., authorities said. Attorney information for the accused was not immediately available.

A prayer vigil planned for Saturday was canceled in the wake of the alleged kidnapper's arrest and news of Zhangs possible death.

"We hope they are wrong, but trust they have creditable information to make this statement," organizers Kim Tee and Randy Tom said in a joint statement late Friday night. "Please keep Ying Ying's family in your thought and prayers, and may God watch over them."



Zhang, from Jianyang, China, was working in the university's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, researching photosynthesis and crop productivity.
Weddings have been moved and family visits delayed.

The Trump administration's travel ban, while a shadow of its original self, has dealt a harsh blow to the Iranian-American community, where family ties run strong and friends and loved ones regularly shuttle between Los Angeles and Tehran.

But it isn't the only immigration hurdle facing the community. Iranians allowed to seek visas to visit family in the United States may still have a hard time getting them with a screening process that can take months or longer, immigration lawyers said.

In the meantime, families are being kept apart. Iranian-American homemaker Mina Thrani, 38, had hoped to invite her aunt to visit her in Irvine over the Christmas holiday but can't because of the ban.

Xena Amirani, an 18-year-old college student from Los Angeles, said her family has been grieving since her grandmother died after being struck by a car while crossing the street. They traveled to Iran to bury her. Now, her uncle and his wife want to travel together to visit the family in California to help console them, but the travel ban is in the way.

"It is pointless," Amirani said.

The scaled-back version of President Donald Trump's policy that took effect this week places new limits on visa policies for citizens of six Muslim-majority countries, including Iran. The temporary ban requires people who want new visas to prove a close family relationship in the U.S. or an existing relationship with an entity like a school or business.

The U.S. has nearly 370,000 Iranian immigrants, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, far more than the other countries targeted by the order  Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen.

Despite a lengthy history of friction between Tehran and Washington, personal ties between residents of the two countries have held strong.

"Everyone is being hit by this because everyone has a relative in Iran, and there is quite a lot of travel in between," said Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council.

But travel isn't always easy, and the challenge predates the Trump administration. Because there is no U.S. embassy in Iran, Iranians must go to other countries for visa interviews, requiring time and money.

And it can take longer to get visas approved for Iranians than for citizens of many other countries, immigration attorneys said, while U.S. officials conduct screenings.

"Even under Obama, it was very hard to get these visas and get the background checks cleared. But now, it is official policy," said Ally Bolour, an immigration attorney in Los Angeles.

The Department of Homeland Security said this week that the Supreme Court's decision to allow a partial reinstatement of the ban will help protect the U.S.

But that rings hollow to some Iranian-Americans who note that many in their community came to the U.S. seeking freedom following Iran's Islamic revolution of the 1970s and that the hijackers who carried out the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States were from other countries not limited by the ban.

Trump's initial travel ban in January was broader, affecting current and new visas, which sparked chaos at airports around the world.

Mina Jafari, a 28-year-old graphic designer in Washington, said that during that time, her fiancee's Iranian mother was in the process of obtaining a visa to travel to the couple's wedding, but it was revoked because of the ban.

That prompted Jafari to move the wedding to Iran so her soon-to-be mother-in-law could attend. The only problem is her elder sister can't go with her due to concerns about her political activism.

"I have family who is banned from Iran, family banned here," Jafari said. "It is a really crazy situation."
Illinois lawmakers voted to override Gov. Bruce Rauner's veto of legislation to continue funding 911 emergency call centers.

The House voted 90-22 Saturday, while the Senate voted 43-1 to reverse the Republican governor and his objections to fee increases.

The telecommunications act allowing fees to be collected and distributed for 911 centers expired Friday.

The measure sponsored by Harrisburg Democratic Rep. Brandon Phelps increases the telephone surcharge for emergency services. It would go to $5 from $3.90 in Chicago and from 87 cents to $1.50 in the rest of the state.

Rauner called those hikes "unacceptable," issuing an amendatory veto of the bill on Friday.

In a statement issued after the veto was overridden, Rauner said lawmakers "failed taxpayers" with their vote.

"While the majority in the General Assembly has been unable to move forward with a balanced budget, it has found the time to inflict further abuse on Illinois taxpayers. Today the majority failed taxpayers by using the threat of canceling 911 services as leverage to force a tax hike on Illinois residents," Rauner said, calling the legislation "cynical."

"The majority in the General Assembly has chosen to hold innocent people, our most vulnerable residents and essential services hostage to pass an excessive, unwarranted tax hike," his statement continued.
Thirteen people have been killed and more than 90 others wounded in shootings across Chicago since noon Friday, marking a bloody holiday weekend that surpassed last year's violence, according to police.

A late surge in shootings saw at least six people killed and 28 others wounded in less than 12 hours overnight, bringing the total number of people shot over the four-day weekend to more than 100.

Last year, 66 people were shot, four of them fatally, over the long holiday weekend. However, Fourth of July fell on a Monday that year, making the weekend only three days long.

In 2013, the last four-day weekend for the Fourth of July, 72 people were shot across the city.

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The most recent fatality happened early Wednesday morning, when a 42-year-old man was found on a sidewalk with multiple gunshot wounds to the body.

Police said the man was found in the 6200 block of South Laflin and was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. He was later pronounced dead, authorities said.

At about 1:45 a.m., a 21-year-old man was shot and killed in the city's Gresham neighborhood.

Police said the man was standing on the street in the 7900 block of South Paulina when someone walked up to him and fired shots. The man was taken in serious condition to Advocate Christ Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the back. He was later pronounced dead. Area South detectives are investigating.

Less than an hour earlier, four people were shot, two of them killed, when a group of men opened fire at them from a black SUV in the 1100 block of South Eberhardt, police said. One man was shot in the back and a second shot in the chest. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, according to authorities.

A third man, 29, was shot in the right wrist and was listed in stable condition at Roseland Hospital and a 37-year-old man was shot in the right arm and listed in stable condition at Advocate Christ Medical Center.

No one was in custody as of Wednesday morning.

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About the same time, two people were shot in an alley in the 4000 block of West Lake Street. One man was shot in the head and was pronounced dead at the scene. A second man, 37, was shot in the side of his body and was listed in stable condition at Stroger Hospital.



One minute after midnight, a group of three people were shot, one of them fatally, while standing on a sidewalk in the 300 block of East 47th Street, police said. A 33-year-old man walked into Mercy Hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and was transferred to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. A second man, 45, was shot in the chest and taken to Stroger in stable condition. A third victim, 29, was dropped off at Northwestern Memorial Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds to the body. He was ultimately pronounced dead, authorities said.



Late Tuesday, a 56-year-old man, believed to be an unintended target in a shooting, was killed while standing outside his home in the city's North Austin neighborhood, according to police.

On Friday, three men were killed in a shooting in the 5700 block of South Wells at approximately 8:50 p.m., police say. A 50-year-old man was shot in the chest and the leg, and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to police. A 30-year-old man was also killed at the scene. The two victims were on a porch when two armed men opened fire, striking and killing both of them.

According to Chicago Police, two possible offenders are currently in custody in connection with the slaying.

Another victim, a 51-year-old man, was found dead at the same scene, according to police.

The fourth homicide of the weekend occurred at approximately 1:30 a.m. on Sunday, as a 47-year-old man was shot and killed in the 4200 block of South State Street.

Also on Sunday, a 39-year-old man was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head around 11:35 p.m. on the 1800 block of West 14th Street, police said.

And police also responded Tuesday to the city's Riverdale neighborhood where a 21-year-old man, who was not the intended target of a shooting, was killed around 5:18 p.m.



Shootings for the rest of the weekend are detailed below.

Friday



The first shooting of the weekend occurred at noon on Friday when an 18-year-old man was shot in the leg during a robbery in the 4200 block of West Grenshaw. After the robbery, which saw the victim shot in the upper leg when the assailant pulled out a gun, the man transported himself to West Suburban Hospital, where he is listed in good condition.

A 17-year-old boy was shot in the back at approximately 4:15 p.m. on Friday afternoon in the 3200 block of West Madison. He is currently in serious condition at Stroger Hospital after an acquaintance accidentally shot him in the back and fled from the scene.

Two people were shot in the 3300 block of West Douglas at 4:25 p.m. Friday while standing on a street corner. A 26-year-old man was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital in serious condition, and a 17-year-old boy was transported to Mt. Sinai in critical condition, according to police.

At 7:20 p.m. on Friday, a 26-year-old man was shot in the buttocks and in the right thigh while sitting on a porch at the corner of Lockwood and Madison. He was transported to Mt. Sinai in good condition, according to police.

At 9:10 p.m. Friday night, a 33-year-old man was shot in the 8500 block of S. Givins Court. The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds when an unknown gunman emerged from a gangway and opened fire. The man was able to drive away from the scene, and he was transported to Christ Hospital in serious condition.

A 62-year-old man driving an unlicensed cab was robbed by a man and a woman in the 9100 block of South Cottage Grove at 9:53 p.m. Friday night. After a struggle in the cab, the driver was shot in the foot, and the man and woman escaped with an unknown amount of money. The cab driver drove himself to the hospital and is in good condition at St. Bernard, according to police.

A 25-year-old man was shot in the left arm and left leg while standing on a sidewalk in the 4500 block of West Jackson at 10:10 p.m. on Friday night. A dark colored vehicle drove by and two male occupants of the car opened fire, striking the man. The man was taken to Mt. Sinai in critical condition.

At 10:20 p.m. on Friday night, a 20-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and taken to Christ Hospital in stable condition. The victim told police that he was standing on the sidewalk when he heard gunshots, and he felt pain in his abdomen before realizing that he had been shot.

Two more people were shot around 11:00 p.m. on Friday night in the 1000 block of East 73rd Street. A 24-year old man was shot in the arm and transported to Christ Hospital in stable condition, while a 22-year old woman was shot in the leg and stomach. The woman was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition, police said. The victims in the case were uncooperative with authorities, and the rest of the circumstances of the case are unknown.

Saturday





At approximately 2:05 a.m. on Saturday morning, a 29-year-old woman was shot in the stomach in the 200 block of West 114 th Street. A black vehicle drove past the victim and shots were fired, striking her in the stomach according to police. She was transported to Christ Hospital in serious condition.

Street. A black vehicle drove past the victim and shots were fired, striking her in the stomach according to police. She was transported to Christ Hospital in serious condition. A 25-year-old man was shot after a verbal altercation in the 2000 block of West Lemoyne at 2:26 a.m. Saturday morning. The man was shot in the knee, and he was transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition.

A 23-year-old man was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition at 2:35 a.m. Saturday morning after suffering a gunshot wound to the leg. According to police, the victim was walking down the street when he was shot by an unknown assailant in the 2100 block of North Pulaski.

A 13-year-old boy was shot in the buttock at 2:37 a.m. Saturday morning, according to police. The boy was walking down the street when he heard shots and felt pain, according to police. He was transported to Comers Hospital in unknown condition.

Around 5 a.m. on Saturday morning, two people were shot after an argument at a residence in the 2700 block of West Washington. A 28-year-old man was shot in the right thigh and left foot and was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition. A 23-year-old woman was shot in the right leg and was taken to the hospital in good condition.

At 3:46 p.m. on Saturday, a 27-year-old man suffered a graze wound to his ankle in a shooting in the 2400 block of South St. Louis. The victim was standing on the sidewalk when he heard shots and felt pain in his ankle. The victim took himself to Mt. Sinai Hospital, where he is in good condition.

At 6:45 p.m. a 32-year-old man suffered a graze wound on his right thigh in the 1500 Block of West 63rd Street. The victim was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition, according to police.

At 6:53 p.m. Saturday, two women were shot in the 6300 block of South Artesian. A 44-year-old woman was shot in the abdomen and was taken to Christ Hospital in stable condition, and a 50-year-old woman was shot on the right side of her body and was also taken to Christ Hospital in stable condition.

A 32-year-old woman was shot in the left arm and taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition. The incident occurred at approximately 8:40 p.m. in the 4000 block of West Polk. According to the woman, she was standing in a vacant lot when shots rang out from a grey Dodge Charger that was traveling eastbound on Arthington.

Two people were shot at approximately 10 p.m. in the 900 block of East 79th Street. A 28-year-old man was shot multiple times and was taken to Christ Hospital in critical condition. A second victim, a 27-year-old man, was shot in the right ankle and transported himself to Jackson Park Hospital in stable condition. According to police, the shooting was gang-related.

A 25-year-old man was shot in the neck and was taken to Stroger Hospital in serious condition. The shooting occurred after a physical altercation with a 31-year-old man, who pulled out a gun and allegedly shot the victim. The incident occurred at 10:05 p.m. in the 5000 block of South Cottage Grove, and the alleged shooter is in custody, according to police.

A 19-year-old man was shot in the buttocks in the 7300 block of South Greenwood. The shooting occurred at approximately 10:20 p.m., and the victim was taken to Northwestern Hospital in good condition, according to police.

Sunday

A 49-year-old man was shot multiple times and was taken to Christ Hospital in serious condition. The incident occurred at approximately 12:30 a.m. in the 7200 block of South Evans.

Two people were shot in the 100 block of North California at 1:15 a.m. One of the victims, a 29-year-old man, was shot multiple times and was transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition. A second victim, a 28-year-old man, was shot in the left hand and is listed in stable condition at Mt. Sinai. According to police, the second victim is uncooperative, but police believe that the shooting is gang-related.

A 23-year-old man was shot in the head and transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital in serious condition in the 3000 block of West Roosevelt. The man was a passenger in a vehicle stopped at a stoplight, and was shot by occupants in a passing vehicle, according to police.

A 24-year-old man was shot twice in the back after an unknown gunman approached him on foot and opened fire in the 4500 block of West Jackson Blvd. The victim was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in serious condition.

At approximately 4 a.m., a 22-year-old woman was shot in the right leg and transported to Mt. Sinai Hospital in stable condition.

A 27-year-old man was shot in both legs while standing on a sidewalk in the 500 block of North Sawyer. The victim was taken to Mt. Sinai in stable condition. According to police, a person in a passing blue sedan fired shots at the victim, and the shooting is gang-related.

An 18-year-old man was shot in the right leg and taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. The shooting occurred in the 2400 block of South Washtenaw at approximately 4:40 a.m. According to police, the man was talking southbound on Washtenaw when two male offenders emerged from a gangway and opened fire.

At approximately 4:45 a.m., a 30-year-old man was shot in the right leg while walking on a sidewalk in the 5100 block of West Madison. The victim was taken to Loretto Hospital in stable condition.

A 25-year-old man was shot in the left leg on the 4400 block of West Madison at approximately 5:27 a.m. He took himself to Mt. Sinai, where he is listed in good condition.

A woman was shot in a possible domestic-related incident in the 5400 block of West Gladys on Sunday morning. The victim suffered a gunshot wound to the leg and transported herself to Loretto Hospital, where she was listed in good condition.

A man riding a bicycle was shot in the right hip at approximately 2 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. The victim, a 23-year-old man, was transported to Stroger Hospital in good condition.

A 19-year-old man was shot in the stomach and transported to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. According to police, the victim was walking down the street when a vehicle approached and one of the occupants opened fire. The shooting occurred at approximately 2:15 p.m. in the 5100 block of South Christiana.

Three teenagers were shot in the 3500 block of West Ogden at approximately 8:09 p.m. Sunday night. All three victims, two 19-year-olds and a 17-year-old, were taken to St. Anthony Hospital in good condition. According to police, the two 19-year-olds are both affiliated with gangs. The teens told police that they were standing outside when they heard gunshots.

A man was shot in the 2400 block of South Harding at approximately 9:06 p.m. The victim is in good condition, according to police.

A 29-year-old man was shot in the back at about 9 p.m. in an alley in the 2400 block of South Pulaski. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition. Police said the man was standing in an alley when shots were fired from an unknown source and he was struck. No one was in custody.

A 39-year-old man was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head around 11:35 p.m., police said. Officers arrived to find the man dead on the 1800 block of West 14th Street, police said. Police said the circumstances surrounding his death were immediately unknown and no one was in custody.

Monday

A 22-year-old man was shot by a BB gun in the left arm, police said. He told police he was sitting on a residence porch in the 5600 block of West West End when a man approached him at about 1:15 a.m. and fired shots. The victim is a documented gang member, police said. No one was in custody, and the victim was in good condition.

A 19-year-old man was shot in the right leg at about 12:20 a.m. in the 1700 block of North Kildare, police said. He said he was walking when an unknown man armed with a gun approached him on foot and fired shots. No one was in custody, police said, and the victim was in stable condition at Stroger Hospital.

A 38-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to his right hand at about 1:10 a.m. in the 7400 block of South Coles, police said. While the circumstances of the shooting were unknown, police said the victim was 'highly intoxicated and uncooperative with police." No one was in custody, and the victim was taken to Northwestern Hospital in stable condition.

A 37-year-old man was shot twice in the right hip around 10 a.m. in the 1300 block of South California, police said. He was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital in serious condition.

A 32-year-old man was shot in the arm, police said, around 10:13 a.m. in the 1000 block of North Central Park. He told police he was walking down the street when he saw a gray-colored vehicle turn the corner. He heard shots ring out and felt pain, police said. He was in good condition at Norwegian Hospital, police said.

Two men were shot while sitting in a vehicle around 5:30 p.m. in the 4300 block of South Ashland Avenue. Police said a 22-year-old man and a 23-year-old man told officers they were in a vehicle when someone in a light-colored van fired shots at them and fled the scene. The 22-year-old was shot multiple times in the left ribs and the 23-year-old was shot in the left hand. Both were taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition, police said.

A 21-year-old man was shot in the head and groin while standing outside around 6:40 p.m. in the 100 block of South Pulaski, police said. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital in good condition. Police said the man told officers he was standing outside when someone began firing shots and him and fled in an unknown direction.

A 60-year-old man was standing on a sidewalk just before 11:30 p.m. in the 1500 block of South Hamlin when he told officers he heard shots and felt pain. He suffered a gunshot wound to the left leg and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in stable condition, authorities said.

Tuesday

A 26-year-old woman walked into Norwegian Hospital around 5 a.m. with a gunshot wound to her right hand. Police said the woman was treated and released before officers could interview her, but she told hospital staff she was walking in the 1600 block of North Sawyer Avenue in the Logan Square neighborhood when she heard shots and felt pain in her hand. The incident remained under investigation later Tuesday morning but police said no crime scene had been located as of 8 a.m.

Around 3:48 p.m., two men were shot in the 11600 block of S. State St. in the citys West Pullman neighborhood, according to police. A 20-year-old man sustained a gunshot wound to the armpit and an 18-year-old man was shot in the head and right arm, authorities said. Both were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in stable condition, according to police.

A 21-year-old man who was not the intended target of a shooting was killed around 5:18 p.m. in the citys Riverdale neighborhood, officials said. He was sitting in a parked car in the 200 block of East 132nd St. when a light-colored sedan pulled up and opened fire at another vehicle, according to police. Authorities said he was shot in the face and taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center where he was pronounced.

Around 7:20 p.m., two men were shot in the citys West Town neighborhood, according to police. They were involved in a physical altercation on the street with several other men in the 600 block of N. Campbell Ave. when someone opened fire, police said. A 38-year-old man was shot in the arm and took himself to Norwegian Hospital, where he was in good condition. A 26-year-old man walked into Norwegian Hospital with a gunshot wound to the left ankle and was listed in stable condition, authorities said.

Less than 20 minutes later, officials said a 26-year-old woman was shot in the Woodlawn neighborhood on Chicagos South Side. She was in the 6400 block of S. Ellis Ave. when she was shot in the scalp around 7:38 p.m., according to police. She took herself to the University of Chicago Medical Center where she was listed in stable condition, officials said.

A second man believed to be an unintended target was fatally shot in Chicago at around 8:14 p.m. on Tuesday, according to police. The 56-year-old man was in front of his residence in the 1600 block of N. Major Ave. in the citys North Austin neighborhood when someone opened fire from a car, authorities said. He was shot in the head and taken to Loyola Hospital in critical condition, while a 19-year-old man was also struck as he stood outside, according to police. The 19-year-old was taken to Loyola Hospital with a gunshot wound to the back and was listed in serious condition, officials said.

Around 10 p.m., a 31-year-old man was shot in his legs when someone opened fire from a gangway and fired shots at him in the 10500 block of South Aberdeen, police said.

At about the same time, a 54-year-old man was shot in the right shoulder while in his backyard in the 8300 block of South Kerfoot. The man was shot while several fireworks were going off in the area and thought he was injured by a firework, police said. He walked into Little Company of Mary Hospital the next day for treatment where he learned he had been shot, authorities said.

Just five minutes later, two people were shot in the 3400 block of West Grenshaw. A 36-year-old man and a 26-year-old man were standing on the street in the area when they told officers they "heard shots and felt pain." Both were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in stable condition, police said.

A 22-year-old woman was shot around 10:45 p.m. in the 1200 block of South Lawndale when someone walked up to the parked car she was sitting in and opened fire, according to police. The woman was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital in stable condition with a gunshot wound to the left leg, police said.

Just after 11 p.m., two people were shot in the 1900 block of South Spaulding. Police said a 25-year-old man and a 24-year-old man were standing on a sidewalk when they heard shots and felt pain. The two were self-transported to St. Anthony's Hospital with gunshot wounds to the leg. The 25-year-old was also shot in the forearm. Authorities said that man was being transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in serious condition. The 24-year-old man was also transferred in stable condition.

About 20 minutes later, a 33-year-old man was shot while standing on the sidewalk in the 1600 block of South Loomis, police said. The man was standing on a sidewalk when he heard shots and felt pain, suffering a gunshot wound to the chest. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, according to authorities.

A 24-year-old woman was shot when several men opened fire on the vehicle she was riding in around 11:30 p.m. in the 1400 block of East 53rd Street. She was taken to the Northwestern Memorial Hospital with gunshot wounds to legs and was listed in stable condition.

A 27-year-old man was wounded in a drive-by shooting around 11:45 p.m. in the 100 block of East 43rd Street. The man was standing on a sidewalk in the area when someone in a vehicle fired shots at him, hitting him in the right leg. The man was taken to Stroger Hospital in stable condition.

Around 11:55 p.m., a 19-year-old man was shot while standing on a sidewalk in the 2300 block of West Roosevelt, police said. The teen walked into Holy Cross Hospital with a gunshot wound to the left thigh and was listed in stable condition.

Wednesday
The pachyderm was a startling sight for residents of one small Wisconsin neighborhood.

A full-grown elephant sauntered through Baraboo early Friday morning on a brief walk of freedom. The mammoth creature more suited for the 'big top' clashed with the quiet residential neighborhood.

Law enforcement officers quickly got in touch with the nearby Circus World Museum, home to the wandering pachyderm. A trainer arrived and led the elephant back to the circus complex.

Circus World spokesman Dave Saloutos says the elephant, named Kelly, was freed by her pachyderm partner, Isla, who used her trunk to disengage a restraint.

Saloutos says Kelly lumbered across the shallow Baraboo River and wandered into a neighboring backyard where she unlatched a gate and munched on some marigolds during her couple hours of freedom.
A Cessna jet that took off from Chicago early Saturday morning crashed in northern Wisconsin, killing six people on board, police said.

Two of the victims were identified on Saturday night as Bensenville School District employees, according to NBC 5. Charles Tomlitz, a maintenance director with the district, and Thomas DeMauro, a P.E. teacher at Tioga Elementary, were among the six killed when the plane crashed at approximately 3:21 a.m. Saturday morning.

According to investigators, both Tomlitz and DeMauro's sons were also onboard the aircraft when it crashed on the way to a fishing excursion in Canada.

"The DeMauro family would like to express our gratitude for the outpouring of support after the tragic loss of Tom and Kyle," a statement from the DeMauro family read. "We deeply mourn their loss and both will be dearly missed. We would especially like to extend our gratitude to the first responders and community of Price County, Wisconsin, and our family and friends in Bensenville as we struggle to process this unfortunate loss."

Funeral services for Thomas and Kyle DeMauro will be determined at a later date, the family announced.

In the aftermath of the crash, colleagues and friends of the victims shared fond memories and their stunned sadness following the tragedy.

"I know they've taken this trip before," Vince Gaudio, a coworker of the men, said. "It's just tragic. (Tom) was full of energy, and he was very enthusiastic. He always had a smile on his face."

The crash occurred near the city of Phillips, the Price County Sheriff's Office said. The plane had left from Chicago and was heading to Canada, according to the sheriff's office.

Police could not release the identities of the remaining two victims until families were notified, Price County Sheriff Brian Schmidt told NBC-affiliate WFJW. The sheriff did confirm that all six victims of the crash were adults.

The NTSB and FAA are investigating the crash, WFJW reported. Debris from the plane scattered around a quarter-mile radius from the crash site, and anyone who finds debris is encouraged to call police.
A US Navy Sailor who grew up in in the Oakville section of Watertown was among seven service members killed last month off the coast of Japan when their Navy destroyer the USS Fitzgerald collided with a container ship.



Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc "Tan" Truong Huynh, 25, was laid to rest on Thursday, which was also when his former hometown honored him at a mermorial service.

"This is one of our kids. He's from our town," said Tom Dematteis, a U.S. Navy Veteran who is among those in Watertown who wanted to make sure the young sailor's life is remembered. "It is a brotherhood and a sisterhood," he said of the bond between those who serve.

Huynh was in eighth grade when his family moved to Connecticut. He later graduated from Watertown High School before attending Naugatuck Valley Community College. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 2014.

Huynh's family has since left Connecticut and moved to Oklahoma.

"We need to celebrate his life and honor his service and ultimately his sacrifice," said Dematteis.

Huynh only lived in Watertown for a few years, but his life and now his death have had an impact.

A memorial service was help Thursday, July 6 at 2 p.m. at the Oakville Green on Route 73 in the Oakville section of Watertown. A funeral service took place at the same time in Oklahoma, where his family now lives.

The local ceremony was spearheaded by the Watertown-Oakville Veterans' Council.

"It doesn't matter if you know them personally," said Mickey Corcoran of the Veterans' Council. "Being a veteran is like a family."
A U.S. Marine veteran who just returned to Philadelphia from a stint in the Middle East was gunned down overnight Thursday while trying to stop an attempted robbery, police said.

Howard Robert White, 47, was shot in the head and torso by a man who apparently attempted to hold up a bar at 5th and Spencer streets in Philadelphia's Olney neighborhood, police said.

It was just before 1 a.m. when the suspect, a yet to be identified 25-year-old man from North Philadelphia, pulled up to the Green Parrot Tavern along N. 5th Street.



Philadelphia Police Chief Inspector Scott Small said the man then opened fire on White and a friend who were standing on the sidewalk. Only White was hit. He died in the street, Small said.

"I heard six or seven times," Yu Choi, who lives near where the shooting took place, told NBC10. "Boom, boom, boom, boom."



The gunman fled following the shooting. White's friend and police, who were patrolling nearby and heard the shooting, gave chase to the 6100 block of N. 6th Street where the suspect broke through a back door of a home.

NBC10

Javier Vasquez Sr. was sleeping in a bedroom with his wife inside the home when the suspect went inside.

"She screamed, 'Somebody is in the house!'" Vasquez Sr. said.

Vasquez Sr. chased the man and confronted him in the kitchen.

"I started struggling with him," Vasquez Sr. said. "Grabbed the gun. I grabbed his wrist. I grabbed his hair and I tried to hold him."

Vasquez Sr.'s son, 23-year-old Javier Vasquez Jr., wasn't far behind.

"I can't really see without my glasses," Vasquez Jr. said. "I'm pretty blind so I saw them struggling. I didn't know what was in his hand. I saw my dad struggling so the first thing I can do is get him off my dad."

Vasquez Jr. bodyslammed the suspect and pinned him down until police arrived.



Vasquez Sr. and the suspect suffered injuries to their heads and faces. Paramedics took both to Albert Einstein Medical Center for treatment.

Homicide detectives spent the morning questioning witnesses at police headquarters.



White lived about a block from the bar where he was killed. His family tells NBC10 he was injured while overseas when his military vehicle was hit, but he survived. They are in disbelief he came back to Philadelphia only to be gunned down so close to home.

Before his death, White talked about returning overseas. White's cousin Harold Holland called him a "father figure."

"He was a good dude. He ain't mess with nobody....peaceful man."

White's other cousin, Melinda Gordon, called him a hero.

"He died a hero," she said. "He served his country and he continued to serve up until the day that he went to heaven."
Unidentified miscreants have vandalized eight idols of universal worship mandap at Kaliakoir in Dhaka's neighboring district of Gazipur.

By Sahidul Hasan Khokon: Unidentified miscreants have vandalized eight idols of universal worship mandap at Kaliakoir in Dhaka's neighboring district of Gazipur. These idols were made for the Autumnal Durga festival of Hindu community. Kaliakair police station's assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Zakir Hossain confirmed the matter.

Locals, including ASI Zakir Hossain, and idolist Shanti Gopal Pal said that the work of making idols is going on at Chapair area in Kaliakoir upazila of Gazipur for the forthcoming festival.

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Artist Shanti Gopal Paul last worked on the idols at 2 am on 29th June. The next day, when he came to his workshop, he found eight idols were vandalized. Out of them, two of them were of Lord Ganesh, two idols of Laxmi, two of Saraswati and two Kartik's idols.

Kaliakair police and RAB officials visited the spot on Friday after receiving the news.

Local Tumpa Rani Paul said, "Before this, there have been more incidents of vandalism and arson attack in this village, but no one was booked. As a result, this year's vandalism has created panick among the local Hindu community."

Debbrata Shah Paban, ward member of the local Chapair Union Parishad, said, "This way, the locals are in panic and are apprehensive about the upcoming Durga Puja festival."

Kaliakair Police Station Officer-in-Charge Abdul Motalib said, "There is nothing to be scared of. Investigation in this case is underway. But no one could be arrested till now. Police patrolling in the area has been increased."

--- ENDS ---
At least 12 greyhound racing dogs in Florida have tested positive for cocaine, and their trainer has had his license suspended.

Its at least the second instance this year of racing greyhounds testing positive for cocaine. The dogs raced at Bestbet Orange Park in northeast Florida near Jacksonville. The state is home to 12 of the 19 dog tracks in the U.S., where 40 states have outlawed the sport.

Although supporters say the dogs are treated well, the industry faces intense scrutiny. Records show Floridas greyhound industry has had 62 cocaine positives since 2008.

In the Jacksonville area case, first reported by WTLV-TV, the dogs tested positive in March and April for benzoylecgonine, a metabolite of cocaine, according to documents from the state Department of Business and Professional Regulation. The documents are dated June 9 and say that trainer Charles McClellan is a threat to animals in his control, custody and care.

The Associated Press could not locate a phone number or email address for McClellan, but he told the TV station he had lost his job as a Greyhound trainer. The agency has scheduled a formal hearing on his case for Aug. 23.

In a statement to news outlets, Bestbet Orange Park said it supports the swift action taken by the state in suspending the trainers license. During March and April, McClellan was an employee of the Steve Sarras Kennel.

Sarras, of West Virginia, did not respond to a Facebook message and did not answer a phone call seeking comment. He also serves on the National Greyhound Association Board.

Racing dogs often are owned by one or more people. They are then placed with a kennel and have a trainer. The trainers are often independent contractors and are responsible for the animals well-being. They also are the ones disciplined if something amiss is discovered.

In May, the state revoked the license of a St. Petersburg trainer whose dogs tested positive for cocaine.

Carey Theil, executive director of GREY2K USA in Boston, a track monitoring group that opposes greyhound racing, called the most recent cased breathtaking because of the number of dogs that tested positive.

Regulators dont typically investigate how the dogs got cocaine in their systems, and its unclear in the latest case how that happened. But Theil said the most likely scenarios are someone trying to fix races, or the trainer using the drug and the dogs coming in contact by accident.

One of the dogs in the latest case tested positive six times, including during a race where it finished first. The records showed the dog had cocaine in its system for two of its best races, Theil said.
A 4-year-old boy who was found chained, malnourished and beaten in an apartment may be a U.S. citizen, Mexico City's prosecutor's office said.

The office said in a statement Thursday that it has asked the U.S. Embassy for help in determining the boy's citizenship.

Authorities rescued the boy Tuesday and arrested two people identified as an aunt and uncle in a neighborhood north of downtown. The child was admitted to a hospital with multiple injuries.

A photograph released by authorities showed a silver chain binding his thin legs.

A U.S. Embassy spokesman in Mexico City said in a statement that staff had seen reports of a hospitalized U.S. minor, but due to privacy considerations would have nothing more to add. The embassy typically visits and aids U.S. citizens who require hospitalization.
What to Know A gunman shot six staff members inside Bronx Lebanon Hospital, one of them fatally, before taking his own life.

The gunman has been identified as Dr. Henry Michael Bello, a former family doctor at the hospital who resigned in 2015.

Dr. Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, 32, was killed in the shooting. She normally worked in the clinic but was covering a shift for another doctor.

The former doctor who shot six people, killing a physician at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Friday was fired from a city job one week before the shooting spree, sources tell NBC 4 News.

Bello was hired by the de Blasio administration in September after resigning from the hospital. But he stopped reporting to his job with the Human Resources Administration as a case worker assisting AIDS and HIV patients on April 11, sources said. He told supervisors he was experiencing personal problems, but did not quit his job. City managers subsequently tried to reach him, but were unsuccessful. His paychecks stopped and weeks later, Bello was officially terminated on June 21.

His salary was $38,617 a year, the sources said. As a case worker, he made home visits to his clients.

The city conducted a background check on Bello before he was hired off a civil service list, the sources said, but that check didn't raise any red flags on his troubling hospital termination.

"After previously working for the City Health and Hospital Corporation, Mr. Bello was hired at HRA off of the civil service list and like all city employees was subject to a criminal background check. His check did not reveal his 2004 arrest because he pled to a lower charge that didn't show up as a disqualifying offense in a background check," said Jaclyn Rothenberg, a City Hall spokeswoman.

In Pictures: Seven Shot by Doctor, One Dead at New York City Hospital

In 2004, the doctor pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment, a misdemeanor, after a 23-year-old woman told police Bello grabbed her. He was arrested again in 2009 on a charge of unlawful surveillance after two different women reported he was trying to look up their skirts with a mirror. That case was eventually sealed.

Bello, 45, worked at Bronx Lebanon Hospital in August 2014 as a house physician but was forced out in February 2015 in lieu of termination.

The latest termination was another setback for Bello, who had recently moved out of a men's homeless shelter on 30th Street in March and into his own apartment.



He returned to the hospital Friday afternoon wearing a white doctor's coat to conceal an AM-15 rifle and using his old ID. He bought the gun at a store upstate in Schenectady.

Mayor De Blasio speaks at a press conference outside the Bronx Lebanon Hospital Friday afternoon.

A senior law enforcement official said Bello asked for a specific doctor on the 16th floor. When he was told that doctor wasn't there, he became angry and started shooting at everyone.

The doctor who was killed, Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, 32, usually worked in the clinic but was covering a shift at the main hospital as a favor to someone else.

The six others who were injured  a patient, two medical students and three physicians  largely suffered gunshot wounds to the head, chest and abdomen. One physician remained in critical condition and the rest were stable, officials said Saturday.
President Donald Trump took to Twitter Saturday to once again attack news outlets and claim that his use of social media is "modern day presidential."

In response to critics who say his use of social media is unprecedented, Trump fired back Saturday in a series of tweets throughout the day. He said the "fake and fraudulent news media is working hard to convince Republicans and others I should not use social media."

He continued: "But remember, I won the 2016 election with interviews, speeches and social media."

He added: "My use of social media is not Presidential - its MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL. Make America Great Again!"

In a series of tweets posted within about half an hour of one another earlier Saturday morning, Trump also continued his attack on cable television stations, labeling CNN "fake news" and saying NBC News executives push "Trump Hate!"

"I am extremely pleased to see that @CNN has finally been exposed as #FakeNews and garbage journalism. It's about time!" he tweeted.

Trump has repeatedly attacked the cable network since before he was elected, often calling it "fake news."

The president also suggested former MSNBC host Greta Van Susteren was forced out of her job by NBC executives who are out to get him.

"Word is that @Greta Van Susteren was let go by her out of control bosses at @NBC & @Comcast because she refused to go along w/ 'Trump hate!'" he tweeted.

It was announced on Thursday that Van Susteren and MSNBC parted ways. In a statement announcing the split, MSNBC said, in part, "Greta is a well-regarded television veteran and one of only a few broadcasters who can say they've hosted shows at all three major cable news networks. We are grateful to her and wish her the best."

Trump also used Twitter to comment on his voter commission, which is requesting sensitive information, including the last four digits of social security numbers, about every U.S. voter from Secretaries of State. He suggested without evidence that states who are refusing to comply may be purposefully hiding voter fraud information.

"Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL," he wrote. "What are they trying to hide?"

Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL. What are they trying to hide?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2017

Officials in 10 states and the District of Columbia said they would not comply at all with the request. Those states are California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee and Virginia.

Some Democratic officials have refused to comply with the data request, saying it invades privacy and is based on false claims of fraud.

Trump, who created the commission through executive order in May, lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton but has alleged without evidence that up to 5 million people voted illegally.

Finally, Trump vented at familiar foes: MSNBC's "Morning Joe" co-hosts, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski.

I am extremely pleased to see that @CNN has finally been exposed as #FakeNews and garbage journalism. It's about time!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2017

"Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses. Too bad!" he tweeted.

Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses. Too bad!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2017

The controversary surrounding Trump's use of Twitter to mock others had taken a new turn on Thursday when he called the MSNBC hosts "Crazy Mika" and "Psycho Joe." He also wrote that Brzezinski was "bleeding badly from a facelift" when he saw the pair at his Mar-a-Lago estate in West Palm Beach, Florida, sparking a backlash from media personalities and politicians from across the political spectrum

In response, Brzezinski and Scarborough wrote in an op-ed in the Washington Post Friday: "We are both certain that the man is not mentally equipped to continue watching our show. It is disturbing that the president of the United States keeps up his unrelenting assault on women."

The president continued his relentless criticism of the media at the Freedom Rally at the Kennedy Center in Washington Saturday evening.

"The fake media try to stop us from going to the White House but Im president and theyre not. We won, and they lost," Trump said to the crowd and he waited for rounds of applause.

NBCUniversal is the parent company of MSNBC and this site.


Florida legislators passed 249 bills this year during their regular 60-day session and the four-day special session. Nearly half (121 to be exact) took effect on Saturday with the start of the states fiscal year.

Heres a roundup of some of the more important laws now in effect:

Ridesharing: There are now statewide regulations for drivers who work for companies such as Uber and Lyft, including requirements for insurance and driver background checks. It also requires drivers to disclose the ride fare before a trip starts. Florida is one of 37 states that have statewide ride-sharing laws.

Witness protection: A public records exemption for two years is granted for murder witnesses who testify. Exemptions are already granted to victims of sexual assault, child abuse or confidential informants.

Body cameras: Officers will be allowed to review footage upon request before writing a report or giving a statement.

Miscarriage certificates: Families may request certificates of nonviable birth after miscarriages if the fetus is lost between the ninth and 20th weeks of gestation.

Textbooks: It is easier for parents and residents to challenge school textbooks and school library books. They may review instructional materials and then challenge them as inappropriate before a hearing officer.

Religious expression: School districts may not discriminate against a student or school employees on the basis of religious viewpoints or expressions. Students may express them in assignments, wear clothing displaying a religious message or engage in activities to the same extent that other activities are allowed.

Student loans: State colleges and universities, both public and private, are required to provide yearly information to students about their loans. This enables students to better prepare their finances once they graduate.

Recess: Each school district must provide at least 100 minutes of recess each week for students in grades K-5.

Boating: Discounts are provided for boaters who purchase locator beacons.

Environment: Companies are required to notify the state within a day of learning about a pollution spill, and the state is required to notify the public within a day after that.

Pay raises: State employees will see raises for the first time since 2013. Those making $40,000 a year or less will get a $1,400 pay raise, and those earning more than $40,000 will receive a $1,000 raise. Theres also a 5 percent raise to state law-enforcement officers. Judges, state attorneys and public defenders will get a 10 percent raise in October.

Economics: An $85 million fund was established for the Florida Job Growth Grant fund, along with $50 million in repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike

Education: The budget will boost funding by $100 per student in grades K-12 under the Florida Education Finance Program. There also is increased funding for charter schools to locate near struggling public schools, teacher bonuses, and more money for parents to help pay for education for students with disabilities.
A $1,000 reward is being offered for the safe return of a stolen rabbit from an animal shelter in Manhattan.

Sunny is a 5-month old gray rabbit who was living with her sister, Honey, at Animal Care Centers of NYC shelter in East Harlem when a man took her, according to a report by The New York Times.

The thief went into the shelter on June 14 to adopt a dog, but was declined because he had two unneutered dogs at home, said the report. He got angry and took Sunny.

An outside group offered the $1,000 reward as it has been weeks since the theft and police have not made headway, the report said.

Stealing a rabbit is considered a petty larceny crime.

Anyone with any information about Sunny is encouraged to email at bringbacksunnyrabbit@gmail.com.
A shooting in New Jersey's largest city has left two men dead and two others wounded, prosecutors say.

One man was pronounced dead at the scene near Lincoln Park in Newark, while another died a short time later at a hospital, Essex County prosecutors said.

The 26-year-old victims were identified Sunday as Niger Farrell, of East Orange, and Darnell Holmes, of Newark.

Two other East Orange men, ages 25 and 28, were wounded. Authorities say their injuries are not considered life-threatening, but further details were not released.

Further details on the shooting were not disclosed, including what type of weapon may have been used. No arrests have been made.

A motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
Police are searching for a man who shot another man in the Bronx, authorities said.

On Saturday after midnight, the 24-year-old victim was in front of a medical center on East Tremont Avenue when a stranger went up to him and shot several times at him, police said.

The attacker fled the location. The victim was taken to Saint Barnabas Hospital where he was treatement for a wound to his cheek, and was released, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS.
Police are searching for a man who slashed another man at a subway station in Manhattan Saturday, authorities said.

Police say two men got into a dispute while at the 6 train platform at East 125th Street in Harlem Saturday afternoon.

It is unclear if they know each other.

The 36-year-old victim was then slashed on the left side of the face by the attacker, police said.

The victim was taken to Harlem Hospital and sustains non-life threatening injuries, police said.
The promoter of a failed Bahamas music festival has been freed on bail a day after he was arrested on a fraud charge in New York.

Billy McFarland left Manhattan federal court Saturday with Assistant Federal Defender Sabrina Shroff.

McFarland was charged Friday with scheming to defraud investors in his company, Fyre Media.

The charges stem from McFarland's promotion of the Fyre Festival. It was billed as an ultra-luxurious event to take place on the island of Exuma over two weekends in April and May.

Ticket buyers were told headlines would include Blink-182 and the hip-hop act Migos but performers backed out and the show was canceled.

Prosecutors say the 25-year-old McFarland used fake documents to trick investors. He was freed on $300,000 bail, telling reporters he'd love to speak but can't.
By PTI: Chandigarh, Jul 1 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said the BJP government in the state has succeeded in keeping a check on corruption and nepotism which prevailed during the previous regime.

"Corruption and nepotism prevailed in the state during the regime of previous government, especially for providing government jobs and ensuring benefits of welfare," Khattar said while presiding over a meeting of 22 newly inducted Chief Ministers Good Governance Associates (CMGGAs) here.

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The state government had introduced the CMGGA programme last year to assist the government in ensuring speedy and effective implementation of flagship schemes and programme at the grassroot level and get feedback about the same.

However, opposition Congress had earlier criticised the decision saying that the appointments of CMGGAs would "demoralise" the administration as these associates will "interfere" in its day-to-day working.

The new CMGGAs would join their respective districts on July 16, an official release said here today.

"Our government has ensured transparency in the recruitment process by putting an end to Sifarish System, but much more needs to be done," Khattar further said.

"Earlier, the teachers had to make frequent visits to the offices to get their transfers and postings done, but the state government has implemented a transparent online teachers transfer policy to provide them station of their choice so that they could concentrate more on teaching," he said.

While congratulating the newly inducted CMGGAs, he said the state government is working to bridge the gap between the people and the government and has, therefore, implemented a number of schemes and programmes.

He exhorted them to work in close coordination with the Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police, Sub Divisional Magistrates and other senior functionaries in the districts allotted to them and assist the state government in achieving its objective of ensuring the overall development of state and welfare of the people.

The chief minister exhorted them to remain prepared to meet the challenges as they would also have to work in rural areas of the state.

Speaking on this occasion, Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Rakesh Gupta said that ease of doing business and citizen service delievery would be among the key focus areas of CMGGAs this year.

He said that efforts were being made to make the services of all departments online within next eight to ten months so that people could get the benefit of various services by sitting at their home.

He said that about 350 services of various departments have been identified and a roadmap has been prepared to make the services online.

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Gupta said the services of ten to eleven departments would be made 100 per cent online by November 1 or December 25, this year. PTI SUN ARK

--- ENDS ---
Authorities say a blast believed to have been a gas explosion leveled a Pennsylvania home, killing one utility worker and injuring two other employees.

A coroner was called to the scene after the explosion reported at about 12:15 p.m. Sunday in Manor Township near Millersville in Lancaster County.

UGI Utilities spokesman Joseph Swope said that one worker was killed and two others were injured. One was taken to a hospital. Swope said the workers were responding to reports of a gas odor in the neighborhood.

Rescue workers said a resident was evacuated from the home before the explosion.

The name of the worker who was killed wasn't immediately released. The conditions of the injured workers weren't immediately clear.
This story was originally published on July 2, 2017.

After a dramatic manhunt that lasted several days and spanned multiple states, Chester County, Pennsylvania, authorities have charged David Andrew Desper, 28, with first-degree murder for the road rage killing of recent high school graduate Bianca Roberson.

Desper, of Trainer, Pennsylvania, turned himself in Sunday morning around 2 a.m., officials said.

Police recovered the defendants red pickup truck at a location in Delaware County and Despers firearm from his bedroom. He has a license to carry and purchased the gun legally, according to court documents.

He was also charged with third-degree murder, criminal homicide, recklessly endangering another person and possession of an instrument of crime with intent to use it criminally.

Desper is being held at Chester County Prison without bail, and his preliminary hearing is set for July 13.

Roberson's parents sat quietly in the room, sobbing, while officials announced the arrest. They lost another child, an adult son, four years ago to heart disease.

On June 28, Desper and Roberson played what investigators previously called a game of "cat and mouse" while attempting to merge into the same lane on Route 100 in Chester County around 5:30 p.m., officials said. Roberson was heading home from a shopping trip. She would have left for college later this summer.

Instead, she was shot in the left side of the head in an apparent road rage attack.

Her car was found in a ditch. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

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"This is a story of a savage and senseless murder," Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan said during a news conference Sunday.

The shooters car fled the scene "at a high rate of speed on the shoulder of the spur before eventually crossing traffic and continuing southbound on the shoulder of Route 202," charging documents said.

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A witness described hearing a loud noise and then seeing one car, which belonged to Roberson, swerving off the road while another sped away, officials said.

A portion of the round that struck Roberson was recovered from her skull during an autopsy. The bullets markings indicated it came from a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun.

A similar firearm was recovered from Desper's bedroom after he turned himself in to police. Ammunition was found in a nearby trashcan. Desper reportedly purchased the weapon in November of 2015, according to charging documents.

Using video surveillance from the scene and later recordings of a red pickup truck, police recovered Despers car in Glen Mills. It matched the description of the pickup seen moments after the incident.

Desper's attorney was not available for comment. Roberson's family declined to comment, but previously told NBC10 the death of their daughter is "surreal."

"How can you just shoot a baby, an 18-year-old girl, on her way to college and then just speed off like it was nothing? She didn't deserve to die like this," Roberson's mother, Michelle, said.

Roberson's aunt Joyce Chester said she remains heartbroken but relieved that an arrest was made.

"We just had the graduation for the school and the kids were so full of hope. Hope and excitement," Chester said. "I said, 'Are they ever going to get this truck and this guy?' And my friend said, 'They're going to get him. They're going to get him. They'll get the truck and they'll get the guy.' I said, 'How do you know?' He said, 'They just will.'"



Desper's neighbor Gerry Szper told NBC10 he heard about Roberson's murder but was shocked the suspect lived so close to home.

"It's just crazy," he said. "I just don't know. I'm shocked."



Rodney and Michelle Roberson still cant believe their daughter, Bianca, 18, is gone after a murderous road rage driver shot the recent West Chester high school graduate on Route 100 during rush hour Wednesday evening. They want police to bring to justice quickly the man who shot their daughter after jostling for a lane on the highway. A suspect, who...
Two people were rescued from the fiery wreckage of a small plane that crashed Friday morning on the 405 Freeway in Orange County, clipped a pickup and skidded to a stop against a median as it burst into flames.

The crash occurred at the MacArthur Boulevard exit ramp near John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana as the Cessna 310 arrived for a landing. Two people -- a 62-year-old man and his 55-year-old wife -- were on the plane, which caught fire and produced a tower of smoke that could be seen for miles around by drivers and workers in nearby office buildings.

The couple had "critical, traumatic injuries," but "had good vitals when they were moved from the aircraft," said Orange County Fire Capt. Larry Kurtz. They were undergoing surgery Friday night and were making progress on recovery.

Their names were not immediately released.

"It was a very surreal moment," said witness Korosh Torkzadeh, who works in the area. "I didn't really hear an impact. I thought the plane had actually made it to the airport, but then we saw it on the 405 Freeway."

Torkzadeh said authorities' response time was "almost instant."

Authorities were praising John Meffert, an off-duty fire captain from Avalon on Catalina Island, who was driving down the freeway when the plane crashed. The 17-year veteran got out of his car and pulled the two occupants from the burning wreckage.

"As the first responders arrived, the individual in question really did extraordinary work helping to get these individuals out of the aircraft," Kurtz said. "He was very calm, very relaxed. Obviously, he's a professional."

The plane went down around 9:30 a.m. just short of the runway, which is adjacent to the freeway, at John Wayne Airport, said Deanne Thompson, spokeswoman for the airport. The pilot declared an emergency shortly after taking off from John Wayne Airport and was trying to return to the airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

Ray Spitzer was going surfing for his birthday when he saw the explosion.

"We're going about 65, 70 mph and then we started slowing down quick, so I pulled the car over," Spitzer said.

Witnesses said the plane appeared to crash on the northbound side of the freeway and ended up on the southbound side. Blackstone Hamilton said the plane clipped the rear of his pickup.

"The rear-end of my struck was spun around," Hamilton said. "Thought at first it was a big rig that hit us.

"I checked my passenger, made sure he was ok. We gave each other a hug that we were still alive. That's life, I guess."

Authorities said three other vehicles were struck by either the plane or parts of the aircraft that littered the road as it skidded across freeway lanes.

"There was debris all over the freeway," said witness Christian Romo. "It was insane. It was really scary. We were just praying instantly that they're ok and that their families are ok."

Romo said the plane tilted to its side and almost turned upside-down as it crashed into the freeway median. Several drivers stopped on the side of the road to help the plane's two occupants before firefighters arrived to douse the flames and treat the injured.

"The fact that a plane was able to land and only strike a single vehicle is extraordinary," Orange County Fire Capt. Kurtz said. "Anytime you have a plane crash on a freeway, the potential for a great loss of life exists."

Airport departures were not affected, but the airport was closed to arrivals until about 10:30 a.m., according to airport officials. Nine flights were diverted to nearby airports.

The freeway was closed after the crash. Traffic was backed up for about eight miles in each direction near the airport. All northbound lanes were reopened by about 3:30 p.m., but all southbound lanes remained closed until about 4:45 p.m., when the carpool and far left main lane reopened.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA, as well as the CHP, gathered evidence at the crash scene before removing the plane.


An Oceanside Minister who supported Donald Trump as he ran for president now faces deportation.

Jorge Ramirez, an Oceanside Apostolic minister, has been in the U.S. since he was 11 years old.

His wife, Silvia, says they feel betrayed by the president.

He said he was going to deport people with criminal records, bad people. My husband is not a bad person; he doesn't have a criminal record, she told NBC 7.

Ramirez was detained on May 31 and has been in the Otay Mesa Detention Center since then. Ramirezs wife and three children were inside their home sleeping when Ramirez was detained while getting ready for work.

We're hard-working people, she said. Were just trying to live here with our kids.

Silvia said the couple supported Trump for religious reasons.

We didnt think about the immigration side  but now that hes in this situation  he [Trump] lied to us, she said.

Attorney Ruben Salazar said they will file a motion to advance the bond hearing set for August 4 to July 17, the same day as Ramirez's deportation hearing.

He's been here for over 30 years, he's a tax-paying home-owning individual, Salazar said.

Silvia says she wants to be strong for her children.

We're just waiting and having faith in God, she said. [Trump] needs to change the law.

In November 2015, Trump told MSNBC's "Morning Joe," "You're going to have a deportation force, and you're going to do it humanely."

A Customs and Border Protection spokesperson responded to NBC 7s request for comment, saying:

Jorge Ramirez-Navarrete was arrested by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 31, 2017 after agents had established that he was illegally residing in the U.S. and determined he had not previously filed immigration petitions or changes made to his immigration status on his behalf.
A San Diego family of hikers stranded for days on Baja Californias highest peak said there were times on that treacherous terrain when they werent sure if they would come out of the ordeal alive  or if help was even coming.

It was looking grim, Claire Fox, 25, told NBC 7 on Saturday. It was definitely one of the best moments of my life knowing that we were going to come back [to San Diego] and see my mom.

There were definitely times when we were scared for our safety, added her sister, Maura Fox, 20. And all of us with our limited water; we were definitely concerned if we were going to be rescued  if people were coming.

Claire and Maura, and their father, Morgan Fox, 61, left for a hiking excursion in Baja California on June 20.

The trio planned to hike the challenging trail of San Pedro Martir Park known as "Picacho del Diablo," or the Devil's Peak, located south of Tijuana and the U.S.-Mexico border.

At over 10,000 feet, it's the highest peak in Baja California.

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Morgan's wife and the women's mother, Debbie Milligan-Fox, told NBC 7 on Friday that her husband was very familiar with the area, having hiked it four times prior. He had even made it to the summit of the Devil's Peak twice before.

Morgan had vowed he would one day take his daughters there.

"Its a pristine area, and I promised the girls that we would go down there and do a backpacking trip," he said. "That area of Baja California is one of the most beautiful areas in the world."



The father and his daughters were supposed to hike to the summit on June 23 and return to their home in San Diego's East County by June 25.

Their return date came and went.

Morgan said it had been 20 years since he descended into the canyon. The trail, he said, was not quite how he remembered it.

The terrain had changed quite a bit, so I think that threw me off a little, Morgan told NBC 7. And some of those small mistakes eventually led to the larger rescue operation.

When Debbie didn't hear from her family on June 25, she became concerned and contacted authorities in Mexico. By Monday afternoon, a search had been organized.

In those days they were stranded, Claire said they tried a few different routes to get themselves out of the canyon, to no avail. With their water and food supply diminishing, they had to make big moves.

Our water supply was running low; we only had a few packets of oatmeal left, she said. So my sister and I just made the decision that we want to make it to the top of this mountain so that were visible to helicopters and a little more out in the open.

Ramon Galindo/NBC 7

On Monday night, not knowing their fate, Maura said they went into survival mode, figuring out ways to let people know they were stranded on the trail.

We got to the top, and we immediately made a fire  a signal fire, she explained. My sister and I were just trying to get that prepared.

By Tuesday morning, Mexican authorities had 10 people searching along the remote trail. That same day, a helicopter spotted the trio stranded on a steep canyon off the trail.

Maura said their father had told them to bring reflective emergency blankets on the trip. She said those blankets were crucial in their rescue.

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Honestly, without the shiny safety blankets that my dad told us to bring, we wouldnt have been seen; so, thats my dad there, she said.

The helicopter dropped six liters of water to the Fox family. Search and rescue crews also delivered food, water, and a glucose meter, as Morgan has diabetes and needs insulin.

Radio communications between the search crew and the family were conducted from the air because the terrain was steep and rocky, and it was not safe for the helicopter to land.

The rescue proved challenging. Finally, rescuers on the ground were able to make contact with the trio.



The father and his daughters were taken to a base camp on San Pedro Martir Park at around 6 a.m. Thursday. They spent the night in a hotel; Morgan was taken to a hospital in Mexico but checked out in good health.

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By Saturday, they were back in San Diego, grateful to be alive, together.

We experienced a lot together, said Claire. Im glad we were all together; strong family unit.

Strong before  now its stronger, Maura chimed in.

Were glad to have our mom back with us, Claire added.

Were a group of four  it needs to be like that, Maura said.

Morgan nodded his head, looking at his daughters with pride.

These girls did so good, said Morgan. He hugged his daughters close and fought back the tears.

Morgan said he will forever be grateful to the volunteers in northern Baja who came to their aid.

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We want to express all of our gratitude for all the hard work and effort, he said.

We owe our lives to the Mexican people, Maura added. And, in a politicized time, I think community and family  thats really at the heart of everything. I think, if anything, the connection between our two nations should be even stronger.

I cant wait to get back down and share a meal with all of them, said Claire.

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The Fox family said that perhaps one day, they will set out on that hike again and finish the trek successfully. Claire said some of the rescuers in Mexico even offered to hike with them next time.

So next time well bring our new friends and well definitely be hiking; its something we love, she said.

I am eager to get down there and finish the hike we always intended, added Maura.

For now, theyre happy to be home.
A King George County, Virginia, man was shot and killed in the parking lot of a shopping center in Fredericksburg early Saturday morning, according to the Fredericksburg Police Department.

Police said Alon Clipper, 23, died after someone took him to Mary Washington Hospital.

Officers were called to the Greenbrier Shopping Center about 2 a.m. Saturday for reports of gunfire. They found shell casings in the parking lot.

They got a call about 5 minutes later from the hospital about Clipper.

The investigation is still ongoing.
Three passengers were injured Saturday night in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, when a gangway struck the ferry, according to officials with the Steamship Authority.

Officials said the vessel was preparing to leave for its trip to Martha's Vineyard at 7:40 p.m. when one of two manually-operated passenger gangways veered away from the dock.

Authorities said the gangway was not attached to the vessel when the incident occurred.



Several windows on the mezzanine level of the vessel were broken as a result of the impact.

Three passengers reported minor injuries from the broken glass. Their injuries were treated on board and they did not require further medical treatment, according to Steamship Authority officials.

The vessel continued to Marthas Vineyard and once passengers disembarked, it returned to Woods Hole for repairs. The broken windows have since been boarded up and glass repair is scheduled for later this week.

The vessel has returned to service and resumed its normal schedule.

Last month, 15 people were hospitalized when the captain of the high-speed ferry Iyanough mistook a metal pole and two sailboats as buoys and crashed.

Fifty-eight people in total were on board the ferry when it hit the pole in the water.

CORRECTION (July 2, 2017, 7:00 p.m.) An earlier version of this article misstated the ferry struck another ferry, when the ferry was struck by a gangway.


Flash flooding in Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire closed roads and prompted the opening of several emergency shelters. In Norwich and Thetford, Vermont, the fire department ordered mandatory evacuations of some homes.

Vermont Gov. Phil Scott visited several communities as officials assessed the damage on Sunday.

New Hampshire officials were asking campground owners to let them know if they had room for campers displaced by Saturday's heavy rain and flooding.

Perry Plummer, director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, was asking campground owners and operators who had space to call 211, the system that connects callers to information about health and human service programs.

Plummer was also determining whether volunteer help was available for those who sustained property damage, and asked those who did to call 211 and press '8'.

"Travelers should expect to encounter road debris, water covered roads, and damaged roads," Plummer said. "Even if the road looks fine, if it is covered in water or closed, dont drive on that road. There is no way of knowing what the structural integrity is of the ground underneath."



Michael Todd with the New Hampshire Department of Public Safety, said campers close to the Vermont border who needed help should call 1-866-444-4211.

New England 511 is providing an update on what roads are closed due to the flooding.
The BJP leader has been identified as Nityanand Mahto, the Ramgarh district media in-charge of the party.

By India Today Web Desk: Three persons including a BJP leader was arrested by the Ramgarh Police on Saturday for allegedly lynching a man accused of carrying beef in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand on Thursday.

The BJP leader has been identified as Nityanand Mahto, the Ramgarh district media in-charge of the party.

Sources said that Mahto was nabbed along with two others by the police from the house of a local party unit chief Pappu Banerjee.

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Muslim trader Asgar Ali was lynched on June 29. According to sources, Mahto told the police that he had joined the mob only to 'find out what happened'.

Another of his colleague said that the Ramgarh Police arrested him in a haste and that Mahto arrived at the spot only after the incident took place.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Alimuddin alias Asgar Ansari was carrying the "banned meat" in a Maruti van. A group of people stopped him near Bajartand village and brutally attacked him, police sources said. His van was set on fire too.

Police personnel rescued him and took him to a hospital where he died during the course of treatment.

The lynching happened on the day when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given a stern message to cow vigilantes during his Gujarat visit. Modi invoked Mahatma Gandhi to slam those involved in violence in the name of protecting cows.

Also read:

On the day Modi warns gau-rakshaks, man accused of carrying beef killed by mob in Jharkhand's Ramgarh

Instead of admonishing cow vigilantes, it's time PM Modi took concrete action against them

When PM Narendra Modi ripped into self-styled cow vigilantes

Politics of lynching, the new normal in India

Story of lynching: Kashmir to Haryana, how hate crime thrives in absence of law

ALSO WATCH:

Are we vigilant enough to save tenets of country? Asks President Mukherjee over lynching fever

--- ENDS ---
The Manchester Police Department is searching for a suspect in an early morning shooting at 138 Willow Street in Manchester.

Police responded to a report of gunshots in the area. Witnesses at a large party at the address described hearing gunshots and a flash of light that police say is consistent with the muzzle blast of a firearm.

One gunshot victim, Curtis Clay of Manchester, was taken to Elliot Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Clay told police that before he was shot, he had broken up a fight at the party.

The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 20 years of age, between 5'9-5'11, and wearing a white tank top. The Manchester Police Department is asking anyone with information about the suspect or incident to call 603-668-8711.
A man was arrested for gun and child abuse charges during a traffic stop in Richmond, Rhode Island on Friday, according to Rhode Island State Police.

Karon Williams, 21, of Providence, Rhode Island, was a passenger in a car stopped by troopers for a traffic violation on I-95 in Richmond at approximately 4 p.m. Williams' six-month-old daughter was in the vehicle.

During the motor vehicle stop, troopers found a loaded handgun in a diaper bag between Williamss legs.

The infant was later turned over to the custody of the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth & Families.

Williams was heading from Providence to New York at the time of his arrest.

Williams was arraigned by a justice of the peace and released on $10,000 personal recognizance.
Damage survey teams from the National Weather Service are heading out to determine how many tornadoes touched down in Maine and Vermont on Saturday.

The weather service in Gray, Maine, issued seven tornado warnings, the most it ever had issued in a single day or even an entire year. Its preliminary report lists five tornadoes in Maine and a funnel cloud spotted in New Hampshire, but some of that information is based on social media postings.

The National Weather Service did confirm a tornado touched down near Lake Sebago, Maine, and then crossed the lake. It was rated an EF-0.

In West Bridgton, Maine, law enforcement said trees and hoses were damaged and roads were impassable from debris.

The reports also show widespread flash flooding as severe thunderstorms moved through the region.

In Vermont, the American Red Cross was opening a center in Thetford for those who were effected by severe flooding due to storms that moved through parts of the state on Saturday. The center is located at Thetford Elementary School, 2689 VT-113.
By PTI

AHMEDABAD: On the day the goods and services tax came into play across the country, a majority of cloth shops in Gujarat remained shut while those who kept it open said they did not carry out any business transaction.

Various cloth merchant associations in the state as well as in some other states had earlier called for a three- day protest across the country from June 27 to 29.

The bandh and protests continued in different parts of the state as a majority of shops remained closed today, and those which remained open saw no transaction as none had any GST number.

"There is no bandh call made by any association, but most shops remained shut on their own in protest.

There is no business as no merchant has acquired GST number yet, and the situation is likely to continue until a solution is arrived at by government," said Gaurang Bhagat, president of Maskati Kapad Mahajan, an association of cloth merchants in Ahmedabad.

There are around 2.5-3 lakh cloth merchants in the state who will suffer losses due to the ongoing protest, Bhagat said.

"Not that we are against GST. What we are saying is that government should listen to our concerns and address it properly. Our business will remain suspended and we hope government will come out with some solution," he said.

Gaurav Shrimali, a cloth merchant from Surat said while markets are open in the city, there is no business as no shop owner has the required GST number to carry out transaction.

"We will continue our protest. Today we decided to gather outside the market and protest by shedding our clothes, so that government gets to hear our concerns," he said.

Cloth merchants are demanding a complete withdrawal of the 5 per cent GST on clothes, and have said merchants were not given much time for GST compliance. They said cloth merchants were never brought under any tax system, so they should be exempt from GST as well.

Ahmedabad's kite manufacturers also protested against GST by taking out a rally. They said kite manufacturing being a cottage industry, GST on them will adversely affect small seasonal earnings made by local manufacturers.

AHMEDABAD: On the day the goods and services tax came into play across the country, a majority of cloth shops in Gujarat remained shut while those who kept it open said they did not carry out any business transaction. Various cloth merchant associations in the state as well as in some other states had earlier called for a three- day protest across the country from June 27 to 29. The bandh and protests continued in different parts of the state as a majority of shops remained closed today, and those which remained open saw no transaction as none had any GST number. "There is no bandh call made by any association, but most shops remained shut on their own in protest. There is no business as no merchant has acquired GST number yet, and the situation is likely to continue until a solution is arrived at by government," said Gaurang Bhagat, president of Maskati Kapad Mahajan, an association of cloth merchants in Ahmedabad. There are around 2.5-3 lakh cloth merchants in the state who will suffer losses due to the ongoing protest, Bhagat said. "Not that we are against GST. What we are saying is that government should listen to our concerns and address it properly. Our business will remain suspended and we hope government will come out with some solution," he said. Gaurav Shrimali, a cloth merchant from Surat said while markets are open in the city, there is no business as no shop owner has the required GST number to carry out transaction. "We will continue our protest. Today we decided to gather outside the market and protest by shedding our clothes, so that government gets to hear our concerns," he said. Cloth merchants are demanding a complete withdrawal of the 5 per cent GST on clothes, and have said merchants were not given much time for GST compliance. They said cloth merchants were never brought under any tax system, so they should be exempt from GST as well. Ahmedabad's kite manufacturers also protested against GST by taking out a rally. They said kite manufacturing being a cottage industry, GST on them will adversely affect small seasonal earnings made by local manufacturers.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Raising their voice against mob violence, the nationwide #NotInMyName protest took a different form in Chennai. A #BreakTheSilence demonstration that took place in the city on Saturday, saw over 600 people from all walks of life come together to express dissent towards violence.

The country-wide protests on June 28 were triggered by the latest case of lynching, where 16-year-old Hafiz Junaid was publicly murdered in a crowded train while returning home after a shopping trip to Delhi on the eve of Eid. The demonstration organised by the Citizens for Peace, Justice and Democracy in Chennai, emphasised that these incidents must not be treated in isolation but be viewed as a manifestation of the institutional violence against minorities. Twenty-eight Indians have been killed and 124 injured since 2010 in cow-related violence.

The demonstration opposed the power people derive from the ordinances issued by some State governments and the Centre to regulate trade and handling of cattle, particularly the cow. Attacks by cow vigilantes have mostly affected all those whose work has to do with cattle such as butchers, cattle traders, farmers and those who dispose of dead cows. People have also been assaulted for eating beef.

While the protest emerged in the context of mob violence caused by cow vigilantes, it addressed diverse forms of marginalisation. Persons with disability, the queer community, environmentalists and conservationists, journalists, activists, performing artists and student groups composed the citizen group that used music, dance and other forms of art to break the silence against saffronisation of the society.

Saffron is not in my rainbow, only COWards target children, minorities, Dalits and poor farmers, Stand against Hate, were among some of the slogans raised at the protest with an emerging message that Indian diversity cannot be painted with one identity, even if coercion is used. Citizens demanded that the government addresses targeted violence.

CHENNAI: Raising their voice against mob violence, the nationwide #NotInMyName protest took a different form in Chennai. A #BreakTheSilence demonstration that took place in the city on Saturday, saw over 600 people from all walks of life come together to express dissent towards violence. The country-wide protests on June 28 were triggered by the latest case of lynching, where 16-year-old Hafiz Junaid was publicly murdered in a crowded train while returning home after a shopping trip to Delhi on the eve of Eid. The demonstration organised by the Citizens for Peace, Justice and Democracy in Chennai, emphasised that these incidents must not be treated in isolation but be viewed as a manifestation of the institutional violence against minorities. Twenty-eight Indians have been killed and 124 injured since 2010 in cow-related violence. The demonstration opposed the power people derive from the ordinances issued by some State governments and the Centre to regulate trade and handling of cattle, particularly the cow. Attacks by cow vigilantes have mostly affected all those whose work has to do with cattle such as butchers, cattle traders, farmers and those who dispose of dead cows. People have also been assaulted for eating beef. While the protest emerged in the context of mob violence caused by cow vigilantes, it addressed diverse forms of marginalisation. Persons with disability, the queer community, environmentalists and conservationists, journalists, activists, performing artists and student groups composed the citizen group that used music, dance and other forms of art to break the silence against saffronisation of the society. Saffron is not in my rainbow, only COWards target children, minorities, Dalits and poor farmers, Stand against Hate, were among some of the slogans raised at the protest with an emerging message that Indian diversity cannot be painted with one identity, even if coercion is used. Citizens demanded that the government addresses targeted violence.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on perhaps his most challenging foreign visit in the last three yearsit is to the US to meet President Trump and his administration. In the field of foreign policy, he has displayed tremendous energy and succeeded in robustly projecting Indias aspirations as a middle power seeking a higher rung. There have been successes and disappointments. The latter spelled mainly by the China-Pakistan collusion which is working to limit Indias options.

The US visit came at an awkward time. The chemistry established with former President Barak Obama is no longer relevant; its a question of starting all over again. Trump, more than any US former President, has displayed a propensity to make discontinuity rather than continuity as his trademark with regard to strategic policy making. If a semblance of the Republican policies under George Bush Jr were to be resumed, India would be on a high and in sync with the officials who advise and execute policy in the US today. But this is not happening and thus its virtually into a vacuum that Modi has had to walk and gingerly assess ways things are being considered for India.

Many observers condemn the US as a declining power with who India should not look for strategic ties. However, such perceptions come and go, and the world is unlikely to be without an all-pervasive US influence for many years. Matching its economy may be possible, but it will take a period before any nation can match its innovations, research models, technology and military power. Its military hardware industry will continue to dominate the world hardware market, especially since Trump considers this as the best business opportunity.

While Modi and Trump may have been initially cautious in their approach and discussed a few generalities, the four major issues which matter for analysts are the H1B visa, strategic defence issues, global terror and the way it affects both countries and lastly the ways of dealing with China.

Trumps obsession with limiting H1B visas stems from his perception that Americans lose jobs mainly to high-tech Indians. Over three lakh Indians work in Silicon Valley. Trump has unveiled the hire American buy American initiative, which has put the current H1B programme under review. Reduction in visas will hit hiring of Indian IT personnel who have been instrumental in developing the US IT industry, which leads the worlds innovations in IT.

While Trump may have been extremely energetic in implementation of his campaign promises, there are areas where he has displayed his propensity to look more closely at the US interests, whatever be the perceptions on these. The recent deals with Saudi Arabia are a case in point. It is clear that the US does not produce sufficient technical manpower to power its technology growth. There is a constant need for foreign technical manpower and Indians have proved that they are sincere workers. It is, therefore, a matter of clearing the air to allow both the US and Indian interests to thrive.

The joint presser after the official talks, addressed by both leaders, gave some good indications of what may have been achieved; there was no mention of the immigration-related aspects indicating that tricky aspects may have been avoided. The advantage of such a summit lies in the fact that President Trump, who otherwise may not have had much to do with India in the past, gained focus on the issues, which drive the Indo-US relationship. Economics, trade and commerce rightfully dominated the discourse. The briefs he would have received would allow him to realise how significant a country of 1.25 billion can be for the US if the relationship is allowed to thrive on a natural course sans unnecessary impediments.

Security was the other important element of the talks. Three areas were mentioned. First was the cooperation to fight global terror, activism and radicalism. Second was the desire to see India as a close partner in the security of the Indo-Pacific region; reference to the upcoming maritime exercise in which the US, India and Japan will participate. The last was cooperation on Afghanistan.

Perhaps, one should not expect any major specifics from this summit. It was the reiteration of the mutual importance of both nations that was more important with a chance for both the leaders to get to know each other. Personal equations in such relationships matter and Modi is known for his ability to establish those. The significant aspect which must not be lost is the broad understanding that President Trump would have gained that the US and Indian vision is almost similar and they need to get over the perception that eithers interest should be gained at the cost of the other.

The pre-summit announcement by the US designating Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin a global terrorist also gains significance. This serves as an important message with China opposing the branding of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the UN.

The real gain from the summit should start showing as the details of discussions emerge. It was always unfair to expect too much from this meeting, but what has been gained is nevertheless significant for the current times.

Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain

Former Commander, Srinagar-based 15 Corps

atahasnain@gmail.com

Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on perhaps his most challenging foreign visit in the last three yearsit is to the US to meet President Trump and his administration. In the field of foreign policy, he has displayed tremendous energy and succeeded in robustly projecting Indias aspirations as a middle power seeking a higher rung. There have been successes and disappointments. The latter spelled mainly by the China-Pakistan collusion which is working to limit Indias options. The US visit came at an awkward time. The chemistry established with former President Barak Obama is no longer relevant; its a question of starting all over again. Trump, more than any US former President, has displayed a propensity to make discontinuity rather than continuity as his trademark with regard to strategic policy making. If a semblance of the Republican policies under George Bush Jr were to be resumed, India would be on a high and in sync with the officials who advise and execute policy in the US today. But this is not happening and thus its virtually into a vacuum that Modi has had to walk and gingerly assess ways things are being considered for India. Many observers condemn the US as a declining power with who India should not look for strategic ties. However, such perceptions come and go, and the world is unlikely to be without an all-pervasive US influence for many years. Matching its economy may be possible, but it will take a period before any nation can match its innovations, research models, technology and military power. Its military hardware industry will continue to dominate the world hardware market, especially since Trump considers this as the best business opportunity. While Modi and Trump may have been initially cautious in their approach and discussed a few generalities, the four major issues which matter for analysts are the H1B visa, strategic defence issues, global terror and the way it affects both countries and lastly the ways of dealing with China. Trumps obsession with limiting H1B visas stems from his perception that Americans lose jobs mainly to high-tech Indians. Over three lakh Indians work in Silicon Valley. Trump has unveiled the hire American buy American initiative, which has put the current H1B programme under review. Reduction in visas will hit hiring of Indian IT personnel who have been instrumental in developing the US IT industry, which leads the worlds innovations in IT. While Trump may have been extremely energetic in implementation of his campaign promises, there are areas where he has displayed his propensity to look more closely at the US interests, whatever be the perceptions on these. The recent deals with Saudi Arabia are a case in point. It is clear that the US does not produce sufficient technical manpower to power its technology growth. There is a constant need for foreign technical manpower and Indians have proved that they are sincere workers. It is, therefore, a matter of clearing the air to allow both the US and Indian interests to thrive. The joint presser after the official talks, addressed by both leaders, gave some good indications of what may have been achieved; there was no mention of the immigration-related aspects indicating that tricky aspects may have been avoided. The advantage of such a summit lies in the fact that President Trump, who otherwise may not have had much to do with India in the past, gained focus on the issues, which drive the Indo-US relationship. Economics, trade and commerce rightfully dominated the discourse. The briefs he would have received would allow him to realise how significant a country of 1.25 billion can be for the US if the relationship is allowed to thrive on a natural course sans unnecessary impediments. Security was the other important element of the talks. Three areas were mentioned. First was the cooperation to fight global terror, activism and radicalism. Second was the desire to see India as a close partner in the security of the Indo-Pacific region; reference to the upcoming maritime exercise in which the US, India and Japan will participate. The last was cooperation on Afghanistan. Perhaps, one should not expect any major specifics from this summit. It was the reiteration of the mutual importance of both nations that was more important with a chance for both the leaders to get to know each other. Personal equations in such relationships matter and Modi is known for his ability to establish those. The significant aspect which must not be lost is the broad understanding that President Trump would have gained that the US and Indian vision is almost similar and they need to get over the perception that eithers interest should be gained at the cost of the other. The pre-summit announcement by the US designating Hizbul Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin a global terrorist also gains significance. This serves as an important message with China opposing the branding of JeM chief Masood Azhar as a terrorist by the UN. The real gain from the summit should start showing as the details of discussions emerge. It was always unfair to expect too much from this meeting, but what has been gained is nevertheless significant for the current times. Lt Gen (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain Former Commander, Srinagar-based 15 Corps atahasnain@gmail.com
By PTI

PANAJI: Social activist Aires Rodrigues today filed a complaint with authorities against the alleged illegal and unauthorised public meeting organised by the BJP on the Dabolim Airport premises which was addressed by the party's president Amit Shah.

The BJP has, however, denied the charge and said the event was held outside the airport premises and all required permissions to host it were taken.

In the complaint addressed to the Secretary of Ministry of Civil Aviation, Chief Secretary of Goa and the Director General of Police, Rodrigues sought that an FIR be registered against the organisers of the event besides Shah and all other dignitaries present at the meeting yesterday.

"They cannot now claim to be ignorant of the legal provisions," he said in the complaint, a copy of which was made available to the media here.

Rodrigues, who is also an advocate, claimed that probably for the first time ever in the history of the country, a public meeting was organised in the high-security precincts of an airport.

He alleged that Shah was allowed to to address party workers within the airport premises in total violation of law.

Stating that the Goa civilian airport functions within the Naval air base and is a Defence establishment, he added a carpeted podium, chairs for dignitaries and sound system were all set up at the entrance of the airport terminal.

"Shah had arrived at 11.15 AM and addressed the public meeting with the airport and police officials conveniently looking the other way while the law was being blatantly breached," he alleged.

He claimed the event, which was held in "complete and gross abuse of power", was attended by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Union Minister Sripad Naik, Goa BJP Chief Vinay Tendulkar, Ministers and MLAs besides hundreds of people who were "herded" to the airport.

Rodrigues claimed the event also caused inconvenience to travellers. Also, the airport being considered a security installation, no public meeting could have been held there and it amounted to a violation of the other enactments covering vital installations like airports, he said.

Rodrigues has sought an immediate inquiry to ascertain which officers allowed the "illegal" public meeting and "stringent" action in accordance with law be taken against them.

When contacted, a BJP leader said all permissions required to host the event were taken.

"As far as my knowledge goes, we have taken all the permissions required to host the function," state panchayat minister and Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho told PTI.

The airport is located in Dabolim constituency.

He said the function was held outside the airport and not inside, as it was made out to be.

"The function was held only for seven minutes and no one was put to inconvenience," Godinho said.

He said the people who had come for the function had parked their vehicles far away and no one was put to inconvenience.

PANAJI: Social activist Aires Rodrigues today filed a complaint with authorities against the alleged illegal and unauthorised public meeting organised by the BJP on the Dabolim Airport premises which was addressed by the party's president Amit Shah. The BJP has, however, denied the charge and said the event was held outside the airport premises and all required permissions to host it were taken. In the complaint addressed to the Secretary of Ministry of Civil Aviation, Chief Secretary of Goa and the Director General of Police, Rodrigues sought that an FIR be registered against the organisers of the event besides Shah and all other dignitaries present at the meeting yesterday. "They cannot now claim to be ignorant of the legal provisions," he said in the complaint, a copy of which was made available to the media here. Rodrigues, who is also an advocate, claimed that probably for the first time ever in the history of the country, a public meeting was organised in the high-security precincts of an airport. He alleged that Shah was allowed to to address party workers within the airport premises in total violation of law. Stating that the Goa civilian airport functions within the Naval air base and is a Defence establishment, he added a carpeted podium, chairs for dignitaries and sound system were all set up at the entrance of the airport terminal. "Shah had arrived at 11.15 AM and addressed the public meeting with the airport and police officials conveniently looking the other way while the law was being blatantly breached," he alleged. He claimed the event, which was held in "complete and gross abuse of power", was attended by Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, Union Minister Sripad Naik, Goa BJP Chief Vinay Tendulkar, Ministers and MLAs besides hundreds of people who were "herded" to the airport. Rodrigues claimed the event also caused inconvenience to travellers. Also, the airport being considered a security installation, no public meeting could have been held there and it amounted to a violation of the other enactments covering vital installations like airports, he said. Rodrigues has sought an immediate inquiry to ascertain which officers allowed the "illegal" public meeting and "stringent" action in accordance with law be taken against them. When contacted, a BJP leader said all permissions required to host the event were taken. "As far as my knowledge goes, we have taken all the permissions required to host the function," state panchayat minister and Dabolim MLA Mauvin Godinho told PTI. The airport is located in Dabolim constituency. He said the function was held outside the airport and not inside, as it was made out to be. "The function was held only for seven minutes and no one was put to inconvenience," Godinho said. He said the people who had come for the function had parked their vehicles far away and no one was put to inconvenience.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Congress today hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah and said it was high time they took "corrective action" against the mob frenzy and lynching incidents across the country, which President Pranab Mukherjee had rightly flagged.

"It is high time the BJP government takes note of this widespread mob frenzy and lynching incidents, rightly flagged by the President of India and Congress president.

"Instead of falsification, lies and distortion, without any facts or numbers, the BJP would do better to take note of the anger which is engulfing the citizens of India against the vigilantism by their own partymen," said Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

He said three years had passed since the BJP came to power at the Centre and "we have seen enough of platitudes, speeches and alibis, it is time for some corrective action".

Hitting out at Shah, the Congress leader said even the president had shown the "mirror of truth" to the BJP on the growing incidents of "mob frenzy" which had become "irrational, uncontrollable" and had tacit protection and support of the government, yet the BJP chief had resorted to "falsehood and utter brazenness".

Shah, he said, instead of listening to the "conscience keeper of the nation", had "most shamelessly chosen to ignore the reality of a bizarre yet concerted 'Lynching Movement', which the government had overtly supported and encouraged in the last few months".

Surjewala also asked Shah whether it was not a fact that more than 50 cases of lynching and mob justice had taken place in the country in the three years of the BJP rule.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about a new India. Is this the new India his party wants to create, where ruthless mobs take the law in their own hands and hapless people are lynched and beaten to death?," he asked.

Surjewala alleged that the Sangh Parivar organisations "associated with the BJP", including the Bajrang Dal and the VHP, had actively been "instrumental" in many of these dastardly acts. "Why has no action been taken against them?," he asked.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, recently at the Sabarmati Ashram, said vigilante justice in the name of Gau Raksha (cow protection) was completely unacceptable. He had made a similar statement in August last year. But, nothing seems to have changed.

"Why doesn't the voice of Modi, who sheds crocodile tears occasionally (for public consumption) by invoking Gandhiji and Vinoba Bhave, never reach the vigilante, nor is the rule of law and Constitution upheld to punish them?," he asked.

Surjewala said Nityanand Mahato, the media in-charge of the BJP's Ramgarh unit in Jharkhand, was arrested by the police yesterday over an incident of mob lynching of a man which was reported from the eastern state last week.

Mahato, he alleged, had instigated the mob and added that a video of the incident not only showed that the BJP leader was present at the spot, but that he dragged the deceased, Alimuddin Ansari, out of his vehicle.

"As he (Mahato) kept watching, the mob thrashed Ansari mercilessly," he alleged quoting the Jharkhand Police.

"Will Shri Amit Shah blame the Congress-UPA for the merciless death of these individuals, in which his own partymen are involved?," the Congress spokesperson asked.

He claimed that such incidents of mob lynching had occurred in "every BJP-ruled state".

"Rumours are spread by the vested interests to mobilise the mobs, who then are encouraged to attack their targets with a state-aided licence to kill," alleged the Congress spokesperson.

Surjewala said Modi and Amit Shah must had taken note of the nationwide protests launched by the citizens and civil society groups, which had once again "shaken the conscience"

of the nation.

NEW DELHI: The Congress today hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah and said it was high time they took "corrective action" against the mob frenzy and lynching incidents across the country, which President Pranab Mukherjee had rightly flagged. "It is high time the BJP government takes note of this widespread mob frenzy and lynching incidents, rightly flagged by the President of India and Congress president. "Instead of falsification, lies and distortion, without any facts or numbers, the BJP would do better to take note of the anger which is engulfing the citizens of India against the vigilantism by their own partymen," said Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. He said three years had passed since the BJP came to power at the Centre and "we have seen enough of platitudes, speeches and alibis, it is time for some corrective action". Hitting out at Shah, the Congress leader said even the president had shown the "mirror of truth" to the BJP on the growing incidents of "mob frenzy" which had become "irrational, uncontrollable" and had tacit protection and support of the government, yet the BJP chief had resorted to "falsehood and utter brazenness". Shah, he said, instead of listening to the "conscience keeper of the nation", had "most shamelessly chosen to ignore the reality of a bizarre yet concerted 'Lynching Movement', which the government had overtly supported and encouraged in the last few months". Surjewala also asked Shah whether it was not a fact that more than 50 cases of lynching and mob justice had taken place in the country in the three years of the BJP rule. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about a new India. Is this the new India his party wants to create, where ruthless mobs take the law in their own hands and hapless people are lynched and beaten to death?," he asked. Surjewala alleged that the Sangh Parivar organisations "associated with the BJP", including the Bajrang Dal and the VHP, had actively been "instrumental" in many of these dastardly acts. "Why has no action been taken against them?," he asked. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, recently at the Sabarmati Ashram, said vigilante justice in the name of Gau Raksha (cow protection) was completely unacceptable. He had made a similar statement in August last year. But, nothing seems to have changed. "Why doesn't the voice of Modi, who sheds crocodile tears occasionally (for public consumption) by invoking Gandhiji and Vinoba Bhave, never reach the vigilante, nor is the rule of law and Constitution upheld to punish them?," he asked. Surjewala said Nityanand Mahato, the media in-charge of the BJP's Ramgarh unit in Jharkhand, was arrested by the police yesterday over an incident of mob lynching of a man which was reported from the eastern state last week. Mahato, he alleged, had instigated the mob and added that a video of the incident not only showed that the BJP leader was present at the spot, but that he dragged the deceased, Alimuddin Ansari, out of his vehicle. "As he (Mahato) kept watching, the mob thrashed Ansari mercilessly," he alleged quoting the Jharkhand Police. "Will Shri Amit Shah blame the Congress-UPA for the merciless death of these individuals, in which his own partymen are involved?," the Congress spokesperson asked. He claimed that such incidents of mob lynching had occurred in "every BJP-ruled state". "Rumours are spread by the vested interests to mobilise the mobs, who then are encouraged to attack their targets with a state-aided licence to kill," alleged the Congress spokesperson. Surjewala said Modi and Amit Shah must had taken note of the nationwide protests launched by the citizens and civil society groups, which had once again "shaken the conscience" of the nation.
By Express News Service

Muslims were the target of 51 per cent of violence centred on bovine issues between 2010 to 2017 and comprised 86% of 28 Indians killed in 63 incidents, according to an IndiaSpend content analysis of the English media. As many as 124 people were also injured in these attacks.

As many of 97 per cent of these attacks were reported after Prime Minister Narendra Modis government came to power in May 2014, and about half the cow-related violence was from states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) when the attacks were reported, revealed an analysis of violence recorded until June 25, 2017.

National or state crime data does not distinguish general violence from cow-related attacks and lynchings; and the IndiaSpend database is the first such statistical perspective to a growing national debate over such violence.

In the first six months of 2017, 20 cow-terror attacks were reported more than 75 per cent of the 2016 figure, which was the worst year for such violence since 2010.

The attacks, sometimes collectively referred to as gautankwad  a portmanteau of the Hindi words for cow and terrorism on social media include mob lynchings by vigilantes, murder and attempt to murder, harassment, assault and gang-rape. In two attacks, the victims/survivors were chained, stripped and beaten, while in two others, the victims were hanged.

While 32 of 63 cases were from states governed by the BJP at the time; eight were run by the Congress, and the rest by other parties, including the Samajwadi Party (Uttar Pradesh), Peoples Democratic Party (Jammu & Kashmir) and Aam Aadmi Party (New Delhi).

Police officers and onlookers were injured in eight per cent (5) of the attacks; and 27 per cent of those targeted were women. The searches were carried out in English media, but a quick assessment showed Hindi media also reported the same incidents.

Of the 63 attacks over eight years, 61 (96.8 per cent) occurred after Modis government came to power (2014-2017), with the year 2016 reporting the most attacks: 25. In the first six months of 2017, 20 attacks were reported more than 75 per cent than 2016. In 23 attacks, the attackers were mobs or groups of people who belonged to Hindu groups, such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and local Gau Rakshak Samitis.

In January 2016, Maharashtra amended its 2015 beef ban lawbanning people from possessing the meat of cows, bulls and bullocks, slaughtered within or outside the state. However, serving beef in restaurants across the state was allowed. Two cow-terrorism attacks were reported from the state, Indias richest by gross domestic product, in 2017.

On May 30, 2017, a PhD scholar in the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, was at one of the vegetarian messes on campus, when he was attackedallegedly for eating beef. While an FIR was lodged against the attacker, the scholar was also booked on a complaint by the attacker.

Muslims were the target of 51 per cent of violence centred on bovine issues between 2010 to 2017 and comprised 86% of 28 Indians killed in 63 incidents, according to an IndiaSpend content analysis of the English media. As many as 124 people were also injured in these attacks. As many of 97 per cent of these attacks were reported after Prime Minister Narendra Modis government came to power in May 2014, and about half the cow-related violence was from states governed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) when the attacks were reported, revealed an analysis of violence recorded until June 25, 2017. National or state crime data does not distinguish general violence from cow-related attacks and lynchings; and the IndiaSpend database is the first such statistical perspective to a growing national debate over such violence. In the first six months of 2017, 20 cow-terror attacks were reported more than 75 per cent of the 2016 figure, which was the worst year for such violence since 2010. The attacks, sometimes collectively referred to as gautankwad  a portmanteau of the Hindi words for cow and terrorism on social media include mob lynchings by vigilantes, murder and attempt to murder, harassment, assault and gang-rape. In two attacks, the victims/survivors were chained, stripped and beaten, while in two others, the victims were hanged. While 32 of 63 cases were from states governed by the BJP at the time; eight were run by the Congress, and the rest by other parties, including the Samajwadi Party (Uttar Pradesh), Peoples Democratic Party (Jammu & Kashmir) and Aam Aadmi Party (New Delhi). Police officers and onlookers were injured in eight per cent (5) of the attacks; and 27 per cent of those targeted were women. The searches were carried out in English media, but a quick assessment showed Hindi media also reported the same incidents. Of the 63 attacks over eight years, 61 (96.8 per cent) occurred after Modis government came to power (2014-2017), with the year 2016 reporting the most attacks: 25. In the first six months of 2017, 20 attacks were reported more than 75 per cent than 2016. In 23 attacks, the attackers were mobs or groups of people who belonged to Hindu groups, such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal and local Gau Rakshak Samitis. In January 2016, Maharashtra amended its 2015 beef ban lawbanning people from possessing the meat of cows, bulls and bullocks, slaughtered within or outside the state. However, serving beef in restaurants across the state was allowed. Two cow-terrorism attacks were reported from the state, Indias richest by gross domestic product, in 2017. On May 30, 2017, a PhD scholar in the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, was at one of the vegetarian messes on campus, when he was attackedallegedly for eating beef. While an FIR was lodged against the attacker, the scholar was also booked on a complaint by the attacker.
The Department of Atomic Energy is getting ready, Indian nuclear scientists are in the final throes of starting a high-tech giant stove.

By Press Trust of India: Hidden from public, on the shores of the Bay of Bengal at Kalpakkam near Chennai, Indian nuclear scientists are in the final throes of starting a high-tech giant stove more than 15 years in the making.

This novel nuclear reactor is a kind of an 'akshaya patra', the mythical goblet with a never-ending supply of food.

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The Department of Atomic Energy is getting ready to commission its ultra-modern indigenously designed and locally mastered fast breeder reactor.

Experts say to make nuclear energy sustainable, one sure shot way is to make fast breeder reactors mainstream.

Yukiya Amano, Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, says "fast reactors can help extract up to 70 per cent more energy than traditional reactors and are safer than traditional reactors while reducing long lived radioactive waste by several fold."

Easier said than done, since these reactors are also notoriously unstable and hence difficult to run reliably over long periods.

Called a 'Fast Breeder Reactor', these are a special kind of nuclear reactors that generate more atomic fuel than they consume as they work.

India has been running an experimental facility called a Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) now for 27 years.

This is a small nuclear reactor a forerunner for the monster that India has constructed at Kalpakkam called the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). This will generate electricity commercially using the fast breeder route.

The world's only commercially operating fast breeder reactor is situated in the Ural Mountains of Russia at the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant, not far from Russia's fourth largest city Yekateringburg.

RUSSIANS THE GLOBAL LEADERS

The Russians today are the global leaders in fast breeder reactors having operated a fast breeder reactor called BN 600 since 1980.

In 2016, the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom commercially commissioned its big brother -- the BN 800 fast breeder reactor.

This reactor produces about 800 MW of electricity and supplies it to the Ural region including the city of Yekateringburg.

While electricity that is produced is no different than any other electricity but the global community of atomic boffins is suitably chuffed about this unique achievement.

M Chudakov, now with the IAEA and well-known Russian fast breeder expert, calls "these reactors a bridge to the future as they can supply an almost unlimited supply of electricity".

All eyes are now on southern India where another global nuclear milestone is likely to be crossed this year.

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Arun Kumar Bhaduri, Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam says, "fast breeder reactors are far safer than the current generation of nuclear plants and that all efforts are being made to kickstart within this year India's first commercial fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam."

Such is the interest in fast breeder reactors that more than 700 of the best atomic scientists from over 30 countries gathered at Yekateringburg in IAEA's conference on the 'next generation nuclear systems for sustainable development'. The scientists deliberated on how to make nuclear energy last for several centuries.

Given India's expertise, the co-chair of the conference was Suresh Chetal, one of the early pioneers of fast breeder reactors who helped tame fast breeder reactors for New Delhi when he was at the IGCAR.

Many countries have dabbled with fast breeder reactors and have given up, first off the block was the US but it gave up since inherently American governments have an allergic response with re-processing of nuclear waste in addition since USA has enough supplies of fissile material there is no hunger to maximally extract energy from uranium.

Japan and France both had robust programs with fast breeder technology but repeated failure to safely handle liquid sodium forced them to more or less give up on fast reactors.

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China is more than a decade behind India in trying to master this complex beast

FAST BREEDER REACTORS

Russia invested heavily in developing the fast breeder technology but since it commissioned its first fast breeder reactor BN 600 in 1980 it suffered an economic meltdown as the former Soviet Union broke up and only recently Russia could gather enough resources to complete its upgraded fast breeder reactor BN 800.

Today the BN 800 is a flagship reactor that uses both uranium and plutonium as fuel and generates electricity that is supplied to the grid. A visit to the facility reveals a squeaky clean reactor where seasoned operators like Ivan Sidrow are also experimenters as they go about trying to design a bigger 1200 MW fast breeder reactor.

India's own PFBR is unique and rather different from the Russian fast breeder reactor though both use the same basic principle of physics.

WHY FASTER BREEDER

Fast breeder reactors are called such not because they run faster but because the neutrons that sustain the atomic chain reaction travel at a much higher velocity than neutrons that help run the traditional atomic plants.

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These are called breeders as they generate more fuel than they consume a fact hard to fathom since they seem to defy the laws of conservation of energy.

But a very unique quirk of elemental uranium makes this possible.

Nuclear reactors use a flavour of uranium called U-235 which unfortunately constitutes a minuscule quantity even in super purified uranium.

The larger component is what is called U-238 this flavour is the bulk but is essentially a waste product as the atomic reaction cannot be sustained by this elemental flavour.

In a fast breeder reactor the very special fast neutrons interact with the so called wasted uranium U-238 and converts it into a valuable resource. This is why fast breeders are akin to an 'akshaya patra'.

India's fast breeder reactor is even more unique as within it the country also deploys special rods of thorium which when they get exposed to or irradiated by fast neutrons they generate U-233 and a normally benign thorium turns into a valuable atomic material.

It is well known that India is very energy hungry and as economic growth takes place mega quantities of electricity will be required.

Unfortunately, nature has not been bountiful on India as the Indian land mass is not endowed with enough uranium but on the other hand the country has the world's second largest store of thorium.

Today the country in a well thought out strategy is mastering fast breeder reactors that can be an effective via media for utilising the vast thorium reserves.

ALSO READ:

Trump government would like Westinghouse nuclear deal with India to go forward: Official

NSG membership: Why India must not beg of China and look beyond nuclear energy

ALSO WATCH:

Man arrested for taking photos of Kalpakkam atomic power station

--- ENDS ---
By PTI

NEW DELHI: India has pushed in more troops in a "non-combative mode" to strengthen its position in an area near Sikkim, where its soldiers have been locked in a standoff with Chinese troops for almost a month now in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962.

India brought in more troops after the destruction of two of its bunkers and "aggressive tactics" adopted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), sources said.

In a "non- combative mode", the nozzle of a gun is placed downwards.

Giving details for the first time about the events that preceded the face off between the two armies, the sources said the PLA on June 1 asked the Indian Army to remove the two bunkers set up in 2012 at Lalten in Doka La, which falls in the vicinity of Chumbi Valley at the corner of India-Bhutan- Tibet tri-junction.

The Indian Army, which had been patrolling this area for many years, decided in 2012 that two bunkers would be positioned there as a backup option, besides providing security to the Bhutan-China border.

The Indian Army forward positions informed Sukna-based 33 Corps Headquarter in North Bengal about the Chinese warnings on the bunkers, the sources said.

However, during the night of June 6, two Chinese bulldozers destroyed the bunkers, claiming that the area belonged to China and that India or Bhutan had no right over it, the sources said.

Indian troops on the ground prevented the Chinese men and machines from doing any further damage or transgressing into the area, they said.

Additional forces from nearby brigade headquarters, located 20 km from the face off point, were moved in on June 8 during which a scuffle led to soldiers on both sides suffering minor injuries.

PLA troops were rushed in from its 141 division located in the area, prompting the Indian Army to also strengthen its position.

This is the longest standoff between the two armies since 1962. The last one, which carried on for 21 days, occurred at Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh division of Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when Chinese troops entered 30 km into Indian territory till the Depsang Plains and claimed it to be a part of its Xinjiang province.

They were, however, pushed back. Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state which has a demarcated border with China. The lines are based on a treaty signed with the Chinese in 1898.

After the India-China war of 1962, the area where the Indian troops are stationed was placed under the Indian Army and the ITBP, which is the border guarding force and has a camp 15 km from the international border.

As the scuffle broke out between the two sides, the Indian Army rushed an officer of the Major General rank to the area and a flag meeting was sought with the Chinese counterparts.

China rejected two such requests from the Indian side, but accepted the third call for a meeting, where it asked the Indian Army to withdraw its troops from the Lalten area, which falls in Doka La. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it to be part of its Donglang region.

As a fallout of the standoff, the Chinese refused to allow the first batch of 47 pilgrims, who were to conduct the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, into Tibet. They also conveyed to the Indian side that visas of another batch of 50 yatris had also been cancelled, the sources said, describing the move as an indication of "increased tempers" in Beijing.

The Sikkim route to Mansarovar, which is in Tibet, was opened in 2015, enabling pilgrims to travel the 1500-km long route from Nathu La to Kailash by buses. It is not the first time that such a transgression has happened at Doka La. The Chinese forces had in November 2008 destroyed some makeshift Indian army bunkers there.

Defence experts believe China wants to exert its dominance over the Chumbi Valley, which is a part of the southern reaches of Tibet.

By claiming the Doka La area, Beijing wants to maximise its geographical advantage so that it can monitor all movements along the India-Bhutan border. China has also increased diplomatic pressure on India and lodged a protest over the alleged "crossing of boundary" by Indian troops in the Sikkim section.

They demanded their immediate withdrawal, as Beijing warned that future visits of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar would depend on the resolution of the standoff. "Our position to uphold our territorial sovereignty is unwavering. We hope the Indian side can work with China in the same direction and immediately withdraw the personnel who have overstepped and trespassed into Chinese border," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang had told the media in Beijing last week.

People's Liberation Army spokesman Col Wu Qian also spoke a tough language while making a reference to the 1962 Sino- India conflict, saying that New Delhi should "learn historical lessons". Qian described Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's remarks that India was ready for a "two-and-a-half front war" as "extremely irresponsible" and asked him to "stop clamouring for war".

Rawat had said India was prepared for security threats posed by China, Pakistan as well as by internal threats. "Such rhetoric is extremely irresponsible. We hope that the particular person in the Indian Army could learn from historical lessons and stop such clamouring for war," he had said.

The Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, made New Delhi's stand clear when he said the India of 2017 was different from that of 1962. "If they are trying to remind us, the situation in 1962 was different and the India of 2017 is different," Jaitley had said when asked about China's warning.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.

NEW DELHI: India has pushed in more troops in a "non-combative mode" to strengthen its position in an area near Sikkim, where its soldiers have been locked in a standoff with Chinese troops for almost a month now in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962. India brought in more troops after the destruction of two of its bunkers and "aggressive tactics" adopted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), sources said. In a "non- combative mode", the nozzle of a gun is placed downwards. Giving details for the first time about the events that preceded the face off between the two armies, the sources said the PLA on June 1 asked the Indian Army to remove the two bunkers set up in 2012 at Lalten in Doka La, which falls in the vicinity of Chumbi Valley at the corner of India-Bhutan- Tibet tri-junction. The Indian Army, which had been patrolling this area for many years, decided in 2012 that two bunkers would be positioned there as a backup option, besides providing security to the Bhutan-China border. The Indian Army forward positions informed Sukna-based 33 Corps Headquarter in North Bengal about the Chinese warnings on the bunkers, the sources said. However, during the night of June 6, two Chinese bulldozers destroyed the bunkers, claiming that the area belonged to China and that India or Bhutan had no right over it, the sources said. Indian troops on the ground prevented the Chinese men and machines from doing any further damage or transgressing into the area, they said. Additional forces from nearby brigade headquarters, located 20 km from the face off point, were moved in on June 8 during which a scuffle led to soldiers on both sides suffering minor injuries. PLA troops were rushed in from its 141 division located in the area, prompting the Indian Army to also strengthen its position. This is the longest standoff between the two armies since 1962. The last one, which carried on for 21 days, occurred at Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh division of Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when Chinese troops entered 30 km into Indian territory till the Depsang Plains and claimed it to be a part of its Xinjiang province. They were, however, pushed back. Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state which has a demarcated border with China. The lines are based on a treaty signed with the Chinese in 1898. After the India-China war of 1962, the area where the Indian troops are stationed was placed under the Indian Army and the ITBP, which is the border guarding force and has a camp 15 km from the international border. As the scuffle broke out between the two sides, the Indian Army rushed an officer of the Major General rank to the area and a flag meeting was sought with the Chinese counterparts. China rejected two such requests from the Indian side, but accepted the third call for a meeting, where it asked the Indian Army to withdraw its troops from the Lalten area, which falls in Doka La. Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it to be part of its Donglang region. As a fallout of the standoff, the Chinese refused to allow the first batch of 47 pilgrims, who were to conduct the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, into Tibet. They also conveyed to the Indian side that visas of another batch of 50 yatris had also been cancelled, the sources said, describing the move as an indication of "increased tempers" in Beijing. The Sikkim route to Mansarovar, which is in Tibet, was opened in 2015, enabling pilgrims to travel the 1500-km long route from Nathu La to Kailash by buses. It is not the first time that such a transgression has happened at Doka La. The Chinese forces had in November 2008 destroyed some makeshift Indian army bunkers there. Defence experts believe China wants to exert its dominance over the Chumbi Valley, which is a part of the southern reaches of Tibet. By claiming the Doka La area, Beijing wants to maximise its geographical advantage so that it can monitor all movements along the India-Bhutan border. China has also increased diplomatic pressure on India and lodged a protest over the alleged "crossing of boundary" by Indian troops in the Sikkim section. They demanded their immediate withdrawal, as Beijing warned that future visits of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar would depend on the resolution of the standoff. "Our position to uphold our territorial sovereignty is unwavering. We hope the Indian side can work with China in the same direction and immediately withdraw the personnel who have overstepped and trespassed into Chinese border," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang had told the media in Beijing last week. People's Liberation Army spokesman Col Wu Qian also spoke a tough language while making a reference to the 1962 Sino- India conflict, saying that New Delhi should "learn historical lessons". Qian described Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's remarks that India was ready for a "two-and-a-half front war" as "extremely irresponsible" and asked him to "stop clamouring for war". Rawat had said India was prepared for security threats posed by China, Pakistan as well as by internal threats. "Such rhetoric is extremely irresponsible. We hope that the particular person in the Indian Army could learn from historical lessons and stop such clamouring for war," he had said. The Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, made New Delhi's stand clear when he said the India of 2017 was different from that of 1962. "If they are trying to remind us, the situation in 1962 was different and the India of 2017 is different," Jaitley had said when asked about China's warning. Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.
By PTI

PANAJI: BJP president Amit Shah has said that more incidents of lynching had occurred during the previous governments than during the three years of NDA rule, but no one had raised questions then. "I do not want to compare and undermine the current incidents of lynching. I am also serious about it.

But there have been more lynching incidents in 2011, 2012 and 2013," Shah told a gathering of professionals in Goa last evening. "There have been more lynchings each year in the past, compared to the total lynching incidents that have happened during our three-year-long tenure," the BJP leader said.

The BJP-led government came to power at the Centre in May 2014. Responding to a question about fears over the lynching incidents, he said there was no apprehension anywhere in the country. "Do you know of any such incident where arrests have not been made? I do not have any answer to apprehensions. There is no apprehension anywhere in the country," he said.

Maintaining that law and order was a state subject, Shah said when Mohammad Akhlaq died, the Samajwadi Party-led government was in power in Uttar Pradesh, and it was its responsibility. "But protests are held in Delhi in front of the Narendra Modi government. What is this fashion," he asked.

In September 2015, Akhlaq was dragged out of his house and killed by a mob at Dadri in UP on suspicion of storing and consuming beef. Following several such lynching incidents, including those in Jharkhand, Haryana and UP, protests were held late last month at several cities across the country.

PANAJI: BJP president Amit Shah has said that more incidents of lynching had occurred during the previous governments than during the three years of NDA rule, but no one had raised questions then. "I do not want to compare and undermine the current incidents of lynching. I am also serious about it. But there have been more lynching incidents in 2011, 2012 and 2013," Shah told a gathering of professionals in Goa last evening. "There have been more lynchings each year in the past, compared to the total lynching incidents that have happened during our three-year-long tenure," the BJP leader said. The BJP-led government came to power at the Centre in May 2014. Responding to a question about fears over the lynching incidents, he said there was no apprehension anywhere in the country. "Do you know of any such incident where arrests have not been made? I do not have any answer to apprehensions. There is no apprehension anywhere in the country," he said. Maintaining that law and order was a state subject, Shah said when Mohammad Akhlaq died, the Samajwadi Party-led government was in power in Uttar Pradesh, and it was its responsibility. "But protests are held in Delhi in front of the Narendra Modi government. What is this fashion," he asked. In September 2015, Akhlaq was dragged out of his house and killed by a mob at Dadri in UP on suspicion of storing and consuming beef. Following several such lynching incidents, including those in Jharkhand, Haryana and UP, protests were held late last month at several cities across the country.
By PTI

PANAJI/NEW DELHI: Under attack over mobs killing those suspected of cow slaughter or eating beef, BJP chief Amit Shah has termed such incidents as "serious", but claimed more of these happened under the previous governments than the three years of NDA rule.

The BJP's president's claim provoked a sharp counteroffensive from the Congress whose spokesman Randeep Surjewala accused the Modi government of "overtly" supporting the "lynching movement".

Shah also insisted there was "no apprehension or fear" anywhere in the country in the aftermath of such incidents.

"I do not want to compare and undermine the current incidents of lynching. I am also serious about it. But there have been more lynching incidents in 2011, 2012 and 2013,"

Shah told a gathering of professionals in Goa last evening.

"There have been more lynchings each year in the past, compared to the total lynching incidents that have happened during our three-year-long tenure," the BJP leader said, without elaborating.

"Do you know of any such incident where arrests have not been made? I do not have any answer to apprehensions. There is no apprehension anywhere in the country," he said, responding to a question about whether an environment of fear prevailed after mobs beat up people over alleged cow slaughter or beef consumption, often leading to their death.

Reacting sharply to Shah's accusation, the Congress party whose government preceded Modi's, alleged these incidents had "tacit protection and support" of the BJP dispensation.

Surjewala said despite President Pranab Mukherjee showing the "mirror of truth" to the BJP government on incidents of "mob frenzy that have become irrational and uncontrollable"

Shah has chosen to ignore it.

"Instead of listening to the conscience keeper of the nation Shah has most shamelessly chosen to ignore the reality of a bizzare yet concerted lynching movement which the government has overtly supported and encouraged in the last few months," Surjewala said in a statement.

"Will Amit Shahji respond to 52 mob violence/lynchings in past 3 years of BJP Govt?what action was taken?" he said in a tweet.

"Mob frenzy & lynching has become the rule under BJP Govt's watch. Corrective action, not falsification is the way Amit Shahji," he said in another tweet.

Mukherjee has yesterday asked people to be vigilant against the rising trend of mob lynchings which needed to be checked.

"We will have to pause and ponder over, and reflect, when we read in newspapers that an individual is being lynched because of some alleged violation of law or not. When mob frenzy becomes so hard and irrational, uncontrollable, we are to pause and reflect 'are you vigilant enough'?" Mukherjee had said.

Noting that law and order was a state subject, Shah said when Mohammad Akhlaq was beaten to death at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh in September 2015 over suspicion of storing and consuming beef, the state had a Samajwadi Party government and it was its responsibility to prevent the incident.

"But protests were held in Delhi in front of the Narendra Modi government. What is this fashion?" he asked.

A string of such incidents have been reported from several states including BJP-rule Jharkhand, Haryana and UP, shocking the nation and prompting protests.

Recently, a 15-year-old boy Junaid Khan was stabbed to death by a group of men on a train when he was returning home to Haryana's Ballabh district after shopping for Eid. Junaid bled to death after a heated argument over seats turned violent. His assailants allegedly accused Junaid, his brother and friends of being beef eaters.

In Jharkhand's Ramgarh, a Muslim meat trader was beaten to death on Thursday by cow vigilantes who alleged he was carrying beef in his vehicle. Nityanand Mahto, a local BJP leader is among those arrested in connection with the incident.

PANAJI/NEW DELHI: Under attack over mobs killing those suspected of cow slaughter or eating beef, BJP chief Amit Shah has termed such incidents as "serious", but claimed more of these happened under the previous governments than the three years of NDA rule. The BJP's president's claim provoked a sharp counteroffensive from the Congress whose spokesman Randeep Surjewala accused the Modi government of "overtly" supporting the "lynching movement". Shah also insisted there was "no apprehension or fear" anywhere in the country in the aftermath of such incidents. "I do not want to compare and undermine the current incidents of lynching. I am also serious about it. But there have been more lynching incidents in 2011, 2012 and 2013," Shah told a gathering of professionals in Goa last evening. "There have been more lynchings each year in the past, compared to the total lynching incidents that have happened during our three-year-long tenure," the BJP leader said, without elaborating. "Do you know of any such incident where arrests have not been made? I do not have any answer to apprehensions. There is no apprehension anywhere in the country," he said, responding to a question about whether an environment of fear prevailed after mobs beat up people over alleged cow slaughter or beef consumption, often leading to their death. Reacting sharply to Shah's accusation, the Congress party whose government preceded Modi's, alleged these incidents had "tacit protection and support" of the BJP dispensation. Surjewala said despite President Pranab Mukherjee showing the "mirror of truth" to the BJP government on incidents of "mob frenzy that have become irrational and uncontrollable" Shah has chosen to ignore it. "Instead of listening to the conscience keeper of the nation Shah has most shamelessly chosen to ignore the reality of a bizzare yet concerted lynching movement which the government has overtly supported and encouraged in the last few months," Surjewala said in a statement. "Will Amit Shahji respond to 52 mob violence/lynchings in past 3 years of BJP Govt?what action was taken?" he said in a tweet. "Mob frenzy & lynching has become the rule under BJP Govt's watch. Corrective action, not falsification is the way Amit Shahji," he said in another tweet. Mukherjee has yesterday asked people to be vigilant against the rising trend of mob lynchings which needed to be checked. "We will have to pause and ponder over, and reflect, when we read in newspapers that an individual is being lynched because of some alleged violation of law or not. When mob frenzy becomes so hard and irrational, uncontrollable, we are to pause and reflect 'are you vigilant enough'?" Mukherjee had said. Noting that law and order was a state subject, Shah said when Mohammad Akhlaq was beaten to death at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh in September 2015 over suspicion of storing and consuming beef, the state had a Samajwadi Party government and it was its responsibility to prevent the incident. "But protests were held in Delhi in front of the Narendra Modi government. What is this fashion?" he asked. A string of such incidents have been reported from several states including BJP-rule Jharkhand, Haryana and UP, shocking the nation and prompting protests. Recently, a 15-year-old boy Junaid Khan was stabbed to death by a group of men on a train when he was returning home to Haryana's Ballabh district after shopping for Eid. Junaid bled to death after a heated argument over seats turned violent. His assailants allegedly accused Junaid, his brother and friends of being beef eaters. In Jharkhand's Ramgarh, a Muslim meat trader was beaten to death on Thursday by cow vigilantes who alleged he was carrying beef in his vehicle. Nityanand Mahto, a local BJP leader is among those arrested in connection with the incident.
Ravi Shankar By

Is gau rakshakji at home?

No, he is out for lynch.

Or so the joke goes. Only, its not funny.

At Sabarmati ashram last week, where the Mahatma spun the revolution of Indias freedom, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat at a charkha to spin yet another pattern in Indias development story on the eve of GST. A pattern that is now being stained with the blood of innocents in the name of the animal, which Gandhi believed was most innocent of all. He wrote, I would not kill a human being for protecting a cow, as I will not kill a cow for saving a human life, be it ever so precious.

In Sabarmati, Modi explained this dialectic of mercy saying, No one spoke about protecting cows more than Mahatma Gandhi and Acharya Vinoba Bhave. Yes. It should be done. But killing people in the name of Gau Bhakti is not acceptable... No person in this nation has the right to take the law into his or her own hands.

Of course, he was attacked by secular critics of being too late in speaking out against lynch mobs, just as they were accusing him of not speaking out at all. Well, you cant win em all.

In 1979, I had met Vinoba Bhave at his ashram in Wardha. He was old and ailing, but his intellect had not faded. He saw himself as a Gandhian and a gau rakshak. He told me protecting the cow was synonymous with non-violence. In 1921, Gandhi wrote, Cow protection means the protection of the weak and the helpless... It is a noble sentiment that must grow by patient toil and tapasya.

It is ridiculous to expect noble sentiments or self-sacrifice from vigilantes who lynch at will. As with all ideologies, there are two faces of Hindutva, tooone, the BJPs political inspiration and the other, the lumpen who kills in its name. The BJPs aim is to forge religion as a modern force while cow vigilantes symbolise the banality of evil. They extort money from traders transporting cows. They inflame rural Indians in the hinterland where superstition runs deep to commit arson and murder. They take bribes to frame innocent persons as beef-eaters. They extort drunk fanatics to stab fellow passengersall in the name of the cow.

They do all this because they can. They do not fear the law, because they think they are protected by it, simply because the BJP is ruling the state or has a significant presence. If it brings shame to the parent party, so be it.

In the ancient Indian gestalt, the cow is kamadhenu, the gentle benefactress of eternal plenty. It grants the desires of the pious and the blameless, not of killers.

However, minority politicians such as Azam Khan gives the fringe legitimacy with allegations that Muslim women in Kashmir castrate Indian soldiers, fearing rape. The Bajrang Dal has sued him. He has been booked for sedition.

Azam is known for sending out policemen to search for his missing buffalos. In April, he had returned a cow presented to him by Shankaracharya Swami Adhokshjanand Maharaj fearing defamation as a cow killer. Between a delusional politician like him and murderous cow vigilantes who operate in the name of Hindutva, the cow has become a helpless symbol of strife today. It is important to rescue it from the gau rakshaks to restore sanity to the Hindutva narrative.

Is gau rakshakji at home? No, he is out for lynch. Or so the joke goes. Only, its not funny. At Sabarmati ashram last week, where the Mahatma spun the revolution of Indias freedom, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sat at a charkha to spin yet another pattern in Indias development story on the eve of GST. A pattern that is now being stained with the blood of innocents in the name of the animal, which Gandhi believed was most innocent of all. He wrote, I would not kill a human being for protecting a cow, as I will not kill a cow for saving a human life, be it ever so precious. In Sabarmati, Modi explained this dialectic of mercy saying, No one spoke about protecting cows more than Mahatma Gandhi and Acharya Vinoba Bhave. Yes. It should be done. But killing people in the name of Gau Bhakti is not acceptable... No person in this nation has the right to take the law into his or her own hands. Of course, he was attacked by secular critics of being too late in speaking out against lynch mobs, just as they were accusing him of not speaking out at all. Well, you cant win em all. In 1979, I had met Vinoba Bhave at his ashram in Wardha. He was old and ailing, but his intellect had not faded. He saw himself as a Gandhian and a gau rakshak. He told me protecting the cow was synonymous with non-violence. In 1921, Gandhi wrote, Cow protection means the protection of the weak and the helpless... It is a noble sentiment that must grow by patient toil and tapasya. It is ridiculous to expect noble sentiments or self-sacrifice from vigilantes who lynch at will. As with all ideologies, there are two faces of Hindutva, tooone, the BJPs political inspiration and the other, the lumpen who kills in its name. The BJPs aim is to forge religion as a modern force while cow vigilantes symbolise the banality of evil. They extort money from traders transporting cows. They inflame rural Indians in the hinterland where superstition runs deep to commit arson and murder. They take bribes to frame innocent persons as beef-eaters. They extort drunk fanatics to stab fellow passengersall in the name of the cow. They do all this because they can. They do not fear the law, because they think they are protected by it, simply because the BJP is ruling the state or has a significant presence. If it brings shame to the parent party, so be it. In the ancient Indian gestalt, the cow is kamadhenu, the gentle benefactress of eternal plenty. It grants the desires of the pious and the blameless, not of killers. However, minority politicians such as Azam Khan gives the fringe legitimacy with allegations that Muslim women in Kashmir castrate Indian soldiers, fearing rape. The Bajrang Dal has sued him. He has been booked for sedition. Azam is known for sending out policemen to search for his missing buffalos. In April, he had returned a cow presented to him by Shankaracharya Swami Adhokshjanand Maharaj fearing defamation as a cow killer. Between a delusional politician like him and murderous cow vigilantes who operate in the name of Hindutva, the cow has become a helpless symbol of strife today. It is important to rescue it from the gau rakshaks to restore sanity to the Hindutva narrative.
By PTI

MANGALURU: Activists of three Hindu outfits today staged a protest in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in protest against the hosting of an Iftar get-together and Namaz at Udupi Sri Krishna mutt on June 24 by Pejawar seer Vishweshateertha Swamiji.

Workers of Sri Rama Sene, Hindu Janajagruthi Samiti and Hindu Mahasabha staged the protests in the districts.

Addressing the protesters at Lalbagh here, Hindu Mahasabha state convenor Dharmendra alleged that the seer's action was being used by political parties and there was a conspiracy behind this at a time when state assembly elections are around the corner.

The Swamiji's action had "deeply hurt" the sentiments of Hindus, who were always emotionally attached to the mutt, he said and asked him to step down as head of the mutt as age was catching up with him.

He should also tender an apology for holding the Iftar inside the temple complex, Dharmendra said.

The Hindu Mahasabha leader also wanted to know from the BJP why they were keeping a studied silence on the issue.

"Those who protested when Congress leader Janardhan Poojary held an Iftar at Kudroli temple here a few years back had now become mute spectators," he said.

Sri Rama Sene district secretary Prasad Ujire, who also spoke, said the Iftar had created confusion among members of the Hindu community.

In Udupi, workers of Hindu outfits held the protest in the form a puja before a makeshift idol of Lord Krishna and singing of bhajans in front of the clock tower in the town.

Speaking at the venue, Sri Rama Sene Mangaluru unit secretary Mohan Bhat ridiculed the Youth Congress district leader's statement that they would not allow Sene to protest against the seer and said none should read a political motive behind the protest. The Sene also had no intention to spark communal unrest, he said.

The Swamiji was a guru for the Hindu community and should have avoided hosting the Iftar in mutt premises, he said.

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti convenor Vijay Kumar also spoke.

Police had made tight security arrangements as a precautionary measure at the spots of the protests, which were peaceful in both the places.

On June 24, in a gesture of communal amity, about 150 Muslims broke their Ramzan fast and took part in "Souharda Upahara Koota" (harmony feast) in the complex of Krishna temple for the first time in its history.

They participated in the feast in the dining hall, just outside the main temple, in the event organised by Sri Vishweshateertha Swamiji. After breaking the fast, they performed 'namaz' (prayers).

The seer defended his gesture after it drew flak from Rama Sene, saying it had in no way insulted Hindus.

Sene chief Pramod Muthalik had met the seer on June 25 and announced statewide protests against him by his outfit on July 2.

On June 29, a man was booked for posting "unpleasant and objectionable" remarks on Facebook against the seer for hosting the "harmony feast".

He was booked on a complaint by three persons who were the seer's supporters and members of Pejawar blood donation team, police had said.

MANGALURU: Activists of three Hindu outfits today staged a protest in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in protest against the hosting of an Iftar get-together and Namaz at Udupi Sri Krishna mutt on June 24 by Pejawar seer Vishweshateertha Swamiji. Workers of Sri Rama Sene, Hindu Janajagruthi Samiti and Hindu Mahasabha staged the protests in the districts. Addressing the protesters at Lalbagh here, Hindu Mahasabha state convenor Dharmendra alleged that the seer's action was being used by political parties and there was a conspiracy behind this at a time when state assembly elections are around the corner. The Swamiji's action had "deeply hurt" the sentiments of Hindus, who were always emotionally attached to the mutt, he said and asked him to step down as head of the mutt as age was catching up with him. He should also tender an apology for holding the Iftar inside the temple complex, Dharmendra said. The Hindu Mahasabha leader also wanted to know from the BJP why they were keeping a studied silence on the issue. "Those who protested when Congress leader Janardhan Poojary held an Iftar at Kudroli temple here a few years back had now become mute spectators," he said. Sri Rama Sene district secretary Prasad Ujire, who also spoke, said the Iftar had created confusion among members of the Hindu community. In Udupi, workers of Hindu outfits held the protest in the form a puja before a makeshift idol of Lord Krishna and singing of bhajans in front of the clock tower in the town. Speaking at the venue, Sri Rama Sene Mangaluru unit secretary Mohan Bhat ridiculed the Youth Congress district leader's statement that they would not allow Sene to protest against the seer and said none should read a political motive behind the protest. The Sene also had no intention to spark communal unrest, he said. The Swamiji was a guru for the Hindu community and should have avoided hosting the Iftar in mutt premises, he said. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti convenor Vijay Kumar also spoke. Police had made tight security arrangements as a precautionary measure at the spots of the protests, which were peaceful in both the places. On June 24, in a gesture of communal amity, about 150 Muslims broke their Ramzan fast and took part in "Souharda Upahara Koota" (harmony feast) in the complex of Krishna temple for the first time in its history. They participated in the feast in the dining hall, just outside the main temple, in the event organised by Sri Vishweshateertha Swamiji. After breaking the fast, they performed 'namaz' (prayers). The seer defended his gesture after it drew flak from Rama Sene, saying it had in no way insulted Hindus. Sene chief Pramod Muthalik had met the seer on June 25 and announced statewide protests against him by his outfit on July 2. On June 29, a man was booked for posting "unpleasant and objectionable" remarks on Facebook against the seer for hosting the "harmony feast". He was booked on a complaint by three persons who were the seer's supporters and members of Pejawar blood donation team, police had said.
P Ramdas By

Express News Service

KOCHI: The captain of MV Amber L, the Panama-registered cargo vessel which rammed a fishing boat off Kochi coast earlier last month, did not switch off the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) in a deliberate attempt to destroy crucial evidence.

It is unbelievable the captain, who has 30 years of experience in vessel navigation, does not know the procedure to switch off VDR immediately after the incident, the police said.

The remand report, a copy of which is in possession of Express, stated the captain of the ship and two other crew members were mainly responsible for the mishap. The Coastal Police had arrested Capt Georgianakis Ioannis, 30, of Greece; Second Mate officer Galanos Athanasios, 33, of Greece; and Able Sea Man-Zewana, 36, of Myanmar, on Friday. They were produced in the court on Saturday and remanded in judicial custody.

They were booked for the offence under section 280 (Rash navigation of vessel), 427 (Committing mischief), 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 304 (Causing death by negligence), 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of IPC and 57 of the Kerala Police Act. The police submitted before the court the incident occurred at 14 nautical miles (NM) from the shore.

According to experts, VDR contains critical data, including date and time, the ships position, speed, heading, important alarms, rudder orders and response, engine orders and response, radar information, water tight and fire door status, fire alarms and wind speed and direction.

In the remand report, Coastal Police Circle Inspector T M Varghese said if the data was available in VDR, the agency could review the procedures in the ship just before the incident and help identify the cause of the accident.

The guidelines of the International Maritime Organisation stipulates VDR should be switched off soon after any accident. The Mercantile Marine Department had seized the VDR of the vessel and sent it for scientific examination, Varghese said. The ship was controlled by Able Seaman-Zewana under the direction of the captain and the supervisory charge was given to second officer Athanasios Galanos.

The report said they were arrested after completing formalities, including handing over the charge of captain to another officer.

The report stated the fishing boat was anchored in a proper manner with lights, horn, Aldis light, binoculars and VHF sets at 14 NM from the shore. There were several other fishing boats nearby. The boat was easily visible through the two radars of the ship. However, the rash and negligent navigation of the ship led to the mishap.

The Coast Guard had informed the ship master regarding the incident through very high frequency (VHF) at 9 am on June 11. But, the master was reluctant to switch off the VDR.

After examining the AIS data and the screenshot given by the DG(S)COMM Centre, it was revealed there was unusual deviation in the navigation path of the ship at the time of the incident. The position of the ship was very near to the fishing boat at that time. Armstrong Britto, who was on the fishing boat, had identified the ship and saw the letters AMEL inscribed in the back portion of the ship, the report stated.

KOCHI: The captain of MV Amber L, the Panama-registered cargo vessel which rammed a fishing boat off Kochi coast earlier last month, did not switch off the Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) in a deliberate attempt to destroy crucial evidence. It is unbelievable the captain, who has 30 years of experience in vessel navigation, does not know the procedure to switch off VDR immediately after the incident, the police said. The remand report, a copy of which is in possession of Express, stated the captain of the ship and two other crew members were mainly responsible for the mishap. The Coastal Police had arrested Capt Georgianakis Ioannis, 30, of Greece; Second Mate officer Galanos Athanasios, 33, of Greece; and Able Sea Man-Zewana, 36, of Myanmar, on Friday. They were produced in the court on Saturday and remanded in judicial custody. They were booked for the offence under section 280 (Rash navigation of vessel), 427 (Committing mischief), 338 (Causing grievous hurt by act endangering life or personal safety of others), 304 (Causing death by negligence), 201 (Causing disappearance of evidence of offence) of IPC and 57 of the Kerala Police Act. The police submitted before the court the incident occurred at 14 nautical miles (NM) from the shore. According to experts, VDR contains critical data, including date and time, the ships position, speed, heading, important alarms, rudder orders and response, engine orders and response, radar information, water tight and fire door status, fire alarms and wind speed and direction. In the remand report, Coastal Police Circle Inspector T M Varghese said if the data was available in VDR, the agency could review the procedures in the ship just before the incident and help identify the cause of the accident. The guidelines of the International Maritime Organisation stipulates VDR should be switched off soon after any accident. The Mercantile Marine Department had seized the VDR of the vessel and sent it for scientific examination, Varghese said. The ship was controlled by Able Seaman-Zewana under the direction of the captain and the supervisory charge was given to second officer Athanasios Galanos. The report said they were arrested after completing formalities, including handing over the charge of captain to another officer. The report stated the fishing boat was anchored in a proper manner with lights, horn, Aldis light, binoculars and VHF sets at 14 NM from the shore. There were several other fishing boats nearby. The boat was easily visible through the two radars of the ship. However, the rash and negligent navigation of the ship led to the mishap. The Coast Guard had informed the ship master regarding the incident through very high frequency (VHF) at 9 am on June 11. But, the master was reluctant to switch off the VDR. After examining the AIS data and the screenshot given by the DG(S)COMM Centre, it was revealed there was unusual deviation in the navigation path of the ship at the time of the incident. The position of the ship was very near to the fishing boat at that time. Armstrong Britto, who was on the fishing boat, had identified the ship and saw the letters AMEL inscribed in the back portion of the ship, the report stated.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: The CBI has unearthed irregularities by six service cooperative banks in Kollam district, which permitted some of their customers to deposit banned currencies worth over Rs 50,000 post demonetisation.

The CBI has registered case against secretaries of the six service cooperative banks and an investigation is being carried out regarding the involvement of officers of the Kollam District Cooperative bank, SBT, IDBI, Indusind and ICICI branches in Kollam.

The case has been registered against P Ashokan, secretary, Kadakkal Service Cooperative Bank; Appukuttan Pillai, secretary Puthiyakavu Cooperative Bank; Girija Kumari M, secretary, Mayyanad Service Cooperative Bank; Emily Daniel, secretary, Panmana Service Cooperative Bank; J Sivan Pillai, secretary, Kulasekharapuram Service Cooperative Bank and Sankara S Nampoothiri, secretary, Chathannoor Service Cooperative Bank.

As per the FIR submitted by the CBI at its special court in Thiruvananthapuram, the service cooperative banks fraudulently accepted demonetised currencies to the tune of Rs 57,49,500 from their customers between November 8 and 15. These currencies were later deposited at the District Co-Operative Bank, Kollam. Though the RBI directive restricted transaction of more than Rs 50,000, these banks, with the knowledge of its secretaries, permitted some of its customers to deposit more than the permissible amount, a CBI officer said.

The CBI, in the report filed at the Thiruvananthapuram CBI Court, stated in some instances, the accused deposited money in the accounts without the knowledge and permission of the account holder.

Violating norms, the Kadakkal Service Cooperative Bank accepted Rs 6.01 lakh from five persons, Puthiyakavu Service Cooperative Bank accepted currencies worth Rs 2.90 lakh from a person, Mayyanad Service Cooperative Bank accepted Rs 1.82 lakh from one person, Panmana Service Cooperative Bank was involved in 68 transactions to the tune of Rs 30 lakh, Kulasekharapuram Service Cooperative Bank accepted deposits above Rs 50,000 from 10 persons to the tune of Rs 13.24 lakh and Chathanoor Service Co-operative Bank accepted currencies worth Rs 3.52 lakh from two persons.

The CBI probe revealed the Kollam District Cooperative Bank received demonetised currencies to the tune of Rs 230 crore from its customers, including the service cooperative banks, between November 8 and November 15, 2016.

KOCHI: The CBI has unearthed irregularities by six service cooperative banks in Kollam district, which permitted some of their customers to deposit banned currencies worth over Rs 50,000 post demonetisation. The CBI has registered case against secretaries of the six service cooperative banks and an investigation is being carried out regarding the involvement of officers of the Kollam District Cooperative bank, SBT, IDBI, Indusind and ICICI branches in Kollam. The case has been registered against P Ashokan, secretary, Kadakkal Service Cooperative Bank; Appukuttan Pillai, secretary Puthiyakavu Cooperative Bank; Girija Kumari M, secretary, Mayyanad Service Cooperative Bank; Emily Daniel, secretary, Panmana Service Cooperative Bank; J Sivan Pillai, secretary, Kulasekharapuram Service Cooperative Bank and Sankara S Nampoothiri, secretary, Chathannoor Service Cooperative Bank. As per the FIR submitted by the CBI at its special court in Thiruvananthapuram, the service cooperative banks fraudulently accepted demonetised currencies to the tune of Rs 57,49,500 from their customers between November 8 and 15. These currencies were later deposited at the District Co-Operative Bank, Kollam. Though the RBI directive restricted transaction of more than Rs 50,000, these banks, with the knowledge of its secretaries, permitted some of its customers to deposit more than the permissible amount, a CBI officer said. The CBI, in the report filed at the Thiruvananthapuram CBI Court, stated in some instances, the accused deposited money in the accounts without the knowledge and permission of the account holder. Violating norms, the Kadakkal Service Cooperative Bank accepted Rs 6.01 lakh from five persons, Puthiyakavu Service Cooperative Bank accepted currencies worth Rs 2.90 lakh from a person, Mayyanad Service Cooperative Bank accepted Rs 1.82 lakh from one person, Panmana Service Cooperative Bank was involved in 68 transactions to the tune of Rs 30 lakh, Kulasekharapuram Service Cooperative Bank accepted deposits above Rs 50,000 from 10 persons to the tune of Rs 13.24 lakh and Chathanoor Service Co-operative Bank accepted currencies worth Rs 3.52 lakh from two persons. The CBI probe revealed the Kollam District Cooperative Bank received demonetised currencies to the tune of Rs 230 crore from its customers, including the service cooperative banks, between November 8 and November 15, 2016.
By Express News Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: T P Senkumar, who stepped down as state police chief following an eventful tenure, on Saturday said he too had been a victim of ISRO espionage case. I was also a victim of ISRO espionage case, he said while reminiscing about his service days during launch of Kannadi, a tome by retired Sub Inspector C Mohanan.

Senkumar said he was put in charge of investigation in the ISRO spy case in 1996 through an order issued verbally. According to him, he had to face three cases for showing dissent.

I had seen a glimpse of prime accused Mariam Rasheeda and fellow accused in the case only once in court. Besides this, I had no involvement in the investigation. I had suffered as I failed to get orders in writing from the then brass, including state police chief Rajagopalan Nair, he said.

Senkumar advised officers they should not hesitate to get in writing the orders issued verbally by their superiors. He showered encomiums on Mohanan, who had authored the tome on the basis of his experience as an investigator.

Mohanan has always been a great investigator. His dedication towards investigation should be appreciated. I believe young IPS officers should take a leaf out of his book. I had recommended Kerala Police Academy to include it in its curriculum, he said. The book was released by Deputy Speaker V Sasi by handing over the first copy to Senkumar. Sasi said common man will be the beneficiary of the tome rather than police officers.

The public can now understand what is happening in the police force and in investigations, he said. Writer George Onakkoor presided over the function.

Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Vinson M Paul also lauded the efforts of Mohanan. A Hemachandran, Fire and Rescue Services chief and City Police Commissioner G Sparjan Kumar offered felicitations.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: T P Senkumar, who stepped down as state police chief following an eventful tenure, on Saturday said he too had been a victim of ISRO espionage case. I was also a victim of ISRO espionage case, he said while reminiscing about his service days during launch of Kannadi, a tome by retired Sub Inspector C Mohanan. Senkumar said he was put in charge of investigation in the ISRO spy case in 1996 through an order issued verbally. According to him, he had to face three cases for showing dissent. I had seen a glimpse of prime accused Mariam Rasheeda and fellow accused in the case only once in court. Besides this, I had no involvement in the investigation. I had suffered as I failed to get orders in writing from the then brass, including state police chief Rajagopalan Nair, he said. Senkumar advised officers they should not hesitate to get in writing the orders issued verbally by their superiors. He showered encomiums on Mohanan, who had authored the tome on the basis of his experience as an investigator. Mohanan has always been a great investigator. His dedication towards investigation should be appreciated. I believe young IPS officers should take a leaf out of his book. I had recommended Kerala Police Academy to include it in its curriculum, he said. The book was released by Deputy Speaker V Sasi by handing over the first copy to Senkumar. Sasi said common man will be the beneficiary of the tome rather than police officers. The public can now understand what is happening in the police force and in investigations, he said. Writer George Onakkoor presided over the function. Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) Vinson M Paul also lauded the efforts of Mohanan. A Hemachandran, Fire and Rescue Services chief and City Police Commissioner G Sparjan Kumar offered felicitations.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The state government will present a separate budget for agriculture from this year, a practice which was disbanded by the present government itself. The state government will also increase budgetary allocations for agriculture.

Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced this at a review meeting on agriculture sector at Pragathi Bhavan here on Saturday.

Presenting separate budget for agriculture was introduced by YS Rajasekhara Reddy government in the combined AP. However, after the formation of Telangana state, the TRS government discontinued the practice but the sibling AP government continued the practice.

Official sources said the proposed move for a separate agriculture budget is aimed at wooing the farming community which is going through a series of crises ranging from lack of remunerative prices to crops, unable to get fresh bank loans due to payment of crop loans by government in instalments and the recent incident of handcuffing of chilli farmers in Khammam district.

The chief minister, who disbanded the separate agriculture budget initially, is now looking towards it as a remedy to erase its anti-farmer image that it got over the past year or so, an official said.

The state government will deposit Rs 8,000 per acre for each farmer from next year onwards and develop crop colonies. The chief minister said agriculture sector would get 24-hour power supply in future. He said agriculture labourers were not available in villages and the need of the hour was to go for mechanised farming.Once, mechanisation takes place, agriculture works will be completed fast and the input costs will be reduced, Rao said.

The farmers associations can purchase agriculture produce when there is no support price, they can process the produce and make value addition and if necessary export the products on their own, the chief minister stated. The state government would train 1,000 resource persons in the state, who will in turn train the farmers, he added.

HYDERABAD: The state government will present a separate budget for agriculture from this year, a practice which was disbanded by the present government itself. The state government will also increase budgetary allocations for agriculture. Chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced this at a review meeting on agriculture sector at Pragathi Bhavan here on Saturday. Presenting separate budget for agriculture was introduced by YS Rajasekhara Reddy government in the combined AP. However, after the formation of Telangana state, the TRS government discontinued the practice but the sibling AP government continued the practice. Official sources said the proposed move for a separate agriculture budget is aimed at wooing the farming community which is going through a series of crises ranging from lack of remunerative prices to crops, unable to get fresh bank loans due to payment of crop loans by government in instalments and the recent incident of handcuffing of chilli farmers in Khammam district. The chief minister, who disbanded the separate agriculture budget initially, is now looking towards it as a remedy to erase its anti-farmer image that it got over the past year or so, an official said. The state government will deposit Rs 8,000 per acre for each farmer from next year onwards and develop crop colonies. The chief minister said agriculture sector would get 24-hour power supply in future. He said agriculture labourers were not available in villages and the need of the hour was to go for mechanised farming.Once, mechanisation takes place, agriculture works will be completed fast and the input costs will be reduced, Rao said. The farmers associations can purchase agriculture produce when there is no support price, they can process the produce and make value addition and if necessary export the products on their own, the chief minister stated. The state government would train 1,000 resource persons in the state, who will in turn train the farmers, he added.
Pradip R Sagar By

NEW DELHI: The Special Protection Group (SPG) is not amused at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhis penchant for giving it the slip when he is travelling. Last month, while visiting protesting farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Rahul suddenly took off on a motorcycle in Mandsaur district, startling his protection detail.

SPG has complained to the top brass that he has been travelling for the past three years without adequately apprising them of his itinerary. Its biggest worry is about his trips abroad. The 47-year-old returned to India after nearly a three-week long vacation to undisclosed locations in Europe.

SPG sources claimed he skipped out of Heathrow airport, London without telling them, though his itinerary was finalised on June 13. He had announced that he would visit his grandmother and spend some time with the maternal side of his family. Agency sources said since he did not provide a copy of his travel plan, SPG could not give his details to foreign missionsthe established protocol for a visiting SPG protectee.

During Rahul Gandhis two-month long sabbatical from politics in 2016, he vanished without trace in Bangkok. The Special Protection Group (SPG) had expressed its concern to seniors over Rahul visiting South Asian countries, considered unsafe for SPG protecees. An insider in SPG claimed that even last year, Rahul informed them that he was travelling to Milan, but instead landed in another European city.

He has constantly avoided sharing his full itinerary, which is a matter of concern for us, said an official. However, a close aide of Rahul claimed that SPG doesnt need to be given such details, since he does not hold a constitutional post.

First of all, SPG has no business to ask for details of his personal visits. He does not want them to travel with him, he said.

Rahuls office could not be reached for comment.

At present, members of the Gandhi family to whom SPG detail has been allotted apart from Rahul are Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Robert Vadra (when he is accompanying his wife) and their children. The SPG falls directly under the command of the Cabinet Secretariat, and is headed by Secretary (Security).

NEW DELHI: The Special Protection Group (SPG) is not amused at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhis penchant for giving it the slip when he is travelling. Last month, while visiting protesting farmers in Madhya Pradesh, Rahul suddenly took off on a motorcycle in Mandsaur district, startling his protection detail. SPG has complained to the top brass that he has been travelling for the past three years without adequately apprising them of his itinerary. Its biggest worry is about his trips abroad. The 47-year-old returned to India after nearly a three-week long vacation to undisclosed locations in Europe. SPG sources claimed he skipped out of Heathrow airport, London without telling them, though his itinerary was finalised on June 13. He had announced that he would visit his grandmother and spend some time with the maternal side of his family. Agency sources said since he did not provide a copy of his travel plan, SPG could not give his details to foreign missionsthe established protocol for a visiting SPG protectee. During Rahul Gandhis two-month long sabbatical from politics in 2016, he vanished without trace in Bangkok. The Special Protection Group (SPG) had expressed its concern to seniors over Rahul visiting South Asian countries, considered unsafe for SPG protecees. An insider in SPG claimed that even last year, Rahul informed them that he was travelling to Milan, but instead landed in another European city. He has constantly avoided sharing his full itinerary, which is a matter of concern for us, said an official. However, a close aide of Rahul claimed that SPG doesnt need to be given such details, since he does not hold a constitutional post. First of all, SPG has no business to ask for details of his personal visits. He does not want them to travel with him, he said. Rahuls office could not be reached for comment. At present, members of the Gandhi family to whom SPG detail has been allotted apart from Rahul are Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Robert Vadra (when he is accompanying his wife) and their children. The SPG falls directly under the command of the Cabinet Secretariat, and is headed by Secretary (Security).
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) Deterrent punishment has to be given in cheque bounce cases to ensure the credibility of a negotiable instrument like cheque which is part of everyones day-to-day life, a Delhi court has said.

The courts observation came while upholding the eight- month imprisonment of a man who was directed by a magisterial court to also pay a compensation of Rs 20 lakh to the complainant in a cheque bounce case.

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Additional Sessions Judge Pulastya Parmachala dismissed the mans appeal against the magistrates order and agreed with the trial court that it was the legislative intent to provide strong criminal remedy to create a deterrence against dishonour of cheques.

"In order to ensure the credibility of negotiable instrument like cheque, which is part and parcel of day-to-day life of any person while indulging in any sort of transaction, deterrent theory of punishment has to be invoked and hence, I do not find any infirmity in the sentence of imprisonment as well. Accordingly, the appeal (of man) is found devoid of any merit and hence, dismissed," the judge said.

The court upheld the jail term and amount of compensation to be paid by the man to the complainant, saying Rs 20 lakh was double amount of the cheque which was issued on September 30, 2010 and around seven years have lapsed so the quantum of compensation was found to be justified.

Complainant P C Sharma said in the complaint that in August 2002, the man had approached him for a loan of Rs 10 lakh which he agreed to give him. They executed a promissory note in September 2002, by which the man promised to repay the loan with interest of over Rs 4.31 lakh.

The borrower issued a cheque of Rs 10 lakh to Sharma on September 30, 2010 which was dishonoured by the bank due to insufficient funds, it alleged.

The complainant sent a legal notice to the man but when no payment was made, he filed the complaint before the court.

During the trial, the man claimed that he had repaid the loan prior to filing of the complaint but had not brought any concrete evidence in this regard. PTI SKV ZMN DV

--- ENDS ---
Anand ST Das By

PATNA: Gazipur in Bihars southern Nawada district is among a handful of villages in the state known for the visible affluence of its residents. Many of the nearly 200 families living here have modern gadgets such as colour TV sets, air-conditioners and geysers, and quite a few have cars. But none has a toilet in their homes.

Despite the Centres stress on Swachh Bharat, the villagers of Gazipur walk out of their pucca houses every morning to ease themselves in the open. The village panchayat has demarcated separate areas for men and women. The familiar scene of men, women and children walking with lotas (metal or plastic water containers) has given Gazipur, 14 km off the district headquarters town of Nawada, a curious distinction.

Not that the villagers are unaware of the governments efforts to make the country open defecation free (ODF), and nor are they unwilling to have toilets at their homes. But they are constrained by a superstition that originated 29 years ago. Building a toilet in the house could lead to the immediate death of a family member, they fear.

Everyone here is acutely aware of this fear, which started in 1988, when a man named Siddheshwar Singh started to a toilet in his home, but gave up midway because his young son died suddenly, said Shivdani Prasad Verma, a resident of Gazipur. In an eerie repeat, a few months later, another man Shyamdev Singh lost his son when a toilet was under construction in his home.

College student Shruti Suman said women face the brunt of this superstition. Women here watch the Swachh Bharat advertisements on TV. But they have to rise at dawn, to go out before the men are up and about, she said. Worse, families often find it difficult to get brides for their young men for want of toilets in the village.

Nawada MP and Union minister Giriraj Singh said he would himself make efforts to get Gazipur villagers to built toilets in their homes. I was so far unaware of this practice. I will soon visit the village and talk to the villagers, he said.

Families often find it difficult to get brides for their young men for want of toilets in Gazipur village of Nawada district. Families in other villages are reluctant to offer their girls in marriage to our village. This remains a problem, said Dilip Kumar, a villager.

A few months after the wedding, daughters-in-law demand toilets in the house.

But nobody builds toilets due to the superstition, said Umashankar Singh.

He recalled how a marriage proposal for a man that came from nearby Jehanabad district recently was rejected precisely for the want of a toilet in the village. Although a toilet was built at the government primary school in the village some eight years ago, it remains unused. The school has about 200 students, said Singh.

Government officials engaged in making villages Open Defecation Free said they are trying to wean away the villagers from the superstition. We are going to take the help of local intellectuals to convince villagers, said BDO Radharaman Murari.

PATNA: Gazipur in Bihars southern Nawada district is among a handful of villages in the state known for the visible affluence of its residents. Many of the nearly 200 families living here have modern gadgets such as colour TV sets, air-conditioners and geysers, and quite a few have cars. But none has a toilet in their homes. Despite the Centres stress on Swachh Bharat, the villagers of Gazipur walk out of their pucca houses every morning to ease themselves in the open. The village panchayat has demarcated separate areas for men and women. The familiar scene of men, women and children walking with lotas (metal or plastic water containers) has given Gazipur, 14 km off the district headquarters town of Nawada, a curious distinction. Not that the villagers are unaware of the governments efforts to make the country open defecation free (ODF), and nor are they unwilling to have toilets at their homes. But they are constrained by a superstition that originated 29 years ago. Building a toilet in the house could lead to the immediate death of a family member, they fear. Everyone here is acutely aware of this fear, which started in 1988, when a man named Siddheshwar Singh started to a toilet in his home, but gave up midway because his young son died suddenly, said Shivdani Prasad Verma, a resident of Gazipur. In an eerie repeat, a few months later, another man Shyamdev Singh lost his son when a toilet was under construction in his home. College student Shruti Suman said women face the brunt of this superstition. Women here watch the Swachh Bharat advertisements on TV. But they have to rise at dawn, to go out before the men are up and about, she said. Worse, families often find it difficult to get brides for their young men for want of toilets in the village. Nawada MP and Union minister Giriraj Singh said he would himself make efforts to get Gazipur villagers to built toilets in their homes. I was so far unaware of this practice. I will soon visit the village and talk to the villagers, he said. Families often find it difficult to get brides for their young men for want of toilets in Gazipur village of Nawada district. Families in other villages are reluctant to offer their girls in marriage to our village. This remains a problem, said Dilip Kumar, a villager. A few months after the wedding, daughters-in-law demand toilets in the house. But nobody builds toilets due to the superstition, said Umashankar Singh. He recalled how a marriage proposal for a man that came from nearby Jehanabad district recently was rejected precisely for the want of a toilet in the village. Although a toilet was built at the government primary school in the village some eight years ago, it remains unused. The school has about 200 students, said Singh. Government officials engaged in making villages Open Defecation Free said they are trying to wean away the villagers from the superstition. We are going to take the help of local intellectuals to convince villagers, said BDO Radharaman Murari.
Kumar Vikram By

NEW DELHI: Software and hardware crisis troubled the Delhi traders on the first day of the launch of Goods and Services Tax (GST). No proper system in place to comply with the new guidelines, led to confusion among the trader community in Sadar Bazaarthe biggest wholesale market of the national capital. This in turn led to a sharp dip in the business.

Majority of the traders in the market, which has 50,000 shops alongside the narrow and congested streets, were found resorting to traditional method of issuing bills manually.

The problems are multi-layered. Majority of the traders dont have computers and many dont have the new software to generate bills. We had kept the markets shut on Friday and some shops were not even selling goods on Saturday, said Rakesh Kumar Yadav, President of Sadar Bazaar Traders Association.

When The Sunday Standard team visited the market on Saturday, traders complained about the negative impacts of the GST on their business.

Tally Solutions GST compliance software has come into the market only on June 26. There are lakhs of businessmen in the city. How can it be installed everywhere in such a small time frame? The printing of new bill books is taking time. We cant work on old bills as they had different format, Yadav added.

Another hardware and sanitary ware shop owner looked distressed as this reporter asked him about the impact of the GST launch.

Baldev Gupta said he was not against the GST, but, there were some issues that had affected the business very badly. 28 per cent GST on hardware is completely unjustified. This is in contradiction with governments scheme of affordable housing for common people. Hardware is part of housing, and the government has kept maximum tax on it, Gupta said.

Many customers have shown reluctance on paying the increased rate of tax under the GST. Many customers wanted to purchase items without bill. This is because of the higher slab of tax of 28 per cent on these items. We dont want to do this, but customers are forcing us to sell items without paying tax. They simply say that they dont want any bill for the articles purchased, added Gupta.

Meanwhile, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has some other plans. Confederations general secretary Praveen Khandelwal said, We will make a nationwide outreach plan to galvanise traders for smooth and hurdle-free transition of GST. Ground level working is required now to formulate the plans and put the CAIT teams into action.

Khandelwal said that CAIT intends to submit an exhaustive memorandum to the authorities concerned containing issues and concerns of the trading community pertaining to simplification and rationalisation of procedures. We will also inform the government about removal of anomalies and contradictions in tax rates, reducing the compliance cost and making trading community a trusted partner in the growth of business and economy, said Khandelwal.

NEW DELHI: Software and hardware crisis troubled the Delhi traders on the first day of the launch of Goods and Services Tax (GST). No proper system in place to comply with the new guidelines, led to confusion among the trader community in Sadar Bazaarthe biggest wholesale market of the national capital. This in turn led to a sharp dip in the business. Majority of the traders in the market, which has 50,000 shops alongside the narrow and congested streets, were found resorting to traditional method of issuing bills manually. The problems are multi-layered. Majority of the traders dont have computers and many dont have the new software to generate bills. We had kept the markets shut on Friday and some shops were not even selling goods on Saturday, said Rakesh Kumar Yadav, President of Sadar Bazaar Traders Association. When The Sunday Standard team visited the market on Saturday, traders complained about the negative impacts of the GST on their business. Tally Solutions GST compliance software has come into the market only on June 26. There are lakhs of businessmen in the city. How can it be installed everywhere in such a small time frame? The printing of new bill books is taking time. We cant work on old bills as they had different format, Yadav added. Another hardware and sanitary ware shop owner looked distressed as this reporter asked him about the impact of the GST launch. Baldev Gupta said he was not against the GST, but, there were some issues that had affected the business very badly. 28 per cent GST on hardware is completely unjustified. This is in contradiction with governments scheme of affordable housing for common people. Hardware is part of housing, and the government has kept maximum tax on it, Gupta said. Many customers have shown reluctance on paying the increased rate of tax under the GST. Many customers wanted to purchase items without bill. This is because of the higher slab of tax of 28 per cent on these items. We dont want to do this, but customers are forcing us to sell items without paying tax. They simply say that they dont want any bill for the articles purchased, added Gupta. Meanwhile, the Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) has some other plans. Confederations general secretary Praveen Khandelwal said, We will make a nationwide outreach plan to galvanise traders for smooth and hurdle-free transition of GST. Ground level working is required now to formulate the plans and put the CAIT teams into action. Khandelwal said that CAIT intends to submit an exhaustive memorandum to the authorities concerned containing issues and concerns of the trading community pertaining to simplification and rationalisation of procedures. We will also inform the government about removal of anomalies and contradictions in tax rates, reducing the compliance cost and making trading community a trusted partner in the growth of business and economy, said Khandelwal.
YATISH YADAV By

NEW DELHI: At least four bizarre and archaic Delhi land laws with imperial hangovers are under the scanner of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The government has directed the ministry to examine and abolish the primitive statutes immediately. A meeting was convened in the Cabinet Secretariat on June 22 to discuss the obsolete laws and the ministry was asked to finalise its views, MHA sources said.

On top of the agenda of the high-level meeting was Delhi Land Reforms (Amendment) Act 1959 that was originally executed by the Jawaharlal Nehru government in 1954 to end the Zamindari system. Under the original law, Bhumidars (landowners) were forbidden to lease their land except when the owner happened to be an idiot or lunatic, a minor or unmarried man, an unmarried woman or a widow.

The ultimate objective of the law was to clearly define the two classeslandowner (Bhumidar) and tenant (Asami)replacing other land right title such as Takhat Ul Malkiat, Tenant of Sir and Dholidars. The Act restricted Asamis transfer rights on land. On the other hand, a Bhumidar was empowered to write a will and transfer the title.

The law was primarily enacted for agriculture land at a time when Delhispread over 1,480 sq kmlived in 357 villages. After growing urbanisation in the 70s and subsequent decades, successive governments found themselves battling with stringent clauses.

Interestingly, another Act was executed during Nehrus tenure that put a cap on land-holding. It was called the Delhi Land Holding Ceiling Act 1960, which restricted Bhumidars and Asamis from owning more than 7.25 hectares. This made it clear that excess land-holding of Bhumidars or Asamis would be taken over by the government.

In June, government officials at Cabinet Secretariat deliberated on all four bizarre laws of the city: Delhi Land Reforms Act 1959, Delhi Land Holdings Act 1960, Delhi Land Reforms (Amendment) Act 1965, and Delhi Land Reforms (Amendment) Act 1966.

Legislative department produced old files relating to Cabinet decisions regarding introduction of these Acts in Parliament. As per records, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had initiated the Cabinet notes for the purpose. It was accordingly decided to assign these Acts, presently listed against Ministry of Urban Development to MHA. The Ministry was asked to finalise their views regarding repeal of these acts immediately, the government notes stated.

If these laws are deleted from statute book, the Delhi government headed by AAPs Arvind Kejriwal may escalate the war with the Centre. The state recently passed a resolution in the Assembly requesting Lt Governor Anil Baijal to grant Bhumidar title (ownership rights) to individuals and families that were allotted land in 1970s and 1980s under Sections 73 and 74 of the Act. As per the Act, the Gram Sabha shall have the right to admit any person (Asami) as Bhumidhar to any land, which is vacant or possessed by it.

The Asami will have the right to hold the land for five years at a rate of rent after which revenue department may direct Gram Sabha to admit the Asami as Bhumidar. In 2012, the Sheila Dikshit government had decided to extend ownership rights to Asamis holding the land. It remain pending with the Centre. In June, Kejriwal picked up the issue, and on June 14 wrote to Baijal demanding ownership rights for Asamis.

NEW DELHI: At least four bizarre and archaic Delhi land laws with imperial hangovers are under the scanner of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). The government has directed the ministry to examine and abolish the primitive statutes immediately. A meeting was convened in the Cabinet Secretariat on June 22 to discuss the obsolete laws and the ministry was asked to finalise its views, MHA sources said. On top of the agenda of the high-level meeting was Delhi Land Reforms (Amendment) Act 1959 that was originally executed by the Jawaharlal Nehru government in 1954 to end the Zamindari system. Under the original law, Bhumidars (landowners) were forbidden to lease their land except when the owner happened to be an idiot or lunatic, a minor or unmarried man, an unmarried woman or a widow. The ultimate objective of the law was to clearly define the two classeslandowner (Bhumidar) and tenant (Asami)replacing other land right title such as Takhat Ul Malkiat, Tenant of Sir and Dholidars. The Act restricted Asamis transfer rights on land. On the other hand, a Bhumidar was empowered to write a will and transfer the title. The law was primarily enacted for agriculture land at a time when Delhispread over 1,480 sq kmlived in 357 villages. After growing urbanisation in the 70s and subsequent decades, successive governments found themselves battling with stringent clauses. Interestingly, another Act was executed during Nehrus tenure that put a cap on land-holding. It was called the Delhi Land Holding Ceiling Act 1960, which restricted Bhumidars and Asamis from owning more than 7.25 hectares. This made it clear that excess land-holding of Bhumidars or Asamis would be taken over by the government. In June, government officials at Cabinet Secretariat deliberated on all four bizarre laws of the city: Delhi Land Reforms Act 1959, Delhi Land Holdings Act 1960, Delhi Land Reforms (Amendment) Act 1965, and Delhi Land Reforms (Amendment) Act 1966. Legislative department produced old files relating to Cabinet decisions regarding introduction of these Acts in Parliament. As per records, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had initiated the Cabinet notes for the purpose. It was accordingly decided to assign these Acts, presently listed against Ministry of Urban Development to MHA. The Ministry was asked to finalise their views regarding repeal of these acts immediately, the government notes stated. If these laws are deleted from statute book, the Delhi government headed by AAPs Arvind Kejriwal may escalate the war with the Centre. The state recently passed a resolution in the Assembly requesting Lt Governor Anil Baijal to grant Bhumidar title (ownership rights) to individuals and families that were allotted land in 1970s and 1980s under Sections 73 and 74 of the Act. As per the Act, the Gram Sabha shall have the right to admit any person (Asami) as Bhumidhar to any land, which is vacant or possessed by it. The Asami will have the right to hold the land for five years at a rate of rent after which revenue department may direct Gram Sabha to admit the Asami as Bhumidar. In 2012, the Sheila Dikshit government had decided to extend ownership rights to Asamis holding the land. It remain pending with the Centre. In June, Kejriwal picked up the issue, and on June 14 wrote to Baijal demanding ownership rights for Asamis.
Ramananda Sengupta By

Sino-Indian ties, already beset with acrimony and discord, took another hit last week after Indian troops stopped Chinese attempts to build a road near the Sikkim-Bhutan border. What led to this

stand-off and the subsequent rancour and sabre-rattling? Could it escalate into a full-blown conflict?

Perhaps its America. Perhaps its badminton, joked a senior Indian diplomat, when asked about the Chinese intrusion into Bhutan last week and the subsequent face-off with Indian forces. He was referring to Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanths recent victory over Olympic and two-time world champion Chen Long at the Australian Open Superseries final in Sydney, and PV Sindhus win against Sun Yu of China in the finals of China Open, making her the third non-Chinese athlete to win that tournament in the last 30 years.

But jokes aside, the already strained Sino-Indian ties took another hit last week after Indian troops stopped Chinese attempts to build a road near the Sikkim-Bhutan border. And in an unprecedented role reversal, China has demanded that India remove its soldiers from Chinese territory. The last time such a request was made was probably way back in the early 1960s following Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehrus forward policy, aimed at staking claim to disputed areas of the Sino-India border. But since the brief yet decisive border war of 1962, it has mostly been India accusing the PLA of transgressions or intrusions on Indian soil.

Even more unprecedented is the fact that the Chinese territory from which Beijing wants Indian troops withdrawn, is controlled by Bhutan, that calls it the Doklam Plateau. China, however, calls it the Donglang region, and insists that the areanear the tri-junction of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibetbelongs to Tibet.

This 270 sq km plateau extends to the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction overlooking the vulnerable Chickens Neck, or the Siliguri Corridor, a narrow stretch of land flanked by Nepal in the west, Bangladesh in the east, and Bhutan in the north. Anyone controlling the area could completely sever northeastern India from the mainland.

The Indian Army not only trains the Royal Bhutan Army, but also conducts joint patrols along the Bhutan-China border. Initial reports said that a Chinese road-building party in the area had been challenged by such a joint patrol, forcing them to stop. The next day, Chinese troops responded by razing a deserted Indian outpost near Sikkim. It also blocked a batch of some 50 pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Nathu Laa pass in Sikkim few kilometres from Nathu Laand said the routes reopening entirely depends on whether the Indian side can correct its mistakes in a timely manner. Nathu La was opened to pilgrims in 2015. Pilgrims taking the older and longer route from Uttarakhand have not been stopped so far.

This time the Indian side needs to be taught the rules, threatened an editorial in the Global Times. Bhutan, which does not have diplomatic relations with China, also issued a demarche to Beijing, claiming Doklam as its own. Doklam has been part of China since ancient times... It does not belong to Bhutan, still less India. Chinas construction of road in Doklam is an act of sovereignty on its own territory, declared a Chinese foreign ministry official.

In a tersely worded clarification on June 30, India underlined that the two Governments had in 2012 reached agreement that the tri-junction boundary points between India, China and third countries will be finalised in consultation with the concerned countries. Any attempt, therefore, to unilaterally determine tri-junction points is in violation of this understanding. India is deeply concerned at the recent Chinese actions and has conveyed to the Chinese government that such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India.

All this comes at a time when bilateral relations are already strained over Indias refusal to buy into Chinas grand Belt and Road initiative, and Beijings constant veto of Indias efforts to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group and get Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar declared a terrorist at the UN. New Delhi allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh earlier this year despite howls of Chinese protests hasnt been forgotten. It also comes at a time when India has clearly aligned with the United States over issues like maritime navigation rights in the South China Sea and the need to adhere to international treaties.

The fact that this incident blew up just around the time that Modi was exchanging bear hugs and extended handshakes with US President Donald Trump is perhaps no coincidence. China is trying to tell us in no uncertain terms that America will not and cannot help us if they start needling us here on the border, says Lieutenant General (retd) J S Bajwa, the editor of Indian Defence Review and the author of a seminal book on the Peoples Liberation Army. But we should not let them push us around.

That is apparently the message Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, who reached Gangtok in Sikkim on Thursday as part of a visit to a number of other formation headquarters in the Northeast, conveyed to top commanders posted in the region.

The recent spate of PLA incursions into India and Bhutan are hardly isolated incidents, Maura Moynihan wrote in the Epoch Times in 2013. In 1962, she noted, Mao Zedong prophesied that China would one day conquer Tibets Five Fingers: the Indian territories of Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunchal, and the nations of Bhutan and Nepal... Take Beijings word for it: They are ready, she declared.

Most Indian analysts, however, dismiss the possibility of events escalating into an armed conflict, saying neither side can afford it. But some also say that China is somewhat taken aback by Indias decision to come to Bhutans aid, and that given Beijings unforgiving and unpredictable nature, India better be ready too.

One War, Several Battles in the High Himalayas

The beginning: January 1950

India establishes diplomatic ties with the Peoples Republic of China, becoming the second non-communist nation to do so. In October, China occupies Tibet. Border clashes with India erupt in 1954 after New Delhi discovers that China had built a road through Aksai Chin, which India claims.

March 1959

The Dalai Lama, spiritual and temporal head of Tibetans, reaches India. Accusing India of interference, China claims huge swathes of India.

October 1962

China launches a two-pronged attack on India, from Ladakh and Arunachal, then part of Indias Northeast Frontier Agency. War ends on November 21, 1962 with China declaring a unilateral ceasefire and withdrawing behind the original lines. India withdraws posts from Aksai Chin, giving China control of the region.

September 1967

Indian and Chinese troops trade fire at Nathu La in Sikkim (then an Indian protectorate), after India repulsed Chinese intruders trying to stake claim to the region. Days later, another exchange of firing occurs in Cho La, north of Nathu La. Estimates of fatalities range from 150-600 in the two incidents.

July 1976

Ties are re-established for the first time since the 1962 war. In 1986, China intrudes into Arunachal and constructs a helipad. Early 1987, large-scale troop movements are reported on both sides with Western diplomats even predicting war. By the summer of 1987, after Indias strong stand, both sides back away from conflict. And in 1988, Rajiv Gandhi becomes the first Indian PM to visit China after Nehrus 1954 Hindi Chini Bhai-Bhai romance.

April 2013

China intrudes into Daulat Beg Oldi, Ladakh, the Depsang plains of Aksai Chin and Arunachal. The Depsang incursion is 19-km deep. China backs off after 21 days. In July 2016, China intrudes into Uttarakhand, part of the middle sector which it didnt enter even during the 1962 war. China has also repeatedly violated Indian airspace in this sector in 2017.

June 2017

Sino-Indian ties take another hit after India stops Chinese attempts to build a road near the

Sikkim-Bhutan border.

On the Border, PLA Plays Kho-Kho

The infamous transgression in Depsang subtly choreographed to coincide with the visit of the Chinese President Xi Jinping to India in 2013 is truly the strangest act of military diplomacy in recent history! Later again in Chumar, Chinese troops, for the first time, adopted the jostling tactic. This involved pushing forward by leaning with their dead weight on anyone stopping them, and quickly sitting down on the ground if they felt they were yielding ground. And when they saw a chance they leapt forward and sat down further inside  call it kho-kho tactics! ... A traditional Indian rural sport now adopted and adapted by the PLA. The troops of both sides were sans any personal weapons. The same tactic has been applied in Doklam. India treads a heavily mined path to stake its rightful place in the comity of nations; it will be subjected to such barbs and jostling. The place at the summit is always limited. I sincerely hope that petty politicking does not let India down.

Lt Gen J S Bajwa (retd)

Editor, Indian Defence Review

India Must Handle Situation Firmly

The last face-off was nearly five decades ago in the same area, and the army records indicate that there were heavy casualties on the Chinese side. The independent policies pursued by Modi to engage the US, Japan and other western powers is being seen by China as actions aimed at challenging Chinas aspirations to be a global power replacing the US. Modis government has concentrated on strengthening the much-neglected infrastructure and military capability in the North East much to the consternation of the Chinese leadership. China is also peeved that India has not endorsed its OBOR initiative. It has no qualms in investing heavily in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a disputed area, while advocating maintenances of status quo on South China Sea where there are multiple disputes. It is obvious that the recent provocation along the Sikkim border is not a sudden development but a response to some of the recent initiatives by Modi which can alter the strategic balance ... it is clear that India has to handle the situation firmly and stand up to the designs of the aggressive neighbour who does not hesitate to buttress its claims by use of force.

Commodore R S Vasan

Director, Chennai Centre for China Studies

Sino-Indian ties, already beset with acrimony and discord, took another hit last week after Indian troops stopped Chinese attempts to build a road near the Sikkim-Bhutan border. What led to this stand-off and the subsequent rancour and sabre-rattling? Could it escalate into a full-blown conflict? Perhaps its America. Perhaps its badminton, joked a senior Indian diplomat, when asked about the Chinese intrusion into Bhutan last week and the subsequent face-off with Indian forces. He was referring to Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanths recent victory over Olympic and two-time world champion Chen Long at the Australian Open Superseries final in Sydney, and PV Sindhus win against Sun Yu of China in the finals of China Open, making her the third non-Chinese athlete to win that tournament in the last 30 years. But jokes aside, the already strained Sino-Indian ties took another hit last week after Indian troops stopped Chinese attempts to build a road near the Sikkim-Bhutan border. And in an unprecedented role reversal, China has demanded that India remove its soldiers from Chinese territory. The last time such a request was made was probably way back in the early 1960s following Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehrus forward policy, aimed at staking claim to disputed areas of the Sino-India border. But since the brief yet decisive border war of 1962, it has mostly been India accusing the PLA of transgressions or intrusions on Indian soil. Even more unprecedented is the fact that the Chinese territory from which Beijing wants Indian troops withdrawn, is controlled by Bhutan, that calls it the Doklam Plateau. China, however, calls it the Donglang region, and insists that the areanear the tri-junction of Sikkim, Bhutan and Tibetbelongs to Tibet. This 270 sq km plateau extends to the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction overlooking the vulnerable Chickens Neck, or the Siliguri Corridor, a narrow stretch of land flanked by Nepal in the west, Bangladesh in the east, and Bhutan in the north. Anyone controlling the area could completely sever northeastern India from the mainland. The Indian Army not only trains the Royal Bhutan Army, but also conducts joint patrols along the Bhutan-China border. Initial reports said that a Chinese road-building party in the area had been challenged by such a joint patrol, forcing them to stop. The next day, Chinese troops responded by razing a deserted Indian outpost near Sikkim. It also blocked a batch of some 50 pilgrims undertaking the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra through Nathu Laa pass in Sikkim few kilometres from Nathu Laand said the routes reopening entirely depends on whether the Indian side can correct its mistakes in a timely manner. Nathu La was opened to pilgrims in 2015. Pilgrims taking the older and longer route from Uttarakhand have not been stopped so far. This time the Indian side needs to be taught the rules, threatened an editorial in the Global Times. Bhutan, which does not have diplomatic relations with China, also issued a demarche to Beijing, claiming Doklam as its own. Doklam has been part of China since ancient times... It does not belong to Bhutan, still less India. Chinas construction of road in Doklam is an act of sovereignty on its own territory, declared a Chinese foreign ministry official. In a tersely worded clarification on June 30, India underlined that the two Governments had in 2012 reached agreement that the tri-junction boundary points between India, China and third countries will be finalised in consultation with the concerned countries. Any attempt, therefore, to unilaterally determine tri-junction points is in violation of this understanding. India is deeply concerned at the recent Chinese actions and has conveyed to the Chinese government that such construction would represent a significant change of status quo with serious security implications for India. All this comes at a time when bilateral relations are already strained over Indias refusal to buy into Chinas grand Belt and Road initiative, and Beijings constant veto of Indias efforts to join the Nuclear Suppliers Group and get Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar declared a terrorist at the UN. New Delhi allowing the Dalai Lama to visit Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh earlier this year despite howls of Chinese protests hasnt been forgotten. It also comes at a time when India has clearly aligned with the United States over issues like maritime navigation rights in the South China Sea and the need to adhere to international treaties. The fact that this incident blew up just around the time that Modi was exchanging bear hugs and extended handshakes with US President Donald Trump is perhaps no coincidence. China is trying to tell us in no uncertain terms that America will not and cannot help us if they start needling us here on the border, says Lieutenant General (retd) J S Bajwa, the editor of Indian Defence Review and the author of a seminal book on the Peoples Liberation Army. But we should not let them push us around. That is apparently the message Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat, who reached Gangtok in Sikkim on Thursday as part of a visit to a number of other formation headquarters in the Northeast, conveyed to top commanders posted in the region. The recent spate of PLA incursions into India and Bhutan are hardly isolated incidents, Maura Moynihan wrote in the Epoch Times in 2013. In 1962, she noted, Mao Zedong prophesied that China would one day conquer Tibets Five Fingers: the Indian territories of Ladakh, Sikkim and Arunchal, and the nations of Bhutan and Nepal... Take Beijings word for it: They are ready, she declared. Most Indian analysts, however, dismiss the possibility of events escalating into an armed conflict, saying neither side can afford it. But some also say that China is somewhat taken aback by Indias decision to come to Bhutans aid, and that given Beijings unforgiving and unpredictable nature, India better be ready too. One War, Several Battles in the High Himalayas The beginning: January 1950 India establishes diplomatic ties with the Peoples Republic of China, becoming the second non-communist nation to do so. In October, China occupies Tibet. Border clashes with India erupt in 1954 after New Delhi discovers that China had built a road through Aksai Chin, which India claims. March 1959 The Dalai Lama, spiritual and temporal head of Tibetans, reaches India. Accusing India of interference, China claims huge swathes of India. October 1962 China launches a two-pronged attack on India, from Ladakh and Arunachal, then part of Indias Northeast Frontier Agency. War ends on November 21, 1962 with China declaring a unilateral ceasefire and withdrawing behind the original lines. India withdraws posts from Aksai Chin, giving China control of the region. September 1967 Indian and Chinese troops trade fire at Nathu La in Sikkim (then an Indian protectorate), after India repulsed Chinese intruders trying to stake claim to the region. Days later, another exchange of firing occurs in Cho La, north of Nathu La. Estimates of fatalities range from 150-600 in the two incidents. July 1976 Ties are re-established for the first time since the 1962 war. In 1986, China intrudes into Arunachal and constructs a helipad. Early 1987, large-scale troop movements are reported on both sides with Western diplomats even predicting war. By the summer of 1987, after Indias strong stand, both sides back away from conflict. And in 1988, Rajiv Gandhi becomes the first Indian PM to visit China after Nehrus 1954 Hindi Chini Bhai-Bhai romance. April 2013 China intrudes into Daulat Beg Oldi, Ladakh, the Depsang plains of Aksai Chin and Arunachal. The Depsang incursion is 19-km deep. China backs off after 21 days. In July 2016, China intrudes into Uttarakhand, part of the middle sector which it didnt enter even during the 1962 war. China has also repeatedly violated Indian airspace in this sector in 2017. June 2017 Sino-Indian ties take another hit after India stops Chinese attempts to build a road near the Sikkim-Bhutan border. On the Border, PLA Plays Kho-Kho The infamous transgression in Depsang subtly choreographed to coincide with the visit of the Chinese President Xi Jinping to India in 2013 is truly the strangest act of military diplomacy in recent history! Later again in Chumar, Chinese troops, for the first time, adopted the jostling tactic. This involved pushing forward by leaning with their dead weight on anyone stopping them, and quickly sitting down on the ground if they felt they were yielding ground. And when they saw a chance they leapt forward and sat down further inside  call it kho-kho tactics! ... A traditional Indian rural sport now adopted and adapted by the PLA. The troops of both sides were sans any personal weapons. The same tactic has been applied in Doklam. India treads a heavily mined path to stake its rightful place in the comity of nations; it will be subjected to such barbs and jostling. The place at the summit is always limited. I sincerely hope that petty politicking does not let India down. Lt Gen J S Bajwa (retd) Editor, Indian Defence Review India Must Handle Situation Firmly The last face-off was nearly five decades ago in the same area, and the army records indicate that there were heavy casualties on the Chinese side. The independent policies pursued by Modi to engage the US, Japan and other western powers is being seen by China as actions aimed at challenging Chinas aspirations to be a global power replacing the US. Modis government has concentrated on strengthening the much-neglected infrastructure and military capability in the North East much to the consternation of the Chinese leadership. China is also peeved that India has not endorsed its OBOR initiative. It has no qualms in investing heavily in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, a disputed area, while advocating maintenances of status quo on South China Sea where there are multiple disputes. It is obvious that the recent provocation along the Sikkim border is not a sudden development but a response to some of the recent initiatives by Modi which can alter the strategic balance ... it is clear that India has to handle the situation firmly and stand up to the designs of the aggressive neighbour who does not hesitate to buttress its claims by use of force. Commodore R S Vasan Director, Chennai Centre for China Studies
Tushar Kaushik By

BENGALURU: In accordance with the Supreme Courts ruling, around 1,900 liquor outlets in Karnataka either shut down or went dry on Saturday. According to Joint Commissioner of Excise Department Rajendra Prasad, Bengaluru alone houses around 644 outlets. Apart from the owners of these outlets, the rule will also affect staff members.

Albert Tangling (33), a senior bartender at Sherlocks pub in Koramangala, says: There arent many bartending jobs available. And if I go into any other profession like stewarding, all my experience in this field will go waste. Also, I wont be paid as much as what Im getting now.

Finding alternate jobs might be even more difficult for DJs, as each pub usually employs only one or two of them. And when theres no alcohol being served, it doesnt make sense for pubs to have DJ, due to which DJs are also in danger of losing their jobs. Sadanand S Pattanshetti, who works as a DJ at Boozy Griffin, says: There are few vacancies and places which wont serve alcohol, even if theyre open, wont have DJs playing music.

The manager of Happy Brew, another affected pub, said the Karnataka government did not act as quickly as other state governments. The state government is looking at a revenue shortfall of about `8,000 crore due to the closure of bars and pubs on and near state highways.

The respective district administrations have conducted a land survey. Approximately 50 per cent of licence holders are under threat of closure. This means that the government stands to lose about `8,000 crore in revenue, a senior Excise official said.

According to official sources, last year they have collected `16,480 crore in excise revenue of which 33 per cent is from Bengaluru alone. Close to 40 per cent of the revenue comes from outlets that are located on highways that pass through Bengaluru, the official said.

BENGALURU: In accordance with the Supreme Courts ruling, around 1,900 liquor outlets in Karnataka either shut down or went dry on Saturday. According to Joint Commissioner of Excise Department Rajendra Prasad, Bengaluru alone houses around 644 outlets. Apart from the owners of these outlets, the rule will also affect staff members. Albert Tangling (33), a senior bartender at Sherlocks pub in Koramangala, says: There arent many bartending jobs available. And if I go into any other profession like stewarding, all my experience in this field will go waste. Also, I wont be paid as much as what Im getting now. Finding alternate jobs might be even more difficult for DJs, as each pub usually employs only one or two of them. And when theres no alcohol being served, it doesnt make sense for pubs to have DJ, due to which DJs are also in danger of losing their jobs. Sadanand S Pattanshetti, who works as a DJ at Boozy Griffin, says: There are few vacancies and places which wont serve alcohol, even if theyre open, wont have DJs playing music. The manager of Happy Brew, another affected pub, said the Karnataka government did not act as quickly as other state governments. The state government is looking at a revenue shortfall of about `8,000 crore due to the closure of bars and pubs on and near state highways. The respective district administrations have conducted a land survey. Approximately 50 per cent of licence holders are under threat of closure. This means that the government stands to lose about `8,000 crore in revenue, a senior Excise official said. According to official sources, last year they have collected `16,480 crore in excise revenue of which 33 per cent is from Bengaluru alone. Close to 40 per cent of the revenue comes from outlets that are located on highways that pass through Bengaluru, the official said.
By AFP

BEIJING: At least eight people were killed and 35 others injured today in a natural gas pipeline explosion in southwest China's Guizhou Province, authorities said.

The explosion occurred at around 10 am (local time) in the town of Shazi, Qinglong County. The injured, including four in critical condition, have been sent to hospital for treatment, according to rescuers.

Days of heavy rain triggered a landslide, which crushed the pipeline operated by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and caused gas leak and ensuing blast, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The fire caused by the explosion was put out and residents nearby were evacuated, while further investigation continues.

BEIJING: At least eight people were killed and 35 others injured today in a natural gas pipeline explosion in southwest China's Guizhou Province, authorities said. The explosion occurred at around 10 am (local time) in the town of Shazi, Qinglong County. The injured, including four in critical condition, have been sent to hospital for treatment, according to rescuers. Days of heavy rain triggered a landslide, which crushed the pipeline operated by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and caused gas leak and ensuing blast, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The fire caused by the explosion was put out and residents nearby were evacuated, while further investigation continues.
By IANS

KABUL: The Islamic State (IS) militants have beheaded 10 Taliban men in Afghanistan's Jawzjan province.

The IS militants captured Aqbalaq village in Darzab district last week and arrested 10 Taliban militants. They were beheaded on Friday, Xinhua news agency cited local Daily Weesa as reporting on Sunday.

Both the Taliban and IS militants have been fighting for consolidating positions in parts of the Afghan district over the past several weeks.

Neither Taliban nor IS group made comment on the report.

KABUL: The Islamic State (IS) militants have beheaded 10 Taliban men in Afghanistan's Jawzjan province. The IS militants captured Aqbalaq village in Darzab district last week and arrested 10 Taliban militants. They were beheaded on Friday, Xinhua news agency cited local Daily Weesa as reporting on Sunday. Both the Taliban and IS militants have been fighting for consolidating positions in parts of the Afghan district over the past several weeks. Neither Taliban nor IS group made comment on the report.
By ANI

LAHORE: Pakistan Foreign Office on Sunday rejected Indias demand for consular access to Indian businessman Kulbhushan Jadhav for the 18th time, saying New Delhi is trying to deny the facts by calling Jadhav an ordinary prisoner.



A statement by the Pakistan FO affirmed that Jadhav was sent to Pakistan by Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and many innocent Pakistanis were killed by him.



The Foreign Office further asked India to act upon the bilateral agreement on consular access instead of leveling accusations on Pakistan, Dunya News reported.



India on Saturday asked Pakistan to grant consular access to its national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and sabotage activities.

India had moved the International court of Justice against the death penalty and the ICJ in its verdict on May 18 had restrained Pakistan for executing Jadhav.



Meanwhile, India argued that Pakistan had not granted India consular access, nor had accepted his family's appeals.



The court has asked India to make its submission in the case by September 13 and Pakistan by December 13.

Pakistan had also earlier said that Jadhav will not be executed till he "exhausts all his mercy appeals."

Both countries also exchanged lists of nationals lodged in the jails of the other country, in consistent with the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access between both the neighbouring countries.



The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in this statement stated that, "India remains committed to addressing on priority all humanitarian matters with Pakistan, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen. In this context, we await from Pakistan confirmation of nationality of those in India's custody who are otherwise eligible for release and repatriation."

LAHORE: Pakistan Foreign Office on Sunday rejected Indias demand for consular access to Indian businessman Kulbhushan Jadhav for the 18th time, saying New Delhi is trying to deny the facts by calling Jadhav an ordinary prisoner. A statement by the Pakistan FO affirmed that Jadhav was sent to Pakistan by Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and many innocent Pakistanis were killed by him. The Foreign Office further asked India to act upon the bilateral agreement on consular access instead of leveling accusations on Pakistan, Dunya News reported. India on Saturday asked Pakistan to grant consular access to its national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and sabotage activities. India had moved the International court of Justice against the death penalty and the ICJ in its verdict on May 18 had restrained Pakistan for executing Jadhav. Meanwhile, India argued that Pakistan had not granted India consular access, nor had accepted his family's appeals. The court has asked India to make its submission in the case by September 13 and Pakistan by December 13. Pakistan had also earlier said that Jadhav will not be executed till he "exhausts all his mercy appeals." Both countries also exchanged lists of nationals lodged in the jails of the other country, in consistent with the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access between both the neighbouring countries. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in this statement stated that, "India remains committed to addressing on priority all humanitarian matters with Pakistan, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen. In this context, we await from Pakistan confirmation of nationality of those in India's custody who are otherwise eligible for release and repatriation."
By AFP

BEIRUT: Syria's government accused Saturday the international chemical weapons watchdog of relying on the testimonies of "terrorists" in its probe that concluded sarin gas was used in a deadly attack in Syria two months ago.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry in a statement also lashed out at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, saying its investigation has been subjected to political extortion, costing the agency its credibility and impartiality. The ministry called its findings "the creation of a sick mind."

While the OPCW didn't apportion blame, the U.S., the U.K. and Syrian activists have held the Syrian government responsible for the April 4 on Khan Sheikhoun in the opposition-controlled Idlib province. More than 90 people, including women and children, were killed, sparking outrage around the world as photos and video of the aftermath, which included quivering children dying on camera, were widely broadcast.

The U.S. launched a punitive strike against the Syrian military days after the attack. Syrian President Bashar Assad and his main backer Russia have denied the use of chemical weapons, accusing the Syrian opposition of launching the attacks.

The Syrian foreign ministry said the OPCW had declined to visit Khan Sheikhoun or the base from which the alleged attack was purportedly launched. It said the Syrian government was prepared to cooperate with the investigators.

"The report comes up with a fabricated and exaggerated story that has no credibility and can't be accepted in any way because it is illogical and is the creation of a sick mind," the ministry's statement said. It questioned the testimonies collected by the OPCW in Turkey from witnesses it called "terrorists" and "perjurers" controlled by western intelligence agents.

It called on the OPCW to prepare "impartial and credible reports that have not been subjected to extortions by countries and parties that prevent it from reaching the truth."

Both the U.S. and the OPCW defended the probe's methodology. Investigators did not visit the scene of the attack, deeming it too dangerous, but analyzed samples from victims and survivors, and interviewed witnesses.

The investigation's findings will be used by a joint U.N.-OPCW investigation team to determine who was behind the attack. The team is expected to issue its next report sometime around October. The OPCW has scheduled a July 5 meeting of its executive council to discuss the matter.

Syria joined the OPCW in 2013 after it was blamed for a deadly poison gas attack in a Damascus suburb. Assad's government then declared some 1,300 tons of chemical weapons and precursor chemicals that were subsequently destroyed in an unprecedented international operation.

However, the organization still has unanswered questions regarding Syria's initial declaration and whether it has wholly disposed of its chemical weapons stockpile.

The report's investigative team has previously concluded that chlorine and sulfur mustard  commonly known as mustard gas  were used as weapons in Syria.

On Saturday, a Syrian insurgent group said Syrian government troops used chlorine gas on its fighters during clashes near the capital Damascus.

Faylaq al-Rahman group has been fighting advancing government and allied forces on its stronghold of Ain Terma, in eastern Ghouta suburb, for days. It was not immediately possible to corroborate the frontline report of chlorine use. Activists reported the insurgent group's claim but no images or firsthand accounts were made available. One activist said most of those injured were fighters. The Syrian military called reports of a chlorine attack in Ain Terma "baseless lies."

BEIRUT: Syria's government accused Saturday the international chemical weapons watchdog of relying on the testimonies of "terrorists" in its probe that concluded sarin gas was used in a deadly attack in Syria two months ago. The Syrian Foreign Ministry in a statement also lashed out at the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, saying its investigation has been subjected to political extortion, costing the agency its credibility and impartiality. The ministry called its findings "the creation of a sick mind." While the OPCW didn't apportion blame, the U.S., the U.K. and Syrian activists have held the Syrian government responsible for the April 4 on Khan Sheikhoun in the opposition-controlled Idlib province. More than 90 people, including women and children, were killed, sparking outrage around the world as photos and video of the aftermath, which included quivering children dying on camera, were widely broadcast. The U.S. launched a punitive strike against the Syrian military days after the attack. Syrian President Bashar Assad and his main backer Russia have denied the use of chemical weapons, accusing the Syrian opposition of launching the attacks. The Syrian foreign ministry said the OPCW had declined to visit Khan Sheikhoun or the base from which the alleged attack was purportedly launched. It said the Syrian government was prepared to cooperate with the investigators. "The report comes up with a fabricated and exaggerated story that has no credibility and can't be accepted in any way because it is illogical and is the creation of a sick mind," the ministry's statement said. It questioned the testimonies collected by the OPCW in Turkey from witnesses it called "terrorists" and "perjurers" controlled by western intelligence agents. It called on the OPCW to prepare "impartial and credible reports that have not been subjected to extortions by countries and parties that prevent it from reaching the truth." Both the U.S. and the OPCW defended the probe's methodology. Investigators did not visit the scene of the attack, deeming it too dangerous, but analyzed samples from victims and survivors, and interviewed witnesses. The investigation's findings will be used by a joint U.N.-OPCW investigation team to determine who was behind the attack. The team is expected to issue its next report sometime around October. The OPCW has scheduled a July 5 meeting of its executive council to discuss the matter. Syria joined the OPCW in 2013 after it was blamed for a deadly poison gas attack in a Damascus suburb. Assad's government then declared some 1,300 tons of chemical weapons and precursor chemicals that were subsequently destroyed in an unprecedented international operation. However, the organization still has unanswered questions regarding Syria's initial declaration and whether it has wholly disposed of its chemical weapons stockpile. The report's investigative team has previously concluded that chlorine and sulfur mustard  commonly known as mustard gas  were used as weapons in Syria. On Saturday, a Syrian insurgent group said Syrian government troops used chlorine gas on its fighters during clashes near the capital Damascus. Faylaq al-Rahman group has been fighting advancing government and allied forces on its stronghold of Ain Terma, in eastern Ghouta suburb, for days. It was not immediately possible to corroborate the frontline report of chlorine use. Activists reported the insurgent group's claim but no images or firsthand accounts were made available. One activist said most of those injured were fighters. The Syrian military called reports of a chlorine attack in Ain Terma "baseless lies."
By AFP

ISTANBUL: Two officials fromTurkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have been shot dead in two separate incidents, state media said Sunday, with officials blaming the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

Aydin Ahi, deputy chairman ofthe AKP in the Ozalp district of the eastern province of Van, was killed overnight just metres (yards) from his house after being seized by militants, the state-run Anadolu news agency said.



The chairman of the AKP in Ozalp, Zahir Soganda, said the killing was carried out by the PKK. Sixteen suspects have already been detained, Anadolu said.



Anadolu said Ahi's predecessor had also been assassinated in similar circumstances last year.



The deputy chairman of the AKP in the Lice district of the southeastern province of Diyarbakir province, Orhan Mercan, was shot dead early on Saturday in front of his house in another suspected assassination by the PKK, Anadolu quoted local officials as saying.



The PKK has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984 -- initially focusing on independence demands then greater rights -- that has left tens of thousands of people dead.



It observed a cease fire from 2013 but fighting resumed again in summer of 2015. Hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed since and army has claimed killing thousands of militants.



The PKK is classified as a terror group by Turkey and the European Union and the United States.

ISTANBUL: Two officials fromTurkey's ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) have been shot dead in two separate incidents, state media said Sunday, with officials blaming the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Aydin Ahi, deputy chairman ofthe AKP in the Ozalp district of the eastern province of Van, was killed overnight just metres (yards) from his house after being seized by militants, the state-run Anadolu news agency said. The chairman of the AKP in Ozalp, Zahir Soganda, said the killing was carried out by the PKK. Sixteen suspects have already been detained, Anadolu said. Anadolu said Ahi's predecessor had also been assassinated in similar circumstances last year. The deputy chairman of the AKP in the Lice district of the southeastern province of Diyarbakir province, Orhan Mercan, was shot dead early on Saturday in front of his house in another suspected assassination by the PKK, Anadolu quoted local officials as saying. The PKK has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984 -- initially focusing on independence demands then greater rights -- that has left tens of thousands of people dead. It observed a cease fire from 2013 but fighting resumed again in summer of 2015. Hundreds of members of the Turkish security forces have been killed since and army has claimed killing thousands of militants. The PKK is classified as a terror group by Turkey and the European Union and the United States.
By Ananth Krishnan: While China has pointed to an 1890 treaty between Sikkim and Tibet to bolster its claims to the Doklam plateau at the trijunction, India believes Beijing is misrepresenting Delhi's position as well as prior agreements between the two countries acknowledging differences at the India-China-Bhutan trijunction.

While the 1890 Sikkim-Tibet treaty backs China's claims on the trijunction being located farther south at Mount Gipmochi - which Beijing uses to claim 89 sq km in the Doklam plateau - India has only affirmed this treaty insofar as "the basis of alignment" of the India-China border in Sikkim, based on watershed, and not the treaty's other aspects.

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In fact, in 2012, Beijing even reached an understanding with Delhi that the trijunction would be finalised only with consultation along with Bhutan, and China was fully aware that India did not accept the trijunction at Gipmochi, sources said.

Beijing, however, now appears to be deviating from that position, and it has emerged it has been stepping up its claims to the area -leading to its road construction that triggered the current stand-off - in talks with Bhutan since around 2002, when it presented Bhutan with "archival documentary evidence" that claimed it was receiving "a herding tax" from Bhutanese in the area even until 1960.

China fixes the India-China-Bhutan trijunction at Mount Gipmochi, which lies south to where India and Bhutan say the trijunction lies, near Batang La. Beijing on Friday released a map showing its claims. China says the 1890 treaty similarly marks the border at Mount Gipmochi. Hence, Beijing claims around 89 sq km of the Doklam plateau south of where India sees the China-Bhutan border. It is here that China is constructing a road, which triggered opposition from the Royal Bhutan Army and also India, which worries that this will bring China even closer in the sensitive Chumbi valley.

CHINA'S CLAIMS QUESTIONED

China believes its claims are on solid ground according to the 1890 Sikkim-Tibet Convention, which explains its unusually frequent public statements reaffirming its stand in recent days.

Article 1 of the Convention, signed at Calcutta on 17th March 1890 by Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, then Viceroy of India, and Sheng Tai, the Imperial Associate Resident in Tibet, reads: "The boundary of Sikkim and Tibet shall be the crest of the mountain range separating the waters flowing into the Sikkim Teesta and its affluents from the waters flowing into the Tibetan Mochu and northwards into other rivers of Tibet. The line commences at Mount Gipmochi, on the Bhutan frontier, and follows the above-mentioned water-parting to the point where it meets Nipal territory [sic]."

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday pointed to this treaty, saying: "In terms of jurisprudence, the boundary convention signed in 1890 explicitly stipulates that Mount Gipmochi is the junction of China, India and Bhutan, and Doklam is situated on the Chinese side of the China-India and China-Bhutan boundaries."

The Foreign Ministry said: "Before the 1960s, if border inhabitants of Bhutan wanted to herd in Doklam, they needed the consent of the Chinese side and had to pay the grass tax to China. Nowadays the Tibet Archives still retain some receipts of the grass tax. The Qing government's high commissioner in Tibet once erected a landmark on the China-Bhutan traditional customary line to the South of Doklam."

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VIOLATING BHUTAN AGREEMENT

While China and Bhutan have had many rounds of border talks, it appears China's claims here became a sticking point in 2002. That year, then Bhutanese Foreign Minister Lyonpo Jigmi Thinley told the National Assembly China had "claimed to have documentary evidence on the ownership of the disputed tracts of land. When Bhutan asked them to be generous with a small neighbour like Bhutan they said that, as a nation which shared its border with 25 other countries they could not afford to be generous with one particular neighbour. The Chinese government, including the Prime Minister, were unhappy and questioned why Bhutan was raising new issues after many years of talks".

Bhutan, however, has pointed to a 1998 agreement with China which says both sides, pending a final settlement of their boundary dispute, will not "alter the status quo" in any disputed area. India and Bhutan believe Beijing has clearly violated this agreement by seeking to alter the status quo through its road construction. But now, it seems Beijing is making the argument that there was no dispute in this area to begin with, which is going to make it all the more challenging to arrive at an amicable resolution to the stand-off.

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ALSO READ | China trying to alter territories, India different from 1962: Defence Minister Arun Jaitley

How India counters China over Doka La face-off near Sikkim

EXCLUSIVE: China releases new map showing territorial claims at stand-off site

The last Sikkim stand-off: When India gave China a bloody nose in 1967

ALSO WATCH | Indian, Chinese troops clash at LAC in Sikkim; Beijing blames Delhi for border stand-off

--- ENDS ---
By IANS

BEIJING: Amid rising tensions over their border row, China has cancelled the upcoming visit by a group of Indian journalists to Tibet.

China has been organising annual trips for journalists from Nepal and India for quite some time.

"I looked forward to visiting Tibet. But two days ago I was told by the Chinese embassy that the trip has been cancelled," Vijay Naik, Convenor of the Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents, told IANS.

"Perhaps, it is because of the recent tension. They would have thought let things cool down first," Naik added.

The duration of the trip was from July 8 to 15.

Like Naik, journalists from other India media houses were invited. It was not known if the trip for journalists from Nepal was on.

Last year, Indian and Nepali journalists were taken to the Tibetan capital Lhasa, Chengdu in Sichuan and other places besides Beijing.

Tension has risen between India and China over the current standoff between their armies in Doklam (Donglong) in the Sikkim sector.

The region at the tri-junction of Bhutan, China and India is a disputed territory between Thimpu and Beijing.

India troops reportedly stopped the Chinese from building a road in the area since its ownership is yet to be decided.

China calls the area its own, a claim which Bhutan contests.

BEIJING: Amid rising tensions over their border row, China has cancelled the upcoming visit by a group of Indian journalists to Tibet. China has been organising annual trips for journalists from Nepal and India for quite some time. "I looked forward to visiting Tibet. But two days ago I was told by the Chinese embassy that the trip has been cancelled," Vijay Naik, Convenor of the Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents, told IANS. "Perhaps, it is because of the recent tension. They would have thought let things cool down first," Naik added. The duration of the trip was from July 8 to 15. Like Naik, journalists from other India media houses were invited. It was not known if the trip for journalists from Nepal was on. Last year, Indian and Nepali journalists were taken to the Tibetan capital Lhasa, Chengdu in Sichuan and other places besides Beijing. Tension has risen between India and China over the current standoff between their armies in Doklam (Donglong) in the Sikkim sector. The region at the tri-junction of Bhutan, China and India is a disputed territory between Thimpu and Beijing. India troops reportedly stopped the Chinese from building a road in the area since its ownership is yet to be decided. China calls the area its own, a claim which Bhutan contests.
By ANI

THIMPHU: Criticising China for constructing a road inside Bhutanese territory, residents here have stated that this action by Beijing could lead to war and cautioned the latter not to transgress Bhutan's territorial integrity and sovereignty.



"What China is doing on the border lines is very risky and it encourages war. India is just trying to warn them that China should respect Bhutans sovereignty. India is fully supported by Bhutan," Bhutanese local Chundu Singye told ANI.



Singye further stated, "Bhutan is a small country, but no one can invade our territory because the topography and geography is such, that invasion is nearly next to impossible."



Another Thimphu resident Tsheltrim Dorji said, I think China, India and Bhutan should come together and find a solution to the issue.



Indo-Bhutan share a really good relationship. Bhutan is small country, not proper way to acquire forcefully, Choki Wangmo, another Bhutanese local said.

Echoing similar sentiments, one more Bhutanese local Namgay Dorji said, India and Bhutan are having good relationship since 1961. India is supporting our government in every aspect.



Locals in Bhutan are severely critical about China proposing to construct the road inside Bhutanese territory, which they say is a direct violation of the agreements and affect the process of demarcating the boundary between the two countries.



Bhutan had last month issued a demarche to the Chinese envoy in India, asking Beijing to restore the status quo in the Doklam area where Chinese soldiers tried to unilaterally build a road towards their army camp in the Zomplri area.



China who refer to Doklam as Donglang was part of Chinese territory since ancient times and it doesnt belong to Bhutan.

THIMPHU: Criticising China for constructing a road inside Bhutanese territory, residents here have stated that this action by Beijing could lead to war and cautioned the latter not to transgress Bhutan's territorial integrity and sovereignty. "What China is doing on the border lines is very risky and it encourages war. India is just trying to warn them that China should respect Bhutans sovereignty. India is fully supported by Bhutan," Bhutanese local Chundu Singye told ANI. Singye further stated, "Bhutan is a small country, but no one can invade our territory because the topography and geography is such, that invasion is nearly next to impossible." Another Thimphu resident Tsheltrim Dorji said, I think China, India and Bhutan should come together and find a solution to the issue. Indo-Bhutan share a really good relationship. Bhutan is small country, not proper way to acquire forcefully, Choki Wangmo, another Bhutanese local said. Echoing similar sentiments, one more Bhutanese local Namgay Dorji said, India and Bhutan are having good relationship since 1961. India is supporting our government in every aspect. Locals in Bhutan are severely critical about China proposing to construct the road inside Bhutanese territory, which they say is a direct violation of the agreements and affect the process of demarcating the boundary between the two countries. Bhutan had last month issued a demarche to the Chinese envoy in India, asking Beijing to restore the status quo in the Doklam area where Chinese soldiers tried to unilaterally build a road towards their army camp in the Zomplri area. China who refer to Doklam as Donglang was part of Chinese territory since ancient times and it doesnt belong to Bhutan.
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AMFI announces Vision 2025 for mutual fund industry

New Delhi , June 29 : The Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), the trade association of Asset Management Companies (AMCs) of all Mutual Funds in India has announced its Vision 2025 for the mutual fund industry and launched a fact book along with CRISIL called Quantum Leap Beckons which provides comprehensive and historical statistics on the mutual fund industry.





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This was done at the first ever mutual fund summit in the presence of chief guest Ajay Tyagi, Chairman of the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI).The theme of the summit was "Vision 2025: Setting the Roadmap for the Industry", with key focus on customer expansion and ease of doing business by leveraging digital technology.Anil Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Group, was the guest of honour at the event and shared his vision for the mutual fund industry.AMFI Chairman A Balasubramanian said, "The mutual fund industry is maturing and taking responsible steps in managing investor's money and generating returns. The industry is at an inflection point and set to become a part of investment consideration of every investor, thus making mutual funds a preferred investment choice"SEBI Chairman Tyagi in his key note address said "While I am happy that the mutual fund industry has been growing year on year, I would urge them to keep investor interest at the forefront while designing any products. One of the key areas that I would want the industry to introspect is the plethora of me-too schemes."According to the AMFI-CRISIL Fact Book, top beyond 15 (B15) cities have seen faster growth in assets, at 30% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in the past three years ended March 2017, compared to 27% for the top 15 (T15) cities. Distributors will also continue to play a big role in creating the awareness about the product, especially in underpenetrated regions, while advisory-based model should find off take in bigger cities.The full day event saw eminent CEOs and top management personnel from various fund houses and representatives from distribution partners and associations discuss ways in which customer base could be broadened.
Following the recent border stand-off between Chinese and Indian troops, the tour of five Indian and as many Nepalese journalists has been cancelled.

By Geeta Mohan: China has called off the annual media trip that it organises for journalists to travel to Tibet.

Following the recent border stand-off between Chinese and Indian troops, the tour of five Indian and as many Nepalese journalists has been cancelled.

No official reason was given by the embassy officials to the journalists. One of the participants, Vijay Naik, Convenor of Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents said, "The invite was received but because the tensions have increased the Chinese may have thought of letting things cool down and let the atmosphere become conducive again for the media programme to resume. But, we have no official communication explaining the reason for the cancellation."

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The trip was to commence from July 8 and end on July 15.

It was only on Saturday that the participants were informed of the cancellation when they were all set for the journey. Speaking to India Today Agni Roy, Senior Editor with Ananda Bazaar Patrika said, "We all were waiting to go to Tibet. My passport is still deposited in the Chinese embassy as I was supposed to get my visa on Monday. It is really disappointing".

The Chinese embassy organises these annual trips to Tibet with journalists from the region. This last minute cancellation many believe is the direct result of the border tensions at the tri-junction where India (in Sikkim), China and Bhutan meet.

Also read: Sikkim stand-off: India 'ignored international law', alleges China's official media

Also read: Beyond Doka La: 10 irritants in India-China relation

Also read: How India counters China over Doka La face-off near Sikkim

--- ENDS ---
Qatar 'grateful' for Turkey's support amid Gulf diplomatic crisis

Washington D.C. [United States], June 30 : Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdurrahman Al-Thani has said that his country is very thankful and grateful for Turkey's support during its current diplomatic crisis with neighbouring Gulf countries that began earlier this month.





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Speaking at a panel discussion in Washington D.C. that focused on how to resolve the current Gulf crisis, Al-Thani said that Qatar's long and strong relationship with Turkey does not mean that Ankara's ties to other Gulf nations should be undermined."Turkey has been supporting Qatar with supply chain because of the blockade which has been affected and, urges the parties to engage in a dialogue," Anadolu news agency quoted Al-Thani as saying.Asserting that most of the allegations leveled against Qatar were baseless, he said that his country is ready to talk with its neighbors to solve the issues.He added Qatar is ready for talks with its neighbors to solve the issues as long as it does not violate their independence and national sovereignty.Describing his meeting with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson earlier this week as "very productive", Al-Thani said Tillerson is working hard to resolve the crisis and hoped those efforts will be successful.Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, along with Egypt had snapped diplomatic ties with fellow Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member Qatar earlier this month citing Doha's support to terrorism as the reason.Qatar termed the actions by Gulf member countries of isolating it diplomatically as "unjustified".Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan promised to continue supporting Qatar amid a diplomatic row engulfing that Gulf state. Erdogan said he had never witnessed Doha supporting terrorism, adding Turkey "will continue to give all kinds of support to Qatar."
You can now 'see' what Notre Dame 'sounds' like, thanks to VR

Washington D.C. [USA], Jun 30 : Paris' Cathedral of Notre Dame has a ghost orchestra that is always performing, thanks to a sophisticated, multidisciplinary acoustics research project.





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In the project, computer models use recordings from a live concert held at the cathedral and detailed room acoustic simulations to produce a novel type of audience experience: a virtual recreation of the live performance using spatial audio and virtual reality.Researchers reproduced the recordings using computerized acoustical data and enhanced it with computer-generated virtual navigation -- 3-D visualizations made with immersive architectural rendering that float the viewer through the complex acoustics of the acclaimed medieval gothic cathedral.Combined, the multimodal sound and image footage of the ghost orchestra produce a spectral tour to the sounds of the 19th century opera "La Vierge" -- The Virgin -- performed live during the 2012-2013 concert season to celebrate the Cathedral's 850th anniversary.Multimodal virtual reality integration is central to the project's significance, said Brian F.G. Katz, lead investigator at the Institute Jean Le Rond d'Alembert, Pierre and Marie Curie University, in Paris."3D-audio is the hot topic today in virtual reality (VR) that is currently a very active subject in both academic and industrial research," Katz said. "With the commercialization of affordable VR systems -- the cheapest allowing for VR on smartphones -- spatial audio is rapidly immerging from the laboratory."The next stage in spatial audio is personalized audio rendering that involves being able to adjust the rendering to match one's individual head and ear details."The importance of multimodal interactions, how visual and auditory cues balance in spatial perception, is key to VR and the sense of immersion, of being 'in' the VR world," Katz explained.He envisions many applications emerging from the investigation.The study was presented during Acoustics '17 Boston, the third joint meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the European Acoustics Association held in Boston, Massachusetts.
GST reform being rushed by insensitive, incompetent govt.: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi June 30 : Hours before the mid-night rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that it is a reform that holds great potential, but is being rushed through in a half-baked spectacle by an incompetent government.





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"A reform that holds great potential is being rushed through in a half-baked way with a self-promotional spectacle #GSTTamasha," Gandhi tweeted.Hitting at the Central Government, he further said that the GST is being executed by an incompetent and insensitive government without planning foresight and institutional readiness."Unlike demonetisation, GST is a reform that @INCIndia has championed & backed from the beginning," Gandhi asserted.He added that India deserves a GST rollout that does not put crores of its citizens and traders through difficult time.The Congress Party yesterday said that it would boycott the midnight meeting, convened by the government, on the implementation of the GST.Besides Congress, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) have also decided to boycott the event.Ahead of the historic rollout of the GST that is scheduled to take effect from midnight, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister M. Venkaiah Naidu earlier in the day urged the Congress Party to 'realise and rethink' their stand and join the government for the midnight Parliament session.The GST, which is slated to roll out today midnight, will bring the Indian economy under a single tax bracket.
CPN-UML leads Nepal's second phase polls vote count

By Binod Prasad Adhikari, Kathmandu [Nepal], June 30 : Nepal's main opposition, Communist Party of Nepal-UML, contesting under 'Sun' as its election symbol, is leading in the vote count of three hundred twenty six local levels out of three hundred thirty four local level, in the second phase local polls commenced this Wednesday.





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Meanwhile, 'Tree' the election symbol of ruling Nepali Congress is following the 'Sun'.Opposition CPN-UML has claimed victory over the eight local levels, whereas Nepali Congress has booked its victory over four local levels and Maoist Center in one local level out of thirteen local bodies where the vote count was completed Friday afternoon.Due to various technical and political reasons the vote count of eight local bodies is yet to start, the Election Commission (EC) has informed. The poll panel has also claimed that it is adopting quick measures that would bring the final results within a week.The commission has increased the number of vote counting officials and has asked the political parties, candidates and their representatives to be co-operative at the time of vote count."The Election Commission reminds all the political parties, candidates, their representatives and all the concerned bodies to co-operate to complete the vote counting as early as possible," said a statement from the commission on Friday.The second phase election commenced on Wednesday covering three provinces mostly the southern plains of Nepal, which has remained much more volatile after the promulgation of the Constitution on 2015. Though the agitating parties boycotted the election a vigorous participation by observers was witnessed with turnout of 70.5 percent.Nepal voted on the first phase of local polls after a gap of about two decades on May 14 in Province No 3, 4 and 6 having two hundred eighty one local bodies witnessing a turnout of 73 percent.The second phase poll commenced this week in province number 1, 5 and 7 with 3 hundred 34 local bodies witnessed the voter turnout of 70.5 Percent. The CPN- UML took lead over vote counting of province number 1 and 5 whereas the biggest party of Nepal Nepali Congress is leading the vote count in province number 7.Along with the concerns over the results of second phase polls, the concern about the third and last phase of election in province no. 2 the homeland of agitating party leadership has started to rise.The long time agitating and disgruntled parties have been demanding Constitution amendment showing their reservation to accept it after it was promulgated in September of 2015.As the election for province number two is differed twice, there are concerns over bringing the agitating forces to the portfolio of election that is scheduled for 18th of September, 2017.
Textile industry infused with 'zero-defect, zero-effect' : PM Modi

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) , June 30 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday inaugurated Textiles India 2017 Exhibition and Summit organized at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, and asserted that the textile industry is being infused with the mantras of 'skill, scalev, speed' and 'zero-defect ,zero-effect' policy.





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Addressing a gathering at the venue, the Prime Minister said, "India is described as a bright spot in the global economy. It has emerged as one of the most attractive global investment destinations. Based on Make In India, the textile industry is being infused with the mantras of 'skill, scale, speed' and 'zero-defect, zero-effect' policy. The textile sector offers significant employment opportunities. It is today our second largest employer after agriculture".Prime Minister further stressed that the clothing diversity should be catalogued and mapped to earmark strengths and specialties of each state or region."I hope this event will help familiarise global and Indian leaders with India's enabling policy environment, strengths and vast opportunities. We should catalogue, map our clothing diversity, clearly earmark strengths and specialties of each state or region," Prime Minister Modi said.This the three-day conference will see participation from 2,500 international buyers, over a thousand international and domestic exhibitors and several top fashion designers.Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated two water projects in Gujarat's Modasa district, asserting that farmers across the state will soon get water through various irrigation schemes.Speaking at the ceremony, Prime Minister Modi said, "We have ensured that farmers across Gujarat get water through our various irrigation schemes. National Agricultural Market (e-NAM) is helping farmers sell their produce online at the right price across the entire country. We have introduced PM Fasal Bima Yojana to ensure maximum protection with minimum premium. We are also ensuring that bus stations in Gujarat are comparable to airports in convenience and cleanliness".Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani was also present for the occasion.Prime Minister Modi also laid foundation stone of Modasa Bus port adding that the government is ensuring that bus stations in Gujarat are comparable to airports in convenience and cleanliness.He will leave for New Delhi this evening to attend the Goods and Services Tax (GST) roll out mega event in Parliament.
Rural Electrification Corporation of India launches first Green Bond in London

London [United Kingdom], June 30 : The London Stock Exchange today welcomes Rural Electrification Corporation's (REC) first green bond, which was admitted to trading on London's International Securities Market (ISM). The ten year dated green bond raised USD 450 million, with an annual yield of 3.965 per cent. The bond was 3.9 times oversubscribed on the final order book and secured strong international investor interest, with Asian investors making up 68 per cent of the order book and investors from the EMEA region making up 32 per cent.





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The state-owned company, which finances and promotes power sector projects in India, will use the proceeds of the Climate Bonds Initiative certified green bond to finance environmentally friendly projects across India. One of its aims is to provide affordable and accessible power to most rural parts of the country by 2020. Some of the projects will include solar, wind and biomass assets, as well as sustainable water and waste management projects. The company, which is headquartered in New Delhi provides financial assistance to various State Power Utilities, Private Sector Project Developers, Central Power Sector Utilities and State Governments for investments in Power Generation, Power Transmission, Power Distribution, rural electrification projects and other system improvement initiatives.The Chairman of REC, Dr. P.V. Ramesh joined Nikhil Rathi, CEO of London Stock Exchange plc to open trading in London to celebrate the listing.Nikhil Rathi, CEO, London Stock Exchange plc & Director of International Development, London Stock Exchange Group, said:"We are honoured to welcome Dr. P.V. Ramesh, Chairman of REC, to London Stock Exchange today and warmly congratulate REC on its first green bond listing. The success of REC's $450 million issuance is a significant achievement for REC, underlining the strength of international investor interest in building exposure to India's green growth story."REC's listing reinforces London's status as a market open to the world and a strong partner to India as it realises its ambitious green financing and infrastructure projects across the country. It is also an important milestone for our Group as REC is listing the first green bond on our International Securities Market."Dr. P.V. Ramesh, Chairman & Managing Director of Rural Electrification Corporation Limited (REC), said: "The REC team is delighted to be welcomed to London Stock Exchange today in celebration of its green bond listing. The funds raised will help promote renewable energy projects all across India and aid in achieving our Government's target of 175GW of installed renewable energy capacity by 2022. Through this issuance on London Stock Exchange, we will be also able to reach out to a new investor base."Sean Kidney, CEO and Co-founder of Climate Bonds Initiative, said: "This certified bond will help bring green energy to rural Indian villagers, clean power to where it's needed most. It's another step towards the nations' 2022 renewable energy target. Institutional investors backing long term carbon friendly projects is what we need to see replicated on a grand scale. Listing on London Stock Exchange gives exposure to global capital pools, an essential ingredient to reach India's climate finance goals."The REC bond is ISM's first green bond listing since the market launch in May this year. The launch of the new debt market was supported by India's Minister of State for Power and Renewable Energy, Shri Piyush Goyal, who sees London as a long term partner for Indian firms looking to raise finance in the global capital markets. This reinforces London's position as the world's most international listing venue. ISM was launched to improve the effectiveness and competitiveness of the UK primary debt markets, offering greater choice for a variety of fixed income issuers.
By PTI: By K J M Varma

Beijing, Jul 1 (PTI) Chinas jailed dissident and Nobel Laureate Liu Xiaobo will be given traditional Chinese medicine therapy to treat his liver cancer, experts said even as Beijing rejected global calls for his treatment abroad.

Lius wife Liu Xia has agreed to treat Liu with traditional Chinese medicine therapy after two top experts held a group consultation on him, state-run Global Times reported.

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Two experienced experts specialising in liver cancer treatment from Beijing-based Guanganmen Hospital and the Longhua Hospital under the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine held a group consultation on treatment to be given to 61-year-old Liu, the report said.

He was receiving treatment at the No 1 Hospital of the China Medical University in Shenyang after his release on medical parole.

Liu is serving a 11-year sentence since 2009 for carrying out pro-democracy movement challenging the one-party rule of the Communist Party of China (CPC). He was accused of attempting to overthrow the government.

His relatives and international human rights groups had called for his release and permit him to go abroad to get better treatment. China had refused the permission to go abroad.

Experts said the hospitals diagnosis of Liu was conclusive and the treatment Liu received was clear. They suggested using traditional Chinese medicine as an adjuvant therapy to improve the sensitivity of drugs and reduce side effects, the report said.

After receiving consultation result from the experts, Lius wife Liu Xia said she believed the hospital had done its best. She agreed to the traditional Chinese medicine treatment, and expressed her gratitude to medical experts, local officials said.

According to personal information recorded at Jinzhou Prison, where Liu served his sentence, he had hepatitis B before going to the prison.

The prison had organised physical examination for him once a year and had arranged a round visit every 15 days. The prison had added screen checks for hepatitis and tumour for Liu since 2012, the report said. PTI KJV AJR AKJ AJR

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Kamakhya Temple reopens for pilgrims; pilgrims gather in thousands

Guwahati (Assam) , June 30 : The Kamakhya temple in Guwahati recently reopened for people to celebrate the Ambubachi Mela 2017.





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Pilgrims, including tantrics and sanyasis congregated at the mela to seek Goddess Kamakhya's blessings.The devotees were seen receiving a piece of red cloth, which is considered to be sacred.A devotee from Delhi, Kiran Pediwal said that he is feeling blessed to have been able to witness the divine spirituality of the Goddess."I am feeling very privileged and peaceful to have able to seeking blessings from such holy shrine of Maa Kamakhya", he added.The doors remained closed for four days as it is believed that at this time of the year, the Goddess Shakti or the Mother Earth goes through her annual cycle of menstruation, and acquires fertility.The festival is considered to be auspicious, as it celebrates the strength of female and the power of procreation.Farming, daily worship and religious duties are stopped during the Mela.Tight security, healthy food, more than 600 toilets and a good infrastructure to accommodate the visitors and pilgrims have been arranged.Around 2000 volunteers were engaged to guide and assist the pilgrims and other visitors.
Will try to be the leader this culturally rich country needs: Meira Kumar

Mumbai (Maharashtra) June 30 : Opposition presidential candidate Meira Kumar on Friday said that this election is not only a contest for a supreme position, but also underlines the country's ideology.





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"It's not just a contest for the supreme position of land. It's a very strong articulation of what we stand for and our ideology. I will put all my efforts to become the kind of leader this diverse and culturally rich country needs," Kumar said while addressing a press conference here.She requested the citizens to stay strong and support her so that she could lead them the way."I whole-heartedly wish for the growth and success of this country, especially the small traders and backward classes who need support," Kumar asserted.She will meet all legislators of the Congress and its allies who are or were in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).The election for the highest office of the country will be held on July 17.UPA-led by Congress has nominated Meira Kumar against Ram Nath Kovind, BJP-led NDA's candidate for the polls.The 72-year old politician and five-time Member of Parliament (MP) met MLAs and MLCs of UPA partners - Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Samajwadi Party and Peasants and Workers Party of India (PWP).
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) The CISF security cover at the Delhi airport has been recognised as the best service in this domain by a global quality-rating agency.

The latest initiation of doing away with the tagging and stamping of hand baggages at the Delhi airport and over a dozen others, restoring forgotten items of the passengers and keeping a check on criminal activities at the sensitive airport has fetched the paramilitary this award, a CISF spokesperson said.

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"CISF security services at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport has been adjudged as the best security service across the country by an independent body called the World Quality Congress (WQC)," the spokesperson said.

Central Industrial Security Force chief O P Singh said the award is "recognition of the hardwork" put in by his men and women deployed at the airport and it will motivate them to perform even better to ensure passenger safety and well being.

The WQC is an independent, not-for-profit organisation and it will hand over the decoration to the CISF later this week in Mumbai.

The award focuses on the contribution of individuals, organisation and technologies used at airport, the spokesperson said, adding the WQC recognises and awards world class excellence achieved by an organisation.

The number of competitors in the category, in which the CISF was adjudged the best, was not immediately known.

Last year a survey was conducted by the airport service quality where the security of the Delhi airport was adjudged better than other international airports like Dallas, Heathrow, Paris and Dubai, the spokesperson said.

The about 1.80 lakh personnel strong paramilitary is tasked to secure 59 civil airports in the country at present.

The CISF has deployed about 5,000 personnel at the IGI, which is used by lakhs of passengers for travelling to dometsic and international destinations every month. PTI NES KIS

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Trump says patience with North Korea 'over', calls for further sanctions

Washington D.C. [USA], June 30 : U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said that his government's patience with North Korea is over and called upon regional powers to join Washington into implementing further sanctions on Pyongyang.





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"The era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed. And frankly, that patience is over," he said during a joint address with visiting South Korean President Moon Jae-in.Trump said that the US is facing "the threat of the reckless and brutal regime in North Korea," adding the North Korean regime "has no regard for the safety and security of its people or its neighbors."He added, "We are working closely with South Korea, Japan as well as partners around the world on a range diplomatic, security and economic measures to protect our allies and our own citizens from this menace know as North Korea. The United States calls on all regional powers and responsible nations to join us in implementing sanctions and demanding that the North Korean Regime choose a better path."The President said that U.S' goal is peace, stability and prosperity for the region but it will always defend itself.Trump also thanked Moon for expressing his condolences over the death of American student Otto Warmbier, who died after more than a year of imprisonment in North Korea.The South Korean President's visit comes amid alarm over North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programs.North Korea has been conducting missile tests even after Donald Trump took office in January and on June 23 Defiant Pyongyang conducted another rocket engine test that can be used for an intercontinental ballistic missile or ICBM capable enough of reaching the U.S. mainland.Meanwhile, the Treasury Department on Thursday announced sanctions against China's Bank of Dandong, which the Trump administration has claimed acts as a pipeline to support alleged illicit North Korean financial activity.The Treasury also slapped sanctions on two Chinese individuals and one Chinese company.Washington has repeatedly urged China to exert more economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea.
Parliament lights up as politicos arrive for midnight GST rollout

New Delhi , June. 30 : The Parliament lit up in its full glory on Friday night, as politicians including the Centre's top brass and ally parties gathered ahead of the historic Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout.





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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice-President Hamid Ansari arrived to the Central Hall to witness this anticipated moment.Speaking to ANI here from the premises of the Parliament, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that the country is moving towards a revolutionary reform."This is a moment when the country is moving towards a revolutionary reform. We were expecting opposition parties to attend the meeting. In the beginning people might face some problems. But in the long run, they will see the benefits of this," Naqvi said.Meanwhile, Kailash Vijayvargiya said, "We wanted that there should be no politics on this. This was passed in Lok Sabha with full consensus. Everyone should have step forward for the welfare of the country."The most anticipated tax reform for the Indian economy will be rolled out from midnight tonight from the historic Central Hall of Parliament.However, the Congress and the Left parties have decided to skip the launch.
GST tribute to wisdom of India's democracy: President Mukherjee

New Delhi , July 1 : With the much-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) rolling out at midnight, President Pranab Mukherjee, while addressing a special session of the Parliament, said it is a tribute to the maturity and wisdom of India's democracy.





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Calling the introduction of the GST a "momentous" event for the nation, President Mukherjee said this historic moment is the culmination of a 14-year-long journey which began in December 2002."The new era in taxation is the result of a broad consensus arrived at between the Centre and the states. It is a tribute to the maturity and wisdom of India's democracy. The GST will make exports more competitive and also provide a level playing field to domestic industry to compete with imports," he added."I was closely involved in the design and implementation of the GST as the then Finance Minister. I had the privilege of giving assent to the Constitution Amendment Act," he added.President Mukherjee further compared the GST with the VAT (Value-Added Tax) and said there might be few difficulties in the intial stage."The GST is a disruptive change no doubt. It is similar to introduction of the VAT, when there was initial resistance. When change of magnitude is undertaken, however, positive it may be, there are bound to occur some teething troubles and difficulties in initial stage," he said.President Mukherjee said under the GST, the tax incidence will be transparent, enabling full removal of tax burden on exports."The GST will be administered through a modern world-class information technology (IT) system. The GST will create a strong incentive for buyers to deal with honest and compliant sellers who pay their dues promptly. Success of major changes always depends on their effective implementation," he said.Meanwhile, in a historic moment for the Indian economy, the much-awaited GST was rolled out in a special midnight session of the Parliament, in the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, among other dignitaries.The biggest tax reform since independence - GST - will pave the way for realisation of the goal of One Nation - One Tax - One Market.Ahead of the launch, the Parliament was in all its glory on Friday evening with its main building decked with rows of bright bulbs and people taking to streets to celebrate. It is only the fourth time in the history of Independent India that a midnight function is being organised in the Central Hall of Parliament.The GST is expected to benefit all the stakeholders namely industry, government and consumer as it will lower the cost of goods and services give a boost to the economy and make the products and services globally competitive, giving a major boost to 'Make in India' initiative.Under the GST regime, exports will be zero-rated in entirety unlike the present system where refund of some of the taxes does not take place due to fragmented nature of indirect taxes between the Centre and the States.However, the GST will make India a common market with common tax rates and procedures and remove economic barriers. GST is largely technology driven and will reduce the human interface to a great extent. GST is expected to improve ease of doing business in India.In majority of supplies of goods, the tax incidence approved by the GST Council is much lower than the present combined indirect tax rates levied [on account of central excise duty rates / embedded central excise duty rates / service tax post-clearance embedding, VAT rates or weighted average VAT rates, cascading of VAT over excise duty and tax incidence on account of CST, Octroi, Entry Tax, etc.] by the Centre and State(s).On March 29 this year, the Finance Minister of India tabled four GST Bills for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha namely The Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Bill, 2017, The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Bill, 2017, The Union Territories Goods and Services Tax (UTGST) Bill, 2017 and the GST (Compensation to States) Bill, 2017.They were passed by the Lok Sabha on March29, 2017 and by the Rajya Sabha on 6 April, 2017.The GST Council has decided the final structure of GST as follows:a The threshold limit for exemption from levy of GST is Rs. 20 lakh for the States except for the Special Category, where it is Rs 10 Lakh.a A four slab tax rate structure of 5 percent, 12 percent, 18 percent and 28 percent has been adopted for GST.a A cess would be levied on certain goods such as luxury cars, aerated drinks, and pan masala and tobacco products, over and above the GST rate of 28 percent for payment of compensation to the states.a The threshold for availing the Composition scheme is Rs. 75 lakhexcept for special category States where it is Rs. 50 lakh and they are required to file quarterly returns only. Certain categories of manufacturers, service providers (except restaurants) are out of the Composition Scheme.Other important Features of GST are:-A GST envisages all transactions and processes to be done only through electronic mode, to achieve non-intrusive administration. This will minimise tax payer's physical interaction with the tax officials.A GST provides for the facility of auto-populated monthly returns and annual return.A It also facilitates the taxpayers by prescribing grant of refund within 60 days, and provisional release of 90 percent refund to exporters within 7 days.Further facilitation measures include interest payment if refund is not sanctioned in time, and refund to be directly credited to bank accounts.A Comprehensive transitional provisions for ensuring smooth transition of existing taxpayers to GST regime, credit for available stocks, etc.A Other provisions include system of GST Compliance Rating, etc.A Anti-profiteering provisions for protection of consumer rights.
GST rollout: Intent behind boycott was political, says MoS Finance

New Delhi , July 1 : Responding to the Congress and other parties' decision to boycott the midnight session of Parliament chaired for the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Minister of State for Finance Santosh Kumar Gangwar asserted that the intent behind it was 'purely political'.





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"The Opposition was always supportive of the GST and contributed towards the council meetings. The boycott is purely political," he said.Speaking of the 'historic' achievement, Gangwar said all the problems of the concerned persons will be addressed in due time."All arrangements have been made to address the concerns of all those who have raised doubts. The GST Council will deliberate as and when required," he added.Earlier, in his opening address, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had also raised the issue of the Opposition boycott, and said national interest was at priority when it came to the implementation of the GST."Unanimous support and consensus-based work of the GST Council highlights that India can rise above politics and speak in one voice for the national interest," he said.The Congress on Thursday announced boycotting the midnight rollout of the GST and termed it the Modi Government's "tamasha" (drama) and 'publicity stunt'.Senior Congress leader and former Cabinet Minister Anand Sharma that Congress' skip is an "ideological boycott" for many reasons.He said that first and foremost objection is that the Modi Government is attempting to take full credit of the GST.The Congress leader said that when Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had brought the GST then only one chief minister had opposed it, who was then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi."If we did the same, then the GST would not have been implemented today. Together, in all the states, the Congress Party has made its point in favour of the GST. But, now the ruling party is going to launch this national reform programme from Parliament like a one party programme."The Modi government has more faith in the drama and it is denying the role of other political parties including the Congress in the GST".Defending its decision to skip Parliament's special midnight session tonight, Sharma called it an insult to 1947 and termed it as an ideological boycott."The midnight launch of the GST is an insult to 1947. On the night of August 14, Jawaharlal Nehru had made his famous 'tryst with destiny' speech in the Central Hall of Parliament, which effectively announced the independence of India from the British. After that, for the second time after the completion of 25 years of independence, then it was 50 years later," Sharma said.He maintained that "the Congress has done many historical works during its tenure, but have we ever done such a programme in the central chamber?"Meanwhile, hailed as the 'most ambitious economic reform' in India, the GST was launched in the midnight session of the Parliament, in the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, among other dignitaries.Ending more than 11 years of hectic argument among the Centre and the states, the GST is set to completely transform the indirect taxation landscape in the country involving both the Central and State levies.In a departure from the normal practice, the GST will be administered together by the Centre and States.The biggest tax reform since Independence - the GST - will pave the way for realisation of the goal of One Nation - One Tax - One Market.It will benefit all the stakeholders namely industry, government and consumer as it will lower the cost of goods and services give a boost to the economy and make the products and services globally competitive, giving a major boost to 'Make in India' initiative.Under the GST regime, exports will be zero-rated in entirety unlike the present system where refund of some of the taxes does not take place due to fragmented nature of indirect taxes between the Centre and the States.However, the GST will make India a common market with common tax rates and procedures and remove economic barriers. GST is largely technology driven and will reduce the human interface to a great extent. GST is expected to improve ease of doing business in India.
Russia probe: House panel to interview former Trump advisor

Washington [U.S.A.], July 1 : As the investigation into Russia meddling with the Presidential elections reaches a new phase, the House intelligence committee has planned to bring forward another former Trump advisor to question.





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Michael Caputo, a former Trump campaign communications advisor, has agreed to come before the committee next month, his lawyer told CNN. He, however, has strongly denied he was involved in any collusion with Russian officials.Dennis Vacco, Caputo's attorney, said the former Trump advisor would "appear before the House committee" and that he has provided "records in response to the panel's request for information," CNN reports.Caputo is a long-time ally of Trump advisor Roger Stone, who also plans to voluntarily be interviewed by the House panel about communications.The panel also plans next month to interview former national security advisor Susan Rice. She will meet with House investigators in a closed-door setting.
I feel so lucky to work with Nawazuddin, Akshaye: Sridevi

By Shailja Shukla, New Delhi [India], July 01 : God could not be everywhere, so he created MOM. Yes, MOM, the forthcoming film starring Sridevi, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna is creating a lot of buzz.





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Curiosity among viewers was quite visible when the whole cast came to the national capital to promote their upcoming film, along with film producer Bonny Kapoor.When asked about her experience of working with Akshaye and Nawaz, the 'English Vinglish' actress said, "It's not that I have started admiring Nawaz nowadays, as I was always a big admirer of Nawazuddin. I have seen all his films and have thoroughly enjoyed all his performances."While talking exclusively to ANI, Sridevi said, "I feel lucky to work with both of them as they are brilliant actors."Sridevi on being asked about the difficult moments during the film said, "It was difficult to understand what the character wanted but there was no moment when I thought about my kids, husband or house. It was not a conscious division but I just wanted to be in different form of mind. I didn't communicate with my family or friends but just had a communication with my co-star, producers and directors. But it was a very satisfying experience."In Mom, the 'English Vinglish' star plays the role of a mother who is all set to save her daughter from the shackles of a conspiracy.Helmed by Ravi Udyawar, the film also stars Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Akshaye Khanna in main roles and is scheduled to release on July 7.
GST rollout: BJP asks Rahul to rise above politics, join hands with Govt.

Bengaluru/ Kolkata , July 1 : Tearing into Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for claiming that the Good and Services Tax (GST) is being executed by an incompetent and insensitive government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday said that the grand old party needs to rise above politics and avoid making such irresponsible statements.





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BJP leader S. Praksah said the people never did and will never resent to such irresponsible statements from a responsible political party."Till yesterday, they were claiming the GST is their contribution to the country. And today when it has become a reality, they are speaking about small traders and businessmen as they did when the demonetisation was undertaken. Even then people didn't resent to such irresponsible statements and even today they will not resent to such irresponsible behavior from a responsible political party. They need to rise above politics. They should join hands with the government when a biggest economic reform is about to take place. They should stand with the government and people rather than politicising the whole matter," he told ANI.Another BJP leader Rahul Sinha questioned Rahul Gandhi's silence when the matter was discussed and debated in both the Houses of Parliament."Why didn't Rahul Gandhi think of it before? Why didn't he say all this before? Even in the Parliament it was discussed and debated by all political parties, why did he kept quiet then? No one has any right to say anything now," he said.He further said that by protesting now they (Congress) are protesting against the country's development and against the people."With such small thinking, people cannot do such big thing for the country," he added.Hours before the midnight rollout of the GST, Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that it is a reform that holds great potential, but is being rushed through in a half-baked spectacle by an incompetent government."A reform that holds great potential is being rushed through in a half-baked way with a self-promotional spectacle #GSTTamasha," Gandhi tweeted.The historic launch of GST was done at the Central Hall of Parliament where President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the new regime by pressing the button.
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) The Congress today hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah and said it was high time they took "corrective action" against the mob frenzy and lynching incidents across the country, which President Pranab Mukherjee had rightly flagged.

"It is high time the BJP government takes note of this widespread mob frenzy and lynching incidents, rightly flagged by the President of India and Congress president.

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"Instead of falsification, lies and distortion, without any facts or numbers, the BJP would do better to take note of the anger which is engulfing the citizens of India against the vigilantism by their own partymen," said Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

He said three years had passed since the BJP came to power at the Centre and "we have seen enough of platitudes, speeches and alibis, it is time for some corrective action".

Hitting out at Shah, the Congress leader said even the president had shown the "mirror of truth" to the BJP on the growing incidents of "mob frenzy" which had become "irrational, uncontrollable" and had tacit protection and support of the government, yet the BJP chief had resorted to "falsehood and utter brazenness".

Shah, he said, instead of listening to the "conscience keeper of the nation", had "most shamelessly chosen to ignore the reality of a bizarre yet concerted Lynching Movement, which the government had overtly supported and encouraged in the last few months".

Surjewala also asked Shah whether it was not a fact that more than 50 cases of lynching and mob justice had taken place in the country in the three years of the BJP rule.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks about a new India. Is this the new India his party wants to create, where ruthless mobs take the law in their own hands and hapless people are lynched and beaten to death?," he asked.

Surjewala alleged that the Sangh Parivar organisations "associated with the BJP", including the Bajrang Dal and the VHP, had actively been "instrumental" in many of these dastardly acts. "Why has no action been taken against them?," he asked.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi had, recently at the Sabarmati Ashram, said vigilante justice in the name of Gau Raksha (cow protection) was completely unacceptable. He had made a similar statement in August last year. But, nothing seems to have changed.

"Why doesnt the voice of Modi, who sheds crocodile tears occasionally (for public consumption) by invoking Gandhiji and Vinoba Bhave, never reach the vigilante, nor is the rule of law and Constitution upheld to punish them?," he asked.

Surjewala said Nityanand Mahato, the media in-charge of the BJPs Ramgarh unit in Jharkhand, was arrested by the police yesterday over an incident of mob lynching of a man which was reported from the eastern state last week.

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Mahato, he alleged, had instigated the mob and added that a video of the incident not only showed that the BJP leader was present at the spot, but that he dragged the deceased, Alimuddin Ansari, out of his vehicle.

"As he (Mahato) kept watching, the mob thrashed Ansari mercilessly," he alleged quoting the Jharkhand Police.

"Will Shri Amit Shah blame the Congress-UPA for the merciless death of these individuals, in which his own partymen are involved?," the Congress spokesperson asked.

He claimed that such incidents of mob lynching had occurred in "every BJP-ruled state".

"Rumours are spread by the vested interests to mobilise the mobs, who then are encouraged to attack their targets with a state-aided licence to kill," alleged the Congress spokesperson.

Surjewala said Modi and Amit Shah must had taken note of the nationwide protests launched by the citizens and civil society groups, which had once again "shaken the conscience" of the nation. PTI SKC RC

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If GOP health care bill fails, repeal Obamacare now, replace later: Trump

New York [U.S.A.], July 1 : Marking a notable return to his efforts to push his agenda rather than distract from it, United States President Donald Trump on Friday called for repealing the Affordable Care Act immediately and replacing it later with another health care plan if Republican senators are unable to pass their bill.





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"If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date," Trump tweeted.Trump's declaration came shortly after Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, urged the President in a letter to repeal Obamacare now and replace later.The current Republican plan in Congress, however, is to do both in one massive piece of legislation, though the Senate's bill has struggled to gain the necessary GOP support."On July 10, if we don't have agreement on a combined repeal and replace plan, we should immediately vote again on H.R. 3762, the December 2015 ObamaCare repeal legislation that the Congress passed but President Obama vetoed. We should include a year-long implementation delay to give comfort to Americans currently on ObamaCare that a replacement plan will be enacted before expiration," Sasse wrote in the letter.
Trump discusses Gulf-Qatar dispute with Erdogan

Washington [U.S.A.], July 1 : United States President Donald Trump spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday to discuss the dispute between Qatar and Gulf and Arab states.





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Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt cut off economic and diplomatic ties with Qatar earlier this month and issued an ultimatum with 13 demands, accusing Doha of supporting extremist groups.Qatar, however, denies the claims.The White House, in an official release, said Trump and Erdogan spoke about ways to overcome the crisis "while ensuring that all countries work to stop terrorist funding and to combat extremist ideology."Turkey has backed Qatar in its rift with the Arab states and is seeking to mediate the crisis."President Trump emphasised the importance of all our allies and partners increasing their efforts to fight terrorism and extremism in all its forms," the White House statement added.
GST tribute to wisdom of India's democracy: President Mukherjee

New Delhi , July 1 : With the much-awaited Goods and Services Tax (GST) rolling out at midnight, President Pranab Mukherjee, while addressing a special session of the Parliament, said it is a tribute to the maturity and wisdom of India's democracy.





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Calling the introduction of the GST a "momentous" event for the nation, President Mukherjee said this historic moment is the culmination of a 14-year-long journey which began in December 2002."The new era in taxation is the result of a broad consensus arrived at between the Centre and the states. It is a tribute to the maturity and wisdom of India's democracy. The GST will make exports more competitive and also provide a level playing field to domestic industry to compete with imports," he added."I was closely involved in the design and implementation of the GST as the then Finance Minister. I had the privilege of giving assent to the Constitution Amendment Act," he added.President Mukherjee further compared the GST with the VAT (Value-Added Tax) and said there might be few difficulties in the intial stage."The GST is a disruptive change no doubt. It is similar to introduction of the VAT, when there was initial resistance. When change of magnitude is undertaken, however, positive it may be, there are bound to occur some teething troubles and difficulties in initial stage," he said.President Mukherjee said under the GST, the tax incidence will be transparent, enabling full removal of tax burden on exports."The GST will be administered through a modern world-class information technology (IT) system. The GST will create a strong incentive for buyers to deal with honest and compliant sellers who pay their dues promptly. Success of major changes always depends on their effective implementation," he said.Meanwhile, in a historic moment for the Indian economy, the much-awaited GST was rolled out in a special midnight session of the Parliament, in the presence of President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, among other dignitaries.The biggest tax reform since independence - GST - will pave the way for realisation of the goal of One Nation - One Tax - One Market.Ahead of the launch, the Parliament was in all its glory on Friday evening with its main building decked with rows of bright bulbs and people taking to streets to celebrate. It is only the fourth time in the history of Independent India that a midnight function is being organised in the Central Hall of Parliament.The GST is expected to benefit all the stakeholders namely industry, government and consumer as it will lower the cost of goods and services give a boost to the economy and make the products and services globally competitive, giving a major boost to 'Make in India' initiative.Under the GST regime, exports will be zero-rated in entirety unlike the present system where refund of some of the taxes does not take place due to fragmented nature of indirect taxes between the Centre and the States.However, the GST will make India a common market with common tax rates and procedures and remove economic barriers. GST is largely technology driven and will reduce the human interface to a great extent. GST is expected to improve ease of doing business in India.In majority of supplies of goods, the tax incidence approved by the GST Council is much lower than the present combined indirect tax rates levied [on account of central excise duty rates / embedded central excise duty rates / service tax post-clearance embedding, VAT rates or weighted average VAT rates, cascading of VAT over excise duty and tax incidence on account of CST, Octroi, Entry Tax, etc.] by the Centre and State(s).On March 29 this year, the Finance Minister of India tabled four GST Bills for consideration and passage in the Lok Sabha namely The Central Goods and Services Tax (CGST) Bill, 2017, The Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) Bill, 2017, The Union Territories Goods and Services Tax (UTGST) Bill, 2017 and the GST (Compensation to States) Bill, 2017.They were passed by the Lok Sabha on March29, 2017 and by the Rajya Sabha on 6 April, 2017.The GST Council has decided the final structure of GST as follows:a The threshold limit for exemption from levy of GST is Rs. 20 lakh for the States except for the Special Category, where it is Rs 10 Lakh.a A four slab tax rate structure of 5 percent, 12 percent, 18 percent and 28 percent has been adopted for GST.a A cess would be levied on certain goods such as luxury cars, aerated drinks, and pan masala and tobacco products, over and above the GST rate of 28 percent for payment of compensation to the states.a The threshold for availing the Composition scheme is Rs. 75 lakhexcept for special category States where it is Rs. 50 lakh and they are required to file quarterly returns only. Certain categories of manufacturers, service providers (except restaurants) are out of the Composition Scheme.Other important Features of GST are:-A GST envisages all transactions and processes to be done only through electronic mode, to achieve non-intrusive administration. This will minimise tax payer's physical interaction with the tax officials.A GST provides for the facility of auto-populated monthly returns and annual return.A It also facilitates the taxpayers by prescribing grant of refund within 60 days, and provisional release of 90 percent refund to exporters within 7 days.Further facilitation measures include interest payment if refund is not sanctioned in time, and refund to be directly credited to bank accounts.A Comprehensive transitional provisions for ensuring smooth transition of existing taxpayers to GST regime, credit for available stocks, etc.A Other provisions include system of GST Compliance Rating, etc.A Anti-profiteering provisions for protection of consumer rights.
Eliminating Daesh, Taliban key to win Afghanistan war: Former U.S envoy

Kabul [Afghanistan], July 1 : Former U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan James Cunningham has said any new American strategy with regard to developments in Afghanistan must aim to eliminate the Daesh and the Taliban as well as urge Pakistan to destroy safe havens provided to the Taliban and The Haqqani network.





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He described President Donald Trump's decision of delegating authority to his Defense Secretary James Mattis for finalizing troop levels in Afghanistan as appropriate, but questioned whether the outcome would be productive and result-oriented, as past history did not reflect this.He said that it is good thing that Washington is aiming to give the nation's army commanders "more agility" in conducting operations, adding that this was long overdue, especially when it comes to improving the security and stability Afghanistan."In particular, Washington must finally find a way to persuade Pakistan that the continued ability of the Taliban and The Haqqani Network to operate in and from Pakistan is no longer acceptable to the international community. The Taliban must conclude that it cannot win through violence; ending the conflict will be immeasurably more difficult if Pakistan continues to afford safe haven to the insurgency," Cunningham saidIn an article carried by the National Interest magazine, Cunningham said there is no guarantee that America can "win" in Afghanistan, but it is quite clear that it can lose, adding that despite mistakes having been made in the past and present, there have been significant achievements gained.Cunningham said the U.S. military effort, along with its coalition, had never aimed to defeat the Taliban but rather to push it back in key areas, degrade its operations and provides the time and space for the Afghan security forces to assume responsibility for protecting the Afghan people.He said if the U.S is able to follow the above said strategy, "America and its allies will be on much sounder footing in Afghanistan and in the global confrontation with Islamist terror."He went on to say, "There is no guarantee that the United States can 'win' in Afghanistan, but it is quite clear that it can lose, with grave consequences for American security."He noted that since the 2014 draw down, the Afghan forces have done virtually all the fighting against the Taliban and work closely with the U.S in the fight against Daesh, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Afghan forces were handicapped by uncertainty about U.S commitment, and by limited authorities for U.S commanders to bring critical air and intelligence capabilities.Cunningham said, "Winning will require impacting the calculations of all parties involved and marshaling the instruments of military, political and economic power at the disposal of the United States and its international partners," Tolo News reported.
State TV said the casualty toll had been minimised because the security forces had prevented "the terrorists from reaching their targets", saying they had aimed to target busy areas on the first day back to work after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Damaged cars are seen at one of the blast sites in Damascus in this handout picture posted on SANA on July 2, 2017, Syria. Photo: Reuters

By Reuters: A car bomb in Damascus killed 20 people on Sunday and wounded dozens more, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said in a letter to the UN secretary general and the chair of the UN Security Council, the state news agency SANA reported.

The car bomb went off in the Bab Touma district of the capital. Syrian officials said it was one of three car bombs militants had meant to set off in crowded parts of the city on Sunday. Security forces pursued and destroyed the other two.

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State TV said the casualty toll had been minimised because the security forces had prevented "the terrorists from reaching their targets", saying they had aimed to target busy areas on the first day back to work after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Footage broadcast by state TV from Tahrir Square showed roads scattered with debris, several badly damaged cars, and another one that had been turned into a pile of twisted metal.

Footage broadcast another of the blast sites showed what appeared to be the remains of a person and badly damaged vehicles outside a mosque in the Baytara traffic circle near the Old City.

In March, two suicide bomb attacks in Damascus killed several dozen people, most of them at the Palace of Justice courthouse near the Old City. Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack.

Also in March, a double suicide attack in the capital killed scores of people, most of them Iraqi Shi'ite pilgrims. That attack was claimed by the Tahrir al-Sham alliance of Islamist insurgents, which is spearheaded by a jihadist group formerly known as the Nusra Front.

Syrian government forces, which have defeated rebel fighters in several suburbs of Damascus over the last year, are currently battling insurgents in the Jobar and Ain Tarma areas on the capital's eastern outskirts.

ALSO READ:

US warplane downs Syrian army jet in Raqqa province

Pakistan delays Samjhauta blast trial, seeks 4 months time to send 13 nationals as witness

ALSO WATCH:

Huge blast near Indian embassy in Kabul, many feared killed

--- ENDS ---
Kollywood urges Centre to put regional cinema in lowest slab

Chennai [Tamil Nadu], July 1 : The Tamil Nadu film fraternity, together with all the South Indian industries, have come together to send a collective representation to the Central Government, requesting them to put the regional cinema in the least slab.





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President of Tamil Nadu's Film Producers Council, Vishal told ANI, "Of course, there will be adverse effects to every industry, not only film industry, but all sectors of business, especially regional cinema, which is fixed in the highest slab 28 percent.""It is going to make a big impact and we have given our representation. In fact, all South Indian industries have together sent a collective representation to the central government asking them to put regional cinema in the least slab because one crore film and a 1,000 cr Hollywood film is in the same tax slab, so that is definitely going to affect the regional cinema," Vishal added.Vishal further stated that they have requested the Centre and the Finance Minister to put the regional cinema in the least slab, non regional films in the next slab and the foreign language films in the highest slab, so that it does not affect the viewership.Earlier on Friday, the Tamil Nadu Film Chamber of Commerce announced an indefinite shutdown of theatres across Tamil Nadu from July 3 due to lack of clarity on the tax amount that will be levied after the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation.
LGBT groups dismayed as Pentagon delays transgender troop enlistment

Washington D.C. [USA], July 1: LGBT advocacy groups are expressing their dismay over Pentagon's decision to delay a plan to allow transgender people to enlist in the military.





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According to a report by the Hill, the decision, reportedly announced in a memo from Defense Secretary James Mattis on Friday, gives military branches six months to prepare for the enlistment of transgender soldiers.This comes as service chiefs last week recommended Mattis to delay the policy. The Army and the Air Force had previously asked for a two-year delay to the policy.After news of the delay broke, the Palm Center, an LGBT think tank, slamming the decision, said, "Members of Congress are denigrating the value of military service by transgender troops, and Service Chiefs are pressuring Secretary Mattis to continue the transgender enlistment ban despite having no new arguments or data to back up their long-discredited assertions."The Human Rights Campaign (HRC) also said it was "disappointed" with the decision.Former defense secretary Ash Carter lifted the ban barring transgender people from serving in the military last year and set a July 1, 2017 deadline at the time for the military to allow transgender individuals to begin enlisting.Transgender people already serving in the military are currently allowed to do so openly, but no new recruits have been allowed to enlist.Meanwhile, contrary to his predecessor, President Donald Trump has done away with recent precedent by not recognising June as LGBT Pride Month.On the campaign trail, he had declared he would be a better ally of the LGBT community than Hillary Clinton.
Canada's 150th birthday marked by celebrations across the country

Ottawa [Canada], July 2 : Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau kicked off celebrations to mark the country's 150th birthday amid heavy security.





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Trudeau, accompanied by Prince Charles, shook hands with some of the thousands of people who came in to attend the festivities in Ottawa."Canada is a country made strong not in spite of our differences but because of them. We don't aspire to be a melting pot. Indeed, we know true strength and resilience flows through Canadian diversity," The Guardian quoted Trudeau, as saying to the crowd.The Canada Day festivities featured a "large outdoor celebration in front of the national parliament, complete with acrobats, fireworks and musicians, including Bono and other members of Irish rock band U2."The Guardian reported that Toronto, Canada's largest city, had "a giant rubber duck floating in its harbour, while Calgary had a "living flag" composed of people wearing red and white. The yellow duck, which cost C$200,000 (A118,400) including the rent, according to the Globe and Mail, drew criticism from some who described it as a waste of taxpayers' money."Saturday marked the 150th anniversary of the day Canada officially became a country. Britain had ruled it before 1867.
The Delhi Assembly adopted a resolution seeking 85 per cent reservation in admission for city students in 28 DU colleges that are funded by the Delhi government.

Manoj Tiwari and Vijay Goel do not see eye to eye on many issues.

By Rakesh Ranjan: There is more to add to differences between Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari and Union minister Vijay Goel. The two leaders are on different pages over the issue of 85 per cent reservation for Delhi's students in Delhi University.

The BJP was left embarrassed after Goel public announced his happiness over the AAP government's move for reservation in DU. Tiwari, on the other hand, has already announced his opposition on technical grounds as well as the BJP's policy.

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Recently, BJP's west Delhi MP Pravesh Verma and BJP MLA MS Sirsa had also met Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal demanding reservation in DU. Sources said reserving 85 per cent of seats for Delhiites would disappoint a large number of students from states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand.

RESERVATION TO HAMPER VOTE BANK

The BJP fears erosion in its Poorvanchali vote bank if reservation in DU comes into effect. A senior party leader also said Goel's support to reservation would send across a wrong message among Poorvanchalis in the national Capital who voted in large numbers for the BJP in the recent civic polls.

"The demand for reservation in Delhi University is unjust. It is a central university and introducing reservation on basis of region would tinker with its original character," Tiwari said.

BJP sources said the leadership is also unhappy with Verma and Sirsa pressing for reservation. They said Tiwari was also discussing the matter with central leaders.

85 PER CENT RESERVATION FOR DELHI STUDENTS

The Delhi Assembly on Thursday adopted a resolution seeking 85 per cent reservation in admission for city students in 28 Delhi University colleges that are funded by the Delhi government. The resolutions, moved by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, were passed by voice vote.

A day after, Goel expressed happiness over the decision saying it was a "personal victory" for him as he has been demanding this for five years. "I have been demanding reservation in DU for a long time and had conducted several meetings, dharnas and interactions with students," he had said. He had met Sisodia, Union HRD minister and the Vice Chancellor last year with a memorandum demanding reservation for Delhi students.

However, university officials have also termed the move illegal. "Delhi University cannot have this kind of reservation. DU was created by an Act of Parliament and all Acts and statutes of the university are reported in Parliament and approved by the Visitor. This kind of reservation is impossible," a DU official said.

There are 63 colleges under Delhi University with 56,000 seats in the undergraduate programmes. The university official said if the government wants to give reservation, they can do it in their state university like it is already in place at Ambedkar University and Indira Gandhi Technical University for Women. Of the 63 colleges, 12 colleges under DU are fully funded by the Delhi government while 16 other colleges receive five per cent grants. Funding for rest of the colleges comes from the University Grants Commission.

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ALSO READ | DU introduces change in reservation policy, increases categories for admitting students with disabilities

Delhi University admissions: Duplication of paperwork sends aspirants in frenzy

ALSO WATCH | AAP's proposal for 80% Delhi quota in DU colleges: Should admissions be on merit?

--- ENDS ---
Stephen Colbert congratulates President Trump for 'uniting the planet'

New Delhi , July 2 : 'Late Show' host Stephen Colbert did what many people would not even think about - Congratulate U.S. President Donald Trump.





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The 53-year-old talks show host presented a recent Pew Research Center poll putting Trump's global approval rating at 22 percent.Colbert began the monologue for his week-ending show by noting there won't be new episodes next week due to the July Fourth holiday.He said, "As great as it is to celebrate America, once in a while, I like to take a moment to remember there are countries that are not us, and they are not so hot on our President."But he did not stop there, Colbert, after showing the poll he went on to congratulate the president elect for "uniting the planet."He said, "Mr. President. Congratulations, you've united the planet," adding, "Trump is unpopular in six continents. Yes, the only place they like him is Antarctica. But I tell you what though, do not tell those penguins about pulling out of the Paris accords."The host also revealed the one country where Trump's popularity has surged."But there is one country where America's reputation is on the rise. Wait for it! Russia, where confidence in the U.S. president surged to 53 percent from 11 percent. It explained Trump's 2020 campaign slogan: 'Trump 2020 I Can't Read It, It's In Russian," he said.Colbert himself recently went to Russia to film some segments for his show and appeared on one of Russia's late-night talk shows, where he announced that he is considering running for President in 2020.
President poll: Will not follow anybody, our decision is firm, says Nitish Kumar

Patna (Bihar) , July 2 : Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar,who has led his support to Centre's nominee for the post of President on Sunday, asserted that he will not blindly follow anybody's ideology, as he has his own viewpoints and he believes in them.





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Taking a dig at Congress, Kumar, in a meeting with party colleagues, raked Ram Manohar Lohia and said, the great leader had dubbed that the grand old party practices Gandhian rules for political benefits."We will not blindly follow anyone, we will deal with whatever happens in the future. We have our principles and we believe in them. And we are firm on our Principles and beliefs ," said Nitish."Our principles did not change, their (Congress') principles are changing. Lohia ji had dubbed Congress as 'Sarkari gandhiwaadi'."Kumar last week broke ranks with the opposition to support Kovind.National spokesperson of the JD(U) K C Tyagi made a formal announcement in the evening about the JD(U)'s decision support Kovind."We had discussions with party MLAs and it was decided to support Kovind. The MLAs were of the opinion that Kovind is a good man and had a non-controversial stint as Governor of Bihar," he said.
This facility was launched by DMRC's managing director, Dr Mangu Singh at Rajiv Chowk metro station in the presence of senior officials.

By Kapil Sharma: The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) today launched the cashless token sale or smart card recharge facility by using the Bharat Quick Response (QR) Code displayed at the token counters and customer care centres of metro stations.

This facility was launched by DMRC's managing director, Dr Mangu Singh at Rajiv Chowk metro station in the presence of senior officials.

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With this facility, the commuters will now be able to use the Bharat QR Code, which is being provided by HDFC Bank, displayed at the token counters, customer care centres through their respective bank's application installed in their smartphones. All bank wallet and savings account holders can make payments using Bharat QR by logging into their bank application and scanning the QR code available at stations.

Currently, this facility is made available at five metro stations namely, Rajiv Chowk, Rajendra Place, Seelampur, Pitampura and Nehru Place only. Subsequently, the facility will be introduced in a phased manner at all metro stations of the Delhi Metro network.

"The DMRC is making all efforts to push the cashless mode of transaction initiated by the Government of India. This new cashless facility is expected to provide the commuters a more convenient and fast access to the Delhi Metro network besides helping in managing the problem of change and coins at the stations," said Dr Mangu Singh.

The Bharat QR Code was recently launched by the Union Government in a bid to promote cashless transactions and this code works with all major banks in India. It is a form of a bar code that uses the bank's information (merchant name and account number) required for the payment.

HOW TO USE BHARAT QR CODE Login to your bank application and select to pay using the QR code option. You will then need to scan the QR code displayed at token counter or customer care at the station to get the merchant details. (DMRC is merchant in this case) Enter the amount (for the desired token value, smart card recharge value) and confirm. The transaction will be authenticated using the PIN/OTP details etc. Both the merchant as well as the customers will receive instant notification after the successful transaction. If you are using Bharat QR for the first time, you will need to grant the App to access the camera on your phone

DMRC in its bid to promote cashless transactions had taken many initiatives in recent months.

Last month only, the smart card recharge or token sale facility at the TVMs through Credit or Debit cards was also introduced at the Lal Quila Metro station.

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DMRC had earlier also introduced the facility to recharge Delhi metro smart cards by e-wallet applications.

Also read:

Coming soon on Delhi Metro: Automated driverless trains

Delhi Metro services hit after bird gets electrocuted on overhead wire

Delhi Metro services on Blue Line delayed after catenary wire snaps near Noida Sector 15

WATCH | PM Modi congratulates people of Kochi after Metro inauguration

--- ENDS ---
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. High 46F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 28F. Winds NW at 10 to 20 mph.
By PTI: By C P Balasubramanyam

New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) For the first time, scientists have found how malaria parasites multiply rapidly, an advance that may help develop new drugs to combat the deadly disease that affects millions of people globally.

Malaria parasites are transmitted to people through the bites of infected female Anopheles mosquitoes, which infuse the parasite called Plasmodium into humans.

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Until now, the mechanism and sites from where DNA replication is initiated, as well as the proteins involved in the process, have been a grey area for scientists.

"During each cycle of multiplication, the genome of the parasite is duplicated through DNA replication. This process of replication begins from some specific sites along the genome, known as origin of replication (OriC)," said Suman Kumar Dhar, Professor at the Special Centre for Molecular Medicine, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi.

"Bacterial genomes usually have only one OriC in their genome, but higher organisms such as humans can have multiple such origin sites. Identifying these origin sites in a given genome is a very difficult task," Dhar told PTI.

In a six-year-long study using computational tools and experimental validation, researchers including Assistant Professor Kushal Shah from the Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, found that the parasites replicate from multiple sites in the genome which have similar signature motifs found in yeast.

"The frequency of occurrence of these motifs as potential origins in parasite genome is more than that in higher organism genomes, which means that the parasites will multiply very fast at a given time," Dhar said.

The proteins that are involved in this process have also been found, he added.

It can be understood that by inhibiting the function of these proteins and their binding to these replication sites, parasite growth can be stopped.

"Understanding the process of multiplication will lead to finding new drug targets to combat the disease which is burdened by resistance against conventional drugs including the wonder drug Artemisinin, the discovery of which fetched the Nobel prize last year," Dhar said.

The research team also included Assistant professor Annangarachari Krishnamachari, and research students Meetu Agarwal and Kishanu Bhowmick from JNU.

Malaria remains endemic in India with approximately 14 per cent of the population, or 184 million people, at high risk of malaria transmission, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) report.

About 70 per cent of malaria cases reported from the South East Asia Region (SEAR) are from India, where the number of cases and deaths due to the vector-borne disease in 2014 saw an increase as compared to 2012.

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In 2015, the global tally of malaria reached 429,000 malaria deaths and 212 million new cases. One child died from malaria every 2 minutes, according to a WHO report.

These findings were published in the FEBS Journal. PTI CPB MHN BDS MHN

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Navin Kumar, a former IAS officer, is the Chairman of the GST Network, a not-for-profit entity that is tasked with providing the crucial IT support systems that underpin the Goods and Services Tax. He spoke to News18s Tushar Dhara on how the GSTN works.



Can you describe how the GST Network functions?



The GST Network is the IT backbone that undepins the new law. It comprises of a front end and a back end. The front end is the website on which tax assesses can file returns, registration and tax payment. For 95% of the tax payers the GST portal is a one stop shop, they dont have to visit the taxman. The data that we receive on the portal is immediately passed onto the tax departments. The portal is linked to the tax departments of the Centre as well as all the states and union territories. At the backend, they do audits, adjudication etc.



Yesterday was the first day of GST. How does it feel?



This is a very important day because GST is a reality. So far as we are concerned our rollout for GST happened in November 2016, because that was the time we launched the GST portal. The idea at that time was even though the GST law was not clear one key requirement would be to migrate the existing taxpayers. So we thought rather than waiting for the law, we should start the work because the number of existing tax payers was 80 lakh (VAT, service tax and excise payers).



When did you start building the portal?



We started working on the portal from November 2015. On June 25, we started the applications for new registrations and we have already got 2.48 lakh new applications in less than a week. These are tax assesses who were not registered under the previous tax regime. All entities with a turnover of above Rs 20 lakh.



Give us some numbers?



Of the 80 lakh, 67 lakh have already migrated to the GST regime by registering in the portal. Everyday we are getting 40-45,000 registrations. Whoever wishes to migrate is welcome and it will be open for 3 months. After that entities will have to register afresh.



What does registration involve?



Each invoice issued by a company has to mention the GST identification number. We generated a unique GSTIN for all the existing tax payers and sent it to them through the tax department. At that time we called it a provisional ID since the GST law was not there. Of course, now that provisional ID is the GSTIN.



Can you tell us how the portal captures transactions under GST?



If you are a small tax payer (20-75 lakh) you can opt for composition scheme, where you pay tax at a rate of 1%,2% or 5% on your turnover and submit your return once in three months. If youve not opted for composition then you become a normal dealer, who can either sell only to retailers like a grocery store, department store etc. They dont have to provide invoices, they only have to give the total turnover in the month. They have to submit returns every month.



If you are selling to another business - for instance a manufacturer selling to a wholesaler - then you have to give details of the invoice. You will mention the person to whom you have sold, the value of the item, tax paid etc. That can be done on the portal. We have an offline tool that the tax payers can download. It has an excel sheet where all the transactions can be recorded and uploaded to the portal.



Is the GST Netowrk capable of handling the rush?



Of course. There have been small complaints, like for instance with the digital signature certificate. But this is a case of the applicants not following the step-by-step procedure for using the DSC.



So the IT backbone is running smoothly.



Yes, our backend is in Bengaluru, operated by Infosys. The IT system is complicated, but that is a function of the law.



Is the IT backbone secure enough?



We are using the best available tools in the world for information security. We have adopted a layered security structure. The first layer is the perimeter security, then network security, then application security. The data is also secured. Finally when external systems connect to our system, we have ensured security there also. There is a security operation centre based out of Chennai which runs 24x7, 365 days in a year. We also got a third party audit done for securing the system.



Can you shed light on how GSTN will bring more transparency?



Every tax assesse who registers on the portal will have an account that will have 3 ledgers: A tax liability ledger, a cash ledger, which shows the cash payments they have made, and an input tax credit ledger. Under the GST regime, whatever taxes youve paid and whatever your liability or input tax credit you've paid, it will reflect on both the books of the assesse and the taxman. The system will match the claims to see if it correct or not. If I am a seller and put my sales data on the system. If the buyer agrees with the validity of the data according to the invoice, his input tax is assured, provided the seller has paid it. Therefore if I have sold to you and you have confirmed it, the money is automatically credited. The tax department cannot interfere. The system credits the money and it will show up in the ledger.
A BJP leader was among three people arrested on Saturday in connection with the lynching of a man in Jharkhands Ramgarh district by a mob which accused him of carrying beef in his car. Nityanand Mahto, the media in-charge of the BJP's Ramgarh unit, was arrested along with two others from the house of local party unit chief Pappu Banerjee.Mohammad Allimuddin, a meat trader and resident of neighbouring Hazaribagh district, was beaten to death by a mob on suspicion that he was carrying beef in his vehicle on June 29, hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had condemned killing in the name of cow protection.The mob had surrounded his van bearing a West Bengal number plate in the Bazaar Tand area of Ramgarh. They dragged Allimuddin, 40, out and thrashed him, injuring him seriously. The police on getting the information rushed to the spot and took Allimuddin to a hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The mob had also set the vehicle on fire.The BJP government in the state had announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for dependents of the victims family.The incident marked the second such mob attack in Jharkhand in recent weeks. On June 27, a mob had attacked a person on suspicion that he slaughtered a cow after allegedly finding the animal carcass near his house in Giridih district.
In a controversial move, the Yogi Adityanath government transferred Circle Officer Shreshtha Thakur on Saturday, days after she fined a local BJP leader for not wearing a helmet and arrested five party workers for misbehaving with her. The video of Thakur standing up to a group of BJP workers, who were seen arguing with her, had gone viral on social media, bringing her much praise from netizens.Thakur, who was posted in Bulandshahars Syana, was transferred to Bahraich after local BJP leaders complained against her. A delegation of 11 MLAs and an MP reportedly raised the issue with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.Thakur was conducting a vehicle check in Syana on June 22 when she stopped a motorbike and fined the rider, who identified himself as BJP leader Pramod Kumar, Rs 200 for not wearing a helmet. The man allegedly started misbehaving with Thakur and boasted of his political clout and that of his wife, a Zila Panchayat member in Bulandshahar.Soon, Kumar phoned other BJP workers, who, along with local BJP president Mukesh Bhardwaj, reached the spot and argued that police had no right to check vehicles.Hitting back, Thakur accused them of goondaism and bullying and said they were bringing their party a bad name. You please go and get written orders from the Chief Minister that the police have no right to check vehicles... that we can't do our job. You are bringing a bad name to your party. People will soon start saying that you are BJP goondas."Bhardwaj in turn accused Thakur and her colleagues of making derogatory remarks against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
New Delhi: A gang rape survivor in Lucknow has been attacked with acid for the fourth time.



Police told PTI on Sunday that the survivor was attacked with acid in Aliganj locality. She has sustained burn injuries on her face and neck, police said, adding that no FIR has been registered yet and they are awaiting a complaint.



The latest incident took place on Saturday night near a hostel where she resides. She was rushed to a hospital where her condition was stated to be stable.



A probe is on in the matter, they said. Earlier on March 23, the woman was allegedly forced to drink acid by two men on-board a train near here. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited her at a hospital and announced Rs 1 lakh assistance for the 45-year-old woman.



The incident had came to light when the woman had got off the Allahabad-Lucknow Ganga Gomti Express at Charbagh Station and gave a written complaint to the government railway police. She wrote the complaint as she could not speak.



As per the complaint, two persons had forced her to drink acid.



Earlier, two men had allegedly raped and attacked her with acid over a property dispute in her home at Unchahar in 2009, 100 kilometres from Lucknow. The woman works with Sheroes Hangout Cafe, an outlet run by acid attack survivors in Lucknow.



In 2012, the woman was attacked with a knife, and in 2013 she was attacked with acid, police sources said.



(With PTI inputs)




In a major embarrassment for the BJP-led Uttarakhand government , the High Court has said financial emergency could be imposed in the state if the administration cannot provide even the basic amenities to children in schools on the ground of monetary crisis."We, in a very subtle manner, remind the State Government of Article 360 of the Constitution of India. We will not elaborate further, since this may have serious political ramifications ," said a bench of Justices Alok Singh and Rajiv Sharma in its order on June 30.Under Article 360, the President can declare financial emergency in a state if a situation has arisen whereby the financial stability or the credit of India or any part thereof is threatened. The HC bench felt constrained to underline Article 360 in the wake of repeated statements of the state government that shortage of funds was chief reason why state-run schools lacked basic facilities such as desks, benches, blackboard, potable water and toilets.Observing that it would be politically fatal for the current government if the court were to say more about Article 360, the bench said: "It is expected from the State functionaries to reduce their unproductive expenses on luxurious items and to divert the necessary funds for improving the education system at the grass-root level."The High Court gave the Trivendra Singh Rawat-government six months to make sure all state-run schools have bare minimum facilities that would include benches, desks, blackboards, potable drinking water and separate hygienic toilets for boys and girls.The judges ordered that if the order is not complied with, all the gazetted officers in Education Department, including Principal Secretary, Secretary, Deputy Secretary and all the Directors "shall not be paid their salaries for the month of January, 2018."The HC maintained "the State cannot be permitted to shirk from its Constitutional responsibilities to provide the basic infrastructural facilities in the schools" and that "the dearth of funds cannot be permitted to come in the way of implementation" of its November 2016 judgment on equipping government schools with basic amenities.About its order passed a week ago prohibiting authorities from buying luxury cars and furniture, the bench, on an assurance from the Advocate General of the state, agreed to lift the restraint.The HC said that the authorities could purchase luxury cars but only after an approval by the Chief Secretary of the state, who shall record the necessity for buying the luxury cars in the State of Uttarakhand on case to case basis.The state government has been further directed to submit status report on implementation of its directions after three months."The Court shows its serious concern over the declining standards of education, more particularly, in Government run schools," said the bench as it pointed out that bureaucrats and even the government teachers sent their children to private schools for better education."This is an unfortunate trend and it can be arrested by providing necessary infrastructure, wherewithal and basis amenities in the Government run schools at the earliest," added the HC.It also made an appeal to the public sector and religious organizations to come forward voluntarily and help the state government in raising the infrastructure in the government schools.
New Delhi: India has pushed in more troops in a non-combative mode to strengthen its position in an area near Sikkim, where its soldiers have been locked in a standoff with Chinese troops for almost a month now in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962.



India brought in more troops after the destruction of two of its bunkers and aggressive tactics adopted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), sources said. In a non- combative mode, the nozzle of a gun is placed downwards.



Giving details for the first time about the events that preceded the face-off between the two armies, the sources said the PLA on June 1 asked the Indian Army to remove the two bunkers set up in 2012 at Lalten in Doka La, which falls in the vicinity of Chumbi Valley at the corner of India-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction.



Transgression



The Indian Army, which had been patrolling this area for many years, decided in 2012 that two bunkers would be positioned there as a backup option, besides providing security to the Bhutan-China border.



The Indian Army forward positions informed Sukna-based 33 Corps Headquarter in North Bengal about the Chinese warnings on the bunkers, the sources said.



However, during the night of June 6, two Chinese bulldozers destroyed the bunkers, claiming that the area belonged to China and that India or Bhutan had no right over it, the sources said.



Indian troops on the ground prevented the Chinese men and machines from doing any further damage or transgressing into the area, they said.



Additional forces from nearby brigade headquarters, located 20 km from the face off point, were moved in on June 8 during which a scuffle led to soldiers on both sides suffering minor injuries.



PLA troops were rushed in from its 141 division located in the area, prompting the Indian Army to also strengthen its position.



Demarcated Border



This is the longest standoff between the two armies since 1962. The last one, which carried on for 21 days, occurred at Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh division of Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when Chinese troops entered 30 km into Indian territory till the Depsang Plains and claimed it to be a part of its Xinjiang province. They were, however, pushed back.



Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state which has a demarcated border with China. The lines are based on a treaty signed with the Chinese in 1898.



After the India-China war of 1962, the area where the Indian troops are stationed was placed under the Indian Army and the ITBP, which is the border guarding force and has a camp 15 km from the international border.



As the scuffle broke out between the two sides, the Indian Army rushed an officer of the Major General rank to the area and a flag meeting was sought with the Chinese counterparts.



China rejected two such requests from the Indian side, but accepted the third call for a meeting, where it asked the Indian Army to withdraw its troops from the Lalten area, which falls in Doka La.



Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it to be part of its Donglong region.



As a fallout of the standoff, the Chinese refused to allow the first batch of 47 pilgrims, who were to conduct the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, into Tibet. They also conveyed to the Indian side that visas of another batch of 50 yatris had also been cancelled, the sources said, describing the move as an indication of "increased tempers" in Beijing.



The Sikkim route to Mansarovar, which is in Tibet, was opened in 2015, enabling pilgrims to travel the 1500-km long route from Nathu La to Kailash by buses.



Diplomatic Pressure



It is not the first time that such a transgression has happened at Doka La. The Chinese forces had in November 2008 destroyed some makeshift Indian army bunkers there.

Defence experts believe China wants to exert its dominance over the Chumbi Valley, which is a part of the southern reaches of Tibet. By claiming the Doka La area, Beijing wants to maximise its geographical advantage so that it can monitor all movements along the India-Bhutan border.



China has also increased diplomatic pressure on India and lodged a protest over the alleged "crossing of boundary" by Indian troops in the Sikkim section.



They demanded their immediate withdrawal, as Beijing warned that future visits of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar would depend on the resolution of the standoff.

Our position to uphold our territorial sovereignty is unwavering. We hope the Indian side can work with China in the same direction and immediately withdraw the personnel who have overstepped and trespassed into Chinese border," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang had told the media in Beijing last week.



People's Liberation Army spokesman Col Wu Qian also spoke a tough language while making a reference to the 1962 Sino- India conflict, saying that New Delhi should "learn historical lessons".



Tough Talk



Qian described Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's remarks that India was ready for a "two-and-a-half front war" as "extremely irresponsible" and asked him to "stop clamouring for war".



Rawat had said India was prepared for security threats posed by China, pakistan as well as by internal threats.



"Such rhetoric is extremely irresponsible. We hope that the particular person in the Indian Army could learn from historical lessons and stop such clamouring for war," he had said.



The Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, made New Delhi's stand clear when he said the India of 2017 was different from that of 1962.



"If they are trying to remind us, the situation in 1962 was different and the India of 2017 is different," Jaitley had said when asked about China's warning.



Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.
The decision to prohibit the use of mobile phones or wearing of jeans by girls of the village was arrived at by consensus during the panchayat meeting.

Dholpur district's panchayat has issued an order prohibiting girls from wearing jeans or keeping mobile phones.

The panchayat gathered in Dholpur's Baldiyapura village on Saturday to decide on issues of liquor prohibition, betting and gutkha consumption. However, the meeting ended after arriving at a decision to curtail the freedom of girls by prohibiting them from carrying mobile phones or wearing jeans. It was also decided that in case of any dispute, the matter will be referred to the panchayat head and not to the police.

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"The panchayat was held in the village on Saturday on liquor prohibition, betting and use of gutkha. In that, alongwith liquor prohibition, betting and stopping the intake of gutkha, it was also decided to curtail the wearing of such clothes and use of mobiles. Everyone agreed over the order issued over mobile use," Phauran Singh, Panchayat head (panch patel) said.

The decision to prohibit the use of mobile phones or wearing of jeans was arrived at by consensus during the panchayat meeting. "The panchayat that happened in the village happened for the benefit of the society and have taken the vow to disown liquor, betting alongwith other evil practices of the society. Along with that, the ban imposed on daughters of the village for wearing jeans and carrying mobiles is a good thing. It will make the village better. The decision to keep the matter before panch patel in case of a dispute is also right," Jagdish, a villager, said.

PROTESTS AGAINST LIQUOR PROHIBITION

In several villages of Rajasthan, there have been protests in favour of liquor prohibition with the villagers seeking a total ban on sale and consumption of alcohol. However, this decision of panchayat prohibiting girls from wearing jeans or carrying mobile phones has not gone down well with the district administration.

"The administration welcomes the awareness being brought about through consensus by holding many panchayats in one month by villagers of Dholpur and Saipau on issues of liquor and other issues, alongwith doing away with social evils of child marriage and dowry. If the freedom, rights of any person are violated, then it is not right. The ban imposed on girls from keeping mobiles or wearing jeans in the panchayat is violation of law and is not right. But so far no such complaint has been received. If any such complaint is received, then we will take action after consulting senior officials," Vinod Kumar Meena, SDM, told India Today.

Also read: Ghostbuster of Rajasthan: Superstitious doctor uses agarbatti, slaps woman to treat 'ghost'

Also read: Moral-policing at its best: F-word on T-shirt lands Bengaluru man in XL trouble with police

--- ENDS ---

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Hyderabad: Telangana would have a separate budget for agriculture from the next year.



Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, who held a meeting with ministers and officials on agriculture here today, decided to substantially enhance funds for the agriculture sector and present a separate agriculture budget, a release from his office said this evening.



Rao also asked the officials to form farmers' associations at various levels -- from villages to the state -- to organise the cultivators, it said.



Farmers would be provided training of modern and scientific methods of farming so as to increase the farm output, the release added.
What exactly is going on the Doklam Plateau, at the tri-junction of India, Bhutan and China, where Indian and Chinese troops are currently engaged in a face-off ? This is the territory that is near the border of the Indian state (and till the early 1970s the Indian protectorate) of Sikkim, the kingdom of Bhutan and China.The specific area under contention is recognised as Bhutanese territory by India and Bhutan. Some of it is claimed by China as part of its ancient frontier  Chinese maps, claims and dates of maps and claims are flexible and keep evolving with political situations, but that is another matter. Since 1984, Bhutan and China have had 24 rounds of talks to delineate the border and the conversation is ongoing.In parallel, the Sikkim-China border is also being discussed , as a segment of a broader negotiation by special representatives of India and China on the border between the two countries. As part of this negotiation, India says there is agreement on the basis of alignment but not on the final alignment of the border at Sikkim. Separately, India and China have also concurred that at tri-junction points  where Indian and Chinese borders both touch a third country, say Bhutan or Myanmar  border management and protocols would entail a consensus involving all three countries.These are the facts as India and Bhutan understand them. How has China sought to change these facts in the past fortnight? On June 16, Chinese troops, accompanied by earth movers and other construction equipment, marched south on the plateau to a clearing known locally as Turning Point. This is proximate to the Indian post of Doko La, on the border of India (Sikkim) and Bhutan. It is also close to Chickens Neck or the Siliguri Corridor, the narrow strip of land that links Indias Northeast to the rest of the country.Since the Chinese soldiers (and earth movers) were in Bhutans territory, it was Bhutanese soldiers who confronted them and asked them to return to normal positions. The Chinese pushed back the Bhutanese troops. It was apparent they were planning to build roads on Bhutanese territory, close to a strategically critical Indian location, and change the status quo on the ground.At this stage, in consultation with Bhutanese authorities, Indian soldiers came down from Doko La to challenge the Chinese ingress . That is where things stand. Soldiers of the two large Asian countries are facing each other  through at the distance of a few kilometres, and without physical conflict of any nature  in a third country. Indian troops are there to defend Bhutanese sovereignty, in keeping with Bhutanese wishes. Chinese troops are in violation of Bhutanese sovereignty.Why has this happened and what next? Border incursions by the Chinese on land that is actually disputed or that is conveniently and unilaterally declared as disputed by the Chinese or is no mans land is old hat along Chinas South Asian frontiers. The building of roads and creation of outposts closer and closer to Indian (or in this case Bhutanese) territory has been a frequent occurrence. Even when the Chinese retreat after a face-off, as they have in Ladakh in the past, they do tend to retain a territorial or infrastructural advantage, and nibble away at border territory.In the case of the incident at Turning Point, there are two additional concerns. First, in the past few years China has attempted to hem in India and build facilities and constituencies in various South Asian neighbours. This has happened in Bhutan, where at least one former prime minister was too friendly with Beijing for New Delhis comfort. The moving of troops and road construction equipment to Doklam Plateau is a provocation in a country that is Indias closest ally, and dependent on New Delhi for its security.Second, the timing of the incursion could well be linked to Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to the United States, which came about 10 days after the irregular Chinese troop movement. Perhaps it was a warning to the Indian prime minister. Perhaps it was in anticipation of a poor visit to the White House (in which case the calculation went horribly wrong, since the meeting of Prime Minister Modi and President Donald Trump went rather well).Whatever the reason, the stand-off will probably take time to resolve itself. Neither President Xi Jinping  Chinas most powerful leader in decades but it would appear also its most unsophisticated foreign policy practitioner in a long time  nor Prime Minister Modi can back down easily. For India, the presence of its soldiers on the Doklam Plateau is a signal of its commitment to the independence of Bhutan, a test of its willingness to take on Chinese bullying in the region, and a security imperative  given that the defence of Doklam is virtually the defence of India, so close as it is to a vital Indian choke point.This doesnt necessarily mean there will be violence. Typically, it will all depend on how long Chinese logistical lines can sustain the troops at Turning Point and what talks between higher-level military officers at the border as well as diplomats can achieve and how soon.More than grabbing territory the Chinese are attempting to drive a wedge between Bhutan and India, and send the message that Bhutans security cannot be guaranteed by India. For India, and for Modi, it is important to expose that message as hollow. As such, there is simply no alternative to staying put on the Doklam Plateau till the last Chinese soldier leaves and the last Chinese earth mover drives off.
: When Nithi, Navya Nandini and Shaurya returned to school after summer vacation, they were all smiles. The fear of being thrown out of school or being mocked by their classmates for not paying the fee had receded.The four kids from an Agra family, who couldn't continue going to school due to economic difficulties, were helped by close to 150 school in Kerala. James Mathew, the MLA from Taliparamba constituency, played an instrumental role and organised fund collections drives.Aarti Sharma, their mother, clicks a photograph on her phones as the kids step out of their rented house in Agra's Rohta. She says she doesn't have anything to give in return to those who helped resuscitate her kids' dream, save for the smile. Aarti assures that "I will use the money for my children, and they will fulfil all their dreams." "With the money, I received from Kerala kids I have paid a year's fee in advance," she adds.The students came to the help of Aarti Sharma's family after News18 Kerala reported on her Facebook video, in which she appealed to people to help her children.She put up the appeal on social media because her husband's business had taken a hit following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation drive. As debts piled high, Aarti could not pay the school fees of her three daughters and a son who was studying in a CBSE school. Aarti even offered to sell her kidneys to help her kids attend schoolNithi Bharadwaj, the eldest daughter, who aspires to be a doctor one day, says teachers and students were not aware of her family's financial distress, and "it saddened them when they learned of our difficulties from TV and Newspaper reports". "But teachers are also helpless. They can't allow us to continue without our fee," says Nidhi, wanting to meet the Kerala children who came to her family's help. "We may not go to Kerala immediately, but we want to meet those kids."Children and their parents in Taliparamba were happy to learn that Aarti Sharma's kids were back to school, Raveendran, a teacher in a Taliparamba school tells News18. "We are all proud that we could help them overcome this crisis. We await their visit. We are ready to extend more help," he said, adding that they were still in touch with the family.MLA James Mathew, who led the fund collection campaign, has already contacted the family several times and asked them to contact him for any help.
New Delhi: In a major setback to the Yogi Adityanath government, a UP cabinet minister, belonging to one of BJPs alliance partners, has threatened to stage a dharna from July 4 after publicly criticising the CM's style of functioning and for failing to control corruption in the state.



Om Prakash Rajbhar, the minister of Department of Backward Classes Welfare, said he is protesting as the bureaucrats in the state are turning a deaf ear to the complaints of people and the state government has not done anything to keep them in check.



The minister, who is the president of Suheldev Bharat Samaj Party (SBSP), has also threatened to walk out of the government, according to reports.



Although the SBSP has just 4 MLAs, including Rajbhar, and is numerically insignificant for the BJP in the UP assembly, the outfit holds a larger significance otherwise as it represents the backward Rajbhar community. It has a big presence in several districts of eastern UP, especially the belt around Ghazipur, Mau, Balia and Azamgarh.



According to sources, Rajbhar is upset with the Yogi government because he had sought the removal of the district magistrate of Ghazipur, but the demand was ignored. The minister had alleged that the DM was corrupt and was working as an agent of the Samajwadi Party.



The cause of his tirade against the magistrate, sources said, is that he had ordered the registration of an FIR against the ministers brother and some associates after they allegedly assaulted some employees of the revenue department.



The employees had threatened to go on a strike if action was not taken against Rajbhars brother, after which a case was filed.



Now, Rajbhar says he would stage a protest in Ghazipur to press for his demand of the magistrates removal. The DM says that no one can remove him. He does not listen to the public representatives, he told reporters.



While only the SBSP chief has openly vented anger so far, sources said that Yogis resolve when it comes to not giving in to unjustified demands of elected representatives over postings and transfers, has not endeared the CM to some BJP leaders as well.



Rajbhar said he has informed the UP Chief Minister and the BJP organising secretary for state, Sunil Bansal, about uncooperative and corrupt officials. He said he has no option but to sit on a protest as his demands were ignored. He claimed that a BJP leader was protecting corrupt officials, and he would disclose his name soon.



The state government has not taken any action against corrupt officials. The bureaucrats do not listen to ministers. People of the state had expected things would improve after a change of guard. Unfortunately nothing has changed, he said.
T 2472 - Arre yaar FB .. tu kyun nahin khulta hai mare liye full mein .. dalna hai yaar usme kuch baatein meri .. !! pic.twitter.com/k6HkGkmtF0  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) July 1, 2017

T 2466 - HELLO ! FaceBook ..! Wake up ..my page does not open fully .. been like this for days ! Had to use this medium to complain ,,SAD ! pic.twitter.com/SvzUHBBDvT  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) June 25, 2017

Amitabh Bachchan is not just known for his amazing screen presence and acting talent but also for his unmissable social media presence. The ever active mega star never forgets to update his fans and followers about his thoughts and emotions on social media sites. However, looks like Big B is facing trouble with the biggest social media platform- Facebook.The actor shared a frustrated post on Twitter complaining about Facebook giving him technical trouble, on Saturday,. In a hilarious post, Big B wrote, "Arre yaar FB .. tu kyun nahin khulta hai mare liye full mein .. dalna hai yaar usme kuch baatein meri .. !!" (Oh Facebook.. Why don't you open for me, I need to write somethings..)This is not the first time that the actor has faced issues with the site. In June, he had a similar experience and then too he shared his difficulty on Twitter.Seems like Mark Zuckerberg's network is unable to sustain the heavy thoughts and words Big B has to share with his fans.On the work front, the actor is currently busy with YRF's Thugs of Hindostan, alongside Aamir Khan and Katrina Kaif. The actor will also be seen with Rishi Kapoor in Umesh Shukla's 102 Not Out.
Patna: The cracks in the ruling Mahagathbandhan in Bihar once again surfaced on Sunday after Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar lashed out at Congress party in a meeting with Janata Dal United (JDU) leaders.



Sources told CNN-News18 that Kumar accused Congress of "dumping Mahatma Gandhi's ideology", adding that he had nothing to learn from the grand old party. "We do not follow anyone, we are clear with our principles," Kumar reportedly said.



CM Kumar, however, refused to say anything about or against the Rashtriya Janata Dal supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav's rally "BJP hatao, desh bachao", scheduled for August, where Lalu is expected to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.



Kumar also said that he is open to attending the rally, provided he is invited. "We will definitely participate in the rally if RJD extends its invitation to our leader Nitish Kumar," Bihar JD(U) chief spokesperson Sanjay Singh told reporters.



Earlier in the day, JD-U General Secretary Shayam Razak had told the media that JD-U as a party would not attend the event but Chief Minister Nitish Kumar may in his personal capacity if he was invited by the RJD.



The JD-U and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) along with the Congress are part of the ruling Grand Alliance in the state.



The differences between the two major partners of the alliance surfaced ever since the JD(U) unilaterally announced its support to former Bihar Governor Ram Nath Kovind, NDA's presidential candidate, without waiting for the united candidate of the Opposition.



Congress president Sonia Gandhi, though, cleared the air, saying she was not upset with Nitish's decision to back the NDA candidate, Ram Nath Kovind.



Lalu, on the other hand, trained guns on Nitish Kumar, saying Bihar chief minister had committed a "historical mistake" by extending support to Kovind.




As the incumbent President Pranab Mukherjee stood at the podium, on June 30, in the Central Hall of Parliament, former prime minister Manmohan Singh gave the launch of Goods and Services Tax (GST) a miss as requested by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi. It must have given Singh a sense of relief that Mukherjee, who was finance minister in his Cabinet, had got a message across: The seed for GST was sown during the UPA term. But ironically the man credited with liberalising Indian economy in 1991 chose to toe the party line, skipping the launch of the countrys biggest tax reform.For a man who is still considered as one of the best economists in the country and had led policymakers to lay the groundwork for GST as the PM, absenting the GST launch was a historical loss.Hours before the midnight function, MoS finance Santosh Gangwar had said that a personal invite was sent to Singh and that he would definitely come.But soon before the ruling BJP-led government had sent out the invite, Sonia Gandhi met the former PM and conveyed the partys position of boycotting the event. Sources in Congress say Gandhi was worried that if Singh attended the function in his personal capacity, it would take steam out of the entire Congress campaign.A top leader of Trinamool Congress, the other opposition party which had boycotted the event, confirmed to News18 that the Congress was indeed worried. Congress has been worried ever since Meira Kumar filed her nomination for Presidential elections. Singh had not openly come out in support of Kumar. His silence had begun to worry the party, News18 was told.Gandhi had it her way and sources say Singh chose to watch the event on his TV set. A Congress leader said Singh couldnt say no to Gandhi who had given up PMs chair for him.Two women kept two GST heroes away from the historic Parliament event: Sonia and Mamata prevented Manmohan Singh and Amit Mitra, respectively, tweeted Singhs former media advisor and author of The Accidental PM Sanjaya Baru. In complete contrast to what Baru hinted, Congress put up a show of strength and said that decision to boycott the launch was unanimous and that Singh was always on board. Singh, from his newly launched Twitter handle, had also posted a picture of meeting traders to discuss how badly the GST will impact the economy. Desperate attempts, many would argue, were made to make sure the world thought that Singh did not want to go for the GST launch.Reality, however, remains that Singh was caught in his partys desperate attempt to stay relevant. With a dwindling Opposition and the rise of Modi juggernaut, Congress is doing everything possible to stay afloat in the run up to the 2019 elections. So, it partnered with the TMC and boycotted the launch, calling the rollout a publicity stunt.But was the party right in doing so? Following the TMC, which has a completely different roadmap to political success, may not have panned out well. Mamatas concern about small traders and hawkers (which is her vote bank) being affected by the hurried push out of the new tax system was her reason for the boycott. Does Congress have a similar reason of treading to a particular vote bank lobby? No.The lone argument that the grand old party had for boycotting the event was calling it a publicity stunt, and, of course, saying that the BJP had initially been against the GST when UPA had put forth the idea. Many say, Singh differed from the party.He wanted the party to make its point clear by attending the event. In a similar, subtle way that President Mukherjee did. But Gandhi had a different idea, sources said. And the Congress chiefs decision made Singh look bad.This is not the first time that the Congress, especially Gandhi, had cornered Singh. In 2009, Singh was clear that he did not want controversial ministers like A Raja on his team. But the threat of losing out on support from the DMK made Sonia pitch for Raja and the rest, as they say, is history. The 2G scam continues to be Singhs Achilles Heel.Again, in 2011, when Singh wanted an expert like Montek Singh Ahluwalia or C Rangarajan has his finance minister, Sonia Gandhi rolled out her own list of the Cabinet and Singhs suggestions were ignored. Gandhis support to then environment minister Jairam Ramesh and the latters problem with Singh are known to all. And it wasnt just Singh who was cornered by the party. Singhs then media advisor Baru was also shown the door for fiercely defending the PM whenever he got the chance. The party soon chose Harish Khare, and after that Pankaj Pachauri, both of whom enjoyed Congresss confidence and not that of Singhs.Congress heir Rahul Gandhis legendary tearing up of the controversial ordinance, which could have negated the Supreme Court verdict on convicted lawmakers as complete nonsense, while Singh was in the United States, was yet another insult to Singh.So, why did Singh, after all these humiliating incidents, decide to toe the party line and listen to Sonia Gandhi? As a close aide of the former PM admitted, Now that he was out of power, he could have shown some spine. Sadly, he didnt.When I am no longer around, history will look at me more kindly than you all have, Singh had once said towards the end of his tenure as PM.Sympathetic and pitiful eyes, Mr Singh, is how history looks at you as of now.
BJP Karnataka chief BS Yeddyurappa, along with party leaders, having a breakfast at the house of a Dalit at Kakri Basaveshwar Nagar in Hubballi. (Photo: PTI)
Washington: President Donald Trump may accuse Qatar of sponsoring terrorism, but that did not stop the wealthy emirate this week from lighting up the Empire State building in the national colors of the Middle Eastern nation.



Trump -- who himself once tried to acquire the Manhattan skyscraper -- has sided with Saudi Arabia in its increasingly bitter dispute with Qatar, but Doha has adopted a tactic long used by its more powerful Saudi neighbor to get its own way, buying up substantial shares in the US economy as a bulwark against shifting political sands.



The iconic 102-story Empire State building was bathed in the burgundy and white of Qatar Airways, the state flag carrier of Qatar, ostensibly to celebrate 10 years of flights into the United States.



Less obvious was the fact that almost a year ago, the oil and gas-rich emirate purchased a 10-percent, $622 million stake in the all-American building.



Trump once tried unsuccessfully to seize control of the building during his heyday as a New York property mogul, when he still owned the land that the skyscraper stands on.



Last month, Qatar stunned American Airlines with plans to acquire a 10 percent stake in the world's largest commercial air carrier.



At the same time, it signed a $12 billion contract to buy 36 F-15 fighter jets from Boeing: a fraction of the $110-billion arms deal inked when Mr Trump visited Riyadh in May, but still enough to make US business leaders sit up and listen.



"They have tentacles everywhere, they are amazing," said Randa Slim, a scholar at the Middle East Institute.



'A listening ear'



Qatar's greatest international asset, of course, is hosting the forward headquarters of US Central Command on its soil, putting the country squarely at the heart of the global US military footprint.



Doha is also home to shiny outposts of Georgetown University and the Brookings Institution, among Washington's most prestigious think tanks, which Qatari officials said should promote the "bright image" of Qatar to the international media, "especially the American ones."



Like Trump, a property tycoon turned president, Qatari investors have dived into real estate on four continents, bankrolling and buying into major developments in Washington, Chicago and London, where they bought a stake in Heathrow Airport.



Slim said that US concern for Qatar's Al-Udeid Air Base -- which the Americans use to stage operations in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen -- guaranteed that Washington would give Qatar's position in the crisis considerable weight.



While the president Tweeted about alleged Qatari backing for Syrian jihadists, his own Defense Department assured Qatar of continuing US support, while the State Department rebuked the Saudi coalition for its treatment of the country, seen by other Gulf states as too close to Iran.



"Definitely, the White House does not seem to be on their side but you have other powerful agencies that are standing on their side, at least until now," Slim said.



"Even if you have groups who are arguing for a balanced position in this administration, I don't see anyone siding with Qatar 100 percent," she added.



"Qatar does not have 100 percent support. Qatar has a listening ear."



Saudi's heavyweight checkbook



Whatever inroads Doha may have made, Saudi Arabia, their larger and richer adversary in the crisis, retains a formidable position.



That kingdom is the second-largest foreign supplier of crude oil to the United States, a long-standing linchpin of US foreign policy and a major backer of large US corporations.



As Trump prepared to tour the Middle East in May, Riyadh pledged to pour $20 billion into an infrastructure fund managed by the investment firm Blackstone, whose billionaire chairman Stephen Schwarzman is a prominent Trump backer.



This came on the heels of $110 billion in arms sales as well as billions more in deals for General Electric and Lockheed Martin.



On the campaign trail, Trump also praised Saudi investors for buying his apartments, and he has reportedly incorporated companies in the kingdom.



Meanwhile, the Qataris have few established business links with the Trump clan if any -- but not for want of effort by the real estate mogul.



"By virtue of their relative size (both geographic and financial), Qatar will always be weaker," said Robert Blecher, acting director of the Middle East program at the International Crisis Group.



"But not weak enough to make finances and business deals the decisive factor in this contretemps."



According to James Jeffrey of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, under normal circumstances investments would not factor into geopolitical considerations.



"When you have a huge strategic problem such as this, the American position is traditionally, 'We don't care who's bought shares,'" Jeffrey, a long serving US diplomat in the Middle East and a former deputy national security advisor to President George W. Bush, told AFP.



But he said this particular White House may be sending the signal that business ties do count for a great deal. "This administration has given plenty of indications that that's the way it works," he said.


Rome: Qatar said Saturday a series of demands made by several Arab states to lift a crippling blockade were designed to be spurned and clearly aimed at infringing its sovereignty.



"This list of demands is made to be rejected," Qatar's Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said, referring to 13 demands placed on Doha by Saudi Arabia and its allies as the price for lifting an almost month-long "blockade" on Qatar.



Qatar said it had received the demands on June 22 with just 10 days to meet them, which would mean they would have until Sunday to comply. However, the deadline has not been confirmed.



"Everyone is aware that these demands are meant to infringe the sovereignty of the state of Qatar," Al-Thani said at a press conference in Rome after meeting his Italian counterpart.



Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt announced earlier this month the suspension of all ties to Qatar. They accused it of state support for extremist groups and denounced its political proximity to Shiite Iran.



Qatar denies the allegations.



Saudia Arabia closed the airspace to Qatari carriers and blocked the emirate's only land border, a vital route for its food imports.



Qatar has said the effects are more devastating than the Berlin Wall.



Riyadh's demands include ending Doha's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, the closure of Al-Jazeera television, a downgrade of diplomatic ties with Iran and the shutdown of a Turkish military base in the emirate.



The United Arab Emirates has warned Qatar should take the demands seriously or face "divorce" from its Gulf neighbours.



Turkey and Iraq have backed Qatar in the crisis.



Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano said the government was ready "to contribute to any initiative aimed primarily at restoring dialogue and easing tensions between those involved."



Rome also pleaded for the five countries "to refrain from any further action that could aggravate the situation".



Kuwait is the official arbitrator for seeking a settlement, though the United States is also attempting to mediate.



Washington has cautioned that some of the demands would be difficult for Qatar to accept, asking the Saudis for a clear list of grievances that are "reasonable and actionable".
By PTI: Mumbai, Jul 2 (PTI) Eicher Polaris, which manufactures and markets personal utility vehicle Multix, will begin to ship the product to Nepal and Bangladesh this month.

Following the rising demand for Multix since its launch in June 2015, the company is increasing its footprint into the metros and to all states by adding more dealers.

It also launched two BS-IV variants in March this year with higher engine capacity of 650-cc. The first vehicle comes with a 500-cc BS-III engine.

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"We have already shipped a few units to Nepal. The commercial sales in the Himalayan nation will begin from this week. We also have orders from Bangladesh. Shipping will start from the second week of this month," Pankaj Duney, the chief executive and managing director of Eicher Polaris, told PTI over phone.

He said they are also tapping the Central American (Guatemala to begin with), African and Sri Lankan markets.

On domestic expansion, Duney said though sales so far have been slower than expected as focus had been on small towns, this year the same is growing at over 20 per cent over last year. But citing companys policy, he refused to quantify the numbers.

Asked about the new model development, he said they are working on two-three new models, but refused to share details and timelines.

On dealership expansion, he said they will almost double the count to 100 this year. The year started off with 55 and has now gone to 77, with the latest dealership coming up at Karad in Maharashtra last week.

"We are present in 16 states now but will cover all the states by the year-end, with almost 100 dealers," he said, adding that going forward the focus will be metros too and the company already entered Delhi and Mumbai this year.

Eicher Polaris is an equal joint venture set up in 2013 between the Delhi-based Eicher Motors and the US-based Polaris Industries Inc, which is a globe leader in all-terrain vehicles. The US firm also runs a separate company in the country, Polaris India, which sells its all-terrain vehicles.

The JV has made Rs 350-crore investment, equally chipped in the partners to manufacture Multix, and a 60,000-unit per annum plant at Kukas near Jaipur.

He said the company is sourcing almost fully locally helping it sell at lower prices. The new Multix variants are priced between Rs 3.19 lakh and Rs 3.49 lakh.

Duney also said that GST will have a neutral impact on the companys business. PTI BEN GK

--- ENDS ---

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Beirut: A Syrian rebel group accused the Syrian army of using chlorine gas against its fighters on Saturday in battles east of Damascus - an accusation the military swiftly denied as a fabrication.



The Failaq al-Rahman group said more than 30 people suffered suffocation as a result of the attack in Ain Tarma in the Eastern Ghouta region, which government forces have been battling to take back from insurgents.



In a statement circulated by state-run media, a military source said the army command completely denied the accusation. "It has not used any chemical weapons in the past, and will not use them at any time".



The United States said on Wednesday the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appeared so far to have heeded a warning issued earlier in the week not to carry out a chemical weapons attack after saying it saw possible preparations for one.



Western governments including the United States say the Syrian government was behind an April gas attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun that killed dozens. In response, the United States fired cruise missiles at the air base from which it said the attack was launched.



The Syrian government has denied any role in that attack.



On Saturday the government also dismissed a report by the international chemical weapons watchdog that said the banned nerve agent sarin was used in the April attack in Khan Sheikhoun, saying it lacked "any credibility".



A joint United Nations and OPCW investigation has found Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015 and that Islamic State militants used mustard gas.
Three car bombs exploded in Damascus on Sunday, state media said, killing at least seven people in the first suicide bombings in the Syrian capital since jihadists attacked in March.A police officer at the scene of one of the blasts put the death toll there at seven with 13 more people wounded. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based organisation that reports on the war, said 21 people had been killed.The security forces prevented the militants from reaching their targets which would have led to more deaths, officials told state TV, saying the bombers had aimed to hit busy areas on the first day back to work after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Damascus was hit by two separate, multiple suicide bomb attacks in March, one of them claimed by Islamic State and the other by the Islamist insurgent alliance Tahrir al-Sham.Damascus has enjoyed relative security in recent years even as the six-year-long civil war has raged on in nearby areas.Damaged cars are seen at one of the blast sites in Damascus. (Photo: Handout via Reuters)A man operates a front loader to clean a blast site in Damascus (Photo: Handout via Reuters)The casualties in Sunday's attack occurred when one of bombers set off his device after being encircled near the Old City district of Bab Touma.The other two car bombs were destroyed by the authorities, state media said.Damascus chief of police Mohamad Kheir Ismail, in a phone interview with the al-Ikhbariya TV station, said the cars had been spotted on a highway and pursued. He said they had wanted to cause a large casualty toll but failed.Footage broadcast by state TV from the blast that caused the fatalities near the Old City showed roads scattered with debris, several badly damaged cars, and another one that had been turned into a pile of twisted metal.Footage from another of the blast sites showed what appeared to be the remains of a person and badly damaged vehicles outside a mosque in the Baytara traffic circle near the Old City.On March 15, two suicide bomb attacks in Damascus killed several dozen people, most of them at the Palace of Justice courthouse near the Old City. Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack.On March 11, a double suicide attack in the capital killed scores of people, most of them Iraqi Shi'ite pilgrims. That attack was claimed by the Tahrir al-Sham alliance of Islamist insurgents, which is spearheaded by a jihadist group formerly known as the Nusra Front.Syrian government forces, which have defeated rebel fighters in several suburbs of Damascus over the last year, are currently battling insurgents in the Jobar and Ain Tarma areas on the capital's eastern outskirts.
: A US warship sailed near a disputed island in the South China Sea claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam on Sunday in an operation meant to challenge the competing claims of all three nations, a U.S. Defense Department official said.The U.S.S. Stethem, a guided-missile destroyer, sailed within 12 nautical miles of Triton Island, part of the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, the official said.The operation was first reported by Fox News on Sunday.It was the second "freedom-of-navigation operation," or "fonop," conducted during the presidency of Donald Trump, following a drill in late May in which a U.S. warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea.Twelve nautical miles marks the territorial limits recognized internationally. Sailing within those 12 miles is meant to show that the United States does not recognize territorial claims there."Unlike in the Spratlys, where China has created new artificial territory in the last several years, it has effectively controlled the Paracels since 1974," said Mira Rapp-Hooper, a South China Sea expert at the Center for a New American Security. "It claims illegal straight baselines around the Paracels, and the fonop may have been contesting these."Trump has heaped praise on Chinese President Xi Jinping, but his administration has also stepped up pressure on Beijing as he has become frustrated that China has not done more to pressure North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs.On Thursday, the administration imposed sanctions on two Chinese citizens and a shipping company for helping North Korea's nuclear and missile programs, and accused a Chinese bank of laundering money for Pyongyang.The Trump administration has also approved an arms package for Taiwan worth about $1.4 billion, the State Department said last week. China deems Taiwan its own and has never renounced the use of force to bring the self-ruled island under its control.Trump is due to speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday, ahead of meetings that he will hold with both leaders on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Hamburg, Germany, next Friday and Saturday.
Yekaterinburg (Russia): Hidden from public, on the shores of the Bay of Bengal at Kalpakkam near Chennai, Indian nuclear scientists are in the final throes of starting a high-tech giant stove more than 15 years in the making.



This novel nuclear reactor is a kind of an 'akshaya patra', the mythical goblet with a never-ending supply of food.



The Department of Atomic Energy is getting ready to commission its ultra-modern indigenously designed and locally mastered fast breeder reactor.



Experts say to make nuclear energy sustainable, one sure shot way is to make fast breeder reactors mainstream.



Yukiya Amano, Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, says "fast reactors can help extract up to 70 per cent more energy than traditional reactors and are safer than traditional reactors while reducing long lived radioactive waste by several fold."



Easier said than done, since these reactors are also notoriously unstable and hence difficult to run reliably over long periods.



Called a 'Fast Breeder Reactor', these are a special kind of nuclear reactors that generate more atomic fuel than they consume as they work.



India has been running an experimental facility called a Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) now for 27 years. This is a small nuclear reactor a forerunner for the monster that India has constructed at Kalpakkam called the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). This will generate electricity commercially using the fast breeder route.



The world's only commercially operating fast breeder reactor is situated in the Ural Mountains of Russia at the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant, not far from Russia's fourth largest city Yekaterinburg.



The Russians on Sunday are the global leaders in fast breeder reactors having operated a fast breeder reactor called BN 600 since 1980.



In 2016, the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom commercially commissioned its big brother -- the BN 800 fast breeder reactor.



This reactor produces about 800 MW of electricity and supplies it to the Ural region including the city of Yekaterinburg.



While electricity that is produced is no different than any other electricity but the global community of atomic boffins is suitably chuffed about this unique achievement.



M Chudakov, now with the IAEA and well-known Russian fast breeder expert, calls "these reactors a bridge to the future as they can supply an almost unlimited supply of electricity".



All eyes are now on southern India where another global nuclear milestone is likely to be crossed this year. Arun Kumar Bhaduri, Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam says, "fast breeder reactors are far safer than the current generation of nuclear plants and that all efforts are being made to kickstart within this year India's first commercial fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam."



Such is the interest in fast breeder reactors that more than 700 of the best atomic scientists from over 30 countries gathered at Yekaterinburg in IAEA's conference on the 'next generation nuclear systems for sustainable development'. The scientists deliberated on how to make nuclear energy last for several centuries.



Given India's expertise, the co-chair of the conference was Suresh Chetal, one of the early pioneers of fast breeder reactors who helped tame fast breeder reactors for New Delhi when he was at the IGCAR.



Many countries have dabbled with fast breeder reactors and have given up, first off the block was the US but it gave up since inherently American governments have an allergic response with re-processing of nuclear waste in addition since USA has enough supplies of fissile material there is no hunger to maximally extract energy from uranium.



Japan and France both had robust programs with fast breeder technology but repeated failure to safely handle liquid sodium forced them to more or less give up on fast reactors.



China is more than a decade behind India in trying to master this complex beast. Russia invested heavily in developing the fast breeder technology but since it commissioned its first fast breeder reactor BN 600 in 1980 it suffered an economic meltdown as the former Soviet Union broke up and only recently Russia could gather enough resources to complete its upgraded fast breeder reactor BN 800.



Today the BN 800 is a flagship reactor that uses both uranium and plutonium as fuel and generates electricity that is supplied to the grid. A visit to the facility reveals a squeaky clean reactor where seasoned operators like Ivan Sidrow are also experimenters as they go about trying to design a bigger 1200 MW fast breeder reactor.



India's own PFBR is unique and rather different from the Russian fast breeder reactor though both use the same basic principle of physics.



Fast breeder reactors are called such not because they run faster but because the neutrons that sustain the atomic chain reaction travel at a much higher velocity than neutrons that help run the traditional atomic plants.



These are called breeders as they generate more fuel than they consume a fact hard to fathom since they seem to defy the laws of conservation of energy. But a very unique quirk of elemental uranium makes this possible.



Nuclear reactors use a flavour of uranium called U-235 which unfortunately constitutes a minuscule quantity even in super purified uranium.



The larger component is what is called U-238 this flavor is the bulk but is essentially a waste product as the atomic reaction cannot be sustained by this elemental flavour.



In a fast breeder reactor the very special fast neutrons interact with the so called wasted uranium U-238 and converts it into a valuable resource. This is why fast breeders are akin to an 'akshaya patra'.



India's fast breeder reactor is even more unique as within it the country also deploys special rods of thorium which when they get exposed to or irradiated by fast neutrons they generate U-233 and a normally benign thorium turns into a valuable atomic material.



It is well known that India is very energy hungry and as economic growth takes place mega quantities of electricity will be required. Unfortunately, nature has not been bountiful on India as the Indian land mass is not endowed with enough uranium but on the other hand the country has the world's second largest store of thorium.



Today the country in a well thought out strategy is mastering fast breeder reactors that can be an effective via media for utilising the vast thorium reserves.
Ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) receive ice cream to cool down in the Gyongyos Zoo in Gyongyos, 79 kms northeast of Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, June 28, 2017, which is expected to become the hottest day of the year. In some part of the country amidst the heat wave, showers, even heavy thunderstorms are predicted. (Image: AP/PTI)
RICHMOND  The muscles in the 7-year-olds biceps flexed hard against the Velcro straps of her prosthetic hand, closing her new fingers.

Its my robot hand, Lydia H. exclaimed, then grabbed at her mom and older brother.

Lydia, who was born without her left forearm and hand, has in many ways overcome the limitations of her body on her own. But the free prosthetic created using ECPIs 3-D printer will make life easier.

Lydia said she enjoys practicing archery. Shes taught herself to shoot using her little arm to draw the string.

Now, she can hold the bow with her new hand and expects to receive a separate attachment for it. But shes more excited to tussle with her older brother.

[Im going to] grab my brother then throw him on the ground, said Lydia, whose family asked that only the first letter of their last name be used because of privacy concerns.

The device can be made for about $20,000 less than a comparable prosthetic through insurance, said ECPI Innsbrook campus president Jacob Pope. Families who invest in child prosthetics often find the cost even steeper, he said, because the children quickly outgrow the devices.

We can produce one of these arms for about $150 plus production hours that our students go through. Then for as many arms as this young lady wants and that we can produce, ... well produce them for her, Pope said.

The university formed an Enabling The Future chapter in August, headed by faculty member Negar Ghochaghi.

Enabling The Future is an international organization of skilled volunteers in such areas as engineering, coding and design dedicated to creating free prosthetics for youth.

Its members share and build upon original open-sourced patterns to improve the quality and accessibility of assistive devices .

Ghochaghi said Pope found the program and asked if she wanted to advise the group since the university already had a competition related to use of the printer.

Now our goal is to have our students be more involved and get them to make a better design, said Ghochaghi, who has worked for ECPI since 2014.

ECPI can use the 3-D printer to design three types of upper body devices: ones for the hand, ones reaching to the upper arm, and ones reaching to the shoulder.

The team used a pattern provided by Enabling The Future to make devices for three children so far  two locally and one in Sudan.

Pope said one of the students created his own design for a device that helps a 7-year-old boy ride his bike.

The larger Enabling The Future organization matches families to the chapters.

Kevin H., Lydias father, said the first chapter the family had gone to did not follow through on the request, so Enabling The Future connected them with ECPI.

Kevin said, Its been a month since we came in for the measurements and ever since then shes been asking, How much longer? 

We try to give her a lot of pride in the way God made her, Kevin said. Focus on her arm in a positive way so shes not ashamed of it or hiding it.

The family will let ECPI know how the hand is working so the students can try to improve it.

Were so fortunate they found us, Ghochaghi said.

ECPI electrical engineering students Joseph Andarz and Juan Hernandez were on the team that helped make the prosthetics. Both said they enjoyed the chance to do hands-on engineering work that also helped others. The more we know, the better we work,

Andarz said.

More families interested in using the services of an Enabling The Future chapter can connect through their website.
By PTI: veracity

(Eds: Updating with Yogi Adityanaths quote)

Lucknow, Jul 2 (PTI) A gang-rape survivor was allegedly attacked with acid in Uttar Pradesh for the fourth time in eight years, police said today.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, however, expressed doubts over the incident, saying it may have been staged to defame his government, even as opposition parties unleashed a barrage of criticism over the law and order situation in the state.

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This is the fifth time the 45-year-old has been allegedly targeted. She had been stabbed in 2012.

The woman was given security after a previous assault this year and the latest attack took place last night near her hostel in Aliganj area of state capital Lucknow, despite the presence of police to protect her.

The victim, who hails from Raebareli, was rushed to a hospital with burn injuries on her face and neck. Her condition was stated to be stable.

Less than four months ago, two men allegedly forced acid down her throat on board a train near here -- an incident that had created a huge furore.

Adityanath had visited her in the hospital and announced assistance of Rs 1 lakh. The police had provided her with security after the alleged attack.

Today, talking to a private news channel, the chief minister said the hostel the woman resides in is absolutely safe and no outsider could get in.

"Despite all these, how did this incident take place?" he said.

"Ye ghatna sachmuch ghatna hai ya fir ghatna ke naam par kuchh log kewal badnaam karne ki sajish rach rahe hain (Has this attack really happened or are some people hatching a conspiracy to defame the state government)," he said.

He also said the law is meant to protect but if someone misuses it, action would be taken against them.

Police said no FIR has been registered yet and they are awaiting a complaint from the victims family.

"We are waiting for a complaint to be lodged by the family members of the woman. Police will act on the complaint lodged by them. The husband of the woman could not meet her last night," ADG Lucknow Abhay Kumar told PTI

State Women Welfare Minister Rita Bahuguna Joshi said, "There was a guard and some girls, who were there on the hostel roof, when the incident took place but none of them saw anyone."

Terming it an unfortunate incident, she said the police are looking into the matter and have also detained those involved in the previous attack.

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The series of attacks on the woman began in 2009 when two men had allegedly raped and attacked her with acid over a property dispute in her home at Unchahar, 100 kilometres from Lucknow.

After the knife attack in 2012, she had again been allegedly attacked with acid in 2013, police officials said.

On March 23 this year, the woman had submitted a written complaint to the government railway police at Charbagh station alleging that acid had been forced down her throat on board the Allahabad-Lucknow Ganga Gomti Express. She wrote the complaint as she could not speak.

While she was in the King Georges Medical University hospital receiving treatment, three women constables were suspended for allegedly clicking selfies with her.

The police, meanwhile, claimed that none of the eyewitnesses had seen anyone throwing acid or running away.

"Be it the hostel warden or the girls, no one saw the attacker or anyone fleeing from there. We are trying to take the statement of the victim," a police officer said. The constable deployed for her protection also said he did not see anyone running away from the spot.

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"When I heard a voice, I ran towards the hostel, but I did not find anyone running from there. I was there outside," constable Sandeep said.

The Samajwadi Party attacked the states BJP government over the law and order situation. "They (the BJP) used to make a lot of hue and cry over law and order in the previous SP dispensation. Now, they have lost all control and criminal elements are ruling the roost in the state," SP leader Naresh Agarwal said.

Congress leader Devendra Pratap Singh also denounced the BJP government for their "failure to check" such incidents.

"Attacks on women have increased under the present government. The Yogi Adityanath government has failed to check them," he said. PTI ABN NAV SMI BSA TIR BSA

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Rondell strikes gold

Despite his inexperience, 20-year-old Rondell Thompson won a gold medal in the Junior Chef of the Year category and next year he intends to go again, this time to take the Junior Chef of the Caribbean crown.

I am the definition of living the dream. Ever since I was young I had no other career wish other than cooking.

It has been my passion from the age of six. I used to get teased because I was the only male in my Food and Nutrition class but I came out at the top of that class.

To see that I made it as far as I have at such a young age, Im proud of myself, he told Sunday Newsday.

Thompson said his love for cooking started and grew as he watched his mother, Bernadine, make Sunday lunch and cook for his family at Christmas.

His father, Ricardo, also had a passion for cooking and would experiment with dishes which would usually taste great. He cooked at home with his family and when he passed for Tranquillity Government Secondary School, he joined the Food and Nutrition class.

While in form three, his class went on a field trip to the Trinidad and Tobago Hospitality and Tourism Institute (TTHTI) and Thompson knew that was where he wanted to study. Right after doing his Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examination he enrolled as a student.

Thompson completed his associate degree in culinary management last year and is in the process of completing his Bachelors degree. He also works at H2Go Foods, a health food restaurant in Chaguanas, and intends to get a degree in teaching in the future. I like guiding people and informing people about certain things, especially when someone is willing to learn and you could see the passion in them. In addition to cooking, he said he also loves making deserts and making sure his dishes look good. My main thing in cooking is plating.

Im all about the finished product, the bright colours.

Even a simple thing like macaroni pie, stewed chicken and a salad  as a chef you think about elevating the presentation. He found out about the Taste of the Caribbean Culinary Competition through Chef of the Year silver medal winner, Brandon Maharaj, who he met at TTHTI.

Maharaj encouraged him to register for Making the Cut, the local competition to make the National Culinary Team, but Thompson was concerned that school, work and training for the competition would be too much. However, one week before registration closed for Making the Cut, he entered and eventually won a spot on the team.

Being the youngest person on the team, Thompson said he learned a lot, not only from the team meetings, but from each and every team member. Besides his cooking skills, he said his contribution to the team was his positivity. He said he tried to find the brighter side of any situation, and made his team-mates laugh.

He said even during the competition he had a lot of fun, although he was very nervous leading up to and at the beginning of it.

However, he soon got over his nerves as he blocked out all the other competitors and got down to work.  I believe its a good experience for anyone. Its something you just can not put a price on. For the judges, he did a pan-seared curried infused beef tri-tip with coconut stew sauce, geera-scented red snapper with a spice rum, shadon beni chimmy cherry, roasted tomato jam, dasheen pie with a flaky crust, tamarind vegetable slaw and a nutmeg pumpkin puree.

I knew I had a lot of elements.

It wasnt needed but, the kind of person I am, I was willing to do anything to enhance the flavour or presentation of a dish. He said the judges loved the jam, said the fish was perfectly cooked, appreciated that he took the time to make a crust for the dasheen pie, and said each element was solid. While awaiting the results, Thompson said he was just hoping they did not call his name for an honorary mention. When he realised his name was not called in that group, or for a silver medal, he knew he had won a gold medal and was ecstatic.

I am very proud of what I have achieved. To see that those three months of sweat, sacrifice, and buff, actually paid off, I was proud and humbled. The only thing I did not achieve was the Junior Chef of the Caribbean, which is what I really wanted.

But I am still of age to do junior again so Im going back next year and Im going for the title this time. 14
Mayor: Counselling for Ajim Baksh residents

Speaking to Sunday Newsday after the funeral for Videsh at his home, yesterday, Morris-Julien said counsellors from the Mediation Services will visit the closeknit community from tomorrow to help residents heal and move on with their lives .

That whole street is devastated .

They all love that boy. So, we (Arima Borough Council) are asking them to reach out to the extended family also, she said .

Morris-Julien said the council also intends to embark on a programme titled, Our Brothers Keeper, encouraging residents to look out for one-another .

We just have to hold one-another tighter, she said .

For example, somebody saw these people driving out Ms Roses (Hafeeza Mohammeds) car. But we are not always observant .

We are buried in our cellphones .

We need to start back looking out for one another .

We are trying to develop something for Arima, something that we could tap in and check on our trusted circle. She said Ajim Baksh Trace was a stones throw away from her home .

I am familiar with everybody there. I was familiar with Videsh and his bike up and down, always very pleasant. Morris-Julien said residents were interested in naming a park in the area after Videsh .

There is a park right at the end that the residents want to name after him, she said .

So, the council will be looking into that because somebody sealed off the park. We dont know why. We have to find out about that. Morris-Julien said greater attempts also were being made to empower women .

We had a self-defence course that ran for six weeks in Arima and everybody liked and shared it but very few people came out .

We really want to bring it back and and encourage all women, she said, alluding specifically to Mohammed .

Saying she was in a highly- emotional state at the funeral, Morris-Julien told Sunday Newsday she was deeply concerned for her own children .

I have every young children and I am worried even leaving them with my mother, even me if somebody is determined. If somebody could watch a 13-yearold boy and kill him, then they dont care. So, we have to go back to the drawing board on that one. Videsh would have been 13 in December
Man dies in car crash

According to reports, Charlie Morgan was a passenger in a Nissan B13 vehicle heading south along Saddle Road, near the School for the Blind, when the driver, Ricardo Quintyne, of Morvant, attempted to overtake another car.

The two vehicles collided and the the B13 overturned.

Morgan, of Bourg Malatresse, was pronounced dead at the scene while Quintyne was taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital for treatment.

He is said to be in a satisfactory condition.
Archbishop Gray-Burke new IRO head

On June 29, Burke became the first woman to sit in that position, which she was elected to unopposed. The nominated me, there was a seconder and no one else was nominated.

Like they were glad to have me as their president.

They told me they realised I did a lot for the organisation and for the Shouter Baptist so I would make a good leader. I feel happy that the glass ceiling has been broken in this male-dominated field.

And remember I am a strong supporter of the UNC (United National Congress) and Kamla (Persad-Bissessar), and she was our first female Prime Minister! She said been a member of the IRO since 1997 and had done a lot of work under the various presidents. Burke said her first goal was to acquire land and build a structure for a permanent IRO office in which the members could hold their monthly meetings.

She also plans to speak to other members of the executive and discuss policy soon.
This is the fifth attack on the woman. She was rushed to a hospital where her condition was stated to be stable.

By Press Trust of India: A gang-rape and acid attack survivor has once again been attacked with acid in Aliganj locality in Lucknow, police said today.

This is the fifth attack on the woman.

The latest incident took place yesterday night near a hostel where she resides. She was rushed to a hospital where her condition was stated to be stable.

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She has sustained burn injuries on her face and neck, police said, adding that no FIR has been registered yet and they are awaiting a complaint.

A probe is on in the matter, they said. Earlier on March 23, the woman was allegedly forced to drink acid by two men on-board a train near here.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited her at a hospital and announced Rs 1 lakh assistance for the 45-year-old woman.

The incident had came to light when the woman had got off the Allahabad-Lucknow Ganga Gomti Express at Charbagh Station here and gave a written complaint to the government railway police. She wrote the complaint as she could not speak. As per the complaint, two persons had forced her to drink acid.

Earlier, two men had allegedly raped and attacked her with acid over a property dispute in her home at Unchahar in 2009, 100 kilometres from Lucknow.

The woman works with Sheroes Hangout Cafe, an outlet run by acid attack survivors in Lucknow.

In 2012, the woman was attacked with a knife, and in 2013 she was attacked with acid, police sources said.

ALSO READ

CM Yogi Adityanath visits gang-rape survivor who was made to drink acid, assures speedy justice Adityanath pulls up hospital authorities after acid attack victim complains of negligence ALSO WATCH-UP: Gangrape survivor attacked for the fifth time

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No One Will

Ever Smash

Stuff Quite

Like He Did
Researchers call it one of the "last frontiers of human colonization": very high elevations where the oxygen is sparse and the temperatures are icy. Now research out of the Andean highlands of South America suggests the humans who braved such conditions more than 7,000 years ago did so in an impressive manneryear-round. As a press release explains, prior research established the presence of hunter-gatherers in the higher elevations of southern Peru as many as 9,000 years ago, but there was much debate over whether their occupation was seasonal or permanent. A team led by University of Wyoming researchers set out to answer the question by excavating a Peruvian site 12,500 feet above sea level. That's more than twice as high as Denver, notes USA Today, and so high that lead researcher Randy Haas says he's seen people faint after deplaning at the regional airport there.

The team uncovered the remains of 16 people along with some 80,000 artifacts and then looked at these factors: oxygen and carbon isotopes in the human bones, the demographics of those bones, the travel distance to low-elevation zones, and the makeup of the uncovered tools. The results constitute the "strongest empirical support to date for permanent occupation" there, per the study, published in the Royal Society Open Science: the bones revealed low oxygen and high carbon isotope values, "revealing the distinct signature" of permanent occupation; the travel time to a low-elevation zone was too long to be undertaken seasonally; that women and children were part of the group made a low-elevation migration even unlikelier; and their tools were almost exclusively made with stones found at high-elevations. (Read more discoveries stories.)
As the Fourth of July holiday gets underway, the state of New Jersey closed its doorsalong with its tourist attractions including Liberty State Park, state-run beaches, historic sites, rec areas, and all 40 state parks, as a budget throwdown gave way to a government shutdown. Writing at the Star Ledger, Tom Moran calls the state deadlock that spoiled the holiday plans of many nothing more than "testosterone poisoning," since either side could compromise but instead both are holding out for a "clean victory." "It is all about who has the biggest muscles, or who has the biggest you-know-what," says the lone female state senator in senior leadership. It's the first state shutdown since 2006, and the first for Gov. Chris Christie, reports the AP, who CNN notes issued a state of emergency that allows state police, prisons, hospitals, welfare services, and the lottery to keep running.

"We knew this was probably coming, but it's still a shame we have to head out," says a Cub Scout leader whose group of 45 found itself evicted from a planned weekend of camping at a state park. Among those whose plans weren't spoiled by the shutdown: Christie's family, who is planning to head to Island Beach State Park, where the state owns a home that's available to the governor. Not fair? Christie's heart bleeds for you. "The governor has a residence at Island Beach. Others don't. That's the way it goes. Run for governor and you can have the residence." At the heart of the stalemate is a restructuring of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, the state's largest health insurer. Lawmakers are due to meet again Sunday at 2pm to try to hammer out an agreement. (Read more New Jersey stories.)
Two hours before he stormed through the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital, killing a female doctor and wounding six other people, Henry Bello sent an email to the New York Daily News outlining his disgruntlement that "this hospital terminated my road to a licensure to practice medicine. First, I was told it was because I always kept to myself. Then it was because of an altercation with a nurse." Bello names two doctors by name, saying he emailed one "congratulating her for my termination after she sent out an email to everybody telling them to file complaints against me so I can be terminated for being rude to her." He told her "it remains to be seen if my life is meaningless or disposable." Bello's email to the Daily News never explicitly threatened violence, notes Reuters. Bello asked for a doctor by name, notes the AP; when that person wasn't there, he opened fire anyway. (Read more Henry Bello stories.)
An Idaho man who's been on the lam for three weeks after authorities found the dead bodies of three women on his property may have been spotted five hours south near Salt Lake City. Authorities say they have a felony arrest warrant out for Gerald "Mike" Bullinger, a 60-year-old outfitter from Canyon County, Idaho, for failure to report the deaths of the three women, CNN reports. Canyon County Sheriff's Office spokesman Joe Decker says the three badly decomposed bodies were found in a shed on Bullinger's property during a welfare check on June 19. All three appear to have died from a single gunshot wound. On Friday, the Canyon County Coroner's Office identified one of the three women as Bullinger's wife, Cheryl Baker, 56.

Bullinger was last seen in Ogden, Utah, on June 11, but on Saturday the Idaho State police said they'd received a tip from a caller claiming they had seen Bullinger driving southbound on Interstate 15 near Salt Lake City, KTVB reports. Though the identities of the other two women have not been confirmed, the Idaho Statesman reports that Nadja Medley, 47, and her 14-year-old daughter, Payton, had recently moved to Bullinger's property. Friends say Bullinger and Medley had been dating for 18 months to two years. Authorities are now calling Bullinger a "person of interest" in the three homicides. (Read more Idaho stories.)
The chief executive of Russia's Kaspersky Lab says he'll turn over his source code to US government officials to dispel lingering suspicions about his company's ties to the Kremlin. Eugene Kaspersky tells the AP that he's ready to move part of his research work to the US. "Anything I can do to prove that we don't behave maliciously I will do it," he said, adding that he was ready to testify before US lawmakers as well. Kaspersky, an engineer who attended a KGB-sponsored school and once worked for Russia's Ministry of Defense, has long been eyed suspiciously, particularly as his anti-virus products became popular in the US. Some speculate that Kaspersky, an engaging speaker and a fixture of the conference circuit, kept his Soviet-era intelligence connections. Others say it's unlikely that he could operate independently in Russia, where the economy is dominated by state-owned companies and spy agencies have expanded dramatically under Vladimir Putin.

Senior US intel officials have advised Congress to steer clear of Kaspersky's products and Congress is weighing a proposal to ban it from the Pentagon. On Wednesday, NBC news reported that at least a dozen US Kaspersky employees were visited by FBI agents. Kaspersky confirmed that, although he didn't know what the FBI's focus was. Kaspersky said some unnamed governments had tried to nudge him toward hackingwhat he calls "the dark side"and that he has ex-Russian intel workers on his staff, mainly "in our sales department for their relationship with the government sector." But his internal network was too segregated for a single rogue employee to abuse it, he said, and he insisted his company would never knowingly cooperate with any country's offensive cyber operations. "We stay on the bright side," he said, "And never, never go to the dark side." (Read more Eugene Kaspersky stories.)
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert left prison early Sunday days after a parole board granted him early release from his 27-month corruption sentence. Prison Service spokesman Assaf Librati said Olmert, 71, was whisked away by security and driven home after serving 16 months. Olmert appeared gaunt and pale as he left the facility. Librati said the terms of Olmert's early release stipulate that for the next few months he must do volunteer work, appear before police twice a month, and not give interviews to the media or leave the country. Olmert will reportedly volunteer at a food bank and for a group that provides medical aid to needy families. However, President Reuven Rivlin could relieve him of the parole restrictions, reports the AP. "We are very happy, a great burden has been lifted and a great sorrow and pain has ended," Eti Livni, a friend of Olmert, told Army Radio.

Olmert was convicted in 2014 in a wide-ranging case that accused him of accepting bribes to promote a real-estate project in Jerusalem and obstructing justice. The charges pertained to a period before he became premier in 2006. His departure from office in 2009 ended the last major Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and ushered in the era of Benjamin Netanyahu. He played a leading role in Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and became prime minister in January 2006 after then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke. A few hours after his release, a somber-looking Olmert was seen walking around a shopping mall in Tel Aviv. A public relations company representing the mall released photos of the former premier in a clothing store. It said people had greeted him and wished him well. (Read more Ehud Olmert stories.)
A deadly year for California's Kern River got even deadlier over the weekend when authorities pulled two more bodies from the water. The Los Angeles Times reports that eight people have died along the river nicknamed the "Killer Kern" since March, though one of those fatalities was a heart attack. At least two others remain missing. One of those pulled from the river Saturday has been identified as Michael Ramirez, a 27-year-old Orange County rapper who disappeared while swimming on June 22. Also Saturday, a 22-year-old Los Angeles man drowned after being warned about the dangers. Bureau of Land Management and Forest Service officials say they warned him and his cousins about jumping from rocks into the river that morning, Bakersfield.com reports.

The warning apparently went unheeded, however, and he was dragged into the main current and underneath the surface. His body was found by a nearby campground. Authorities say the rise in drownings on the 165-mile river is likely due to visitors being unused to such high waters and fast currents, the Times reports. Last winter was one of the wettest on record and followed five years of drought. Snow melting on the Sierra Nevada has caused the Kern to swell with cold, fast-moving water. In 2011, the last big-water year in California, three people drowned in the Kern on the Fourth of July, and authorities are warning people to keep away this year. (Read more Kern river stories.)
A lawyer-activist has filed a complaint against BJP president Amit Shah and Goa CM Manohar Parrikar terming the meet as "gross abuse of power".

By Anindya Banerjee: A day after BJP president Amit Shah addressed a public meeting at the Goa airport complex, a lawyer-activist has filed a complaint against party chief and Manohar Parrikar terming the meet as "gross abuse of power".

BJP national president Amit Shah was addressing the 'illegal' meeting wherein Chief Minister Manohar Parikkar was also present.

Not only is congregation of people barred outside airports but it is also against rules laid down by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. However, the public meeting was organised at the Goa International Airport.

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Chairs were arranged, speakers were put in place and the dais was ready before Amit Shah's arrival, around 11 am. All arrangements were made even as Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is entrusted with security of all Indian Airports, allegedly behaved indifferently.

Union minister Sripad Naik, local party chief Vinay Tendulkar and minister Mauvin Godinho were present in the public meeting. At least a few hundred people assembled in thE limited periphery right outside the Dabolim airport.

ACTIVISTS DEMANDS AN FIR BE FILED

This prompted lawyer and activist Aires Rodrigues to formally put forward a complaint with the Secretary of Civil Aviation, Chief Secretary of Goa as well as the DGP of the state.

In a very strongly worded letter that India Today is in exclusive possession of, Rodrigues wrote, "It constitutes act of unlawful assembly as defined in section 141 (IPC) by which not only mischief has been caused but also other people who were arriving at or departing from the airport, were restrained by the blockage due to the public meeting".

Rodrigues not only demanded that an FIR be registered against the organisers but also all dignitaries including Amit Shah. He also demanded action against the public servants responsible for the security of the area for dereliction of duty.

Though no official statement has come so far from the Bharatiya Janata Party, the state Congress was quick to hit out calling it 'abuse of power'.

ALSO READ | Opposition should stop bayanbaazi and start working, BJP will get a huge mandate in 2019: Amit Shah to India Today

BJP magazine Kamal Sandesh hails Amit Shah for political activism

ALSO WATCH | Activist files complaint against Amit Shah, Manohar Parrikar for holding meeting at Goa airport

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A rapper whose concert in Little Rock was the site of a shooting that left 28 people injured was arrested early Sunday on unrelated assault charges. Ricky Hampton, 25, also known as Finese 2Tymes, was arrested on outstanding charges of aggravated assault with a gun at the Side Effects Club in Birmingham, where Hampton was performing, the US Marshals Service says. Police say they believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute in the crowd and may be gang-related. The rapper took the stage in Birmingham just a day after gunfire broke out as he was performing at the Power Ultra Lounge. The AP reports that a booking rep for Finese 2Tymes says the rapper didn't consider canceling the Birmingham show despite the shooting because he wasn't responsible for what happened.

The volley of gunfire inside the Power Ultra Lounge came so fast that investigators believe multiple people were involved. A Facebook video posted from inside the club included audio of at least 24 rounds fired in about 11 seconds. Police Chief Kenton Buckner credited quick work by first responders for there being no fatalities. Mayor Mark Stodola says the city must "keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people" and suggested that people refuse to patronize clubs that seem to promote violence. Material advertising the concert by the Tennessee rapper showed a man pointing a gun at a camera. Buckner says police have not yet spoken with the rapper, who he says has outstanding warrants in the state. (Read more gun violence stories.)
Days after a drone forced firefighting aircraft out of the sky over a raging wildfire in Arizona, the drone's pilot is facing charges, the AP reports. The Yavapai County Sheriff's Office arrested Gene Alan Carpenter Friday on 14 counts of felony endangerment and one misdemeanor count of unlawful operation of an unmanned aircraft. In a press release, the office said the 54-year-old Prescott Valley native endangered 14 aircraft and fire crews "with a substantial risk of imminent death or physical injury by flying an unmanned drone aircraft in closed airspace above an active fire area." The Goodwin fire has burned more than 25,000 acres of the Prescott National Forest since last Saturday. More than 1,200 firefighters have been involved in quelling the blaze.

The drone was spotted flying near the fire Wednesday around 7pm by an air attack pilot, reports the Arizona Republic. When the drone began circling the plane, officials grounded all the aircraft in the area, including five helicopters, three large air tankers, and five heavy air tankers. Because they lacked air cover, ground crews fire were called back as well. Numerous witnesses say they saw Carpenter operating a drone in the area throughout the week, and officials arrested him Friday after finding drone views of the fire on his website. Carpenter's bond was set at $25,000. Arizona passed a law last year making it illegal for drones to impede emergency or law-enforcement activities. (In Washington state, a man received a jail sentence after his drone crashed.)
A suspect has been arrested for the murder of a teenager who was shot in the head during a horrifying road rage incident Wednesday. ABC 6 reports that 28-year-old David Desper of Pennsylvania surrendered around 2am Sunday and has been charged with first- and third-degree murder, among other crimes. Desper is believed to be the driver of a red truck that highway cameras recorded driving alongside 18-year-old Bianca Roberson. "As Bianca was merging from two lanes to one, there was a man in a red pickup truck also merging down, District Attorney Tom Hogan said during a press conference. They jockeyed for position and he wasn't happy,"

The driver was recorded pulling out a gun and shooting Roberson in the head in what Hogan calls "a savage and senseless murder. Roberson was killed immediately while her vehicle veered off the road and struck a tree. According to the New York Daily News, Despers dented red truck has been recovered, while a 40-caliber handgun believed to be the murder weapon was found in Desper's bedroom. Authorities declined to comment on Despers previous criminal record during a press conference, but do not believe the incident to be a race crime or a hate crime. Roberson recently graduated from high school and was planning to attend Jacksonville University in Florida in the fall, where her brother says she was headed for greatness. (Read more road rage stories.)
In the shadow of giant war machines, a tiny, rare butterfly is flourishing. Oddly, experts say, the US military gets the credit. The frosted elfin, which flutters along on a 1-inch wingspan, has found a home at several defense installations because of the way the military manages open spaces, says Robyn Niver, an endangered species biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service. "Military training requires vast, open areas, so these bases are some of our last great wild places," Niver says. The little brown butterfly has been confirmed at bases in Massachusetts, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and New Hampshire. The common thread among the bases is the way they manage vegetation through controlled burns, which create the perfect conditions for wild blue lupine and indigo to grow, the frosted elfin caterpillar's two host plants.

Frosted elfinswhich have a range from New England to Florida, and as far west as Texasare not on the federal list of endangered species, but they are headed there, Niver says. Several states already list them as protected, and they have disappeared completely from others, reports the AP. The hope is that what's learned about the populations of frosted elfinsand a whole host of other rare insects, birds, bats, and turtles that thrive on military basescan be applied outside the base gates. "Our next step now is finding out how we can work with other partners besides the military to try to boost numbers of rare species on other lands as well," Niver says. (Read more butterflies stories.)
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Anti-profiteering provision of the GST law makes a trader legally bound to pass on the benefits of input tax credit to the buyers. This clause is expected to change the way business is done in the country.

By Prabhash K Dutta: The popular perception about traders is that they cheat customers, overprice commodities whose rates are not fixed and make money by evading tax. However, the reality could be very different as organised traders and businessmen are the ones who pay maximum tax to the government.

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) may change the very perception about traders in the country. One particular provision, which many traders are apprehensive about, may finally do a makeover of the entire community across the sectors.

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The GST law has a provision for anti-profiteering. This does not mean that traders are not to earn profit, which is the only incentive of doing business and in absence of which trading will become a social service. The clause is there to ensure GST benefits are passed on to the consumers.

Still traders are concerned and Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley last week had to say: "There is already an inbuilt mechanism of anti-profiteering. I hope we do not have to use it. It should act as a deterrent."

WHAT IS ANTI-PROFITEERING?

The fundamental difference between the old taxation system and the GST is that the latter provides for input tax credit. This means that no tax will be paid on already paid taxes. This also means that the burden of taxation will reduce both on the traders including manufacturers and the customers. This provision is the basis of government's claim that prices of most of the commodities will fall under GST regime.

But, with this there was an apprehension in the GST Council that some of the traders may not pass the benefit - drawn from input tax credit - to the consumers. To balance this out, the provision of anti-profiteering was introduced.

Clause 171 of the GST Act says that it is mandatory to pass on the benefit due to reduction in rate of tax or from input tax credit to the consumer by way of commensurate reduction in prices. The related rules were made public on June 19 which say that if a trader does not pass on the benefit - fully or partially - to the consumers, the registration of his business entity will be cancelled.

WHO WILL TAKE ACTION?

To ensure that this provision does not bring back the inspector raj, where traders were harassed and which encouraged large scale corruption, the GST law provides for a three tiered mechanism.

The GST law provides for a five-member National Anti-Profiteering Authority (NAPA), which will be headed by a secretary level office of the Centre. The NAPA is authorised to examine each complaint separately and pass necessary order. The ruling could be reduction in prices commensurate with the lowering of tax incidence under GST.

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The NAPA can also order return of the undue profit earned by not passing the benefits of input tax credit claimed to the consumers charging 18 per cent interest on the sum for the intervening period. The NAPA can also impose penalty and order cancellation of registration of the business entity.

But, the NAPA may not look into every single complaint. There are two screening bodies at the state and national levels. Both screening bodies will have five members each. If a complaint comes before the state level screening body, it will examine it thoroughly. If the state screening panel finds merit in the complaint, it will forward it to the national level body.

The national level screening body will again consider the complaint and examine the facts presented before it. If it is satisfied then the matter will be forwarded to the NAPA. Now, the NAPA will take a final decision.

The risk of cancellation of registration of business entity is expected to make traders tax compliant both to take benefit of input tax credit and pass on the benefit to the consumers. This basic provision is likely to change the way business is done in the country and also enhance the perception about traders, who are the backbone of Indian economy.

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ALSO READ |

Goods and Services Tax: How world went about GST and what lies ahead for India

New dawn at midnight: GST transforms India into a single market

ALSO WATCH | Tryst with tax: How GST will impact your daily shopping budget

--- ENDS ---
New Delhi:

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) on Sunday launched the cashless token sale/smart card recharge facility by using the Bharat Quick Response (QR) Code displayed at the Token Counters and Customer Care Centres of Metro stations. This facility was launched by DMRCs Managing Director Dr Mangu Singh at Rajiv Chowk Metro station in the presence of senior officials.

With this facility, the commuters will now be able to use the Bharat QR Code, which is being provided by HDFC Bank, displayed at the Token Counters/Customer Care Centres through their respective Bank's App installed in their smartphones. All bank wallet and savings account holders can make payments using Bharat QR by logging into their Bank App and scanning the QR code available at stations.

Currently, this facility is made available at five Metro stations namely, Rajiv Chowk, Rajendra Place, Seelampur, Pitampura and Nehru Place only. Subsequently, the facility will be introduced in a phased manner at all Metro stations of the Delhi Metro network.

The procedure for using the Bharat QR Code by the Delhi Metro commuters is as follows:

1. Login to your Bank App and select to pay using the QR code option.

2. You will then need to scan the QR code displayed at token counter/customer care at the station to get the merchant details (DMRC is merchant in this case)

3. Enter the amount (for the desired token value/smart card recharge value) and confirm.

4. The transaction will be authenticated using the PIN/OTP details etc. Both the merchant as well as the customers will receive instant notification after the successful transaction.

5. If you are using Bharat QR for the first time, you will need to grant the App to access the camera on your phone.
Chennai:

In order to protest against the imposition of 30 per cent local body tax apart from additional tariffs under the new GST regime, around 1,000 cinema houses in Tamil Nadu have cancelled screenings.



"Though the Tamil Nadu Film Exhibitors Association had decided on Friday to cancel shows from July 3, many theatres shut down yesterday itself," president of the association, Abirami Ramanathan said, adding about 1,000 cinema hall state-wide are shut now.



Speaking to reporters in Chennai, Ramanathan, who is also chief of the Tamil Film Chamber of Commerce, said theatres were shut due to 'our inability to pay (taxes) and our move is not against the government.'

"The local body tax of 30 per cent is in addition to the GST tax rate of 28 per cent (for tickets over Rs 100) and 18 per cent (for tickets priced less than Rs 100)," he told PTI.



To a question, he said an additional levy of about eight per cent under GST over 30 per cent local body tax had pushed the total taxes to over 60 per cent.



He urged the government to immediately scrap the local body tax of 30 per cent, saying such a move would automatically take away the additional levy of eight per cent under GST.



"If we screen movies, we have to pay local body taxes immediately as it came into force from yesterday. We are closing since there is no other way out," he said.



Ramanathan claimed that only in India do cinema theatres have no right to fix ticket prices.

"We cannot increase prices for big ticket movies," he said, adding they could not lower it for small budget movies either.



"We have requested the government to fix a threshold within which we should be allowed to either increase or cut down ticket prices as per the need," he said.



He added about 10 lakh persons were dependent on the film industry to eke out a living.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
New Delhi:

Indian Army, Police and CRPF in a joint "cordon and search" operation on Sunday have trapped terrorists in Malangpora area of Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir. TheA operation was still underway and the forces were trying to nab the terrorists.

J&K: Army, police and CRPF begins cordon and search operation in Pulwama's Malangpora, terrorists suspected to be trapped in the area. pic.twitter.com/3Sc0YMvMvq a ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

More details are awaited.

The incidents of infiltration and militant attacks in Kashmir are on the rise since past one and half year and the Army is aggressively hunting them out to make the atmosphere of Valley peaceful.

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Mumbai:

All the six accused in the death of Byculla prison inmate Manju Shette were arrested by the crime branch of the Mumbai Police on Sunday.

Those arrested have been identified as Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikde, a senior crime branch official told PTI.

Police had registered a case of murder against the jail officials and staff in connection with the death of the inmate, he said.

Shette (45) died at the government-run J J Hospital on June 23 after being allegedly beaten up by the jail officials and staff as she had failed to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread, which were distributed by her to the inmates, the official said.

Read more: Indrani Mukerjea lodges police complaint against Byculla jail official

Naikde was arrested in the afternoon, while the other accused were arrested later, said the official.

All the six accused were already suspended by the jail department.

After Shette's death, around 200 prisoners began a protest on June 24 for their demands, including allowing the media inside the jail premises.

During the protest some of the inmates went to the prison's roof, while others made a bonfire with newspapers and other documents inside the premises to express their anger.

Read more: Pakistan hands over list of 546 prisoners to India

Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was among the 200 inmates of the Byculla jail who were booked by police for rioting and other offences after they staged a protest over Shette's death.

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Karnataka:

Traffic on Bengaluru-Mysuru highway was affected on Sunday for a brief period as farmers blocked it to protest against the release of Cauvery water from Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) Dam to Tamil Nadu.

Traffic was affected for a brief period after farmers blocked Bengaluru-Mysuru highway. They were protesting against the release of Cauvery water from KRS Dam to Tamil Nadu, Mandya Additional Superintendent of Police B N Lavanya told news agency PTI.

The farmers staged protests at Gajalagere and Ilavala villages on the highway and accused the Karnataka government for releasing water, instead of taking steps to increase the storage level at KRS Dam, she said.

Cauvery Neeravari Nigam Limited Executive Engineer K Basavaraje Gowda said as much as 2,000 cusecs of water has been released from KRS dam today.

On June 29 night, 3,000 cusecs of water was released, he said.

On June 30, farmers and pro-Karnataka outfits staged protests by getting down into the bathing ghat in Srirangapatna, accusing the government to release Cauvery water.

Farmers leader G Madegowda had on the same threatened government officials of dire consequences if they did not stop the supply of water.

We want the government officials to stop the excess supply of water, especially when we dont have enough water for our farmers. If they dont they will have to face dire consequences, he had said.

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Ghaziabad:

A senior Jet Airways official has been arrested from Nehad been on land grabbing charges, police informed on Sunday .

Avneet Singh Bedi, posted in Mumbai as Jet Airways' chief security officer, was arrested last night from his Panchsheel Park residence in south Delhi based on a complaint by theJoint Municipal Commissioner, Ghaziabad, Arun Kumar Gupta.

The complaint alleged that Bedi, a retired Army colonel, grabbed 945 square metres of government land in Chikamberpur village on the Delhi-UP border. A part of the land, measuring 532 square metres, was rented out to a transport company and he used the rest of itas an approach road to enter the transport godown, Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar said.

Jet Airways Vice President(Security) Col. Avneet Singh Bedi arrested by Sahibabad Police on charges of grabbing municipal corporation land pic.twitter.com/gZb5SaW8hT  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) July 2, 2017

On the directives of Chief Minster Yogi Adityanath, the administration has launched a drive to check land grabbing and is taking action against criminals, the officer said. A spokesperson of the airline said it "does not comment on personal matters of its executives/employees".

Also Read: Jet Airways passengers suspected hijack tweet creates panic at Jaipur airport

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New Delhi:

Pakistan once again rejected India's demand for consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav on Sunday. Further, while rejecting the demand, Pak said it would be a "travesty of logic" to link his case with Indian civilian prisoners languishing in Pakistani jails.

India had on Saturday sought consular access to the 46-year-old Jadhav, a retired Indian Navy officer sentenced to death in April by Pakistan's Field General Court Martial for "involvement in espionage and sabotage activities."

Pakistan's Foreign Office said in a statement on Sunday that "the Indian attempt to equate Commander Jadhav's case with civilian prisoners and fishermen is a travesty of logic.

"It claimed Jadhav was a serving Indian Navy officer "and was sent to Pakistan by its intelligence agency RAW for espionage, terrorism and subversive activities which resultedin loss of many innocent lives and damage to property."

ALSO READ: India again asks Pak to provide consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav

Pakistan has dismissed India's consular access request to Jadhav more than 15 times. And India has accused Pakistan of repeatedly violating the Vienna Convention by doing so.

India moved the International Court of Justice againstJadhav's death penalty and the ICJ on May 18 restrainedPakistan from executing the death sentence. Pakistan claims its security forces arrested Jadhav from its restive Balochistan province on March 3 last 2016 after he reportedly entered from Iran.

However, India maintains that hewas kidnapped from Iran where he was dealing with his business interests after retiring from the Indian Navy. The denial for consular access came a day after India and Pakistan exchanged a list of prisoners lodged in each other's jails.

READ: Jadhav case: India slams Pakistan over 'confessional video'

According to the list Pakistan shared with India, at least 546 Indian nationals are lodged in its jails. The lists were exchanged as per the provisions of thebilateral agreement on consular access signed on May 21, 2008.

As per the pact, such lists have to be exchanged twice a year, on January 1 and July 1. The Foreign Office also said that Pakistan is committed to implement the 2008 agreement and ensure that humanitarian cases are not held hostage to politics.

"We expect India toreciprocate through action rather than rhetoric." It said five Indian nationals, who had completed theirsentences, were repatriated on June 22.

"In contrast, 20 Pakistani civilian prisoners who have completed their sentence still await repatriation, while consular access to 107 Pakistani fishermen and 85 civilian Pakistani prisoners is also pending," it said. "Indian humanitarian claims appear contrary to reality in view of the impossible conditions imposed for medical visas for Pakistani patients," it claimed.

With PTI inputs

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New Delhi:

Advancing Monsoon has wreaked havoc across North India. While heavy rains created chaos in Delhi NCR region, Punjab, Himachal and Aryana, flood like situations prevailed in parts of Assam, Gujarat and Rajasthan, especially in Jodhpur.



Rajasthan

In Jodhpur, the heavy downpour caused flood-like situation, with vehicles being swept away with strong current on roads. A man who was travelling on his two-wheeler was also swept away and is search operations to locate him were still on.



In other parts of the state, Neem Ka Thana in Sikar and Malsisar in Jhunjhunu recorded 7 cm and 5 cm rains respectively till Saturday morning since Friday. Behror in Alwar and Mount Abu in Sirohi registered 4 cm rainfall during his period while Dabok in Udaipur and Ajmer received 4 mm and 0.5 mm rains since this morning, the MeT department said. In the 24 hours, heavy rainfall occurred at isolated areas in Bikaner, Jodhpur and Jaipur division while light to moderate rains occurred many parts of the state.

#WATCH Two wheelers washed away after flooding due to heavy rain in Rajasthan's Jodhpur (1.7.17) pic.twitter.com/QzBeejyC3Y  ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

Gujarat



Sharp showers pounded Tankara taluka of Gurjarats Morbi district in a short span of time. The rainwater breached several check dams, leading to heavy water-logging. Tankara gauged a massive 280 mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours. Teams of the disaster management department with the help of National Disaster Response Force personnel rescued around 14 people stranded in floodwaters in the district.



Suigam taluka in Banaskantha, Kodinar taluka in Gir Somnath and Kalyanpur in Devbhoomi Dwarka received 110 mm of rainfall overnight, which led to traffic snarls. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani said the states disaster management authority has been put on alert to tackle any emergency situation. The low-lying areas in Ahmedabad are waterlogged. The city recorded 31 mm of rainfall. The IMD has warned of heavy to very heavy rains in Gujarat in the next three days.

Heavy incessant rain leads to flood like situation in Gujarat's Patan pic.twitter.com/P2OY1EMoG0  ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

Assam

In Assam, floods have affected more than 2.68 lakh people in Barpeta, Lakhimpur, Jorhat, Karimganj, Cachar, Dhemaji, Karbi Anglong and Biswanath districts. The Assam State Disaster Management Authoritys report said 453 villages have been inundated and over 5,272 hectares of crop area damaged by the swirling flood waters. Karimganj is the worst hit with 1.53 lakh sufferers. 76,000 people have been affected in Lakhimpur. 5,670 people have taken shelter in 269 relief camps set up in four districts.

Read | Heavy rains create chaos across India | See pics

Jammu and Kashmir



A 17-year-old youth was killed after a cloudburst struck a village in south Kashmirs Kulgam district on Friday night. Meanwhile, the 300-km-long Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only all-weather road connecting the Valley to the rest of India, was reopened on Saturday for vehicular traffic after a day-long closure due to rainfall-induced landslides in Ramban and Udhampur districts of Jammu and Kashmir. The MeT office has predicted moderate to heavy rains and thundershowers in the mid and lower hills, and snow and rains in the higher reaches up to July 7.



Himachal Pradesh



The southwest monsoon on Saturday arrived in Kinnaur, Lahaul and Spiti, Kullu and Mandi and parts of Sirmaur, Shimla, Kangra and Chamba districts as the MeT said it will advance in remaining parts of Himachal Pradesh in the next few days. The state received 21 per cent excess rain and all districts except Bilaspur, Chamba, Mandi and Hamirpur had above average rains except.



Una, Kullu and Sirmaur districts recorded 88 per cent, 82 per cent and 71 per cent rainfall above normal. The three districts received 142.5 mm, 156.5 mm and 262.8 mm of rains, respectively. Kangra recorded 46 per cent excess rain followed by Shimla at 35 per cent and Solan 34 at per cent while Hamirpur and Bilaspur had 9 per cent less rainfall.

Himachal Pradesh: Visuals of heavy rain in Shimla (1.7.17) pic.twitter.com/NHIYbkVJpk  ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

The state received widespread rains triggering landslides at some places and the Manali-Leh road was blocked near Koksar as level of water in rivulets rose alarmingly, flooding the road. Border Road Organisation is diverting the water from the road to restore traffic movement.



The MeT office has predicted moderate to heavy rains and thundershowers in mid and lower hills and snow and rain in high hills upto July 7. Gaggal with 39 mm of rains was the wettest in the region in the past 24 hours.



Other states



The southwest monsoon advanced into the remaining parts of Bihar. Heavy and very heavy showers drenched northern Bihar, while the southern part of the state received light to moderate rainfall in the last 24 hours. Patna gauged 0.7 mm of precipitation, Gaya 0.6 mm and Purnea and 7.7 mm. Humidity levels soared up to 100 per cent in Patna, Gaya, Bhagalpur and Purnea.



A fresh spell of rains and a cloud cover thereafter kept the heat at bay in the national capital.



Several parts of the city gauged rainfall between 9.8 mm and 15.9 mm. It had a high of 35.1 degrees Celsius and a low of 25.4 degrees Celsius. Light rains and thundershowers are likely tomorrow.



It was another wet day for Punjab and Haryana. Rains over the last two-three days have arrested the rise of the mercury in the region.

Manipur: Waterlogging due to incessant rain in Imphal pic.twitter.com/wz4AucRpvB  ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

The maximum temperature in the two states remained below the normal levels and was recorded in the mid 30s at most of the places.



The weatherman has predicted very heavy rains in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.A downpour is very likely in Arunachal Pradesh, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, west Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Goa, Chhattisgarh and coastal Karnataka.

Read | Delhi: Four-storey building collapses in Laxmi Nagar, residents escape unhurt

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New Delhi:

Defying summons of Enforcement Directorate (ED), a Delhi court has issued a non-bailable warrant against Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah in an over a decade-old case of money laundering registered against him for alleged terror financing.

Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma issued the arrest warrant after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the court that Shah was repeatedly evading the summons asking him to depose before it and join the investigation.

According to Special Public Prosecutor N K Matta, the matter relates to August 2005 wherein the Delhi Polices Special Cell had arrested 35-year old Mohammed Aslam Wani, an alleged hawala dealer, who had claimed that he had passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah.

Delhi court issues non bailable arrest warrant against separatist Shabir Shah.ED had approached court after Shah refused to join probe. pic.twitter.com/zQO5OnhbGi  ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

The ED had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah and Wani.

Wani was arrested allegedly with Rs 63 lakh, received through hawala channels from the Middle East, and a large cache of ammunition on August 26, 2005.

Also Read | Crackdown on Kashmir separatists: NIA registers FIR against Geelani, Saeed; ED issues summons to Shabir Shah

During questioning, he had told the police that Rs 50 lakh was to be delivered to Shah and Rs 10 lakh to Jaish-e-Mohammad area commander in Srinagar, Abu Baqar, and the rest was his commission.

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday heaped praise on President Pranab Mukherjee, saying he is fortunate that he got the opportunity to work with the president.

Speaking at the book launch of President A Statesman at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Prime Minister said that he also got the privilege to set himself in the national capital under the guidance of the President.

While showering praise on Mukherjee, he said, The Presidency is much more than protocol. Through the photographs in the book, we see the human side of our President & we feel proud. "I am saying this from deep within. Like a father caring for his son...," he said turning emotional. "Modi ji, you will have to rest for half day, Pranab da would say. 'Why are you running around so much; you must cut down on your programmes. You will have to take care of your health,' the Prime Minister said.

"It was during the UP polls that he told me that win and loss happen all the time but will you take care of your body or not? It was not part of his responsibilities as the president but it was the humane person inside him which cared for a friend," the prime minister said. Mukherjee is an inspirational figure, he said as he recalled his association with people from different walks of life who made an impact on him.

The Presidency is much more than protocol. Through the photographs in the book, we see the human side of our President & we feel proud: PM pic.twitter.com/MUIiKaY7ns  ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

He further added, It is my view that we can be more history-conscious as a society. We can preserve aspects of our history much better.

It is my privilege that I got to work with the Honourable President (Pranab Mukherjee): PM Narendra Modi at Rashtrapati Bhavan pic.twitter.com/qWEyzAQhjg  ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

Also Read | PM Modi at ICAI event: 'Like lawyers during freedom struggle, I urge CAs to take lead in India's economic growth

President Mukherjee, too, expressed his "deep gratitude and appreciation" for Modi. (With PTI Inputs)

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The GST reform was rolled out June 30 midnight and since then people on Twitter have been sharing bills that shows GST levied on the products and are outraging saying the prices have gone up. What is the truth about post GST taxation? We explore.

By Vivek Surendran: When the clock struck midnight on June 30th, President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi rolled out the biggest tax reform India has seen till date with the push of what seemed like a buzzer, ditching sounding a gong during the special midnight joint sitting of the Parliament. Majority of Indian population, unaware of how GST will affect the economy of the country, cheered for the move while many on social media outraged in their comfortable echo chambers.

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Minutes after GST was rolled out, owner of Big Bazaar Kishore Biyani shared what he claimed was the "first GST invoice" from his store, a bill that has GST levied on the products purchased by a consumer.

That soon became a trend. Many social media users, from across India, started sharing bills with GST levied on the products they bought and along with it came the outrage. When some of them said "Prices have gone up," many were surprised to see how stores were ready for GST.

Author Shobhaa De joined the bandwagon and tweeted a bill she lifted from another Twitter user saying "idlis have become unaffordable". The bill she posted, however, showed that the customer had 'ghee pongal' and coffee, and not idlis.

As it happens on Twitter, people came ahead to clear the air -- that prices have not gone up -- and debunked Shobhaa De's claim with example.

On the bill Shobhaa De tweeted, the amount came to Rs 88.50 after GST was levied. Before GST roll out, the customer would have paid Rs 90.37 since service tax and VAT would have been levied.

WHY THE OUTRAGE IS MISPLACED

Before the GST rollout, millions of traders had the option to evade tax, but under GST this cannot be done. As consumers, we paid tax before the GST, we will pay tax after it. When tax on certain products and services has gone up, tax on many other goods and services has gone down.

Dr Hasmukh Adhia, Revenue Secretary of the Finance Ministry, busted seven myths in the minds of traders surrounding GST, in a series of tweets. Here are those:

Myth 1: I need to generate all invoices on computer/internet only.

Reality 1: Invoices can be generated manually.

Myth 2: I need internet all the time to do business under GST.

Reality 2: Internet would be needed only while filing monthly return of GST.

Myth 3: I have provisional ID but waiting for final ID to do business.

Reality 3: Provisional ID will be your final GSTIN number. Start business.

Myth 4: My item of trade was earlier exempt so I will immediately need new registration before starting business now.

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Reality 4: You can continue doing business and register within next 30 minutes.

Myth 5: Three GST returns have to be filed every month.

Reality 5: There is only one return with three parts, out of which first part is filled by the dealer, and two other parts auto-populated by computer.

Myth 6: Even small dealers will have to file invoice wise details in the return.

Reality 6: Those in retails business (B2C) need to file only summary of total sales.

Myth 7: New GST rates are higher compared to earlier VAT.

Reality 7: It appears higher because excise duty and other taxed which were invisible earlier are now subsumed in GST and hence visible.

Seven myths of GST and Reality in one picture. pic.twitter.com/7haf5mYq6e

- Dr Hasmukh Adhia (@adhia03) July 2, 2017

FYI || GST FAQ: Answers to all your questions about India's biggest tax reform ||

FYI || 17-year-long wait ends; know from where the GST dream started ||

FYI || New GST rates: Top 10 daily products that witnessed a decrease of 10 per cent ||

--- ENDS ---

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New Delhi:

As his tenure as Chief Election Commissioner reaches an end, Nasim Zaidi said that he would have been more satisfied if the government reviewed the amendments made in the Finance Bill 2017 that made corporate funding of political parties totally opaque.

The CEC reflected concerns over the changes made in the Companies Act that scrapped a barrier that earlier restricted a corporate entity from donating more than 7. 5 percent of its average net profit. It also raised questions regarding to cancellation an existing rule that requires corporate entities to disclose, in the profit and loss account, the name of the political party to which the funding is made.

Every commission would have liked many more reforms to come. Some minor changes in rules have taken place, but the bulk of reforms remains. I would have been more satisfied to see these reforms take place, like the transparency in political funding. It is the biggest concern for the people, said Zaidi, who retires on July 5.

Read more: Achal Kumar Jyoti is India's new Chief Election Commissioner

"Our problem is that If parties resort to major funding by electoral bonds and if it does not show up in the contribution report and we are not able to display it on our website, people won't get to know. This is our challenge and major concern. It introduces a lot of opaqueness."

He said the election commission is very soon going to prescribe procedures where a definite percentage of paper slips will also be counted along with the results of the EVMs.

"At least in one round they will be counted first and then tallied with the result of the EVMs. I am sure this step will settle the controversy about EVMs for once and all. Though we removed all misgivings during the EVM Challenge where only two political parties showed up and returned satisfied after learning about the robust voting system", Zaidi added.

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Chennai:

Oppositions Presidential nominee Meira Kumar on Saturday appealed to all the MLAs and MPs from Tamil Nadu to listen to their inner voice when they cast their votes in the presidential poll.



She urged them to support her in this ideological battle. I am fighting an ideological battle, she told reporters after a meeting here with MPs and MLAs of DMK, Congress, IUML and the Left parties.



She said, the collegium members should only listen to their inner voice and conscience and act. This is my request to everyone.



DMK working president M K Stalin, his party legislators, Left parties MPs TK Rangarajan (CPI-M) and D Raja (CPI), Congress party MLAs, and leaders participated in the meeting.

Watch: It's not Dalit vs Dalit fight, Meira Kumar to NN

Besides DMKs 89 MLAs, Congresss eight and IUMLs lone MLA ruling AIADMK Ammas ally M Thamimun Ansari, MLA representing Nagapattinam has pledged support to Kumar.The DMK also has four Rajya Sabha MPs and CPI and CPI(M) have one RS MP each from Tamil Nadu.



She alleged that principles like transparency and the fight to end the caste system are under threat in the Modi regime.



I am sorry to say that all the 17 Opposition parties (who have supported her) feel that these principles are now in danger, under serious threat.



Kumar said she was honoured by the trust the 17 parties led by the Congress have show in her. This Opposition unity is inspired by the value system which we all hold so dear.



She said she dedicated her life for the cause of the downtrodden and suppressed people.



This is my agenda. Wherever I go and whatever position I hold, this will always be my agenda, she asserted.



She praised Tamil Nadu as a state which fought for ideals like social justice and hailed DMK chief M Karunanidhi as a force in upholding such great values.

Suggested read: NDA President pick Ram Nath Kovind meets Puducherry Legislators, assured support



That is the binding factor that we have between the DMK and the Congress.



Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre, Kumar said her party was inspired by Gandhijis thoughts to ensure the dignity of the Dalits, the tribals, and the poor.



My battle is to ensure their right and dignity... I am also fighting for all of you because we are pained to see that lately the voice which used to come out so strongly in the press is not coming out, she said.



Later, Kumar called on nonagenarian leader M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence.



She is scheduled to visit Puducherry on Sunday. Senior Congress leaders Bansal, Mukul Wasnik also participated in the meet.

Suggested read: AAP may back Meira Kumar, rules out support to Ram Nath Kovind

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New Delhi:

The woman police officer of Syana circle in Uttar Pradeshs Bulandshahar district, Shrestha Thakur who fined BJP leader has been transferred to Bahraich on Saturday.

The development comes days after Shrestha Thakur- famously known as Lady Singham had fined a BJP supported Zilla Panchayat member Pramod Lodhi for not wearing a helmet and seized his bike.

Thakur has also sent five local BJP leaders to jail for creating obstacles in performing government duties.

Earlier last week, a delegation of 11 MLAs and MP met with UP CM Yogi Adityanath over the issue. And within days she was transferred.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in past advised MPs of the Uttar Pradesh not to put unnecessary pressure on the police department of the state.

The PM had said they must keep themselves away from the process of transfer and posting as good governance is BJP's main motive.

However, it seems PM's advice has fallen on deaf ears.

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New Delhi:

Amid the growing tensions on border, India has pushed in more troops in a non-combative mode to strengthen its position in an area near Sikkim, where its soldiers have been locked in a standoff with Chinese troops for almost a month now in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962.

India brought in more troops after the destruction of two of its bunkers and aggressive tactics adopted by the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), sources said. In a non-combative mode, the nozzle of a gun is placed downwards.

Giving details for the first time about the events that preceded the face-off between the two armies, the sources said the PLA on June 1 asked the Indian Army to remove the two bunkers set up in 2012 at Lalten in Doka La, which falls in the vicinity of Chumbi Valley at the corner of India-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction.

The Indian Army, which had been patrolling this area for many years, decided in 2012 that two bunkers would be positioned there as a backup option, besides providing security to the Bhutan-China border.

The Indian Army forward positions informed Sukna-based 33 Corps Headquarter in North Bengal about the Chinese warnings on the bunkers, the sources said.

However, during the night of June 6, two Chinese bulldozers destroyed the bunkers, claiming that the area belonged to China and that India or Bhutan had no right over it, the sources said.

Indian troops on the ground prevented the Chinese men and machines from doing any further damage or transgressing into the area, they said.

Additional forces from nearby brigade headquarters, located 20 km from the face off point, were moved in on June 8 during which a scuffle led to soldiers on both sides suffering minor injuries.

Also Read | Sikkim standoff: China posts map showing India, Bhutan territory as its own part of land

PLA troops were rushed in from its 141 division located in the area, prompting the Indian Army to also strengthen its position.

This is the longest standoff between the two armies since 1962. The last one, which carried on for 21 days, occurred at Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh division of Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when Chinese troops entered 30 km into Indian territory till the Depsang Plains and claimed it to be a part of its Xinjiang province.

They were, however, pushed back.

Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state which has a demarcated border with China. The lines are based on a treaty signed with the Chinese in 1898.

After the India-China war of 1962, the area where the Indian troops are stationed was placed under the Indian Army and the ITBP, which is the border guarding force and has a camp 15 km from the international border.

As the scuffle broke out between the two sides, the Indian Army rushed an officer of the Major General rank to the area and a flag meeting was sought with the Chinese counterparts.

China rejected two such requests from the Indian side, but accepted the third call for a meeting, where it asked the Indian Army to withdraw its troops from the Lalten area, which falls in Doka La.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it to be part of its Donglang region.

As a fallout of the standoff, the Chinese refused to allow the first batch of 47 pilgrims, who were to conduct the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, into Tibet. They also conveyed to the Indian side that visas of another batch of 50 yatris had also been cancelled, the sources said, describing the move as an indication of increased tempers in Beijing.

The Sikkim route to Mansarovar, which is in Tibet, was opened in 2015, enabling pilgrims to travel the 1500-km long route from Nathu La to Kailash by buses.

It is not the first time that such a transgression has happened at Doka La. The Chinese forces had in November 2008 destroyed some makeshift Indian army bunkers there.

Defence experts believe China wants to exert its dominance over the Chumbi Valley, which is a part of the southern reaches of Tibet. By claiming the Doka La area, Beijing wants to maximise its geographical advantage so that it can monitor all movements along the India-Bhutan border.

Suggested Read | Sikkim Standoff: Arun Jaitley throws it back to China, says India of 2017 different from 1962

China has also increased diplomatic pressure on India and lodged a protest over the alleged crossing of boundary by Indian troops in the Sikkim section.

They demanded their immediate withdrawal, as Beijing warned that future visits of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar would depend on the resolution of the standoff.

Our position to uphold our territorial sovereignty is unwavering. We hope the Indian side can work with China in the same direction and immediately withdraw the personnel who have overstepped and trespassed into Chinese border, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang had told the media in Beijing last week.

Peoples Liberation Army spokesman Col Wu Qian also spoke a tough language while making a reference to the 1962 Sino-India conflict, saying that New Delhi should learn historical lessons.

Qian described Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawats remarks that India was ready for a two-and-a-half front war as extremely irresponsible and asked him to stop clamouring for war.

Rawat had said India was prepared for security threats posed by China, Pakistan as well as by internal threats.

Such rhetoric is extremely irresponsible. We hope that the particular person in the Indian Army could learn from historical lessons and stop such clamouring for war, he had said.

The Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, made New Delhis stand clear when he said the India of 2017 was different from that of 1962.

If they are trying to remind us, the situation in 1962 was different and the India of 2017 is different, Jaitley had said when asked about Chinas warning.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.

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New Delhi:

At least eight people were killed and 35 others injured in a natural gas pipeline explosion at Guizhou Province in southwest China, authorities said.



The injured including four in critical condition were admitted to a hospital, rescuers said. The explosion occurred at around 10 am (local time) in Shazi town.



Days of heavy rain triggered a landslide, which crushed the pipeline operated by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC). It caused gas leak and ensuing blast, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.



The residents nearby were evacuated immediately after the incident, while further investigation continues.



With PTI inputs.

ALSO READ: China's launch of second heavy-lift carrier rocket fails

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Beijing:

The official media of China on Sunday reported that the nations attempt to launch its second heavy-lift carrier rocket Long March-5 Y2 have failed after abnormity was detected during the flight.

Abnormity was detected during the flight of the rocket, which blasted off at 7:23 pm (local time) from Wenchang Space Launch Center in southern province of Hainan, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Further investigation will be carried out, it said. The rocket was due to carry the heaviest Shijian-18 satellite.

The launch was the last test for the Long March-5 series before its mission to send the Change-5 lunar probe into space in the latter half of this year, which was to return with samples.

With a weight of 7.5 tonnes, Shijian-18 is Chinas latest technology experiment satellite and the heaviest satellite China has ever launched into space, an earlier report by Xinhua said.

It was aimed at testing Chinas new Dongfanghong-5 (DFH-5) satellite platform and carry out in-orbit experiments including Q/V band satellite communication, satellite-ground laser communication technologies and an advanced Hull electric propulsion system, it said.

The Long March-5 made its maiden flight in November 2016 from Wenchang. It can carry a payload of 25 tonnes into low Earth orbit and 14 tonnes in geostationary orbit, over twice the capacity of previous Long March models.

Also Read: Chinese media accuses Australia of spying, stealing technology on country

The rocket uses environmentally friendly fuel, including kerosene, liquid hydrogen, and liquid oxygen, rather than highly toxic propellants, the report said.

In April this year, China had launched its first cargo spacecraft, Tianzhou-1, into space using the countrys heaviest Long March-7 Y2 carrier rocket to dock with the orbiting experimental space station which was expected to be operationalised by 2022.

Tianzhou-1 was larger and heavier than Tiangong-2, which is 10.4 meters in length and has a maximum diameter of 3.35 meters,weighing 8.6 tonnes.

Also Read: China launches biggest new generation naval destroyer weighing 10,000 tonnes

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New Delhi:

Pakistan has reportedly rebranded outfit of Hafiz Saeed Jamaat-ul-Daawa (JuD) named Tehreek-e-Azadi Jammu and Kashmir (TAJK). Saeed was recently put under house arrest and a crackdown was launched against the outfit.



TAJK's name was mentioned in the National Counter Terrorism Authority's (NACTA) list of proscribed organisations that also mentions that the outfit was banned on June 8, 2017, reports the Express Tribune.



Earlier in January, Pakistan government had placed JuD and its wing the Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation (FIF) on the watch list and put on the second schedule under Section 11-EEE (1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997.



In 2012, the United States announced a bounty of USD10 million on Saeed for his alleged role in 2008 Mumbai attacks.

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By PTI: Gurugram, July 1 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar today said the Goods and Services Tax (GST) implementation will generate 10 lakh job opportunities in the country.

Apart from this, people associated with IT, Chartered Accountants and GST would also get employment with the implementation of this system, Khattar said while speaking at a felicitation function organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountant of India on the occasion of 68th Chartered Accountants Day here.

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He called upon the CAs to remove all doubts concerning the GST in the next three months and take the country further ahead.

He described the GST as a huge transformation after the free India and said that this too had been done by convening the session of Parliament at midnight.

The Chief Minister said it was the result of the strong political will of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the GST has become a reality in the country.

The country could take rapid strides towards development if there was a transparency in the system, he said.

He described the GST as a yet another big step after Aadhar, Jan Dhan Yojna, NITI Ayog and demonetisation of high value currency notes.

Khattar said the GST would ensure transparency and enable us to compete in the world.

He said that in 1947, the value of one rupee was equal to one dollar but now we are lagging behind.

Through better economic management, we could take common man ahead on the path of progress, he said.

Earlier, Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Uma Bharti said that in foreign countries tax system of India was called as tax terrorism but after the implementation of GST, people would get relief which would be visible gradually, a Haryana government release quoted her as saying.

Union Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi exhorted the CAs to educate people about the GST and assured them of full support and cooperation of the Centre.

She said that initially there could be some confusions regarding GST but we together have to remove the doubts, she said, according to the release.

Union Steel Minister, Birender Singh described GST as the biggest step towards transformation post independence.

He said the GST was to be implemented 30 to 40 years back but this has become a reality only due to the historical decision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

This decision, he said has been taken with the consent of all political parties.

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He described the CAs as the brand ambassador of GST. Haryana Finance Minister Capt. Abhimanyu said that today is a historical day which would take the country into a new economy. PTI SUN DKS MKJ

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By PTI: Jaitley

Hyderabad, Jul 2 (PTI) Union minister Bandaru Dattatreya today said he will take up the issues raised by textile traders and beedi industry in Telangana over imposition of the GST with Finance minister Arun Jaitley tomorrow.

"I will discuss the matter with Telangana government and tomorrow I am also meeting Arun Jaitleyji and apprise him on the issues raised by textile and beedi sectors," Dattatreya, the Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment, told reporters here.

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Representatives of Telangana State Federation of Textile Associations, and cloth merchants associations submitted memorandums to the minister against the imposition of the GST on textiles and sought his intervention to urge the Centre to exempt the textiles industry from the GST.

The Garments Manufacturer and Wholesalers Associations while welcoming implementation of the GST said there is need for uniform policy of GST at 5 per cent for all ready-made garments and for simplifying the HSN codes for garments.

"I will request Jaitleyji to positively take into account their issues," Dattatreya said adding he will also apprise the Union Finance Minister on the 28 per cent GST tax slab on beedi manufacturing industry.

He said the Telangana government is also discussing with the Centre to roll back 28 per cent tax on beedis sector.

"Imposition of 18 per cent GST on beedi leaves and 28 per cent on beedi sector ... it will be tough... In Telangana, large number of women force are engaged in this sector and it may impact beedi workers," said Dattatreya. In this regard, a tripartite meeting of trade unions, employers and government officials will be held on July 17 at Delhi, after which they will also meet with officials of the Finance ministry, he said.

Dattatreya said the RBI has agreed to release Rs 1,700 crore money tomorrow for disbursement to farmers in Telangana as part of the first phase for kharif season. Reacting to a query, Dattatreya reiterated that due to GST, employment generation will improve and one lakh jobs, particularly in IT and IT enabled services will be created in the coming months. PTI VVK NRB MR

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DANBURY  The launch of the citys sleek website last week was the first of four connectivity projects aiming to manage technology growth in Connecticuts fastest-growing city.

The projects include a proposal for free wireless internet downtown, and a proposed community website that would operate as Danburys own social media site.

The goal is to leverage technology to provide better government service while bringing together diverse groups of the citys population.

One of the things you need to be competitive and attract young people to a city is to engage them at the level of technology that theyre using, says Stephen Nocera, the director of the citys Office of Project Excellence. This technology is how people are doing everything now, in every aspect of their lives.

Nocera was referring to millennials from New York who are moving into condominiums on the citys west side and apartments at Kennedy Flats, the recently completed 375-unit downtown development.

The most anticipated of the citys connectivity projects is a novel proposal to provide high-speed internet service to every Danbury home for $15 per month. That proposal, which has had strong interest since Mayor Mark Boughton announced it in a 2015 state-of-the-city address, hit a bureaucratic snag in Hartford.

State legislators failed to pass a bill that would have given Danbury the first green light in the state to bundle the buying power of its residents to provide low-cost connectivity to the internet.

Boughton and Nocera plan to meet with the citys lobbying firm next week to discuss a potential way to offer the service to Danbury homes without the need for state legislation.

The state budget crisis is a problem, but I dont understand why people cant see the value of what we are trying to do, Boughton said.

The initiative is important to Danbury because it would connect school children from the citys low-income families to the same online education resources as peers from affluent families, Boughton said.

The city has also been trying to close the cultural gap between its communities of Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking immigrants and established Danburians. The citys schools, which are seeing enrollment jumps as high as 5 percent each year being fueled mainly by immigrants, are seen as an important part of the acclimation effort.

The citys plan to roll out a community and business-based website could also help in that effort by encouraging residents to provide their own content.

We are trying to provide a place where people can share and collaborate that will be hyper-localized to Danbury, Nocera said.

The community-based website may be the next project to come online, city officials said.

The proposal to create a free wireless connection to the internet along the Main Street corridor depends on a larger plan for the city to purchase streetlights from Eversource, which could then be fitted with energy-efficient lights and other technology.

The citys newly designed website, soft-launched late last week, features a clean and simple design, with an emphasis on images and a minimum of text.

The website easily adapts to the mobile devices people use today to connect to the internet, city officials said.

The new website uses the same http://www.danbury-ct.gov address as the old site, and contains much of the same information, but with less clutter.

We went from 300 pages down to 120 pages, we cleaned it up, Mayor Mark Boughton said on Thursday. The old website was old.

rryser@newstimes.com; 203-731-3342
MONTREAL, July 2, 2017 /CNW/ - Black Lives Matter  Toronto organizers are joining a coalition of Black organizations in Montreal to demonstrate against the police killing of Pierre Coriolan. This police killing came at the eve of the coroner's inquest into the death of another Black man, Andrew Loku, in Toronto. The parallels between the Andrew Loku case and the Pierre Coriolan case reveal an alarming systemic reality of fatal interactions between Black people in crisis and police. Both Black men were killed in their homes by police, both were from immigrant communities, both police departments refused to release the names of the police officers who killed the men, and in both cases the police and the media actively engaged in a campaign to smear and criminalize the victims. Black Lives Matter is raising the issue of anti-Black racism across Canada and have released the following national demands:

Develop a national Black mental health strategy with Black communities across the country that seeks to implement policy and service-provision responses Mandate Statistics Canada to collect race-based statistics on institutions and services including municipal, provincial and local policing and mental health services Mandate the province to collect race-based data in regards to policing, and mental health services

Black Lives Matter  Toronto is the Toronto chapter of #BlackLivesMatter, an international organization and movement fighting anti-Black racism all over the world.

#PierreCoriolan #BlackLivesMatter #BLMMTL

SOURCE Black Lives Matter - Toronto

For further information: Sandy Hudson at [email protected] or 416-722-8842; Venetta Gordon at [email protected] or 514-586-7469
OTTAWA, July 1, 2017 /CNW/ - The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today marked the end of the successful three-day Royal Tour to Canada by Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and announced the Government of Canada's official gift.

The Royal Tour began with a visit to Iqaluit, Nunavut, and then proceeded to Canadian Forces Base Trenton and the village of Wellington, Ontario. From there, Their Royal Highnesses visited Gatineau, Quebec, where they opened the Canadian History Hall at the Canadian Museum of History, and Ottawa, where they took part in celebrations of the 150th anniversary of Confederation on Parliament Hill.

As part of a longstanding tradition, the Government of Canada marked the Royal Tour by offering a donation of $45,000 to three organizations visited by Their Royal Highnesses. The Iqaluit Food Centre, the Iqaluit Community Tukisigiarvik Society, and the Tumikuluit Saipaaqivik (Sweet Little Footprints Daycare) will each receive an official gift of $15,000, which will help them continue to make a difference in the lives of people throughout Canada's North.

Quote

"As we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to welcome Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall. During the Royal Tour, Their Royal Highnesses met with many people, including members of Indigenous communities and of the Canadian Armed Forces, and those involved in charitable work in Canada's North. They saw firsthand the beauty, warmth, and diversity that make Canada such a wonderful place to live and visit."

 The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Quick Facts

This is the 18 th visit to Canada for The Prince of Wales and the 4 th for The Duchess of Cornwall . Their Royal Highnesses' most recent trip to Canada was in May 2014 , when they toured Nova Scotia , Prince Edward Island , and Manitoba .

visit to for The Prince of Wales and the 4 for The Duchess of . Their Royal Highnesses' most recent trip to was in , when they toured , , and . The Prince of Wales is patron or president of more than 400 organizations around the world, including Canadian organizations that reflect the Prince's diverse interests, ranging from education to organic agriculture and architecture.

The Iqaluit Food Centre, an emergency meal service, provides over 100 healthy meals daily to community members who experience hunger, or lack access to food that is affordable, nutritious, and culturally relevant.

The Iqaluit Community Tukisigiarvik Society offers practical support and assistance to Iqalummiut individuals and families with personal and family issues, including health, education, and employment.

The Tumikuluit Saipaaqivik (Sweet Little Footprints Daycare) was created through a joint effort by a group of mothers who wanted a daycare that would operate solely using the Inuit language, culture, and worldview. It is the first Inuktitut-only daycare in Iqaluit .

Associated Links

This document is also available at http://pm.gc.ca

SOURCE Prime Minister's Office

For further information: PMO Media Relations: 613-957-5555

Related Links

http://pm.gc.ca/


By PTI: Mangaluru, Jul 2 (PTI) Activists of three Hindu outfits today staged a protest in the twin districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi in protest against the hosting of an Iftar get-together and Namaz at Udupi Sri Krishna mutt on June 24 by Pejawar seer Vishweshateertha Swamiji.

Workers of Sri Rama Sene, Hindu Janajagruthi Samiti and Hindu Mahasabha staged the protests in the districts.

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Addressing the protesters at Lalbagh here, Hindu Mahasabha state convenor Dharmendra alleged that the seers action was being used by political parties and there was a conspiracy behind this at a time when state assembly elections are around the corner. The Swamijis action had "deeply hurt" the sentiments of Hindus, who were always emotionally attached to the mutt, he said and asked him to step down as head of the mutt as age was catching up with him. He should also tender an apology for holding the Iftar inside the temple complex, Dharmendra said. The Hindu Mahasabha leader also wanted to know from the BJP why they were keeping a studied silence on the issue. "Those who protested when Congress leader Janardhan Poojary held an Iftar at Kudroli temple here a few years back had now become mute spectators," he said. Sri Rama Sene district secretary Prasad Ujire, who also spoke, said the Iftar had created confusion among members of the Hindu community. In Udupi, workers of Hindu outfits held the protest in the form a puja before a makeshift idol of Lord Krishna and singing of bhajans in front of the clock tower in the town. Speaking at the venue, Sri Rama Sene Mangaluru unit secretary Mohan Bhat ridiculed the Youth Congress district leaders statement that they would not allow Sene to protest against the seer and said none should read a political motive behind the protest. The Sene also had no intention to spark communal unrest, he said. The Swamiji was a guru for the Hindu community and should have avoided hosting the Iftar in mutt premises, he said. Hindu Janajagruti Samiti convenor Vijay Kumar also spoke. Police had made tight security arrangements as a precautionary measure at the spots of the protests, which were peaceful in both the places. On June 24, in a gesture of communal amity, about 150 Muslims broke their Ramzan fast and took part in "Souharda Upahara Koota" (harmony feast) in the complex of Krishna temple for the first time in its history. They participated in the feast in the dining hall, just outside the main temple, in the event organised by Sri Vishweshateertha Swamiji. After breaking the fast, they performed namaz (prayers). The seer defended his gesture after it drew flak from Rama Sene, saying it had in no way insulted Hindus. Sene chief Pramod Muthalik had met the seer on June 25 and announced statewide protests against him by his outfit on July 2. On June 29, a man was booked for posting "unpleasant and objectionable" remarks on Facebook against the seer for hosting the "harmony feast". He was booked on a complaint by three persons who were the seers supporters and members of Pejawar blood donation team, police had said. PTI MVG RA APR KUN

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Alhaji Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, has reiterated his support for Nnamdi Kanu, declaring that he is not a Nigerian but a Biafran.He also called for Nigerias split, saying, The solution is for us to leave! Every one of us. Simple. We want to; we wan leave. No gragra, no nothing. Na gragra dey tear cloth.Asari-Dokubo also said that he did not have any investment in Nigeria because it was an enemy territory and that his investments would not be safe.The former warlord said these in a video he posted on his Facebook page on Sunday.His words: Im not concerned about what Nigerians think about me, Im only concerned about what Ijaw people think about me. Sometimes I think that, what would those who call themselves Nigerians think about me, they are stealing from us.What sort of worry is more than they go to Abuja every end of the month, 36 states plus Abuja, plus agencies plus 747 local governments to share the resources of souk? What is more criminal than that, while souk remain at the backyard of the world.What is more that somebody come to your house, take your pot of soup, and look at you, and share the pot of soup to different people and then give you just one spoon of the soup that you cooked? So I dont give a damn about what Nigerians think about me. They will never think anything good about me.Id be surprised if any Yoruba man, if any northerner, any Nupe man having think anything good about me. I will be surprised. Even though Im married to a Yoruba woman, yes, I will be surprised because my action is injurious to them.They enjoyed the money that they never suffered for. Today Lagos is achieving but let Ijaw oil go let us see whether Lagos would be what it is. Let Ijaw oil be cut off and let us see whether Lagos will be anything.Alhaji Asari-Dokubo added, Im not a Nigerian. Nations are not imposed on people. People dont sit down in Berlin or anywhere and make people Nigerians. Nations are created by the will of the people. My people have never accepted Nigeria and so, how can I be a Nigerian? Nobody can impose Nigeria on me.The free will of the people create nations. If everybody gathered together, the Ijaw people, you know which includes the kalabari people, nobody forced the Kalabari people to become Ijaw people, because naturally, they know they are Ijaw people.Nobody will force an Owerri man, an Nkwere man to be an Igbo person, he naturally knows he is an Igbo person.So, if we want to be Nigerians, then we have to sit down, and decide for ourselves that today, we are going to be, or as separate identities, and accept Nigeria as our country, as our nation and we become Nigerians. Weve not done that.When I go up north, do they see me as a Nigerian? They dont! They call me Nyamiri. They call me Nyamiri! When I go to Yoruba land, do they see me as a Nigerian? They call me Omo Kobokobo. Thats what they call me! Omo Kobokobo.When a Yoruba man goes up north, they call him Oyede Banza. When a Fulani man comes up to Yoruba land, what do they call him? They call him Gambari!I used to hear a story that there were about three people in a bus and the driver asked the conductor, how many people were in the bus and the conductor said two persons and one Gambari. He said shut up your mouth, is Gambari not a human being? But the conductor said that is your business o, me I know that in this bus there are two persons and one Gamari.So, if in the north there is a riot, they dont kill Senegalese, they dont kill British, they dont kill Lebanese, they will kill a Yoruba man. They will kill an Igbo man, they will kill an Ijaw man. They will kill an Efik man, they will kill others but they will not kill a Lebanese, they dont kill a Senegalese, they dont kill Nigerien or Malian. That clearly shows that they dont need you.Listen to the interview of that rogue that they are celebrating. People who joined to steal Ijaw peoples resources, Ahmadu Bello. What did he say in his interview? That if they want to employ people in the north, they will first of all take Europeans and so on, then when it comes, if they are going to consider Africans they will take Sudanese and so on but when they are going to consider other Nigerians, they will take them on contract. It is there, they cant deny it.What country are you talking about? Obafemi Awolowo said Nigeria is just a geographical residence. But me, Im not a Nigerian, I will never be a Nigerian!
More than 20 states, including Virginia, Kentucky, California, New York and Massachusetts, have declined to provide some or all of the information, that a panel set up by President Donald Trump has asked them to supply.The defiant states said the information being requested is unnecessary and violated privacy.But President Donald Trump on his favourite Twitter megaphone, has lashed out at them, wondering what they are hiding.Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL, he wrote on Twitter. What are they trying to hide?The presidential panel probing alleged fraud in the 2016 November election has requested for voters names, addresses, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, birth dates, political affiliations, felony convictions and voting histories.It was Trump that made the unsubstantiated allegation, after he lost the plural vote in the election to Hillary Clinton, but won the electoral college.Trump wants the panel, called Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity to probe illegal voting by millions of people  he believed voted for his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.Many states do not agree with the mission of the panel.This commission was formed to try to find basis for the lie that President Trump put forward that has no foundation, Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan said in an interview.The request to the 50 states from the commissions Vice Chairman Kris Kobach has caused a backlash from state election officials.Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson said in a statement on Friday that while certain voter information is available to the public, the media, and any other person who requests the information, the information is restricted to name, address and congressional district assignment.Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann had said in a statement that he did not see the letter but would rebuff the commission.They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great state to launch from, he said.Civil rights activists say the commission will encourage voter suppression by justifying new barriers to voting, such as requiring identity cards to vote.
Police in Ghana have reportedly launched a manhunt for a lady identified as one Nana And Asare, who allegedly disappeared with cars, luggage, other valuable items belonging to an EU-based Ghanaian man, Kingsley Osei Bonsu, (pictured) whom she met on Facebook and started a relationship with.

Kingsley posted the photos on his Facebook asking for information that could lead to her arrest.

"This lady has duped me heavily, if u know her where about kindly assist me to get her arrested. Please contact me on whatsapp; 0032466136085 or 0244835990 or 0201209346

Anyone who can help me in helping me get her arrested will be rewarded handsomely" he wrote.

Meanwhile, read the post shared by Frank Bawumia on how it all happened:

A guy resident in Europe met this lady Nana Ama Asare, otherwise known as Victoria Tebri on Fb and lovi lovi ensued! At some point in their long distance talk talk, the guy expressed the desire to settle back in Ghana so he shipped 3 cars to his supposed fiance plus money for port charges. Nana Ama Asare dutifully cleared the vehicles giving the impression that she is faithful partner. So May 29 this year, Borga packed bag and baggage to get closer to his Yellow Sister for the necessary biegya and other things! On arrival at KIA, Nana Ama was waiting at the reception. What a loving galfriend she is! He had come with two of the vehicles, she drove one veh and a male friend drove the other. Since that was their first time of seeing each other, they agreed to spend the night at the hotel so that no one will hear their moaning and groaning. The luggage was packed in the other car whilst the two new lovers drove in one car. On their way to the hotel, they stop to eat a restaurant. Whilst at the Restaurant, Ms Nana Ama Asare asked politely to pick something from the car just for a moment, but apparently that's was her escape plan! SHE DISAPPEARED and that was the last time her new found lover heard of her. Borga waited and waited saaaaaaa till he could no longer endure the loneliness and the frustration anymore n went home confused, raped and sad! Soon as Ms Asare disappeared, all her phones went off and her fb porfile pulled down! The case has since been reported to the police and the general public is hereby requested to help apprenhend this yellow sisi of doubtful character! I have the "other pics" and will be provided if u help to arrest her. If u have any info to help kindly call any of the nos below.

+32466136085

0244835990

02012209346
There are indications that Qatar will respond to any military provocation from the four Arab states that have imposed sanctions on it following allegation that it supports terrorism around the world, a charge it has denied.This followed a tough stand taking by the Gulf nation that it doesnt fear any military retaliation for refusing to meet a Mondays deadline to comply with a list of demands from Arab states that imposed a de-facto blockade on it.Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates had cut diplomatic ties with Qatar earlier this month and shut down land, sea and air links.They issued a 13-point list of demands, including curbing diplomatic ties to Iran, severing ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and shuttering the Al-Jazeera news network.Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani who rejected the demands on behalf of Qatar said it was an infringement on the countrys sovereignty.He rejected the demands saying they would never be accepted.Al Thani noted that countries had every right to be angry with Qatar over the allegation of support to terrorism if they have proof.He however, said misunderstanding over such allegation should be worked out through negotiation and not by imposing ultimatums or intimidations.We believe that the world is governed by international laws, that dont allow big countries to bully small countries, he told a press conference.No one has the right to issue to a sovereign country an ultimatum.There is no fear from whatever action would be taken; Qatar is prepared to face whatever consequences.But as I have mentioned, there is an international law that should not be violated and there is a border that should not be crossed.Al Thani who is currently on a visit in Rome, met with Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano, who is in support of a Kuwait-led mediation effort.He urged the countries involved in the standoff to desist from actions capable of truncating the peace process.
Twenty-five people were shot and three others injured in an early morning nightclub shooting in the southern US state of Arkansas, polic...

Twenty-five people were shot and three others injured in an early morning nightclub shooting in the southern US state of Arkansas, police said Saturday.Police in the city of Little Rock had initially said that 17 people were shot when gunfire rang out inside the downtown Power Ultra Lounge nightclub around 2:30 am (0730 GMT).They updated the toll later Saturday to 25 shot and three with unrelated injuries, adding on Twitter that ALL are expected to survive.We do NOT believe this incident was an active shooter or terror related incident, police said. It appears to have been a dispute at a concert.Authorities did not immediately release any names or information on a suspect or suspects.Little Rocks crime problem appears to be intensifying, Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said in a statement, decrying this senseless violent tragedy.He promised state resources to help support local law enforcement efforts.Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola thanked first responders and hospitals on Facebook.My heart is broken this morning  my prayers are with the victims of this tragedy, he said.According to the nightclub website, an artist by the name of Finese 2 Tymes was scheduled to perform.AFP
The lawyer standing for kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans, has lost yet another case in court.

The lawyer standing for kidnap kingpin, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, aka Evans, has lost yet another case in court.Evans counsel, Olukoya Ogungbeje, was defeated on Friday, when Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court in Lagos dismissed two fundamental rights applications filed by him, according to an online medium, NewsMakers.Ogungbeje had reportedly filed the case on behalf of his clients, Messrs Chief Kenneth Chukwuemeka Ajoku and Chidinma Ozurumba, against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, but it was dismissed for lack of merit and for being frivolous.The judge also awarded a total cost of N500,000 against the two petitioners.Other respondents in Ajokus suit are a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Taiwo Kupolati, Folorunsho Sholanke, Jide Olaleye, Abraham Ogunleye, Kolade Akinwunmi and Dr. Ishaku Danladi Msheliza.The two petitioners, in suits marked FHC/L/CS/736/2017 and FHC/L/CS 803/2017, had urged the court to declare that the arrest and detention by the operatives and agents of EFCC on May 4, at the instigation of other respondents for taking up the brief of his client and without cause, was illegal, wrongful, unlawful, and unconstitutional as it violates the applicants fundamental rights as guaranteed under sections 33, 34, 35 and 36 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.Responding to the suits, the EFCC, in two separate counter-affidavits deposed to by Ayodele Samuel and Makinde Adebayo, and argued before the court by Banjo James, urged the judge to refuse the applicants applications for being frivolous and lacking in merit.Delivering judgment on the two applications on Friday, Justice Buba, while dismissing the two applications for lacking in merit and being frivolous, awarded a total cost of N500,000 against the two applicants in favour of the EFCC and other respondents.Two weeks ago, Ogungbeje filed such fundamental rights suit against police authorities in a bid to set Evans free, claiming that the police illegally detained the suspect who had made a series of televised confessions on how he had kidnapped his victims and kept them for as long as seven months until their families coughed out as much as $1m.A victims son had revealed that his 86-year-old father was killed by Evans and his gang after he had paid a huge ransom.
A minor fire has been reported at the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, following an electric spark on Saturday morning.

A minor fire has been reported at the Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja, following an electric spark on Saturday morning.Mrs. Boade Akinola, the Director, Media and Public Relations, in the ministry, said a private security outfit in charge of the premises contacted the fire service which responded immediately to put off the fire.She said: There was no damage to any government property or records as the minor fire did not affect any of the offices in the complex.NAN
By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 1 (PTI) The Delhi Police went in a tizzy after receiving a call this evening about a bomb planted in its headquarters here, which later turned out to be a hoax.

The police control room received a call from an unidentified mobile number around 8.40 PM about a bomb planted inside the Delhi Polices headquarters at ITO.

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Initially, the police believed that the call was made from an Aircel number, but later on it was found to have been ported out to Vodafone, a senior police officer said.

Vodafone, however, informed that the number has been inactive since December 18 last year, he said.

On further probe, the police arrived at a conclusion that the number was from a Pune-based cellular company, but the police there informed that no such company exists, he said.

A bomb disposal squad inspected the building but no suspicious items were found, sources said.

The police are investigating the matter. PTI SLB NSD

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The immediate past Nigerias Vice President, Architect Mohammed Namadi Sambo has expressed fear that the nations security agencies may ...

The immediate past Nigerias Vice President, Architect Mohammed Namadi Sambo has expressed fear that the nations security agencies may plant incriminating objects in his house to implicate him of corruption.The former Vice President who reacted to the repeated raids on his Kaduna residence by the anti-graft agencies said he is apprehensive that a repeat of Commando-style raid of his residence will not be surprising if an incriminating object is planted in order to willfully and deliberately incriminate him.Sambo in a statement issued by his Media Adviser, Umar Sani, lamented that the recent desperation exhibited by some security agencies in carrying out a raid on an unoccupied residence and blocking all entry and exit points, in a commando-style and coming along with a bullion van speak volumes of the clandestine intention of the security operatives.According to the statement, In the late afternoon of Wednesday, the 28th of June 2017, the Alimi Road, Kaduna un-occupied residence of the former Vice President Arc Mohammed Namadi Sambo, GCON, was invaded by security operatives armed with a search warrant, who conducted a forensic search of the entire residence.Initially, we were at a loss as to their identity but later discovered that they were operatives from the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC). This raid brings to five the number of times the residence was searched within a period of six months and on each occasion valuable fittings were deliberately destroyed.It is worthy of note to state that no such brazen attempts were made at any point, either at his Link Road Kaduna residence, or his Abuja apartment, which he presently occupy.As the visit of the operatives was unscheduled, the reasons for the search were not specifically stated. However, the outcome of the search was made known. At the end of the whole exercise, the officers, who carried out the search were satisfied that nothing incriminating was found.As a law-abiding citizen, the former Vice-President did not raise any alarm in the previous invasions in view of the fact that he has nothing to hide.The recent desperation exhibited by some security agencies in carrying out a raid on an unoccupied residence blocking all entry and exit points, in a commando-style and coming along with a bullion van speaks volumes of the clandestine intention of the security operatives.It is therefore worrisome to note that the consistency with which the searches occurred and the intervals between them portrays a desire of a fault-finding mission. We are apprehensive that a repeat of such episode will not be surprising if an incriminating object is planted in his residence in order to willfully and deliberately incriminate him.It is against this background that we wish to draw the attention of the unsuspecting members of the public to this phenomenon. The desperation of some of the security agencies is glaring by the number of times such searches were conducted and still counting. We hope it is not a way to try to give a dog a bad name in order to hang it, Sambo said.
Dr. Lateefat Oyeleye Abiola, the best graduating medical student at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University in Ukraine, was on top of ...

Abiola who was a student of Osun State University was sponsored to the Ukrainian university by the government of Governor Rauf Aregbesola, to complete her studies.She scored 95.6 per cent to emerge the best, not just at her university, where she beat 564 other students, but overall in Ukraine.The announcement that her score was the best in the entire Ukraine was made at a Pre-Convocation meeting held at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University , Kharkov by the President of the university, Prof Vil S. Bakirov.Kharkiv University is the only university in Ukraine that has produced three Nobel Prize laureates.There were 49 other students from Osun state, in her set, sponsored to the school by the Aregbesola administration. They all passed their exams.Lateefat was one of the 85 medical students of the Osun State University, UNIOSUN, left stranded and unable to complete their studies after the National Universities Commission in 2012 refused to accredit the course for lack of a medical school.However, in 2014, when Governor Rauf Aregbesola came on board, he decided to fully sponsor the 85 students that belonged to two different sets, to complete their Medical studies at the Kharkiv National University, Ukraine.The convocation ceremony, was attended by UNIOSUN vice-chancellor, Professor Labo Popoola and the deputy governor of Osun State, Titi Laoye-Tomori.
Adrien Silva scored an extra-time winner as Portugal came from behind to beat Mexico 2-1 in the Confederations Cup third-place play-off ...

Adrien Silva scored an extra-time winner as Portugal came from behind to beat Mexico 2-1 in the Confederations Cup third-place play-off in Moscow on Sunday.The midfielder converted a penalty after Pepe had snatched an equaliser in stoppage time to cancel out an own goal from Luis Neto.Andre Silva had missed from the spot in the first half before Mexico claimed their fortuitous breakthrough and Juan Carlos Osorios side looked set to end their campaign in Russia in winning fashion before their late collapse.Fernando Santos men came into the match off the back of a shoot-out defeat to Chile in the semi-finals, in which all three of their spot-kick takers saw their efforts saved by Claudio Bravo, and there was to be a similar penalty problems at Spartak Stadium.Veteran Rafael Marquez was punished for a poor challenge by a VAR referral but Andre Silva, who was handed the responsibility with Cristiano Ronaldo having been allowed to travel home to be with his new twins, saw his effort brilliantly saved by Guillermo Ochoa.Goal.com reports that Portugal were the more attacking of the two teams for much of the opening hour but they were dealt a major blow when Neto inadvertently deflected Javier Hernandezs cross into the net.Santos men applied the pressure and found an equaliser in second-half stoppage time, Pepe poking home his first competitive international goal since June 2012, before Adrien Silva kept his cool to seal the win with both sides finishing a man light due to red cards for Nelson Semedo and Raul Jimenez.Portugal spurned the chance to cap their strong start with the opening goal when Ochoa saved well from Andre Silvas spot-kick.The AC Milan striker was scythed down by Marquez six yards from goal, but although referee Fahad Al Mirdasi awarded the penalty after a VAR consultation, Ochoa dived low to his right to keep out Silvas effort.Nani headed over when unmarked in front of goal from the resulting corner as Portugal tried to keep up the early pressure, but it took a fine one-handed save from Rui Patricio to stop Mexico snatching the lead through Hernandez.Gelson Martins had been one of Santos more lively attackers and he almost broke the deadlock in fine style just after the break, latching onto a clever chip from Andre Silva before volleying just wide of the left-hand post.The European champions had looked unsteady at the back, though, and a dreadful mix-up saw them fall behind through Netos own goal.Hernandez drove to the byline to the left of the area and drilled the ball back across goal and, when Patricio failed to intercept, the ball cannoned off Netos shin and into the net.Portugal went straight in search of an equaliser and missed three clear chances in quick succession. Andre Silva rolled a shot wide from just inside the area before Ochoa produced a brilliant one-handed save to keep out a Martins header, and Nani nodded wide when he met the resulting corner completely unchallenged six yards from goal.Hernandez was denied by a good Patricio block on the break as Portugal committed more men to the attack and their pressure told in injury time, when Pepe stretched a leg to prod in Ricardo Quaresmas cross from the right.And Portugal made no mistake with their second penalty of the match 15 minutes into extra-time, Adrien Silva converting confidently after Miguel Layun had blocked Martins flick with a raised arm.Semedo and Jimenez both picked up second yellow cards for high boots in the closing stages but Portugal held firm for the bronze-medal position in their first appearance at this tournament.
Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, has urged Nigerians to eschew all forms of violence, criminal acts and behaviour capable of div...

Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, has urged Nigerians to eschew all forms of violence, criminal acts and behaviour capable of dividing the country.He made the call on Sunday in Sokoto at a one-day National Prayer Rally organised by Nigeria Prays.We should value the lives of our fellow human beings that God has created for a purpose. May we never take lives with impunity.We are offering fervent prayers that Nigerians will never raise their hands against one another.They should love one another irrespective of religious, ideological, political and ethnic affinities, he added.Gowon, the National Convener, Nigeria Prays, appealed to Nigerians to collectively pray for the speedy recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari.He also urged Nigerians to pray for the Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and leaders at all levelsHe solicited for sustained prayers for peace, unity and socio-economic prosperity of Nigeria.Gowon said: Prayer can solve problems better and faster than soldiers, as well as physical weapons of war.I have no doubt in my heart that God will honour our collective prayer and intercession for our dear nation, as well as heal our nation of insecurity.May we experience abundance of Gods mercy and showers of blessings over our lives and our nation as we raise our voices in heartfelt prayers today in Sokoto,  he said.The former head of state commended Sokoto State Government for its support, involvement and generosity to ensure the success of the rally.The North-West Zonal Coordinator of Nigeria Prays, Bishop Godwin Okafor, said the rally was organized to seek for sustained peace, unity and stability of Nigeria.NAN
The controversy over the restructuring of Nigeria has continued with Afenifere, the Yoruba socio- political group, asking northern leade...

The controversy over the restructuring of Nigeria has continued with Afenifere, the Yoruba socio- political group, asking northern leaders opposed to restructuring not to hold the country hostage.The groups position came on the heels of the support for restructuring from former military President, General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, who said, last week, that the Nigerian federation, as currently structured, needs reform that will emphasise the individual strength and advantages of the component units so that governments can really work to improve the lives of Nigerians..Before then, former VP Atiku Abubakar, also a northerner, had also expressed his support for restructuring. Among northerners opposed to restructuring, Governor Nasir el-Rufai, on Thursday, described those advocating for the idea as opportunists. Afenifere and Ohanaeze Ndigbo spoke on a day the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie  Oyegun said he did not know what the proponents of restructuring mean, saying they should not armtwist him to use a confusing terminology which means different things to Nigerians.Afenifere, while welcoming Babangida and Atikus intervention on the restructuring debate, yesterday, urged northern leaders still opposed the idea to take a cue.It noted that the fact that Babangida and Atiku had spoken in favour of the idea means that not all northern leaders are against restructuring. The National Publicity Secretary of the group, Mr Yinka Odumakin, told newsmen We welcome their intervention, IBB, especially.We remember Babangida was opposed to restructuring in 1999 when we held a national conference with the late Mr. Alao Aka-Bashorun,we were flogged out of the place. For him now to come to reality to say we have to restructure, and to have spoken those words, and to break it down the way he has done, shows that he has realized the mistakes of those years and that it is the right thing to do. We welcome him, he is a critical voice and he has added value to it.For Atiku Abubakar, he has been consistent on restructuring over the years, right from when he was in office. We have noted his intervention for over ten years. He has added value to the debate, he has removed the notion that not everybody in the North is against restructuring. So, the two of them have added value to the debate.They have shown clearly that those of us, who have been talking about restructuring, know what we are saying and they have confirmed our position that it is the right thing to do. We know that those who oppose restructuring are doing so for their selfish interest cannot see the larger picture and do not care about the future of this country. But those who can see that this country is in danger, and that we have moved to edge of the precipice and we need to arrest the drift, are the critical voices from the North who are speaking loudly for restructuring now. We welcome their intervention and see them are co-citizens who want to save this country from disintegration.On those still opposed to restructuring, he added: They should join the train for us to rescue this country. Everybody can see that there are danger signals. Nigeria is gradually becoming a failed state.. We just have to restructure to bring about inclusiveness to governance. This will bring about an era of prosperity all over Nigeria because that is the most important aspect of restructuring.The idea of restructuring is to move from us from scarcity to abundance, it is scarcity that is causing all the fighting in the land. On its part, Ohanaeze Nidigbo, the dominant Igbo socio-political group, is believed to align with the Afeniferes position that the North cannot continue to block the agitation to restructure Nigeria if it was to move forward.Although the President General of the group, Dr Nnia Nwodo, could not be reached, a source close to the group cited a former Chief of General Staff, Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe (retd), as conveying the message to Afenifere and the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF). Ohanaeze Ndigbo is in support of what other Nigerians are saying.We cannot be different. Ohanaeze is thinking along the same line; that Nigeria must be restructured. We are on the same page with them, the spokesman for Ohanaeze Ndigbo, who preferred anonymity said, yesterday. Late into the night, Igbo leaders, comprising state governors and legislators, were in a closed-door meeting in Enugu to hold further talks on the state of the nation.
NEWARK -- Two men died Saturday evening in a shooting that injured two others, authorities said.

Nigel Farrell, 26, of East Orange, and Darnell Holmes, 20, of Newark, were killed in the shooting in the area of 12 Pennsylvania Ave. near Lincoln Park, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Robert D. Laurino and Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said.

One of the men died at the scene and the other was pronounced dead at University Hospital, authorities said.

The other two men, a 25-year-old and a 28-year-old, both of East Orange, were shot but survived, Laurino and Ambrose said.

Police blocked off a large area near the double slaying at about 7:45 p.m. as homicide detectives worked at the scene. Investigators placed at least 20 evidence tags, often used to mark the locations of shell casings, on the street.

No arrests have been made as of Sunday afternoon, Essex County Prosecutor's Office spokeswoman Katherine Carter said.

Another shooting shortly before 3 p.m. Saturday on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard left three people with minor injuries, Ambrose said.

Officials did not immediately release more information.

At least 31 people have been killed in Newark this year compared to about 45 murders during the same period last year, according to police records.

Noah Cohen contributed to this report.

Luke Nozicka can be reached at lnozicka@njadvancemedia.com or on Twitter @lukenozicka.

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Outside Presidents Hall, some of the 1,500 members -- a record -- in the Class of 2021 were going through orientation on the Seton Hall University campus in South Orange one recent day.

As I entered the solemn halls, I examined the life-size portraits of past presidents, mostly priests, all men.

Suddenly, Dr. Mary Meehan emerged and extended her hand, saying, "I'm Mary."

The first woman president of the oldest, and perhaps largest, diocesan Catholic university in the country invited me into her spacious office for a conversation on her historic, albeit interim, appointment. A search is underway to find a priest to become president and fulfill the school's bylaws.

Meehan expects to hold the office until June 2018. But since she had retired in 2016 as the first lay president of Alverno College in Milwaukee, Meehan has been doing consulting work all over the country.

Meehan returns to her alma mater the third time. She was among the first women to graduate from Seton Hall in 1972 and then received her master's degree and doctorate there. She served as vice president and assistant to the president from 1996 to 2001 and was the first woman to be executive vice president for administration, from 2001 to 2004.

She was appointed interim president by a unanimous vote of the school's board of regents, effective April 11.

Meehan downplays her historic appointments but knows that she can be a role model, as a mother of incoming twins told her at an 8 o'clock daily Mass "in such a large leadership position."

Students, Meehan said, are happy to see a woman and tell her that it is inspiring and that her presence makes a difference.

Yet, Meehan stresses that a good leadership team sustains any institution. She said her cabinet of 10 is equally divided between men and women and she meets with them weekly as a group and individually at least once a week. She also noted that the university provost is a woman as well as the law school dean, a first in the country.

And the dean of the new medical school to open in 2018 is a woman. The school will be housed on the former Nutley-Clifton campus of Hoffmann-LaRoche in partnership with Hackensack University Medical Center. It will take an innovative approach to medical training and combine other health and nursing programs.

Meehan also has a Master of Health Policy and Management from New York Medical College and served in administration at two hospitals. This experience also prompted the SHU Board to invite her to become interim.

Helen Cunning of Hoboken, executive director of development for HUMC, is overseeing the fund-raising for the new school. She had worked in development at SHU the last time Meehan was there and described her as "wicked smart."

The Catholic character of SHU matters to Meehan, a devout Catholic, who had entered the Good Shepherd Sisters after high school even though she was educated by Charity Sisters in Orange and Chestnut Hill Josephites in West Orange.

"I did not want to teach," she explained.

Meehan thinks the some 45 priests, mostly at the seminary, at SHU make a difference with the young students, who still need faith formation. She mentioned how her nephew who went there told her that he thought highly of the Rev. John Dennehy, the university chaplain.

"They make an impact," she said.

As chair of the SHU board, Joseph Cardinal Tobin signed off on her appointment and after meeting him several times, Meehan said, "He is a tremendous listener."

Meehan serves as chair of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership and thinks this model should characterize the kind of education a student gets at SHU.

"Learning has a specific purpose to serve the broader community," she said.

This charism should inform how the school trains not only undergraduates but future lawyers, business leaders, diplomats and health care professionals among others, she said.

After an hour with Meehan, I would advise the SHU board to end its search for a new president. She already occupies the office quite capably. Besides, a portrait of a woman should occupy the one blank wall to the right of the entrance to her office. It could certainly inspire some of the coeds on the quad outside to aspire.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Rev. Alexander Santora is the pastor of Our Lady of Grace and St. Joseph, 400 Willow Ave., Hoboken, 07030, FAX: 201-659-5833; Email: padrealex@yahoo.com; Twitter: @padrehoboken.
JERSEY CITY - A state government shutdown may already be in its second day, but thousands of New Jersey residents and visitors from around the country were still arriving at Liberty State Park on Sunday afternoon.

Instead of enjoying the summer weather, those visitors were greeted by State Park Police turning vehicles away from one of the nation's most iconic parks.

Some of the more local residents were aware of the government shutdown at midnight on Friday because a state budget has not yet passed, but what they didn't realize was there would be no access at all to Liberty State Park.

"It's sad, it's depressing," said Richard Fuhr, of Jersey City, as he was riding his bike into the park. "I like going by the Statue of Liberty. I like going by the other areas. That's where my family came into this country long ago as did many families from all ethnics and religions and it's unfortunate it's closed."

Fuhr was looking forward to riding bike through the park during his next few days off from work. The park, he said, is the safest place to ride in the area. The shutdown may have put a damper on his plans, but he said he's still going to enjoy his long weekend.

For Bandre Taouil, arriving from Pennsylvania was "disappointing" for his family. They make the nearly two hour trip whenever there is nice weather on a holiday weekend for a picnic and to just enjoy company together.

"It sucks," Taouil said, standing on the side of the road scrambling to find new plans.

Police estimate they have turned away thousands of would-be park goers over the past two days. Some of the those vehicles had license plates from California, Texas, and Michigan. One family from Ontario struggled to come up with a plan to see the Statue of Liberty with ferry service suspended from the park.

Restaurants within the park and Liberty Science Center remain open.

But for Oksana Malitska, her disappointment quickly turned to frustration when she was turned away from the park. She lives just outside of Trenton and hoped to make her first visit to Liberty State Park this weekend.

"It's (the) Fourth of July," she said. "It's the birthday for America and we can't even be in a state park," she said, adding she blames Gov. Chris Christie for the shutdown.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
By PTI: Itanagar, Jul 2 (PTI) Incessant heavy rain in Arunachal Pradesh since the past two days has thrown life out of gear in the state by triggering landslides, damaging houses and roads and hitting basic essential services.

The capital town of Itanagar has been cut off from the rest of the country due to landslides on NH 52 A, official sources here said today.

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The incessant rain has disrupted road communication by causing heavy damage to roads and culverts, damaged houses and affected water pipelines and basic essential services both in Itangar and the districts.

Officials said a portion of NH 415 connecting Itanagar and Naharlagun has been eroded forcing the administration to divert traffic through Pappu Nallah-Jullang road, which is the lifeline for the people of Banderdewa, Nirjuli, Naharlagun and Itanagar.

The Gyan Mission Orphanage (GMO) for homeless children at Jollang village near here is on the verge of collapse due to continuous downpour and a massive landslide behind it.

Orphanage chairperson Yasi Nalo Sonam said the inmates are suffering from fear psychosis and ten students have been shifted.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu accompanied by Itanagar MLA Techi Kaso, PWD commissioner Bilatee Pertin, disaster management secretary Jokey Angu, chief engineer (highways) Toli Basar took stock of the road damage yesterday.

Officials said he discussed measures to be taken to open the road for traffic at the earliest and directed the departments officers to start work on war footing so that vehicles can move within a day or two.

He also directed the secretary and deputy commissioner to inspect the damaged and vulnerable areas in the capital complex and to submit a report immediately.

Angu was also asked to monitor and report on rain damages across the state round the clock, the sources said.

Meanwhile in the wake of warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall issued by India Meteorological Department of Ministry of Earth Sciences, Khandu has appealed to the citizens to stay alert and prepared.

He directed the district administration to immediately evacuate people living in vulnerable areas to safer places and to ensure adequate stock of ration, medicine and other essential commodities.

He directed round-the-clock watch on the situation to avert any catastrophe.

The disaster management department has also been directed to monitor the situation and work out mitigation plans to deal with any eventualities, the sources added. PTI UPL KK KK

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Stephen Stirling | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

An extinction-level event is slowly unfolding in New Jersey, one that will profoundly change the state's landscape, do upwards of $2.7 billion in damage and potentially dampen property values in towns across the state.

The perpetrator is the size of a penny, and, at this point, there is little that can be done to stop it.

The emerald ash borer has decimated ash tree populations across the midwest as it slowly plods its way across the country. It's spread to at least half of New Jersey and experts seem resigned to the fact that the state's ash trees' days are numbered as a result.

Ash trees are one of the most prolific flora in New Jersey. The federal government estimates there are at 24 million ash trees growing wild in New Jersey and state foresters believe there could be just as many lining the streets and backyards of state municipalities.

But because the torpedo-shaped green beetle is virtually undetectable before its larvae hollow out the inner bark of their host tree, promising a swift death, there's little that can be done to stop its spread.

Foresters say it appears all but inevitable that ash trees, at least in the common context we know them today, will be all but a memory in New Jersey before long.

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That sounds pretty dire. What gives?

Well, it is. Various species of ash represent at least 2.5 percent of the state's tree population, according to federal data. That's almost certainly an underestimation because there are few records for how municipalities and developers used ash trees in plantings over the last several decades. Anecdotally we know they did  a lot.

The emerald ash borer is also an expert at guerrilla warfare. Adults can fly and can move relatively undetected from tree to tree. Its larvae bore into the vital life systems of trees and are hard to spot until it's too late.

"The emerald ash borer is a pretty bad insect in comparison to other forest threats," said Rosa Yoo, a state regional forester with the state Department of Environmental Protection. "The key thing is to be prepared. We know it's going to come through and it's going to kill nearly all of them."

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Why are we so sure?

History, mostly. New Jersey's history is littered with examples of invasive pests and viruses having devastating impacts on our floral ecosystem.

"The most prolific tree in New Jersey forests used to be chestnut before a virus wiped them out," said Eric Olsen, director of Land for The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey. "We had some volunteers find one or two recently on our land and tag them just so we could see them when we're out here."

More recently, the asian long-horned beetle wreaked havoc on New Jersey maple trees. While it was declared largely eradicated in 2013, it continues to flare up in Middlesex and Union counties.

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Why can't we eradicate the emerald ash borer?

The problem goes back to detection. While insects like the asian long-horned beetle leave clear calling cards early, the emerald ash borer does not. Its larvae primarily affect the inner bark of ash trees and by the time a tree shows symptoms of damage, it's well on its way to death.

"It's very difficult to detect at low levels," Yoo said. "By the time a tree starts to show problems, it's often too late."

Extensive efforts to control or wipe out the emerald ash borer have been carried out across the country, but to very little effect thus far. Michigan, where the bug was initially discovered, has essentially written off their ash populations after statewide quarantine efforts failed to halt the beetle's spread.

It's estimated Michigan alone has lost 50 million trees to the pest.

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Photo Courtest of EmeraldAshBorer.info

So what is this thing again?

The emerald ash borer is an exotic beetle species native to Asia. It was first discovered in the United States in Detroit in 2002 and likely arrived in wood packing materials.

Adult beetles are a vibrant green, true to their name, about the size of a penny and mostly harmless. They nibble on ash tree leaves and cause little damage.

The beetle's larvae are the problem. Emerald ash borer larvae burrow into tree bark and feast, disrupting the host tree water and nutrient transport systems. Typically, a tree infested will only survive for two to three years.

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Where is the emerald ash borer now?

The emerald ash borer has been positively identified in ten New Jersey counties to date. But Yoo said they have likely spread much farther than current data shows.

"Our maps should be viewed as broad brush strokes. You can kind of assume that the detections are the oldest affected areas, those that are going to be some of the hardest hit," she said. "When you think of all the highways, railway corridors  all these linear pathways they have to travel. Those are just new paths for (emerald ash borers) to take and infect new trees."

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What does an ash tree look like?

Ash trees are ubiquitous in New Jersey, but it's often difficult to tell them apart from other species of tree. The most common characteristics are diamond-patterned bark, compound leaves of five, seven or nine leaflets and paddle-shaped seeds.

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Where are ash trees found in N.J.?

Ash trees are everywhere in New Jersey. In the wild, they are clustered in the forests of northern and central New Jersey. The Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge has one of the most densely packed clusters of ash trees in the state.

But the trees are also found in many yards, towns and large developments in the state  data that is not included in the map above. The map shows modeled density of ash trees found in the wild in New Jersey.

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Why did the ash tree become so popular among developers and municipalities?

Ash trees, for many years, were some of the cheapest planting trees available. As a result, they became popular choices for municipalities purchasing street trees and developers looking to landscape when suburban sprawl became king in the 1980s and 1990s.

Some towns have entire streets lined with ash, a fact that they will likely come to regret in short order.

"Now would be a great time to do before-and-after photos," said Jason Grabovsky, a professor of ecology evolution and natural resources at Rutgers University. "You could see entire neighborhoods that suddenly look like moonscapes in a year or two."

The map above shows that the state's outer-ring suburban counties grew precipitously during the later half of the 20th century. Most ash trees were likely planted during this time.

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Did you say $2.7 billion?

In 2003, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated the value of wild ash trees in New Jersey to be approximately $2.7 billion. If those trees die, that's the best guess we have at what that loss will look like.

But the cost to municipalities or homeowners is far more difficult to calculate. For one, we don't know how many ash trees exist on government, residential or commercial properties around the state. Uprooting and replacing a dead tree will also cost more than just letting one die, so the costs to New Jersey residents could be significant.

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Will N.J. have any trees left?

Plenty. New Jersey's diverse ecosystems will be able to handle the loss of the ash tree should it be completely decimated.

"We're actually pretty fortunate that we don't have any stands that are 100 percent ash," Yoo said. "They're generally mixed with other species."

The Great Swamp stands to be particularly affected, but has their own active "strike team" for dealing with invasive species. Yoo said our natural diversity could be instructive for communities with high concentrations of ash.

"It's an opportunity to start thinking about your trees more, about what you have and grouping different species together," she said. "The (eastern ash borer) isn't going to be the last pest we deal with, so now is an opportunity to position ourselves better for the future."

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Why should you care?

There's a good to likely chance you have at least one ash tree on your property and an even better chance that your municipality or local developers have planted them in recent decades. The promised mass death of the trees could have a chilling effect on property values in communities that do not replace them quickly.

Additionally, scores of dead or dying trees are a significant safety hazard. When in all likelihood a significant storm impacts a region with a deteriorating ash population, strong winds could produce a massive treefall event, endangering lives and property.

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What can you do?

Yoo recommends trying to identify ash trees on your property and hiring a tree expert to go over options with you. There are treatments that prevent against emerald ash bore, but more often than not the best option is to remove and replace an existing tree.

"Nobody really has the luxury to sit and wait. The emerald ash bore doesn't care," she said. "Your window of time to do anything really is very small at this point. You have two to four years to figure it out."
TRENTON -- Gov. Chris Christie is taking some hits on social media after saying he would go ahead with a planned family vacation in a state park during the government shutdown.

Christie on Saturday defended his plan to proceed with an extended holiday weekend at the governor's summer house in Island Beach State Park, despite closing beaches to the public amid the budgetary impasse in Trenton.

THIS MAN closed Liberty State Park so no visits to Ellis Island, Statue of Liberty this Holiday weekend! #NJshutdown pic.twitter.com/GOILNeqGwl  Linda  #IndictTheTrumpCrimeFamily (@knittinglinda) July 1, 2017

It is unclear, though, just how much of a vacation -- if any -- Christie actually is having.

He spent much of Saturday in Trenton dealing with the shutdown, which he ordered after failing to reach an agreement with Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto on the next state budget by the June 30 deadline.

While the shutdown stems from a spending battle with Prieto, a Democrat, the governor is the household name -- and as such is drawing much of the social media fire.

Put on the spot about his vacation, Christie said the beach house is separate from the park and that his family does not ask for any state services.

Christie, who is in his final months in office, added, "Run for governor, and you can have a residence there."

Josh Zeitz, formerly a spokesman for ex-Gov. Jon Corzine -- defeated by Christie in 2009 -- tweaked Christie by referring to his famous "get the hell off the beach admonition" as Hurricane Irene approached in 2011.

The shutdown, only the second in state history, has closed everything from state parks to motor vehicle services offices as the July 4 holiday weekend begins. It does not affect essential services, such as the New Jersey State Police and psychiatric hospitals.

Christie signed the order after Prieto blocked a vote on Christie's plan to dip into the reserves of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey to fund addiction treatment.

Some are expressing frustration at life in New Jersey in general, without pointing fingers.

What a joke. All NJ state parks are closed because the govt can't pass a budget. #njshutdown  Carl Wiley (@cdublu) July 2, 2017

The shutdown is only the second in New Jersey's history.

Rob Jennings may be reached at rjennings@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @RobJenningsNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook
Turning 17 in New Jersey brings that exciting milestone of taking a drivers test, hopefully getting a license. But with the state government shut down, it's ruined the birthdays of eager drivers who were met with canceled appointments.

The shutdown, which is only the second in state history, closed non-essential services, including state parks and the state Motor Vehicle Commission.

Laurel Walls, who turns 17 on Monday, said she originally had her road test scheduled at the Eatontown MVC site for the same day, but the shutdown is stopping her from even taking the test.

"I'm pretty upset because it's my birthday and I've been waiting to take it and I've been practicing for it," she said. "I'm the last one of all my friends to get it so I'm pretty angry as well."

Walls said no one from MVC called her letting her know that she wasn't going to be able to take her test, but thankfully she got a call from her grandmother breaking the news to her.

The Manasquan resident said she's been waiting for more than a year to take the test, and has been thinking about it even longer.

Now, Walls has to reschedule her test, but she said she's busy for the rest of the month, so this messes up some of her future plans.

"I would drive to school and also be able to bring myself to doctors and dentist appointments because both my parents work long hours so I'd be able to run errands," she said.

Caroline Malone originally had her road test scheduled in April but rescheduled it to July 5 because of a knee injury.

With the shut down, she's going to have to reschedule her test yet again, which she said is very annoying.

The 17-year old Little Falls resident said she doesn't know what new date to pick for her test because she doesn't know when the government will open back up.

"I'm really, really mad. I had to wait three months to take it and now I may have to wait even longer because the government can't decide on an agreement," Malone said.

Government officials are elected to do their jobs and decide on the budget, she said.

"If they can't do that then they shouldn't be in office. Now the whole state has to suffer all because they aren't doing their job," she said.

Malone works at the Berkshire Outlet in Wayne and planned on driving herself to work once she passed her test.

"I planned to drive my sister and (me) places when my parents aren't home or help out my parents with rides so that they didn't have to worry," she said.

Walls said she's just trying to look on the bright side and appreciate her birthday and the long weekend.

"I'm trying to stay positive about it because I still want to enjoy my birthday, but it does put a damper on things," she said.

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snieto-munoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Both nations have several similar attributes and problems including large population, huge rural-urban, rising economy and conflict with neighbours.

China has been critical of India's role in and its relationship with Bhutan and Nepal.(File Photo)

By Prabhash K Dutta: India and China are the two ancient civilisations, who have had centuries of cultural exchanges but in modern times, their relationship has been more adversarial than friendly.

As big economic and military powers, India and China are key strategic players in the world. Both nations have several similar attributes and problems including large population, huge rural-urban, rising economy and conflict with neighbours.

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India and China have fought a full-scale war and a low intensity armed clash. China had upper hand in the 1962 war when Indian government decided not to use Air Force. In 1967, China suffered more loss before backing off in Sikkim sector.

Now, both countries focus on enhancing their economic prowess and become the world leader. So, what are the irritants between India and China that keep them engaged as adversaries?

BORDER DISPUTES

India and China share about 3,488-km long border, which is yet to be fully delineated. The border is classified under 14 divisions. There is a Line of Actual Control in Aksai Chin of Ladakh region that China captured during 1962 war.

China still lays claim over 90,000 sq km of Arunachal Pradesh calling it South Tibet. However, this claim seems to be more a bargain point for China, which could have established its control over large part of the state during after 1962 but it decided to go back to McMohan Line.

Besides the eastern and western sector, there is a middle sector in Uttarakhand where China stakes claim over an area of about 10,000 sq km. All these remain unresolved even after several rounds of talks since 1986. But, the border has largely been peaceful.

BORDER TRESPASSES

Border disputes between India and China are attributed to two main factors: British colonial legacy and contrasting understanding of maps.

The border between India and China lies in the highest altitude zones of the world. The Himalayas are the tallest mountains and the Tibet is the highest plateau of the world. The terrain is rugged and remained unscaled for long.

Both countries see their borders at different points on the ground and both are committed to build infrastructure till the last mile. The result is seen in complaints of incursions. The matter gets complicated as the two nations are militarily very strong.

China has deployed about 3 lakh soldiers in the eastern sector while India has stationed about 1,20,000 soldiers in the region. India has further created a new Mountain Strike Corps of over 90,000 soldiers. Half of the Mountain Strike Corps will be deployed along India-China border.

THE DALAI LAMA AND TIBET

China occupied Tibet in 1950. Tibet had declared independence from China in 1913. A Seventeen Point Agreement was signed and Tibet legally merged with China. India has accepted the merger. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee made a formal announcement during his visit to Beijing in 2003.

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Chinese occupation of Tibet was not welcomed by the masses and the former spiritual kingdom saw an uprising. China responded with force. The 14th Dalai Lama fled to India in 1959. Indian government granted him and his followers political asylum. China accused India of fomenting trouble in Tibet.

The Dalai Lama formed a Tibetan government in exile, which still functions without any real authority over the people. Protests are often staged by Tibetans against China in India and many other countries. China objects to the Dalai Lama's free movement in India and abroad in general and his visit to Arunachal Pradesh in particular.

ARUNACHAL PRADESH AND STAPLED VISA

Upping its ante against India, China began the practice of issuing stapled visa to residents of Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. India has lodged strong protest with China saying by resorting to these tactics Beijing is questioning its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Two years later in 2011, China stopped the practice of issuing stapled visa for the residents of Jammu and Kashmir. But it continues for people living in Arunchal Pradesh.

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BHUTAN AND NEPAL

China has been critical of India's role in and its relationship with Bhutan and Nepal. India has a long tradition of cultural and trade exchanges with both Nepal and Bhutan. India has a security arrangement with Bhutan for protection of its borders.

Nepal has been dependent on India for all practical economic purposes. India facilitates its external trade. Only recently Nepal under former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli signed a pact with China ending Kathmandu's singular dependence on India for foreign trade.

There is an ongoing face-off between Indian and Chinese forces near Sikkim-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction at Daklam plateau. Indian forces are in eyeball-to-eyeball encounter position with the Chinese troops near Doka La.

STRING OF PEARLS

China has an undeclared policy of String of Pearls to encircle India. This involves building of ports and naval bases around India's maritime reaches. China has been active in the Indian Ocean and attempting to encircle India.

China is present at Cocos Island in Myanmar, Chittagong in Bangladesh, Hambantota (Sri Lanka), Marao Atoll (Maldives) and Gwadar (Pakistan). Interestingly, China is the only other country than India to have a fully functional embassy in Male.

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India, on the other hand, has been trying to develop closer arrangements with the countries surrounding China. India has been able to forge friendly relationships not only with Japan, South Korea and Vietnam but also with the central Asian neighbours of China.

RIVER WATER DISPUTE

China is historically involved in river water sharing disputes with almost all its neighbours including Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Brahmaputra river water sharing is the major flashpoint between India and China. China has been building dams after dams in the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra which is called Tsangpo in Tibet. India has objected to it but there has been no formal treaty over sharing of the Brahmaputra water.

Further, China has not been forthcoming in sharing the details about water level in the Brahmaputra, which puts a large tract in the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam to the risk of sudden and huge flood.

India is now planning to build nearly two dozen dams on the Brahmaputra and its tributaries to deal with the flood problem.

NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS GROUP

India has been pushing for entry into the exclusive club of nuclear fuel suppliers - Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). It is a body of 48 nations which have an understanding to supply nuclear fuels to nuclear power nations.

All these nations have ratified the Non-proliferation Treaty, which India has not signed. India calls it discriminatory.

China has been blocking India's attempt to entry to this exclusive club on one or the other pretext. Observers say that China is building a case for Pakistan by blocking India's entry. Pakistan has also applied for entry into the NSG.

TERRORISM

While India has been unequivocal in condemning terror outfits and identified Pakistan as the biggest source of terrorism, China has defended Pakistan at every single forum.

China has blocked India's attempt at the UN for sanctions against Jash-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar. India has been campaigning for sanction against Masood Azar, who has allegedly masterminded several terror attacks in India.

CPEC

China calls Pakistan its all-weather friend and has huge investment in that country. China is building China-Pakistan-Economic-Corridor (CPEC), which passes through the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. India has objected to the CPEC.

India considers building of the CPEC as China's interference in India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. But China has not deterred from going ahead.

China has also developed Gwador port near Karachi to facilitate its maritime trade with West Asia and North Africa. It also gives China a hold in the north Indian Ocean near India's boundaries.

Also Read:

China says 1890 treaty backs claims to Doklam plateau at trijunction

The last Sikkim stand-off: When India gave China a bloody nose in 1967

How India counters China over Doka La face-off near Sikkim

Watch Video: China says 1890 treaty backs claim to Doklam Plateau at trijunction

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India brought in more troops after the destruction of two of its bunkers and "aggressive tactics" adopted by the Chinese Peoples Liberation Arm.

By Press Trust of India: India has pushed in more troops in a "non-combative mode" to strengthen its position in an area near Sikkim, where its soldiers have been locked in a standoff with Chinese troops for almost a month now, in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962.

India brought in more troops after the destruction of two of its bunkers and "aggressive tactics" adopted by the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA), sources said. In a "non- combative mode", the nozzle of a gun is placed downwards.

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Giving details for the first time about the events that preceded the face off between the two armies, the sources said the PLA on June 1 asked the Indian Army to remove the two bunkers set up in 2012 at Lalten in Doka La, which falls in the vicinity of Chumbi Valley at the corner of India-Bhutan-Tibet tri-junction.

BUNKERS POSITIONED AS BACK-UP OPTION

The Indian Army, which had been patrolling this area for many years, decided in 2012 that two bunkers would be positioned there as a backup option, besides providing security to the Bhutan-China border.

The Indian Army forward positions informed Sukna-based 33 Corps Headquarter in North Bengal about the Chinese warnings on the bunkers, the sources said. However, during the night of June 6, two Chinese bulldozers destroyed the bunkers, claiming that the area belonged to China and that India or Bhutan had no right over it, the sources said.

Indian troops on the ground prevented the Chinese men and machines from doing any further damage or transgressing into the area, they said.

Additional forces from nearby brigade headquarters, located 20 km from the face off point, were moved in on June 8 during which a scuffle led to soldiers on both sides suffering minor injuries.

PLA troops were rushed in from its 141 division located in the area, prompting the Indian Army to also strengthen its position.

LONGEST STAND-OFF

This is the longest standoff between the two armies since 1962. The last one, which carried on for 21 days, occurred at Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh division of Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when Chinese troops entered 30 km into Indian territory till the Depsang Plains and claimed it to be a part of its Xinjiang province.

They were, however, pushed back.

Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state which has a demarcated border with China. The lines are based on a treaty signed with the Chinese in 1898.

After the India-China war of 1962, the area where the Indian troops are stationed was placed under the Indian Army and the ITBP, which is the border guarding force and has a camp 15 km from the international border.

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As the scuffle broke out between the two sides, the Indian Army rushed an officer of the Major General rank to the area and a flag meeting was sought with the Chinese counterparts.

China rejected two such requests from the Indian side, but accepted the third call for a meeting, where it asked the Indian Army to withdraw its troops from the Lalten area, which falls in Doka La.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it to be part of its Donglang region.

YATRA REFUSED

As a fallout of the standoff, the Chinese refused to allow the first batch of 47 pilgrims, who were to conduct the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, into Tibet. They also conveyed to the Indian side that visas of another batch of 50 yatris had also been cancelled, the sources said, describing the move as an indication of "increased tempers" in Beijing.

The Sikkim route to Mansarovar, which is in Tibet, was opened in 2015, enabling pilgrims to travel the 1500-km long route from Nathu La to Kailash by buses.

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It is not the first time that such a transgression has happened at Doka La. The Chinese forces had in November 2008 destroyed some makeshift Indian army bunkers there.

Defence experts believe China wants to exert its dominance over the Chumbi Valley, which is a part of the southern reaches of Tibet. By claiming the Doka La area, Beijing wants to maximise its geographical advantage so that it can monitor all movements along the India-Bhutan border.

China has also increased diplomatic pressure on India and lodged a protest over the alleged "crossing of boundary" by Indian troops in the Sikkim section.

They demanded their immediate withdrawal, as Beijing warned that future visits of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar would depend on the resolution of the standoff.

"Our position to uphold our territorial sovereignty is unwavering. We hope the Indian side can work with China in the same direction and immediately withdraw the personnel who have overstepped and trespassed into Chinese border," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang had told the media in Beijing last week.

CHINA SPEAKS TOUGH

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Peoples Liberation Army spokesman Col Wu Qian also spoke a tough language while making a reference to the 1962 Sino- India conflict, saying that New Delhi should "learn historical lessons".

Qian described Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's remarks that India was ready for a "two-and-a-half front war" as "extremely irresponsible" and asked him to "stop clamouring for war".

Rawat had said India was prepared for security threats posed by China, Pakistan as well as by internal threats.

"Such rhetoric is extremely irresponsible. We hope that the particular person in the Indian Army could learn from historical lessons and stop such clamouring for war," he had said.

The Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, made New Delhi's stand clear when he said the India of 2017 was different from that of 1962.

"If they are trying to remind us, the situation in 1962 was different and the India of 2017 is different," Jaitley had said when asked about China's warning.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.

Also read: Beyond Doka La: 10 irritants in India-China relation

Also read: Sikkim stand-off: India 'ignored international law', alleges China's official media

ALSO WATCH:

China ups the ante, cites 1890 Sikkim-Tibet treaty to stake claim over Doklam plateau

--- ENDS ---
WASHINGTON  With thousands of south Louisiana homeowners receiving startling increases in the cost of their flood insurance, members of the Louisiana congressional delegation said Thursday they have run out of patience waiting for FEMA to explain what went into calculating the new rates.
Welcome to nonleaguedaily.coms news provision, your go-to source for all non league updates, rumours, interviews, and much more besides.

Founded by a team with a genuine passion for the world of non league football, nonleaguedaily.com understands exactly what supporters of the so-called lower leagues are looking for. You want the high-quality reporting, in-depth analysis, and match reporting that matches that is more commonly found in the journalism for the top flights, but with the focus firmly fixed on the national leagues.

We understand that your passion, interest, and dedication is constant, and we believe you need a news service that matches that commitment with its own dedication and thoroughness  so thats what you can expect from our site.

The latest non league news, as and when it happens

Conventionally, non league news has always travelled fairly slowly, especially when compared to the instantaneous, constant breaking news cycles found in the upper leagues. Tales are told on terraces, rumours passed between pub patrons and circled between supporters at the latest game, often forced to remain somewhat local initially before word eventually spreads to other locales.

For us, this slow spread may be fairly organic in nature, but it simply isnt compatible with the modern football environment. Its also not conducive to the current fast-paced, always-available media landscape, nor the way that people tend to consume news nowadays. Thats why we have put together a non league news source that fans can turn to for the latest updates, as and when they happen, and as and when you want to read them. Non-league news now is the only acceptable speed at Betting.co.uk.

We update our non-league football news coverage constantly, bringing you all the latest developments and seeking to spread the word as quickly and accurately as possible. So if youre wondering whats happening both with your local team and with the lower leagues as a whole, you can visit us for non league news now, and be confident the stories you find are completely up to date.

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When compiling non league news, we think with the mind of a fan first and foremost. We cover the angles and stories that we find compelling and that we know our fellow non league enthusiasts also care about. News doesnt have to be dry and formulaic, in our opinion. When its written by people who are genuinely as fascinated by the stories they are reporting on as their readership will be, we believe news can be interesting, compelling, and even have a sense of personality and humour.

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A friend of young southwest Iowa mouths is hanging it up.

Linda Meyers, coordinator of the I-Smile oral health program at FAMILY Inc., retired Friday.

She helped get the program started in Pottawattamie County and coordinated its operation in Mills County.

Since then, she and her staff have applied fluoride varnish and sealant to thousands of elementary students teeth. Last year, they served students at 18 schools in Pottawattamie and Mills counties.

Meyers work has won kudos from officials at the Iowa Department of Public Health.

Linda has been a tremendous asset to I-Smile and families in this area, said Tracy Rodgers, an executive with the Bureau of Oral and Health Delivery Systems at IDPH.

It was in 2006 when the Iowa Department of Public Health announced that it would start the program and needed dental hygienists to staff it, Meyers said. I-Smile and Maternal Child Health would become parts of the same grant.

I was in private practice at the time, and it sounded like something new and adventurous, she said.

The University of Iowa was to administer the grant through the Child Health Specialty Clinic. Meyers was hired in February 2007 to help implement the program.

After three years, the grant was up for bid again, and the university did not want to continue operating the program, she said.

FAMILY Inc. bid for the grant and was selected. She then applied at FAMILY for the position she had held for three years at Child Health Specialty Clinic and was chosen.

Meyers did hit a glitch in 2015, when IDPH cited her and two others for allowing dental hygiene students to provide limited care to children without direct supervision by a dentist. A new interpretation of Iowa Dental Board rules held that supervision by dental hygienists was not enough.

This year, FAMILY is also reaching out to students in Fremont County, Meyers said. The agency that normally serves that county was unable to adequately staff the program, she said.

FAMILY is now pushing to raise awareness of the need for children to have their first appointment with a dentist by the time they turn 1.

Meyers entered the dental field almost by chance.

I was graduating from high school and didnt have a clue what I wanted to do, she said.

She was hoping to marry her high school sweetheart and become a stay-at-home mom, Meyers said.

A friend of mine had gotten a job at a dental office. She called me and said there was an opening for a dental assistant. At that time, a lot of assistants were trained on the job.

After a few years, though, Meyers decided to go back to school.

I love dentistry, but I wanted to do more, she said.

In 1978, she entered a two-year dental hygiene program at Central Community College in Hastings, Nebraska and became certified.

I went back to work for the same dentist I worked for as a dental assistant (Kent McArdle, who is now with New Image Dentistry).

Meyers and her husband, Bernie (formerly her high school sweetheart), have two adult sons and four grandchildren.
There is a view that the Indians alleged to have parked their illicit money in Swiss banks in the past may have shifted the funds to other locations after a global clampdown began on the mighty banking secrecy practices in Switzerland.

By Press Trust of India: India has slipped to 88th place in terms of money parked by its citizens with Swiss banks, while the UK remains on the top.

Also, the money officially held by Indians with banks in Switzerland now accounts for a meagre 0.04 per cent of the total funds kept by all foreign clients in the Swiss banking system, as per an analysis of the latest figures compiled by the SNB (Swiss National Bank) as on 2016-end.

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India was placed at 75th position in 2015 and at 61st in the year before that, though it used to be among top-50 countries in terms of holdings in Swiss banks till 2007. The country was ranked highest at 37th place in the year 2004.

The latest data from Zurich-based SNB comes ahead of a new framework for automatic exchange of information between Switzerland and India to help check the black money menace.

The funds, described by SNB as 'liabilities' of Swiss banks or 'amounts due to' their clients, are the official figures disclosed by the Swiss authorities and do not indicate to the quantum of the much-debated alleged black money held by Indians in the safe havens of Switzerland.

INDIANS MIGHT HAVE SHIFTED THEIR WEALTH

SNB's official figures also do not include the money that Indians, NRIs or others might have in Swiss banks in the names of entities from different countries.

There is a view that the Indians alleged to have parked their illicit money in Swiss banks in the past may have shifted the funds to other locations after a global clampdown began on the mighty banking secrecy practices in Switzerland.

Swiss banks have also said Indians have "few deposits" in Swiss banks compared to other global financial hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong amid stepped-up efforts to check the black money menace.

The total money held in Swiss banks by foreign clients from across the world, incidentally rose by a small margin from 1.41 trillion Swiss francs (CHF) to CHF 1.42 trillion during 2016.

In terms of individual countries, the UK accounted for the largest chunk at about CHF 359 (over 25 per cent) of the total foreign money with Swiss banks.

The US came second with nearly CHF 177 billion or about 14 per cent. No other country accounted for a double-digit percentage share, while others in the top-ten included West Indies, France, Bahamas, Germany, Guernsey, Jersey, Hong Kong and Luxembourg.

Indians' share not even one-hundredth of the total money.

India is now ranked 88th with 676 million Swiss francs (about Rs 4,500 crore) -- a record low after falling for three consecutive years amid a continuing clampdown on the suspected black money stashed behind their famed secrecy walls.

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The share of Indians' money in the total foreign funds of Swiss banks also fell to 0.04 per cent (from 0.08 per cent in 2015).

PAKISTAN AHEAD OF INDIA IN BLACK STASH

Pakistan continued to remain placed higher than India at 71st place (although down from 69th in 2015) with about CHF 1.4 billion -- though down to below 0.1 per cent of total foreign money parked with Swiss banks.

India was also the lowest ranked among the BRICS nations -- Russia was ranked 19th (CHF 15.6 billion), China 25th (CHF 9.6 billion), Brazil 52nd (CHF 2.7 billion) and South Africa 61st (CHF 2.2 billion).

Among these five, only China has moved up.

Others ranked higher than India included Mauritius, Iran, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Angola, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Canada and Mexico.

INDIA'S DECLINING RANK

A number of offshore financial centres are also ranked higher including Cayman Islands, Panama, Cyprus, Marshall Islands, Bermuda, Seychelles, Isle of Man and Gibraltar.

Among India's neighbouring countries, Bangladesh was ranked 89th (CHF 667.5 million), while Nepal was 150th (CHF 312 million), Sri Lanka was 151st (CHF 307 million) and Bhutan was way below at 282nd (about half a million Swiss francs).

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The total money belonging to the developed countries fell to CHF 824 billion, while those from developing nations actually rose marginally to CHF 208 million.

The money from developing economies in Asia-Pacific region rose to CHF 50 billion.

The funds parked in Swiss banks from offshore financial centres rose to CHF 389 billion.

India was ranked in top-50 continuously between 1996 and 2007, but started declining after that -- 55th in 2008, 59th in 2009 and 2010 each, 55th again in 2011, 71st in 2012 and then to 58th in 2013.

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According to reports, at least three terrorists are believed to be hiding in the village. Two have been identified as Hizbul Mujahideen top commander Reyaz Naikoo and his aide Saifulla Mir.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu, Shuja-ul-Haq , Ashraf Wani: Clashes have erupted between locals and security personnel deployed near Awantipora's Malangpora village in Pulwama, after the forces cordoned the area to launch search operation.

According to reports, at least three terrorists are believed to be hiding in the village. Two have been identified as Hizbul Mujahideen top commander Reyaz Naikoo and his aide Saifulla Mir.

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The area is resounding with announcements on public speakers, urging people to hamper the search operation by pelting stones on security forces.

Top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Riyaz Naikoo is believed to be trapped in Pulwama village.

The speakers are blaring messages like 'Save our brothers' near the Malangpora village.

The search operation is underway, while some reports also suggest that the encounter has begun.

More details awaited.

Also read: Hizbul Mujahideen chief Syed Salahuddin: Global terrorist for US but a free bird in Pakistan

Also read: Will throw out terrorists, they kill Shias and Hindus: Watch PoK leader warn Pakistan Army

Also read: Many Indians thank team India for losing Champions Trophy to Pakistan

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A fundraising page set up in memory of Nottingham's official Maid Marian will support a range of cancer and end of life charities.

Dr Sally Pollard died on Friday, June 16, aged just 39 after losing her battle with breast cancer.

Sally was a lecturer and researcher in human molecular genetics at The University of Nottingham.

She was diagnosed with the disease in July 2015 after she started noticing changes in her breasts. She visited her local GP and specialists confirmed the devastating news that it had spread to her bones and liver.

Sally and her husband Tim Pollard - the city's official Robin Hood - received help from a number of charities, including Macmillan Cancer Support , during her fight against the disease.

As a 'thank you' for that support, Tim set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money for Macmillian Cancer Support, the Red Cross, Nottingham City Hospital's Hayward House Specialist Palliative Care Unit, Nottingham and Treetops Hospices and Maggie's Nottingham on Friday (June 30).

Tim asked loved ones to donate to the Sally Pollard's Thank You Fund instead of having flowers at Sally's funeral, and by Sunday (July 2) afternoon 985 had already been raised.

The 53-year-old, who lives in Beeston, is overwhelmed by the "brilliant" support.

He said: "The help that Sal got was second to none. It was lovely care from all of the organisations involved.

"She really wanted to stay at home if possible and thankfully, with the help of the Red Cross and both of the Nottingham hospices - especially our Macmillan nurse, who was just brilliant - we managed.

"When the time came, she was at home surrounded by everybody that loved her and that meant everything to her - that's a simple thing but it's an important thing. If we can raise some money to help someone have a bit of extra care and help from the people that helped us that's brilliant."

Sally's funeral will be held in private but Tim will be celebrating her life with family and friends at the Nottingham Riverside Festival, which was "always Sal's favourite".

The three-day festival, held on Victoria Embankment, starts on Friday, August 4, which would have been Sally's 40th birthday.

Tim said: "This year would have been her 40th birthday. We're turning Riverside into 'Sal Fest' so that anybody who knows or loves Sal can come down and make it a big celebration."

Last month, Tim told The Post that a tree will be planted over Sally's final resting place.

It will be called 'Mummy's Tree' and will be a place that Tim and the couple's three-year-old daughter Scarlett can visit regularly.

You can find the Sally Pollard's Thank You Fund page here .
The state executive is likely to discuss the ongoing controversy between the JD(U) and RJD following Nitish Kumar's decision to support NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

There is growing friction between Nitish Kumar and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: The state executive meet of the Janata Dal United will be held in Patna today. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar along with JD(U) state president Bashishtha Narayan Singh will participate in the day-long meet.

The members of the state executive party bearers and all district presidents will also attend the meet.

According to sources, the state executive is likely to discuss the ongoing controversy between the JD(U) and RJD following Nitish Kumar and his party's decision to support the NDA presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind.

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It is evident that there is growing friction between Nitish Kumar and RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav. Nitish Kumar has even predicted defeat of Opposition's presidential nominee Miera Kumar.

The meeting is also likely to review the performance of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre in the last 3 years.

What is significant is that in this meeting, Nitish Kumar is likely to present a blueprint of his party ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

After the meeting, the national executive of JD(U) is also scheduled to be held on July 23-24 in New Delhi.

ALSO READ | Bihar ki beti will lose presidential election: Nitish on Meira Kumar

Bihar: Sushil Modi offers BJP support to Nitish if he pulls out of Mahagathbandhan

ALSO WATCH | Presidential election 2017: Bihar's ex-Governor Ram Nath Kovind versus Bihar ki beti Meira Kumar

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GE Aviation said its Indiana operations will play a large part in more than $31 billion in orders and commitments the company announced at last week's Paris Air Show. GE's $110 million jet engine assembly plant in Lafayette has more than 70 employees, and could grow to more than 230 when the LEAP engine program reaches peak production.

Columbus set for $80M investment

Leaders from Columbus-based Cummins Inc., rail transit companies, the state and the city of Columbus will Wednesday detail $80 million in investment in the Bartholomew County city. A press conference that will include Governor Eric Holcomb, Mayor Jim Lienhoop and Cummins President Rich Freeland will involve the unveiling of two planned projects downtown.

First CEO announced for 16 Tech

Bob Coy has been named the first president and chief executive officer of 16 Tech. The 60-acre innovation community near IUPUI is billed as a transformational development in Indianapolis' bid to attract talent.

Coy most recently served as CEO of Ohio-based venture development organization CincyTech, which pumped more than $680 million into 70 different startups during his nearly 12 years at the helm.

16 Tech Community Corp. also announced a $2 million grant from the Indianapolis-based Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation, to fuel talent attraction efforts. Coy said 16 Tech attracted his attention because "it's a big vision, it's a big idea."

Proposal re-imagines Loeb Stadium

Lafayette Mayor Tony Roswarski has unveiled plans for a $16 million overhaul of the more than 75-year-old Loeb Stadium. The plans call for rotating the current layout 180 degrees so home plate and the stadium's main entrance become a more visible landmark.

Work begins on Riverfront Fort Wayne

Work on the long-awaited Riverfront Fort Wayne officially got underway last week. Fort Wayne Mayor Tom Henry and a host of others broke ground on Promenade Park, which is the first phase of the project.

Manufacturer growing again in Columbia City

Columbia City-based Precision Plastics Inc. is planning to add 32 jobs as part of an expansion. In addition to nearly 12,000 additional square-feet of space, the company said it will install new injection molding machinery as part of a $3 million investment.

Layoffs coming to Logansport facility

Michigan-based Carter Fuel Systems has announced plans for a work force reduction at its facility in Logansport. In a notice to the state, the company said it will lay off more than 80 employees beginning in late August.

Ag industry releases strategic plan

Key stakeholders from the state's agriculture sector have released a strategic plan designed to boost the sector over the next decade. The major priorities include supporting infrastructure improvement efforts, extending high-speed broadband to all parts of the state and better connecting ag education with the private sector.

The committee that drafted the plan included leaders from agricultural boards, universities, industry organizations and government throughout the state.

Indiana Farm Bureau President Randy Kron called agriculture a "main economic driver" and said it will take cooperation across the broad spectrum of the industry to provide a boost.

Evansville Promise Zone hits one year

The city of Evansville is celebrating the one-year anniversary of its federal Promise Zone designation. The city said it has secured more than $16 million in state, local and federal funding with more than $20 million in additional financing pending through various grant applications.

Employee 'fit' to be measured

A South Bend-based trucking industry technology company has announced a collaboration with a Belgian HR firm. Stay Metrics said its partnership with Twegos involves an online application the companies say can accurately predict if a driver will be a good fit with an organization, team or colleague.

Winnecke: I-69 bridge plans 'on the right track'

The Indiana and Kentucky project offices for the proposed I-69 Ohio River Crossing are now open. Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke says the offices show the bridge, which would join Evansville with Henderson, Kentucky, is "on the right track and on the way to completing this important connection."

Poseyville Regional Cities project ribbon cutting

State and local officials cut the ribbon on a project in Poseyville supported by Regional Cities Initiative funding. The Poseyville Medical Foundation Inc. has completed work on the $700,000 Regional Medical Center, for which the state contributed more than $135,000.

Sycamore Winery now open in West T

The owners of The Sycamore Winery have cut the ribbon on the $2 million Vigo County attraction. The winery, located in West Terre Haute, includes a tasting room, event space, walking trails and a craft brewery known as Big Leaf Brewing.
LANSING  Whether you hate it, love it or couldnt care less, everyone seems to be talking about Cook County's sugary drink tax.

The people at Vinnie Browns church in Lansing are no exception.

They were talking about it at church on Sunday, Brown, of Lansing, said laughing. But I have to tell you something. I do not buy pop, period. Of course, for all the other people, my heart goes out to them.

For those addicted to sweetened beverages, the penny-per-ounce tax means a 24-pack of 12-ounce cans will cost an additional $2.88.

The tax was set to go into effect Saturday, but a Cook County judge's ruling Friday granted a temporary restraining order that had been sought by Cook County retailers and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association.

The move pushes the effective date to July 12.

'Driving her crazy'

People interviewed last week in Lansing and Calumet City said they plan to cross the nearby state line.

Alonzo Taylor, 63, of Calumet City, said his wife  an avid Pepsi drinker  wont stop talking about the new tax.

Its driving her crazy, Taylor said.

Taylor said he has no problem driving to Northwest Indiana to pick his wife up a case of pop if it means the couple will save money.

If she wants a soda, Ill be more than happy to. Itll take me five minutes to get there, Taylor said. A penny-per-ounce. Thats a lot of money.

'Short drive, big savings'

Retailers in Indiana already are promoting the savings.

Strack & Van Til, the Region's largest locally owned grocery store chain, last week sent advertisements that target Illinois residents.

One advertisement reads "Short Drive. Big Savings. Shop Our Indiana Locations and Skip the Sweetened Beverage Tax." The ad lists how much people would save on various pop items.

"We hope the bordering stores will see an increase in business," said Michael Tyson, chief marketing officer for Strack & Van Til.

David Goldenberg, spokesman with the Can the Tax Coalition, said while that's great news for Indiana retailers, it's bad news for Cook County.

"This is an unfair, far-reaching tax that exists solely to raise revenue on the backs of Cook County working families. It has been a nightmare for retailers and restaurants trying to comply," he said.

When the city of Philadelphia enacted a similar sugary drink tax in January, retailers reported significant losses in not only beverage sales, but other sales as well, he said.

"What you saw were people not changing what they were drinking, but changing where they bought the stuff," he said.

Cook County officials have argued the new tax will raise about $200 million over the next year while promoting more healthy options and reduced sugary drink consumption.

'Overtaxed'

Melaneice Sercye, of Lansing, last week had harsh words for the tax. She rarely drinks regular pop these days, but she loves the zero-calorie options  many of which have artificial sweeteners subject to the new tax.

We're being overtaxed. Its just sad. We might as well go back to England. Thats why we left England, because of taxation," she said.

She said she plans to drive across the Indiana border to Strack & Van Til.

"I'll go there in a minute for groceries," Sercye said. "I already go there for gas. I go to church (in Munster)."

Dan Olmos had placed a dozen or so chilled Pepsi products in a container of ice water Wednesday afternoon at his hot dog stand in Lansing, where he sells drinks, chips and Vienna Beef hot dogs.

The small business owner said he buys the soda through a Chicago-area distributor, Restaurant Depot.

With the new tax going into effect soon, he said he'll have to research the logistics of buying from a distributor in Indiana, and if that move could help his bottom line.

"I'm going to look into it," he said.
Many communities have been keeping an eye on fireworks, but their heads aren't looking toward the sky.

Well before the pyrotechnics are ignited, local municipalities are watching to ensure fireworks retailers are following state and local rules that are in place.

The Lake Station City Council recently adopted an ordinance setting its own regulations that include a $2,500 permitting fee to be paid by fireworks businesses.

City Attorney Michael Deppe said the charge is reasonable because city resources will be used for multiple detailed inspections of fireworks stores and stands.

Deppe said it's the municipality's responsibility to ensure safety, and the ordinance sets out to do that by examining many areas of fireworks establishments.

He said temporary fireworks stands can't be unattended, even when they are closed at night. Retailers may stay on the grounds or have people work in shifts supervising the stands.

Deppe said it would take only one match to cause destruction at a stand that isn't being watched.

Indiana Fireworks Association Executive Director Steven Graves said he believes the purpose of charging such a large amount for a permitting fee would be to prevent fireworks operations in Lake Station.

Graves said many people invest thousands of dollars in product to sell and they wouldn't leave it unattended because they want to protect their investment and stay safe.

Nobody wants to lose money, Graves said.

Deppe said the intention of Lake Station's new ordinance isn't to deter or stop fireworks sales in the city. He said all fireworks can be dangerous, and the community is focusing on keeping people safe.

Valparaiso also requires fireworks retailers to obtain a local permit. The charge is $50 to reimburse the city for administrative costs. Retailers are required to consent to inspections from the Police and Fire departments.

The regulations set in Lake Station, Valparaiso and other communities are in addition to state requirements, which include obtaining a permit from the Indiana State Fire Marshal. That process involves completing an application and submitting information, such as a floor plan of the store. An inspection also is necessary.

Retailers are required to collect sales tax and a fireworks public safety fee.

According to the Indiana Department of Homeland Security, those intentionally failing to collect or remit the public safety fee could face a Class D felony charge.

Although several local communities have created their own fireworks retailer regulations, there are other municipalities which enforce only what is required by the state. Michigan City is among them.

Michigan City Fire Marshal Kyle Kazmierczak said he inspects stores in the city selling fireworks to make sure they have their state permit and follow all of Indiana's laws.

Kazmierczak said businesses are in full compliance the majority of the time. There are occasions in which he comes across a first-time fireworks retailer who is unaware of all the requirements. They are then informed of what they will need to do before fireworks sales could occur.
HIGHLAND  Gary and Shar Miller, co-owners of Prompt Ambulance, plan to retire and close the Lake County emergency ambulance service by the first quarter of 2018.

The Millers made the announcement in a letter to employees on Wednesday.

Its taking quite a while to work through the process, said Gary Miller, CEO, who has run the 24-hour-a-day operation for the past 37 years. His wife, Shar, is the president of Prompt, located at 9835 Express Drive.

We are giving our employees as much notice as possible. We also have contracts with municipalities, said the 57-year-old Highland resident.

Prompt provides ambulance services for Dyer, Highland, Munster, Griffith and East Chicago.

We recently let go of (the municipal service contracts) in Merrillville and Lake Station through smooth transitions, Gary Miller said.

Elmhurst, Illinois-based Superior Ambulance took over the Merrillville facility while Kurtz Ambulance headquartered in New Lenox, Illinois now provides services to Lake Station.

Some employees have been able to go with the takeover companies, he said.

Earlier this year, Prompt sold its operations in Valparaiso and South Bend to former company vice president Ron Donohue. Donohue operates InHealth Integrated Care, which provides non-emergency ambulance services.

Prompt Ambulance also has operations in Rensselaer, Lafayette, Logansport and Frankfort, Indiana.

Right now those are still under our control, Gary Miller said, adding the company plans to retain its dispatch center to provide on-call medical transport.

The ambulance service has a rich history, he said.

Millers grandfather started the ambulance service in Dyer in 1932.

In those days, ambulances were operated by funeral homes. My moms maiden name was Fagen. When they got married, he added the name Miller and it became Fagen-Miller Ambulance Service, Gary Miller said.

However, operating a 24-7 ambulance service takes its toll, he said.

My father died when he was 50. The 37 years Ive worked is a long time, he said about a reason for retirement.

Were quite proud of the support the whole company and our employees have been to nonprofits and other organizations, Gary Miller said. Shar and I have served on the boards of nonprofits and other groups.

In retirement, he said he will continue to advocate for Emergency Medical Services.

Ive served on EMS Commissions for several governors, Gary Miller said. Its in my blood.
The Indiana Historical Society (IHS) announced the Cedar Lake Historical Association and the Friends of Barker Civic Center are among a select group of organizations honored with Heritage Support Grants, made possible by a grant from Lilly Endowment Inc.

The Cedar Lake Historical Association is being awarded $34,000 in preparation for a capital campaign to renovate the Lake of the Red Cedars Museum, located at 7408 Constitution Ave. The funds will be used to hire a fundraising consultant, collections care assessor, preservation architect and geotechnical engineer, among others.

The award comes on the heels of two other Heritage Support Grants, including a $4,500 grant awarded in the fall of 2016, which was used to begin a structural evaluation of the Museum.

"The Board of Governors is excited to continue with planning for a significant renovation project to improve the structural integrity of the Museum's foundation," said Julie Zasada, executive director of the Cedar Lake Historical Association. "We are hopeful that the renovations will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the property's operation as a resort hotel, which is in 2020."

Once known as the Lassen Resort, the hotel welcomed summer vacationers to Cedar Lake from 1920 until shortly after World War II. The historic building was sold to the Lake Region Christian Assembly and then sold again to the Town of Cedar Lake.

When it became evident town officials were considering tearing down the decaying hotel, the association was formed and rallied to save it. Today, the organization operates the old Lassen Hotel as a museum, consisting of 14 rooms featuring settings from the past and many special exhibits.

In addition, an $11,600 Heritage Support Grant is being awarded to the Friends of Barker Civic Center to help preserve the history of the region. The funding will be used to hire student interns, as well as purchase equipment needed to digitize the Barker Mansion archives. As the project gets underway, Barker Mansion staff will work alongside faculty and students from Purdue University Northwest (PNW) to digitize existing archival materials. In addition, original documents will be stored safely to prevent further wear and tear.

"The end goal is to become a center of research, having properly cared for archival materials and made them more accessible to the public via digital files," said Jessica Rosier, who has served as director at Barker Mansion since 2015. "The information will also be made available for future downloads through PNW's website."

Barker Mansion is the second LaPorte County organization to receive a Heritage Support Grant. In 2016, IHS awarded People Engaged in Preservation (PEP), LaPorte's nonprofit historical preservation group, with a grant of $10,600 to publish a book on historic properties. Proceeds from the project are supporting historic preservation projects and education in LaPorte.
By Srijani Ganguly/Mail Today: For three years now, Mumbai-based DJ duo Lost Stories have been going on an annual pilgrimage to Belgium to perform at the Tomorrowland festival. And this month, on July 29, the duo will again be on stage to play their set in front of thousands of people.

"We are going to premiere a lot of new music we have been working on lately," says Rishab Joshi, who makes up Lost Stories along with Prayag Mehta. "Also, this year, we are giving an opportunity to all the upcoming music producers from India to get their music played in our set at Tomorrowland. We are going to run a contest and will pick up a couple of tracks we find hot. Since we love playing indian sounds in our sets, we have a lot of surprise elements already planned."

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Also Read: An 82-year-old female DJ who will motivate you to pursue that dream

Joshi adds, "We will also be adding an element of ethnicity to our set as this is a huge coup for any Indian producer. Also, it's important to place India on the world music map and showcase a little of our culture at such a prominent platform. We are working on a whole new set with a heavy dose of dubstep which we don't generally play in India."

Mehta and Joshi are more famous for their official remixes of Alan Walker's 'Faded' and One Republic's 'Wherever I Go'. On top of that, Lost Stories and Armaan Malik's cover of Justin Bieber's 'Sorry' has more than half a million views on YouTube.

Their new single 'India', with Jetifre and Carta, was released in June. Joshi adds, "Our follow up single is a summer tune - 'Spread The Fire' - which will be out in August. We also plan to tour in the USA, Dubai and the UK next year and look at collaborations with artists like KSHMR and Alan Walker."

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Representatives from Auburn and Opelika met with top executives and key decision makers in the aerospace and aviation industries recently at the Paris Air Show.

The event, which is held every two years at Paris Le Bourget Airport, attracts thousands of people to view exhibits from companies that include Airbus, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls Royce. More than 350,000 people attended when the event was last held in 2015.

Opelika had several appointments with companies that are considering the possibility of locating a facility in the United States, according to Mayor Gary Fuller. He said he expects some of those companies to visit Opelika in the coming months.

The State of Alabama has an excellent reputation with many successful aerospace and aviation that have a plant in our state, Fuller said. Were working very hard, and so are our friends in Auburn, to attract these companies to our community.

Fuller and Opelika Economic Development Director Lori Huguley represented their city at this years show, held in late June. This was Opelikas third visit.

Representatives from the city of Auburn and Auburn University attended the show for the fourth time to recruit companies to come to their city.

We attend these shows when we have specific projects that we are targeting, said Phillip Dunlap, economic development director for the city of Auburn. Since our involvement in targeting aerospace companies we have successfully recruited three companies who are involved in this industry segment. A typical project may take 1-2 years to bring to fruition.

An announcement was made at this year's show by Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey and Winkelmann Group CEO Heinrich Winkelmann that the company, a German-based manufacturer serving the aerospace industry and others, will begin production at its first United States production facility in the Auburn Industrial Park. The new location will be called Winkelmann Flowform Technology LP.

The company plans to invest $12 million to establish the metal-forming plant and expects to create approximately 50 jobs over the next five years, according to a city of Auburn release.
At least four lorries were found carrying the contraband material in the backwater mangroves area near Raigad.

By Baishali Adak: The Maharashtra forest department has lately been investigating into a surprise seizure of 80 MT of capiz sea shells from Navi Mumbai's Ulwe area.

The beautiful marine mollusks with a hard, protective outer case are found scattered across sea shores in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka. Since ages, they have been harvested and used in furniture, lampshades, cutlery and jewellery pieces.

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However, enforcement agencies were surprised to note a new usage - in oil mining rigs in countries of West Asia and Argentina, - for which they were being powdered in a factory in Khopoli and smuggled through the sea route.

At least four lorries were found carrying the contraband material in the backwater mangroves area near Raigad.

FACTORY RAIDED, 20 DETAINED

M Maranko, deputy director of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB), Western Region, said, "We had recently conducted an awareness and training session for the Maharashtra Forest Department, during which we told them about the lesser-known wildlife items trafficked."

"As a result of it, an officer spotted this item in trucks in Ulwe and recognised it as an illegal goods. At least 15-20 labourers were detained and the factory they named was raided. Further questioning is going on," Maranko said.

Though its exact usage in oil rigs is still unclear, the factory owners said the powdered Capiz shell is shoved down big pipes into oil and natural gas beds to condense the natural resource and block it from sinking further into the earth.

As West Asia and Argentina are abundant in oil rigs, it is in high demand there and could have been illegally exported for crores of rupees.

BUSINESS WAS ON SINCE 2015

The shady business was on since 2015, though it came into light only with this catch.

Experts said they were hearing of this practice for the first time.

Dr Deepak Apte, director of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), said, "These are live animals (bivalve mollusks), which develop shells from their blood and salt sea water to protect themselves. While the meat is boiled and eaten, the shells and pearls inside are highly-vaued."

"The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, regulates their trade under Schedule IV. This means that they can be harvested from sea coasts and used in handicrafts etc., but in limited quantities. Sadly, the Schedule IV of WPA is poorly defined and understood. So nobody knows how much can be traded in which State/area and season," he said.

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Capiz shells form beautiful rosette-shaped beds in shallow waters and are easily extracted by fishermen. They are much-favoured for usage in windows and jewellery due to their glossy, translucent quality. Till a few years back, they were found in abundance in Gujarat but have vanished due to over-harvesting. "The same thing will happen in Goa and Maharashtra if the laws regarding Capiz shells are not better enforced," Dr Apte added.

ALSO READ | Forest department seizes 100 juvenile parakeets from hunter in Delhi

Forest department finds new ways to tap rainwater in Gurugram

--- ENDS ---
How to turn $5 billion into $17 billion:

When Bank of America needed more money in 2011 because of mortgage loan problems, Warren Buffett put up $5 billion of Berkshire Hathaways cash in exchange for preferred shares in the bank, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Those shares arent like the stock you might buy, but rather carry some special guarantees.

In this case, the preferred shares have been paying Berkshire 6 percent annual interest, or $300 million a year. Its the fee for taking the risk of investing and for tying up Berkshires money.

Berkshire also can convert the preferred shares into 700 million shares of B of As common stock. Because they are priced at about $24.30 each today, thats $17 billion worth of common shares.

By converting the preferred shares to common shares, Berkshire would make a $12 billion profit, on paper.

In letters to Berkshire shareholders, Buffett, the chairman and CEO of Berkshire, has said he wouldnt convert the shares into common stock unless Bank of America raises the shares dividend so that Berkshire would continue receiving annual payments of at least the same amount.

In recent months, Bank of America, like other big banks in the country, has been going through a stress test and financial review by government bank regulators, which kept its dividend at a lower level, 30 cents per share.

Now that the bank has passed the test, the Wall Street Journal and others report, it is scheduled to raise its dividend to 48 cents. That would pay Berkshire a dividend of $336 million each year.

As a result, Berkshire soon will convert its preferred shares to common shares, giving it about 6.5 percent of Bank of Americas stock and making it the biggest shareholder in the nations second-largest bank. (Its size is just behind JPMorgan Chase.)

At $17 billion, Bank of American will rank second to Berkshires $18 billion investment in Coca-Cola Co., giving further evidence of Buffetts faith in the nations banking industry as a solid investment.

CANADIAN BANK DEAL

Theres another banking deal in the works, this one totaling $1.8 billion, which will make Berkshire the 38 percent owner of Home Capital of Toronto and help resolve the mortgage lenders shortage of money.

In this case, Berkshire agreed to let Home Capital borrow up to $1.5 billion, at 9 percent annual interest, and plans to buy $300 million worth of its stock.

George Washington University law professor and Berkshire follower Lawrence Cunningham noted that he expects Berkshire to continue investing beyond the U.S. borders and that Greg Abel, head of Berkshires energy division and someone who company watchers have named as a potential successor to Buffett, also is Canadian.

Home Capitals stock price, set by Canadian investors, gained 27 percent the day after Berkshire announced its plan, and its offices even attracted more deposits, reflecting what Home Capital Chairwoman Brenda Eprile called a strong vote of confidence by Buffett.

MILWAUKEE RADIO

A public radio station in Milwaukee was in financial trouble when Peter Buffett, Warrens younger son, stepped in.

Now, 10 years later, WYMS (now branded as 88Nine Radio Milwaukee) is going strong, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported.

Were trying to reflect Milwaukee back to itself, said Peter Buffett, who lived in Milwaukee from 1989 to 2005. Hes a New York City composer and piano performer and with his wife, Jennifer, heads a foundation funded by his father.

Milwaukee Public Schools were using tax money to support the jazz-oriented station, whose initials stand for Your Milwaukee Schools, but finances were tight.

Jeff Bentoff, a former newspaper reporter and city government official, relayed the predicament to Peter Buffett, and he and a group struck a deal to keep the station operating while the school district kept the radio license.

The station has moved out of its school offices to its own building, thanks to more than 1,700 donors contributing $2.8 million, and is continuing its mission of playing local musicians work and other music, with some live concerts and an online station.

FURNITURE INDUSTRY AWARD

Mrs. B is a longtime member of the Furniture Hall of Fame, and now her grandson, Irv Blumkin, has been honored as retailer of the year by the International Home Furnishings Representatives Association of High Point, North Carolina.

At the groups recent industry conference in Greensboro, North Carolina, Irv Blumkin, chairman and CEO of the Berkshire-owned Nebraska Furniture Mart, received the award for industry leadership, industry achievement and community service.

He began working at Rose Blumkins furniture store at age 8 and was, according to his award citation, guided to learn the business by his grandmother and his father, Louie Blumkin.

Irv returned to Omaha after earning a business degree from the University of Arizona in 1975 and helped the company expand its retail space to 1.4 million square feet in Omaha, Kansas City, Kansas, and The Colony, Texas.

The Omaha World-Herald is owned by Berkshire Hathaway Inc.
A 26-year-old man was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center early Sunday after being shot while in a vehicle near U.S. Highway 75 and Cuming Street.

Warren Copelands injuries were not considered life-threatening, said Officer Michael Pecha, a spokesman for the Omaha Police Department. Devron Franklin, 28, who was also in the vehicle, was treated at the Creighton University medical clinic near 24th and Cuming Streets for a neck injury suffered in the crash.

Investigators determined that Copeland and Franklin were northbound on Highway 75 about 3 a.m. in a Chevrolet Suburban when someone from another vehicle began shooting. At least one shot hit Copeland and caused the vehicle to crash.

Copeland was found near 26th and Burt Streets. Franklin walked to the clinic, Pecha said.

Anyone with any information about the shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 402-444-STOP (7867) or go to omahacrimestoppers.org. Tipsters remain anonymous and may be eligible for a $10,000 cash reward

* * * * *

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said the gunshot victim was taken to Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy.
SCHUYLER  A man considered to be a person of interest in the death of a Schuyler resident died Friday evening, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, as law enforcement prepared to arrest him, authorities said.

An arrest warrant for the man had been issued Friday afternoon in connection with the death of Janner Ramon Torres Diaz, 33, according to the Colfax County Attorneys Office.

Torres Diaz died from multiple gunshot wounds that he suffered shortly before 2 a.m. Tuesday at the Schuyler Inn, said Schuyler Police Chief K.C. Bang. Officers dispatched to the motel found the wounded Torres Diaz on a second-story balcony of the motel, where he lived. He was later pronounced dead at the local hospital.

During the investigation into the death, a person of interest was identified by eyewitnesses, according to the press release.

The Nebraska State Patrols SWAT team was activated on Friday, and law enforcement set up a perimeter around the mans residence.

As law enforcement closed in about 5:45 p.m., officers heard what they believed to be two gunshots. A patrol robot was deployed and confirmed that the man inside was dead.

The name was being withheld until relatives could be notified.

No other suspects are being sought in the death of Torres Diaz, according to the County Attorneys Office.

Torres Diaz had worked at the local Cargill plant since August 2016, a company spokesman said.
Nearly a half-million people could descend on the total eclipse zone in Nebraska on Aug. 21, according to an analysis by a veteran eclipse chaser and map expert.

Michael Zeiler, who created the Great American Eclipse website, based his forecast on the countrys road networks, population distribution and his estimation of how far people would be willing to drive to see the spectacular event.

Nebraska is the closest, most convenient state for motorists from Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota and North Dakota to view the eclipse, he said.

He predicts anywhere from 117,000 to 466,000 visitors will drive into the 70-mile-wide, 500-mile-long zone in Nebraska where the moon will totally block out the sun for a couple of minutes.

The analysis does not include people who are flying in from other states or countries.

Zeiler created what he calls drive-shed maps, which he said are analogous to maps of river systems. A watershed map models how drops of rain accumulate on the surface, and how they flow through rivulets, streams and then rivers, he said.

The same thing will happen with traffic, Zeiler said. People coming from all over are naturally going to take the shortest path or the near-shortest path to their destination. So theyre inevitably going to get funneled on certain Interstates and highways.

His analysis predicts potential traffic choke points in extreme southeast Nebraska, where the center line of totality runs just south of Falls City. The duration of the eclipse is longest on the center line.

In South Carolina, the intersection of Interstate 95 and the center line is the closest point for almost a third of the U.S. population, making it an absolutely predictable nightmare area, he said.

He predicts that Missouri, Oregon and Tennessee will also see major impacts because of the proximity of populated areas.

Nationally, between 1.85 million and 7.4 million people will travel to the totality zone that runs from Oregon to South Carolina, he said.

Zeiler, a writer and analyst for the geographic information system mapping company Esri, said his estimates should be viewed as an initial approximation. Actual traffic patterns will be influenced significantly by weather and the buzz generated around the event on social media, he said.

For a majority of Americans, this is not on their radar yet, he said. But I think that this being the first total solar eclipse in the social media era for this country, it will have a huge impact. This is exactly the kind of event that will go viral on social media.

Zeiler, who lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico, said he has personally observed eight solar eclipses.

He has reservations to watch this one in Wyoming, but will be flexible enough to race to Idaho or Nebraska if necessary to avoid a storm system. Hes been chasing eclipses since 1991.

He said the goal of his analysis is not to scare people about traffic snarls but to help them plan.

Theres plenty of room inside the path of totality if people distribute themselves well, he said. The other piece of advice is to arrive early and, in fact, try to arrive the day before  unless youre just outside the path  and preferably two days before.

People should try to be as self-sufficient as possible, he said. Bring tents, sleeping bags, food, water and toilet paper, he said.

Most hotels inside the path are booked, but there may be other options, he said.

I get emails every day from farmers or landowners that tell me Ive got this piece of land that Im going to set up as a temporary campground,  he said. So there are going to be a lot of pop-up camping sites for the eclipse.

Nebraska is attractive to eclipse chasers because of its good highway system and favorable weather in the western half, he said. A 225-mile stretch of Interstate 80, between Lincoln and North Platte, lies within the totality zone.

To create the maps, Zeiler estimated that a person living 200 miles away would have a .5 percent to 2 percent probability of driving into the path of totality. For people living 400 miles away, he cut that probability in half. He halved it again for those 800 miles away.

He said he is scheduled to meet with transportation officials from several states in a few weeks to help them plan.

He said transportation officials, including those in Nebraska, have looked at his numbers and consider them plausible.

Now, nobody can be a hundred percent certain about my results, because theres some intangibles that are just about impossible to quantify, he said. But this is the best estimate that I can make with the geographic data that I have.

Officials with the Nebraska Department of Transportation have looked at his estimates.

Trouble is, the numbers are only estimates, said Jeni Lautenschlager, the departments communication services manager. Nobody really knows how many people are going to show up, she said.

We know theres going to be a lot of cars, she said.

That could particularly be true along I-80, she said. But what if a big storm blocks the view that day? Will Nebraskans be driving to Wyoming or Missouri instead? Thats a question impossible to predict right now.

The department plans to use its 511 road conditions phone system, alert signs, an app and a special website to keep motorists informed, she said.

We anticipate using our dynamic message boards over the Interstate to help communicate that day so as people are driving down they at least can look up on a sign and say Oh, yes, eclipse is coming today, so at least theyre somewhat prepared for it if they arent already notified of it, she said.

The department is hoping, however, that people plan ahead and dont pull off on the Interstate shoulder to watch, Lautenschlager said.

John Ricks, executive director of the Nebraska Tourism Commission, said Zeilers estimate is the only one hes seen on potential visitors.

We have been keeping the pulse anecdotally talking to people, Ricks said. But Im pretty sure if you did a survey of hotels anywhere near that midline  if you called hotels across the state  theres nothing available.

Zeiler said a total solar eclipse is absolutely the most spectacular phenomenon you can see in nature.

You really cant prepare yourself for the magnificent sight, he said. Its like nothing youve seen before in your life. Its as if for a couple of minutes youve been transported to an alien surface, because it just looks so different.

The next solar eclipse to hit the United States will be on April 8, 2024. Its path runs from Texas to Maine, clipping the southern ends of Missouri and Illinois. It wont go through Nebraska, so it will be Nebraskans turn to travel.
By PTI: Panaji, Jul 1 (PTI) BJP president Amit Shah today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his three years in office has visited fewer foreign nations than his predecessor Manmohan Singh.

In an interaction with elected local body representatives here, the BJP chief said he was surprised as to why people think otherwise.

Shah said a BJP worker explained the reason behind this to him. "A party worker told me that when Manmohan Singh used to go abroad, nobody knew," he said.

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He said Singh used to read out from written speeches on his foreign tours.

"He carried pages written in English and come back after reading them. Sometimes he read in Thailand the pages meant to be read in Malaysia and vice-versa," he claimed.

Shah said during Singhs tenure, the world never used to know whether the Indian PM went to China, the USA or Russia.

"But now when Modiji goes to China, America, Russia, France, Japan, Sri Lanka... thousands of people gather at airport to receive him and the entire world watches him," he said. PTI RPS RMT TIR

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: (Eds: With additional details and quote of forest official)

Bhopal, Jul 2 (PTI) In a bid to create a Guinness World Record, the Madhya Pradesh government today carried out a drive to plant six crore saplings in 12-hours along the banks of river Narmada.

Uttar Pradesh currently holds the record of planting five crore saplings in 24-hours.

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"The Uttar Pradesh government had created a world record by planting five crore saplings in 24-hours but in two days (12 hours per day) in July last year," State Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Animesh Shukla told PTI.

"Our department alone has planted more than 3 crore saplings today," Shukla said.

An official from the state public relation office said, "Gathering data from the 24 districts of the state is still on to reach the exact figure. Till now, information available with us suggests that around six crore saplings were planted under the drive."

The plantation drive that started at 7 am continued till 7 pm along the banks of the river covering 24 districts of the state.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the day- long campaign by performing puja and planting saplings this morning at Amarkantak, from where river Narmada originates.

Chouhan said the entire state is fulfilling the commitment to enrich greenery around Maa Narmada today.

"By planting trees, we are not only serving Madhya Pradesh but the world at large," Chouhan said in a tweet.

"Children, youth, women, cutting across religion and class are participating in this noble cause of planting trees," he tweeted.

He said the representatives of Guinness World Records too were present at different spots to monitor the drive.

Arrangement for three crore saplings was made by the forest department, while remaining three crore by other departments and private nurseries. PTI LAL ADU ARS RMT RAX

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: (Eds: Recasting intro, adding details and quote of forest official)

Bhopal, Jul 2 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh government today claimed to have planted six crore saplings on the banks of Narmada in 12 hours as part of its river conservation efforts, a feat that may find its way into the Guinness World Records.

The current record of plantinmg maximum saplings in least time - five crore in 24 hours - is held by Uttar Pradesh.

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"The Uttar Pradesh government had created a world record by planting five crore saplings in 24 hours but in two days (12 hours per day) in July last year," State Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Animesh Shukla told PTI.

"Our department alone has planted more than 3 crore saplings today," Shukla said.

An official from the state public relation office said, "Gathering data from the 24 districts of the state is still on to reach the exact figure. Till now, information available with us suggests that around six crore saplings were planted under the drive."

The plantation drive that started at 7 am continued till 7 pm along the banks of the river covering 24 districts of the state.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan launched the day- long campaign by performing puja and planting saplings this morning at Amarkantak, from where river Narmada originates.

Chouhan said the entire state is fulfilling the commitment to enrich greenery around Maa Narmada today.

"By planting trees, we are not only serving Madhya Pradesh but the world at large," Chouhan said in a tweet.

"Children, youth, women, cutting across religion and class are participating in this noble cause of planting trees," he tweeted.

He said the representatives of Guinness World Records too were present at different spots to monitor the drive.

Arrangement for three crore saplings was made by the forest department, while remaining three crore by other departments and private nurseries. PTI LAL ADU ARS RMT SK RAX

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Srinagar, Jul 2 (PTI) Opposition National Conference today warned the Jammu and Kashmir government of severe consequences if it implemented the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in its present form, saying the party would not accept the new tax regime till adequate safeguards were put in place.

"Our position is that till we get the constitutional, administrative and economic safeguards, NC will not accept the GST...They (government) should not do it (implement GST in its present form). But if they still do it, they will have to face the consequences," senior NC leader Abdul Rahim Rather said here.

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Rather, accompanied by party state spokesperson Junaid Mattu, was addressing a press conference.

Mattu said the party would safeguard the special status of Jammu and Kashmir as guaranteed under Article 370 of the Constitution.

"We will do everything we can to safeguard it. If they (government) still are adamant to apply GST in its present form), we will explore other options to fight,? he said.

Hitting out at Finance Minister Haseeb Drabus statement that the state Assembly was likely to pass the GST bill by July 6, Rather asked if the government had made up its mind, "what is the fun of calling a special session of the legislature". PTI SSB SRY

--- ENDS ---
Gov. Pete Ricketts and Nebraska business leaders are sending the right signals about maintaining strong relations with the states top two trading partners, Mexico and Canada.

In May, Ricketts hosted a Mexican trade delegation along with representatives of the U.S. Grains Council and the National Corn Growers Association. In August, Ricketts will lead a Nebraska delegation on a five-day trade mission to Canada.

Last year, Nebraska sold $1.4 billion worth of goods to Mexico (its the No. 1 foreign buyer of Nebraska corn) and $1.2 billion to Canada.

Nebraska is making the right move with this outreach to key trading partners. We cant afford for these economic ties to be disrupted.
By PTI: By Pallava Bagla

Yekateringburg (Russia), Jul 2 (PTI) Hidden from public, on the shores of the Bay of Bengal at Kalpakkam near Chennai, Indian nuclear scientists are in the final throes of starting a high-tech giant stove more than 15 years in the making.

This novel nuclear reactor is a kind of an akshaya patra, the mythical goblet with a never-ending supply of food.

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The Department of Atomic Energy is getting ready to commission its ultra-modern indigenously designed and locally mastered fast breeder reactor.

Experts say to make nuclear energy sustainable, one sure shot way is to make fast breeder reactors mainstream.

Yukiya Amano, Director General of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Vienna, says "fast reactors can help extract up to 70 per cent more energy than traditional reactors and are safer than traditional reactors while reducing long lived radioactive waste by several fold."

Easier said than done, since these reactors are also notoriously unstable and hence difficult to run reliably over long periods.

Called a Fast Breeder Reactor, these are a special kind of nuclear reactors that generate more atomic fuel than they consume as they work.

India has been running an experimental facility called a Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) now for 27 years.

This is a small nuclear reactor a forerunner for the monster that India has constructed at Kalpakkam called the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). This will generate electricity commercially using the fast breeder route.

The worlds only commercially operating fast breeder reactor is situated in the Ural Mountains of Russia at the Beloyarsk Nuclear Power Plant, not far from Russias fourth largest city Yekateringburg.

The Russians today are the global leaders in fast breeder reactors having operated a fast breeder reactor called BN 600 since 1980.

In 2016, the Russian nuclear agency Rosatom commercially commissioned its big brother -- the BN 800 fast breeder reactor.

This reactor produces about 800 MW of electricity and supplies it to the Ural region including the city of Yekateringburg.

While electricity that is produced is no different than any other electricity but the global community of atomic boffins is suitably chuffed about this unique achievement.

M Chudakov, now with the IAEA and well-known Russian fast breeder expert, calls "these reactors a bridge to the future as they can supply an almost unlimited supply of electricity".

All eyes are now on southern India where another global nuclear milestone is likely to be crossed this year.

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Arun Kumar Bhaduri, Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam says, "fast breeder reactors are far safer than the current generation of nuclear plants and that all efforts are being made to kickstart within this year Indias first commercial fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam."

Such is the interest in fast breeder reactors that more than 700 of the best atomic scientists from over 30 countries gathered at Yekateringburg in IAEAs conference on the next generation nuclear systems for sustainable development. The scientists deliberated on how to make nuclear energy last for several centuries.

Given Indias expertise, the co-chair of the conference was Suresh Chetal, one of the early pioneers of fast breeder reactors who helped tame fast breeder reactors for New Delhi when he was at the IGCAR.

Many countries have dabbled with fast breeder reactors and have given up, first off the block was the US but it gave up since inherently American governments have an allergic response with re-processing of nuclear waste in addition since USA has enough supplies of fissile material there is no hunger to maximally extract energy from uranium.

Japan and France both had robust programs with fast breeder technology but repeated failure to safely handle liquid sodium forced them to more or less give up on fast reactors.

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China is more than a decade behind India in trying to master this complex beast.

Russia invested heavily in developing the fast breeder technology but since it commissioned its first fast breeder reactor BN 600 in 1980 it suffered an economic meltdown as the former Soviet Union broke up and only recently Russia could gather enough resources to complete its upgraded fast breeder reactor BN 800.

Today the BN 800 is a flagship reactor that uses both uranium and plutonium as fuel and generates electricity that is supplied to the grid. A visit to the facility reveals a squeaky clean reactor where seasoned operators like Ivan Sidrow are also experimenters as they go about trying to design a bigger 1200 MW fast breeder reactor.

Indias own PFBR is unique and rather different from the Russian fast breeder reactor though both use the same basic principle of physics.

Fast breeder reactors are called such not because they run faster but because the neutrons that sustain the atomic chain reaction travel at a much higher velocity than neutrons that help run the traditional atomic plants.

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These are called breeders as they generate more fuel than they consume a fact hard to fathom since they seem to defy the laws of conservation of energy.

But a very unique quirk of elemental uranium makes this possible.

Nuclear reactors use a flavour of uranium called U-235 which unfortunately constitutes a minuscule quantity even in super purified uranium.

The larger component is what is called U-238 this flavour is the bulk but is essentially a waste product as the atomic reaction cannot be sustained by this elemental flavour.

In a fast breeder reactor the very special fast neutrons interact with the so called wasted uranium U-238 and converts it into a valuable resource. This is why fast breeders are akin to an akshaya patra.

Indias fast breeder reactor is even more unique as within it the country also deploys special rods of thorium which when they get exposed to or irradiated by fast neutrons they generate U-233 and a normally benign thorium turns into a valuable atomic material.

It is well known that India is very energy hungry and as economic growth takes place mega quantities of electricity will be required.

Unfortunately, nature has not been bountiful on India as the Indian land mass is not endowed with enough uranium but on the other hand the country has the worlds second largest store of thorium.

Today the country in a well thought out strategy is mastering fast breeder reactors that can be an effective via media for utilising the vast thorium reserves. PTI CORR ZMN AAR MVV

--- ENDS ---
Amarnath yatra: Over 46,000 pilgrims have paid obeisance till now

India

pti-PTI

Srinagar/Jammu, Jul 2: Over 17,000 pilgrims on Sunday paid obeisance at the cave shrine of Amarnath, with over 46,000 visiting it in the first four days of the pilgrimage.

Meanwhile, six pilgrims were injured today when their vehicle collided with a tipper in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district. On the fourth day of the yatra, 17,613 pilgrims paid obeisance at the holy cave, an official spokesman said.

He said till date 46,795 people have paid obeisance at the holy cave. The annual yatra in Kashmir had begun amid terror threats, according to an Intelligence warning, prompting the authorities to mobilise the "highest level" of security measures, including satellite tracking system.

The government has mobilised a heavy security blanket of over 35,000 to 40,000 troops including the police, Army, BSF and CRPF as part of the multi-tier security for the pilgrimage. In addition to the existing strength of the CRPF in the state, the Centre has provided over 250 companies (25,000 personnel) of paramilitary forces to the state government.

The BSF has deployed over 2,000 troops for the yatra while the Army has provided five battalions (about 5,000 personnel) and additional 54 companies (5,400 personnel) of the police have also been mobilised. The yatra will be eight days shorter this year against last year's 48 days and conclude on Shravan Purnima (Raksha Bandhan) on August 7.

Situated in a narrow gorge at the farther end of Lidder Valley, Amarnath shrine stands at 3,888 metres, 46 km from Pahalgam and 14 km from Baltal.

PTI
Cricketer Ravindra Jadeja thanks PM Modi, Amit Shah for giving BJP ticket to his wife

People of Himachal have decided to go with Modi; all other factors irrelevant: CM Thakur

Congress demands inquiry into Amit Shah's 'illegal' BJP meeting at Goa airport

India

pti-PTI

Panaji, July 02 : The Goa Congress attacked the BJP for holding a public meeting of party president Amit Shah at the airport complex on Saturday saying it was a "gross abuse of power".

"We strongly condemn the act of the BJP holding a meeting at the Goa airport complex which was addressed by their president Amit Shah in the presence of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar," a Congress leader said.

Terming this as a complete abuse of power by the 'intoxicated BJP', the Congress has accused the saffron party of having 'lost all sense of good governance.'

The Congress Party has demanded a thorough inquiry into this very unprecedented and unacceptable abuse of power.

Terming this a "total and complete abuse of power", All India Congress Committee secretary Girish Chodankar said that the BJP has not set a right example of good governance by this act.

Chodankar demanded the officials of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) who allowed the meeting to be held at the airport complex be investigated.

Shah, who is on a two-day visit to the coastal state, was accorded a warm welcome outside the airport where he addressed party workers.

PTI

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, July 2, 2017, 10:41 [IST]
UP: NCW asks DGP to enforce a ban on sale of acid in the state

Needs to be examined if it actually happened: Yogi on acid attack on gang rape survivor

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Lucknow, July 2: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday expressed doubts over an alleged acid attack on a gang rape victim, saying "it needs to be verified if actually an attack happened".

This is the sixth acid attack on the woman. I had visited her at the KGMU and made arrangments for her treatment and she was kept in a secure place under police protection. Now, we will have to see whether the fresh allegations are true or not, he added.

"It needs to be seen if actually an attack happened. Investigations are on. I think by evening we will know if the attack happened or not," reports Hindustan Times.

In a damning indictment of the law-and-order situation in Uttar Pradesh, a 35-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh who was gangraped nine years ago has been attacked with acid for the fourth time.

The attack took place despite a round-the-clock police protection and the presence of an armed guard inside the hostel.

The victim lives in a hostel in Lucknow and works at a cafe run by acid attack victims in the city. Acid was thrown at her sometime between 8 pm and 9 pm on Saturday when she stepped out of her hostel to fill water from a hand-pump in Lucknow's Aliganj area.

Lucknow Additional Director General of Police Abhay Kumar Prasad has been quoted by reports as saying: "She was outside her hostel when someone came and threw acid on her. There are injuries to the right side of her face. The woman is in trauma. We will take strict action."

The first acid attack took place in 2011 and in March this year, two men attacked her and poured acid down her throat on a train while she was returning to Lucknow from her village in Rae Bareli.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had visited her in hospital and assured her of justice. Two men had also been arrested following her complaint over the matter.

The woman's family claim that the acid attacks are being sent by the accused and their kin to dissuade the victim from demanding justice.

OneIndia News
90 Percent of Indias Online Skill Gaming Industry Says 28 Percent GST over GGV Will Be Catastrophic

GST collections up by 16.6% to Rs 1.52 lakh crore in October, says Centre

GST: The men behind India's biggest tax reform

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

In the year 2000, Atal Bihari Vajpayee called on the then Chief Minister of West Bengal Jyoti Basu asking him to spare his finance minister Asim Dasgupta. Vajpayee who was then the Prime Minister was convinced with the idea of a uniform tax throughout the country.

It was during a meeting of the Vajapayee and his advisors, including three former RBI governors IG Patel, Bimal Jalan and C Rangarajan that the GST was proposed. The idea of uniform tax throughout the country was discussed at length and approved of.

A committee was set up in 2000 headed by Dasgupta to design the GST model.

The Asim Dasgupta committee was also asked to put in place the requisite back-end technology and logistics for rolling out the Goods and Services Tax (GST).

Asim Dasgupta:

An MIT doctorate, Dasgupta is considered to be India's finest economist. When Dr Manmohan Singh replaced Vajpayee as the Prime Minister, he refused to change Dasgupta as the head of the GST committee.

Dasgupta worked on the GST model for 7 years. He also headed another committee, formed by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to structure the GST bills.

K M MANI:

Dasgupta was succeeded by the then finance minister of Kerala K M Mani. He continued the work left by Dasgupta.

Mani worked on finalising the GST bills while trying to allay fears among states that the GST would end their financial autonomy and hamper their tax collections. Mani also interacted with traders' bodies to convince them that the GST would make trading easier in the country.

Mani however had to step down from the post as he was embroiled in a corruption scandal in 2015.

Amit Mitra:

After K M Mani resigned as the head of GST committee, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley turned to West Bengal again. Mitra, the finance minister of Bengal was made the head of the GST committee.

As the central government started pushing for July implementation of the GST, Mitra developed reservations and advocated more calibrated approach while implementing the biggest tax reform. He maintains that the GST in its current form is not acceptable to him.

ARUN JAITLEY

Arun Jaitley pushed for the implementation of the GST. In 2015 he set April 2016 as the deadline to rollout GST. It was however later changed to July 1 2017.

Jailtey ensured that all the four GST Bills are passed by Parliament by August, 2016.

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Story first published: Sunday, July 2, 2017, 8:13 [IST]
Not our fault says Derek O Brien to Farhan Akhtar on Milkha Singh blooper

What is Gandhi Ji's talisman that President referred to in his joint address?

ICSE Class 6 science book sparks row for showing mosque as noise pollutant

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

New Delhi, July 2: There have been several incidents of controversial content being found in school textbooks in recent months. In a lattest addition to this, an image in a Class 6 textbook taught in ICSE schools showing a 'mosque' as a source of noise pollution has sparked outrage on social media.

Netizens have now launched an online petition demanding an apology from the publisher and the promise that the picture would be removed in subsequent editions.

The picture, which has gone viral on social media, shows a train, car, plane and a mosque, all with symbols depicting loud sound, next to a man grimacing and shutting his ears.

The image was found in a chapter on the causes of noise pollution with symbols depicting loud sound.

"The diagram on page 202 of its publication, Integrated Science, consisted of a structure resembling a portion of a fort and other noise producing objects in a noisy city. We do apologise if it has hurt the sentiments of anyone and we will be changing the picture in subsequent editions of the book," PTI quotes publisher Hemant Gupta as saying."

While ICSE board officials were not available for comment, the publisher has apologised for the image.

In April, Sonu Nigam courted controversy again when he posted a 2-minute video, presumably from his house, in which azaan can be heard.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)
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

J&K: Malangpora area cordoned-off, terrorists suspected to be hiding

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Security forces have cordoned-off Malangpora in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Sunday evening as terrorists are suspected to be area.

Joint teams of the army, police and the CRPF are conducting search operations, said reports.

On Saturday, the security forces gunned down Lashkar-e-Tayiba's area commander Bashir Lashkari and his associate Azad Malik at Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir. The two terrorists were killed following several hours of stand off which was disrupted by locals pelting stones.

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Story first published: Sunday, July 2, 2017, 22:58 [IST]
Whatever happened is wrong, Law will take its course: Rakesh Tikait on Singhu lynching

Jharkhand: BJP leader arrested in Muslim man's lynching case

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Jharkhand, July 2: Ramgarh police have arrested a ruling BJP leader, Nityanand Mahto on Saturday in connection with the lynching of a Muslim trader who was accused of carrying beef in his car. Two others have also been arrested in the case.

Nityanand Mahto, the media in-charge of the BJP's Ramgarh unit, was arrested by the police along with two others from the house of local party unit chief Pappu Banerjee on Saturday.

However, the BJP leader has climed innocence by saying that had visited the spot after the police arrived to take stock of the incident, and demanded a fair investigation into the matter.

Police sources said that a member of Akhil Bhartiya Vidhyarthi Parishad of Ramgarh district for interrogation but released him later due to lack of evidence.

On Thursday, Alimuddin alias Asgar Ansari was carrying the "banned meat" in a Maruti van. A group of people stopped him near Bajartand village and brutally attacked him, the sources said. His van was set on fire too. Police personnel rescued him and took him to a hospital where he died during the course of treatment.

The officer, RK Malik, had called it "premeditated murder". He said the attackers seemed to have been lying in wait for Mr Ansari, who was "involved in some trading or business of meat." The killers he said have been identified and are suspected to be people who had business dealings with Mr Ansari. He said he could not confirm whether Mr Ansari was carrying beef.

A video of the brutal incident also went viral following which police have arrested eight of the 13 people named in the FIR. The other five have been identified and would be arrested soon, officials said.

The incident took place hours after Prime Minister Modi said that killing people in the name of cow protection is not acceptable.

OneIndia News
Whatever happened is wrong, Law will take its course: Rakesh Tikait on Singhu lynching

Junaid Khan lynching: Four accused sent to judicial custody

India

pti-PTI

Faridabad, July 2: Four persons arrested in connection with the stabbing of a Muslim boy onboard a Mathura-bound train have been sent to judicial custody for 14 days by a court in Haryana.

Police said that "these accused were arrested on June 28 and were initially sent to two-day police remand."

Junaid (17) was stabbed when he, along with his brothers, was returning home in Palwal district's Khandawli village after Eid shopping in Delhi on June 22.

His brothers - Hashim and Sakir - who were also travelling in the train with him, were injured by a mob which also allegedly hurled slurs against them.

Police have so far arrested five persons. Of the five, four held on June 28 are residents of Khambi village. The fifth one was held earlier.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, July 2, 2017, 9:25 [IST]
Delhi returns to old liquor policy from tomorrow: All you need to know

Kerala government's reverse liquor policy kicks in, 77 bars now open

India

oi-Anusha

The LDF government's new liquor policy came into effect in Kerala from Sunday making way for 77 bars to open. Bars and liquor shops will now remain open from 11 AM to 11 PM.

Tipplers in Kerala, especially the border regions do not have to visit other states to buy liquor anymore with the Pinarayi Vijayan government reversing the liquor ban. While the Supreme Court's order on banning liquor along highways will remain effective, the state government decided to renew the bar license for hotels with ratings above three stars that were open until March 31, 2014.

Of the 81 renewal applications from bars, the government has so far cleared 77. All 77 liquor stores and bars will now be open starting Sunday. Ernakulam alone will see 20 bars open their doors from Sunday. 11 bars in Thiruvananthapuram, 9 in Thrissur, 8 in Kannur, 6 in Kottayam and Palakkad each, 5 in Kozhikode, 4 bars in Mallapuram, 3 in Kollam, 2 in Alappuzha and Wayanad and 1 in Idukki have been given licence to open.

The previous United Democratic Front government changed the state's liquor policy and banned all bars except those in five-star hotels. About 418 bars were closed statewide on March 31, 2014, and a year later all bars except those in five-star hotels were shut down.

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Story first published: Sunday, July 2, 2017, 12:18 [IST]
Whatever happened is wrong, Law will take its course: Rakesh Tikait on Singhu lynching

More lynching incidents happened under previous govts: BJP chief

India

pti-PTI

Panaji, July 2: BJP President Amit Shah has said that more incidents of lynching had occurred during the previous governments than during the three years of NDA rule, but no one had raised questions then.

"I do not want to compare and undermine the current incidents of lynching. I am also serious about it. But there have been more lynching incidents in 2011, 2012 and 2013," Shah told a gathering of professionals in Goa.

"There have been more lynchings each year in the past, compared to the total lynching incidents that have happened during our three-year-long tenure," the BJP leader said. The BJP-led government came to power at the Centre in May 2014.

Responding to a question about fears over the lynching incidents, he said there was no apprehension anywhere in the country.

"Do you know of any such incident where arrests have not been made? I do not have any answer to apprehensions. There is no apprehension anywhere in the country," he said.

Maintaining that law and order was a state subject, Shah said that "when Mohammad Akhlaq died, the Samajwadi Party-led government was in power in Uttar Pradesh, and it was its responsibility."

"But protests are held in Delhi in front of the Narendra Modi government. What is this fashion," he asked.

In September 2015, Akhlaq was dragged out of his house and killed by a mob at Dadri in UP on suspicion of storing and consuming beef.

Following several such lynching incidents, including those in Jharkhand, Haryana and UP, protests were held late last month at several cities across the country.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, July 2, 2017, 15:33 [IST]
The commentary, published by the official Xinhua news agency amid an on-going propaganda barrage from China over the border standoff near the India-China-Bhutan trijunction, did not mention the boundary situation.

By Ananth Krishnan: China's official news agency on Sunday slammed India's "strategic myopia" and "suspicions" towards China over staying away from the "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) project.

The commentary, published by the official Xinhua news agency amid an on-going propaganda barrage from China over the border standoff near the India-China-Bhutan trijunction, did not mention the boundary situation.

It, however, said that "concerns over a rising China have, to some extent, spiraled into a kind of 'strategic anxiety' regarding the country among some Indian politicians."

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"Their misleading, unfounded 'China-phobia', however, might lead to strategic myopia and hurt India's own interests," it said.

Xinhua referred to India not attending the May 14 Belt and Road Forum (BRF) in Beijing, with Delhi opposed to OBOR in part because of the flagship China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) that passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

"The reason raised by India may be understandable, but staying away from the initiative is not the best choice New Delhi could have made," said the Xinhua commentary.

"It could have voiced its concerns and opinions on public occasions or in official statements as China is always willing to discuss all problems and possibilities with India on the basis of mutual benefits."

INDIA NOT CONSULTED ON CPEC

India, however, says Beijing chose not to discuss any aspects of the CPEC since its 2013 unveiling with Delhi, even though it passes through Indian territory. India was also not consulted on CPEC becoming a "flagship" of OBOR, which all but closed the door to India's joining.

Xinhua, however, said that OBOR "has no connection with or impact on sovereignty issues." "Though proposed by China, the Belt and Road is not a 'Chinese project.' It is a multilateral initiative, with win-win results at its core. The opportunity will not only help the two nations build political trust and boost their economic growth, but also reduce the risks of instability worldwide."

"India, due to its geographical location and the size of its economy, could potentially be the biggest recipient of Chinese investment from the initiative to boost trade by building infrastructure linking Asia with Europe, the Middle East and Africa," it added.

"While bearing in mind its sovereignty concerns, the Indian government should also have a holistic perspective and see the bigger picture: the initiative will benefit South Asian countries, including India, in the long run, and it is in India's own vital and long-term national interests to join the initiative and become an important player in it."

The commentary said India needed "to get over its 'China anxiety' and carefully assess the initiative".

Also Read:

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Watch Video: China says 1890 treaty backs claim to Doklam Plateau at trijunction

--- ENDS ---
NDA government is working on cleansing political funding: Jaitley

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, July 2: Cleansing political funding is a big challenge but the government is working on the electoral bonds mechanism announced in Budget to end corruption, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.

He said that "people used to say that if corruption is to be eradicated from the country, then the exercise should start from political parties."

"There is corruption in politics because of our electoral funding mechanism. There is no transparent mechanism for electoral funding. Is a very big challenge in front of the country to cleanse the political funding," Jaitley said at an event in New Delhi.

He said that "the present NDA government has ended discretion in allocation of natural resources as Prime Minister Narendra Modi wanted every resource be allocated through transparent market mechanisms."

"In the coming days, we will come out with mechanism for electoral bonds which will ensure only tax-paid money comes into the political system. We have moved much ahead in this," Jaitley said.

In a major move aimed at promoting transparency in political funding, Finance Minister Jaitley had in this year's Budget speech announced capping of anonymous cash donations to political parties at Rs. 2,000 and introduced electoral bonds.

The bonds, which will resemble a promissory note and not an interest-paying debt instrument, will be sold by authorised banks and can be deposited in notified accounts of political parties within the duration of their validity.

The bonds will not carry the name of the donor.

In March, during a debate in Parliament, the Finance Minister had invited suggestions from political parties to make electoral funding more clean and transparent.

"I have an open invitation to all, please suggest to me a better system which will ensure clean money and transparency to the extent possible. I am yet to receive a single suggestion.

"I am only hearing adjectives like 'it must be clean', 'it must be transparent'. Please give me ideal combination of the two. We are willing to consider it. I will wait for a specific suggestion,"Jaitley had said.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, July 2, 2017, 13:52 [IST]
Next President of India: Six TMC legislators likely to vote for Kovind

India

ians-IANS

By Ians English

Agartala, July 2: Six Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators in Tripura are likely to cast votes in favour of NDA nominee Ram Nath Kovind in the July 17 presidential poll, a party leader said on Sunday.

"We have held a meeting on Saturday night and decided not to cast our votes in favour of Congress-led opposition-backed presidential candidate Meira Kumar since she is also supported by the CPI-M," Tripura TMC President Ashish Saha told IANS here.

"Since there is no candidate other than Ram Nath Kovind and Meira Kumar, we might support the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) led NDA (National Democratic Alliance) candidate. The picture would be clear within the next few days," he said.

Saha, one of the six TMC legislators, said that "it is final that all the six party legislators in Tripura would not cast their votes in favour of CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) supported nominee".

The TMC, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is officially supporting opposition-backed contender Meira Kumar, the former Lok Sabha Speaker.

There are media reports that BJP General Secretary Ram Madhav and Assam's BJP minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is also the convenor of North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), have urged the TMC legislators in Tripura to vote for Kovind.

According to media reports, all the six TMC legislators are likely to join the BJP this month.

Saha said: "It was not yet decided that the TMC MLAs would join BJP. We want a united fight in the next year's assembly elections in Tripura to oust the CPI-M led Left Front government from power."

"We might do any sacrifice to vote out the Left parties in the next assembly polls," he added.

Last week, BJP's Tripura unit President Biplab Kumar Deb said that the party's doors are shut for the nine TMC and Congress legislators.

Deb had told reporters: "In consultation with the party's central leaders, we had earlier announced a deadline of May 31 for the entry of the nine TMC and Congress MLAs into BJP. That deadline being over, the doors are also accordingly shut for them."

"It is, however, open for other leaders and workers of the TMC, Congress and other parties but not for the nine sitting MLAs," he added.

Six Congress MLAs, led by Sudip Roy Barman, resigned from the party last year and have joined the TMC in protest against the Congress' electoral alliance with the Left parties in the West Bengal assembly elections.

Another Congress legislator, Jitendra Sarkar, resigned from the Tripura assembly and re-joined the ruling CPI-M, reducing the Congress' strength in the state assembly to three. Sarkar joined BJP last month.

The TMC's Tripura unit former President and former Minister and also the former President of the Tripura Pradesh Congress Committee, Surajit Datta, party's Tripura unit coordination committee chief Ratan Chakraborty, TMC's Tripura unit's founder-chairman and incumbent Vice-President Arun Chandra Bhowmik and many other state committee members had joined the BJP in the past few months.

Besides, several thousand workers from the Congress, TMC and CPI-M also walked over to the BJP, making it (BJP) the main opposition party in Tripura. The state goes to elect a new assembly in about eight months.

Meanwhile, the Congress has also recently served a show cause notice to senior legislator Ratanlal Nath for "anti-party activities and meeting BJP leaders, including party President Amit Shah".

"We have served a show cause notice to Ratanlal Nath last month (May) for his closeness with BJP leaders, including Biplab Deb," Tripura state Congress President Birajit Sinha said.

According to Congress sources, Nath might be expelled from the party after the presidential election on July 17.

IANS
Should Kashmir be given to Pakistan: Row erupts after this question appears in MP civil service exam

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Separatists call for strike: Authorities impose restrictions in parts of Srinagar

India

pti-PTI

Jammu, July 2: Restrictions remained in force in parts of Srinagar for the third consecutive day in view of a strike called by separatists to protest the killing of two civilians during an anti-militancy operation.

The restrictions have been imposed in seven police stations of Srinagar the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

They said that while the curbs continued for the third consecutive day in five police station areas of the city. Nowhatta, MR Gunj, Rainawari, Khanyar and Safakadal, authorities on Sunday imposed restrictions in two other police station areas Maisuma and Kralkhud.

The officials said that the curbs were imposed under Section 144 CrPc as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident.

Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants including Bashir Lashkari, who was behind killing of an SHO and five other policemen last month, were on Saturday killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district in south Kashmir.

Two civilians, including a woman, were also killed during the operation in Brenti-Batpora village in Dialgam area of the district. Condemning the killings, the separatists called for a shutdown.

In a joint statement on Sturdaychairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik urged the people to observe a "complete shutdown".

Shops, fuel stations and business establishments in Srinagar were shut, while public transport was off the roads, the officials said.

They said however, some vendors had set up their stalls at the weekly flea market here.

Similar reports of strike were received from other district headquarters across the Valley, the officials said.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, July 2, 2017, 13:05 [IST]
Surgical strike on Pakistan planned 15 months in advance: Parrikar

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The plan to carry out a surgical strike in Pakistan started 15 months in advance said former defence minister and Goa Chief Minister, Manohar Parrikar. The surgical strikes across the Line of Control was carried out in September 2016. The planning for the same began in June 2015 after the NSCN-K ambushed an Army convoy in Manipur.

Recapping events that led to the surgical strikes, Parrikar told a gathering of industrialists on Friday that he felt "insulted" when he heard about the June 4, 2015 incident in which 18 jawans were killed.

"The starting of September 29 (2016) surgical strike on the western border was June 9, 2015... We planned 15 months in advance. Additional troops were trained. Equipment was procured on a priority basis," he said.

The Swathi Weapon Locating Radar, developed by the DRDO, was used first in September 2016 to locate "firing units" of the Pakistani Army, though the system was inducted officially three months later, Parrikar said.

Disclosing that the surgical strikes against PoK militants were planned 15 months in advance after the Manipur killings, he said, "I felt insulted... A small terrorist outfit of 200 people killing 18 Dogra soldiers was an insult to the Indian Army and we sat and worked out the [plan of] first surgical strike, which was conducted on June 8 morning in which about 70-80 terrorists were killed [along the India-Myanmar border]."

"It was a very successful strike," he said. On the Army's side, the only injury was a leech attaching itself to a soldier's leg. Contrary to some reports, no helicopters were used. "I had placed helicopters (on stand-by) only in case of emergency evacuation," he said.

He also listened intently to a TV discussion with his ministerial colleague Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

"... one question (from media) hurt me. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, an ex-Armyman, was on TV and he was explaining about all kinds of search operations. An anchor asked him 'would you have the courage and capability of doing the same on the western front'," Mr. Parrikar recalled.

"I listened very intensely but decided to answer when the time came," he said.

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Story first published: Sunday, July 2, 2017, 8:03 [IST]
Yogi Adityanath government transfers woman cop who stood up to unruly BJP workers

India

oi-Anusha

A woman police officer from Bulandshahr, Shreshtha Thakur who stood up to unruly BJP workers and sent five to jail was transferred to Bahraich on Saturday. Thakur seems to have paid the price for standing her ground against ruling BJP party workers. Soon after the altercation local BJP leader Mukesh Bhardwaj had made the issue a 'matter of pride'.

A week after she sent five BJP workers to jail for creating obstacles in discharging government duties, Shreshtha Thakur who was posted at Syana circle in Bulandshahar has been transferred. The woman cop shot to fame after a video of her refusing to cow down before local BJP leaders went viral.

This brave UP woman police officer teaches unruly BJP workers a perfect lesson

At least 11 MLAs and MP are said to have met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath after the altercation with the woman police officer. The transfer order has come post this meeting. The local BJP leaders made it amply clear that the issue had become a matter of pride and action would be initiated against the officer for her behaviour. He alleged that she used objectionable language against party leaders including Yogi Adityanath.

On June 22, a traffic violator was fined Rs 200 by Thakur and her team. The man introduced himself as a BJP worker and refused to pay fine. An altercation soon broke out and the BJP worker asked other members to arrive at the scene. workers who gathered at the spot argued with Thakur and other police personnel, even accused one of the constables of seeking bribe.

Thakur refused to relent and demanded that the workers get a letter from the Chief Minister stating that the police should not check traffic violations. When the arguments did not stop, Thakur booked five BJP workers for obstructing a public servant from doing their duty.

OneIndia News
Xi Jinping tells Chinese army to prepare for war, fight and win it

China issues map to prove alleged transgression by Indian troops in Doklam

International

pti-PTI

Beijing, July 2: China has released a map to back its claim that Indian troops transgressed into the disputed Doklam area of the Sikkim sector, days after releasing photographs of alleged Indian incursion into the area, which it claims as part of Chinese territory.

In the map, released by the Chinese foreign ministry last night, a blue arrow with markings in Chinese, points Indian troops alleged "transgression" into the area to prevent the PLA troops from building a road.

The map shows Doklam, a disputed territory between China and Bhutan, as part of Chinese territory.

In an unprecedented move, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Thursday displayed two photographs of the alleged Indian "incursion" into the area during a media briefing.

Later, the ministry uploaded two photographs on its website. One photo showed two bulldozers stated to be that of the Indian military while another showed one bulldozer. A redline in the photos was showed as "Chinese side of the border".

A standoff erupted between the two militaries after the Indian Army blocked construction of the road by China in the disputed Doklam area.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.

China alleged that the Indian troops "trespassed" the recognised delineated boundary between China and India on June 18.

India on Saturday expressed deep concern over China constructing the road in the disputed area and said it had conveyed to Beijing that such an action would represent a significant change of status quo with "serious" security implications for India.

India's reaction follows a face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the area, prompting Beijing to take a tough stance and demand withdrawal of Indian troops from the Sikkim sector as a precondition for "meaningful dialogue" to resolve the situation.

The stand-off between the Indian and Chinese troops led to the cancellation of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra through Nathu La in Sikkim.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, July 2, 2017, 16:34 [IST]
Hundreds of Indian sailors stranded in UAE waters: Report

International

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Dubai, July 2: Hundreds of Indian sailors are reported to be stranded in UAE waters and seeking help from the Indian Consulate General in Dubai.

According to the sources there are about 97 sailors boarded in 22 ships. The number of sailors mentioned belongs to India. There are sailors from Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Myanmar and Pakistan, but their exact numbers are still unknown.

Citing the Indian Consul General of Dubai, Vipul, the Gulf News said that the number of distress calls from Indian sailors stranded in UAE waters had hit its peak this summer.

"Outstanding salary, non-availability of food, fresh water, fuel, harsh living conditions and no sign-off after the contract period are the major concerns voiced by the sailors," the mission said in reply to questions by the paper.

The consulate said that "it had been contacting the owners and agents for settlement of the dues, provision of food, water and fuel, request for sign off. The mission has helped repatriate 36 sailors from six ships in the past few weeks."

He also urged Indian seafarers to conduct proper checks on the credibility and financial status of shipping companies before joining them to avoid such situations.

OneIndia News (with PTI inputs)

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Story first published: Sunday, July 2, 2017, 16:57 [IST]
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By India Today Web Desk: Pakistan today rejected India's demand to grant consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav. On saturday, India demanded consular access to Jhadav, who was sentenced to death in April by the Pakistan Army, for the eighteenth time.

While rejecting the demand, foreign office spokesman Nafees Zakaria said India is involved in terror financing and terrorist activities in Pakistan and Jadhav as a serving officer in Indian has come for this purpose in Balochistan. The official said that granting consular access to Jhadhav was out of question.

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The decision was release in a statement in Islamabad. In the statement, Pakistan officials said that so far five Indian prisoners who completed there sentence were repatriated on June 22.

It added that contrary Pakistan's action, about 20 Pakistani prisoners who have completed their sentences still await repatriation. The statement also mentioned that consular access to 107 Pakistani fishermen and 85 Pakistani civilians was pending.

The spokesman went on to blame India for delaying the release of two juvenile Pakistani prisoners Babar Ali and Ali Raza for over a year, despite their release by Indian courts. He alleged that India imposed impossible conditions for medical visas for patients from Pakistan.

On Saturday, both India and Pakistan had exchanged list of prisoners lodged in jails in each of the nations. Pakistan has turn down about five such demands by India in the last few months.

ALSO READ:

India demands consular access to Kulbhushan Jadhav for the 18th time

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Musharraf to India Today: On Kulbhushan Jadhav, Pakistan will bow down to nobody

--- ENDS ---
The JKNAP leader warned the Pakistan leadership against sending militants into their homes in Kashmir and vowed that all terrorists will be thrown out of the Valley.

People in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir's Hajira area carry out protest rally against Islamabad sent terrorists. Photo: ANI

By India Today Web Desk: Slogans of Azaadi or freedom are again resounding in the Kashmir valley loud and clear, but this time it is to oust terrorists sent by Islamabad.

The Jammu Kashmir Awami National Party (JKNAP) leader Liaqat Hayat Khan today addressing a public rally in Hajira, sent a warning to terror agents in the Valley to get out or face deadly consequences.

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He warned the Pakistan leadership against sending militants into their homes in Kashmir and vowed that all terrorists will be thrown out of the Valley.

He further added how the Islamabad terror leadership threaten the people in the region to provide shelter to Mujahideen militants.

JKNAP leader Liaqat Hayat Khan addresses a public rally in PoK. Photo: ANI

Khan warned the Pakistan military to stop sponsoring terror in their soil as people of all religions co-exists in this land of peace.

Residents of Hajira in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) are demanding freedom from Pakistan and have accused some from both sides of the border of nurturing terrorism in their territory.

In a thunderous speech, Khan said that Shias and Hindus are being targetted in this stubborn, violent fight.

With inputs from ANI

#WATCH PoK Leader Liaqat Hayat Khan says will now throw out terrorists which Pakistan is sending,says Shias and Hindus being targeted pic.twitter.com/XGwmB463LS- ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

Hajira(PoK): Protest rally against Pakistan, 'Azadi' slogans raised pic.twitter.com/mEcIvJBDuL- ANI (@ANI_news) July 2, 2017

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The mini bus carrying 15 passengers was headed towards Pune city on NH 27, when a water tanker coming from the wrong side rammed it.

By Pankaj P. Khelkar: In a major accident today, a mini bus collided with a speeding water tanker at Lonikand village near Pune killing at least six passengers and injuring over nine.

The mini bus carrying 15 passengers was headed towards Pune city on NH 27, when a water tanker coming from the wrong side rammed it.

According to a survivor, all 15 passengers were friends who had gone to attend a friend's wedding in Ahmednagar district, near Shanishingnapur.

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The driver of the water tanker has been arrested. All the injured have been admitted in a private hospital.

The driver has been booked under negligent driving causing death.

Also read: Coca-Cola to shut Pune analytics lab

Also read: Operator calls Gulmarg cable accident an 'act of god'

--- ENDS ---
The Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, declared on Saturday he was not afraid of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and other presidential aspirants vying for the partys ticket for next years election.

Bello, who stated this while fielding questions from journalists at the Second GYB Annual Seminar for Political and Crime Correspondents and Editors in Abuja, boasted that he would pick the APC presidential ticket ahead of Tinubu and other presidential aspirants at the partys primary slated for later in the year.

He stressed that time was ripe for younger generation of Nigerians to steer the ship of the nation.

Apart from Tinubu and Bello, other individuals eyeing the APC presidential ticket are the Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi and the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, who announced his presidential bid earlier on Saturday.

READ ALSO: Abiolas daughter, Tudun, slams sister for comparing their father with Yahaya Bello

The governor said: To answer your question, whether I am scared of other contestants for the presidency. You mentioned Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and others. I will say No; I am not scared of anybody in the contest for the APC presidential ticket.

Tinubu and others are founding members of the APC, but foundation is not enough. I will defeat all the other aspirants because I have all it takes to be a champion. My performance in Kogi State will speak for me.

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Hoarding and posters have been put in various parts of Punjab, demanding independence by 2020. The Capt Amarinder Singh government is yet to take any action against such separatists.

The hoardings with slogans like "Azadi Di Gal, Punjab Independence, 2020 Referendum" were installed at various places.

By Manjeet Sehgal: Nipped in the bud three decades ago, the Khalistani separatist groups continue to threaten the hard earned peace in the frontier state of Punjab.

Controversial hoardings demanding independence and referendum have created a stir. The hoardings with slogans like "Azadi Di Gal, Punjab Independence, 2020 Referendum" were installed at various places including Fatehgarh, Roopnagar, Dhanaula in Barnala and Rajpura in Patiala.

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The administration has neither removed the controversial hoardings nor have taken any action against the people behind the controversy.

Reacting to the controversy, Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has slammed the state government for having failed to remove the hoardings and maintaining a stoic silence over the efforts being made by the Khalistani groups to revive terrorism.

WHO IS BEHIND THESE CAMPAIGNS?

BJP claimed the hoardings were put up by a Canada and US based NGO Sikhs For Justice (SFJ). It is the same organisation which had opposed Captain Amarinder Singh's election campaign in Canada.

"While at one hand the Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh is vocal against the Khalistani elements including Sikhs for Justice, his government's silence over the referendum hoardings is deplorable," Secretary BJP, Vineet Joshi said.

BJP has appealed the state government to remove the hoardings immediately and threatened to destroy them in case the local administration did not act immediately.

TAKE IT OFF, DEMANDS BJP

"Government should not only remove the hoardings but also take action against those who designed, printed, erected and allowed to fix on their buildings.It is a sinister attempt to disturb the peace and harmony of Punjab by anti-national forces ," Vineet Joshi said.

Hardliner Sikh groups have launched a social media campaign demanding 'independence' by 2020. However, the Khalistani groups are divided on the controversial issue .

--- ENDS ---
The death of a Nigerian man, Peter Albert, was a tragic turn of fate, The Nation reports.

The 20-year-old suspected internet fraudster had longed for the good things of life but lacked the means to acquire them.

To achieve his desires, he sought the counsel of one of his friends, an 18-year-old simply identified as David, who introduced him to a Muslim cleric, Alfa Araokanmi, for a money-making ritual that eventually terminated his life instead of transforming him into an overnight millionaire as assured by Araokanmi.

According to insiders, Albert, who lived with his father in the Asore area of Atan, and his friend, David, who lives with his parents at Iju, both in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State have been friends for a long time and attend the same church.

Exasperated by his unsuccessful rounds in internet scams, Albert reportedly asked David to help him become successful at internet scams. He craved success as a Yahoo Boy.

In response, David allegedly attributed Alberts poor outing in cybercrime to some spiritual problems, and he promised to link him with his spiritualist, Araokanmi, to whom he attributed his success as a cyber fraudster. David explained to Albert that there was more to his success than meets the eye and that Alfa Araokanmi was behind his fortune in an internet scam.

Thus David introduced Albert to Araokanmi aka Alfa Wa in the Iju area of Ado-Odo/Ota LGA. David linked the boy (Peter Albert) to one Alfa Araokanmi, who promised to do some propitiation that would make the boy become a successful internet fraudster.

They actually started chatting on Whatsapp until the boy later visited Alfa Araokanmi for some money rituals leading to his untimely death, the source said.

Expatiating further, the source said that Araokanmi told the deceased that he would ingest concoctions and bath at midnight for some days after which he should expect a ghost that would give him a sum of N5 million every day.

Albert subsequently started keeping late nights to conform to the requirements of the rituals much to the chagrin of his father who reported him to the local vigilante group in the community.

The money ritual, however, went awry when he returned home about three weeks ago panting and feeling weak. Before his death moments later, Albert reportedly explained all that transpired between him and Araokanmi to his father and even urged him to check his mobile phone for the exchanges between him and the cleric on Whatsapp.

A resident who spoke in confidence said: Peters father had complained to the local vigilante men guarding the Iyanu Oluwa Street in Atan that his son had been returning home at odd hours and that he was uncomfortable with his nocturnal movement on a daily basis. He warned the vigilante operatives to prevent his son from returning home late at night and even threatened to stop paying his part of the monthly security levy, by which the residents association settles the salaries of the security men.



Unfortunately, Albert returned home again, as usual, at an odd hour on a fateful day; when his father reluctantly opened the door for him, he was shivering and staggering. He, however, managed to explain to his father that David took him to one Alfa Araokanmi for money rituals that would enable him to receive a sum of N5 million from a ghost after he was given a concoction to eat and bathed with a specially prepared spiritual soap.



He told his father that he had proof of his Whatsapp conversations with the said Alfa on his phone and urged him to check his phone after giving him the code to unlock it. The boy died immediately after he confessed to his father about his misadventure. Its possible that he was lured to the marabout and used for money rituals by those who introduced him to the spiritualist.



The deceaseds Whatsapp conversations with Alfa Araokanmi

In a Whatsapp conversation between the Muslim cleric and Albert sighted by The Nation correspondent, the cleric assured Albert that he would become rich at the end of the money rituals, noting that he had done similar rituals for his friend, David.

The chat read:

Peter: Good morning sir. (I am) from David.



Alfa wa: Morning. He(David) already told me. Ur name?



Peter: Peter. I need your help, sir.



Alfa wa: On?



Albert: (I) have been playing game (cyber scam) for a long time and have not collect(ed) any money. I have even called David to take me to your place since; he did not answer.



Alfa wa: He (David) told me that also. I just dont welcome anyhow person. He hve (sic) been telling me dis since but I do ignore him.



Peter: Pls sir, anyhow you can help me, sir.



Alfa wa: But when he (David) later told me that u havent cashout (make money), it somehow hurts me. And he (also) told me dat ur mum is late.



Peter: Yes sir.



Alfa wa: Everything will soon be better.



Peter: Sir, me too want to cash out (make mega money).



Alfa wa: Calm down. All dat we (sic) soon become a history. Just follow my instructions and be loyal to me. Lobatan. Thats all what you need.



Peter: Ok sir. (I) have even go (ne) to many places, they jut collect(ed) money from me.



Alfa wa: He (David) told me too. If you dont buy fake you cant identify the original.



Peter: Ok sir. Like how much should I find now?. I want the one that will pick fast.



Alfa wa: How much can you afford peacefully, that wont affect ur financial (sic)? Can you afford like 200k (N200,000)? Confirm. Between a weak if you dont see like N5m there is a guarantee to return your money back (sic).

I suppose to meet you one-on-one but I am not around now. I am on travel (sic).



Peter: Sir, for now, I dont have much with me but the amount I can find fr now is 5k(N5000). We should start from small level, even for now am feeding myself. Sir, anyhow you can help me.



Alfa Wa: 5k?Hmmmmm.



Peter: Cant the N5k work?



Alfa wa: Just that it cant pick as you want.



Peter: I want the one that will pick fast



Alfa wa: Pick fast? Well sha, no p (problems) David too, thats how he started.



Peter: Sir, I will start from small.



Alfa wa: Issorit (is alright). Obe todun owo lopa (good soup is usually expensive). Even if I do 1k (N1000) level for you it will pick, believe me. U can even ask out about it.



Peter: You that start with 5k, no one will tell u to do 50k till 500k (N500,000). Hope you have a good instrument (computer) sha?



Peter: Yes sir.



Alfa wa: Try as much as possible to add 2k (N2,000) to it and send it to 2199911406 UBA bank.



Peter: Sir, thats what I have for now.



Alfa wa: Okay.



Peter: Sir, can I send N3k now. I will send 2k tomorrow.



Alfa wa: Ok.



The chats also revealed how the said cleric became angry when Albert did not turn up at his place as they earlier agreed. The deceased, however, apologized.

Alfa wa: I didnt see you again. Why are you doing this?



Peter: I am not around, thats why. I will come on Thursday.



Alfa wa: I am also not around.



Peter: Haa, so when will you come back, sir.



Alfa wa: Till weekend. But I dont like disappointment. I always work with time. I am time conscious.



Albert later collected a spiritual soap from Araokanmi which he claimed did little or nothing to improve his fortune.

The cleric, however, assured him of the efficacy of the money rituals to be carried out in the evening of the day he passed on shortly after the rituals were performed.

Peter: Sir, I am at Ayobo now. But I am coming today evening.



Alfa wa: Evening like what time?



Peter: Around 6 pm.



Alfa wa: Okay. It (the rituals) can still be done.



Peter: Ok sir.

The matter was reported to the Atan Police Division by Alberts father. Contacted, the spokesman of Ogun Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, promised to revert to our correspondent. But he did not do so at press time.

A police source, however, told our correspondent, Its true that the boy, Albert consulted the Alfa for rituals that would enable him to make fast money via internet scam but it ended in tragedy. He was said to have been given some concoctions and asked to bathe at midnight with the hope that a ghost would bring him a sum of N5 million every day.



Things however turned tragic after he underwent the rituals and he suddenly became ill when he got home in the wee hours and died moments later.

***

Source: The Nation
By PTI: ordered

Jaipur, Jul 2 (PTI) A sermon by Baldiyapura village panchayat allegedly banning girls from wearing jeans and using mobile phones has struck a wrong note with the Rajasthan Women Commission, with the body calling for an inquiry into the matter.

The Commission took cognisance of media reports that members of Kushwah community had yesterday called upon a panchayat at Dholpur district which allegedly put a ban on girls from wearing jeans and carrying mobile phone on the grounds that western culture was adversely affecting the dignity of the community.

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The panchayat was reportedly called to discuss social reforms like prohibition of liquor, betting and tobacco.

"We have taken cognisance of the report and asked the Dholpur district collector to get the matter inquired. However, none from the village is speaking openly about the deliberations of the panchayat. There are no evidences so far," Chairperson, Rajasthan Women Commission, Suman Sharma said.

She said villagers might not be speaking under pressure, but "we have asked the administrative officials to be on their toes."

"Banning liquor, betting and tobacco is ethical but banning girls from wearing jeans and mobile phones is dictatorial,? Sharma said.

Meanwhile, acting SHO of Kaurali police station in Dholpur, Gambhir Singh told PTI that a team was sent to the village to inquire about the matter, but the so-called ban on girls could not be confirmed. PTI AG SRY

--- ENDS ---
A case has been registered at the Pratapgarh Police Station and the police is investigating the matter.

By Dev Ankur Wadhawan: A young couple, in love with each other, were tied to a tree and beaten up mercilessly in Rajasthan's Udaipur district.

The incident happened in Ladia Ka Kheda village in Bhesdakhurd area of Udaipur. The duo, Prem Kumar and Jasoda, had in fact eloped few days back. However, when Jasoda's relatives spotted the two near the village, they tied them to a tree and beat them up mercilessly. The torture went on for nearly four hours.

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It was only when some of the villagers tried to rescue them that they were released. After that, the couple ran away once again from the village.

A case has been registered at the Pratapgarh Police Station and the police is investigating the matter. Police has also been trying to find the whereabouts of the couple as well. As per the police, no one other than the girl's parents are accused in the case.

"An incident of a couple being tied to a tree and beaten up in Ladia Kheda village has come to the fore. We had sent a beat constable at the spot to get to know about the situation. A case has been registered in the matter. Few days ago, a girl and a boy, had eloped from home. When they returned, the girl's relatives tied the two to a tree. In this case, we have filed a case on the report of boy's father," Mahipal Singh, SHO, Pratapnagar Police Station, informed.

As per SP Rajendra Prasad, both were minors and not married. He also mentioned that they were beaten up because they had eloped.

Also read: Ghostbuster of Rajasthan: Superstitious doctor uses agarbatti, slaps woman to treat 'ghost'

Also read: Bihar: Lovers tied to tree, thrashed after being found in compromising position in Muzaffarpur

--- ENDS ---
PONTIAC  Areas around Pontiac, Fairbury and Streator were recently treated with a product to control gypsy moths, but state agriculture officials said Livingston County is unlikely to be added to the state's quarantine list in the foreseeable future.

Just because a gypsy moth is found in an area doesn't mean we regulate or quarantine it, said Scott Schirmer, state plant regulatory official with the DeKalb office of the Illinois Department of Agriculture.

Gypsy moths are a non-native pest whose larvae can defoliate trees and leave them susceptible to disease and other environmental stressors, according to the state agriculture department.

The aerial treatment used is described by the agency as an organic and biodegradeable product made of wax, oil and pheromone that disrupts mating behavior.

Generally one of two conditions has to be met for a quarantine to be imposed: either gypsy moths have to have been established in an area for a while; or a large, rapid increase must be seen, said Schirmer.

Livingston County doesn't meet either condition, Schirmer said, and he doesn't expect to impose a quarantine there any time soon.

In April, LaSalle County was added to the quarantine list that also includes Kendall, Kane, Will, Cook, DuPage, Lake and McHenry counties.

In areas under quarantine, nursery and lumber products must be inspected or certified before they can be transported out of the eight counties. Residents of those counties also must inspect vehicles, tents, outdoor lawn furniture, bicycles and other outdoor items for gypsy moth egg masses, live moths and caterpillars before taking them out of the zone, the agriculture department warns.

People who engage in recreation such as camping, hiking or biking for a few days in those counties don't have to worry, said Schirmer, although he said it pays to be vigilant.

We want them to help us protect the resources they're out there to enjoy, said Schirmer. We rely on early detection.

Gypsy moth caterpillars are distinctive, with five pairs of blue dots and six pairs of red dots on a body covered with hairs. But, by this time of year, caterpillars won't be around.

Right now, we're at a time when they've all emerged as adults, he said.

LaSalle was added to the quarantine zone after a rapid increase found in traps  from a few hundred to 2,500 last year and 2,800 this year, according to Schirmer.

He said the moths appear to be following the Illinois and Vermilion river corridors. Starved Rock State Park is one of the places that has been impacted.
Jackie Robinson: Jackie Robinson was the first African-American to play in MLB. He was in the Army and helped civil rights. In 1962, he was the first African-American to get into the Hall of Fame. His number, 42, is retired by every MLB team.

Luke Oyler

Grade 1, Benjamin

Barack Obama: As the president, Barack Obama has shown what a great American is. He cares about the greater good for people. He believes in equal rights. Barack Obama fights for women's rights. Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009.

Laynee Guyse

Grade 2, Benjamin

George Washington: A good American I know is George Washington because he used to be president and he set good laws.

Layne Wills

Grade 2, Cedar Ridge

Help the world: Great Americans are nice people and help the world. They sometimes clean the world. They help people and kids. Americans are helpful and nice.

Marlene Aragon

Grade 3, Cedar Ridge

Veterans in the family: Do you know any great Americans? There are three in my family. My uncle Blake was one of them because he was in the Marines. Grandpa was in the Army. I don't know what my great-grandpa was in. Great Americans can be anywhere.

Madyson Harms

Grade 2, Jefferson Park

Who's next?: There were many great Americans. They helped America be how it is today. The question is, who's next?

Shreya Bhatia

Grade 5, Northpoint

Rachel Carson: Rachel Carson is a great American. When she was growing up she lived on a farm. She played in the woods and drew pictures of animals. She wrote a book called "Silent Spring." Rachel Carson changed the law so nature would be safe.

Dylan Barth

Grade 2, Oakdale

Changed the nation: There are a lot of great Americans. The presidents are great Americans. George Washington was a great American. Abraham Lincoln was a great American. I feel they were great Americans because they changed our nation to be a better place.

Jasper Pomis

Grade 1, Prairieland

Jim Henson: Jim Henson was a great American who made tons of shows, movies and clips for children and adults. His main three main shows/movies: "Muppets," "Sesame Street" and "Fraggle Rock." He made these to help kids have fun learning.

Noah Reisinger

Grade 3, Prairieland

Martin Luther King Jr.: A great American is Martin Luther King Jr. because he peacefully fought for civil rights with marches and speeches. His hero was Abraham Lincoln because he freed African slaves. He got the Nobel Peace Prize at the age of 35. Sadly, at the age of 39 he was assassinated.

Brady Johnson

Grade 4, Prairieland

"I have a dream": "I have a dream!" That's Martin Luther King Jr., one of the most famous civil rights leaders ever. King is remembered as a peaceful protester who never wanted to hurt anyone. Martin will always be remembered as a brave, righteous defender of black rights.

Rowan McReynolds

Grade 5, Prairieland

Mommy and daddy: My mommy and daddy are great Americans because I love them. My mommy and daddy are great Americans because they are a great mommy and daddy.

Josie Adelman

Grade 2, St. Mary's

First president: George Washington was a great American because he led to our freedom. He also was the first president of the United States. He did a lot of things for our country, and that's why we honor him.

Maddie Gentsch

Grade 3, St. Mary's

Rosa Parks: My hero is Rosa Parks. She did not go to the back of the bus. Sadly, she was put in jail for standing up for her rights. That is why she is my hero.

Madeline Duquenne

Grade 3, Sheridan

Go to school together: Martin Luther King Jr. was a very important man. He started the bus boycott, and he had a dream that black and white kids can go to the same schools.

Trayveon Faust

Grade 5, Sheridan

Future president: I am a great American. I'm great because I help people. I bring peace and love. Someday I will be president.

Bradley Powell

Grade 2, Stevenson

My dad: My dad is an American hero. He helps people, arrests bad guys and helps with car crashes. He is a police officer.

Levi Melton

Grade 1, Sugar Creek

A good man: I Like Martin Luther King Jr. because he is a good man. He told everyone all about God and was a minister. Martin wanted black and white people to be together. He told his dream to all of the people in Washington, D.C.

Owen Henderson

Grade 1, Benjamin

Astronauts: Jim Lovell, Jack Swigert and Fred Haise are all American astronauts who tried to fly to the moon on Apollo 13. There was an explosion in the ship that forced them to turn back. Everyone was surprised that they survived. They called it the successful failure.

Jade Roth

Grade 2, Jefferson Park

Man of peace: Martin Luther King Jr. believed in peace. He believed that all people should be treated equally. He was an American civil rights activist who gave a speech on Aug. 28, 1963, in Washington about an end to racism in the United States and called for civil and economic rights.

Yazuri Watkins

Grade 2, Oakdale

Grandpa: One great American is my great-grandpa. He fought in World War II. He was in the Navy. He died after the war. He was a great American. He was very brave. I still miss my great-grandpa but I know that he did something big.

Stella Pabst

Grade 4, Prairieland

My teacher: I am going to write about Mrs. Woith. My teacher is the nicest person in the world because we get to have all kinds of parties. She is the best teacher to all students in classrooms.

Alexia Bingenheimer

Grade 3, Sheridan

Walt Disney: Walt Disney was an American hero because he created Disney World. Disney creators made the Elena scepter and Minnie Mouse ears. He made people happy.

Sahasra Rokkam

Grade 1, Sugar Creek

Ruby Bridges: Ruby Bridges was one of the first black people to go to a white school. The white kids did not want to be in school with Ruby. They made her sad. One day two boys joined her in class. Ruby was very brave.

Kaitlyn Sunkel
BLOOMINGTON  Twin City high school graduates were awarded Gaston Memorial Scholarships at Bloomington Public Library on Saturday.

Two $500 scholarships were given to students who graduated high school this year with plans to attend college in the fall.

The recipients were Steven Lynn Gay II, a Bloomington High School graduate, and Jessica Baker, a University High School graduate.

This scholarship will help me further my studies. I plan on moving further in politics after college. It makes me feel special and important to receive this honor, especially coming from the Gaston family, said Gay, who will attend Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville for political science. I know I can put this toward my education to make a difference in the world.

Baker will attend Truman State University in Missouri to study biology. Her grandparents, Sharon and Kevin Steidley of Peoria, accepted the scholarship on her behalf.

This is the 13th year the Gaston family has helped soon-to-be college students in Central Illinois. More than 30 students have received scholarships since the funds inception.

Treyce Gaston-Spears of Bloomington said the fund was founded to honor the accomplishments of her parents, Robert and Gloria Gaston of Bloomington.

Robert Gaston served in the Army during World War II, was deputy sheriff of McLean County and worked as a barber in Bloomington-Normal for many years. He died in 1993.

His wife, Gloria Gaston, served on the Human Relations Commission in the 1960s and was president of the auxiliary of Redd-Williams American Legion Post 163 in 1971. She died in 1978.

Gaston-Spears said the ceremony is always held in the community room of the library because that room was built over the lot where her parents' home used to sit.

I was inspired by the youth I work with at my church. They were doing such exceptional things and I wanted to do something to give back, said Gaston-Spears. We always have speakers tell stories at the ceremony to motivate the students and prepare them for this transition in their life.

McLean County Associate Judge David Butler offered advice to the recipients, reminding them to carve their own path and give back to others once they have succeeded.

Trust in God and listen to your conscience. Remember its the trials of life that make us stronger and our failures that make us wiser, said Butler.
BLOOMINGTON  The challenges of combating opioid overdoses responsible for 12 deaths in McLean County last year will be the focus of an upcoming meeting organized by the McLean County Health Department.

The session that will include the McLean County coroner, area police chiefs, and medical and mental health providers is expected to take place within the next month, Cathy Coverston Anderson, acting director of the health department said Friday during a meeting of the McLean County Mental Health Advisory Board.

Coverston Anderson said the gathering of county stakeholders is needed to address the local consequences of the nationwide epidemic of opioid and heroin deaths.

Coroner Kathy Davis said she supports the effort to bring people around the table to share their experiences with a health crisis that has seen no match.

"I don't think anybody saw this epidemic coming. There are people who are dead their first time out" with dangerous opioids, said Davis. "They're dying before addiction ever grabs ahold of them."

As previously reported by The Pantagraph, Advocate BroMenn, which has an addiction recovery unit, treated 271 people for opioid addiction during 2016, up from 258 people during 2015. Through April 17 of this year, 80 people were treated.

At OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington, 30 patients were treated for opioid-addiction related problems from January 2016 through the end of April. About 45 patients were treated at OSF Saint James-John W. Albrecht Medical Center in Pontiac.

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, 1,877 Illinoisans died of an opioid overdose in 2016. Of those, 1,002 died of a heroin overdose. The rest died from other opioids, including prescription painkillers.

The consultation of a number of experts may lead to the development of an action plan for McLean County, said Davis, that goes beyond recognition of the problem.

"Instead of being reactive, we need to look at how we can be more proactive," said Davis.

A discussion on the dangers of over-prescribing opioids and ways to stem the spread of addiction are among the elements of such a plan, she said.

Members of the mental health advisory panel agreed that their recommendations for funding mental health and substance abuse services will include a request to the County Board to assist in locating funding sources to address the opioid crisis.

"We know how big the mental health issue is. The emerging elephant in the room is the opioid problem," said committee member Dan Deneen.

Funding for opioid treatment is critical, agreed board member Wanda Halloway.

Board member Scott Murphy, who also serves on the County Board, said the drug crisis is on the county's radar. Criminal justice leaders, including State's Attorney Jason Chambers, Public Defender Carla Barnes and the coroner "are on the cutting edge" when it comes to staying current with the opioid issue.

McLean County provides medical detox services to local residents and people from other counties through the crisis stabilization center operated by Chestnut Health Systems in Bloomington. The 14-bed unit for mental health and substance abuse patients frequently accepts people from the Safe Passage program, a law enforcement initiative that links addicts with treatment.
One-hundred years ago this Tuesday area residents celebrated a rather subdued Fourth of July.

Looming over Independence Day 1917 was the World War, which the United States had entered three months earlier. By early July, several thousand area residents were under arms and in training camps and bases scattered across the land, preparing to head overseas as part of the American Expeditionary Forces.

The year 1917 offers little solace for those pining for some mythical American past of a unified, flag-waving nation free of dissent and disorder. Rather, 1917 embodies the inherent messiness  the tragedies and triumphs alike of the American story.

On the home front, African-Americans from the Deep South poured into northern cities eager to fill factory jobs vital to the war effort. They also faced an increasingly hostile racial climate that would lead to several of the bloodiest race riots in the nations history. Pacifists (including local Mennonites), socialists and others who silently opposed the war, or actively spoke out against it, were marginalized or jailed. Likewise, German-American communities in Bloomington and elsewhere faced a heavy handed crackdown on their language and culture.

And the nation was riven by labor unrest of a kind and scale we can scarcely imagine today. In Bloomington-Normal, a bitter strike against the company operating the streetcar system threatened to turn violent. And it did, in a big way, on July 5.

Boy, those sure were the good old days!

Although the World War began in the summer of 1914, the U.S. didnt join the fight for nearly three years. By early 1917, though, it was apparent to most observers that Americas entry into the War to End All Wars was not a matter of if, but of when. The Bloomington chapter of the Red Cross, which had organized in 1916, was placed on war footing in February 1917. And by March 28, Bloomington-based Company D of the Illinois National Guard began staging drills on city streets.

The U.S. declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. The first American troops then landed in France on June 25, nine days before Independence Day.

Bloomington Mayor Edward E. Jones issued a rather somber July 4, 1917 proclamation. The event this year carries with it more than the usual significance owning to the Great World War and the crisis which our country now faces, he said. The event will be marked, no doubt, with a greater degree of solemnity than usual and there will be absent the usual hilarity.

In this instance, hilarity meant raucous celebratory behavior. The discharge of firearms of every description within the City of Bloomington, whether or not blank cartridges are used, will not be permitted on the Fourth of July, added Mayor Jones. In times like these, when our country is at war, there are any number of ways to express patriotism that are not in conflict with the law.

Communities large and small, including Bloomington, also cancelled their public fireworks shows, there being a growing consensus that the explosives used in such displays should instead be diverted to the munitions industry.

During the World War, The Pantagraph often printed letters from local soldiers. On July 4, 1917, Fred E. Murrays recent letter to his peacetime boss of six years, Bloomington undertaker P. W. Coleman, appeared in the newspaper.

I wish I could leave here, if only for a few days, and go home and visit my folks and friends before we leave, as it may be a long time before we meet again, wrote Murray, who at the time was stationed at Fort Snelling, Minn. Fortunately, he survived the war and returned to Bloomington, where he eventually opened his own funeral home.

As a rule, Independence Day was a quiet time at the Chicago and Alton Railroad shops, Bloomingtons largest employer at the time. In normal years, the holiday meant the suspension of freight traffic excepting those railcars carrying U.S. mail. But with the outbreak of war and the urgent need to move men and war materiel, slow days were few on the mainline between Chicago and St. Louis. Freight traffic is so heavy that  as many trains will be handled today as normally during the busy periods of the fall, reported the July 4 Pantagraph.

Much like today, Miller Park on the citys west side served as the summertime gathering place family, friends and neighbors representing all walks of life. Miller Park is most beautiful just now, noted The Pantagraph several days before Independence Day 1917. Swimming, bathing and boating have begun with much interest and the several hot days and evenings bathers were numerous. Many come in the early morning hours to bathe.

What this newspaper ignored was the ugly fact that the parks beaches and bathhouses were segregated by race, with African-Americans consigned to not only separate but grossly unequal facilities.

Much of the talk at Miller Park that Fourth of July had to do with the ongoing streetcar strike, which was led by conductors and motormen who were fired by the Bloomington & Normal Railway and Light Co. for attempting to organize a union.

The tense standoff reached a climax with the July 5 appearance of the national labor leader Mary Harris Mother Jones. The 80-year-old firebrand called on the strikers and their supporters to shut down the streetcar system. After a night of street battles, some 1,400 National Guardsmen from Chicago and Peoria arrived by rail to restore order. They camped out on the courthouse square and powerhouse building in the warehouse district, where curious residents found rows of pup tents, parading soldiers and machine gun emplacements.

Within days management recognized the union and agreed to a pay hike and a reduction in the workday. Incidentally, Amalgamated Transit Union Local 752, which represents Connect Transit drivers, mechanics and other employees, traces its beginnings to this strike. That means Local 752 is celebrating its 100th anniversary this month.

To commemorate Independence Day 1917, The Pantagraph printed To Our Natal Day, a poem by Bloomington versifier John Francis Myers. Although mawkish to a fault, a few lines from Myerss paean to all things red, white and blue still resonate today, these 100 years later:

Yes, glorious day thou gavest birth

The greatest nation on the earth.

A glorious haven did prepare

For the oppressed from everywhere.
Even within the freaky, fabulous rainbow tapestry of queer culture, makeup mogul and male YouTube video vixen Jeffree Star is somewhat beyond compare. Sure, boys who wear makeup (here's looking at you, Babadook) are an emerging, commercially viable category of gay, but Star's goth histrionicshis Snapchat handle is "jeffreedahmer"and almost caustic brand of beauty (highlighter hair, colored contacts, injected lips, etc.) would be a gamble for any brandif it weren't for the fact that his own Jeffree Star Cosmetics empire continues to grow apace.









Oddly enough, if you had to pick an LGBT icon that stacked up against Star, it might be Bette Davis. Besides having bob haircuts, arched eyebrows, and sharp tongues in common, both weathered major paradigm shifts in their industriesDavis in going from the Golden Age of Hollywood to B-movies like Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, and Star in the fall of MySpace and ascent of the Instagram-YouTube-Twitter mega-complex. Both kindled very public feuds, and both of their pasts came back to haunt themonly Star's, of course, could be replayed online.

In the ranks of Tila Tequila and the late Christine Dolce, Star achieved peak MySpace fame in the mid-aughts as a model and musician, combining a hyper-femme aesthetic (Star identified as gay at this time, a label he says no longer adequately defines him) with nihilistic messaging (see: Louis Vuitton Bodybag.) It was during this time that Star engaged in online behavior that many called racista controversy he finally addressed in a video posted a day after we spoke to him.

Here, we talk with Star about sexuality, his haters, and the continued struggle for acceptance.







Your dislike of labels is well known. Did you ever subscribe to a label within the LGBT spectrum?

If you go back like 10 years ago, you will find interviews where I say I'm gay or I'm androgynous or I say I'm whatever. And I think that was an easy route for me, because I didn't really know what was going on in my brain. I am attracted to both genders and I have been with transgender people and I just don't even know if there's a name for it. And even with all these new labels out there, I still am just like, "I'm Jeffree, and I'm attracted to whoever I want to be." I'm attracted to anyone. I'm attracted to personalities. Gender doesn't really matter to me. And I think we're in different times and because 10 years ago people would not be talking about the things we're talking about now.

Who did you look up to growing up?

I think back then I just loved over the top people. I loved pop music. I was obsessed with The Spice Girls. They were a really big inspiration, just with the branding and the big shoes and the outlandish clothes. And I loved Britney Spears and N*Sync. But I was also really into dark metal music. I was really into Korn and Marilyn Manson. So it was kind of like I was always really into bubble-gum but with a dark side.

What was the vibe like where you grew up?

I grew up in Huntington Beach. The rock scene there was really huge, and I used to go to shows after school. When I started wearing makeup to high school, there was no crazy backlash. Not that Huntington Beach is the smallest town, but when you go to school with the same kids all through grade school and high school that have always accepted you I was never really bullied or picked on.

Did you consider it gender expression at the time, and did other people perceive it that way?

I think other people definitely did. It was really weird there were not a lot of guys in California wearing makeup. But to me, I just loved fashion. I loved fashion magazines. I loved looking at the ads, I loved emulating the looks. I became really infatuated with makeup and the playing around and changing your face. From the outside, I think people were like, "Is Jeffree trying to be a woman? Is he a girl?" I think people were confused. I didn't see it as gender bending, even though that's what a lot of people were calling it back then. But I was just obsessed with makeup.

In your videos you've alluded to the fact that some of your first sexual encounters were with straight guys. How did that come about?

It stems from being involved in that Warp Tour punk rock scene. I was me, but I was also surrounded by a bunch of guys in bands with tattoos and maybe I was the gateway. I've always maybe wanted to hookup with someone who is kind of male or whatever you want to call it. I think it was easy for people to be comfortable around me. I was always doing whatever I wanted to do, and being comfortable, and I think I made others feel comfortable to maybe want to explore. So yeah, in my early 20s there were a lot of straight guys and secrets.

Did you ever think you would be in such a public relationship like yours, in the sense that your boyfriend Nathan had only been with women before you?

Honestly, never. Even five years ago, I was the person that was like, "Well, I think I'm going to be lonely forever. And I think every guy I was with or with behind the scenes, it was always secretive because, "My family will judge me," or "My family will think this is crazy." Even though I'm accepted by my friends and family, there was always that void of real love that I really never got to experience until recently. I was very hopeless. I think when I stopped looking, finally, Nathan fell into my life.

Are you interested in talking more about identity and politics within the LGBT community?

I think the older I get, people's priorities obviously change, and the things that were important in your early 20s aren't important anymore. So I definitely think the bigger it gets, the more it's time to bring awareness to certain situations that I am passionate about.

For the first time, I'm offering a discount code for a brand I'm working with, Jouer. All the profits go to the Los Angeles LGBT Center. I tried to spin it in my own way and encourage other influencers to give time and energy to charity, not just to makeup.

Has getting personal been an adjustment for you, given that much of your image, including on MySpace, has been based on this idea of a mannequin-like, out-of-this-world creature?

I think in the past I just really wasn't happy as a person. It stems from crazy family stuff and personal life stuff, and I just have never been as happy as I am currently. Life has been so blessed and I'm finally able to be in control of my career for the first time in a long time. And that does come with a lot of heat and hate and backlash.

Do you think you're still struggling for acceptance?

As numbers grow and the audience gets bigger, there's more hate, there's more crazy people. People dig up things from 10 years ago and want to use it against me at all costs to make me look like a piece of shit. I've dealt with more bullying now than I've ever dealt with in my entire life. I think when you live your life online for this long, it really doesn't mean anything. It's just a different picture calling you ugly or a faggot or disgusting. It's literally the same insults since MySpace to now.

Did you ever come out of the closet?

Growing up, I was always just outlandish. I started doing my hair in 8th grade. I was weird. So my mom kind of assumed. There was never like a, "Hey mom, I like men, and sometimes women." It was kind of just like, I find dudes attractive. It wasn't really a big deal. And thank god I have a mom that always raised me to be open-minded.

Have you had to continue to "come out" as you've become more famous and more open about your personal life?

What I love about YouTube is it's very direct. I think it's important that in just four days, over 4 million people can listen to me talk about finding love with a man that has only dated women. I think it opens up a lot of people's minds that we're all not the same. We're all different. And it's okay. There's nothing wrong with it.

I think the thing that sticks to me the most is when people say, "You living your life fearlessly has inspired me to maybe not so uptight or be more open-minded and experiment." Whether it's with makeup or sexuality or anything. I think the message is clearly to just love yourself.
By Anita Rao Kashi: The sky was painted an angry grey and the waters of the Roskilde Fjord were churning and choppy. A swift wind blew in and slapped around everything that was not tethered. It also brought with it bone-chilling cold that seeped right through multiple layers of clothing. My imagination, of course, went on overdrive and I began to play out scenes from The Perfect Storm in my head. It didn't help that I was standing at the pier trying to step into a dark wooden boat that was straight out of the Viking era. Yet, at Roskilde, one of the oldest cities of Denmark whose history went back a thousand years to the Vikings, it seemed perfectly placed.

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Since it was no fun just wandering around and seeing things from the Viking era, it had sounded like an exciting idea to experience their life a bit and sign up to sail a boat like how they would have done. Now, however, I was wondering if it was such a good idea at all. Conducted by the iconic Viking Ship Museum, the sailing session was overseen by Dylan Coils, a Hawkes Bay New Zealander, whose idea of fun was sailing a larger Viking era ship to Ireland and back! Sea-hardened and ruddy Dylan issued instructions in a no-nonsense voice and marshalled the motley crowd like he would the troops.

Also Read: Move away from the usual getaways; it's time to explore these lesser known places instead

His unflappable outlook was reassuring though, and I gingerly stepped into the swaying boat, my knees practically knocking against each other. It was a relief to sit on a slat that ran breadth wise though the fierce-looking oars made me feel rather incompetent. However, no one else had any experience, so we bumbled out of the pier, knocking each other's oars and ramming into the concrete pier wall and other boats. It was tough going and the effort it took was unbelievable. My arms and shoulders began aching just a few a few minutes in. We were also hamstrung that we were so uncoordinated; so much so that I frequently dissolved into giggles. But the laughter died as we got out into the fjord and the wind picked up significantly. That's when Dylan raised the sails and the boat just skimmed along, cutting through the water. When it caught the occasional swell, the boat rose and fell, taking on a life of its own.

Inside Roskilde Cathedral that was built during the 12th and 13th centuries. Photo: Mail Today

With the sails doing the work, I rested my oar and gazed out into the open sea. It was all quiet, only broken by the flapping sails and the occasional squawking of gulls. It also brought home the harsh conditions that the Vikings faced to explore and conquer new lands. The sheer adventure and romance of it was not lost on me. But all too soon it was time to return, so the sails came down and the oars came out, and we valiantly struggled back to the pier, the arms almost falling off the sockets at the end of it.

Once ashore, I wandered around the Viking Ship Museum, considered to be the largest collection of original Viking ships. Inside a large warehouse like structure were exhibited five ships estimated to have been sunk in 1070 AD that had been excavated. The ships were reconstructed rather unusually: the intact parts were mounted on a metallic armature with the missing parts remaining empty. Especially the largest one gave an idea of the true extent and magnificence of what might have been as well as pointed to the incredible knowledge, talent and craftsmanship of the Vikings.

Also Read: Miss your childhood sand castles? Head to this place in Taiwan

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The museum was also unusual in that it had regular workshops in various aspects of boat making such as rope-making, weaving, boat design and construction. Alongside, it also had a full fledged production facility to build life-size and functional replicas of Viking boats using some bits of modern technology but solely relying on ancient methods and practices. Some of these had even sailed like how the Vikings would have, without any technology, mechanics or motors, like what Dylan had done.

One of the 39 tombs of monarchs with lavish ornamentation and embellishments. Photo: Mail Today

All this was in complete contrast to the town itself. Even though its history went back more than 1,000 years and it's always been known as a Viking city, it looked like a fairy tale place. It had lovely lanes filled with gabled-roof houses and rolling lawns and meadows interspersed with water bodies. In the middle of the town stood the towering Roskilde Cathedral, a Gothic church built during the 12 and 13th centuries, around which everything else seemed to revolve. And not without reason. It was massive and had rich and beautifully embellished interiors. But more important was its grand place in Danish history: a staggering 39 of its monarchs are buried here with some tombs bearing gorgeous and lavish ornamentation and embellishments.

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Compared to it, the Roskilde Palace was less ostentatious. It was younger, nearly 300 years old, was painted a striking yellow and seemed rather small. Round the corner from it stood the more beautiful Roskilde Convent, a convent for high-ranking women, with suggestions of racy dalliances. In the fading evening light, it also looked mysterious and seemed to give credence to the stories. It was tempting to linger, but it was time to get back and I wistfully turned away.

Also Read: Thinking of a trekking expedition? Head to these places today

Strangely enough, the last image of Roskilde, before stepping into the century old railway station for the train back to Copenhagen was of the three giant ceramic jars that stood on the little open, cobbled space in front. The jars towered five metres into the sky and seemed as majestic as I imagined the Vikings to have been. Installed to commemorate Roskilde's 1,000th anniversary, they were beautifully done and had supposedly been influenced by the Greek amphora used to transport mostly wine. But to me, they seemed to more like Egyptian canopic jars, at once symbolising death as well as life. Considering how long Roskilde had endured on, it seemed like a rather apt metaphor for the town.

Roskilde jars outside the railway station installed to commemorate Roskilde's 1000th anniversary. Photo: Mail Today

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Fact File

Roskilde is in Denmark's West Zealand area, about 35 km west of Copenhagen.

HOW TO REACH: European and West Asian carriers offer flights to Copenhagen from India with transit. From mid-September Air India will start direct flights from Delhi to Copenhagen three times a week. There are plenty of trains from Copenhagen Central Station that stop at Roskilde; it takes about 25 minutes.

ROSKILDE MUSIC FESTIVAL: Time your visit for June-July to coincide with this iconic festival, the largest in northern Europe, which has been headlined by such artists as Paul McCartney, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Coldplay, Bob Dylan, Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins, U2, Ravi Shankar, Bob Marley, Paul Simon, Radiohead, Rihanna and Foo Fighters.

--- ENDS ---
The President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, left Ghana on Sunday, July 2, 2017, to attend the 29th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union, which is being held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.



The meeting of the Heads of State will take place from July 3 to July 4, 2017, under the theme, Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investment in the Youth.



Issues to be discussed and agreed on include: institutional reforms of the AU; roadmap of practical steps to silence guns in Africa by 2020; the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA); and the implementation of Agenda 2063  The strategic framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years.



He was accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Shirley Ayorkor Botchway MP, and officials of the Presidency and the Foreign Ministry.



President Akufo-Addo and his delegation will return home on Tuesday, July 4, 2017.





signed

Source: Peacefmonline.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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A meeting convened by the Greater Accra National Democratic Congress(NDC) caucus in Parliament to mend fences with local party executives has been dismissed as a strategy to promote the interest of the Member Of Parliament(MP) for Ningo Prampram.



Most branch executives raised concern over weak party grassroots structures while some accused Mr Sam George, the MP for Ningo Prampram, for creating a parallel structure to firm his grip on the seat.

Speaking to Journalists on the sidelines of the meeting, Mr Oko Mensah, NDC Communication member of Mmobole, said the MPs were helping their colleague to embark on a personal campaign which he started long before the 2016 elections.

According to him, Mr George founded team dzata as his campaign team and ignored the party structures as he personalized the election campaign.

This meeting is a cover-up. It is a strategy to impose the MP on us. He is not a unifier. He divided us and had his way the last time and when we asked questions, he accused some of us of betrayal. That, we were campaigning for the New Patriotic Party (NPP). I have never been a member of the NPP. He the MP once campaigned openly for Alui Mahama (Vice President in the Kufuor era).

Answering questions, Mr Sam George said he had apologized to all those who misunderstood his strategies and reached out to them.

I am constantly open to work with everyone. I will not turn my back on anyone who worked for the party. I will reward hard work and loyalty. I forgive those who betrayed us. I am offering an olive branch. We welcome you home, he said.

In a separate interview with the media, he criticised President Nana Akufo-Addo for delaying in the appointment of an Administrator of the District Assembly Common Fund which had led to the delay of the disbursement of the fund to the various District Assemblies and MPs to embark on development projects.

Those who attended the meeting included: Mr Nii Laryea Afotey Agbo, MP for Kpone Katamanso, Mr Ernest Dogbe, MP for Ashaiman and Mr Christian Otuteye, MP for Sege.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Emergency service workers who battled the horror blaze in Londons Grenfell Tower have reportedly been banned from discussing the real death toll with the media, as a criminal investigation into the fire continues.

The current official death toll is 80, but many more are missing and feared dead. The fire services are apparently certain that the final toll will continue to rise, with a Fire Brigades Union rep telling reporters:

We know the death toll will be higher than the official figure  and were not talking about one or two higher. Theres a strong possibility we are talking about three figures.

Nevertheless, the firies are being told that talking about their suspicions could get in the way of the ongoing investigation. One firefighter told The Sunday Mirror:

Weve been told by our management dont speak, ideally. The coroner has said it could obstruct the investigation. I dont know how it can  whats happened has happened, but thats what were being told.

Local authorities have refused to speculate on the number of dead until thorough investigations have been carried out, including identifying the deceased. But David Lammy, the Labour MP for Tottenham, has expressed the frustration felt by many in the community over the lack of clarity surrounding deaths from the fire.

Firefighters confirm larger numbers than 80. Survivors are also suggesting numbers well in excess of 100. And yet 17 days after the fire we have no list of survivors, the police have said we will have to wait until the end of the year for numbers. Its causing huge anxiety for people who want closure as they wait for news of their loved-ones and it feeds deep mistrust amongst the victims and survivors themselves. Trust is at rock bottom and the community need reassuring that the police, local authority and central government are doing all they can to at least come up with an estimation of how many people were in Grenfell Tower and how many survived.

Source: 7 News.

Image: Carl Court / Getty.
NSW Police have shared a CCTV image of a man wanted for questioning in connection with a horrific single-vehicle crash yesterday, after which a woman was found dead on the footpath as three men fled.

Police believe that the man pictured above will be able to assist in their investigation, and are also asking for community assistance to identify the female victim.

Shortly before 6.30am on Saturday, emergency services were called to the scene of the accident on Waldron Road at Chester Hill, in the inner suburbs of Sydney.

They say a Holden Commodore station wagon struck a concrete traffic island and then a power pole. The woman was believed to have been sitting in the rear left-hand seat at the time of the crash, the area of the car that took the most impact.

She is described as being of Asian appearance aged between 25 and 35 years, of medium build with long brown hair, and was wearing black work boots, grey tracksuit pants, a black undershirt and a grey hooded zip up jumper.

The car was reportedly loaded with house paint and other tools that were found strewn across the road.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the occupants, or about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.

Police remind citizens that information should be given here and not reported via their Facebook or Twitter pages.

Source: NSW Police / ABC News.

Photo: NSW Police.
Harry Potter fans, an extremely devoted bunch, love coming up with theories to expand upon and fill gaps in the narrative, and one of these, concerning the beloved character Severus Snape, recently caught the internets attention in a big way.

The theory in question, which dates back a number of years and has widespread support in Potter fan communities, is that there are clues in the text pointing to the possibility that Professor Snape may actually be transgender.

A 2011 essay by Racheline Maltese, on the subject of female heroism in the series, notes that from the moment Snape is introduced in the books, almost every description of him seems to be in feminine rather than masculine terms.

The author goes on to say that Snapes preferred weapon is poison and that he is a spy rather than a fighter, both characteristics that might be associated with female characters. The essay finds feminine references dating back to his childhood:

Not only does Harry note the handwriting in the Half-Blood Princes book looks like that of a girl, but in the memory presented of Snapes first meeting with Lily Potter he is described as wearing something that looks like an old womens blouse. This is not only the second reference the series gives us to Snape in womens clothes (the other being Lupins encouragements to Neville to picture Snape in his grandmothers wardrobe to defuse the boggart that has taken on the potions masters appearance), but it references a common piece of generally British slang. To call someone a girls blouse is, according to Urban Dictionary, to call them a male displaying percieved feminine characteristics through actions which cause his peers to think less of him.





Bloggers like Ensnapingthesenses, who support the transgender Snape theory, have frequently referenced the essay on Tumblr, where the idea of a trans Snape is so popular that some users set aside the first week of August to celebrate it.

Speaking recently to Broadly, Ensnapingthesenses expanded on the theory, saying:

I cant fathom Snape not being trans. The contextual clues all point to it. Snape is a character who inhabits a fluid, ambiguous position for most of the narrative  always between two worlds, and often quite literally lurking in the shadows of a room, outside looking in. Snape reads as someone in the closet, and tragically so.

Well definitely look at the books in a new light from now on. All we can really add is that its a very cool thing to see yourself represented in your favourite stories, and its great that Snape continues to live on in the imaginations of fans now that the books are done.

Source: Broadly.
25-year-old Fyre Festival organiser Billy McFarland is in fairly deep shit right now, having been arrested for wire fraud after an FBI investigation, and hes currently facing up to 20 years behind bars.





As more details of his situation emerge, it has been confirmed that McFarland was taken into custody late Friday and spent the night at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn before fronting up to court on Saturday July 1.

The embattled young entrepreneur has since been released on his own recognisance on a bond of $300,000, but the bail conditions set by judge Kevin Fox are strict.

Fox ordered that the bond was to be secured by $50,000 in either cash or personal property and co-signed by two financially responsible persons, which is probably standard, but still feels like a burn under the circumstances.

While he awaits trial, McFarlands range of movement will be strictly limited, requiring him to stick to the southern and eastern districts of New York and the state of New Jersey, a condition reflecting the seriousness of the accusations he faces.

He will also be required to submit to drug testing as a part of his bail.

A seven-page FBI report claims, amongst other things, that McFarland grossly inflated his companys revenue in order to secure funds, and grossly exaggerated his personal net worth in representations made to investors.

While musician Ja Rule, aka Jeffrey Atkins, worked with McFarland on organising Fyre Festival, his attorney says that he has not been arrested, nor has he been approached with any kind of deal in exchange for information on McFarland.

There is no deal for Mr Atkins to cut as I do not perceive him to have any potential criminal exposure, said Stacey Richman. He is saddened by the arrest of Mr McFarland as he believed and believes in him.

Source: Variety.

Photo: Robin Marchant / Getty.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- President Donald Trump is upset that all states aren't fully cooperating with his voting commission's request for detailed information about every voter in the United States.



Some of the most populous ones, including California and New York, are refusing to comply. But even some conservative states that voted for Trump, such as Texas, say they can provide only partial responses based on what is legally allowed under state law.



"Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL. What are they trying to hide?" Trump said in a tweet Saturday.



Given the mishmash of information Trump's commission will receive, it's unclear how useful it will be or what the commission will do with it. Trump established the commission to investigate allegations of voter fraud in the 2016 elections, but Democrats have blasted it as a biased panel that is merely looking for ways to suppress the vote.

Senate health care bill still up in the air as lawmakers go home for holiday



New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, a Democrat who is a member of Trump's Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, defended the request Friday. He said the commission expected that many states would only partially comply because open records laws differ from state to state.



"If only half the states agree, we'll have to talk about that. I think, whatever they do, we'll work with that," said Gardner, adding that the commission will discuss the survey at its July 19 meeting.



He said he has received calls from unhappy constituents who said they didn't want Trump to see their personal information.



"But this is not private, and a lot of people don't know that," he said.



White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders blasted the decision by some governors and secretaries of state not to comply.



"I think that that's mostly about a political stunt," she told reporters at a White House briefing Friday



It's not just Democrats bristling at the requested information.



Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, a Republican serving his third term, said in a statement he had not received the commission's request.



If he does receive it?



"My reply would be: They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great state to launch from," he said. "Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our state's right to protect the privacy of our citizens by conducting our own electoral processes."



In a federal court case after a contentious U.S. Senate primary in Mississippi in 2014, a group called True the Vote sued Mississippi seeking similar information about voters. Hosemann fought that request and won.



No state election official planned to provide the commission with all of the information requested -- even Kansas, where commission vice chairman Kris Kobach is secretary of state. He sent the letter asking for the names, party affiliations, addresses, voting histories, felony convictions, military service and the last four digits of Social Security numbers for all voters.



A spokeswoman for Kobach's office said the last four digits of Social Security numbers are not publicly available under Kansas law and would not be handed over. That was the case in many other states, noted in statements from top election officials and responses to queries from reporters for The Associated Press.



Officials in 10 states and the District of Columbia said they would not comply at all with the request. Those states are California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee and Virginia.



Oklahoma, where nearly two-thirds of the vote in the November presidential election went to Trump, will provide nearly all the commission's request, save for one bit of information: Social Security numbers.



"That's not publicly available under the laws of our state," said Bryan Dean, spokesman for the Oklahoma State Election Board.



Dean said the commission's request will be treated like any other from the general public. The election board will tell the panel to fill out an online form asking for the information. Oklahoma's voter roll is routinely provided to political campaigns, the press and other groups that ask for it.



The letter from the presidential commission gives secretaries of state about two weeks to provide the voter data and other information, including any evidence of fraud and election-related crimes in their states. It also asks for suggestions on improving election security.



Some Democratic officials have refused to comply with the data request, saying it invades privacy and is based on false claims of fraud. Trump, who created the commission through executive order in May, lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton but has alleged without evidence that up to 5 million people voted illegally.
APOLLO, Pa. (AP) -- Authorities say a 9-year-old boy drowned after he slipped into a Pennsylvania lake while fishing.

State police in Armstrong County in western Pennsylvania said Allen Miller of Dayton, Pa. was sitting on a boulder while fishing at Mahoning Creek Lake in Wayne Township when he slipped off the rock and fell in just after 1 p.m. Saturday.

Miller's family searched for the boy after he disappeared into the lake, but were having a difficult time because of the water's death, police told Pittsburgh's KDKA.

The Allegheny County medical examiner's office said the boy was pulled from the lake just after 1:30 p.m. Saturday and flown to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where he was pronounced dead shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday. The death was ruled accidental.
Demonstrators from groups like Sons of Confederate Veterans Mechanized Cavalry and Real 3% Risen gathered at the Gettysburg National Military Park in Gettysburg in Pennsylvania on Saturday, July 1 2017.
By PTI: Washington, Jul 2 (PTI) Scientists are developing a breed of genetically-modified cows of the future that will be more heat resistant and have superior ability to adapt to hot living conditions.

More than half the cattle in the world lives in hot and humid environments, including about 40 per cent of beef cows in the US, researchers said.

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By using genomic tools, researchers aim to produce an animal that can adapt to hot living conditions and produce top-quality beef.

Scientists from University of Florida (UF) in the US are studying a more heat-tolerant Brangus cow - a cross between an Angus and a Brahman.

Raluca Mateescu, an associate professor at UF, is part of the team that has received a three-year, USD 733,000 grant for this research.

"The grant allows us to track down DNA segments from the two breeds and figure out which regions of the cows DNA are important to regulate body temperature," Mateescu said.

Researchers eventually want to develop the knowledge and tools the cattle industry needs to increase tolerance to heat stress.

At the same time, researchers hope to increase efficiency in production, reproduction and meat quality.

"This offers a powerful new approach to address the challenges of climate change and develop climate-smart productive cattle for a future, hotter world," Mateescu said. PTI MHN MHN

--- ENDS ---
Update: Man shot himself in the leg

GETTYSBURG--While rumors of demonstrations and possible flag burnings in Gettysburg ran rampant this week, only a half dozen Confederate flag supporters were on site Saturday before noon.

The handful of people were from the Real 3% Risen group and they said they came in response to the rumors.

If someone tried to burn an American flag, "that ain't happening," said one of the members, who wore a hat featuring Confederate flags and the words, "Heritage not hate."

A handful of demonstrators were in the First Amendment fenced areas of Gettysburg National Park Saturday July 1 amid a heavy police presence outside the fenced areas.

Another member wore a hat with a button featuring a photo of President Donald Trump with the words, "America's Trump Card."

The small group gathered within a large fenced area north of Meade's Headquarters along the west side of Taneytown Road. They brought a megaphone, still in its box, and two camping chairs.

The group's members said they were prepared to stay all day to protect the country's monuments and American flags. By noon, they were still the only demonstrators around as streams of visitors passed by to enjoy the park's events.

There was a heavy police presence, including rows of mounted police, near the four fenced areas designated for different groups who might show up. Three of the four areas sat empty before noon. One of the groups didn't intend to start gathering until 3 p.m.

There was no sign of any members of Antifa, a group that describes itself as anti-fascism and anti-bigotry. They were rumored to be planning to crash the events at Gettysburg.

But Central PA Antifa leaders said the reports were false and it won't be a part of a Gettysburg protest or counter-protest.

"The rumored event in Gettysburg this Saturday is a complete fabrication," the group said in an email to PennLive.

The rumors seemed to have succeeded in prompting at least some of the First Amendment requests for permits to demonstrate Saturday, said Katie Lawhon, the spokeswoman for Gettysburg National Military Park.

The park set up the fenced areas for demonstrators in an area where they could be seen and exercise their rights, but not damage park resources or negatively impact visitors.

The biggest threat that could come Saturday might be severe thunderstorms predicted for the afternoon.

The rumors appear to have been started by online troublemakers, according to the BBC.

Earlier this year, a Facebook event created by a group called "Trolling Trumpsters" suggested that people "desecrate Confederate Cemeteries" on Confederate Memorial Day in May. It was widely shared online, according to the BBC.

According to their report:

The event suggested that protesters target the Marietta Confederate Cemetery, which contains more than 3,000 graves of Confederate soldiers.

The event prompted outrage - but no actual vandalism. Supporters of the Confederate flag turned up at the cemetery but no one from the "Trolling Trumpsters" group appeared, and cemetery staff said they didn't notice any damage to graves.
WILLIAMSPORT - A Philadelphia man released from federal custody less than two months ago is the object of a police search in the Williamsport area after he bolted from police handcuffed behind his back.

Jeremiah Bey

Jeremiah H. Bey, 30, fled from two Old Lycoming Twp. police officers outside Williamsport Regional Medical Center where he was being taken to be cleared medically to be arraigned.

Police had been called to the 2300 block of Lycoming Creek Road, north of Williamsport, about 5:30 a.m. Sunday when a taxi driver reported his fare was unresponsive in the backseat.

A loaded handgun with an extended magazine and heroin were found in Bey's possessions in the taxi, police said.

Bey, who was released from a Philadelphia re-entry facility on May 17, was one of 11 individuals indicted in U.S. Middle District Court in 2010 on charges they distributed cocaine and crack cocaine in the Williamsport area.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and Judge John E. Jones III in January 2013 sentenced him to 87 months in prison followed by three years' supervised release.

This February, Jones modified terms of Bey's supervised release to include he could not possess or use drugs and was to participate in drug treatment.

A court document states Bey admitted using marijuana since he was 14 and had used Xanax, Percocet and Ecstasy.

Old Lycoming Twp. police said they have obtained an arrest warrant charging Bey with illegal possession of a firearm as convicted felon, possession of a firearm without a license, possession with intent to distribute heroin, theft and escape.

Court records show besides the federal charges, Bey has drug convictions in Philadelphia and Lycoming County.

There were nearly three dozen heroin overdoses, two of which were fatal, in Lycoming and Tioga counties during a 48-hour period beginning Wednesday.

It is not known if Bey had ingested that substance causing him to become unresponsive, police said.
The northbound lanes of Interstate 83 were reopened after a crash in York County Sunday afternoon.

Traffic is once again flowing on the interstate just south of York between Exit 16B to Route 74 and Queen Street, and Exit 18 to Route 124 and Mt. Rose Avenue. PennDOT reported the crash cleared at around 3 p.m.

The initial crash happened at around 1:30 p.m. No further information was available at the time of this post.

For more traffic information, follow live traffic updates, accident reports and road closures below from PennDOT, Total Traffic Network and other Twitter sources.

Get a look at conditions on local roads -- via PennDOT traffic cameras -- anytime here on PennLive. For Pennsylvania Turnpike updates and possible travel delays visit the Turnpike website here.

Tweet us at @pennlive with any incidents you see on your commute or send a submission to submissions@pennlive.com.
WILLIAMSPORT - A second person has died as part of the rash of heroin overdoses in Lycoming and Tioga counties.

Lycoming County Coroner Charles E. Kiessling Jr., said a 23-year-old woman from Selinsgrove was found dead about 9 a.m. Saturday in a public bathroom in a motel along Route 15 in South Williamsport.

He did not release her name because not all family members have been notified. South Williamsport police said she was alone.

A Philadelphia-area man was found dead in a Williamsport apartment Thursday.

UPMC Susquehanna reported 51 overdose patients had been treated at Williamsport Regional Medical Center and Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hospital in Wellsboro during a 48-hour period ending Friday.

Tioga County District Attorney Krista Deats said she was aware of four others in Tioga County not included in the UPMC total.

The rash of overdoses caused the commissioners in Lycoming and Tioga counties to issue a joint statement late Friday urging everyone to work together to "overcome this tragic situation.

"Every overdose is someone's life. Every emergency response to an overdose impacts the emergency response system's ability to react to normally occurring medical emergencies.

"Increased situational awareness will be paramount to the safety of our residents and emergency responders. If you know someone who is addicted please reach out to them and offer assistance.

"If you observe an unresponsive or unconscious person, call 9-1-1."

Deats said state police told her the substance causing the overdoses is in blue and white bags with the label "killer."

It identified as heroin but in reality is fentanyl or carfentanyl-based, she said she was told.

Williamsport Police Chief David Young said it takes effect instantly.

Samples of the drug have been sent to a lab but no results have come back, police said.

Until those results are received it will not be known if the overdoses have been caused by heroin laced with fentanyl or a new mixture, Lycoming County District Attorney Eric R. Linhardt said.
State Senator Daylin Leach, a Democrat representing Delaware and Montgomery counties, announced late Saturday his run for Congress.

In a campaign video at www.VoteDaylin.com, Leach outlines his reasons for running. He seeks to represent Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, which covers parts of Delaware, Montgomery, Berks, Chester and Lancaster counties.

Republican Pat Meehan currently represents the 7th District.

"Today, I officially declare myself a candidate for Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District," said Leach in a press release issued late Saturday. "Initially, I was reluctant to run. But since last year's election, voters, party and community leaders, representatives and leaders of advocacy and resistance groups and progressive organizations, and many others from across the congressional district have been urging me to run. After talking about it with my family, I have decided that we all have a moral obligation to do whatever we can to get America back on track. That is why I have decided to run."

He cited several reasons, including a fractured political climate and President Donald Trump.

"Frankly, I wish the circumstances of my announcement were different," continued Leach. "I am making my announcement as the President and Congress are working to enact an agenda that is aggressively anti-environment, anti-education and strangely focused on taking health care away from tens of millions of Americans. Plus, Congress is silent in the face of Donald Trump's constant assault on women, the First Amendment, the separation of powers, basic human dignity, and the rule of law."

It's not the first time Leach has taken on Trump. A tweet of his went viral earlier this year after a flap over civil asset forfeiture. You can see Leach expound on the tweet below:

And also get his view on civil asset forfeiture here :

Leach is a graduate of Temple University and the University of Houston Law School. He lives in Upper Merion with his wife, Jennifer, and their two children. He has served in the state Legislature since 2002.
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Top letters to the editor

As you might imagine, we get more letters to the editor here at PennLive Opinion than we could ever hope to run. Some are turned down because they're too long. Some don't make the cut because they just don't have that something that makes them worthy of publication.

None of these have run on PennLive before. It's a nice way to clear the decks on a Sunday morning before another busy week of news devours our collective attention.

Ready? Here we go.

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Photo by Paul Sancya, AP.

5. Loss of presidency has propelled left into hateful siege

The left, its media arm, and some disgusting elected officials, actors and comedians have engaged in attacks on the president, his family, political associates and conservatives alike. By acquiescence, and even occasional affirmation, they have sanctioned: riotous, destructive mobs; shouts for killing law enforcers; calls for punching and assassinating the president; an effigy of the president's severed head; a parody of his death by stabbing; and now, the attempted killings of Republican lawmakers.

In contradiction of reality, we are to believe the aggregate of such activity has no ill effect on the behavior of "normal" people--just the deranged would act-out given these stimulants to violence.

I don't believe respected psychologists would agree. It counters their findings on identified overly aggressive children into their adult years, aberrant behavior, copy cat attacks, generational domestic violence, effects of driven hate taught to terrorists, and the creep of disensitivity regarding violence.

While the "empowered", yet hapless Republicans stand-by, society's conscience is eroding into a corrupt, amoral ruin at hands of the left. Its effects are pervasive in our humanity, institutions across the three branches of government, state and local governments, and facilities of learning.

Who would have believed the loss of the presidency could propel the left, into this hateful siege--and, even threatening the demise of our government if necessary?

JERRY DONATUCCI, Upper Allen Township

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4. Study shows that Seattle's $13 minimum wage didn't actually boost pay

While most Americans celebrate this holiday weekend, employees and small businesses in Seattle have less to be excited about.



According to a new University of Washington study, the city's experiment with a $13 minimum wage has reduced opportunities for employees in the city. Instead of boosting pay, affected employees on average brought home $125 less per month, as the higher hourly pay was offset by a loss in hours.

The stories back up the statistics. For instance, small business owners Heidi and Karam Mann were forced to lay off more than half the staff at their Subway franchise, when the entire cost of the wage hike couldn't be passed off through higher prices. (Their story and others can be found on Facesof15.com.)

States and cities considering whether to follow Seattle's lead on wage mandates should let economic reality rather than rhetoric guide their decisions.

MICHAEL SALTSMAN, managing director, Employment Policies Institute, Washington D.C.

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3. North Korea didn't release Warmbier on 'humanitarian grounds'

First, just look what that wicked and dangerous rouge Communist state of North Korea did to that young man. This hideous regime of Kim Jong murdered him. It doesn't matter at all that Otto Warmbier died in America because those vicious Marxist thugs abused him and treated him in many extreme cruel ways, so that he weaken and died in America. They probably knew he was so very harmed by them that he would soon die. Therefore they released him for the world would not say that he died in their custody Kim Jong -Un, his rogue regime are still guilty of murdering him.

Second, North Korea claimed that they released Otto Warmbier on "humanitarian grounds." What gall they had for saying such a lying false statement. Those in power in that vicious, brutal, cruel, murderous and oppressive tyranny of North Korea have no humanitarian concerns at all. Those in power in this tyrannical regime just want to "look good" to the world.

Kim Jong Un cares nothing, at all, about the human rights of his own people so how much less does he care than, if possible, about the human rights of an American citizen. Furthermore, since the subject of Communist North Korea and Kim Jong Un has been brought up, this is thus an appropriate time to define the concept of Communism, otherwise known as Marxism.

There, the pipe-dream of a pure Marxist society in the philosophical political economic fantasy that no one is ever really in need and everyone "works according to his abilities and receives according to his needs". In contrast, the reality of Communism which is that Marxism is a philosophy that no intelligent person can actually, truthfully accept is not only unrealistic and unnatural but also a joke and an excuse to set up and prop-up tyranny. For evil is always looking for an excuse. Marxism is just the excuse needed to set up brutal regimes.

Such as that of that tyrannical and oppressive regime of North Korea.

WALTER SIERUK, Harrisburg

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2. Tax reform needs these 3 things to help ordinary citizens

Tax reform reportedly will be debated and acted upon soon by the Congress. If "tax reform" is to help ordinary citizens of this country, it should:

Eliminate so-called loopholes that have been added to the tax code over the years to encourage or favor specific activities or industries such as oil and gas.

Eliminate subsidies for specific agricultural crops such as cotton, rice and sugar; those make these food products more costly, but do not help the farmers of Pennsylvania.

Re-instate more progressivism into the personal income tax schedule so that those with very high incomes should pay relatively more than middle income citizens who struggle to meet the basic needs of their families.

The objective of real tax reform should be to halt and reverse the widening gap between the very rich and the rest of us.

Frank D. Davis, Upper Allen Township

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1. Bruce Bond shouldn't have shared negative thoughts about Trump with his listeners

Bruce Bonds sad story was described on Page A9 of The Patriot-News on June 22, and I wish someone would have suggested that Bond turn to page A11 where he would have read the wonderful story of four brothers who live in Quarryville who never missed a day of school. The Munro brothers have now all graduated high school and are on their way to productive lives.

There is a family in our neighborhood that has a teenage son who is an avid Green Bay Packers fan. He knows the statistics of every player on the team and can discuss in detail their history. Do you think this is unusual for a kid who was born and grew up in central Pennsylvania? If you knew this father, you would understand. He raised his son in an atmosphere of healthy competition which produced for him an attitude in life like that of the Munro brothers. This would not have happenned if there were negative vibes in their lives.

This type of attitude, Mr. Bond, is what WTPA management was hoping you would have conveyed to your listeners. No, you wouldn't have had to say kind words about President Donald Trump, but you should not have shared your negative thoughts with your listeners.

MARY HUGHES, Fairview Township
By Christine Flowers

Normally, the most notable part of a Supreme Court decision is not the dissent.

Christine Flowers (PennLive file)

But last Monday, Justice Sonia Sotomayor penned a dissent that is much more interesting in its transparency than the relatively mild majority opinion written by Chief Justice John Roberts in a case being watched by everyone interested in the tension between church and state, and the status of that crumbling wall.



In Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer, a seven-person majority held that the state of Missouri could not single out faith-based organizations for exclusion from grants that would have paid for property maintenance.

The facts are fairly simple.

Trinity Lutheran is a church that also ran a preschool program. In 2012, it applied for a grant from a state program to make playgrounds safer. It's request for funds to resurface its playground was denied based on a state constitutional provision that forbade the use of taxpayer funding to religious institutions.



That provision was modeled on what is known as the "Blaine Amendment," a proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution based in an antipathy toward Catholics. Over a century ago, in the wake of the Civil War, a Republican congressman named James Blaine proposed the amendment to prevent, in part, public money going to parochial schools that were filled with immigrant children.



Many states adopted the language of the original federal amendment, even though it had failed to muster a two-thirds majority in the Senate. Some of these "mini-Blaines" are still on the books.



Which brings us to Missouri.





Trinity Lutheran sued the state, claiming that the only reason it was being denied funding was because it was a religious institution. And, as Roberts wrote in a "you think?" moment, that's pretty self-evident:



"There is no question that Trinity Lutheran was denied a grant simply because of what it is ... a church."



So the only question that remained was, is this exclusion constitutional?



Seven members of the court, including some of the more liberal justices, said "no." According to the chief justice, "the exclusion of Trinity Lutheran from a public benefit for which it is otherwise qualified, solely because it is a church, is odious to our Constitution all the same, and cannot stand."



I like the use of the word odious. Every now and then a Supreme Court justice has to tell it like it is, and cut through that genteel lexicon that makes it difficult to believe that there are human beings on that highest of benches. This was not simply an illegal, distasteful bit of discrimination against people of faith. It was odious.





Of course, not everyone would agree with that conclusion, including most of the members of the ACLU. Every time there is a suggestion that public funds are going to assist religious organizations, the fearsome prospect of a theocracy raises its head. Whether it be a caliphate or Christendom, the church-state separatists are immediately mobilized.



And one of the true believers, excuse the pun, sits on the court. Sotomayor, a woman who wore a Catholic school uniform for many years, railed against the majority decision. Her words seem particularly over the top, since Roberts took great pains to limit the majority holding to cases involving "playground resurfacing," and reserved judgment on whether it could be extended to other types of discrimination. It was more about discriminating against entities solely because they were churches or, as Roberts wrote "churches need not apply."



Sotomayor wasn't buying that. She clearly saw the diagrammed sentence on the wall:



"If this separation [of church and state] means anything, it means that the government cannot ... tax its citizens and turn that money over to houses of worship. ... The court today blinds itself to the outcome this history requires and leads us instead to a place where separation of church and state is a constitutional slogan, not a constitutional commitment."



That's powerful stuff.



Sotomayor sets this up as if the poor taxpayers of Missouri were being forced to pay to prevent some Christian kid from scraping his knees on a rough playground. She makes this seem as if it's then a slippery slope to having taxpayers subsidize the erection of a Mormon Temple, or buy new central air for a mosque. Funny, right?



Well actually, maybe not. While I strongly reject the idea that the wall between church and state was built to keep religion out of the public square, it is clear that this case isn't just about playgrounds. It could change the way that we think about people and places of faith, and their relation to the secular state.



Christine Flowers is an attorney and a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News. Her work appears frequently on PennLive Opinion. Readers may at email her at cflowers1961@gmail.com.
FILE - This July 3, 2014, file photo, shows the Microsoft Corp. logo outside the Microsoft Visitor Center in Redmond, Wash. On the surface, the investigation was routine. Federal agents persuaded a judge to issue a warrant for a Microsoft email account they suspected was used for drug trafficking. But U.S.-based Microsoft kept the emails on a server in Ireland. Microsoft said that meant they were beyond the warrantAos reach and a federal appeals court agreed. In June 2017, the Trump Administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene. (AP Photo Ted S. Warren, File)
China's official news agency accused India of "ignoring international law" and "seriously interfering" with China's construction activities, amid the on-going stand-off in the Sikkim sector.

By Ananth Krishnan: China's official news agency on Sunday accused India of "ignoring international law" and "seriously interfering" with China's construction activities, amid the on-going stand-off in the Sikkim sector.

The official Xinhua news agency in a commentary reiterated the Foreign Ministry's claim that an 1890 Sikkim-Tibet treaty had "demarcated the China-India boundary", although India has maintained the treaty was only used as "a basis of alignment" and there remained differences between both sides, most notably on where China fixes the India-China-Bhutan trijunction.

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Xinhua, however, claimed, that "it is well known that the Sikkim section of the China-India boundary has been demarcated by convention in 1890". "After India's independence, the Indian government has repeatedly confirmed it in writing, acknowledging that the two sides have no objection to the direction of the Sikkim section. There is a lot of evidence, including images, that the Indian military violated the historic covenant and the commitment of successive Indian governments."

Xinhua said India "ignored international law and has seriously interfered with China's construction activities."

Indian officials say China is misrepresenting India's position and that the 1890 treaty was only agreed insofar as the basis of alignment and watershed. In 2012, China even acknowledged there were differences over the trijunction, which China marks far south of where India and Bhutan do, and agreed it would be fixed in consultation with Bhutan as well. The border also still needs to be demarcated in maps and on the ground.

The Xinhua commentary said this "cross-border behaviour was a further departure from the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries" on bilateral ties.

"These agreements are a strong guarantee for the smooth development of relations. Since India has promised to 'properly deal with the differences', why did it cross the border? After the event, why did India not admit the error? This is clearly paradoxical."

It also called on India to "withdraw forces to the Indian side" and "avoid escalation".

China has in recent days released several statements, photographs and a map in an unprecedented propaganda push over the stand-off alleging India "trespassed". Beijing's media has, however, played down the dispute with Bhutan and largely ignored Bhutan's concerns over China altering the status quo by building a road in the disputed Doklam plateau.

ALSO READ: Beyond Doka La: 10 irritants in India-China relation

China says 1890 treaty backs claims to Doklam plateau at trijunction

How India counters China over Doka La face-off near Sikkim

ALSO WATCH:

China says 1890 treaty backs claim to Doklam Plateau at tri-junction

--- ENDS ---
Hugging the Knees of the Himalayas on a Nepal Tea House Trek

By Tim Leffel

A five-day tease of a trek in the Annapurna region of Nepal turns out to be a tough act of stamina that delivers a panoramic payoff.

We knew when we woke up on Day 2 that we would be doing a lot of climbing before the end of the day. We had already climbed 1,100 meters in altitude the day before. It seemed daunting when the guide from Royal Mountain Travel said, "You will go up 3,700 steps." What's a step though when there are multiple paths up a flagstone staircase built into a steep mountain?" One person in my group decided to count from the first step. Her final tally was 6,200. I have no doubt that she was closer. By the time we walked through the gate at Ghorepani village, most of us were ready to collapse and take a nap.

This Poon Hill-Ghorepani "Sunrise Trek" is often billed as an easy hike, something casual travelers sign up for if they don't have time for a full-on circuit that climbs to 5,000 meters or more in Nepal. We would drive a short distance from Pokhara, tramp around the foothills of the Himalayan Mountains in a loop, and return to the city for nice bathrooms and a swimming pool. As our leg muscles screamed in protest and my hiking boots started falling apart, however, I started to think that maybe the "easy" part is determined by Nepali guides and porters. The label is not assigned by those of us flying in from flatter lands close to sea level.

The Himalaya Mountains are the newest, the steepest, and the highest in the world overall. The tops are eternally covered in snow and ice, despite the tropical weather a few thousand meters down in Nepal. We've come to experience their majesty, but from a relatively comfortable vantage point, no crampons required and a mattress to sleep on at night. Like most hikes in Nepal, this is a "tea house trek," meaning we have a guesthouse to stay in each night and a restaurant to eat in. Porters are carrying our luggage, but there's no camping equipment or food to lug along with us. It seems a bit strange to everyone that we're almost always walking on flagstones. The Mighty mountains of Nepal appear to be made of stone sheets that conveniently come apart. A seemingly infinite supply of flagstones makes it into steps, and is used for paths, for temples, for houses, and even for the roof tiles on top the houses.

When I first trekked Nepal in my early 30s, I did the whole 21-day Annapurna circuit through these towns of stone while carrying my own pack. I was traveling solo at the time and had a small baggie of weed in case I needed something to numb the pain as I climbed higher and higher. I met up with two other guys to trek with and they had some tooso much that they needed some help. The seller had asked them whether they wanted a big bag or a small one. They said, "Big I guess" and he brought them a garbage bag full. It was more than they could fit in their two packs, so they asked if I could stash some of it in my backpack too. My main memories of that trekbesides the fabulous vistasare of drinking tea, eating dal bhat, walking each day, and getting plenty of practice rolling joints.
When selling a home, owners are only required to disclose problems related to the physical aspects of the property. Read more

Events that transpired in Westfield, N.J., three years ago might sound a lot like the plot of a horror film.

A couple with three young children purchased a property they said was the home of their dreams: a 3,920-square-foot house nestled in a quiet, high-income suburb 30 miles outside Manhattan. To snag it, they shelled out $1.3 million, and closed the deal in June 2014.

But, they said, three days after closing, a letter arrived  from someone claiming to be "the Watcher."

"My grandfather watched the house in the 1920s, and my father watched it in the 1960s," the letter said. "It is now my time."

In three letters Derek and Maria Broaddus said they received in summer 2014, "the Watcher" made clear his obsession with the house. In one, the writer asked whose bedroom faced the street. Another criticized them for making the home "so fancy." In another, "The Watcher" wrote, "I am pleased to know your names now and the name of the young blood you have brought me."

It is not surprising that the Broaddus family never moved into the house. Instead, they hired an investigator, sued the former owners, contending that they concealed that they also had received a letter allegedly sent by "the Watcher," and at some point attempted to sell and even demolish the house. In the end, the property did not sell, demolition permits were not approved, and the lawsuit remains open. It has even inspired a countersuit by the former owners against the Broadduses  this one, for defamation.

In the years since the Westfield home became a sensation, the story has continued to grip professional and amateur sleuths alike: Was it legitimate or a hoax?

But it has also raised a more serious question for the real estate community: When a property does have an unsavory past, must you disclose anything nefarious to potential buyers?

In the lawsuit over the Westfield home, the Broaddus family accused the former owners of fraud and concealment, contending that by not disclosing they had also received a letter from "the Watcher," they "suppressed material facts in connection with the sale of the home."

What is a "material fact," though, and what, as a seller, are you required to disclose?

In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, laws require the disclosure of only physical kinds of problems: holes, leaks, infestations, and the like. In Pennsylvania, the Real Estate Seller Disclosure Law requires that sellers disclose any "material defects" that are "known to the seller." In New Jersey, a similar law indicates sellers must make "a reasonable effort to ascertain all material information concerning the physical condition."

That's just not enough, buyers such as the Broadduses and others have argued.

In Delaware County in 2006, Thornbury Township resident Konstantinos Koumboulis shot and killed his wife before turning the gun on himself. Later that year, a couple bought their house at auction, renovated it, and sold it to a new buyer. They never disclosed the home's high-profile tragedy, and a new buyer  Janet Milliken, from out of town and unfamiliar with the news  purchased it for $610,000.

When she discovered the house's history, she sued the sellers, Joseph and Kathleen Jacono, for not disclosing the history. In 2014, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Jaconos in Milliken vs. Jacono, specifying that psychological stigma is not a material defect.

"When you start going beyond physical defects, it's hard to figure out what effect these might have on a potential buyer," said Hank Lerner, director of law and policy at the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors.

There are no similar precedents in New Jersey, but there is one nuance to the law: If a buyer in New Jersey directly asks a seller about "psychological" defects, a seller must disclose them if he or she is aware of them.

Even so, there are ways buyers can find some answers for themselves.

Nearly four years ago, software project manager Roy Condrey developed a website, DiedInHouse.com, to allow buyers to track the history of a home for a small fee.

To create the database, Condrey built an algorithm that collects information from news articles, police reports, property records, death records, sex-offender registries, and other sources to provide users information related to crimes, fires, drug-related incidents, and other events. Though he acknowledges the database is not comprehensive, Condrey said his team is working to provide users "everything we can  instantly." There are nearly five million incidents in his system, he said. One search costs $12; three, he said, is about $20.

"Everyone has their own opinion, but if there was a murder-suicide in my home, I would want to know," Condrey said. "The laws in the industry kind of marginalize that."
When attorneys for bankrupt Wordsworth Academy go before a judge Thursday in the case's first hearing, they will present a highly unusual proposal to fund the human-service agency's operations during the early stages of its bankruptcy: a $1.5 million loan from another nonprofit that leases space from it.

The lender, Play & Learn, an operator of preschools, was once affiliated with Wordsworth and had a member of its board, Gerald Schatz, in common with Wordsworth until Schatz resigned from the Wordsworth board shortly before the bankruptcy filing Friday. Wordsworth operated a residential treatment facility in West Philadelphia where a teenager died last fall in a struggle with staffers.

Lawrence G. McMichael, a Dilworth Paxson bankruptcy attorney representing Wordsworth, acknowledged that the proposed financing arrangement was unusual, but said it was appropriate.

"Despite substantial efforts, the debtors have been unable to secure alternative financing from any source other than Play and Learn in the time frame required," Wordsworth said in a motion Friday asking U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ashley M. Chan to approve the loan.

"Play and Learn is obviously not a traditional lender, but has mobilized quickly to solve the debtors' immediate liquidity crisis. Without Play and Learn, the viability of debtors' Chapter 11 cases would be jeopardized," the filing said.

A traditional financing package is in the works from Siena Lending Group that would supplement the proposed loan from Play & Learn. But the current arrangement illustrates the difficult financial position Wordsworth was in before it resorted to bankruptcy, coupled with a plan to be acquired by Public Health Management Corp. (PHMC), a Philadelphia nonprofit that provides health and community services.

"It's not as bad as it seems," McMichael said Saturday.

Like many businesses, Wordsworth faces a gap between when it has to pay its bills, such as payroll, and when it gets paid. That gap is typically covered by a line of credit, and Wordsworth had a $5 million line of credit with M&T Bank. A month ago, McMichael said, M&T froze the line of credit while it had a zero balance.

"That was one of the reasons for this bankruptcy," McMichael said. Other reasons include numerous lawsuits after a decade of allegations and charges of sexual and physical abuse at what was Philadelphia's only residential treatment center for troubled youth, as chronicled by the Inquirer and Daily News in April.

Wordsworth, which provides education, behavioral health, and child welfare services to children and youth and is now being managed by PHMC, still owes $4.7 million to M&T on a separate loan.

The board, including Schatz, approved the bankruptcy filing June 12.

Schatz and other representatives of Play & Learn, which was founded in 1981 by Wordsworth educators and psychiatrists, could not be reached for comment Saturday.

Until about a decade ago, Schatz was president of Wordsworth, which was founded in 1952. The website of Wyncote Academy, a private school in Elkins Park, describes Schatz as founder of Wordsworth Academy, Play & Learn Children's Centers, and Wyncote Academy. The latest available 990 tax return for Play & Learn, for the year ended June 30, 2015, lists Schatz as president.

As part of the proposed loan agreement, PHMC will negotiate with Play & Learn on the possible sale of the property Play & Learn occupies on Wordsworth's Fort Washington campus, which a bank appraised at $9.35 million in 2014.

"We have aligned interests. Where they are getting the $1.5 million, I don't know," McMichael said.

The 990 shows that Play & Learn had $7.7 million in investments two years ago.

Laura Otten, executive director of the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University, said a nonprofit is permitted to make such a loan as long as it is from unrestricted money and the board approves it, though she wondered how Play & Learn has that level of liquid assets.

"It is very unusual," she said.
Andrew Bennett-Jackson, a graduate student at Drexel who works for Drexel's ExCITe Center, helps Roxborough High School graduate, Darr Freeman, work with a prosthetic arm designed by students Thursday, June 22, 2017. Roxborough High School created a STEAM lab through collaboration with Drexel and a 5-year $1 million grant. Read more

Playing with blocks in kindergarten isn't what it used to be. That quickly becomes clear in a new lab at Drexel Hill's Holy Child Academy, where 5-year-old Sophie Munch is using her iPad to steer a Sphero, a tiny round robot, through the tunnels and under the bridges of a long, child-built maze of wooden blocks.

At a nearby computer, two sixth graders are honing their multimedia publishing skills through Photoshop, turning an image of their science teacher blue and grafting hair onto his balding head.

The scene pleases Margaret Fox-Tully, head of school at the private K-8 Catholic academy. She sees the room's mix of creative projects, blending science, art, and design, as one giant leap in the development of skills her students will likely need for the futuristic workforce that awaits them in the 2030s.

Holy Child's recently installed $150,000 lab is just one outpost in a rapidly advancing education movement called STEAM. A decade ago, the idea that began trending in the nation's schools was STEM, a concentrated focus on science, technology, engineering, and math, the widely acknowledged victims of instructional neglect. Now, acronym-loving education innovators are powering STEM with STEAM, integrating tech-oriented learning with the freer-form, risk-taking processes of the arts, represented by the A in the acronym.

"One of the things we're excited about is, it's OK if it doesn't work. That leads to creative problem-solving," said Fox-Tully, watching as a frustrated Sophie temporarily snagged Sphero in the maze and declared, "I can't do it!"

The broad ability to adapt to challenges is more important than a narrow technological skill, especially when educators can't easily predict what talents tomorrow's workers will need, Fox-Tully said. "The 10 hottest jobs today," she noted, "didn't exist 10 years ago."

STEAM education's guru is former Rhode Island School of Design president John Maeda, who holds degrees in computer science, electrical engineering, and classical design. Support has come from such disparate voices as U.S. Department of Education bureaucrats and Sesame Street Muppets. The movement has even given rise to a bipartisan "STEAM Caucus" in Congress, which in March protested President Trump's proposed budget cuts to the National Endowment for the Arts.

"We know the power of integrating arts across disciplines," the caucus said in a statement. "Activating both sides of the brain prepares people to be innovative and creative, both critical to growing our 21st century economies and creating good jobs."

In the Philadelphia region, a growing number of districts, as well as private and charter schools, are integrating STEAM principles into their curriculums, and several have invested heavily in labs with 3-D printers and other high-tech creative tools. They include the Colonial School District in Montgomery County, which is embedding STEAM equipment and professionally accoutered labs throughout its schools, and Philadelphia's Roxborough High School, which recently opened a lab as part of a $2.5 million federal grant to promote STEAM and medical learning for underserved students. Seventy-eight students in the school's STEAM Scholars Program participate, with lab sessions scheduled throughout the week. Kids can also pop in during free time.

Youngmoo Kim, director of Drexel's ExCITe Center and an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, is a key collaborator on the Roxborough program. STEAM, also known as "the maker movement," recognizes that artistic aptitude is as critical to invention as the ability to solve equations, he said. For instance, a key feature of secure digital communication was invented by an actress (Hedy Lamarr) and a composer (George Antheil).

Advocates stress the artistic bent of civilization's great inventors, from Leonardo da Vinci and Benjamin Franklin to Steve Jobs, who built an empire as much on sleek design as on the power of microprocessors, and the 19th-century English mathematician Ada Lovelace, whose knowledge of fabric patterns helped her develop algorithms.

Further, supporters argue that STEAM could help address the paucity of young women choosing tech careers, even as these become America's fastest-growing job categories. Holy Child's Fox-Tully said she also hopes that with early STEAM education, students will feel less pressured to choose between a science or nonscience career path. "We're trying to avoid the switch that happens in the third or fourth grade, where they say: 'I'm not a math kid, I'm not a science kid.' "

In the Colonial district, which covers Plymouth, Whitemarsh, and Conshohocken, administrators are planning a dramatic makeover that seamlessly integrates STEAM features throughout its buildings. Already, old-school departments such as tech-ed, art, business, and computer science have been merged into a new Entrepreneur, Design and Innovation Department, which takes up the first floor of a freshly renovated wing at Plymouth-Whitemarsh High School.

Embedded in the department is a Fab Lab from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which installs laser cutters, milling machines, and other "molecular assemblers" that MIT promises can be used to build almost anything, from wind and solar turbines to medical devices. The Fab Labs are just part of a growing STEAM-education industry that includes universities and private firms such as Creative Learning Systems (CLS), which installed Holy Child "SmartLab" and is conducting 100 projects nationwide this year.

"We're preparing them for college or the career workforce," said Sergio Anaya, Colonial's curriculum supervisor of innovation and learning, as he walked through the space that holds an array of small 3-D printers and two commercial-grade printers, laser cutters, and all manner of robotics. There are also computer numerical control machines, which use microcomputers to control machine tools. "Kids can go through our jewelry course, and with a little savvy can probably start their own Etsy business," said Anaya, referring to the online market where people can sell handmade goods.

STEAM labs aren't cheap. The CLS SmartLab typically runs from $150,000 to $250,000, which could raise questions of equity for poorer districts looking to launch programs. Roxborough's lab was funded from a five-year, $475,000-a-year grant from a minority health program of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services  money that also pays for field trips and training with grad students or health-care professionals.

So far, the lab is a modest affair, with two rolling computers and a small 3-D printer. Still, it was a boon to 17-year-old Darr Freeman, who used it to learn soldering and 3-D design, and constructed a heart-rate monitor. Freeman, who is headed to Lincoln University to study criminology, said he's learned "how to think outside the box"  and outside Roxborough High.

One of his favorite STEAM activities was visiting Drexel University College of Medicine to try out its simulation lab. Students drew blood, sutured an incision, delivered babies, even helped a fainting colleague, all virtually.

"It opened my eyes a lot," Freeman said, "to things I didn't even know existed."
During a one-week period in May, three young Philadelphia residents took their lives.

On Thursday, the city Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services (DBHIDS) sponsored an informational session on youth suicide in an effort to spread potentially life-saving advice.

One of the myths surrounding youth suicide is that talking about it will lead more young people to think about taking their lives, said Matthew B. Wintersteen, a Thomas Jefferson University psychologist and suicide prevention expert.

"This myth is what has kept suicide prevention out of the schools for years," Wintersteen said to a gathering of city mental health specialists, educators, and other youth advocates.

On May 11, a 10-year-old boy who attended Samuel Pennypacker Elementary School in West Oak Lane hanged himself in a closet in his bedroom. Media reports said he left a note saying he had been bullied.

On May 13, a 14-year-old girl who officials said attended Mastery's Gratz Prep Middle School in Nicetown hanged herself.

On May 18, an 18-year-old male who had attended Howard H. Furness High School in South Philadelphia fatally shot himself, reports stated.

A spokesman for the behavioral health agency said the deaths are not believed to be related. None occurred on school properties.

Kamilah Jackson, deputy chief medical officer for child and adolescent health at Community Behavioral Health and DBHIDS, said her department wanted to share advice on how to help.

"We all have the opportunity when someone seems to be having a hard time to not run away from it," Jackson said.

As caring adults, anyone can ask a young person who seems sad or upset if they are having suicidal thoughts. The key is to respect the child's feelings rather than dismissing or making light of them, Wintersteen said.

"When kids are hurting, we want to fix the problem," Wintersteen said. "Sometimes the way to fix the problem is just to listen."

Also helpful is letting a young person know they are not alone and that there is help, he said.

Another common myth is that suicide cannot be prevented, Wintersteen said.

Most people thinking about ending their lives are acutely suicidal for 24 to 72 hours. Concern shown during that crucial window "can save someone's life," he said.

Adults should be aware of the warning signs of suicidal thinking: expressions of hopelessness; severe or overwhelming emotional pain; marked changes in behavior, including irritability and anger; and changes in sleep patterns.

Parents, Wintersteen said, should get their offspring professional help if they seem to need it, even if they don't ask for it. If necessary, make a deal with them to just try it.

All it takes is one person to make the difference, he said. "We all have a role."

How to get help

National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

City of Philadelphia Department of Behavioral Health and Intellectual disAbility Services hotline: 215-686-4420

New Jersey Hopeline: 1-855-NJ-HOPELINE (654-6735)
Restrictions remained in force in parts of Srinagar for the third consecutive day today.

By Press Trust of India: Restrictions remained in force in parts of Srinagar for the third consecutive day today in view of a strike called by separatists to protest the killing of two civilians during an anti-militancy operation.

The restrictions have been imposed in seven police stations of Srinagar the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

They said while the curbs continued for the third consecutive day in five police station areas of the city - Nowhatta, M R Gunj, Rainawari, Khanyar and Safakadal, authorities today imposed restrictions in two other police station areas - Maisuma and Kralkhud.

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The officials said the curbs were imposed under Section 144 CrPc as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident.

Two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militants including Bashir Lashkari, who was behind killing of an SHO and five other policemen last month, were yesterday killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district in south Kashmir.

Two civilians, including a woman, were also killed during the operation in Brenti-Batpora village in Dialgam area of the district.

Condemning the killings, the separatists called for a shutdown.

In a joint statement yesterday, chairmen of both factions of Hurriyat Conference - Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Umar Farooq - and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik urged the people to observe a "complete shutdown".

Shops, fuel stations and business establishments in Srinagar were shut, while public transport was off the roads, the officials said.

They said however, some vendors had set up their stalls at the weekly flea market here.

Similar reports of strike were received from other district headquarters across the Valley, the officials said.

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--- ENDS ---
West Goshen Police Chief Joseph Gleason (left) stands by as Chester County District Attorney Thomas Hogan conducts a news conference to discuss the arrest of suspected shooter David Desper, of Trainer, Pa. in the death of Bianca Roberson. Read more

The bullet was fired by a man driving a red pickup truck on a Chester County highway last week, police said, striking and killing 18-year-old Bianca Roberson as she tried to merge lanes next to him.

And as authorities announced murder charges Sunday against the man who allegedly pulled the trigger, they said the bullet was a key piece of evidence in securing his arrest, because the fragment later pulled from Roberson's head during an autopsy matched the caliber of gun they found at his Delaware County house.

"This is the story of a savage and senseless murder," said Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan. "Somebody didn't want to give way. Somebody didn't want to merge into a lane of traffic. And because of that, a young woman is dead."

David Desper, 28, of Trainer, surrendered to police around 2 a.m. Sunday, Hogan said, ending a three-day manhunt for the road-rage murder suspect that spanned at least two counties and attracted national attention.

Roberson's family sat in the audience as Hogan and a team of police officials in West Goshen Township, where the slaying occurred, announced the charges against Desper, including first- and third-degree murder, possession of an instrument of crime, and reckless endangerment. The family did not want to speak afterward, and they were visibly distraught during the news conference, shaking their heads as the district attorney recounted the facts of the case.

Hogan said Roberson  a recent graduate of Bayard Rustin High School in West Chester who was headed to Jacksonville University in the fall  had "her whole summer in front of her. Her whole life in front of her."

Her father, Rodney Roberson, said last week that his daughter, who also worked at a retirement community in Newtown Square, was shot while driving home from a shopping trip in Exton with her mother and grandmother, picking up school supplies and groceries.

Police had been searching for leads since the killing Wednesday evening on Route 100. Hogan said investigators interviewed witnesses, collected video surveillance, and released to the public pictures of Desper's truck and a composite sketch of the suspect's face  an attempt to force the alleged killer to turn himself in.

The gambit ultimately worked, with Desper surrendering at the Media office of his lawyer, Dan McGarrigle.

McGarrigle declined to say Sunday why his client wanted to turn himself in or whether he had given a statement to authorities. Hogan also would not say whether Desper had told police anything about the crime.

Several of Desper's neighbors in Delaware County said they did not know him well; some said they would not have recognized him. No one answered the door at his home on Anderson Avenue, though Mark Halliday, 38, who lives two doors down, said he believed two or three men moved into the house about two years ago.

Fred Kinsler, 45, said he had known Desper as a kid. Kinsler knew that Desper drove a red truck but said he "didn't put two and two together" until he heard about the arrest.

"He was a good kid," Kinsler said. "It's a shame."

Hogan said Desper worked as a well and pipe driller for local businesses, though he declined to elaborate. He said Desper's parents were living with him at the house and were there when authorities searched it last week.

Attempts to reach Desper's family Sunday were unsuccessful.

6ABC's Annie McCormack reported finding this sign in a home said to belong to relatives of Desper.

Hogan suggested that the motive for Desper's actions was relatively cut-and-dry.

Desper and Roberson "jockeyed for position [while merging] and he wasn't happy," Hogan said. "So he pulled out a gun and shot Bianca in the head, killing her instantly."

"That's the same merge people in Southeastern Pennsylvania make thousands of times every day," Hogan said. "All across the region people do that without a problem."

The district attorney said there was "no indication that we're aware of that this was a race crime or a hate crime."

"This appears to be a savage, senseless, and brutal act from one human being to another human being," he said.

The shooting happened at 5:31 p.m. Wednesday in the southbound lane of Route 100 approaching Route 202, according to police. Roberson was driving a green 2009 Chevrolet Malibu, Desper a red Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck.

After Desper shot Roberson in the head, police said, her car veered off the road and crashed into a tree. One witness told police that just before seeing the crash, he "heard a loud noise that could have been a gunshot," according to a criminal complaint.

Hogan said surveillance footage showed that Desper's truck sped from the scene. Investigators "recovered a large amount of video evidence" showing Desper's truck traveling on Route 100, Route 202, Paoli Pike, and ultimately to Delaware County, the criminal complaint says.

After Desper turned himself in at about 2 a.m. Sunday, the complaint said, police recovered his pickup truck on Huntingdon Farm Drive, in Glen Mills. Hogan said that Desper was the truck's registered owner, and that it bore the same dent that could be seen on the truck in the surveillance tapes.

Police also searched Desper's home, the complaint said, and found a .40-caliber Smith & Wesson semiautomatic handgun, as well as .40-caliber ammunition in a trash can. Ballistics testing on the bullet fragment pulled from Roberson's skull indicated that the same caliber weapon and ammunition were used in her killing, according to the complaint.

Hogan said Desper legally purchased the handgun in November 2015 and had a permit to carry it.

West Goshen Police Chief Joseph Gleason credited teamwork between his officers and county detectives, saying he was proud of their cooperative work  as well as the response of the community. Alerts pushed out by police and the media resulted in hundreds of leads and tips, he said.

But in a somber note, the police chief took time to offer condolences to Roberson's family  who were struggling to cope with the sudden loss of their bright, young girl.

"This is such a tragedy that no one should have to endure," he said.
Two girls jump off the rocks at Devils Pool in the middle of the Wissahickon creek June 28, 2017. Area residents say the foot traffic has gotten out of control and some are calling for the 15-foot watering hole to be filled in with rocks. Read more

Suzanne Durand took her two small dogs for a walk last Sunday down Mount Airy Avenue, a block of million-dollar homes set back on pristinely manicured lawns in the city's Northwest corner. As she got to the base of her driveway, she was taken aback  trash lined the street up and down her block.

"Baby diapers, dirty clothes, beer bottles, vomit," Durand, 67, said in an interview at her home last week. "Today, I found a used applicator for a tampon."

The culprits? Visitors to Devil's Pool, a once-hidden Philadelphia gem nestled in Wissahickon Valley Park, now easily discovered in online articles, YouTube videos, and Facebook groups with directions on how to find the unmarked spot. To get there, visitors hike in through the park or take a narrow paved road down to the base of the Cresheim Creek, where small boulders overlook a 15-foot basin of water, shaded beneath a canopy of trees.

It's an attractive nuisance," said Friends of the Wissahickon executive director Maura McCarthy. "But it's an attractive nuisance we all love." Friends of the Wissahickon is a nonprofit volunteer group committed to the park.

Durand's block is one of the nearest streets for those looking to park near Livezey Lane  which is closed to vehicles  and walk down to the pool.

The influx of people heading to the swimming hole and resulting problems spilling into neighborhood yards has hit an all-time peak this year, Durand and fellow neighbors said. The last time a count was done by Friends of the Wissahickon, in 2011, upwards of 400 people would visit the pool on a summer weekend. McCarthy said unofficial anecdotal car and foot traffic estimates now suggest weekend turnout can be as many as 600. Residents say cars, many with out-of-state license plates, line their streets. And, for the first time, discarded needles are being found among the garbage people leave behind, police and neighbors say.

There have been reports of bad behavior: people urinating on lawns, having sex in public, and trying to swim in a neighbor's pool.

Dena Dannenberg, 84, who moved into her Mount Airy Avenue home in 1957 with her husband, Jim, 91, said she's asked every day how to get to the swimming hole.

"No amount of saying 'this is dangerous' or 'this is polluted' is going to dissuade them," she said. "They think they're in paradise and they need to be given options of other places to go."

Friends of the Wissahickon raised $10,000 to increase police presence over Fourth of July weekend. Police say they'll enforce the long-ignored no-swimming rule. The extra manpower will only last through the holiday, though, and residents at a meeting on Wednesday night expressed skepticism about long-term change.

"The cops say 'don't swim,' and the kids just stare back and keep swimming," said resident Jerry Izzard, as he cleaned up in front of his home on Wayne Avenue, where he's lived since 2001.

Down in the Wissahickon on Wednesday afternoon, about 60 people in swimsuits and water shoes or sneakers gathered along Cresheim Creek, which flows into Devil's Pool. The sounds of bodies hitting the water ran on a loop as jumper after jumper leapt from one of the large rocks hovering above the swimming hole.

Smack, plunge, whoosh.

"It's awesome here," said Brooke Regensburg, 16, of Princeton, water dripping down her face after her first jump.

Smack, plunge, whoosh.

"You have to try it," said Genesis Jimasiz, 18, of South Philadelphia.

Jimasiz, a recent Furness High School graduate, shrugged off some of the bad behavior reported.

"You cannot control the young people," Jimasiz said. "And it's not like anyone's coming here in the winter. It's three months. Maybe they should relax?"

Swimming is illegal in Devil's Pool, as it is throughout the Wissahickon. People have been seriously injured jumping from rocks  or, worse, a 60-foot-high stone bridge  into the narrow portion of the pool deep enough for such a leap. The oasis is also a dead spot for cell service, which adds to danger and wait time in the event of an emergency.

City officials say the water is too polluted to swim in. Devil's Pool hasn't been tested, but the creek that runs into it, the Cresheim, tested positive for fecal coliform bacteria, McCarthy said. A nearby, more shallow swimming area known as "the beach" is part of the Wissahickon, which connects with four wastewater treatment plants.

But the area, an amalgam of rocks and moss with the creek glittering in the sun beneath a canopy of trees, is alluring.

A check one day last week found visitors from Northeast and South Philadelphia, Camden, Norristown, Garnett Valley, and Vineland. The spot is primarily trafficked by high school- and college-aged young people of a range of backgrounds, although families hiking through the woods stop by and picnic as well.

Near the edge of the creek, Miguel Bonilla, 20, and a group of friends from North Philadelphia, passed around a joint, watching the jumpers.

Bonilla said his mother first brought him to the pool as a kid.

"I dunno, it's just like, in the hood, stuff like this doesn't exist," Bonilla said. "This is a spot you can chill in, get away from everything, get away from our troubles, and relax."

Some people are disrespectful, Bonilla said. "The bad people mess it up for the rest of us."

At Wednesday night's community meeting, neighbors, in conjunction with the city and Friends of the Wissahickon, talked about potential solutions, including more signs warning of the dangers of swimming, more trash bins, and bringing in portable bathrooms.

Some neighbors argued the only way to curb the influx of visitors is to take away the main attraction by filling the swimming hole with rocks.

"The solution is not to keep people out," McCarthy said in an interview. "And it's not to drive park visitors away. This is their park every bit as much as it is our residents', who we appreciate and honor, so our concern is making sure quality of access is our focus."
Police cars block the entrance to Island Beach State Park in Ocean County. Officers turned away cars, bicyclists, and joggers. Read more

"That's just the way it goes."

That was Gov. Chris Chrstie's response to reporters on Saturday when asked why it was okay for his family to vacation at Island Beach State Park over the Fourth of July weekend  while everyone else was locked out of the popular destination because of the government shutdown Christie ordered, leaving state parks, beaches and other facilities closed.

"The governor has a residence at Island Beach. Others don't," Christie said. "Run for governor and you can have the residence."

New Jersey owns a residence at the beach the governor can use. Christie's office confirmed Saturday evening that Christie would be spending the holiday weekend with his family at the beach house in the park. Christie returned to the statehouse on Sunday, where he called lawmakers back in a failed effort to resolve the budget stalemate.

During a press conference with reporters on Sunday, Christie said he is planning on returning to Island Beach State Park by helicopter tonight.

"That's where my family is sleeping, so that's where I'll sleep tonight," Christie said. "When I have a choice between sleeping with my family and sleeping alone, I generally like to sleep where my family is."

Meanwhile, police were turning away cars, bicyclists and joggers attempting to enter the popular park.

"I'm confused about it," said Ronah Harris, who traveled from Princeton to spend the holiday weekend at Island Beach. "For Fourth of July weekend? It's unfortunate. It's ironic."

"Gov. Christie, get the h off the beach!" Larry Manno of Ridgefield, Connecticut, told the Asbury Park Press, mocking what Christie told residents leading up to Superstorm Sandy.

Henry Walker, a local fisherman, was so angry that Christie and his family were staying at the beach he let loose some colorful language the New York Times described as "a stream of unprintable invective."

Even Trentonian columnist Jeff Edelstein, who has often defended Christie throughout his two terms as governor, called his decision to stay on Island Beach State Park over the holiday weekend "ridiculous."

"You'd think Christie would realize that staying at the shore house would be the textbook example of "bad optics." You'd think he'd care in the slightest bit," Edelstein wrote. "You'd think wrong."

New Jersey's government is shut down for the first time since 2006 because of the budget impasse that hinges on Christie's proposal to restructure Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

As my colleagues Maddie Hanna and Andrew Seidman reported, Christie wants a bill requiring Horizon to develop a plan for allocating its "excess" surplus to help pay for drug treatment and other care of the poor and uninsured.

Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D., Hudson) calls that a "Christie tax" on Horizon's 3.8 million policyholders.

This isn't the first time Christie has been criticized for his vacation plans. Back in 2010, Christie declined to cancel a trip to Disney World during a blizzard that slammed parts of New Jersey with more than two feet of snow. Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno was also on vacation at the time in Mexico, forcing State senate President Stephen Sweeney, a Democrat, to serve as acting governor.

"Yes, this was a big snow, but we are a northeastern state, and we get plenty of snow, including heavy hits like this," Christie's spokesman at the time Michael Drewniak, adding that criticism of the governor was "overblown."
Gov. Chris Christie addresses a joint session of the Democrat-led Legislature at the statehouse, Saturday, July 1, 2017, in Trenton, N.J. Christie said the issue with the state's government shutdown is Democratic Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto's failure to hold a vote on legislation overhauling the state's largest health insurer. Prieto says the bill could raise ratepayers' premiums. Christie ordered nonessential services, including state parks and the motor vehicle commission to close beginning Saturday. Remaining open under the shutdown will be New Jersey Transit, state prisons, the state police, state hospitals and treatment centers as well as casinos, race tracks and the lottery. Read more

TRENTON  For months, Gov. Christie waged a one-man crusade against New Jersey's largest health insurer, attacking its highly-paid executives and lobbyists as he sought to make the case that it should establish a fund to provide drug-addiction services to the poor and uninsured.

And for months, no one in the Legislature joined his cause  until late June, when he conditioned his support for Democrats' $34.7 billion spending plan on their support for restructuring the health insurer.

"This may not be a popular governor; he's still the governor," said Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D., Gloucester). "He has something we need."

Still, how did a debate over Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey lead to New Jersey's second-ever government shutdown?

The answer involves Christie's political rehabilitation  helping drug addicts  and his alliance with the same South Jersey Democrats who made him a rising Republican star in his first term.

It also reflects a divide in the state Democratic Party amid a fight for the speakership. Speaker Vincent Prieto (D., Hudson), facing a strong challenge for his leadership post, appears to be making his last stand as he squares off with Christie and members of his own party.

The governor, whose ambitions for higher office had faded, was appointed by President Trump this year to lead a national opioid addiction commission.

"That became the thing he's hanging his hat on for his political ambitions," said Patrick Murray, a political analyst at Monmouth University.

Christie initially called on Horizon to dedicate money for a drug addiction program. But with apparently no support in the Legislature for what had been criticized as a money grab, some Democrats looked for a compromise to ensure he enacted their budget priorities.

Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D., Gloucester) asked Sen. Joe Vitale, the Senate's Democratic point man on health care policy, to take the lead. Vitale's running mate in Middlesex County is Assemblyman Craig Coughlin, who is challenging Prieto for speaker, assuming both are reelected in November.

Coughlin's bid is supported by South Jersey Democrats, led by the insurance and hospital executive George E. Norcross III, and a coalition of members from other counties across the state.

Norcross's allies in the Legislature, such as Sweeney and Assembly Majority Leader Lou Greenwald (D., Camden), support the Horizon proposal.

"The political phenomenon that was Chris Christie owes much of its success to being aided and abetted by the George Norcross Democrats," Murray said, pointing to the governor's first-term changes to the state's pension and health benefits systems.

"And now he's going out with that same partnership," he said.

It might all make for smart politics, but there's been hardly any public debate or testimony from experts on an issue that even Christie says is of great importance.

The legislation establishes a process by which Horizon and the state would determine an appropriate range for the insurer's surplus. If the company's surplus exceeded that range, it would have to submit a plan to dedicate that money to benefit its 3.8 million policyholders and improve the health of the general public.

However, the bill does not include any language explaining what standard would be used to determine that range. The legislation would also require greater financial disclosure and change the company's board.

The legislation could make the insurer vulnerable to health care cost shocks, insurance and financial analysts say.

"The idea of having a committee or regulator saying, this is how much surplus the company should hold and if it's above that, force the company to use that, I don't regard that as good policy," said Scott E. Harrington, professor of health care management, insurance, and risk management at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

Such "government intervention" would make it more difficult for the company to operate and make the insurer "vulnerable to adverse outcomes on the claims side" and "vulnerable to competition by other carriers" because of special rules imposed, said Harrington, who has studied insurance markets for 40 years.

The state already requires insurers to maintain minimum reserve levels; Blue Cross also has standards for its licensees.

Horizon says it had $2.4 billion in capital reserves at the end of 2016. Standard & Poor's affirmed Horizon's "A" rating in April but said if the state tapped its reserve funds, the ratings agency would "view any such event as source of potential capital volatility."

Yet Christie has portrayed Horizon as a symbol of corporate greed, lavishing its executives with bonuses even as "the middle-aged carpenter" faces higher and higher premiums and single mothers are denied claims, as he put it Saturday.

Christie had been pushing his anti-drug addiction message for years  including during his unsuccessful presidential campaign  declaring the war on drugs a failure.

Horizon was an easy target. Governors dating back to Democrat Jim McGreevey in the early 2000s have tried to squeeze money out of the insurer, including by seeking to convert it to a for-profit company. (At times, Horizon was on board with such proposals, but they never came to fruition.)

Trenton observers said Christie's tying of the Horizon legislation to the budget  while assuring Democrats that he would sign their spending priorities into law  was politically astute.

Christie's Democratic allies have now framed the budget standoff this way: "Do we worry about Horizon over the next five or six months? Or do we worry about the people represented on this list?" said Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, pointing to budget line items intended to support schools, legal services for the poor, and rape victims.

Prieto argued that tapping reserve funds would be a "Christie tax" on policyholders and accused the governor of extorting the Legislature.

On Saturday, the Christie and Prieto camps were still divided. The governor, who leaves office in January, appeared to be enjoying what may be his last battle with the Legislature.

Christie even watched Prieto give a TV interview. "He was sweating like crazy last night, wasn't he?" the governor told reporters. "That was brutal, watching that."

Staff writer Maddie Hanna contributed to this article.
Adrianne Gunter has Multiple Sclerosis and started sharing her story at panels and rallies to advocate for the ACA. Friday, June 30, 2017 in Barkan Park, near Gunters residence in West Philadelphia. Read more

Around the time President Trump was inaugurated in January, someone handed Adrianne Gunter a flier. It listed groups that had been organizing protests around the president's agenda, the kind that had been growing in strength and number since the election.

"One was called 'Tuesdays with Toomey,' '' Gunter, 32, recalled  the group of women who spend their lunch breaks protesting outside the Center City office of Sen. Pat Toomey (R., Pa.). "And they were saying, well, this Tuesday we're having people talk about Medicaid and health care. And I thought, oh, I wonder if it's too late for me to apply to speak?"

Gunter has multiple sclerosis, and for the last six months, she has told and retold the story she took to that first protest  about how, right out of college, she lost vision in her left eye and scrounged up $400 for an ophthalmologist to theorize that it might be MS. About the two years she went without insurance, treatment, or an official diagnosis. About her four rejected Medicaid applications, and the job search that became harder and harder as she lost mobility and energy and time. About the day in 2015 when she got a call: Gov. Wolf had signed Pennsylvania's Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, and she had been approved. Over and over, she told people outside Toomey's office and on teleconferences and on panels that she feared proposed cuts to Medicaid would cost her the coverage she relies on for treatment.

For her, like many of the protesters galvanized after the presidential election, the first half of 2017 has been something of a crash course in activism and health-care policy  learning to mobilize quickly and call lawmakers daily over bills that, some days, seem to change by the hour. There was the secretive drafting, failure, and subsequent passage of the House health-care bill. There was the secretive drafting, failure, and subsequent fevered speculation over the potential future passage of the Senate health-care bill.

And there was the ensuing uncertainty that, for people like Gunter, is a health concern in and of itself.

"I try not to get overwhelmed, because stress makes the symptoms worse," she said. "I try to stay calm."

Now, with the Senate bill tabled until after the congressional recess, she and other activists who have protested the bills for months are taking a deep breath  but not that deep.

"I think everyone took a minute to breathe a little sigh of relief and celebrate that this got pushed off, but that was short lived. It was a couple minutes before everyone got back to work," said Antoinette Kraus, the director of the health care advocacy group Pennsylvania Health Access Network. "This is still happening. And folks are pretty fired up."

Toomey, whose office at Second and Chestnut Streets still draws weekly protests, has argued that the concerns of Gunter and activists like her are unfounded; under the Senate bill that he helped draft, he wrote in the Inquirer last week, those who qualified for Medicaid under the expansion would still be eligible.

But the bill would put spending caps on Medicaid. And it will eventually require states to pay more of the cost for the program's expansion, to curb what Toomey called "uncontrolled, unsustainable spending growth." That, healthcare advocates fear, will lead to cash-strapped states like Pennsylvania cutting coverage. (Senators are now reportedly weighing amendments to the bill.)

For longtime activists, the fight over the health-care bill is a heightened version of one they've been waging for years. ADAPT, the national activist group for people with disabilities, sent dozens of people, some in wheelchairs, to the Capitol last week to protest the proposed changes to Medicaid  which they say could affect coverage for people with disabilities who rely on Medicaid-funded care to live at home. More than 40 were arrested outside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's office, including several protesters from Philadelphia.

"A lot of people got really complacent in the Obama era  I'm not saying that I didn't have problems with Obama," said Liam Dougherty, a volunteer with ADAPT who uses a wheelchair because of a neuromuscular disorder. He was arrested at the Capitol this year, protesting the House bill, which he said would hurt friends who use Medicaid. "But the fights I did have to fight  they weren't superficial, but they weren't life and death."

Others say they've seen a new fervor among the activist crowd. "I'm gonna fight this, and if we lose, I will continue to fight it until we get what we have back," said Cassie James Holdsworth, 61, another ADAPT activist who has spina bifida, and who was arrested at the Capitol in her wheelchair last week. Holdsworth gets coverage under Medicare; her daughter, who has a heart defect, has Medicaid.

For Gunter, the Senate bill's tabling wasn't cause for much celebration. The House bill, after all, "came back stronger than ever," she said. So, though it takes her days to recover after leaving the house, Gunter has continued to speak.

"In school, we learned how to pitch our stories," Gunter said  she has a degree in film and television writing from the University of the Arts  "and it's very much like pitching a story. It's my story."

On days when even getting out of bed is difficult, "I tell myself, 'You made a promise. You have to show up. You can do this. Sit up. Roll your legs out of bed. Stand up. Grab your cane' " she said. "This is not a time to let down our guard."
Gov. Wolf has vetoed legislation that would have prohibited local governments from taxing or banning the plastic bags used at retail stores. Read more

HARRISBURG  Gov. Wolf on Friday vetoed legislation that would have prohibited cities, towns, and counties from banning or taxing the recyclable plastic bags used at retail stores.

In a veto message, Wolf said the legislation could thwart local governments from meeting their obligations under the state constitution to protect the environment in their communities.

"Government, at all levels, is required to prevent the unreasonable degradation, diminution, or depletion of our water, air, and land," the governor said in his message rejecting the bill.

Supporters had said it would have helped to preserve good-paying manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania.

"This decision will hurt workers and make Pennsylvania less competitive for the manufacturing sector," said Phil Rozenski, senior director of sustainability for Novolex, a packaging company that has a plant in Centre County.

Lawmakers and aides have said they do not know of any local laws restricting plastic bags in the state, though Philadelphia City Council tried in 2009 to enact a bag ban and, when that failed, debated a 25-cent fee on plastic retail bags that didn't pass, either.

"A municipality in eastern Pennsylvania may not realize its decision to ban plastic bags for local reasons is forcing a factory in central Pennsylvania to lay off its workforce," the bill's prime sponsor, Rep. Frank Farry (R., Bucks) said in a statement expressing disappointment in the veto.

The bill was one of a string of legislative efforts over the years to preempt municipalities from making their own decisions on controversial issues, and Wolf's veto won praise from the Pennsylvania Municipal League.

"If an elected governing body wishes to incentivize the use of reusable bags, promote less waste in landfills, and promote less trash on roadsides, it should be afforded the autonomy to make that decision," executive director Richard J. Schuettler said in a statement.
Rachel Kaminski holds her daughter, Emma, 2, outside their Fishtown home on June 30, 2017. Read more

Parents in Fishtown and Kensington are calling and emailing local lawmakers, brainstorming at crammed community meetings, and grilling developers and construction crews.

They want to make sure their children are protected and they're demanding help from public officials in the wake of a recent Inquirer and Daily News investigative report about dangerous levels of lead in soil in their neighborhoods.

Fourteen of the city's 36 former lead smelters once operated in these river ward neighborhoods, polluting the soil. The newspapers tested bare soil in 114 locations in parks, playgrounds, and yards. Nearly three out of four had hazardous levels of lead. And now, a full-tilt development boom is potentially churning up lead that lay dormant for decades.

The "Toxic City" investigation also found at least 24 instances in which construction crews failed to take simple dust-control precautions, such as spraying soil with water to hold down dust, and that the city did a poor job of enforcing regulations that require builders to control contamination.

Reporters also found hazardous levels of lead dust on the front stoops of homes and on the playground surface at Shissler Recreation Center at a time when construction workers were digging foundations nearby.

As a measure of parents' concern, resident Bobbie Ann Tilkens-Fisher, who is pregnant with her first child, formed a Facebook group, "Get the Lead OUT: Riverwards Philadelphia," three days after the June 18 article. By Friday, more than 600 people had joined the online group.

At a recent meeting of 60 residents at a Fishtown church, Rachel Kaminski, mother of a 2-year-old, urged residents to call their local lawmakers. "If the city doesn't fix this, a lot of people who moved here are not going to stay," Kaminski said. "We have to hold their feet to the fire."

The public health department said children in other Philadelphia zip codes, particularly those with higher poverty and rundown homes, are at higher risk for developing elevated lead levels in their blood.

"There is just no credible evidence that the kids living in this area, either because of construction (which again is separate from demo[lition]) or the former smelter sites, are at unique risk," city spokeswoman Lauren Hitt said Friday in an email.

Guidance from the city health department does note that "people who live near a former smelting site can be at higher risk for lead poisoning."

Currently, developers are not routinely required to test soil for contaminants before digging near brownfields or former smelter sites. State and federal environmental protection agencies oversee cleanup and development within known contaminated sites, but have no oversight of land outside those boundaries.

Neil Shader, spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection, said the agency would support legislation requiring developers to test all sites "where there could be unidentified contamination" before excavation. The DEP would also support a law mandating soil testing and disclosure by the seller as part of real estate transactions, he said.

Mayor Kenney and city Health Commissioner Thomas Farley recently acknowledged the city could do a better job of enforcing dust-control rules and will ask City Council to enact laws to better protect residents from hazards posed by demolishing old buildings with lead paint.

Deteriorating lead paint remains the primary source of childhood lead poisoning, accounting for roughly 70 percent of elevated blood lead levels in children nationwide. That leaves nearly one-third of cases linked to contaminated soil and water, according to a 2008 study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

At least three families in the 19125 zip code said their children had high levels of lead in their blood caused by soil alone.

Farley said demolition, not excavation, can pose a risk to children nearby. "There's no evidence I can find that excavation is going to increase the risk of exposure. It's certainly a theoretical risk," Farley said as a recent guest, along with reporters, on WHYY's Radio Times.

Residents have flooded city leaders with phone calls and emails in recent days. Kaminski even tweeted at Kenney, asking what will be done about contaminated soil and toxic dust.

Kenney tweeted back: "Since children must ingest lead to get sick, most important thing all can do is emphasize hand washing, take shoes off inside home."

In a follow-up tweet, Kenney wrote: "Data shows kids in these areas don't have higher lead levels than nearby neighborhoods. Working on demolition legislation to further protect."

Kaminski said she was unhappy with his response. "It's like saying, `Well, this is the way you have to live.' "

In the past two weeks, several parents have had their kids' blood tested for lead, including Fishtown resident Kim Geisler. Her 9-month-old daughter's result came back at 7 micrograms per deciliter. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says public-health intervention should take place at a lead level of 5.

"It was really, really shocking and disheartening," Geisler said.

Even at levels below 5, the neurotoxin can cause impulsivity, hyperactivity, and diminished IQ in children, research shows.

Geisler said she was blindsided by her daughter's blood result because her home had been gutted and renovated a decade ago and recent tests on surfaces throughout the house showed no lead dust, with the exception of one sample taken from the basement floor.

Geisler said her daughter has no access to the basement and the floor at the top of the basement steps tested clean.

Before her daughter's birth, Geisler said, she had 18 inches of contaminated soil stripped from her backyard and replaced with "organic topsoil." Her water system filters out heavy metals and chemicals from all faucets in her house, she said.

She now believes the only possible source of lead came from three adjacent demolition and construction projects this past year.

Geisler recently wrote to a contractor, poised to dig into a Blair Street lot abutting her backyard, and urged him to take dust-control measures. He called her Friday to say that he would put up a protective screen and wet the soil before and during excavation.

Geisler said she and other residents don't understand why Farley and the mayor don't see lead-tainted soil as a serious problem.

"To say that soil doesn't cause a problem  then why is there a federal limit for the level of lead in soil at playgrounds?" she asked.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency deems any soil with lead above 400 parts per million (ppm) to be hazardous for children to play in. Reporters found levels above that limit in bare patches of soil near the pool at Cione Park and in the soil at Palmer Park.

The EPA has yet to reply to questions about the newspapers' findings.

Rina Patel has 65 children enrolled at her Fishtown day-care center, My Bright Beginnings. Since the newspaper report, she said, the children are not allowed to play in outdoor dirt. She instructed staffers not to let kids walk by ongoing construction.

"I felt for our families," Patel said. "We had to come up with a plan to keep children as safe as possible."

On June 20, more than 100 residents attended a meeting of the Fishtown Neighbors Association, where several questioned two developers explaining forthcoming projects.

"I know you are going to build  it's coming," said one resident, "but what are you going to do to protect the children?"

Residents were most concerned about a plan to build 71 apartments and an underground garage at the site of a former auto-repair shop and used-car lot on Girard Avenue. It would abut the Fishtown Recreation Center.

Trying to alleviate their concerns, Rustin Ohler, of Harman Deutsch Architecture, said an environmental study of the soil "showed no contaminants."

The study has been filed with the state DEP, he said. A reporter later asked Harman Deutsch and the project developer, GY Properties, for a copy of the study. Neither returned calls.

The DEP's Jo Anne O'Hara, who handles requests to review files for the agency's records management section, said "we don't have any files" related to the Girard Avenue site.

Ohler did not return two phone calls seeking comment.
In the fall of '16, Americans elected a presidential candidate with a well-deserved reputation for partisanship. Once inaugurated, he surprised his countrymen by seeking to end party politics and usher in a time of unity among Americans rarely seen in our history.

Obviously, we're not talking about 2016.

No, this was in 1816, and that president was James Monroe. He and President Trump share little in common. Where Trump graduated from military school at 18 and compared it to actually being in the military, Monroe at the same age was a lieutenant in the Continental Army and almost bled to death from a musket wound at Trenton. Both were well-educated: Trump at Fordham and Wharton, and Monroe at William and Mary, later studying law under a fellow named Jefferson. While the presidency is Trump's first position in government, it was Monroe's last, after serving as state representative; governor; congressman; senator; ambassador to France, Spain, and Great Britain; and secretary of both state and war (both at once during part of the War of 1812).

Unlike the thrice-married Trump, Monroe was married but once, to a woman whose death after 44 years of marriage broke his heart and possibly precipitated his own demise. A lifetime of public service helped make Monroe a pauper (a pitfall Trump will probably avoid). And while Trump made his reputation as a real estate tycoon, Monroe, land-poor all his life, did have a hand in a couple of realty deals: Florida and the Louisiana Purchase.

Throughout his political career, Monroe was more of a Jeffersonian Republican than, well, Jefferson. In Congress he argued for a new Constitution, only to vote against it for its lack of a Bill of Rights. Like Trump, he was thin-skinned; intentional and unintended slights at the hands of Washington, Jefferson, and Madison enraged Monroe, who almost fought a duel with Hamilton over an insult. In contrast to Trump, Monroe possessed a forgiving nature, saving many a friendship.

The big difference between the two? Once elected president, Monroe abandoned his partisan ways. In his first inaugural address, he declared Americans to be "one great family with a common interest," and proceeded to prove it. Like his successors Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, and George H. W. Bush, Monroe had faced death up close as a junior officer; like them, he shaped his military policies on improving America's defenses, unwilling to frivolously risk the lives of soldiers and sailors.

Monroe's cabinet is considered one of the finest in our history. William Crawford (Treasury), Benjamin Crowninshield (Navy), and William Wirt (attorney general) are not household names, but they were well-qualified and successful. John Calhoun, years from becoming slavery's mouthpiece, brought organizational skills and bold ideas to the War Department. Lastly, the working relationship Monroe had with his secretary of state, John Quincy Adams, is rivaled only by the team of Truman and George Marshall. The culmination of their efforts is the doctrine they forged at the end of Monroe's second term that bears his name.

His extensive tours of the United States  a first for a president  were instrumental in elevating the mood of postwar America. Easily recognizable in his outdated knee breeches and buckled shoes, he was rapturously received by his countrymen, who never dreamed they would meet a president. He also used these visits as opportunities to mend political fences. The tours contributed greatly to Monroe's first term being known as the "Era of Good Feelings," and increased his determination to improve the country's roadways and canals with federal funds  an early infrastructure policy.

His presidency wasn't all halcyon days of yore. The Panic of 1819 created a near collapse of the American economy. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 ended talk of dissolving the Union, but began kicking the issue of slavery down the long road toward Fort Sumter. Monroe's dealings with Native Americans were more humane than Andrew Jackson's, but he did believe that "their independence as communities should cease" if the tribes were to survive while Americans grabbed their homelands.

Monroe declared to his fellow whites that "the God who made us made the black people" who "ought not to be treated with barbarity." The man who, as Virginia's governor, systematically suppressed one slave rebellion, would as president order the U.S. Navy across the seas to capture slave ships and return the inhumanly treated Africans aboard to their home shores. When in England, he championed William Wilberforce's efforts to outlaw slavery throughout Great Britain, and later worked with the American Colonization Society for a solution at home. In the end, though, Monroe was another in a line of Virginia presidents who railed against slavery while buying and selling slaves and never freeing them.

In 1831, Monroe became the last president to die on the Fourth of July. His leadership both shaped and reflected his times. It remains to be seen if the current president will be judged to reflect ours. Perhaps someday Trump will try uniting the country as Monroe and other presidents attempted, but that looks unlikely. If not, oh well: Hindsight is 2020.

Tim McGrath is the author of "Give Me a Fast Ship: The Continental Navy and America's Revolution at Sea." tmcgrath97@gmail.com
Sixty models were flown down for the show, where 30 designers participated along with 14 hair and make-up artists.

The fashion presentation 'Symphony Of Weaves' was based on the seven musical notes, and focussed on daywear and bridal looks. Photo: Mail Today

By Radhika Bhalla/Mail Today: Though handloom and textile were the focus of the Textile India Summit 2017, the stars of the grand fashion show on Saturday were top-notch designers of the country.

Sixty models were flown down for the show, where 30 designers participated along with 14 hair and make-up artists. The fashion presentation called 'Symphony Of Weaves' was based on the seven musical notes, and was divided into daywear and bridal looks.

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Curated by Gautam Kalra of IMG Reliance, and each designer presented four ensembles on the runway that displayed a larger-than-life spool of yarn at the end of the stage.

Designer who participated included Sabyasachi, Manish Malhotra, Tarun Tahiliani, Ritu Kumar, Rakesh Pratap, Sanjay Garg, Anavila and Gaurav Gupta - Delhi and Mumbai's fashion glitterati. While Goabased designer Wendell Rodricks opened the show with an inspiring presentation of minimal designs, Rohit Bal closed it with crushed mul and velvet wedding opulence, with inspiration from Kashmir.

Also Read: Textiles India 2017 is all about the gorgeous 'Symphony of Weaves'

As for the workmanship that was displayed, the range included manipuri weaves, handloom wool by Rajesh Pratap Singh, Rahul Mishra and Gaurav Jai Gupta, craft like zardosi, upcycled and recycled fabrics by Abraham & Thakore and Amit Agarwal, banarasi weaves, patola by Rina Dhaka, among others.

Aziz Khatri showcased Bandhini. Photo: Mail Today Aziz Khatri showcased Bandhini. Photo: Mail Today

The colour-palette of the opening act was largely muted with hues like pale cream, indigo and earthy brown, while the wedding ensembles brightened up with the likes of the striking dhoti pants and high collared jackets in a fiery red by Anamika Khanna.

The event was held as a collaboration of several Export Promotion Councils under the Ministry of Textiles with Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) as the industry partner.

While Delhi-based designer Amit Agarwal said showcased how a vintage, beautiful sari like the Patola can be revived into a contemporary language, Hyderabad-based Gaurang Shah's presentation was dedicated to weavers of Andhra Pradesh and their jamdani weaving inventiveness to create a whole new look to Khadi.

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The Ancient Greeks, political historians tell us, bequeathed to us our contemporary concept, as well as the practices, of democracy. The truth of this legacy, we need to recognize, is darker than we might realize.

Democracy, as most Americans think about it, I believe it is fair to say, is conceived as a system that allows for the broad participation of the people, as opposed to systems that feature ruling elites who control the operations of the polity without the input of the citizenry.

Lets remember, though, that the Greeks were slave-owners and maintained their ideal of democracy by excluding slaves as well as resident aliens from inclusion in the ranks of the citizenry. It was a democracy in name only, managing to claim the name only by deciding that those they didnt see as worthy of participating politically didnt count as citizens.

This fact is worth remembering in light of intensifying erasure of people not just in the Trump administration but in the GOP more broadly, including my home state of Illinois under the authoritarian gridlock-rule of Republican Governor Bruce Rauner. By the erasure of people, I mean a politics of erasure achieved through the practice of deciding certain people in the United States just simply dont count.

This underlying value of the practice of this politics of erasure is most evident in Eric Trumps recent comment that critics of his father President Donald Trump are not even people.

That this comment was not an off-handed remark idiosyncratic to the POTUSs son but rather an attitude deeply informing the policies and practices of the Trump administration we can see just by charting a pattern of this administration practicing the politics of erasure since Trump took office.

Almost immediately after the transition to the Trump Presidency occurred, the White House website pages (Whitehouse.gov) regarding federal policies regarding people with disabilities disappeared, as well as a report archived in the Department of Labor site titled Advancing LGBTQ Workplace Rights. Similarly, pages devoted to civil rights, climate change and its impact on human life, as well as the Affordable Care Act and the role of the healthcare system in improving human lives were also excised.

Apparently, LGBTQ people, people with disabilities, people of color and women who have historically required legislation to have their civil rights protected, those who cannot afford healthcare, and those threatened by climate change constitute human lives that simply dont count in the eyes of this administration.

And in Republican rule overall.

Under the intransigent rule of Republican Governor Bruce Rauner, the state of Illinois has now gone without a budget for two years, for the first time in Illinois history, earning Rauner the criticism not just of democrats but of former Republican Governor Jim Edgar, who blames the governor for not understanding the art of political compromise that defines effective governance and also for bringing the state to the brink of collapse in ways that undermine peoples lives. Crucial state services for the disabled, the poor, the elderly, children, and students have been defunded or underfunded, harming human life. And layoffs at state universities and other agencies are mounting.

Does Rauners recipe sound familiar? Indeed, it echoes the policies coming out of Republican rule in Washington, D.C.

People simply dont count and are being excluded from the ranks of the citizenry both representationallydisappearing from websitesand in material political ways.

We can certainly see Trumps attitudes toward immigration and toward Muslims and other refugees as consistent with, even the beginning of, this idea articulated by the POTUSs son that many in America in the eyes of this administration are not even people.

We know from history that it is precisely this type of thinking and this type of language that precipitates genocide. And, arguably, we are witnessing genocidal behavior against multiple groups of people being carried out through policy decisions undermining the lives and rights of the disabled, women, people of color, LGBTQ people, and others, including the poor and the working class, as Trump has turned Lyndon Johnsons war on poverty into a war on the poor and on people more generally, refusing to recognize many of us as even people.

Under Rauners rule in Illinois, sometimes the politics of erasure is executed more subtly. Take, for example, the statement from Rauners spokesperson Catherine Kelly when Chicago Public Schools CEO blamed the Governor for the lack of funds that would potentially force Chicago Public Schools to end the school early:

Continuing to blame the Governor, who has been in office two years, for decades of fiscal mismanagement and bad decision-making is getting old. CPS willingly chose to budget for money they had not received and knew was contingent upon real pension reform. The Administration is open to considering this legislation again if the General Assembly passes statewide pension reform.

Best,

ck

Note the language here. The governors office makes no mention of any responsibility of the state to make sure the needs of children and of citizens are met. It turns the whole scenario into an ideological battle in which the lives of people are absent.

Lets assume its true that CPS has been mismanaged. Are the children of Illinois then sacrificed to this mismanagement? Or would a responsible governor who has pledged to fix Illinois find a way to take care of the states children for the benefit of the states future?

The problem is, again, that those constituents you and I might call people, the GOP, federally and at the state level, have decided are not even people.

Well, welcome to the genocidal behavior of the democracy of the few, sponsored by GOP.
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By Robert Iafolla

(Reuters)  The U.S. Labor Department on Friday defended its authority to use salary levels to decide who was eligible for overtime pay but distanced itself from an Obama administration rule that greatly expanded the number of qualifying workers.

Under U.S. President Donald Trump, the Labor Department has continued to fight a challenge to an Obama administration-era rule to raise the pay threshold for overtime eligibility. But it has not endorsed the former administrations move to nearly double that threshold, an increase strongly opposed by business groups.

The Labor Department told a federal appeals court on Friday it had the power to use salaries to set thresholds for mandatory overtime pay, without advocating for the $47,500 maximum salary level set by the department under Obama.

The Labor Department is challenging a November decision from a federal judge in Texas that blocked the Obama rule, a decision that the department said could prevent it from setting a new threshold below that set by the Obama administration.

The Obama rule was expected to extend overtime pay eligibility to more than 4 million salaried workers. Nevada and 20 other states sued last year to block the rule.

Business groups criticized the increase as too drastic and costly, potentially forcing employers to convert salaried workers to hourly wages.

Trumps Labor Secretary R. Alexander Acosta said during his confirmation hearing in March that the correct threshold might be around $33,000. The Labor Department took initial steps earlier this week to begin developing a new threshold.

In its Friday brief to the New Orleans-based 5th U.S Circuit Court of Appeals, the Labor Department made it clear it did not support the salary threshold developed under Obama.

But the department told the court it was reluctant to move forward with the rulemaking necessary to set a new threshold as long as its authority was in question.

Nevada and the other states have said that the use of a salary threshold to determine overtime eligibility has been controversial for decades, but appeals courts allowed it because it had been set low enough to exempt management workers.

But the Obama administration rule is far more drastic, the states said, expanding overtime pay to tens of thousands of state employees.

Senator Patty Murray, a Washington state Democrat, criticized the Labor Departments handling of the appeal, saying in a statement that the administration appears to be preparing to roll back overtime protections for millions of workers.

(Reporting by Robert Iafolla; Editing by Alexia Garamfalvi and Andrew Hay)
Charleston, SC (29403)

Today

Showers and thundershowers likely. High 76F. Winds SSW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Thunderstorms this evening, then skies turning partly cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%.
By Radhika Bhalla/Mail Today: Gujarat's Gandhinagar was the unanticipated seat of a fashion jamboree as the Ministry of Textiles hosted the first Textile India Summit 2017 on Friday to celebrate traditional handloom and fashion in the country.

The three-day long event began with a welcome address by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Textiles minister Smriti Irani, UK India Business Council CEO Richard Heald and industrialists Gautam Hari Singhania of Raymond Group, Kumar Mangalam Birla of the Aditya Birla Group and Arvind Lalbhai of Arvind Limited. The esteemed panel was joined by Minister of State for Textiles Ajay Tamta, Gujarat CM Vijay Bhai Rupani, and Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu among others.

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Addressing the audience, Modi said, "Textile is a category that is a bridge between agriculture and industry. It has been an important industry for thousands of years, with mention in the shastras and having been a major contributor to the Silk Route of past." He spoke of the different handlooms of the country that give the states their identity.

Also Read: Textiles India 2017 is all about the gorgeous 'Symphony of Weaves'

Modi also emphasised on the need for "silk, scale and speed" and spoke of how India was at an advantage in comparison to other countries as "textile is strong here.

Adding to this, Irani - who came in a patola sari stated, "We stand here today, witness to history being created in textile," drawing references to Mahatama Gandhi "who with his woven thread through the beloved charkha turned a piece of fabric into an expression of freedom."

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By PTI: New Delhi, Jul 2 (PTI) Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Binh Minh and Singapores Senior Minister of State for Defence and Foreign Affairs Maliki Bin Osman will be among the leaders who will attend the 9th India-ASEAN ministerial dialogue on July 4 with an aim to intensify and broaden political, strategic and economic cooperation in the region.

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Also known as Delhi Dialogue, the conference has emerged as an important forum at which political leaders, policy makers, researchers, academicians, business leaders and media persons converge for brainstorming on a range of issues pertaining to ASEAN-India relations.

Coming in the backdrop of evolving security and economic scenario in the region, the meet will also provide an opportunity to leaders to explore ways to boost cooperation in these key areas and also in the field of connectivity and tourism.

Relationship with the ASEAN grouping is one of the cornerstones of Indias foreign policy and Act East policy, which has deepened across the three pillars of politico- security, economic and socio-cultural cooperation.

ASEAN-India dialogue relations have grown rapidly from a sectoral dialogue partnership in 1992 to a full dialogue partnership in December 1995.

The relationship was further elevated with the convening of the ASEAN-India Summit in 2002 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Since then the ASEAN-India Summit has been held annually.

The leaders are also expected to have bilateral meetings with the leadership here.

Apart from Singapore and Vietnam, the other ASEAN countries are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand. PTI PYK PMS

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Trump warned us that thered be so much winning that wed get tired of all the winning. And while this week has been consumed, as usual, with the sideshow of another one of Trumps impetuous tweetstorms, the ledger is indeed showing a lot to celebrate.

Some headlines:

Germany Massively Weakened Draft G20 Climate Plan to Appease Trump Germanys G20 presidency dramatically weakened a climate action plan, gutting it of ambitious language and defining gas, and potentially even some coal power, as clean technologies, in an attempt to appeal to US president Donald Trump. The action plan was intended to be agreed at next weeks Hamburg G20 summit. Climate Home has seen two versions, drafted in March and May of this year. The latter shows the degree to which the German presidency has bent to the will of the Trump White House. Several elements that have been removed in the May draft are: A 2025 deadline for the end of fossil fuel subsidies References to the risk of stranded assets A call for the alignment of public expenditure and infrastructure planning with the goals of the Paris Agreement A push for carbon pricing A commitment to publish mid-century decarbonisation blueprints by next year A pledge to develop a profound climate plan for multilateral development banks Seven references to the UNs 2018 review of nationally-determined contributions 11 references to the 2050 mid-century pathway for net zero emission 16 mentions of infrastructure decarbonisation The US massively weakened the language in the energy part of the action plan, one source with knowledge of the negotiations said. It pushed for references to so-called clean fossil fuels and made it less explicit that the energy transition has to be built on energy efficiency and renewables.

This is indeed called winning (though actually the hypocritical Germans probably secretly desire all of these changes themselves, because they know their silly greenery has hit the wall). Maybe this next story has something to do with it:

Is The U.S. Close To Achieving Energy Dominance? By David Blackmon If you hadnt heard, the Trump Administration has declared this week to be Energy Week, a week during which the President and his senior officials are focusing on the theme of U.S. Energy Dominance. Not energy independence or energy security, both themes past presidential administrations have focused upon  energy dominance. So, what does it all mean, and can the United States actually achieve it? Good questions. . .

The full article walks through the angles, but the short answer is Yes. Winning!

Tired of all the winning yet? Waittheres more:

European Union Rattled by Trumps Visit to Right-Wing, Anti-Immigrant Poland . . . Polands ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party and Mr. Trump have similar views on migration and climate change and share a suspicion of international bodies and globalisation. The president also backed Brexit and predicted the further break-up of the EU; his dealings with the rebellious, right wing governments of Central Europe will be watched closely by Brussels.

Let the sprouts in Brussels stew, though its hard to get any mushier than they are already.

Some other winning headlines:

You might well think that working for the New York Times is humiliating enough, but I suppose getting laid off by the Times really is more humiliating. Meanwhile, CNNs ratings are starting to slump again.

You want another sign that Trump is on a roll? This story:

Theres Actually A Wrestling Villain Called The Progressive Liberal The Progressive Liberal Daniel Richards is fighting on Friday  and it isnt in the political arena. Hes a pro wrestling villain gone viral, and hell gladly rub his lefty views in the face of his opponents and the Donald Trump-loving spectators who watch him compete in the Kentucky-based Appalachian Mountain Wrestling. His real name is Daniel Harnsberger, a 36-year-old real estate agent from Richmond, Virginia, who moonlights on the mat as a smug Democrat in need of a beatdown. Wearing a Hillary Clinton T-shirt, he told viewers in a recent match promo (below), You people need to be reprogrammed. You continually vote against your own interests. He added, Were going to help you get jobs with clean energy. Oh, he knows how to get under the fans skin. You know what, I think Bernie Sanders would make a great Secretary of State, Richards said before a match, per Deadspin  He later declared, I want to exchange your bullets for bullet points. Bullet points of knowledge.

Would this little cultural beacon have come to be if Jeb Bush had been the Republican nominee? Yeah, health care reform is stalled, but in general Trump is on offense, even without a complete offensive line in the form of senior appointees. And in politics its a simple rule that if youre on offense, youre more likely to be winning.
President Trump has appointed our friend Hans von Spakovsky to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity. As with Eric Dreiband, Trumps excellent pick to head the DOJs Civil Rights Division, the liberal media is already attacking von Spakovsky.

For example, this Washington Post story begins: President Trump on Thursday appointed a divisive conservative voting rights expert to spearhead the White Houses search into allegations of widespread fraud in the 2016 presidential election. Many Power Line readers will view the divisive conservative label as a tip-off that this is a solid pick.

I wonder, though: did the Post call left-wing Obama selections like Van Jones and Tom Perez divisive liberal figures? Not that I recall. For many at the Post, taking a left-wing stance isnt divisive; its just speaking truth to power, or something.

In disparaging Hans, the Post quotes two of the same activist attack dogs used by Politico to run down Eric Dreiband. Kristen Clarke of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, says: The only purpose behind the commissions efforts is to encourage state officials to take action and purge voter rolls.

Does Clarke have any evidence to support this claim? None that the Post presents.

Similarly, Vanita Gupta, former head of the Civil Rights Division, asserts, again without any apparent support, that Kris Kobach [head of the Commission] and Hans von Spakovsky have had a single-minded agenda to diminish voter participation and to fight voting rights, and to make voting harder.

For the defense of von Spakovsky, the Post turned to Christian Adams, whom it identifies, correctly, as Hans long-time friend and colleague. The Post easily could have obtained quotations praising Hans from people who are not close to him. But in that case, it wouldnt have been able to cause some readers to dismiss the praise so easily.

Hans told the Post that he does not enter this role with the assumption that voter fraud is a nationwide epidemic. I think the answer to that is what we hope to find out, he explained. What I would say is that I think its a danger to the way our democratic system works anytime people are either kept out of the polls or their vote is stolen through fraud.

This even-handed view puts Hans way ahead of Clarke, Gupta, and the Washington Post. They believe, or at least pretend to, that voter fraud, a common phenomenon throughout American history, has essentially disappeared  either because human nature has changed, elections have become less important even as government has become vastly more consequential, or precincts dominated by one party no longer exist.

Sure.

Post writers Alex Horton and Gregory S. Schneider take their own shot at Hans near the end of the article. They note that Hans father fled the Bolsheviks; met his future wife, a German who escaped the Soviet siege of Breslau, in a refugee camp; and emigrated to the U.S. Horton and Schneider then write:

In a Fox News column published Wednesday, von Spakovsky championed the Supreme Courts partial upholding of Trumps travel ban, calling it a big victory for the administration. It appeared to be a departure from von Spakovskys earlier beliefs that America has a role in the world to accept refugees, like his parents. America is a nation where we believe in liberty and freedom, and for more than 200 years it has generously welcomed those who were fleeing tyranny, oppression, and darkness, he wrote for the National Review in 2013.

Believing that the Courts ruling on the travel ban is a big victory for the administration (a belief I dont share) is not inconsistent with believing that America should generously welcome people fleeing tyranny. Its simply a view about who won the case.

Believing that we should pause for a little while before permitting entry into America from a few countries while we review the vetting process for such visitors isnt inconsistent with thinking we should generously welcome people fleeing tyranny, either. Generous though we might be, we need to make sure we can distinguish between who is genuinely fleeing tyranny and who is coming here to harm us.

When Hans parents came here after World War II, terrorism wasnt an issue. Neither was radical Islam.

But why let facts and distinctions stand in the way of a cheap shot? At the Washington Post, they seldom do.
To its credit, the Trump administration is trying to get to the bottom of the voter fraud issue. President Trump has established an Election Integrity Commission headed by Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. The commission has requested publicly available data on voter registrations from the states, and, despite the seemingly innocuous nature of the request, a number of states have refused to cooperate.

One of them is Minnesota. The Star Tribune reports:

Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon said Friday that he wont fulfill a request from a presidential panel to ship voter registration information for some 4 million Minnesota voters to Washington. Simon questioned both whether Minnesota law would allow him to provide the information to President Trumps Election Integrity Commission and to what end it would be used.

Why would Minnesota law preclude responding to the federal commissions request? If you keep reading, you find that it wouldnt:

Minnesota law limits the purposes for which voter data can be purchased and used. The law specifically allows data to be provided for political purposes and law enforcement. If it were the Department of Justice requesting the information, Simon said, we might be having a different discussion.

So a political party can buy the Minnesota data, but Secretary of State Simon wont give it to a federal commission. Simon admits that his objection isnt really legal:

Simon doesnt dispute the public nature of some of the data  just the purpose and the motives of the commission. It sure doesnt look to me like an objective investigation based on whos running it and what theyve already said, Simon said. Simon noted that Pence and Kobach have publicly supported Trumps claims that millions of votes were illegally cast in the recent presidential election. The claims of massive voter fraud usually raise the specter of voting by dead people, felons and immigrants.

Not immigrants, but non-citizens. Simons final argument is even sillier:

Simon also said the commission is ignoring the real challenge to election integrity: the threat of cyberattacks by outside forces.

Democrats purport to be horrified by Russian meddling in our election that didnt change a single vote, but they have no qualms about meddling by illegal voters, presumably because they think it helps them.

The Election Integrity Commission is trying to find out how much illegal voting goes on. The Democrats constantly tell us there is no, or virtually no, voter fraud. If that were the case, one would think that they would want to cooperate with the commission to prove their point. The fact that they dont want the commission to be able to find out, for example, how many people are registered voters in multiple states, suggests that what they really want is for voter fraud to continue, because they know they benefit from it.
Lee Smith notes in his Tablet column The strange tale of Jay Solomon that the news side of the Wall Street Journal is straining to join the opposition to the Trump administration led by the Washington Post and the New York Times. As one senior D.C. reporter told me recently, Lee writes, lots of Journal reporters want to join the anti-Trump resistance but they cant do that because the editorial board thinks the Trump Russia narrative is absurd, as does the readership.

In yesterdays paper, the Journal made a downpayment on membership dues in the Resistance with Shane Harriss story GOP operative sought Clinton emails from hackers, implied a connection to Flynn. Harriss story is behind the Journals subscription paywall, but the New York Post has an accessible summary by Todd Venezia here.

Andy McCarthy breaks down Harriss story in his weekly NRO column here. Here is his summary and first pass at it:

About ten days before he died in mid-May, an 81-year-old man who did not work for the Trump campaign told the Journal he had speculated that, but did not know whether, 33,000 of Hillary Clintons e-mails had been hacked from her homebrew server. The now-deceased man, a longtime Republican opposition researcher named Peter W. Smith, had theorized that the e-mails must have been stolen, likely by Russian hackers. But he had no idea if this was actually so, and he himself certainly had nothing to do with stealing them. Smiths desire to obtain the hacked emails, if there were any, peaked around Labor Day 2016  i.e., during the last weeks of the campaign. This was many months after the FBI had taken physical custody of Clintons homebrew server and other devices containing her e-mails. It was also two months after the Bureaus then-director, James Comey, had told the country that the FBI had found no evidence that Clinton had been hacked . . . but that her carelessness about communications security, coupled with the proficiency of hackers in avoiding detection, meant her e-mails could well have been compromised throughout her years as secretary of state. In other words, Peter W. Smith was one of about 320 million people in the United States who figured that Clintons e-mails had been hacked  by Russia, China, Iran, ISIS, the NSA, the latest iteration of Guccifer, and maybe even that nerdy kid down at Starbucks with Feel the Bern stickers on his laptop. Besides having no relationship with Trump, Smith also had no relationship with the Russian regime. Besides not knowing whether the Clinton e-mails were actually hacked, he also had no idea whether the Kremlin or anyone close to Vladimir Putin had obtained the e-mails. In short, he wouldnt have been able to tell you whether Trump and Putin were colluding with each other because he wasnt colluding with either one of them. But  here comes the blockbuster info  Smith was colluding with Michael Flynn. Or at least he kinda, sorta was . . . except for, you know, the Journals grudging acknowledgement that, well, okay, Smith never actually told the paper that Flynn was involved in what the report calls Smiths operation.

Its a long column. As ancient history is involved, Andy helpfully fills in the backstory to Harriss article:

The Journal does not see fit to remind readers that the 33,000 e-mails Smith was trying to dig up were the ones Clinton had tried to destroy, even though they contained records of government business (which it is a felony to destroy), contained at least some classified information (which it is a felony to mishandle), and had been requested by congressional committees (whose proceedings it is a felony to obstruct by destroying evidence). These penal inconveniences aside, there were also explosive political implications. Clinton had insisted that the e-mails in question were strictly of a personal nature, involving yoga routines, daughter Chelseas wedding, and the like. She maintained that she had turned over any and all government-related e-mails to the State Department. She had also laughably claimed that her homebrew server system was adequately secure. And there is every reason to believe many of these destroyed e-mails related to Clinton Foundation business  the Bill and Hill scheme to monetize their public service  which was liberally commingled with government business during Mrs. Clintons State Department tenure. Public disclosure of these e-mails, then, would have been very damaging, concretely demonstrating her dishonesty and unfitness.

Harris has the goods on crimes committed in connection with his story, but Harris wont be revealing the perpetrators:

All this sound and fury turns out to be throat-clearing. The juicy news in the Journals report is not about Smith; it stems from yet another leak of classified information. According to U.S. investigators involved in the Russia probe (i.e., the Mueller investigation), there are intelligence reports that describe Russian hackers discussing how to obtain e-mails from Mrs. Clintons server and then transmit them to Mr. Flynn via an intermediary. Who are these investigators? The Journal doesnt tell us  the actual crime of leaking classified intelligence being of less interest than the non-crime of collusion. The purported Russian hackers are not identified either. Nor is Flynns intermediary  the Journal cannot say whether the leak is accurate, whether there really was an intermediary, or whether Smith could have been the intermediary. There is, moreover, no indication that any supposed Russian hacker actually made any effort to obtain the Clinton e-mails, much less that Flynn  let alone Trump  had any knowledge of or involvement in such an effort. Quick: somebody start writing up the articles of impeachment!

Well, Harris is still on the case. The Journal has his follow-up story today (with Michael Bender and Peter Nicholas).

At the same time, Lawfare has posted the first-person account of Matt Tait, Harriss source. I was involved in the events that reporter Shane Harris described, and I was an unnamed source for the initial story, Tait writes. Whats more, I was named in, and provided the documents to Harris that formed the basis of, th[e] follow-up story Taits account is full of smoke, including the assumption that Smith had obtained the deleted Clinton emails from an unnamed person representing the dark web.

Tait puts it this way: [Smith] said that his team had been contacted by someone on the dark web; that this person had the emails from Hillary Clintons private email server (which she had subsequently deleted), and that Smith wanted to establish if the emails were genuine. Tait thereafter assumes that Smith had obtained the deleted emails.

In the end, Tait concedes, I never saw the actual materials theyd been given, and to this day, I dont know whether there were genuine emails, or whether Smith and his associates were deluding themselves. Tait to the contrary notwithstanding, I can find nothing in Taits column to suggest he knows whether Smith had in fact obtained the deleted Clinton emails. Tait adds that its possible, after all, that Smith only talked a very good game.

The Brookings Institute is promoting Taits first-hand mystifications as some kind of a contribution this morning. Thats how I was alerted to it. Andy McCarthy hasnt gotten to Harriss follow-up story or to Taits account yet, but I think his comment in the NRO column applies generally to Harriss follow-up Journal article and Taits account: If youre confused, Id ordinarily suggest that you go back and read the report a time or two. But life is short and rereading would not much clarify this spaghetti bowl hurled against the wall, in the hope that some of the Flynn sauce might stick.
Three car bombs exploded in Damascus on Sunday, the biggest of such attack in the Syrian capital since a series of suicide attacks in March.

A police officer said seven people were killed in one of the blasts, the Syrian Arab News Agency, SANA reported.

One of the suicide bombers blew himself up in Tahrir square in central Damascus after being encircled by the authorities.

The police officer at the scene said seven people were killed and 13 wounded in that attack.

The other two car bombs were destroyed by the authorities, state media said.

State TV said the casualty toll had been minimised because the security forces had prevented the terrorists from reaching their targets, saying they had aimed to target busy areas on the first day back to work after the Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Footage broadcast by state TV from Tahrir Square showed roads scattered with debris, several badly damaged cars, and another one that had been turned into a pile of twisted metal.

Footage broadcast another of the blast sites showed what appeared to be the remains of a person and badly damaged vehicles outside a mosque in the Baytara traffic circle near the Old City.

In March, two suicide bomb attacks in Damascus killed several dozen people, most of them at the Palace of Justice courthouse near the Old City. Islamic State claimed responsibility for that attack.

Also in March, a double suicide attack in the capital killed scores of people, most of them Iraqi Shiite pilgrims. That attack was claimed by the Tahrir al-Sham alliance of Islamist insurgents, which is spearheaded by a jihadist group formerly known as the Nusra Front.

Syrian government forces, which have defeated rebel fighters in several suburbs of Damascus over the last year, are currently battling insurgents in the Jobar and Ain Tarma areas on the capitals eastern outskirts.

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An expanded meeting of South-east leaders on Saturday night disagreed with calls for secession of the zone by pro-Biafran groups; advocating instead for a united Nigeria where peace, love, fairness, justice, equity and equality of opportunity are paramount regardless of creed, ethnicity, gender, or political affiliation.

The Igbo leaders in a communique at the end of the meeting also backed calls for restructuring of the country on the basis of fairness and equity.

The meeting, which held at the Nike Lake Resort Enugu and had in attendance governors from the region, National Assembly members from the zone, Ohaneze Ndigbo and selected Igbo leaders of thought, was convened by the Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, and the leadership of Ohaneze.

The leaders further called on the federal government to immediately enter into dialogue with Nigerians that will lead to the restructuring of the country as soon as possible.

Ndigbo are in support of a united Nigeria where peace, love, fairness, justice, equity and equality of opportunity are paramount regardless of creed, ethnicity, gender, or political affiliation.

Igbo leaders lend their full support to the restructuring of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the basis of fairness and equity. We therefore call on the Federal Government and all Nigerian leaders to commence a process of dialogue among Nigerians on the modalities of achieving this pressing question within a reasonable frame time.

The leaders further called for the implementation of the 2014 National Conference recommendations.

Ndigbo support the report of the National Conference of 2014 and urge the Federal Government to set up structures that will enable the implementation of same within a reasonable time, the communique read.

Despite the demand by some Nigerians for the implementation of the 2014 conference report, leaders of the countrys ruling APC including Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna have rejected the call.

While condemning hate speeches from any part of country, the Igbo leaders said henceforth only the governors, the South-east National Assembly caucus and the Ohaneze can speak for the zone on any political matters.

The statement on who speaks for the Igbos appears a response to the increasing popularity of the indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

Mr. Kanu, whose group wants an independent Biafran country, is currently being tried for treason by the federal government, but is on bail, after being held in custody for over a year.

A recent sit-at-home call by IPOB was largely effective across the south-east and Mr. Kanu recently asked Igbos to boycott future elections until the federal government allows a referendum on Biafra.

That call has also been condemned by various Igbo leaders including a popular political party in the south-east, APGA.

A nationally condemned northern group, which called for the exit of Igbos from Northern Nigeria, partly based their call on Mr. Kanus repeated statements and what they described as the non-condemnation of his hate speeches by Igbo political leaders.

In their statement after the late night Saturday meeting, however, the south-east leaders said they condemn all the hate speeches and constructs emanating from any segment of Nigeria.

The South East Governors, members of the National Assembly from the South East and leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo should henceforth constitute the official organs that will speak on behalf of Ndigbo on political matters.

The South East leaders in consultation with leaders from all parts of the country will engage the federal government on all areas of concerns to Ndigbo as a whole, they said.

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The order of Pope Francis after a June 8 meeting at the Vatican with a delegation from the Ahiara Diocese has been defied again as 3,000 faithful of the Diocese of the Catholic Church protest the appointment of Bishop Peter Okpaleke.

The protesters were reportedly backed by the laity, priests and community leaders.

Mr. Okpaleke was appointed as Bishop and consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012, but both the Laity Council and the priests in the diocese rejected his appointment on the grounds that he is not an indigene of the area, Mbaise.

In continuation of the defiance, worshippers again converged on Saturday on the Mater Ecclesiae Cathedral, Mbaise in Imo State for a rally to restate their total rejection of the embattled Bishop, an Anambra indigene, who the Pope said could not be rejected.

At the Vatican meeting, the Pope had called for a truce and directed all the priests and major actors in the crisis to tender letters of obedience to the Church which he said does not owned by the community.

Pope Francis laid down an ultimatum to the defiant Nigerian priests in Ahiara Diocese in Imo state: lose your job if you dont obey me and your bishop, the Associated Press reported.

Pope Francis said he was acting for the good of the people of God by threatening to suspend the priests from the ministry if they didnt pledge in a letter, by July 9, total obedience to Francis and accept Bishop Peter Okpalekes appointment.

Those priests opposing Mr. Okpalekes taking up of his office want to destroy the church, which is not permitted, the pope said in his address to the delegation.

He told the visiting delegation he was very sad about the priests refusal to obey and ruled out tribal loyalties as explaining the refusal.

However, the popes move to end disobedience to the Vatican appears to have been rebuffed again.

According to The Punch newspapers on Sunday, the diocesan youths, who put on black attire, chanted solidarity songs to reaffirm their support for the position taken by the Ahiara Diocese clerics and the laity councils to rejection of Mr. Okpaleke.

Other Catholic men and women who dressed in different church uniforms, also participated in the rally, which started with a rosary procession round the cathedral.

Addressing the congregation inside the cathedral, the President of the Diocesan Laity Council, Gerald Anyanwu, maintained that the people of Mbaise were not against the Supreme Pontiff, Pope Francis I, but that they were against the irregularities and injustices allegedly perfected against the people of the diocese in the selection of the bishop.

Mr. Anyanwu insisted that Okpaleke was forced on them, and that he was not a priest incardinated in the Ahiara Presbyterian.

There was no time we insisted that the bishop of the diocese must be an Mbaise son, but the prelate must be a priest incardinated in the diocese. We shall accept any bishop whether a Hausa man or a Yoruba man as far as he is incardinated in Ahiara Diocese.

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Some Nigerian researchers have called for more community participation if Boko Haram is to be defeated.

The researchers stated this while presenting a book titled Community Resilience to Boko Haram Insurgency to the public on June 30.

The book, authored by Princess Hamman-Obels, was targeted at placing insurgency affected communities at the centre of interest. It was presented in Abuja by Kole Shettima, Director, Africa Office, MacArthur Foundation.

The lead research coordinator of the book, Jibrin Ibrahim, suggested key steps to tackling the insurgency in Nigeria.

The don, a civil society activist, said there was need to understand what has sustained the Boko Haram insurgency and how local communities can play a role in battling the insurgency.

The use of security agencies to quell the insurgency will be a very important step, (but) is in itself not sufficient to solve it, he said.

This is because at the end of the day what we know is that this insurgency emanated from the community and it is the community that has both the responsibility but also and above all the capacity to end it, he added.

Mr. Ibrahim also explained the reasons for the research that led to the book.

I think the first important issue that led us the carry out this research was the seriousness of the insurgency itself, he said. We have not had such devastation in Nigeria since the civil war of 1967-1970.

Over 20,000 people have been killed, at the height of the insurgency, over three million people have been displaced from their homes, their homes have been destroyed, their means of livelihoods taken away from them, he said.

The researcher also highlighted some of the major findings of the research.

The Borno State 2010 education census revealed that only 23 per cent of children of primary school age were going to primary school. This meant over 70 per cent of the children of primary school age were not going to school and that was already the lowest in the country.

One of the things that struck us at the beginning of the research process was to try to understand the geography of what was going on. There was high level of insurgency attacks in certain areas and in certain communities than in other areas, Mr. Ibrahim said.

The professor added that the researchers also observed different levels of attacks across the north-east and north-west states.

We were interested from a research point of view, trying to understand the differential that explained why there were so much variation in what was going on. We found for example that Jigawa State had very low level of insurgency attacks while to its east in Yobe, there was high level and to its west in Kano, there was relatively high level.

So why was it there were so little attacks in Jigawa and much more in the states surrounding it; and we thought it was interesting to follow the lead to see whether there was an objective to explain that differential.

The narratives of the Boko Haram insurgency have really been about the insurgents creating mayhem and the security forces, trying to contain that mayhem and in the process creating some mayhem of their own. There have been very little narratives about the people themselves. What is their narrative, how do they understand what happened to them and what most importantly were they doing or not doing in terms of the crisis they find themselves in? Mr. Ibrahim said.

In his remark, Y.Z. Yau, the Executive Director, Centre for Information Technology and Development, CITAD, reiterated the relevance of the research to contemporary Nigeria.

As illustrated, Nigeria is facing so many challenges: cattle rustling, community clashes, and ethno-religious complains, and so on.

So, in general, the resilience of Nigerians as a community, is actually very weak and therefore what can we do to enhance the resilience of Nigeria as a community.

But of course, we know Nigeria is a collection of communities, so our focus is what we can do to communities to enhance their own resilience, Mr. Yau said.

Mr. Yau said no single community in Nigeria has zero resilience and no single community is excellently resilient.

He said resilience can be dormant in communities that are weak or be highly present in communities that are strong.

The logic of our study was to study communities that are either strong in terms of resilience and those that are extremely weak, he added.

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Shrestha Thakur, a woman senior police officer has been transferred to Bhairach from Bulandshahr on Saturday as she stood up to BJP workers and arrested five of them for bullying.

By India Today Web Desk: A woman senior police officer who stood up to BJP workers and arrested five of them for bullying has been transferred to Bhairach from Bulandshahr on Saturday.

Shrestha Thakur, made headlines after she was seen reprimanding unruly BJP workers in a video that went viral on social media.

The incident took place on June 23, when Thakur arrested one of the members for not carrying appropriate driving documents.

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Thakur was reportedly transferred following a meeting of a delegation of the party's 11 MLAs and MP with Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Following the incident local leaders persuaded party high command to take action against Thakur.

BJP's local leadership even admitted that the transfer was initiated in order to keep the pride of party intact.

HOW IT HAPPENED

In the video, Thakur is seen surrounded by a group of men who were bullying her. The irate BJP workers raised slogans against police.

After the group got into a heated argument with Thakur, she told them she will add additional sections of IPC section for disruption.

She is even heard saying that she was not afraid of them and that she will continue doing her duty.

When one of the workers told her that BJP workers are being targetted, Thakur denied the claims and said that nobody was above the law.

After the situation got out of control, Thakur even asked the workers to get a letter signed from the chief minister stating that the police should not check vehicles.

Despite claims by local leadership, the development is not seen as a punishment transfer. The transfer was a part of routine reshuffle.

ALSO READ:

Uttar Pradesh female cop chides bullying BJP workers, video goes viral

RLD leader Jayant Chowdhary slams BJP for ignoring Agra, rising crime in state

BJP leader, 2 others arrested for lynching Jharkhand man accused of carrying beef

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Two students of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, died on Saturday at the institutions laboratory for fishery and aquaculture, after the canoe they were in capsized.

The students were identified as Olabiyi Emmanuel, a 300-level student of the Department of Agricultural and Environmental Engineering, and Olokun Babatunde Alex, a 300-level student of the Department of Project Management Technology.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the bodies of the students were retrieved from the lake by officials of the Ondo State Fire Service.

According to a press statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of the FUTA Students Union, Fowowe Ayomide, the students drowned at the place behind the Great Hall, Obakekere.

The statement said the accident occurred after a students entrepreneurship training, ENT, at the laboratory for fishery and aquaculture.

After the training, four of them decided to take a selfie on the canoe packed at the venue, during that process, the canoe which the four of them were in capsized, Mr. Ayomide said.

They drowned inside the water, and two of them narrowly escaped because they were able to swim, while the other two found it difficult to swim which led to their death.

The union urged all students to pay their last respect to their colleagues who lost their lives in the incident, while praying for the repose of the departed.

The FUTA incident occurred a week after a 200-level student of the University of Ilorin drowned at a swimming pool in a popular hotel in Ilorin.

Olaniran Samsudeen of the Arts Education department went to the hotel to swim along with his friends but died in the process.

The latest incident also occurs about two weeks after another student of the Obafemi Awolowo University drowned in a pool.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how Fatile Emmanuel, a 300-level Pharmacy student, died in a hotel pool.

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Security officials have arrested 100 suspected members of the dreaded cult group, Badoo, who have been terrorising residents of the state especially in the Ikorodu axis.

This is just as the Lagos State government has cautioned residents to desist from carrying out jungle justice on suspected members of the gang, as government would leave no stone unturned to bring the perpetrators of any dastardly act to justice.

For some time now, the members of the Badoo cult group have been fingered in violent killings in Ikorodu axis, a development which had prompted some suspected members of the group to be lynched through mob action.

Residents in the area had, last Friday, lynched a suspected member of the group on the Ikorodu-Mile 12 express road.

The 100 suspects were arrested in a joint operation carried out by officials of the Lagos State Police Command, Rapid Response Squad, RRS; Odua Peoples Congress; as well as local vigilantes including Onyabo in Ikorodu on Saturday.

As at Sunday morning, the number of arrested suspects had risen to 100.

The team, in the operation which started early Saturday morning, moved around Ikorodu and combed the suspected hideouts of the members of the gang from street to street.

The combined security team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Lagos Police Command, Imohimi Edgal, and the RRS Commander, Olatunji Disu, combed black spots and suspected areas like Ikorodu, Ibeshe, Ita Maja, Ijede, Ipakodo and other areas, arresting about 100 suspects for questioning.

The exercise was a follow-up to a meeting which the National Coordinator of Odua Peoples Congress, Gani Adams, and Onyabo leaders held with security chiefs in the state last Friday.

Confirming the operation, the Public Relations Officer of Lagos State Police Command, Olarinde FamousCole, said about 40 police and RRS vehicles were used for the operation, adding that the exercise was part of the ongoing efforts to rid the state of the activities of the dreaded cult group.

We can confirm the arrest of 100 suspected members of the dreaded cult group, Badoo and they are helping with ongoing investigation into the activities of the gang, said Mr. Famous-Cole, an Assistant Superintendent of Police.

Government is on top of the situation and we like to use this medium to caution the people to desist from jungle justice.

We also like to assure residents that they are free to go about their normal activities without let or hindrance, as the police and other security agencies in the State are poised to make the State uncomfortable and hot for criminal elements to perpetrate their nefarious activities, Mr. FamousCole said.

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The wife of the President, Aisha Buhari, left for London on Sunday to visit her husband who is on medical vacation.

According to a statement by her media aide, Mrs. Buhari will convey to the President the best wishes of Nigerians and their fervent prayers for his quick recovery.

She is expected to stop over at Addis Ababa, to make a symbolic appearance at the meeting of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) on Monday 3rd July, 2017.

She will join other members to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the organisation, and use the opportunity to reiterate the voting rights of Nigeria in the upcoming elections of the organisation.

She will continue her journey to the United Kingdom on Tuesday, 3rd July, 2017.

Mrs. Buharis return to London comes a few days after the controversial Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, claimed she was not allowed to see the President Muhammadu Buhari during her first visit.

While addressing journalists last week, Mr. Fayose alleged that the president was on life support. He said a cabal had surrounded the president and called for his resignation.

Nigerias ruling All Progressives Congress has, however, said President Buhari was recovering and not on life support.

The president has been in London for over 50 days for medical treatment, although details and nature of his ill health have not been made public.

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Olukemi Tongo, a Consultant Neonatologist at University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, has stressed the need for early and exclusive breastfeeding to reduce neonatal mortality in the country.

Ms. Tongo, a member of the Nigerian Society of Neonatal Medicine, NISOMN, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Sunday.

According to her, most neonatal deaths are due to preventable causes.

She explained that the most common causes of neonatal deaths are related to prematurity, failure to breath or cry at birth and infections.

All these conditions can be prevented through education of mothers and frontline health workers.

We can reduce the rate of neonatal deaths in our country even without high technology, provided there is basic level of healthcare and education.

She announced that NISOMN would hold community awareness rally on newborn care and prevention of newborn infections on July 4 in Ibadan to address the issue of poor education and awareness.

She added that NISOMN, which is a group of doctors involved in care of newborn babies, seeks to bring this information to the fore by sensitising mothers and empowering frontline healthcare workers.

The rally is to educate mothers and health workers on how to take care of newborn.

(NAN)

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The General Leader, Cherubim and Seraphim Church, `Ayo Ni O, Funsho Korode, has urged the countrys leadership to take security of lives of Nigerians as one of its topmost priorities.

Mr. Korode said this on Sunday at the end of the churchs three-day mid-year revival titled Rend the Heavens held at its national headquarters in Surulere, Lagos State.

He advised the government to summon the courage and the political will needed to protect the countrys citizens.

According to him a large percentage of the budget is officially allocated to security

We have the Police Force; the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Immigration, Customs, and other intelligence agencies.

They are established to protect the people rather than protecting political office-holders.

If the state does not protect us, we cannot truly say we have a nation? he said.

Mr. Korode also said that the rate of kidnapping was on the increase.

He appealed to the Lagos State Government in particular to do all within its reach to rescue the school children abducted by some kidnappers close to 40 days ago from their school.

I am very sad that several crimes are being committed daily; but no arrests. Even where they are, there are no thorough investigations and prosecutions.

To date, our cherished children who are students of Lagos Model Secondary School, Igbonla in Epe, Lagos State, have been in captivity for over one month now.

It is very sickening that there are people being abducted daily, but no positive steps to address the situation.

I sympathise with the families of our abducted lovely children and I appeal to their captors to release them, he said.

The cleric urged the leaders to serve the citizens with all sincerity; by putting the nation first in their actions, and demonstrate their love for the country by living an exemplary live.

He said that the government could curb the rise in crime rates by creating job opportunities for the youths.

He urged Nigerians to shun every act that was capable of causing disaffection among them.

Mr. Korode also advised the federal government to find a lasting solution to the genuine agitations from the various ethnic groups in the country in order to give everyone a sense of belonging.

This country needs to be more united now than ever before.

We must not trade the unity of this country for selfish motives because we have much more binding us together than those that divide us.

I believe that several of the genuine agitations by the various ethnic groups can be looked into by the federal government with the intention of resolving them amicably without necessarily resorting to bloodletting, he said.

The cleric also urged the three tiers of government to assuage the fears and concerns of everyone and ensure the practice of true federalism.

We restate our belief in the unity of Nigeria and a commitment to one Nigeria where people of different faiths and tongues can continue to live together as one, he said

He also urged the federal government to implement the report of the 2014 National Conference to avoid all these man-made problems in Nigeria.

We need to do things right for things to be right with us. True justice must be upheld before we can have sincere and lasting peace and development, he said.

(NAN)

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Afolabi Imoukhuede, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation and Youth Employment, has said that President Muhammadu Buhari  led administration will fulfil all promises made to the youth and Nigerians before the 2015 presidential polls.

Mr. Imoukhuede said this when he addressed N-Power volunteers in Ebonyi at the end of the evaluation and monitoring of the programme in the state by federal and state stakeholders.

He said that the administrations Social Investment Programmes covered all strata of the society, including children, youth, women and micro and medium scale enterprises.

Every promise we make to you, there is a strong commitment to fulfilling them.

You have to stay committed to the programme, he told the volunteers.

According to him, besides the N30,000 monthly stipend, each volunteer will also receive a device being paid for by the Federal Government at N4,500 per month.

He, however, told them that the device had multiple-applications including a programme that would facilitate their monitoring.

He said: You will be monitored by the Federal Governments agency in charge of this programme through the device you are going to get.

Be warned and stay tuned with your portal as you can be withdrawn from the scheme if we find out that you absent yourself from work or you fail to update your knowledge and skills by not digesting the manuals in the device.

The Presidential aide noted that 2,620 out of the 3,643 volunteers in the state were accommodated in the first batch of the device distribution.

He said that while a last chance had been given for 216 volunteers who had not updated their bank details, 114 who had no details at all might be delisted.

He added that the 114 ostensibly were not participating in the scheme, adding that even if their details were cleared they would show proof of work in the past six months before they could be paid.

On the allegation that volunteers were paying money to an individual for clearance, he said the payment was not known to the scheme.

The presidential aide warned that the government would go after anyone who tried to extort the volunteers, and urged them not to respond to such exploitations.

None of such payments is authorised by us but we will not criticise any voluntary contribution made by you in form of cooperatives to enhance your employability at the end of the programme, he said.

The Ebonyi State Commissioner for Economic Empowerment and Job Creation, Moses Nomeh, advised the volunteers to be serious with the scheme as there were many jobless youth willing to take up their positions.

Mr. Nomeh said that no fewer than 8,000 applications were received for N-Power from Ebonyi in 2016 while graduates who had applied for the ongoing 2017 enrolment form in the state had reached 23,435.

The commissioner thanked President Buhari and Acting President Yemi Osinbajo for initiating the scheme which had provided solutions to the unemployment situation in the country.

(NAN)

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The Nigerian air carrier, Air Peace, has discredited reports identifying one of its pilots, John Nku, as a former militant.

A few online media reports had described Mr. Nku as one of the repentant Niger Delta agitators who benefited from the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP) after a Facebook user, Wabiye Idoniboyeobu, posted pictures of the pilot and the Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Paul Boroh.

A statement issued by the airlines Corporate Communications Manager, Chris Iwarah, said that the pilot was erroneously tagged a former militant.

Mr. Nku, the airline explained, was one of the more than 5,000 non-agitators the PAP sponsored to acquire different skills in response to the yearnings of the Niger Delta for development of its people.

On Thursday, June 29, 2017, a member of our flight crew, First Officer John Paul Nku was the co-pilot of our Abuja-Owerri service, the airline said.

When the flight landed in Owerri, he was introduced to the Coordinator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme and Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta, Brig.-Gen. Paul Boroh, who was on board the flight, as one of the beneficiaries of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.

Excited, Boroh took some pictures with Nku. A Facebook user, Mr. Wabiye Idoniboyeobu later posted the pictures of the pilot and Boroh in support of his opinion that the PAP was achieving its aim of addressing the challenges of the Niger Delta.

Unfortunately, some social media platforms latched onto Idoniboyeobus comments to tag Nku a former militant simply because he was identified as a beneficiary of the PAP.

The airline, therefore, said it felt compelled to set the record right and correct the wrong impression being created about Mr. Nkus personality.

It is public knowledge that besides the more than 30,000 former militants who have reportedly benefited from the PAP, over 5,000 non-agitators from Niger Delta communities impacted by oil exploration and exploitation have been trained under the presidential project, it said.

(Mr.) Nku was one of the non-agitators who were fortunate to be trained by the PAP.

It is, therefore, improper to describe Nku as a former militant simply because he was identified as one of the beneficiaries of the PAP, the airline said.

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Nigeria says it is optimistic of clinching a seat in the UN High Commission for Human Rights.

Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigerias Foreign Minister, who disclosed this to journalists on the sidelines of the 31st Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the 29th AU Summit in Addis Asaba, said the country also had the backing of the AU.

Speaking on the highlights of the Executive council meeting, he said; we hope to get a seat in the UN High Commission for Human Rights; we do have the AUs support.

The minister, who also spoke of the countrys chances of occupying positions in other global institutions, said that Nigerias chance was very bright.

For ECOWAS, we are hopeful of getting the positions that we want and for the United Nations (UN), we are pushing for a candidate in the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

Though, there is a Zimbabwean candidate who is also going for the same position, we are trying to find a workable way forward on that because we want AU to support a candidate.

It can sometimes be tricky, but the process is ongoing.

Mr. Onyeama, who spoke further on the highlights of the meeting, said that the AU Committee on ECOWAS on Statutory Positions will on Sunday take decisions on allocations to member states.

We took part in the meeting and indicated interests in some of the positions that we feel would be of best interest to Nigeria.

He said that the meeting also discussed the reforms of ECOWAS and various options regarding going forward on the reforms.

These past two years, a team was put in place and that team it was understood, will come in for two years and completely reform the organisation and then leave.

So, we have to implement that reform and then allocate positions for the new ECOWAS that would emerge after these two years transition period dedicated to reforming the organisation, the minister said.

On Nigerias assumption of the post of Chairman of AU Peace and Security Council, Mr. Onyeama said the country would push for peace in all the conflict areas in Africa.

He said Nigeria would also be looking at the issue of rapid deployment of Africa Standby Force (ASF) to conflict areas and robust engagement in the conflict zones.

The ASF is an international, continental African, and multidisciplinary peacekeeping force with military, police and civilian contingents that acts under the direction of the African Union (AU).

The ASF is to be deployed in times of crisis in African countries.

(NAN)

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Cross cultural alliances by Nigerias youth and ensuring equity as well as justice to citizens irrespective of sectional considerations are key to sustaining One Nigeria, a federal lawmaker, Shehu Sani, has said.



Mr. Sani, the senator representing Kaduna Central, said youth, who hold the key to the countrys future, should be empowered to play a greater role in the national life, while policies, practices and laws that limit their access as well as attainment in politics and economy should be removed.



Mr. Sani spoke at the Fifth National Association of Oyo Students, NAOS, Parliamentary Lecture, in Oyo State on Saturday. The topic of the lecture was Imperatives of Sustaining One Nigeria.



I advocate for Nigerias conspicuous youth bulge to be placed up and centre in our national discuss, and in our pursuit of national growth and development, the lawmaker said.



I think that we should focus on our youths because the almost 60 years old narrative of the elite is too dysfunctionally fixated on political power and raw material resource sharing. We live in a knowledge driven world where cutting edge Information and Communication Technology is being used to blaze the path to a

future that promises to be even more globally competitive than it Is now.



Again, I submit that youth development and empowerment is the key to resolving Nigerias socio-political, economic and legal malaise. Their energies, vision and industry, properly harnessed, is the antidote to the centrifugal forces currently threatening the corporate existence of the country.



Consequently, sustaining a one Nigeria dictates that the mandate of government  at all levels and across all tiers, Executive, Legislative and Judiciary  must be refocused on human capital development and productivity.



Mr. Sani said many Nigerians were products of mixed marriages, while some were born at places far removed from origins of their parents. Therefore, he said, it is politically delimiting to make demands which bother on sectional requirements, like state of origin, on Nigerians when seeking access to public opportunities.



As in the right to vote, the right to contest and be voted for, as well as the right to public resources among other things, should all be predicated on residency requirements only, he said.



Although he noted the separatist agitation in the south-east and the quit notice by some Arewa youth, after arrogating to themselves the powers and privileges of Landlords, he argued such movements did not represent the views of either the entire south-east or the north respectively.



But he reckoned that the indissolubility as well as the sovereignty of the State over the entity and political contraption called Nigeria is being questioned and challenged by some of its own citizens. This gives the impression that the state is under siege.



However, the lawmaker expressed concerns about the agitations and challenged Nigerians to be wary of elite manipulation. He said the cries over marginalisation focus on regional or ethnic preoccupations with power sharing and resource control arrangements, while youth across divides are marginalized, impoverished and alienated.



I would like to argue that these agitations, particularly the recent calls for restructuring must be placed in proper context and addressed in a manner that strips the narrative of both primordial sentiments as well as the self-serving interests of the political elite. It would appear that more often than not, the call for political restructuring is loudest when the strong, vocal segments of the political elites have lost or are losing out in the political power game, he said.



I like to call on all the youth to be actively involved and to resist any attempt at either the balkanization of Nigeria or succumbing to a brand of political restructuring which completely sidelines the critical question of equity, justice and dignity for the Nigerian people irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political affiliations. Poverty and marginalisation is not necessarily a north or south issue.



I therefore challenge the youth to refuse to be hoodwinked by the political elite. They (the elites) form alliances among themselves and have a common interest in the plundering of the Nigerian commonwealth. You, also, form your own alliances, build bridges and network of friendships from Port Harcourt to Sokoto, Abakaliki to Maiduguri, Lagos to Asaba through to Kano, Mr. Sani added.



Each of Nigerias group has unique qualities that would be found beneficial to the other, he said, there is beauty in diversity.



The Speaker of Oyo students association, Mohammed Olatunji, said it was symbolic that Mr. Sani, a lawmaker from Northern Nigeria, came to speak on Nigerias unity in Yorubaland.

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KOGI FLAGS-OFF FREE HEALTHCARE

The Kogi State Government flagged-off a special healthcare package which will offer free medical treatment and surgery to 50,000 indigent patients.

Among services being delivered are major and minor surgeries, medical investigations and treatments, eye care (surgeries and distribution of free glasses), paediatric and gynaecological care.

The health commissioner, Saka Audu, said the medical outreach is funded by the Kogi government in collaboration with the World Christian Medical Mission (WCMM), who provided the medical officers.

NIGERIA FORMALLY DECLARES MENINGITIS OVER

After the disease had caused about 1,166 deaths over 23 weeks in 25 states, the Nigerian government has finally declared the meningitis epidemic over in the country.

The Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, formally declared the Meningitis outbreak over in the country, after the Federal Executive Council meeting.

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, NCDC, statistics showed that a total 14,518 suspected cases were reported from 25 states since the outbreak was first recorded in Zamfara State in November 2016.

NIGERIA TO ELIMINATE MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION OF HIV BY 2020

The National Coordinator, National AIDS and STIs Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Sunday Aboje, said Nigeria has initiated a number of strategies for the elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV by 2020 as the country contributes about one third of new HIV infections among children in the 21 HIV priority countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

Nigeria has the highest number of children acquiring HIV infection  nearly 60 000 in 2012, a number that has remained largely unchanged since 2009.

Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission, PMTCT accounts for about 90 per cent of infections in children, hence the focus is to ensure that no child is born with HIV

infection in Nigeria.

PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY NEEDS N30 billion BAILOOUT

The pharmaceutical industry urged the Nigerian government to intervene in the sector, as it required injection of funds in the region of N30 billion for continual survival.

The Chief Executive Officer of Emzor Pharmaceuticals, Stella Okoli, said the injection of funds by the government would help the industry to do better and take its rightful place in the country.

She, therefore, urged the present administration to give the needed support to the sector in order to enable the industry create more jobs and buy the equipment, machinery and raw materials needed to meet up in the area of required vaccines in the country.

CONGO NOW EBOLA-FREE, SAYS MINISTER

After 42 days without recording a new case of the virus, the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, declared the Ebola outbreak over on Saturday

The DRC Minister of Health, Oly Ilunga, declared in a statement the end of the outbreak.

The latest outbreak came a year after the end of the virus deadliest episode in West Africa, which killed more than 11,300 people and infected some 28,600 as it swept through Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia causing alarm around the world.

CHOLERA KILLS 60 IN SOUTH SUDAN

No fewer than 60 people have been killed by cholera in South Sudans Namurunynag State in Eastern Equatoria in one month.

The local governor, Louse Lojore, said the death toll could be higher as some occurred in remote locations and went unrecorded.

The governor and the health minister, Riek Gai Kok, appeared before lawmakers in Juba on Tuesday to explain how about 16 children died in Kapoeta town after they were vaccinated against measles last month.

This year alone, about 200 people have lost their lives to cholera across the country, according to the Health ministry in Juba.

JAPAN DONATES 31 AMBULANCES TO NIGERIAN HEALTH INSTITUTIONS

Thirty-one ambulance vehicles donated by the Japanese government were on Friday distributed to 31 federal tertiary health institutions across the country.

The vehicles, Nissan Prado Jeep with fully fitted ambulance kits, which constitute the first batch of the donation were handed over to heads of the institutions by the Nigerian Minister of Health, Isaac Adewole, and the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Sandanobu Kusaoke, in Abuja.

PATIENT DISCHARGING BLOOD QUARANTINED

A patient discharging blood through mouth and nose has been isolated at the Damaturu Specialists Hospital, Yobe.

A hospital staff said the male patient, who was admitted on Friday, had blood coming out of his mouth and nose and the patients blood sample had been taken to Lagos for laboratory analysis.

The staff said it is too early to say whether it is a case of Lassa fever or not because they had a similar case some weeks ago which tested negative.

The staff added that adequate precautionary measures had been taken to avoid contact, pending the outcome of the test.

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The Power Ultra Lounge in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas, was the scene of a mass shooting during a rap concert on July 1, 2017.

By AP: Clubgoers screamed and scrambled for cover as dozens of gunshots rang out during a rap concert in downtown Little Rock early Saturday, leaving 28 people injured from an 11-second melee that police said may be gang-related. The volley of gunfire inside the Power Ultra Lounge came so fast that investigators believe multiple people had to have been involved. Police Chief Kenton Buckner credited quick work by first responders for there being no fatalities.

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Twenty-five people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others were hurt, perhaps while fleeing, Buckner said. Two people were in critical condition Saturday afternoon. Police said officers did not have any suspects in custody. Courtney Swanigan, 23, told The Associated Press that when the gunfire rang out, "I just closed my eyes, got down on the ground and put my hands on my head."

City officials said they would move Monday to shut down the club under a "criminal abatement" program. State regulators suspended the club's liquor license earlier Saturday and Mayor Mark Stodola said the property's manager was delivering an eviction notice. "We know we've got to use a hammer, we've got to use a big hammer on the people who would do violence with guns and hurt people," Stodola said at an afternoon news conference.

An investigator collects evidence near an Arkansas nightclub where police say multiple people were shot on July 1, 2017.

He said the city must "keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people" and suggested that people refuse to patronize clubs that seem to promote violence. Material advertising the concert by Tennessee rapper Finese 2Tymes showed a man pointing a gun at a camera. "A promotional video with a gun on the front cover inviting people to a concert should also be totally unacceptable in our community," the mayor said.

The shooting capped a violent week in Arkansas' largest city. Police had responded to a dozen drive-by shootings over the previous nine days."This does appear to be a continuation of disputes from some of our local groups," Buckner said. "You've seen some of the things playing out in our streets that has resulted in drive-by shootings."

The shooting occurred around 2:30 am about 1 mile (1.61 kilometers) east of the state Capitol building. First-responders are stationed through the central part of the city and hospitals are a quick ride away. "We had professional people responding to that incident and they did what they were trained to do, and I know they probably had something to do with the fact we didn't have any fatalities," Buckner said. He also credited divine intervention.

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About 100 people gathered at Second Baptist Church on Saturday night for a candlelight vigil, seeking healing for those injured, and the community. Stodola sat in the front row. "God bless our community. God bless our first responders," Robert Holt, president of Let Our Violence End and pastor at Healing Waters Outreach Center, said at the vigil.

Top state officials offered to help the city respond to an increasing number of incidents.

"Little Rock's crime problem appears to be intensifying," Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement. "Every few days it seems a high-profile shooting dominates the news, culminating with this morning's event. I have spoken this morning with Mayor (Mark) Stodola and I have offered both my heart felt concern over this senseless violent tragedy and state assets as needed to address the continued threat of violence in our community."

A Facebook video posted from inside the club included audio of at least 24 rounds fired in about 11 seconds. Darryl Rankin, who posted the video, said a friend of his who attended the concert with him had a bullet "stuck in his spine." Buckner said police had not yet spoken with the rapper, who he said has outstanding warrants in the state.

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Calls to a number listed for Finese 2Tymes' booking agent weren't returned Saturday, but a message was posted on the artist's Facebook page offering thoughts and prayers for those injured: "THE VIOLENCE IS NOT FOR THE CLUB PEOPLE. WE ALL COME WITH 1 MOTIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND THATS TO HAVE FUN."

Investigators work outside the Power Ultra Lounge nightclub in Little Rock, Arkansas on July 1, 2017.

Police cordoned off the area as technicians collected evidence from the scene, which is near a Roman Catholic cathedral and a First United Methodist Church center. A number of worshipers gathered for a funeral at St. Andrew's while police continued their work.

Glass from the Power Ultra Lounge's second-story windows littered the ground, along with empty drink cups. In the parking lot, a silver Toyota had what appeared to be a streak of blood on the front passenger-side door.

"I'm sick of all the killing and I'm tired of all the shooting. The kids getting hurt," said Raida Bunche, who was waiting outside the club after hearing from a friend that her son had been inside. She found out later that he had run from the club when the shooting started and was not hurt.

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Before Stodola announced that the city would shutter the club, officials at the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control office suspended the club's liquor license and set a July 10 hearing on three potential charges: disorderly conduct, allowing possession of weapons on the premises and "failure to be a good neighbour."

The club's license has been suspended 11 times for failing to pay taxes, and it has been cited seven times for 14 various violations including unknowingly furnishing alcohol to minors and allowing alcohol to leave the premises since 2012, ABC Director of Enforcement Boyce Hamlet said.

Arkansas lawmakers this year passed a law allowing concealed handguns in bars, with permission of the businesses' owners and if the gun permit holder completes additional training. The law takes effect September 1, but the training likely won't be available until next year.

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Critics Rating: **1/2 2.5/5Cast: Shiv Darshan, Natasha Fernandez and Upen PatelDirection: Suneel DarshanGenre: Romantic ThrillerDuration: 1 hr 45 minsWhat Is It About: Acharming and young girl, Natasha(Natasha Fernandez) who decides to have her destination wedding at her ancestral property goes there along with her fiance Sunny (Upen Patel). Destiny had other plans as she falls in love with the stud farmkeeper Devdhar (Shiv Darshan). However, what follows is a game of deception with an unexpected turn of eventsWhen I first heard of the movie titleEkHaseenaThiEkDeewanaTha, it reminded me of the evergreen song from the movie Karz but there seems to be no such connection between them. This romantic thrillerstars Shiv Darshan, debutant Natasha Fernandes and the handsome hunk Upen Patel.Suneel Darshan who has given us notable movies like Jaanwar, EkRishtaa, Talaash: The Hunt Begins, Andaaz, Barsaat ,ShakalakaBoom Boom and many more, disappoints in this one.While trying to add a supernatural element to this game of love and deception, the makers of this movie end up producing a medley of hilarious events, which leaves us confused and amused altogether. Shiv Darshan being one of the leads, is portrayed as a supernatural being, with Vampire-like powers and his over the top dramatic Urdu dialogues which will remind us of the old era of romance gone wrong! Also, the newbie Natasha isnt very realistic in her approach and brings out a very plastic character onscreen, who falls head over heels in love with the supernatural stable boy.Although, Upen Patel serves as the saving grace for this movie with his subtle presence and realistic approach.Whats Hot: The Music by Nadeem Saifi (of Nadeem Shravan fame) is the highlight of this film as the songs Hue Bechain, Aankhon Mein Aansoon and Nain Song have been loved by the masses. Apart from this the only meritorious part is the honest and effortless performance by Upen Patel. The locations in the United Kingdom, across several sites including Cornwall, Dartmouth, Cardiff and Manchester have been captured like a portrait.Whats Not: The film which depicts a ghost returningto claim the love of his life, in the form of his lovers grand-daughter is beyond comprehension. There are various scenes which were meant to be serious actually have the audience in splits as its so bizarre.Verdict: A romantic saga which is worth watching only for Nadeem Saifis music and a honest and commendable performance by Upen Patel.
By PTI: By Sajjad Hussain

Islamabad, Jul 2 (PTI) A delegation of bipartisan US senators today met Prime Ministers Advisor on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz and "appreciated" Pakistans contributions in the fight against terrorism, underlining the need to forge closer bilateral cooperation in confronting peace and security challenges in the region.

The five-member delegation led my Senator John McCain visited Pakistan days after the US blacklisted Syed Salahuddin, the chief of Kashmiri militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, as a "global terrorist".

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The US decision is a severe blow to Pakistan which has been projecting 71-year-old Kashmiri separatist leader as a "freedom fighter".

McCain, thanking Aziz on behalf of the delegation that included senators Lindsey Graham, Sheldon Whitehouse, Elizabeth Warren and David Perdue "appreciated the contributions and sacrifices made by Pakistan in the fight against terrorism," the Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement.

"He said that continued engagement with Pakistan, a close friend and ally of the US, was important,? it said.

The Senators agreed with the need for the US and Pakistan to forge closer cooperation in confronting the peace and security challenges in the region and beyond, the statement said.

Welcoming the US Senators, Aziz underlined the importance of regular high-level contacts and appreciated McCain, Graham and Whitehouse for their continued engagement and regular visits to Pakistan to promote understanding and cooperation between the two countries.

Aziz underscored the significance of the long-standing cooperation between the two countries and the need to make this partnership diverse and multidimensional.

"The strategic partnership between Pakistan and the US is critical to achieve peace and stability in the region and beyond," he said.

Aziz also apprised the US Senate delegation about Pakistans "success" in combating terrorism and said that the "terrorist networks have been dismantled, their sanctuaries eliminated under the overarching National Action Plan."

Aziz said Pakistan remained committed to support efforts for lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.

"Pakistan looked forward to constructive engagement with the US on all efforts and initiatives that would lead to a stable and prosperous Afghanistan," he said.

He said that Pakistan was also ready to strengthen and deepen its partnership with the US to counter the new and emerging terrorism threats including the expanding footprint of ISIS in the region.

In the meeting, he also raised concern over the alleged "human rights violations" in Kashmir and "international community?s silence" on the issue.

He stressed that Pakistan "firmly" believed in the "legitimacy of the Kashmir cause and the peaceful struggle of the Kashmiri people." PTI SH PMS

--- ENDS ---

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Tens of thousands of enthusiastic visitors celebrated Mobility Day (Tag der Bewegung) today in the city centre of Essen. For the largest event put on during European Green Capital - Essen 2017 after the opening celebrations in January, a 3 kilometre section of the ring road around the city centre was closed to vehicle traffic. Over 130 exhibitors took part in this large event.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/529778/European_Green_Capital.jpg )

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/529779/European_Green_Capital_Essen_2017.jpg )

"With the Mobility Day we had one primary goal: to encourage people to rethink mobility and to move them to get moving. We have well and truly succeeded in that today and I am very pleased that the event has turned out to be so popular," said the mayor of Essen, Thomas Kufen.

There were over 2000 contributors along the route who put on an entertaining and diverse program to playfully showcase the themes of the European Green Capital. There were numerous items on the program for the whole family: a fashion show with clothing made of plastic bags, surprising flashmobs, a blood pressure measurement record attempt, a knowledge city, a soapbox derby, numerous hands-on activities and much more.

"Sustainable mobility is one of the most important topics for our future - today as the Green Capital we have provided a fresh look at this. The transition to green mobility begins in people's hearts and minds," said Simone Raskob, head of the Environment and Building Department of the City of Essen and project manager of the Green Capital.

The highlight of the day took place at 3:00 pm at Berliner Platz: 1500 cyclists, walking acts, dancers and acrobats put on a show created especially for the day by the internationally renowned light artist and director Wolfram Lenssen.

Contact:

Project Office European Green Capital - Essen 2017

Markus Plienig, Press Officer

Tel: +49(0)201/88-82336

Christina Waimann

Tel: +49(0)201/88-82331

Brunnenstr. 8

45128 Essen

Fax: +49(0)201/88-9182309

Mail: media@egc2017.essen

http://www.deingruneswunder.de





SOURCE European Green Capital - Essen 2017
JERUSALEM, July 2, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon is escorting a delegation of ambassadors to the UN on a trip to Israel, organized by AJC Project Interchange and led by AJC CEO David Harris.

The delegation of nine ambassadors, from Africa, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Asia Pacific region, marks the sixth time that AJC (American Jewish Committee) has brought a group of UN ambassadors to Israel, and the third time the group is led jointly by Ambassador Danon and AJC.

"Ambassadors to the UN are senior representatives of their governments and are at the forefront of their countries international relations efforts," said Ambassador Danon. "The more ambassadors that visit Israel and have the chance to visit all parts of our beautiful country, the more they understand the challenges, as well as the opportunities, facing Israel in today's tumultuous Middle East."

"As the global Jewish advocacy organization, AJC's interests span every continent and include, of course, the role of the UN," said AJC CEO David Harris. "In that spirit, we are honored to play a part in bringing this high-ranking delegation to Israel. From long experience, observing Israel from a distance is no substitute for seeing it up close, which is the goal of this five-day visit."

To provide a deeper understanding of the geopolitical and security challenges Israel faces, the ambassadors will travel throughout Israel, including Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the northern border and southern region.

They will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and other government officials in Jerusalem, and visit centers for Israeli innovation in agriculture and water technology.

The delegation will also travel to Ramallah to meet with Palestinian Prime Minister Hamdallah, and visit the joint Israeli-Jordanian-Palestinian Industrial Zone, which is operating with the support of the Japanese government.

The ambassadors will discuss with officials the current efforts and difficulties in advancing the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

During their visit to the Galilee region in Israel's north, the ambassadors will meet with Dr. Masad Barhoum, Director General of the Galilee Medical Center. In May, AJC honored Dr. Barhoum with its International Human Dignity Award for providing urgent treatment to Syrians severely injured in their country's civil war.

The delegation includes ambassadors from Australia, Estonia, Gabon, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Papua New Guinea, Poland, and Togo. Four of the ambassadors attended a dinner in New York, hosted by AJC Honorary President Stanley M. Bergman and Dr. Marion Bergman, chair of AJC's Africa Institute, in May for African ambassadors to the UN.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee

Related Links

http://www.ajc.org


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Damascus, June 27 : At least 57 inmates and guards were killed when a US-led air strike targeted a prison under Islamic State control in eastern Syria, a monitor group said on Tuesday.

The air strike hit the prison in the city of Mayadeen in Syria's eastern province of Deir al-Zour on Monday, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, Xinhua news agency reported.

It added that the prison used to be a house for one of the leaders of the Al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front. It was captured by the IS and turned into a prison, half of it for IS militants imprisoned by the group itself, while the other half is for civilians captured by the IS.

The UK-based watchdog group said the toll in the strike could rise as there were many critically wounded people. Around 100 inmates were imprisoned in that jail, said the Observatory.
New Delhi, June 28 : Opposition candidate Meira Kumar on Wednesday filed her nomination for the July 17 Presidential election, which she termed "a fight of ideology for democratic principles" and said she has appealed to members of the Electoral College to "listen to their conscience" and vote for her.

"From today our fight has begun. This is the fight of ideology. Our ideology is based on the values of democratic principles, building an inclusive society, freedom of expression, press freedom, transparency and abolition of caste," Meira Kumar told reporters after filing her nomination in Parliament House here.

"I have requested all the electors that this is a crucial time. The nation today stands at the crossroads from where one way leads to the place where there is narrow mindedness and no concern for the poor, Dalits and downtrodden," she added.

The other way, she said, leads to where the poor, Dalits, marginalised, women and people from all religions have their rights and dignity.

"I have requested all the honourable members of the Electoral College to listen to their conscience and vote for me," the former Lok Sabha Speaker and daughter of noted Dalit leader and former Deputy Prime Minister Babu Jagjivan Ram said.

Earlier, opposition leaders, including from the Congress and Left, accompanied Meira Kumar to the Lok Sabha Secretary General's chamber to file the nomination.

Besides former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi, the other leaders present were NCP chief Sharad Pawar, BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI leader D. Raja and TMC leader Derek O'Brien.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, Puducherry Chief Minister V. Narayanasamy and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah were also present.

Unlike the NDA show where all the prominent BJP leaders and leaders of parties supporting Ram Nath Kovind's candidature were present, major opposition leaders including RJD Chief Lalu Prasad, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee and BSP Supremo Mayawati were conspicuous by their absence.

BSP leader Satish Chandra Mishra tried to play down his leader's absence saying all the 17 parties supporting Meira Kumar's candidature were present.

"Why are you looking for individuals? Look, all the 17 parties are present here, all of them are being represented by their representatives. The party chiefs have so many other things to attend to, other engagements etc. But their representatives are here," Mishra said.

Bihar Minister Alok Mehta of the RJD, who along with fellow Minister Vijay Prakash came to represent his party, said that Lalu Prasad could not make it to the nomination due to his personal engagements.

On Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U President Nitish Kumar breaking away to back Kovind in the presidential election, Communist Party of India (CPI) leader D. Raja said that it is for Nitish Kumar to "justify supporting the RSS".

"This is a battle in defence of secular democracy," Raja said.

Before reaching Parliament House, Meira Kumar visited Raj Ghat and Samta Sthal, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi and her father Babu Jagjivan Ram respectively.
Chandigarh, June 28 : Nearly 300 pilgrims, mostly SIkhs, from different parts of India were stranded at the Attari railway station near Amritsar on Wednesday after the Centre didn't allow a special train from Pakistan that was to ferry them to that country to enter India.

The pilgrims, who were going to Pakistan to observe the death anniversary of the Sikh empire's founder Maharaja Ranjit Singh, were stranded at the Attari railway station amid heavy rain.

They were to visit various Sikh shrines and places associated with the warrior king in Pakistan. The pilgrims had availed Pakistani visas for the trip.

Officials said the central government did not allow the train, which was standing at Wagah in Pakistan, to enter India.

Railway officials at Attari said the train could not be allowed to come in the absence of permission from the central government.

The pilgrims, who had come from Delhi, Punjab and other places, raised slogans against the government.

Relations between India and Pakistan have been strained owing to terrorist incidents and ceasefire violations in Jammu and Kashmir.

Hundreds of pilgrims, mostly Sikhs, go to Pakistan in large groups on different occasions, including the birth and death anniversaries of Sikh Gurus and on Baisakhi festival.
Damascus, June 30 : At least 20 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in a bombing near the Koniko gas field, the largest one in Syria, a UK-based war monitor said on Friday.

Planes targeted a convoy of extremists around Koniko, in Deir al-Zour province bordering Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said.

Similar bombings were also reported against the cities of al-Mayadin and Deir al-Zour, reports Efe news.
Madrid, July 2 : The wildfire that began on Wednesday evening in the Sierra Calderona natural park between the cities of Valencia and Castellon on the east coast of Spain was finally extinguished in the early hours of Saturday morning, Valencia regional government said.

Over 600 people worked through Friday night to bring the fire under control after it destroyed 1,200 hectares in the area famous for its forests of cork trees, Xinhua news agency reported.

A total of 27 helicopters and aircraft helped with firefighting duties.

Jose Maria Angel, General Director of Emergencies in the Valencia region, thanked those responsible for combating the fire, while Government delegate Juan Carlos Moragues explained that although the cause of the blaze was still being investigated, there had been an electrical storm in the area early in the week.

He said heat from a lightning strike had probably built up in a tree, which had later combusted under a combination of favourable weather conditions, including high temperatures, low humidity and high winds.

This is the second major fire in Spain in just over a week following a destructive blaze which burned over 8,000 hectares in and around the Donana National Park in the country's southwest region.
Damascus, July 2 : The Syrian army on Saturday denied using chlorine gas during battles in eastern Damascus.

The army said reports circulated about an attack with chlorine gas on the rebels in the Ayn Tarma neighbourhood in the eastern countryside of Damascus are mere lies, Xinhua news agency reported.

This comes as activists reported that 30 people suffered suffocation after a Syrian army chlorine gas attack in Ayn Tarma.

"These lies are fabricated by the terrorist groups to justify their losses," the army said, adding that such blatant lies are exposed and cannot be believed.

The army stressed that Syria has not used chemical weapons before and it is now in no possession of such materials.

The Syrian government has warned that the rebels are preparing to stage chemical attacks to frame the Syrian army.

The chemical weapons' file was stirred last April when the United States and rebels accused the Syrian army of using nerve agent sarin in an attack on Khan Sheikhoun in the northwestern province of Idlib.

The alleged attack prompted a missile attack by the US on a military base in central Syria.

Syria then denied the accusations made without investigations.
San Francisco, July 2 : Researchers are using very detailed Gemini Observatory images to help guide the Juno spacecraft's exploration of Jupiter, a media eport said.

The high-resolution imaging by the Gemini North telescope on Maunakea in Hawaii was informing the Juno mission of compelling events in Jupiter's atmosphere, Xinhua news agency reported.

"These observations trace vertical flows that cannot be measured any other way, illuminating the weather, climate and general circulation in Jupiter's atmosphere," Michael Wong of the University of California, Berkeley, said.

The scientists were using a longer-wavelength filter on the telescope to look at cloud opacity on the giant planet.

Being supported by Earth-based observations, according to a news release from UC Berkeley on Saturday, the Juno spacecraft, of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), was currently looping around Jupiter.

Using adaptive optics that removes atmospheric blur, astronomers at the Gemini North telescope were revealing "a treasure-trove of fascinating events in Jupiter's atmosphere," said Glenn Orton, the principal investigator for this Gemini adaptive optics investigation and coordinator for Earth-based observations supporting the Juno project at Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The observations have produced a composite colour infrared image of Jupiter showing haze particles over a range of altitudes.

"Events like this show that there's still much to learn about Jupiter's atmosphere," Orton was quoted as saying. "The combination of Earth-based and spacecraft observations is a powerful one-two punch in exploring Jupiter."
Washington, July 2 : Not stopping at his spiteful Twitter remarks on the presenters of the MSNBC progaramme "Morning Joe", US President Donald Trump has now gone a step ahead with his rant against the media and defended his social media outbursts as "modern day presidential".

"My use of social media is not Presidential -- it's MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL. Make America Great Again!," Trump tweeted on Saturday.

He also said that the "fake and fraudulent" media is working hard to convince Republicans and others he should not use the social media.

The US President came under severe criticism for his tweet about MSNBC's "Morning Joe" hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski in which the President attacked Brzezinski's looks and Scarborough's intelligence.

"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 to Mar-a-Lago three 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," Trump tweeted earlier on Thursday.

Although the White House defended the President's conduct, some of his Republican colleagues made their disapproval of the tweets public.

Republican Senator Susan Collins wrote on Twitter that the President's Twitter tirade "has to stop".

"This has to stop -- we all have a job -- three branches of gov't and media. We don't have to get along, but we must show respect and civility," she said.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham tweeted that Trump's remark "represents what is wrong with American politics, not the greatness of America".

But that did not stop Trump from attacking the TV hosts again on the microbloging site.

"Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses. Too bad," Trump said on Saturday.

Trump also blasted CNN as a "FakeNews" and "garbage journalism" platform in a series of tweets.

"I am extremely pleased to see that @CNN has finally been exposed as #FakeNews and garbage journalism. It's about time!," Trump said.

"I am thinking about changing the name #FakeNews CNN to #FraudNewsCNN!," another of his tweet said.
Ghaziabad, July 2 : The Ghaziabad police early on Sunday arrested a a Jet Airways official in connection with a land grabbing case.

"The arrested official has been identified as Avneesh Singh Bedi," Superintendent of Police (City) Ghaziabad Aakash Tomar said.

"Singh was arrested at 12.35 a.m. from his Panchsheel Park residence in south Delhi," the police said.

The police action comes in the wake of a case of land grabbing registered against Singh at Sahibabad police station on June 21 by the Municipal Corporation of Ghaziabad.

A police team will question Singh some time during the day, the officer said.

According to the police, Singh told them that he was stationed in Mumbai and headed Jet Airways' security functions.

His credentials were being verified.
Kabul, July 2 : The Islamic State (IS) militants have beheaded 10 Taliban men in Afghanistan's Jawzjan province.

The IS militants captured Aqbalaq village in Darzab district last week and arrested 10 Taliban militants. They were beheaded on Friday, Xinhua news agency cited local Daily Weesa as reporting on Sunday.

Both the Taliban and IS militants have been fighting for consolidating positions in parts of the Afghan district over the past several weeks.

Neither Taliban nor IS group made comment on the report.
The 2017 Free Iran gathering had the inspiring message that regime change in Iran is not only necessary, not only possible, but within reach.

Maryam Rajavi outlined that there are three fundamental truths for obtaining freedom in Iran, and peace in the Middle East:

1. The Iranian Regime must be overthrown

2. The overthrow is within reach

3. The Iranian Resistance (NCRI/MEK) is capable of toppling the Regime

Overthrowing the Regime

The Iranian Regime is a medieval theocracy that rejects political opposition, human rights, and world peace.

The Iranian Regime does not respect its own people and regularly violates their human rights.

Before the Free Iran gathering Els Van Hoof, a Belgian MP, expressed concern for violation of rights of women and minorities in Iran and voiced support for Maryam Rajavi and the Iranian Resistance (NCRI/MEK) for their view of a future Iran.

The Iranian Regime does not respect the other nation-states of the Middle East, as evidenced by their interference in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen.

Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud, of Saudi Arabia, said: The regime is looking for more crises and is therefore using militias to pressure other countries. This is how the regime pursues power.

Nasr Hariri, Former member of the Peoples Council of Syria from Daraa, and Suhair Alattasi, the leading female secular activist in the Syrian opposition, gave speeches in which they called for the overthrow of the Regime and the continued fight for freedom from tyranny.

The end of the Regime

At the Free Iran Gathering today, many cited that it was time for the Regime to go.

Maryam Rajavi said: The conclusion is what the Iranian Resistance has emphasised since the outset and many in the world have reached today: The solution, and the only solution, is regime change.

Former U.S. ambassador to the UN, John Bolton gave a speech to the Free Iran Gathering, in which he clarified that President Trumps administration is totally opposed to the barbarous regime in Tehran.

Bolton declared: The 1979 Iranian regime will NOT reach its 40th birthday.

Why the Iranian Resistance is needed

Maryam Rajavi assessed that it was obvious that the Iranian Regime was afraid of its people and the democratic resistance forces; citing the nearly 11,000 protests against the Regime in 2016 alone.

She said that the only real solution to the problems of the Middle East is Regime change in Iran, which can be reached if the international community would support the will of the people and the Resistance.

The Iranian Resistance has provided the most consistent support to the Iranian people and their pleas for freedom. The brave men and women of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and its largest member group the Mojahedin-e-Khalq (MEK) have worked tirelessly to expose the crimes of the Iranian Regime, including their support of terrorism, their secret nuclear programme, and the massacre of 30,000 political prisoners (mainly members of the MEK) in 1988.

The NCRI now acts as a government-in-exile, with its leader Maryam Rajavi. Maryam Rajavi has set out a 10-point plan for bringing Iran into the 21st century, with a commitment to gender equality, a secular government, and the end to a nuclear weapons programme.

Professor Firouz Daneshgari, from the Delegation of Specialists, voiced support for this plan during a speech to the Free Iran Gathering today.

Maryam Rajavi said: The winds of change have started blowing in our homeland. The ruling regime is in disarray and paralysed as never before. Iranian society is simmering with discontent and the international community is finally getting closer to the reality that appeasing the ruling theocracy is misguided.

It is time to stop appeasing the Regime and embrace the Resistance, the only people who can bring Regime change to Iran.
Srinagar, July 2 : Hundreds of mourners joined in the funeral of militant commander Bashir Lashkari, who was killed a day earlier, as he was buried on Sunday at his ancestral graveyard in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district.

Shouting pro-Islam and pro-Azadi slogans, a large number of people carried the body of Bashir Lashkari to the Sofshali village graveyard.

The dead man belonged to the Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Pakistan-backed militant outfit which is fighting to end Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

Several militants also joined the funeral procession and fired in the air from their weapons as a mark of respect to the slain commander.

The security forces did not disrupt the funeral nor did they stop mourners from reaching the village where Lashkari was buried.

The LeT commander, who carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was killed in a gunfight with security forces on Saturday along with his Pakistani associate Abu Maaz in Brenthi village in Anantnag district.

The killing of the commander was a major success for the security forces in their anti-militancy campaign as Lashkari had masterminded and carried out the gruesome killing of six policemen, including an officer, in Achabal area last month.

Two civilians were also killed on Saturday in Brenthi village.

While the police said the civilians were killed in a cross-fire between the security forces and the militants, locals said they died due to firing by security forces.

A mob had engaged the security forces in Brenthi village when the operation against the holed up militants was on.
Beijing, July 2 : Amid rising tensions over their border row, China has cancelled the upcoming visit by a group of Indian journalists to Tibet.

China has been organising annual trips for journalists from Nepal and India for quite some time.

"I looked forward to visiting Tibet. But two days ago I was told by the Chinese embassy that the trip has been cancelled," Vijay Naik, Convenor of the Indian Association of Foreign Affairs Correspondents, told IANS.

"Perhaps, it is because of the recent tension. They would have thought let things cool down first," Naik added.

The duration of the trip was from July 8 to 15.

Like Naik, journalists from other India media houses were invited. It was not known if the trip for journalists from Nepal was on.

Last year, Indian and Nepali journalists were taken to the Tibetan capital Lhasa, Chengdu in Sichuan and other places besides Beijing.

Tension has risen between India and China over the current standoff between their armies in Doklam (Donglong) in the Sikkim sector.

The region at the tri-junction of Bhutan, China and India is a disputed territory between Thimpu and Beijing.

India troops reportedly stopped the Chinese from building a road in the area since its ownership is yet to be decided.

China calls the area its own, a claim which Bhutan contests.
New Delhi, July 2 : The Congress on Sunday attacked the central government on the issue of mob lynching and said rumours were spread by people with vested interests to mobilise killer crowds.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala referred to the arrest of BJP member Nityanand Mahto in Jharkhand for instigating a mob that lynched a man, Asgar Ansari, in the state last week.

"Mahto instigated the mob; a video of the incident shows that the BJP leader was not just present at the spot but he dragged Ansari out of the van. As he watched, the mob then thrashed Ansari mercilessly," Surjewala said.

"Is it not a fact that more than 50 cases of lynching and mob justice have taken place in the past three years under BJP rule? Sangh Parivar organisations associated with the BJP, including Bajrang Dal and VHP, have actively been instrumental in many of these dastardly acts. Why has no action being taken against them?" he asked.

"Is it not a fact that a majority of the lynching incidents have taken place this year?" he added.

He accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of shedding crocodile tears by invoking the names of Mahatma Gandhi and Acharya Vinoba Bhave and said: "It is high time the BJP government takes note of this widespread mob frenzy and lynching incidents."
Ghaziabad, July 2 : Police arrested on Sunday two men here who they said had murdered a man last month.

Superintendent of Police Akash Tomar said the murder suspects were waiting to join their accomplices near Tulsi Niketan close to the Delhi border when they were caught.

They were identified as Rahul Sharma and Sachin, both residents of Banthla in Loni area. The men admitted to murdering a man whose body was found on June 23 near Koyal Enclave.

"A reward has been recommended by me to the police team which solved the case of blind murder," Tomar told the media.
New Delhi, July 2 : A man who used children to steal money and jewellery at weddings has been arrested here, police said on Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Surender Kumar identified the accused as Raka, 32, from Madhya Pradesh. He was arrested from his rented house in Pochanpur in west Delhi on Saturday.

Following a complaint, police analysed footage of the wedding and found that three persons, including two children, were involved in the theft.

After a tip, Raka was nabbed.

During interrogation he disclosed that a gang of criminals from Rajgarh in Madhya Pradesh, including children, were staying in Delhi, police said.

According to police, Raka said that children aged between nine and 15 years of age were bought in auction from Rajgarh and at times the bid even crossed Rs 10 lakh for a child.

After the auction, money was handed over to the parents and the boy would be hired for a year.

Once the gang selected a marriage, two to three persons, including children, would mingle with other guests and try to locate bags containing valuables, Kumar said.

Later, the children would steal the bags and hand them over to gang members waiting outside.

Kumar said a team of police officers had been sent to Madhya Pradesh to arrest the rest of the gang and those involved in auctioning children.
New Delhi, July 2 : The Bhumi Adhikar Andolan (BAA) on Sunday condemned the central government for its "anti-farmer policies" and lynching of minorities and Dalits through mob violence.

As a part of series of demonstrations against the government, the BAA, an umbrella body of activists fighting for the rights of farmers, tribal and minorities, has planned to gherao NITI Aayog office on Monday.

Also, it would hold a rally, which would start at Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh on July 6 and end in Delhi on July 18, to press for various demands of farmers.

The demands include adequate remuneration to crop produce as per the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 2014 Lok Sabha election manifesto and farm loan-waiver.

Addressing a press conference here, Hannan Mollah of All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said "the Modi government was destroying farmers and the farm sector to benefit corporates".

"We condemn the 'Modani Model' of development, which is Modi plus Adani. It is leading to loot of farmers. We want the BJP to fulfil its promise of 50 per cent profit above the production cost," Mollah said.

"There will be nationwide protests on July 7 against lynching of minorities and Dalits," Mollah added.

According to the BAA, 23 people have been lynched in 19 incidents during the Modi government's tenure.

Taking a dig at Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh for calling farmers' protests "politically motivated", Mollah said: "If the minister has one per cent of honesty left, he should blame his government for the pathetic condition of farmers."

Ashok Choudhary of National Forum for Forest People and Forest Workers (NFFPFW) called Singh as "minister only in name".

"How many times he has spoken on ongoing farmers issues? He repeats what the PMO (Prime Minister's Office) says," Choudhary said.

The BAA is planning to hold protests against forceful eviction of people affected by the Sardar Sarovar Dam on Narmada river and forceful acquisition of tribal land in Jharkhand.

Mollah also said the AIKS would demand lifting of ban on cattle trade and pension to farmers.
North Sound (Antigua), July 2 (IANS) Pacers Umesh Yadav and Hardik Pandya picked up three wickets each as India restricted the West Indies to 189/9 in the fourth One-Day International (ODI) at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium here on Sunday.

Umesh had figures of 3/36 while Pandya returned 3/40 as the Indian bowlers maintained a tight leash on the scoring rate right from the start.

Pacer Mohammed Shami, who replaced the in-form Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the playing XI, justified his selection with extremely economical bowling, conceeding just 33 runs in his 10 overs.

Openers Evin Lewis and Kyle Hope gave the hosts a slow but steady start with identical scores of 35.

With the runs coming in trickles, the West Indies innings was extremely slow and when Pandya dismissed Hope in the 18th over to break up the opening partnership of 57 runs, it sort of woke up the sparse crowd.

Hope hit four boundaries during his 63-ball stay at the crease.

Lewis then tried to shore up the run rate with some big shots before Indian skipper Virat Kohli pulled off an excellent catch at mid-wicket off Kuldeep Yadav's bowling to send him on his way.

Shai Hope and Roston Chase tried to bring the West Indies back on track, adding 41 runs between them off 57 balls.

However, that was the only bit of resistance that the hosts could manage. Kuldeep brought the partnership to an end with a tossed up delivery that hit the stumps after Chase completely missed the line.

The wickets fell at regular intervals thereafter as the Indians tightened their grip on the proceedings.

Brief scores:

West Indies: 189/9 in 50 overs (Evin Lewis 35, Kyle Hope 35; Umesh Yadav 3/36, Hardik Pandya 3/40) vs India.
Damascus, July 3 : The Islamic State (IS) terrorists shot down a Syrian helicopter airdropping food to the besieged city of Deir al-Zour in eastern Syria on Sunday, a media report said.

The helicopter was targeted and set ablaze while airdropping food aid over the IS-seiged city, Xinhua news agency reported.

It remained unknown if there was any casualties in the attack.

Footage of the downed helicopter was released by the IS-linked Amaq news agency, showing the hitting of the helicopter while landing.

Syrian authorities opted to airdrop food and other daily necessities to the besieged residents in Deir al-Zour amid talks of an imminent military operation to break the siege on that oil-rich city near the Iraqi border.
For over a decade, Global Voice Group (GVG) has been providing solutions for telecommunication regulators to gather key information within the telecoms industry. This wealth of data (Big Data) is, however, unstructured and now GVG shows how this transactional data can be structured to work for governments for planning, development, control and security purposes in their countries. In fact, the potential of this data is so valuable that it should be deemed of national interest.

While the data gathered can be used for an infinite number of applications, GVG has developed three critical platforms: IMS, ARMS and DMS for governments/regulators to focus on:



the overall health of the telecoms sector

financial inclusion

security

revenue reporting

revenue generation

The Interconnection Management System (IMS) is geared to provide regulators with real-time visibility over international incoming and outgoing traffic, local interconnection traffic and local on-net traffic. These key traffic flows are monitored by means of non-intrusive probes.

The ARMS platform provides information on international incoming traffic, local traffic, mobile money, data, SMSes and roaming.

The Data Management Solution provides the authorities with maximum visibility over data services so as to monitor and align them to current or future regulations for good governance.

Telecommunications companies have lost and are losing hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue to VoIP OTT operators and this excludes video and other OTT services. GVGs DMS platform can identify the patterns which contribute to erosion, quantify the potential losses, suggest regulations to address the concerns and provide regulators with the means to control and enforce any new policies.

Big Data can be analysed at the transactional level to identify certain correlations for the identification of demographic growth patterns, the flow of money through the territory and security threats. Better Industry knowledge means better management of regulatory responsibilities.

Recent history has shown that mobile money systems have been used for financing terrorist cells and illicit/criminal activities. GVGs M3 solution, coupled with its E-remittance solution can provide governments with the timely visibility over money flowing across borders, the possibility of detecting irregular transactions through the anti-money laundering modules, and the ability to trace the flow of money for suspicious activities and identify other potential members of illicit organisations.

The other side of the mobile money coin, is that these transactions provide economic and financial inclusion for those without access to formal banking and financial servicesenabling them to transact and run small businesses on their mobile/Smartphones. It would be prudent for governments and regulators who are concerned about the risks to deploy GVGs M3 platform which gives governments visibility into this exploding parallel economy giving them hourly snapshots of:



cash in and cash out

peer-to-peer transfers

airtime purchases

fees paid

purchases of consumer goods

international transfers

Key data collected mainly through GVGs M3 solution can be leveraged to create a credit profile for unbanked mobile money users to gain access to unsecured financial loans. The combination of the M3, IMS, DMS and ARMS platforms allow a more complete and accurate credit profile to be created.

GVGs revenue reporting system, AVATAR, allows governments to collect sales tax and record VAT transactions in real-time. This transparency means income streams can be predicted more accurately and taxes on petrol, utilities, alcohol and tobacco can be monitored.

GVG platforms allow governments an overarching benefitthe secure implementation of micro-levies on transactions like:



incoming and outgoing international traffic

active daily roamer, monthly data user and mobile money user levies

incoming international transfers

incoming visitor tax

Governments can implement micro-levies to raise revenue for socio-economic development facilitated by accurate billing information as each of the levies can be recorded in real-time through GVGs Data Acquisition System (DAS).

GVG has government clients in many African countries: Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana, Congo-Brazzaville, Senegal, Liberia, Gabon, Guinea-Conakry, Central African Republic, Togo and Uganda and with its sophisticated and cutting-edge technology is uniquely positioned to assist governments and regulatory authorities to maximise the benefits of the treasure trove of telecommunications transactional data which they can have at their fingertips and use for the benefit of all their citizens.
The diplomatic crisis, which Iran News Update discussed in greater detail on Wednesday, can be seen from at least two very different perspectives. On one hand, critics of the Iranian regime may been eager to recognize it as an instance of Tehran trying to exploit present circumstances in order to undermine regional allies and further extend its already considerable influence over the broader Middle East. On the other hand, persons with a more forgiving attitude toward Irans internal politics may see Rouhanis outreach to Qatar as the partial implementation of his promise of greater engagement with the world, following his May 19 election to a second term as president.

In either case, the underlying circumstances themselves are indicative of the extent of current anxiety about Iranian activities among adversaries like Saudi Arabia and the United States. Although US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has struck and inconsistent tone about the Saudi/UAE blockade of Qatar, he has also been broadly supportive and has pointed out that those powers have good reason to be wary of their neighbors outreach to the worlds number one state sponsor of terrorism.

That support of international terror groups has been driven in large part by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, the hardline paramilitary organization that has grown steadily stronger in recent years while remaining extremely close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the ultimate authority in all matters of state. Among persons with an optimistic view about Irans political future, there has been some expectation that Rouhanis reelection would initiate policies that could rein in the IRGC and thus diminish some of Irans most violent and destabilizing activities.

And indeed, since Rouhani secured a second term, there have been some signs of serious confrontation between him and the IRGC, especially over foreign policy. The IRGC represents the most hardline positions in this area, whereas Rouhani has proven to be notably pragmatic, as with his pursuit of the 2015 nuclear agreement or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which went into effect with the highly tentative support of the supreme leader. Since its implementation in January 2016, the IRGC has sought to cast doubt upon the value of the JCPOA while also encouraging a program of disengagement from Western powers and the refocusing of economic plans upon domestic development, much of which would benefit IRGC owned or affiliated companies.

The nuclear agreement, overall relations with the United States, and economic development projects were all identified by IranWire in a recent article tracing the conflicts between the Rouhani administration and the IRGC. Whats more, these were only three of 19 flashpoints that the article identified. Others include differing opinions about whether about which figures and institutions should be the focus of corruption investigations within the regime, which institution is most in charge of domestic law enforcement activities, and whether Iran should comply with international standards on money laundering, a practice that greatly benefits the IRGC and its black market economy.

Internal Power Struggle

The IranWire article argued that the ostensibly independent Iranian judiciary has in recent months effectively become an extension of the IRGC, giving it priority in law enforcement endeavors and overwhelmingly following IRGC directives regarding the conviction and punishment of political detainees. The article also makes note of the moves that the intelligence service of the IRGC has made to assert a higher authority than the Intelligence Ministry, which is technically under the control of the presidency.

Notably, these and instances of recent conflict seem to point to a power struggle within the regime, which need not suggest further disagreement over the overall direction of Iranian law enforcement and politics. This situation was further underscored in another IranWire article, this one pointing out that President Rouhani was recently quoted as saying that the IRGCs acquisition of greater control over the Iranian economy under a privatization scheme means that much of that economy has been delivered to a government with guns.

The same article notes that Hesamodin Ashna, media advisor to the Iranian president followed up by saying that the administration would keep a close eye on the IRGC and strive to constrain the economic activities that armed forces are permitted to engage in. The IRGC is separate from the traditional Iranian military but retains much of its own armament, including the ballistic missiles used in a recent strike on eastern Syria, which one IRGC general said was intended as a message to the US and Saudi Arabia. The IRGC is also tasked with policing the waters of the Persian Gulf and is responsible for the vast majority of Irans foreign terrorist sponsorship, as well as policing activities inside the country.

The leading Iranian opposition movement, the National Council of Resistance of Iran, published an article on its website on Wednesday which acknowledged the growing conflict between the Rouhani administration and the IRGC but also emphasized that Rouhani has only appeared committed to reining in the IRGC in situations where its power is a direct threat to his administration.

In fact, the NCRI emphasizes that Rouhanis rhetoric regarding the IRGC has vacillated between criticism and clear praise. On Monday, just days after his government with guns comment, Rouhani was quoted as saying, We must thank the IRGC for building strategic weapons and using them well. The following day, General Mohammad Ali Jafari, the top commander of the IRGC simultaneously responded to Rouhanis earlier criticisms and elaborated upon his praise for the IRGCs military capabilities, saying, They might present us as the gun owners, but let alone the guns, we also own enemy-crushing missiles We believe that a government without guns will be humiliated by its enemies and will have to surrender eventually.

In calling attention to Rouhanis inconsistent positions regarding the Revolutionary Guards, the NCRIs article was somewhat reminiscent of recent commentary by Abdolfazi Ghadyani, a senior member of the Mojahedin of the Islamic Revolution of Iran Organization, who described Rouhani as having put his head down and followed Khameneis orders during his first four years in office. Although Rouhani had initially campaigned on promises of moderation and reform, including the release of political prisoners and the establishment of a somewhat more free Iranian society, he swiftly lost much of his backing after failing to take recognizable steps toward the fulfillment of any of those promises.

No Signs of Moderation

During his reelection campaign, Rouhani refashioned himself with an even more reformist image, suggesting that a stronger mandate for his second term would allow him to finally follow through on initiatives opposed by the IRGC and other hardline authorities. However, soon after his electoral victory, he began to distance himself from those claims, stating publicly that the release of Green Movement leader Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, for instance, would depend upon the action of other institutions such as the judiciary.

Even so, some commentators, both foreign and domestic, appear to be holding out hope that Rouhanis personal outreach to foreign powers and his direct conflict with the IRGC could preface changes in the direction of moderation. Ghadvani expressed skepticism about this, speaking in an interview with the Center for Human Rights in Iran, yet he still retained enough optimism to urge the president to take action.

Groups like the NCRI, on the other hand, see no prospects for change under Rouhani, and they regard his conflicts with the IRGC as nothing more than shifting power dynamics within a regime that is generally monolithic and lacking in reformist voices. In light of that view, the NCRI openly advocates for regime change, and it insists that powerful hardline bodies like the IRGC must be weakened from outside since no Iranian officials will move against it or any other institution that is close the supreme leader.

US President Donald Trump has already shown an interest in pursuing that course of action, as has the American Congress. Soon after taking office in January, Trump directed the State Department to designate the IRGC as a foreign terrorist organization. More recently, the Senate passed legislation that would, among other things, extend terror-related sanctions to the IRGC as a whole. That legislation is currently stalled in the House of Representatives, but its passage through the upper chamber of Congress was nearly unanimous.

The Iranian response to this and other moves by the US has cast doubt upon the prospect of increased Iranian engagement with the world, for two reasons. In the first place, it directly undermines the rapprochement strategy initiated by former US President Barack Obama, and thus discourages US allies from running the risk of getting caught in the middle of US-Iran tensions. Additionally, it further exposes the belligerent Iranian attitudes that have not diminished in any meaningful way since the implementation of the nuclear agreement.

For example, IranWire previously reported that on June 11, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani responded to the USs pending sanctions bill by introducing legislation that would designate the US military as a terrorist organization. Officials have followed this with various other rhetorical gestures, some of them coming from prominent figures within the supposedly moderate Rouhani administration. On Thursday, for instance, the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency quoted Foreign Ministry spokesperson Bahram Qassemi as rejecting an American report that mentioned the proliferation of human trafficking in Iran, and declaring that US interventionism policies were the major source of such trends.

President Rouhani himself has joined in on anti-American rhetoric, as by publicly rejecting international concerns over the IRGC-led ballistic missile program and boasting of the other effects of the Rouhani administrations repeated increases in military and IRGC spending.
Cielo Carmel, in Carmel Valley Cielo Carmel is a sterling example of high quality housing that offers an affordable living option in a prime location. President James Silverwood

Cielo Carmel, an affordable community developed by Affirmed Housing, wins PCBC merit award for best affordable community. Home to 197 local families, the community offers one, two, and three-bedroom apartment homes for those who earn 50%-60% AMI.

Renting for $740-$1231 per month, Cielo Carmel offers outstanding homes for less than half the average rental price in the Carmel Valley neighborhood. Designed by Humphries & Partners Architects, the 100% occupied community is situated in the Carmel Valley community and provides residents affordable homes in an outstanding location. Local shopping center the Village at Pacific Highlands Ranch is less than one mile to the North, and highway 52 less than one mile to the South.

Cielo Carmel is a sterling example of high quality housing that offers an affordable living option in a prime location. President James Silverwood

Cielo Carmel is financed with tax exempt bonds issued by the San Diego Housing Authority, R&V Corporation, Bank of America and Boston Capital.

Headquartered in San Diego, Affirmed Housing is dedicated to improving and sustaining the viability of California through the development of affordable housing. The company aims at enhancing communities and our environment by building professionally-managed, high-quality, green, multifamily, senior and homeless housing. For more information, visit http://www.affirmedhousing.com.

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In this way, the analysis reflected the widespread understanding that the situation in Syria is escalating where Iran and the US are concerned. Different treatments of this subject present different conclusions regarding who is most to blame for the escalation and what course of action would be most advisable for the US in the face of it. The American Conservative piece, authored by Mideast analyst Sharmine Narwani, emphasized the fact that the US-protected rebel position at al-Tanf blocks one of three highway routes linking Syria to Iraq. This fact has been repeatedly raised in other media, but Narwani is fairly unequivocal about the implications. She suggests that this and other factors indicate that the recent US buildup in Syria is all about Iran.

Other commentaries have endorsed this conclusion but put greater emphasis on the notion that Iran is deliberately maneuvering the US into a confrontation, perhaps in hopes of getting it mired in a long-term war of attrition between US-backed rebels and Iran-sponsored militant groups that have proliferated across both Syria and Iraq during the more than six-year war. Writing in the Huffington Post, former US Ambassador Marc Ginsberg refers to this as the Syrian quicksand and explicitly states that Iran is formulating a strategy centered on securing the Euphrates river valley by punishing the Americans out of Syria through bloody terrorist attacks not readily traceable to Iran.

Ginsberg traces the likely course of that strategy in substantial detail, suggesting that Tehran is absolutely committed to forcing the US out of al-Tanf and ultimately securing the ISIL-besieged area of Deir el-Zour, another link between Syria and Iraq. Ginsberg also argues that the Iranian leadership is committed to carrying out this strategy without risking direct confrontation between its forces and those of the US. This represents the short-term practical benefit of avoiding direct Iranian commitments beyond the substantial Revolutionary Guard forces that have already established a foothold there. But it also serves the well-recognized long-term goal of Iran extending its influence across the region through a growing number of increasingly closely linked proxy forces.

In her article, Narwani strongly implies that Tehran has made recent, highly significant strides toward this larger goal, outmaneuvering the US and its local proxies in the area around al-Tanf to link up Syrian militants with Iraqi counterparts and factions of the Iraqi military, thereby increasing Irans chances of pushing into the last remaining ISIL positions and creating a permanent supply corridor between Damascus and Baghdad, and ultimately to Tehran as well.

Narwani paints a fairly bleak picture of the remaining prospects for the US, and she concludes her article by pointedly recommending that the US give up its positions in Syria and allow the Syrian state to complete the fight against ISIL. The article correctly notes that that fight is the essential stated goal of the US presence in the region. But unlike some articles, it does not address the question of whether that is still the correct strategic goal for the United States. For other analysts, the problem with Narwanis conclusion is that giving up ground to the Syrian state is arguably the same as giving up that same ground to Iran  something that is widely viewed as a serious threat to American interests.

In fact, on Thursday, the National Review published an article criticizing the stated US objectives in Syria and alleging that Iran poses a greater long-term strategic threat than ISIL. According to the author, Matthew Brodsky, the emerging conflict will likely shape the balance of power in the region. And although the White House has not publicly acknowledged that it shares this view, it has made a clear shift toward confronting Iran in other areas and building strategic consensus among the Islamic Republics other traditional adversaries, led by Saudi Arabia.

Nevertheless, Brodsky points out, most high-ranking American officials have insisted that the mission in Syria is limited to fighting ISIL. On the other hand, the Trump administration has made numerous comments highlighting the dangerous role that Iran plays throughout the region and expressing an American commitment to confronting that threat. Brodsky concludes that this could very well mean more is in the works than meets the eye or that can be said publicly.

In his Huffington Post article, Ginsberg clearly echoes Brodskys call for reorienting American strategy to match new realities. But Ginsberg also rejects the notion of more direct American military involvement. Far from sharing Narwanis pessimism about the future viability of existing positions, he believes that al-Tanf can be substantially shored-up against Iran-backed advances and can be used as a staging ground for a further buildup of moderate rebel forces that are opposed to both the Assad regime and Irans continued presence in their country.

Whats more, Ginsberg suggests generalizing this strategy to much of the region and pushing back against Iranian influence in multiple countries, as well as using opposition groups like the National Council of Resistance of Iran to weaken and ultimately unseat the Iranian regime at home. The Huffington Post article was published just days before the NCRI was scheduled to hold its annual gathering in Paris of Iranian expatriates and worldwide supporters of the Iranian Resistance.

Ginsberg praised the Trump administrations expansion of alliances among state actors that are opposed to Irans region-wide influence. But he also urged for this unity to be extended to opposition groups on the understanding that Irans destructive influence will only come to a meaningful end once there is a change of government in Tehran itself. This strategy of international unity was strongly emphasized in NCRI communications promoting the Paris gathering. But the resistance movement has also emphasized the available means of loosening Irans grip on foreign territories, including by following through on President Trumps plan to designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization.

This isolation of Irans hardline paramilitary could be one way of slowing of halting the proliferation of proxy groups like the Fatemiyoun, which was profiled in the New York Times on Friday. That article noted that many of the Afghan mercenaries fighting on Irans behalf in Syria have been misled about the nature of their own mission. Nevertheless, while the IRGC exploits Shiite religious sentiment, this and many other proxy groups are being used as tools in a central Iranian preoccupation with what Syria scholar Joshua Landis described as the consolidation of [an] Iranian security arc, stretching from Lebanon to Iran.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials persist in efforts to justify or distract from this mission by emphasizing the same stated goals as the US. CNN reported on Thursday that Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani had spoken out about the Trump administrations partially reinstated travel ban for six Muslim majority countries and had used the opportunity to once again describe Iran as the leading force against terrorism. Had we not assisted them, Baghdad would have been occupied by ISIS. It is with the help of Iran that Daesh, ISIS, is on its last breath in Iraq (and Syria), Larijani said.

These statements stand in contrast to Irans widely recognized status as the leading state sponsor of terrorism. Its longstanding sponsorship of the Lebanese paramilitary Hezbollah has more recently been joined by direct recruiting and financing for dozens of Syrian and Iraqi militant groups, as well as the Houthi rebels who have taken control of roughly half of Yemen. In the context of these multiple conflicts, it is clear that neither Iranian nor American escalations in the region can be attributed solely to concerns about ISIL.
Over half of these women, 119, are Labour MPs, with 67 being part of the Conservative minority government. The prime minister and home secretary are both women, as are the shadow home secretary and shadow foreign secretary.

However, the proportion of female MPs currently stands at 32%, which is clearly way off from reflecting the national population as a whole. Staggeringly, the 2015 election was the first time ever that the total number of female MPs Britain has ever had overtook the number of men in that single parliament.

Sam Smethers, chief executive of women's rights group the Fawcett Society, told Business Insider that British politics has been "embarrassingly slow" in moving towards fairer representation for women in Westminster.

"The number of women MPs in parliament has broken the 200 barrier for the first time," Smethers told us.

"But while this is progress the fact remains that just 32% of our MPs are women, up from 30% before the election. We are moving forward at a snail's pace and this is embarrassingly slow.

"It is time for a radical new approach. We have to legislate to require the parties to select at least 45% women candidates."

Clearly, there is still work to be done. In the meantime, here is a handful of new female MPs who have had interesting journeys to Westminster.

Succeeding Gisela Stuart in being MP for Edgbaston was seen by many to be a tall order, and many thought it would be one of the marginal seats to go Tory from Labour in 2017. Stuart was a high profile leave campaigner, while her replacement Preet Gill backed remain. Nevertheless, Gill ended up increasing Labour's vote by more than 10% to become Britain's first ever female Sikh MP. Gill has previously been featured on a list of top 10 Sikh women in the UKfor the work she has done pushing women from BAME backgrounds into politics.

A Tory MP with a 24,000 majority in rural Essex might not seem particularly surprising, but Kemi Badenoch is someone who has experienced all sides of life. She worked at McDonald's as a teenager and went on to become The Spectator's head of digital. Badenoch was previously a London Assembly member and backed Brexit in last year's referendum.

She told the Evening Standard that Labour thinks "it owns minorities" and that they think race is everything.

"It'

Astonishingly, Layla Moran is the first Lib Dem MP to be female from a minority background. On a night of electoral mediocrity, gaining Oxford West and Abingdon was one of the few highlights for the Lib Dems, won after a campaign focusing on opposing Brexit in a heavily remain-voting constituency. Moran is also the first MP to be of Palestinian descent, her mother being from Jerusalem. She has lived in Belgium, Greece, Ethiopia, Jamaica and Jordan and speaks four languages including Arabic and Greek.

One of the shocks of the election was the Labour gain of the Tory safe seat of Kensington by just 20 votes. 62-year old Emma Dent Coad was the winner that night, but her elation at victory soon turned to horror at the Grenfell Tower fire, which happened in her constituency. The tragedy happened just four days into her tenure as an MP, but she dealt with the disaster as if she was an experienced MP.

In her maiden speech on June 22 she said: "The burnt carcass of Grenfell Tower speaks for itself, and has revealed the true face of Kensington. The mask has dropped. We have poverty, malnutrition, overcrowding, poor maintenance and, underlying this, a lack of care. The people who have been failed want justice and accountability, and an honest and transparent process to achieve it."
Factors like the physical requirements of jobs, availability of food, and cultural trends have influenced our perceptions of humans' physical form. And in the future, journeys into space or the merging of humans with machines might change what we think of as ideal.

Artist Nickolay Lamm has done a significant amount of work on how understandings of an "ideal" female body differ from reality. He wanted to take a look at how Americans' standards for the ideal male body have changed over time as well, so he started collecting photos that depicted that body from the 1870s to today. Then he created models to show how that shape changed over time.

These generalizations don't represent everyone's preferences, of course. And this particular project was focused on body shape and didn't take into account other physical characteristics like skin tone, facial features, or hair color. But these illustrations help show how what we think of as the "ideal male" has changed significantly over the past 150 years.

1870s: In the late 19th century, being overweight was a sign of wealth, since it suggested one had the means to feast.

This photo shows the members of a "Fat Man's Club" in Connecticut in 1894. The club was founded in 1866, and members had to weigh at least 200 pounds. The idea became popular and spread across the US.

1930s: By this time, excess weight started to get associated with lower classes. Hollywood actors  who had to be fairly fit to look good on camera  started to represent a new ideal.

A relatively average-sized, generally (though not extremely) muscular body became the ideal.

1960s: By the late '60s, a counter-cultural wave had begun to reject the look associated with the corporate mainstream.

Rock stars with long hair and skinny bodies started to represent the ideal.

1980s: In the '80s, a more hyper-masculine, gym-built form started to gain popularity.

Bodybuilding went mainstream and action stars rocked huge muscles.

1990s: By the '90s, hyper-masculinity went back out of style, and the everyman came in.

A more blue-collar, working man's look  one that didn't require pumping iron  became the look men tried to cultivate.

The ideal now is still relatively similar to that of the '90s  lean yet muscular.

But the ideal will continue to transform, often in response to the state of the world.

And of course, that ideal usually differs from the average real body, both for men and women.

In the future, new technology may give us more control over how we look. Who knows what will be in favor then?
Known for her mouth gagging and eye-catching fashion statements on the red carpet, Zynell Zuh ended on the bad side of the Ghanaian public in a curry low-plunging neckline gown which exposed excessive parts of her cleavage.

The light-skinned actress paired the look with a gold choker and very loud makeup as she dined and wined with guests at the event.

Sharing the look on her Instagram, Zynell who was obviously not perturbed by the bashing said the look was created by womenswear designer, Sima Brew and styled by Kelvincent.

Several social media users have criticised the look calling it 'gross' and disgraceful.
This concern arises over her recent social media activities and comments. The popular actress recently removed her husband's surname Rodriguez from her Instagram profile.

Uche Jombo got married to Kenny Rodriguez in 2012 in the United States of America. Several blogs have published unverified reports that Mr. Rodriguez is an extra-marital affair. Uche Jombo has gone ahead to debunk this claim.

The speculation of Mrs. Rodriguez's marriage likely stems from her recent announcement. On June 20, 2017 she wrote "Been on it for a while through my posts but officially taking my family off social media from today..please respect that! Thanks for understanding stop with the evil insinuations" on her Instagram page.

For now, all is good between Uche Jombo and her hubby. There is no noticeable drama in her marriage as of now.

This year has seen two Nollywood actresses' marriages hit the rocks. Both Tonto Dikeh and Mercy Aigbe have seen both their marriages unravel publicly in an ugly manner.
In his long texts posted yesterday, the proud father narrated the impressive transition made by his offspring who has secured a spot to study Economics at the University of Exeter, England.

This was possible through Ademola's drive and academic excellence as stated by his father who wrote:

"GLORY BE TO GOD ALMIGHTY: See how time flies, little did I know that El-Amin Tomowa Adio Ademola my Son, would grown so fast to do myself and his mother soo proud.. Born 20th February 1999 at Guys Hospital London Bridge.

"Started his education at Eaton school, for his primary between 2003 - 2010, then moved up to King Canterbury for his secondary school, he spent 2 yrs there and due to non availability of boarding space we decided to change him to Eastbourne College for his remaining 3 yrs secondary education.

"He came out with A's all through and that secure him continuation of his education at Eastbourne for his A levels. Adio is moving up now to "Exester" University for his degree in Economics and I'm soooo happy.

"Aiye ti Esin o je, bi iru idie bani suuru aaje jubelo. (Yoruba proverb expressing the importance of patience and perseverence)

"This is not a lone glory, Olayinka Agbeke ( Alfa) double congratulations to you, A mother in million that you are.

"TOMIWA, has done us proud today and my prayer for him is, as he has done to us, so shall he reap bountiful from his struggles and efforts in life, and he shall be known across the globe and his own children shall make him proud the more."

KWAM 1, still in his joyous mood was all about prayers as he hoped that other parents get to enjoy the same good fortune that came to his family.

"To you fathers and mothers of the world doing struggles day and night on raising of your children, you shall all smile and never shed hot tears over them.. myself and agbeke dancing today, so you all shall dance.

"IJO OLOMO. AIYE TUNTUN SHE-SHE BERE NII. (Yoruba proverbial saying expressing the joy of parenthood)"

The Fuji legend who was forced to drop out of school due to the death of his father no doubt understands the value of formal education.

On December 12, 2015, he celebrated the Call to the Bar ceremony of his daughter, Damilola Basirat Ayinde Marshal.
READ MORE: Over 20 perish in boat accident

The course of the accident has been attributed to a techincal fault on the motor of the boat.

Authorities launched a recue operation team to search for more victims after report emerged that children were also on the boat.

The Ghana Navy were also contacted by the Bui Power Authority to help in the rescue operation.

So far, reports say about 25 people who were involved in the accident have been rescued.

The Corporate Affairs Manager of Bui Power Authority, Mrs. Cherie Lawson Adamu, says they received multiple calls that two boat had capsized around the Dam reservior.

READ MORE: 4 die in Yeji boat accident

He added that the information was quickly relied to the Ghana Navy who immediately begun a search oeperation.
"The meeting of the Heads of State will take place from July 3 to July 4, 2017, under the theme, 'Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investment in the Youth,' a stament from the Flagstaff House said.

It said issues to be discussed and agreed on include: institutional reforms of the AU; road-map of practical steps to silence guns in Africa by 2020; the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA); and the implementation of Agenda 2063  The strategic framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years.

READ MORE: Africa marks AU Day with focus on youth investment
According to the World Drug Report 2016, the West African region in general had become a major passage point for cocaine from South America en route to Europe.

The report said between the five year period; 2009-2014, the proportion of the total cocaine seizures in Africa accounted for by West Africa rose to 78 per cent.

The largest amounts seized were in Cape Verde, followed by the Gambia, Nigeria and Ghana with Brazil identified as the source of the illegal shipment.

Of the cocaine shipments leaving Ghana, 61 per cent left the country by boat and 39 per cent by air, the report found.

Buut Mr Oduro told Accra-based Start FM that has been a transit for drug trafficking but he strongly rejected UNODC report about Ghana's level of involvement in drug trade.
Most prominently at issue is the several Iranian ballistic missile launches that have been carried out since the conclusion of nuclear negotiations between Iran and a body consisting of the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany. These alleged violations of UNSC resolution 2231 now include an actual ballistic missile attack on Syria, carried out less than two weeks earlier and described by one Revolutionary Guard general as a message intended for the US and Saudi Arabia.

President Donald Trump has sought to expand relations with other traditional adversaries of the Islamic Republic of Iran, with Saudi Arabia being chief among them. In May, he visited Riyadh to attend an Arab-US summit that specifically addressed Irans destabilizing role in the region. The visit also yielded a 110 billion dollar arms sale agreement between the US and the Saudis. In the midst of those efforts, Haley has been among the White House officials striving to expand international consensus on Iran so as to include world powers that are not strictly adversarial toward the Islamic Republic in general.

In a previous address to the Security Council in April, Haley insisted that the body should make Irans regional role more of a central priority in its joint policies toward the Middle East. Thursdays address can easily be viewed as a follow up to this and other earlier efforts, criticizing Britain and France, along with Iran allies Russia and China, for refusing to head earlier warnings from the White House.

In previous months, it has been suggested that divergent Russian and Iranian interests in Syria, along with Trumps own pursuit of dialogue with the Russians could help to encourage Moscow to rein in Tehran. However, this has not come to pass and the reporting on Haleys appeals to the UN tend to emphasize that both Russia and China remain firm obstacles to coordinated efforts against the Islamic Republic, given that permanent members of the Security Council each enjoy veto power.

In keeping with this trend, Reuters reports that Russian officials disputed some aspects of the latest biannual report by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Irans compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement, or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Haley said of that same report that it makes clear that Iran is in violation of the Security Council resolution 2231 and so the question becomes what is the Security Council going to do about it?

France and Britain, meanwhile, appeared to stand at a midway point between the USs harsh criticisms and Russias disregard of any Iranian wrongdoing. Although both nations generally stand behind the continued implementation of the JCPOA, the Associated Press noted that Britains ambassador to the UN, Patrick Wilson, acknowledged some less positive issues that would need to be addressed.

These issues, relating to resolution 2231 and more pointedly highlighted by Haley, involve not only ballistic missile launches but also the procurement of new missile technologies and proven instances of Iran smuggling arms to other entities, including terrorist groups in Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere. The AP indicated that the entire collection of speeches at the briefing demonstrated deep divisions among Security Council members regarding the Islamic Republic. And these divisions no doubt become deeper when one takes into account more general issues that were also highlighted by Haley, namely Tehrans overall destabilizing role and its repression of its own people.

This latter issue was described by the US ambassador as speaking volumes about the true nature of the Iranian regime. Under the presidency of Barack Obama, the US had pursued a much more conciliatory set of policies on Iran, partly on the basis of expectations that Iranian President Hassan Rouhani would push the country in the direction of moderation following his election in 2013. Similar predictions have been much more muted in the wake of Rouhanis reelection to a second term in May, and various critics of the regime have gone to great lengths to call attention to his failure to follow through on any progressive-sounding campaign promises other than the conclusion of a nuclear deal.

Groups like the Center for Human Rights in Iran continue to trace human rights abuses by the Iranian regime and they indicate that domestic conditions have not improved under Rouhani but have in some cases gotten worse. One recent CHRI article pointed to the threats that have been issued to women regarding their obligatory Islamic dress code, especially at a time when summer temperatures are rising. On Friday, it was reported that one town in Iran had reached 129 degrees, a national record and one of the hottest temperatures on Earth. But just days earlier, a prosecutor in Mazandaran province warned that women with inadequate head coverings would face two months in prison and up to 74 lashes.

Another CHRI article noted that politically, religiously, and ethnically motivated arrests were continuing at a brisk pace well over a month after the presidential elections, which had given rise to numerous arrests of political activists, social media, users, and others. The article specifically highlighted 13 arrests of Iranian Arabs, including several minority rights activists, at a cultural gathering. This goes to show that peaceful gatherings continue to be criminalized even under the supposedly moderate administration of President Rouhani, who insisted that a stronger mandate for his second term would yield the release of political prisoners.

Under these circumstances, open expressions of Iranian popular sentiment take place primarily outside of the country. On Saturday, the National Council of Resistance of Iran will be holding its annual international gathering to urge regime change and to encourage assertive international policies like those being advanced by the Trump administration.

However, even in absence of international consensus, the full extent of those policies remains uncertain. Although President Trump quickly raised the possibility of designating the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organization, his administration has allegedly stood in the way of the passage of a sanctions bill that would extend all terror-related sanctions to the IRGC. The Senate claimed that procedural problems with that bill had been fixed on Friday, but it remains to be seen whether the broadly popular bill will now make it past the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives, and how quickly it will reach the presidents desk.
Addressing a press confernece last week, the leader of the group, Reverend Mary Owusu denied allegations that they "use any artificial additives to change the colour of oranges.

The two women were arrested after a swoop at the Madina market on Tuesday, June 13.

Wearing red headgears, the orange sellers claim their own internal investigations show no member of the association sells coloured oranges.

According Rev. Owusu, weeks of bad press has affected sales of oranges, saying some oranges sellers had to discard tonnes of them because sales had gone down.

Prior to the press conference, they held a mini demonstration to protest press coverage of the incident involving the two arrested women.

This is based on an erroneous impression that our members were involved in the act," she said.

As a registered and responsible association, the negative publicity has forced members of the association to throw away thousands of oranges worth thousands of Ghana cedis due to the poor patronage, she added.

READ MORE:Two women arrested for adulterating oranges

Rev. Owusu urged the FDA to prosecute the women who were arrested for colouring their oranges.
In a Facebook post Sunday, Mr Sulemana Braimah said the rampant cases of corruption in parliament are "so shameful, embarrassing and disgusting."

"That is the institution that is supposed to have oversight over the public purse. Is our purse safe at all? Last year when I complianed about MPs and the phenomenon of 'T&T' and compared it with Soli by journalists, I was told i could face the priviledges committee for contempt of parliament," he said. "Then it was explained that the MPs dont request for the T&T, they only receive them.

Time for action against parliamentary corruption. A demo against parliamentary corruption will be in order, he urged.

The former Chairman of the Finance Committee, James Klutse Avedzi, said that his committee received 100,000 from officials of the National Lottery Authority ahead of the consideration of amendments to the National Lottery Act, 2006 (Act 722).

The legal advisor to the NLA, David Lamptey had in separate e-mails addressed to the then Director-General of the NLA, Brigadier General Martin Ahiaglo (Retired) in August 2016, requested the approval of a total sum of 150,000 to push the bill for the consideration by parliamentarians.

However, Mr. Avedzi said that the Authority first presented 50,000 cedis to the Committee "but when we looked at the provisions, we realised that the amount was not sufficient so they promised to bring another 50,000 cedis."

This is in spite of claims by the NLA's David Lamptey that the funds were spent on accommodation and other items for the members of the committee ahead of a workshop at the Royal Senchi Hotel last year.

The other 50,000 is yet to be accounted for.

On Thursday, three anti-corruption civil groups; the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana and the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition have demanded an independent probe into the matter.

In a joint statement, the three anti-graft bodies said that the claims, if not investigated, will gradually ruin the reputation of parliament.

"This revelation, coming on the back of the unsatisfactory handling of Honourable Mahama Ayariga, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Centrals bribery allegation presents a further challenge to the already dented image of Parliament and growing eroding trust in politics and the political class in the Fourth Republic, they noted in a statement.

They further argued that there should be the setting up an independent body outside of Parliament possibly chaired by someone of the reputation of Mr. Emile Short, former Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) or someone of similar standing, to look at the alleged bribery case, to investigate this issue, review the payment practices in Parliament and make clear recommendations for regulating these processes.

But the Director of Public Affairs at Parliament, Kate Addo, has indicated members of the Finance Committee who received money from the NLA to deliberate on a Lottery Law cannot be sanctioned.
The Executive Secretary of MFWA, Sulemana Braimah, in a Facebook post Sunday questioned whether parliament can exercise its oversight roles in protecting the public purse following the latest bribery scandal.

He said: "The parliamentary corruption scandals are so shameful, embarrassing and disgusting.

"That is the institution that is supposed to have oversight over the public purse. Is our purse safe at all?"

According to him, he was told he could face the privilages committee of parliament if he complained about the cash taking culture in parliament.

He said: "Last year when i complianed about MPs and the phenomenon of "T&T" and compared it with Soli by journalists, i was told i could face the priviledges committee for contempt of parliament. Then it was explained that the MPs dont request for the T&T, they only receive them."

Mr Braimah also called on the public to revolt against parliament over corruption allegations in the house.

"Time for action against parliamentary corruption. A demo against parliamentary corruption will be in order," he said.

On Thursday, three anti-corruption civil groups; the Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), Centre for Democratic Development-Ghana and the Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition have demanded an independent probe into the matter.

In a joint statement, the three anti-graft bodies said that the claims, if not investigated, will gradually ruin the reputation of parliament.

"This revelation, coming on the back of the unsatisfactory handling of Honourable Mahama Ayariga, Member of Parliament (MP) for Bawku Centrals bribery allegation presents a further challenge to the already dented image of Parliament and growing eroding trust in politics and the political class in the Fourth Republic, they noted in a statement.

They further argued that there should be the setting up an independent body outside of Parliament possibly chaired by someone of the reputation of Mr. Emile Short, former Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) or someone of similar standing, to look at the alleged bribery case, to investigate this issue, review the payment practices in Parliament and make clear recommendations for regulating these processes.

But the Director of Public Affairs at Parliament, Kate Addo, has indicated members of the Finance Committee who received money from the NLA to deliberate on a Lottery Law cannot be sanctioned.
Prempeh College won the competition with just two points ahead of St. Thomas Aquinas and Adisadel College in Accra last Thursday.

READ MORE: Prempeh College to present trophy to Otumfuo

But it was Zuweira Mohammed's starling performance, whose school, Tamale Senior High, couldn't make it to the quarter finals, that caught the eyes of the organisers.

She was awarded with the first ever "Prof. Ewurama Addy award" with a cash price of GHC2000.

The "Prof. Ewurama Addy ward" was instituted to encourage young girls to study science

Prof. Ewurama Addy was the first mistress of the NSMQ.
Her bag was stolen on Thursday during the trophy presentation to the winners of the quiz, Prempeh College.

On Saturday, a sister to the quiz mistress, Belinda Yaa Dankwaa Effah, posted on Facebook that a purse that was among other valuables in the handbag has been recovered.

The bag contained her valuables including her phone, workplace ID cards, her car and home keys.

It is unclear if closed circuit television footage of the stage is available to help track the thief/thieves.

Speaking on Saturday at the 10th Congregation of the St Francis College of Education in Hohoe in the Volta Region, Prof. Yankah said: Good education, indeed academic brilliance is meaningless if it is not founded on good discipline and sound moral integrity.

"Whoever stole the handbag, with all its precious content should be ashamed; he may have enjoyed himself/herself with its cash content but only temporarily.

"He has devalued and disgraced his school, his college and undermined the dignity of education in senior high school.
Corruption, social and economic injustice, crime, the illegal mining menace, popularly referred to as galamsey, and the new phenomenon of vigilantism the president said, are some of the social vices the senior citizens must have an opinion on.

It would be equally tempting to tell me that I am the best thing that ever happened to Ghana, and it would be even more tempting to tell me to ignore my critics. I expect that, as senior citizens, you will not walk this road, but will allow the moral authority of your status to justify your interventions, he said.

He urged the gathering and Ghanaians to believe in the countrys capacity to build a modern, developed, progressive nation, free from a mindset of dependence, aid and charity.
The CPP congratulates the Nation of Ghana for protecting its sovereignty over the past 57 years and still counting, the statement said.

We must continue to work together to protect the State and fight against injustice, corruption and political victimization. Ghana must work again.

Ghana on Saturday marked its 57th Republic Day anniversary from British colonial rule.

READ MORE:Lord Commey denies being sacked

Recounting Ghanas struggle to attain a republic status, the CPP said: Ghana on July 1, 1960 totally weaned itself from British colonial rule, as the Queen of Englands Governor General left the shores of the country to signify that the Black Star of Arica had taken charge of its own affairs
Ogungbeje, the head of Lawflex Chambers and the Chairman of Voice Vanguard, made the headlines when he filed a fundamental rights suit on behalf of Evans, dragging the Inspector General of Police, and others before a Federal High Court in Lagos, over the suspect's alleged illegal detention.

Joined as respondents in the suit are the Nigeria Police Force, Commissioner of Police Lagos State, and the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State Police Command.

In the suit, Evans who has somehow become a celebrity following the media attention on him since his arrest on June 10, 2017, is seeking a court order directing the respondents to immediately charge him to court if there is any case against him.

On the alternative, he is seeking an order compelling the respondents to immediately release him unconditionally in the absence of any offense warranting a charged.

In the suit marked, FHC/L/CS/1012/2017, Evans is contending that his continued detention by the respondents since June 10, without a charge, or release on bail is an infringement on his fundamental rights.

However, those who know about Ogungbeje say he is a lover of unpopular cases and had been involved in controversial cases in recent times.

It was gathered that in April 2017, Ogungbeje filed a suit asking the Federal High Court to stay proceedings on the forfeiture of $43,449,947 [about N13 billion], N23,218,000 and 27,800 [about N10.6 million] found in a flat in Ikoyi, Lagos.

He had also sought an order directing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission [EFCC], to furnish the court with a report of its preliminary or final investigation on the source of the money, its owner, and how the currencies got into the building.

Ogungbeje, in a motion on notice, also asked the court not to order a permanent forfeiture of the money since there were claims and counter claims as to its ownership by the Rivers State government and the National Intelligence Agency [NIA], and since the Federal Government had set up a panel to find the truth about the ownership of the money.

He, however, lost the case woefully as the presiding judge described him as a meddlesome interloper who had no stake in the case. The court went ahead to grant the request of the EFCC and the money was permanently forfeited to the Federal Government.

Ogungbeje was also said to have once filed a suit in Lagos in 2014 asking for the reinstatement of Murtala Nyako as Governor of Adamawa State after Nyako was impeached by his state House of Assembly in July of the same year.

Ogungbeje claimed the Assemblys alleged failure to serve Nyako personally with the impeachment notice violated his fundamental right to fair hearing as enshrined under Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution.

Again, the case hit the rocks as it was thrown out of the court because it lacked merit and was not filed in Adamawa State where the impeachment took place.
He received the award at the 2017 Queens Young Leaders Awards Ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

The ceremony took placed on June 29, 2017, in London, England.

Yammama is being recognised by The Queens Young Leaders Programme for his work in AgricTech.

As founder of the social enterprise Verdant Agritech Ltd, the 27-year-old is using simple, low-cost technology to transform Nigeria's agriculture sector.

Verdant, which began in 2015, is working with Oxfam and GIZ to help 25,000 farmers double or triple their yields.

Yammama isn't the only one that has been recognised by the Queens Young Leaders Programme.

ALSO READ: Funke Abimbola honoured with an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II

Fellow Nigerian, Bukola Bolarinwa has also been awarded the prestigious honour.

She is being recognised for her work with the National Blood Transfusion Service that ensures a regular supply of donated blood.

Bolarinwa was born with Sickle Cell Disease. Her work began after she noticed the shortage of blood faced by people living with Sickle Cell.

On this huge honour, she said, "I believe the Queens Young Leader Award will improve my leadership skills and help me to cement already established links with universities and colleges to develop a culture of voluntary and regular blood donation.

Her current goal is to recruit 5,000 registered blood donors by December 2017.

Chaikhwa Lobatse from Botswana, Ghana's Efua Asibon, Elijah Amoo Addo, and Winnifred Selby are a few of the honored people.
According to reports, she will stop over at Addis Ababa for the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) meeting on Monday 3rd July, 2017.

Haruna also said  She is expected to stop over at Addis Ababa, to make a symbolic appearance at the meeting of the Organization of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) on Monday 3rd July, 2017.

She will join other members to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the organization, and use the opportunity to reiterate the voting rights of Nigeria in the upcoming elections of the organization.

She will continue her journey to the United Kingdom on Tuesday, 3rdJuly, 2017.
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He said that the military would soon record resounding victory over the insurgents.

Usman, a Major in the army, made the predication while delivering a sermon at an inter-denominational service to mark the 2017 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADEL) in Maiduguri.

This is the year of victory as the end of the enemy has come. Our time of victory has come, he said.

Usman urged officers and men of the Nigerian Army to surrender their lives to God for the victory to manifest.

The officers and men of the Nigerian Army must return to God for the victory to take place.

They must return to God just like Joshua did in the Bible, he added.

Quoting from the Bible, Usman that Joshua conquered Jericho without firing a single shot; but by the power of God.

The walls of Jericho collapsed and gave victory to Joshua by the power of God.

The walls of Boko Haram will soon collapse if the Nigerian Army surrenders itself to the will of God, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that during the service prayers were offered for the peace and progress of the nation.

Prayers were also offered for fallen soldiers who died in the service of the nation.

In his goodwill message, Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Yusuf, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, also expressed optimism that the military would soon uproot the remnants of the insurgents in the North- East for peace to reign.

Yusuf was represented by Brig.-Gen. John Ochai the Chief of Staff 7 Division.

On Friday, a special Jumat service was held to mark the Nigerian Army Day Celebration.

ALSO READ: Sect members arrested trying to enter Nigeria from Cameroon

During the service, Major Muhammad Idris, the Chief Imam of Maimalari Cantonment Central Mosque, offered prayer for the quick recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He also offered prayers for the well-being and victory for the Nigerian Army especially those fighting insurgency in the northern region of the country.

Personalities that attended the prayers include the GOC 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Yusuf, commanders, principal staff officers, senior officers of the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole, 7 Division Nigerian Army as well as civilians.

NADCEL is annual celebration of the Nigerian Army to commemorate the beginning of the civil war.
According to Daily Post, this order was confirmed when Lere Olayinka, the Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, thanked members of the dissolved cabinet for their service.

Issuing a statement, he also wished them the best in their future.

Following the dissolution, all former Commissioners are expected to hand over to the Permanent Secretaries of their respective ministries.

Meanwhile, Fayose's counterpart, Nyesom Wike has done the same thing.

Wike announced the dissolution of his state cabinet at a news conference in Port Harcourt.
According to reports, Aribisogan recently decamped from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Governor also threatened to expose more details about Buharis health if the presidency does not tell Nigerians the truth.

In his reaction, Aribisogan said Fayose has become a laughing stock in Nigeria, and called on the Governor to focus on solving the challenges in Ekiti state.

The lawmaker also said I will like to describe his (Fayoses) outburst as rantings of a governor who has failed to address the numerous challenges facing his people. Ekiti people are suffering, workers have not been paid for several months, people are hungry.

Those who have laboured in their active years are now being punished by not being paid their pension and children are being sent home because parents can no longer pay their school fees, many are dying daily because the governor has no plan for the health of his people.

The governor, rather than pay attention to these challenges has made the abuse of President Buhari a major policy of his administration. Nigerians are already aware of the health status of President Buhari and there is no vacuum in the Presidency to warrant the unnecessary outburst of the governor who has been deceiving Nigerians that all is well with Ekiti people.
He made the call on Sunday in Sokoto at a one-day National Prayer Rally organised by Nigeria Prays.

We should value the lives of our fellow human beings that God has created for a purpose. May we never take lives with impunity.

We are offering fervent prayers that Nigerians will never raise their hands against one another.

They should love one another irrespective of religious, ideological, political and ethnic affinities, he added.

Gowon, the National Convener, Nigeria Prays, appealed to Nigerians to collectively pray for the speedy recovery of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He also urged Nigerians to pray for the Acting President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and leaders at all levels

He solicited for sustained prayers for peace, unity and socio-economic prosperity of Nigeria.

Gowon said: Prayer can solve problems better and faster than soldiers, as well as physical weapons of war.

I have no doubt in my heart that God will honour our collective prayer and intercession for our dear nation, as well as heal our nation of insecurity.

May we experience abundance of Gods mercy and showers of blessings over our lives and our nation as we raise our voices in heartfelt prayers today in Sokoto,  he said.

The former head of state commended Sokoto State Government for its support, involvement and generosity to ensure the success of the rally.
Col. Idongiset Akpan, the Commander of the Regiment, said the service and an earlier clean up exercise were some of the activities lined up for the week long 2017 Nigerian Army Day celebration.

Akpan said the free treatment and cleanup exercise near Electrical International Market, Onitsha, were to maintain the excellent civil/military relationship and to imbibe the culture of clean environment.

It was also an opportunity to showcase the capabilities of the Nigerian Army, and also launder our image as a potent force for the defense of our democracy and nation building, he said.

He explained that the Army Day celebration was a yearly exercise to commemorate the creation of the Nigerian Army.

Also speaking, Capt. Wilson Ejiga, the Regimental Medical Officer in-charge of the Cantonment Hospital, said cases of malaria, typhoid and other minor ailments were treated.

ALSO READ:Army provides free medical services to displaced persons in Chibok

We conducted HIV counseling and testing and a number of investigation including, random blood sugar, urine text and any case that is beyond us were referred with a provision to take care the patient in the hospital, he said.

Mrs Njideka Oraedum, the Senior Special Adviser to Gov. Willie Obiano on Environment, Climate Change and Beautification, commended the Army on the gesture.
The crisis, which erupted from a market bordering the communities resulted in the killing of two persons and destruction of properties.

The crisis was said to have escalated due to disagreements among the community leaders over the introduction of the traditional new yam festival in the said market.

Meanwhile, the state government had imposed curfew on the two warring communities as part of measures to curtail the crisis.

Alhaji Isiaka Gold, the Secretary to the State Government, announced the curfew in a statement after an on-the-spot assessment of damages in the communities.

He announced a 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew with immediate effect.

Gold stated that with the curfew, all human and vehicular movement in the two affected communities had been barred.

According to him, the state government is also ordering the suspension of any activities relating to the yam festival in Oke Ero Local Government Area of the state.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) who monitored the situation on Sunday reports that many houses and shops remained under lock.

Gold added that the curfew was to assist security agencies to contain and prevent the escalation of the conflict, as well as restore peace.

ALSO READ:4 reportedly killed in Kwara communal clash

He reaffirmed governments determination toward ensuring adequate security for citizens and urged residents of both communities to remain calm and continue to conduct their lawful affairs in peace.

He, however, warned that the full weight of the law would bear on any individual or group found to have initiated, participated or otherwise contributed to the violent conflict between the neighbouring communities.
The NLC Deputy President, Comrade Peters Adeyemi told Tribune that Nigerians are angry, adding that there is hunger in the land.

Adeyemi also said In fact, it is going to be in the best interest of this government to conclude with the issue of minimum wage before the end of this year  get the law out and let it become payable.

It is not we that are ready, the workers themselves are ready. From what you saw at the May Day, the workers are poised for action. And in fact, we dont have the power. The power we have belong to the workers. So, if you say workers, let us go and they say no; that was what happened during the fuel price increase. They were still saying let us give them some chance. But now, I can assure you that Nigerian workers are very angry. There is hunger.

Warning the Federal Government against using the minimum wage to score political points, the union leader said What does it take as soon as the Federal Executive Council (FEC) gave the approval; they should name the chairman, and tell stakeholders to submit the names of their people.

Do we still need to make noise before the committee is constituted? This delay is just a deliberate one to frustrate Nigerian workers. We are not happy about it. But let me say this. If they wait and wanted to use this issue of minimum wage as a political instrument or whatever, they are going to do it at their own peril, because as at that time, the anger of the Nigerian workers must have built up.

You were at the May Day, you saw what happened. I hope they dont do that. In fact, it is going to be in the best interest of this government to conclude with the issue of minimum wage before the end of this year  get the law out and let it become payable.

Because, ideally if the committee starts work now, it should be able to conclude in three months. And then push it to the National Assembly. And let the National Assembly promulgate law.

That is the problem. There are people who are so sentimental about this government. You were here when this government increased the price of petrol. When NLC said we want to challenge that, Nigerians were saying to us, they were ready for the increase. That labour was just causing trouble. When we said stay at home, they stayed on the streets, driving their vehicles up and down.

That was the certificate that this government got. So, if we dont use our brain even as labour leaders, the tendency is for us to be accused of wanting to destabilise this government. Dont forget that this government came in with massive popularity. And they rode on that popularity until the Nigerian people are beginning to be unhappy with this government.

So, now, if you do a popularity rating of this government, you will find out that due to the hunger in the land, the popularity has gone down. So, labour movement had to be conscious of this because the tendency is for us to be accused of wanting to sabotage this government.

That is why everywhere I go, people say labour is no longer what it used to be. That is the truth, I accept that. But the truth is that the leadership of labour will not mobilize itself. It will mobilise Nigerians. And if Nigerians prefer to go with the President rather than go with the labour movement, we have to re-strategise. So, it is only now that we can confront this government.

Prior to this time, people were still dancing to the music of change. But now, the reality is beginning to dawn on everybody. That was why you saw what happened at the May Day. It is no longer our fault, he added.
This is coming on the heels of calls from carious groups in the country for restructuring.

You will recall that former President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (Rtd.) recently issued a statement calling for Nigeria's restructuring.

According to Daily Post, the issue was discussed when APC leaders met on Thursday, June 29, 2017, at the Imo state Governors Lodge in Abuja.

A source also said Of course, we discussed the Anambra governorship election, especially the threat to the election by IPOB, and the leaders of the APC in the South-east who attended the meeting assured us that the boycott was not going to have any effect.

The source also revealed that the committee will harmonise the APCs position on the issue of restructuring.

Also speaking to newsmen, the APC chairman, Odigie Oyegun said We discussed issues affecting the nation and the impact of the current wave of agitations across the country.

We decided to strengthen the party. We decided that the kind of verbiage and incendiary statements by different groups were not good for the health of the nation and we decided that it had to stop.

For that reason, we have taken certain measures, which I will not disclose here, to ensure that the basic and fundamental unity of this country is preserved while at the same time listening to whatever grievances anybody has to say.
He said I saw vision in 1992 and God asked me to go and become the Governor of Benue State. I attempted to become Governor in 2012 but it was not possible until in 2015 when God said it was time.

If God directs me that I should go for a second term, no one can stop me. But if God has not spoken, I wont re-contest.

ALSO READ: Benue Governor forces lawmaker to kneel before him

Speaking on his progress as Governor, Ortom said Before we came in, there were insecurity here and there  kidnapping, robbery, cultism and all that; but through our amnesty programme, over 900 criminals surrendered their weapons and we are now living in peace.
This was confirmed by Patricia Deworitshe, the Deputy Director of Information, Federal Ministry of Finance, in a statement released in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory on Friday, June 30, 2017.

The amount is a portion of N1.8 billion earlier approved by the government to benefit a total of 105 film makers.

This is to help nurture its "Project Act Nollywood" initiative which has the the Film Production Fund (FPF), Capacity Building Fund (CBF) and Innovative Distribution Fund (IDF) as components.

A huge number of jobs have been created from the FG facilitated inventiveness according to Deworitshe who said:

Fifteen community cinemas and viewing centres have been established through the grant and this has improved the distribution network of movies in Nigeria.

The programme has supported 18 firms in strengthening online distribution platforms, this has helped curb illegal downloads and piracy.

Two hundred and fifty six permanent jobs and 544 temporary jobs have been created through the financial support provided to 105 beneficiaries by the programme."

The initiative comes at a time of tremendous improvement in filmmaking which has seen the quality of movies produced rise to an enviable standard.

However, tackling piracy which has proved to be a stubborn worm remains a challenge.
Yakubu also said that INEC should not be blamed for registering more political parties, adding that the constitution allows it.

He said the availability of more political parties will give citizens the opportunity to make an informed choice.

Yakubu also said We have 45 political parties today, but remember that we had 60 parties before the last general election in 2015. In many countries less well-endowed than we are, you hear about 100 or more political parties.

And so, given our population, diversity and number of constituencies, the number of political parties we have at the moment and possibly more parties to be registered before the next general elections can be effectively managed by INEC.

ALSO READ: INEC certifies 5 new political parties

As you can see, the number of parties we have in relation to our diversity is not too much to handle.

Ultimately, citizens are the beneficiaries because they will be offered greater opportunity for choice.
One of the new medical doctors, Miss Oyeleye Lateefah Abiola, was named by the Vice-President for Research and Education of the University, Prof Mykola O. Azarenkov as the overall Best graduating student from both the Faculty of Medicine and in the entire university.

She came out with a percent score of 95.6% in the KROK 2 Exams which was the final examination for graduating students.

The convocation arena erupted in cheers as the best graduating student mounted the stage to deliver her speech.

The Karazin Kharkiv National University is 213 years old having been founded in November 1804.

It is one of the oldest and leading universities in the Eastern Europe. It is second oldest university in the Ukraine, second only to the University of Lviv, Ukraine.

The university has produced at least three Nobel Prize laureates. They include Ilie Mechnikov (Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine); Simon Kuznet (1971 Nobel Prize in Economics); and Lev Landau (Physics).

They were among the 87 who were sponsored by the Ogbeni led Government of Osun in 2013 to study Medicine at the National University of Kharkiv, Ukraine out of the inherited 98 students who secured admission to study Medicine at the state-owned University but could not continue due to non-accreditation of their medical programme for lack of a standard teaching hospital.

Respite came the way of the students, who were in their year 3rd, 4th and 5th years respectively when the governor decided to send them to Ukraine after a rigorous search for universities across the world where their dreams of becoming medical doctors could be realised.

Aregbesola's decision to send the stranded medical students of the State University to a foreign university to complete their medical studies was borne out of the conviction of his administration that no sacrifice would be too much to secure better future for the students, at a reasonable cost.

The Deputy Governor, Mrs Grace Titi Laoye-Tomori, who represented Ogbeni at the event, said the graduation of the students was dream come true.

Aregbesola had said his government facilitated the transfer of the students because it believed that a responsible government must fulfill its part of a pact entered into with the people irrespective of which person or party in power signed the agreement, since governance is a continuum.

According to Laoye-Tomori, We feel fulfilled that the students, who would have had their dreams aborted, have today realised their ambition of becoming medical doctors.

This is one of our outstanding success stories in Osun.

We have kept faith with these students, their parents and guardians towards realising their life time ambition. In spite of the acute paucity of funds that our state has been facing, we never renege on our promise to see them through.

Today, we are happy we have caused their dreams to become realities.

The Vice Chancellor of the Osun State University, Prof Labo Popoola, said at the graduation ceremony This is an indication of leadership with vision.

The Best overall student, Miss Lateefah Oyeleye Abiola, said the new medical doctors would be forever grateful to the state government of Osun and Aregbesola for making the dreams possible.

We are here today proud that from the loss of hope that we were plunged into, we have been raised with new vigour. We have seen in Osun a responsible government which would not let its citizens down.

Words are not enough to celebrate our victory. We have won, she told the crowd.

The Government of Osun in fulfilling that the students become doctors in years 2012, 2013 and 2014 expended the sum of N60,647,200, N68,445,465, N64,215,800 respectively.

The Osun Government also in years 2015 and 2016 academic sessions spent N85,833,750 and N116,495,258.40, totalling N495,637,473.40.

Besides the initial 87 students who then were in 300-500 levels, government also assisted a total of 29 other medical students who were in 100 and 200 levels to secure admission to the university and process their travelling documents but were sponsored by their parents.
For more than a month, the government has deployed jet fighters, attack helicopters and armoured vehicles to crush the militants who are members of the so-called Maute group.

The fighting has left over 400 people dead, while the Maute fighters still control parts of the city, using snipers and improvised explosive devices to slow the military's advance.

Liza Mazo, the regional civil defence director, said it was not just the city's residents leaving the area but also people living in the surrounding communities.

Out of 389,300 who have fled, over 70,380 people have been housed in 79 government-run evacuation centres, while the rest have sheltered with their relatives, according to social welfare department figures.

Mazo said that relief officials have struggled to deal with outbreaks of illness at the evacuation centres as government forces continue to launch air strikes and artillery barrages against the militants.

"There are alarming cases of skin diseases and gastroenteritis. We want to control the outbreak, not just in the evacuation centre but even the home-based (refugees)," she said.

"There are also cases of psychological trauma from the fighting."

Some 26 people who have fled Marawi have since died in hospitals from various ailments, according to the health department's local spokesman Jun Galban, but he declined to say whether their deaths were related to the evacuation.

President Rodrigo Duterte, who declared martial law over the southern Philippines to deal with the crisis, vowed on Saturday that government forces would crush the extremists.

"We will not go out there (Marawi) until the last terrorist is executed," he said in a speech to government workers.

At one point in his speech, to demonstrate his seriousness, he lifted his shirt to reveal a holstered pistol.

But he conceded, "we are having a hard time."
"In all, there are 16 migrants hospitalised, 15 for minor injuries and one with a more serious head injury," Desplanques said.

Riot police had been deployed to separate the fighting between Eritreans and Ethiopians in an industrial zone of Calais, and the situation was brought under control by mid-afternoon, he said.

The port city of Calais has for years been a magnet for migrants and refugees hoping to cross the Channel to Britain and last year France broke up the camp known as "the Jungle" transferring thousands of migrants to centres around the country.

But there are currently believed to be between 400 and 600 migrants in the Calais area.

Violence also broke out Friday night between Eritreans and Ethiopians while meals were being distributed by charity groups, lightly wounding nine people, Desplanques said.

Security forces used tear gas to break up Friday's brawls, according to deputy mayor of Calais Philippe Mignonet.
With arrivals in Italy up nearly 19 percent compared to the same period last year, Rome has threatened to close its ports to privately-funded aid boats or insist funding is cut off to EU countries which fail to help with the crisis.

"There are NGO ships, Sophia and Frontex boats, Italian coast guard vessels" saving migrants in the Mediterranean, he said in a reference to the aid boats as well as the vessels deployed under EU border security and anti-trafficker missions.

"They are sailing under the flags of various European countries. If the only ports refugees are taken to are Italian, something is not working. This is the heart of the question," he said.

"I am a Europhile and I would be proud if even one vessel, instead of arriving in Italy, went to another European port. It would not resolve Italy's problem but it would be an extraordinary signal" that Europe wanted to help Rome, he said.

Over 83,000 people rescued while attempting the perilous crossing from Libya have been brought to Italy so far this year, according to the UN, while more than 2,160 have died trying, the International Organisation for Migration says.

Italy's Red Cross has warned the situation in the country's overcrowded reception centres is becoming critical.

Interior minister Minniti was set to meet counterparts Gerard Collomb of France, Thomas de Maiziere of Germany and European Union Commissioner for Refugees Dimitris Avramopoulos at 1800 GMT in the French capital.

Screen migrants in Libya

The Italian minister said Rome would be pushing for a way to shift the asylum application process from Italy to Libya, and safely bring to Europe those who win the right to protection.

"We have to distinguish before they set off (across the Mediterranean) between those who have a right to humanitarian protection and those who don't.

"And, on the basis of the decisions made by the UNHCR, we must ensure the former depart for Europe while economic migrants are voluntarily repatriated" to their countries of origin, he said.

Unsourced Italian media reports said Rome was likely to call for a European code of conduct to be drawn up for the privately-run aid boats, with the Corriere della Sera saying vessels that did not comply could be "seized".

Critics have said the NGOs attract traffickers by sailing close to the Libyan coast. The NGOs insist they have no choice, because smugglers put the migrants out to sea in flimsy vessels that sink as they reach international waters.

Rome would like a regional maritime command centre to oversee all rescue operations from Greece to Libya to Spain, which would spread the migrant arrivals between European countries, the Corriere della Sera said.

And Italy insists that the EU refugee relocation programme -- which is largely limited to people from Eritrea and Syria -- should be expanded to include other nationalities, such as Nigerians, La Repubblica said.

Between September 2015 and April 2017, some 5,001 asylum-seekers -- 14 percent of the 34,953 target -- were relocated from Italy to 18 European countries, the UN's refugee agency said.
Officials are searching seized equipment in order to shed light on the man's intentions and find out who he has been in contact with, the ministry also said.

The arrest was overseen by officials from the anti-terrorist section of the country's highest court.

Security is tight across the country, as Saturday's march in Madrid for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights is expected to draw crowds that could reach two million people.

Three Moroccans were arrested in the capital in June, including one suspected of belonging to IS and studying terrorist manuals.

No references to WorldPride were found in documents and hard drives searched following those arrests, operations chief for Madrid police German Castineira had said Thursday.

"There is no specific terrorist threat but a generalised threat," he said.

Spain is on high alert for terrorism -- level four out of five -- but has been spared the type of attacks seen in London, Paris, Brussels and Berlin in recent years.
Last week, we compared the performance of the main indexes to see which performed the best/worst to compare with your portfolio asset allocation.

Today we begin a new series on the fiduciary-conflict of interest Rule, and I answer questions on what it is and how retirement investors are affected.

Question: What is the fiduciary-conflict of interest rule?

Answer: It is legislation, crafted during the Obama administration, focusing on eliminating conflicts of interests from financial advisers, brokers and insurance planners. It was created for advisers to act in the best interest of their clients.

Q: Does it apply to all investors?

A: No, only assets in advised individual retirement accounts. Per Morningstar, the rule affects $3 trillion worth of assets.

Q: Why the importance?

A: The Obama administration and the Department of Labor argued the rule would protect retirement savers from losing $17 billion a year because of conflicts of interest, mainly coming from fees and commissions from product recommendations.

Q: Who governs the new ruling?

A: The U.S. Department of Labor. According to the DOL.gov website, after April 10 (which is now June 9), advisers who are paid to make recommendations about retirement accounts, such as individual retirement accounts, IRAs and 401(k) accounts, will be treated as fiduciaries. This includes advisers who are paid directly by you or paid indirectly through commissions or other payments they may receive from third parties. As fiduciaries, they must protect their customers from harmful conflicts of interest.

Q: What is a fiduciary?

A: A fiduciary is legally obligated to act in his/her clients' best financial interests. The focus of the rule is to provide consumers with retirement planning advice at a fiduciary standard. The rule is not intended to limit the retirement planning options available to anyone. The rule goes into effect in two parts, the first taking effect June 9, with the remaining regulations going into effect Jan. 1, 2018.

Q: Why are so many financial Institutions, Advisers and Brokers fighting the ruling?

A: This one is simple -- follow the money. This new rule could greatly reduce their income. According to Matthew Heimer from Fortune Magazine, Currently, many relationships between investment pros and retirement clients are required only to meet a "suitability" standard. In practice, under that rule brokers can and do park clients in investments that are either absurdly expensiveoften because they generate chunky commissions for the broker  or highly risky, or both.

Heres the bottom line: According to the Department of Labor, "The Financial Institution and the Adviser(s) [must] provide investment advice that is, at the time of the recommendation, in the best interest of the retirement investor."

As an advocate for the investor/trader on Main Street, I ask, "why hasn't the new Fiduciary ruling been in effect all along?" More important, if dealing with a financial professional, "how will the new Fiduciary Rule affect you?"

In my next column, Ill break down the ruling to show how unnecessary fees affect you, plus discuss fair questions to ask your adviser.

Plan your work, work your plan, and share your harvest!
Macron, joining the heads of state in the Malian capital Bamako for a special summit, hailed the initiative as "a dynamic, a groundswell which France is proud to back".

But, he said, "it will be up to you and your armed forces to demonstrate that the G5 can be effective, while respecting humanitarian conventions. The results have to be there to convince your partners."

Based in Sevare in central Mali, the 5,000-strong G5 Sahel force aims to bolster 12,000 UN peacekeepers and France's own 4,000-member Operation Barkhane, which is operating in the region.

Macron is also looking to extra backing from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States -- which already has a drone base in Niger -- beyond a pledge of 50 million euros ($57 million) made by the European Union, a sum he described as "the start of a long-term commitment".

Serge Michailof, a researcher at the Paris-based IRIS institute, described the EU contribution as "a joke" given the EU's "very deep pockets" and the poverty of the Sahel countries.

"This force is going to cost $300-400 million (262-350 million euros) at the very least," he told AFP. Malian Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop gave a figure of $450 million.

Chadian President Idriss Deby has said his country cannot afford to mobilise large numbers of troops simultaneously for the UN peacekeeping mission and also in the new force.

Deby and Macron are due to meet on the margins of the Bamako summit to discuss the financial issue, according to the French presidency. Chad's military is widely viewed as the strongest of the five Sahel nations.

Al-Qaeda's Mali branch, meanwhile, offered a reminder of the jihadists' threat, with the release of a proof-of-life video of six foreign hostages.

The clip posted Saturday by Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, also known as the Group to Support Islam and Muslims, includes elderly Australian surgeon Arthur Kenneth Elliott and Frenchwoman Sophie Petronin.

Phased rollout

Macron visited Gao in northern Mali in May, his first foreign visit as president outside Europe, and promised that French troops would remain "until the day there is no more Islamic terrorism in the region".

France intervened to chase out jihadists linked to Al-Qaeda who had overtaken key northern cities in Mali in 2013.

That mission evolved into the current Barkhane deployment launched in 2014 with an expanded mandate for counter-terror operations across the Sahel.

The new Sahel force will support national armies trying to catch jihadists across porous frontiers, and will work closely with Barkhane.

Operations across Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, all hit with frequent jihadist attacks, will be coordinated with French troops, a source in the French presidency told AFP earlier this week, while help would be given to set up command centres.

Multiple fronts

While weighing up the challenges of the G5 Sahel operation, analysts frequently compare it with the Multinational Joint Task Force battling Nigerian jihadist group Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, composed of troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.

Despite heavy initial criticism, that force "has succeeded in a part of its mission, which is to reduce the territory controlled by Boko Haram and limit its actions," said Rinaldo Depagne from the International Crisis Group, a non-governmental organisation that works on conflict resolution.

However, the G5 Sahel force has supplementary challenges in the weak armed forces of Burkina Faso and Mali, while Chad and Niger are already engaged on multiple fronts, he added.

The three-nation border of Liptako-Gourma will become a "laboratory" for Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger where French forces will aim to work in tandem with these nations, before bringing Chad and Mauritania into the mix, Depagne predicted.
But cooperation had tightened markedly since last year, with the two countries jointly sponsoring peace talks in the Kazakh capital Astana.

Sunday's meeting took place at Istanbul's Tarabya Palace by the Bosphorus, the presidency said, with images showing Turkey's top general Hulusi Akar and spy chief Hakan Fidan were also in attendance.

Last August, Turkey launched its Euphrates Shield cross-border operation aimed at clearing the border zone in northern Syria of both Kurdish militia fighters and jihadists.

The operation was wound up in March but Erdogan has not excluded a new cross-border offensive should the need arise.

Turkish troops and Syrian Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) have repeatedly exchanged cross-border fire in recent days and there is speculation Ankara may be planning an assault on the group in Afrin.

Ankara considers the YPG a terrorist group and the Syrian branch of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) which has waged an insurgency inside Turkey since 1984.

But Washington is arming the YPG and the group is heavily involved in the US-backed operation to oust Islamic State (IS) jihadists from their stronghold of Raqa.

The Sabah daily said Sunday that pro-Ankara Syrian rebels were on standby for an operation against the YPG and Russia could ensure security in the air.

Asked about the possibility of an operation around Afrin, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said Saturday: "We take all measures to protect our borders and national security."
Kilicdaroglu began the march on June 15 after former journalist turned CHP lawmaker Enis Berberoglu was sentenced to 25 years in jail for leaking classified information to a newspaper.

Marching without party insignia and simply a sign with the word "justice" in Turkish, he has been followed by thousands every day and plans to end the march on July 9 with a mass rally outside Berberoglu's prison in the Istanbul district of Maltepe.

"If you start protests to protect terrorists and those who support terrorism -- when it did not occur to you to take part in anti-terror demonstrations -- then you cannot convince anyone that your objective is justice," Erdogan said.

The president told a meeting of his ruling party that the line represented by the CHP "had gone beyond being a political opposition and taken on a different proportion."

Accusing the CHP of sympathising with Kurdish militants and the alleged mastermind of the July 15 failed coup, he said the road taken by Kilicdaroglu was "the way to Qandil and Pennsylvania".

The leadership of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is based in the Qandil mountain of northern Iraq while the alleged coup mastermind, the preacher Fethullah Gulen, is based in Pennsylvania. He denies the allegations.

The march by Kilicdaroglu has rallied supporters concerned by the extent of the crackdown after the coup which has seen tens of thousands arrested and even more lose their jobs.
ROCKFORD, Ill. (AP)  Law enforcement leaders in Winnebago County and Rockford say police-worn body cameras may reduce use-of-force incidents and citizen complaints, but officers won't be getting the cameras anytime soon.

The Rockford Register Star reports officials say purchasing and maintaining the cameras is cost-prohibitive.

Rockford Police Assistant Deputy Chief Doug Pann says distributors will give departments the cameras. But it costs money to store the videos. He says "it's not feasible" for the department to store that data.

Last year the Department of Justice announced it was giving more than $20 million to 106 law enforcement agencies to help with the costs of cameras. But neither Rockford nor Winnebago County received funds.

The cameras have emerged as a tool since a string of highly publicized shootings by police raised concerns.

___

Information from: Rockford Register Star, http://www.rrstar.com
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WASHINGTON -- Let's imagine a Chinese "applied history" project, similar to the one at Harvard's Belfer Center that helped spawn Professor Graham Allison's widely discussed book "Destined for War."

Allison's historical analysis led him to posit a "Thucydides Trap" and the danger (if not inevitability) of war between a rising China and a dominant America, like the ancient conflict between Athens and Sparta chronicled by the Greek historian Thucydides. A study by the Belfer Center's Applied History Project identified 16 similar "rising versus ruling" cases over the past 500 years, 12 of which resulted in war. What would the Chinese say about the lessons of past interactions with the West?

Chinese analysts, from President Xi Jinping on down, have nominally rejected Allison's pessimistic analysis. "There is no Thucydides Trap," Xi has argued, claiming that he had devised an alternative "new type of great-power relations" that would avoid war by recognizing that each Asian giant had its own legitimate interests. More recently, he has shifted to arguing that "China and the U.S. must do everything possible to avoid [the] Thucydides Trap."

Similar protestations have reportedly been offered privately in recent months by a string of senior Chinese officials, and China's modest cooperation with the United States in dealing with the North Korean nuclear threat provides some hope that this is indeed a "win-win" game, as Xi and other Chinese leaders so tirelessly repeat.

An interesting thought experiment would be to imagine a Chinese version of Allison, who decides to examine the ledger from their side. What would such applied history teach the Chinese about their looming intersection with the dominant power of the United States?

I'm no expert on Chinese history or foreign policy, so I'll simply sketch some areas of possible focus for a hypothetical Sino-Thucydides analysis. In each case, my imaginary Chinese scholars would apply Allison's rubric for applied history (developed by the late professor Ernest May), which asked how each case was like its historical antecedent, how it was different and how that evidence might produce a net assessment.

Here's my list of testable propositions, from a Chinese perspective:

(1) Economic and cultural power is no substitute for military power. China was a dominant economic and intellectual force when it first encountered European power, but it lacked technologically backed military muscle. Mistake.

(2) Weakness breeds contempt. Western powers made a show of pledging loyalty and tribute to China's rulers and warlords, but this masked hostile intent. The Chinese were wooed and corrupted by the West's influence. Mistake. Allison quotes Thucydides' precept: The weak (and by extension, the corrupt) suffer what they must. Rooting out (or at least controlling) corruption is a central Chinese task.

(3) The West preached openness as the way for China and other Asian nations to absorb advanced technology and Western know-how. But the West exploited that openness to create dependence. Even Japan, which built an astonishing manufacturing base, remained dependent on Western raw materials and energy supplies. Mistake. The result was a catastrophic war.

(4) Networks of aid and assistance are good covers for expanding influence and military power. The Marshall Plan was a sublime scheme for spreading U.S. influence and blunting the Soviet Union, in the name of relieving humanitarian suffering. China is devising similar outreach through the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the cooperative development project known as "One Belt, One Road." The United States has done everything it can to prevent other nations from signing up to China's initiatives. Mistake. Asian development is the handmaiden of Chinese power.

(5) The United States argues that transparency and an international rules-based order are the best guarantee of security for all sides. But what this really means, through modern history, is that the United States makes the rules and others obey the orders. Adherence to the "rules" would have checked China's expansion into the South China Sea (allowing perpetual U.S. domination). And if last year's Philippine arbitration ruling had been enforced, it would have rolled back China's projection of power through reclaimed islands and military bases. Mistake. History teaches that China should proclaim that its intentions are limited, benign and non-military -- even as its power expands and it creates the military bases that will allow it to challenge U.S. naval power in the South China Sea.

I've stacked the deck here, a bit, with some of the cases that lead many analysts to assume that a rational China, seeing these lessons of history, will opt for a course that increases the likelihood of confrontation. But maybe I'm wrong; maybe there really is an alternative "new type of great-power relations" that would posit different outcomes. I await such an analysis from my imaginary Chinese counterpart to Graham Allison.

(c) 2017, Washington Post Writers Group
GREENUP (JG-TC) -- A St. Louis woman was taken to an area hospital after losing control of her vehicle in an accident at 6:20 p.m. Friday at mile marker 112.5 on Interstate 70 east.

Illinois State Police reported that Olivia W. Slosson, 20, was driving a white 1999 GMC truck in the right lane of the interstate going eastbound at the time of the accident.

According to police, a witness stated that Slossons vehicle swerved left and then overcorrected back to the right. Slosson's auto then reportedly left the roadway to the right and struck the guardrail south of the interstate, overturning onto its top in the right lane of the eastbound lanes of the interstate.

She was charged with improper lane usage. State police said Slosson was transported by helicopter to an area hospital.

The accident was followed by another collision soon after between two other vehicles. State police report that because of the initial crash, eastbound traffic was experiencing intermittent slowing and stopping due to traffic backup.

According to preliminary investigations, state police report that both Gilbert J. Sidener, 36, of Salem, driving a black 2000 Dodge Dakota truck, and Samuel E. Murray, 34, of Swansea, driving a black 2006 Jeep Grand Cherokee, were traveling at 8:25 p.m. that day eastbound on I-70 near mile marker 112.

Sidener told police that he did not notice Murrays vehicle in front of him slowing and stopping in time to slow down as well, the police report notes.

As a result, Sidener's auto collided with the rear end of Murrays vehicle that was then knocked off the roadway and came to rest in the center median, while Sidener's vehicle crossed lanes and came to rest down an embankment on the south side of the interstate.

April Lepes, 36, of Salem, who was a passenger in Sideners vehicle, was sent by ambulance to a regional hospital in Terre Haute, Ind., for injuries sustained during the crash.

A juvenile was also reported to be in Sideners vehicle. No one except for Lepes was reported to have been sent to a hospital. Sidener was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, driving too fast for conditions and operating an uninsured vehicle.
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Vacant Land in Camp Verde, Yavapai County, Arizona! Item Id: Goetting01 Case Name: Goetting, Steve P & Barbara A Case Number: 16 00392 Trustee: Description: Estate's interest in 1 acre of vacant land in Camp Verde, Arizona near the historic Route 66. The property is located on West Anupaya Street, Camp Verde, AZ 86322. The status of water, power, sewer and utilities is unknown. The APN# is 404-03-025B. The legal description is 'A portion of Lot 6, Section 7, Township 13 North, Range 5 East of Gi...

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INVEST IN THE WEST! We are constantly adding to our inventory of quality, cheap vacant land in the Western U.S. We take pride in offering you properties priced well under the competition. We offer prompt, professional and friendly customer service, easy and flexible payment terms, and we never charge you any processing fees or interest. It's time to invest in the west! You're bidding on the down payment for 5 acres of land in Costilla County, Colorado. $100 down and $100/month for 35 months. Thi...

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Land of the wind farms California city KERN COUNTY This property is located north-east of Mojave right on the vicinity of California City in Kern County. A really growing community. Enjoy the Wonderful 4 Seasons Weather, all in the growth in The Heart of This City! Just across State Route 14, north of State Hwy 58 Barstow-Bakersfield and 395 Fwy. Aerial Acres is a fly-in unincorporated community in Kern County, California. It is located 5.5 miles east-southeast of Castle Butte, at an elevation o...

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I invite anyone who wishes to comment on this blog to do so. I enjoy the comments, whether you agree with what I have said or not. But some people want to abuse the right to comment, and since this is my blog, I have decided to lay down the following rules. If your comment violates these rules, it will not be published.
For Andrew Saunders, making sustainable decisions has always been a priority. On July 1, sustainability will become a priority for the Athens-Clarke County Unified Government as well, when the new Office of Sustainability is officially opened.
A slight chance for hit or miss thunderstorms in Lincoln and southeast Nebraska over the next two days could put a damper on Fourth of July celebrations, according to the National Weather Service in Valley.

A 30 percent chance for isolated storms is expected Monday afternoon and evening with higher chances of a pop-up storm before dusk, said NWS meteorologist Scott Dergan.

Chances for storms will ramp up after midnight.

Some storms could be severe, bringing hail and heavy rains, Dergan said.

Jon Taylor of Lincoln's Citizen Information Center said he is "wildly optimistic" Monday's Uncle Sam Jam event at Oak Lake Park will go on without a hitch.

Activities for the event begin at 3 p.m., with the funk rock band Soul Dawg performing from 6:15 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

A 22-minute fireworks display with follow at 10 p.m.

Taylor said the fireworks can be lit in the rain but that lightening would lead to a postponement.

In the case of storms, the event will be postponed to Wednesday, Taylor said.

A 30 percent chance of rain is possible during the afternoon and evening of July 4 as well.

High temperatures for Tuesday and Wednesday will top out in the upper 80s, cooling off to the 70s in the evening.

Taylor said any decisions concerning postponement of Uncle Sam Jam will hopefully be decided before 3 p.m. Monday.

If there's a postponement, information will be posted at lincoln.ne.gov (keyword: media).
China has released a map to back its claim that Indian troops "transgressed" into the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector, which it claims as part of its territory.

IMAGE: A blue arrow with markings in Chinese points Indian troops alleged transgression into the area to prevent the PLA troops from building a strategic road. Photograph: Courtesy Chinese Foreign Ministry.

In the map, released by the Chinese foreign ministry, a blue arrow with markings in Chinese points Indian troops alleged transgression into the area to prevent the PLA troops from building a strategic road.

The map shows Doklam as part of Chinese territory.

Bhutan has protested to China asserting that the area is part of its territory and Chinese action is vocative of 1988 and 1998 agreements.

The map is in addition to two photographs released on Thursday purportedly showing Indian troops on the Chinese side of the border.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang displayed the photographs of the alleged Indian "incursion" into the area during a media briefing.

Later, the ministry uploaded them on its website. One photo showed two bulldozers stated to be that of the Indian military while another showed one bulldozer. A redline in the photos was showed as "Chinese side of the border".

A standoff erupted between the two militaries after the Indian Army blocked construction of the road by China in the Doklam area.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.

China alleged that the Indian troops "trespassed" the recognised delineated boundary between China and India on June 18.

India on Friday expressed deep concern over China constructing the road in the disputed area and said it had conveyed to Beijing that such an action would represent a significant change of status quo with "serious" security implications for India.

India's reaction follows a face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the area, prompting Beijing to take a tough stance and demand withdrawal of Indian troops from the Sikkim sector as a precondition for "meaningful dialogue" to resolve the situation.

The stand-off between the Indian and Chinese troops led to the cancellation of the Kailash Mansarovar yatra through Nathu La in Sikkim.
A local Bharatiya Janata Party leader was among two persons arrested while another person surrendered in court in connection with the lynching of a meat trader in Ramgarh district recently, police said.

Nityanand Mahato, the local BJP leader, and Santosh Singh were arrested in the case. Another accused Chhotu Rana surrendered in Ramgarh court, Superintendent of Police Kishore Kaushal said on Sunday.

Police has also taken a man into custody for interrogation.

A 40-year-old meat trader, a resident of village Manua in Hazaribagh district, was beaten to death by a mob on Thursday on suspicion that he was carrying beef in his vehicle.

The mob also set the vehicle on fire. The incident took place at Bazaartand locality of Ramgarh town.

The district administration had deployed additional security forces and imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of Code of Criminal Procedure in view of the tension on Friday last. Though the situation in Ramgarh limped back to normal, security forces are still present all 33 sensitive joints of the district.

The incident in Ramgarh took place just a couple of days after a mob attacked and injured a man in Giridih district on suspicion that he had slaughtered a cow.

IMAGE: Members of a community torch a vehicle during a protest against lynching of a meat trader in Ramgarh district of Jharkhand. Photograph: PTI Photo
Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah on Saturday disapproved that the cases of lynching in the country rose in the three years of the Narendra Modi government, stating that the atrocities took place comparatively higher in the previous Congress regime.

"In 2011, 2012 and 2013, lynching cases were much more than three years of our government, but no one raised questions then. Even when Akhlaq was lynched, the Samajwadi Party was in the government. The law and order comes under the state subject, hence the responsibility fell on the SP, but they instead took out dharnas against Prime Minister Modi," Shah said.

Shah's comment came hours after President Pranab Mukherjee condemned the recent string of brutal lynching incidents emerging from across the nation.

He urged the country to pause and reflect and asked the people to be proactive enough to save India's basic system of belief.

"With the change of history we can see colonialism now as dominance, exploitation by one power to another power. When we see on the TV and read the newspapers that an individual has been lynched, and when the mob frenzy becomes so high and uncontrollable then we have to pause and reflect," the President said at the re-launch of the National Herald website.

"I am not talking of vigilantism, I am talking of are we vigilant enough proactively to save the basic tenets of our country?" he questioned.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had strongly voiced out against the lynching incidents, saying that there are growing atrocities against innocent people in the guise of cow protection.

"Killing people in the name of gau bhakti is not acceptable. This is not something that Mahatma Gandhi would have approved. There is no place for violence in the society," Prime Minister Modi said at Sabarmati Ashram centenary celebrations in Ahmedabad.

The prime minister asserted that violence is not a solution of any problem and no one has the right to take the law in his or her own hands in this nation.

A Jharkhand man was attacked by a mob on the suspicion carrying beef in his car on Thursday.

He was stopped by a group of people near Bajartand village before being brutally killed.
President Donald Trump on Sunday tweeted a modified video of himself, starring at a pro wrestling event, punching a man whose face was obscured by a CNN logo.

The tweet, which said, #FraudNewsCNN #FNN, linked to a video which shows Trump attacking and punching a man whose face is obscured by a CNN logo.

The video escalates an ongoing war of words between Trump and the cable news outlet.

The CNN in a statement said the president was "encouraging violence against reporters" and "involved in juvenile behaviour far below the dignity of his office".

The doctored video Trump tweeted is from WrestleMania 23 in 2007 when Trump competed versus WWE head Vince McMahon during a staged "battle of the billionaires" fight where each chose one wrestler to represent them.

Trump has railed against the CNN and other news outlets as "fake news" after the cable news network retracted a story that linked an associate of his with a Russian bank.

Three CNN employees also resigned over the article.

Trump was highly popular with the CNN during the primaries. He was widely interviewed by its news reporters and anchors and was given maximum airtime by the CNN as he contested against 16 Republican leaders in the presidential primaries.

However, CNN turned against him after Trump became the presidential nominee of the Republican party.

Trump and his supporters strongly believe that CNN supported the Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton.

Often Trump and his supporters labelled CNN as Clinton News Network.

Following is the statement from CNN
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Good week politically for Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The two Republicans who could have been heavyweight contestants in the 2018 GOP gubernatorial primary election signaled they're not planning to challenge the governor's renomination.

Dave Heineman said a 2018 gubernatorial bid "certainly is not my plan," but then created a brief stir when in answer to a direct question posed by Coby Mach on his Lincoln radio show said Mike Flood "would make an outstanding governor."

On the following day, Flood said: "I don't feel it's my time."

Game over.

Heineman, Nebraska's longest-serving governor, and Flood, former Speaker of the Legislature, always have been the big names traveling under the radar.

They were viewed as the two potential challengers who could test Ricketts, especially if one of them commanded strong rural support during a time of agricultural unrest in western and central Nebraska.

Property taxes, particularly as applied to ag land, is the smoking gun.

Heineman, who lives in Fremont, and Flood, who lives in Norfolk, might have connected with that strong Republican base west of Lincoln that can dominate statewide GOP primaries.

Ricketts has delivered some property tax reduction each year while he has been governor, but not at the scale that rural Nebraskans want. The traditionally Republican ag sector is restless, and tending toward angry.

So there was some danger hanging in the air for an incumbent Republican governor in his primary re-election test, but a lot less now.

It's no secret that many Democrats would like to see Steve Lathrop be their gubernatorial nominee, but Lathrop appears to be focused on a potential bid to return to the Legislature. And a collection of Democratic pragmatists and realists prefer that he pursue that course of action.

Chuck Hassebrook, who carried the statewide Democratic banner as the 2014 gubernatorial nominee, is considering either a 1st District House bid  Jeff Fortenberry's seat  or an open legislative seat.

Although the political climate is unusually volatile nationally, Nebraska in 2018 does not have the look of fertile ground for statewide Democratic candidates even though they believe they have some key issues on their side.

Bob Krist is the wild card gubernatorial candidate as he considers a third-party bid, bypassing the primary election and entering the scene during the general election homestretch run.

* * *

An interesting observation from Charley Thone during an hour-long conversation last week: "John Y. McCollister would have ended up as Republican majority or minority leader" if he had not lost his Senate bid in 1976.

McCollister, father of current state Sen. John McCollister, was defeated by Ed Zorinsky in a battle between the Omaha congressman and the Omaha mayor.

Zorinsky changed parties to make his Senate bid.

Finishing up:

* Donald Trump meets Vladimir Putin this week; leaked transcript, please.

* As the Trump administration and the Republican Congress begin to focus more and more on transferring power and decision-making on huge issues like Medicaid to the states, it appears that the really consequential elections in Nebraska in 2018 may be contests for seats in the Legislature.

* Looking back, you might argue that the proposed public option provision in the original version of the Affordable Care Act would have saved Obamacare and locked in support.

* Looking ahead, Senate Republicans have a dangerously hot potato in their hands and they sure look like they know it.

* "From the mountains, to the prairies, to the oceans white with foam..."
Body cameras for the Mooresville Police Department have arrived. Find out when they will be used.
STANTON  Residents here have been told to boil their tap water.

The boil order was issued Thursday after testing of the municipal water system detected the presence of coliform and E. coli.

Stanton City Superintendent Ron Klinetobe says residents should boil their water for at least one minute before consuming, or use another water source until testing shows no more contamination.

E. coli, a bacteria found in fecal matter, can be particularly dangerous to infants, young children, the elderly and those with compromised immune systems.
Bathrooms are where we go to pamper ourselves.

Consumer Reports offers this advice on how to renovate yours.

Design

With bathroom renovations, the biggest costs come when you relocate important fixtures.

Moving toilets, sinks and showers requires that workers tear out subfloors and walls to access pipes.

Moving the toilet just 1 foot can cost $1,000, said Robert Degni, a contractor in New York City. If you need only a slight shift  because, say, youre hoping to squeeze in a double vanity  Degni suggests using an offset flange, a $10 fix that allows you to move the toilet a few precious inches in any direction without extensive plumbing work.

One extravagant addition that doesnt have to break the bank? Heated floors.

Just make this call early and know that it might affect your flooring options. Installing electric radiant-heat mats, rather than hydronic (water-filled) lines, can save up to $8,000.

But unlike most hydronic systems, underfloor mats arent compatible with all solid hardwood. Adding radiant electric heat costs roughly $11 per square foot of open flooring.

Plan on an hour of labor for an electrician to connect the mats and thermostat to a circuit.

Materials

Before you begin shopping for tile, youll want to familiarize yourself with the lingo youll find on the packaging labels.

Make sure any tile youre considering for flooring is available in grade 1 or 2, the most durable. (Grade 3, which tends to be thinner, is suitable only for walls.)

Water absorption is another important spec  the lower the number, the less water can seep through.

For flooring, you want tile with a rating of less than 7 percent, and 3 percent or less for shower floors. Next, note the coefficient of friction rating, which conveys slip resistance; youll need a COF of 0.6 or higher for floor tile.

As for the ceiling and walls, dont waste money on bath-specific paint.

Consumer Reports testing reveals that any paints with good scores in mildew resistance, such as Behr Premium Plus enamel, hold up well. Choose satin finish, or semigloss if you dont mind the sheen  either will withstand periodic scrubbings.

Fixtures

If you have a dingy cast-iron tub, reglazing the surface can give it new life for a few hundred dollars.

Replacing it with a soaker tub could cost $500 to $1,000 for the tub itself, plus hundreds more for installation.

No space for a separate tub and shower? Dont blow out a wall for the sake of keeping both. Go ahead and install that stand-alone shower in the master suite, but if and when you put the house on the market, having at least one tub is important for resale value.

Dont get too caught up with toilet features. A toilet that flushes well will pay for itself if it spares you the need to call a plumber even once to free a clog, says John Banta, Consumer Reports test engineer for toilets.
Even as Hanover Countys spending on road projects is shifting into higher gear, residents are calling for a slowdown in residential development until more road improvements come to fruition.

At a Board of Supervisors meeting in June, Hanover residents Larnie Allgood and Bob Nelson said growth is overwhelming the countys infrastructure.

It is time to put on the brakes and allow infrastructure a chance to catch up, Allgood said.

Allgood recalled being a part of a group tasked in 2014 with evaluating facilities and planning for the future.

The fly in the buttermilk was the large number of developments that have been approved but not built, Allgood said. This was an issue in 2014. Now, in 2017 this issue has become a problem.

Echoing Allgood, Nelson said there has been a lot of development in the Atlee Station Road corridor, where he has lived since 2012.

Nelson asserted that it would take years for all the residential construction that has been approved or is in the approval process to be built.

It needs to be taken into account in terms of the planning process, Nelson said.

Nelson took issue with the 1.5 percent annual population growth the county is forecasting in its Comprehensive Plan and called on Hanover to try to slow the rate of the countys growth. He said the growth rate reflects what the county has allowed developers to do over the last 20 years.

The issue I would raise is should we allow developers to continue at that rate in the future, he said.

A reduced population growth rate will give the county more time to address county infrastructure needs  primarily roads in corridors heavily impacted by development, Nelson said. A reduced growth rate will also lessen the divisions between the suburban service area and rural areas of the county and preserve Hanovers traditional values for all its citizens.

Planning Director David P. Maloney said the population growth rate is a figure based on growth trends used to forecast land-use consumption and public facility needs.

The growth rate as presented to the board and as included in the Comprehensive Plan is simply a projection, Maloney said. It is not a target growth rate. We do not have policies in place to in any way artificially influence that growth rate either up or down.

Angela Kelly-Wiecek, chairwoman of the countys Board of Supervisors, said the growth rate is a product of market forces in a county that has good law enforcement and schools. She said slowing the growth rate is tricky.

What is the tool for us to use on that? Kelly-Wiecek said. I cant just say, Nope. We only want to grow a half a percent a year  thats plenty. 

Kelly-Wiecek said she thinks the real concern is density in Hanovers suburban service area at the center of the county.

Were trying to find that sweet spot of density that provides a high quality of life for our citizens in the suburban services area without risking the truly rural areas of our county, she said. I think the very worst thing we can do is drop the density in the suburban services area so low that you would create low-density sprawl all over Hanover.

In January, a group calling itself Atlee Residents for Responsible Development published an online petition calling for a halt to residential development in Hanover. The online petition had been backed 417 times as of Friday afternoon.

As county officials and residents debate growth in Hanover, spending on road projects is at its highest level in years, according to Director of Public Works J. Michael Flagg.

Hanover has six road projects under construction with seven more that are in some form of preconstruction stage, like design or land acquisition.

Its sort of a bubble, if you will, Flagg said. Then things will slow down.

Recently, Hanover was awarded about $9 million from the Commonwealth Transportation Board to help with a shortfall to fund improvements at the intersection of U.S. 360 and Lee Davis Road, Flagg said. Plans for the $24 million project call for adding lanes and upgrading signals along U.S. 360 between Wynbrook Lane and Sujen Court.

Flagg said the Atlee Road (state Route 638) extension to Atlee Station Road (state Route 637) is one of the more substantial road projects in Hanover because of the detours that will be put in place in the fall. Plans for the project call for extending Atlee Road about a half-mile to connect it to Atlee Station Road near Warren Avenue. Work on the $20 million project began in March and is expected to wrap up in fall 2018.

Work on extending Atlee Road entails a bridge over the railroad, a traffic signal, sidewalks and modifications to Cool Spring Road and Atlee Station Road to connect with the extension. There will also be portions of the roads with dedicated bike lanes and widened shoulders for bikes on others. Flagg said about 250 people attended a community meeting in June on the project.

Flagg said Hanovers spate of road construction is more than 10 years in the making and harks back to a time when the county was more successful in competing for funding from the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Through that system of applications, we were able to pool a significant pot of funding together, Flagg said.

After the state changed the way it awarded funding for local road projects, Hanovers top road priorities no longer scored well and didnt get the kind of funding they once saw, Flagg said.

Kelly-Wiecek said she was grateful to Hanovers state delegation for helping it get the funding for the U.S. 360 project but that the overall problem of road funding remained. Hanover hopes to get more help from its state representatives as the county explores what it can do on its own, Kelly-Wiecek said.
Update: Lt. Carey said the victim's body was recovered shortly after 10 p.m. Saturday. The state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries is handling the investigation.

Original story: The Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office has asked the public to stay away from Lake Anna State Park while authorities are searching the water for the victim of a boating accident.

Lt. C.A. Carey of the Sheriff's Office said a coordinated search by Spotsylvania, Louisa County and state Department of Game and Inland Fisheries authorities is being conducted after two boats collided.

Deputy Chief Steve Cooper of the Spotsylvania fire and rescue said two people involved in the accident were transported to local hospitals with injuries that were not life-threatening.
FREDERICKSBURG  As Jessica Burger strolled by the Confederate Cemetery in downtown Fredericksburg, a colorful object on a nearby brick wall caught her eye.

Upon closer examination, she discovered it was a small painted rock with a picture of a house with a black cat in the window on one side and directions to join the Facebook page The Burg Rocks on the reverse.

And so began Burgers entrance into the painted rock craze sweeping not only the Fredericksburg area, but the world.

Stories abound on local rock-painting Facebook pages  including Stafford Rocks, The Burg Rocks and We Rock VA. One relates the experience of a weary nurse whose spirits were lifted after leaving Mary Washington Hospital and stumbling upon a rock with an inspirational phrase. Another tells the story of a local man coping with his grandmothers multiple cancer diagnoses who found a pink ribbon rock.

Melissa Bradley of Stafford said the instructions are simple: Find a painted rock, and either keep it or re-hide it. Although the rocks usually feature instructions to post a photo of the rock on Facebook, there is no obligation to do so  it just adds to the fun. People can also post clues hinting at where to find certain rocks.

It is not about reciprocation, Bradley said. You find a rock and if you want it, keep it. If you dont want to post a picture, fine. If that rock makes you happy, it makes us happy  and letting us know that helps justify everything we do.

Why rocks? Bradley said it may sound strange, but people get a lot of joy out of painting and hiding, or even just finding, the rocks.

How can a little rock be so powerful? Bradley said. If it comes at the right time, it just is.

***

With two young boys, Stafford mom Jamie Boteler is always on the hunt for activities that encourage her sons, Aiden and Austin, to go outdoors and take a break from their electronic devices for a few hours. Although she never imagined that rocks would be the thing to capture her sons attention, she couldnt be more thrilled.

It encourages them not to be homebodies, she said. In the day of apps and YouTube, it is nice to get them out and going places.

Boteler enjoys the activity so much that she decided to start a Facebook page, We Rock Virginia, which is open to all state residents.

Jennifer Potter of Stafford said the activity has brought her closer to her 13-year-old daughter, Emily. They go hunting for rocks almost every day, and compare it to the popular game Pokemon Go  except, in this case, they are putting their phones down.

We are there  we are addicts, Potter said. I get quality time with my child and an opportunity for exercise and exploration.

***

Carisa Bohn of Stafford has enjoyed watching the community activity gain momentum. She started the Stafford Rocks group on May 18, and membership exploded. In a little more than a month, 2,338 members from all walks of life had joined the group.

She has seen many stories and photos posted on the page, but one experience resonated with her. She said her son painted a breast cancer ribbon rock, and it was discovered by a mother who had just been diagnosed with breast cancer.

In a world with so much negative, we need this positive light in our day, Bohn said.

A simple rock also brought joy to Mia Logan, a Stafford resident, during a difficult time. After her sister was admitted to Mary Washington Hospital with pregnancy-related complications, Logan visited daily and would take her 2-year-old niece outside into the sunshine to give her sister and brother-in-law some time alone.

One day, as they were walking along, her niece pointed toward a rock painted purple with butterflies and sparkles on it. Her niece picked it up with her little hands and stared in awe.

After the several stressful days our family has had, this was a much-needed and enjoyed surprise, Logan said.

The icing on the cake came after Logan posted a picture of the rock on The Burg Rocks. The mother of a 9-year-old cancer survivor responded to Logans post that her daughter had painted and hidden the rock in hopes of brightening someones day.

Her daughter was ecstatic to hear that her rock had been found and brought so much joy to my niece, Logan said.

***

Rocks are also helping newcomers to the community get to know their neighbors.

Finding a bright blue rock that said Take me home! was just what Sarah Moran of Fredericksburg needed to feel connected to the community after moving to the city.

Since my husband and I just moved to the area, I think its really neat that someone started this  makes the city feel very community-oriented, connected, welcoming and fun, Moran said.

Melissa Vasquez and her family moved to Stafford from California about a year ago and have been gradually adjusting to life on the East Coast. Vasquez said getting involved in rock painting offered her family a way to really integrate into the community.

This is the first time I have heard or seen anything like this, Vasquez said. What a great way to see what this community has to offer.

The ability to share positive messages with the community by painting and hiding rocks has resonated with schools, groups, neighborhoods and others.
Ordinarily, the Fourth of July is a last chance for Virginias statewide candidates to see and be seen before going to ground for the summer, using July and August to raise money, refine themes and recalibrate their voter-mobilization machinery for the post-Labor Day dash to the election.

But this is no ordinary campaign.

Thank Donald Trump for that.

Since winning the presidency  without winning Virginia  Trump has become even less popular here, with an approval rating of about 35 percent. Distaste for Trump is greatest where votes are most abundant: the bustling metropolitan areas that are the foundation of the Democratic ascendancy that began in 2001 and was interrupted only once, in 2009, largely because of push-back to Barack Obama.

Virginians are choosing a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and all 100 members of the House of Delegates  elective officials who, for the most part, live and work among the people they serve  but they do so enraged or energized by Trump. Most of them are enraged.

How else to explain the record turnout in the Democratic gubernatorial primary and the counterintuitive outcome? More than 540,000 votes were cast  enough, some handicappers insisted beforehand, to lift insurgent Tom Perriello to an upset victory over Ralph Northam, the Establishment favorite who had a 1-year head start.

Northam didnt just win, he beat the stuffing out of Perriello. But Northam went broke doing it, burning through $8 million.

The Democratic turnout in June and Northams nearly 12 percentage-point triumph are telling measures of grassroots unity and enthusiasm for the main event, signaling as well that a Northam election would qualify  at least to the outside world  as a proxy victory over Trump.

Perriellos installation this past week as point man in a Democratic push, initially bankrolled by wealthy donors, to wrest the House from Republican control  unlikely, given hyperpartisan gerrymandering  is the latest sign that the party is of one mind on the business ahead.

And Democrats are being businesslike about it.

Perriello will even receive a salary as head of the Win Virginia political action committee. But that also may affirm for some of Perriellos critics their view that he flitted into the primary at the last minute because he needed a job, having lost out for continued employment in the State Department because of Hillary Clintons loss.

Among the vanquished, Perriello isnt the only one landing on his feet. Perriellos field operatives are being offered interviews with the Northam campaign as it resets its get-out-the-vote machinery from primary to general-election mode. So far, no members of the Perriello high command are going to work for Northam.

Republicans, in contrast, are working at cross-purposes.

Corey Stewart, the high-decibel Trump knock-off who came within 1.2 percentage points of denying Ed Gillespie the partys gubernatorial nomination, remains emboldened by his near-win. Stewart apparently has decided that his job, post-primary, is to continue doing a job on Gillespie.

Rather than bind wounds from the primary, Stewart pours salt on them, making it more difficult for Gillespie to do  with an eye toward November  what he refused to do in the run-up to June: publicly embrace Trump and the disaffected voters from whom the president and Stewart draw their support.

In an appearance the other day on The John Fredericks Show, a radio broadcast whose host succeeded Stewart as Trumps main man in Virginia last year after Stewarts ignominious flame-out, Stewart cast himself as a conciliator who sued for peace with Gillespie but that his overtures were rejected by the nominee.

Next, Stewart unloaded on Gillespie to The Washington Post, disparaging  Trump-like, with pointedly personal language  Gillespies up-by-the-bootstraps story: the son of an Irish immigrant grocer who built a prosperous communications and lobbying firm, advised a U.S. president and became chairman of the Republican National Committee.

It goes without saying that Stewart  believing he is the key to 155,000 primary votes Gillespie will need in the fall  wants to subordinate Gillespie. Stewarts objective is to cast himself as indispensable and claim dibs for the 2018 U.S. Senate nomination and a shot at Democrat Tim Kaine, Clintons vice presidential running mate.

The Gillespie campaigns dispassionate, 11th Commandment-type response to Stewarts intemperate remarks suggests Gillespie is attempting to ignore his former foe. Stewart may not be a problem, despite reporters preoccupation with his excited utterances. Public polls show nearly all self-identified Republicans who expressed a preference for governor are solid for Gillespie.

To keep them that way, Gillespie is sounding a more aggressive note. He is elevating his profile on social media and weaving incendiary language into his attacks on Northam. In an email this past Thursday to supporters, Gillespie depicted Northam as a Bernie Sanders-beholden wimp on guns whos pro-abortion rights and backed the biggest tax increase in Virginia history. Never mind that increase in 2013 was proposed by a Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, of whose campaign Gillespie was chairman.

Gillespie also wants to start a debate over debates, demanding 10 with his opponent, who  with an 8 percentage-point lead in the Quinnipiac Poll  is in no hurry to help Gillespie elevate his profile.

Gillespie would rather talk about debates than the issue currently driving the race: the stalled Republican push to junk Obamacare. Despite hounding by Democrats, Gillespie says only that when Washington decides what to do, he can decide what Richmond should do.

Is it a dodge? You bet it is.

But health care is a helpful distraction for Northam. The more he pounds Gillespie on replace-and-repeal, the less Northam has to say about Virginia-specific issues, few of which he has addressed, largely because of the nationally focused primary fight with Perriello.

The Northam camp says the candidate will have more to say about Virginia policy, with small business and rural economic development possibly addressed in advance of the first Gillespie-Northam debate July 22 before the Virginia Bar Association. Dont bet on it, not if health care is still in the headlines.

So much for the lazy, hazy days of summer.
ALEXANDRIA  Prosecutors in the Eastern District of Virginia are fighting the release on bond of a former CIA officer accused of selling classified documents to the Chinese government.

Kevin Mallory, 60, of Leesburg was released Thursday by a magistrate judge on a $10,000 bond. The government is appealing that decision, arguing that GPS monitoring and other restrictions are not enough to keep a desperate, experienced spy in the country.

Someone with the defendants training and experience is unlikely to be confined by a detention order requiring him to stay in a house that he is having trouble paying for, when he has a life sentence in prison hanging over his head, Assistant U.S. Attorney John Gibbs wrote in his motion.

A search of Mallorys house revealed wigs, fake mustaches and theatrical makeup, Gibbs noted, that could help him conceal his identity.

Mallory sold four documents to Chinese intelligence operatives earlier this year, according to prosecutors, and had plans to sell four more. One was classified as top secret and two as secret. All eight were found on an SD card in his bedroom closet, wrapped in foil, according to court documents.
U.Va.: Chesapeake will rank No. 2 in population by 2020

CHESAPEAKE  Chesapeake will soon overtake Norfolk as Virginias second-most-populous city. New projections from the University of Virginia put Chesapeakes population at 253,000 by 2020, The Virginian-Pilot reported. Norfolk, which currently leads Chesapeake by 7,000 residents, will have 250,700 people.

The projections were made by the Weldon Cooper Center for Public Services Demographics Research Group. The numbers are shared with policymakers for planning purposes.

Virginia Beach will remain the states most-populated city, reaching 491,000 residents by 2040. The same year, Virginia is expected to be the countrys 10th-most-populous state with 10 million people. That would raise it above Michigan and New Jersey.

The state will also become more racially diverse. By 2040, less than half of Virginians would identify as non-Hispanic white.

Supervisors OK mosque in western Prince William

MANASSAS  One of the nations largest mosques has received approval to build a satellite facility in western Prince William County, despite traffic concerns from nearby residents.

The Prince William Board of County Supervisors voted unanimously early Wednesday to approve construction of a mosque in Nokesville by the All Dulles Area Muslims Society.

The ADAMS Center operates one of the largest mosques in the country in Sterling. The Nokesville facility, first proposed in 2014, will be more than 22,000 square feet and accommodate 500 people in its prayer hall.

The approval came after an eight-hour public meeting in which Nokesville-area residents expressed opposition, citing the county plan that emphasizes preserving the rural nature of the countys western crescent.

The supervisors will also allow the mosque to connect to the county sewer system.

Technology giving boost to infant death cold case

VIRGINIA BEACH  New technology is helping authorities investigate the death of an infant that happened more than 20 years ago.

The baby girl was found dead inside a bag at the Lillian Vernon warehouse in Virginia Beach in 1996 and has never been identified. Local news media outlets report that the babys body was wrapped in a red polo shirt in a bag hanging in a womens locker room. Police say a phenotyping test was recently performed that helps authorities to identify the girls ancestry. The test showed that the baby was more than 94 percent East Asian descent. Police say the infants parents are of Cambodian, Dai, Lahu, Vietnamese or Filipino lineage.

Police say the test results help them narrow down the investigation from several thousand warehouse employees to less than 100.

Numbers show violent crime was on the upswing in 2016

RICHMOND  New statistics show that violent crime was on the rise in Virginia last year.

Numbers from state police show an increase of more than 10 percent in 2016 compared to the previous year. The crimes include murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

The information was released Friday in the annual Crime in Virginia report. It tallies local and state crime figures.

The number of homicides rose 26 percent to 480. Half of the victims were younger than 30 years old. Firearms were used 75 percent of the time.

Property crimes such as burglary remained mostly unchanged. Drug offenses increased by 8 percent. There was a 12 percent decrease in hate crimes.
Virginia State Police data compiled across the state show violent crime, including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, increased last year.

The state saw an increase of more than 10 percent in violent crimes in 2016 compared to the previous year, according to the annual Crime in Virginia report released Friday. The report tallies local and state crime figures.

Nationally, the FBI says preliminary numbers from more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies show an increase of 5.3 percent in the number of violent crimes for the first six months of 2016 when compared with figures reported for the same time in 2015. The nationwide figures for all of last year are not yet finalized.

The number of reported homicides increased from 382 to 480, an increase of 26 percent from the year before. About half of the victims and about 60 percent of the offenders were less than 30 years of age. Victims and offenders were also mostly like to be male. Firearms were used in 75 percent of homicides.

Property crimes such as burglary, larceny and vehicle theft remained mostly unchanged from the previous year.

Drug offenses increased more than 8 percent statewide in 2016, with marijuana ranking the highest in total volume of drug arrests with 59 percent. Heroin, crack cocaine and power cocaine arrests showed even greater increases  17, 11 and 19 percent, respectively  compared to 2015.

There were 137 hate crimes reported in 2016, a 12 percent decrease compared to 2015, with about 58 percent of those crimes being racially or ethnically motivated.

Overall arrests in Virginia decreased about 2 percent, to 276,144 in 2016.

Adult and juvenile arrests for serious offenses each increased about 3 percent last year. Arrests for lesser crimes such as trespassing, disorderly conduct, bad checks and liquor law violations decreased 6.3 percent for adults and 11.8 percent for juveniles.

The Roanoke Police Department reported 10,873 incidents last year. Robberies increased 75 percent to 117 last year, and larcenies increased 12 percent to nearly 3,600. Aggravated assault increased about 14 percent. Burglaries were down.
The most fundamental cause of economic poverty, said Richmonds 2013 poverty commission report, is inadequate access to remunerative employment  that is, to good, steady jobs.

The absence of work causes other kinds of poverty, too. As Harvard economics professor Edward Glaeser points out in a new article for City Journal, jobless husbands have a 50 percent higher divorce rate than employed husbands. The loss of a job inflicts a much greater degree of unhappiness than a reduction of income does. A loss of income likewise causes much less divorce, and much less suicide, than the loss of a job does. Jobs matter for reasons beyond money.

Whats more: Jobless men dont do a lot more socializing; they dont spend much more time with their kids. They do spend an extra 100 minutes daily watching television, and they sleep more. The jobless are also more likely to use illegal drugs. ... 18 percent of the unemployed have done drugs in the last seven days.

Nicholas Eberstadt draws an even more finely grained and depressing picture in his book Men Without Work. He, and Glaeser, The New York Times, and many others focus attention on a dilemma no one seems to know how to fix. As The Times put it in a headline last year, Millions of Men Are Missing From the Job Market.

In 1948, only 3.3 percent of prime working-age men (that is, those ages 25 to 54) sat outside the job market and did nothing. The rest were either working or seeking work. In 1967, the figure stood at about 5 percent. Today, it stands north of 11 percent. Fifteen percent of prime-age men are unemployed, including 28 percent of the college-educated and 59 percent of high-school dropouts.

Theories as to why abound. Liberals, naturally, gravitate toward structural explanations: de-industrialization has left men with no jobs to take. Conservatives blame structural issues of a different sort: excess regulation, changing social mores, an overly generous welfare state. The unemployed tend to find jobs, Glaeser argues, just as their (unemployment) insurance payments run out. ... Elementary economics tells us that paying people to be or stay jobless will increase joblessness.

Well. As Neil Gaiman put it in his introduction to Ray Bradburys classic novel Fahrenheit 451: If someone tells you what a story is about, they are probably right. If they tell you that is all the story is about, they are very definitely wrong.

***

De-industrialization has not really happened; U.S. manufacturing output has risen to record highs; the jobs have simply been replaced by automation. This has affected other advanced countries too, most of which have welfare states at least as generous as that in the United States. Yet Americas prime-age-male idleness is generally higher than elsewhere.

Eberstadt notes that the withdrawal of men from the labor market has carried on largely indifferent to the business cycle, and Glaeser underscores the point with this datum: From 1976 to 2015, Nevada and Michigan had the highest and lowest rates of economic growth, respectively, yet the two states had almost identical rises in the share of jobless prime-age men.

Making jobs more available might seem to be the obvious answer to joblessness, in the same way that making food more available might seem the obvious answer to hunger, but it is not so simple. Jobs, like food, are not scarce: The economy created 37 million service-sector jobs from 1980 to 2000 alone, for instance.

Perhaps men want to do manly work instead, such as construction? To that end, President Trump has proposed a massive new federal infrastructure program. But Glaeser notes: Contemporary infrastructure projects rely on skilled workers, typically with wages exceeding $25 per hour; most of todays jobless lack such skills. ... And the nation needs infrastructure most in areas with the highest population density; joblessness is most common outside metropolitan America.

***

One answer might entail more skills training, through apprenticeships and vocational education. Roughly half of German students undertake an apprenticeship, and Germany also has among the lowest youth unemployment rates in the world. England, which had 50,000 apprentices two decades ago, now has a half-million. The U.S. has 100,000 fewer than England does, even though the Center for American Progress estimates it will need 5 million more workers with technical certificates than it is likely to have.

Another answer, frankly, probably entails faster rather than slower migration from rural areas  such as Virginias coalfields  to places where jobs are plentiful. Government efforts to revitalize rural communities might merely delay the inevitable  and thereby prolong the agony.
The Senate's bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act is not a health care bill. It's a tax cut for the wealthiest Americans, paid for by a dramatic reduction in health care funding for approximately 23 million poor, disabled and working middle-class Americans.

America's wealthiest taxpayers (earning more than $200,000 a year, $250,000 for couples) would get a tax cut totaling $346 billion over 10 years, representing what they save from no longer financing health care for lower-income Americans.

That's not all. The bill would save an additional $400 billion on Medicaid, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Paul Ryan and President Donald Trump are intent on shrinking in order to cut even more taxes for the wealthy and for big corporations.

If enacted, the bill would be the largest single transfer of wealth to the rich from the middle class and poor in American history.

This disgrace is being proposed at a time when America's rich own the highest percentage of the nation's wealth and receive the highest percent of U.S. income since the era of the robber barons of the late 19th century.

Almost all of the transfer is hidden inside a bill that's supposed to be a kinder and gentler version of its House counterpart, which Trump called "mean, mean, mean."

Look closely, and it's even meaner.

The Senate bill appears to retain the Affordable Care Act's subsidies for poorer Americans. But, starting in 2020, the subsidies would no longer be available for many of the working poor who now receive them, nor for anyone who's not eligible for Medicaid.

Another illusion: The bill seems to keep the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion. But the expansion is phased out, starting in 2021.

The core of the bill -- where its biggest savings come from -- is a huge reduction in Medicaid, America's health care program for the poor, elderly and disabled.

This, too, is disguised. States would receive an amount of money per Medicaid recipient that appears to grow as health care costs rise. But, starting in 2025, the payments would be based on how fast costs rise in the economy as a whole.

Yet medical costs are rising faster than overall costs. They'll almost surely continue to do so -- as America's elderly population grows, and as new medical devices, technologies and drugs prolong life.

Which means that after 2025, Medicaid coverage will shrink.

The nonpartisan Urban Institute estimates that between 2019 and 2028, about $467 billion less will be spent on Medicaid than would be spent than if Medicaid funding were to keep up with the expected rise in medical costs. After that, presumably, the shortfall would be even larger.

The states would have to make up the difference, but many won't want to or be able to.

One final major deception: Proponents of the bill say it would continue to protect people with preexisting conditions. But the bill allows states to reduce insurance coverage for everyone, including people with preexisting conditions.

So insurance companies could technically "cover" people with preexisting conditions for the cost of, say, their visits to a doctor, but not hospitalization, drugs or anything else they need.

The Senate bill only seems like a kinder, gentler version of the House repeal of the Affordable Care Act, but over time it would be even crueler.

Will the American public find out? Not if McConnell can help it.

He hasn't scheduled a single hearing on the bill.

He's shut out major hospitals, physician groups, consumer advocates and organizations representing millions of patients with heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other serious illnesses.

McConnell thinks he's found a quiet way not only to repeal the Affordable Care Act but also to unravel Medicaid -- and funnel the savings to the rich.

For years, Republicans have been looking for ways to undermine America's three core social insurance programs: Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. The three constitute the major legacy of Democrats Franklin D. Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. All continue to be immensely popular.

Barack Obama's Affordable Care Act is almost part of that legacy. It's not on quite as solid a footing as the others because it's still new, and some wrinkles need to be ironed out. But most Americans support it.

Now McConnell believes he can begin to undo the legacy, starting with the Affordable Care Act and, gradually, Medicaid.

But he knows he has to do it in secret if he's to be successful.

If this shameful bill is enacted, McConnell and Trump -- as well as every Republican senator who signs on -- will bear the burden of hundreds of thousands of deaths that could have been avoided, were they not so determined to make rich Americans even richer.
The national debate over Confederate memorials requires Richmond to reconsider Monument Avenue. Mayor Levar Stoneys new commission, while well-intentioned, suffers a fatal flaw in conception. It would leave the monument district framed in a 19th century Civil War context, only adding black perspective.

I have a modest alternative proposal for my hometown  its time to ease Richmonds embrace of its Confederate past. We must re-imagine Monument Avenue, then recreate it with a grander vision for the 21st century.

To be sure, the Civil War is a singular part of Richmonds identity. Eleven Southern states chose Richmond to be the capital of their Confederacy. Hail that or damn it, that fact distinguishes Richmond from every other place on the planet. That history is inescapable. We must not forget or reject it  but neither should we be imprisoned by it.

Understandably, the Civil War dominated civic consciousness when the aging Confederate generation erected statues to their heroes along Monument Avenue from 1890 to 1929. Yet we need not accept the dead hand of their past as binding.

As Thomas Jefferson wrote to James Madison on Sept. 6, 1789: The question whether one generation of men has a right to bind another, seems never to have been started  that no such obligation can be transmitted I think very capable of proof  I set out on this ground which I suppose to be self-evident, that the earth belongs  to the living. The earth belongs always to the living generation.

***

Of course, Virginians still venerate the past. As the old joke goes, how many Virginians does it take to change a lightbulb? Three; one to replace the bulb, and two more to chat about how nice the old one was. So it is now with Monument Avenue. Its an architectural masterpiece, but Richmonds most elegant boulevard frames the citys identity through a too-narrow Confederate-era lens  one deeply offensive to many 21st century Virginians.

In 1890, the Civil Wars legacy still shone here with a blinding light  but now its only part of a longer history. Richmond is much more than the Confederate capital. We do not have to remain frozen in time. Its time to change the lightbulb and think anew.

What is the purpose of a civic monument? The highest purpose must be to memorialize those whom we honor to inspire our young, of today and tomorrow. So it should be for a renewed Monument Avenue. Instead of a memorial to the Confederacy, why not reinvent it as a tribute to great Virginians of every era? Why not add a statue of Thomas Jefferson? James Madison? John Marshall? Patrick Henry? Why not add more recent leaders  perhaps Harry F. Byrd, Oliver Hill, Mills Godwin, or L. Douglas Wilder?

Why not also emulate France, where statues are not reserved to political and military leaders, but also celebrate artists, writers, philosophers. In that vein, why not find space along Monument Avenue for, say, Edgar Allen Poe or Booker T. Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, or Tom Wolfe? The possible list is long.

***

Where would we put them all? Start reclaiming space by removing the statues of Jefferson Davis, J.E.B. Stuart, Thomas Stonewall Jackson, and Matthew Fontaine Maury.

Davis was a strident promoter of slavery. As the Confederate president, he also was a lousy chief executive. Plus, he was not a Virginian. So lets pack up his statue and ship it down to Mississippi. Maury, the pathfinder of the seas, forged a lesser legacy and casts a small shadow in the 21st century. He can go now. As for Stuart and Jackson, both Confederate generals ably served Virginia, but they were lieutenants to Robert E. Lee. We do not need a surfeit of Confederate memorials on a re-envisioned Monument Avenue. One alone will do.

We should keep the monument to General Lee. Why? First, because it is magnificent statuary, 61 feet high. Second, because the Civil War is essential to local history and should be represented. Last, because Lee was the greatest Virginian of his time.

Planters and politicians led the South to war, not military leaders. Lee a racist? He described slavery in 1856 as a moral and political evil, according to James McPherson, the Princeton University historian in his landmark 1988 Civil War study, Battle Cry of Freedom. Lee also opposed secession, as did Virginias convention to consider the question, which rejected it by a 2-1 margin on April 4, 1861.

Then came Fort Sumter on April 12. Three days later, Lincoln called for 75,000 militia to put down the Southern rebellion. That prompted Virginias convention to vote to secede. Lincoln offered Lee command of the Union army, but his loyalty to Virginia forbade it. I cannot raise my hand against my birthplace, my home, my children, Lee said, according to McPherson. Save in defense of my native State, I never desire again to draw my sword.

Draw his sword again he did  Lee defended his native state, Virginia, his homeland  against invading armies. Time and again, out-manned and out-gunned, Lees army fought off the invaders.

Few Southern defenders owned slaves; they fought for their homeland. Was it treason? Remember, 13 sovereign states formed the union. Lees first loyalty was to Virginia; the nation came second.

In 1860 those distinctions were not so clearly drawn; the limit of federal authority over states was disputed. The war settled the question, but not before Lee won unequaled respect throughout the land. Leave the Lee statue on Monument Avenue.

But lets add others. The avenue extends far west beyond the 1996 memorial to Arthur Ashe. That one expanded the scope of who deserves celebration beyond Confederate worship. Let Ashes example point the way forward. New statues need not all be big as traffic circles; some could be life-size, in small parks along the way.

This is do-able, if Virginians resolve to do it. First, however, it will require bold vision. As Daniel H. Burnham, the legendary architect behind the epic Chicago Worlds Fair of 1893, liked to say: Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir mens blood.

***

What next? Form a new joint city-state blue-ribbon commission; Mayor Stoneys is stocked too full of Civil War experts. We need broader perspective.

Split the costs between city, state, and private donors, for the re-imagined avenue will honor both Richmond and Virginia. Of course it will cost a lot  just as the 1890 model did. The Lincoln Memorial, the Arc de Triomphe, Egypts Pyramids  they all cost a lot. Their patrons paid the price to make a statement to the world.

What statement does Richmond wish to make with Monument Avenue? The commission should solicit nominations for memorials from the public, historians, architects, and experts of every stripe. Then set deadlines. It will take years, but getting it done will require a firm action plan with dates.

Lets do it. Fire up your imaginations and ambitions, Virginians. Lets make Monument Avenue great again, (to borrow a phrase.) Lets build a grander boulevard for the 21st Century. Let this become the face that Richmond, Virginia, shows the world.
FREDERICKSBURG  In retrospect, the summer of 1990 was a hinge moment for people who value Civil War history.

That April, a Washington Post op-ed called for a national initiative to identify threatened battlefields and create alliances and guidelines to protect them.

That June, on the 127th anniversary of the Battle of Brandy Station, historian Brian Pohanka stood atop the Culpeper County battlefields Fleetwood Hill and fretted about a particular threat to its future.

Some kid a hundred years from now is going to get interested in the Civil War and want to see these places, Pohanka told a reporter from The Washington Post. Hes going to go down there and be standing in a parking lot. Im fighting for that kid.

Looking spit and polish, he wore a Union officers uniform but was up against a California builder  the 14th largest developer in the United States  who had just spent $21 million to buy 5,300 acres at Brandy Station.

Somehow, Pohanka and his associates eventually prevailed, although that fight over developing Brandy Station wouldnt be the last. Today, visitors there enjoy 2,159 untrammeled acres on the cavalry field that opened 1863s Gettysburg Campaign.

Preservations saga there spans nearly three suspense-filled decades and fills several chapters of the just-published Fighting the Second Civil War: A History of Battlefield Preservation and the Emergence of the Civil War Trust.

Brandy Stations champion, Virginia historian Clark Hall, has been involved in every dramatic moment at the battlefield, from before Pohanka crested that hill to the present day.

Hall praises the well-illustrated, 22-chapter chronicle written by Bob Zeller as being without equal.

 Fighting is a masterpiece, Hall said. And most importantly, the book conveys enormous credit and purpose to its noble topic  battlefield preservation  and to those who have directly labored in the trenches.

Experts who have read Zellers tome said it offers an excellent look at the origins and growth of national efforts to preserve some of the Civil Wars historic ground.

As one who was deeply involved in the earliest phase of this phenomenon, I can attest to Zellers evenhanded and accurate handling of many complicated, politically charged episodes, Gary Gallagher, a professor at UVa and director of its John L. Nau III Civil War Center, said last month.

The book also serves as a reminder, at a time of increasing conflict regarding the Civil Wars memorial landscape, of the difference between history and memory and of the need to engage with our past, warts and all.

The author, when questioned, is almost as passionate about why Civil War sites are worth preserving as Hall or Pohanka, an Alexandrian who died of cancer in 2005.

This matters because a whole generation sent their 18- and 19-year-old boys to war in the greatest of hopes. And the slaughter, suffering and sacrifice that happened on the Civil Wars battlefields goes beyond comprehension, Zeller said. If we dont save the places where things happened, we lose touch with that history, with ourselves and our steering mechanism for the future  the gyroscope that keeps our society on course.

But Zeller, backed up by studies, also said that saving battlefields preserves green space and stimulates local economies through heritage tourism.

Its not just memorialization for the sake of memorialization, he said. Its smart. Its smart government.

History made here

Many of the major events described in the book  whole chapters worth  played out in the Fredericksburg area.

Its where what became the Civil War Trust was born in 1987, an idea hatched by historian Donald Pfanz after he watched a preservation fiasco unfold at Fairfax Countys Chantilly battlefield. The trusts predecessor  the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites  had its first offices on Caroline Street.

At 448 pages, the book is packed with surprising, never-told detail  the secrets, successes, failures and heartaches of what became a comprehensive national effort.

Readers will learn how Robert Mrazek, a history-loving New York congressman (and later novelist), guided by Fredericksburg historian Robert Krick  who he jokingly termed his puppet master  helped save hundreds of acres here, at Manassas and elsewhere. Krick calls Mrazek the best friend imaginable to battlefield preservation everywhere.

Zeller interviewed more than 50 participants and dug nuggets from news coverage, personal archives, court cases and government records.

In vivid scenes, readers witness history in the making:

Capitol Hill testimony by Jody Powell, President Jimmy Carters former press secretary, in 1988 during which Virginia activist Annie Snyder wept. Television cameras took note, which helped change hearts and minds amid a bitter fight over a regional shopping mall on the Second Manassas battlefield. Zeller calls Snyder the Babe Ruth of the movement because she was on the winning side of so many fights over nearly a half century.

Ron Cogswell, the Civil War Trusts chief operating officer, praying in a Washington churchs historic Lincoln pew to guide the groups 2006 bid to buy Slaughter Pen Farm, soul of the Fredericksburg battlefield.

The day in 1994 when historian Gary Gallagher rebuked colleague Wilson Greene for churlish responses to foes of the Disneys America theme park in Prince William County, including Annie Snyder. She had been a major figure in battlefield preservation and should not be treated as a cranky old woman, Gallagher wrote Greene.

The candlelit 2002 rally in Spotsylvania County, with snow falling on the courthouse steps, where residents urged county supervisors to reject a new town proposed on the First Day of Chancellorsville battlefield along Virginia 3.

The moment in 2005 when Franklin, Tennessee, Mayor Tom Miller took a sledgehammer to a Pizza Hut as locals partnered with the trust to reclaim part of an urban battlefield where a tragic Confederate attack had dwarfed Picketts Charge.

Preservationist Johnny Mitchells handshake bargain with builder Tim Welsh at a local John Deere dealership, which saved the 104-acre Latimers Knoll tract on the Fredericksburg battlefield, and presaged the record-setting $12 million Slaughter Pen Farm acquisition that followed in 2006.

The 2011 courtroom face-off in Orange County between residents, Walmart lawyers and Friends of the Wilderness Battlefield that persuaded the mega-retailer, at the 11th hour, to drop its plan to build a SuperCenter on that battlefield.

The pivotal 1988 debate on the U.S. Senate floor between Arkansas Dale Bumpers and colleagues skeptical of intervening to save the Stuarts Hill tract at Second Manassas destined for a regional shopping mall. Congress seized the mall land, which a Northern Virginia developer was busily bulldozing as lawmakers argued. The federal taking, only the third ever after actions at Mount Vernon and Redwood National Park, cost $134 million. Reaction to that big tab spawned a congressionally chartered commission and a blue-ribbon study, hatching policies and a federal program that still guide battlefield preservation today.

Local efforts essential

But hard-won victories wouldnt happen without local feet on the street, and Zeller credits the many colorful characters who have figured in those battles. Among local preservation groups, he gives high marks to Franklins Charge in Tennessee, the Princeton Battlefield Society in New Jersey, and the Central Virginia Battlefields Trust in Fredericksburg.

When CVBT, a small all-volunteer group, pledged to raise $1 million toward buying Spotsylvanias Slaughter Pen Farm, its early commitment helped persuade the Civil War Trusts board to swallow hard and approve the huge purchase.

Zellers anecdotes also reveal how preservation issues can erode friendships, fracture coalitions and threaten careers.

When National Park Service historian John Hennessy guided preservationists across Chancellorsvilles First Day battlefield and told them its degradation was an outcome we cannot blithely accept, the tracts would-be developer complained to a congressman. In punishment, Hennessy briefly found himself contemplating a transfer to Arizonas faraway, seldom-visited Tuzigoot National Monument.

Sometimes, infighting

Preservation is hard, said historian Dennis Frye, one of the eight founders of the Association for the Preservation of Civil War Sites. It requires patience, persistence and promotion, and ceaseless vigilance. And often its ugly. I experienced disagreement and downright nasty fights, even among allies.

Famed historian and author Ed Bearss and Civil War Trust President Jim Lighthizer, for instance, are among those who take a few lumps in Zellers tome, making it a real book, the author said.

Nasty indeed were the disputes during the 1999 merger of the trust and APCWS, which had become counterproductive rivals. APCWS racked up many successes, but also accumulated debt.

Yet today, Gallagher, the Civil War scholar  who was president of APCWS for its first years  marvels at how the trust is light-years from the group he co-founded.

I would not have forecast, as a member of the original board back in 1987, that the organization would be anywhere near where it is now, Gallagher told Zeller.

According to the latest issue of the trusts magazine, Hallowed Ground, 201,839 donors have made 1,632,826 gifts totaling $188.88 million. In recent years, at the urging of Congress, the nonprofit created a standalone effort  Campaign 1776  to save War of 1812 and Revolutionary War sites.

The issue profiles preservation legends including Pfanz, Mrazek, Bearss and Lighthizer. In Memoriam items laud leaders who have died, including Pohanka, Bumpers, Snyder, Powell, U.S. Sen. James Jeffords and journalist Deborah Fitts, Clark Halls wife.

All told, since 1987, the trust and its Fredericksburg predecessor have saved 46,355 acres on Civil War and Revolutionary War battlefields in 24 states. The largest fraction, 24,350 acres at more than four dozen sites, is in Virginia, the conflicts most fought-over ground.

But preservation is more than mere acreage, the trusts chief said.

Weve learned a lot since the early days, that preserving hallowed ground isnt just about the land itself, but about teaching future generations of the defining events of our nation, Lighthizer said.

And as we preserve the fields where our forefathers fought and died, we decided we ought to write our own history as well, because its really a story worth telling.
EDUCATION

Megan Coulter has been named registrar at Jefferson College of Health Sciences.

Carol Mullen, a professor of educational leadership in Virginia Techs School of Education, received the 2017 Living Legend Award from the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration.

Tom Hammett, associate dean of academic programs and professor of sustainable biomaterials in Virginia Techs College of Natural Resources and Environment, has been appointed visiting professor at the Agriculture and Forestry University in Nepal.

The Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation at Virginia Tech announced promotions to research assistant professor for the following: Christopher Headley, Hume Center; Vuk Marojevic, electrical and computer engineering in the College of Engineering; Deepam Maurya, Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science; and Brigitte Scott, College of Agriculture and Life Science Extension office. Daniel Catlin, fisheries and wildlife conservation in the College of Natural Resources and Environment, was promoted to research associate professor.

FINANCIAL

Carter Bank & Trust has hired three new executive officers: Bradford Langs, chief strategy officer; Matthew Speare, chief information officer; and Wendy Bell, chief financial officer.

LAW

Brian Mack has joined the Shaheen Firm PC in Blacksburg as an associate attorney, focusing in real estate law.

REAL ESTATE

Realtor Roy Enslow has joined Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Smith Mountain Lake Real Estate.

Darin Greear, a Long & Foster Real Estate sales associate based in Blacksburg, ranked 219th among real estate agents nationwide based on transaction sides in 2016 on REAL Trends annual The Thousand list.

Long & Foster Real Estate announced the appointment of six new sales associates in the Roanoke/Botetourt offices: Jackie Kinder, Clay Kinder, Cindy McDaniel, Gayle Upson, Cheryl Cowher and Manisha Hall.
BLACKSBURG  Developer Justin Boyle has spent most of his life on the north end of town, an area he said most people gloss over when they talk about the construction boom happening on and around Virginia Techs campus.

Hes hoping to change that, though hes not the first to see the potential.

South Main Street has long been dotted with construction signs, as the area has grown up around the university. But now, as that end of town nears capacity, more and more builders are looking to the other Main Street.

Boyles general contracting business, Green Valley Builders, is working on two new developments along North Main Street  worth what he said is a combined $20 million  called Uptown and Uptown Village.

Uptown is a mixed-use development he hopes will one day host a restaurant, yoga studio, office space and condos.

Uptown Village, meanwhile, is a separate upscale residential neighborhood across the street. Plans call for a total of 81 bedrooms split across 13 duplexes.

The project is one of the biggest by the development company, which Boyle runs with his brother, Jason Boyle, brother-in-law, Ben Price, and fourth partner, Pat Bixler.

The business started in 1997, specializing in custom homes and other residential projects. Its the same group that has spent almost a decade building out the large Mount Tabor Meadows neighborhood.

Now, Green Valley is looking to get involved in commercial and mixed-use developments with an emphasis on the north end of Blacksburg.

Theres a huge population down here, Boyle said. If you want to get a cup of coffee youve got two options: Carol Lee [Donuts] or you can go to 7-Eleven. Thats it.

But that could be starting to change.

Green Valleys projects are taking shape as Virginia Tech continues to grow by an estimated 5,000 students over the next several years, stressing an already crowded housing market. A recent town-commissioned study identified the north end of town as one possible place with space for growth.

North Main LLC has already built an extended-stay hotel there. LandPro Development Group LLC has proposed a 675-bedroom apartment complex known as The Lofts, though that project has been sidelined amid public backlash. Pinnacle Construction, meanwhile, is working on a 144-unit low-income housing complex on nearby Givens Lane.

Nearby, developer David Hagan continues to mull how to use the old Blacksburg High School property along Patrick Henry Drive, which he recently agreed to buy from Montgomery County for $3 million.

Hagan has discussed using the 36-acre site for senior housing or single-family homes. Hes also talked about leaving the existing building in place, if it can be remodeled for another purpose.

And now, Green Valley is joining in on the growth. Boyle said activity is beginning to pick up, but theres still a unique opportunity to get in early on a high growth market.

Being a longtime Blacksburg resident, I just dont think anyone has ever given much credit to the north end of town, he said. They just kind of consider it bare. But I think everyone just forgets there is a large population of residents and students who live on that side of town.

Uptown Village, the 3-acre duplex neighborhood, is still seeking all the necessary town approvals before construction can begin. The development, located near the intersection of North Main and Whipple Drive, will cater to young families with low-density construction, walking trails and recreation areas.

Meanwhile, the first phase of the Uptown mixed-use complex is almost ready to open.

Right now, Uptown features three buildings around 1520 N. Main St. Theres a multi-tenant space that already houses Classic Floors of Virginia, Kibbles on Main and Green Valleys own offices.

In Balance Yoga has claimed one of the new buildings and will be moving in on July 5.

Justin Boyles wife, Nicole Boyle, has owned that downtown studio since 2013. She said the new space will double the size of her business, allowing her to run multiple classes at the same time.

The facility features more meeting spaces, an improved retail area, larger locker rooms, upgraded heating elements for hot yoga classes and steel beams in the ceiling to host aerial yoga, which involves hanging from silk cloths.

After the reopening, Nicole Boyle said In Balance will be the biggest yoga studio in town.

This gives us the option of having a yoga basics class happening in that small room while a heated class is happening here, Nicole Boyle said. Theres parking and flow and space for a teaching school. Its a lot more opportunities.

The other completed building will be leased by Main Street Veterinary Clinic. Owner Dr. Laurie Halkowich said her staff has been working out of a converted home down the street, so the new space will offer some much needed elbow room.

Green Valley is still looking for a tenant, preferably a restaurant, to fill a fourth new building. It will be about 7,000 square feet and will sit along North Main Street. Construction will begin whenever someone claims the spot.

Finally, work is already underway for the fifth building in the development. The 24,000-square-foot space will be split evenly between commercial space and 19 condos. It will feature underground parking for residents.

Theres a lot of work to be done on the developments, but Boyle said it has the potential to bring some much needed amenities to the part of town he knows best.

We grew up in the north end of town. We watched this property sit forever, Boyle said of the site he chose for his companys major push into mixed-use development. People always kind of neglect this end of town in terms of, Oh its the north end of town, theres nothing down there.
I am a 37 years old. I live with multiple chronic health conditions and disabilities. I have encountered situations in our healthcare system that to the uninitiated would seem unimaginable.

My family and I have endured incredible trials and tribulations as we have fought with insurance companies to obtain the most basic of services and equipment in our attempts to ensure that I was able to access life-sustaining treatments and care

Medicaid has saved my life. Medicaid ensures that my medical needs are covered. Medicaid enabled me to access essential health services as the only insurance available to me.

Medicaid is certainly imperfect. However, cutting $800 billion to basic medical care is scary. People with disabilities and children in low-income families have Medicaid as their lifeline.

The frank reality is, under this Senate health care bill, my health will deteriorate rapidly. Other people with disabilities, particularly those with mobility issues, will be forced out of their homes, from their places of work and into nursing homes to wither and die.

I call on my fellow Nebraskans and my Sens. Ben Sasse and Deb Fischer to meet with other advocates in the disability community and me to discuss the necessities of Medicaid.

Our lives depend on it.

Lynn Redding, Wood River
RADFORD  Before Graham Glynn was hired as Radford Universitys new provost, faculty members were restless early on in the search process.

Theyd been through challenges before, they said, feeling like they didnt have enough representation on search committees.

The university also has had a tough time retaining a provost since former President Penelope Kyle created the role in 2007.

So Carter Turner, the faculty senate president, voiced that concern to new university President Brian Hemphill last September. The senate members set an early morning meeting.

Hemphill wanted to be there, but there was a slight logistical problem: He was in Atlanta for an alumni event the night before the meeting.

For Hemphill, there was one solution: He awoke at 4 a.m. and made the drive to Radford to hear from the faculty senators.

Carter said the group noticed. The faculty members were grateful that hed taken the time to hear their concerns. Hemphill, too, told the group that he wanted to add two more faculty members to the provost search committee.

I wanted them to understand how important their voice is to everything we do on this campus, Hemphill said.

Thats leadership, Turner said. Thats taking our concerns seriously.

During his first year as president, Hemphill met with all 38 of the universitys academic departments. He helped secure the largest individual donation in the schools history. And, backing up what he said hed strive to do when he took the job, student retention and recruitment are on the upswing.

A new energy

There also have been challenges, such as dealing with the fallout following allegations of animal abuse and reports of racially charged incidents on campus following the 2016 presidential election.

But where Hemphill sits now  weathering the challenges, creating some successes  has been a result of working on what he calls the one Radford family.

I feel good about the university and the work and what weve been able to accomplish, Hemphill said last month.

Hemphill also spent his first year in office developing relationships both in Radford and across Virginia in an effort to grow the university and create opportunity at a place thats battled sagging enrollment and at times an unsatisfied faculty in the last several years.

According to a biennial faculty survey conducted in April, overall confidence in administration is up. Compared to 2015, the survey showed significant jumps in faculty satisfaction on a four-point scale. Faculty members were asked about both administrative and departmental leadership.

Faculty confidence in the president based on valuing faculty opinion rose from a 2.32 to 3.78 rating, being satisfied with the presidents leadership rose from 2.57 to 3.88 and confidence in the presidents abilities to meet the needs of Radford University went from 2.79 to 3.81.

Turner said the relationship and atmosphere that Hemphill has cultivated has come from transparency and communication with people on campus.

During one of Hemphills first meetings with the faculty senate, he told faculty members that they might not always agree, but he would always explain his decisions and listen to their concerns.

Hes gotten us all on the same page and helped us find a common direction here, Turner said. Its a good time to be part of this family.

Kenna Colley said shes noticed a new energy on campus. Radfords College of Education and Human Development dean said shes getting almost daily calls from the president and that hes taken a substantial interest in whats going on in the college and around campus.

She said she was particularly struck by how Hemphill responded to a March car crash that involved two Radford students near Richmond.

Hemphill stayed in constant contact with Radford Athletic Director Robert Lineburg when sisters Maya and Malina Richardson were severely hurt in the crash. Lineburg visited them and their family at the hospital soon after the crash, and Hemphill relayed their condition to those he met with in meetings following the crash.

Another of Hemphills early actions was to develop a leadership council of administrators on campus that has led to rich discussions on managing enrollment and assisting faculty in the universitys core teaching mission, Colley said.

Hes already added several other members to his administrative team, such as Vice President for Enrollment Management Kitty McCarthy. In a recent interview, Hemphill touted her work on the goal of increasing Radfords recruitment and retention numbers.

The university is currently at a 77.9 percent retention rate for next fall, which represents a 3 to 4 percent improvement, he said. The fall to spring retention rate also increased 2 percent from the previous academic year. That comes after Radford picked up a record 14,443 applications for fall 2017.

Some 2,000 applicants have paid deposits, which give some indication how many freshmen will likely come to Radford next fall. Not all of those applicants will end up coming, but last fall the university had 1,751 newly enrolled freshmen, according to the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia.

Off-campus work

Radford Mayor Bruce Brown said he already asks a lot of Hemphill, particularly in terms of getting the president involved in city economic development.

He understands that the city and the university are both best served through cooperation, Brown said.

Brown said that Hemphill has made calls to prospective businesses in an effort to draw them into the city. Brown did not disclose the names of those businesses.

Hemphill said his involvement in that way is just natural.

Part of being part of a community is community service, he said. And reaching out to businesses is one way to let them know they have a university partner that has very capable faculty, very capable staff that are part of this community and that can help make them successful.

Hemphill also has helped bring additional private donations to Radford, with about $11 million compared to about $8 million last year.

The single largest individual gift, from longtime school benefactors Pat and Nancy Artis for $5 million, was one major reason for the boost in fundraising.

In a phone interview from Colorado where they live, the couple said Hemphill first approached them before he started as the schools president to gauge what they cared about, Nancy Artis said.

The couple had dinner with Hemphill in April and told him about their experiences as first generation college students. They also mentioned they wanted to make a gift that would last and make college affordable.

By August, Hemphill invited them to another dinner where he pitched a gift that would fund 67 $3,000 scholarships for the renamed Artis College of Science and Technology.

That was the first time weve ever been asked for a gift that was so comprehensive, Nancy Artis said. He looks to see where there are matches for desires of potential donors or entities and where Radford University could benefit.

Based on conversations the Artises have had with Hemphill and other donors, theyre confident the president and the rest of the advancement staff can bring in more large gifts like theirs.

We were the first ones to come to fruition, Pat Artis said. But there will be more.

Outgoing university board of visitors Rector Christopher Wade credited Hemphills outlook and direction in helping Radford face the challenges of being a regional university in a state where the graduating high school population has dropped during each of the last five years.

He was a fantastic hire, Wade said. I believe every university needs the right person and the right time. He is 100 percent the person for Radford University, and Im very excited for the future of Radford.

The future

Hemphill said hell continue to work on the goals he outlined when took the job:

boosting enrollment;

strengthening the universitys brand;

identifying academic areas of excellence and making financial investments in the academic core;

raising retention and graduation rates;

and increasing philanthropic giving.

One year in, there is also a question Hemphill already gets: When will he move on to another challenge? He was hired on a five-year contract that paid an annual base salary of $350,000 plus $100,000 of deferred compensation.

If Hemphills leadership quickly delivers a sustained larger enrollment and endowment, how long will he stay?

At Northern Illinois University earlier in his career, there was a running bet that Hemphill would be gone from his post in student affairs to take a new job in less than four years, he said. He was at the university for eight years.

And for anyone who thinks hell leave Radford soon, they might not want to make the same wager because theyre going to lose some resources, he said.

Im very happy with this opportunity to be able to serve Radford University, Hemphill said. When I think about my future, I see my future at Radford University.
Dominion Energy Inc. is searching for sites in Virginias coalfields region to build a hydroelectric facility as a result of a new law that went into effect Saturday.

Bills carried by lawmakers from far Southwest Virginia would fast-track hydroelectric pumped storage facilities in the coalfields by declaring such energy projects in the public interest and allowing electric utilities to petition the state to recover the costs of their investments once a facility is operable.

But the bills by state Sen. Ben Chafin, R-Russell, and Del. Terry Kilgore, R-Scott, start another conversation. The lawmakers pitched building a pumped storage facility in an abandoned coal mine  something thats never been done before.

Virginias coalfields region of Lee, Scott, Buchanan, Wise, Russell, Tazewell and Dickenson counties and Norton have seen dozens of mines shuttered as the coal industry has waned.

Local tax revenue has dwindled and many residents have left in search of jobs elsewhere, a trend thats predicted to continue for the next two decades.

The bill sailed through Virginias General Assembly as a way to bring new tax revenue and jobs to the coalfields.

The coalfields legislators also have suggested a revenue-sharing model so a pumped storage facility in one locality spreads wealth to the rest of the region.

This month, the lawmakers will meet with local boards of supervisors to discuss the benefits of a pumped storage facility and answer any questions they may have, Chafin said.

Pumped storage facilities have two separate reservoirs. During peak electricity times, the water flows from the top reservoir to the bottom  powering turbines and creating energy along the way.

During non-peak hours, the water in the bottom reservoir is returned to the top, sometimes with the help of renewable energy sources like wind or solar power.

Usually, the electricity produced at pumped storage facilities is funneled to customers during peak energy times, such as during extremely hot or cold weather.

Appalachian Power Co. operates the dams at Smith Mountain and Leesville lakes, a pumped-storage facility called the Smith Mountain Project thats been in operation since 1966. Dominion has operated the much larger Bath County Pumped Storage Station since 1985.

In scouting sites for a pumped-storage facility in the coalfields, Dominion representatives are viewing a variety of locations  abandoned coal mines and others, said spokesman David Botkins.

Everythings on the table, he said. Nothings being ruled out. The abandoned coal mine idea is a really interesting one.

Dominions project is in its infancy as the utility company searches for suitable sites.

But Botkins said a pumped storage facility in the coalfields would be smaller than the companys Bath County facility, which can create 3,000 megawatts of energy  enough to power 750,000 homes.

The project could easily cost upward of $1 billion, Botkins said. That money would, in part, translate to new tax revenue, and construction of the facility would create both temporary and permanent jobs.

But flipping the switch on a new pumped storage facility could be a decade out with all the complexities involved with planning, permitting and construction, Botkins said.

The legislation that went into effect Saturday streamlines the process for a privately owned energy company to receive a public interest designation for a project, Chafin said.

Normally, public interest designations are reserved for publicly owned utilities, he said.

On the federal level, Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Salem, has filed a related bill that reduces regulations that slow down the permitting process for closed-loop pumped storage facilities.

Essentially, Griffiths bill cuts the water studies required for open-loop pumped storage facilities because they are connected to naturally flowing water sources.

Closed-loop facilities haul in water instead of interfering with local water sources, making such environmental regulations unnecessary, Griffith said.

Anything the federal government can do to reduce nonessential regulations and costs on these pumped storage projects, the more likely it is that they will come to fruition, Griffith said.

The bottom line is  were taking an asset thats sitting there, infrastructure thats sitting there unused and turning it into a positive for the community, he said.

About a year ago, the coalfields delegation had a brainstorming session to come up with ideas that could be game-changers for the struggling region.

Thats when the lawmakers decided to stick to with energy production  what Southwest Virginia does best, Chafin said.

We feel the people of the region have for a good many years understood how to produce energy and how to produce raw material to create energy with, so we just feel like this is going to be a really good fit, he said. We hope to see one or more of these built.

Rough estimates suggest building a hydroelectric facility could create about 1,000 construction jobs during the multiyear process and about 50 permanent jobs, Chafin said.

Dominion also opened the Virginia City Hybrid Energy Center in Wise County in 2012, which has a net generating capacity of 600 megawatts of electricity, mostly through burning coal but with 20 percent from biomass fuel.

Unlike Dominion, Appalachian Power Co. has no current plans to build a new pumped storage facility, said company spokesman John Shepelwich.

Appalachian Power is experiencing relatively flat growth and isnt in need of the amount of energy a pumped storage facility would provide, he said.

From our point of view, certainly we would encourage anything that would help develop the economy in the coalfields area, he said. But at this point, were not looking at that kind of development.
RACINE COUNTY  Some family businesses are lucky to survive in one location, but few expand to three locations within six years.

Ralph Malicki, owner of two Malickis Piggly Wiggly locations in Mount Pleasant and Oak Creek, considers himself fortunate to run his businesses alongside his two sons, Alex and Ben.

Its very exciting for me, as a father, to be working in the same business as my (sons), said Ralph, of Raymond. Its special because its a family operation.

Alex Malicki, 26, the older of the two sons, started working at Pick n Save at 16 and moved on to his fathers Mount Pleasant store, 5201 Washington Ave., when it opened in 2011. He ended up becoming general manager of the location, but never imagined running his own.

That was until the Midwest branch of Piggly Wiggly offered Alex a store located at 921 W. Racine St., Jefferson, back in January. He renovated it starting on Feb. 26 and converted it into a Malickis Piggly Wiggly and had a grand opening on March 29.

Before the store, to be honest, I didnt know what I wanted to do, Alex said. He has a degree in supply chain management from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, but switched his major several times before settling.

Alex is doing things largely on his own, but Ralph has spent the past several months regularly checking in on his sons store and offering advice.

We see ideas out there that come here (to the Mount Pleasant and Oak Creek stores), Ralph said, and some here that need to go over there.

The Jefferson location has Alexs own flair, such as different music than his fathers stores and a marquee outside the store that has a new joke on it every week. As a result of the changes, the store has been doing well, Alex added.

Sensory experience

Although the store in Jefferson was a pre-existing Piggly Wiggly and one of two grocery stores in Jefferson, there was a good deal of financial risk involved, Alex said. As part of the renovations, new energy-efficient lights were installed, floors were stripped and waxed, the building was painted and landscaping was done.

Im finding the entire grocery industry is being forced to update, Alex said.

He noted that in the wake of Amazons multibillion-dollar buyout of Whole Foods, the future of grocery stores is looking up because they offer something more tangible than online shopping  something even the online retail giant has apparently picked up.

People come to grocery stores for the experience now, Alex said. How can (customers of) a behemoth like Amazon, where you just click everything on a computer, sample anything? They cant.

As for future expansion of the Malickis brand, Ralph said he and his sons will look at any opportunity that comes up. The brand itself is set to be inherited by Alex and Ben in the future.

We are a team, Alex said. Its not about one person getting head of another. Its about us working as a team and building our stores both in and outside the community.
CALEDONIA  Longtime Caledonia business Arbees Liquor has its sights on a new location.

But when the time comes to finally move, the stores staff wont be lugging cases of wine, spirits and beer very far.

The Caledonia Plan Commission recently recommended that village trustees allow the business to transform the long-abandoned gas station at 4542 Douglas Ave. into a 4,200-square-foot storefront.

Under the plan, Arbees, which currently rents the building next door at 4606 Douglas Ave., would redevelop the 2,040-square-foot convenience store that remains on the property, adding an L-shaped addition of about 2,150 feet, Caledonia Village Engineer Tony Bunkelman said.

They are going to put a new facade on it so it is going to look modern and updated, Bunkelman said of the existing structure.

The owner of Arbees Liquor, Rupen Patel, who purchased the gas station property through a limited liability company in August, said Tuesday that the fuel tanks had already been removed.The canopy would be removed as well, as part of the redevelopment, he said.

Part of the plan is to further develop the property, and to really uplift Douglas Avenue with a state-of-the-art, modern building, Patel said.

Although redeveloping a blighted gas station might seem like a big undertaking, Patel said the property offered a good opportunity for the business to move right next door.

You dont get that opportunity a lot, he said.

Village President Bob Bradley, who serves as the chairman of the Plan Commission, praised the plan.

It is going to be 100 times better than what it is now. Bradley said.

The plan still needs Village Board approval.
Dear Editor,

Re: U.S. and climate change

Your comment Niuveve is very ill-informed on many levels.

So what are you saying? Samoa should shut up about international issues?

Why then should Samoa even participate in international forum?

Why regain control of our sovereignty and independence if we do not have a voice in the world we all share?

Yes, China is one of the large emitters contributing to global carbon emissions, but in terms of per capita the U.S.A comes on top.

China did not drop out of the Paris Agreement, U.S.A did.

So what if China is lending a helping hand to Samoa in the form of loans?

I dont see the U.S.A government stepping up to give us loans.

China is now leading the world in renewable energy technology production and is making moves to achieve its renewable energy targets.

Climate change is not only an international issue, it is a domestic problem for all Samoans. More than 70% of our population lives along the coastal area and they will be impacted.

In speaking out against Trump, Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa was doing exactly the thing she was elected to do, in her capacity as the Minister for Natural Resources and Environment.

She is also the Deputy Prime Minister and she has every right to speak.

Perhaps you need to redirect your attention to the fact that the U.S.A is also loaning from China. #Justsaying.

Richard Crichton
Dear Editor,

Re: Desperation or just lacking prudence

Yes the Samoa government is obviously desperate and clearly lacks prudence. We see it daily in Samoa unless your eyes are painted on your face or you are deliberately looking the other way or you got an education (multiple degrees) and yet acting dumb.

We have a stubborn P.M. that has long passed its used by date.

But the stubborn P.M. keeps inviting himself into power without a single vote.

The stubborn P.M. and His cohorts who live off the debt live like they are in Disneyland while the rest of poor Samoans are scraping the earth and scouring the sea for any food to eat or begging.

There are many, many Samoans who lack the basic needs (water, electricity, education, food) and have not benefited from the $2billion debt.

The desperate government is now taxing the Faifeaus which really is indirectly taxing the poor people of Samoa who donate their hard earned talas every Sunday.

Heres my solution:

(1) Reduce the government size (Parliament and all government workers) to less then a quarter.

(2) Remove all corruption in government.

(3) Increase businesses in Samoa by promoting honesty and fairness.

But for this to happen the stubborn P.M. has to step down gracefully and allow Samoa to prosper.

Siaosi Siomia
The Police Commissioner, Fuiavailiili Egon Keil, has expressed frustrations about an old practice within the Force where officers were promoted not based on merit.

The Commissioner made the point when he fronted the Commission of Inquiry investigating suspended Assistant Commissioner Samoa Mulinuu and former Police Inspector, Luatimu Samau.

Chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice Lesatele Rapi Vaai, the Commission was appointed by Cabinet. Other members include Tavui Annie Laumea and Namulauulu Sami Leota. The government lawyers assisting the Commission are Sefo Ainuu and Alesana Tumua of the Office of the Attorney Generals Office.

Arthur Lesa is representing Samoa Mulinuu while Luatimu Samau is standing in prose.

The Commission is looking into the conduct of Samoa Mulinuu in handling of the criminal matter against Sililoto Peneueta and his involvement in the alleged tampering with witnesses in the District Court case of Police vs Mauga Precious Chang.

During the hearing, Tavui had questioned the Commissioner over the appointment of Samoa Mulinuu as an Assistant Commissioner.

Fuiavailiili explained that the decision was made by a Panel.

He [Mulinuu] scored highly on his interview and he was recommended to Cabinet to be an Assistant Commissioner and then Cabinet endorsed it and of course the Head of States appointed him.

According to Tavui, in 2001 Mulinuu was a Sergeant; in 2003 he was an Inspector, 2012 he was a Senior Superintendent for the Criminal Investigation Division and in 2016 an Assistant Commissioner.

She questioned Fuiavailiili whether Mulinuu sat any examination so he could be promoted. Fuiavailiili explained that he was not with the Police at the time.

But from my understanding they promote some individuals without sitting any exams. I have also been told that individuals were being hired on without even going through the selection process, not going through the Police Academy as well."

So weve got serious fractures in the Samoan police when it comes to hiring and promoting individuals.

Fuiava said its an issue that became very apparent early when he joined the Force as the Commissioner.

Its something that is very dear to me because I do know there is a reason why there is a selection process. So for me there were a lot that needed to be done within the Ministry."

I believe that there are some within the organization that should have never been holding these positions. Transparency is very important to me.

Regarding the case of Mauga Precious Chang, Tavui pointed out that maybe it was the spirit of teamwork that led Samau to offer assistance to Superintendent Tuaena Lomano Paulo.

Its not like they are going to tamper or change anything, Tavui said.

The bus driver also lied and this is why Samau offered his assistance. It was not for the Precious Chang case but many drivers are riding around in the road and are not fit to drive."

So what do you think between the two leaders Samau and Tuaena is there teamwork or not? asked Tavui.

The Commissioner responded that there was absolutely no teamwork.

I think its very unusual, very suspicious and out of the ordinary that this happened."

I think its very important that you bring in other entities from outside the organization as a task force or to assist in certain circumstances and in this particular case I believe that this was not the case. Its clear interference of a serious police investigation.

Lesatele questioned the Commissioner if instructions were given for Mulinuu to re-investigate the case.

The Commissioner could not recall.

Im not sure but I know there were at some point that somebody was saying there was not enough evidence and the case should be further investigated, said Fuiavailiili.

Lesatele further questioned whether that was the opinion from the Attorney Generals Office?

No. That is what I said. There is no more investigation in this matter because when the A.G. talked and okayed it and even the QC from New Zealand it sounds to me that the investigation is complete.

But Lesatele pointed out to the Commissioner they have a report from Mulinuu indicating that instructions came from him to re-investigate the case.

Fuiavailiili denied it.

Lawyer for Mulinuu, Arthur Lesa, pointed to the evidence of Samoa and Samau the Police Commissioner instructed Mulinuu to inform Mauga of the charges against her.

He asked to review the files and then the files was provided to him. It was then that he pointed to you that there were some deficiency in the investigation then you instructed him to correct the deficiency. Do you recall this? Mr. Lesa asked the witness.

Fuiavailiili said no. The Inquiry continues.
Young people make up the majority of Samoas population but that doesnt necessarily mean theyll get much of a say in the countrys affairs.

Thats the finding of the Samoan National Youth Council (S.N.Y.C) in its latest report, which found that the interest of youth is frequently disregarded and overlooked in decision-making and leadership.

Council President, Vincent Faaofo said in the report that Youth voices - inclusive of faafafine, women, children and persons with disabilities, are one of the least heard voices in decision making processes.

He says young people are culturally silenced and excluded by the elders of their families and communities which increases their vulnerability to exploitation. Programme coordinator for the S.N.Y.C., Taimalelagi Kaisarina Salesa, said one of the key issues facing youth, particularly at a village level, is that they find it hard to engage.

Our culture is a culture of respect, how we are brought up is that we listen to our elders, you learn from your elders, she said. Very little is mentioned in how we can actually engage young people, other than listening and following the elders.

Taimalelagi said that despite youth being offered the opportunity to speak, what they say is often not valued or considered.

Its more like they are bombarded with questions, like they are not given the opportunity to actually voice out on how things should be implemented, she said.

There now needs to be a mind shift that respect is earned two ways  both ways. So if they expect the young to respect them, they need to think that they need to earn the respect of the young people as well.

The SNYC coordinator said youth also need to be given more of a say in all sectors and boards so decisions made are inclusive of young people.

What we really want to see is all these sectors like the water sector, the justice sector, the environment and agriculture sector all these sectors to actually have a seat on their boards or on their technical advisory groups allocated to a young person.

She said youth are crucial to development processes as they are the future generation who will carry the country going forward.

Despite the Governments efforts to consult more with young people in recent years, Taimalelagi said policies developed often have little recognition of youth.

She said people aged 0-to-30 years make up over 64 percent of Samoas total population and parliament needs to be more reflective of this.

I dont see anyone within our definition of youth in parliament - so between the ages of 18 and 35-years. I mean the age group Im seeing is 45 upwards, so theres just no youth representation.

I think it needs to be diverse, mixing our existing leadership, young people, people with disabilities; we need all the marginalized groups adequately represented within government spaces and within parliament.

Former Manu Samoa player and lawyer Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu said Parliament needs younger people, especially young women and faafafine."

Whether majority or minority the youth are the absolute future of Samoa. Involve youth early, empower youth early, educate and inform early. We can help and guide them rather than hoping they get it right when we die, said Fuimaono-Sapolu.

Lower the voting age

Both Taimalelagi and Fuimaono-Sapolu believe the voting age should be lowered from 21-years to 18-years.

We already have young couples at 14, 15, 16, 19 years old who have families already. And when we apply for a drivers license the minimum age is 17, youth delinquency is also at 17. These are the ages young people are starting to mature into their mental capacity and leadership capacity as well, said Taimalelagi.

Fuimaono-Sapolu said people opposed to lowering the voting age are trying to protect their positions.

Lowering the voting age shifts power. It increases the power of youth. In effect it threatens the established old men in parliament, he said.

Taimalelagi said many young people are already active citizens.

Instead of them waiting till they turn 21, you know theyre already going through life already. If theyre already off having families, working part time or trying to set up businesses, they are already active citizens, she said.

The S.N.Y.C. coordinator said however that there needs to be more mentoring of younger people into decision making positions.

Fuimaono-Sapolu said its about the inclusion of youth in the process as well as empowering young leaders for the future.

It is time that Parliament embrace youth and show it through inclusive, protective, legislation, he said.

We are living in a time where Samoa youth and Samoan elderly need each other even more as we reconcile technological advancements only understandable to the youthful mind with the humanitarian Faasamoa concepts best understood by our elders.
RACINE  Global manufacturer Foxconn has approached the citys water department about supply for a potential facility, Mayor John Dickert said Saturday.

Dickert said he didnt know exactly what the Foxconn representatives said to city Water Utility General Manager Keith Haas. But he mentioned that Foxconn, a Taiwanese company that manufactures smartphones for Apple, Sony and Blackberry, would want to pull water from several locations in the city.

Dickert added that Racine hasnt been a part of the conversation about where Foxconn will locate its facility and would like to know more information about the tech giants plans.

Given that they will need not just sewer and water, but bus service and housing, we hope that we become part of those conversations shortly, Dickert said.

Foxconn reportedly is looking at sites in Racine County for a new American manufacturing plant. President Donald Trump strongly hinted that the location would be in Wisconsin when he visited the state in June; Racine County Board supervisors have met in closed session three times in recent weeks and have authorized a $500,000 line of credit for the Racine County Economic Development Corp.

The city provides water and sewer services to Mount Pleasant and Caledonia, two possible factory locations, as part of an intergovernmental agreement that began in 2002. The city uses funds generated from that deal for developmental projects, including the first phase of the event center project.

While he remains in the dark about the companys plans, Dickert views the potential plant as a major opportunity for the city and its job situation.

Anything that comes into the region with that many jobs is going to be beneficial to the city, Dickert said.
'ART IS AN EXPRESSION OF OUR WAY OF LIFE': Sue Langford, Sir Peter Cosgrove and Afamasaga Dr. Karoline Fuatai. (Photo: Samoa Observer)

'ART IS AN EXPRESSION OF OUR WAY OF LIFE': Sue Langford, Sir Peter Cosgrove and Afamasaga Dr. Karoline Fuatai. (Photo: Samoa Observer)

Australias Governor General, Sir Peter Cosgrove, was a special guest at the opening of the Australian Aboriginal Art Exhibition Old Masters  Australias Great Bark Artists yesterday.

Held at the Malifa Museum, the Old Masters Great Bark Artists features a selection of works from the richest collection of bark paintings in the world.

Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Education, Afamasaga Dr. Karoline Fuatai said the exhibition is for two weeks.

Our art is an expression of our identity and our way of life, therefore we are very happy to host this connection in our museum and we hope we will raise awareness among our communities and students.

The collection of Australian Aboriginal Art Exhibition Old Masters  Australias Great Bark Artists), cared for by the National Museum of Australia in Canberra, is one of Australia's great cultural treasures.

Bark painting, as practised for millennia by Aboriginal artists of Arnhem Land, in Australias north, was only recognised late in the 20th century as belonging to the great tradition of world art.

The works are literally made of the land, on bark stripped from trees and with ochres ground from the earth.

An article in the London Times in 1948 described Aboriginal painters of Australia's Arnhem Land as old masters.

At the time, bark painting was considered the quintessential form of Aboriginal art and was collected largely for its anthropological interest rather than artistic merit.

Anthropologists arrived in the region after the Second World War, and were followed by the collectors, both private and public, to see at firsthand the art of Arnhem Land, and to meet its creators and collect their work.

They took their art to new audiences, in Australia and abroad.

Over the past decades these bark painters of Arnhem Land have attracted the attention of the art world and the public at large; and subsequent generations of bark painters continue to build on this artistic heritage, while also taking their art in new directions.

The title of the exhibition is deliberately thought-provoking. Like Old Masters in the European tradition, Australia's bark painters work with a rich repertoire of established iconography, use recognised stylistic devices, pass their skills and subjects onto succeeding generations and paint in specific places that give meaning to their art.

The paintings represented in the exhibition reflect the three stylistic regions in Arnhem Land: western Arnhem Land, where figurative images predominate; eastern Arnhem Land, where the emphasis is on geometric and conventionalised imagery; and central Arnhem Land, where artists tend to combine both approaches.

Within these three stylistic regions, Old Masters explores some of the major themes of bark painting, from the ancestral realm to expressions of identity and reections on contemporary life.

This exhibition presents works from the period between I963 and 1984 by artists born before settler society encroached on their lands and cultures.

These male artists, who had the traditional responsibility for painting, were also ceremonial and clan leaders, philosophers, advocates for land rights and human rights, ambassadors and politicians.

They recognised the power of art as the most eloquent means to build bridges between Aboriginal and European society.

Their works bring Aboriginal art, one of the oldest continuing art traditions, into a new era to establish its place in the art world.

This travelling exhibition was developed by the National Museum of Australia and features reproductions of selected original works from the exhibition of the same name, which was displayed in Canberra from 6 December 2013 to 20 July 2014.

It is a tribute to the artists, to their families and descendants, and to their communities.

The Museum acknowledges the contributions of Mr. Wally Caruana, consultant curator for Old Masters, and to Professor Howard Morphy and Dr Luke Taylor.
The Samoa Housing Corporation (S.H.C.) is celebrating sweet success.

The Corporation has been awarded a Merit Award by the Association of Development Financing Institution in Asia and the Pacific (A.D.F.I.A.P.) during their 40th Annual Meeting held in China.

The award recognises consistent exercise of corporate social responsibility, in relation to the Corporations HAS Build Project II. The organisation has used the project to improve many lives of many people in Samoa.

Chief Executive Officer of S.H.C., Matautia Rula Levi, said the award also recognised their work in partnership with Habitat New Zealand and A.D.R.A. Samoa to build resilient homes for people who are in need.

The project aims to provide better, stronger homes, which are better able to withstand natural disasters, she said.

The Habitat Build Project is a venture between the Samoa Housing Corporation, Adventist Development and Relief Agency (A.D.R.A.) and Habitat for Humanity, New Zealand."

So the A.D.R.A. Samoa and Habitat New Zealand will provide the labor while we provide the money to do build the project, so we are the ones who are at risk but we dont look at it that way but instead we want to help our people who are in need."

In the past few years, there have been local and overseas awards for leadership and the achievements in the Corporation as well as recognition of their strong role in assisting their clients into affordable housing.
A delegation from Samoa will soon head to Israel for the Feast of Tabernacles.

The group will be led by Pastor Cruise Westerlund, the Director of Supernatural Fellowship Ministry.

For Pastor Westerlund, the trip to Israel comes after years of studying doctrines of faith proclaiming the importance of Israel, the Holy Land and why every Christian must support Israel.

My wife Marissa and I have purposed that one day we will visit Israel. Ps. Westerlund said.

Intrigued by how God was able to preserve the legacy of the Israelites from centuries ago and up until today that same God still keeps his covenant defending Israel for his names sake.

We knew we were destined to one-day set foot in this Historical Nation.

While Pastor Westerlund and wife Marissa were in Fiji earlier this year, they had a divine set up which led them mysteriously to meet The Fijian National Director of The International Christian Embassy Jerusalem (I.C.E.J.) Pastor Mikaele Mudreilagi.

He mentioned that while attending the Feast through I.C.E.J., he hasnt seen a Samoan representative in recent years.

As he was speaking, my heart was melting with the presence of God so thick and tangible in Gloria Jeans Cafe, I was withholding my tears because Gods presence was so strong. I heard a gentle whisper from within as Pastor Mika was sharing about his mighty exploits.

As the conversation continued, I was trying my best to hold onto my tears because it felt so indescribable, just hearing the God of Israel inviting me over to His Holy Land, that made me feel so unworthy of such a privilege.

Bible-based teachings have equipped Ps. Westerlund with the knowledge of how a believer should pray and defend Gods nation.

I accepted the invitation with all humility and I was in awe by what God had prepared for me and my wife on that day.

I wept in that cafe like a little child with no words to express how thankful and grateful I was. Only The Lord can prepare something that extraordinary!

Only he can elevate us to positions that we dont deserve. I knew from that moment on that God was inviting me and whoever that he shall summon to Israel.

Pastor Westerlund and wife Marissa were also part takers of the first I.C.E.J. Oceania Conference took place in Fiji last month.

We represented Samoa as we joined together with other delegates from the South Pacific Region during this historical I.C.E.J. Oceania conference. From there, we were verified as I.C.E.J representatives and leaders to our beloved Nation Samoa.

Pastor Westerlund said this is a very important time for Samoa.

I believe that we are living in the most important times where our support for Israel should be carried out in such a way, where tangible and verbal support should be evident.

We are happy to let you know that we have a solid number of 20 plus Samoans that are already fundraising for their fares in order to honor the call of God.

The Feast of Tabernacles starts on the 6th to the 11th of October.

We have been asked to take our National flag of Samoa in collaboration with several other nations from all over the globe to verify our support for Israel.

What you will accomplish?

This trip will strengthen and validate Samoas friendship to Israel, testify to the Jews that they have our support, will be life changing to our Samoan pilgrims walking in the Holy Land where Jesus himself walked and ministered.

We have a fundraising campaign that started already and our campaigns goal is to reach ST$100,000.00.

Funds from the campaign will be used to cover our Israel Core Teams airfares, accommodations, and registration for The Feast Of Tabernacles, 2017 all donations will be sub-divided among our Israel Core Team.

Every donation will be acknowledged in several ways. Any and every contribution will help ensure the success of our Israel trip.

I pray that The God of Israel will quicken your heart as He did mine for this trip. If you are meant to be there, he will personally confirm this invitation through someone else.

We strongly believe that something amazing and spectacular will happen in Israel this year. We believe that God Himself is personally beckoning our people to be participants of The Feast Of Tabernacles; particularly this year, 2017 is a chosen year of 50 years since a divided city.

Now, we Samoans can attend and fulfill our love to our God by showcasing our support and appreciation for Israel.

Samoan pilgrims from SNF that are attending The Feast Of Tabernacles, 2017.

1. Cruise Westerlund

2. Marissa Westerlund

3. Robert Boat

4. Irene Boat

5. Jesse Devoe

6. Faapisa Aiono

7. Sanita Ioapo

8. Launceston Wright

9. Legatasia Kuresa

10. Pati Karaiesetete

11. Debra Ualesi

12. Irae Kubik

13. Kerisiano Brown

14. Emmanuel Lemoa

15. Alexander Strickland

Additional Samoan pilgrims joining SNF Ministry for The Feast Of Tabernacles, 2017

16. Lolenese Hickey

17. Bernie Tauaanae

18. Moria Tauaanae

19. Samuelu Tauaanae

20. Rophe Tauaanae

21. Tinei Tauaanae

22. Setti Tauaanae

23. Daniel Ngg Cho

24. Tuala Francis Westerlund

25. Peata Westerlund
Two new rainforest Community Conservation Areas (C.C.A.s) were officially opened this week on Savaii.

They are the first new rainforest community conservation areas established in Samoa for several years. The 25 acre (10 Ha) Taga C.C.A. is located less than 1km from Taga while the 30 acre (12 Ha) Gataivai C.C.A. is located 5km from Gataivai.

Community Conservation Areas are an approach to conserve critical areas of forest under communal land ownership where the communities have full control over all management decisions but are supported by technical partners to develop and manage the reserves.

The C.C.A. approach builds on traditional approaches in Samoa to conserve natural resources such as tapu areas (areas that are off-limits) and seasonal bans on the harvest of birds, bats or particular fish to ensure long-term sustainability.

Development of the C.C.A.s has been done as a partnership between the village communities, the Samoa Conservation Society, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (M.N.R.E.) and the Forestry and Protected Area Management (F.P.A.M.) Project implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in collaboration with the Forestry Division of the M.N.R.E.

Funding was provided by the Global Environment Facility.

The C.C.A.s were established by the chiefs and orators of Taga and Gataivai to safeguard remnant patches of lowland rainforest.

Lowland forest is now rare in Samoa and covers less than 20% of its former area as a result of logging, agricultural activity, the spread of invasive plants and cyclones. Whatever lowland forest remains is very valuable because of its high biodiversity, especially in terms of plants and birds.

Many native birds can be seen in the C.C.A.s including pigeons and fruit doves, Samoan Broadbill, Samoan Whistler, Kingfisher and Parrotfinch as well as native skinks, snails and insects. The Taga C.C.A. also has a large colony of fruit bats (taulaga pea) in a banyan tree.

At the opening events for the two C.C.A.s Matai of both Taga and Gataivai expressed their great appreciation to the partners who supported the establishment of the two reserves and expressed their pride to conserve their biodiversity for current and future generations.

The Fono (council of chiefs) of both Taga and Gataivai have agreed on a number of rules to protect the biodiversity in the two C.C.A.s including a ban on logging, agricultural activities and shooting birds and bats.

The two villages hope to expand their reserves in the future to protect more of their rainforest and biodiversity and to plant native trees and manage invasive plants to improve the quality of the rain forest and to provide timber for village use.

Both reserves are open to the public and accessible by car or by foot along plantation roads. However, after heavy rain a 4WD may be necessary to drive to the sites.

The Taga C.C.A. has a fale, picnic table and two short trails while the Gataivai C.C.A. has an existing plantation road crossing it that is also a good walking track.

Look for the direction signs at the main coast road that mark the C.C.A.s. Please stop by, take a stroll in the forest and listen to the birds!
Pacific dialogue in Samoa initiates further steps towards critical climate change risk insurance for the region

Government officials from across the Pacific joined global experts from the private sector in a regional dialogue to discuss the role of climate risk financing in the regions resilience to climate change.

The forum culminated in an agreement to submit the idea of establishing mechanisms for insurance and risk financing dedicated to addressing climate change impacts, to the Leaders meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum.

Initiated by the government of Tuvalu, the dialogue was convened with the view of building national capacity in cost-effective risk management and exploring a dedicated climate change insurance facility for the region, an idea floated by Tuvalu to the Pacific Island Countries delegations at the UN climate conference COP 22 in 2016.

The C.E.O. of the Office of the Prime Minister of Tuvalu, Fakavae Taomina, expressed his appreciation of the response to Tuvalus initiative.

The Government of Tuvalu is very happy to receive support from the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (S.P.R.E.P.) and Australian Aid to initiate this dialogue event. We are looking at creating an institution that will look after insurance against climate change, said Fakave.

The Government of Tuvalu is very serious about the advice we received this week and the expression of knowledge, and the expression of the quality of the concept note that we are going to develop and present to the leaders.

Lizbeth Cullity, United Nations Resident Coordinator and U.N.D.P. Resident Representative said the dialogue provided an important platform to exchange knowledge, draw on the experiences of existing set ups  such as the Caribbean Risk Insurance Facility, the African Risk Capacity and the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Insurance Facility  and tease out the most suitable options for climate risk financing and risk transfer here in the region.

The impacts of climate change and related disasters cause significant setbacks, or even reverse development progress, she said.

To meet the challenges ahead, and to protect the lives and livelihoods of communities across the Pacific, it is crucial to explore all the tools at our disposal. The discussions this week highlighted that there are no current financial or insurance products to help with many climate challenges faced by many Pacific countries.

With geographical exposure and small and fragile economies, small island developing states are disproportionately exposed to climate-related shocks and disasters.

In addition, they face slow-onset events such as coral bleaching and sea level rise that threaten populations and economies. Recently, five reef islands have been washed away completely and six more have been severely eroded in the Solomon due to a combination of sea-level rise and high wave energy.

Financial products for climate resilience and risk management, such as insurance, have the ability to create long-term potential for resilient growth opportunities, in both the public and the private sectors.

Most of the insurance products to date focused on disaster-related aspects. Addressing the key climate impacts faced by the Pacific nations would require innovation, new financial products from insurance and other financial sectors, such as resilience bonds.

There are many risk factors associated with climate change that are not being covered at the moment with the instruments that are available and there is a need to look beyond insurance schemes and consider alternative financing through which finances could be made available to the Pacific island countries. explained Iosefa Maiava, Head of the Subregional Office for the Pacific of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (U.N.E.S.C.A.P.).

One of the key issues which emerged during the forum was that many countries in the Pacific countries dont have insurance presence. The insurance sector in the Pacific is small and requires strengthening, including improving its regulatory framework to enhance its contribution to building resilience in the region.

The participants asked Tuvalu to put a proposal to the upcoming Leaders meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum outlining the urgent need to start addressing the financial risks from specific climate change impacts, and explore options for a regional facility including building upon the efforts and arrangements of the Pacific Catastrophe Risk Assessment and Financing Initiative.

The participation of government officials, partners and the private sector enabled a better understanding of needs of Pacific countries and the potential contributions and limitations of insurance products.

The discussions held in Apia are a first step to explore options for risk insurance and risk sharing for climate change, an issue called for under the Paris agreement and which will be further discussed in the upcoming climate change C.O.P under Fiji Presidency.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP)  Clubgoers screamed and scrambled for cover as dozens of gunshots rang out during a rap concert in downtown Little Rock early Saturday, leaving 28 people injured from an 11-second melee that police said may be gang-related.

The volley of gunfire inside the Power Ultra Lounge came so fast that investigators believe multiple people had to have been involved. Police Chief Kenton Buckner credited quick work by first responders for there being no fatalities.

Twenty-five people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others were hurt, perhaps while fleeing, Buckner said. Two people were in critical condition Saturday afternoon. Police said officers did not have any suspects in custody.

Courtney Swanigan, 23, told The Associated Press that when the gunfire rang out, "I just closed my eyes, got down on the ground and put my hands on my head."

City officials said they would move Monday to shut down the club under a "criminal abatement" program. State regulators suspended the club's liquor license earlier Saturday and Mayor Mark Stodola said the property's manager was delivering an eviction notice.

"We know we've got to use a hammer, we've got to use a big hammer on the people who would do violence with guns and hurt people," Stodola said at an afternoon news conference.

He said the city must "keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people" and suggested that people refuse to patronize clubs that seem to promote violence. Material advertising the concert by Tennessee rapper Finese 2Tymes showed a man pointing a gun at a camera.

"A promotional video with a gun on the front cover inviting people to a concert ... should also be totally unacceptable in our community," the mayor said.

The shooting capped a violent week in Arkansas' largest city. Police had responded to a dozen drive-by shootings over the previous nine days.

"This does appear to be a continuation of disputes from some of our local groups," Buckner said. "You've seen some of the things playing out in our streets that has resulted in drive-by shootings."

The shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. about 1 mile (1.61 kilometers) east of the state Capitol building. First-responders are stationed through the central part of the city and hospitals are a quick ride away.

"We had professional people responding to that incident and they did what they were trained to do, and I know they probably had something to do with the fact we didn't have any fatalities," Buckner said. He also credited divine intervention.

Top state officials offered to help the city respond to an increasing number of incidents.

"Little Rock's crime problem appears to be intensifying," Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement. "Every few days it seems a high-profile shooting dominates the news, culminating with this morning's event. I have spoken this morning with Mayor (Mark) Stodola and I have offered both my heart felt concern over this senseless violent tragedy and state assets as needed to address the continued threat of violence in our community."

A Facebook video posted from inside the club included audio of at least 24 rounds fired in about 11 seconds. Darryl Rankin, who posted the video, said a friend of his who attended the concert with him had a bullet "stuck in his spine." Buckner said police had not yet spoken with the rapper, who he said has outstanding warrants in the state.

Calls to a number listed for Finese 2Tymes' booking agent weren't returned Saturday, but a message was posted on the artist's Facebook page offering thoughts and prayers for those injured: "THE VIOLENCE IS NOT FOR THE CLUB PEOPLE. WE ALL COME WITH 1 MOTIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND THATS TO HAVE FUN."

Police cordoned off the area as technicians collected evidence from the scene, which is near a Roman Catholic cathedral and a First United Methodist Church center. A number of worshippers gathered for a funeral at St. Andrew's while police continued their work.

Glass from the Power Ultra Lounge's second-story windows littered the ground, along with empty drink cups. In the parking lot, a silver Toyota had what appeared to be a streak of blood on the front passenger-side door.

"I'm sick of all the killing and I'm tired of all the shooting. The kids getting hurt," said Raida Bunche, who was waiting outside the club after hearing from a friend that her son had been inside. She found out later that he had run from the club when the shooting started and was not hurt.

Before Stodola announced that the city would shutter the club, officials at the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control office suspended the club's liquor license and set a July 10 hearing on three potential charges: disorderly conduct, allowing possession of weapons on the premises and "failure to be a good neighbor."

The club's license has been suspended 11 times for failing to pay taxes, and it has been cited seven times for 14 various violations including unknowingly furnishing alcohol to minors and allowing alcohol to leave the premises since 2012, ABC Director of Enforcement Boyce Hamlet said.

Arkansas lawmakers this year passed a law allowing concealed handguns in bars, with permission of the businesses' owners and if the gun permit holder completes additional training. The law takes effect Sept. 1, but the training likely won't be available until next year.
The government can never win when it talks about adding more charges on the shoulders of members of the public. Whether its justifiable or not, critics will always find a way to accuse public officials of doing everything they can to milk members of the public dry of their hard-earned money.

But then thats just the nature of the beast so to speak.

In some cases, the government deserves every bit of criticism, which comes their way. It doesnt help that over the years, we have seen so many cases of abuse, corruption, mismanagement and unaccountable use of public funds.

Now when we think about those millions that could be better collected and utilised, members of the public certainly have every right to feel aggrieved about the idea of yet another additional charge.

But there are instances where user pay charges are absolutely necessary.

And although some people say this doesnt have to happen in Samoa just yet, the idea that the government is considering parking meters is long overdue.

If you live in Samoa, you will know just how difficult it is to find parking space on Beach Road alone  let alone anywhere at some of the most popular places in town. It doesnt help that those government-owned buildings, the majority of parking spaces have been allocated to government officials so that members of the public really do not know where to park.

There is another element to this of course and that involves those annoying taxi drivers who not only slow down traffic considerably, they park everywhere and anywhere at will. Sometimes, they take up most of the parking. Its frustrating.

Which is why its such a relief to hear the Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Papalii Niko Lee Hang, hint at a government plan to install parking meters in the Apia Township.

Speaking in Parliament, Papalii said the idea is all part of a plan to better facilitate the use of public spaces in Apia.

I can say that the L.T.A [Land Transport Authority] is looking at installing parking meters in the town area and public places, he said. This will somewhat alleviate the overcrowding of public parking spaces.

The idea though is not new.

For many years now, some members of the public have been calling for such a system to free up much-needed parking spaces in town. Take a story published on the pages of this newspaper five years ago under the headline Govt. urged to fix parking issue.

The story said that parking spaces have become so limited in downtown Apia some businesses have taken to  illegally  claiming public spaces as reserved for their own customers. At the time, the government was urged to provide more parking spaces instead of just putting up more and more office buildings.

Government should seriously do something about it, a businessman said at the time. It should set up a parking area somewhere because there are so many cars in Samoa these days and people dont know where to park their cars.

The businessman said if the government insists on building more tall structures, it should also provide somewhere for people to park their vehicles.

The business source said it is unfair for many businesses already in town that now find themselves near big building projects that have not provided enough space for their own staff and others trying to shop. People working in these buildings come to work in their cars, park in areas in front of other businesses, along government roads, taking up parking spaces allocated for customers.

Lets remember that was five years ago. The number of vehicles in Samoa since then has grown dramatically. Which means that if it was bad then, we guarantee you that it would be considerably worse now.

Which is why Minister Papaliis plan is timely.

Besides, we cannot avoid what is happening everywhere around the world and that is governments moving towards a more user pay system  especially when it comes to addressing the use of public spaces.

The solution of course  if you want to avoid paying for parking  is to use public transport. But thats beside the point.

The fact is that in Apia at the moment, most of the parking spaces are being taken up by taxi drivers and public officials.

Somebody needs to put their foot down and do something.

And if it means the introduction of parking meters, so be it. The concept is simple, you park you pay. Otherwise if you dont want to pay, find somewhere else to park and free up space for someone who is willing to pay.

This will provide more money for the government  hopefully not to abuse and misuse  but to put back into fixing those roads with some being in horrendous conditions. Thats what we think anyway, what about you?

Write and share your thoughts with us.

Have a fabulous week Samoa, God bless!
The Minister of Works, Transport and Infrastructure, Papalii Niko Lee Hang, has hinted at a government plan to install parking meters in the Apia Township  and other popular public places.

The move comes after a recommendation to add another $40 to license fees for commercial and government vehicles was rejected by the Parliamentary Finance Committee.

Minister Papalii told Parliament he does not support the recommendation as well. But he said they are considering other options. And that includes parking meters.

I can say that the L.T.A [Land Transport Authority] is looking at installing parking meters in the town area and public places. This will somewhat alleviate the overcrowding of public parking spaces, Papalii said.

Another issue Papalii pointed to was the lack of cohesion between Police Traffic officers and L.T.As Traffic officers.

In conducting their duty in monitoring minor traffic offenses where the instant fines citations are issued, its clear under the law for L.T.A that they collect revenues from the fines, not the Police.

The Police are supposed to issue citations but the fines collected goes to the L.T.A.

Back to the proposal to increase the cost of commercial license by $40, the deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Finance Committee, Faumuina Tiatia Liuga said the idea is to pay for parking spaces.

This is for every vehicle including [commercial and government] vehicles added upon registration or licensing fees. Yet these parking have already been paid by the public.

As for the issues between L.T.A and the Police, Faumuina said the L.T.A is fairly new compared to the Traffic Police Officers.

The Committee is looking at the fact that Police officers are being paid under government budget and yet the government is not getting any revenue from them in terms of traffic citations, Faumuina said.

The problem is that this law needs to be updated as its outdated.

Faumuina said there is a need to connect the Police Act and the L.T.A Act to ensure the two dont clash.

L.T.A is a trading body, they operate like a business and they are also taking revenues collected by the Police. Its good but the same time, there is a need to connect these two acts.

The deputy Chairman agrees that its quite obvious the L.T.A and the Police are not working together.

The Police are the ones who investigate serious offenses or car accidents but the fines collected from these serious offenses go to the Ministry of Justice.

There is a need for the Ministry of Police and L.T.A to meet and allocate what is what, so they can work together. The concern is that its evident the Police are not issuing citations of minor offenses.

This is because these fines is collected by the L.T.A, and this is a wrong mindset. We need to correct this attitude because the revenue collection will end up in the governments purse.
Fast and convenient.

Thats the words used by Vice President of Foodlinx Inc, Joel Wienstien, to describe Talofa Airs new direct flight to Tonga.

The first flight was on Saturday with seven passengers.

Frequent traveller, Mr. Wienstien from Burlingame California, was in Samoa for business with his wife and on their way back home, took the Tonga route.

This is actually beneficial for business travelers. Our past flights to Tonga takes up almost the whole day, he said.

Its four hours from Samoa to Nadi then we wait another five hours before checking in and then there is a long line. I mean its just dreadful. But not with Talofa. We fly directly to Tonga for close to two hours. Cant beat that, can you?

The couple behind the initiative is Chief Executive Officer of Talofa Airways, Toleafoa Jeffrey and his wife, Maria Hunter. They say the flight is a milestone for Samoa.

We had chartered flights to Tonga but this is our first scheduled international flight, said Toleafoa. It takes two hours and 50 minutes to get to Tonga.

Toleafoa was ecstatic given the airline is not a year old. It already provides flights between Samoa and American Samoa.

He assured the flights to Tonga would not affect Talofa Airways daily flights between Samoa and American Samoa.

We know this route to Tonga will be a successful move for the Airline. As you can see the twin commander aircrafts which are from the United States of America is small.

But nonetheless, big achievements come from small things. These are the same aircrafts that are being utilized by the businesses and corporate companies in U.S.A and Europe to travel long distance.

They are truly capable of long flights.

He said the previous chartered flights directly to Tonga, and the flight was a bit rough due to the weather.

But other than that, it was a good flight. This airplane can fly high up to where there is ice in the clouds, thats how high this airplane can go. This Airplane has gadgets that can automatically remove the ice sticking on the plane.

Regarding the first flight out to Tonga, the C.E.O said there a total of nine people going, six passengers, including one staff, the Pilot and Co-Pilot.

He said their first flight out of American Samoa on Monday there will be nine passengers.

But it won't stop here. Talofa Air is looking at adding another route.

Our next route is to the Manua Islands and then we want to expand this service to Niue, Wallis & Futuna and other neighbouring islands.

Once the route to Tonga is stabilized, we will definitely look at flying to Manua. Thats another step the airline anticipates to take, of course there will be challenges, but this is a service.

And thats what Talofa is all about, catering to the needs of our traveling population.

According to the C.E.O, there are four scheduled flights per week - two from Samoa on Tuesday and Saturday and two from American Samoa on Monday and Friday (Sunday and Thursday Pago days).

They are available for sale for return or one-way fares.

Flights from Tonga to Samoa will be on Monday and Friday and to American Samoa these will be on Tuesday and Saturday (Monday and Friday Pago days).
The Salk Institute has hired two new faculty members, bringing expertise in immunology and mitochondrial function.

* Susan Kaech will become director of the Nomis Center for Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis.

* Gerald Shadel will join Salks Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory.

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Kaech studies how immune cells called T cells remember previous infections, so they can respond more quickly to the same infection. Shes also studied how cancer suppresses the immune response.

Shadel specializes in the roles of mitochondrial dysfunction in aging and disease. Mitochondria are cellular organelles that contain their own DNA and are best known as the cells energy producers. Unhealthy mitochondria are a factor in Alzheimers and Parkinsons diseases, as well as cardiovascular ailments.

Both currently at Yale University, they are scheduled to arrive in early 2018. While married to each other, Kaech and Shadel conduct their research independently.

Kaechs research has won her awards including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Early Career Scientist award, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, the Edward Mallinckrodt Jr. award and the Burroughs-Wellcome Foundation award.

Kaech and Shadel said they were attracted to the Salk Institute not only because of its reputation as a center of basic research, but by the scientific community in San Diego as a whole.

The scientific community is very welcoming and warm and scientifically interactive, Kaech said.

Moreover, the scientific community participates in the larger San Diego community, taking part in activities such as educational outreach, fundraising and philanthropy.

It seems to be a little bit more vibrant in the San Diego community than what Ive experienced before, Kaech said.

Likewise, the nonscientific community is interested in what San Diego scientists are doing.

So thats another kind of attraction, (the interest) seems a little bit more communitywide, Kaech said. Science is clearly on the minds of people in San Diego.

The Salk Institute itself exemplifies this collaborative spirit, Kaech said.

Great minds are there, all interacting together, she said. How they cross-fertilize each others research is very exciting, for me to be a part of that.

Shadels honors include an Amgen Outstanding Investigator award, the Glenn Foundations Glenn Award for Research in Biological Mechanisms of Aging and the Glenn/AFAR Breakthroughs in Gerontology Award.

Shadel said being located at the Salk Institute will put him in a better position to study the multiple functions of mitochondria, in part by interdisciplinary research with other experts.

I think my lab has been instrumental, along with others, to show that mitochondria are integrated into cells for other reasons in addition to the energetic functions, Shadel said.

What really excited me about the Salk was this chance to interact with really great experts in other fields and bring my research to the interface with other disciplines and really answer questions in bold new ways.

I also knew several of the people who were professors there already who are involved in the aging research realm mostly, but also others are involved in metabolism as well.

What this leads to is the power of fundamental science to help solve some of societys most pressing problems, Shadel said.

In my opinion, the most transformative types of discoveries are born out of pure basic research endeavors, and the Salk Institute has a really rich history of groundbreaking basic science, he said.

Science Playlist  On Now In a first, scientists rid human embryos of a potentially fatal gene mutation by editing their DNA On Now Space station flyovers visible from San Diego this week 0:55 On Now UCSD's 'ghost drivers' begin testing people's reaction seemingly empty cars 1:29 On Now 10 interesting facts about Mars On Now Kids can add years to your life On Now LA 90: SpaceX launches recycled rocket On Now Big passions, big giving: Malin Burnham 2:30 On Now Big passions, big giving: Darlene Shiley 2:40 On Now Big passions, big giving: Joan and Irwin Jacobs 2:45 On Now Ocean temperatures warming at rapid rate, study finds

bradley.fikes@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1020

UPDATES:

The Salk Institute has hired two new faculty members, bringing expertise in immunology and mitochondrial function. Both from Yale University, they are scheduled to arrive in early 2018 with the rank of full professor.

-- Susan Kaech will become director of the Norris Center for Immunobiology and Microbial Pathogenesis. She studies how immune cells called T cells remember previous infections, enabling them to mobilize more rapidly to subsequent exposure.

-- Gerald Shadel will join the Salks Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory. He is noted for research on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in aging and disease. Mitochondria are organelles that contain their own DNA.
RACINE  The state Department of Public Instruction is investigating Wadewitz Elementary School regarding the special education classroom in connection to a violation of a students Individualized Education Plan over the course of the 2016-17 school year.

Tom McCarthy, communication director for DPI, said the investigation started on Feb. 28 and is ongoing, but McCarthy hopes for it to be settled before the start of the 2017-18 school year.

Wadewitz, 2700 Yout St., is the only school in the Racine Unified School District that is being investigated; the investigation is based on a complaint by Nakreisha McFarland regarding her son, Keshaun Brown.

On Jan. 30, a letter sent to McFarland and Unified Superintendent Lolli Haws from Carolyn Stanford Taylor, assistant state superintendent of public instruction, gives the timeline of IEP meetings along with decisions and outcomes.

On Sept. 28, 2016, the IEP team met and agreed that Keshaun would need direct adult support during daily activities, meaning he had to be within arms reach of an adult at all times.

According to the letter, transportation services were to be provided from Oct. 3 to Dec. 7, although an assistant employed by the bus company was on the students assigned bus, the assistant was not allowed to adjust the students body position or touch the student. The transportation service as described in the Sept. 28 IEP, was not provided between Oct. 3 and Nov. 14, 2016.

A second IEP meeting was called on Nov. 3 to provide a qualified aide on the bus but the aide would not be hired until March.

On Nov. 14, Keshauns gastrostomy tube (G-tube) became disconnected and no district staff was authorized to reconnect it. On Dec. 7, the students health plan was revised to include information as to what to do if the G-tube came out.

On Nov. 28, an IEP team meeting was conducted to discuss whether the direct adult supervision required a medically trained individual. Both of the students parents attended the meeting and provided additional medical information to explain why they believe an appropriately medically trained assistant was needed to provide service to the student on the bus and during the school day, the letter states. No determinations were made during this meeting.

Racine Unified officials declined to comment specifically on Keshauns education plan. But Stacy Tapp, chief of communication and community engagement for Unified, said the district works closely with special needs families to ensure that they have the highest quality education.
At Disneyland, pirates can still drink, pillage and fight.

But the swashbuckling tradition of abducting and exploiting women is being sent to Davy Jones Locker.

Call it a sign of the times.

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The park plans to revamp a section of the popular Pirates of the Caribbean attraction that depicts a parade of women being put on the auction block  under a decidedly un-PC banner that reads Auction, Take a wench for a bride.

The auction will be replaced next year by a less offensive scene of pirates forcing the local townsfolk to give up their valuables. After all, who can be offended by a little pirate pilfering?

In the 62 years since Walt Disney welcomed his first visitors to Anaheim, Disneyland has sometimes struggled to adapt the founders version of fantasy with public sensibilities that differ from those of park visitors of the 50s and 60s.

On Tom Sawyer Island, the mock frontier rifles were removed along with the victim of an Indian arrow, who lay sprawled for years in front of a burning settlers cabin.

For several years, the skippers in the Jungle Cruise were not allowed to blast a fake revolver at the animatronic hippos in the river until visitor complaints forced Disney to re-arm the cruise ship captains and give them the green light to fire at will.

But the Pirates attraction, the last ride that Walt Disney himself helped design before he died in 1966, may have been reined in the most to conform to a more politically correct world  a tricky task given the rides original rowdy spirit.

Remember those scene of pirates chasing women throughout a pillaged town? In 1997, Disney put trays of food in the womens hands so that it looked like the pirates are lusting after the food instead of the fleeing women in their flowing gowns.

Another scene that got pitched overboard showed a pirate holding up womens lingerie while a frightened woman, apparently naked, hides in a nearby barrel.

At Disney, their specialty is scrubbing everything to be squeaky clean and palatable, said Rick Rothschild, a ride designer for Disney from 1978 until 2009. Thats the Disney way.

But Disney is not the only company that has had to change an attraction to avoid offending todays guests.

At Six Flags Over Georgia, a ride that was originally based on the Uncle Remus stories of the old South was renamed Monster Mansion in 2008. The previous name, Monster Plantation, it seems, recalled for visitors scenes from slave life on a Southern plantation.

Gary Goddard, an attraction designer who worked for Disney in the 1970s and early 80s, said that changes to rides are expected but if the modifications dont make the attraction more thrilling and fun the ride suffers.

Im not against change, he said. Im against change if it makes it bland. If it keeps the spirit of the ride and makes it more fun, Im for it.

Indeed, the Pirates ride has also been injected with some Hollywood pizzazz.

Characters from the multi-billion-dollar movie franchise starring Johnny Depp were added to the ride in 2006. An animatronic Depp, in full pirate regalia, later replaced the frightened woman in the barrel.

Its normal for theme parks to modify and upgrade attractions, primarily to increase return visits.

But Disneys Anaheim park  one of the nations oldest theme parks  faces a unique problem when rides that have been around for decades are overhauled. Hard-core fans who grew up with the attractions feel like a part of their childhood is being erased when attractions are altered.

Todd Regan, a Disneyland fan for more than 30 years and author of the Disney website MiceChat, said he received dozens of angry, even, hate-filled responses when he wrote on his website last week that he supported the removal of the bride-auction scene.

Its very interesting how some people are justifying a scene of human trafficking in an attraction, he said.

One of Regans readers responded to news of the changes by promising to boycott all Disney parks forever. No joke. With the other changes in the parks I didnt like, I accepted them and got over it, and but not this time, the fan wrote.

Scot Squires, 43, a marketing professor and Disney fan who has visited every Disney theme park in the world, described himself as a traditionalist who is still fuming that Disney revamped the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror ride at California Adventure Park to incorporate Marvel superheroes.

But Squires said he has no problem with the change proposed to the Pirates ride, saying, Times have changed and I think Disney is just trying to keep up with the changes.

The ride is among the parks biggest attractions  a popularity no doubt boosted by being the basis of the long-running Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise now in its the fifth installment. The Jerry Bruckheimer-produced films have grossed $3.7 billion worldwide.

And while some previous modifications have sparked fan outrage, they have not hurt Disneylands attendance numbers or damaged the popularity of the ride, which has welcomed more than 400 million riders since it opened, according to the park.

Martin Lewison, a theme park expert, does not expect that the latest change will hurt the Burbank companys bottom line either.

Some people will be intrigued and some disappointed and the net effect will be zero, said Lewison, a business management professor at Farmingdale State College in New York.

For its part, Disney defends its actions. Asked to comment, the company cited Marty Sklar, who helped design several of the original rides at the Anaheim park.

I cant think of a single attraction that has not been enhanced and improved, some over and over again, Sklar, 83, said in a statement. Change is a tradition at Disneyland.

Still, previous changes have not been welcomed by everyone, even within the Disney company.

Francis Xavier Atencio, a longtime Disney ride designer who retired in 1984, clearly was not happy with the changes made in 1997 when the trays of food were added to the attraction.

Nobody asked me but my reaction was this is Pirates of the Caribbean not Boy Scouts of the Caribbean, he said in an interview with D23, Disneys officials fan club. Atencio also wrote the lyrics to the rides theme song, Yo, ho (A Pirates Life for Me.)

Rothschild, who now heads a design company called Far Out! Creative Direction, said he tries to remain philosophical when an attraction he has created is modified or shuttered.

Rothschild helped design StormRider, a ride that opened in 2001 at Tokyo DisneySea and simulates flying into a storm. It was closed in 2016 and replaced with a simulator ride called Nemo & Friends SeaRider.

Even the greatest shows on Broadway eventually close, he said. Im not personally offended or have negative feelings. Times change. Audiences change.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.

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The safety of motorists, cyclists and pedestrians who use state Route 94 and its arterial streets near the Hollywood Casino continues to be compromised, says county Supervisor Dianne Jacob.

In a news conference Friday on land overlooking the Jamul casino, Jacob said rural Route 94 has become more dangerous since the casino opened in October.

Jacob said she was frustrated at delays by the California Department of Transportation in making promised improvements to the two-lane freeway and accused the agency of shirking its responsibilities.

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She also chastised the states Alcoholic Beverage Control board for granting the casino an interim liquor license before the road improvements were completed.

California Highway Patrol statistics show 99 reported collisions on Highway 94 between October and May, with 39 of those causing injuries.

Jacob said that from 2011 until 2015, the same road averaged 92 collisions a year, with an average of 38 causing injuries.

This casino represents a clear and present danger, Jacob said. A danger to motorists, and one of the major reasons we fought this development for so many years.

Jamul Indian Village Tribal Chairwoman Erica Pinto said the tribe remains deeply concerned about the safety of our neighbors and our visitors to the casino.

She said the tribe has committed more than $120 million to focus on public safety, law enforcement, transportation and fire fighting for the area.

Pinto said that the CHP has not linked an increase in DUI collisions to the casino and notes the increase in alcohol-related traffic incidents (both accidents and arrests) began several years before the casino was constructed.

She said reports show a spike began in 2014 and 2015 following a low point in 2013.

Our casino cannot be to blame for this trend, Pinto said.

She acknowledged the road needs to be improved and said the tribe is committed to paying $23 million for road and transportation improvements in the area.

A statement from Caltrans notes improvements on state Route 94 are being done in two phases. The first will be completed soon, and it includes widening the highway and adding traffic signals to two nearby arterial streets.

A second phase of improvements will begin early next year, the statement said.
In The Hello Girls, San Diego historian Elizabeth Cobbs tells the story of 223 American women sent to France during World War I to operate the eras most advanced communications technology: the telephone.

All volunteers, some of them served near the front lines, where they worked with gas masks and helmets hanging from the backs of their chairs, just in case. Two died from influenza. Army officials later said the operators poise and precision proved crucial to the Allied victory, but when the women came home they were denied the recognition and benefits given to other veterans.

Cobbs grew up in San Diego and taught history at local universities for almost 30 years. She works now at Texas A&M, commuting during the school year from her Mount Helix home.

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Q: How did you first hear about these women?

A: I was looking around for a topic for the centennial of World War I and thought it would be nice to do something unusual. I kind of stumbled across them, probably on the internet. Then I had to really go digging because the records are limited.

I have a friend who is very good at this kind of sleuthing and we found the descendants of Grace Banker, who was one of the leaders. They were in a nursing home in New Hampshire. I called the number and left a message: If you by chance are related to Grace Banker, please call me back. A gentleman did, and he told me, Gosh, my mother-in-law died young. But we have her diary. I just about fell out of my chair.

And then there was an attorney who helped the women fight their case in Congress in the 1970s. I had his name so I called the Seattle Bar Association and asked if he was still a member. They had an old email and I tracked him down that way. Hed been out of the country for eight years. He told me that in two weeks he was taking all his records to the World War I museum in Kansas City. I said, Would you mind if I come up to Seattle tomorrow?

Q: What made you want to write about the women?

A: They had risked life and limb, and when they got back the Army refused to recognize them. They joined the Veterans of Foreign Wars and were kicked out. Some of them served in France for two years and they were told, You werent real soldiers.

And the oddity of that was the Navy and Marines had women who served at home in nice clerical jobs while the Army sent women abroad, where they were exposed to real hazard. Unlike the Army, the Navy and Marines had acknowledged the womens service. It was this kind of wrinkle where they were willing to use them but not willing to treat them with respect.

Q: Your book also discusses the parallel fight going on in the U.S. over the right to vote for women. Why did you structure it that way?

A: When we think of the womens suffrage movement, it often boils down to this kind of tired debate about who was more influential: the nice, sedate suffragettes who made friends with President Woodrow Wilson or the wildcat Alice Paul and her group. Its an interesting story, but when I actually read Woodrow Wilsons words, I suddenly realized it was about something much bigger. It was about the whole world.

In the United States, were famous for our navel-gazing, the belief that our history is only about us. In fact, 20 other countries had enfranchised women before the United States. Woodrow Wilson kind of looked around and went, Oh, my gosh, how are we going to lead the world if we are behind everybody else on this important matter of democracy?

Q: The name Hello Girls might seem demeaning to modern ears. Was it?

A: This was a time period in the Army when they would call the soldiers boys. They were the doughboys. There was a family sense about it almost. It may seem like they were disrespecting the women, but in fact it was a great esprit de corps that they felt. Hello Girls is what they were known by, and I felt to honor their experience, rather than to try to explain it away, we should call them what they were called.

Q: Tell me about the uniforms they wore.

A: They were issued regular Army uniforms, coats and jackets and hats, everything the men wore, except that they wore skirts. And the skirts were cut very daringly  nine inches off the ground. You have to remember, this was an era when womens skirts touched the ground.

In the end, when the case was made to the U.S. Congress that these women had been soldiers, the uniform became a critical piece of evidence. Their attorney pointed out its against the law to impersonate a soldier of the United States. If the Army had issued them these uniforms, by doing so it had made them truly soldiers. Either that, or the Army was in violation of its own laws.

And the women treasured their uniforms. They really did. They wanted to be part of this great effort.

Q: Why did the Army deny they were soldiers when they came home?

A: I think part of it was this narrow-minded bureaucratic attitude. They didnt want to have to pay for the pensions of the women, even though they were a teeny, tiny group. The Navy and Marines, they were willing to pay the pensions of 11,000 women. So the fact that the Army did not want to support these 223 women by giving them bonuses and death benefits and things like that I think really bespoke their attitude overall, which is that they really couldnt wrap their minds around it.

Im talking about the bureaucracy back in Washington. In the field, on the front lines, the men adored the women.

Q: What lessons are in their story for those of us around today?

A: Its a story about perseverance, about how people move the piece forward in life. They push it forward and then someone pushes it back. The next generation has to pick up the piece and move it forward again. And then it gets pushed back. And the process repeats.

With the women, the same thing happened in World War II. The WASP group (Women Airforce Service Pilots) was not given recognition. It was not until the 1970s that the telephone operators and the pilots were put in legislation to recognize them.

The irony is that when I was writing the book last year, the Army one more time said, Oh, gosh, these women werent really veterans and barred them from being buried at Arlington. One more time, groups of women had to go to the U.S. Congress and (President) Barack Obama signed legislation to recognize yet again the women of World War II.

So we all have to be vigilant in our own time to watch out for justice.

The Hello Girls: Americas First Women Soldiers, by Elizabeth Cobbs, Harvard University Press, 380 pages.

john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com; (619) 293-2236

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Salman Rushdie, whose literary career includes one novel that won the Booker Prize and another that brought him death threats, will be the featured guest at the 14th annual Words Alive author luncheon in Carlsbad on Sept. 15.

The event, which often sells out, is a fundraiser for Words Alive, a nonprofit literacy organization that assists low-income, at-risk children, teens and families. The luncheon will be at the Omni La Costa. Tickets are $2,000 or $2,500 for tables of 10. A limited number of individual tickets go on sale July 10 for $200 each.

Born in India and educated in Great Britain, Rushdie lives in New York, where he is a distinguished writer in residence at New York University. He is the author of 18 books  novels, short stories, non-fiction  including Midnights Children, which won the Man Booker Prize for best novel in 1981.

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The Satanic Verses, which came out in 1988, led to a fatwa issued by Irans Ayatollah Khomeini, who accused Rushdie of blasphemy and encouraged people to kill him. People tried. In England, one bomber apparently headed the authors way accidentally blew himself up. Four Iranians suspected of being a hit team were arrested. Rushdies translators in Japan and Italy were stabbed; his Norwegian publisher was shot.

For 10 years he lived in exile, moving to a new home every couple of weeks and using an alias, Joseph Anton, drawn from the first names of two of his favorite authors, Joseph Conrad and Anton Chekhov. The fatwa fell out of favor with Irans rulers in the late 1990s, and Rushdie ended his exile.

His new book, The Golden House, is due out Sept. 5. Its set in New York amid current American politics and culture. The publisher bills it as a page-turning mystery that is equal parts The Great Gatsby and The Bonfire of the Vanities.

At the Words Alive luncheon, Rushdie will be in conversation with Seth Lerer, a UC San Diego literature professor. The two participated in a similar event at UC San Diego in 2012 that drew about 700 people.

Founded in 1999, Words Alive runs Read Aloud and other programs aimed at helping participants discover how books and reading can add meaning to their lives.

john.wilkens@sduniontribune.com
Could Luke Scannell break even without breaking his heart?

Its very hard because shes a very nice pig, Luke, 16, said of Estella, the 234-pound Yorkshire cross swine hes fed, groomed and exercised since March. But you cant get so attached to them.

This push-pull between commerce and compassion was displayed Saturday at the San Diego County Fairs Junior Livestock Auction. About 500 young 4-H and Future Farmers of America members paraded their pigs, steers, goats, turkeys and chickens before a crowd of potential buyers.

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The kids collect all the money from winning bids, but they pay all the animal husbandry bills. They also wrestle the tricky emotions that come from befriending creatures destined for the dinner table.

My goat this year was kind of sarcastic and stubborn, said Malachy Brennan, 15, an FFA member from Escondido High School. It was really sweet, too.

This was the 68th annual junior livestock auction, yet pressures are building on this traditional feature of the fair.

1 / 10 Nan, Danielle Garcias goat, from Escondido High Schools FFA (Future Farmers of America), waits to be auctioned during the junior livestock auction at the San Diego County Fair. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 10 Jake Salzer of the Poway High School FFA (Future Farmers of America) relaxes on Hogwarts, his Hampshire cross pig in the livestock barn at the San Diego County Fair. Hogwarts didnt qualify to be shown at the junior livestock auction because of the need to be fattened, and will be shown and possibly sold at a later date. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 10 Malachy Brennan of the Escondido High School FFA (Future Farmers of America), pets his goat, Grover, before the junior livestock auction at the San Diego County Fair began. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 10 Bob Jones, one of the ringmen at the San Diego County Fair Junior Livestock Auction, acknowledges a bid from one of the bidders with a short yell and hand signal. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 10 Bidders watch the junior livestock auction at the San Diego County Fair. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 10 Tanner Crumley of Valley Center 4H shows Booker T, during the junior livestock auction at the San Diego County Fair. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 10 Estella, Luke Scannells Yorkshire cross pig from Poway High Schools FFA (Future Farmers of America), waits for the junior livestock auction to begin at the San Diego County Fair. Estella was sold for $4.25 per pound, more than Luke had expected. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 10 Luke Scannell of Poway High Schools FFA (Future Farmers of America), walks with Estella, his Yorkshire cross pig after being auctioned. Estella was sold for $4.25 per pound, more than Luke had expected. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 10 Bidders hold signs with their bidder number during the junior livestock auction at the San Diego County Fair. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 10 Ali Trujillo of the Mountain Empire FFA (Future Farmers of America), walks with her pig, Clyde, a Hampshire cross, before the junior livestock auction at the San Diego County Fair began. (Howard Lipin / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Unfortunately, said Katie Mueller, the fairs deputy general manager, programs like this are disappearing from schools. When teachers who run these programs retire, often the program is shut down.

Some find the auction immoral. Two women moved silently through the crowd, letting the text on matching T-shirts speak for them: Friends Not Food.

Elsewhere, though, was ample evidence of a carnivorous society. Outside the auction ring, vendors peddled corn dogs, sausages, pork chops. And auction fans noted that the animals seen here were not raised on factory farms, nor injected with growth-speeding hormones.

This seems like a good way to buy meat, said Enrico Ferro, 44, vice president of the San Diego County Farm Bureau, attending his first auction. Its different than walking into a store and seeing meat thats already been processed.

Kelsey Oliveri agreed. These animals here were treated like house pets, said Kelsey, 17, a part of Poway High Schools FFA program. They get so much attention and care.

I know I raised them right, Hanna Ramsey, 18, said of her pigs Apollo and Cookie. They had a good life.

All 305 pigs entered in the fair were judged, but only 125 were cleared for auction. Jake Salzers Hogwarts, a 259-pound Hampshire cross, was among those held back.

Hes not as beefy as some of the other pigs, explained Jake, 14. Not as big.

Auctioneer Joe Gates rat-a-tat delivery  Nowthree, threeisall, anyonewanttohelp, cowboyhatholdingthebid, nowthreefifty, gimmethreeseventyfive  kept the bids moving. While Sierra Takacs champion pig, Uno, sold for $22 a pound, most pigs earned $3 to $5.

Estella was the auctions 106th pig. Luke Scannell needed $2.60 a pound to cover his costs. By the time he and his swine mounted the stage, would the big spenders have lost their appetite for robust bidding?

To Lukes surprise, bidding for Estella began at $3. It rose to $3.50, $4, then finished at $4.25.

This was way better than what I was expecting, Luke said.

A high school junior next year, Luke was inspired by an aunt who raises large animals on her New York property, and by his friends in the FFA. He plans a career in veterinary medicine.

Estellas plans are more immediate. On Tuesday, shell be shipped to a slaughterhouse, then a meat processor who prepares various cuts for the winning bidder.

Thats always the hardest part, Luke said, letting go. But you have to know that from the beginning.

San Diego County Fair

When: Through July 4.

Where: Del Mar Fairgrounds, 2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd., Del Mar

Admission: $11 to 18; free for kids 5 and younger. Parking is $13.

Phone: (858) 793-5555

Online: sdfair.com

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Her current work started out as spiritual retreat nights through her church, for women in local group homes. From reaching out to those women to show them kindness and support, Susan Johnson started volunteering with other organizations doing similar work. People started donating clothes and toiletries to her because they knew shed make sure those items were given to the women who needed help.

In volunteering with these organizations and getting to know the women they were serving, it was apparent that there was and is a huge need in San Diego, and not enough resources, said Johnson, who went on to become co-founder of Alabaster Jar Project, incorporated in 2013. I want girls and women to know that they are not alone, that there is hope and a way out, and people that care.

Alabaster Jar Project is a nonprofit in North County that provides resources, transitional housing, therapy, education and vocational training for women and girls escaping sex trafficking and exploitation. As director and co-founder, she oversees the operations, coordinates volunteers, helps with fundraising and works on programming.

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Johnson, 42, grew up in Oceanside and now lives in Rancho Penasquitos with her husband and their three children. She took some time to talk about the work her organization is doing, why providing a way out for these women and girls is important to her, and how she hopes to help women recognize their own power.

Q: How does your program at Alabaster Jar Project work?

A: We have a long-term residential home that can house six women, 18 years of age or older, who have been sexually exploited or trafficked. They are referred by law enforcement, community partners, social service agency or other survivors. Our resource center provides drop-in case management, clothing, toiletries, connection to other resources and a peer-led support group.

When someone is identified as a victim, they typically have the clothes on their backs, are lucky if they have their identification, and have no money and no place to go. If there is room in an emergency shelter, they can go there for up to 90 days. Most come to us after being in an emergency shelter for a few weeks or to our resource center for clothing and connection to services.

Q: How does your organization help restore victims of trafficking and exploitation?

A: We provide a nurturing, safe, home environment and an array of support services, including intensive case management. We also provide trauma therapy and assess each person individually to determine their needs: education, career development, health, mental health and spiritual growth.

Q: Whats involved in helping to rehabilitate victims?

A: First, they need to have a stable environment to heal. The immediate basic needs of housing, clothing and food need to be met. Next, medical attention and therapy to address trauma. Substance abuse issues must be addressed. Life skills, interpersonal skills, stress management, education and career development are equally important. Specifically, a lot of love and resources are needed to rehabilitate.

What I love about North County ...

I love the ethnic diversity in my neighborhood. North County has a vibe that is laidback and friendly. Growing up in Oceanside, I never met a stranger. Maybe thats just me, though.

Q: How do you think women are empowered through your program?

A: From the day they decide and ask to come to our program, they are empowered by continuing to make decisions to heal, succeed and thrive. This is one of the biggest reasons our program is voluntary. We do not rescue anyone. We provide resources and a way out, they decide and choose to take that step. Being trapped in exploitation through coercion means that most victims dont identify as victims. Women who get trapped in a life of exploitation typically feel some sort of responsibility. Providing choices and encouraging positive decisions is the first step toward their empowerment. They take ownership and responsibility for making the choice to rebuild their lives and thrive, despite the circumstances they were surrounded by. Our program gives them a safe place to rebuild, heal and inspire others to do the same.

Q: What are some of the experiences and circumstances that leave someone vulnerable to trafficking and exploitation?

A: I have not met one survivor of trafficking who has not experienced early childhood sexual abuse or molestation. Low self-esteem, insecurity, wanting attention, lack of supervision and parenting, introduction to drugs, wanting to be popular  over and over I have heard the story of a young girl who was romanced by an older boyfriend and given a false sense of confidence through their sexuality. Girls told they would be stars in someones music video. The lure of fast money and fancy clothes.

Q: What are some solutions to changing those particular circumstances?

A: Educating our youth and community about improper touches and to speak out against sexual abuse and molestation. Providing resources for youth in dysfunctional families that include self-esteem building and healthy relationship skills. Educating our youth and community that humans are not commodities to be bought, sold or exploited.

Q: Whats the story behind the name of your organization?

A: It came from someone telling me that they should repay me for what I was giving them and I told them they couldnt because its my alabaster jar, which refers to a woman in the bible who had a jar made of alabaster and it was full of expensive, perfumed oil. The jar and its contents were worth a years salary. She recognized Jesus as her savior and scandalously crashed a dinner hosted in the home of a pharisee so she could pour out the contents of her jar and wash Jesuss feet. It is symbolic of a heart of gratitude and understanding, recognizing all that God has done, and with a heart of appreciation, giving to others.

Q: You consider yourself a modern-day Nehemiah? What does this mean?

A: In the bible, Nehemiah was a cupbearer for a king in Persia, but he was from Israel. He heard that his homeland had been destroyed, the wall surrounding it destroyed, and his people vulnerable, and it broke his heart. He pleaded and received resources from the king he worked for, who gave him the necessary resources to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall and the city. Nehemiah was not a skilled craftsman or a warrior, but he rallied his people to work with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other to rebuild the wall, protect their families and restore the city of Jerusalem.

I can relate to Nehemiah, for the heartbreak he felt for his people. I feel heartache for the young girls and women whose lives have been destroyed, and inspired by those who have survived and continue to thrive. The issue of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation is a community problem. It started with the demand and avoidance the community puts on the lives of young women, especially those most vulnerable. The solution is also community. Just as Nehemiah helped to rebuild a community, I hope Alabaster Jar Project, along with our community of San Diego, can help to rebuild and empower the lives of women.

Q: Whats been challenging about your work?

A: Lack of support and finances. I naively thought that once churches and community groups heard of the need, they would want to help. Its discouraging that several churches support international organizations and missions that help women who have been trafficked overseas but not in their own San Diego community. We were turned down from nine different entities before someone would rent a house to us. The not in my backyard syndrome is heartbreaking.

Q: Whats been rewarding about it?

A: Seeing women go from sad, anxious, scared and stressed to joyful, laughing, dreaming and being creative.

Q: What has it taught you about yourself?

A: That Im still learning.

Q: What is the best advice youve ever received?

A: Keep moving forward, dont take it personal.

Q: What is one thing people would be surprised to find out about you?

A: Maybe that I almost got kicked out of high school for fighting on campus and almost did not graduate due to my truancy record.

Q: Describe your ideal San Diego weekend.

A: Seventy-five degrees outside, clear skies, beach or hiking with family or friends, and Mexican food.

Email: lisa.deaderick@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @lisadeaderick
More than 500 Scripps Ranch High School students had their summer vacations disrupted Friday with news that they would have to return to school to retake Advanced Placement tests that have been declared invalid.

The College Board, the organization that oversees college admission tests, did not say that any students had cheated on the exams, but is invalidating 847 AP tests because new seating arrangements established two years ago were not followed. The move means 540 students will have to take the tests again.

Students often study for months for AP tests, which can earn them college credits by meeting the requirements for certain subjects. Each tests costs $93 and can last two or three hours. Some students take up to nine exams.

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San Diego Unified School District officials said Friday that the tests would be given again for free, and eight teachers have agreed to return to school to teach refresher courses for students who want to bone up on the subjects before taking the exams.

When I found out, I was pretty angry, said Jonathan Lu, 17, who took four AP tests in May and recently graduated with plans to study business at USC. It took awhile to let it sink in that I was going to have to retake all my AP tests.

Supt. Cindy Marten and trustee Kevin Besier said they were frustrated that the College Board and Educational Testing Services, which administer the tests, took such a hard line after detecting a seating mistake.

While Im disappointed that the proper protocols were not followed at the site, Im extremely disappointed the ETS is invalidating the scores, which I think is an overreaction, said Besier, who represents a district in San Diego Unified that includes Scripps Ranch. In my opinion, I think they should have considered a lesser penalty, such as a sanction.

Marten said the test proctor, a teacher at the school, was experienced at overseeing AP tests but did not follow the new procedures. ETS noticed the error while examining the seating charts for the tests, she said.

Among new requirements, students taking the tests must be at 8-foot-long tables so they have space between one another, and partitions are not allowed on the tables.

At Scripps Ranch this year, many students were at 6-foot tables with partitions, which previously had been allowed.

Marten said the school will have a new proctor giving AP tests in the future, and all proctors in the district will be required to be trained in the latest testing protocols.

She also said the districts attorney contacted ETS about the issue, but has recommended not pursuing a legal challenge because the company was within its right to require the retest and past challenges have not been successful.

The first round of new tests will be July 17-20. Students who opt not to take the tests again will be given refunds.

Among those who will be retaking a test is Kayla Daniel-Gonzales, 17, who graduated a couple of weeks ago.

The test was maybe two or three hours, but we prepped for it all year, she said of the AP test in psychology.

Kayla took the test May 1 and isnt confident shell do as well when she takes it again. She plans to take the refresher class at school.

Otherwise, Ill completely bomb it, she said. Theres no feasible way to restudy an entire years worth of work on my own.

gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Warth writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune

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Two women and a man were killed in three unrelated slayings overnight in Carson, Lancaster and Palmdale, and the husband of one victim is in custody, authorities said Sunday.

In the first killing, a husband is suspected of stabbing his wife to death about 11:50 p.m. Saturday in Lancaster after an argument on the 4200 block of Jonathan Street, Los Angeles County Sheriffs Deputy Kelvin Moody said in a statement.

The husband, who has two children with the victim, remains in custody while homicide detectives investigate.

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In the second slaying, sheriffs deputies responded to a medical rescue call about 1:30 a.m. Sunday in Palmdale. They found a man shot multiple times in the upper torso at 70th Street East south of East Avenue M, Moody said. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

The third killing, of a woman in Carson, occurred about 3:30 a.m. Deputies responded to a person down call and found the woman nonresponsive and with a traumatic injury to her upper torso in the 800 block of Pacific Street. She was pronounced dead at the scene, Sheriffs Deputy Jeffrey Gordon said.

Sheriffs officials provided no other information on that homicide and did not release the identities of any victims or suspects in the three killings.

Also Sunday, Glendale police said they arrested a man in connection with the stabbing death of a 51-year-old man Friday.

Ernest Lee Culbertson, 31, of Tujunga was arrested Saturday on suspicion of murder and is being held on $2-million bail, Glendale Police Sgt. Robert William said. Investigators plan to seek formal charges Monday.

Police responding to a report of a man down at 6:12 p.m. Friday found the victim stabbed to death behind an apartment in the 1200 block of East Harvard Street.

Detectives reviewed surveillance video near the scene to identify Culbertson, whom they described as a documented gang member who they have had numerous contacts and arrests with. They tracked Culbertson to Los Angeles, where they found him in possession of articles of evidence linking him to the crime and placed him under arrest, police said.

Culbertson later admitted involvement in the incident to detectives, William said. The victims identity has not been released pending notification of his next of kin.

Though it remains unclear what provoked the killing, William said it appears Culbertson and the victim knew each other and this was not a random attack.

tony.barboza@latimes.com

@tonybarboza

UPDATES:

12:25 p.m.: This article was updated with details about an arrest in a Glendale killing.

This article was originally published at 10:45 a.m.
It was close to midnight Friday when the volunteers got off an MTA bus and began their two-hour walk through Hollywoods streets.

Starting at Western Avenue and armed with clothing vouchers, granola bars and condoms, they headed down Santa Monica Boulevard in groups, turning onto side streets and peering into alleys.



For the record: This article previously made reference to St. Johns Health Center in Santa Monica. The facilitys name is St. Johns Well Child and Family Center, which has clinics in South and Central L.A.

Less than five minutes in, Teanna Herrera  who works as an advocate for transgender people at St. Johns Well Child and Family Center, which has clinics in South and Central L.A.  was encouraging two people on a bus bench to visit the clinic to learn about hormone therapy.

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Ive done what theyre doing, said Herrera, 49, explaining that she had been a prostitute on those same streets at age 16. [I want] to let them know: I know what its like to be out here  and theres hope for every one of us.

Several dozen volunteers have met five times since January for the Midnight Stroll  an initiative organized by various LGBTQ groups and Los Angeles city agencies that reaches out to those on the street, including transgender sex workers and the homeless population.

City Councilman Mitch OFarrell participated in Fridays walk, which started with an orientation at Blanks 2nd Stage Theatre. On the walk back from Western Avenue, the volunteers invited those they met on the streets to come back to the theater for food; a mobile HIV testing unit was parked nearby.

We really want to get them on a different path, said Jazzmun Crayton, an HIV testing counselor with the Asian Pacific AIDS Intervention Team. Once you have a record, its very difficult to continue to navigate through the various systems that are in place.

The Midnight Stroll grew out of discussions between the LAPD and transgender community leaders, two groups whose relationship has improved significantly in recent years, said Karina Samala, chair of the Transgender Advisory Council. Community leaders have assisted in training police on how to interact with transgender individuals, including respecting their preferred gender identity.

Habib Munoz, a sergeant in the LAPDs Hollywood Division, said the department receives complaints about transgender prostitution  especially on Santa Monica between Western and La Brea avenues.

By providing some kinds of outreach services, hopefully were able to get people out of that lifestyle, Munoz said. We do have a group of people that need help  and we want to help them  but at the same time, there are crimes being committed. And those crimes are affecting the community.

Jazzmun Crayton rides an MTA bus to begin Fridays Midnight Stroll walk at Santa Monica Boulevard and Western Avenue. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Many of the transgender people the volunteers encounter are homeless. According to a survey by the city this year, 1% of the homeless respondents identified as transgender.

When our communities are not accepted by their own families  theyre finding themselves homeless, said Jim Wen, who heads the Transgender Advisory Councils housing and homelessness committee.

About an hour into Fridays stroll, some of the volunteers stopped in front of a homeless encampment, calling out offers of free food and clothing.

Gia Olaes, who works with incarcerated transgender individuals with the Center for Health Justice, talked with Kay  a 20-year-old she knew from seeing him at the Los Angeles LGBT Center.

Some of them have temporary housing, but they relapse, said Olaes, who once was homeless herself. Its about letting them know that this is a time to change.

About an hour later, Olaes came across Mimi, a 23-year-old transgender woman who said she dreams of helping others by opening a transgender homeless shelter.

Mimi  who wore a black dress and red Converse sneakers  said she had been on a waiting list at the LGBT Center for two months and planned to visit other shelters next week. In public shelters, she said, its difficult to be housed according to her gender identity.

Thats why I want my own shelter, she said. Because I know what its like.

Olaes offered encouragement.

Come see me, she told Mimi.

leila.miller@latimes.com

Twitter: @leilamillersays
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The San Diego Superior Court is expecting at least a $6 million cut to its budget this fiscal year, leading court authorities to reduce staff, consolidate departments and close courtrooms, all of which will reduce public access.

Because of the states funding structure, which is based on workload, San Diego Countys court budget for the fiscal year that began Saturday is $171.8 million, roughly $30 million less than it was in fiscal 2008, said Presiding Judge Jeffrey Barton.

In past budgets, the governor has added some funding to offset the reductions, but thats not happening this year.

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Among several cost-cutting moves, court authorities have asked employees, including some court commissioners, to volunteer to take buyouts. About 60 people have applied, Barton said, meaning the court can avoid layoffs for now.

Employees who have volunteered include courtroom clerks, business office clerks, research attorneys, managers, supervisors, family court counselors and court reporters.

It runs the gamut of the ranks of the court, said Barton, adding that authorities are still trying to decide where to make the staff cuts to minimize the effect on the public. That could include as many as four court commissioners, who hear and make decisions on family and juvenile court cases, criminal, traffic, small claims and unlawful detainer cases.

Salaries make up 84 percent of the courts budget.

Barton said one of the more painful reductions will come when the Superior Court closes small claims and unlawful detainer operations in Vista and transfers that business to downtown San Diego.

Thats similar to what we did in 2012, Barton said. We closed civil, small claims and unlawful detainer in South and East and brought that downtown. Now were bringing this additional work downtown, and it enables us to process more with fewer people by centralizing the operations.

The court is planning to eliminate the use of student workers and retired employees who were allowed to return to work for up to 120 days. It will also stop providing court reporters in family court proceedings and reduce employee overtime.

Some judges will be asked to work multiple assignments without staff, essentially floating from department to department, filling in for other judges who call in sick or take vacations.

There are 149 judicial officers serving on the San Diego Superior Court bench, at least two of whom do not have their own clerks and other staff, Barton said. Judges who serve on the appellate panel share staff members.

Were looking to close 10 courtrooms, said Michael Roddy, executive officer of the San Diego Superior Court. Because at the end of the day, given the number of staff that well have left to us, we either dramatically cut additional public services or you start to close some courtrooms.

The earliest those courtrooms would close would be in September or October, he said.

Other changes include closing juvenile dependency operations at the courthouses in downtown San Diego and Chula Vista, and moving them to the Juvenile Court building on Meadow Lark Drive in Kearny Mesa. At the end of the process, there will be one fewer dependency department, which deals with cases involving children who have been abused or neglected by a parent or caregiver.

Barton said he and others are looking into closing a juvenile delinquency department toward the end of the year. The delinquency courts deal with cases involving minors accused of breaking the law.

The court will also close a civil department.

Business office hours at each of the court branches, which had been reduced in previous years but were restored last year, will remain the same. The offices open at 7:30 a.m. Monday through Friday, except court holidays, and close at 4 p.m.

None of the judges on this court want to do this, Barton said. None of us think that these are really good ideas for public service, but we have no choice. We cant deficit spend and support our operations so we have to cut our operation. So weve carefully considered the least harmful of a series of bad alternatives.

People are going to be upset, we understand that, Barton said. We cant run departments with money we dont have.

Barton and Roddy said several factors led to the budget cut, including pension responsibilities and reduced revenues, but most of it is due to the funding structure put in place in 2013, which was designed to make funding allocations for the courts more equitable across the state.

Roddy said the new funding model has in recent years provided more court operating funds to counties that that have grown significantly in recent years, such as Riverside, San Bernardino, Fresno, Kern and Stanislaus, and less to those such as San Diego, San Francisco, Orange and Alameda counties, which have seen less growth comparatively.

That $6 million is our best case. It very likely could get worse, Roddy said, explaining that he expects further budgetary declines over the next few years.

We dont see any stability at this point, he said.

A new $555.5 million Central Courthouse building in downtown San Diego is expected to open to the public later this year, but money for that project came from a fund that can only be used for state court building projects and had nothing to do with San Diegos budget issues, officials said.

dana.littlefield@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @danalittlefield
One year in, Californias end-of-life law has made it easier for people with terminal illnesses to choose when they want to die. But those closest to the process said it can still be a taboo subject for the patients families, friends and medical providers.

While it has become permissible for doctors to prescribe death-inducing medications since the End of Life Option Act took effect on June 9, 2016, the law doesnt require any medical provider or facility to help a patient die. Many hospitals and pharmacies are declining to get involved in the process even though its now legal.

And the opposition that existed before the laws rollout  based on various religious, moral and technical grounds  continues today.

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Last week, the state released its first report on the law, which allows physicians to prescribe life-ending medications to anyone of sound mind whom they judge has six or fewer months left to live. The analysis found that 173 doctors across the state wrote 191 such prescriptions from June through December of last year, and that 111 patients actually used those prescriptions to commit suicide.

The California Department of Public Health doesnt plan to release 2017 numbers until next year, so its unclear how many more of these prescriptions and resulting deaths have occurred to date. But Compassion & Choices, the nonprofit group that pushed for the legislation, said it knows of 504 such deaths during the laws first year.

Today, the picture of exactly how this new statute is unfolding in San Diego County is a bit hazy. The states report did not categorize assisted deaths by counties or broader regions of California, and it didnt quantify physicians views on the law.

When asked last week, some of the San Diego areas largest medical providers  including Kaiser Permanente, Sharp HealthCare, Scripps Health and Palomar Health  said they generally allow physicians to help terminal patients with end-of-life planning in those patients own homes or, in some cases, in medical offices. Most prohibit the dispensing of life-ending drugs from their pharmacies or the administering of those medications in their hospitals.

Roman Catholic doctrine bans such practices in Catholic hospitals, medical buildings and programs affiliated with the church, including hospice services. In San Diego County, that means the Scripps Mercy hospitals in Hillcrest and Chula Vista, the medical office buildings on their grounds and their hospice program bar doctors from participating in any aspect of the End of Life Option Act.

The same policy exists for all 51 Catholic hospitals in California, said Lori Dangberg, vice president of the Alliance of Catholic Health Care.

Then theres the issue of money. Namely, it can be expensive for patients to end their lives according to the new laws provisions.

Seconal, the medication most preferred by physicians and patients for assisted suicide, costs $3,400 per dosing, said a North County pharmacist who sells the drug for end-of-life cases. She identified herself only as Angela and asked that her pharmacys name not be published for fear of backlash from some business partners.

In March 2016, less than three months before Californias law took effect, Valeant Pharmaceuticals increased the price of Seconal from $1,500 to its current rate. Although the company released a statement that said linking the new law and its price hike defies common sense, it has faced significant criticism for the move.

The medical community subsequently developed a less-expensive compound for assisted suicide that sells for about $600, but in some patients, that formulation may take a day or more to achieve full effect. Seconal usually acts much more quickly, doctors said.

Faye Girsh, founder and president of the Hemlock Society of San Diego, which has been involved in right-to-die issues for three decades, said she and others in her advocacy community generally view the past 12 months as progress.

We do feel it is a quantum leap in the right direction, but it has not been easy to use the law here. It is complicated and difficult to find doctors, hospitals and hospices that will participate, and its difficult for many to pay for the medications, Girsh said.

In addition to California, so called aid in dying laws exist in Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Washington, D.C. Also, a 2009 court order legalized the practice in Montana.

Many organizations continue to fight efforts to enshrine in law any form of physician-assisted death, which they call physician-assisted suicide. A coalition had sued to stop Californias law from taking effect, and although the request for a temporary injunction was denied, the suit continues.

Marilyn Golden, senior policy analyst for the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, said the nonprofit group opposes the End of Life Option Act for several reasons, including concerns that legalizing medically assisted death provides a cheaper alternative for insurance companies  which may not want to pay for expensive curative treatments. The organization also believes the process of diagnosing a terminal illness remains error-ridden.

Our community is full of people who have been misdiagnosed as terminal, and not necessarily just one time in their lives but many times, Golden said.

She also expressed worry about what she sees as lack of official oversight in the assisted-suicide process, such as having no requirement that an independent observer be present when patients take medication to kill themselves  to verify that those patients truly wanted to commit that final act.

Amid the ongoing controversy, some physicians have joined the end-of-life movement.

They include Dr. Bob Uslander, a former emergency medicine specialist who started his own palliative care practice in Del Mar. He said his phone started ringing with assisted-suicide inquiries shortly after Californias law took effect. To date, Uslander said, he has written nearly 30 prescriptions for life-ending medication to patients from as far away as Los Angeles and Riverside counties.

He also said many people have told him that they approached other doctors for such help but got denied. Most patients interested in ending their lives have found him through the recommendations of fellow physicians, nurses, hospice workers and other health providers, he added. He doesnt accept insurance and provides his services on an income-based sliding fee scale.

Uslander said while he didnt seek out this segment of patients, he has come to consider it a privilege to help people gain control and dignity in their final stretch of life.

I actually find it to be one of the most gratifying things that Ive ever done in medicine and in life  being able to give somebody that gift at the end of their journey and to help them find that ultimate peace and healing, he said.

The End of Life Option Act has very specific steps for doctors and patients to follow.

Patients must ask their physicians for life-ending medication at least two times  and those requests must be made at least 15 days apart.

A doctor must examine the patients, verify that they have an illness that will likely be terminal within six months and determine that theyre mentally competent. Those findings must be verified by a physician who isnt affiliated with the first one.

Patients must then fill out and sign a form requesting the life-ending medication, and the signing must be witnessed by at least two other people. Once a prescription has been written, patients can decide whether to fill it and when. Californias law requires them to take the medication themselves; no one is allowed to administer it.

Some who oppose that law have said rather than prescribing assisted-suicide drugs, doctors should simply get better at providing palliative care. This field refers to a wide range of services, from pain medication to mental health counseling to prayer, designed to ease the suffering of terminal patients.

Dangberg, the executive for the Alliance of Catholic Health Care, said proper palliative care can relieve patients anxieties that their health decline will be a burden on their loved ones.

If a patient requests physician-assisted suicide, first and foremost, our physicians and staff are trained to work with families on plans of care that address these issues. For the vast majority of patients we have treated, once that palliative care is provided, they no longer wanted to pursue physician-assisted suicide, Dangberg said.

Uslander doesnt dispute that palliative care can go a long way toward easing the burdens of terminal patients. Such care makes up about 80 percent of his practice, he said, and he emphasizes his thoroughness in offering it as an alternative for patients who ask about life-ending medication.

But some people face illnesses so devastating that they simply want an exit, Uslander said. In his experience, he said, its not physical pain that has pushed his patients to request help in dying, but rather the inability to do activities that they once enjoyed.

If I wasnt doing it, these people would still be struggling or they would have died very difficult, challenging deaths.  These people are looking at more struggle, more suffering or having to basically be medicated to the point of unconsciousness, he said.

Still, assisted-suicide is a step too far for some experts.

Golden, the disability rights analyst, pointed to cases where she said the courts have found that some patients have been influenced by heirs, caregivers or others to take their own lives.

We dont say that nobody will ever be helped by these laws, but what we do say and believe is that for every person that can be helped, there are far more people that can be harmed, Golden said.

In Hillcrest, away from the public debate over end-of-life issues, Jim Black said his friend, John, obtained and used life-ending medication after struggling with pancreatic cancer that increasingly robbed his quality of life.

While the patients family, partner and other friends opposed suicide, Black said John was insistent.

He told them, Im going to die anyway, so dont give me that crap. I just dont want to go through those horrible last weeks or months, so Im going to do it, Black recalled.

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paul.sisson@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1850

Twitter: @paulsisson
Sheriffs deputies are looking for the gunman in a car-to-car shooting in Spring Valley, with one victim going to a hospital.

Deputies responding to Gillespie Drive and Jamacha Road around 5:20 p.m. Saturday found a white Ford Focus blocking the intersection. The car had multiple bullet holes in the passenger side doors, fenders and windows, said sheriffs Sgt. Scott Roller.

The driver and lone occupant of the car was conscious and breathing but had suffered several gunshot wounds.

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He was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment. Roller said the wounds were not considered life threatening.

The pickup truck of a man driving in the area at the time also was hit by an errant round fired by the suspect, Roller said. He said the driver, who was not injured, was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Deputies said the suspects vehicle was gone by time they arrived. .
 Watchdog Minute: Face scans by police

Story by Ali Winston & Allison Sampite-Montecalvo

Facial recognition software common in the military is finding its way to local police departments, and agencies across San Diego County are at the forefront of deploying the technology on their tablets and smartphones.

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Law enforcement officials praise the program as effective for identifying criminals, but some civil libertarians see growing databases of such information as a threat to privacy.

The Tactical Identification System, coordinated by the San Diego Association of Governments, matches images taken by officers in the field with databases of about 348,000 San Diego County arrestees. The system itself has nearly 1.4 million booking photos because many people have multiple mug shots on record.

Commander David Myers with the San Diego County Sheriffs Department said deputies have used the technology for the last six months to a year in various circumstances, including during traffic stops when a person cannot produce legitimate identification or any at all.

He said the program, downloaded to a tablet or other device, is used when an officer thinks someone is lying about who they are.

We can quickly verify whether they are telling the truth, he said. Im sure theres a lot of people out there who have lied to me and because nothing came up in the system. I had to let them go. Justice was not served.

Ultimately, Myers said facial recognition has made the jobs for local law enforcement officers easier.

The group that uses it a lot is our fugitive task force for individuals wanted on various high-profile violent felony warrants, he said.

Officials said the technology also helps them identify injured people who are unconscious or cant speak, and even helps identify the deceased for help finding next of kin.

Instant access

California law requires people detained by an officer to identify themselves truthfully, but they dont always do so. The new technology may take the matter out of their hands, as shown recently by an officer on patrol in Chula Vista.

Police had just arrested a young woman, still in her pajamas, for possession of narcotics. Before taking her away, Officer Rob Halverson paused in the front yard, held a Samsung Galaxy tablet up to the womans face and snapped a photo.

Halverson fiddled with the tablet with his index finger a few times, and  without needing to ask the womans name or check her identification  her mug shot from a previous arrest, address, criminal history and other personal information appeared on the screen.

Twenty-five local, state and federal law enforcement agencies  including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Border Patrol, the San Diego County Sheriffs Department and San Diego State University  participate in the system with Chula Vista.

The project is coordinated by the San Diego Association of Governments, a coalition of cities and the county. It relies on a data-sharing program called the Automated Regional Justice Information System.

The systems mug shots are pulled from the statewide Cal-Photo law enforcement database, which also has access to 32 million drivers license photos. Also, the county is looking at using mug shots from statewide gang and parolee databases.

A privacy impact assessment, written with help from the Automated Regional Justice Information System, says that photos of everyday people can be taken during traditional police-civilian encounters. The legality of law enforcement using facial recognition technology has not been tested in the courts.

San Diego law enforcement agencies have used the facial recognition system since the beginning of this year, when 133 Galaxy tablets and smartphones were distributed around the region, according to documents obtained through a public records request by the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a San Francisco nonprofit that studies surveillance and privacy issues.

In the first 10 months of 2013, officers ran 5,629 queries through the database.

The sheriffs department and San Diego Police Department have the most devices, with 64 and 27 devices, respectively, and they have made nearly 2,000 queries into the system combined. The most active single user is a San Diego State University police officer who used a device 224 times from January to Oct. 30, according to the documents.

Law enforcement officials said the pilot program is a valuable tool.

Photographs are neutral  you cant say its racist when a camera is taking a neutral picture of someone, said Halverson, the Chula Vista officer. Its hitting on certain points of contact. Its doing a neutral analysis of a person.

Nanci Plouffe, a public safety analyst with the Chula Vista Police Department, said the department received the tablets in the spring.

Its critical to officers when theyre on patrol, she said. It helps us identify people, which is an important aspect of law enforcement. Especially when theres no way to verify a persons name  they can take a photo, the system searches and brings back information.

One Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent who provided a testimonial said he used the device during a warrant sweep in Oceanside. While on the sweep, the agent wrote, his  spidy senses were tingling about the immigration status of a neighbor of the person he was pursuing.

He decided to run the mans picture through the facial recognition software. The agent discovered the man was in the country illegally and had a 2003 DUI conviction in San Diego.

I whipped out the Droid (smartphone) and snapped a quick photo and submitted for search, the immigration agent wrote in his testimonial for the Automated Regional Justice Information System. The subject looked inquisitively at me not knowing the truth was only 8 seconds away. I received a match of 99.96 percent. This revealed several prior arrests and convictions and provided me an FBI #. When I showed him his booking photo, his jaw dropped.

Developing the program

Development of the San Diego program goes as far back as 2007, according to documents obtained by the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Thats when the federal governments National Institute of Justice awarded a $418,000 information-led policing grant to the Automated Regional Justice Information System.

The programs goal, according to the proposal, was to develop open-source software that will be made available as part of a repeatable national model. Over the next few years, the SANDAG and the sheriffs department worked together to vet potential vendors and develop the system.

In 2012, the association selected FaceFirst LLC, a privately held facial recognition firm in Camarillo, Calif., as the technology vendor. A $475,000 Department of Homeland Security grant covered the cost of purchasing FaceFirsts license and the hardware required to roll out the system.

Founded in 2007, FaceFirst is a spinoff of military contractor Airborne Technologies and is backed by the $18 billion private equity firm Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors.

Jennifer Lynch, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, expressed alarm at the normalization of military-grade technology in daily police activity.

It becomes accepted and is much harder to push back when an agency has purchased 150 devices and deployed them in the field, Lynch said.

Kevin Keenan, former head of the American Civil Liberties Union in San Diego, pointed to the U.S. history of political surveillance after World War II and 9/11 as evidence that the rapid proliferation of biometric technology is part of a tightening net of social control in the United States.

We were given a false bargain, Keenan said. We were told that this kind of control is to prevent another 9/11, and in fact, its going to be used to fight the drug war, to pursue other policies where we would not have bargained away our privacy back at that time if we knew that was the trade off, he said.

Law enforcement officials said the facial recognition software has built-in privacy safeguards. After an image taken in the field is run through the system, it is discarded by the central database, they said.

Commander Myers with the sheriffs department said that officers cant just use the device willy nilly, but only when needed for law enforcement action.

Anyone that we would try to identify has committed some kind of offense in which they have come to law enforcement attention and some sort of enforcement action is needed, he said.

Officials say the program does not create a database of photos of people who are stopped by police and questioned, although images taken in the field are stored on individual tablets and its up to officers to delete them on their own.

If youre not in a criminal database, you have nothing to hide, Officer Halverson said.

Winston writes for The Center for Investigative Reporting, and Sampite-Montecalvo for the U-T.
Regarding Californias electricity price skyrocketed with the heatwave. Should power officials have called the alert? (June 23): So it became clear to me the reason why SDG&E has been issuing alerts for all of us to conserve energy during hot days. It seems that due to our efforts to conserve energy, we have an abundance of it. An abundance that it is now selling to Arizona?

If SDG&E expects that I am not going to turn on my air conditioning during these energy alerts, it is sadly mistaken. If Arizona cant conserve its own energy, why should we have to pay for that, both out of our own pockets and with our own discomfort? Do we, the customers of SDG&E, see any of the profits that it takes from selling our energy to Arizona? I dont think so.

R. Phillips

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Regarding Californias electricity price skyrocketed with the heatwave. Should power officials have called the alert? (June 23): The author left out an important piece of the story. Prices jumped a couple hundred dollars per megawatt and consumers will pay for it, but who will pocket the extra half million or so us consumers are paying?

Follow the money just like the Enron energy trading case of 2001. Is there a motive behind unnecessary flex alerts?

Derek Lovett

Fallbrook

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While citizens across the United States will be celebrating the countrys founding 241 years ago on July 4, Jack Memphis Briscoe in Ramona will be marking his 104th birthday.

Briscoe, father of Ramona resident Jackie Caldwell, lives at Ramona Senior Manor where staff and residents are planning a birthday celebration.

Briscoe served in the U.S. Navy from 1934 to 1956, and was in World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam. He moved the French Foreign Legion out of Vietnam on the USS Tortuga.

In 1913, the year he was born, Woodrow Wilson was inaugurated as the 28th president, federal income tax took effect with ratification of the 16th amendment, Henry Ford established the first moving assembly line, and Greenland Ranch in Death Valley hit 134 degrees  the hottest recorded temperature.

Briscoe was born in Memphis, Texas, and his family moved to Montana when he was 6 years old. His parents homesteaded and lived on a ranch raising animals, miles away from any town and living through the depression.

The second oldest of seven children said they were dirt poor and couldnt afford shoes.

We didnt know anything different, he said.

They were isolated on this farm, said Caldwell. Thats all they knew.

He attended a one-room schoolhouse in the nearest town and to attend high school had to travel to a town 60 miles away and live in a boarding house.

Briscoe joined the Civilian Conservation Corps and then enlisted in the Navy.

I was very happy when I went into the Navy, said Briscoe. I got money for it, money to send home. And then when we went to Australia, I was in heaven.

Thats because when his Navy ship pulled into port in Australia in 1937, he met his wife, Dorothy. They were married for 70 years before she died at age 90.

Briscoe served as a warrant officer and said they werent in real danger but always in danger of submarines. The veteran said he saw a lot of warfare and also saw the raising of the American flag at Iwo Jima.

When he wrote to his wife, he had to use certain code words so as not to give away locations and dates, he noted.

Through his service his family, which also included Caldwells sister, Robin Luby, was stationed in Hawaii and Tennessee before they moved to San Diego. After the military, Briscoe worked as a mail carrier in La Mesa.

Caldwell, a certified fitness instructor, moved her father to Ramona Senior Manor two years ago. Longevitiy appears to run in his family. His mother and her sister both lived to be 102.

The 75-year-old Caldwell describes her dad as a jokester as well as a man with a lot of stories, and said he and her mom always exercised by walking and square dancing. She also noted her parents didnt smoke or drink alcohol.

I didnt like the taste of it, said Briscoe.

But he likes hot chocolate and going to Starbucks. Its an outing he and his daughter take every day.
The 22 pieces of custom-made furniture Michael Jackson commissioned for his London home are going on the auction block.

Darren Julien of Juliens Auctions says a gilded red velvet sofa that seats nine, a leopard-print chair trimmed with ostrich feathers and a pair of velvet armchairs embroidered with gold eagles are among the offerings.

Jackson intended to use the furnishings during his This Is It comeback concert run in London.

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Fans can visit a re-creation of the home at Las Vegas Planet Hollywood casino from June 14 to June 25 before the items are sold at auction.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit two charities: MusiCares, which provides health care and other services for struggling musicians, and Joshuas Heart, which aims to end world hunger.

---

On the Net:

https://www.juliensauctions.com/
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  Hundreds of people, some carrying signs reading no hate in our state, gathered Saturday outside the Indiana Statehouse for a boisterous rally against a new state law that opponents say could sanction discrimination against gay people.

Since Republican Gov. Mike Pence signed the bill into law Thursday, Indiana has been widely criticized by businesses and organizations around the nation, as well as on social media with the hashtag #boycottindiana. Local officials and business groups around the state hope to stem the fallout, although consumer review service Angies List said Saturday that it is suspending a planned expansion in Indianapolis because of the new law.

Pence told the Indianapolis Star Saturday that he has been in touch with legislative leaders and expects another bill will be introduced this coming week to clarify the intent of the law. He declined to provide details but said making gay and lesbian residents a protected legal class is not on my agenda.

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The governor and other supporters of the law contend discrimination claims are overblown and insist it will keep the government from compelling people to provide services they find objectionable on religious grounds. They also maintain that courts havent allowed discrimination under similar laws covering the federal government and 19 other states.

But state Rep. Ed DeLaney, an Indianapolis Democrat, said Indianas law goes further than those laws and opens the door to discrimination.

This law does not openly allow discrimination, no, but what it does is create a road map, a path to discrimination, he told the crowd, which stretched across the south steps and lawn of the Statehouse. Indianas version of this law is not the same as that in other states. It adds all kinds of new stuff and it moves us further down the road to discrimination.

The measure, which takes effect in July, prohibits state laws that substantially burden a persons ability to follow his or her religious beliefs. The definition of person includes religious institutions, businesses and associations.

Angies List had sought an $18.5 million incentive package from Indianapolis City-County Council to add 1,000 jobs over five years. But founder and CEO Bill Oseterle said in a statement Saturday that the expansion was on hold until we fully understand the implications of the freedom restoration act on our employees.

Saturdays crowd, for which police didnt have an exact estimate, chanted Pence must go! several times and many people held signs like Im pretty sure God doesnt hate anyone and No hate in our state.

In the newspaper interview, Pence said he didnt expect the reaction the law has generated.

I just cant account for the hostility thats been directed at our state, he said. Ive been taken aback by the mischaracterizations from outside the state of Indiana about what is in this bill.

Zach Adamson, a Democrat on Indianapolis City-County Council, said to cheers that the law has nothing to do with religious freedom but everything to do with discrimination.

This isnt 1950 Alabama; its 2015 Indiana, he told the crowd, adding that the law has brought embarrassment on the state.

Among those who attended the rally was Jennifer Fox, a 40-year-old from Indianapolis who was joined by her wife, Erin Fox, and their two boys, ages 5 and 8, and other relatives.

Fox said they married last June on the first day that same-sex marriage became legal in Indiana under a federal court ruling. She believes the religious objections law is a sort of reward to Republican lawmakers and their conservation Christian constituents who strongly opposed allowed the legalization of gay marriage in the state.

I believe thats where this is coming from  to find ways to push their own agenda, which is not a religious agenda; its aimed at a specific section of people, Fox said.

Although many Indianapolis businesses have expressed opposition to the law and support for gays and lesbians, Fox worries her family could be turned away from a restaurant or other business and that her sons would suffer emotionally.

I certainly would not want them to think that theres something wrong with our family because were a loving family, she said.

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, a Republican who opposed the law, said he and other city officials would be talking to many businesses and convention planners to counter the uproar the law has caused. Im more concerned about making sure that everyone knows they can come in here and feel welcome, Ballard said.

The Indianapolis-based NCAA has expressed concerns about the law and has suggested it could move future events elsewhere; the mens Final Four will be held in the city next weekend.

___

Associated Press writer Tom Davies contributed to this report.
RACINE  Long before McCafe drinks, chicken salads and all-day breakfast, there was a simple menu at the McDonalds on Lathrop Avenue.

You could get a hamburger for 15 cents, a cheeseburger for an extra 4 cents, a Coke or fries for a dime, and a milkshake for 20 cents.

But you couldnt go through a drive-thru, you had to walk up to an outdoor window.

That was back in 1957 when the first McDonalds in Wisconsin opened right here in Racine.

The image of that first McDonalds is preserved to this day, when you walk into the McDonlds at 2100 Lathrop Ave., which Dottie Metz owns and operates along with her son, Dave Jones.

That original building, which is shown in a photo when you walk in the north entrance, went through extensive renovations through the years and eventually was knocked down to make room for a more modern facility, although a back delivery door from the very first McDonalds still remains on site, built into one of the new restaurants walls.

Sixty years since it first opened, the business continues and, later this month, on Saturday, July 15  from 1 to 5 p.m.  the restaurant will be commemorating its anniversary with a celebration.

Changes through

the years

Some of the biggest changes that Metz notes over the years are the drive-thru window and the childrens play area, which started outside and was later moved indoors.

When the childrens play area was added, Dottie Metz said it added a bigger appeal for families and drew more customers.

And now, drive-thru windows account for a significant amount of business, especially during the core breakfast hours, according to Metz, whose husband, Dick, bought the restaurant from the original owners Ray and Hazel Anderson a few years after it opened.

Dick Metzs involvement with the McDonalds franchise actually started when he was out on assignment taking photos for The Journal Times of a new development area near the site where the Lathrop Avenue restaurant now sits.

There, he met Ray Kroc, who created the McDonalds franchise chain. From there Dick Metz went to work in Chicago and Boston before coming back to Racine to buy the Lathrop Avenue restaurant when the opportunity arose.

After Dick Metz died in 1984, Dottie continued running the Lathrop Avenue store and through the years expanded as opportunities came up.

She now owns six McDonalds: The one on Lathrop; the one on Green Bay Road by Regency Mall; the one at Taylor Avenue and Meachem Road in Georgetown; at the one at North Memorial Drive and State Street; and two on Douglas Avenue.

Dottie Metz jokes, You get ketchup in your veins and it keeps going.

Watching employees grow

On a more serious note, Dottie Metz said one of her favorite things over the years is giving kids their first jobs and then watching them grow into successful members of the community, including as entrepreneurs and lawyers and police officers.

One of the first employees to come to Dottie Metzs mind is Racine Police Chief Art Howell, whose nickname, fortuitously, was chief as a teen.

His sister, Debra Howell-Baker, who now works at InSinkErator, was a manager there at the time and got him the job. But from the very beginning she made clear he wasnt going to get any special treatment for being her brother.

Howell ended up working there for about five years, from 1978-1983 and he said shifts opening the store at 5 a.m. taught him a strong work ethic.

Also, during those years, he got to know the Metz family. Dick Metz (who owned the store at the time) occasionally invited the crew over to his home, which was located directly behind the store, to shoot pool and for fellowship. Our interaction was more family oriented than a traditional boss-employee relationship, Howell said.

Dottie Metz still remembers when Howell came to her, telling her he was applying to join the Police Department.

He came to me and said, Dottie, I hope you dont mind. He said, Im sorry. She understood and was more than happy to provide a reference for him.

When the department called to ask about him, I told them, if you dont hire this guy, you are making a big mistake, Dottie said, remembering back to one of her many fond memories of the restaurant and one of the many employees she has watched advance through the years.
I am not a coin collector, but I am a "wanna be."

I enjoy looking at coins when I get change after making a purchase. I glance at the pennies to see if they are newly minted with the shield emblem. I like the pennies of the Lincoln series that depicts his life from a youngster at the log cabin until the presidency. I'm sure those are all bought up and sacked away. I never expect to be so lucky as to find one in loose change.

I particularly like the nickels that depict the westward movement.

Quarters? They are heavier and unassuming to me. I have never been intrigued by the series of state quarters. It seemed educational at first, but I soon lost interest in them.

The Kennedy half dollars are meaningful because we knew about the Kennedy era, the presidency and the Kennedy family, including his untimely death, that of his son and eventually the death of his widow. The Kennedy daughter, Caroline, is left to carry on the legacy of both her parents and remains quietly in the shadows of her noted parents, although I'm sure she has much to offer, if she so chose.

The Susan B. Anthony dollar soon ceased to be of interest to the public and at one time collectors were told to invest their money in something more profitable, that the interest in that coin had waned until they were almost useless.

It is the "gold dollar" that I focus on today. Not many teenage moms get a coin of their own, but America's minted "gold" dollar honors Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman who aided the Lewis and Clark Expedition in exploring the land acquired in the Louisana Purchase. In May 1803, that real-estate deal doubled the nation's size . For just $15 million , about 3 cents an acre, the United States acquired more than 800,000 square miles of prime property from Napolean's France. In 1804 Lewis and Clark set out to explore the territory from St. Louis to the Pacific, eventually picking up Sacagawea as a guide and translator.

Sacagawea was born into the Shoshone Indian tribe about 1786 at what is now known as Lemhi, Idaho. Historians disagree on whether her name means "Boat Launcher" or " Bird Woman," Captured by an enemy tribe when she was about 12, she was sold into slavery to the Mandan tribe. They in turn sold her to the French-Canadian fur trader, Toussaint Charbonneau, who married her. Captains Merriweather Lewis and William Clark met Charbonneau and Sacajawea and hired them as guides and interpreters for an expedition to the Pacific Ocean.

In 1805, Sacagawea, 15 1/2 years old and carrying her infant son, led Lewis and Clark's "Corps of Discovery" expedition west toward the Pacific Ocean. Sacagawea was crucial to the success of this expedition.

She was knowledgeable about the rugged terrain of the northwest. She introduced the expedition to edible roots and plants previously unknown to Americans. She knew several Indian languages as well as French. Being Shoshone, she could help Lewis and Clark communicate and trade with various tribes for horses that were critical to the success of the expedition.

More important, Sacagawea, with infant son John Baptiste on her back, served as a "white flag" of peace during the expedition as it passed through hostile Native American territories. The native Americans that they did encounter were more cautious than aggressive because war parties were not accompanied by women and children. They talked first and Sacagawea often served as translator.

It is worthy to note that not a single member of the expedition was lost due to hostile action by any Native Americans they encountered.

After the expedition Captain Clark wrote that "Sacagawea deserved a greater reward for her attention and service on that route than we have power to give her." Clark paid for the education of Sacagawea's son, John Baptiste, as well as the education of a daughter.

The story of Scagawea is rich with symbols and values that make our country great. It is fitting that after almost 200 years our country recognized this American heroines contributions and honored her by creating this beautiful United States "gold" dollar.

It is not in wide circulation anymore, and to my knowledge the banks don't carry them either, but you might find one if you just simply ask at a cash register, "Do you by chance have one of those gold dollars?" If by chance they do, they'll trade you, dollar for dollar.

Its a beautiful coin, although it is only gold by color. It is a clad coin with a pure copper core.
1,381 face action in four years for polluting Valley rivers

As many as 1,381 persons have been booked in the last four years for polluting or throwing garbage into Valley rivers, according to officials.
Britain welcomes 2nd phase polls

The British Embassy in Kathmandu has welcomed the completion of the second phase of local elections, urging all stakeholders to create conducive environment to hold local level elections in Province on September 18.
At the University of California, investigations of sexual harassment claims against employees often take more than a year and cause extended periods of stress for the accuser and the accused.

But beginning Sept. 1, campus officials will have 60 business days to complete their investigations  and another 40 days to issue disciplinary decisions, according to new rules issued last week from UC President Janet Napolitano meant to clarify the cumbersome, emotional process.

We have an obligation to respond promptly and effectively, said Kathleen Salvaty, UCs Title IX coordinator, a job that refers to the federal law barring gender discrimination on campuses.

Salvaty acknowledged that some investigations may still take longer than 60 days if witnesses are unavailable in the time frame, for example. But under the new rules, both complainant and respondent have to be informed of any extensions, given the reason for the delay and given a new projected timeline.

The rules dont say how harassers should be disciplined. But they specify the steps and timeline for how UC will handle accusations against faculty and staff. For example, within 40 days after a violation has been determined, the chancellor must make a decision about discipline. If the harasser is a faculty member with tenure  a lifetime job protection  a referral, if appropriate, must also be made within that time to the faculty panel that decides whether to revoke tenure.

In UCs 149-year history, just eight professors have lost tenure. Many more have voluntarily quit when pressured to do so.

The rule changes come after years of heightened public scrutiny over UCs handling of sexual harassment and sexual assault cases, as campuses have had to hire more investigators or contract out for them. Salvaty, whose position as systemwide Title IX coordinator was created in January, employs two full-time investigators and may soon hire more.

At UC Berkeley, administrators decided in May to spend $3 million a year to deal with sexual harassment and assault, despite a budget crisis at the campus. The campus has been widely criticized for lax discipline of high-profile employees, including a famous astronomer, an vice chancellor and a law school dean who received light punishment until their cases became public.

In March, The Chronicle examined records of 57 sexual assault investigations on the 10 campuses from 2013 to 2016, and found that UC had fired fewer than half of the employees who attacked or inappropriately touched students, colleagues or medical patients.

The new rules clarify the roles of investigators and decision makers, as well as the rights of the accuser and the accused, furthering a culture of safety and respect at the university, Napolitano said in a statement.

Sheryl Vacca, a former UC executive who chaired the universitys sexual harassment prevention committees, said last summer that investigations take more than a year to complete, on average.

Victims say the long wait can deter victims from reporting a problem in the first place  or, if they do report, the ongoing stress and distraction can make them feel victimized a second time.

Both suspects and victims often complain that justice delayed is justice denied, said attorney Wendy Patrick, a business ethics lecturer at San Diego State University who also prosecutes people accused of sexual assault.

At UC Berkeley, doctoral student Eva Hagberg Fisher filed a sexual harassment complaint in March 2016 against Nezar AlSayyad, a Middle East scholar and architecture professor who had positioned himself as her protector. AlSayyad denied engaging in any misconduct.

Hagberg Fisher heard nothing for more than two months. Then, on June 8, 2016, she got a letter from the campus Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination acknowledging her report, telling her an investigation had begun, and establishing a no-contact directive between her and AlSayyad.

The investigation dragged on, and by the end of September, Hagberg Fisher felt increasingly alone in her fight. Other students learned of her complaint and accused her of hurting their chances of getting a recommendation letter from AlSayyad, a renowned scholar in his field.

This is a distraction from my academic work, she told The Chronicle at the time. Im realizing the kind of personal cost this is taking. This has gone on so much longer than I thought.

On Oct. 5, 2016, more than six months after Hagberg Fisher complained, the campus upheld her allegations that the professor had spent months ingratiating himself with her, had placed his hand on her upper thigh, and had suggested they become close friends and go to Las Vegas.

This investigation took longer to complete than originally anticipated, largely due to the number of witnesses and the delays caused by witness unavailability, wrote the investigator who had been hired from an outside firm.

Tightening the timetable for both investigations and decisions on discipline afford all parties quicker case resolution, said Patrick of San Diego State.

But because some cases may be difficult to investigate, the new timetables will be challenging, to say the least, she said. Only time will tell regarding whether these new deadlines are realistic.

Nanette Asimov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @NanetteAsimov
Daniel Lurie, head of the Tipping Point Community charity, was spotted having lunch the other day at AT&T Parks Gotham Club with Giants President Larry Baer and a mutual friend, Hyatt Hotel heir John Pritzker  where they were overheard discussing Luries prospects for a 2019 mayoral run in San Francisco.

From what we hear, this was very much a case of Lurie testing the waters for possible political support.

Lurie wasnt taking our call about the lunch, but he told us earlier that he had too much on my plate right now and that I dont view myself as a politician.

Lurie did, however, put himself into thick of one of the citys most contentious issues when he recently announced his group would contribute $100 million to try to cut the chronically homeless population in half over the next five years.

Talk of a Lurie run was also the hot table topic at Tipping Points annual gala at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium a couple of months back  an event that drew 1,200 guests and raised more than $16 million for the 12-year-old poverty-fighting organization.

Its no secret that people do frequently ask Daniel if he will get involved in politics, because he is so committed to alleviating poverty and he is a charismatic public speaker, said Lurie adviser and political consultant Nathan Ballard, who was press secretary to former Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Lurie may be best known as chairman of the San Francisco host committee for Super Bowl 50, which helped raise $12 million that was plowed into putting on the big party last year and supporting dozens of local charities.

Even before that, he was well connected.

Luries dad, Rabbi Brian Lurie, headed the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma counties for 17 years. His mother, Mimi Haas, married philanthropist Peter Haas, the late CEO of Levis.

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.

And he has a long contact list of local string pullers.

San Francisco Chronicle columnists Phillip Matier and Andrew Ross appear Sundays, Mondays and Wednesdays. Matier can be seen on the KPIX TV morning and evening news. He can also be heard on KCBS radio Monday through Friday at 7:50 a.m. and 5:50 p.m. Got a tip? Call (415) 777-8815, or email matierandross@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @matierandross
At long last, the San Francisco Mime Troupe, which opened this summers season with Walls  at Cedar Rose Park in Berkeley on Saturday, July 1, and in Dolores Park in San Francisco on Tuesday, July 4  has made it to the big time: Trump NEA Grants $20K for Lesbian Illegal Alien Musical, is the Breitbart.com headline.

According to the story, which quotes a conservative site called the Free Beacon, U.S. taxpayers are on the hook for $20,000 in funding to a San Francisco musical about a criminal illegal alien lesbian with mental health issues who is in love with an immigration agent.

The Troupe isnt likely to brand the report fake news. The companys own press release has a different spin, however, describing the story, written by Michael Gene Sullivan and starring his wife, Velina Brown: Shes a top agent for ICE in love with an American named Zaniyah Nahuatl, who suddenly has found herself considered a bad hombre.

The differences in perspective can be explained. The National Endowment for the Arts, notes Breitbart, is still under the leadership of (an) Obama holdover, Chairman Jane Chu. And even more worrying, the logo of the theater company, which Breitbart says has received $461,000 since 1998, is a red star.

P.S. Elsewhere in the confluence of culture and political expression, the pro-immigrant banners mentioned herein the other day went up at City Lights for an hour or so, then had to be taken down. They were a foot too long, and the slack in the material caught the wind. The banners are being remade, and poster versions of the images will go up on Wednesday, July 6, at the Centro Legal de la Raza in Oakland.

I didnt see this was online until it was too late to mention it during Pride Month, but if youre interested in understanding the impetus for drag, watch Nate Visconti and Jeff Dragomanovichs Better Known as Peaches Christ, a four-minute-long documentary at tiny.cc/dyb3ly, which was shown at Frameline, about the drag icon.

Bumper sticker Fritz Lichty saw affixed to a post in the Whole Foods Market garage on Market at Dolores: Make Dildos, Not War.

The French conceptual artist Sophie Calles photos of tombstones in Bolinas  when she lived there in the 1970s  were the beginning of her career as an artist, she said on Wednesday, June 28. When art lovers were filing out of Cowell Theatre that day, where theyd heard her talk preceding the opening of Missing, she rushed back to the stage to add something shed forgotten to say: She plans to spend eternity in that graveyard, having recently acquired a plot there.

Missing, curated by a new nonprofit, Ars Citizen, includes four Calle projects shown in three venues at Fort Mason Center through Aug. 20. Chronicle Art Critic Charles Desmarais will write more about Calle and her work; I am limiting myself to describing one moment at a preview, at which guests listened to her talk, saw the projects and were treated to drinks and snacks.

One of two exhibitions in the Fort Mason Firehouse is The Last Image. During a 2010 trip to Istanbul, I spoke to blind people, Calle said in the program, most of whom had lost their sight suddenly. I asked them to describe the last thing they saw. A portrait of each person is presented with a transcription of the response, and a photograph by the artist that evokes that last image.

Although there was a sizable crowd, there was a respectful hush as people moved from photograph to photograph. And then, reading one of the stories, I gasped. Caught off guard, my eyes flooded with tears, through which I focused on the photograph of the man whose tale was imparted in the typed description.

And I read it again, then stood back and watched other people approach ... and flinch or shake their heads, mouths agape. Perceiving the work with a group of people was part of its emotional impact.

As I headed out of the Firehouse, into a windy afternoon, I wiped the corners of my eyes and found myself face-to-face with the artist whose work had so moved me. Thats just incredible, I gushed to Calle, aware of the inadequacy of words to express my emotions. So powerful.

Thank you, she said, smiling, then turning to a companion. Do you know where the drinks are?

Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com; Twitter: @leahgarchik

Public Eavesdropping

I think this is the only show in San Francisco not celebrating the Summer of Love.

Reporter to reporter at a media event for the Edvard Munch exhibit at SFMOMA, overheard by Steven Short

of Crosscurrents on KALW
The SECA (Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary Art) Art Award, an occasional project of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art to recognize Bay Area artists, celebrates its 50th anniversary beginning July 15. That is the date its associated, closely watched exhibition opens to the public. The show runs through Sept. 17.

This year, there are five recipients, chosen from among the most exciting artists working in the region at the moment. The winners are Liam Everett, Alicia McCarthy, Sean McFarland, K.R.M. Mooney and Lindsey White. The finalists also included Amy Balkin, Nate Boyce, Will Brown (a three-person collective, of which Lindsey White is a part), Ajit Chauhan, Ala Ebtekar, Constance Hockaday, Cybele Lyle, Mads Lynnerup, Ben Peterson, Richard T. Walker and May Wilson.

The winners this year each will have a discrete gallery in the museum for a one-person show. As we wait to see what they and exhibition curators Jenny Gheith and Erin OToole have concocted, it is a good time to consider the award and its meaning for art and audiences today.

All museums that deal in any way with the efforts of living artists must determine the scope of their programs. The world is vast, and the work philosophies and methods of artists wildly varied. For any museum to even skim the surface of all contemporary art would be logistically and financially impossible.

Some institutions  generally the smaller ones  serve their local audience and save money by focusing on artists close at hand. But even the most ambitious museums usually demonstrate some interest in artists who work in their communities.

It is never enough. Artists passed over will demand their turn; museum attendees and supporters will have their own favorites.

And yet, in the midst of such pressure for inclusion, everyone wants high standards. Curators, who will make the choices, have their integrity to maintain  not to mention their career visibility in the eyes of colleagues in their field. The community wants to know it is getting the best the museum can offer. And artists, most of all, know that the most important external measure of their work is the setting in which it is shown, the company of artists among whom they are seen.

Rena Bransten Gallery/Copyright John Bankston

The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art was once a dependable outlet for the advanced art of our region and an enthusiastic fan of artists here. It also struggled with a reputation as provincial.

The museum today is far richer and larger, grown from a robust exhibition center in the corridors and upper rooms of the old War Memorial building into the largest modern art museum in the U.S. Its program has grown apace with its facility, expanding its international portfolio and profile.

Looking back over the past 50 years of SECA Awards, one finds, of course, evidence of fads and fashions in art, but also a surprising number of artists who have played a vital role in the Bay Area for decades.

(There is also  and this is no surprise  a sizable number of people who were missed. The absence of names like Robert Bechtle, Lynn Hershman, Tom Marioni and Paul Kos from past lists of winners  or, say, Guggenheim fellows Chris Sollars and Stephanie Syjuco in recent years  may be traceable to SECAs aim to identify emerging artists.)

I think its fair to say that many who built and maintain careers here were aided by the award  see, for example, the comments of six awardees in this issue of Datebook. If nothing else, it seems to help an artist win teaching positions and continued exposure in regional galleries.

At the same time, relatively few seem to have built a solid market for their work outside the Bay Area. Both Barry McGee and Kota Ezawa point out that their New York success preceded their selection for the award.

The indefatigable collector and great booster of Northern California art Rene di Rosa said he saw value in supporting the creative underdogs of the region. I love the sentiment, but I dont think artists here need charity as much as they do professional career support beyond our temperate bubble.

A SECA Award exhibition at SFMOMA today places an artists work in what is, by definition, an international context. Is there more that could be done? The museums engagement with museums, collectors and artists worldwide places it at a valuable nexus. The artworld power that derives from its curatorial expertise, collection resources and financial health is significant.

If there is to be a next step for the SECA Award, it will depend upon SFMOMAs ability  aided by all of us who care deeply about our artists and the cultural health of our community  not only to celebrate here but project abroad our pride in the richness that surrounds us.

Charles Desmarais is The San Francisco Chronicles art critic. Email: cdesmarais@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Artguy1

2017 SECA Art Award Exhibition: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Fridays-Tuesdays; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays. July 15-Sept. 17. $19-$25; ages 18 and younger free. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 151 Third St., S.F. (415) 357-4000. www.sfmoma.org
As Bay Area residents know better than most, our lives are more connected than ever. We increasingly rely on robust and reliable wireless technology to conduct secure business transactions, stay informed, safeguard our health and safety, and enhance our quality of life.

Its no surprise then that, over the past two years, data use has increased a remarkable 238 percent.

Now, next-generation wireless networks, known as 5G, promise to deliver increased capacity with faster transmission speeds and quicker connection times, empowering the newest technologies for individuals, business and government.

State Sen. Ben Hueso, D-Logan Heights (San Diego County), proposed Senate Bill 649 to ensure Californians remain on the forefront of this new technological advancement  not just in our highly populated large cities but in every community.

5G uses small cell antennas strategically deployed in high-traffic areas. These devices are as small as a pizza box  making yesterdays laws that were written for 200-foot-tall macro towers not just antiquated but also unreasonable.

SB649 would bring regulations up to date with technology, replacing a hodgepodge of local rules, restrictions and hidden customer fees with a standardized approval process that ensures reasonable compensation to local governments while preserving local authority.

Claims that the bill would impede public safety or violate other standards are simply false.

SB649 directly requires compliance with all federal, state and local health and safety laws and regulations.

It also allows local officials to impose feasible design and collocation standards, specifically excludes coastal and historic zones, and allows local communities to reserve locations for their own use.

It is also important to note that, unlike for roads or other public services, 5G infrastructure is funded exclusively by private-sector investment, not taxpayer dollars. But for capital investments of this size, the industry needs certainty.

A fair, predictable fee structure for siting is essential because of the number of small cells needed to bring 5G to Californians. SB649 allows local communities full recovery, every year, of any capital or administrative costs from these attachments to vertical infrastructure plus up to $250 per small cell, providing local governments a consistent revenue stream.

The drafting process for SB649 has been transparent and deliberative. In fact, since January, SB649 has had four public hearings  including the Assemblys Local Government Committee, where it passed overwhelmingly on Wednesday  and received more than 30 amendments to answer stakeholder concerns, more than 20 of which are from local governments like San Francisco.

The wireless industry is ready to invest $275 billion to bring 5G to Americans. When you strip away the hyperbole and scare tactics, it is clear that SB649 would provide California with the regulatory certainty vital for all stakeholders  the industry, local governments and communities across the state  and would allow all Californians to realize the substantial benefits that next-generation wireless technology will bring.

Jim Lazarus is vice president of public policy for the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

The Chronicles

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Budhigandaki hydel project on track to extend Rs5b to locals

Budhigandaki Hydroelectric Project is on track to complete the distribution of compensation totalling Rs 5 billion for the acquisition of private land from project affected locals of Dhading and Gorkha within this fiscal year.
WASHINGTON  Nearly everything people most dislike about the current health care law would be made worse by the Senate Republicans effort to repeal it. And just about everything people like about the law would be unraveled.

This paradox helps explain why Republicans are foundering in their seven-year effort to undo the Affordable Care Act, and why for the first time since it was enacted under President Barack Obama, the law is finally popular.

High premium costs for policies offered in the state marketplaces, known as exchanges, and lack of competition among insurers in rural areas generate the most public complaints, and undergird the GOPs call for the laws repeal. But a few fixes, long recommended by policy analysts, could remedy these.

Such fixes could also form the basis of a bipartisan alternative should the attempt by the Republican majority in the Senate to replace the Affordable Care Act fail. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York offered to help forge such a deal last week.

Democrats have not had a voice in crafting the Senate bill, which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell drafted in secrecy. But given a chance, they would probably address some of the problems even they see with the Affordable Care Act. Chief among them are the high premiums middle-class workers face when trying to buy insurance on the individual market.

The coverage is expensive, and for many out of reach, in part because no federal assistance is available for people who earn 400 percent of the poverty level, or $80,640 for a family of three. Make $1 more than that, and subsidies disappear and premiums skyrocket. It is known as the income cliff.

Most complaints in California come from people in this category, said California Sen. Dianne Feinstein. A 60-year-old San Franciscan earning just over the cutoff of $47,520 a year now pays $946 a month under Obamacare, Feinstein said.

Thats simply not affordable, she said.

Feinstein and her California Senate colleague, Kamala Harris, proposed legislation last month to eliminate the income cliff for middle-class workers by limiting the cost of health insurance premiums to 9.69 percent of a persons income. The monthly premium for someone making $50,000 would be no more than $404 per month under the formula, a savings of $542 per month, they said. A person earning $80,000 would pay no more than $646 per month, saving $300.

Right now, many middle-class families are still struggling to afford insurance, and thats not acceptable, Harris said. Lets fix that.

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The Urban Institute, a liberal-leaning think tank, pegged the cost to the government if the Feinstein-Harris subisidy plan were enacted at well under $1 billion a year.

Linda Blumberg, an economist at the institute, said the subsidy would phase out naturally as peoples income rose, but would provide significant help for people close to the cutoff, especially older workers who face much higher premiums than younger people.

It would certainly be an affordability improvement, Blumberg said.

Part of the reason costs for middle-class workers buying policies on the exchanges are so high is because health care is very expensive, said Andy Slavitt, acting administrator from 2015 to 2017 of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the federal agency that runs the governments health care programs

But another reason, he said, is that the federal government spends billions of dollars to ensure that every other group of Americans receives federal health care aid: the poor, veterans, seniors, children, and workers with employer-sponsored insurance, who alone receive about $300 billion a year in tax breaks through their employers.

As for the other major complaint from policy buyers, analysts say various methods could be used to increase competition among insurers and providers in rural markets. Blumberg said the government could remove the monopoly power some providers now wield in rural areas by capping payments to them at Medicare levels. Slavitt recommends providing people in such markets with a public health care option.

Gail Wilensky, the head of the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare under the George H.W. Bush administration, sees promise in a plan put forward by Republican moderates Susan Collins of Maine and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana to let states keep the Affordable Care Act or set up their own insurance systems using subsidized health savings accounts and high-deductible plans.

That is a way to reach out to people who think that the Affordable Care Act has been fine and to people who want to take a different approach to getting coverage to people, Wilensky said.

Some of the problems with the Affordable Care Act stem from Congress refusal to correct problems that surfaced during the laws implementation. Such fixes often follow enactment of a new law, especially one of this magnitude, as it takes effect. But Republicans insisted on wholesale repeal and set about undermining the law. They became increasingly emboldened as the party took control of the House in 2010, the Senate in 2015 and the White House this year.

They took a series of actions that crippled the exchanges, Slavitt said.

These included lawsuits that had the effect of raising premiums in some states, and killing funding for a rate stabilization fund that spread insurer risk.

In May, President Trump threatened to withhold federal payments to insurers that help them subsidize low-income policyholders, rattling the insurance market. Uncertainty surrounding the GOP repeal effort has also fueled an insurer retreat.

The administration stopped advertising the exchanges, ending a cost-effective way to increase enrollment, which in turn lowers premiums.

There was a longer-term political game being played to drive up rates and reduce competition so that people could rail against the ACA, Slavitt said.

Conservative-leaning insurance analyst Robert Laszewski noted on his blog that a problem with the exchanges is that only 40 percent of eligible people ever signed up, leading to a risk pool with too many sick people and too few healthy people to pay their claims.

The Republicans are only going to make this problem worse.

The Senate Republican bill does include some long-recommended fixes, said Blumberg of the Urban Institute. These include a reinsurance program in the Affordable Care Act, allowed to lapse, that diversified the risk of extremely high-cost patients and helped lower overall premiums.

But the main target of the Senate, and a similar GOP bill approved by the House in May, is not the exchanges that Republicans say are collapsing, but Medicaid, the nations largest health care program. It provides health coverage to the poor as well as two-thirds of nursing home patients and 1 out of 3 children, and was expanded under the current law to cover the near-poor.

Both Republican bills slash Medicaid spending and fundamentally alter the program by ending its open-ended entitlement, a long-standing conservative goal unrelated to the Affordable Care Act. Both bills use the savings to reduce taxes on high-income people, insurers and drug companies.

Democrats insist that Republicans abandon this approach, but that is unlikely unless McConnells bill fails in the Senate.

At that point, it is unclear what options Republicans would have if they cant get a bill to President Trumps desk, said Dan Holler, a vice president at Heritage Action for America, a conservative advocacy group.

GOP moderates, like Collins, have expressed a desire to go back and fix piecemeal the parts of Obamacare that they can agree are broken, he said.

Such fixes are well known and within reach, but would require Republicans to give up on repeal.

They can be done state by state, Slavitt said, with a little more money and a little more legislation but nothing dramatic.

Carolyn Lochhead is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: clochhead@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @carolynlochhead
A rhythmic cacophony of buzzing, hammering, and sewing sounds emerge out of a unassuming small shoe repair shop located at the back of the bottom floor of Westfield mall in downtown San Francisco.

Surrounded by an assortment of shoes ranging from high-end Louboutin heels to the more common Adidas sneakers, George Shirikian, a 62-year-old Armenian American, works fast and methodically behind the counter.

Shirikian believes that all a person needs in life to be happy is a good bed and good pair of shoes. If you have these two things, life will be a lot easier.

Picking up a pair of mens shoes, he examines it and begins to peel away the worn-down soft brown sole. Shirikian dropped out of school at age 14 and decided to focus on learning how to be a cobbler under the guidance of his uncle, who ran a shoe factory in Yerevan, Armenia.

Shirikians training began with sweeping floors and lacing shoes. I learned step by step, Shirikian said. Eventually after years of practice he moved onto fixing the soles, heels and even reconstructing parts of shoe when needed.

After immigrating to the United States, Shirikian opened his first cobbler shop in Oakland in 1976. When the first customer came in asking for the heel to be fixed, Shirikian, with his limited English, misunderstood and fixed the entire sole. The customer didnt understand why Shirikian fixed the entire sole. Recognizing something was wrong, Shirikian only charged the customer for a portion of the work.

He was happy. I was happy, But I learned quick, Shirikian laughingly recalled.

Shirikian is pleased by the fact that all of his three kids worked at his shop where he believes they were able to learn the crucial life skill of dealing with different types of people. However, none of his children will follow in his footsteps and continue with the cobbling, which doesnt seem to bother him at all.

I am a proud father, Shirikian said. It took a lot of fixing shoes but I am here.

Watch an accompanying video at www.sfchronicle.com/theregulars/. The Regulars is a weekly photo and video column that offers a glimpse into the lives of ordinary people in the Bay Area, caught in routine activities of modern urban life.
Thousands of people sporting patriotic costumes and toting hand-penned signs took a peaceful stroll in San Francisco under bright, clear skies Sunday afternoon to call for the impeachment of President Trump.

The crowd gathered at Justin Herman Plaza at 1 p.m. for speeches and then marched along the waterfront toward Fishermans Wharf while throngs of curious tourists looked on from sidewalks and cafes, many cheering support. After less than two hours, the protest was over, and the crowd dispersed, leaving behind three naked men standing in the plaza, the word Trump penned on their rumps.

The march was organized by several organizations, including Progressive Democrats of America, which said Trumps firing of FBI Director James Comey is just one of many actions that collectively mean Congress should seriously look into tossing the president out of office. It was one of many such protests across the country and around the world Sunday.

Nearly everyone carried a sign, many calling for impeachment and several insisting that Trump release his tax returns. Others questioned his relationship with Russia, including one protester who wanted the president to show us your rubles.

One man dressed in Uncle Sam gear with blue sparkly shoes and a cotton beard glued to his chin. He carried sign reading, Trump redefines the bully pulpit.

I feel like I need to be visible in my opposition to pretty much everything Trump is doing, said the marcher, 48-year-old Daniel Johnson of San Francisco. I want to be one of the people that can at least say, when everything goes south, I stood up, I did something.

Johnson called Trump reprehensible, callous, mean and unconcerned.

March organizers pointed to more than 1 million signatures on the site www.impeachdonaldtrumpnow.org as backing for their sentiment, and those who showed ranged across all ages and ethnicities  though it appeared few conservatives were pitching in. The mood was defiant but festive, and after reaching Battery Street, the throng turned around and headed back to Justin Herman Plaza.

Debra Stein sat on the steps as the protest wrapped up, a bright orange sign on her lap that showed a glitter-covered image of a peach with Trump-like hair. The signs edges were adorned with pom-poms.

I just want to get Trump out of office, she said. Its time to get him out.

Stein, like many of the marchers, said gathering with like-minded people is empowering.

Like-minded 6-year-old Ian Lee of San Francisco wore a Captain America T-shirt and toted a sign reading, in a shaky childs handwriting, Impeach Donald Trump.

He said he has friends at his school who are from different countries and are worried about what might happen to them under Trumps efforts to clamp down on immigration, and he didnt like that.

I just dont like Donald Trump, Ian said. He does bad stuff.

Chronicle staff writer Kevin Fagan contributed to this report.

Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker
A man accused of veering off a Concord highway ramp and slamming into a womans car, killing two children and injuring the driver and a baby, was arrested early Sunday, the California Highway Patrol said.

Lemuel Sirvonn Wilson Jr., 35, faces charges of vehicular homicide, driving on a suspended or revoked license, and fleeing the scene of a crash that caused great bodily injury, said CHP spokesman Officer Brandon Correia.

The collision happened Friday night when Wilson, driving a silver 2004 Infiniti, veered off the Solano Way exit from Highway 4 and sped into an adjacent on-ramp, where he slammed into the back of a 2006 Dodge Durango, Correia said.

Two San Pablo boys, ages 5 and 10, were ejected from the Durango and declared dead at the scene. A 3-month-old boy who had been in an infant car seat was taken to UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Oakland with major injuries. The 35-year-old San Pablo woman who was driving the Durango was also taken to a local hospital with major injuries, Correia said.

The woman and her baby remained hospitalized Sunday in critical condition, according to the CHP.

Witnesses told authorities that the driver of the Infiniti ditched the car and fled the scene on foot toward a drive-in movie theater across the highway, Correia said. Witnesses said he had injuries to his head and face and was bleeding heavily.

Wilson, who checked himself into Highland Hospital in Oakland on Saturday morning, is being held on a $500,000 bail, Correia said. He remained at the hospital Sunday in CHP custody.

Last summer, the suspects 16-year-old stepdaughter was killed in a downtown Oakland shooting. Tyrone Duckett, a pastor with Duckett Memorial Church of God in Christ in Oakland, said Wilson and his family had been going through a great deal in the year since.
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Nigel Walker, a leading figure in the Bay Area organic food movement, died on Saturday, July 1, following a relapse of myeloma, a form of cancer. He was 56.

Mr. Walker was best known as the founder of Eatwell Farm, an organic farm in Dixon (Solano County), where he lived with his wife, Lorraine.

For nearly 30 years, Nigel Walker has been a defining force in California agriculture, setting the bar for just about everything that we believe in and strive for, said Marcy Coburn, executive director of CUESA, which operates the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market, where Eatwell Farm has long been a presence.

Mr. Walker was born in Leicester, England and attended Writtle Agricultural College in Essex where he studied organic farming. Though he worked briefly for the BBC as a radio studio engineer for the World Service, he returned to farming. Part of his education included studying drip irrigation in Israel, which prepared him for farming in California, where he moved in 1992.

He purchased his first 65-acre parcel of land to establish Eatwell Farm in Dixon in 1997 and converted the land to organic in 2000. Eventually, it grew to 105 acres. Early on, he specialized in heirloom tomatoes and specialty lavender varieties, which both became fixtures at the Eatwell Farm stand in a prominent corner spot at the Saturday Ferry Plaza Farmers Market.

I like to grow things customers are passionate about. Someone comes to your stand and gets excited about all these tomatoes, Mr. Walker told The Chronicle in 2004.

Eatwell became of the best-known and most beloved organic farms in the Bay Area.

He was constantly innovating on the farm through his animal husbandry, water conservation, solar power, alternative fuel, and other sustainability practices, and bringing not only amazing food to market week after week, but also bringing people together through his vision and generosity, said Coburn. His contributions to CUESA's mission to cultivate a healthy food system have run long and deep.

Later, he would raise pastured chickens for eggs. When it proved difficult to find an organic source of chicken food, he grew the grain himself to feed them. He also got used cooking oil from a wholesale customer to power the farms biodiesel tractors and other equipment.

The farm also expanded its offerings to include a now-defunct soft-serve ice cream spin-off, as well as culinary salts and a line of fermented sodas called Drinkwell Softers, both infused with herbs from the farm, which can still be found at Bay Area farmers markets and grocery stores.

Always ready with a sardonic quip on the challenges of farming, Mr. Walker was also poetic about its everyday joys, such as when he described the height of lavender season to a Chronicle reporter.

When (the bees are) all warmed up in mid-morning, you can stand by the side and hear (the field) hum, he said. The bees are so happy around this flower. They're like these big transport planes, so loaded down that if you happen to get in their way to the hive you might get stung.

In 2011, Mr. Walker was diagnosed with stage 3 multiple myeloma, a rare type of cancer affecting plasma cells in the bone marrow. Despite treatment, a cancer-free declaration and a stem cell transplant, he experienced relapses in recent years.

Since being diagnosed with the disease, the local food community has continued to rally around the farmer, including fundraisers to help cover Mr. Walkers medical bills.

In addition to his wife, Lorraine, Mr. Walker is survived by his sons Andrew and Eric; his daughter Eleanor; his parents Don and Thora; his brothers Michael and Edward; and his stepson Cameron Ottens.

There will be a small private memorial service next Sunday. A grand memorial is being planned for summer 2018.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made online to Eatwell Farms Care Share program, a program that the farm established after Mr. Walkers first bout with cancer. In it, the farm donates CSA boxes, full of its produce, to those battling serious health issues, such as cancer.

Tara Duggan and Sarah Fritsche are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Emails: tduggan@sfchronicle.com, sfritsche@sfchronicle.com
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Wildlife enthusiasts will be able to enjoy the best wildlife and conservation photographs captured by winners of this years BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition beginning next month.

The California Academy of Sciences will present the top 48 wildlife images taken around the globe in its yearly BigPicture exhibition, the museum wrote.

Only four winners were from the United States, but one Californian and local photographer was among the 2017 winners.

Jodi Frediani of Santa Cruz won the Art of Nature award for her image of Velella velella, commonly known as by-the-wind sailors, that were shot at Monterey Bay.

The competition completed its fourth year and had about 6,000 submissions from photographers of 63 different countries.

Not only will viewers be able to enjoy the images, but they will be able to read viewpoints from scientists in the field.

"The exhibit blends captivating imagery with perspectives from Academy scientists, and illustrates the power of photography to engage the public in the diversity of life on Earth and our most pressing environmental challenges."

The exhibit opens July 28 and will be displayed through Oct. 29.

These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences' BigPicture Natural World Photography Competition.

Get a sneak peak of the winning photos in the slideshow above.
Any resident of Florida may now challenge what children learn in public schools, thanks to a new law that science education advocates worry will make it harder to teach evolution and climate change.

The legislation, which was signed by Republican Gov. Rick Scott last week, requires school boards to hire an unbiased hearing officer who will handle complaints about instructional materials, such as movies, textbooks and novels, that are used in local schools. Any parent or county resident can file a complaint, regardless of whether they have a student in the school system. If the hearing officer deems the challenge justified, he or she can require schools to remove the material in question.

The statute includes general guidelines about what counts as grounds for removal: belief that the material is pornographic or is not suited to student needs and their ability to comprehend the material presented, or is inappropriate for the grade level and age group.

Proponents of the new law say it makes the challenge process easier for parents and gives residents a greater say in their childrens education. And GOP state Rep. Byron Donalds, who sponsored the bill, told Nature in May that his intent wasnt to target any particular subject.

But Glenn Branch, deputy director of the National Council for Science Education, said affidavits filed by supporters of the bill suggest that science instruction will be a focus of challenges. One affidavit from a Collier County resident complained that evolution and global warming were taught as reality. Another criticized her childs sixth-grade science curriculum, writing that the two main theories on the origin of man are the theory of evolution and creationism, and that her daughter had only been taught about evolution.

Its just the candor with which the backers of the bill have been saying, Yeah, were going to go after evolution, were going to go after climate change, that has him worried, Branch said.

Based on the affidavits, it seems likely that the law will also be used to request the removal of library books that parents find objectionable.

The Florida statute is one of 13 measures proposed this year that Branch and his colleagues consider antiscience. Alabama and Indiana both adopted nonbinding resolutions on teachers academic freedom, which are generally understood as encouraging educators to teach the controversy around subjects like climate change.

Whether it be evolution or the argument about global warming, we dont want teachers to be afraid to converse about such things, Indiana GOP state Sen. Jeff Raatz, a supporter of the resolution, told Frontline.

Similar measures in other states didnt make it into law, but a number of them have advanced farther than we really expected, Branch said. He called 2017 a busy year for this type of legislation.

Sarah Kaplan is a Washington Post writer.
CHICAGO  The 28-year-old Illinois man charged with kidnapping a Chinese scholar now believed to be dead was among a select few admitted to the University of Illinois highly competitive physics graduate program in 2013.

Brendt Allen Christensen originally planned to earn a doctorate degree, but told his graduate adviser in 2016 he had changed his mind, Professor Lance Cooper said Saturday. He didnt say why, and Christensen continued taking classes and teaching as a graduate assistant. He earned his masters degree in mid-May.

Christensen is in federal custody awaiting a court appearance Monday in the June 9 kidnapping of Yingying Zhang, the 26-year-old daughter of a working-class factory driver from China. Weeks ago, Zhang arrived at the university to conduct research in agricultural sciences and planned to begin work on her doctorate in the fall. Her body hasnt been found.

A criminal complaint accuses Christensen, of Champaign, of abducting Zhang shortly after she stepped off a bus near the university campus. Video from nearby cameras showed Zhang, on her way to sign a lease for an apartment, trying unsuccessfully to flag down another bus. Minutes later, shes seen getting into a black Saturn Astra.

According to an affidavit filed in federal court, Christensen was under surveillance Thursday when agents overheard him explaining he had kidnapped Zhang. Authorities say agents believe Zhang is no longer alive based on that and other facts the investigation uncovered.

The charging document says his smartphone was used to visit an online forum in April called Abduction 101. One of the threads on the forum, which was visited months before Zhang went missing, was entitled, Perfect abduction fantasy. Another was about planning a kidnapping.

Some 5,600 Chinese students are enrolled at the university  more than at any other college in the nation  and Zhangs disappearance fed anxieties of families of Chinese students studying in the U.S.

Meanwhile, the charges came as a shock to some who knew Christensen at the university. Cooper, a director of the graduate program, said hed received no indication of anything unusual.

There are many ways in which we find out there are problems with students, Cooper said. We get reports theyre not teaching well. We get reports from faculty that theyre not doing well in classes, theyre not showing up for classes. None of those flags were raised.

Public records show Christensen lived previously in Stevens Point, Wis., and his LinkedIn profile states he graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013 with bachelors degrees in physics and math. Relatives declined to speak on Saturday.

Sara Burnett is an Associated Press writer.
Deubas advantage

Nepal is in dire need of leaders who preach and practise reconciliation rather than divisiveness
NEW YORK  A doctor angry that his career was derailed at a New York City hospital toted an assault rifle past security in search of an ex-colleague he was going to hold responsible. When that person wasnt there, he opened fire anyway, leaving one doctor dead, another critically injured and four staff members and a patient wounded.

Dr. Henry Bello aired his complaints against his former workplace in an email purportedly sent to the New York Daily News about two hours before he returned to Bronx Lebanon Hospital on Friday and pulled an AM-15 assault rifle from under his white lab coat, opening fire before turning the gun on himself.

Bello had warned his former colleagues two years ago that he would return someday to kill them after he was forced to resign amid sexual harassment allegations.

This hospital terminated my road to a licensure to practice medicine, the email said. First, I was told it was because I always kept to myself. Then it was because of an altercation with a nurse.

He also blamed a doctor for blocking his chances at practicing medicine.

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that when Bello arrived at the hospital he asked for a specific doctor whom he blamed for his having to resign but the physician wasnt there at the time. The official spoke on anonymity.

It was not clear if Bello knew Dr. Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, 32, who was killed in the shooting on the 16th and 17th floors of the hospital and was, like him, a family medicine doctor. Hospital officials said Saturday that Tam normally worked in one of the hospitals satellite clinics and was covering a shift in the main hospital as a favor to someone else.

The victims largely suffered gunshot wounds to the head, chest and abdomen. Another physician remained in critical condition. One was a patient, two are medical students and the rest are physicians. All but one was stable Saturday.

Hospital vice president Errol Schneer said his staff responded heroically.

Many of our staff risked their own lives to save patients, Schneer told reporters at the hospital where the 16th and 17th floors remained closed, and staffers were still recovering from the rampage that sent people diving for cover while the gunman was on the loose. Adding to the chaos, authorities said, was a fire alarm that went off when Bello attempted to set himself ablaze, the flames extinguished by sprinklers, shortly before he shot himself.

Colleen Long and Julie Watson are Associated Press writers.
1 Road rage: A Pennsylvania man was in custody Sunday for what a prosecutor called the savage and senseless death of a recent high school graduate shot in the head during a road rage confrontation as the two tried to merge in a single lane. Police said David Desper, 28, of Trainer turned himself in accompanied by an attorney early Sunday and was charged with first- and third-degree murder in Wednesdays death of 18-year-old Bianca Roberson in West Goshen Township. Witnesses reported seeing Robersons vehicle jockeying for position with a red pickup truck where the road narrows from two lanes to one lane. After Roberson was shot, her car veered off the road, struck a tree and was found in a ditch. The shooter fled.

2 Body found: A missing 13-year-old Texas girl who was reported abducted and a man have both been found dead inside a Dallas home, authorities said Sunday. Shavon Randle was identified as one of two bodies inside the house, FBI agent Eric Jackson said. The area around the small home was cordoned off Sunday. The girl was reported abducted Wednesday from a home in Lancaster, about 15 miles south of Dallas. A relative told officers she received a call from an unknown man who said the girl was being held against her will and had threatened to harm her. Lancaster police and FBI agents arrested two men Saturday, Devontae Owens, 24, and Laquon Wilkerson, 30. Both are held on $500,000 bond and charged with aggravated kidnapping.
SALT LAKE CITY  A trendy downtown Salt Lake City seafood restaurant started business Saturday with glass-smashing and Champagne, a symbolic gesture in its emancipation from Utahs Zion Curtains alcohol law.

It feels fabulous and liberating. Its a hallelujah moment, said Joel LaSalle, owner of Current Fish & Oyster. Itll make our restaurant twice as beautiful because you can actually see the $100,000 bar and wall.

The new liquor law went into effect Saturday, making wine, liquor and higher-alcohol beer more expensive while also allowing some restaurants to take down walls and partitions that were meant to prevent customers from seeing their alcoholic drinks being mixed and poured.

The broad liquor law passed in March eased a longtime requirement that drinks be prepared behind barriers known as Zion Curtains, typically glass walls or back rooms. Its based on the premise that the barriers shield children from alcohol culture and the glamour of bartending, and prevents underage drinking.

The Zion Curtain nickname is a reference to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which teaches its members to avoid alcohol and plays an influential role in state liquor policy.

The rule has been a longtime thorn in the side of Utahs restaurant industry, which has complained that the barriers can be ugly and awkward, and point out that children can still see customers drinking alcohol. They also argued the rule punished newer restaurants, because those built before 2009 were not required to have a barrier.

Under the new law, restaurants can stop hiding drinks behind glass barriers or in backrooms starting Saturday  if they choose one of two options to keep those under 21 away from bars: Seat them at least 10 feet from a bar, or at least 5 feet from a bar if the restaurant installs a half-wall or other structure about 3.5 feet tall. Adult customers can sit at or near bars and watch drinks being made.

Michelle L. Price is an Associated Press writer.
DPM Mahara leaves for India

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara left for New Delhi  the capital of India  at the invitation of his Indian counterpart, Sushma Swaraj on Sunday.
Govt at a loss over Myadi deployment

With the term of Myadi police expiring in four days, the government remains undecided on total deployment of temporary police in the third phase of local elections to be held in districts of Province 2 on September 18.
Maoist Centre preparing list of partys ministers

As Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba gears up to expand his Cabinet, coalition partner CPN (Maoist Centre) has set the criteria for selecting ministers from the party.
Nepals non-alignment

Nepal expects both neighbours to understand that it is walking a tight rope while dealing with them
VATICAN CITY  Pope Francis sacked the head of the Vatican office that handles sex abuse cases Saturday, just days after he released another top Vatican cardinal to return home to stand trial for alleged sexual assault.

The developments underscored how the Catholic Churchs sex abuse crisis has caught up with Francis, threatening to tarnish his legacy over a series of questionable appointments, decisions and oversights in his four-year papacy.

Perhaps sensing a need to change course, Francis declined to renew the mandate of German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican office that processes and evaluates all cases of priests accused of raping or molesting minors.

Francis named Muellers deputy, Monsignor Luis Ladaria Ferrer, a Spanish Jesuit, to run the powerful office instead.

During Muellers five-year term, the congregation amassed a 2,000-case backlog and came under criticism from Irish abuse survivor Marie Collins, who had been tapped by Francis in 2014 to advise the church on caring for abuse victims and protecting children from pedophile priests.

Collins resigned from the papal commission in March, citing the unacceptable level of resistance from Muellers office to heeding the commissions proposals.

In May, Francis said her criticism of the slow pace in processing abuse cases was justified and announced he was adding more staff. Earlier this year, he also named Cardinal Sean OMalley as a member of the congregation in hopes of ensuring better cooperation.

On Thursday, Francis granted Cardinal George Pell a leave of absence to return to his native Australia to face trial on charges of sexual assault stemming from years ago.

Nicole Winfield is an Associated Press writer.
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MOSUL, Iraq  National forces say their recent territorial gains against the Islamic State group in Mosuls Old City have largely been propelled by air strikes, despite a spike in allegations of civilian casualties and warnings from human rights groups of the dangers of using large munitions in the dense, highly populated area.

As strikes pummeled the Old City on Sunday, hundreds of civilians fled. Many were badly injured and had to be carried out by family members over mounds of rubble. Deeper inside the district, narrow alleyways were littered with bodies.

Special forces Lt. Col. Muhanad al-Timimi said over the past three days that his forces have carried out about 20 air strikes a day on Islamic State-held territory within the area of operation  a portion of the Old City measuring about a half square mile in size.

Its because we have a lot of enemy forces here, he said, conceding the number of munitions used was relatively high.

Half buried in a mound of rubble beside a strike crater, limbs protruded, darkened by dust and rotting in the summer heat.

Those were two Daesh fighters, said Sgt. Ali Mehdi, a member of al-Timimis security detail, using an Arabic acronym for Islamic State.

When the small unit rounded another narrow street the men silently stepped over the body of an elderly man lying in a pool of fresh blood.

Throughout the fight against the militants, the U.S.-led coalition has largely relied on air strikes to enable Iraqi ground forces to advance. But in previous battles, civilians were evacuated from front lines. In Mosul, the Iraqi government told the citys estimated one million people to stay put to avoid major displacement.

Iraqi forces have repeatedly requested air strikes in Mosul, often to kill teams of just two or three militants armed with light weapons.

Manhal Munir was sheltering in the basement of his home with his extended family when Islamic State fighters took a position on his roof. They were targeted by an air strike Sunday morning. The house collapsed.

I just pulled my youngest daughter out with me, Munir said at a nearby clinic, the toddler on his lap. My mother was stuck between two large blocks of cement. We tried to free her. ... After two hours, she died.

The Coalition always seeks to use weapons that are proportional to the target to minimize collateral damage, the U.S-led coalition said in a written statement.

Susannah George is an Associated Press writer.
1 Mexico violence: At least 19 people were killed in clashes between armed men and security forces in the gang-plagued state of Sinaloa, authorities said Saturday. A statement from the State Prosecutors Office said two people were killed in an initial shooting Friday involving rival groups in Villa Union, about 15 miles southeast of Mazatlan. In a second clash, 15 municipal police officers came under attack on a highway by people riding in pickup trucks. Marines and state police went to the aid of the municipal police, and 17 attackers were killed. Five municipal policemen suffered light wounds. The number of slayings has risen recently following the capture of Sinaloa cartel chief Joaquin El Chapo Guzman, who was extradited to the United States to face drug charges.

2 Ships collide: An oil tanker and a large cargo ship collided Saturday in the Dover Strait between Britain and France but no casualties or pollution from the accident were reported, French authorities said. The collision between the two Honk Kong-flagged vessels took place 20 miles off the northern French port of Dunkirk in one of the worlds busiest sea routes. None of the tankers 27 crew members or the 22 on the freighter was injured. Three French experts were dropped onto one of the ships by helicopter a few hours after the collision and assessed that the hull had not suffered substantial damage. The cause of the collision was not immediately known.
Lefteris Pitarakis/Associated Press

ISTANBUL  Turkish police chased away a small group of transgender rights activists who tried to march to Istanbuls main square Sunday while carrying rainbow flags despite an official ban on the event. Seven people were detained.

The rights group Istanbul LGBTI, host of the eighth Trans Pride March, had said on social media that it would not recognize the governors ban. Activists gathered in the Harbiye district and declared in a live statement on Facebook: We are trans, we are here, get used to it, we are not leaving.
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HONG KONG  Tens of thousands of Hong Kong residents marched through the streets in defense of their cherished freedoms Saturday, in the face of what many see as a growing threat from mainland China, exactly two decades after the handover from British rule.

Earlier in the day, Chinas president, Xi Jinping, marked the 20th anniversary of the handover with his sternest warning yet to the territorys people: You can have autonomy, but dont do anything that challenges the authority of the central government or undermines national sovereignty.

Under the terms of the 1997 handover, China promised to grant Hong Kong a high degree of autonomy for at least 50 years, but Xi said it was important to have a correct understanding of the relationship between one country and two systems.

One country is like the roots of a tree, he told Hong Kongs elite after swearing in a new chief executive to govern the territory, Carrie Lam. For a tree to grow and flourish, its roots must run deep and strong. The concept of one country, two systems was advanced first and foremost to realize and uphold national sovereignty.

Many people in Hong Kong accused China of violating the territorys autonomy in 2015 by seizing five publishers who were putting out gossipy books about the Chinese leadership and allegedly distributing them on the mainland.

Some are also angry that Beijing intervened to disqualify newly elected pro-independence lawmakers who failed to correctly administer the oath of office last year. Many people are worried about a steady erosion of press freedom, and that in a range of areas China is increasingly determined to call the shots.

Many also say Hong Kongs autonomy was again badly distorted in March, with Lams election as chief executive. Although the former bureaucrat trailed well behind rival candidate John Tsang in opinion polls, she was chosen by a panel of 1,200 members of the territorys elite that was packed with pro-Beijing loyalists.

But Xi made it clear that challenges to Beijings authority would not be allowed.

Any attempt to endanger Chinas sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government and the authority of the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, or use Hong Kong for infiltration or sabotage activities against the mainland, is an act that crosses the red line and is absolutely impermissible, he said.

The message didnt appear to go down well on the streets of Hong Kong. Organizers said more than 60,000 people joined Saturdays annual march, which they said was meant to deliver a message to the Chinese president.

Hes threatening Hong Kongs people, saying he has the power to make us do what he wants, said student Anson Woo, 19. But I still have hope. Seeing all the people around me today, the people of Hong Kong are still fighting for what we value.

A poll by the Chinese University of Hong Kong showed residents attach even greater importance to judicial independence and freedom of the press than to economic development.

We have to take the chance to express our views while we still can, student Chan Sui Yan, 15, said. They say it is one country, two systems, but right now we are losing a lot of the rights we value.

Many protesters called for the release of Nobel laureate and democracy icon Liu Xiabo, imprisoned in China since 2008 and last week taken to a hospital under close guard for treatment of advanced liver cancer.

Simon Denyer is a Washington Post writer.
NMA Tells med colleges to honour merit list

The Nepal Medical Association (NMA has urged private medical colleges to admit students based on merit.
DAMASCUS, Syria  Security forces chased three explosive-laden vehicles through Damascus on Sunday, intercepting two of them but failing to stop the third before it exploded in the city center, killing at least eight people in a rare attack in the heart of Syrias capital, state media and others reported.

The Interior Ministry said security forces tracked all three cars and intercepted two of them at checkpoints on the airport road. The third made it into the city center, where the driver blew himself up near Tahreer Square.

The Syrian Minister of Local Administration, Hussein Makhlouf, said the response marked a major success in foiling a plot to cause mass casualties.

There were conflicting casualty reports. Syrian state TV reported eight killed and another 12 people wounded in the blast near Damascus old city. Britains Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the fighting with on-the-ground monitors, reported at least 12 killed. Meanwhile the Hezbollah-linked Lebanons al-Manar TV, which is close to the Syrian government, and Diary of a Mortar, a Syrian activist group in the capital, said 19 people were killed.

State TV aired footage of two scorched vehicles on the airport road, as well as footage from Tahreer Square showing a damaged building and mangled cars.

Such attacks have been relatively rare in Damascus, the seat of power for President Bashar Assad, who made a series of public appearances last week in a show of increased confidence after more than six years of battling a rebellion.

Pro-government forces have engaged in heavy fighting in Damascus suburbs during the war but have largely kept the rebels out of the city center. In recent days, Syrian troops and allied forces have been fighting to drive the rebels out of Ain Terma and Jobar, adjacent areas on the citys outskirts that have been under rebel control since 2011.

The rebels said government forces attacked them with chlorine gas overnight, and the Observatory said 12 fighters were treated for suffocation. The Syrian military denied the claims.

The attacks come days before Russian-sponsored talks are to resume in the Kazakh capital, Astana, where the two sides agreed to a cease-fire earlier this year that has been repeatedly violated. The new round of talks is expected to delineate de-escalation zones.

Albert Aji and Sarah El Deeb are Associated Press writers.
Ukraine accused the Russian security services Saturday of planning and launching a huge cyberattack that locked up computers across the world.

The Ukrainian security agency, known as the SBU, said similarities between the malicious software and previous attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure revealed the work of Russian intelligence services.
Ousted Spanish contractor seeks Rs2.91b compensation

Ousted Spanish contractor for the Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) improvement project has filed a Rs2.91-billion compensation claim arguing that it had been wrongfully fired.
Swiss dreams

Nepal too is located between giant economies, but it has remained poor for centuries
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- When "Spider-Man: Homecoming" swings into theaters Friday, Staten Islanders might have to choose where their loyalties lie: The film's big baddie, Vulture (Michael Keaton), is a fellow Islander.

As far back as the film's early trailers, Vulture -- possibly channeling commuter frustration -- is shown slicing the Spirit of America in half. The scene has been on a constant loop the last few weeks as promotion for the flick ramps up.

If only for a few minutes, the forgotten borough -- and its most iconic symbol -- are thrust into the spotlight while Spider-Man (Tom Holland) risks his life to pull the ferryboat back together.

Unfortunately, anyone familiar enough with the ferry can tell immediately that the scene is a fake (explosions aside): The onscreen boat has vehicles on it -- something that hasn't been allowed since Sept. 11.

This is not the first time Staten Island has been the backdrop for comic combat.

The borough was home to the G.I. Joe team's secret headquarters in the early 1980s. Based at Fort Wadsworth, the lavish hideaway featured a five-level underground command center complete with a garage for tanks and jeeps, a "hologram room," swimming pool and living quarters.

The team ended up relocating to Utah after it was destroyed.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Subway turnstile jumpers will no longer be prosecuted in Manhattan starting in September under a new initiative by Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance.

Theft of services, also known as turnstile jumping, is a class A misdemeanor and the most common charge in Manhattan's criminal court. Nearly 10,000 individuals were arrested on this charge in Manhattan in 2016.

Today's new #CJreform policies put us on track to cut low-level offense prosecutions by half of our 2009 total. #CJreform pic.twitter.com/sanoy2YGJ6  Cyrus Vance, Jr. (@ManhattanDA) June 30, 2017

"The criminal prosecution of these low-level, non-violent offenses should not be a part of a reformed 21st-century justice system," Vance said in a statement.

"Absent a demonstrated public safety risk, criminally prosecuting New Yorkers accused of these offenses does not make us safer. Today, by committing to divert these misdemeanor cases out of Criminal Court in Manhattan, we will further eliminate unnecessary incarceration, and reduce the risks of deportation, loss of housing, and loss of employment that often accompany a criminal prosecution," he added.

The Manhattan DA's office will work with the New York Police Department and the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice to reduce the number of people prosecuted for committing the offense.

This will be done using a combination of issuing summonses, instead of arrests and offering pre-araignment diversion to those who are arrested and issued a desk appearance ticket.



If those individuals complete the terms of a diversion program, the DA's office will decline to prosecute the case. The individual will not need to appear in court and the record will be sealed.

"Since 2010, my office has worked with the NYPD and the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice to end the criminal prosecution of tens of thousands of low-level cases that needlessly bog down our Criminal Court and swell our city's jail population," Vance said in a statement. "In Manhattan, we are embracing the role that district attorneys must play to achieve the closure of Rikers Island, and proving that New York can safely reduce crime and incarceration at the same time."

However, the DA's office will continue to prosecute individuals who pose a demonstrated threat to public safety.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Islander was charged with assault by auto following a crash Saturday morning on the Atlantic City Expressway, according to a report on NJ.com.

Vincent Van Pelt, 34, was driving a Nissan Altima when the vehicle struck the rear of a Toyota Scion around 8:30 a.m., New Jersey State Police Trooper Lawrence Peele told NJ.com. Two people in the Scion suffered minor injuries, according to the report.

Van Pelt continued driving and exited the expressway before he was stopped by police, the report said. He was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and charged with assault by auto, the report added.
TRC opens offices in seven provinces, members to lead

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission has set up offices in all the provinces to streamline investigation into insurgency-era complaints. TRC members have been assigned to supervise the provincial offices.
STATEN ISLAND N.Y. -- It's another significant first for the Staten Island district attorney's office and we applaud the initiative.

Under Michael McMahon's leadership, the office has employed a number of groundbreaking policies.

In February 2015, we hailed McMahon's launch of the Overdose Response Initiative as a progressive attempt to mine the tragedies for evidence to hunt down large-scale drug dealers while not demonizing the victims, and offering counseling and emotional support to the families.

That tactic has resulted in high-profile arrests and large drug seizures.

And the latest includes charges that are a first for New York City.

Staten Island prosecutors have charged a defendant with manslaughter for allegedly selling the illegal drugs that caused another man's fatal overdose.

Stephen Cummings peddled a lethal dose of the opioid fentanyl to a 52-year-old victim, Assistant District Attorney Michele Molfetta said at the defendant's arraignment in state Supreme Court, St. George.

Cummings was among 15 defendants busted on drug charges and other crimes resulting from a six-month-long wiretap probe.

Many of the defendants are alleged gang members who ran a distribution network that peddled heroin, fentanyl, suboxone and cocaine on the North Shore, said prosecutors.

Fentanyl, a synthetic drug, is 50 to 100 times stronger than the heroin it is typically mixed with. However, some of the defendants sold straight fentanyl, allege prosecutors.

Individuals associated with the network have been involved in 18 separate shootings on Staten Island and have a combined total of 19 gun-related arrests, authorities said.

Search warrants netted firearm and rifle ammunition, as well as quantities of heroin, cocaine and related paraphernalia, said officials.

McMahon announced the arrests along with Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill.

Prosecutors said Cummings is the first person charged in New York City with second-degree manslaughter for allegedly supplying drugs which caused another person's overdose death.

Suffolk County prosecutors were the first in the state to file such charges, doing so in August of last year. They have since charged at least one other defendant with similar crimes. Both cases are pending in Suffolk County state Supreme Court.

Besides second-degree manslaughter, Cummings was charged with criminally negligent homicide, conspiracy, criminal drug sale and possession and reckless endangerment.

Cummings pleaded not guilty.

Attorney Mario F. Gallucci, who represented Cummings at the arraignment, said the defendant "completely denies" he sold the drugs.

A STRONG MESSAGE

"Those who purvey this poison with complete disregard for human life should take this as a warning," McMahon said. "We will continue working closely with the NYPD to investigate each tragic overdose in order to put drug dealers behind bars and make Staten Island a safer place.".

This case is not in the hands of the criminal justice system and the outcome will take time, but the initial charges the DA's office leveled send a crucial message.

Peddle death and you could be charged with it if someone dies as a result.

We have this additional argument before, but given this latest case, it's time to do it again.

McMahon took a bold step, and now it's time for the New York City Medical Examiners off to get on board.

Simply put, the M.E. should classify overdose deaths as homicides.

True, the drug user willingly bought the stuff and shot it, sniffed it or even smoked it, but the dealer who packaged the product and maybe put a little too much fentanyl in and branded the package with a stamp, as they routinely do, should pay the highest price possible.

In the latest case, the dealer allegedly sold pure fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin and does not usually respond to the OD reversal medication naloxone.

If the medical examiner declared ODs as homicides rather than "accidental overdoses," our prosecutors would have an added weapon in their arsenal.

It's been done in other locales, and it's time to do it here.

It's encouraging to note that McMahon took the step even as the ME continues its current policy.

AN EXAMPLE IN PA.

Since March 2016, drug deaths in Lycoming County, Pa., attributed to an overdose of heroin have been ruled homicides, PennLive.com reported.

"Coroner Charles E. Kiessling said .... it is time to stop dancing around the issue and 'call it what it is'," the sister website of SILive.com reported.

"If you are selling heroin to someone and they die, isn't that homicide?" Kiessling said to PennLive.

The New York M.E.'s classification of the deaths as "accidental" ODs is presumably worded that way because an intentional OD would be a suicide.

But the semantics aside, an "accidental overdose" is the result of someone ingesting pure poison sold to them by a drug dealer.

And the DA has pointed out that the prevalence of fentanyl is making that poison even more toxic and deadly.

So why isn't that a homicide?
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A plethora of scientific assessments over the years have concluded that human activity - such as the burning of fossil fuels - is driving climate change, and it poses grave risks both to the environment and to human health. In its most recent report, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded that it is "extremely likely" that, since the 1950s, humans and their greenhouse gas emissions have been the "dominant cause" of the planet's warming trend.
"The report comes up with a fabricated and exaggerated story that has no credibility and can't be accepted in any way because it is illogical and is the creation of a sick mind," the ministry's statement said. It questioned the testimonies collected in Turkey by the OPCW from witnesses it called "terrorists" and "perjurers" controlled by Western intelligence agents.
Members of Canberra's Islamic community continued celebrations marking the end of Ramadan on Sunday, with Eid al-Fitr events held at the Canberra Mosque and at Exhibition Park.

The Islamic Society of the ACT hosted celebrations in Yarralumla, matching events around Australia and the world as Muslims end their annual month-long period of going without food and drink from before daybreak to sunset each day.

Sisters Zainab Adnan and Areeba Gillani at the Canberra Mosque on Sunday. Credit:Jamila Toderas

At Exhibition Park's Coorong Pavilion, hundreds of families enjoyed rides and amusements, food from around the world, henna hand painting, face painting, show bags, stalls selling crafts and gifts, as well as live performances and animal rides.

Islamic Society of the ACT president, Abdul Hakim, welcomed hundreds of people to a crowded Canberra Mosque, including Queanbeyan sisters Zainab Adnan, 8, and Areeba Gillani, 5 who joined the event with their parents.
Virtual Reality wasn't invented in a Silicone Valley bunker by some vitamin D-deprived computer geek - it arrived in France almost a century ago with the birth of Marcel Marceau. The popular mime became so famous that he remains, 10 years after his death, the embodiment of his craft.

The AFL, always keen to be at the pointy end of change, has already suggested it could stage Monday night games at Docklands with a virtual capacity crowd for the television audience.

Illustration: Jim Pavlidis.

Given what happened last weekend in the Demons-Eagles clash, it seems the league is already testing virtual play.

West Coast's Will Schofield didn't really strike Melbourne's Clayton Oliver, who didn't really exaggerate the impact.
The boss of Melbourne Airport has hit back at claims that Australia's monopoly airports are gouging airlines and that privatisation has been a failure.

Instead, Lyell Strambi says airports should get more credit for helping boost carriers' profits.

"I feel a little bruised that we're not getting full credit for the great work that we actually do," says Melbourne Airport chief Lyell Strambi. Credit:Louie Douvis

Airlines have been on a war path over what they say are skyrocketing fees to land and take off at airports, and earlier this year Qantas, Virgin Australia, Air New Zealand and Regional Express formed the group Airlines for Australia and New Zealand to lobby for relief.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's annual report into airports this year found airports had steadily increased how much they charged airlines and boosted their profit margins over the past 10 years, taking in $1.57 billion more in revenue than if they kept the fees steady in real terms.
Even 80 years after her disappearance, Amelia Earhart's story has inspired a generation of new female pilots who are breaking the sky-high glass ceiling.

People are still fascinated by the mystery of Earhart's disappearance and scientists are still searching for her remains. Earhart, the first woman to fly across the Atlantic, disappeared on July 2, 1937, and since then women have become fighter pilots and broken the sound barrier, among other feats.

American aviatrix Amelia Earhart (1898 - 1937) exits her aircraft at Derry, Ireland, after her solo transatlantic flight, 1932. Credit:FPG/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

A number of female pilots are becoming popular on Instagram by sharing photos from the cockpit and of their world travels in hopes of inspiring other women to pursue aviation as a career.

Eser Aksan Erdogan, a pilot for the Turkish budget airline Pegasus Airlines, has gained over 73 thousand followers on the app where she documents her life as a pilot.
The one-year anniversary of Malcolm Turnbull's election was overshadowed on Sunday by continuing infighting over policy interventions from former Prime Minister Tony Abbott who spent the weekend stoking dissent among NSW's conservative Liberal base.

Sunday marked one year since Malcolm Turnbull's first election as Prime Minister with a razor-thin majority. The Prime Minister's office was keen to talk about a "year of delivery" and education funding, visa reform, planned intervention on gas exports and a second Sydney airport.

But a week of anger about policy interventions from former prime minister Tony Abbott continued to overshadow political conversation, with a minister and former ally of Mr Abbott's delivering him a dressing down.

Mr Abbott has made several speeches and other policy contributions leading up to the government's anniversary, including calling for an end to all new spending except on national security and infrastructure and freezing the renewable energy target.
Three important groups have a stronger interest in Malcolm Turnbull surviving until the election than they realise. Perhaps even in his succeeding.

They are (in descending order of importance) the Australian people; the mainstream media; and the Liberal Party.

To partisans on both the left and right, this statement will be vigorously disputed. They are geared to Turnbull's demise as soon as possible and would welcome his fall at pretty much any cost. And there's the point. The price, in terms of the wider systemic havoc wrought by yet another mid-term prime ministerial knifing, would be exorbitant.

The cumulative reality of a decade of major party tomfoolery is that Australia has become the punchline to jokes that previously ended with references to Italian politics.
I am deeply resentful of the way millennials travel. I was 25 before I even left Australia. I never had a gap year working in a pub in London, getting fat on lager and curries. Nor did I backpack around the world, meeting handsome and slightly dangerous men named Carlos or Sven.

I finished school, went to uni, got my first job, met my husband, got married, accumulated debt and committed to my career, all between 18 and 28 years old. I was always too responsible, or broke, to explore the world.

At 20, I had so little belief in myself that I couldn't imagine surviving without the safety net of home. Credit:Mauro Grigollo/Stocksy

The next minute I'm 44 and I've never travelled on my own in my life. And I've never stopped banging on about what I've missed out on. So much so, my husband got heartily sick of me and insisted I go. Overseas. No husband. No kid.

I was near hysterical with excitement. Don't get me wrong. I love holidaying with my family. But, even if we're in a tropical paradise (although we're usually in a caravan in western Victoria), I never stop being a wife and mother. Which, as all wives and mothers know, means you never really get a break. You are always responsible  for dinner or sunscreen or not breaking souvenirs in the Big Koala.
The most sought-after public high schools and their strict catchments are creating a worsening cycle of segregation, effectively locking out poor students and giving wealthy families almost exclusive access to their "better" local schools, research reveals.

Limiting school places means children from higher socio-economic families go to popular high schools, which are in catchment areas with higher levels of income, higher proportions of Australian-born residents and higher proportions of those who identify with "no religion" on the census.

"One of the greatest challenges this country faces is the lack of equity between higher socio-economic families and lower," said Chris Presland, the president of the NSW Secondary Principals' Council. "And this [research] shows that issue transcends public and private schools but is within public schools too."

Emma Rowe, lecturer in education at Deakin University and Christopher Lubienski from the University of Illinois, published the new research in a paper titled Shopping for schools or shopping for peers: public schools and catchment area segregation in the Journal of Education Policy.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The High Court overturned Cardinal George Pell's conviction for historic child sex offences in a judgment handed down April 7, 2020. In a unanimous decision all seven High Court judges found Victoria's Court of Appeal should not have upheld Pell's conviction It found the evidence could not support a guilty verdict.

A parishioner at St Patrick's Cathedral on Sunday morning. Credit:Luis Ascui

As about 150 parishioners filed into St Patrick's Cathedral, the home of the Catholic Church in Melbourne, one question was on everyone's mind: Would the historical sex abuse charges laid against Cardinal George Pell be addressed?

In the end, the issue was tackled head on at the Sunday morning Mass.
Matt Golding Two specialist consultants, including one who was pregnant at the time of her job interview, told Professor Frankum they believed their pregnancy plans resulted in them not being offered the job. One had told him she had been visibly pregnant during a job interview for a specialist position when the person interviewing her had told her: "We're just going to have an off-the-record chat now. We're going to employ someone else because you are pregnant, but come back to us when you have had the baby and see if we have something else for you." Professor Frankum said such a practice was very shortsighted. "These women are probably going to give 20 or 30 years of service to the hospital, so it is to the detriment of the whole system. "I've had examples from surgical, medical, obstetrics and paediatrics."

Women had also recounted being asked indirectly about their intentions - such as whether they thought they would be capable of juggling the role with children. "They're told 'we really don't want to take on someone that's going to take extended leave, is that likely for you?'" he said. He said hospitals had to foster more supportive environments to encourage women who had experienced such discrimination to speak up without fear that doing so would hinder their careers, and called for more flexibility in training programs - and a greater pool of trainees - to make it easier for hospitals to fill maternity positions. Chairwoman of the AMA NSW doctor-in-training committee Tessa Kennedy said several trainee doctors had told her that inquiries such as "how old are you and are you planning on having kids" were the first questions they were asked in job interviews. "It's completely inappropriate," she said.

The structure of doctor traineeships, which commonly use one or two-year contracts for up to 10 years depending on the specialisation, exacerbated the problem, she said. "We're constantly on short contracts and often have to be moved around between different hospitals. It's impacting on people's plans and making them feel like they can't have kids before their training is finished." Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins said the practice was unacceptable and she was "very disappointed" by the reports. "Pregnancy or potential pregnancy should not be unfairly taken into account when considering a person's suitability for a job," she said. A spokeswoman for NSW Health also condemned the practice as "entirely inappropriate" and contrary to recruitment protocol in the NSW public health system.

"Only questions directly related to the selection criteria should be asked during the selection process." Royal Australasian College of Surgeons president Dr John Batten echoed the concerns. "Collectively we must do more to ensure all medical professionals who interview and select candidates understand what discrimination is, how damaging it is and how much more effective a diverse workforce is." A 2014 report by the Australian Human Rights Commission found that one in two mothers experience discrimination in the workplace at some point during pregnancy, parental leave or on their return to work. More than a quarter of the fathers and partners also experienced discrimination. Discrimination and harassment of women in the medical sector in particular has gained increasing prominence in the past few years.

In December, the College of Intensive Care Medicine of Australia and New Zealand, published the findings of a survey of more than 1000 of its fellows and trainees after it received anecdotal reports of bullying behaviour in the intensive care sector. The survey revealed one-third reported being bullied in the past two years, while 12 per cent reported they had experienced discrimination and 3 per cent reported being sexually harassed. It followed a 2015 survey of 3500 doctors by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in which nearly half reported being subjected to discrimination, bullying or sexual harassment. One in three of the 560 women surveyed reported they had been sexually harassed. The damning findings prompted former college president Professor David Watters to issue an apology for the institution's failure "to push back against the behaviour of the individuals responsible".
Prison officers in juvenile facilities have vowed to walk off the job when the next serious assault on staff occurs, saying threats from radical inmates and assaults are out of control.

Four juveniles are on remand in NSW on terrorism charges and some have been spreading radical beliefs to other inmates, it is claimed.

The two 16-year-old boys were arrested allegedly moments after buying a hunting knife. Credit:Channel 7

Two 16-year-old boys held in Cobham Juvenile Justice Centre in Sydney's west on charges of plotting an Islamic State-inspired knife attack were recently separated due to the influence they were having, it's understood.

In a letter to an advocacy group for Muslim prisoners, one claimed to have converted 16 out of 30 inmates in his new unit to Islam.
A heavenly sign, or the work of the devil? If you could look down from above on the parts of Sydney where most people told the 2016 census they had "no religion", the faithless have sought sanctuary in a cluster of suburbs with an uncanny resemblance to the Cross.

A rood of inner-city suburbs taking in Glebe, Newtown, Camperdown, Enmore, Redfern and Erskineville seem to have been losing their religion.

Father Peter Maher, Parish priest at St Joseph's Newtown. Credit:Anna Kucera

Erskineville is now officially Australia's most ungodly suburb.

Close to 55 per cent of people living in Erskineville said they had no religious affiliation in the 2016 census, just ahead of Melbourne's North Fitzroy.
For Meredith and Elliott Gordon, life has dramatically changed since welcoming their daughter, Kathleen, into the family.

The West Ryde couple first met their daughter when she was eight months old and came into their care as a foster child.

Last November, after caring for her for two years, they adopted Kathleen  a process that would have taken longer if it was not for reforms the NSW government introduced last year to encourage foster parents to adopt the children in their care.

"When we met her, we couldn't wait for her to be home and couldn't wait for her to be in our forever family," Mrs Gordon said on Sunday.
Clutching his mobile phone in one hand, a man is captured running down a street in western Sydney early on Saturday morning.

Police suspect the man was one of three who cowardly left a young woman to die on the footpath after they were involved in the fatal crash.

It is believed the woman was sitting in the back left-hand seat of the Holden Commodore, which bore the brunt of the impact as the car hit a concrete island and then a power pole just before 6:30am on Saturday on Waldron Road in Chester Hill.

Police believe the men pulled the woman from the wreckage before leaving her body on the footpath. The woman, who police described as being of Asian appearance and aged in her 30s, is still yet to be identified.
Thousands of workers turned up for their first shifts at lower hourly rates after the Fair Work Commission decision to cut penalty rates came into play on Sunday.

The occasion was marked across the country by protests from unions railing against the decision handed down in February.

A waitress serves drinks to customers in Sydney on Sunday, as cuts to penalty rates came into play. Credit:Michele Mossop

"These penalty rate cuts are hurting workers of all ages right across the country," the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association national secretary Gerard Dwyer said.

"Our members include single parents struggling to make ends meet and students who are just getting by. Malcolm Turnbull and his government should be deeply ashamed by this unfair act."
The number of aged care rooms and retirement units approved in Brisbane each year have more than doubled following the introduction of an incentive for developers.

In the past six years, on average less than 1000 new aged care and retirement rooms and units per year have been approved by Brisbane City Council.

Brisbane City Council's incentives to address the need for aged care has been met by developer's applications for thousands of beds and rooms. Credit:Louise Kennerley

But since the introduction of the council incentive in September 2016, there have been 2016 beds and units approved across 19 aged care and retirement developments in Brisbane.

A further 1547 beds and units across 10 developments were under assessment.
Crowds are flooding towards Suncorp Stadium ahead of the highly-anticipated fight between Brisbane school teacher Jeff Horn and Philipino Senator Manny Pacquiao.

Traffic is slow along Roma Street, Milton Road and other surrounding roads, with authorities encouraging people to travel on public transport to get to the event.

Queensland Governor Paul de Jersey arrives at Suncorp Stadium for Sunday's fight. Credit:Felicity Caldwell

On Caxton Street, many fans have gathered for a beer or two before the main bout at 1.30pm.
Thousands of buildings in Victoria could be tested for flammable cladding, with the Andrews government announcing on Monday it will establish a high-profile taskforce to investigate the public safety threat.

Planning Minister Richard Wynne has appointed former Victorian Liberal premier Ted Baillieu and former Labor deputy premier John Thwaites to lead an urgent probe into identifying dangerous buildings.

It is understood the taskforce could investigate thousands of properties built over the past 12 years, with a focus on high-rise apartments.
Perth has shivered through its first real taste of winter after freezing temperatures, scattered hail and flooded roads caused a headache for state emergency services overnight.

A strong storm front bore down on the city late on Friday afternoon, and the Bureau of Meteorology predicted its full force would hit Perth and parts of the south west on Saturday morning.

It was a hard slog for the Subiaco versus West Perth WAFL match on Saturday. Credit:Subiaco Football Club

Swanbourne, Jandakot, Gooseberry Hill, Lake Grace, Katanning, Manjimup and Bickley did not record temperatures over 10 degrees, and there were reports of small hail falling around Perth's outer suburbs.

Bureau of Meteorology duty forecaster Natasha Jacobson-Ellie said some parts of WA reached below-freezing temperatures.
Damascus: At least 21 people have been killed in three car bombings that rocked the Syrian capital Damascus, a monitoring group reports.

The dead included seven regime soldiers and allied paramilitaries in addition to three suicide attackers who were driving the explosives-packed cars, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights added.

This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows people gathering at the scene of an explosion along the road to the airport in southeast Damascus, Syria, Sunday, July 2, 2017. Credit:SANA

The other fatalities are believed to be civilians.

The watchdog expected the toll to further rise as some people were seriously injured in Sunday's blasts that took place in two different areas in Damascus.
Bamako, Mali: African powers launched a new multinational military force in the Sahel on Sunday, which France's President Emmanuel Macron told a regional summit should be fully operational by the autumn and some observers see as forming the basis of an exit strategy for French troops.

Islamist militant groups, some with links to al-Qaeda, seized control of Mali's desert north in 2012.

While they were driven back a year later by a French-led military intervention, they continue to carry out attacks against on United Nations peacekeepers, Malian soldiers and civilian targets in violence that has spilled across Mali's borders.

Macron said France and African powers must work together to "eradicate terrorists, thugs and murderers" in the Sahel.
Washington: The Trump administration has sent a guided-missile destroyer near Triton Island in the South China Sea, according to a US official, possibly complicating President Donald Trump's meeting with his Chinese counterpart this week.

The US Navy sent the destroyer USS Stethem within 22 kilometres of Triton Island on Sunday, said the official, who wasn't authorised to speak publicly. The warship was passing through those waters on the basis of innocent passage, the official said.

The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, flanked by South Korean destroyers, with the USS Stethem, at the rear in May. Credit:US Navy/AP

China, Taiwan and Vietnam all lay claim to Triton, a tiny speck that's one of the Paracel Islands in the waters between Vietnam and the Philippines. Operations such as this are typically planned at least weeks in advance, the official said.

The 12-mile (22km) line is the internationally recognised distance that separates the shores of a sovereign nation from international waters. The United States has routinely conducted voyages within this limit around islands in the South China Sea as a message to countries such as China, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.
The Qatari government, under a Saudi Arabia-led blockade of its air, sea and land links, is unwilling to concede to any demands that threaten its sovereignty or violate international law, Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said.

The small Persian Gulf emirate is prepared to let pass the deadline for complying with 13 demands set down by four nations in the region. The demands include closing the al-Jazeera television network and cutting back ties with Iran, Thani said on Saturday in Rome, where he met with his Italian counterpart.

"There is no fear from our direction. We are ready to face the consequences," he said. "There is an international law that should be respected and not violated."

Thani repeated that Qatar is willing to negotiate under the right circumstances. The ultimatum issued on June 23 was made to be rejected, he said.
'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever': What to know before you see it
Love stories abounded during a house concert Saturday, June 24, by pianist Rocky Fretz. Among the stories was a second love for Hank Martin and Becky Hawkins, who both lost their spouses in the last few years. From left are Becky Hawkins, Kimberly and Rocky Fretz with Abbe, and Hank Martin.
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Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), July 2, 2017 (SPS) - The Moroccan delegation participating in the session of the AU Executive Council in Addis Ababa, led by Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, has failed to remove paragraphs from the report of the Executive Council on the visit of the African Commission on Human Rights and Peoples to the occupied parts of the Sahrawi Republic.

The Moroccan delegation's defeat came after the adoption by the Executive Council on Sunday of a document proposed by Nigeria confirming the maintenance of paragraphs 88 and 89 of the report of the Committee of Permanent Representatives and adherence to the implementation of the previous decision on completing the visit of the African Commission on Human Rights and Peoples' to the region and witnessing the situation of human rights there, in addition to proposing practical arrangements between the African Union and the Kingdom of Morocco.

Following the adoption of the Nigerian proposal by the Executive Council, the participating Moroccan delegation reduced its presence, where the ministerial delegation left, keeping only some diplomatic staff inside the conference hall. (SPS)

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Toronto-based Match Marketing Group promoted Michael Dill to CEO, four years after acquiring Circle One Marketing in Norwalk where Dill has continued to lead the firms U.S. operations as president. Dill replaces Brett Farren, founder of Match Marketing Group who stated plans to focus on other business ventures, with Farrens firms client roster including CVS, Ford and Progressive. Dill has degrees from the University of Delaware, the University of Pennsylvanias Wharton School and the Yale School of Management.

Eileen Lavigne Flug is joining Berchem, Moses & Devlin and will serve as assistant town attorney for Westport, replacing Gail Kelly who is stepping down in July. Currently moderator of the Westport Representative Town Meeting, Flug has held the role of counsel at Cohen & Wolf, previously working as general counsel for Quaker Equities, a New York City-based wine and spirits importer. A graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law, Flug is chair of the Westport Weston chapter of the Connecticut Bar Association.

The United Way of Coastal Fairfield County bestowed its 2017 Elizabeth Roberts Changing the Odds for Children Award on Rhonda Kiest, CEO of the Stepping Stones Museum for Children, recognizing her efforts to broaden and enrich educational opportunities for kids overseeing the Norwalk nonprofit that has an annual budget in excess of $18 million. Kiest is executive committee vice president and director of the Association of Childrens Museums. Earlier in her career, she was director of educational exhibits at the Childrens Museum of Houston.
Connecticuts not exactly on a roll.

Aetnas announcement on Thursday that it plans to shift 250 executive jobs from Hartford to New York City coincided with General Assemblys admission that it could not come up with a new budget in time for the July 1 start of the fiscal year.

Aetna added injury to the insult of General Electrics relocation of its flag last year from Fairfield to Boston, feeding the narrative that Connecticut, with a projected $5 billion state budget deficit over the next two years, isnt business friendly.

Both New York and Massachusetts have more than gained back the job losses suffered during the 2008 recession, while Connecticut still lags.

Gov. Dannel P. Malloy stresses that out-migration of a few hundred jobs  GE still has a large presence in the state  has been offset by the relocation of large employers, such as NBC Sports 1,100 jobs in Stamford and the Jackson Labs genomic research facility in Farmington.

Theyve announced that on a repeating basis, and they went through their own dance pretending that they might move to Boston when you knew and I knew and everybody knew that they were going to New York, Malloy told reporters after Aetna made its new destination known, around the time that majority Democrats in the House admitted Thursday they could not agree on a budget in time for the new fiscal year.

Aetnas 6,000 remaining jobs

Theyre moving 200 jobs that we know of and Im focusing on the close to 6,000 jobs remaining in the state, Malloy said. I wish the leadership of the company well in their digs in New York. Every job lost is a loss and every job gained is a gain. We tend to, because were from Connecticut, beat ourselves up over losses. Thats the nature of who we are. Were Yankees.

Connecticut economists agree that the failure to create a new budget is a major negative at a time when government has to show that it has a long-term plan to foster growth.

Its a difficult thing to do, but they have to get it done, said Peter Gioia, chief economist for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. He called it extremely disappointing that the budget proposal announced by House Democrats Thursday in preparation for a vote on July 18 depends on an increase in the sales tax that would amount to a billion dollars over the biennium.

They have to do something thats sustainable, Gioia said in a interview. That is the basis of the concerns for companies like GE and Aetna. They dont see the competence in lawmakers to create a sustainable budget package that fits the reality of the revenue picture.

He expects that Malloys executive order to fund bare-bones state services, will be a wake-up call.

Hes going to introduce pain, Gioia said. Theyre going to go through the summer with constituents screaming at them and as the summer drags on, they wont be able to raise campaign money.

With subpar growth and subpar job creation, gimmick revenue enhancements such as raising the 6.35 percent sales tax by 10 percent to 6.99 percent, ignore the states actual needs, Gioia said.

Wealthy people are exiting the state; aging executives and owners are making decisions to stay or sell operations, he said. If they sell intellectual property, the jobs will go.

We knew it was coming

While there have been positive signs from Amazon, Electric Boat, Pratt & Whitney and Sikorsky, the negatives seem to be out-weighing them, Gioia said.

Were saying you have to get your act together. Businesses dont wait for government to do their planning, he said.

State government should be looking at money-saving plans, Gioia said, including correction reforms to lower inmate populations and shifting social-service programs to private providers  Thats a hell of a lot better alternative than raising the sales tax.

We knew it was coming, Speaker of the House Joe Aresimowicz, D-Berlin, said of the Aetna move, stressing that the budget they unveiled Thursday afternoon is aimed at helping urban areas.

The state of Connecticut really appreciates the ongoing investment that Aetna has made, he said. It goes to show that the lack of investment in our urban centers have a cost. Theyre going to another place that young people want to be that attract talent.

Fred Carstensen, professor of finance at the University of Connecticut and director of the Connecticut Center for Economic Analysis, said it took years for GE to decide to abandon Fairfield, where it moved from New York in the early 1970s.

Companies have been moving out of those suburban parks, he said. Boeing moved its headquarters to Chicago because Seattle was physically too far away. A lot of companies have decided to move their headquarters to central areas, independent of the fiscal crisis.

The fact is, Carstensen said, that neither UConn nor Yale have had reputations as engineering schools. The insurance industry has essentially become an information-technology field, in which Connecticut, which had the first commercial telephone system in the nation in New Haven, now lags.

Carstensen disagrees with Gioia over the importance of taxes. New Yorkers pay both city and state income taxes. Boston property taxes are five times those of Fairfield. But both out-of-state locations are closer to the human capital they want to attract than Hartford and Fairfield.

He describes the state budget stalemate in one word: chaos.

You dont have, from my perspective, strong leadership on how to deal with problems were facing in broad strategic sense, Carstensen said. Nothing is more troublesome for business than uncertainty.

kdixon@ctpost.com; Twitter: @KenDixonCT
Chicago is this nations third largest city, and among its most segregated. Recently, several unrelated reports were released about education policy in Chicago that, together, provide a vivid picture of the divergent views policymakers of have of public education; depending on who is served.

As reported by researchers at Roosevelt University, between 2009-2015, Chicago permanently closed 125 neighborhood schools, ostensibly because of low enrollment or poor performance.

The standard Chicago used for low enrollment was 30 students to one elementary classroom  an excessively large class size, especially for disadvantaged children.

The school closures occurred disproportionately in neighborhoods serving African-American, Latino and economically disadvantaged students. Professors Jin Lee and Christopher Lubienski found that Chicagos school closures had a markedly negative effect on accessibility to educational opportunities for these vulnerable populations. Students had to travel longer distances to new schools; often through more dangerous areas.

School closures harm entire communities. As Georgia State Law Professor Courtney Anderson found, where neighborhood schools were a hub for community activities, vacant schools become magnets for illegal activity. Moreover, buildings in disuse pose health and environmental dangers to the community. Vacant buildings depress the value of homes and businesses around them, increase insurance premiums and insurance policy cancellations. In addition, the school district must pay for maintenance of vacant buildings.

Although Chicago claimed to close schools to save money, the savings were minimal  at great cost to the communities affected.

At the same time Chicago leaders closed 125 neighborhood schools, they opened 41 selective public schools and 108 charter schools; more than they closed. Chicago charter schools underserve English Language Learners and students with disabilities, and have suspension and expulsion rates ten times greater than Chicagos public schools. Even more astounding, despite the self-selecting and exclusive nature of charters, researcher Myron Orfield found that Chicagos public schools outperform charters on standardized test passing and growth rates in both reading and math, and high school graduation rates.

The Roosevelt University researchers found that the expansion of Chicago charter schools devastated the public school budget, contributing to massive cuts of basic educational resources in Chicagos public schools. Moreover, many of these new charters have remained open despite falling below the ideal enrollment standard used to close neighborhood public schools.

The education policies of Chicagos leaders force its poor children and children of color to attend under-resourced schools, often at a great distance from their neighborhoods, on a pretext of under-enrollment and poor performance. Officials fail to consider the devastating effects school closures have on educational opportunities or on the health of entire communities.

Chicago promised to use the proceeds of the sales of vacant schools to improve those neighborhoods. Yet, city leaders instead used those funds for school capital projects. A WBEZ investigation found that Chicagos new school construction and additions disproportionately benefit schools that serve white, middle class students, even though white students are far less likely to suffer overcrowded schools than Latino students, whose schools do not see the benefit of capital spending.

Often, costly new capital projects are near under-enrolled schools serving children of color. Rather than integrate the schools, or improve conditions in impoverished schools, officials spend money intended for poor neighborhoods on perpetuating racial and economic segregation.

Chicago officials claim they cannot force white students into schools with predominately poor and minority students, for fear that white affluent families will flee public schools.

Poor families and families of color can be forced to attend under-resourced public schools, often at a dangerous distance from their homes, or perhaps low-performing no excuses charter schools. However, the district will invest in neighborhood schools to appease white affluent families.

These divergent views of public education, investment for the white and wealthy, and accountability for the poor and minority, are not limited to Chicago. A recent Atlantic Magazine article chronicled the severe underfunding of East Hartford schools, where schools have to choose between a reading interventionist and an AP course, and they must photocopy textbooks because they dont have enough. Connecticuts wealthy towns need not make such stark choices. Nor do they have charter schools foisted upon them. Our affluent children can attend well-appointed public schools in their neighborhoods.

Segregated, unequal schools are the product of conscious policies. These policies result from a divisive vision of what some children deserve versus others. As, the philosopher John Dewey once admonished, what the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that the community must want for all its children not just its white and wealthy ones.

Wendy Lecker is a columnist for the Hearst Connecticut Media Group and is senior attorney at the Education Law Center.
A 16-year-old girl has died after an Audi ploughed into a group of pedestrians in south London.

Scotland Yard launched a manhunt on Sunday for the driver of the red A3 convertible which is believed to have lost control on a corner before hitting a group of seven teenagers in Croydon in the early hours of the morning.

Police and paramedics rushed to Pixton Way shortly before 1.30am following reports of the crash.

The teenager was pronounced dead at the scene.

Six other youngsters, both male and female, were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries, a Met Police spokesman said.

It is not believed the group were deliberately mowed down, he added.

A man, aged in his 30s, later attended a south London police station and was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Anyone with information or anyone who witnessed the collision is asked to contact the Serious Collision Investigation Unit at Catford on 020 8285 1574 - alternatively call police via 101 or tweet information to @MetCC.

Alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
T he Metropolitan Police recorded almost 90,000 vehicle crimes last year, three times more than any other force in England.

New research has revealed that of the 350,000 vehicle crimes across the country, 89,900 of them were in London.

The next highest figure  29,106  was recorded by West Midlands Police, followed by Greater Manchester Polices 24,298.

Figures from the Office of National Statistics found that 71 per cent of all vehicle theft occurs during the week and most often at night.

Furthermore, 43 per cent of all vehicle-related crime occurs because drivers do not adequately lock their doors.

Ben Leonard, managing director of Click4Reg.co.uk, who carried out the research, said: Vehicle crime is certainly more prevalent than anyone would expect. Whilst unfortunate, there are various effective actions that drivers can take to safeguard their vehicle form any potential crime.

All drivers should aim to make simple steps such as locking doors and removing all valuable obsessions when not in their vehicle a habit.

Making such behaviours a daily routine will go a long way in protecting drivers vehicles from opportunist criminals and thieves.
A huge fire has ripped through a new multi-million pound development in a trendy part of east London.

Dramatic images posted on social media showed thick smoke billowing over Victoria Park, in Bow.

Eighty fire fighters rushed to Bow Wharf  a new development where apartments cost as much as 1 million  just after 11am on Sunday.

At least 75 per cent of the roof of one of the developments blocks of luxury flats has been destroyed by flames along with parts of the third floor, London Fire Brigade said.

Onlookers claimed the fire had started in solar panel on the roof.

Fire crews evacuated a nearby play area while Grove Road was sealed off, witnesses said.

Jack Hawke wrote on Twitter: #MileEnd park has been evacuated as firefighters put out the flames in the roof of a building at Bow Wharf.

Rachel Carmac added: Terrible fire at new Bow Wharf development in E3. Fire crews attending. Good job no-one is living there yet.

The cause of the fire is being investigated.
B oy racers who turned an east London industrial estate into something out of the Fast and the Furious have been banned from meet-ups under a new council crackdown.

Any drivers taking part in street races or performing stunts could face a fine of up to 1,000, thanks to a new Public Space Protection Order.

The order also gives police officers and the council the power to fine those who attend road racing events simply to watch.

It comes after hundreds of spectators began descending on Choats Road, in an industrial estate in Dagenham, to watch souped-up cars race at speed.

The events sparked complaints from nearby residents who said their lives were being made a misery, with the high pitch roars of engines audible from up to half a mile away.

Hundreds of souped-up cars and spectators would descend on Choats Road for events

Petrolheads were even coating the street in oil to make high speed drift turns easier around a roundabout. Videos of the dangerous manoeuvres have been uploaded to Youtube.

Councillor Laila Butt, the councils cabinet member for enforcement and community safety, said the order was introduced for a large section of the borough following complaints from residents.

She said: We have listened to our residents which is why we are showing the red flag to the irresponsible boy racers and petrol heads who are not only jeopardising their own safety but others around them.

A whole swathe of the borough will be off limits to these boy racers who think they can use our streets as Silverstone or Brands Hatch.

The order bans activities including speeding, driving in convoy, racing, performing stunts, revving engines and wheel spins.

It is thought to be the first time a ban of its type had been used in London to stop street racing.

Earlier this year, residents said they welcomed the councils attempts to crackdown on the practice.

Security worker Melody Mbowe, 50, who works just off Choats Road, said: I find it scary. There are sometimes hundreds of cars and motorbikes here on Friday and Saturday nights.

"They drive very fast and its very loud  its just a matter of time before someone gets hurt.

Kevin Hayland, 61, who lives close to the site, said: I got overtaken on Choats Road by a bike going at 65mph. There were so many cars and people it was like something out of Fast and the Furious.
J eremy Corbyn slammed the "utter hypocrisy" of Tory MPs in the wake of the Grenfell Tower disaster as he spoke to thousands of protesters gathered in London to rally against the Government.

The Labour leader was joined by shadow chancellor John McDonnell for the Not One Day More protest on Saturday and launched a scathing attack against the Conservative austerity programme.

More than 10,000 people are believed to have taken part in the protest, which has seen activists march on Parliament Square.

Mr Corbyn rounded on the Tories for uniting with hardline Northern Irish party the DUP and for the hypocrisy of praising emergency services in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower blaze.

REUTERS

He said the Governments refusal to lift the cap on pay rises for public sector workers was absolutely unbelievable.

A labour amendment to the Queen Speech to end cuts to emergency services and the 1 per cent pay cap were defeated in the Commons on Wednesday evening.

In front of a crowd of thousands chanting "Oh Jeremy Corbyn" the Labour leader said: "I say to any public sector workers in Northern Ireland or anywhere else - don't have any illusions in these people, when they started the austerity programme they meant it and they meant it to carry on.

"And carry on with a growing gap between the richest and poorest in our society, with a growing impoverishment of those at the bottom, a growing under-funding of local government, health, education and all the other things that we all need in a civilised society."

Not One Day More protest: Thousands march on Parliament against Tories 1 /13 Not One Day More protest: Thousands march on Parliament against Tories Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott leads the 'Not One Day More' march Getty Images Protesters gather in Portland Square Getty Images Demonstrators carry placards during the 'Not One Day More' march Getty Images Thousands of people marched through central London Getty Images The march ended in Parliament Square Getty Images A dog joins in the march Getty Images A protester holds up Jeremy Corbyn placards Getty Images Anti-Theresa May placards at the march Getty Images Demonstrators carry placards during the Not One Day More march Getty Images Diane Abbott speaks to demonstrators Getty Images

He added: The utter hypocrisy of Government ministers and others who queued up in the chamber over there in the House of Commons to heap praise on the emergency services, the following day to cut their wages by refusing to lift the pay cap," he said.

"The hypocrisy is absolutely unbelievable."

John McDonnell also spoke to the crowds and vowed to support the victims of the Grenfell Tower fire.

At least 80 people are believed to have been killed when a huge blaze broke out at the high-rise tower block on Wednesday, June 14.

Jeremy Corbyn surrounded by police as he waves to supporters / REUTERS

Mr McDonnell said: "To the victims of Grenfell Tower we pledge now, we will stand with you and your families all the way through.

"Grenfell Tower symbolised for many everything that's gone wrong in this country since austerity was imposed upon us."

Activists were seen marching in their masses through central London on Saturday afternoon, making their way down Regents Street and through Trafalgar Square.

The march's organisers, an anti-austerity campaign group The Peoples Assembly, said they need to make sure the opposition to Theresa Mays Government is felt.

Referencing recent suggestions from ministers that the Government could ease austerity, Mr Corbyn said: "The Tories are in retreat, austerity is in retreat, the economic arguments of austerity are in retreat.

"It's those of social justice, of unity, of people coming together to oppose racism and all those that would divide us, that are the ones that are moving forward.

Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott as well as Unite union boss Len McCluskey also spoke at the rally.
A London street is quietly becoming the capitals vegan Mecca, according to local business owners.

North End Road in Fulham is now home to Londons only vegan supermarket, as well as a growing number of animal-free eateries.

Anderson Caicedo, who co-founded Green Bay supermarket last summer, said the area is expecting even more vegan businesses to arrive.

Its going to be a really well known area and Londons vegans might actually want to move to this area in future, he told the Standard.

The vegan movement is growing and this area is becoming Londons vegan centre.

Owners: Paula Alcalde and Anderson Caicedo launched the supermarket in August 2016 / Green Bay

Green Bay, run by Mr Caicedo with co-founder Paula Alcalde, sells animal and animal derivative-free alternatives to everything you would find in a normal supermarket.

The shop was inspired by vegan supermarket chain Veganz which operates five stores across Germany and Austria, but none in the UK.

Green Bay is located within minutes of one of Londons most popular vegan restaurants, Ben Asamanis 222 Veggie Vegan, which has been open for more than a decade.

The Sanctuary on nearby Fulham Road offers vegan delights such as meat-free 'cheezeburgers' / Google

Nearby pizzeria Picky Wops, which opened selling vegetarian pizzas last year, has now also gone 100 per cent vegan.

Another restaurant, the Sanctuary, located in Fulham Road, also offers a completely vegan menu including a vegan full English and meat-free burgers.

Mr Caicedo, a 33-year-old former banker, said the short distances between the various institutions was really convenient.

He said: The vegan movement is growing really really fast but its still not mainstream. It requires a lot of work to become profitable. We are trying to get the brand out to people.

We are trying to unite with other vegan companies and get more vegan businesses to either launch here or set up a second branch here," he added.
M ichael Gove admitted he thought he had been the victim of a TV prank when he was re-added to the Tory front bench.

The new Environment Secretary returned to front-line politics less than a year after being sacked by Theresa May during a Cabinet reshuffle.

The former justice secretary was ditched by Mrs May in one of her first acts as Prime Minister after he effectively scuppered the Tory leadership hopes of Boris Johnson - his fellow Vote Leave campaigner - by withdrawing his support and announcing his own candidacy.

The Sunday Times reported that Mr Gove initially thought a phone call summoning him to Number 10 was a "wind-up".

He then received a second call asking him to meet a civil servant near Whitehall.

Mr Gove told the paper: "I then thought this is a massive wind-up.

"Dom Joly has been rehired to do Trigger Happy TV and I will walk through the underpass and there will be a giant inflatable red box and they will say 'Gotcha!'."
A uthor Santa Montefiore has spoken of the traumatic moment she was told by a police officer that her sister Tara Palmer-Tomkinson had died.

The 47-year-old told of how she rushed to her younger sisters west London flat on hearing the news that Ms Palmer-Tomkinson had been found unconscious on February 8.

However, she described feeling like shed hit a brick wall as a police officer guarding her siblings home said she had died.

Ms Montefiore told the Mail on Sunday: When I got the call to say she was unconscious, I was envisaging myself going in, holding her hand and saying, It's OK, I'm here.

He just looked at me and said, I'm sorry, ma'am, you can't go in because she's already passed.

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson - In pictures 1 /37 Tara Palmer-Tomkinson - In pictures Tara Palmer-Tomkinson waves as she arrives at Westminster Abbey before the wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton, in central London April 29, 2011 Jasper Juinen/Reuters Tara posing in 1994 Rex Features With Tamara Beckwith in 1995 Rex With Prince Charles in Klosters, Switzerland in 1996 Rex Making an entrance at the premiere of Evita at the Empire, Leicester Square in 1996 Dave Benett With Princes Charles and Harry and her sister Santa on a ski lift at Klosters in 1997 Mike Forster/Associated News In the snow at Swiss ski resort Klosters in 1997 John Stillwell/PA Best Dressed Woman of the Year in 1997 Ken Towner Dressed as Bond Girl Honey Rider for her James Bond-themed birthday party at Tramp in 1998 Dave Benett With Nell McAndrew when the pair were in the jungle on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here in 2002 Rex With Prince Charles in 2003 during a reception at Clarence House Kirsty Wigglesworth/PA On the runway at the Tristan Webber fashion show as part of London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2005 Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images Arriving for the premiere of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in July 2005 at Leicester Square Ian West/PA Relaxing in a yellow Lamborghini Murcielago in February 2006, as she arrived for the Philip Treacy fashion show in Central London John Stillwell/PA At the Glamour Women Of The Year Awards in Berkeley Square in June 2006 Dave Benett Arriving for the 2007 TV Quick / TV Choice Awards Ian West/PA Arriving in September 2007 for the Moet and Chandon Mirage evening in Holland Park Chris Jackson/Getty Images Very much the socialite in July, 2009 Geoff Caddick/PA Launching her book Inheritance at Asprey in September 2010 Dave Benett Tara promoting Asda's Tickled Pink campaign for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October 2010 John Wright/Asda/PA At the WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party at Kensington Roof Gardens in June 2012 Dave Benett Tara breaks down when interviewed by Jeremy Kyle in 2014 ITV At the memorial service for Sir David Frost at Westminster Abbey in March, 2014 Chris Jackson/Getty Images Attending the launch of Dame Joan Collins' new book The St. Tropez Lonely Hearts Club at Harry's Bar in May 2016 Dave Benett At the wedding of Lady Melissa Percy to Thomas van Straubenzee at St Michael's Parish Church in Alnwick in July 2016 Jonathan Pow/PA At The Frost family final Summer Party to raise money for the Miles Frost Fund in partnership with the British Heart Foundation in July 2016 Dave Benett At the Belstaff Presentation, Spring Summer 2016, London Fashion Week Rex Features At an event by Supporting Wounded Veterans and Skiing With Heroes in October 2016 Dave Benett

That's how I found out she had died. It was like hitting a brick wall.

I don't think I'll ever get over those few words.

Ms Montefiore described how she still speaks to Ms Palmer-Tomkinson every night and said she was doing great in the weeks before her death.

She added: I say my prayers and send Tara my love.

I know she's around, she'll be hearing wherever she is. I don't know if I always will. Maybe she will get tired of hearing it? I still can't accept she's gone, that she's not there, that she won't be calling.

Ms Palmer-Tomkinson was found dead at her 1.6million Earls Court flat after dying in her sleep.

A coroner confirmed she died from a perforated ulcer.
T he supplier of Wimbledon's famous strawberries has said it hopes EU citizens working for the company will be protected after Brexit.

Marion Regan, owner of Huwe Lowe Farms, which supplies 28,000kg of the fruit to Wimbledon ever year, praised her predominantly eastern European team.

She said: "I very much hope that when we leave the European Union that there will still be a mechanism by which these great young people are still able to come here."

Pots of strawberries at Wimbledon / Ian Walton

The farm employs a team of 35 pickers, who hand select the fresh fruit, starting at 5am every day.

Based in Kent, Huwe Lowe Farm has been supplying Wimbledon strawberries for the last 25 years.
A t last eight people have died after a suicide bomber launched an attack on the Syrian capital of Damascus, according to state TV.

A series of car bomb explosions were heard in the city after police chased three suspected car bombers through the streets.

Two were reportedly stopped on the outskirts of the city but a third managed to reach Tahrir Square in the east, where he reportedly blew himself up after being surrounded by police.

Syrian television showed footage of at least two scorched vehicles can be seen on one side of the road, and some nearby buildings appear to have been damaged. The closed-off street is littered with debris, and security forces roam the area.

People inspect the site of a car bomb blast in Damascus / REUTERS

There are believed to have been a number of casualties.

State TV said security forces also detected two car bombs at an entrance to the city. It was not immediately clear if the two explosions were caused by suicide bombers or detonated by security forces.

Reports said security forces foiled a plot to target crowded areas on the first day of work after the long Muslim holiday that follows Ramadan.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-run monitoring group, also reported the three explosions.

Such attacks have been rare in Damascus, the seat of power for president Bashar Assad. Pro-government forces have been fighting to drive rebels from Ain Terma, one of their last strongholds in the Damascus suburbs.
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.

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Bad stuff happens all the time and sometimes to the best of people. It isnt fair, but when the bad stuff happens sometimes the response of a community brings a tear to your eye and smile to your face.

That is what happened in the recent tornado that ripped through the Bayard area.

As a newsman I was in Bayard shortly after the tornado came through. I pulled into town, found the police chief and went to work. There were trees down, power was out, the nursing home lost a part of the roof and the residents were being transported to the high school.

In the craziness, one resident I spoke with said, We got it easy. I hear they got hit real hard outside of town.

Unfortunately, the news wasnt fake news.

Two rural Bayard families nearly lost it all in tornado BAYARD  The ground around Scott and Joy Raffertys ranch northeast of Bayard is littered with plaster, splintered boards and insulation.

Scott and Joy Raffertys ranch northeast of Bayard and their neighbor, George Liakos, lost almost everything in E-F2 tornado.

We spent 17 years building this place up, and its all come to a halt, Joy Rafferty told the Star-Heralds Spike Jordon.

Its something when you lose your house and dont have a place to go back to and relax, lay your head down and go to sleep, George Liakos told Jordan for the story which ran in the June 23 Star-Herald.

Its hard to get your thoughts around the feeling it would have been to come up from the basement, thankful to be alive, but to see everything you had worked so hard for gone.

The Liakos family and the Rafferty family both lost about everything they had on top of machinery and cattle,  Jerry Weekes of Platte Valley Livestock Auction said in a story Jordan wrote a few days after the first story. They probably got the hardest hit out of everybody.

Benefit auction raises almost $19K for two Bayard families devastated by tornado Two calves brought $18,936 in donations during a special auction Monday at Platte Valley Livestock Auction. The proceeds of the sale will go to benefit the Liakos and Rafferty families of rural Bayard, who lost nearly everything in a tornado that left destruction in its path two weeks ago. If you missed the auction, but would still like to lend a helping hand, donations can be made at any Western States Bank location, care of the Liakos/Rafferty tornado relief fund.

Even the clothes they found were so full of insulation that they couldnt wear them, Weekes said.

This is when the story takes a positive twist of hope and good old western Nebraska spirit.

At 9 a.m. on Monday, June 26, two calves were sold at Platte Valley Livestock Auction for $18,936.67. The proceeds of the sale will go to benefit the Liakos and Rafferty families.

Every part of the animals, from the ears and the eyeballs, to the heads and tails  right down to the dewclaws  were auctioned off, before the individual calves were sold all-together to the highest bidder.

Why?

Because that is how things are done in western Nebraska. When good people are hit with bad stuff the community steps up proving out here, the Golden Rule (do unto others as you would have them do unto you) is more than just a saying.

Mike Nuss of Helberg Nuss Auctions, the guest auctioneer for the benefit auction, could relate to the Liakos and Rafferty families. He said his family found themselves in a similar place 26 years ago when their place was impacted by a tornado.

I still remember the people that stepped up with money, with help, with time, Nuss said. You never forget those people.

For me, it was when my wife, Linda, was diagnosed with cancer. She is OK now, but during the fight, it was encourage when others arrived with support. The support came in kind words, gifts and money.

It is humbling, but it is also a great boost to your spirit. It gives you hope when people, many of whom you dont even know, come to your aid. At your lowest point, there is a ray of hope.

My daughter is 12 years old, and she cries almost daily right now because shed like to go home, Liakos told Jordan. I dont know what else to say or do.

After the auction, Liakos' daughter can at least see a community has not forgotten her and the bad stuff she is enduring. Hopefully, she and her family, along with the Raffertys, with the help of the western Nebraska kindness, can come out of this stronger than before.

If you werent able to attend the auction, but would like to help, it is not too late. Donations can be made at any Western States Bank location, care of the Liakos/Rafferty tornado relief fund.
FARGO, N.D. Distinguished Service Award by the Western Section of the American Society of Animal Science (WSASAS) during its annual meeting recently in Fargo, North Dakota.

Jack Whittier was raised on a diversified livestock and crop farm in northeastern Utah, and received Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in animal science from Utah State University in 1979 and 1981, respectively. Whittier completed a doctorate degree in ruminant nutrition in 1985 from the University of Nebraska.

Since 2014, Whittier has been director of the University of Nebraska Panhandle District Panhandle Research and Extension Center and professor of animal science.

He has fulfilled significant leadership roles in WSASAS. Most recently, Whittier served on the ASAS Board of Directors as Western Section director for two 3-year terms (2010 to 2016). His applied research has focused on range beef cow nutrition and reproduction management. He has helped generate over $2.2 million in extramural funds as PI or Co-I, participated in training 37 graduate students, and authored or co-authored 49 refereed publications and numerous non-refereed and Extension papers. Currently, Whittier supervises 12 Ph.D. Research and Extension specialists and 22 Extension Educators.

Whittier has contributed as an active leader with Boy Scouts of America, in numerous leadership roles with his church, and with the Scottsbluff/Gering Rotary Club.

Whittier and his wife, Robynn, have two grown sons, two wonderful daughters-in-law, and five grandchildren. They also own a small-scale Simmental-Angus seedstock beef herd.

The Distinguished Service Award is sponsored by Elanco Animal Health and the Western Section of ASAS.
Former Nebraska State Patrol superintendent Brad Rice went around internal policies and procedures to interfere in four internal investigations cases and also failed to adequately respond to an allegation of workplace harassment, Gov. Pete Ricketts said Thursday. Ricketts released a 15-page report detailing the results of an internal review of the patrol he had asked the states chief personnel officer to perform in June. Patrol superintendent Brad Rice was fired one week into the review. The review cites two cases in the Panhandle that raised scrutiny of the patrol.
GERING  A commission tasked with selecting candidates to be considered for a Panhandle judgeship will meet in August.

The Judicial Nominating Commission for the 12th Judicial District will consider candidates for the judgeship, based in Gering, on Aug. 18, according to a press release issued Wednesday by Nebraska Supreme Court Justice William B. Cassel.

The public hearing will be held at 9:30 a.m., at district courtroom No. 1 at the Scotts Bluff County Courthouse. At the hearing, the Commission will receive information on the qualifications of candidates to fill the vacancy, which was just approved to be filled on Tuesday by a separate commission, the Nebraska Judicial Resources Commission. The judgeship opened up after the retirement of longtime District Court Judge Randall Lippstreu in February.

ndividuals interested in applying for the position can obtain a judicial vacancy Application package from the Nebraska Judicial Branch Web site at https://supremecourt.nebraska.gov/administration/attorney-services-division/judicial-vacancy/application. Completed applications may be submitted electronically or by hard copy and must be returned no later than 4 p.m. (Central Time) or 3 p.m. (Mountain Time), Friday, July 28.

The public hearing is open to the public and the public can present information concerning candidates for the judicial opening.

A listing of the members of the Judicial Nominating Commission can be found on the Nebraska Judicial Branch Web site at For special accommodations relating to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please call 402-471-3730. For persons with hearing impairments, call the Nebraska Relay System, 7-1-1.
Panhandle Equality encourages citizens in the Panhandle to celebrate June as Pride Month and take time to learn something new about LGBTQ issues. LGBTQ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer.

Panhandle Equality will celebrate its third annual Panhandle Pride on Saturday, Aug. 19 at Frank Park in Scottsbluff. The event will be from 11 a.m. to 3p.m.

LGBTQ Pride Month and pride celebrations across the country and around the world were born out of the Stonewall Riots on June 28, 1969 in New York City. The following year, in 1970, pride events began springing up across the country to protest discrimination and violence against the LGBTQ community.

LGBTQ equality isnt about establishing new rights but rather, ensuring that LGBTQ people are guaranteed the same rights outlined in our Constitution, said Panhandle Equality Chair Jeff Leanna. Today, we celebrate June as Pride month not only to honor the diversity and achievements of the LGBTQ community, but also to reflect on and acknowledge our past, affirm the progress made for equal rights today and look forward to a future when full equality under the law is a reality.

As in 1970 when the first Pride events began, LGBTQ Nebraskans continue to be discriminated against in 2017, Leanna said. In Nebraska, it is legal to fire a person based on their sexual orientation or gender identity, be discriminated against and denied housing, a bank loan and health insurance.

Panahndle Equality Secretary Ryan Griffin said, LGBTQ Nebraskans are merely asking that our laws live up to our state motto Equality before the law that is chiseled in stone on our state capitol.

Panhandle Pride, celebrated on Aug. 19, is a free, family-friendly festival and the public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

Panhandle Pride is committed to providing community resources to the LGBTQ and allied community in the Panhandle, said Panhandle Equality Vice-Chair Ladessa Heimbouch.  To that end, we are actively looking for community organizations who are interested in having a table at Pride.

Heimbouch encourages individuals and organizations interested in participating in Pride or has questions about becoming involved in Panhandle Equality to call the organization at 866-985-8755 or by email at info@panhandleequality.org
UPDATED at 2:15 p.m. with name of the man charged and his charges.

A man has been arrested and charged in the death of a shooting victim whose body was found in a Metro East field last week.

Bryant K. Adair, 30, of St. Louis was charged Saturday in Madison County with two counts of first-degree murder, according to the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis.

The unit was called in to help after the body of Darren Martez Henderson, 28, was found in a field near the intersection of West Second and Jefferson streets in Madison on Wednesday morning. The field is across several railroad tracks from Route 3.

Police said Henderson, from St. Louis but reportedly homeless, was last seen alive near the 4700 block of Margaretta Avenue in St. Louis. Police said the body appeared to have several gunshot wounds, and they believe he was shot where he was found in Illinois.

Authorities contacted Adair last week and said they wanted to speak to him on an unrelated matter. Adair turned himself in to St. Louis police and was arrested on unrelated charges Thursday. He was charged Saturday in the death of Henderson. He was ordered held without bail on the murder charges.

Authorities have not revealed a motive in the case.
LEBANON  Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth Cook saw old toys lying around her house and came up with an idea: shed sell her extra possessions to raise money for her sisters funeral.

Elizabeth's 11-year-old sister Katherine  who is "sassy" but endearing, who loved playing video games and Cards Against Humanity with Elizabeth, who "always has a smile on her face"  is confined to a wheelchair and hospital bed with terminal brain cancer.

It wasn't too long ago that a doctor told their family Katherine only has a few months to live. Elizabeth's mother worries it's only a few weeks now.

She deserves a nice burial, Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth organized this weekend's garage sale to raise money. After word of her sale spread, people came from as far as 100 miles to drop off clothes, furniture and kitchen appliances to help stock her sale, her mother said.

Elizabeths garage sale, lemonade stand, bake sale and influx of donations have now raised $8,000 in two days, Elizabeth said.

Its wonderful. I dont have a lot of faith in good people, with the news and stuff like that, said Victoria Cook, Elizabeth and Katherines mother. But its really nice to see good things and good people, and this is just nothing but wonderfulness.

Katherines cancer diagnosis came two years ago. The cancer cells have enveloped Katherines cerebellum and brain stem and robbed her of her ability to walk, Victoria Cook said. One of her eyes is glassed over. Shes tired all the time.

Late at night, behind closed bedroom doors so that Katherine cant see or hear, Victoria Cook cries.

I crumble and I cry and I scream, she said. Its frustrating and you want answers. Everybody wants answers, but there are no answers. Cancer just sucks.

But Saturday was a good day. Trevor Rosenthal, one of Katherines favorite Cardinals players, came to visit her and sign a jersey. Katherine even went outside for a little bit  a rare occasion  and went on a stroll around the yard so that people could see her.

Shes had a long battle. I think shes just about done with the battle, her mother said. But shes still fighting and Im still fighting. Were not giving up yet. Doctors dont have anything left for her, but were just not giving up yet.

The Cook family is continuing the yard sale Sunday, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 425 West Schuetz Street in Lebanon. A gofundme account has also been set up for the family.
UPDATED at 6 p.m. Saturday

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  Clubgoers screamed and scrambled for cover as dozens of gunshots rang out during a rap concert in downtown Little Rock early Saturday, leaving 28 people injured from an 11-second melee that police said may be gang-related.

The volley of gunfire inside the Power Ultra Lounge came so fast that investigators believe multiple people had to have been involved. Police Chief Kenton Buckner credited quick work by first responders for there being no fatalities.

Twenty-five people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others were hurt, perhaps while fleeing, Buckner said. Two people were in critical condition Saturday afternoon. Police said officers did not have any suspects in custody.

Courtney Swanigan, 23, told The Associated Press that when the gunfire rang out, "I just closed my eyes, got down on the ground and put my hands on my head."

City officials said they would move Monday to shut down the club under a "criminal abatement" program. State regulators suspended the club's liquor license earlier Saturday and Mayor Mark Stodola said the property's manager was delivering an eviction notice.

"We know we've got to use a hammer, we've got to use a big hammer on the people who would do violence with guns and hurt people," Stodola said at an afternoon news conference.

He said the city must "keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people" and suggested that people refuse to patronize clubs that seem to promote violence. Material advertising the concert by Tennessee rapper Finese 2Tymes showed a man pointing a gun at a camera.

"A promotional video with a gun on the front cover inviting people to a concert ... should also be totally unacceptable in our community," the mayor said.

The shooting capped a violent week in Arkansas' largest city. Police had responded to a dozen drive-by shootings over the previous nine days.

"This does appear to be a continuation of disputes from some of our local groups," Buckner said. "You've seen some of the things playing out in our streets that has resulted in drive-by shootings."

The shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. about 1 mile east of the state Capitol building. First-responders are stationed through the central part of the city and hospitals are a quick ride away.

"We had professional people responding to that incident and they did what they were trained to do, and I know they probably had something to do with the fact we didn't have any fatalities," Buckner said. He also credited divine intervention.

Top state officials offered to help the city respond to an increasing number of incidents.

"Little Rock's crime problem appears to be intensifying," Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson said in a statement. "Every few days it seems a high-profile shooting dominates the news, culminating with this morning's event. I have spoken this morning with Mayor Stodola and I have offered both my heartfelt concern over this senseless violent tragedy and state assets as needed to address the continued threat of violence in our community."

A Facebook video posted from inside the club included audio of at least 24 rounds fired in about 11 seconds. Darryl Rankin, who posted the video, said a friend of his who attended the concert with him had a bullet "stuck in his spine." Buckner said police had not yet spoken with the rapper, who he said has outstanding warrants in the state.

Calls to a number listed for Finese 2Tymes' booking agent weren't returned Saturday, but a message was posted on the artist's Facebook page offering thoughts and prayers for those injured: "THE VIOLENCE IS NOT FOR THE CLUB PEOPLE. WE ALL COME WITH 1 MOTIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND THATS TO HAVE FUN."

Police cordoned off the area as technicians collected evidence from the scene, which is near a Roman Catholic cathedral and a First United Methodist Church center. A number of worshippers gathered for a funeral at St. Andrew's while police continued their work.

Glass from the Power Ultra Lounge's second-story windows littered the ground, along with empty drink cups. In the parking lot, a silver Toyota had what appeared to be a streak of blood on the front passenger-side door.

"I'm sick of all the killing and I'm tired of all the shooting. The kids getting hurt," said Raida Bunche, who was waiting outside the club after hearing from a friend that her son had been inside. She found out later that he had run from the club when the shooting started and was not hurt.

Before Stodola announced that the city would shutter the club, officials at the Arkansas Alcoholic Beverage Control office suspended the club's liquor license and set a July 10 hearing on three potential charges: disorderly conduct, allowing possession of weapons on the premises and "failure to be a good neighbor."

The club's license has been suspended 11 times for failing to pay taxes, and it has been cited seven times for 14 various violations including unknowingly furnishing alcohol to minors and allowing alcohol to leave the premises since 2012, ABC Director of Enforcement Boyce Hamlet said.

Arkansas lawmakers this year passed a law allowing concealed handguns in bars, with permission of the businesses' owners and if the gun permit holder completes additional training. The law takes effect Sept. 1, but the training likely won't be available until next year.

EDITOR'S NOTE

This story has been updated to correct the name of the nightclub to Power Ultra Lounge instead of Power Lounge and to correct spelling of mother's name who waited outside club to Raida Bunche.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says the cholera outbreak in war-torn Yemen has killed 1,500 people since late April while a total of 246,000 suspected cases of the disease have been reported over the past two months.

WHOs representative in Yemen, Nevio Zagaria, made the remarks during a Saturday press conference in the capital Sanaa, adding that the number of suspected cases has multiplied tenfold over the past two months.

This is the second rapid outbreak of Cholera in Yemen over the past six months.

According to WHO figures, the number of people killed by cholera in Yemen was 1,300 two weeks ago while the number of suspected cases was over 200,000 people.

The UN health agency said a quarter of those killed by the Cholera outbreak are children.

Last month, the United Nations childrens agency warned that the number of Yemenis infected with cholera would rise to more than 300,000 by the end of August.

Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection that is spread through contaminated food or water. It can be effectively treated with the immediate replacement of lost fluids and salts, but without treatment it can be fatal.

Meanwhile, a two-year Saudi-led war on the Arab worlds poorest country has severely damaged infrastructure and caused medicine shortages in Yemen.

Cholera infection first became epidemic in Yemen last October and spread until December, when it dwindled. The second outbreak began in the Arabian Peninsula country on April 27.

Latest UN figures show that the conflict in Yemen has left 18.8 million of the country's 28 million population in need of humanitarian aid and almost seven million on the brink of famine.

Saudi Arabia has led a brutal military campaign against Yemen since two years ago in a bid to eliminate the Houthi Ansarullah movement and reinstall the Riyadh-friendly former president, Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi. The Saudi military campaign has, however, failed to achieve its goals.

The protracted war has already killed over 12,000 Yemenis, with the US and the UK assisting the Saudis in the aggression.
The Websters bought the property at 144 Pillans Road last year, moved in - and now they want the city council to cut down the Jacaranda tree directly outside the house.

But the mature jacaranda directly on the south side of David and Helen Websters home is a remnant from the original farmhouse/orchard plantings on the street, and pre-dates the areas urban development.

The historical connection was raised at the city council Environment Committee last week by lawyer Nick Ellsmore, acting for the decendants of the planters of the jacaranda trees in Pillans Point.

The Websters first had the council prune the tree, after saying they were disappointed at the significant volume of rubbish dropped from the tree across the front of their home and driveway.

They werent satisfied with the pruning and offered to fell the tree at their cost and replace it with a kauri.

Council staff refused the offer because the jacaranda isnt disrupting services or the health of residents. It doesnt meet the criteria.

Neighbours were polled next. A council survey had six neighbours opposed to removing the tree and 18 who had no objection. The Websters petition has a dozen neighbours who say they have no objection to the jacaranda getting the chop.

The issue came before the city council Environment Committee this week, for councillors to make a decision, but it became clear the Websters had not seen the committee agenda which laid out all the options available. Committee chair Steve Morris moved the issue be set aside until the Websters have had time to consider and consult.

Lawyer Nick Elsmor,e on behalf of Kathryn and Fraser Lellman, argued for the retention of the tree, saying the historical context is an important part of the committees deliberations.

Its Important in a growing town like Tauranga that we retain our historical connections, says Nick.

He argued against replacing the jacaranda with another tree saying a new tree wont replace a 70 year old tree.
Some Papamoa residents have raised concerns over the proposed transitional housing planned for the area.

On June 23, residents were sent a letter from Scott Gallacher, Deputy Chief Executive of Housing for the Ministry of Social Development, outlining plans by Housing NZ and MSD to develop new transitional housing on vacant land owned by Tauranga City Council at 45 Opal Drive, Papamoa.

The plans are for 19 new two- and three-bedroom homes to be onsite by late August. The site is currently vacant and part of it has been designated in the long-term for future use for affordable housing by TCC.

The letter outlines how the homes would be managed by an on-site provider, which would look after the properties and also provide support to the people living there. It states people living in the homes would be families and children who would be expected to stay in the houses for an average of 12 weeks or longer if required, while they are helped to secure housing that is more permanent.

The families would continue to receive support for a further three months once they move into more permanent accommodation such as social housing.

Included with the letter is a fact sheet showing what the houses would look like, and a fact sheet outlining how transitional housing programme works, with examples of other similar homes.

Residents expressed concern in the Papamoa Link Facebook group about who would be living in the transitional housing, for how long, and the impact on local schools and the neighbourhood.

Some residents agree with the sentiment expressed by Andrew Coogan that we need to be doing more as a country and community to get children off the street and into suitable housing. At face value, this plan seems like a step in the right direction. Another resident wrote when we have mums and kids who are unable to find permanent accommodation and are sleeping in cars, we need to collectively step up as a community and act.

Others feel differently.

My concern is there will be short term tenants who need to be taught how to sustain a long term tenancy, wrote Papamoa resident Andrea Kelly on June 27. What sort of people cannot sustain a long term tenancy? P addicts? Gangs? Trouble makers, bad parents and their misfit children, etc etc. Sounds harsh but Im concerned about our community here. Im concerned about adding to the pockets of trouble in Redditch Place/Opal/Topaz. This sort of housing unfortunately brings trouble, and in bulk. Just to add, I am all for good parents, genuine good people in need getting into housing, e.g. women in refuge, single mums. I am not happy about the transitional nature of the houses, bringing in the "dregs of society" into our community, our schools.

A post that Andrea made in the Papamoa Link group asking for thoughts, concerns and opinions from home owners surrounding the proposed new development has resulted in over 500 comments.

I live right by this spot and Im feeling pretty chuffed Papamoa will be providing this for others. Its a good spot, everything is ten minutes walk away, wrote one.

I think we all need a little more info on who they actually plan to put in these houses, wrote another.

Bay of Plenty MP Todd Muller returned from Auckland on Thursday night following the request for a meeting with a group of nearby residents.

In response to some of the residents concerns, I went to meet them on Friday morning, says Todd.

I listened to their concerns and shared them back to the ministry and the council. Ive pushed for a public community drop-in meeting to occur this coming week, and for it to be extended to a sufficient amount of time for people to be able to come in.

Todd says the meeting location room will be confirmed on Monday morning, with the plan for the drop-in meeting to be held at the Papamoa Community Library centre on Wednesday July 5 in the afternoon and evening.

Tauranga City Councillor Leanne Brown says that since April 2017 the Ministry of Social Development Housing Unit has been developing a proposal for use of the Opal Drive site.

Consistent with the approach followed by all developers, [MSD Housing Unit] have submitted a resource consent application to Tauranga City Council on the evening of June 23. The plans are for 19 new two and three-bedroom homes built to modern building and design standards. They would be landscaped to include play areas and plenty of green space.

Tauranga City Council is currently processing this resource consent application. It is anticipated that a decision will be made within the statutory 20 working days, but this is a work in progress. The processing of the application will reveal whether it is to be notified or not.

Leanne says that people with alcohol, substance or drug dependency, or people who have demonstrated previous anti-social behaviour would not qualify to access Opal Drive homes.

Just to clarify, this wont be a facility for mental health or drug addiction treatment, says Todd. What we are talking about is modular housing that will help local families who are struggling to find permanent accommodation. From my perspective as the local MP, having mums and kids sleeping in cars isnt acceptable and Im pleased the government is responding to our communities needs and delivering housing.

Andrea argues it hasnt been thought through properly.

Leaving vulnerable displaced people to move into these transitional short term homes, to start to make local connections with schools, the community and local support services, only to then be moved on to yet another community and services, as the rentals around here are affordable to many now. That is unfair on the parents and children and actually adding to their stress, and the childrens sense of trust and security which impacts on their mental health.

The problem is the way this had been handled and the lack of info. The drop in info day on Wednesday will hopefully help with that, but unfortunately there will only be representative of MSD and council there to explain the process, not the decision makers. A lot of people feel railroaded.

Transitional Housing

The fact sheet included with the letter to Papamoa residents outlines how transitional housing is a new approach to housing, providing warm, secure short-term accommodation for people in need  along with tailored social support while theyre there.

Transitional housing is not the same as emergency housing or the emergency housing special needs grant. The emergency housing special needs grant is a one-off grant to cover immediate housing costs for a period of seven days.

Families and individuals stay in transitional housing for an average of 12 weeks or more while their needs are assessed and longer term housing is organised.

During that time, social support is provided to address issues they may face and to develop their skills to secure and sustain a long-term tenancy

The government anticipates there will be more than 2000 transitional housing places across New Zealand by the end of the year.

These places are in Auckland and other cities and towns across New Zealand including Hamilton, Tauranga, Rotorua, Napier and Hastings, Palmerston North, Wellington, Nelson, Blenheim, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Transitional housing is diverse. In some cases individual, stand-alone residential homes can be used for transitional housing. In other cases it may be larger developments, including former motels or purpose-built housing.

The governments investment in transitional housing is $354 million. People living in transitional housing pay rent of up to 25 per cent of their income, which is in line with income related rents for social housing. The balance is subsidised to providers by the government.
Virginia hunters can go paperless now.

A bill introduced by Senator Ben Chafin, (R38th), allows licenses to hunt bear, deer or turkey to be carried by electronic or computerized form and removes the requirement that it be in paper form. The bill is among several new pieces of legislation that took effect as law July 1.

Another change creates a database listing the name, birth day and passage date of people who pass the boater safety course prior to July 1 2018 and allows anyone who passes the course after that date to enter their information. Their information in the data base would be sufficient proof a person has passed the course.

The legislature also designated Sept. 23 of 2017 as National Hunting and Fishing day in Virginia. Hunters also may wear blaze pink instead of blaze orange when it is required. Another new bill creates a uniform pay plan for citizens who need to meet financial requirements to get their drivers licenses back.

The new law sets the maximum down payment at five percent for larger fines and requires the court to consider financial resources when setting payment terms. It also gives a 10 day grace period for making the payments on schedule.

Marijuana laws are also changing to allow some users to keep their drivers license and also to allow some medicinal uses. The law revises the existing provision that a person loses his drivers license for six months when convicted of or placed on deferred disposition for a drug offense to provide that the provision does not apply to deferred disposition of simple possession of marijuana.

The law regarding medicinal use became effective March 16 and authorizes a pharmaceutical processor, after obtaining a permit from the Board of Pharmacy under the supervision of a licensed pharmacist, to manufacture and provide cannabidiol oil and THC-A oil to be used for the treatment of intractable epilepsy.

A change to the concealed carry handgun permit eliminates the requirement that the application be made under oath before a notary. Stronger alcohol is now available as a new law increased the legal proof of neutral grain spirits from 101 to 151.

Several new laws were approved dealing with the states opiod epidemic. One of those introduced by Delegate Todd Pillion will require all prescriptions for opiods to be transmitted to pharmacies electronically. Full compliance with this goes in effect in 2020 and the law also provides for workshops to facilitate the transition.

Renewing decals for automobile registration will be easier under a new law.

Customers who want to renew an expired vehicle registration will also be able to print a receipt to use as proof of the registration renewal until registration decals arrive in the mail seven-to-10 business days later. Prior to July 1, these customers would have needed to visit a DMV customer service center to complete their transaction.

The new law will also allow DMV to extend the validity period of an expiring drivers license for temporarily out-of-state Virginians if good cause can be shown. For example, a customer may not be able to return to Virginia to renew his drivers license if he is caring for a loved one out of state. Customers will be charged a $10 fee to cover the cost of processing and shipping the credential.

Drivers involved in a wreck are now required to move their cars off the roadway if they can be moved safely and no one is injured. The new law also gives department of transportation employees the right to move vehicles if they are impeding the flow of traffic.

A complete list of new laws in Virginia may be found at http://dls.virginia.gov/pubs/idc/idc17.pdf
ORWELL, N.Y. -- A man was killed Friday in northern Oswego County when the all-terrain vehicle he was riding crashed into a parked trailer, the New York State Police said.

The crash occurred about 10:50 p.m. on Gay Road in the town of Orwell.

State police said a 27-year-old man was riding an ATV east on Gay Road. The dead-end road about a mile from the Salmon River Reservoir. The man rode off Gay Road and hit a parked trailer where the road dead-ends, state police said.

Troopers did not identify the man or say if he died at the scene or later.

Investigators do not think alcohol was a factor in the crash, state police said, but speed appeared to have contributed. The man was not wearing a helmet.

Troopers are continuing to investigate.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A teen was hospitalized Saturday after he was shot in the face and leg on the South Side, Syracuse police said.

Officers responded at 3:19 p.m. to Marguerite Avenue and South Avenue for a shooting call. Police said several residents in the area had also called Onondaga County 911 to report hearing gunshots nearby.

A 17-year-old boy was found with wounds to his face and leg. Police did not say what the youth was doing at the time of the shooting.

He was taken to Upstate University Hospital by AMR Ambulance. Police said his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.

Detectives described the suspect as a male wearing a black sweatshirt and dark jeans. He was last seen on foot, heading north on South Avenue, police said.

Police asked anyone with information about the shooting to contact them at 315-442-5222. Tips can also be submitted using the "SPD Tips" app.

Last year 150 people were wounded in 128 shootings in Syracuse, according to data compiled by the state Division of Criminal Justice Services. That was the most shooting in Syracuse in at least a decade.
Jerry V. Livadas, of Syracuse, was New York's deputy secretary of state during the Rockefeller administration.

By Jerry V. Livadas | Special to Syracuse.com

This spring, the Post-Standard published two articles in Sunday editions, debating the pros and cons of an organization called Consensus that places the city of Syracuse in opposition to the county of Onondaga -- a very old story, indeed.

Stephen Kimatian's column

on April 30 was followed by Onondaga County Comptroller Bob Antonacci response on May 7,

Both gentlemen were articulate and thought provoking with salient points on each side.

Meanwhile, on a separate track, County Executive Joanie Mahoney is leading a

to recommend ways municipalities can save money by working together.

The confluence of the two offers an opportunity. Rather than continue the practice of obstructionist politics where the city and county marshal a list of objections to any initiative the other proposes -- a worn-out contest of one-upmanship -- we must be brave and chart a new course. Combine Consensus and Shared Services into one task force. Then enlist qualified individuals from various disciplines to prioritize the needs of our region and advance new ideas that lead to the creation of a Regional Revitalization Master Plan.

Realistically, a handful of well-intended civic leaders on the Consensus Commission cannot transform the way local government operates, and not all elected officials are, or ever become, "architects of progress" when in office.

In fact, a community's destiny can be held hostage by official lip service, insufficient funding, questionable appropriations, all accompanied by personal agendas and partisanship.

We must recognize that providing "leadership" is not just the purview of elected officials.

Thousands of unsung leaders across the region contribute daily, in countless ways to the community. Unfortunately, most people, as they go about the task of "making a living," neglect the axiom: "We the People" are the government and those we elect to office are to represent the will of the people.

The questions with the proposed Consensus Plan; a lingering debate over Interstate 81; differing opinions sure to accompany Mahoney's shared services committee. All provide examples of parochial initiatives producing divergent, competing agendas.

Unfortunately, there is no end game providing a resolution and thus, as usual, we will blame Albany for our plight even with the $500 million checkerboard Upstate Revitalization Initiative grants.

Thanks to our stagnation, we have reaped a bitter harvest: The 2017 Brookings Institution report on the economic status of American cities

among the nation's 100 largest metropolitan areas for economic growth over the past five years.

Also disturbing is this finding: "Syracuse trails most other cities, ranking 83rd in economic inclusion, a measure of how growth and prosperity in a region are distributed among its residents."

If one still remains unconvinced we are on the "wrong track," re-read the excellent commentary Entitled

in The Post-Standard of Feb. 21, 2016, by David M. Rubin, former dean of Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Public Communications. His observations make the case that to place our future solely on the doorsteps of city and county government is to remain shackled to the way the people's business was conducted in the 19th century.

There will be naysayers who will wave off a regional master plan as too complex, large, unwieldy and far beyond our capabilities to accomplish. However, if we build on the four strong pillars of Courage, Commitment, Compromise and Consensus -- the needed transfusion into the lifeblood of our region -- and allocate our funds judiciously, we can meet the challenges of the 21st Century and beyond.

If government officials continue to endlessly debate our future and do not provide a regional plan, push aside old allegiances and use the power of the ballot box to bring about the needed changes.

Once again, remember Thomas Jefferson's admonition: "A people get the government they deserve."
BRIDGEWATER, N.J. - President Trump on Saturday lashed out at the more than two dozen states that have objected to a presidential commission's sweeping request for voter data, accusing them of circumventing public scrutiny over potential voter fraud.

Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL. What are they trying to hide?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2017

Trump's tweet, issued a day after he arrived at his Bedminster estate in New Jersey for a three-night stay, highlighted the political stakes over his effort to validate his widespread claims of rampant illegal voting through the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, which is being led by Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach. Trump, who lost the popular vote to Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, has claimed that millions of immigrants living in the country illegally cast votes for her.

The White House has said the commission will embark upon a "thorough review of registration and voting issues in federal elections," but experts and voting rights advocates have pilloried Trump for his claims of widespread fraud, which studies and state officials alike have not found. They say that they fear the commission will be used to restrict voting.

Those worries intensified this week after the commission sent letters to 50 states and the District of Columbia on Wednesday asking for a trove of information, including names, dates of birth, voting histories and, if possible, party identifications. The letters also asked for evidence of voter fraud, convictions for election-related crimes and recommendations for preventing voter intimidation - all within 16 days.

While the Trump administration has said it is just requesting public information, the letters met with swift - and sometimes defiant - rejection. By Saturday, 25 states were partially or entirely refusing to provide the requested information; some said state laws prohibit releasing certain details about voters, while others refused to provide any information because of the commission's makeup and backstory.

"This entire commission is based on the specious and false notion that there was widespread voter fraud last November," Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, said in a statement. "At best this commission was set up as a pretext to validate Donald Trump's alternative election facts, and at worst is a tool to commit large-scale voter suppression."

California, a state Trump singled out for "serious voter fraud," also refused to participate. Alex Padilla, the California secretary of state, said providing data "would only serve to legitimize the false and already debunked claims of massive voter fraud."

A spokesman for Pence defended the letters requesting voter data, noting they seek information that is available publicly under state laws.

"The commission very clearly is requesting publicly available data in accordance with each state's laws in an effort to increase the integrity of our election system," Jarrod Agen, the spokesman, said in a statement. "The commission's goal is to protect and preserve the principle of one person, one vote because the integrity of the vote is the foundation of our democracy."
Jon Herrle allegedly told his intoxicated girlfriend that he was giving her cocaine, but that was a lie, and the crushed powder she snorted killed her, prosecutors said Friday at Herrle's arraignment on manslaughter charges.

The woman's death last September was the second time in two years that a girlfriend of Herrle's died from an opioid overdose at his home on Brighton Road in the Town of Tonawanda.

And now Herrle is living with a third woman, according to prosecutors.

After Herrle was arraigned on charges of manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, prosecutors asked Erie County Judge Kenneth F. Case that he be denied bail, out of concern for her safety.

Case agreed to their request.

Herrle appeared somewhat bewildered at what was happening.

Just a couple hours earlier, Town of Tonawanda Detective Kevin Sweeney and other officers had surprised him when he returned home for lunch. He was arrested on an indictment warrant and now he was standing in handcuffs before a judge, still wearing his blue T-shirt, dark shorts with a blue handkerchief poking out of a side pocket and blue sneakers.

His only words to the judge were, "I want to retain George Faust as my attorney." Faust already was standing in as his lawyer and entered a plea of not guilty on Herrle's behalf.

Erie County District Attorney John J. Flynn said the indictment represented a milestone in the fight to halt the deadly opioid epidemic.

Tonawanda man was charged in girlfriend's fatal overdose, and DA tells drug dealers: "I'm coming after you." https://t.co/xlxLD7EPcJ pic.twitter.com/Nrbb2gBYLU  The Buffalo News (@TheBuffaloNews) July 2, 2017

"I believe this is the first time our office has charged anyone for a homicide-related offense in a fatal drug overdose, and I hope it is the first of many," Flynn said. "Let this be a message to drug dealers that if you sell drugs and the person dies, I am coming after you."

The name of Herrle's 38-year-old girlfriend was not released. Assistant District Attorney Nicholas T. Texido told the judge that the victim went to Herrle's house at 702 Brighton on Sept. 25 after she had been drinking. Knowing that the woman used cocaine, Herrle allegedly crushed an oxymorphone pill to make it look like cocaine.

"He passed it off as cocaine and she snorted it," Texido said. "When he found the victim dead on his couch and cold to the touch, he fled the scene and called his friend to check on her."

The friend arrived, discovered the body and called 911.

On New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, 2014, Herrle's previous "significant other" also died of an opiate overdose at his house, but Flynn said Herrle is not criminally implicated in that death.

But the two deaths were cause for concern.

"This is the second time in two years that a significant other has died in his house," said Texido in arguing for no bail. "And a third woman has moved into his house."

He also said that Herrle reportedly was planning to leave for Florida and might not return for future court appearances if he made bail.

But Faust argued that Herrle was born and raised in the Town of Tonawanda, inherited the home he lives in, has some equity in it and has no plans to leave the area.

"He's paying a mortgage, he has a home remodeling business, and I have no idea about others at the house," Faust said in referring to the other women mentioned by Texido.

Flynn said town detectives videotaped two interviews with Herrle in which he made statements that helped in building the case against him.

"I would have gone with the more serious charge of second-degree murder, but you have to prove intent, and that is almost impossible in these cases, but it is not difficult to prove recklessness. Someone is dying every day of a drug overdose," Flynn said.

Flynn credited Sweeney and town Detectives Chuck Card and Tim Connolly with conducting the investigation that led to the indictment against Herrle. Assistant DA Michael D. Smith is also prosecuting the case.

If convicted as charged, Herrle could face up to 15 years in prison.
A popular Rochester landmark of years past has made a triumphant return, with a few changes visitors will want to know about.

The waterfall fountain at Martin Luther King, Jr. Park--formerly Manhattan Square Park--has been turned back on after 27 years as part of a plan to upgrade water features throughout the city, WHAM-TV reported.

The fountain, which features water tumbling down a series of steppes and ledges into a sunken amphitheater, was a magnet for residents before it was shut down in 1990.

According to the Democrat & Chronicle, operational issues and safety concerns were cited as reasons for shutting the fountain down at the time. The city had to post a lifeguard to monitor the fountain's wading pool, and several people, including children, got hurt.

City officials say the $1.7 million makeover included removing the wading pool area, and signs will be posted telling people not to enter the fountain. Guards will also regularly stop by to check on the fountain.

"It's not for you to go there to get wet. That's not the intent of it," city environmental services commissioner Norman Jones told the D&C. "This is ... a water feature that's there for your visual enjoyment and your audio enjoyment. The sound is somewhat peaceful. It's serene."

The fountain will run at full blast for 12 hours a day, and will be scaled back at night.

Watch the WHAM video below.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Even after the after the heavy rainfall that flooded streams and roads subsided Saturday evening, flooding remained a problem for parts of Central New York.

Streams, creeks and rivers gushed with water and in many cases overflowed their banks. Several feet of water covered roads in some spots. Streets were washed out. And vehicles struggled through the flooding.

Sgt. Jon Seeber, a spokesman for the Onondaga County Sheriff's Office, said motorists should use caution in the southern part of the county since several roads remained underwater or covered with debris. The worst areas stretched from Route 20 south to the county line between Pompey and Skaneateles, he said.

State and local highway crews were working across the region to clear obstructions and, in some cases, repair washed out roads.

The Onondaga County Department of Transportation said Tully Farms Road (Route 20 and Webster Road), West Valley Road (Saw Mill to Church Hill), Otisco Valley Road (Otisco to Saw Mill), and Saw Mill Road (Otisco Valley to West Valley) were closed due to flooding.

In Madison County, the sheriff's office issued a travel advisory, citing extremely hazardous roads due to flooding and debris. The advisory lasts until midnight.

Utica Mayor Robert Palmieri declared a state of emergency. Several roads were impassible and residents were advised against unnecessary travel. Oneida County officials ordered the evacuation of the Bleachery Avenue trailer park in Chadwicks due to flooding.

Officials asked residents along several miles of Sauquoit Creek in Oneida County to leave their homes because of the rising water.

And an apartment complex in Cayuga County was evacuated when it was threatened by a flooding creek nearby, The Auburn Citizen reported.

About 1,000 people still did not have electricity in Onondaga and Madison counties. Almost all of them were in Cazenovia and Pompey. Several hundred people in Cayuga County also did not have power.

Although the water had begun to recede by Saturday night, Madison County and part of Oneida County were still under a flood warning. And more rain was possible Sunday.
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Japan has announced that it will put a man on the moon by 2030.

The mission was proposed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and is the nation's first planned space mission beyond the International Space Station. A spokesperson for JAXA has said that the mission will be an international one due to the cost of sending a Japanese rocket. Instead, JAXA will contribute to an international effort and work to secure a spot on the lunar probe.

A spokesperson for JAXA has said that the organization expects to unveil its plans for the mission in time for the Japan's International Space Exploration Forum in March 2018.

History of Japan's Space Program

While this attempt will mark Japan's first efforts at a lunar landing, Japan's history of space exploration dates back to 1970, when it launched its first orbiting satellite. From there, the nation has launched multiple satellites over the years.

Aside from satellites and sending astronauts to the International Space Station, JAXA and its various predecessors have launched several successful probes to the moon and other celestial bodies.

The Asian Space Race

This announcement is only the latest in a series of ambitious new space exploration programs that have been unveiled by various Asian powers. Numerous countries including China and India have announced plans that would see them expand their space exploration programs. This new era of competition is similar to the space race between the United States and the USSR, which was one of the defining features of the Cold War. However, despite the competitive nature of these programs, this incarnation of the space race lacks the overt hostility that characterized the struggle between the 20th century's great superpowers.

Aside from Japan, two of the biggest players in this race are India and China. In December 2016, China announced that it planned to send a probe to Mars by 2020. The first probe would study both the atmosphere and surface whereas the second would be tasked with collecting samples from the planet's surface. Beyond Mars, China is planning on sending probes to Jupiter and its moons. There is also talk that they are going to the moon, though no date has been set for such a mission. A representative of China's National Space Administration has said that the country aims to be one of the world's major space powers.

India has also embarked on an ambitious space program. In 2014, India launched its first Mars probe, the Mangalyaan, which was notable not only for the data it gathered but also for its low cost. The probe costs a total of $74 million, which is less than what is spent some big-budget Hollywood movies.

Beyond the obvious benefits to the nations involved in this new space race, we all stand to reap the rewards of increased investment in science and space exploration. The last space race gave us some of the most important advances of the 20th century. Who knows what this new one will bring to the table.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) has confirmed that two of the state's water system is positive for Naegleria fowleri, a naturally occurring freshwater amoeba. As such, the authorities are advising residents to take precautionary measures to reduce the risks of infection.

Water Systems Positive For Naegleria Fowleri

On June 29, LDH announced that two water systems undergoing routine drinking water testing results turned out positive for Naegleria fowleri. The Terrebonne Parish's Schriever Water system and the Ouachita Parish's North Monroe Water System both tested positive for the amoeba.

Both the water systems as well as local officials have been officially notified of the findings. Further, the water systems have been requested to convert to the free chlorine disinfection method for 60 days to ensure that the bacteria will be eliminated completely.

LDH has been routinely testing for the presence of the bacteria since 2015, and has collected a total of 540 samples since 2013.

Because of the findings, the Department warns families that although the tap water is safe for drinking, they are urged to avoid getting the water into their noses as it can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is a brain infection that causes serious damage to the brain tissue.

Cases Of Naegleria Fowleri Infection

This is not the first time that LDH has found traces of the amoeba in their water systems. The Terrebonne Parish, Ascension, and St. Bernard water systems also tested positive for the bacteria.

Several deaths resulting from Naegleria Fowleri infections were also recorded as the U.S. National Whitewater Center was prompted to suspend whitewater activities after 18-year-old Lauren Seitz from Ohio got infected with the bacteria.

Eleven-year-old South Carolina girl Hannah Katherine Collins also passed away after getting the infection from a river, while young track star Michael Riley succumbed to the infection that he got after swimming in the lake.

The fatality rate for Naegleria fowleri is 97 percent, and only four people have been known to survive from the infection between 1962 and 2016.

Precautionary Measures

First of all, it is important to note that Naegleria fowleri cannot be contracted by drinking infected water and neither can it be passed from one person to another. What authorities are concerned about is when contaminated water enters the nose, as it is the primary means of infection.

As such, authorities are urging the public to be very careful when it comes to swimming in fresh water, or even just washing your face with contaminated water. This is especially important to remember because from the nose, the amoeba may travel up to the brain where it is able to destroy brain tissue.

Supervising children during baths and while playing with sprinklers or hoses is advised, and walking or lowering yourself into the water is also wise instead of jumping into bath water or swimming pools. Allowing the water to run for five minutes to wash out the pipes before bathing is also advised, and sinus rinse solutions must only be done using boiled and cooled, sterile, or distilled water.

Naegleria fowleri is a rare infection, and its symptoms of vomiting, headache, fever, and stiff neck could also be related to other bacterial infections. However, medical care should be sought after upon any sudden onset of these symptoms.

 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
"It is not the role of military commanders to comment on the political process, much less on the performance of republican institutions," Gleisi Hoffmann pointed out. | Read More
Sometimes, she claps along to evangelical music and hymns. Other times, she kneels in stained glass sanctuaries. And once or twice, she has even been asked to address the people in the pews.

Over the past several months, Baton Rouge Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome has quietly joined most of the Metro Council members at their home churches. The experience has helped her to start cultivating relationships with those in City Hall who are among the most instrumental in helping her pass policy. And as Metro Council debates grow more contentious, splintered down racial and party lines, council members say they appreciate the opportunity to worship alongside Broome, regardless of whether they agree politically.

"It's part of that common denominator that people of faith share," said Broome, a Democrat. "While we may not agree on everything politically, our faith unites us."

A politician who has served for decades, Broome has long been known for her deep Christian faith. It helped motivate bills she sponsored in the Louisiana Legislature, such as a law that requires pregnant women to see an ultrasound and hear the heartbeat of their fetus before having an abortion.

She frequently invokes scripture in her explanation for decision making, recently saying "faith must be combined with action" as she told the family of Alton Sterling she wanted to fire the police officer who fatally shot Sterling last July.

Since she won the mayor-president election at the end of 2016, Broome has frequently told supporters, "You prayed me in, now you've got to pray me through." Her pastor, the Rev. Raymond Jetson of Star Hill Baptist Church, has been one of her closest advisers.

She sent Metro Council members an email in February telling them she would welcome the chance to join them at church, and since then, she has made the rounds with Baptists, Catholics, Presbyterians, Evangelical Christians and others.

"It gave us a chance to talk about things outside of the political spectrum," said Dwight Hudson, a Republican on the Metro Council. Broome joined Hudson and his family at Healing Place Church, which describes itself as a "New Testament, full-Gospel, nondenominational body of believers."

"It was a good chance to connect and see the human side of someone and not just the politics," Hudson said.

Broome accompanied LaMont Cole and his family at Mount Zion First Baptist Church, one of the most historic churches in the city and the site where the nation's first bus boycott during the Civil Rights movement was organized. At church services, the Rev. Rene Brown usually delivers a brief message to the children in attendance, but he asked the mayor to do it in his place when she visited.

Cole, a Democrat, remembers her citing scripture and speaking about perseverance.

Barbara Freiberg said she was surprised when Broome offered to join her on Palm Sunday at University United Methodist Church, as she figured Broome would want to attend her home church that day. Their husbands joined them during the service.

Broome participated as a regular member of the congregation and was briefly recognized by the pastor. The mayor said she has not gone to any of the services with the intention of speaking or making her presence well-known, but instead prefers to simply socialize with other attendees.

"You just get to know people better, in particular, you get to know people that don't live in your neighborhood, that don't attend the same functions you attend, that don't have the same friends you have in common," Freiberg, a Republican, said about Broome's visits to houses of worship. "That's all very important for a public official to engage in conversations."

For Metro Council members who have served under multiple mayors, Broome's outreach in attending church with them was something new. Former Mayor-President Kip Holden was highly social and used different bonding methods with the council members, inviting them to join him for a Budweiser or to dance onstage at a Live After Five concert.

Buddy Amoroso, a Republican, asked Broome to attend Christ Presbyterian Church with him and his family when they celebrated Transfiguration Sunday. He said he was happy to see Broome's desire to meet more people in his district.

And while Broome has traveled across the parish for worship services, she has not needed to leave the comfort of Star Hill to worship alongside Donna Collins-Lewis. Over the course of decades, the two have grown accustomed to seeing each other in church on Sundays.

"It's a normal thing for us," Collins-Lewis said. She applauded Broome for trying to connect with council members on a deeper level. "There's only one God. We fellowship and we have different denominations, but we have one God."

+3 Broome invokes decades as north Baton Rouge legislator in mayoral bid By the time the mayoral votes are all counted, Sharon Weston Broome will have been on the ca

Collins-Lewis said she and the mayor previously attended Love Outreach Faith Fellowship before moving to Star Hill. The relationship between the two of them, both Democrats, stretches far back.

Collins-Lewis helped run Broome's first Metro Council campaign along with former Metro Councilwoman and state Rep. Ronnie Edwards, who died in 2016. After Broome was elected to the Metro Council, Collins-Lewis became her first legislative aide.

Broome said she hopes attending church with council members has helped initiate good relationships with them that will continue to grow. Not all of her churchgoing has been with council members, either. She attended the opening of St. George Catholic Church after receiving an invitation and said her goal is to visit as many houses of worship with council members and city-parish staffers as she can.

When she visited Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Church with Matt Watson, a third-row side pew had been reserved for the two of them behind a group of young missionaries going to Haiti. Watson made a special stipulation after receiving Broome's invitation.

"I said, 'I'll be more than happy to take you to church with me, provided you take me to church with you," said Watson, a Republican.

He held up his end of the deal, and is waiting on the day Broome will bring him to Star Hill.
CONVENT  District Attorney Ricky Babin, who has had a hand in the ongoing prosecutions of two parish presidents in his jurisdiction made it clear to St. James Parish officials and just about everyone else that he'll be making the decisions about who to pursue criminally.

He did so as the Parish Council considered a resolution asking the DA to drop the prosecution of Blaise Gravois, a top parish administrator. A judge took the unusual step of throwing out Gravois' grand jury indictment in April but Babin has appealed that decision.

"No resolution passed by this Council carries any influence, bearing or weight on whom, when, and how my office prosecutes cases and defendants," Babin told the council members in Vacherie last week, as he read from a letter. "I intend to abide by my oath, and suggest you do the same."

Speculation of possible political motives and suspicions of conflicts of interest have hovered around the malfeasance in office prosecutions of Gravois, St. James Parish President Timmy Roussel and another parish official since their grand jury indictments were handed up in late September.

Defense attorneys have seized on those suspicions to call into question the prosecutions. But the courts have so far dealt with the claims in a mixed fashion, rejecting Roussel's bid to recuse the entire 23rd Judicial District judiciary but throwing out Gravois' indictment.

Ad hoc judge refuses attempt to recuse judges in St. James president's malfeasance case An ad hoc judge refused Friday to force all judges in the 23rd Judicial District Court to re

Judge Jason Verdigets of the 23rd JDC is now being asked weigh in on Roussel's case in the coming months as each side alleges conflicts of interest for attorneys involved, court papers show.

Defense attorneys for Roussel want Babin recused from the case, which is being handled by the Louisiana Attorney General's Office with assistance from Babin's office.

Defense lawyers point to a dispute between Roussel and Babin last year over the pay of former Parish Attorney Bruce Mohon, who works for Babin as an assistant district attorney.

Babin's office  his jurisdiction is in St. James, Ascension and Assumption parishes  was involved for months last year in the investigation of Ascension Parish President Kenny Matassa over unrelated attempted election bribery allegations. Babin recused his office on eve of a planned grand jury proceeding late last year after it came to light that one of his top prosecutors contributed to Matassa's election campaign.

Babin's office has not responded to St. James Parish President Roussel's motion in court, but a Babin spokesman said Friday the district attorney isn't going anywhere.

"We plan to vigorously oppose the motion, which has no basis in law or fact," Babin's spokesman, Tyler Cavalier, said.

Meanwhile, prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office are trying to get Roussel's defense attorney, Brian Capitelli, booted off the case. Capitelli has a conflict of interest, prosecutors argue, because he represented the parish and was by it for a time before he began representing Roussel individually.

Capitelli has said he was only ever working for Roussel, that Roussel paid back the parish in an abundance of caution and countered that the Attorney General's Office motion was payback for Capitelli's attempt at removing Babin from the case.

"It is apparent that the state's motion to disqualify defense counsel is a retaliatory and dilatory measure, not one based upon reasonable legal concerns," Capitelli wrote.

The grand jury indicted Roussel and Gravois last fall on allegations they directed parish workers and resources to do work on private property without reimbursement.

The indictments don't contend either benefited personally or directly from the illegal work. But the improvements, such as removing a blighted backyard shed from the property of an elderly woman and bolstering a failing drainage ditch near someone's home, happened primarily during Roussel's tough re-election bid in the fall of 2015.

+4 St. James Parish president, administrators at work one day after indictment CONVENT  A day after a grand jury indicted him and two parish administrators on public corr

The indictments were brought months after the conflict between Babin and Roussel over Mohon's continued employment as parish attorney.

Some questioned then if the charges carried the hint of political payback, saying they seemed suddenly to criminalize the kind of small-time public works that had been done for decades in the parish.

Though Gravois' attorneys didn't specifically involve themselves in the dispute between Babin and Roussel, they leveled allegations of prosecutorial misconduct against Mohon, claiming he improperly furthered the indictment.

They also said it was unfair to charge Gravois for his job under a previously untested interpretation of the malfeasance in office law.

Judge Jessie LeBlanc of the 23rd Judicial District took the unusual step in late April of throwing out all of Gravois' counts, saying prosecutors' novel interpretation of the law would force public officials to have to guess if their actions were criminal.

"This opens a broad door to favoritism and abuse," LeBlanc wrote.

While Roussel's defense attorneys promise to raise similar allegations of prosecutorial misconduct and unfair prosecution to throw out his indictment, they are trying first to use the political dispute between Roussel and Babin to attack the prosecutors' standing, court papers show.

Well before the indictments, in mid-May 2016, a months-long struggle between Roussel and Babin over the future of then-Parish Attorney Mohon broke out into public view during a Parish Council meeting.

An April 28, 2016, letter to the Parish Council came to light in which Babin charged the pay dispute was a "political vendetta" over Mohon's long-standing friendship with Roussel's primary opponent in his 2015 re-election campaign.

Babin's letter to the council came three days after Roussel told Mohon he was going to cut his pay, the letter says.

What only Roussel, Babin and possibly a few others knew then at the May council meeting in Vacherie was that a day after Babin wrote his April 28, 2016 letter to the council the St. James Parish grand jury sent a subpoena to Roussel, court filings show.

In seeking to throw Babin's office off the case, Roussel's defense attorneys are playing up this timeline  Mohon's pay is cut, Babin charges politics by Roussel and the grand jury subpoena follows  to suggest that it is the prosecution of Roussel that is the political payback, not Mohon's pay cut.

"In this instance when a request for funding for one of Mr. Babin's assistants (Mohon) was denied, a grand jury subpoena was the District Attorney's response," Capitelli wrote. "The clear conflict and public dispute between Mr. Babin and Mr. Roussel requires recusal."

Judge Verdigets has set a hearing in August to decide whether to force Babin off the case. Meanwhile, Verdigets is asking for checks, invoices and financial statements from Roussel's attorneys and from the parish before he decides if Capitelli should be taken off the case.
A Texas-based charter school group is close to acquiring 10 acres of LSU property in the Gardere area to serve as the home for one of its two planned charter schools in Baton Rouge, but the process is taking so long that the school may spend some or all of its first year elsewhere.

Ken Campbell, executive director of IDEA Public Schools in Louisiana, said the deal may still come through early enough to construct a school in time for the planned August 2018 opening date, but the window is closing, he said.

We are exploring alternate locations for a year or for perhaps six months, Campbell said.

IDEA and the nonprofit group, New Schools for Baton Rouge, first approached LSU nearly a year ago about leasing the property. New Schools recruited IDEA and is offering the Rio Grande Valley-based group financial support.

But after lengthy discussions, LSU is going a different route.

The LSU Board of Supervisors agreed on June 22 to part with the vacant property entirely via a sale or through a land swap. The board gave LSU President and Chancellor F. King Alexander until July 21 to figure out which approach would work better.

The plan is for LSU to transfer ownership of the property to New Schools "school construction arm", NSBR Facilities Inc., which in turn would enter into a lease-to-own agreement with IDEA.

Dan Layzell, LSU executive vice president and chief financial officer, told The Advocate that leasing the property didnt make much sense given what IDEA plans to build there.

We thought about it, but decided against it given that they were going to be building a permanent structure there and it was going to be a school facility rather than like a general office building, Layzell said. In our mind it made sense to just do a direct transfer of the property.

The property, located in LSUs Innovation Park next to The Emerge Center, has already been appraised twice and a third appraisal is underway as the parties seek to reach a consensus on the property's value.

The first appraisal, commissioned by LSU, valued the property at just over $2 million. A second appraisal, paid for by New Schools, put the propertys value much lower, at $1.25 million.

Layzell said he expects to receive the third appraisal any day now. Once the appraisal is in hand, he said, the discussion will shift to whether a sale or a swap makes more sense.

One problem with a sale is that state law requires the proceeds from a land sale go to the state treasury, not to LSU, and theres no guarantee LSU could get the money back, Layzell said.

If LSU elects to go with a land swap, New Schools would have to purchase land to swap with the university of similar value that the university is interested in acquiring for itself. Supervisors on June 22 were shown a plot of land on West State Street, valued at $1.8 million, next to the university as a possible piece of land to swap.

Chris Meyer, chief executive officer of New Schools for Baton Rouge, said the property on West State Street is not the only possible land New Schools could buy and swap. And the land purchased depends on the results of the third appraisal; a bigger number could force New Schools to find a higher value piece of land, he said.

IDEA, which started in the Rio Grande Valley, runs 51 schools and educates 30,000 children and has schools that have made national best high school lists. All of its schools so far are in Texas, in the Rio Grande, Austin and San Antonio areas.

In May 2016, IDEA won approval from the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board to start up to four charter schools in the Capital city, starting with two in 2018 followed by a third in 2020 and a fourth in 2021.

IDEA has already settled on property next to Cortana Mall for its north Baton Rouge location.

The charter school group plans to grow until it has K-12 schools divided between an elementary academy and a secondary college. IDEAs agreement with EBR allows IDEA to enroll as many as 6,144 students and state law would allow them to enroll another 1,228.

A charter school is public school run by a private organization via a charter, or contract. IDEA will not be the only charter school in Innovation Park.

The Emerge Center, formerly Baton Rouge Speech and Hearing Foundation, is setting up a charter school of its own on property it already leases next door to where IDEA wants to locate. The school is growing out of a small private school Emerge launched in 2014, and construction is set to start in 2018.

Emerges new charter school would focus on children ages 5 to 11 who are on the autism spectrum. It plans to open in fall 2018, the same time as IDEA, and start with 38 students, eventually growing to about 140 students.

Campbell, IDEA's executive director, said hes been discussing with Emerge leaders the possibility of teaming up in the future, perhaps in easing the transition for such students to more traditional classrooms.

There is a genuine desire on both sides to get something done thats beneficial for kids, he said.
Before Medicaid expansion was signed into law by Gov. John Bel Edwards last year, 49-year-old William Spencer had to make difficult and sometimes dangerous choices about his health.

Spencer, who lives in Iberville Parish, said he simply could not afford all of the medicine he's been prescribed for a host of ailments, including bipolar disorder, painful arthritis, heart problems and high blood pressure. So he'd only fill what he could afford at any given time and oftentimes that meant he'd put his heart medication on the back burner.

After Louisiana became the 31st state in the nation to embrace Medicaid expansion last year, a move that extended the publicly-funded coverage to any adult with income up to 138 percent of the poverty level  $33,600 per year for a family of four  Spencer suddenly got insurance coverage. Now he doesn't have to pay for his medication, and other health services are either free to him or at low-cost.

"It's the best care I've ever had," he said. "Suddenly, I was able to see my doctor, I got to see a cardiologist, and they gave me an oxygen tank at my house."

But Spencer and roughly 430,000 other low-income adults in Louisiana who qualified for Medicaid under the expansion would lose their insurance by 2021 under the latest version of a federal health care overhaul, intended to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Commonly called Obamacare, the seven-year-old federal program allowed states to expand sign-up criteria, making Medicaid available to many people who made too much money to qualify but too little to buy adequate insurance in the private market.

U.S. Senate leadership unveiled their GOP-driven version of the bill called the Better Care Reconciliation Act. A large focus of the measure is curbing Medicaid, which is a health insurance program for the poor, paid for with state and federal dollars. Medicaid is an entitlement program, so everyone who is eligible receives coverage, resulting in ballooning costs for the federal government.

The most recent version of the bill both rolls back federal funds for Medicaid expansion and eventually puts caps on how much each state will receive for the traditional Medicaid program based on a per-capita formula. Federal Medicaid spending would be more than one-third lower over the next two decades, under the bill, according to the latest Congressional Budget Office review.

Those proposed cuts have sounded alarms across Louisiana, a state that is deeply dependent on Medicaid funding. Both state leaders and health care analysts say Louisiana would be one of the hardest-hit states to be affected by cuts to Medicaid, largely because Louisiana is both one of the poorest and unhealthiest states in the nation.

Medicaid dollars make up almost half of the Louisiana's $28 billion budget. About 38 percent of residents in Louisiana are on Medicaid today, a proportion that outpaces every other state in the nation. Its Medicaid population is almost twice the national average of 22 percent.

Six out of every 10 children in Louisiana receive health insurance through the program, and more than half of the mothers who gave birth babies last year were on Medicaid at the time. Medicaid in Louisiana supports 242,000 people with disabilities, and more than 20,000 people living in the state's nursing homes.

Louisiana Department of Health officials estimate that the end of Medicaid expansion dollars would result in the loss of $12.1 billion over seven years. The caps on Medicaid would reduce the state's federal allocation by another $2.1 billion over the same time period.

"People will die. It sounds like a scare tactic but it's just a fact," Gov. John Bel Edwards told reporters this week. "There are not a lot of redeeming qualities with the bill. I hope they throw it out and start over."

The proposed cuts in the Senate bill would roll out in two ways.

First, it would reduce the number of people who receive the coverage. Medicaid expansion would be reversed when the federal dollars were cut off in 2020, meaning close to half a million people would be kicked off the rolls, of which only about 30,000 are expected to regain coverage with private insurance. The reduction in Medicaid coverage nationally would, in part, fund tax cuts included in the Senate bill for the wealthy. However in recent negotiations, some Republicans have suggested paring back those tax cuts to fund more healthcare.

Then, as the caps are implemented in the later years, Medicaid services would be trimmed for the remaining population. The most vulnerable are those who are considered "optional services" under Medicaid. For example, the Adult Pharmacy is a program the state offers which fully pays for the prescription medicine of Medicaid recipients.

Other optional Medicaid services offered by the state include waiver programs for the elderly, physically disabled and developmentally disabled who receive supports and care at their home so they don't have to be institutionalized.

Angela Lorio's 4-year-old son John Paul is one of those waiver recipients that would be threatened under cuts to Medicaid. John Paul was born severely premature, and requires a tracheotomy tube to breathe. John Paul was approved for the waiver when he was about 6 months old. The Residential Options Waiver pays for about 40 hours of nursing care and 50 hours of personal care for John Paul every week. The waiver also pays for some of the expensive medical equipment at the house.

Every year waiver recipients like the Lorios lobby state legislators to protect their funding amid state budget cuts. But if Medicaid was cut, health officials say, it's optional services like the ROW that could be most vulnerable.

Without the home supports paid for by the waiver, John Paul might have to live in a nursing home.

"We're supposed to be able to provide for our kid. We're supposed to be able to take care of him," Lorio said. "No one plans on having a kid who is dependent on technology to live and who is medically complex. When it does happen, at least you know this help exists. And then to have that threatened in any way, you're threatening his life and our life as a family."

State officials have also said Louisiana would be uniquely burdened by the changes because the state enacted Medicaid expansion later than any other state. Former Gov. Bobby Jindal rejected expansion under Obamacare, but Edwards signed it into law on his second day in office in 2016.

Federal contributions under the Senate proposal would be based on a rate for patients. The caps would be calculated by determining what share of the Medicaid dollars a state used during eight consecutive financial quarters  two years  of its choosing. Most states have several years of experience with expansion, so they can choose which consecutive eight quarters works best for them. But Louisiana has been involved in the expansion only a year, which limits the numbers that can be used in the calculation of the rate.

"Because we only have a few quarters with Medicaid Expansion data, the wording of the bill would undervalue the state's expansion cap and may force the state to use some unfavorable quarters as its 'base period,'" Louisiana Department of Health Chief of Staff Andrew Tuozzolo said, adding that only South Carolina is projected to have a lower Medicaid cap.

The Senate bill has met some friction even among Republicans, and a vote was delayed until after July 4 so leadership could try to make the changes necessary to secure enough votes for passage.

But some Louisiana lawmakers say that significant changes need to be made to Medicaid.

"The focus on healthcare spending in Louisiana is literally eating up the entire state budget. We have no money for education, we have no money for highways and we have no money for criminal justice," said Republican State Sen. Conrad Appel, from Metairie.

Appel said Medicaid expansion costs, which are growing annually, are unsustainable for the state, adding that "if they don't change anything we're exposed to serious fiscal problems."

Appel also said he thinks it's hyperbolic of the governor to say that scaling back Medicaid would result in lost lives, because the program is so new.

"Go back three years ago (before Medicaid expansion)," he said. "Were people dying in the streets? No. Were people treated when they were ill? Yes. Medicaid expansion has only been in place for one year. I mean, come on."

Other critics point out that Obamacare is failing the state in other ways, primarily with the weakness of the insurance exchanges. In some states, only one or two insurers remain on the exchange.

In Louisiana, UnitedHealthcare most recently announced its decision to exit the marketplace, leaving four insurers for Louisiana residents to choose from in the most recent enrollment period. Premiums for the more than 140,000 Louisiana residents who purchased through the exchange also have increased at a higher rate than the national average, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

But state health officials believe Medicaid expansion has indeed saved lives. Under the Medicaid expansion population, 105,000 people have taken advantage of preventative care services, which has resulted in 168 breast cancer diagnoses, 2,800 diabetes diagnoses, 4,200 people receiving substance abuse treatment and 30,000 people receiving mental health care.

North Baton Rouge resident Sarah Jones said Medicaid expansion means she no longer has to choose between buying her medicine and paying her electricity bill.

Jones is prescribed to eight different medicines for her Lupus, lung disease, high blood pressure and spinal problems.

"If I don't have this coverage I don't know what I'd do, waste away and die?" she said. "Please let the expansion stay in every state. Everyone has the right to equal health care. We're all citizens."
Seeing U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy as their best hope, advocates for people with disabilities flocked to his Baton Rouge office Wednesday afternoon to urge the former charity hospital doctor to fight against the dramatic Medicaid cuts included in the Senate's federal healthcare revamp.

About three dozen people arrived at his office to illustrate why the cuts to Medicaid included in the Republican leadership's Better Care Reconciliation Act would upend their lives and limit vitally important health care access for themselves of their family members.

The bill would end the individual mandate to purchase insurance under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, and end tax hikes on the wealthy and businesses that helped finance care for low-income families. It also cuts Medicaid by $772 billion over a decade by rolling back federal dollars given to states for Medicaid expansion, and by implementing per-capita caps on the Medicaid program.

Here's what Louisiana's senators are saying about the Senate GOP health care bill Before deciding which way they will vote on the latest effort to repeal and replace Barack O

Cassidy wasn't present for the demonstration because he's in Washington D.C. But one of his staff members promised to relay the concerns to the senator.

Cassidy is a first-term U.S. Senator, who like other Republican senators, ran on a promise to replace the Affordable Care Act. But over the past year, Cassidy has positioned himself as something of a health care moderate, trying to push forward his own plan which allowed states to choose whether to keep Obamacare. He's also been one of the loudest Republican voices advocating for a health care bill that still covers people with pre-existing conditions. He coined the "Jimmy Kimmel test," after appearing on the late-night show to advocate for a plan that would cover children like the host's son who was born with a congenital heart defect.

Demonstrators on Wednesday said Cassidy's history of working with the uninsured at the now-defunct Earl K. Long would give him the empathy needed to reject the Senate bill. Many held signs reminding Cassidy of his Hippocratic oath to "First, do no harm."

"Please do not cut Medicaid," said Yavonka Archaga, executive director of Resources for Independent Living, which provides at-home care to Medicaid recipients with disabilities. "As a doctor, you know what individuals coming through the public system need, what services they need and what care they need."

Archaga said health care groups like hers had supported Cassidy in his Senate race because they trusted he'd stand up for them.

"We trust and believe he will make the right decision for Louisiana and I hope he's able to persuade the other Louisiana congressional leaders to protect citizens as it pertains to Medicaid and health care," she said. "We would be grossly disappointed if we find out otherwise."

Neither Cassidy nor Louisiana's other Republican Senator John Kennedy have expressed whether they intend to support the bill. But Cassidy has indicated more public skepticism than Kennedy.

On Wednesday morning in an interview with CNN, Cassidy said he still hadn't made up his mind on the bill, but struck a critical tone. He said the bill has to ensure that private insurance is affordable to those who may be pushed off of Medicaid. Cassidy also said he agreed with fellow moderate Republican Sen. Susan Collins, of Maine, when she said the bill needs more than just "tinkering" to make it workable.

"Tinkering will not do it," he told CNN. "President Trump has said the House bill should have more money added to it. Instead, the Senate took $200 billion more dollars away. That's $200 billion less you have for coverage."

But after the demonstration at his Baton Rouge office, Cassidy's office issued a statement that offered no additional clarity about his position.

"Senator Cassidy appreciates hearing from his constituents on healthcare policy," said Shawn Hanscom, his state spokesman. "He believes it's important we replace Obamacare with solutions that fulfill President Trump's campaign promised to lower premiums, maintain coverage and protect those with preexisting conditions without mandates."

Gov. John Bel Edwards, a Democrat, and officials with the Louisiana Department of Health, said the Senate bill in its current posture would mean at least 430,000 people who received coverage under Medicaid expansion would lose coverage. LDH projects that no more than 30,000 of those people would be able to replace that coverage with private insurance.

Other Medicaid recipients would likely see drops in the levels of what health care services would still be covered by Medicaid, as care is rationed, officials said.

New Orleans resident Ashley Volion, 33, has cerebral palsy but is able to live independently because of she received a Medicaid waiver that pays for her to receive services at her home. She said Medicaid also helps pay her medical bills so she can visit with her doctors.

She said she's scared to death about the possibility that her services could be rolled back, preventing her from being able to live on her own

"I pay taxes, I have part-time jobs," she said. "Without these services I couldn't be the individual I am today. Without these services I would die."

Senate leadership moved a vote on the health care bill back to after July 4. In the meantime, the bill is expected to be amended to try to secure more votes. Senate Republicans have a 52-seat majority, so three defections from the GOP would kill the bill.
Tornado, then rebirth: After latest tragedy, a look at N.O. East as slow rebuild rolls on

Tornado, then rebirth: After latest tragedy, a look at New Orleans East as slow rebuild rolls on
The number of passengers passing through Melbourne Airport will double to 70 million a year over the next two decades, according to the airport's boss, who says plans for rail and road infrastructure must be put in place now to handle such growth.

Melbourne Airport chief executive officer Lyell Strambi said the expansion of the Tullamarine Freeway was welcome but could return to gridlock in as few as 10 years.

Passenger numbers will hit 70 million a year by 2037, Melbourne Airport says. Credit:Paul Rovere

"That's exactly why we're out there saying we need the next solution  we really do need the government to be delivering on the rail project," he said.

"Given that's got a 10-year lead time, now is the right time to start."
Individuals and small business taxpayers are still encountering ATO officials who take an "unnecessary, belligerent stance" when it comes to resolving disputes, one of Australia's largest accounting bodies, Chartered Accountants says.

The complaints come as the ATO is also now delegating to team leaders to cut deals with taxpayers  and settle on lower amounts of cash than they initially issued tax bills for  where the settled amount is under $1 million, or $10 million in some cases.

The ATO has previously faced criticism that, while it is cutting deals worth billions of dollars with the top end of town, it takes a hardline stance against smaller players, who have fewer resources and knowledge to defend themselves.

The Australian National Audit Office is conducting a performance audit of the ATO's approach to settlements.
Before she defected from the DLP to join Cory Bernardi's Australian Conservatives this week, Rachel Carling-Jenkins was better known at state parliament for a few other things.

The first was her attempt to wind back Victoria's abortion laws, which failed last year after her private members' bill was resoundingly defeated in the upper house.

The second was her opposition to Daniel Andrews' progressive agenda, on everything from same-sex adoption and Safe Schools, to assisted dying or access zones around abortion clinics.

And the third was her place in history as the first female member of the Democratic Labour Party to hold a spot in parliament. This in itself took almost six decades for the DLP to achieve  and only two-and-half years to come unstuck.
When Jeff Kennett founded beyondblue 17 years ago he did so with a vision that it would become an agent of mass social reform around mental health. What he has achieved is remarkable, with beyondblue now Australia's leading mental health organisation. I am deeply proud to succeed Jeff in the role of chair.

In many ways, I feel that in doing so my life has come full circle. My father was a psychiatric nurse. He worked with compassion and empathy with those living at Glenside hospital, and he never shied away from talking honestly to my sister Alison and me about the work he did. At least in our family, the crippling stigma that still too often surrounds mental health did not exist. In taking up this position, I am honouring the work of my father, and in my own way, continuing it too.

As chair, I intend to work closely with our excellent team at beyondblue to build on Jeff's fierce bipartisan advocacy and prevention work on depression, anxiety and especially suicide.

In building good mental health, one factor we cannot ignore is the importance of building resilience. As a former prime minister of our great nation  and one whose experience as the first woman held its own unique challenges  I understand deeply the importance of building resilience. I have always believed that resilience is like a muscle  the more you use it, the stronger it grows.
Almost two decades separate the age people die in some of Sydney's most disadvantaged and most privileged areas, the latest Social Health Atlas shows.

People living in the low socioeconomic areas were significantly more likely to die avoidable deaths than their neighbours in more affluent postcodes, according to the data mapping a range of demographics and health indicators across local areas.

In the United States, a stronger flu vaccine for the elderly has been used since 2009. Credit:Nicolas Walker

Sydneysiders in the Primary Health Area (PHA) of Mount Druitt-north west died on average 19 years earlier than those living in Cherrybrook and West Pennant Hills (68 versus 87 years old), the 2010-2014 median age at death data showed.

The national Social Health Atlas compiled by researchers at the Public Health Information Development Unit at Torrens University Australia confirms stark health inequity over relatively small geographical areas. Sydney  one of the most affluent cities in the country  was no exception.
Birthday celebrations have turned violent after a brawl broke out in western Sydney.

Police were called to a house on Merrylands Road, Merrylands at about 10:30pm on Saturday following reports of a fight between a dozen men.

It's understood derogatory comments may have sparked the out of control brawl which started inside the property before spilling onto the streets.

When police arrived, they found the men fighting. A 22-year-old and 41-year-old man were knocked unconscious and treated by paramedics at the scene before being taken to Westmead Hospital.
It's considered the centre of Italian culture in Melbourne but, surprisingly, Carlton is home to just 254 Italian-born residents.

If you want to meet an Italian-born person, you're better off venturing to Reservoir, which has 3311 Italian-born people, according to the latest census figures.

The influence of the early wave of Italian migration to Melbourne is omnipresent, from institutions such as Pellegrini's to the number of Italian-language schools.
Melbourne take a bow. We're not only on track to overtake Sydney as the biggest Australian city, we now match it for clogged streets.

And despite billions of dollars to be spent building a new toll road in Melbourne's west, traffic problems are worse in the city's north-east.

Ground-breaking new research by the Grattan Institute has debunked some big Melbourne transport myths, including that Sydney's traffic is worse than ours, and that our worst congestion is in the sprawling western suburbs.

The research findings come just days after new census data revealed Victoria grew by 146,600 or 2.4 per cent in 2016, a much higher rate than the Andrews government had planned for, and amid calls from experts for a transformative extension of the public transport network.
Police are seeking public help to find a 10-month-old boy who has been missing since Wednesday.

Police have concerns for the welfare of Haze Knowles, who was last seen at a house in Argyll Circuit, Melton West, on June 28.

He is believed to be with his mother, Rebecca Pearson.

Senior Constable Adam West said Ms Pearson has been known to spend time in the suburbs of Caroline Springs, Melton and Mount Cottrell.

Anyone with information about Haze or Ms Pearson is urged to call Melton police station on 9747 7999.
Geoffrey Rush, David Wenham and Gina Riley joined a line-up of some of Australia's biggest names in television to pay a final tribute to renowned satirist John Clarke on Sunday.

About 2000 people, among them family, friends and fans of the New Zealand-born comedic legend, known for being one-half of the ABC's long-running satire Clarke & Dawe, packed out the Melbourne Town Hall to farewell the late Clarke in the most fitting fashion possible; with funny people reading aloud things they find funny.

Geoffrey Rush spoke at the memorial for John Clarke at Melbourne Town Hall. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Humorists Read Humorists, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival's longest running event, was Clarke's idea some 30 years ago.

"This is a very dad idea, no bells and whistles, no centralised power structure, very democratic, and all about a mutual affection for the written word," daughter Lorin Clarke said.
Steven O'Neil is the Managing Director of Iscah Migration, a Perth-based company specialising in Australian visas, and formerly worked as a case officer for the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP).

WA's new Premier Mark McGowan is putting a wrecking ball right through our education industry and making it very clear that international students are not welcome in the state.

Many international students choose to study in Australia. Credit:Louie Douvis

Official DIBP figures through to March 2017 show that WA is already 12% down on new student visa grants from 2015/16 numbers, whilst the rest of Australia has actually increased nationally by 3%.

The international student market is worth 10,000 West Australian fulltime jobs and over $2 billion to our economy annually.
London: British Prime Minister Theresa May's government has rejected demands that she appoint commissioners to run the local council blamed for mishandling the response to the London high-rise fire.

The rejection comes as the crisis deepens over who should be held accountable for the 80 deaths in the blaze.

London mayor Sadiq Khan had asked May to take the unusual step because he said the elected council for the borough of Kensington and Chelsea has "lost the trust of local residents".

But installing commissioners there would place the fire tower crisis even closer to May and her Conservative Party, as it emerged that a building chief whose company produced the insulation panels that "failed all safety tests" on the building is an adviser to the government.
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Windy with showers and thunderstorms likely. High near 50F. Winds NNW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 90%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

A few clouds. Low around 35F. Winds N at 15 to 25 mph.
Kabul: Leaders of Afghanistan's three major ethnic-minority political parties, all of whom hold senior positions in the government, announced from Turkey on Saturday that they have formed a coalition to save Afghanistan from chaos, issuing a list of demands for reforms by Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and vowing to hold mass protests unless they are met.

The stunning development followed weeks of gathering political turmoil and public unrest after a terrorist bombing in the capital on May 31. It brought together a group of powerful ex-militia leaders, once rivals in a civil war, in an extraordinary alliance that could present Ghani and his shaky government with its most serious challenge since taking office in 2014.

The group's statement was issued from Ankara, where Abdulrashid Dostum, an ethnic Uzbek strongman who is still technically first vice-president, moved recently on grounds of ill health despite being under investigation in Kabul for sexual assault against an elderly political rival. Dostum's aides circulated the statement on social media.

The other leaders - Mohammed Atta Noor, an ethnic Tajik and provincial governor; Mohammed Mohaqeq, an ethnic Hazara leader and deputy to the government's chief executive; and Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, a member of Noor's Jamaat-e-Islami party - have been visiting Dostum in the past week for a family wedding in the lavish home where he has often lived in periods of exile.
Washington: The Trump administration is debating whether to launch a government-wide effort to question the science of climate change, an effort that critics say is an attempt to undermine the long-established consensus that human activity is fuelling the Earth's rising temperatures.

The move, driven by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt, has sparked a debate among top Trump administration officials over whether to pursue such a strategy.

A senior White House official, who asked for anonymity because no final decision has been made, said that while Pruitt has expressed interest in the idea, "there are no formal plans within the administration to do anything about it at this time".

Pruitt first publicly raised the idea of setting up a "red team-blue team" effort to conduct exercises to test the idea that human activity is the main driver of recent climate change in an interview with Breitbart in early June.
Mitsubishi Motors Delivers Outlander PHEV and i-MiEV to Department of Environment and Natural Resources in the Philippines













TOKYO, Jun, 29 2017 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) announced today that it has delivered five Outlander PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) and five i-MiEV electric vehicles to the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), along with four electric vehicle quick charger units.



Representatives from the Philippine government and guests attended the delivery ceremony held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. The vehicles will be utilized by the DENR and other government agencies for business use.



The deliveries form part of the Memorandum of Understanding signed in February between MMC and DENR regarding a joint study into environmental load reduction using electric technologies used in two of MMC's environment-friendly models, the Outlander PHEV and i-MiEV.



MMC plans on reaching out to institutions including government administrations, universities, and electric companies to join the project, which aims to reduce CO2 emissions and traffic congestion in the Philippines.



Osamu Masuko, CEO of MMC, said: "The delivery of these vehicles and charger units is a vote of confidence in the electric technologies of Mitsubishi Motors. We are pleased to be playing our part in helping reducing emissions in partnership with the DENR in the Philippines."



The presentation ceremony coincided with the first ASEAN Electric & Hybrid Vehicles Summit (hosted by BOI(1), CAMPI(2), eVAP(3), and MERALCO(4)), a two-day event held from June 29th to June 30th. The inaugural summit theme is "Strengthening Partnerships for Greener Transport in ASEAN and Beyond."



Mitsubishi Motors Philippines Corporation (MMPC)(5), MMC's sole manufacturer and distributor in the country, is participating in the event as a member of CAMPI and is exhibiting Outlander PHEV and i-MiEV.



(1) Philippine Board of Investments

(2) Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines, Inc.

(3) Electric Vehicle Association of the Philippines

(4) Manila Electric Company

(5) Outline of MMPC

Established: Feb. 1963

Headquarters / Plant: Santa Rosa, Laguna Province (45km southeast of Manila)

Capital: 1.64 billion PHP

Scope of operations: Production and sales of MMC vehicles

Representative: Yoshiaki Kato, President and CEO

Stockholders: MMC 51%, Sojitz Corporation 49%

Annual production capacity: 50,000 units

Site area: 21.4 hectares

Number of employees: Approx. 1,500 employees (as of May 2017)







About Mitsubishi Motors
Kingsbarns releases 2 YO Spirit Drink

Kingsbarns Distillery has revealed its 2 Years Old Spirit Drink, bottled and available to purchase exclusively from the distillery.

Kingsbarns 2 Years Old Spirit Drink is the first release from Kingsbarns to be matured in oak casks. The release, available in a 200ml bottling is a combination of two casks that have matured single malt spirit, for over two years, in first fill ex-bourbon barrels. It has been bottled non chill-filtered and at the natural cask strength of 62.8% ABV.

Having previously released in August 2015 Kingsbarns Spirit Drink in a 200ml bottle at the filling strength of 63.5% the aim remains to bottle the very first Kingsbarns single malt Scotch whisky as a Founders Reserve exclusively for the Founders Club in 2018. Kingsbarns Founders Club membership is still available and can be bought at the visitor centre or online at www.kingsbarnsdistillery.com

Distillery manager Peter Holroyd gave his first impressions of the new bottling at a Kingsbarns Founders Club members tour and tasting on Friday June 23: We are delighted to announce the limited release of our 2yr old spirit which can be purchased exclusively here at the distillery. It has a sweet, floral nose and on the palate I get ginger biscuits with a slightly dry finish. Its very exciting to see how our spirit is progressing so far, and with only one more year to go until we can call what we produce Scotch whisky, the team here at Kingsbarns are all looking forward to releasing our first malt in 2018

William Wemyss on behalf of the family stated: When establishing Kingsbarns distillery great effort was dedicated to acquiring the finest casks for maturing our precious spirit and it is fantastic to see how in just two years, the spirit had developed and transformed. Expectation and demand for this exclusive one off bottling will be intense given the continuing popularity of the Kingsbarns new make spirit and the whisky enthusiast's ever thirsty curiosity regarding the progress of this new Lowland malt.

The release is limited to just 1,800 200ml bottles and is available for purchase, one bottle per person, exclusively at the Kingsbarns visitor centre although telephone order will be available to Founders Club members in the UK and Europe.

2 July 2017 - Sam Coyne The Drinks Report, news editor
Love old or unusual movies but never know when they're on? Here are several I recommend:

Blackmail (1929): This delicious little movie was Alfred's Hitchcock's first talking picture. In fact, it was begun as a silent, and then retooled for sound as production went along. It's a taut story of a young woman (Anny Ondra) who has an unfortunate run-in with an overly eager man she's two-timing her Scotland Yard boyfriend with. Will she be caught? Hitchcock uses sound in inventive ways in this curious cameo of a movie.

Turner Classic Movies, 4 a.m. Thursday

Murder! (1930): Hitchcock's third talkie is a murder/mystery/courtroom drama set in the world of the theater. A young actress (Nora Baring) is convicted of murdering a rival, but juror Sir John Menier (Herbert Marshall), bullied into voting "guilty," has his doubts. He sets out to find the real culprit. Have a little patience watching this one as it's a very early talkie, but it's worth it. You can see the beginnings of the greatness that was to follow for Hitchcock.

Turner Classic Movies, 5:45 a.m. Thursday

The Sweetest Thing (2002): Even though I'm not the biggest Cameron Diaz fan in the world, I thought this movie was a bit underrated. Three girlfriends -- played by Diaz, Christina Applegate and Selma Blair -- are attempting to enjoy single urban life until Diaz meets someone who might be the man of her dreams (Thomas Jane), thereby ruining everything. The movie is surprisingly smart and funny -- and Applegate in particular shows a real comic flair.

Now streaming on HBO GO.

Mr. Mom (1983): I've never been that big of a Michael Keaton fan. However, I really like him in this mild, sweet, romantic fish-out-of-water comedy. Keaton plays a married father whose wife (the inimitable Teri Garr) goes back to the workforce after he gets unexpectedly laid off. It sounds terribly corny -- typical Dad has no clue how to be the primary caregiver -- but Keaton and director Stan Dragoti somehow make it work. It doesn't hurt that it was written by the legendary John Hughes.

Now available on Amazon Prime.

Trivia Question #692: Do you remember the name of the other backstage murder mystery film Hitchcock made 20 years after making Murder!

Answer to Trivia Question #690: Billy Crudup co-starred in the 2015 Best Picture Winner Spotlight. (Amy Ryan comes close, having co-starred in the 2014 winner, Birdman, or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance.))

Bryan native Ray Ivey is a writer and movie fan in Hollywood, Calif. He would love to hear from you at rayivey@ca.rr.com. You can also visit his blog at www.starkravingray.com.
On Tuesday, the skies across the Brazos Valley will light up as revelers celebrate Independence Day, and many already are getting a fireworks stash together in preparation.

Business at local fireworks stands was picking up Saturday, and those working the fireworks booths said Brazos Valley residents were going big, with large variety packs among the top sellers.

Chris and Adrian Gill of Bryan run a local branch of Mr. W.'s fireworks stands located off of westbound Raymond Stotzer Parkway near Easterwood Airport. The couple spent Saturday helping Brazos Valley residents make the perfect selection. For families with small children who are frightened of loud noises, Chris Gill suggested poppers and hand-held sparklers, as well as "fountain" fireworks that spray colorful sparks from a container on the ground as opposed to shooting up in the air and exploding.

This season the biggest seller at Mr. W. has been a box set called "The Final Showing," a menagerie of dozens of different kinds of fireworks packaged together.

"Basically, this set has 220 shots that go up in the air with just one light," Chris Gill said. "It's about two minutes of fireworks. You have palm tree [shapes], big bangs, big booms. This one costs $115."

Other options included fireworks with military themes or themes catering to children, such as princess fireworks and Pokemon fireworks. This year, popular with families with children has been a type of sparkler shaped like a sword, which a child can hold in his or her hand, Gill said.

By Saturday afternoon, Gill estimated the stand had seen more than 60 people stop by and shop. The few days leading up to Independence Day will be some of the busiest for the Gills, though the stand has been open since June 24.

Just like firework stand employees, Chief Jason Ware of Brazos County Volunteer Fire Department Precinct 3 likely is going to be busy Tuesday night. It is illegal to shoot fireworks within city limits, so many people take to county land to have their night of patriotic fun. This year, there is no fireworks ban for July 4 in Brazos County, though Ware urged those celebrating to still exercise care.

"As dry as it's been here lately, we're definitely anticipating problems, or at least my department is," Ware said.

Extra county firefighters will be on duty to attend to any potential fires Tuesday.

"Don't shoot off in the middle of a hay pasture if you can," Ware said. "And if you're going to do it on someone's land, make sure you have that person's permission to be on that property."

Fireworks can start grass fires and house fires and can seriously injure people if fired in their direction or if not launched properly. Ware suggested shooting off in a field with short grass and having several buckets of water handy. Ware also said people should stay away from major roads and any area with homes or other buildings.

Firework sellers also want their customers to be safe. Chris Gill said that when talking to his customers about safety, he always urges buyers to pay attention to age recommendations on packaging and not let children play with larger fireworks intended to be used by adults. He also said customers should avoid lighting fireworks near areas with long, dry grass.

Pat Hoerr, a Texas A&M student, has been running his friend's Big Tex fireworks stand in south Brazos County off of Texas 6 while his friend is out of town. Hoerr said he stresses to customers that fireworks need to stay away from residences.

"I tell them most often that they can't shoot those in the city," he said. "We don't want people to go around saying that they heard the people at Big Tex say they can shoot these at their houses."

Hoerr said although the stand has had all kinds of customers, there's one major demographic picking up artillery shells, kegs and variety packs -- dads.

"The most attractive items are these big packages," Hoerr said. "We have a lot of people come, like dads with their kids, and get a lot of different stuff."

Hoerr said Big Tex will remain open through midnight Tuesday.
State officials have approved plans for a tollway along Texas 249 in Grimes and Montgomery counties but decided this week that the portion northwest of Todd Mission to Navasota won't be tolled.

The Texas Transportation Commission made the unanimous decision after State Rep. Leighton Schubert, whose District 13 includes Grimes and Washington counties, urged commissioners to keep the Texas 249 extension toll-free.

"It is my strong belief that we should only be tolling where it is absolutely financially necessary and viable to do so. The taxpayers of Texas expect us to ease their financial burden, not add to it," Schubert told the commissioners. "I am here to request that you designate the SH-249 extension as a non-toll project."

According to the Texas Department of Transportation, the extension of the highway between Pinehurst and Todd Mission is expected to more efficiently link suburban communities and major roadways, enhance mobility and safety and respond to population growth and development in the area.

The toll-free portion through Grimes County will be four lanes and constructed with intermittent frontage roads, according to TxDOT.

TxDOT has several big road projects ahead for Grimes County. Construction is scheduled on $5.5 million repaving project of F.M. 1696. The project would rehabilitate the existing roadway from F.M. 39 to Texas 90. A $7 million project to rehabilitate Texas 90 from the Madison County line to the south city limits of Bedias is scheduled, as is a $4.6 million project on Texas 105 from two miles east of the Brazos County line to the county line. TxDOT officials are finalizing construction plans on a $9.5 million project to renovate Texas 6 from the Brazos County line to the Waller County line.
A Bryan man and his son were arrested this week after authorities say they injured a 19-year-old man in a fight at a graduation party.

According to the Brazos County Sheriff's Office, a 19-year-old man with his face covered in dried blood came to deputies on June 4 and said the night before he had been leaving a party on Dilly Shaw Tap Road when 19-year-old Garrett Louis Ponzio, ran up behind him and began punching him.

Authorities said the man explained he and his girlfriend were walking toward his truck when Ponzio punched him. He tried to run away, but Garrett Ponzio's father, Randy Joe Ponzio, 42, rushed him and began hitting him in the face. According to the victim, both men pinned him to the ground and hit him repeatedly.

Officials spoke with staff members at CHI St. Joseph Hospital on June 6 and found the man had a broken nose and four broken teeth. The estimated cost to treat the dental injuries is about $6,000.

Authorities arrested the Ponzios on Wednesday. Both are charged with aggravated assault with serious bodily injury, a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison and $10,000 in fines.
According to College Station police, officers were called to the 200 block of Marion Pugh Drive on Saturday afternoon. A man told officers he was trying to sell a gun and was meeting the prospective buyer in a parking lot. The man told police when he parked, he was met by two men. One of the men punched the victim in the face and ran off with the firearm, police said. According to authorities, the gun was discarded and recovered by police.
A new study co-written by a Texas A&M University associate professor suggests black girls are more harshly disciplined than their white peers because adults see them as more grown up, independent and culpable for their actions, and less in need of nurture and comfort than white girls.

"When adults are interacting with black girls, they may not see them as children," said Jamilia Blake, associate professor of educational psychology at Texas A&M University.

The study, called Girlhood Interrupted: The Erasure of Black Girls' Childhood and written by Blake along with Rebecca Epstein and Thalia Gonzalez, from Georgetown Law, found adults also think black girls are more knowledgeable about adult topics, including sex, than their white peers.

Researchers administered a survey to 325 adults nationwide who had varying levels of education and of different racial and ethnic backgrounds. The study notes researchers did not assess respondents' professions, but 69 percent "held a degree beyond a high school diploma."

Those who participated completed a nine-item questionnaire pertaining to each age bracket being studied. Questions -- which included "How often do black [or white] females take on adult responsibilities?" and "How much do black [or white] females need to be comforted?" -- were answered on a five-point scale.

Respondents saw black girls as more adult-like and less innocent than their white peers. Of the four age brackets examined, the most significant differences in adult perception were for black girls ages 5-9 and 10-14.

The preconceived notions that adults have of black girls could dictate harsher punitive measures for perceived behavioral infractions, Blake said.

"If I'm a child, and I talk back to you, and you have this stereotype that black women are loud or defiant or aggressive, you respond more punitively," Blake said. "You treat them as if you're interacting with an adult, as opposed to a child who makes mistakes."

Blake said this "robs black girls of their childhood," since they are punished by adults who see them as more adults than children, and therefore more responsible for their actions than their white peers.

Blake said the results are a call to action to all those who work in industries that "serve all children, especially children of color."

The study can be thought of as an interdisciplinary report, Blake said; educators, social workers, employees in child protective services and those with jobs in the criminal justice system all could benefit from knowing the study's results.

"Kids move from system to system," Blake said, meaning the same child could interact with criminal justice, school and child protective systems.

Blake said the first step of her results should be an awareness of the bias, which she hopes is implicit, not explicit. She said she also wants to conduct more research to "dig a little deeper," so researchers could develop training to help people identify whether they're experiencing this bias and how to reduce the bias.

"How you address implicit bias, it takes time and training and being cognizant about it," she said.
On this July 4 weekend, we are reminded on the many things that unite us as Americans. We also can't help but think of the men and woman who helped us win and maintain the freedoms we cherish.

As we celebrate this year, we are aware that so many of the "Greatest Generation" who were here only a year ago are gone now. We miss them, and we continue to honor their service, their sacrifices, their lives.

Seventy-five years ago, our nation was involved in a terrible war, a war that threatened our very existence. Enemies to the east and west were determined to take away our freedoms, but they miscalculated the courage, the resolve, the determination of the American people.

Last month was the anniversary of the battle of Midway, a conflict the Japanese hoped would end the war in their favor. But a relative handful of Americans, young and many untested in battle, were determined that would not happen.

It was six months after the devastating surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and less than a month after the battle of the Coral Sea, the first time aircraft carriers faced aircraft carriers and the first time enemy ships never saw each other and never fired directly on each other. Although the Japanese navy then was the strongest in the Pacific, it was unable to win a clear victory. The draw -- a tactical victory for the Japanese, but a strategic victory for the U.S. and its allies -- was costly for both sides. The USS Lexington was so badly damaged it had to be scuttled. The USS Yorktown also was severely damaged and the Japanese were convinced it had sunk.

But the Yorktown didn't sink. It limped back to Pearl Harbor, where repairs crew determined it would take a minimum of three months to repair the significant damage on the carrier. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz from Fredericksburg gave the workers three days to get the Yorktown ready to sail. Three days! Working day and night, the dock workers accomplished their task. America was not a nation of slackers as the Japanese thought.

Naval intelligence had cracked the Japanese secret code and leearned that a major Japanese invasion force was scheduled to attack the tiny twin islands of Midway, between Hawaii and Japan. Nimitz sent the Hornet and the Enterprise -- under the command of Adm. Ray Spruance, a cruiser expert who never had guided an aircraft carrier -- to a point northeast of Midway in order to surprise the Japanese. When Yorktown was repaired, it, too, headed for the area under the command of Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher, who assumed overall command of the American fleet around Midway.

On the morning of June 4, 1942, pilots from the four big carriers of the Japanese fleet attacked Midway, inflecting grave damage but not hurting the resolve of the island defenders. Little did the Japanese know that only a couple hundred miles away, three American carriers lay in wait.

Pilots from the three U.S. carriers took off at dawn and headed west to attack the Japanese. As the approached the enemy, the surprise was over. Faster, more maneuverable Japanese Zero fighters shot down many planes, but the Americans continued, dropping bombs and torpedoes at the carriers -- to no avail as the carriers were untouched.

Time and again, flights of American planes attacked, still with no success and with the loss of many American lives. One pilot off the Hornet, Ens. George H. Gay Jr. originally of Waco fired his torpedo but it missed his target. He crashed into the sea in the midst of the Japanese fleet, hid under his seat cushion and had the best view of the battle. He was rescued 30 hours later, the only one of his squadron to survive. When he died, his ashes were scattered over the site where he took off from the Hornet.

Some American plans flew off course; some ran out of fuel; malfunctioning torpedoes on some of them dropped too early. But on they came. At 10:22 a.m., the attacks on the Japanese carriers were renewed. Within six minutes, the fate of the Japanese navy was sealed as the carriers Akagi, Kaga and Soryu were ablaze, doomed to sink. Hours later, the last carrier, the Hiryu also was sunk by the Americans.

The American forces didn't esscape unscathed. Japanese planes attacked the Yorktown and it weas heavily damaged. Its captain hoped to save the ship, but torpedoes from a Japanese submarine forced salvage efforts to end and the Yorktown slipped three miles to the bottom of the sea.

Unlike the Americans, the Japanese couldn't replace their lost carriers, the planes or the pilots. The war would continue for three more years, but never again would Japan rule to ocean.

Midway was a great, if surprising, victory, an example of the American might and determination that would win that war.

On this July 4, we remember the brave men of Midway and the Yorktown, Hornet and Enterprise who risked all -- many gave all -- to protect the America we love. We remember them, we thank them, we honor them -- and all the hundreds of thousands of American men and women who answered this country's call when our nation, our people and our freedoms were threatened.

We celebrate July 4 because of them.
The GOP's red wave foundered nationally, but it swept away Democrats in Iowa

Republican operatives credit Gov. Kim Reynolds with generating enough enthusiasm to help pull down-ballot candidates across the finish line in Iowa.
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Connecticut is adapting to the harsh reality that pre-existing conditions can still get you dropped by insurance, with Aetna last week revealing plans to move its headquarters from Hartford to New York City after the companys CEO snubbed the governor.

A request for an 11th-hour sit-down by Dannel P. Malloy with Aetnas Mark Bertolini was thwarted by the insurance giant, which two summers ago publicly criticized the states fiscal climate and opened the door to a move. It is the second Fortune 500 company to be poached away by a neighboring state in as many years, following General Electric.

But Bertolini did grant an audience just two weeks ago to Republican gubernatorial hopeful Dave Walker, said the former U.S. comptroller general under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush.

The exit interview adds insult to injury for the administration of Malloy, who is not seeking re-election in 2018 but will cast a long shadow over the governors race and the fight for control of a Legislature that has been trending Republican.

Walker, a Bridgeport resident who ran for lieutenant governor in 2014, said he similarly met with GE CEO Jeff Immelt before the conglomerate decamped for Boston.

They told the governor and the leaders in Hartford years ago that if they didnt start treating the structural problems that are facing our state that it was only a matter of time until they left, Walker said, calling it a failure of leadership.

Malloys defenders say the governor offered to match the best offer to Aetna in the multistate sweepstakes for the companys headquarters, which will move to the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. They underscored that Aetna will keep 6,000 jobs in Connecticut.

But skepticism abounds about whether that damage control will assuage voters concerns about the direction of the state  and whether fellow Democrats will pay a price in the midterm elections for the loss of GE and now Aetna.

Its not good for Democrats, no matter who the candidate is, said Ronald Schurin, an associate professor of political science at the University of Connecticut. You can talk all you want to about the actual number of jobs in Connecticut  the visual is terrible, coupled with GE.

Over a dozen Republicans and Democrats are jockeying to be the next governor, who will grapple with billion-dollar budget deficits, the widest wealth gap in the nation between cities and suburbs, and state employee pension insolvency  not to mention a capital city in Hartford thats on the brink, financially.

Sales pitching

The next governor must be a promoter, a role not lost on a host of mayors who have formed exploratory committees for the states highest office.

The group includes Danbury Republican Mark Boughton and Democrats Joe Ganim, of Bridgeport, and Dan Drew, of Middletown, and Shelton Republican Mark Lauretti.

Were not losing companies to North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida, Boughton said. Were losing companies to Boston and New York City. Thats all you have to know about where our problem lies.

Boughton said it is no longer enough to make counteroffers, and that Connecticut has lost its competitiveness from the 1980s, when Danbury lured Union Carbide away from New York City. That was before the state income tax, which Boughton has proposed repealing.

Were not gonna have Broadway, he said of New Yorks cultural advantage. We have to be a cheaper place to do business.

Despite the economic woes of many cities in the state, Boughton said, Danbury has bucked that trend, with the financial website WalletHub rating the Hat City this spring as the best city in the state in which to open a business.

The rest of the state is withering on the vine because of the policies that have been put in by this administration, Boughton said.

Democrats avoided railing on Malloy to try to separate themselves from the governor.

The furthest thing Im doing is criticizing, Ganim said.

The mayor of the states largest city touted his efforts during his first stint in office to keep Chase Bank and Remington in Bridgeport.

As a potential candidate, he said, I want to think Ill be proactive in looking at what are some of the challenges that these companies are facing and what are the triggers for these decisions.

Ganim did take a swipe at Republicans, not by name, who recently participated in an economic roundtable with Florida Gov. Rick Scott. During the event in Norwalk, which fellow Bridgeport resident Walker attended, the Republican Scott pitched business leaders on moving to the Sunshine State.

I just take that as an affront, Ganim said. Anybody thats putting a shoulder next to someone whos trying to take jobs away from Connecticut, from our cities, yeah, I have a problem with that. If youre so interested in what happens in Florida, go move down there and run for governor.

Walker has said its ignorant not to listen to Connecticuts competition, and he and other Republicans were not abetting Scotts poaching of businesses.

Sagging morale

Middletowns mayor, Drew, said New York and Massachusetts are winning the competition for business because of the labor climate.

Until Connecticut starts investing in its people, we wont be competitive in the same regard, Drew said. We dont have proper collective bargaining protection. Our minimum wage is too low. I think its very clear that austerity budgeting and austerity governing dont work.

In Middletown, he said, his administration has invested in education, infrastructure, a downtown revitalization and small business development.

Middletown has got a mini-boom of tech companies going on right now, Drew said.

Lauretti, who is Fairfield Countys longest serving top municipal office holder, said Shelton is thriving.

I run a city that attracts businesses unlike most of Connecticut, he said.

State Comptroller Kevin Lembo, another Democrat who is raising money for a prospective run for governor, didnt sugarcoat the loss of Aetna.

This departure is devastating, not just because of the job loss, but because of the morale hit on people, Lembo said.

Lembo said the state needs to focus on the overall business environment rather than one-offs to keep companies like Aetna from straying. The states chief fiscal guardian, Lembo said he didnt meet with the insurance company because it was not his place.

Theyre the ones that have to form the relationship and figure out whats going on, he said of Malloy and Bertolini.

Trumbull First Selectman Tim Herbst, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, said New York and Massachusetts dont have the same deficits or unfunded pension liabilities as Connecticut.

They cant even adopt a budget, Herbst said the governor and legislators. If they were doing a good job, companies wouldnt be leaving.
The Central District Health Department strives to improve the health of people in Central Nebraska. The Platte River Cosmopolitan club strives to assist people who suffer the many debilitating effects of diabetes. The club hopes to some day find a cure for diabetes.

We would like to extend a special thank you to Terry Anderson and the board at the Central District Health Department for allowing us to locate our fireworks stand in their parking lot at 1137 S. Locust, across the street from Texas T-Bone.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, July 2, 2017 08:28 1958 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a762974 2 Business 7-Eleven,crisis,closure Free

Japan's Seven & i Holdings Co., Ltd., the ultimate parent of the global 7-Eleven convenience store chain, plans to seek another partner to restart business in Indonesia, following the recent collapse of its local operations in Southeast Asias most populated country.

The company said it would "search for someone to take on the franchise and hope to restart business soon."

"Indonesia is an important country for us. This is not the end of 7-Eleven's business," a spokesman said on Friday as quoted by Reuters.

He added that the closure had "almost no impact" on its financial results.

(Read also: 7-Eleven loses steam due to alcohol ban, tight margin: Business group)

Eight years after the chain's first Jakarta store opened, PT Modern Internasional, the owner of the 7-Eleven master franchise in Indonesia, is closing all its domestic outlets, which totaled 161 at the end of 2016.

The company cited "limited resources" as a reason for the closings.

In its 2016 annual report, the publicly listed Modern Internasional said it had invested in several fundamental infrastructure projects to support the operations of its 7-Eleven stores, namely a central kitchen and a central warehouse that would be able to support up to 500 outlets.

However, by then the damage was already done by various business restrictions from different regulations. The profitability of Modern Internasional slumped from 2013 onward. In 2013, it posted net profits of Rp 49.2 billion (US$3.68 million), but the figure fell to Rp 40.3 billion in the following year.

The firm then ended in the red with Rp 58.42 billion and Rp 636.48 billion in net losses in 2015 and 2016, respectively. (hwa)
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Linkedin Francis Chan (The Straits Times/ANN) Jakarta  Sun, July 2, 2017 10:39 1958 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a7661b2 2 National #singapore,#Indonesia,#MurderCase Free

She had fled Singapore by the time her elderly employers were found dead in their Bedok flat.

But despite being a double murder suspect, Indonesian maid Khasanah apparently did not keep a low profile while on the run in Sumatra.

She even shared with a few locals in the small town she was hiding in how she managed to slip out of Singapore without using her passport or arousing suspicion.

"Khasanah told us she hid in the engine room of a ferry bound for Batam," said Mr Hariyanto, 24, who did not know she was a murder suspect when they first met in an Internet cafe there. "She said she had to hold her breath and not cough to prevent herself from being caught."

But the law did catch up with the 41-year-old woman, who is originally from Kebumen, Central Java.

She was arrested last Tuesday night in Tungkal Ilir after the local police raided her room at Hotel Nanber following a tip-off from residents.

Tungkal Ilir is a small, rustic town in West Tanjung Jabung, about a three-hour drive from provincial capital Jambi and more than 300km from Singapore.

Among the items found in her possession were several pieces of jewellery, watches, mobile phones, a laptop computer and cash amounting to no more than $300 in various currencies.

Money and valuables were reported missing from the Bedok Reservoir Road home of Mr Chia Ngim Fong, 79, and his wife, Madam Chin Sek Fah, 78, when their bodies were found on June 21.

Khasanah allegedly left Singapore before the crime was discovered.

At the time of her arrest, Khasanah was in the midst of planning to leave for Java, said Hotel Nanber owner Syartini, who, like some Indonesians, goes by only one name.

Mr Syartini, 54, was shocked when the police showed up just before 11pm on Tuesday and asked to check his guest register. "They were looking for a guest named Khasanah," he said.

He added that the woman apologised to him as she was led away in handcuffs later that night.

According to Mr Syartini, Khasanah turned up at his hotel at 10pm on June 24 by ojek, a motorcycle taxi. She had two bags and asked to rent a room, but as he was shutting down for Hari Raya Puasa the following day, he told her to go elsewhere.

3

Number of days Khasanah stayed in the hotel in Tungkal Ilir. It is a small, rustic town in West Tanjung Jabung, Sumatra, and more than 300km from Singapore.

$300

Value of cash in various currencies found in her possession. Khasanah was also found with several pieces of jewellery, watches, mobile phones and a laptop computer.

"But she begged me, saying her friend had left and she had missed her transport to Java," he said. "If I had known she was a murderer, I would have reported her to the police."

Asked about her demeanour during his encounters with her, Mr Syartini said: "She looked like a tomboy, but there was no sign that she was anxious. She looked calm."

He told The Sunday Times that shortly after she checked in, she went to Fikry Net, a nearby Internet cafe she would frequent over the next three days.

Khasanah had been there the day before, and it was there that she met Mr Hariyanto and his friend, Mr Tommy, also 24.

The two men said Khasanah made friends easily and was generous, readily giving them money to play games or gamble online. "I was given 100,000 rupiah (S$10) just like that," said Mr Tommy.

The two men also said Khasanah seemed to like talking about herself, and even told them how she managed to evade the police and checkpoint authorities in Singapore to get on the ferry to Batam.

Khasanah also did not do anything to conceal her identity.

Mr Luthfi, who owns Fikry Net, and Mr Syartini both said she produced valid identification when asked. But still, there were red flags.

According to the Jambi police, she was overheard talking on the phone at the cafe, saying: "How is their condition? I don't know if they died. I am willing to repent by staying at a pesantren (Islamic boarding school)."

Mr Tommy said Khasanah did mention once about going to a pesantren "to make amends", but she did not say why.

Her phone conversation and the mention of a pesantren raised suspicion because the police had in recent months arrested several pesantren staff and students suspected of being extremists.

Mr Luthfi felt something else amiss. "My regular customers are usually young men or teenage boys who are here to play online games, but she came to read the news on the Internet," he said.

According to Mr Hariyanto, Khasanah was searching specifically for news about a murder in Singapore. "We followed the reports that Khasanah read and saw that the suspect in the case was also named Khasanah. That was when we became suspicious," he told The Sunday Times. And Khasanah, who had been on the run for almost a week, ran out of luck.

Mr Pandit, a senior West Tanjung Jabung police officer, confirmed that the local authorities were alerted by residents.

Mr Luthfi claimed it was one of his customers who had tipped off the police but would not say who.

He also said the police took away the computer from booth No. 13 that Khasanah had used at his cafe. "I suppose they want to check her browsing history," he said.

Khasanah has been handed over to Indonesia's national police in Jakarta, who are working with their counterparts in Singapore to complete the investigation into the double murder, said Mr Pandit.

It remains unclear if the Indonesian authorities will send Khasanah to Singapore to answer any charges over the murder case. This is because the extradition treaty signed between Indonesia and Singapore in 2007 is not yet in force.

The Indonesian police have also said that because Khasanah was arrested in Indonesia, she must be dealt with there instead of the country where the crime took place.

The two countries, however, are party to the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty Among Like-minded Asean Member States. This treaty allows one country to gain access to interrogate suspects detained in the partner country, as well as gather evidence and seize a criminal's assets.

But Mr Pandit said last Friday that Khasanah had confessed to the murder in Bedok after her arrest. "She claims her employers and their family members ill-treated her, so she killed them."
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, July 2, 2017 19:38 1958 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a77138f 1 City Idul-Fitri-2017,WasteManagement,Bekasi Free

Even though many residents of Bekasi, West Java, left the city last week to travel to their hometowns for Idul Fitri, the production of waste in the municipality has increased over the past few days, an official has said.

Bekasi Environment Agency head Jumhana Luthfie said that during the holiday the amount of waste disposed of at the Sumurbatu landfill reached 2,000 tons per day from the usual 1,800 per day as a result of increasing holiday activities.

It was reported that 556,000 out of 2.4 million residents stayed in the city.

The waste produced by people who didnt join the homecoming exodus increased ahead of and after Idul Fitri, he said as quoted by tribunnews.com on Sunday.

He added that residents increased spending during the festivities resulted in the increase of waste, most of which was food scraps and plastic.

He said that to manage the waste, his agency deployed personnel during the holiday to work in shifts. As compensation, we pay them Rp 75,000 (US$5.65) per day, he said. (fac/wit)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, July 2, 2017 10:10 1958 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a765828 2 Business ride-hailing-application,Uber,Go-Jek,Grab,Price-caps Free

The government has announced floor and ceiling prices for car transportation services ordered through ride-hailing applications in a further move to regulate the growing industry.

The Transportation Ministry's director general for land transportation, Pudji Hartanto, said the tariffs, mandated by a recently issued Transportation Ministry decree, were differentiated based on a zoning system.

The first zone covers Sumatra, Java and Bali, while the second zone covers Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and Papua.

The minimum tariff for the first zone is Rp 3,500 per kilometer and the upper limit is Rp 6.000 per km, while for the second zone, the minimum tariff is set at Rp 3,700 and the maximum tariff are Rp. 6,500, said Pudji in a statement received by The Jakarta Post.

(Read also: Ride-hailing apps to soon see curbs to business)

The floor and ceiling prices went into effect on Saturday and would be subject to evaluation every six months, he added.

The ride-hailing industry has sparked concerns among conventional transportation providers, as they accuse major players like Go-Jek, Grab and Uber of practicing predatory pricing by providing heavy subsidies for customers using their services. (mrc/hwa)
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Tokyo  Sun, July 2, 2017 12:36 1958 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a76ad1c 2 World #Japan,Japan,#Shinzo-Abe,Shinzo-Abe,#Tokyo,Tokyo,#politics,politics,#election,election Free

Tokyo goes to the polls Sunday in a local election that could have national consequences as the capital's governor mounts a challenge to the party of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose popularity has slumped.

Former TV anchorwoman Yuriko Koike is hoping her coalition can beat the local arm of Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which holds a majority in the 127-seat Tokyo assembly.

Koike, who was elected as governor in a landslide last year, is rumored to have her eye on Abe's job.

The energetic 64-year-old quit the LDP this month to lead her own party, Tomin First no Kai (Tokyo Residents First), and is hoping to storm the male-dominated chamber after forging an alliance with the local chapter of the Komeito party.

Polls suggest the LDP could lose its leading position to Koike's coalition.

With approval ratings topping 60 percent, Koike has pushed to rein in overspending on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic stadium and venues, pledging to cutting wasteful expenditure under the LDP's watch.

The popular politician has upturned convention by allowing television cameras into what were traditionally closed-door meetings.

A former defense and environment minister, she is also responsible for overseeing a controversial relocation of the world famous Tsukiji fish market.

Tokyo residents, and many others across Japan, have applauded her approach.

"From what I see, the Tokyo assembly [dominated by the LDP] is seriously old fashioned and needs to change," said Tokyo voter Yoshikazu Niwa, 68, who voiced his support for Koike.

A total of 259 candidates are running for seats in the chamber that administers a city that is home to nearly 14 million people.

Polls opened at 7:00 a.m. and are scheduled to close at 8:00 p.m., local time.

While the vote is local, it is an important indicator of national political sentiment and comes as Abe, who was elected prime minister in late 2012, suffers a series of setbacks.

In the last week, his defense minister Tomomi Inada was in hot water over remarks she made at a local LDP rally. She asked for voters' support and said it was a request from her ministry and the Self-Defense Forces (SDF), Japan's military.

The SDF is supposed to be politically neutral, and Inada retracted the remark.

Abe, 62, is also under fire over allegations he showed favoritism to a friend in a business deal.

The claims come a few months after the conservative premier was forced to deny he had connections to the controversial director of a school which had purchased government land at a huge discount  and counted Abe's wife as its honorary principal.

A recent poll by public broadcaster NHK showed Abe's government had a 48 percent support rating, down three percentage points from a month earlier. His disapproval rating rose six percentage points to 36 percent, the survey showed.

All of the LDP's 57 candidates won assembly seats in the last city election in 2013 when Abe was riding high in the polls and pushing a plan to kick start Japan's long-lumbering economy.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, July 2, 2017 09:39 1958 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a763d58 1 Destinations surabaya,East-Java,travel Free

Surabaya, the capital of East Java, is known not only for its Sura and Baya monument but also other attractions with different themes, such as religious, historical and maritime. Moreover, Surabaya is relatively easy to reach from capital city Jakarta, which is one and a half hours away by plane.

Those visiting the city only briefly can consider visiting these five destinations, according to kompas.com:

Haji Muhammad Cheng Hoo Mosque

The Haji Muhammad Cheng Hoo Mosque is influenced by Chinese culture, thus it is mostly yellow, red and green.(shutterstock.com/INDONESIAPIX/File)

Located on Jl. Gading, the Haji Muhammad Cheng Hoo Mosque is known for its unique shape as it was inspired by the Niu Jie Mosque in Beijing. Influenced by Chinese culture, it is mainly yellow, red and green. According to Surabaya Culture and Tourism Board (Disbudpar), the mosque was named after a Muslim Chinese admiral, Zheng, also known as Cheng Ho, who propagated Islam when he traveled to Southeast Asia. Besides learning about tolerance and religious diversity, visitors can also purchase souvenirs and snacks as well as undergo traditional therapy in the mosques compound.

Heroes Monument and 10 November Monument

Considered the symbol of the city, the Heroes Monument (Tugu Pahlawan) is dedicated to soldiers who died in the Battle of Surabaya on Nov. 10, 1945. It is located in the heart of the city. People can marvel at historical objects, namely a car that belonged to national hero Bung Tomo and the 10 November Museum. Visitors can also wander around the old part of town near the monument where they can find the Santa Maria Church, the governor's office and Jembatan Merah (Red Bridge).

Read also: Explore a different side of Indonesia in these museums

House of Sampoerna Museum

The premises of the House of Sampoerna was initially an orphanage. In 1932, it was bought by the founder of Sampoerna, Liem Seeng Tee. Sampoerna is one of the largest cigarette producers in Indonesia. Besides learning about the history of the company, visitors can also watch the process of making hand-rolled Dji Sam Soe cigarettes. The House of Sampoerna is located on Jl. Taman Sampoerna. Those wanting to visit in a group should contact the museum first at (+6231) 3539000.

Submarine Monument

Opened to the public in 1998, the Submarine Monument offers information about maritime matters. Visitors can also watch a movie about the glory of Indonesia's maritime past. (shutterstock.com/saiko3p/File)

Monumen Kapal Selam (Submarine Monument) is the original KRI Pasopati 410 submarine that was utilized during the 1952 liberation of West Irian from the Dutch. It was also used in the past to fight at the enemy line and for surveillance. Opened to the public in 1998, it offers information about maritime matters and visitors can watch a movie about the glory of Indonesia's maritime past. The Submarine Monument is located on Jl. Pemuda beside Plaza Surabaya.

Ampel

The Ampel area is where Javanese and Middle East cultures meet. Visitors may feel a different atmosphere once they enter the area, where they can try Middle Eastern delicacies, such as samosa, nasi jagung (corn rice) and nasi kebuli (spiced rice). (wir/asw)
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Linkedin Nova Safo (Agence France-Presse) Chicago, United States  Sun, July 2, 2017 14:58 1958 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a76d8f9 2 News Donald-Trump,trump,travel-ban,Muslim,US,#travel,#trump,#Muslim Free

American Muslim leaders Friday decried Donald Trump's rhetoric towards their community and predicted the president's travel ban would eventually be proven unlawful, a day after a weakened version of the measure came into force.

A limited version of Trump's travel ban -- temporarily barring refugees and visitors from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen -- took effect on Thursday, after the US Supreme Court allowed it to be enforced pending a full hearing in October.

The Trump administration says the ban is necessary to keep terrorists out of the country, but immigrant advocates charge that it illegally singles out Muslims -- in line with campaign pledges by Trump to bar all Muslims from the country.

Leaders of the Islamic Society of North America, which claims to be the largest Muslim advocacy group on the continent, slammed the ban as they gathered for a weekend convention in Chicago.

"His statements and his rhetoric have caused a great amount of harm to the American Muslim community," said Azhar Azeez, president of the ISNA, which believes the ban will ultimately be proven unconstitutional.

"This country has always been an inclusive nation, a tolerant nation," Azeez said, "and we as Americans have an obligation to make sure we uphold all these things."

Convention attendee Arishaa Khan said even those who are not directly affected by the ban -- because they are not from the six targeted countries -- are nevertheless affected by its broader implications.

"This ban has been tumultuous," the 27-year-old American citizen from Pakistan said, adding that she sees friends and family "posting on Facebook before they go on international flights, asking for lawyers to be on standby."

Read also: US six-country travel ban takes effect with few exceptions for relatives

Several participants said they had been heartened by the show of support by Americans of many religious denominations, with members of Catholic, Lutheran and Jewish faiths set to attend the three-day convention.

They pointed to the protesters who showed up at US airports, along with lawyers offering pro-bono legal help, as the new ban took effect.

"We had a lot of people come to visit in the mosque... to show support. And it was very nice," said Muhammad Abdellatif, who was attending the convention from Houston.

But others pointed to recent incidents of attacks against Muslims as evidence of increased Islamophobia, and accused far-right groups, and the US president himself, of fanning tensions.

"This Ramadan, in particular, was a very difficult one for many in the community," said Asra Ali, a Chicago-area dentist and convention organizer, referring to the Muslim holiday of fasting which ended last Saturday.

In May, a man who had gone on an anti-Muslim rant fatally stabbed two people who came to the defense of two girls on a train in Portland, Oregon.

And earlier this month, Nabra Hassanen, a 17-year-old Virginia girl, was beaten to death after she left late-night prayers at a mosque. A 22-year-old man was charged in that attack, which police said was an act of road-rage not a hate crime, but many Muslims remain convinced she was targeted over her faith.

There was a special prayer planned for Hassanen during the convention.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, July 2, 2017 14:35 1958 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a76cebd 1 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,Barack-Obama,#BarackObama,heritage-building,tolerance Free

Speaking in front of 9,000 people from 55 countries at the 4th Indonesian Diaspora Congress in Jakarta on Saturday, former US president Barack Obama highlighted the issue of tolerance in Indonesia.

He mentioned his recent visit to the temples of Borobudur and Prambanan, noting that the two sites reflected the archipelagos pluralism.

I saw Borobudur Temple, a Buddhist temple in a [predominantly] Muslim country, Prambanan Temple, a Hindu temple that is being preserved in a [predominantly] Muslim country, as well as a traditional shadow puppet play and the Ramayana story. Tolerance should be the spirit of Indonesia, and it is also reflected in church and mosque buildings that are located right next to each other, said Obama.

Read also: Yogyakarta becoming more intolerant: Study

He also talked about his recent visit to Bali and Yogyakarta and called Indonesia a part of myself.

With his visit to Indonesia, the former US president made good on a promise from the past.

I told President Jokowi, the first Asian country that Im going to visit after my presidency is Indonesia; thats because I believe in the future of this country, Obama said. (kes)
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Linkedin Lim Jeong-yeo (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network)  Sun, July 2, 2017 12:30 1958 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97a76a7e8 2 News Airbnb,travel,safety,traveling,travelers,#Airbnb,#traveling,#travel,#safety,Japan,South-Korea Free

A Korean couple traveling in Japan found a hidden camera disguised as a fire detector in a house rented through Airbnb.

The couple, according to a post they uploaded to an online community, said they spotted a green light coming from a fire detector in a corner of the room as they were readying themselves for bed.

Read also: Airbnb gets green light in Japan with home-sharing law's passage

A Korean couple found a suspicious-looking fire detector installed in the corner of the Airbnb house they rented for their Japan trip.(Online community via The Korea Herald/File)

The detector appeared to have a tiny camera lens pointing directly toward the bed.

The couple talked about what would happen if the detector were actually a hidden camera. Things went downhill from there.

A green light came on in the device, with what appeared to be a camera lens pointing toward the bed.(Online community via The Korea Herald/File)

The night became a nightmare after we searched online and found an exact same-looking cameras up for sale on the internet, the Korean man wrote online.

Shocked, they disassembled the fire detector and found a micro-SD memory card inside. The card turned out to have recorded everything that had happened in the room.

The couple disassembled the device and found a micro-SD card with footage of them inside the house after entering the room. The footage was recorded in one-minute intervals.(Online community via The Korea Herald/File)

Fortunately we hadnt done anything that night, but this was an Airbnb house we had previously rented on an earlier trip, the distressed man said.

The couple contacted the South Korean Embassy in Japan for help in reporting the case to police.

People from the embassy came to the police station to offer support. They drove us to different accommodations to stay at for the remainder of the trip, the man wrote.

Read also: Airbnb eyes expansion in Indonesia

The couple searched online and found similar-looking clandestine cameras openly for sale.(Online community via The Korea Herald/File)

A representative from Airbnb told The Korea Herald that Airbnb has a zero-tolerance policy towards privacy infringements and that any relevant cases are dealt with utmost gravity.

The host of the home fitted with the alleged hidden camera was immediately banned from the Airbnb community and maximal support was given to the guests.

Pinhole-sized camera.(Online community via The Korea Herald/File)

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This article appeared on The Korea Herald newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post
Attractive looking women were seated on a little stool at the display windows wearing nothing but a dainty top that just about covered their breasts and lace panties with matching hosiery. As my family and I continued to walk through the small street we often took as a shortcut, I saw one of them wink at my dad. As if nothing had happened, we carried on.

When I was six years old, this street was the strangest thing I had ever seen - but as I grew older I started to realise this was normal in Belgium and several other countries. Their job was, and still is, recognised by the state and thus gives them the same legal rights that an other employee in Belgium would have.

Regardless, some major developed countries, such as the United States and Australia, have limited legality and it is even a criminal offence in Japan, Saudi Arabia and other nations. They fail to recognise that legalising prostitution could actually improve the many negative consequences of sex work and allow sex workers to financially support themselves.

Many of these countries may, however, refuse to decriminalise prostitution as they feel it encourages human trafficking. People should in no way be forced into prostitution, but we must also recognise that the majority of sex workers went into the business voluntarily.

Prostitution is a relatively well-paid business, especially if it has been properly legalised. In Belgium, for example, prostitutes have the right to a minimum wage, a maximum amount of working hours and in some cases, depending on their employer, a pension and health insurance.

Contrary to the common belief that prostitutes got into the business as a result of alcohol or drug abuse, most sex workers are actually in it to survive.

Gillian Abels PhD, This was shown bywhich also looked into the impact of New Zealands decision to decriminalise prostitution, and showed that 73.3% of surveyed prostitutes entered the sex industry to pay for household expenses, compared to only 21.4% who entered the business to support their alcohol and drug use.

Thus, many sex workers depend on this industry, which so many people consider shameful, in order to survive.

especially see that it is a dangerous practice. A report carried out in New York City However, the business is a very unsafe one. Countries that have not decriminalised itsee that it is a dangerous practice., for example, states that 80% of the questioned sex workers reported that during the course of their work they experience violence or threats, such as rape and robbery, by their customers.

70% The fact that prostitution only has limited legality in the US may just enhance the dangers for sex workers. In New Zealand, for instance,of sex workers were more likely to report violence to the police after the country decriminalised prostitution in 2003, thus slowly creating a safer environment for the people in the business.

More than half admitted to being assaulted by the police of the questioned sex workers in New Zealand also felt that the polices attitude changed for the better. This change in attitude may benefit countries like Macedonia, where all questioned prostitutes, according to the Sex Workers Rights Advocacy Network (SWAN).

according to UNAIDS Furthermore, the violence that occurs is also associated with the spreading of HIV and other sexual transmittable diseases (STDs). HIV amongst sex workers is 12 times more common than it is amongst the general population.

This is as a result of many customers refusing to use a condom and when insisted to do so, they may refuse to pay or force the sex worker to do things they may not agree with. There is thus a risk in legalising prostitution as it could increase the spreading of HIV and other STDs even more.

The opposite is true, as UNAIDS's report also found that the police often consider the possession of condoms evidence of prostitution and confiscate them. In Russia, for example, 80% of sex workers admit that the police have taken their condoms. Even in the US, almost half of the surveyed prostitutes revealed that this was happening.

Decriminalising prostitution, as previously said, changes the attitude of the police for the better and they will be less likely to take away condoms, thus protecting sex workers and their customers of getting an STD.

use of a condom by law Legalising prostitution also improves access to health services for sex workers. In Germany and Greece prostitutes work under a regular employee contract and, as they pay taxes, have access to more financial support and health insurance. Germany, like several other countries, even enforces the

The decline of violence against sex workers, the improved working conditions of prostitutes, and the change in the attitude of the police (all as a result of legalising prostitution) could in ten years time even avert 33-46% of HIV infections, according to UNAIDS.

The violence and spreading of STDs are, on the other hand, not the only reason for criminalising prostitution. Saudi Arabia is one of the countries that prohibits prostitution due to its Sharia based law.

a rape victim got 200 lashes Sharia, which is partly based on the Quran, forbids prostitution or any sex outside of lawful marriage. Its a country where women must be veiled andas well as being sentenced to six months in jail.

British media, BBC Yet theespecially the, have uncovered the shady underground world in Saudi Arabia several times - and whilst people have been punished for engaging in prostitution, it does continue to exist.

No matter if prostitution is legal or illegal, it will continue to prevail. So, instead of trying to fight the inevitable, countries should just learn to accept the business and protect its employees that perhaps need this job to survive.
Andrea Leadsom has called for the Cabinet Office to issue a statement dealing with the concerns that illegal voting practices may have taken place during the General Election in June.

The Leader of the House was responding to concerns raised by Wellingborough Tory MP Peter Bone who said that he had seen numerous boasts posted online by students who claimed to have voted in both their home constituency and at the constituency where their university was based - this practice is highly illegal.

He went as far as to insinuate that Jeremy Corbyn's supporting group Momentum was organising double voting among students.

Mr Bone's statement said: "A number of students are bragging on social media that they voted not only where they live, but where they go to university. That is an abuse, so could we have a statement from the Cabinet Office on that matter next week?"

A similar issue was raised by South Derbyshire Tory MP Heather Wheeler who claimed some students bragged of "voting four times."

Conservative MP for Shipley, Philip Davies who was targeted by a left-wing hate campaign during the recent election also raised the issue. Specifically Mr Davies expressed concerns about the manipulation of postal voting. The current postal voting system allows for votes to be given for each member of the household, but the MP was worried that heads of households were manipulating this system to deny their partners the potential to vote.

He addressed the issue, saying that: "Not only has it helped people vote more than once in elections, but in certain parts of Bradford it has been known to be abused for a considerable time, and I might add that it has effectively deprived many women of the vote in those communities."

Mrs Leadsom responded to the concerns, saying: "We need to investigate that and ensure that parliamentary democracy, for which this country has been famousthis is indeed the mother of all Parliamentsupholds the rights of one person and one vote."
The Republic of Gilead's justification for the many horrors it imposes is one that is so often taken to by dictators - in the barren, famine-ridden world that Margaret Atwood's dystopia presents, the ritualised rape and enslavement of the handmaids is, apparently, for the "greater good". In this week's episode, Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) seizes an opportunity to prove that to the Ambassador for Mexico.In previous episodes, we have very much been following Offred and the horrors that she has had to endure under the regime. This week, quite ironically, her story is somewhat swept aside as Gilead attempts to present itself in the best possible light. The opening scene sees the handmaids washing the blood-stained walls (that previously served as execution memo boards for those who dared to be defiant), as the state's officials prepare for the trade delegation. Though Offred is still very much within the picture, this episode really focuses in on Serena (Yvonne Strahovsky), giving us an insight into her and Fred's life before the regime. While flashbacks to Offred's life have become a little tiresome of late, the glimpse into Serena's memories prove interesting, as they reveal more about her ambiguous character. Previously an author - of feminist literature, no less - Serena is revealed to be one of the catalysts behind the idea of the handmaid regime, although, as 'traditional' attitudes towards women intensify, she becomes shut out of the discussions altogether. The relationship she shares with Fred, both in the past and the present, is interesting, as it becomes clear that they are the joint architects of the horrors surrounding them. Once tender, passionate and empathetic to each other, the couple have grown colder - no doubt inflicted with hints of regret at the miseries that come with "doing God's work." Meanwhile, Offred is called upon as a prime example of Gilead's success and put in the innately difficult position of having to speak to Ambassador Castillo under the Commander's telling glare. It is quite telling that the Mexican Ambassador is a woman, as it re-exemplifies the repression that the women of Gilead are forced under - even the wives sit silently as they watch their husbands appeal to a woman with power.The interrogation, which involved questions of choice and happiness, is uncomfortable to sit through. The long shots on Offred's face - interspersed with the stern, warning glare of the Commander - are almost suffocating, leading us to empathise with Offred's anguish as she is forced to lie outright. A party, held to "commemorate" the handmaid's sacrifice only causes further aggravation.As the handmaids arrive and Aunt Lydia lines them up, Serena comes to inspect them, asking that the "damaged ones" - whose features have been maimed in punishment by the Republic - be removed. In a strange new dynamic, Aunt Lydia shows an eerily tender side, arguing that they should all be "honoured." Serena coldly replies; "you don't put the bruised apples at the top of the crate" - a statement that holds more weight than you might think. A distraught Ofwarren protests before being gently subdued by Lydia. During the party, the republic presents their greatest success; the children of Gilead. A moment of triumph steeped in despair, the juxtaposition of emotion on display is deeply affecting. While the officials laugh and play with the children - who symbolise hope in this sterile world - the handmaids look on sadly, as they see the children who were stolen from them as soon as they were born, possibly for the first time in years. It's a heartbreaking moment that truly epitomises the tragedy of the system. The despair is only interrupted when one of Offred's fellow handmaids deduces what the trade deal really means - though Gilead has plenty of oranges to spare (a resource that Mexico is apparently lacking), the real items of value are the handmaids themselves - the shiny 'apples' that bear fruitful seeds. As it dawns on Offred (and us as viewers) that the Republic is looking to add sex trafficking to their roster of misguided sins, the atmosphere is repugnant to say the least. Following their passionate encounter last week, Offred and Nick share several subtle, yet intimate moments throughout the episode, which culminates in Offred's emotional declaration of her true name, June. Anguished and frustrated by her lack of action, Nick's attempts to comfort her with her slave name become too much. While the Commander is showing himself to be more and more of a megalomaniac (a la the creepy forced kiss scene), we are given a brief moment of male compassion here as Nick quietly says: "It's nice to meet you, June." Later, as Ambassador Castillo is leaving, Offred musters the courage to speak out for the first time. "This is a brutal place. We're prisoners. If we run, they kill us, or worse. [...] They rape me every month, whenever I might be fertile." Elisabeth Moss' performance during this monologue is beautifully, poignantly captured - making Castillo's response all the harder to stomach. Speaking of her "dying country", she quietly rejects Offred's plea - leading the despondent handmaid to shake her head and say with a hollow laugh, "my country's already dead." Just as the episode comes to a close, following this blow, Offred is given a small glimmer of hope as the ambassador's assistant reveals that Luke, her husband who we previously assumed to be dead, is still alive. As the wider plot finds itself picking up again, The Handmaid's Tale resumes its purpose of offering emotionally aggravating, thought-provoking television.
A tiny village in India is being unofficially named after Donald Trump  and its all for a good cause.

A charity that provides toilets to poor Indians is leading an effort to rename a village in Haryana after the US president, saying the gesture is meant to honour relations with the US and draw support for better sanitation in India.

The new name, Trump Sulabh Village, is not official, and so will not appear on maps.

(Tsering Topgyal/AP)

Although the 400 villagers who live there said they had no idea who Trump is, they are delighted that their village elders agreed to the promotional gimmick because it also means they will receive free toilets in each of the villages 60 or so mud-built houses.

None of the funding for the new toilets is coming from Trump or the US.

The charitys founder, Bindeshwar Pathak, admitted that naming the village after Trump was a stunt aimed at drawing more attention  and hopefully funding  for their efforts to improve sanitation across India.

(Tsering Topgyal/AP)

Trump is the president of the leading nation in the world, so thats why I chose him, he said.

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 60% of the countrys 1.3 billion people still defecate in the open, and dysentery kills about half a million children around the world every year.
Hello everyone! Im Superior.

Wait. Before you get the idea that I think Im better than anyone else, thats my name. Im Lake Superior and Im writing today on behalf of all of my brothers and sisters. You already know their names. We are the Great Lakes and you have been studying us and playing in us since elementary school.

My little sister actually offered to write this guest column, but people find her stories somewhat eerie. Ha! See what I did there?

Seriously, we are deeply concerned about the proposed federal budget that excludes funding for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI). This bipartisan, federal program has made great strides in identifying and addressing threats to the Great Lakes.

Dont get us wrong. We have nothing against human activity. In fact, a motor boat with a water-skier in tow, skimming along our surface, feels good  like a gentle back massage. But you have to admit, there was a long period of time in human history when your species did not treat us very well.

Im talking about toxic and industrial waste, oil, mercury, ammonia, and more recently, invasive species in ballast water and micro-plastics dumped into our tributaries. In general, the same water in me and Lake Michigan and all of us is shared with Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, Rouge River, Huron River, Clinton River and many more. As Huron likes to say, We all share the flow of the H2O.

But in recent generations, we have been touched by all of the agencies and organizations with devoted volunteers which have stepped up to help, such as International Wildlife Refuge Alliance, Friends of the Detroit River, Nature Conservancy, Great Lakes Sea Grant, the universities and many more. Federal agencies have been collaborating on priorities to make GLRI as effective as possible. The current major focus areas are cleaning up Great Lakes areas of concern, preventing and controlling invasive species such as Asian Carp, reducing nutrient runoff that contributes to harmful/nuisance algal blooms and restoring habitat to protect native species.

Thanks to the Clean Water Act of 1972 and the diligent work of these organizations and agencies, a spectacular recovery is underway in some of the areas most victimized by industrial pollution. Anyone who has visited the islands in the Detroit River can see that nature is again beginning to thrive and its because you care. Thank you. But we still have a long way to go.

Consider everything we and our associated waterways have provided: literally tons of seafood, swimming, recreational boating, beautiful vistas, access for freighters and cooling breezes (sorry about the lake-effect snow).

So back to that budget.

A proposed budget is not a final budget. Where do our representatives in Washington stand? In May, our friend, Michael Conway, had a brief conversation with Michigan 12th District Congresswoman Debbie Dingell at a fundraising dinner for International Wildlife Refuge Alliance. With a very determined look in her eye, she said she will never stop fighting for the Great Lakes. We know our two U.S. Senators have expressed support for re-establishing the funding. In fact, most (but not all) of Michigans Congressional delegation stand shoulder to shoulder with Congresswoman Dingell, and will strive to restore this funding.

Lets hope they succeed. Wait. Lets not just hope, lets see to it that they succeed. Please contact your member of Congress. Its easy to find their contact information on the internet. Let them know that you expect them to advocate for the restoration of GLRI funding, that the issue is a priority for you and that you will take their action on this matter into account on Election Day.

Thats what I recommend, not because Im Superior, but a Great Lake  part of the largest system of fresh surface water in the world. We are worth protecting and restoring and we believe humans care.

Michael Conway is a longtime Wyandotte resident and avid kayaker.
Watertown landowners will be involved in new Corps flood-control study

After 30 years, a new flood control feasibility study will include the input of landowners and supply a multitude of options other than a dry dam.
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.
On his intrepid trek in the Levant the acclaimed writer William Dalrymple describes his crossing from Syria to Lebanon in 1994, just four years after the end of the civil war. Struck by signs of a glitzy lifestyle already springing up beside bombed-out Beirut skyscrapers he writes, in his compelling travelogue, From the Holy Mountain:

Armageddon I expected; but Armani I did not.

Things have of course moved on, and Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, has been shaking off its war-torn image and attempting to reclaim its pre-war sobriquet as Paris of the Middle East. It offers a mezze of cultural attractions, with museums, restored mosques and churches, a vibrant cafe and restaurant scene, some of the coolest nightclubs in the Middle East. The streets are still manic but there are stylish beach clubs to retire to  and panoramic pools atop glittering hotels.

Is it safe to visit Beirut?

Lebanon currently sees no more than a trickle of western tourists, others discouraged by political turbulence. The UK Foreign Commonwealth Office labels the no-go zones  and these I avoided. Sadly the list includes some of Lebanons premier sites and notably the colossal and remarkably preserved Roman temples of Baalbek.

But the areas I did see were completely relaxed and unthreatening, with an apparent easy ethnic mix. In rebuilt Downtown Beirut you could be in any smart European capital  albeit with some restored Ottoman-era facades. There are glossy shops, sophisticated restaurants and stylishly-dressed Lebanese living life to the full. Go at sunset to the achingly cool rooftop Iris Bar, overlooking the Med, to witness the hedonistic lifestyle enjoyed by the youth of Beirut.

Unmissable landmarks in Beirut

Muhammad Al-Amine Mosque

Beirut my sightseeing starts at the Muhammad Al-Amine Mosque, a city landmark with its dazzling blue dome and lofty minarets. Although Im covered from head to toe Im told to don a huge black-hooded cloak  a stark contrast to the scantily-clad Lebanese ladies shopping in the designer boutiques a stones throw away.

Sursock Museum

I head to Christian East Beirut to see the Sursock Museum in the affluent quarter of Achrafieh. This elegant Italian/Lebanese 1912 mansion reopened in 2015 after a major overhaul and is now a cutting edge 21st-century cultural institution, devoted to modern and contemporary art.

National Museum

Directly to the south, and right on the former Green Line separating East and West Beirut, is the National Museum, home to a superb archaeological collection, much of it heroically saved by staff from destruction during the civil war.

Special places along the coast

Lebanon is such a tiny nation you can base yourself in Beirut, and make excursions to other attractions. Jeita Grotto, 18km northeast of Beirut, is a colossal cavern of stalactities and stalagmites which would thrill even the most jaded speleologist. On the coast at Jounieh the Teleferique (cable car), dubbed the Terrorifique, climbs steeply up to the heights of Harissa. Here a striking white statue of the Virgin of Lebanon commands spectacular coastal views.

The ancient site of Byblos

But the real highlight along the coast is the ancient site of Byblos, a picturesque fishing port, occupied by the Phoenicians and said to be the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world. I climb to the top of the Crusader Castle and explore the ruins of ramparts, temples and a Roman theatre, set amid wild flowers above the sea.

Click on the image to enlarge:

Then its time for the souks, sandy beaches, a sunset drink and a seafood meal on the terrace at Pepes, overlooking the port.

Qadisha Valley

From Byblos I head inland through the scenic Qadisha Valley to the peaceful mountain town of Ehden, where Lebanese come in summer to escape the heat and in winter to ski on the Cedars Mountains slopes. I stay at the swish new Mist Hotel, above the town and built into the rocks.

Soaking up the mountain scenery, in absolute tranquillity, and exploring Ehdens beautiful nature reserve, its impossible to believe that this picturesque resort was the scene of a massacre, with around 40 deaths, between rival Christian factions during the civil war.

A stroll along the Corniche

My final day in Lebanon ends with a stroll along Beiruts seafront Corniche, where locals come to jog, bike, socialize and see the sunset. Following the coastline the Bay Rock Cafe makes the perfect spot for a cocktail or nargileh as the sun sinks behind the iconic 60-metre high Pigeon Rocks, standing offshore like sentinels.

Heading back to my base I pass the lavish 5-star Phoenicia Hotel, a haunt of celebrities in the 1960s. Behind it rises the bullet-ridden Holiday Inn, built in 1974, just one year before it became embroiled in the Battle of the Hotels. Overlooking the city the disfigured facade stands as a monument to the citys war-torn past. But there are plans to renovate or rebuild, perhaps into another glittering development, following Lebanons journey from Armageddon to Armani.

Fact File

Fly: MEA and British Airways fly direct to Beirut from London Heathrow.

Stay: Beirut has no shortage of luxury hotels. The Four Seasons and the Le Gray are both well located and have rooftop pools and panoramic views. More intimate is Villa Clara, a chic boutique hotel in an early 20th century villa with fine works of art and excellent French cuisine. For budget travellers Lebanon has a growing number of hostels.

Getting Around: Hiring a car makes sense if youre touring, as long as you have a good map and your wits about you. In Beirut and main towns take Uber or service (shared) taxis which can be flagged down in the street. The bus system is very complex for the uninitiated, with its lack of timetables and signs in Arabic. Non-Uber taxis are ubiquitous but may rip you off (particularly to and from Beirut airport) so agree a price first.

Eating Out: Life revolves around food and Beirut offers some of the best Levantine food  as well as a thriving cosmopolitan restaurant scene. Eating out doesnt come cheap but there are ubiquitous falafel and shawarma stalls. In restaurants mezze  a huge array of hot and cold dishes  precede the main course but often form a meal in themselves. Typically these will include hummus, tabbouleh, fattoush (salad), mutabal (eggplant and tahini dip) and labneh (a creamy yoghurt-based cheese). For the main course expect mixed grill, chicken and lamb kebabs and kibbeh  morsels of minced lamb and bulgar wheat. Also fish and seafood, particularly on the coast. Dessert is typically fresh fruit or the sweet flaky Baklava, accompanied perhaps by Ahweh, strong thick Arabic coffee, or Arak, the anise-flavoured national drink (equivalent to Ouzo in Greece).

Currency: The basic unit of currency is the Lebanese pound (LBP), also referred to as the Lebanese Lira. US dollars are accepted in most places.

Language: Arabic is the national language, French is widely spoken though among the young English is the preferred second language. Dont expect taxi drivers to speak either.

More Info: The Mnistry of Lebanon

Safety Info: Click here current safety recommendations for British nationals travelling to Lebanon.
An acid attack survivor, who was attacked with acid again in Uttar Pradesh's Aliganj on Saturday, was admitted to the Lucknow Trauma Centre and is in a critical condition, the police said.

"The victim is admitted in the trauma centre and her condition is serious. We have informed her parents about the incident. We have already initiated a probe into it, Abhay Kumar Prasad, additional director general of police, Lucknow, said.

The acid attack victim, whom Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met in the hospital a few months back, again faced the same brutal act in Aliganj.

The chief minister had earlier given a cheque of Rs 1 lakh as compensation to the victim's husband. He also directed the police officials to immediately nab the accused and take strict action against the guilty.

The dalit victim was attacked by the same group of suspects, marking the fourth such attack on her.

She was forced to drink a 'corrosive liquid' by unidentified persons on train while she was returning to Lucknow from her village.

She was gangraped earlier in 2008 and a case was registered in this regard in Unchahar town of Raebareli district. She was first attacked with acid in 2011 followed by other serious attacks again in 2011, twice in 2012 and another in 2013.

This phenomenon not only indicates Uttar Pradesh Police's sincerity, but it is a message that the culprits are becoming more daring in the province.
Outgoing President Pranab Mukherjee, on Sunday, disclosed that there were some divergences in views between him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi but both kept them to themselves and did not let it affect the government's functioning.

"We have acted in close cooperation. Surely, there have been divergences of views. But we have been able to keep those divergences to ourselves. It did not affect the relationship between the president and the prime minister," Mukherjee said on the occasion of the release of a book on his life titled President Pranab MukherjeeA Statesman at Rashtrapati Bhavan.



The book, a pictorial journey of Mukherjee's life as the 13th president, published by Statesman group, was released by Modi, who presented the first copy to the president.

Looking at Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who was seated in the front row, Mukherjee said he would often call Jaitley to enquire about certain issues, and the latter would always convince him like "an able and effective advocate".

"I don't know how many times I have troubled the finance minister (by) calling him and consulting why this and why not this?' But he would convince me like an able and effective advocate and I had to concede to his reasoning. The functioning of the government was never disturbed, never stopped and never delayed," Mukherjee said.

Earlier, the president said he was initially unwilling when the idea of the photo essay was first suggested to him by the publishers. He wondered about the benefit the photo essay would have since the engagements of the President are all in public domain.

However, he said, he was convinced by the publishers that the President's life beyond day-to-day events should be documented for posterity.

Mukherjee's term as president of India ends on July 24.
Braving incessant rain, thousands turned out across Canada to mark its 150th birthday with outdoor concerts, massive fireworks display and a royal visit by Britain's Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, accompanied by Prince Charles, kicked off the celebrations in the capital on Sunday, speaking to large crowds on Parliament Hill, BBC reported.

Canada is a country made strong not in spite of our differences but because of them, Trudeau said in a speech. We don't aspire to be a melting pot. Indeed, we know true strength and resilience flows through Canadian diversity.

The festivities to mark the day included a concert by Canadian artists, a display from aerobatics squadron the Snowbirds, a citizenship ceremony for new Canadians and a massive fireworks display.

Musicians, including Bono and other members of Irish rock band U2 gave performances.

Canadian theatre giants Cirque du Soleil also participated in the celebrations.

Trudeau's speech was delivered in both English and French, a tradition in Canada, which recognises both as its official languages.

We don't care where you're from or what religion you practise, or whom you loveyou are all welcome in Canada, he said.

This is as good a reason as any to reflect on our past, to cheer on today and to recommit ourselves to the future, he said to the 25,000 partygoers, who had waited hours to get past security and on to the Parliament's lawn.

Trudeau gave a shoutout to every province and territory in his speech highlighting diversity, but he forgot to mention Alberta. Alberta was included in his prepared text but didn't make the delivery in front of thousands of spectators in Ottawa.

The Prime Minister later took to Twitter to apologise for his goof-up. Got too excited somewhere over the Rockies. Sorry Alberta, I love you. Happy Canada Day!

He also took a moment to remember Canada's indigenous people, whom he said had been the victims of oppression.

As a society, we must acknowledge past mistakes, he said, telling the audience that there was still much work to be done in order to achieve reconciliation.

Indigenous culture was represented in many ways in the festivities with a number of performances but some indigenous people refused to recognise Canada 150, saying it represented more than a hundred years of colonisation.

A group of indigenous protesters set up a teepee on Parliament Hill. Early on Saturday morning, protesters marched through the streets of Toronto, some holding the Canadian national flag upside down.

Across the Ottawa river in Gatineau, Quebec, crowds also lined up to see Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall Camilla open a new hall at Canada's Museum of History.

Canada Day, held on July 1, marks the merging of four former British colonies into a single new country. The country grew in size in the years that followed and finally achieved complete autonomy from the UK in 1931.
The leaning minaret of Mosul's Grand al-Nuri Mosque survived conquests by the Mongols and the Ottomans, neglect under Saddam Hussein, and air raids during the Iran-Iraq War and the US invasion in 2003.

But after three years of Islamic State rule, it is now little more than a pile of stones at the centre of a shattered city.

By all accounts except their own, the jihadists rigged the mosque and its 850-year-old tower with explosives and blew them up last week as advancing Iraqi forces came within steps of the complex.

A Reuters visit to the site on Friday, a day after Iraq's military recaptured it, confirmed the extent of destruction: the 45-metre (148 ft) al-Hadba minaret had been reduced to a stump while the mint green dome was the only part of the prayer hall still standing.

Fighting raged on a few blocks away. Bullets whizzed past the main gate, which is largely intact, and a mortar fell on an adjacent building.

Below the mosque's dome in July 2014, Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi delivered a Friday sermon presenting himself at the head of a modern-day caliphate spanning swathes of territory which the Al Qaeda offshoot group had just seized in Iraq and neighbouring Syria.

"I am your leader, though I am not the best of you," he said, wearing the black turban and robes denoting a claim to descend from the Prophet Mohammad.

Within months, Islamic State was carrying out and inspiring militant attacks in places as far abreast as Paris, London and California. An international military coalition led by the United States quickly coalesced to confront the group.

Three years on, the inscribed pulpit where he spoke lies in ruins. The mosque grounds are covered in stone and concrete, and a segment of a secondary minaret is one of the only discernable objects in the rubble. The risk of unexploded ordnance or mines prevented a thorough inspection of the site's interior.

Baghdadi's appearance at the Nuri mosque was the first time he revealed himself to the world, and the footage broadcast then is to this day the only video recording of him as "caliph".

He long ago left the fighting in Mosul and Syria's Raqqa to local commanders and is believed to be hiding in the border area between the two countries, according to US and Iraqi military sources. He has frequently been reported killed, including last month by Russia and Iran.

After his speech in 2014, Baghdadi descended from the pulpit to lead his followers in worship, standing in a prayer niche which is now just barely recognizable amid the wreckage.

Crumbling Caliphate

Baghdadi's project, to revive the Islamic caliphate which mostly disappeared with the fall of the Ottoman Empire in the early 20th century, is also crumbling.

The group still rules over an area which by one estimate is equivalent to the size of Belgium. But experts say its territorial losses undermine its legitimacy and attractiveness to potential recruits who once flocked from across the world in the tens of thousands.

The Nuri mosque was named after Nuruddin al-Zanki, a noble who fought the early crusaders from a fiefdom that covered territory in modern-day Turkey, Syria and Iraq. It was built in 1172-73, shortly before his death, and housed an Islamic school.

By the time renowned medieval traveller and scholar Ibn Battuta visited two centuries later, the minaret was leaning. The tilt gave the landmark its popular namethe hunchback.

The mosque's military and religious history embodied the spirit of Mosul, a diverse but predominately Sunni Muslim city which supplied Iraq's armed forces with officers for much of the 20th century.

The Hadba minaret, whose tilt begs comparisons to Italy's Tower of Pisa, was built with seven bands of decorative brickwork in complex geometric patterns also found in Persia and Central Asia.

Only slivers of that design are now visible among the rubble. The eight-month-old US-backed battle for Mosul has also destroyed homes and basic infrastructure across the city and displaced nearly a million residents.

Civilians, mostly women and children, rushed past the demolished mosque as they crossed the frontline towards Iraqi forces. They were thirsty and tired, and some were injured.

Across the street, among the detritus of war, laid the partial remains of an Islamic State fighter dressed in red clothing.
US President Donald Trump will make back-to-back phone calls to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday, the White House has announced.

Trump and the Japanese leader will speak at 8 pm Eastern Time. The US President's call with his Chinese counterpart will come 45 minutes later, according to a White House statement.

No further information was provided on subjects the calls would cover, CNN reported.

On Friday, Trump met South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Washington and speaking alongside Moon at the White House declared that US patience with the North Korean regime "is over".

The remarks were the latest sign that the Trump administration is growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of progress in curbing North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, the report said.

The US President has been seeking more pressure from China to curb the threats from North Korea, which has its biggest trading relationship with Beijing.
Laylat al-Qadr, or the night of destiny, is the most auspicious night in the Islamic calendar. It marks the high point of Ramadan, and most Muslims spend the night praying. Deputy superintendent of police Mohammed Ayub Pandith returned to his house in Nowpura in downtown Srinagar with the same intention on June 22. But he got a call from his office just after dinner and was asked to report for access control duty at Jamia Masjid at Nowhatta, where separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq delivers sermons on Fridays and on Eid.

Pandith went to the mosque in mufti. Some people at the mosque grew suspicious seeing him recording the premises on his mobile phone (a police officer posted in the area said he was just marking his presence at the spot to show his seniors). They started questioning him, which soon became an altercation. Pandith whipped up his service revolver when the mob started attacking him and fired a few shots. Three people were injured, but the crowd pounced on him, stripped him and hit him with bricks and stones. A blow on his head with a pipe left him unconscious. The mob dragged his body out of the mosques compound and dumped it in a drain outside. They left him to die there.

Pandiths ribcage and skull were crushed, said a relative. His relatives and colleagues could not identify him from an image circulated on WhatsApp. Initially, the police even denied reports that a policeman was lynched at Jamia Masjid. They became anxious only after realising that Pandiths mobile phone was switched off. Pandiths family was devastated when they identified his body at the police control room the following day.

The police have arrested five people, including the three who were injured in the firing, for killing Pandith. Twelve others have been identified as part of the mob which attacked Pandith, and the government has formed a special investigation team to probe the case.

The incident has brought to the fore the deepening divide between the police and people of Kashmir. So grave is the situation that a day before Eid, Director General of Police S.P. Vaid advised his men not to attend prayers at local mosques. Earlier, he had advised policemen from south Kashmir not to visit homes for three months.

Lost world: Abdul Raheem Dars son Feroz Ahmed, a station house officer, was killed by militants in an ambush. Ferozs daughter Addah is just five years old | Umer Asif

While Pandiths murder, which many fellow policemen attributed to the circumstance he found himself in, is the first of its kind in Kashmir, there is no denying that the hostility against the police has grown manifold. The first major attack on policemen happened on May 2, when militants killed five constables and two bank guards in Kulgam. On June 17, six policemen led by station house officer Feroz Ahmed Dar, 34, were killed in an ambush by Lashkar-e-Taiba militants at Achabal in Anantnag. The police killed three Lashkar militants, all locals, in retaliation five days later. The bodies of the militants were charred beyond recognition after the house they were hiding in was set ablaze by the police.

Pandiths family, however, is not seeking revenge. There should be a proper investigation into the matter, said Abdullah Pandith, his elder brother and a leading criminal lawyer. After that, it will become clear what exactly happened that night. Abdullah has defended many civilians accused by the police of various crimes.

Pandiths son Danish, 22, is yet to recover from the shock. He sobs every time someone mentions his fathers name. I dont want to talk about it; please talk to my cousin Omar Pandith, he said, when asked about his father.

Omar said the family wanted the place where his uncle was murdered to be named as Shaheed Ayub Pandith Chowk. That will be a tribute to my uncle, a gentleman who never harmed anybody.

Ironically, the Pandiths have had a long association with the Mirwaiz family. Many of our marriages were solemnised by the late Mirwaiz Muhammad Farooq, said a relative. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq sent a delegation to Pandiths house to offer his condolences.

Growing gap: A police officer trying to stop protestors in Srinagar | AFP

While Pandiths tragic death got the attention of the nation, the families of other policemen killed in the line of duty have been left to deal with the tragedy by themselves. I had only one son, said Feroz Ahmed Dars father, Abdul Raheem. Ferozs mother is yet to recover from the shock and she often runs out of the house screaming his name. Ferozs wife, Mubeena Akhtar, and their daughters Addah, 5, and Simrah, 3, live with his parents at Sangam in Anantnag. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh had visited the family and promised help.

The family of Sabzar Ahmed, one of the five constables killed with Feroz, was expecting him home for an iftar when they heard about the ambush. He had got married only a month and a half earlier, said Sabzars father, Farooq Ahmed. He joined the police because he wanted a job to stand on his feet. What else is there to look for employment?

The Jammu and Kashmir Police is among the biggest employers in the state. But, over the years, it has become less attractive. That the increasing vulnerability and societal pressure are taking a toll on policemen is evident from the fact that some 700 of them with 20 years of service have applied for voluntary retirement. According to a report by Kashmir Vision, an English newspaper, those seeking retirement have cited personal reasons and not threats from militants. However, it is known that militants have many times in the recent past barged into policemens houses in south Kashmir and asked the women to persuade their men to quit their jobs.

The frustration of the policemen was evident in their reaction to the departments decision to deduct a days salary for the welfare of the martyrs families. Senior police officers took to WhatsApp to give vent to their anger. Are we fighting for ourselves or the government? Our men give blood, and face bullets and stones. Now we should give money, too, wrote a senior police officer in a WhatsApp group. Another wrote: If anyones salary needs to be deducted, it should be the ministers, the legislators, the judges and all government employees except the police.

At the martyrs graveyard in Ashtengoo in Bandipora, Shahzad Dilawar Sofi, a policeman killed on June 17, and Naseer Ahmed Sheikh, a civilian killed by security forces in Rangreth in Budgam, were buried side by side. The funerals were on the same day. While burying Sofi, they chanted, Shahzad, your blood will bring revolution. While burying Sheikh, they chanted, Naseer, your blood will bring revolution.
Investment fund managers endeavour to enhance our wealth. Some are successful and are richly rewarded. Others are not  but are still paid a fortune despite obliterating the value of our investments.

Indeed, have you ever met a fund manager on his uppers? I havent and I have been trawling the City for nigh on 30 years in search of one.

So it is good to see the City regulator attempt to spread the rewards more fairly with its list of reforms for Britains asset management industry.

Search: Jeff Prestridge has been trawling the City for 30 years looking for a fund manager on his uppers

Measures which in time should make investor costs more transparent (and honest), help drive them down, increase competition and improve investor returns.

A rebalancing of the spoils from successful investment management is long overdue  away from fund managers and platform providers and more in favour of investors.

Admittedly, it is something that has been happening in pockets of the asset management industry as Annabel Brodie-Smith, communications director of the Association of Investment Companies, was keen to point out last week.

In the investment trust (company) world, the likes of JP Morgan and Baillie Gifford have been busy cutting annual trust charges (JP Morgan American being the latest).

This is not because of regulatory pressure but a result of independent boards keen to drive the best deal for shareholders.

We need to see this kind of pro-investor behaviour spread to more investment trusts and beyond to unit trusts and open ended investment companies. The quicker the better.

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Building societies normally encourage customers to vote at their annual general meeting by promising to make a charitable donation for each vote cast.

They do this in the interests of good corporate governance and to reach out to as many members as possible  the owners of the business.

But not Nationwide, the countrys biggest building society by a country mile. This year, it has scrapped its charitable donation scheme which last year raised 205,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support and Shelter.

Pay: Joe Garner earned 3.4 million in the year to April

It has not done this because it has become Scrooge-like on the charitable front. Far from it. In the financial year just gone, it gave 8.5 million to worthy causes. No, the society argues that its near eight million members (who qualify to vote) no longer need encouraging, hence the dropping of the 40p per vote cast for members voting early and the 20p per vote for those who leave it until the last moment. This is a little rich given only 640,000 members  around 8.5 per cent  voted last year. This is down on previous years when the percentage was closer to 12 per cent. My suspicion  yes, no more than a hunch  is that the real reason for the dropping of the donation is that Nationwides great and good are nervous about a backlash over the chief executives remuneration at the annual meeting on July 20 in Birmingham.

Directors pay is one of the key issues members vote on at a building society annual meeting. It is also a subject regularly raised by those who attend, often causing the executives to squirm in their seats.

In the year to April this year, Nationwides Joe Garner received 3.4 million for his efforts, a mind-blowing sum whichever way you analyse it. Especially when you take into account the meagre returns most society members receive on their savings. Already Liberal Democrat MP Vince Cable has weighed in by stating that many businesses are successful without resorting to the extreme levels of remuneration seen at Nationwide.

So, if you are a customer who has just received a voting form, do not be put off by the lack of charitable donation. Instead, have your say.

Three final thoughts  two sensible, one mischievous. First, do not fill in the quick vote, which simply means your vote will be cast in favour of all the resolutions up for consideration.

Second, if Garners remuneration has got under your skin, vote against it.

Finally, for every vote cast against the boardrooms remuneration, I suggest Garner should agree to pay 20p (out of his own pocket) to charity.

Based on last years vote, this would mean a donation of just over 8,000  less than a days pay. Chicken feed as far as Garner is concerned.
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

R.D. writes: Last year I invested with a binary options company called Bull Markets Solutions Limited (BMS), based in Mayfair, London.

In November, with my account in profit and holding almost 11,000, I tried to withdraw my money but nothing was forthcoming. In December I received an email from a separate company, Elite Business Solutions Limited of Stoke-on-Trent, informing me BMS was in liquidation and Elite had been appointed to recover clients funds.

It requested fees of 3,750 and then a further 1,500, which I paid, but recently it requested another 10,500, which I said I could not pay. Elite suggested I borrow the money, which I regard as dangerous.

Taking a chance: R.D. invested with a binary options company called Bull Markets Solutions

You have been cheated twice over. Although Bull Markets Solutions used a London address, I have found addresses and phone numbers in the Birmingham and Coventry areas that seem more genuine  and the company is currently under investigation by West Midlands Police.

But here is a funny thing. Elite told you last December that BMS was in liquidation, yet the High Court hearing that ordered it to be wound up over unpaid debts did not take place until April 10 this year. So, even assuming that anyone in authority would ever appoint Elite to recover investors cash, it was lying to you from the start.

This is not Elites only lie. It claims to be owned by a similarly named American company, founded in 1955, with roots going back to 1925. Rubbish. The Stoke-on-Trent company was registered in 2005 but lay dormant until July last year when it burst into life, looking as though it had been in business for more than a decade.

Its owner gives his name in company records as Ian Lee Carter and says he is a chartered accountant based in England. Yet the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales told me: There is nobody on our database that matches that description.

Elites website offers bank accounts, loans, retirement schemes and asset management  all of which mean it needs a licence from the Financial Conduct Authority, which it does not have. But these are just more lies since Elites website is just a hijacked version of the site for a firm called Wedbush, a member of the New York Stock Exchange.

Despite all these lies, did Elite somehow get access to BMS investors funds? No, of course not. The real liquidator of BMS is Roderick Butcher, of Birmingham firm Butcher Woods. He told me: I only know of Elite because an investor told me they had been contacted by it. He explained that as liquidator, he is legally in control of any BMS assets, not Elite.

I asked Ian Lee Carter how he could possibly have got his hands on BMS funds and how he could claim that BMS was in liquidation four months before this happened. I also challenged him as to why his companys website is a rip-off of an American site and why the professional body for accountants in England has never heard of him.

He offered no comment. But I did find that despite the Stoke address, Elite itself has close links to Coventry  links that suggest a connection to the disgraced BMS. This may explain how Elite got your contact details in the first place.

Perhaps the West Midlands Police investigation should broaden to include Elite, which has lied, cheated and left you thousands of pounds poorer. I hope it does, but the police failed to comment on the case, so do not get your hopes up.

Insurer dropped me a Line but its nonsense

Mrs I. I. writes: I had a car accident in December 2015 and recently received a letter from the other partys insurer, Direct Line, saying legal proceedings would be issued against me and I would be liable for all costs.

I was told my insurer, Axa, had ignored correspondence, but this is nonsense as it assures me it has been in regular contact with Direct Line.

Dispute: Direct Line, whose ads feature Harvey Keitel, has apologised

With your permission, I contacted both Axa and Direct Line. It seems you were waiting to emerge from a side road and the other driver, who was on the main road, flashed to signal you to pull out. According to Direct Line, you did not immediately join the main road so the other driver carried on, at which point you did emerge and there was a collision.

Direct Line asked Axa to accept responsibility, but it declined and it seems the claim is likely to be settled in court. Direct Line has now apologised for the letter.

Axa has told me it has resisted the claim. But it has been in regular contact with Direct Line and still hopes to settle out of court.

It told me: We would like to resolve this for our customer and we will contact them again immediately.

Probate delay cost 8,000 as share price fell

P.C. writes: Along with my brother, I am joint executor of my late mothers will. All proceeded well until we came to disposing of her shares in GallifordTry.

Registrar Equiniti advised that as the shares were registered in Jersey, we would need a certificate of probate from a Jersey court. I was doubtful, as GallifordTry is UK based, but two more advisers at Equiniti confirmed this and one even recommended a law firm.

Obtaining the Jersey probate was difficult and time consuming and cost about 1,000. When the certificate was eventually sent to Equiniti, I was told it needed a UK grant of probate and not one from Jersey after all.

Claims: Equiniti advisers said probate from Jersey was required

It is surprising how many professional businesses, including banks and insurers, have problems in dealing with deceased estates.

When you asked Equiniti why you had been advised wrongly by three different members of its staff that you definitely needed a Jersey probate certificate, the company replied this was a training issue.

This goes beyond mere annoyance and a wasted 1,000 in legal costs. While you were wasting time on the unnecessary Jersey paperwork, the value of the estates GallifordTry shares fell by more than 8,000.

I asked Equiniti bosses to look into this and to give them their due they responded speedily and generously.

They told me: After investigating Mr Cs case, we were able to come to a resolution within 48 hours. Equiniti has agreed to reimburse any loss caused by the delayed trade, refund the cost of obtaining the unnecessary Jersey probate and offered 250 for the inconvenience.

You have told me that while you would rather not have gone through all this, you are pleased with the outcome.

No control over accounts after your family fall-out

K.C. writes: We opened 18 Club accounts with Harpenden Building Society for our grandchildren.

But our daughter-in-law has since cut off all communication with us and when we sent cheques to the grandchildren at Christmas they were presented for payment but we received no acknowledgement. What should we do?

We do not want our grandchildren, or their condemnatory parents, to benefit from our generosity and wish to avoid the 18 Club money going to the original beneficiaries.

What a sad situation. Keep in mind that the children may be more under the control of their parents than you believe. That said, the answer to your question is that there is nothing you can do about the accounts.

The 18 Club rules are clear that it is for unconditional gifts, with no strings attached. No withdrawals are allowed until the child reaches 18 and when the funds are then released, they must be payable in the childs name.

If nobody tells the society what is to happen to the money, it will be transferred to a different account with the society, which may pay less interest  but you would still have no control.
Cruise ships can be expensive places. No sooner have passengers boarded a vessel than they start paying over the odds for extra food and drinks, wi-fi and shore excursions.

Even basic itineraries can cost thousands of pounds while a luxury trip might set you back five figures. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to save cash, both at the booking stage and once on board.

Research

Do plenty of homework before booking. Once you have found a ship or itinerary that floats your boat, go to different travel agents for a price  and be prepared to haggle.

Loyalty: Janny and Roger Evans are regulars with Celebrity Cruises

WE BOOK YEARS AHEAD FOR BEST DEALS Janny Evans, 69, and her husband Roger, 70, have travelled with the same cruise company 15 times since 2001. With the long-distance cruises, we always book one or two years in advance while on board as thats when you get the best deals, says Janny. Drink packages are mostly included and for us they are worth it. It takes away the worry of the bill you get at the end. But for people who dont drink, possibly its better to see if you can get, say, an internet package in your deal rather than the drinks. The couple, from Dartmoor, Devon, have found they save money by being loyal to Celebrity Cruises, due to loyalty perks such as free internet minutes and free laundry, plus cocktail parties and backstage tours. Janny adds: Regarding shore excursions  if you are savvy travellers you can get taxis and private tours cheaper than the ships tours. But normally you get what you pay for. If it is a long day trip we normally pay the extra for the ships excursion as they guarantee to get you back to the ship.

Understand what is included before booking. Some cruises include air fares to ports, hotel nights, transfers and shore excursions, while others just cover the boat costs. Most include food but you might have to pay extra for speciality restaurants. Some cruises include free alcohol and soft drinks, while others do not.

Bear in mind that wi-fi on cruise ships is provided by satellite and this can be expensive  perhaps 35 for an hour. Some lines, such as Viking Cruises, include wi-fi for free, but others sell it by the minute or as a package. This might cost from 10 per device per day.

Cabins

The type of cabin can have a big impact on bills. Inside cabins without windows are the cheapest, followed by ocean view cabins with windows, and balcony cabins with a veranda. Suites cost the most  possibly double the basic price.

For example, a 12-night P&O trip from Southampton to Norway and Iceland costs 1,349 per person for an inside cabin, 2,199 for a balcony cabin and 4,349 for a suite.

Most cabins are sold as double occupancy and there is a costly single supplement for those who travel alone. One way to save money is a guarantee cabin selection, where you pay a lower rate for a certain cabin type but the cruise line, rather than you, selects the cabin location.

The best scenario is you are allocated a higher-category cabin. The downside is you will not get to choose the location, says Adam Coulter, UK managing editor of comparison website Cruise Critic. This option is a gamble, though it suits some people if theyre more interested in cabin type than location.

Drinks packages

Unless you are on a luxury liner that includes drinks in the fare, you will have to pay inflated bar prices on board. One way to save money is to pre-book a drinks package.

While soda and juice packages are usually fairly cheap at about 4 a day, alcohol packages are often more than 40 a day, so check the deals and see if youll drink enough to make it worth it, says Thomas Faddegon at website Cruiseline.

The best time to book

In the past, cruisers could save a packet by booking at the last minute. But times have changed and booking early is now the way to go. Coulter says: With cruise ships increasingly offering an array of promotions to early bookers, such as free on-board credit, cabin upgrades and drinks packages, travellers are incentivised to book early.

These added benefits might even match or outweigh the savings you might find with a last-minute deal.

Another option is to take advantage of wave season, which is from January to March each year, when cruise companies traditionally offer their best deals.

Book a repositioning cruise

Repositioning cruises take place when ships change region.

A common repo cruise would be when a company repositions a ship from the Caribbean in March or April to the Mediterranean, for example from Barbados to Southampton or from Antigua to Palma de Mallorca, says Dave Mills, director at travel agent Planet Cruise.

These voyages can be longer, usually two weeks instead of seven days, and include lots of sea days, as well as a mish-mash of ports.

For example, Virgin Cruises is selling a 14-night repositioning cruise from Florida to Spain from 1,253 per person on Rhapsody of the Seas in May 2018. It stops at just five ports and includes a seven-day stretch at sea.

Best time to travel

It will be cheaper to cruise in the off-peak or shoulder season for your destination.

If you fancy living dangerously, you can save money by cruising the Caribbean in the hurricane season, which is from June to November.

The high life: You can enjoy the fun of a cruise without sinking your finances if you follow a budget strategy

Ships today are equipped with such advanced tracking technology that the chance of encountering a storm are slim, meaning you can take advantage of good deals during hurricane season, says Coulter. The caveat to consider is that if a storm does impact your itinerary, you may not get to stop at all scheduled ports, though cruise lines tend to replace these with other unaffected islands.

A four-day Bahamas cruise with Carnival costs from 264 in May 2018 but falls to 155 in hurricane-prone October.

Tipping

The tipping culture on a cruise ship is unique in that tips are either paid up front or automatically added to your on-board account.

Celebrity Cruises, for example, levies a service charge of between 10 and 15 a day, plus a further 18 per cent to all bar, salon and spa services.

If youd rather tip staff members who you feel have given particularly good service, dont be afraid to have the automatic daily gratuity removed. Just inform guest services at the start of the cruise that you wish to tip at your own discretion and they will take them off, suggests Neil Page, online manager at travel agent Cruise Nation.

Arrange your own excursions

Whenever the ship docks, you will be keen to check out your destination. You can either do this on an excursion booked via the cruise line or under your own steam.

While you can often find cheaper excursions through private vendors, these are not always insured. If the ship misses the port due to the weather, you may not get your money back, says Faddegon. Even worse, if your excursion runs late or gets stuck in traffic, the ship will wait for excursions it has provided, but not for those on a private trip.

If all you want to do is walk around town, shop or visit the beach, it will be much cheaper to get a taxi and a map and do it on your own  just make sure you leave enough time to return to the ship.

Insurance

Not every cruise is plain sailing, so it is important to have travel insurance which will cover any mishaps.

Price comparison website Gocompare has warned that only a third of single-trip policies and 37 per cent of annual policies cover cruise holidays as standard.

A cruise-specific policy will cover events such as being confined to your cabin due to illness or poor weather, seeing the ships doctor or being airlifted to hospital. It can cost 100,000 to be airlifted from the west coast of the US or more than 5,000 if off the French coast.

Cruise-specific cover is tailored towards you being on a ship, says Alex Edwards from Gocompare.

Cruises are like lots of holidays all rolled into one so youll need to make sure all the destinations you visit are covered by your policy.

As a rough guide, a couple in their 50s will pay between 66 and 100 for insurance for a 14-night cruise around the US.
Brunner is an investment trust that is slowly shaking off the shackles of its past  both distant and recent. The result is a more focused and re-energised fund with wide appeal to those in search of capital and income growth.

Set up in 1927 to manage the wealth of the Brunner family, who earned their fortune in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the chemicals industry, the trust is now managed by investment house Allianz Global Investors.

Though the family still owns about 29 per cent of the shares, their holdings are slowly being sold down as younger members opt to buy houses rather than hold their wealth in a trust.

The funds shareholder base is widening as a result, though Jim Sharp sits on the trusts board as an independent director, keeping a watchful eye on the familys investments.

Sharp is married to Isabel Brunner, great-granddaughter of the trusts founder, Sir John Brunner.

More importantly, the trust has undergone an investment overhaul in the past year, with Lucy Macdonald, who was a co-manager, fully taking over the reins.

Previously run as two portfolios in one  with individual managers responsible for the UK holdings and overseas shares  Macdonald now pulls all the strings. She oversees a 77-strong portfolio with a greater focus on overseas shares than ever before.

Income: Lucy Macdonald has a mix of dividend friendly firms and key holdings in Swiss and US health giants

The trust was 50 per cent UK, 50 per cent overseas, says Macdonald. But now the UK holdings are down to 33 per cent and overseas shares account for 60 per cent of the portfolio.

It means the trust has a more diversified income source and it also allows for more imaginative investment management, enabling us to invest in more interesting places around the globe.

With the number of firms we hold coming down all the time, we are putting together a concentrated portfolio which we believe will provide investors with an enticing mix of capital and income return.

Like many global investment trusts, income growth is a big part of Brunners appeal. It has increased its annual dividends for 45 years, an achievement only bettered by six other trusts. With enough income in reserve to pay the equivalent of one-and-a-half years worth of dividends, there is no reason why its dividend growth record cannot go on.

Weve tried to diversify where we get income from, Macdonald says. As well as relying on traditional dividend friendly companies such as Royal Dutch Shell, BP and GlaxoSmithKline, we are now getting a rich seam of income from key holdings like US drugs firm AbbVie and Swiss healthcare company Roche.

In doing this, we have a broader spread of income stocks which are more robust in terms of their ability to deliver growing dividends.

One millstone around her neck has been the trusts longstanding debt  49 million  which has high interest charges. But 18 million will be paid off next year, providing Macdonald with greater scope to improve the trusts payouts. The rest will be cleared in 2023, though she is minded to pay it off earlier.

This debt and the family stake probably explain why the trusts shares trade at a 14 per cent discount to underlying assets. But as these factors become less significant, the discount should narrow, especially if Macdonald further boosts the performance.

Over the past year, the trusts shares have risen by 34 per cent, though some rival global trusts such as Monks and Scottish Mortgage have performed better.
Bjorn Kjos, founder of leading European low-cost transatlantic airline Norwegian Air, predicts Brexit will leave fewer Britons able to afford to fly.

He said the dramatic slump in the pound since the referendum would inevitably weaken passenger traffic.

Most of the passengers flying to Spain from Birmingham and Manchester are pensioners and their income will not go up, he said. And the pound is going down and that will make it more expensive for them to travel.

A tale to tell: Norwegian Air boss Bjorn Kjos has suggested that some EU companies could be forced to quit Britain altogether

In addition, in an echo of a similar warning from Ryanair chief executive Michael OLeary, Kjos said some EU-based airlines might have to stop operating internal flights in the UK  even before Brexit.

Kjos also suggested that some EU companies could be forced to quit Britain altogether.

OLeary has previously said Ryanair might stop internal UK flights from the end of next year.

Kjos, whose airline flies from British airports to the Continent and the US, said EU operators offering internal UK flights could fall victim to a tit-for-tat row over flying rights.

Pioneer: Sir Freddie Laker introduced cheap air travel

Speaking on board a Norwegian Air flight from Seattle to Oslo with its first long-range Boeing 737 Max 8 aircraft, Kjos said he thought the UK would probably be happy for EU-based airlines to fly within the UK. But he believes EU airlines might object to UK airlines operating flights within Continental countries.

I think the UK would say yes to EU airlines within the UK domestic market because they are very open-minded, he said. But some EU member states would try to block it so then why should the UK allow it on their side? That is not fair and they would have to retaliate.

In the worst case it would revert to country by country agreements, but that would favour the UK because they have bilateral agreements with virtually every state in the world.

Norwegian Air  which flies from Gatwick, Edinburgh and other UK cities  currently operates 56 routes across Europe and in North and South America.

It offers flights across the Atlantic from the UK for as little as $99 (76) each way. The budget price harks back to the era of Laker Airways, which pioneered cheap flights to and from the US in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Norwegian Air has adorned the tailfin of its latest aircraft, left, with a picture of Laker Airways founder Sir Freddie Laker, who died in 2006.
Gatwick is burnishing its case to be the choice for Britains much needed airport expansion, boasting it has now become the best- connected single-runway airport in the world.

The airport announced a new service to Taiwan operated by China Airlines last week, and this weekend declared it now has more long-haul flights than any other airport with just one runway.

The new connection also makes it the fifth-busiest airport in Europe in terms of long-haul flights and the 11th in the world. Gatwick is the only airport in the worlds top 20 to have just one runway.

Busy: Gatwick is the worlds only top-20 airport with just one runway

Other airlines that have boosted destinations from Gatwick include Norwegian, which uses the airport for some of its low-cost long-haul flights, including to the US.

Guy Stephenson, chief commercial officer for Gatwick, said: Given the current political climate, these global connections will provide UK business with vital trading links.

He added: We also stand ready to build a new runway to help further drive growth should the Government give us the green light to proceed.

Gatwick chief executive Stewart Wingate said last week it could finance and deliver a new runway. Backing from the Government would smooth the planning process for the expansion.

A spokesman for Gatwick said: For a project of that scale you would want Government support.

Following a lengthy study of airport options by economist Sir Howard Davies, the Government said in October that it favoured expansion at Heathrow.

The Heathrow proposal is expected to be included in an Airports National Policy Statement. This would be subject to further consultation under planning laws and a final decision will be put to a vote in the House of Commons.

The Government made no mention of Heathrow in the Queens Speech and doubts have arisen over whether the scheme can win approval in the House of Commons, where the Government is struggling with a narrow majority even after agreeing a deal with the Democratic Unionist party.

Financial results from Gatwick last week showed 44 million passengers passed through Gatwick last year and the group made profits of 132 million, down from 141 million previously, due to higher operating costs.

The 60 long-haul destinations from Gatwick compare with 87 at rival Heathrow, which already has two runways.

The most connected airport in the world is Frankfurt, which has 107 long-haul destinations, followed by Paris Charles de Gaulle with 106. Both the French and German airports have four runways.
The pledge of a 60 million subsidy to hasten the roll-out of superfast broadband is under threat after the Local Government Finance Bill collapsed.

The tax break in business rates for those building cable networks was promised as part of the 23 billion infrastructure package revealed in last years Autumn Statement.

But Nick Cooper, an official at the Department for Communities and Local Government, is understood to have told a meeting of business rates experts last week that the scheme cannot now be introduced in the short-term. Ministers are thought to be looking at ways to re-establish the pledge.

Dropped line: A 60 million subsidy to telecom giants is gone

The Local Government Finance Bill was absent from the Queens Speech ten days ago, leading many to speculate that it had been dropped as part of measures to set time aside to deal with Brexit.

The news on broadband is the latest side-effect in the collapse of plans to implement the Bill, which included sweeping changes to the way local authorities are funded.

Cooper was speaking at the National Ratings Day conference held in London on Thursday.

Mark Rigby, head of ratings specialist CVS, said: The relief was an incentive for telecom giants to move further and faster to create a digital economy that works for all. The Government must find an immediate solution to ensure that UK business can compete on the global stage post-Brexit.
Pa. Dems could flip the House of Reps. Here's what that might mean

elections
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Las Vegas

Cheers and long lines of tourists and locals alike greeted the first day of sales of recreational marijuana on Saturday as Nevada became the fifth state with stores selling pot to the public in a market that is expected to outpace all others in the U.S. thanks to the millions of visitors who flock to Las Vegas each year.

Veteran consumers, first-timers, twenty-somethings and retirees were among those who defied triple-digit temperatures before they made it into stores across the Las Vegas area, some of which opened shortly after midnight and later provided free water, live music, valet parking and coveted promotions on their valuable product. Eager employees guided customers and answered questions from product potency to Nevada's consumption regulations.

Minnesota resident Edgar Rosas Lorenzo on Saturday flew with his family to Sin City for his sister's wedding. But even before he checked in to his hotel, he stopped at a dispensary on the Las Vegas Strip.

Lorenzo, 21, said he learned of the legalization of recreational marijuana in Nevada while he was at the airport waiting for his flight to depart.

He drove with his sister and soon-to-be brother-in-law from the rental car facility in Las Vegas straight to the dispensary. They waited in line about 40 minutes before he could buy one-eighth of an ounce of marijuana and hemp wraps.
Hong Kong

President Xi Jinping of China delivered a tough speech Saturday at the end of a three-day visit to the semiautonomous Chinese city of Hong Kong, warning against politicizing disputes or challenging the authority of the central government. But he didn't stick around for the reaction, as thousands of people took to the streets in an annual protest calling for greater democracy.

Xi came to Hong Kong to mark the 20th anniversary of the former British colony's handover to Chinese control. He inspected thousands of People's Liberation Army troops stationed here, met with local dignitaries and swore in Carrie Lam as the city's new chief executive, the top local official.

He praised the city for its success as a prosperous global hub of trade and finance, but he also warned against resistance to Beijing's control and influence, which has bubbled here for years.

Hong Kong is a "plural society" with "different views and even major differences on some issues," Xi said while speaking to dignitaries at the inauguration. He cautioned that "making everything political or deliberately creating differences" will "severely hinder Hong Kong's economic and social development."

Xi warned that "any attempt to endanger China's sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government" or "use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line and is absolutely impermissible."

July 1, a public holiday in Hong Kong to mark the handover, has become a big day for pro-democracy protests. "Hong Kong originally had freedom of speech, but in the future, under the influence of the Chinese government, it won't be so easy to speak out," said Shandi Leung, 25, who was among demonstrators in the Wan Chai district of Hong Kong island.

Around her, people carried signs for a host of causes: workers' rights, community agriculture, independent media and Falun Gong, the spiritual movement banned in mainland China. They marched in stultifying heat and intermittent downpours, united by calls for a more direct say in their government and concerns their civil liberties are under threat.
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HOOSICK FALLS  Village resident Michael Ryan and his family were about to sit down to dinner Saturday night when he heard a noise from the basement.

Behind the door was rising water mixed with heating oil. A look outside revealed a foot of water also climbing outside the two-story home at 4 Walton St. Ryan, his wife and 2 1/2-week-old daughter escaped the home shortly before 8 p.m. Saturday, and sought refuge at his parents house.

"I didn't think living that far from the hill would be a bad thing, but apparently it was last night," Ryan said, adding he was thankful everyone was safe. "Dirt can be taken care of."

Ryan's home was one of at least 10 evacuated Saturday in Hoosick Falls after torrential thunderstorms flooded portions of the village and the nearby towns of Hoosick and Pittstown.

More information GETTING HELP

On the web: Latest information on the Village of Hoosick Falls website.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation: DEC asks people who witness spills as a result of flooding to call (888) 459-8667; and, for those who have well systems that have been flooded and have questions, call (800) 457-7362.

Supplies and relief: Northeastern Baptist College President and village resident Mark Ballard is offering free Disaster Relief, as an extension of the Southern Baptist Convention. This can include flood recovery, mud out, and moving debris. If you are interested in this, contact Vermont Disaster Relief Coordinator Ed Lucas at 603-504-4955. See More Collapse

The flooding comes on the heels of residents and local officials of these Rensselaer County towns battling water contamination caused by PFOA.

The basement of the John J. Murphy Rensselaer County office building on Church Street, which holds a DMV and aging and mental health services, was flooded and will be closed until further notice, said Christopher Meyer, deputy county executive for Rensselaer County.

A sinkhole also opened up on Route 7 and kept that road closed Sunday, with state Department of Transportation crews working on repairs.

Hoosick Falls Central School and St. Mary's Academy were opened Saturday night as temporary shelters.

Meyer said there were residents in Pittstown who also had to be evacuated Saturday night because of concerns about the Hoosic River flooding.

Both Pittstown and the Village of Hoosick Falls declared states of emergency.

A sinkhole the size of two tractor-trailers opened up next to Church Street in the village, with flooding also leading to the evacuation of houses on Hall Street, said Hoosick Falls Mayor Robert Allen.

The following roads were closed Saturday into Sunday: Tamarac Road in Pittstown; River Road in Schaghticoke, and County Roads 102, 95 and 103 in the Town of Hoosick.

Various roads in the Town of Hoosick were also closed or reduced to one lane after an estimated 4 to 4.5 inches of rain fell within a few hours Saturday afternoon into Saturday evening.

The flooding in Hoosick Falls was caused by the swelling of Woods Brook creek, a small tributary that runs through many residents' backyards and often overflows its banks. Culverts that carry storm water under, and along, roads also were overwhelmed.

"I've spoken to people who have lived here for 50 years," Allen said Sunday. "They say they've never seen anything like this."

The National Weather Service in Albany said Hoosick Falls experienced isolated thunderstorms that kept re-forming over the area. Portions of Oneida and southern Herkimer counties  including a main highway into Utica  were also underwater Saturday. Hudson Falls in Washington County got the most rain Saturday in the Capital Region  5.1 inches worth. However, that area reported no flooding.

In Hoosick Falls, two other sinkholes opened up one near the creek, another by the former St. Mary's building.

Theresa Thurber used to have a side yard on Church Street. Thurber, who has lived on the street for 19 years, said she watched Saturday as the lush green yard slowly fell away. The sinkhole stopped just shy of her shed, she said.

"It's just property," Thurber said with a shrug, adding she feels bad for those who can't return home. "I've never, ever seen anything like this before. It's really amazing the force of water."

Allen said village fire and police were also just starting to evaluate Sunday how many residences experienced basement or first floor flooding. Some homes had power turned off manually because of flooding and electrocution concerns, Allen said.

A cost or timeline as to how long it will take to fix the damage were unknown, the mayor said.

As for the contamination of the chemical PFOA that is still polluting the village's groundwater, Allen said the flooding did not exacerbate the contamination. He said flooding did not compromise the municipality's water filtration system.

The situation became more tense Saturday night after an elderly resident on Hall Street experienced chest pain and had to be evacuated. Allen said rescue crews carried the resident across the rushing water on a lawn chair. The resident's outdoor propane tank had also broken free of its anchoring and was leaking.

Hall Street on Sunday was lined with sludge and debris that had been carried by the raging water, after a dam behind homes on the residential road became clogged and water diverted itself into the surrounding properties.

Resident Bonnie Bennett was alerted to the rising waters in her Hall Street home after her dog started begging to go outside.

"We all got out safe, but my home is destroyed," said Bennett, who has lived on the street for 19 years and said she has never seen such flooding. While her backyard was covered in riverbed stone and sludge, Bennett was thankful for the support she has received. "

I have a wonderful, supportive family, which makes a big difference when something like this happens," she said.

The Hoosick Falls Village Fire Department will be working with residents in the coming days pumping out flooded basements and other structures.

Police advise residents to not enter a flooded basement as it may contain hazardous free flowing chemicals or appliances that could cause electrocution. Rescue crews from across Rensselaer County, and neighboring departments from Washington County and Bennington, Vermont, assisted in road closure and evacuation efforts, in addition to help from the State Police.

lstanforth@timesunion.com or 454-5697
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The assault rifle Henry Bello used to kill his former co-workers at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital had been purchased less than two weeks earlier from a Schenectady gun store, police sources told the N.Y. Daily News.

Bello, forced from a New York hospital because of sexual harassment accusations returned on Friday, June 30, with an assault rifle hidden under a lab coat and shot seven people, killing one woman in the attack and injuring six others, authorities said.

Of the six others who were injured, one remained in critical condition Saturday and the rest were stable, hospital officials said Saturday. A call Sunday to the hospital for an update was not immediately returned.

The AM-15, concealed under Bello's white lab coat as he entered the building Friday, was bought from Upstate Guns and Ammo in Schenectady on June 20  just 10 days before the deadly rampage. The box for the gun was found in Bello's apartment, police sources told The Daily News.

The owner of the store, Craig Serafini, declined to answer questions at his home, the Daily News reported.

"Take a walk, " he said before shutting the door on the reporter.

A doctor who appears to have been the intended target of Bello said he has no idea why he would have been singled out.

Dr. Kamran Ahmed told the New York Post he wasn't the only one Dr. Henry Bello had a problem with.

However, "he never argued with me," Ahmed said. "I don't know why he put my name."

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that Bello arrived at Bronx Lebanon Hospital and asked for a specific doctor whom he blamed for his having to resign.

The physician wasn't there at the time. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss an ongoing investigation.

Ahmed, who specializes in the early detection and treatment of dementia, said Bello "had a problem with almost everybody, so I'm not the only one. That's why they fired him, because so many people complained."

Authorities said Bello went to the 16th and 17th floors and started shooting anyway, killing Dr. Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, 32, who, like him, was a family medicine doctor.

Hospital officials said that Tam normally worked in one of the hospital's satellite clinics and was covering a shift in the main hospital as a favor to someone else.

"It makes you think that anything can happen to anybody," said Tam's neighbor, Alena Khaim, who saw Tam's sister outside the home Friday night overcome with grief, shaking and unable to walk. "She was such a sweet girl. You would never think something like that would happen but it happened."

Before the shooting, Bello sent an email to the Daily News, blaming colleagues he said forced him to resign two years earlier.

"This hospital terminated my road to a licensure to practice medicine," the email said. "First, I was told it was because I always kept to myself. Then it was because of an altercation with a nurse."

His former co-workers described a man who was aggressive, loud and threatening. Bello had warned his former colleagues when he was forced out in 2015 that he would return someday to kill them.

"All the time he was a problem," said Dr. David Lazala, who trained Bello.

When Bello was forced out in 2015, he sent Lazala an email blaming him for the dismissal.
Williamstown, Mass.

A pair of contemporary plays with shared themes of identity, ambition, self-realization and sexuality opened the Williamstown Theatre Festival season on Saturday.

Both one-acts running 90 to 100 minutes, the plays are comedic dramas with something else in common: a focus on women and minorities; of the eight characters in the two works, only one is a white man, and he's marginal to the plot and also bisexual.

The plays  "The Roommate" and "The Model American"  make an apt pair to launch a season in which much of the work is new or recent, and most of it tells stories of those who have been in some way marginalized.

More Information "The Model American" When: 8 p.m. Saturday Where: Nikos Stage, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Main Street, Williamstown, Mass. Length: 90 minutes, no intermission Continues: Daily except Monday through July 9; see website for schedule. Tickets: $58 Info: 413-597-3400 or http://wtfestival.org Reviews "The Roommate" When: 3:30 p.m. Saturday Where: Main Stage, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Main Street, Williamstown, Mass. Length: 100 minutes, no intermission Continues: Daily except Monday through July 16; see website for schedule. Tickets: $68 See More Collapse

Star power at Williamstown this summer is in the casting for the first Main Stage production, "The Roommate," a 2015 play by Jen Silverman that is an entertaining if implausible and imperfect two-hander for S. Epatha Merkerson (17 years as Lt. Van Buren on "Law & Order," currently on NBC's "Chicago Med") and Jane Kaczmarek (the mom on "Malcolm in the Middle," now on "Playing House" on USA network).

Under the direction of Mike Donahue, who also helmed the world premiere two years ago at the Humana Festival in Louisville, the acting in "The Roommate" is an absolute treasure. Merkerson, playing Sharon, a house mouse of an Iowa mother and divorcee, is so different from her TV roles that it's disorienting at first. For reasons that are never explained, she opens her home to Robyn, Kaczmarek's eponymous character, a brash, mysterious vegan, lesbian and slam poet who's relocating from the Bronx, complete with leather biker jacket, mop of flyaway platinum hair that's seen peroxide too often and her own marijuana plants. (She tells Sharon, "Herbs only become drugs when a capitalist economy gets involved.")

The set-up delivers on its "Odd Couple" promise at first, with the women learning about and from one another, bickering and, in what seems a common scene of late, bonding as they get high on pot. Matters turn from Neil Simon's Oscar and Felix to Walter White and "Breaking Bad" when Sharon finds dozens of fake IDs among Robyn's belongings, and soon enough she's asking her new friend to school her in the art of phone scams, selling weed to her book club and coming home from Walmart with a semiautomatic rifle.

Though the production has the expert production values that are hallmarks of the Williamstown festival, including Dane Laffrey's set and lighting by Scott Zielinski, and the two old pros enjoy themselves, the author's conception and execution are at times thin and unconvincing. Sharon's embrace of criminal activity, even as we understand the thrill it gives her after a lifetime of always doing what's expected, happens so quickly as to strain credulity, and Robin's motives and goals are never clear. The former woman is running toward something; the latter, away. When both are largely undefined, even at the end of the play, we don't know why we've been watching these two particular individuals at this short moment in time.

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The focus is much sharper in "The Model American," by Jason Kim. Developed at Williamstown last summer, the play is getting its world premiere at the festival under the direction of Danny Sharron. Kim explores an updated version of the American dream through the story of Gabriel (Hiram Delgado), a young-20s Puerto Rican immigrant from a challenging home life who, after a move to the New York City of today, makes up in drive and innate intelligence what he lacks in formal schooling and life experience.

A multiple minority  gay, Latino, undereducated, poor  Gabriel talks his way into a start-up company run by Emmett (Maurice Jones), who's launching a e-commerce site dedicated to connecting third-world craftspeople with international customers. In a year as the boss' invaluable assistant, Gabriel loses his accent, finds a boyfriend (a sweet, privileged and aimless filmmaker played by Micah Stock) and positions himself for advancement after Emmett is forced to take on a financial backer (Williamstown veteran Laila Robins, utterly convincing as a corporate shark).

Kim's dialogue, often fresh and well paced, bogs down a little when he feels compelled to overexplain his themes and what's at stake as Gabriel considers betraying his better impulses in exchange for financial, experiential and reputational rewards. But the characters feel real, relevant, of the moment. This is a portrait of a changing America, where challenges and opportunities are more open to more people, and their costs are just as great as they've always been.

sbarnes@timesunion.com  518-454-5489  @Tablehopping  http://facebook.com/SteveBarnesFoodCritic
Albany

Last week, as I wrote columns about the Grand Street stabbing that took the life of Marc Douglas, one thing nagged at me: I couldn't find a picture of him.

Douglas was homeless. But he was well known and liked along Grand Street among residents of the surrounding neighborhood and with the homeless folks who increasingly seem to be spending time there. But nobody I talked to had a photo.

In this age of nearly obsessive picture and selfie shooting, the fact that I couldn't get my hands on an image of the man seemed to say something troubling not only about Douglas' invisibility, but about how we don't see all of the poor and homeless who live among us.

More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse

I apparently wasn't the only one bothered. Douglas, 47, had grown up in and around Albany, and one woman who knew him when he was younger dug through old photos to find several that included him.

"I just thought it was sad that there were no photos of Marc in your fine coverage," wrote Barbara Benware Burt, a retired teacher from Glenmont who taught Douglas in a GED class in the late 1980s.

Among the photos Burt sent was one of Douglas on a field trip with other students. In another, he's standing on a ladder as he and another student work to repair a bookshelf at Howe Library, the beautiful landmark on Schuyler Street.

In a third, he's holding a big bundle of balloons at a South End street festival.

"He was a such a vibrant, lovely young man," Burt said in a later phone conversation.

The photos are great. They document what looks to be a happy period in Douglas' life. But they are obviously dated. Wasn't there a more recent photo out there somewhere?

There was. It arrived in an email from Douglas' sister in Texas. Taken in 2010, it shows Douglas wearing a Red Sox cap and staring confidently into the camera.

Finally, a face to put with all that I'd been hearing about him.

Here's a story I heard from Andrew Langford, who lives in Colonie and called Douglas "a friendly face on Grand Street."

Langford, in an email, said Douglas had a big impact on her. She often goes to Grand, which is in the Mansion neighborhood, on the southern edge of downtown, because she does volunteer work with a refugee family that lives there.

Langford met Marc in September, she said, when she first began visiting the neighborhood.

"You live around here?" she asked him.

"Heck, no," Douglas said. "I'm homeless."

Langford said Douglas' directness took her by surprise. Thereafter, she talked with him when she made weekly visits to Grand.

Marc was always willing to help, she said. Once, he cleared snow off the family's steps, without a shovel, so that Langford could get through. Once, when the snow was very deep, he carried a small child from the refugee family over to her car.

"I am saddened by his senseless loss," Langford wrote. "I won't see his smile when I pull up anymore. He was a kind soul."

Nobody is perfect, of course, and Douglas certainly had his demons. He was an alcoholic who struggled to find his way in the world.

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"I sat together and we cried together," said Monick Johnson, who is also homeless and was close with Douglas. "I know the pain behind that s---."

But by now, I have heard enough versions of Langford's story  descriptions of Douglas aiding people on Grand Street, working to clean up nearby storefronts and making sure other homeless people had something to eat  that I'm convinced there was something uniquely wonderful about the man. I wish I had met him.

Let me finish with another view on Douglas' killing and what led to it. This one comes from Tom McPheeters, who lives in the neighborhood.

McPheeters says that his wife recently ran into a third-grader she knew from tutoring she does at Giffen Elementary and was surprised to learn the child lives on Grand.

"Why haven't I seen you on the street before?" she asked.

"We're not allowed to go out much," he said.

McPheeters says neighborhood residents have lost Grand to drug dealers, gamblers playing dice games and panhandlers  all are common sights there, even in broad daylight.

The scene intimidates many who live nearby.

When a street attracts so many troubled men and women, McPheeters said, and nothing is done to disperse them, tragedies like Douglas' killing are almost guaranteed to happen.

"We need to think about Grand Street from the perspective of a young boy who is not allowed to play outside because it's too dangerous," McPheeters said.

That's true not just on Grand, but in similar neighborhoods everywhere.
THE ISSUE:

The president abuses the partial victory from the Supreme Court on his travel ban.

THE STAKES:

Will the court revisit this, and see it for the bigoted policy it is?

More Information To comment: tuletters@timesunion.com or at http://blog.timesunion.com/opinion See More Collapse

---

The threat of terrorists slipping into the United States was so great, President Donald Trump claimed back in January, that he needed a 90-day ban on travel from a half-dozen Muslim nations in order to come up with a new "extreme vetting" system. A similar threat, of proverbial wolves in sheep's clothing, required a 120-day ban on refugees.

And here we are, 164 days into the Trump administration as of Sunday. Where's the policy? What happened to all that urgency? Was it, to use one of Mr. Trump's favorite terms, fake?

The Supreme Court didn't address that question last week when it partially lifted lower court injunctions on Mr. Trump's executive orders on refugees and travel from certain nations. For now, the high court largely deferred to the president's authority on matters of national security, and said it would hear the case fully in October.

Unfortunately, the court dodged a critical issue that may be moot by then: the targeting of followers of a religion by a president. In that regard, the decision was a huge win for Mr. Trump, and a setback for religious freedom in America.

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The court opted to not look beyond the language of the executive orders, which carefully avoid mentioning religion. But his travel ban conspicuously applies only to people from six predominantly Muslim nations  none of them connected to any act of terror in this country in more than 40 years.

Go beyond the four corners of those orders and there's far more troubling evidence of Mr. Trump's religious animus. There's video from Dec. 7, 2015, of Mr. Trump as a candidate calling for "a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on." There's the statement of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, after Mr. Trump took office, in which he said Mr. Trump asked him come up with a way to legally impose a Muslim travel ban.

The broad authority presidents have over national security is not some absolute royal power. They are constrained by the First Amendment, which bars government from establishing a religion or "prohibiting the free exercise thereof," and statutes that prohibit religious discrimination by government. The court, for reasons that escape us, unanimously allowed Mr. Trump to do exactly that.

The court, however, also put some limits on the president, restricting him from barring entry by individuals with a "bona-fide relationship" to people or entities in this country. The administration promptly seized on that vague language to impose a cruelly and transparently narrow definition of family  excluding, among others, even grandparents and grandchildren. Quite likely, this will soon end up back in court.

If and when it does, perhaps the justices will see this reprehensible religious discrimination by the president for what it is. Or, at the very least, they will ask him what, for all that urgency, he has been doing for the last five months.
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SCHENECTADY  Two months after the United States entered World War I, a 20-year-old college student started working as a machinist in Building 23 at General Electric Co.'s sprawling industrial campus in Schenectady.

His name was Wendell King, and by all accounts he was a whiz kid, having started one of the area's first amateur radio stations from his North Troy home when he was just 12 years old.

While a student at Lansingburgh High School, King would dazzle local businessmen at Rotary luncheons with demonstrations of wireless radio technology, which was cutting edge at the time.

And in the fall of 1916, King enrolled at Union College in Schenectady, which had one of the nation's premier electrical engineering departments  and a close affiliation with General Electric Co. and its famous researcher, the electrophysicist, Charles Steinmetz, who taught at Union.

Union College

The following June, King was one of about two dozen Union students chosen to work for the summer across town at GE's Schenectady Works, the sprawling campus of factories, offices and labs that was a hub of innovation and manufacturing inspired by Thomas Edison himself.

King was assigned to a machine shop in Building 23 at the Schenectady Works, where his job was to operate a drill press. Although King was in school to become an engineer, the experience would have been invaluable to understand how the parts that GE's engineers designed were made while providing him extra money to pay for school.

The only problem was that King was black.

And his presence didn't sit well with the white workers in the building, unionized machinists, many of them European immigrants who had been hearing rumors that GE was planning to bring in black workers from the South to compete for their jobs.

The machinists stewed over King's presence and demanded a meeting with GE brass, eventually giving plant manager George Emmons a written "ultimatum" that they would stage a strike if King remained.

Emmons did nothing.

And so, on the morning of June 18, 1917, a Monday, machinists from Building 23 and other buildings at the Schenectady Works  2,500 in total  staged a dramatic walkout that threatened to cripple GE's production of military equipment just as the U.S. was entering World War I

The strike remains one of the most important civil rights and labor flashpoints in modern local history.

And yet, Wendell King, the bright young student from Troy who triggered the event, has been all but forgotten, and few today know his story.

At the time, more than 20,000 people were working at the Schenectady Works, says Chris Hunter, director of archives and collections at the miSci museum in Schenectady, which is preparing a new exhibit celebrating the 125th anniversary of GE's founding in the city.

Hunter says it's no surprise that King was working in Building 23. Steinmetz had a lab in that building, and Union was a pipeline that fed GE's constant need for engineers and electrical designers.

At that time, there were dozens of African-Americans employed at the Schenectady Works, mostly as janitors or in lower paying manual labor jobs.

But King had been assigned to work on a drill that was normally operated by a white worker.

Library of Congress

Parts for motors, turbines, generators and other electrical equipment were made in the machine rooms, which were generally staffed by lower-level white laborers. Black workers generally held the least desirable jobs.

"It's when they tried to get promoted that trouble started," Hunter said.

Led by a young, energetic Hungarian named Joseph Lefkowitz, the machinists paraded en masse to Veteran's Park, which back then was called Crescent Park, in a show of solidarity.

In a speech, Lefkowitz threatened to enlist the thousands of other union workers at GE to join them in a massive work stoppage that would bring the Schenectady Works to its knees.

Their demand was simple: racial segregation in the workplace. They refused to work with King, and they wanted him gone, fearing more black workers were coming. Lefkowitz pointed to segregation in the U.S. Army to make his case.

"What this government sees fit in practicing, we feel justified in demanding," Lefkowitz said, according to a story that ran that day in the Schenectady Union-Star. "We are not unfair in our demands. We ask no more than the United States government."

With the passing of 100 years, the King strike can be viewed as an inspirational story of hope and perseverance, although King was hardly cast as a victim or even a sympathetic figure at the time.

Press accounts simply described him as a "negro student," not mentioning his early achievements.

But it was a big deal in 1917 when GE publicly condemned workplace segregation and refused to give in to angry machinists.

A front page Times Union story published the day the walkout began said GE "refused to draw the color line" at the machine shop.

Given the racism of that pre-civil rights-era time, GE's actions were progressive.

"It is contrary to the policy of the company to take any action detrimental to the best interests of its employees," George Emmons, said in a rebuke of Lefkowitz, according to the Age. "But it will tolerate no discrimination against any worthy individual on account of nationality or color."

The fact that Emmons drew a line in the sand over one black worker is even more significant considering that tens of millions of dollars in military contracts were at stake, and the federal government was putting enormous pressure on the company to deliver critical parts for new battleships.

"When asked if he thought the government would step in and take a hand in the matter, Mr. Emmons said he did not know, and had hardly given the matter a thought," the Union-Star reported.

Today, GE, a conglomerate with $123 billion in worldwide revenues, prides itself on the diversity of its workforce, which includes 350,000 employees across the globe.

The company supports this through various employee-run "affinity networks" such as its African American Forum, an advocacy group within GE that celebrated its 25th anniversary last year and holds an annual symposium that features roundtable discussions by top African-American leaders from GE and around the world.

Last year's event in Washington, D.C., which was attended by 1,300 people, featured "fireside chats" during a special anniversary celebration dinner event that featured hip-hop entrepreneur Russell Simmons and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.

"We're proud of the story of Wendell King," GE spokesman Todd Alhart told the Times Union last week. "His story is one of breakthroughs, not only in innovation but in workplace diversity. Today, we continue to push the boundaries to promote diversity through our strong affinity networks and work culture."

GE Power, the GE division that is headquartered in Schenectady and employs 4,000 people on the old Schenectady Works site, is also getting an African-American CEO, Russell Stokes, on Monday, although it's pure coincidence that it's coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the King strike's end.

Stokes, a 20-year GE veteran who will work from Atlanta where he lives, will be the first black leader of GE Power, although the company didn't plan it that way.

After the eight-day 1917 strike ended, King was moved out of the machine shop to another job.

The deal allowed both GE and the union to claim victory, according to a front page account in the June 26, 1917, Times Union.

"It is understood that the colored man, who was the direct cause of the strike because the men refused to work with him, will continue at his machine tomorrow morning," the Times Union wrote. "But he will be transferred to other work, thus permitting both sides to save their face, as it were."

By today's standards, the strike was an appalling example of the racism that was common back then and tolerated by most in society at that time, even in the Northeast.

Paul Stewart, who along with his wife is co-founder of the Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region, says the causes of the conflict likely went beyond just racism considering the time period in which it took place.

Rulison, Larry/Times Union archive

Indeed, historic accounts of Schenectady and GE at the time say there was a complex social and workplace hierarchy based on not only race but nationality and education.

The war in Europe and America's recent entry into the conflict appears to have only complicated the dynamic at a time that labor unions were beginning to threaten the status quo at companies like GE, leading to more effective worker strikes.

"That's a dynamic that often gets lost for people," Stewart said. "You've got union versus management issues, and race and class are mixed together. All of these things are wound together, and that's what's hard for people to understand."

Considering that, it's possible that King was a convenient and effective pawn in a larger labor struggle that would result in future strikes at GE.

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There is no indication that King himself was trying to incite any racial tensions or was particularly active in the civil rights movement that blossomed after World War II.

In a 1971 interview with a newspaper columnist in Erie, Pa., several years after King died of a heart attack, his widow, Iva Gwendolyn King, recalled the 1917 strike.

"A strike was called at the Schenectady works because Wendell was the only black man to get employment at the plant in that capacity," she told Mili Roberts of the Erie Morning News. "The strike was resolved and my husband continued to work there."

Gwen, as she was known, said her husband later worked in GE's research labs, developing radio transmitters for airplanes.

King, who enlisted in the Army in the fall of 1918 but was never deployed since the war ended just two months later, was also fondly recalled by his classmates at Union, where he returned after being discharged.

King is credited with organizing the first broadcast of Union's radio station, and his classmates recognized his skill in the burgeoning field, which was just starting to gain commercial acceptance.

And Schenectady was the place to be back in those days if you were interested in radio technology, says Brian Belanger, curator of the National Capital Radio and Television Museum just west of Washington, D.C. in Bowie, Md.

"A number of GE's scientists and engineers were ham operators, and GE had a good working relationship with Union," Belanger said.

King wasn't the first black student to enroll at Union  that was David Rosell in January of 1859.

According to an account in the Encyclopedia of Union College History, Rosell, a transfer student from Central College in Cortland, was admitted only after claiming he was of French and Indian descent.

But Rosell left Union six months later after being outed as a black man by someone who knew him back in Cortland.

It's believed that King was likely the next black student to enroll at Union.

Union College

Gretchel Hathaway, dean of diversity and inclusion at Union and the school's chief diversity officer, says oral histories the school has collected mention King, but she is hoping more will be learned about him as part of an ongoing civil rights history project undertaken by the school.

She imagines that like other black students who have had to learn to navigate a mostly white campus, King worked hard for acceptance.

But being a skilled radio operator and engineer would have made him popular, especially at a time when radio was a cutting edge technology and radio clubs were the rage.

That helped King fit in, even though he came from a vastly different background than his white classmates. Like them, King was part of the officers training corps at Union.

And it was likely a different experience than what he experienced in the machine room at GE.

"They did things that made them feel more inclusive," Hathaway said of black college students in that period. "They would give something of themselves to others."

It's difficult to know what Wendell really felt. He and his wife experienced intense racism in their early years as a couple in Erie after eloping in 1930 and never had children.

Wendell is credited with starting the first radio station in Erie. He later worked for Bliley Electric as a research engineer for 30 years and never stopped tinkering with radio technologies and teaching others the hobby that he loved.

Gwendolyn King died in 1976.

Her 1971 interview is the closest thing to a postscript on Wendell King.

"Finally my husband is going to get some recognition in his true light," Gwen said.
Tankerstown N.S in Bansha provides a good standard of education, and teachers are 'enthusiastic', according to a newly published report.

A Whole School Evaluation (WSE) was carried out on Tankerstown NS on April 6th, and the report was published on June 22nd last.

All schools in the state are subject to regular WSEs to ensure standards are upheld.

Tankerstown NS is a co-educational, vertical primary school under the patronage of the Catholic Archbishop of Cashel and Emly. The school has four mainstream class teachers and two part-time support teachers, both of whom are based in the school. There are 97 pupils enrolled and pupil attendance is generally very good.

The main findings are: The overall quality of teaching is good and the teachers implement new initiatives in an enthusiastic and effective manner. The overall quality of pupils learning achievements is good and teaching initiatives in literacy and numeracy are impacting positively on learning outcomes; the development of pupils oral language skills in Irish requires further attention. While good progress has been made in the development of whole-school approaches to assessment, there is scope to extend the potential of assessment for learning. The quality of support for pupils well-being is of a high standard. The principal provides highly effective leadership and demonstrates a commitment to high standards in teaching and learning. School self-evaluation practices are well developed.

The main recommendations are: The development plan for oral Irish should be implemented systematically at a wholeschool level.The outcomes of assessment should be used consistently to extend the potential of assessment for learning.

Responding to the report, Tankerstown Board of Management stated: We have developed a spiral incremental progression plan from infants to sixth class in the majority of subjects. Having spent the past number of years developing Irish in the school (SSE), it is satisfying and energising to see pupils good vocabulary, understanding, reading and enjoyment of Irish as a living language in the school being acknowledged. We have developed an oral Irish scheme as a whole staff team in the past year. As the new language curriculum (English/ Gaeilge) is being rolled out in the next academic year, we welcome the recommendation to implement this incremental plan, and will do so with enthusiasm.

Full report at education.ie
[July 01, 2017] Exscientia Enters Strategic Drug Discovery Collaboration with GSK

DUNDEE, Scotland, July 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Exscientia, an innovative company at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery, is pleased to announce it has entered into a strategic drug discovery collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). During this collaboration, Exscientia will apply its AI enabled platform and combine this with the expertise of GSK, in order to discover novel and selective small molecules for up to 10 disease-related targets, nominated by GSK across multiple therapeutic areas. Exscientia will receive research payments from GSK to undertake new discovery programmes with nominated targets with the goal of delivering pre-clinical candidates. In addition to research funding, Exscientia is eligible to receive near-term lead and pre-clinical candidate milestones if all objectives are achieved. The total amount payable by GSK to Exscientia on achieving these milestones is 33 million, if all 10 projects are advanced. No further financial details have been disclosed. Andrew Hopkins, CEO of Exscientia, said: "This agreement with GSK is the second we have signed in recent months with a top global pharma company. The alliance provides further validation of our AI-driven platform and its potential to accelerate the discovery of novel, high-quality drug candidates. Applying our approach to client discovery projects has already delivered candidate-quality molecules i roughly one-quarter of the time, and at one-quarter of the cost of traditional approaches. Our intention therefore is to apply these capabilities to projects selected by GSK. Delivering efficiencies to drug discovery has the potential to revolutionise the way early projects are executed, enabling more dynamic target selections from the burgeoning set of opportunities. We look forward to a productive collaboration with GSK."



John Baldoni, Senior Vice President, Platform Science and Technology at GSK, added: "Exscientia has built an excellent team with proven innovation in drug discovery technologies. We anticipate that their industry-leading approach will accelerate the discovery of new molecules against high value GSK targets with speed and confidence, and without compromising quality." As part of this collaboration, Exscientia is incentivised to reduce the number of compounds required for synthesis and assay in order to achieve lead and candidate compound goals. This is in response to observations that early stages of drug discovery have not been positively impacted by technologies that have delivered significant efficiencies to other fields. Exscientia will apply both its 'Big Data' resources comprising, among other things, medicinal chemistry and large-scale bio-assays, and its AI-driven algorithms to design novel molecules that fulfil the requirements of the lead and candidate criteria.

About Exscientia Exscientia is at the forefront of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven drug discovery and design. By fusing the power of AI with the discovery experience of seasoned drug hunters, we are the first company to automate drug design, surpassing conventional approaches. Our innovative platform enables breakthrough productivity gains as well as new approaches to improve drug efficacy. Novel compounds prioritised for synthesis by Exscientia's AI systems simultaneously balance potency, selectivity and pharmacokinetic criteria in order to deliver successful experimental outcomes. By applying a rapid design-make-test cycle, the Exscientia AI system actively learns from the preceding experimental results and rapidly evolves compounds towards the desired candidate criteria. Exscientia first developed their platform to design efficacious, selective single-target compounds, whilst further innovation now allows the same platform to design small molecules with dual pharmacology, as well as more complex target product profiles guided by high content phenotypic data. Exscientia is now collaborating with several leading pharmaceutical companies. Current partners include Evotec (immuno-oncology), Sanofi (metabolic disease), Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma and Sunovion Pharmaceuticals (CNS) and GSK. For more information visit www.exscientia.co.uk or follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/exscientialtd

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[July 02, 2017] Artprice: Further Information Regarding our New OTC Marketplace, Following our AGM at 6pm on 30 June 2017

PARIS, July 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a number of pertinent shareholder questions regarding our communique of the same date. Available on: http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/artprice-takes-a-major-stake-in-the-otc-art-market-which-generates-a-volume-of-transactions-roughly-7-to-9-times-higher-than-the-traditional-art-market-631728183.html (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160228/338238LOGO ) Artprice wishes to clarify to shareholders and to the market that it has absolutely no intention of dropping or relaxing its activities at the heart of the traditional art market and plans to develop this segment even further by boosting its standardized online marketplaces for fixed-price and competitive-price trading. Artprice is therefore simply adding a new mass marketplace to its activities, the OTC Art Market , that it hopes will process tens of millions of transactions per year, as described in the above communique. This addition will allow Artprice to cover the entire spectrum of the global commerce in art (the traditional art market, plus the OTC art market). Already a world leader in the global art market, Artprice is adding this new mass market and Blockchain to its historical activities in the traditional art market because it represents a major new growth driver for the company, with enormous commercial and value-adding potential. All resolutions at our AGM of 30 June 2017 were adopted and will be released in the form of a regulated communication later this week. The AGM hosted a wide range of important discussions with Artprice's new and long-staning shareholders.



http://www.artprice.com Copyright thierry Ehrmann 1987/2017

About Artprice: Artprice is listed on the Eurolist by Euronext Paris, SRD long only and Euroclear: 7478 - Bloomberg: PRC - Reuters: ARTF. Artprice is the global leader in art price and art index databanks. It has over 30 million indices and auction results covering more than 657,000 artists. Artprice Images(R) gives unlimited access to the largest Art Market resource in the world: a library of 126 million images or prints of artworks from the year 1700 to the present day, along with comments by Artprice's art historians. Artprice permanently enriches its databanks with information from 4,500 auctioneers and it publishes a constant flow of art market trends for the world's principal news agencies and approximately 7,200 international press publications. For its 4,500,000 members, Artprice gives access to the world's leading Standardised Marketplace for buying and selling art. Artprice is preparing its blockchain for the Art Market. It is BPI-labelled (scientific national French label). Artprice's Global Art Market Annual Report for 2016: http://imgpublic.artprice.com/pdf/rama2016_en.pdf The text presented hereafter is a translation of Arte Creative's online presentation: ARTE: A gigantic Christmas tree in the guise of a butt plug, a machine that defecates five-star meals, an icon immersed in urine and staged corpses - subversive, trash, provocative or insulting? Thierry Ehrmann, the man behind The Abode of Chaos dixit "The New York Times", an artist and the founder of Artprice, is the mouthpiece for scandal and discloses the workings of the most striking controversies in contemporary art. And scandal sells. 9 episodes are online: http://www.arte.tv/guide/en/weekly-highlight Discover the Alchemy and the universe of Artprice http://web.artprice.com/video, which headquarters are the famous Museum of Contemporary Art, the Abode of Chaos http://goo.gl/zJssd https://vimeo.com/124643720

News Artmarket:

http://twitter.com/artpricedotcom https://www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom

https://www.facebook.com/artpricedotcom

https://plus.google.com/+Artpricedotcom/posts

http://artmarketinsight.wordpress.com/

The Contemporary Arts Museum The Abode of Chaos on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/la.demeure.du.chaos.theabodeofchaos999

The Abode of Chaos/Demeure du Chaos Contemporary Art Museum by thierry Ehrmann,author, sculptor, artist, photograph https://www.flickr.com/photos/home_of_chaos/sets/72157676803169034

Contact : thierry Ehrmann : e-mail : [email protected] SOURCE Artprice.com

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[July 02, 2017] IBM Fellow Heike Riel Awarded Prestigious Prize for Women

ARMONK, N.Y., July 2, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that Dr. Heike Riel, an IBM Fellow and executive director of the IBM Research Frontiers Institute and IoT Technology, was named to the EDITION F "25 Women Award" in Germany. The award focuses on 25 women whose inventions have helped change the world. Riel was nominated for her role in the development of the active-matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display. AMOLED displays are used in mobile devices, including laptopsand smartwatches, and consist of an organic compound that forms an electro-luminescent material. This material reduces the response time to less than a millisecond, and consumes significantly less energy compared to, for example, LCD screens.



Riel studied physics at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany) and received a PhD from the University of Bayreuth (Germany). She joined IBM Research  Zurich in 1998 where she developed the technology. The award winners were chosen by EDITION F, a German news and lifestyle website for women, with cooperation by some of Germany's leading news outlets including Zeit Online, Grunderszene the Handelsblatt, who asked for nominations of women whose inventions have made our life easier, better and more enjoyable.

Other winners include: Prof. Dr. Melanie Blokesch, microbiology; Johanna Ludwig, Co-Founder of Akvola; Prof. Dr. Konstanze Marx, professor for German linguistics; and Marion Merklein, professor of manufacturing technology. A little known fact about Riel is that she originally apprenticed as a woodmaker creating furniture, which she does today as a hobby. About IBM Research For more than seven decades, IBM Research has defined the future of information technology with more than 3,000 researchers in 12 labs located across six continents. Scientists from IBM Research have produced six Nobel Laureates, 10 U.S. National Medals of Technology, five U.S. National Medals of Science, six Turing Awards, 19 inductees in the National Academy of Sciences and 20 inductees into the U.S. National Inventors Hall of Fame. For more information about IBM Research, visit www.ibm.com/research. Contact Information: Steve Tomasco IBM 917-687-4588 [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ibm-fellow-heike-riel-awarded-prestigious-prize-for-women-300482882.html SOURCE IBM

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Election results: Check out results from various races across the state
Morning Murder Aftermath

KCK police seeking suspect in homicide KANSAS CITY, MO. - Police are investigating the shooting death of a man in Kansas City, Kansas. Officials say police responded to a shooting at about 1:15 a.m. Saturday on the 4300 block of Lloyd. Officers found a deceased man inside the home.

Nearby Consent Debate

Holton residents react to guilty verdict in Jacob Ewing case A small town in Kansas is reacting after a guilty verdict in a controversial case where Jacob Ewing was charged with assaulting five women and a teenager. Ewing was acquitted in his first trial involving the teenager. However, on Friday, jurors found him guilty.

Kansas City Cop Killer Clip

Prosecutors release surveillance video of KC man's ambush of police last year in Baton Rouge BATON ROUGE, La. -- A necessary evil. Those are the words from a Kansas City man authorities say was behind a police ambush last year. Investigators said ex-Marine Gavin Long traveled to Baton Rouge with a deadly plan. He killed 3 police officers before responding officers killed him.

Inner Suburban Hot Mess

Man killed, another assaulted, nephew arrested after chase BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. - Police are investigating the death of a man believed to be a recently retired school custodian. Neighbors say police gathered outside 77-year-old Harvey Baldwin's house Friday night. They later learned Baldwin had been found dead inside. "He was just, he was fantastic.

Dead-Tree Murder Data

Are Kansas City homicides on the rise? A criminologist explains KC homicide trends. Ken Novak, a professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, put into context recent trends in homicides and other violent crime in Kansas City. Novak said that homicide rates are lower than at points in the 1990s but that law enforcement needs to make more progress in deterring crime.

The metro is popping off this weekend and here's a quick compilation of all the police news from around town.Take a look:And this is theright now . . .
Kansas City, Kan. - Police are investigating a homicide after a shooting in the area of 1st and Walker Saturday evening. Officers were dispatched to the area around 7 p.m. When they arrived, they found a black male dead in the roadway. No suspect information is available.
Unofficially the homicide count is 72 compared to 51 at this time last year.

KANSAS CITY NOW CONFRONTS A HOMICIDE SURGE OF 40% OVER LAST YEAR!!!

After a bloody rampage of gunfire on local streets, there is no denying the Kansas City homicide crisis.In fact, it was hard to distinguish betwixt shots fired and fireworks in this lead up to the 4th of July.Here's the damage . . .And then . . .occurred early this morning.And so . . .At the outset of Juneand now the situation has has worsened while City Hall and corporate priorities remain stubbornly and frivolously focused on a triple development agenda involving a new airport, downtown hotel and streetcar extension.You decide . . .
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Officials say a motorcyclist is dead after a crash involving another vehicle on Swope Parkway. Police say the driver of a Nissan pulled out in front of the motorcyclist, causing the crash at 60th and Swope Parkway. The driver of the Nissan allegedly tried to flee the scene but was caught a short distance away.
History is far more complicated that we would like to believe. Even in our schools today, different versions of events are being taught to students, depending on the country theyre in and how those events in history affected that country. Who controls the past controls the future: who controls the present controls the past, right? Nevertheless, we also have archaeology, which sometimes helps us to better understand what happened regardless of what was written down in centuries past. And sometimes, some such discoveries turn the way we saw history right on its head.

10. Ancient Fast Food

We generally tend to think that fast food came about fairly recently, right? And it does make sense, after all, given the faster pace the world is moving nowadays as opposed to the slower ancient times. In fact, the first such shops, which were serving fish and chips, opened in Britain during the 1860s. Then, in the 1950s in the US, the drive-through restaurants became popular, and well, you know the rest.

But taking a quick snack for lunch and then hurrying on your way is not something new and has been going on since ancient times. This place was the so-called thermopolium, or place where (something) hot is sold, and it was a common sight all throughout the Greco-Roman world; particularly in larger towns and cities. These thermopolia are, in fact, the forerunners of all present-day restaurants. They usually consisted of a small room that opened onto the street and specialized in two or three items such as spiced wine, meats, cheese, or lentils. These establishments were quite tiny and almost never had tables for people to sit at. There was only a counter with several embedded earthenware jars called dolia where the food was stored.

These places were frequented mostly by slaves or people who did not have the means or facilities to cook for themselves. And as it so happens, these thermopolia were also frequent hangouts for all sorts of shady characters. These places were even abolished on several occasions for this exact reason, since they harbored all sorts of effeminate Greeks and thieving slaves, as Plautus, a Roman playwright from the 3rd century BC, once said. There were, however, some fancier establishments too, with some tables inside and even some frescoes painted on the walls. One such ornate restaurant called the Thermopolium of Asellina was discovered in Pompeii and is one of the best preserved in the world.

9. War is Older Than We Thought

War was commonly believed to have originated alongside the advent of civilization. This, of course, doesnt mean that people werent killing each other even before that. After all, the reptilian part of the brain, which we all have and which pushes us towards things like hate, envy, aggression, dominance, and territoriality among others, was also found in people more than 10,000 years ago. This means that before the discovery of agriculture and animal husbandry, people were only able to kill each other through the occasional murder or small family skirmishes. But after people began settling down and growing in number, more organized and coordinated forms of battle were invented; things like raids or wars, for instance. The fact that structured hierarchies and slavery also appeared during this time also helped wars along.

Nevertheless, an archaeological discovery made in 2012 in Kenya seems to indicate that small scale wars were also taking place even before agriculture appeared there. On the banks of the Lake Turkana, archaeologists came across 27 skeletons dating back to somewhere in between 9,500 to 10,500 years ago. These skeletons once belonged to men, women, and children which archeologists believe were members of a semi-nomadic tribe that settled close to the lake. All of the skeletons showed signs of blunt force trauma or wounds from projectile weapons. One of the women had both of her knees shattered and showed signs that her hands were bound when she died. Who attacked them, or what really happened is not known, but no other massacre on this scale has ever been discovered from so long ago.

8. Europeans and America

Christopher Columbus and his men are no longer believed to be the first Europeans to discover the American continent. Today it is fairly common knowledge that Leif Ericsson, an Icelandic Viking explorer, was the first European to come across to North America when he was blown off course on his way to Greenland from Norway almost 500 years before Columbus. In the Saga of the Greenlanders which talks about Leif Ericsson and his travels to Vinland, present-day Newfoundland, there is mention of a Bjarni Herjolfsson, who also made it to a land west of Greenland when he too was blown off course by the wind, even before Leif Ericsson himself. But whatever the case may be here, some newer archaeological evidence points to the fact that the Europeans made it to North America even before Europe had a name, or at least the name of Europe.

Several dozen stone tools have been found along the East Coast in six distinct locations. One in Pennsylvania, three from the Delmarva Peninsula in Maryland, one in Virginia, and another one was discovered by a scallop trawler some 60 miles off the Virginian coast. All of these tools bear a striking resemblance to the stone tools used by the prehistoric Solutrean tribes from present-day western France and northern Spain. Whats more, all of them were dated somewhere in between 19,000 to 26,000 years ago. Because of this time period, most archaeologists have rejected the idea of being just a simple case of coincidence based on the too-similar design. Furthermore, one of the stone knives discovered in Virginia revealed under chemical analysis that it actually originated in France.

The reason for the relatively small number of tools found on the East Coast dating from that period also explains how those Stone Age Europeans got to America in the first place. Back in those times, the planet was going through an Ice Age, and like the Native Americans who crossed into America from Asia over the Bering land bridge, so did these Solutreans cross over what is now the north Atlantic, Iceland, and Greenland. As shown by that knife found by the scallop trawler 60 miles off the coast of Virginia, the sea level was far lower than it is today. And since these people stayed mostly around the coast, many of their tools are also underwater. Another archaeological discovery that places Europeans in North America longer ago than previously believed is an 8,000-year-old skeleton found in Florida. When subjected to a genetic marker test, this mans remains revealed high levels of European markers, not found in Asians.

7. Australians and America

Another archaeological discovery, this time from Brazil, points to the fact that Australians also made it to the Americas long ago. Several human skulls discovered there match the characteristics of those from places like Australia and Melanesia. Similarly, some 33 skulls found on the Baja California peninsula in Mexico also point to this theory. And according to the stone tools and charcoal discovered at the site in Brazil, these people could have inhabited the area for nearly 50,000 years. The theory is that they arrived in the Americas by boat across the Pacific. Though seemingly impossible for people from 50,000 years ago, cave paintings in Australia have shown some boats that were actually built to withstand the ocean. Moreover, in 1947 Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl and a few others made it across on a balsa wood raft.

Archaeologists also believe that these people died out with the appearance of the Asian peoples coming in from the north via the Bering land bridge. This is because the shape of the skulls changes from those with an Australian appearance to those with a Mongoloid appearance between 9,000 to 7,000 years ago. The only survivors could be tribes of people who lived in the Terra del Fuego region of South America. This is the southernmost tip of the continent, and the people who still live there show hybrid skull features of both mongoloid and negroid ancestry. If proven true then Native Australians could be the first Americans ever.

6. How Old is Our Friendship with Dogs?

There is no debating that wolves were the first animals ever to be domesticated by humans. Even before animal husbandry became a thing, man and wolves (which then turned into dogs) were hunting together in a sort of synergy that benefited both species. But how old is this interspecies collaboration, really? Common theories place the beginning of this relationship somewhere around 15,000 to 18,000 years ago and it happened separately in both China and the Middle East. This is without a doubt far older than any other domesticated animal in the world. Dogs were well established as part of human society around 10,000 years ago, and in Germany for instance, humans and dogs were sometimes buried together as long as 14,000 years ago.

But the discovery of a canine skull in the Altai Mountains in Siberia pushes this timeline by at least another 15,000 years. Radiocarbon dating has placed the skull somewhere around 33,000 years old, and its genetic markers indicate that it more closely resembled modern-day dogs than actual wolves. The similarity between modern dogs and this particular skull was also evident thanks to its shape and size. Another old canine fossil dates back to around 31,000 years ago and was discovered in Goyet Cave in Belgium. And even though its mtDNA (mitochondrial DNA) indicates that it does not share its matriline with any extant wolves or dogs, its skull morphology is more similar to a dog than an actual wolf.

5. The Oldest Writing in the World

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9-o9sA9tLE

Three inscribed tablets that were found in what is now present day Romania may contain the oldest writing system in the world. Each of them is about two and a half inches wide, each has markings on it, and all of them are dated back to around 5300 BC. They were found in 1961 in a ritual pit, alongside other clay and stone offerings and the bones of an elderly woman, probably a sort of priestess. The Tartaria Tablets, as they are known, are thought to have belonged to the Turdas-Vinca culture that inhabited the area during that period. But despite the importance of the discovery and what they stand to represent if proven to be the real deal, the tablets are still shrouded in some controversy. For instance, Mesopotamian experts disregard the Tartaria Tablets by saying that the symbols on them are not actually writing, but only decorations. Other experts believe that these tablets actually contain an early form of Sumerian script since some of the symbols found here are identical to pictograms found in Jemdet Nasr in Iraq.

A German linguist and Mesopotamian script specialist by the name of Harald Haarmann strongly believes that the symbols on the tablets are an early form of writing. He bases his assumptions on the many other symbols that are part of the so-called Danube script found throughout the region on various other ceramic objects and which number roughly the same as the Egyptian hieroglyphs. A more recent discovery from 2009 has brought to light a Neolithic workshop that was once manufacturing clay tablets. Another 120 similar tablets were found at the site, some containing symbols similar to the ones at Tartaria. If these symbols are ever proven to be authentic and part of an actual ancient script, then the cradle of civilization could be moved from the Middle East to Eastern Europe.

4. The City of the Sun in North America

Native Americans usually lived in tepees, right? Well, yes at least, some of them did. But in fact, many Native North Americans lived in large cities before the arrival of the Europeans to the continent. One notable example is Cahokia, or the City of the Sun. It is located in in the state of Illinois, close where the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers merge. This area is one of the most fertile on the continent and here one Native American culture, the Mississippians, made it their home. But they didnt just live in tepees, but rather in grand cities of some 20,000 people strong. Cahokia was at its peak between 1050 and 1200 AD, and during this time, it was bigger than any other European counterpart.

And here is where this tepee misconception comes into play. It was so ingrained into white peoples imaginations that when they came across some earthen mounds in the region, they initially attributed them to retreating glaciers. When they did eventually realize that these were actually man-made, they attributed their construction to Phoenicians, Vikings, and even a lost tribe of Israel. Pretty much anyone other than the Native Americans themselves. And Cahokia is big. It spans over an area of about six square miles and had a total of 120 earth mounds. The city was carefully planned and organized, with plazas, residential areas, and elite compounds. The largest of the earth mounds found here is about 100 feet tall and contains more than 25 million cubic feet of earth, carried here in willow baskets 50 pounds at a time. Known as the Monks Mound, this is the largest earthen structure in the Western Hemisphere.

Fairly little is known about the civilization that built it, however. We do know that their trade network was vast, reaching from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians and from the Great Lakes to Florida. They practiced human sacrifice and relied heavily on corn for nourishment. Today, however, only 70 of the original 120 earth mounds have survived and there is a four lane highway running right through the historic site.

3. Cambodias Medieval Cities

The Khmer Empire was one of the most powerful in Southeast Asia, and probably in the world at the time. It existed in between 802 AD to 1431 AD and extended over what are now Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. They ruled over the region including where the temple complex of Angkor Wat is located. The temple complex itself is one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia and consists of many architectural marvels besides the obvious temples found there. Back in 2012, a team of archaeologists made use of state of the art laser technology called LiDAR. This technology has the ability to see through dense vegetation and map the topography under the jungle canopy. What they discovered was amazing, to say the least. They used LiDAR again in 2015, in a project that became the most extensive airborne survey used for archaeological purposes ever. Some 734 square miles of terrain was scanned and it revealed an unimaginable network of roads, water ways, and densely populated cities, unrivaled anywhere in the world at the time.

Lead archaeologist on the project Damian Evans had this to say about the discovery: We have entire cities discovered beneath the forest that no one knew were there  at Preah Khan of Kompong Svay and, it turns out, we uncovered only a part of Mahendraparvata on Phnom Kulen [in the 2012 survey]  this time we got the whole deal and its big, the size of Phnom Penh big.

Phnom Penh is the current capital city of Cambodia. This survey has shown that the Khmer Empire was able to design and implement an elaborate water system on a grand scale, centuries before archaeologists believed the technology even existed. This new discovery also disproves the theory on how the Khmer Empire eventually collapsed. Up until 2015, it was believed that they were invaded from the north and people fled south. But the lack of any cities in that direction disproves this theory. In any case, Angkor is now, without a shadow of a doubt, the most extensive urban settlement in the world prior to the Industrial Revolution. This is, of course, if LiDAR technology doesnt discover any others.

2. The Gold Crucifix of Denmark

One beautiful afternoon in 2016, an amateur metal detector in Denmark came across a gold crucifix in a field near the town of Aunslev, stfyn. After he posted his discovery on social media, some people advised him to take it to a local museum, which he did. Here, the curator dated the Birka crucifix to somewhere in the first half of the 10th century AD. It is made out of finely articulated goldthreads and small filigree pellets, and has a loop through which a chain once went. What is really interesting about this find is that its dated between 900 and 950 AD, leading historians to believe that the Danes were converted to Christianity earlier than previously believed.

Prior to this discovery, the earliest representation of Jesus on a cross in Denmark came in the form of the Jelling Stones  two large rune stones dated to 965 AD, and which are located in Jutland. These stones commemorate Harald Blatand, or Harald Bluetooth, for his role in converting the Danes to Christianity. What this tiny cross does is push back the period when these Vikings became Christians by several decades, at a minimum.

1. The Appearance of Agriculture

Its a common belief that agriculture started off in what are now Armenia, eastern Turkey, Syria, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Iran around 11,000 years ago. Then it spread to the rest of the Old World. And while this is still true, new archaeological evidence shows that agriculture actually developed in two distinct parts of this particular region, known as the Fertile Crescent, and each then spread to different parts of the world independently. Genetic evidence has proven that there are stark differences between people living in the southern Levant, like Israel and Jordan, and those from across the Zagros Mountains in western Iran. Each of these groups of people developed their own style of agriculture and animal husbandry, favoring different plants and animals for domestication. They lived in complete isolation from each other for centuries or even millennia before they actually met.

And it is believed that they only came in contact in eastern Turkey when both groups were in search of obsidian needed for all sorts of tools. Its also believed that these people met, intermingled, exchanged agricultural techniques and ideas, and then migrated westward into Europe. Those who remained behind, however, went their own separate ways, spreading their distinct forms of agriculture to other parts of the world. Those living in the southern Levant eventually travelled to East Africa, going through present-day Egypt and down the Nile and the Red Sea coast, while those living in western Iran made their way north into the Eurasian steppe and then eastward into present day India and Pakistan. While this discovery doesnt seem like much given that both of these populations emerged from the Fertile Crescent region, it does change our perspective of how history and the start of civilization actually played out.

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Visitors of Mount Athos in the 1970s and 80s had many doubts about the survival of this UNESCO World Heritage that German and Dutch television recently titled the last secret of Europe. Churches and buildings in ruins gave a bleak picture of the most ancient functioning republic in the world, the autonomous monastic polity of the 20 monasteries of Mount Athos.

Since then, nevertheless, teams of young educated monks started establishing progressively in the Imperial Monasteries and started the backbreaking work of restoration. They attracted young monks from around the world.

Centuries ago, the Russian, Bulgarian, Romanian, Georgian, and Serbian languages were first recorded and cultivated behind the walls of Athonite monasteries. Still today, Mount Athos portrays the most vibrant force of Greek culture. Monks from all over the world learn Greek language in order to study the Greek Orthodox spirituality. Bishops serving their local Orthodox parishes in their home countries in the Middle East, Africa, and other places have been trained as monks at Mount Athos. In the United States alone, there are 20 Athonite monasteries.

Read full story here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Gabriel License: CC-BY-SA

Source: thenationalherald.com
The Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower) has signed a Global Co-operation Agreement with the partners of the United Nations Environment Programme, District Energy in Cities, at a summit in Scottsdale, US.



The 108th Annual Conference & Tradeshow of International District Energy Association (Idea) was held from June 26 to 29, reported Wam, the Emirates official news agency.



The memorandum of understanding (MoU) aims to enhance the conservational impact and development of district cooling in the UAE.



Earlier this year, Ahmad bin Shafar, CEO of Empower, was chosen by the United Nations Environment Programme to become the special advisor on district cooling within its "Global District Energy in Cities" initiative.



The agreement defines common objectives and a collaborative framework intended to increase deployment of district energy in respective countries around the globe. The goal is to increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions, strengthen local and regional economies, and deliver the social and environmental benefits of efficient district energy systems, Bin Shafar said.



"At Empower, weve always been committed to accelerating the deployment of district energy. The signing of the Global Co-operation Agreement is a testament to support Dubais Integrated Energy Strategy directed by Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, to build a green economy in the UAE and transform Dubai into a global centre for clean energy and green economy.



"While the agreement will facilitate international collaboration and cross-border exchange, it will also help us increase energy efficiency, enhance energy security, strengthen the local economy and reduce harmful emissions. In addition, it will also help educate and inform governments and citizens on the economic, environmental and energy-efficiency advantages of district energy systems in order to foster adoption of policies and regulations favourable for expansion and deployment," he added.



In effect, until 60 months from the date of execution, the Global Co-operation Agreement brings together countries such as Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Singapore, the UAE, the UK, and the US to jointly share efforts to advance the district energy industry and promote sustainable and resilient technologies.



In addition, the MoU will significantly enhance the pre-existing mutual co-operation between several countries and allow for the achievement of sustainability and resiliency goals at a larger scale than previously possible. Furthermore, the countries will jointly develop, promote and disseminate operational best practices and standardised technical guidelines to support continued industry growth while ensuring reliable, efficient and sustainable operations.



Empower is a member of the board of directors of Idea.
Work has started on the expansion of Wali Al Ahad Highway, a key link for the Riffa area to Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Highway and Hamad Town in Bahrain.

Wali Al Ahad Highway is vital road as it contains a number of important facilities and institutions on both sides, such as the Bahrain Defence Force Hospital, the Military Consumer Association, the Southern Governorate Security Police Department, the Supreme Council for Women, Wadi Al Sail Mall, Wadi Al Sail School, Wadi Al Sail Housing Project and other important establishments, said a statement from Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning.

The aim is to boost the capacity of the highway and alleviate traffic congestions, especially after the opening of Wadi Al Sail Mall. The highway witnesses a traffic volume of around 73,000 vehicles daily, it stated.

The first phase of the BD1.96-million ($5.2 million) project includes expansion of the highway to three lanes in each direction and revamping all intersections along the highway, in addition to re-constructing the highway infrastructure, construction of brick pavements, implementing a storm water drainage network, lighting, signage and protecting the existing services, said the ministry in a statement. The project was earlier awarded by the Tender Board.

The expansion work is aimed at providing a smoother traffic movement along Wali Al Ahad Highway, being the main road linking Riffa to Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Highway and Hamad Town, explained Essam bin Abdulla Khalaf, the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning.

The work will be implemented based on the available capabilities and resources related to the present ground services, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Bahrain-based Al Mabarrah Al Khalifia Foundation, a non-profit foundation, said it has signed an agreement with the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland  Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI Bahrain) for the launch of a new scholarship in medicine.



Al Mabarrah Al Khalifia Foundation is registered and licensed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Development. Established in 2011, the organisations aim is to make a social impact in the education field and to empower Bahraini youth to reach their optimum potential.



As per the agreement, the new HH Shaikha Moza bint Hamad Medical Grant will be presented by Al Mabarrah as part of the Rayaat Scholarship programme, said a statement from the Foundation.



Applications for this scholarship, which covers all tuition fees as well as other benefits pertaining to the Rayaat programme, will be available starting from today (July 2) till July 22, it stated.



According to the Foundation, students will be selected as per a set of criteria. Eligible applicants must be Bahraini, a fresh graduate with a score of 98 per cent and above in secondary school in the field of science. The student must complete all the necessary procedures and apply to the university.



The applicant also should not be the recipient of another scholarship or financial assistance from the government or private entities, it stated.



On the new scholarship, Shaikha Zain bint Khalid Al Khalifa, the chairperson of the Foundation, said the objective was to provide educational opportunities to young people across different academic aspirations in universities and leading educational institutions in the country.



Our mission is to create a generation capable of continuing the development of Bahrain across all sectors, she noted.



Lauding Shaikha Zain Bin and all the members of the Foundation for their efforts to support and empower Bahrains youth, Sameer Otoom, the president of RCSI Bahrain, said: "It is indeed an honour for the university to name a scholarship for medicine after HRH Shaikha Moza Bint Hamad."



We are hoping that this relationship will be further developed in the future for the benefit of Bahraini citizens, he added.



The agreement was signed in the presence of Shaikha Zain bint Khalid Al Khalifa alongside board members Shaikha May bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, Shaikha Hend bint Ali Al Khalifa and Lulwa bint Khalifa Al Khalifa, and head of the programme Noora Isa Bin Hindi, as well as supreme council for health chairman, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Alkhalifa.



RCSI Bahrains head of school nursing and midwifery Prof Seamus Cowman; head of school of postgraduate studies and research, Prof Davinder Sandhu; head of quality enhancement Dr Kathryn Strachan; senior lecturer in family medicine Dr Ghufran Jassim; and head of student services and events, May Maher also took part. TradeArabia News Service
Spain-based Telepizza, a leading restaurant chain, today announces further expansion, with the opening of its first Iranian store in Tehran.



The company plans to open a further two stores by the end of the month. Telepizza signed a masterfranchise agreement with Momenin Investment Group last year; MIG will be investing EUR100 million in the next ten years.



The Tehran store opening marks the start of the latest phase of Telepizza's ambitious global expansion plans, becoming the first International QSR brand to enter the Iranian market and with 1,421 stores globally. Telepizza plans to build on this successful first launch with a further seven stores due to open in Tehran by the end of 2017 and 200 stores across Iran planned in the next 10 years.



The significant opportunities presented by Iran's large, young, population (more than 80 million people of which 65 per cent are below 36 years old), and highly fragmented competition, made the country an obvious choice for expansion.



"We are very proud of the inauguration of our two first Iranian stores. It is a great responsibility to become the first QSR chain in the country," said Pablo Juantegui, chairman and CEO of Telepizza Group. "At Telepizza, we are delighted to share with Iranian consumers the essence of our brand, bringing them the unique flavour of our pizzas, at any moment and place."



Telepizza International president, Giorgio Minardi, said: "The launch of our first Iranian outlet marks an exciting step in our international expansion which continues to gain momentum. Iran looks set to become a hugely important market for us, with significant room for growth. We know our innovative flavours and commitment to use only quality local Iranian ingredients, coupled with our outstanding customer service and great value will appeal to Iranian consumers.



At launch, Telepizza brings its expertise and proven track record in marketing, delivery technology - including full service website and ordering app - franchising and supply chain management. Coupled with its franchisee operating strength and real estate and local management expertise, Telepizza is perfectly positioned to take full advantage of the opportunities presented by the emerging Iranian market.



Alongside classic pizzas, the Telepizza menu also features innovative Chef's signature pizzas such as the Nachos pizza, bringing exciting new flavours to the Iranian market and appealing to consumers' desire to 'try something different'.  TradeArabia News Service
Buyers are welcome to inspect all of our furniture prior to bidding.

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6 Drawer Chest/Lowboy Plus 2 Bedside Table / Cabinet

Made of New Zealand pine.

Stylish handles with a vinyl and metal finish.

All the panels including the back and drawer bottoms are made of timber with no MDF or particle board used.

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The runners extend the drawer fully out eliminating dead space at the back of the drawer.

The back panel is made of timber

Overall Lowboy Dimensions: Width: 1380mm Depth: 450mm Height: 820mm

Cubic metres: 0.51m3

Overall Bedside Cabinet Dimensions (per cabinet): Width: 530mm Depth: 450mm Height: 660mm

Cubic metres: 0.15m3 (per cabinet)

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New Delhi, July 2

Ruling out any price rise post Goods and Services Tax (GST), former Revenue Secretary Shaktikanta Das has said such apprehensions are misplaced and initial hiccups in its implementation will be sorted out in the next 2-3 months.

Das also said that the Centre and states are well prepared for smooth implementation of the GST, which was launched on the midnight of June 30.

GST has subsumed all indirect taxes including VAT and octroi into single tax nationwide. It has been adopted by all states barring Jammu and Kashmir.

Asked if GST will result in spike in prices, Das said, Not at all and it is misplaced as people are looking at taxes from only one side.

People are looking at an increase in prices of goods/services on which taxes have been hiked. However, they are not seeing the input tax credit been made available to the industry, he said and urged people to look at the tax reform holistically.

Under input tax credit facility, the industry is taxed not on purchase of raw material but on value added products.

Das further said, The other side of the story is that input tax credit will be available. That will have moderating impact on so called increase in tax rate.

Therefore, the increase that people are talking about is not that much. You need to see the whole basket. You cannot pick up 5 items and say prices have gone up, he elaborated.

On concerns about glitches in GST rollout, Das said, Any new system will have implementation issues. I think in a matter of 2-3 months, the glitches and hiccups are likely to come up. They will all be resolved.

He said that the industry could face problems in filing tax returns or may commit mistakes and not able to avail input tax credit and remain confused over applicable tax rates on various commodities, among others.

Problems like this are bound to happen. Going forward, everything will get streamlined, he said.

On the day of its launch, President Pranab Mukherjee had described GST as a disruptive change that is bound to have some teething troubles which will have to be resolved quickly to ensure growth momentum in the economy is not impacted. PTI
New Delhi, July 1

Vowing to continue the drive against black money, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said Indian deposits in Swiss banks had dropped. He said the registration of one lakh companies with suspicious dealings had been cancelled post-demonetisation.

Addressing a gathering at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), the Prime Minister attacked chartered accountants who helped citizens evade tax. The message was clear  now that the GST (Goods and Services Tax) had been rolled out, tax compliance was a must.

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On black money stashed away in Swiss banks, the PM said: Last year, the deposits fell by 45 per cent and have been falling ever since 2014 when the NDA government took charge. Alluding to the period when the UPA regime was in power, he observed: Surprisingly, the amount had risen sharply in 2013.

He warned that those with black money would face more trouble when Switzerland began automatic information exchange in two years.

Modi said data mining after demonetisation showed that over three lakh registered companies had indulged in dubious dealings. The government has cancelled the registration of over a lakh in a single stroke and more than 37,000 shell firms have been identified for action. The PM added his government was committed to weeding out money hoarders, come what may.

He asked the CAs to help bring people in the tax bracket. Your signature is more powerful than that of the PM and the government believes the accounts signed by you, Modi said.  TNS
Mohali: Two motorcycle-borne snatchers targeted a woman and took away her purse containing Rs 7,000, a pair of gold earrings and important documents. The incident occurred on Friday night when Renu Bala, who runs a utensil shop in the Phase 1 market, was on the way to her residence in the area. Both snatchers were wearing helmets, she said. The victim raised the alarm, but in vain. The police have registered a case in this regard.Investigation is on, said the police. TNS

Theft: Sai temple staff quizzed

Chandigarh: Suspecting the role of some insider, the police on Saturday questioned staff members of the Sai Dham temple in Sector 29 from where nearly Rs 7 lakh was stolen. Some insider is behind the theft as the person who took away the cash knew the inside of the temple very well. We are questioning the staff. Everything is under scrutiny, said a police official. An eyewitness told the police that after the theft, the thief called up someone and he was picked up by a biker. The thief, who was wearing a hood jacket, entered the temple premises at 2.54 am. He is suspected to have entered the premises by scaling the back wall. He broke seven CCTV cameras. TNS

Minor held for stealing cash, gold

Chandigarh: A 17-year-old boy was arrested for the theft of Rs 15,000 and gold ornaments from the house of a transgender in Sector 25. The complainant told the police that one gold earring, two gold rings and Rs 15,000 were stolen from the house. A case under Section 380 and 411 of the IPC was registered at the Sector 11 police station. The minor boy resided in the neighbourhood and was seen by relatives while taking away the items. He has been sent to the juvenile home. TNS

MLA listens to grievances

Kharar: Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu on Saturday listened to grievances of residents at the civil rest house here. A large number of people turned up on the occasion and made the MLA aware of their problems. A majority of them complained him about inadequate drinking water supply, erratic electricity supply, poor roads, sanitation, encroachments and corruption at government offices. Sandhu assured of proper action. OC

Drug peddler arrested

Kharar: The police have arrested, Sanjeev Kumar, a resident of Mullanpur Garibdas, following the recovery of 11 strips of intoxicant tablets. ASI Harpal Singh was patrolling near Tewar village when they saw a car coming from the Harlapur side. On seeing the police party, the driver of this car tried to escape. He was caught by the police and recovered 11 strips of tablets. The accused could not produce any bill or document it. He has been remanded in one-day police custody by a local court. OC

HMT staff, mgmt settle issues

Kalka: The dispute between the management and 780 HMT employees, who were forced to opt for voluntary retirement, was settled during a meeting on Saturday. Subhash Chauhan, president of the ex-HMT Employees Association, said the meeting was held between the HMT employees and Ram Prasad JGM (HR) and GM Krishnamurty. It was decided that the employees would sign an undertaking and If any recovery was to be made, they would pay the amount against which the pending amount of Rs 1 to 2 lakh and the salary would be released. It was also suggested that if the tractor plant and machinery was given to some private company on lease, the company may recruit 152 HMT employees, who have 15 to 20 years of service left. OC

Vocational training for girls

Fatehgarh Sahib: A month-long vocational training programme in fabric construction and designing, organised at Pandrali village by Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) concluded on Saturday. Dr Vipin Kumar Rampal, Deputy Director (Training), said a total of 15 rural girls participated in the course. He emphasised that such vocational training programmes were important for rural girls to develop their skills and economic independence. Dr Manisha Bhatia, Assistant Professor (Home Science), said the girls had been equipped with various techniques of designing and fabric construction. She said different techniques of value addition to fabric, including block painting, stencil painting and methods for removal of different stains. TNS

Scleroderma Day observed

Chandigarh: The Department of Internal Medicine, PGI, Chandigarh, celebrated the Scleroderma Initiative, a patient awareness programme on Saturday. The programme was inaugurated by Dr Surjit Singh, former professor of Internal Medicine, PGI. Apart from specialists, the programme was attended by nearly 200 patients. Prof Amita Aggarwal, president, Indian Rheumatology Association, gave a brief overview of the disease. This disease involves tightening of skin, including its change in colour during winters. Many a times, internal organs such as lungs, kidneys and heart are involved. A panel discussion by doctors from the Department of Internal Medicine was held to clarify myths and doubts regarding the disease. A timely intervention with drugs, precaution during cold season, regular medical check up can definitely improve the quality of life. PGI offers a comprehensive care for the disease and roughly 600 patients are registered at the special rheumatology clinic. This was followed by open discussion with patients. Information booklets were distributed among all patients. TNS

Blood camp

Chandigarh: The Thalassaemic Children Welfare Association organised its 168th blood donation camp at the PGI, Chandigarh, on Saturday with the help of the Blood Bank, PGI. At the camp, 247 units of blood were collected for the PGI, Chandigarh. The next blood donation camp of the association will be being organised at Zakir Hall, Research Block-A, PGI, Chandigarh, on July 15. TNS
Chandigarh, July 2

The police on Sunday arrested two persons for allegedly stealing around Rs 10 lakh from a temple here.

The theft happened at the Sai Dham temple in Sector 29 here in the early hours of Friday.

Police said that they received a complaint on Friday from the temple trust after its workers had found the donation box inside the premises broken and the money missing.

Police said the main accused had allegedly entered the premises through a window on the first floor and also damaged the CCTV cameras installed there.

The other arrested man was waiting with a scooter outside and helped him escape.

The police tracked down their whereabouts with the help of their mobile signal location and set up a barricade in the Sector 29 area. The two, who were travelling in a car, were then arrested in connection with the theft.

They have been identified as Amarjit Singh, who is the main accused, and Ajay.

They were produced before a court today which remanded them in police custody till tomorrow.

An amount of around Rs 3.5 lakh has been recovered from their possession so far. A toy air gun was also found on them, police said.

During the course of interrogation suspect Amarjit, alias Sonu, said that he had a mobile shop at Kajheri village here, but suffered heavy losses in his business. He also told the police that he was a regular visitor of Sai temple here for the last 7 to 8 years and was well-versed with the temples structure, a police official said.

Police said that on June 23, Amarjit allegedly purchased two SIM cards from Burail here on a fake ID and also arranged two mobile sets.

On June 28, he planned the theft with co-accused Ajay and also conducted a recce planning how to enter and exit the temple. On intervening night of June 29-30, Amarjit gained entry into the temple by breaking open the window of first floor of the temple and once inside he also brushed the CCTV cameras with the black paint and damaged them. He also wore a black gown and a mask to conceal his identity, the official said.

After exiting the temple from the point of ingress, he called his co-accused from the mobile phone which he had specially purchased for the crime and both escaped from the spot on a scooter.

After committing the theft both the accused went to Amarjts house and kept the stolen money in a car, he said.  PTI
Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, July 1

Top Lashkar-e-Toiba militant Bashir Lashkari and his aide, a Pakistani national, were today killed in an encounter in Dialgam area of Anantnag district, 63 km south of Srinagar. Two civilians, 44-year-old Tahira and 21-year-old Shadab Ahmad Chopan, were killed during the clashes that erupted at the encounter site. Fifteen civilians were also injured, five sustaining bullet injuries.

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Bashir Ahmad Wani alias Bashir Lashkari was the mastermind behind the June 16 Achabal attack in which six policemen, including Station House Officer (SHO) Feroz Ahmad Dar, were killed. Sources said Breenthi locality in Dialgam, 7 km from the main town of Anantnag, was cordoned off early this morning following inputs that militants were hiding there. A joint police, Army and CRPF team identified a house where the militants were holed up.

As soon as the forces moved in, locals came out in large numbers and started throwing stones. As the forces tried to curb the protests, two civilians were killed and 15 wounded, said sources.

Shesh Paul Vaid, DGP, claimed they had freed 17 civilians taken hostage by militants. The locals, however, said they were residents who had voluntarily joined the family sheltering the militants. They dared the forces to kill them too. It was after a lot of cajoling that they agreed to leave the house. Soon after, an encounter ensued which lasted hours, the sources said, adding that the forces eventually bombed the house.

The site was combed and the bodies of the militants retrieved. Clashes continued in the area, as also in Anantnag and Kokernag, for most part of the day. Lashkari, who belonged to Kokernag, joined militancy in 2015. Kashmiri separatists have called for a shutdown tomorrow to protest the killing of civilians.
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, July 2

The Ludhiana branch of Indian Medical Association (IMA) observed the Doctors Day by holding a blood donation camp at the IMA House here. The IMA members and other volunteers donated blood. It was largely attended function in which more than 80 doctors of the city participated.

The Congres legislator, Kuldeep Vaid, while congratulating the doctors on the occasion, advised them to work for alleviating peoples suffering with compassion and dedication.

Gurdev Singh Lapran, president, District Congress Committee (Rural), complimented the IMA for the work done in organising a blood donation camp. He stressed upon the fact that unlike drug, blood cant be manufactured synthetically and has to be donated.

The Ludhiana IMA president, Dr Avinash Jindal, extended a warm welcome to the dignitaries and apprised them of the problems being faced by medical community. The former state president of the IMA, Dr Manoj Sobti, exhorted the doctors who work with dedication to update their clinical skills and abide by the law of land.

The IMA secretary, Ludhiana, Dr Bimal Kanish, introduced the doctors who were honored for their services to the profession on the occasion.

The felicitated doctors included Dr SC Ahuja, Dr Renu Chhatwal, Dr Rajiv Bhalla, Dr Baldev Singh Aulakh, Dr Sandeep Puri, Dr Daljeet Singh, Dr Arindam Ghosh, Dr OP Arora, Dr RP Singh, Dr Baldeep Singh, Dr Bishav Mohan, Dr GS Wander, Dr Sunil Katyal, Dr Kulwant Singh, Dr Sanjeev Mahajan.
Ramgarh (Jharkhand), July 2

A local BJP leader was among two persons arrested while another person surrendered in court in connection with the lynching of a meat trader in Ramgarh district recently, the police said.

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Nityanand Mahato, the local BJP leader, and Santosh Singh were arrested in the case. Another accused Chhotu Rana surrendered in Ramgarh court, Superintendent of Police Kishore Kaushal said on Saturday.

The police have also taken a man into custody for interrogation.

Read: Man lynched by mob in Jharkhand on suspicion of carrying beef

A 40-year-old meat trader, a resident of village Manua in Hazaribagh district, was beaten to death by a mob on Thursday on suspicion that he was carrying beef in his vehicle.

The mob also set the vehicle on fire.

The incident took place at Bazaartand locality of Ramgarh town.

The district administration had deployed additional security forces and imposed prohibitory orders under section 144 of CrPC in view of the tension on Friday last.

Though the situation in Ramgarh limped back to normal, security forces are still present all 33 sensitive joints of the district.

The incident in Ramgarh took place just a couple of days after a mob attacked and injured a man in Giridih district on suspicion that he had slaughtered a cow. PTI
Lahore, July 2

Pakistans Foreign Office on Sunday rejected India's demand for consular access to Indian businessman Kulbhushan Jadhav for the 18th time, saying New Delhi is trying to deny the facts by calling Jadhav an ordinary prisoner.

A statement by the Pakistan FO affirmed that Jadhav was sent to Pakistan by Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and many innocent Pakistanis were killed by him.

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The Foreign Office further asked India to act upon the bilateral agreement on consular access instead of levelling accusations on Pakistan, Dunya News reported.

India on Saturday asked Pakistan to grant consular access to its national Kulbhushan Jadhav, who has been sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and sabotage activities.

India had moved the International court of Justice against the death penalty and the ICJ in its verdict on May 18 had restrained Pakistan from executing Jadhav.

Meanwhile, India argued that Pakistan had not granted India consular access, nor had accepted his family's appeals.

The court has asked India to make its submission in the case by September 13 and Pakistan by December 13.

Pakistan had also earlier said Jadhav will not be executed till he "exhausts all his mercy appeals".

Both countries also exchanged lists of nationals lodged in the jails of the other country, in consistent with the provisions of the Agreement on Consular Access between both the neighbouring countries.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in this statement stated that, "India remains committed to addressing on priority all humanitarian matters with Pakistan, including those pertaining to prisoners and fishermen. In this context, we await from Pakistan confirmation of nationality of those in India's custody who are otherwise eligible for release and repatriation." ANI
New Delhi, July 2

The BJP expects cross-voting from Opposition ranks, especially in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, in favour of NDA presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind.

The internal bickering in the Samajwadi Party, some of whose MLAs owe allegiance to Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brother Shivpal Yadav, coupled with the fact that Kovind is a son of the soil could nudge a section of its lawmakers to vote for him, sources said.

Mulayam, a Lok Sabha MP, had expressed his support for Kovind after he was declared the NDA's candidate. The recent meetings of Shivpal, who is opposed to the leadership of party president and former chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, with UP Chief Minister Adityanath has fuelled speculation about his future move.

BJP sources involved with the Kovind's campaign said they expected some lawmakers from the SP to vote for him.

With the Mayawati-led BSP staring at an uncertain future, some of its lawmakers too can defy her support for the opposition's candidate Meira Kumar and instead vote for Kovind.

The SP and BSP have 54 and 19 MLAs in the 403-member UP assembly. The SP has five Lok Sabha members and 18 in the Rajya Sabha. The BSP has six members in the Rajya Sabha.

As the saffron party is in power at the Centre and Uttar Pradesh as well, some Opposition members may be swayed to vote for its nominee.

Though opposition parties are in much stronger position in Bihar but the fissure in their ranks after Chief Minister and JD (U) chief Nitish Kumar's support to Kovind has made things fluid.

A BJP leader said they were not ruling out cross votings from the Congress and the RJD camps.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad is working overtime to ensure that there is maximum possible voting in favour of Kumar but the Congress could be more vulnerable, he said.

As there is no provision for party whips in the presidential election, MPs and MLAs are free to vote according to their preference and it is not possible to find out an individual's choice.

The poll is scheduled for July 17 and the counting of votes will take place on July 20. PTI
New Delhi, July 2

The Puducherry government plans to approach the courts to settle the issue of powers of the Chief Minister of the Union Territory vis-a-vis the Lt-Governor, giving a new twist to the raging battle of power between incumbent Chief Minister M.V. Narayanasamy and Lt-Governor Kiran Bedi.

Sources said the government may approach the Madras High Court on the lines of a similar action taken by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Delhi in the battle between Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Lt-Governor Najeeb Jung, before he quit last year.

If the High Court does not rule in its favour, then the Union Territory with state assembly may approach the Supreme Court, the sources said.

Narayanasamy, who has met President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier and complained to them about Bedi's "overreach", says he plans to meet Modi again and discuss the issue with him.

"I will meet the Prime Minister and tell him about her activities," he told IANS in an interview.

Asked what the Centre's attitude was regarding his complaints about Bedi, Narayanasamy said: "The Centre is neither supporting her nor encouraging her. She is doing what she is doing on her own."

Contending that the Constitutional provision in Art 239, 239(A) and 240 provides the road map for governance of the Union Territory of Puducherry, under which the Governor has no role in the day-to-day administration of the government, Narayanasamy said Law and Order and Services of the government rest with the elected government in Puducherry.

In the National Capital Territory of Delhi, these issues lie with the Government of India and the Home Ministry.

He said in Chapter 3 of the Business Rules, on the state list the Lt-Governor acts on the aid and advice of the council of ministers. As far as Chapter 4 (concurrent list) is concerned, the Lt-Governor is to take decisions in consultation with the Chief Minister. Under Chapter 5 of the Business Rules, on the central list, the Government of India has powers.

"What the LG is doing is to interfere in the day-to-day administration of the government," Narayanasamy said, citing examples of her surprise field visits to constituencies and talk about the local problems like water and sanitation which, he contended, is the job of the elected government and MLAs.

"It is primarily the job of the minister concerned. But she issues orders like executive about on-going schemes and order officials without the knowledge of the minister concerned or the Chief Minister," he said.

"She is also not returning the files sent by the Chief Minister for waiver of cooperative loans and free education for Dalit students, increasing freedom fighters pension and free power to farmers, all coming under my jurisdiction and all promises made during election," Narayanasamy said.

He said she was also writing to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Central Vigilance Commission on administrative issues alleging corruption.

Recently, the Chief Minister said, Bedi wrote to the National Green Tribunal seeking punishment for officials in the matter of a project relating to segregation of garbage. "The NGT had wanted removal of garbage. After some complaints were made, the judge hearing the case recused," he said.

The Chief Minister claimed that the Election Commission had reprimanded her for violating the Model Code of Conduct during the byelection in his constituency Nellithope. It was curious, he said, that the Lt-Governor wanted to "punish" her own government.

"I have brought all this to the notice of the President, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. They have promised that they will go into the matter," he said.  IANS
New Delhi, July 2

Indias small community of Jews is looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Israelthe first ever by an Indian Premierhoping that it will lead to Jews being granted a minority status in India.

Some 6,000 Indian Jews live in the country, which has been home to the community for the past 2,000 years. Jews are spread across cities in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala and Gujarat, apart from Delhi.

The community says while they have never faced any form of discrimination in India because of their religion, a minority status for Jews is among their foremost expectations from the Prime Ministers visit, which starts on July 4.

We look forward to the PMs visit and hope that a minority status is conferred upon the community, says Ezekiel Markel, priest at the Judah Hyam Synagogue in Delhi, the only synagogue in the national capital.

He says that in Maharashtra, Jews have been recognised as a minority, and a similar step should be taken at the central level. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and Jains are currently notified as minority communities.

The community, he adds, has not faced anti-semiticism in India.

For us, India is our motherland. We are Indians first and Jews second. If Israel is in our hearts, India is in our blood, he says.

His views are echoed by Queenie Hallegua, one of the last five Israeli Jews inhabiting the Mattacherry locality in Kochi. Jews who chose to move to Israel did not leave India because of persecution, she stresses.

They were all very happy, they were all well settled. But they desired to live in their own country and die there, she says.

Calcutta resident A M Cohen stresses the need for more direct flights between India and Israel.

I want that during this visit both the countries should take initiatives to start more direct flights from India to Israel, so that it becomes easier for us to visit our families and friends there, she says.  PTI
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, July 2

Mahavir Prasad Tordi, Special Adviser to the Nepal Vice-President, said today that his country was in favour of India becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Addressing mediapersons here, he said the objective of the three-day SAARC Cultural Co-Relation Conference, starting from December 7 in Kathmandu, was to convey to the world that India was the only country capable of representing South Asia.

He said all SAARC nations, including India and Pakistan, had been invited to the conference. He added that Indias neighbouring countries should support its candidature in the UN Security Council.

He said free trade and cultural exchange in South Asia would end poverty and illiteracy in the region.

Tordi paid obeisance at the Golden Temple and prayed for the success of the conference.
Jakarta (Indonesia), July 2

Former United States President Barack Obama has called on the world to stand up for tolerance, moderation and respect for others, while warning that sectarian politics could lead to chaos and violence.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

In a freewheeling speech in Indonesia on Saturday, Obama said some countries had adopted an aggressive kind of nationalism and increased resentment of minority groups, The Guardian reports.

Its been clear for a while that the world is at a crossroads. At an inflection point, Obama said, telling a Jakarta crowd stories of how much the capital had improved since he lived there as a child, in what could be seen as a commentary on the US as well as Indonesia.

If we dont stand up for tolerance and moderation and respect for others, if we begin to doubt ourselves and all that we have accomplished, then much of the progress that we have made will not continue, he added.

What we will see is more and more people arguing against democracy, we will see more and more people who are looking to restrict freedom of the press, and well see more intolerance, more tribal divisions, more ethnic divisions, and religious divisions and more violence. Obama was born to a Kenyan father and an American mother. The family moved to Jakarta in 1967 when he was six, and stayed for four years.  ANI
London, July 2

A major fire on Sunday broke out at a new under-construction block of flats in London after blazes reportedly began from their solar panels.

At least 80 firefighters and 12 fire engines were pressed into service to tackle the fire.

London Fire Brigade said nobody was inside the building at the time of the incident.

The incident comes days after a devastating fire gutted Grenfell Tower, a 24-storey residential building in west London on June 14, killing at least 80 people.

Officials said that flames engulfed the roof of the Bow Wharf building, close to Bethnal Green and Mile End area of the city.

The block is a brand new residential waterside development where five houses and 19 apartments are set to sell for as much as one million pound (USD 1.30 million) each.

The exact cause behind the incident remains unknown.

An eyewitness wrote on Twitter: Brand new building not finished so no one in it. But it is caught inside now. Whole thing going to go up. Looks like solar panels caught alight.

The entire development comprises 24 units in total, including some affordable housing.

Construction and development firm Rooff Limited and H20Urban are joint venture partners and contractors on the half-acre site at the junction of the Regents and Hereford Union canals in east London.

Work on the development started in late 2015 and is due to be completed this year.

In the Grenfell tower incident, cheap cladding used on the exterior of the building was blamed for the rapid spread of the fire and hundreds of other tower blocks around the UK have since failed fire safety tests on their cladding.  PTI
Kabul, July 2

The Islamic State (IS) group has beheaded 10 Taliban men in Afghanistan's Jawzjan province.

Islamic State militants besieged Aqbalaq village in Darzab district last week and arrested 10 Taliban militants. They were beheaded on Friday, Xinhua news agency cited local Daily Weesa as reporting on Sunday.

Both the Taliban and IS militants have been fighting for consolidating positions in parts of the Afghan district over the past several weeks.

Neither Taliban nor IS group made comment on the report.  IANS
Mexico City, July 2

The police in Mexico said they have killed 19 gunmen in a shootout. Five police officers were also injured in the confrontation.

Cristobal Castaneda, undersecretary for public security, told the media on Saturday that the police-gunmen clash started on Friday evening, Xinhua news agency reported.

The gunmen had just killed two men from a rival gang when they were surprised by a large contingent of police who happened to be in the neighbourhood. They also alerted the army troops in the area, who chased the gang members and caught up with them in Aguaje de Costilla, Castaneda said.

The security forces seized some 20 weapons and three pick-up trucks from the gang.

The region has seen fierce in-fighting in the powerful Sinaloa drugs cartel since the arrest of its leader, JoaquAn El Chapo Guzman, in January 2016.

This was one of the worst clashes, the Mexican media said.  IANS
Damascus, July 2

A suicide car bomber pursued by security forces blew himself up in eastern Damascus on Sunday, with a monitor reporting 18 killed in the deadliest attack to hit the Syrian capital in months.

Syrian state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said security forces intercepted three car bombers on their way into the city early on Sunday morning.

State television said two of the vehicles were blown up on the outskirts of the city.

A third managed to reach the eastern Tahrir Square district, where he was surrounded but able to detonate a bomb.

The Observatory, a Britain-based monitor, said 18 people were killed in the bombing, including at least seven members of pro-regime security forces and two civilians. It had not identified the remaining victims.

Syrian state news agency SANA quoted an interior ministry statement as saying two of the vehicles had been destroyed at a roundabout on the road to the citys airport.

The driver of the third blew himself up while being pursued, it said, killing a number of civilians, injuring others, and causing material damage to public and private properties.

An AFP correspondent at Tahrir Square saw extensive damage to nearby buildings. Two bombed-out cars were visible to one side of the square, which was strewn with debris.

A woman was crying in an apartment near the site of the attack. Her balcony had collapsed and the living room was a mess of broken glass and shattered masonry, with pictures and curtains strewn across the floor.

The woman said her daughter had been taken to hospital after being injured by flying glass.

Tahrir Square resident Mohammad Tinawi told AFP that he had heard gunfire at around 6:00 am (0300 GMT), then an explosion which smashed the glass of houses in the neighbourhood.

He said he had seen Red Crescent volunteers treating two wounded soldiers. A shopkeeper confirmed that the explosion had gone off at around 6:00 am.

Damascus has been spared the large-scale battles that have devastated other major Syrian cities during the countrys six-year civil war.

But dozens of people have been killed in bombings, particularly on the outskirts of the capital.

In mid-March, bomb attacks on a courthouse and restaurant in central Damascus killed 32 people. That rare assault in the heart of the city, which remains under government control, was claimed by the Islamic State group.

That came days after two explosions that left 74 dead in the capitals Old City and were claimed by the Tahrir al-Sham coalition led by the jihadist Fateh al-Sham Front.

Battlefronts around Damascus have calmed since a May deal that saw opposition fighters withdraw from several neighbourhoods, along with a separate agreement on de- escalation zonesincluding one in a rebel stronghold just outside the capital.

Syrias conflict broke out with anti-government protests in 2011, but has since evolved into a multi-front war that has killed more than 320,000 people.  AFP
Walking into the Tulsa Jail to see her husband, Jazmin Rojas stopped to talk to the peaceful protesters who were gathered in support of the immigrants inside.

I wish I would have known about you before what happened, she said.

Those with the New Sanctuary Network Tulsa embraced her, listening to her story.

Theres no shame in what happened, Rojas said. But its very hard to talk about it.

Since May, the network of interfaith protesters has gathered at noon each Thursday to sing, speak and show unity with strangers. Usually about 20 attend, with a roster of about 200 supporters.

The mass rounding up of undocumented immigrants for possible deportation is contrary to American tradition, and it doesnt reflect the goodness and generosity of Tulsas citizens, said Rabbi Marc Boone Fitzerman of Congregation Bnai Emunah. Weve wrestled here with many important issues involving race, diversity and justice, and the question of immigration is next in line as one of our most important challenges.

Traumatic arrest: Rojas brushed away tears as she recounted what put her husband in the immigration section of the jail.

She doesnt want his name used because she fears further backlash from federal immigration authorities, but she shared it with me so I could verify his case.

In 2015, her husband was charged with four misdemeanors in Tulsa County traffic court, including first-offense driving under the influence, driving without a license and causing an accident. He pleaded guilty and received two suspended 1-year jail sentences and fines totaling about $1,160.

He paid the fines within six months and stayed out of trouble. Oklahoma records do not show that he has been involved in other criminal cases.

We thought it was all behind us. We hadnt heard anything more about it, Rojas said. But he was pulling out to go to work when he got blocked in by people we didnt know.

Rojas, a U.S.-born citizen, said she and her husband have been together for two years and have a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old. Even though they are married and he works for a family member, he has not been able to obtain legal residency. He entered the United States from Mexico as a teenager without legal documents in 2004.

At 6 a.m. June 1, three immigration officers blocked the driveway as he was leaving for work, Rojas said. She said they did not have identifiable uniforms or a marked vehicle, which is why he initially thought they might be robbers.

Eventually, he noticed a logo on an agents shirt just as one threatened to get out pepper spray.

I was so panicked about what was happening to him I ran outside in my pajamas, Rojas said. As soon as they saw me, they told me to tell him to stop resisting. I did, but he wasnt resisting. My 2-year-old ran after me. He saw his dad getting arrested, and that breaks my heart.

They kept saying this is because of his criminal record, and I kept thinking, What criminal record?

Rojas has been a stay-at-home mother, so not having income is putting an added strain on the family.

Hes a great father and a hard worker, Rojas said.

New Sanctuary Network Tulsa organizer Linda Allegro said such stories are why the group formed.

That her husband got sober, paid his fines and got his life together should be celebrated, Allegro said. What was he doing when arrested? Going to work. Thats what immigration laws are doing  going back retroactively and punishing people. Thats the politics of deportations.

Peaceful protests: Sanctuary networks have been popping up across the country to advocate and protest on behalf of immigrants. In Tulsa, the group is targeting the countys 287 (g) program, which is a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that gives jurisdiction to hold an immigrant until deportation.

The Tulsa County Sheriffs Office is one of 45 agencies in 18 states with this program, and the only one in Oklahoma. The Tulsa Jail has had the contract since 2008.

Critics say it encourages racial profiling and unequal treatment of immigrants.

The New Sanctuary Network Tulsa focuses on the moral argument in deportations  whether that punishment fits the crime.

Like native-born or naturalized American citizens, a small number of persons without documents have acted in criminal ways. But the vast majority are peaceable, law-abiding Tulsans who want the same things the rest of us do: security for themselves and their children, a place to work and a roof over their heads, Fitzerman said.

Criminals should be dealt with by law enforcement and the courts, but persons without documents need a humane way to normalize their status.

Each week, those gathered outside the jail read off a script with declarations against oppression. The songs they sing are familiar to those who know Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and protest hymns.

Lots of people mock the Kumbaya nature of public protest. I see it differently, Fitzerman said. Slowly and surely, were going to chip away at the idea that immigrants are criminals or terrorists and get people to rethink their assumptions about people who dont look like they were born in America.

This is a long and difficult process, but I think history and American values are on our side.

For those in the network, this can be a personal calling.

My wifes parents came to this country after they were persecuted in Auschwitz and Bergen Belsen. They were deported from their homes and, at the end of the war, had to wait in line for visas behind German nationals who were deemed useful to America during the Cold War, Fitzerman said. All four of my own grandparents were European Jewish immigrants to the United States.

I feel intensely loyal to the idea of America as a refuge, a place where we work to relieve suffering and shelter the dispossessed.

The network launched a letter-writing campaign for county officials to drop the immigration program. It is also organizing rapid-response teams. This will send six to eight people to a scene as immigration agents detain a person.

We will show up to be vigilant, present and bear witness to an ICE arrest, Allegro said. We can video record  and let the government know we are watching. Maybe we dont have power to change the laws, but we can show up and say, Not in my name. We can offer moral support.

Allegro continued: We see the negative effects it has on students, neighbors and people we engage with every day. But they are afraid and do not want to come forward to participate in protest.

As we gathered, we asked, What can we do to raise our voices in the face of injustice?

For those gathered, this is, above all, a spiritual movement rooted in faith and humanity.

My experience is that Tulsans work hard to do the right thing. Its legitimate to establish borders and work on questions of language, diversity and citizenship, Fitzerman said. But I dont think anyone wants to break up families and chase grandmothers into church basements in Tulsa.

The real question is how we honor the idea that every person reflects the face of God.
In this season of political acrimony and strife, let us remember the day in the Oklahoma House of Representatives when two overheated members took to calling each other election crooks.

This quickly escalated into balled fists, flying inkwells and bruised knuckles, and it concluded with the state Republican Party chairman sprawled unconscious across a desk while someone sang Nearer My God to Thee.

So we havent gotten to that point yet.

In my lifetime alone, nothing yet seems to surpass the 1960s and early 1970s. Civil rights workers murdered in the South. Riots in Watts, Detroit and Washington, D.C. Five major American political figures assassinated. Chaos at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. SDS. The Weathermen. The Black Panthers. The Ohio National Guard firing on unarmed protesters at Kent State University, killing four and wounding nine.

Truth is, we have always been a quarrelsome lot. What we call the Boston Massacre, for instance, basically began with colonists heckling British soldiers and throwing rocks and snowballs at them.

Famously, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr dueled over their differences. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, once great friends, orchestrated smear campaigns of unprecedented viciousness against each other.

In 1856, pro-slavery Sen. Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat abolitionist Sen. Charles Sumner of Massachusetts almost to death on the U.S. Senate floor after Sumner impugned Brooks second cousin  and slavery  in a speech.

And then, of course, there was that unpleasantness called the Civil War.

Bullets, bats and billy clubs answered the demands of striking workers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Suffragettes went to jail for chaining themselves to the White House fence.

Gen. Douglas MacArthur ordered a cavalry charge against subversives  unemployed World War I veterans  encamped near the U.S. Capitol.

No, free speech in America has never been entirely without cost. But neither has it been exactly like it is now.

The sheer ferocity of some of it may not be that much different, but the manner of exposure to it is, said Laura Belmonte, head of the Oklahoma State University history department.

The deep-seated vitriol reaches a lot further than it did just a few years ago.

Angry recriminations blast out in an unrelenting cacophony of talk radio, cable television, the internet and social media, a seemingly endless number of voices clamoring for attention  and a share of the market.

Belmonte traces the current situation to the 1987 repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, a Federal Communications Commission rule requiring broadcasters that provide public affairs programming to present competing views. The doctrine was based on the idea that the airwaves are owned by the public, like a park or the highway system, and should therefore offer equal access.

Talk radio already existed, but eliminating the Fairness Doctrine meant broadcasters didnt have to worry about balancing their programming. Cable television, which was not subject to the Fairness Doctrine, would probably have soon rendered the rule obsolete, anyway, but many observers, including Belmonte, say its demise signaled a new phase in political speech.

At the same time, cable and satellite television and the internet transformed a mass media society  in which a limited number of media outlets dictated content to a broad audience  to a niche media society  in which an almost unlimited number of media outlets fight over narrowly defined slices of the market.

And then came social media.

The internet can unite scattered like-minded individuals into a cohesive force. It allows people who have never met to organize demonstrations, plan meetings and formulate ideas.

And it allows anyone to say anything about anyone with few or no repercussions.

So we have the president of the United States and members of Congress taunting each other on Twitter, and Facebook feeds are clogged with what amounts to political propaganda and people SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER IN ALL CAPS.

Were being bombarded by information more than anyone in human history, Belmonte said. Sometimes we just want to flip the channel. Its just too much.

Maybe if we treated Facebook friends the same way we treat friends in person, the temperature would go down a few degrees. Social media seems to bring out the Dorothy Parker in all of us, and not in a good way.

Belmonte isnt sure even that will work, though.

With the current state of discourse, she said, I dont know how we get back to a baseline of civility.

Personally, I find some cause for hope in the example of Adams and Jefferson, whose friendship forged in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the republics early days appeared irreparably broken by the vicious election of 1800.

Although personally fond of each other, Jefferson and Adams disagreed on just about everything related to the future of the United States.

Adams was a New Englander and a Federalist, meaning he favored a strong central government.

Jefferson was a Virginian, a southerner and a Democratic-Republican, meaning he opposed a dominant federal government.

In the presidential election of 1800, each attacked the other through the highly partisan press. Jeffersons hired gun, the scurrilous James Callendar, called Adams a hideous hermaphroditical character, which has neither the force and firmness of a man, nor the gentleness and sensibility of a woman.

Adams allies said Jefferson was a mean-spirited, low-lived fellow, the son of a half-breed Indian squaw, sired by a Virginia mulatto father.

And so it went.

The two men did not speak again, either in person or by letter, until 1812, when Adams, at the urging of a mutual friend, sent Jefferson New Years greetings. Jefferson responded a short time later, beginning a correspondence that would produce about 150 letters over more than a dozen years.

And so they advanced into old age, reconciled despite their bitter differences. Famously, they died on the same day, July 4, 1826  the 50th anniversary of the signing of that boldest expression of political discourse, the Declaration of Independence.
NORMAN  The University of Oklahoma has long been known for weather and climate research, but a high-ranking administrator says an eight-year, $161 million project that formally began Saturday puts OU in an entirely new orbit.

Absolutely transformational, is how Berrien Moore, vice president for weather and climate programs, described it.

In December, it was learned that OU had beaten out 14 other bidders for a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to lead a first-of-its-kind Earth science mission that will include well-known collaborators such as the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Center, NASAs Ames Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Colorado State University, which along with OU is one of the higher education leaders in storm research.

The contract, which became effective Saturday, involves development, deployment and operation of the Geostationary Carbon Cycle Observatory, or GeoCarb. In truth, Moore said, OU had already been working on the concept and technology for GeoCarb for seven years.

A 5-foot cube, GeoCarb will be attached to a commercial communications satellite scheduled for launch into orbit in the early summer of 2021. The instrument, as its called, will be integrated into the communications satellites power supply and telemetry.

Its mission is a daily infrared scan of Western Hemisphere foliage, producing data for monitoring vegetation and, by so doing, gauging carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and methane levels and the processes that produce them.

For Oklahoma wheat farmers, that will mean we can see drought stress before they can, Moore said.

Moore said GeoCarb will produce a wealth of information for both government scientists and the private sector.

No. 1, he said, we will be able to measure every day, wall-to-wall, the health and status of vegetation in the entire Western Hemisphere.

Second, well be able to measure greenhouse gases and what really causes them. This will be an opportunity to really get at the carbon cycle.

Moore said GeoScan also will help identify sources of methane leakage during natural gas production, which has become a major issue among producers, regulators and environmentalists.

Because it will be in a geostationary orbit, GeoScan will basically hover continuously over the same spot on Earth. Scanning 3 kilometers by 6 kilometers at a time with a four-second exposure, Moore said it will cover the contiguous United States in less than two hours, and the Western Hemisphere from Hudson Bay in Canada to Tierra Del Fuego at the tip of South America each day.

Some question why NASA  the nations space agency  spends time and money on Earth sciences, especially if it involves even a hint of researching greenhouse gases and climate.

Moore said it is pretty simple.

This is really fundamental information, he said. If were going to look for life elsewhere, we better understand how life works here.
Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Missouri, which had applied for a grant from a Missouri state fund that subsidizes the purchase of recycled tires for use on playground surfaces. The ruling eviscerated the Missouri state Constitutions ban on any public aid to religion, regardless of how the aid is used.

The First Amendment begins: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . . " So, Congress can make no law but nothing prevents the court from making laws, which it has done many times, thereby ignoring the separation of powers.

That said, it seems that what we have is the proverbial camel with its nose under the tent. Its a dangerous precedent. The court has opened the door to more litigation involving the church/state relationship. The result could easily tear down of the wall of separation.

If the justices are experts on the constitution, then they ought to know that one of the most compelling reasons for establishing this country in the first place was to get away from the oppressive religion in Europe.

If they fail to understand that fundamental purpose, then they are violating their oath of office to uphold the U.S. Constitution. Of course, these days, violating an oath of office doesnt even raise an eyebrow.

We are supposed to be a nation of laws, not a nation of opinions. Yet, here we are.

Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to letters@tulsaworld.com.
Maine tried to raise its minimum wage. Restaurant workers didnt want it.

As the Maine House voted on a bill to reduce the minimum wage for tipped restaurant workers, Jason Buckwalter and a dozen fellow servers listening to the vote call from the backroom of a Bangor steakhouse all hoped to hear one thing: that state legislators had voted to lower their wages. Some cried with relief, Buckwalter said, when lawmakers voted 110-37 in favor of lowering the minimum wage.

The June 13 vote brought a conclusion to a political saga that has upended conventional wisdom about the minimum wage.

Workers have traditionally supported such increases, which advocates say are critical to lifting millions out of poverty.

But in Maine, servers actively campaigned to overturn the results of a November referendum raising servers salaries from $3.75 in 2016 to $12 by 2024, saying it would cause customers to tip less and reduce their take-home income.

The bill was signed into law on June 22 by Republican Gov. Paul LePage, a strident critic of raising the tipped minimum wage, and will go into effect in January 2018.

The servers campaign against increasing the minimum wage was a blow to labor activists, who believed the Maine referendum could kick off similar votes in places such as New York, Massachusetts and D.C.

Instead, some servers in those places are already mobilizing against a higher salary.

The next fight is on the national level, said Buckwalter, who organized other servers to lobby Maine politicians and is now working with waitstaff in Minneapolis and Seattle. I had lost my faith in government. This restored it, a little.

Federal labor law allows restaurants to pay their tipped workers less than the local minimum wage, provided that their total earnings, with tips, meet or exceed that minimum. If servers earnings fall short of that, employers must pay the difference.

In reality, its not clear how often restaurants do that. Furthermore, activists say, workers who make the bulk of their income in tips depend on getting good shifts to make ends meet. That means they avoid any actions that could upset management, including asking for owed money or complaining about customers who harass or bother them.

As a result, said Sylvia Allegretto, a labor economist at the University of California, Berkeley, tipped workers tend to have a poverty rate almost twice that of non-tipped workers, and they are more likely to rely on public assistance.

Not everyone is making a lot of money in tips, Allegretto said, especially in an industry where you cant complain about it.

At first, that argument seemed to be persuasive in Maine, where more than 80,000 people work in food service, according to the state department of labor. The average annual wage is slightly over $17,000 a year for restaurant workers, but that includes both tipped servers at full-service restaurants and people who do not make tips, such as back-of-house staff and fast-food workers.

A November referendum to raise both the regular and tipped minimum wages  $7.50 and $3.75, respectively  won with 55 percent of the vote. But almost immediately after the vote was tallied, tipped servers began to complain that the result would hurt their livelihoods.

At a packed, 10-hour April meeting of the Maine Legislatures Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee, dozens of servers said some confused customers were already tipping less.

Sue Vallenza, a 55-year-old bartender at the Pilot House in Kennebunk, Maine, said she saw her hourly tips drop by more than $2 per hour, from the $20 to $30 per hour she made before.

I dont need to be saved, and Ill be damned if small groups of uninformed people are voting on my livelihood, Vallenza said. You cant cut someone off at the knees like that.

Activists maintain that the public never heard from the rural diner types, because those workers  the ones most in need of a higher minimum wage  are generally not in a position to complain about their earnings or to take time off work.

We do not believe what we see in Maine is representative of the majority of workers, said Dave Palmer, the managing director of Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, a national group of low-wage restaurant workers that fought for Maines referendum. We have enough of a sense from our members around the country that this is important to them.

But James Dill, a Democratic state senator who initially supported the referendum, said he received hundreds of emails and phone calls from unhappy servers.

After the outcry, he signed onto a Republican measure to lower the tipped wage down again.

I realize not everyone is in the same boat, said Dill. But the ones who called me were saying, I make $20 to $25 per hour, Ive bought a house with that income, I support my kids  its really important that you dont mess with my tips. 

I believe in a higher minimum wage, he added. But the people who this was impacting didnt want it.


The Nellis Support Team (NST) and Las Vegas Country Club (LVCC) celebrate Independence Day by honoring military, as it hosts 150 Nellis and Creech Air Force Base airmen and airwomen and family members. The celebration features childrens activities with games, face painting, prizes, food and a candy station.

Last year, more than 900 attendees partook in the holiday festivities.


PUB 365, located inside Tuscany Suites & Casino, reached an unprecedented milestone Wednesday night when Las Vegan Mark Sabatini became the first person to drink 365 different beers as part of the Club 365 beer program (Photo credit: TMLphoto/ Te Ann Lakeotes).

Pictured above: Thaddeus Croskey, Pizza Port Brewing Company representative, Mark Sabatini, Club 365 member, Joseph Montelongo, PUB 365 bar manager, Breanna Lozano, PUB 365 bartender

In celebration of the milestone, Sabatini was awarded with an all-inclusive 2-night, 3-day trip to San Diego where he will enjoy personalized experiences at breweries including Pizza Port Brewery, Mother Earth Brewing, and Ballast Point Brewing.

Photo credit: TMLphoto/ Te Ann Lakeotes.

Sabatini joined Club 365 in October 2016, taking less than nine months to complete this incredible feat. Sabatini claims he was not much of a beer drinker prior to joining Club 365, but his dedication led him to victory.

This is a huge milestone for PUB 365. To have a customer, who doesnt consider himself a beer drinker, consume 365 different beers in less than a year since our grand opening is a testament to the quality and taste of our beers, said Alex Bowden, executive director of operations at Tuscany Suites & Casino.

Im extremely competitive, so once I found out about the program, I instantly had my eyes on the 365 beers goal. To be the first person to finish makes drinking the beers that much sweeter, Sabatini said.

For the 365th beer, Thaddeus Croskey, Pizza Port Brewing Company representative, presented Sabatini with the award-winning Pizza Port Bacon & Eggs Breakfast Coffee Imperial Porter. The canned brew is a limited release beer part of the Pub Release Series from Pizza Port.
The export value of vegetables and fruits is estimated at US$1.7 billion in the first half of this year, marking a year-on-year increase of 45 per cent.

A report from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) revealed that vegetables and fruits witnessed the highest growth in the export value of agricultural products, indicating their potential to increase value as well as brand name in the world market.

The countrys vegetables and fruits were exported to some 60 countries and territories and have become key export products of Viet Nam. Their export value is expected to increase to $3 billion this year.

China, the United States, Japan and South Korea are the four leading import markets of Vietnamese vegetables and fruits, accounting for 85 per cent of the total export value. During the period, impressive growth was witnessed in imports, including by Russia (67 per cent), Japan (56 per cent), China (50 per cent) and the United States (23 per cent), as well as South Korea (15 per cent) and Thailand (12 per cent).

Viet Nams vegetables and fruits not only maintained their growth rate in export, but also expanded their market.

According to the MARDs Plant Protection Department, the first batch of large green mangoes grown in the northern mountain province of Son La will be exported to Australia this month.

The giant-sized fruit, priced at VN22,000 (90 cents) per kilogramme, will be exported by Agricare Viet Nam Co., Ltd.

The department said the fruit was grown as per the Vietnamese Good Agriculture Practice (VietGap). The department cooperated with the Hanoi Irradiation Centre to irradiate 3.5 tonnes of Son La mangoes before shipping them to Australia on Wednesday.

We sent the mango samples to our Australian partners, who appreciated the high quality, sweetness and unique flavour of the fruit, a department representative said.

The export of Son La mangoes to Australia not only marks growth of the Vietnamese fruit in this market, but also opens opportunities for locals to develop agricultural production, especially orchards in northern mountain provinces such as Son La, where almost the entire population consists of ethnic minorities.

Director of Agricare Viet Nam am Quang Thang said the company was not competing in the ripe mango segment, which already had many foreign exporters. Meanwhile, Australia did not have many green mango products, therefore the company decided to invest in and develop this particular product.

Son La is a northern mountainous area well-known for its mangoes and suitable for the growth of the giant mango variety on a large scale to export to Australia, Thang said.

Deputy chairman of Son La Peoples Committee Lo Minh Hung said the province had prepared plans to develop orchards, especially to grow mangoes, in recent years. The province currently had some 4,000ha of mangos, with productivity of more than 3,000 tonnes per year.

The province will continue to support farmers to invest in the growth and production of mangoes according to market demand. If the market accepts the product, growers will expand production while businesses will be encouraged to join in exports, Hung said.

Agricare Viet Nam plans to ship some five tonnes of mango to Australia per week. This amount is not big, but with Australia "opening the door," other markets could follow suit.

Head of MARDs Plant Quarantine Division Le Son Ha said farmers previously were in the habit of growing and producing what they required, but now they would have to change their mindset, and focus on growing, treatment and packaging according to international standards and market demand.

If Vietnamese fruit meets requirements to export to Australia and the United States, we believe our fruit can meet the demand of almost all world markets, Ha said.

The province has set its key task, which is to develop orchards to replace short-term crops on hills to ensure sustainable living for local farmers. It expects to develop 100,000 ha of orchards by 2030, of which 50,000ha are for mango and the rest are for longan and avocado.

Ha said his department was working on procedures to ship lychee to Japan. At present, the country is already exporting longan to the United States, but it needed more time to further negotiate and complete procedures to export longan to Australia and New Zealand.

Specifically, we will complete the process to export red-flesh and white-flesh dragon fruit to Australia this year, Ha said.

The growth in export of agricultural products and seafood accelerated after the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA) came into effect in 2010, which eliminated import duties.

The MARD, in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, is working on ways to overcome technical barriers and open the Australian market to new fruits and types of shrimp.
The region of yellow flowers on green grass of Phu Yen lightens up with a brilliant stage based on the unique cultural symbols of each country within the ASEAN community.

The modern equipment, colours, and animations makes it a truly memorable night for the contestants, the audience, and people at Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 in Phu Yen.

Overcoming 26 ASEAN beauties, the Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Nuttanan Naree (No. 20), born in 1993, is 1m71 height, 51kg weight and body measurements of 84-54-89. She attracts the contest judges and audiences for her fine beauty and friendly character.

In the contest, Nuttanan Naree questioned what she would do if becoming Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017. Her answer is that if she became Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017, firstly she would return her hometown in Thailand to teach people there how to say hello, good bye and thank you in different languages because it was the first way to share the different cultures.

I will share to everybody about my new amazing experiences in Vietnam. I will try my best to become a friendship and culture ambassadors of Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017. I will travel to other countries to know well about their culture and to share the friendship and culture to contribute to ASEAN block, said Nuttanan Naree.

Vietnamese beauty Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (No.07) is honoured as the 1st Runner Up Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017. Born in 1992, Yen Nhi is 1m74 height, 54kg weight and body measurements of 87-65-93.

The 2nd Runner Up Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 belongs to Indonesian beauty Bennidicta Heda Mercy Charis (No.04). She was born in 1993 with height of 1m71, weight of 51kg and body measurements of 81-63-91.

Six extra awards are honoured to Indonesian beauty Putri Desy Natalia Siburian (No 02) as National Costume Award; Vietnamese beauty Huynh Thi Yen Nhi (No.07) as Miss Tourism (1st Runner Up); Indonesian beauty Bennidicta Heda Mercy Charis (04) as Miss Friendship (2nd Runner Up); Thai beauty Sornsarat Vittayaruengsook (No. 19) as Miss Photogenic, Philippin beauty Natasha Angela Manuel (No.09) as Miss Beach Beauty, and Singaporean beauty Venessa Tiara (No.18) as Miss Talent.

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 aims to praise the beauty and virtue of ASEAN women; to look for an ambassadors to represent the spirit of friendship and peace and accompany programmes for the common development of the community of ASEAN.

Dau Tu newspaper and Timeout magazine is honoured to be media sponsors for the regional and international cultural event which promotes the best sides of nature of countries in ASEAN and the opportunity to promote its trade.

Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017: A monumental stage for the moment of truth The finale of Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 Phu Yen will be held within hours. One of the major factors in the success of the finale is the stage. An imposing, modern stage was made available for the contestants who stand ready to dazzle.

Pageant unveils Phu Yens beauty Phu Yen is emerging as a hot new destination for tourists in Vietnam on the back of hosting the Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 pageant.

Miss ASEAN bikini beauties stunned Phu Yen audience On June 25, Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 candidates met with local entrepreneurs in Phu Yen. At the event, the contestants flaunted their hot bikini bodies under the vibrant music of DJ cum supermodel Vo Hoang Yen.

Catwalk director Hoang Yen ready to welcome Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 contestants 30 contestants from ten ASEAN member countries will meet in June 10 to join in a journey to explore Phu Yen as well as take part in catwalk and performance training classes led by Fashion TV catwalk director Vo Hoang Yen.

Supermodel Ha Anh looking for Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017 contestants Supermodel Ha Anh, casting director of Miss ASEAN Friendship 2017, and her team have notified model management companies across the ASEAN to look for contestants to join the last and only round of the contest.
Anti-austerity protesters took their message to Parliament Square, Britain's political heart. (Photo: AFP/Daniel Leal-Olivas)

Demonstrators converged in front of the BBC headquarters in central London to demand an end to belt-tightening that has led to cuts in spending for public services.

Many brandished signs and placards reading: "No More Austerity", "Cuts Cost Lives" and "Tories Out."

After holding a minute's silence in honour of the victims of a deadly fire in London, which killed at least 80 people, and staging a round of applause for the emergency services, protesters headed towards Parliament Square.

Main opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn took to the stage to blast the Conservatives' spending programme, describing it as "brutal and selective to the poorest people and the poorest parts of our community".

"The Tories are in retreat, austerity is in retreat, the economic arguments of austerity are in retreat," he added.

The union-backed march was organised a day after the Jun 14 Grenfell Tower inferno in west London.

An investigation into the fire is under way, but critics blame lax standards and cost-cutting, which they say is a consequence of austerity.

AUSTERITY CONCERNS

The prime minister, who lost her parliamentary majority in last month's snap election, narrowly survived a confidence vote on Thursday thanks to the support of Northern Ireland's small DUP party.

Their deal has been attacked by both Labour and some of May's own Conservative MPs, in part because the DUP secured an extra billion pounds (1.1 billion/US$1.3 billion) in state aid for Northern Ireland.

A day earlier, the government had also narrowly voted down a Labour Party amendment to its legislative programme - known as the Queen's Speech - calling for an end to a six-year cap on public sector pay.

Funding for public services - from the National Health Service (NHS) to police and fire personnel - has taken an increasingly emotive tone in the UK after the country was struck by three terror attacks, followed by the deadly tower blaze.

Government officials have indicated they may review spending policies, reflecting concern among Conservative MPs about continued austerity.

May's alliance with the ultra-conservative DUP has also raised concerns across Britain because of the party's stance on same-sex marriage and abortion.

The DUP's opposition to same-sex marriage makes Northern Ireland the only part of the UK and Ireland where homosexual marriage is not allowed by law, despite widespread public support.

According to a June 2016 survey by pollster Ipsos Mori, 70 per cent of adults in Northern Ireland believe homosexual couples should be allowed to marry each other.

Thousands of people descended on Belfast on Saturday to protest the DUP's stance and demand the law be changed to be in line with the rest of the union.
As Ive written in past seasons, Steven Moffat two-parters tend to be composed of two very different types of episodes. While The Doctor Falls indeed follows that pattern, it was refreshing that the important plot points set up last week pay off; The Doctor Falls is indeed the second half of World Enough and Time in most every respect. The biggest questions I had (which didnt even occur to me until after I filed my recap) were: Why was the Master on the spaceship in the first place, and why was he in disguise? Early on here, the Doctor offers up a lengthy theory that the Master neither confirms nor denies, and whether or not its on the nose is irrelevant  at least some method was given for all the madness. (Late in the episode, the Master does reveal to Missy that he blew his dematerialization circuit after arriving on the ship and that hes essentially been stranded ever since.)

The thing that concerned me most going into The Doctor Falls was that, based on the previews, it would be a raucous affair loaded with battles and explosions. While the episode does have both of those, it manages to place intimacy and character front and center, rarely allowing the battles to take center stage. Moffat has frequently said things like, We dont have the money for that anyway, and thank goodness for that because nobody tunes in to Doctor Who for the fight scenes. High among the things we do tune in for are tears, and The Doctor Falls is loaded with them on both sides of the screen. After the big Beeb-sanctioned spoilers of last week, pretty much everything about this one was closely guarded, so there were no shortage of surprises.

The early scene set atop the hospital in a quickly dying city (only to be reborn as Cybermen) sets the stage for everything and everyone to come. The Master and Missy poke and prod the Doctor, trying to decide what might be the most appropriate way to kill him. This might feel like quite the betrayal after everything weve seen from Missy this season, but the episode is so much more complex than it seems at first glance. The Doctor deftly reprogrammed the Cybermen definition of human to include two hearts, so now not even the Time Lords are safe, and the two Masters must work with the Doctor to survive. They get help from CyberBill and a terribly heroic Nardole, who shows up in a shuttlecraft to whisk them all away  but not before the Doctor is badly injured by a Cyberman, which CyberBill saves him from.

Fast-forward two weeks to Floor 507, which was first mentioned last week. Turns out its something of a paradise, at least by comparison to what weve seen of the ship previously. Its a countryside solar farm with a hologram sky, made all the more peaceful by the image of Bill asleep in a barn. Has she been cured? Bill remains CyberBill for the bulk of the episode, and despite the Doctors promises there is nothing he can do about it, she retains her sense of self entirely  so much so that she cant even see the creature shes been transformed into. This allows us to see Bill as she sees herself (and gives Pearl Mackie plenty of screen time).

We get periodic glimpses of the true CyberBill, but only when necessary and dramatic, such as the shocking moment when she sees herself in a mirror for the first time or when she spies her shadow on the wall. It is one of the most heartbreaking things Doctor Who has ever done to a companion  and thats in a series that routinely does heartbreaking things to companions. It isnt tragic simply because she cant be Bill again; its heartbreaking because she does not allow it to change her core person. It is quite possibly the most uplifting tragedy this series has ever delivered. Pearl Mackie, you will be terribly missed.

While a battle brews  the loss of which will mean the conversion of dozens of children to Cybermen  there is friction amongst all of our main characters. One of the best aspects of The Doctor Falls is that it barely features any guest cast, really just Samantha Spiro (Hazran) and Briana Shawn (Alit), and neither of them takes up much screen time. This is squarely a story about our primary five characters.

This Master and Missy story line could have gone so many different ways, and yet Im almost at a loss for words over what Moffat accomplished here. For starters, Simms Master has been cured of the sound of drums, which is a nice flourish given that it never played a part in the Missy character, but more importantly it gives us a Master far more grounded than he was back in the David Tennant years. Sure, hes still a real bastard, but hes a damn near likable one, or least far more relatable. How about the brilliant moment where hes applying eyeliner, seemingly preparing for his next incarnation? Theres some wonderful gender-bending going on here, and in one moment, the Master asks, Is the future going to be all girl? and the Doctor replies, We can only hope. (Yes we can!)

Missy is so much more complex, and Gomez has arguably the toughest acting job in the episode, as shes required to veer back and forth between allegiance to the Doctor and allegiance to her (other) self, often from one sentence to the next. This is a serious high wire act that couldve gone terribly wrong in the hands of someone less skilled, but she pulls it off marvelously. In the end, she finally decides to stand with the Doctor, and in order to do so, she slyly stabs her previous self. He is aghast and yet admiring of her skills. As she turns to leave, he shoots her full blast! It is a moment as shocking and devastating as anything else in this episode.

The two Masters revert to doing what they do best, which is killing, and Im reminded of the scorpion and frog fable. The Master has died and been resurrected so many times in this series, but there has surely never been a finality as final as this one. I dont know how you bring the character back after this, or if it should ever even happen. This is quite simply one of the most perfect character moments in all of Doctor Who.

Ive given some crap to Matt Lucas this season here and there, never being able to concretely decide on my feelings about Nardole, but The Doctor Falls cements it: Hes a hero worthy of travelling with and looking out for the Doctor, maybe even the most faithful friend the Doctor has ever had. Here, he becomes a sort of Doctor himself, tasked with looking out for and protecting the people of Floor 507, leaving behind his grumpy savior for a new life.

And then theres Peter Capaldi. That speech! That grand speech he gives to the two Masters! If that doesnt deserve to go viral, then I dont know what does. Thats the speech we need for today, delivered with passion and vulnerability in the same episode that dares to name Donald Trump an inevitability. Throughout this entire episode hes regenerating, and Capaldi makes us feel it in every line, every gesture, every step he takes. I do not know how he can possibly top his performance here at Christmas, but damn I hope he gives it everything, assuming hes got more to give. Of course he does  the mans been a revelation. I dig Tennant. I groove on Smith. I love Peter Capaldi. He has without a doubt been my Doctor for this new incarnation of Doctor Who thats wrapping up its tenth season, and we have been nothing short of fortunate to have been blessed with his talents.

After destroying a legion of Cybermen in an explosion, the Doctor cannot regenerate. He dies. His lifeless body is found by CyberBill, and she mourns his passing and the impossible tears flow. Suddenly, the most magical thing of all happens: Heather (Stephanie Hyam) appears, at a point in which all hope is lost, instantly transforming Bill into a new and improved version of herself, and the Cyberbody falls to its end. The pair travels to the TARDIS and leave his body there. Bill says her good-byes and a tear falls on the Doctors forehead, bringing life back where there was none. After the two celestial beings depart, the regeneration starts again. When he howled in refusal I bolted upright in agreement, tears streaming down my face. I dont want you to go either, Peter.

In the snows outside the TARDIS, a familiar figure emerges from the dark, played by none other than David Bradley, and from now to Christmas becomes the longest wait this fan has ever had to endure.

The Doctor: Winning? Is that what you think its about? Im not trying to win. Im not doing this because I want to beat someone  or because I hate someone or because I want to blame someone. Its not because its fun. God knows its not because its easy. Its not even because it works because it hardly ever does. I do what I do because its right! Because its decent. And above all, its kind. Its just that. Just kind. If I run away today, good people will die. If I stand and fight, some of them might live  maybe not many, maybe not for long. Hey, maybe theres no point in any of this at all, but its the best I can do, and I will stand here doing it until it kills me. Youre going to die, too, someday. When will that be? Have you thought about it? What would you die for? Who I am is where I stand. Where I stand is where I fall.
Lorena High School junior Joel Horton has been accepted to the competitive Boston University Tanglewood Institute and the nationally prestigious Brevard Music Center Summer Institute in North Carolina for study during the summer.

After auditioning for the institutes, he learned he had been invited to participate in both programs.

Joel has decided to accept Brevards program, where he will study under the artistic direction of Keith Lockhart, principal conductor of the Boston Pops and BBC Orchestra in London. Joel will spend six weeks studying music with artists from the nations leading orchestras, colleges and conservatories. He will attend master classes and have private lessons with professional musicians.

His audition earned him one of only two tuba spots at the Brevard Music Center Summer Institute high school program.

Joel attended Interlochen Summer Arts Camp Trombone, Tuba and Euphonium Institute in Michigan last summer with faculty and staff from all 50 states and more than 40 countries.

He will be the Lorena High School bands show drum major for the 2017-18 school year.
Eugene Clary, 87, has an incredible memory when it comes to his military service, so much so he could write a book and have no problem filling the pages. The Hamilton resident served 21 years in both the Air Force and Army; once retired, he worked in a career that directly evolved from his military experience.

Born in Sweetwater, Clarys father was a school teacher who moved frequently. The family lived in Brownwood with his moms parents until 1934, when they moved to Turnersville just outside Gatesville.

Clary said the family had few problems during the Great Depression, and later, the start of World War II. They grew their own meat and vegetables and had C-stamps for gas rationing, but had trouble getting sugar.

When Clary went to school, it took only 11 years to complete an education, rather than the 12 today. He graduated in 1947 and enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, where he studied basic training with medical service. He had notions of one day becoming a doctor.

Clary finished with high scores and got his pick of the medical area he wanted to specialize in and decided on X-ray. You got to stay dry in X-ray, he said.

After being stationed in San Antonio, he went to Holloman AFB in Alamogordo, New Mexico, where he discovered it didnt have a medical group, so I was arbitrarily transferred to the Army as a SCARWAF (Special Category Army with Air Force).

Back in the Air Force

About two years later, Clary transferred to Kelly AFB, where a new medical group had been established and moved to Hill AFB in northern Utah. He was back in the Air Force. To his delight, in addition to his hospital work, he had a hand in helping with the Berlin Airlift, where he stenciled information on boxes to mark its contents and helped move supplies.

Clary had his first fortunate experience when the Korean War broke out in 1950. He was slated to go to Japan, but due to a clerical error, he wound up at Hickam in Hawaii. It didnt bother me a bit, he said. At the time, X-rays were conducted in the barracks, which still had bullet holes from WWII, he said. They had been left as a reminder to make sure we didnt forget.

His stay in Hawaii was short-lived, however. After four months, President Harry Truman extended everyones service time by one year and offered a bonus for those re-enlisting. Clary took the deal and joined the Army for an additional six years. By this time, he had decided to make the military his career.

Clary was transferred to a replacement center in Stoneman, California, usually the last stop before going overseas. The Army was moving to fill slots in Korea because war was on. We were supposed to leave ASAP, because they were getting the daylights kicked out of them in Korea, he said.

Thats when his second fortunate event occurred. Scheduled to transfer to Pusan, Korea, another error landed him in Osaka, Japan, where an X-ray technician was needed. Clary started work at a hospital on night duty, taking X-rays for morning rounds.

It was the most satisfying career, Clary said.

Men wounded, mind and body

Clary saw a lot in Japan, where the wounded men were a mixed bag. There were plenty of people with self-inflicted wounds trying to get out of the service. They could be shot in the morning and be in Japan by that evening, he said. The line of the self-inflicted was nearly a block long. One unfortunate person died on him.

Another with a self-inflicted wound had tried to shoot off his finger and missed. He put the gun against his hand and fired again. The explosion blew the skin off his arm.

He met many characters, such as the man nicked in the calf who cried like a baby, Clary said. They put him between two seriously wounded men, but it didnt change his attitude until a nurse confronted him.

Conversely, he met some amazing people, such as a young, sweet man who had both feet blown off in a mortar attack. He was upbeat and happy because the mortar didnt blow up his family jewels, Clary said

There was more that went on in his three years in Japan. Another man, shot in the butt, was bragging about his conquests for all to hear. When the doctor checked his chart, he laughed. An MP had shot the man as he was leaving a house of ill repute and refused to stop.
By Senior Airman Kimberly Nagle

The Berlin Express P-51B Mustang achieved legendary status in an epic World War II dogfight in Paris in 1944, piloted by American Bill Overstreet, who flew the aircraft under the Eiffel Tower in hot pursuit of a German fighter. Overstreet eventually downed the German plane and eluded heavy enemy fire while escaping the battle with aircraft intact.

More than 70 years after this landmark moment, the Berlin Express will take to the skies again in honor of the brave airmen who fought against the Axis powers in WWII. Civilian pilot Dan Friedkin, who owns Berlin Express and is one of only nine civilian Heritage Flight pilots qualified to fly in formation with U.S. Air Force single-ship demonstration teams, will fly the historic aircraft and perform in the Royal International Air Tattoo in Fairford, England, July 14-16, with the Air Combat Commands F-22 aerial demonstration team.

Before the airshow gets underway, the Berlin Express will make a historic transatlantic flight from the U.S. to England with U.S. Air Force Heritage Flight Alumni Lee Lauderback in the cockpit, following the same route it took in 1942 as part of the military troop buildup in the United Kingdom during WW II. The four-day, 5,470-mile journey begun on June 28 in Texas and be mapped by a SPOT Gen3 tracking device that will transmit the aircrafts location on a Google Earth map in five-minute intervals. The flight path of the Berlin Express, along with photos taken along the way by Lauderback, can be followed on HorsemenFlight.com through its landing in Duxford on July 4.

The Berlin Express is an iconic war plane that is symbolic of our countrys strong aviation history, said Friedkin. Its an honor to pilot this aircraft  as we pay homage to the brave men and women who have flown in the U.S. Air Force. Were excited to offer people around the world the chance to follow Lees memorable voyage of the Berlin Express across the Atlantic and look forward to celebrating his arrival in Duxford.

After departing Texas on June 28, Lauderback will pilot the Berlin Express to Bangor, Maine, Goose Bay, Canada, Narsarsuaq, Greenland, Keflavik, Iceland and Prestwick, Scotland before arriving at Duxford Airfield.

The restored Berlin Express is based around the remains of the P-51B 43-24837. The restoration was performed by the renowned Idaho based Pacific Fighters operated by the Muszala family. This Mustang flew with the 9th Air Forces 363rd Fighter Group out of RAF Staplehurst in Kent, England. It crashed in Beckley on June 10, 1944 after the pilot was forced to bail out during a training exercise. Sporting a Malcolm Hood canopy and wearing the markings for Berlin Express, it is dressed exactly like the 357th Fighter Group Mustang which Overstreet famously flew under the Eiffel Tower in 1944.

Article by Senior Airman Kimberly Nagle  JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va
We feel sure our readers will thoroughly enjoy this pilots report on flying a dual-control, combat veteran TBM Avenger. Frequent contributor, Matthew McDaniel flies airliners for his day job, but has a considerable talent with the written word as well. We at WarbirdsNews really appreciate him writing this article for us! The flight took place in Brad Deckerts beautiful TBM-3E Bu.85828 during the TBM Avenger Gathering in Peru, Illinois this past May. with Deckert in the pilots seat and McDaniel in the midsection cockpit, .

Turkey Wrestling: Flying the TBM Avenger (At the 2nd Annual Avenger Gathering)

Words By: Matthew McDaniel

Images By: Matthew McDaniel (except where noted)

Flying with the front canopy fully open, the noise and vibration were less than Id imagined. In fact, the twin-row radial engine produced a low pitch rumble and airframe vibration that was pleasing to the senses. As we crossed the airport boundary in a shallow dive for a friendly fly past, the aroma of burning oil was unmistakable. I depressed the intercom button and inquired half-jokingly, I assume the smoke is on and that were not on fire! Brad laughed and replied, You can tell, huh! Indeed, I could. Along with the smell, there was a hint of smoke passing under the wings and a reflection of the haze trailing behind us in the Avengers huge greenhouse canopy. With a couple-G pull, we climbed and headed for the practice area, where I could sample for myself the flying qualities of the infamous Turkey.

Avengers Migrate to Peru

Peru, Illinois, that is. On the Thursday leading into the 2nd Annual TBM Gathering, organizer and TBM owner/pilot Brad Deckert and I discussed the amazing weather of the inaugural event, versus the damp and windy forecast for the coming weekend. Deckert commented, It was critical that we have great weather and turnout in the FIRST year, to keep it going thereafter. The 2016 event was bigger and better than anyone could have predicted. As a result, the City of Peru and several other sponsors embraced future versions, covering fuel and other costs. Sponsor Marquis Energy ensured the Gathering could grow while remaining free to all who wished to attend.

There are approximately 20 airworthy examples of the hulking Grumman Avenger torpedo-bomber in North America (all being TBM variants built by General Motors under a licensing agreement with Grumman). While about half of them (10) attended last years event, as many as 16 were slated to attend this year. Unfortunately, widespread volatile weather forced many to abandon their trek. In the end, 7 TBMs completed the journey this year. They were joined by several other warbirds, including (but not limited to) many T-6/SNJs, T-34s, Stearmans, an F-86 Sabre, and even a MiG-17. While the challenging weather conditions kept most general aviation planes in their hangars and many spectators at home, it was far from a washout. About 4,000 people still came out to Illinois Valley Regional Airport (KVYS) to enjoy the show.

Three aged WWII Avenger crewmen received commemorative medals and special recognition of their service. The eldest, Virgil Bloomquist (age 96), took flight in an Avenger for the first time since serving as a TBM Radioman & Gunner over seven decades earlier! Had that been the only noteworthy moment of the Gathering, most anyone would consider it a roaring success. Fortunately, many other vets attended (and were honored), the TBMs and other warbirds did fly during several friendly-weather windows, and the spirit of the event soared even when the rains poured.

Visually speaking, Deckerts TBM is one of the most militarily accurate Avengers flying today. In addition to the period drop tanks, the former Marine workhorse carries under wing rockets, a radar pod, and a replica torpedo with original arming equipment within the bomb bay. Original radios, radar & sonar equipment, an operable rear gun turret, and a functional glass-projection gun sight are also installed. Unlike any other airworthy Avenger though, this old warrior still bears multiple bullet holes, including one through a fuselage stringer near the pilots right hip. While its unknown when/where that battle damage was sustained, Deckerts TBM is a proven combat veteran. Flying with Marine Torpedo Bomber Squadron VMTB-234 from the escort carrier USS Vella Gulf CVE 111, TBM Bu.85828 participated in the horrific campaign between April and June 1945 to capture the island of Okinawa.

Dual Controls

Grumman did not design the Avenger to have a co-pilot, although a few early TBFs (as the Grumman-built variants were designated) had dual controls for training purposes. Combat aircraft, on the other hand, carried only a crew of three: a pilot, a rear-facing turret gunner (often also qualified as a radioman), and a bombardier/radio & radar operator/ventral gunner (seated in the aft belly compartment). The glazed fuselage section between the pilot and turret gunner housed a variety of bulky military hardware, dependent upon the planes specific mission. Most surviving Avengers now use this area for a passenger seat, though a few (including Deckerts TBM-3E) have installed a second set of primary flight controls, a throttle, and basic instruments to create a co-pilots position. Even with those modifications, many critical controls remain accessible to the pilot only. Therefore, before we began maneuvers, Deckert and I agreed on verbal commands to coordinate his manipulation of the secondary controls (that my co-pilots position lacked) with my handling of the primary flight controls.

Prior to taking the active runway, Brad announced that the trims were set for takeoff. He added, If you try to takeoff in a TBM with the pitch trim still in the landing position, youll just roll off the end of the runway. I had to take his word for it, as the trim controls and indicators are not visible from the co-pilots position. He also cautioned that the cowl flaps should be closed for takeoff, as the drag penalty from leaving them open increases the takeoff roll by a whopping 30%!

I was expecting a short takeoff roll, as the Avenger was, after all, designed as a carrier-based aircraft. Also, we were at least two tons below the max takeoff weight and had 15+ knots of headwind. However, to extend engine life and limit engine heating, wed be restricting takeoff power to the maximum continuous setting of 41 Manifold Pressure (MAP). Military crews and civilian TBM air tanker pilots would have selected the maximum takeoff power of 46.5 MAP, because they needed all of the 1,900 horsepower available when operating from carriers or at maximum takeoff weights. While this reduced engine life, they werent the ones paying for cylinder replacements or engine overhauls! Given our light loading, 41 was plenty for our needs and we broke ground at 95 Knots Indicated Airspeed (KIAS), having used under 1,000 feet of runway. We climbed at 120 KIAS. In the practice area, Brad reset the power for a sedate 150 KIAS economy cruise, while the Wright R-2600s 14-cylinders burned about 80 gallons of avgas per hour (GPH). Thats how Deckert typically cruises in order to get 3 hours endurance plus a healthy reserve (or roughly 450 nautical miles range) out of the 325 gallons the Avenger carries internally. But, the plane will happily cruise at 170 KIAS in exchange for 100 GPH. For a high speed cruise of 200 KIAS, the cost rises sharply to 150 GPH.

Trim: The Avenger Pilots Best Friend

Level turns in shallow bank angles were accomplished without adjusting pitch trim, but not without adding a good deal of back pressure on the stick to maintain altitude. Turns near 30 of bank required two arms-worth of strength to hold altitude. Steeper turns (30 to 60 of bank) would be nearly impossible, sans retrimming, for the average pilot to muscle through without descending.

Avengers are equipped with massive split-flaps. The disadvantages of split-style flaps are better understood today than during their design heyday of the 1930s and early-40s. While they are quite effective at increasing drag and allowing an increased descent rate without gaining airspeed, they do so without adding much lift, while also inducing the largest pitch change among common flap types. To demonstrate the point, Brad extended the flaps to their full 40 deflection as I struggled to offset the resultant pitch change with manual elevator input alone. Within seconds, I could no longer push hard enough  even with two hands  to prevent a dangerously nose-high attitude from developing. It became immediately obvious that trim needs for the Avenger must be anticipated and applied without hesitation. Failure to do so encourages a pilots natural reaction to over-power first and then trim away the control pressure. But in the Avenger, this quickly demands two hands on the control stick, leaving none free to adjust trim.

Gear extension and small speed changes (5 to 10 KIAS) create minor pitch changes that can be countered easily enough with manual control inputs. However, the big torpedo-bombers controls are so heavy that you wouldnt want to hold even those small changes for any length of time without retrimming to relieve control pressures. I can only image the control forces wartime Avenger pilots wrestled with when approaching, or exceeding, the aircrafts limit speed (315 KIAS at light weights) as many have stated was common during dives and evasive combat maneuvers.

An Overloaded Grain Truck

It has been said that flying an Avenger feels like driving an overloaded grain truck through a muddy field without power steering! While a bit melodramatic, its an analogy thats not entirely inaccurate. Bear in mind, the TBF Avenger was designed before hydraulically boosted controls became common. It also lacked control tabs for aerodynamic control boost. Heavy-handed aircraft were common at the time, especially in powerful military applications. Yet, if the TBF/M controls are heavy in pitch and roll, they are positively Herculean in yaw. Staying ahead of yaw trim is probably less critical than anticipating pitch or roll trim needs, but is no less important for long-duration control inputs. Simply pushing a rudder pedal at cruise speeds to coordinate the aircraft just isnt possible without asking some leg muscles to wake up. Should that rudder pressure need to be held, it would set your leg quivering with exhaustion in short order were the yaw trim not adjusted to compensate. Looking at the massive bulk of an Avenger, one cannot help but think heavy, along with a half-dozen other synonyms. It is an 18,000 pound, single-engine aircraft, towering 16 feet above the apron. So, why should it come as any surprise that it flies just like it looks?

In Full Uniform with Smoke On

All too soon we were headed back to KVYS, where 3 other TBMs had already arrived for the Gathering. The arrival of such imposing metallic birds does not go unnoticed in a small Illinois farming community and spectators were already claiming the benches outside the FBO. Deckert told me to make another flyby for them and I asked him for trim adjustments as our speed increased inbound. Crossing the runway threshold, I again smelled oil burning, just as Brad announced, Smoke on.

The smoke oil is conveniently concealed within the two, ultra-rare drop tanks mounted under the wings center section. Drop tanks are a scarce commodity and Deckert jokes, There isnt any such thing as a used drop tank! If it was used and emptied, it was dropped into the ocean. After an extensive search, an unused set was located within Cindy Becks storage hangar in Wahpeton, ND. Her well-respected restoration company, Tri-State Aviation, was founded by her late husband, TBM and P-51 restoration specialist, and all-around warbird guru, Gerry Beck. Cindy recently sold Deckert her Tri-States stockpile of TBM parts and supplies. Those drop tanks not only add visual authenticity to this TBM, but they are also functional. They would have added roughly an hours endurance to a combat Avenger in WWII. Today they each store 58-gallons of smoke oil for air show performances. Currently, the smoke system is set up to burn at 4 gallons per minute. This produces prodigious amounts of smoke, yet the smoke oil is currently only plumbed through half of the TBMs exhaust system, meaning that smoke output could be doubled should Deckert ever desire it.

After flying the length of VYSs Runway 18, I pulled up, requested some nose-up trim, and set up for an overhead-360 approach for Runway 25 while Brad selected the smoke off. After the overhead break, Brad extended the Avengers robust landing gear, which can be lowered at speeds up to 200 KIAS, helping to slow the behemoth. Full flaps were extended below the 130 KIAS flap speed in one selection, to limit the required trim change to a single adjustment. The runways 4,000-foot length proved to be far more than the Turkey needed to return to its roost.

About The Author: Matthew McDaniel is a Master & Gold Seal CFII, ATP, MEI, AGI, & IGI and Platinum CSIP. In 27 years of flying, he has logged 17,000 hours total and over 5,500 hours of instruction-given. Currently, he flies the Airbus A-320 series for an international airline, holds 8 turbine aircraft type ratings, and has flown over 80 aircraft types. Matt is one of less than 20 instructors in the world to have earned the Master CFI designation for 8 consecutive two-year terms. Hes been a freelance aviation author since 2003. He can be reached at: matt@progaviation.com or 414-339-4990.

Copyright 2017, Matthew McDaniel. First publication rights granted WarbirdsNews. All other rights reserved by copyright holder.

WarbirdsNews wishes to thank Matthew McDaniel for his terrific report and our readers can all look forward to further work from him in the future. To see his past articles, including an air show report from last years TBM Gathering, please click HERE. Many thanks also to Jay Selman and Greg Bohn for use of their marvelous images in this article.
It was meant to be a reprieve from the extra cold starts to the day, but Canberra's temperature plunged again in the early hours of Monday morning.

It hit minus 7.1 degrees at 1.43am, and was still at minus 5.8 at 6.30am. The temperature fell to minus 8.2 on Sunday, after plunging to minus 8.7 on Saturday - both times colder in Canberra than Thredbo.

Colder than Thredbo: An icy start to a Yarralumla morning. Credit:Richard Lennon

But Monday's top forecast temperature of 10 degrees is a bit lower than the 13 Canberrans enjoyed on Sunday afternoon. The rest of Monday is also expected to bring some rain. The Bureau of Meteorology says there is an 80 per cent chance of up to 5mm, most likely late in the morning.

Goulburn managed New South Wales's coldest temperature on Sunday with a chilly minus 10.4 after recording minus 9.7 on Saturday. Both temperatures broke July records with the coldest previously recorded as minus 8.5 in 1982.
The struggling ASX-listed driller, Boart Longyear, heads back to the Supreme Court this week to get the court's stamp of approval for its latest recapitalisation plan.

The plan is to stiff investors  again  and hand most of the equity to its debt holders  again  in an attempt to stave off collapse  again.

Elisabeth and Anthony Maurici sued for $37,000 for the castration of their precious dog Arnold Legal Beagle. Credit:Kate Callas/Fairfax Media

One of its bondholders, First Pacific, lobbed another grenade last week in its latest attempt to head off the scheme, but CBD was more interested in another recent attempt to torpedo the deal by a shareholder.

Sydney businessman, Anthony Maurici, who accounts for 2.8 per cent of Boart Longyear's soon-to-be annihilated shareholder base, took legal action to stop a vote on the scheme last month. And failed.
The federal government has been accused of abandoning tax reform of the $200 billion gas export industry after it failed to consider replacing a regime that allowed some multinationals to never pay a cent in tax for the Australian resources they extract.

Treasurer Scott Morrison ordered a sweeping review of the petroleum resource rent tax in November following revelations that multinational companies exporting $60 billion worth of Australian gas overseas would not pay tax for decades.

Australia is set to eclipse Qatar as the largest exporter of gas in the world by 2020 but will receive just a fraction of the revenue, $800 million compared to Qatar's $26.6 billion, under the current arrangements.

But a Treasury consultation paper released on Friday afternoon said it was "not intended to revisit the question of whether the PRRT should be replaced with alternative forms of taxation", but would instead examine design issues identified in the existing PRRT regime.
The "lazy" and "self-indulgent" Liberal Party is facing an existential crisis after a horror week that exposed deep wounds from which it may never recover, the head of the influential Institute of Public Affairs think tank has warned.

John Roskam, who on Tuesday hosted Tony Abbott for a speech in which he directly challenged Malcolm Turnbull's policy agenda, on Friday blasted both men for failing to deliver philosophical direction to the party, and took aim at "so-called conservatives" Peter Dutton and Mathias Cormann.

John Roskam at an Institute of Public Affairs lunch. Credit:Jesse Marlow

He said the significance of frontbencher Christopher Pyne's leaked comments was seismic because they addressed "the elephant in the room" of factional warfare and "let loose" the boiling tensions between moderates and conservatives.

While Mr Turnbull on Sunday clocked up one year since his narrow election victory, Mr Pyne's boasts of factional dominance and the promise of same-sex marriage "sooner rather than later" has sparked a furore over the direction of the government, the party and its leadership.
Other products, including materials laced with asbestos, are arriving with fraudulent compliance certificates. While spontaneous glass breakage is thought to be rare, Fairfax Media has been made aware of at least three buildings in Melbourne where a number of explosions have occurred. Construction law expert, Andrew Whitelaw, said a builder was recently forced to replace a number of glass balustrades on a residential tower in Melbourne's CBD due to the discovery of nickel sulfide impurities. "If there is too much nickel sulfide in the mix, then extreme changes in temperature can cause the glass to have a pressure point and fail," said Mr Whitelaw, a partner at TressCox Lawyers. There have also been two separate explosions in recent months at an inner-city apartment tower. Both incidents were caught on camera and show that if the glass had shattered just a few seconds later, pedestrians would have been walking directly underneath.

The company investigating the cause of the explosions, Roscon, believe the builder may have been given certificates by the manufacturer falsely claiming the glass underwent a heat soaking process to remove the nickel sulfide. The result of a suspected balcony explosion. Roscon's national general manager, Sahil Bhasin, said a heating process is meant to break any glass with nickel sulfide it in before it is sent out to the marketplace. "That's the preferred option  to bust in an oven in China  rather than to be put up on building facades," Mr Bhasin said. "But sometimes we are finding these processes are being cut out, maybe to save money."

Mr Bhasin said there were also three separate glass balcony explosions at a multi-storey apartment in Malvern late last year, and in that case the builder could not provide any documents showing compliance with Australian standards. He said when he approached glass manufacturers for testing data they often provided certificates that appeared to be falsified, because the date on the document was the date they asked for the data, months or years after the glass was actually manufactured. "They are just issuing certificates willy nilly," Mr Bhasin said. Missing glass following a balcony collapse in central Melbourne. There is evidence substandard building products are rife throughout the construction industry. A 2015 survey of 739 builders and trade contractors by the Housing Industry Association found more than 30 per cent had to replace building products used in their projects because they had failed.

Consumer Affairs Victoria received 771 complaints and enquiries about "major failures" of or defects in building goods in the last six months of 2016. The Housing Industry Association said fraudulent certification had been discovered with plumbing, electrical fittings, window, engineered wood and steel products. But building products were rarely tested by customs when entering the country, the association said. The Housing Industry Association's chief executive of industry policy, Kristin Brookfield, said she advised her members to check for spelling mistakes and "photocopies of photocopies" as signs compliance certificates may have been falsified. A new concern is the presence of asbestos in construction materials, including plasterboard, that has been declared "asbestos free" by manufacturers in China. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection said it did not have "a legislated role" to check imported building products conform to standards.

However Border Force has been proactively targeting the importation of asbestos and has made four discoveries of asbestos in building products. The continued rise in imported building products, some purchased online, has seen growing calls for a mandatory or voluntary certification scheme, where building products are tested before being declared safe for use in Australian buildings for certain uses. There are also demands for the existing regulations to be more rigorously policed, with Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne calling for more inspections to be conducted on building materials coming into Australia. "The federal government needs to play a more active role in preventing suspect materials from turning up on our construction sites," Mr Wynne said. Loading
The WA public has been asked to turn in illegal guns and ammunition as the national firearms amnesty officially begins.

It is the first national gun amnesty since the Port Arthur massacre, and will aim to keep some of Australia's 260,000 illegal guns out of terrorists' hands.

Justice Minister Michael Keenan announced a planned national firearms amnesty on Wednesday morning to target the large 'grey market' of illegal guns in Australia. Credit:Nick Moir

WA Police opened the gun amnesty on Saturday and said the operation would last for three months.

Acting commissioner Gary Dreibergs said over the course of the three months, people are able to bring in their unlicensed firearms and ammunition in without being charged.
Police are searching for a teenage boy who broke into a Geraldton woman's home in the early hours of Saturday morning and indecently assaulted her.

The woman, aged in her 60s, was asleep in her bedroom in Wonthella when she woke around 5.20am to find a person in her bedroom touching her inappropriately.

The male, described as dark skinned, 160 centimetres tall and aged between 13 and 18 years old, ran from the house.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
City of Paducah inviting citizens to get involved through boards and commissions
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New Ross mourns tragic death of Anthony Rochford (47): We will remember him for all the great times
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 02/07/2017 (1958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A crowd dances around drummers in the Oodena Celebration Circle during Canada Day festivities Saturday at The Forks.

Canada 150 is going to be a day Beti Mohmaed never forgets.

Not only is the celebration bigger than ever this year in honour of the 150th anniversary of Confederation, its also her first Canada Day ever.

Mohamaed, who is of Somalian and Ethiopian descent, was granted refugee status by the Canadian government on Aug. 8, 2016, arriving here a month after last years festivities.

I learnt about Canada Day, and that this was Canada 150, in orientation at school, said Mohmaed. Im really excited for the fireworks. Ive never seen any like this before. This is my first time, so it will be a good memory for me.

Mohmaed was born in Ethiopia, which has been experiencing political turmoil the past two years, with alleged human rights abuses being carried out by the government and a long-term state of emergency.

From Ethiopia, Mohmaed moved to Lebanon, where she lived while waiting for her refugee claimant status to be approved. The process took two years.

I came to Canada to make a better life, said Mohmaed. Im a student at Red River College. Im taking English classes. After Im finished, Id like to go to university. I dont know which one yet. I think Id like to learn nursing.

Mohmaed has been settling in nicely during her nearly 11 months in the country. When she arrived, she was alone and didnt know anyone, as her family is back in Ethiopia. She said shes managed to make a few friends through her local mosque.

Aside from the cold winters, Mohmaed has few complaints.

Winnipeg wasnt my choice, it was the governments, she said. The winter is very, very hard but the summer is quite nice. Lebanon was a bit different. In summer, its too hot. I really appreciate the government bringing me over.

Mohmaed spent her first Canada Day roaming around The Forks with two of her friends, checking out the vendors and the music while also enjoying the green space and river walk.

In particular, she was drawn to the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, which she hopes to visit soon.

I really want to go see the human rights museum, she said. Id like to go to the museum because I know they have a lot of pictures of Ethiopia and different countries.

After nearly a full year spent living in Canada, Mohmaed has high hopes for her future, although she still feels she struggles with English.

When asked one of the things she loves about Canada, Mohmaed flashes a smile and says Justin Trudeau, adding he seems to respect other cultures.

I just love Canada, she added. I like the culture, the democracy, the people. Everyone is always smiling. Canadians like it when you smile. I love Canada.

ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca

RYAN THORPE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Beti Mohmaed was born in Ethiopia and arrived in Canada nearly 11 months ago.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 02/07/2017 (1958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

INCIDENT 711

When: May 4

Where: First 100 block of St. Marys Road

A man tried to distract an employee at an eyewear store while another selected several pairs of expensive glasses and ran out. The first man also escaped.

Incident 711

INCIDENT 712

When: May 10

Where: 1500 block of Regent Avenue

Two women at a large department store filled up a shopping cart and stuffed a large quantity of cosmetics into a recyclable bag they brought. The woman with the cart overturned it when she was stopped, and both women managed to escape.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 02/07/2017 (1958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police have had their hands full this Canada Day weekend, as seven people were stabbed in five incidents from Saturday evening to early Sunday.

In the recent past, it is one of the busiest Canada Days weve ever faced, Const. Jay Murray said Sunday.

The five stabbings were staggered around Winnipeg, occurring at The Forks, near Arlington Street and Flora Avenue, on the 500 block of Sherbrook Street, at the intersection of Main Street and Pioneer Avenue, and at the intersection of Smith Street and St. Mary Avenue. All victims were taken to hospital and treated.

Police expected as many as 90,000 people out to celebrate Canada 150 across the city, and had additional patrols and resources deployed to accommodate the larger-than-normal crowd.

Murray said during most Canada Day celebrations  especially those that fall on a weekend  incidents such as these tend to happen.

The Forks

Of the five stabbings, police believe four to be related to Canada Day festivities, with the incident at The Forks being the only stabbing that occurred at an official celebration.

At about 7:20 p.m. Saturday, an 18-year-old male was stabbed near the skate park at The Forks as thousands of people participated in celebrations nearby. Shortly after, police arrested a 19-year-old male. He was later charged with assault with a weapon and other offences. The victim, who police say knew the accused, was taken to hospital in unstable condition and was later upgraded to stable.

Before midnight, the stabbing at The Forks was the only one reported in the city, but once celebrations let out and the crowds began to make their way home, police responded to others.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A police officer near the location where an incident occurred in the skate park during Canada Day and Canada 150 celebrations at The Forks Saturday.

Block party

At about 12:15 a.m., a large fight broke out at a block party at Smith Street and St. Mary Avenue. Three men were stabbed and taken to hospital, with one in critical condition. Christine, a witness who would only give her first name, said she was walking north on Smith from Osborne Village with a group of friends when she saw one of the victims walking across Smith, gushing blood from his chest. She said he then collapsed in a nearby parking lot and was treated by paramedics.

Police couldnt say how many people were involved in the fight, adding that the major crimes unit is investigating.

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The scene where three men were stabbed downtown around St. Mary Avenue between Smith and Garry streets.

North End

Half an hour later, a 21-year-old woman was stabbed and robbed after getting off a bus near Arlington Street and Flora Avenue in the North End. Police believe the stabbing was random. The woman was in stable condition.

Sherbrook Street

At 1:30 a.m., a 22-year-old woman was stabbed in the 500 block of Sherbrook Street and taken to hospital in unstable condition. Police have identified a male suspect, who is not in custody.

Downtown fight

At approximately 1:30 a.m., a man in his 20s arrived at a hospital with a stab wound. Police said their investigation revealed he had been stabbed during a large fight near Main Street and Pioneer Avenue. The victim is believed to be in stable condition.

Disheartening would be the right word to use, Murray said when asked about the police reaction to the stabbings. I think we managed the situations the best we could. Its unfortunate these incidents happen, and of course we never like to see any of them happen in the first place, but the reality is they do happen.

Murray thinks alcohol could have played a role in each incident. He said during celebrations such as Canada Day, alcohol use is amplified.

With more people at public events, the incidence of crime rises considerably, and police dealt with a series of other incidents throughout Canada Day.

Other mayhem

After fireworks had gone off at The Forks around 11:30 p.m., police cadets were directing traffic near Broadway and Main Street, and a driver was asked to remain stopped to allow pedestrians to leave the area safely. The driver became belligerent, and as she accelerated past the cadet, her car hit the cadet, who suffered minor injuries. The driver was arrested for dangerous operation of a motor vehicle along with two violations of the Highway Traffic Act.

In addition, police made two arrests for impaired driving.

At 6:30 a.m. Saturday, police said officers tasered a 21-year-old man who attempted to fight them after he had been observed on the roof of a business in the 1000 block of King Edward Street acting in an erratic manner.

He reportedly had a knife hidden in his clothing, and was arrested for causing a disturbance, resisting and assaulting a peace officer, and possession of a weapon.

Around 2:30 a.m., police arrested a woman for using a tire iron to try to break into a business on the 400 block of Carlton Street.

Christina Elizabeth Margaret Baptiste, 20, is charged with break and enter.

ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca

TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Police investigate at a parking lot south of St. Mary Avenue between Smith and Garry streets where 3 people were stabbed early Sunday.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 02/07/2017 (1958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Last month, Todd Britton, president of Academy Lanes, announced his bowling alley was unable to reach a new lease agreement with the buildings owner. It means the end of a 35-year-old institution at 394 Academy Rd. and puts the future of one of the citys more unique buildings in doubt.

Though it has been home to a bowling alley for the last 57 years, the building spent its first three decades as a movie theatre.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The building's owner, Globe Property Management, has not said what its plans are for the structure, which officially opened on Christmas Eve 1931.

The Uptown Theatre was financed by Jack Miles Allied Amusements Ltd., which amassed a chain of neighbourhood theatres starting with the Palace on Selkirk Avenue in 1912, then the Rose on Sargent Avenue, the Plaza on Marion Street and the Roxy on Henderson Highway.

Initially, the Academy Road theatre was to be similar in size  about 800 seats  and appearance to the others in the chain. Late in the planning stages, Allied was able to purchase an additional lot on Ash Street.

In mid-May 1930, the company asked the city to change the zoning of the Ash Street lot from residential to commercial use so it could be included in the project. In return, Allied promised to build the largest and finest neighbourhood theatre in the country, with nearly twice the capacity and at three times the cost of the originally planned structure.

A number of area residents were concerned about noise and parking issues that might arise from having such a large venue at the end of the street. The two sides tried to negotiate an agreement but instead reached a deadlock.

The city took up the matter at the Aug. 30, 1930 zoning committee meeting. The opposing sides presented their cases, but rather than impose a decision, councillors sent them away to try again to reach an agreement on their own.

ARCHIVES OF MANITOBA; FREE PRESS COLLECTION The interior of the Uptown Theatre is demolished in May 1960. It took four months to gut the building and install 30 bowling lanes on two levels.

By December, there was a breakthrough. Allied agreed to have a shallower footprint on the Ash Street lot, leaving a buffer of land between the building and the residences behind it. They would also build a parking lot at the southeast corner of Academy Road and Waterloo Street for the use of their patrons. In return, a reasonable majority of residents signed a petition in favour of the project.

In January 1931, Allied took out an additional $76,000 building permit for the larger theatre, bringing the total permit value for the building to $136,000. (The final cost, including furnishings, was estimated to have been around $300,000.)

It was now up to architect Max Zev Blankstein, who had designed the chains four other theatres, to deliver a venue worthy of the companys promise.

On the Roxys ceiling, Blankstein experimented with a new style of theatre design that had become popular in the United States in the late 1920s, known as the atmospheric theatre. The objective was to make patrons feel as if they were watching the movie in the open air. For the Uptown, he pulled out all of the architectural stops.

The halls setting was that of a public square in a Moorish village. The surrounding walls included detailed facades of village buildings overlooking the seating area.

WINNIPEG TRIBUNE FILES Architect Max Zev Blankstein designed many of Winnipeg's neighbourhood theatres. The Uptown would be his last.

The ceiling was painted blue, with twinkling stars inserted into the plaster. Images of moving clouds were projected onto it to add to the open-air feel. The halls lighting came from 16 spotlights placed around the periphery of the hall rather than traditional chandeliers so as not to ruin the effect.

The exterior of the building was equally unique, designed to resemble a Mediterranean villa with wrought iron balconies, colourful stucco finish and red tile roof. The roof line, with its domes, resembled that of a mosque.

Though the setting was meant to be outdoors, patrons were certainly not roughing it. The Uptown boasted a large, well-furnished lobby with plush carpeting running throughout the building.

The seats, 1,200 on the main floor and more than 400 on the balcony, were mohair-backed with leather bottoms stuffed with horsehair for a feeling of luxury. The front row of the balcony and the loges had chesterfield style seating.

For safety, the Uptown included a state-of-the-art ventilation system and boasted a wood-free, fireproof hall. It was also claimed to be the first theatre in the country to use an Orthokrome screen which, a writeup in the Free Press stated, was said to adhere all the red light rays reputed to be harmful to the eyes.

WINNIPEG TRIBUNE FILES An ad for the opening of the theatre published on Dec. 23, 1931.

To name the theatre, Allied held a contest asking readers of the Free Press and the Tribune to write a short essay recommending a name and explaining why they chose it. The winning entry would receive a Northern Electric radio and have their essay published in the papers.

Some 30,000 entries were submitted. (This was during the Great Depression, so a free radio was a welcome gift.) The jury panel, made of a representative from Allied, the Tribune and the Free Press, sifted through them and chose the Uptown Theatre. The winning name was announced on Oct. 5, 1931 on the stage of the Roxy Theatre. Because there were 39 entries suggesting Uptown, no one person was singled out.

Mayor Ralph Webb presided over the opening ceremony on Christmas Eve 1931. Also on stage was Jack Miles and Donald Gauld, formerly the manager of the Roxy and the Uptowns first manager. It does not appear architect Blankstein was present and, sadly, he died one week after opening night. The ceremony was followed by a newsreel, a movie short and the feature film The Brat, starting Sally ONeill and Frank Albertson.

The theatre was built as a movie house but had a small stage area. Though too shallow for most live events, these were hard times for theatres, and the Uptown had to fill as many seats as possible. Management managed to squeeze in lectures, recitals and fundraising concerts as a regular part of the schedule through the 1930s and 1940s.

The Uptown mainly showed the second run of top films, often as a double bill. Saturday afternoons were the usual neighbourhood theatre fare of westerns and cartoons.

WINNIPEG TRIBUNE FILES An early ad for Uptown Bowling Lanes published in a city newspaper on Sept. 8, 1961.

An exception came in the early 1940s through a partnership with Famous Players known as Sneak Preview Thursdays. For more than five years, theatre-goers could catch a first-run film,  including the likes of Jayne Eyre, Humphrey Bogarts Sahara and the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope movie Road to Morocco  at the Uptown before they premiered downtown the next night.

The theatre was also pressed into service in February 1941 to take over the run of Gone With the Wind when the Capitol gave it up after showing it continuously for a year.

The rising popularity of television helped bring an end to the neighbourhood theatres. Many chains, big and small, faltered, and their theatres were sold off for demolition or conversion into other uses.

The Roxy and Uptown hung on longer than most. By 1960, they were part of the Western Theatre chain, co-owned by Jack Miles, when it was announced they would both be converted into bowling alleys.

On Sunday, May 15, 1960, the Uptown Theatre held a farewell afternoon with a free feature and six cartoons.

It took four months to demolish the buildings interior and install 30 bowling lanes on two levels.

Uptown Bowling Lanes, Winnipegs largest, opened on Sept. 29, 1960. The next month, a formal opening ceremony took place featuring Cactus Jack Wells as MC and a fashion show of the latest bowling attire.

In the 1970s, Allied Amusements, by then called Miles Enterprises, hired Brian and Heather Britton of Saskatoon to manage the business. They eventually moved onto other jobs, but when Miles put the business up for sale in 1982, the Brittons purchased it, and it has been run by the family ever since.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The building's colourful stucco finish is among its unique features.

In 1985, Miles Enterprises applied to the city for permission to demolish the Uptown Theatre/Academy Lanes building, arguing its impending Grade III heritage building designation was the same as expropriation without compensation. David Miles, son of Jack, claimed the building was economically marginal at best and their only option was to replace it with a modern, commercial strip mall.

The move met opposition from some residents and heritage advocates, which set off a fight that saw the city uphold, then remove, then uphold again, the buildings heritage status. Though the demolition was prevented, Miles was permitted as a consolation to add a modern, two-storey addition to the side of the existing building. In 1990, the Miles family sold the business to Globe Property Management of Winnipeg.

Though the building was spared, the continuing decline in popularity of bowling put the business in jeopardy.

A new trend in the U.S. called glow bowling attracted the Brittons attention. Featuring nightclub-like lighting, glow-in-the-dark painted surroundings and a steady soundtrack of pop music, it was successfully bringing non-bowlers into bowling alleys for the first time. After checking it out for themselves, in 1996 Academy Lanes became the citys first to offer glow bowling, and it is credited with saving the business.

Academy Lanes is scheduled to close its doors July 18, and the buildings owner has not yet revealed what the future holds for the place that has created fond memories for generations of Winnipeggers.

Christian Cassidy writes about local history on his blog, West End Dumplings.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The structure has several wrought iron balconies, and its roof line resembles that of a mosque.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 02/07/2017 (1958 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

BANKI, Nigeria  The soldiers arrived in the middle of the night, tearing through the village of Nigerian refugees, barging into stick huts where families slept in knots on the floor.

For years, those refugees had been on the run from Boko Haram insurgents, finally escaping across a dried riverbed that served as the border with Cameroon. They had settled in the village of Majina, where they farmed beans and millet.

A peaceful place, the men said. And then, in March, the Cameroonian soldiers arrived.

Photos by Jane Hahn / Washington Post Hadiza Modu, 40, sits with her newborn at a shelter for the displaced in Banki, Nigeria. Modu fled to Cameroon after a Boko Haram attack and returned to Banki this year.

The troops rounded up the refugees haphazardly and pushed them into military trucks, often separating parents from their children, witnesses say. The refugees soon realized where they were headed: back to one of the most dangerous corners of Nigeria. Today, they are living in a displacement camp in Banki, a city racked by one of the worlds biggest hunger crises.

The United Nations eventually put a label on what happened that night and many others to follow: forced return. Over the past few months, at least 5,000 Nigerian refugees were rounded up in Cameroonian villages and refugee camps and expelled to a region under frequent attack by insurgents, UN officials say. Some aid officials believe the actual number of those forcibly returned is more than 10,000, including people evicted in sporadic operations since 2013. The Cameroonian government has denied driving out the Nigerians.

As the number of refugees around the world soars  topping 20 million  they are facing growing hostility from host countries and shrinking protection from the international legal framework put in place to defend such vulnerable people decades ago. A forced return such as the one reported in Cameroon emblemizes the most extreme and unforgiving reaction to those searching for safe haven.

Many countries are taking less drastic steps that have still alarmed refugee advocates. Over the past three years, Pakistan has pressured hundreds of thousands of long-term war refugees from Afghanistan to return home despite the dire poverty and violent insurgency in their homeland. In Kenya, a court blocked the government from sending more than 200,000 inhabitants of the Dadaab refugee camp, mostly Somalis, back to a nation beset by war and a hunger crisis. Human rights groups say many of the residents are being pressured to leave anyway.

International human-rights groups last year accused Turkey of expelling thousands of Syrian refugees, a charge the government denied.

Under the 1951 Refugee Convention, ratified by 145 countries  including Cameroon  victims of war or persecution should not be returned to nations where they will face serious threats. But that edict is being ignored, human-rights groups say.

Poorer countries hosting huge numbers of refugees for many years, such as Kenya, Pakistan and Turkey, have recently pushed back hundreds of thousands of refugees and asylum seekers, said Gerry Simpson, a migration expert at Human Rights Watch. They seem to be taking their lead from richer countries, such as Australia, the EU and the United States who are pulling out all the stops to limit refugee arrivals.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has sought to reach agreements with countries that are sending home refugees, to ensure they are only going voluntarily. But the agencys assistance came too late for thousands of Nigerians in Cameroon.

Aid groups are still unsure what prompted what they call a mass eviction. Some UN officials say the refugees were likely forced out in advance of a large military operation. Other aid groups say Cameroon, one of the worlds poorest nations, has simply grown tired of hosting Nigerians. Cameroon has been inundated by refugees in recent years, with more than 300,000 people fleeing wars in the Central African Republic and Nigeria.

The Cameroonian government has rejected the UNHCR statements on the forced returns.

Im telling you there were no forced expulsions, Richard Etoundi, head of the protocol unit in the Ministry of External Relations, said in a phone interview.

In addition to the thousands who were reported forced from Cameroon, many more were persuaded to go back to northeastern Nigeria after being lied to about the conditions there, refugees and aid officials say. Arriving home, the refugees are finding a lack of housing, severe overcrowding and a scarcity of food and water. Last month, the head of UNHCR, Filippo Grande, said he was extremely worried about the flood of Nigerian refugees returning from Cameroon to a situation dangerously unprepared to receive them.

The Cameroonian military moved so hastily in removing the refugees it inadvertently swept up a group of Cameroonian women and children in a raid in the village of Keraoua. They are now sleeping on the floor of an unfinished building in a bombed-out side street of Banki.

Abba Goni, 76, fled Banki nearly three years ago on a green bicycle with China stamped on the frame, riding on the packed sand from village to village, an old man much faster on two wheels than on his two gnarled feet.

Goni was born and raised in Banki, once a city of 150,000 surrounded by fertile farmland, located just over 1.6 kilometres from the Cameroonian border. In September 2014, the Islamist extremists known as Boko Haram surged into town on trucks and motorcycles, shooting wildly and burning down buildings. Gonis first escape on the green bicycle was in the dead of night. His two wives and nine children followed.

For a few weeks, they lived outdoors, subsisting on whatever fruits they could find. When Boko Haram caught up with them, Goni got back on his bicycle, heading towards Cameroon.

Since Goni was a boy, members of his Kanuri ethnic group had moved back and forth into Cameroon without any documents. Boko Haram, too, had crossed the border with impunity. But the groups stronghold remained in Nigeria, and Goni knew that if he headed deep enough into Cameroon, he would most likely be safe. In 2015, he and his family arrived in Majina, where some local men allowed him to cultivate a small patch of farmland.

Jane Hahn / Washington Post A woman walks with her children amid destroyed homes in Banki, Nigeria, in April.

It was a decent life, he said.

Meanwhile, parts of Nigeria were inching closer to famine. When the aid group Doctors Without Borders finally got access to Banki last summer, after the military drove out Boko Haram, they found a hunger crisis, with more than 10 per cent of children suffering from severe acute malnutrition and people dying of preventable disease. For Goni and his family, their hamlet in Cameroon wasnt just an escape from Boko Haram but from starvation.

The Cameroonian government, though, was struggling to provide for so many refugees. Residents of northern Cameroon blamed food shortages on refugees. In some cases, the two populations clashed.

Experts see that frustration reflected in other countries where refugees have been pressured to leave.

I think host governments are getting sort of fed up that a very large proportion of the burden is falling on them, without enough international assistance, said Kathleen Newland, co-founder of the Migration Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based research organization.

In Majina, Goni never experienced that antagonism. On that March day, when he heard the sounds of trucks and shouting men, Goni first assumed Boko Haram had arrived. Then he looked outside and saw the men in uniform.

Who is Nigerian? the soldiers shouted, Goni recalled.

Goni asked if he could at least collect his clothes, blankets, food and his bicycle. The soldiers refused. Everything happened quickly. When he looked around, in the back of the speeding military truck, he found only one of his wives and two of his children. The rest had been left behind.

The next morning, Goni got his first look at what was left of Banki. Entire blocks had been flattened, most likely by military airstrikes. Displaced people were living in abandoned houses.

Although aid groups had begun to distribute food and open rudimentary clinics, the military still controlled access, posting checkpoints and barring residents from leaving town. That meant no farming in nearby fields, no collecting firewood and no possibility of leaving Banki again.

After being interrogated by Nigerian soldiers, Goni was directed to an abandoned building. The UNHCR gave him a mat and a blanket. It was his new home: one room with 18 people sleeping on the floor.

A month into his time in Banki, he and many of the other deportees were eating only one meal per day.

A few blocks away, in another grey unfinished building, 32 Cameroonian women and children waved their documents  Cameroonian birth certificates and voter registration cards  when they spotted a visiting journalist.

We kept telling the soldiers, We are from Cameroon, but they brought us here anyway, said Fati Kadi, 40. Her two children had been left behind during the raid, she said.

Faruk Ibrahim, a program manager with UNHCR, said the agency had expected the Cameroonians would be taken home. But its been over two months now.

Stories of other forced returns emerged throughout March and April. More than two million people had already been displaced internally in Nigerias war with Boko Haram. With the flow of refugees from Cameroon, that number was rising.

More than 300 km from Banki, in the city of Ngala, the border superintendent watched one day in April as the Cameroonians deposited hundreds of Nigerians on a bridge that connects the two nations.

Top: A woman walks with her children amid destroyed homes in Banki. Above: Abba Goni, 76, fled Nigeria four years ago on his bike after Boko Haram attacked his village.

They just wanted to get the Nigerians out, Mohammed Gadam, the border chief, said.

Many others in Ngala had chosen to return after they were convinced by Cameroonian and visiting Nigerian soldiers life was much better in Nigeria, with free-flowing aid and much-improved security.

When Falta Ali, 23, arrived back in Ngala in March, two years after she fled, she saw the city was in ruins. Aid groups had set up some tents but not enough. The international community was running out of money for food aid.

Alis six-month-old, Yagana Buhama, quickly developed whooping cough.

Its a product of the environment here, said a doctor, Beauty Nwuba, standing over Buhamas bed in a tented clinic. Theres so much overcrowding.

In March, UNHCR reached an agreement with the Nigerian and Cameroonian governments, mandating refugees only return to Nigeria voluntarily. The number of forced returns appears to have dropped off recently, the agency says.

There is now a framework for voluntary returns, said Cesar Tshilombo, head of UNHCRs sub-office in northeastern Nigeria.

Other relief workers say people are still being pressured to go back to a dangerous, desperate place.

They are threatened by Cameroonian authorities until they agree to return, said one relief worker in Banki who interviewed the refugees in May. He spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the issue.

Other countries also have been accused of compelling refugees to move home to precarious places. In a February report, Human Rights Watch said that in Pakistan, Afghan refugees have been subject to police harassment, arbitrary detention and deportation threats. More than 350,000 registered refugees had gone back to Afghanistan in the previous six months, making it the worlds largest mass forced return of refugees in recent years, the group wrote. It added the UN was abetting the exodus by providing subsidies of US$400 per refugee.

The United Nations rejected the charge and said it offered support to refugees to decide their futures based on a well-informed consideration of best options. The Pakistani government denied the allegations of coercion.

For now, the thousands of refugees, such as Goni, who have been forced back to Nigeria have pragmatic questions. When will they be reunited with their families? How will they get their belongings in Cameroon? Will they ever be free to return?

They keep us here like prisoners, he said. We werent ready to come back.

 Washington Post
DURAND, Wis.  In the driveway of a two-story house on a dairy farm in western Wisconsin, five men focus on a unique construction project. Using a drill, hammer and nails, plywood and rope, they work together in the afternoon sun to erect a structure that resembles a makeshift corral in the bed of a Honda pickup.

Every so often, Luisa Tepole, 25, carries a suitcase or packaged appliance out of the house, handing it to her husband, Miguel Hernandez, 36.

By the end of the night, the back of the truck is piled high with bags of clothes and shoes, TV sets in boxes and a bucket of childrens toys, ready for the 2,300-mile drive to Veracruz, Mexico.

Farm owners Doug and Toni Knoepke watch Hernandez and the other workers from a few feet away as they load their two-truck caravan. It looks like a scene from The Grapes of Wrath, Doug Knoepke remarks, referring to the movie about the mass migration from the Oklahoma Dust Bowl to California in the 1930s.

Only this time, it is in reverse: The migrants are leaving a land abundant with economic opportunity for an uncertain future in their homeland.

Hernandez has been working on the Knoepkes farm in Pepin County for 16 years. He shares this home with his wife and two young sons, Thomas, 5, and Liam, 4.

Earlier in the day, at Thomas last day at Noahs Ark Preschool in Durand, he cries as he tells his classmates that he will not be starting kindergarten with them in the fall. He has never been to Mexico.

In early June, Hernandez and four other men, who for years have milked and cared for cows on dairy farms among the hills of western Wisconsin, drive away in the direction of their mountainous hometown of Texhuacan. A few days later, Tepole and the children fly out of Chicago.

The Hernandez family is leaving, in part, because of the threat of deportation  which could ban them from returning to the United States for 10 years  and what they describe as increasingly harsh rhetoric by President Donald Trump and others toward immigrants, especially those here illegally.

They moved here to Americas Dairyland, the nations top cheese state and No. 2 milk producer, attracted by a dairy industry dependent on undocumented immigrant labor to keep cows milked three times a day, year-round. They have raised their children in communities where American workers stopped answering help wanted ads for cow milkers long ago.

And now they are going home.

Miguel has been our right hand, Knoepke says. He treated (the farm) like he owned it. Were really saddened, scared. I dont know. Its sad.

In the first 100 days of the Trump administration, arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, in the Midwestern region increased over the previous two years.

In Wisconsin, farmers like Knoepke depend heavily on workers like Hernandez. Seeing him and the other workers leave worries this first generation farmer with 650 cows.

I dont know where the industry would be without (immigrant labor) right now, Knoepke says.

There are temporary visas for seasonal agricultural workers, but year-round workers who make up the vast majority of the labor force on Wisconsins large dairies have no special protections, and many are in the country illegally. Knoepke says Congress better do something  because (workers) are leaving. You see it right here. Theyre packin up.

Hernandezs brother, Damaso, who also works at a western Wisconsin dairy farm, says many workers he knows plan to leave because, Theyre scared of the government.

He adds, Its strange, its difficult because all the Hispanic people knew the Americans here in Wisconsin were supporting Donald Trump. I think they made a mistake, because a lot of people are fleeing for precisely that reason.

Arrests up in the Midwest

ICE figures show arrests in the six-state Midwestern region including Wisconsin are rising since Trump took office, Wisconsin Public Radio has learned.

The agency reports that arrests in the Chicago region rose to 2,599 between Inauguration Day, Jan. 20, through April 29, the first 100 days of the Trump administration. That figure exceeds arrest totals from the same time period in the previous two years under President Barack Obama. However, it is lower than the same time period in 2014, when there were 3,033 arrests.

Nationwide, ICE arrests totaled 41,898, about 35 percent higher than last year but lower than the 2014 figure of 54,584.

Randy Capps, director of research for U.S. programs at the Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan group that analyzes the movement of people worldwide, says there can be a pretty substantial lag between arrest and deportation. Factors include whether the person contests the deportation.

And that lag can be anywhere from a few days  if they have a prior removal order thats simply reinstated  to several years, if they decide to contest their deportation and theyre let out of detention on bond, Capps says.

Implementation memos issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security earlier this year expanded ICEs target from individuals convicted of serious crimes to those charged with even low-level offenses. The memos also direct that no one in the country illegally is exempt from deportation.

Nationwide, the number of noncriminals arrested by ICE in Trumps first 100 days more than doubled from the same period last year, to 10,934 from 4,372. In the Chicago region, for example, 778 of the 2,599 people arrested by ICE were not convicted criminals; last year, 500 noncriminals were arrested during the same time frame.

A farmer in Wisconsins Trempealeau County, who asked not to be named because he fears reprisals from immigration authorities, says ICE agents who visited his farm this spring looking for a particular person warned him they knew the rest of his employees were also undocumented and that they would be back. A worker who spoke to Wisconsin Public Radio at another farm in Pepin County shared a similar report.

Experts say, however, there is no evidence of the type of sweeping raids carried out near the end of the George W. Bush administration.

ICE may be under pressure from businesses not to run intensive operations in fields or factories where many undocumented immigrants work, Capps says.

If they were to take a bunch of agricultural workers, or even if they were to scare a large number of agricultural workers away, that could have a bad impact on the local economy, he says.

Theyre coming after us

As rumors circulated that ICE had visited Durand, four other dairy workers decided to join Hernandez, whose reasons for leaving include returning to see his ill father. He and his friends determined it was best to go now  organized, relaxed and with a plan.

Its better to go back home because of the laws  theyre coming after us, says Luis Mendez, 32, who milks cows and helps out as a mechanic at the Knoepke farm.

If you are deported, he says, You take the clothes youre wearing  and thats it. But with a planned departure, Mendez says, immigrants can keep their belongings and money.

Still others, like Hernandezs brother Damaso  who has lived in the U.S. for 17 years  are staying, but the situation could change at any moment. He thinks about the effect of leaving on his four children, who were raised in Wisconsin.

My kids are very accustomed to life here, Damaso Hernandez says. The truth is, I dont know what type of life they would have over there.

Working until the last day

It is 7:15 in the morning on May 31. As the sun peeks over the hills to the east, workers are in action. One drives a tractor through the fields while another steers a feed truck between two rows of cows. All the while, men in the milking parlor never stop moving. Some have been working since 11 p.m. and are just finishing their shifts.

At this hour, everyone on the farm is an immigrant from Mexico.

For Hernandez, today is just like any other workday over the past 16 years, except that it is his last. He does not want to work today, but his bosses say they really need the help. He opens and closes metal gates, shoo-ing cows in and out of the milking parlor, and sweeps piles of manure and feed off the floor of the barn.

Tepole is excited. She has not been back home in the 11 years since she first came to the U.S. Her parents have never met their grandchildren, and her mother is happy they are coming home.

Hernandez knows his decision to raise his children in Mexico will affect their future. Its a huge difference in school here compared to the school in Mexico. I think we are a lot behind in Mexico, but  it is what it is, Hernandez says, shrugging his shoulders.

Four or five people have applied for Hernandezs job, but none has worked out, according to herd manager Henry Yoder. Knoepke says he probably will need to promote from within.

Hernandez says the farm owners want him to come back legally if that ever becomes possible.

A farmer in Trempealeau County, who asked not to be named because he fears reprisals, says ICE agents who visited his farm this spring looking for someone warned him they knew the rest of his employees were also undocumented and that they would be back. I dont know where the industry would be without (immigrant labor) right now. Doug Knoepke, farmer They are waiting for the government to do something  so they can bring people with papers or with visa, but they are just waiting, he says.
At Riverfest, any food is fair game for the deep fryer.

Along with famous Wisconsin cheese curds and classic onion rings from Rockys Supper Club, festgoers will have their pick of both salty and sweet batter-coated options this weekend, including pickles, cauliflower and cheesecake.

This year, festival will feature 18 food vendors, along with an expansive beer tent and Pepsi products. Local restaurants, including A&W and Famous Daves, will be peddling their most popular menu options, and Fried Food Fantasy will return with nine crispy favorites.

Tom Thumb Donuts, a staple at Riverfest for more than 25 years, will be selling their beloved mini-doughnuts for $5 a bag.

People just love to see us, said Tom Thumb owner Orin Gaul. We line em up.

Chilled dessert options include ice cream at Frozen Fantasy and Hawaiian shaved ice at Seekers Products, or grab a brownie sundae at the Pogreba Restaurant booth.

Meat eaters will find plenty to pick from at Lucky 8s, with beef, chicken and sausage dishes, and beef brisket fans will want to visit The View.

Vegetarians can find pizza and mac and cheese at Stumpys Outside, and corn on the cob at The View.

Holmen-based Five Star Eggrolls will be back for the third year with a selection including crab Rangoon, orange chicken and lo mein.

Theyre all popular, owner Jer Xiong said of his dishes. People know about me and my eggrolls.

For fresh fare, visit Apothik Food Truck for street tacos or the Greek Market for a salad. If youre just looking for a snack, stop by J-N-J Concessions for popcorn and pretzels.

Burger aficionados will want head to the Pepsi Community Tent from 12:15 to 4:15 p.m. Saturday for the Reinhart Burger Bash competition. Seven local chefs will prepare their best burgers for a panel of judges, and the public will be invited to try samples and cast their own votes starting at 2 p.m. The Burger Bash requires a button and a ticket, available for purchase at https://squareup.com/store/LaCrosseRiverfest.
The luxury of shopping on the Minnesota side of the river drew Winonans to local liquor stores Sunday morning.

The stores opened for the first time since the passing of a statewide law allowing liquor and alcohol sales from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at designated liquor stores. The law went into effect Saturday, July 1, making Sunday, July 2, the first day of Sunday sales.

Winona resident Cris Fakler and her husband Jeff Fakler made a stop into the Winona Hy-Vee Wine and Spirits Department before making their way to the river to join some friends.

The Faklers were among a steady stream of customers who were turning out for the first day of Sunday sales at Hy-Vee. The store was also offering deals and samples as part of a celebration of sorts for its first Sunday open.

Before the new law, Cris said they would have had to cross the river into Wisconsin before taking off to float down it on Sundays if they wanted alcohol. The new law will make their trips out to the river much easier, Cris said.

Its very convenient, Cris said.

Across town at Midtown Foods Wine and Spirits Department, shoppers were lined up from the cash register to the back of the store.

Midtown Foods was also offering a coupon deal for their customers.

Two patrons at Midtown, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were supportive of the law passing because it would make it easier for shoppers to spend their money in Minnesota.

The duo also said the new law was convenient for them because they do their grocery shopping at Midtown Foods.

Down the highway in La Crescent, Minn., Apple Village Liquor Sunday clerk Maureen Dolan said she had a line by the door when she came to open up shop Sunday morning.

Dolan said many of her customers were snapping pictures of their receipts to document the day. As the Sunday sales continue, Dolan said she anticipates sales to remain steady as Minnesotans conveniently stay on their side of the river.

People were also lined up outside of La Crescent Wine and Spirits Sunday morning, waiting for the doors to historically open on Sunday morning.

According to evening manager Lys Amlaw Swift, the store was busy most of the day with customers stopping by to participate in a brewery tasting and buy liquor on what her customers called an historic day.

The sales were fantastic, but the customers were awesome, Amlaw Swift said.

Radio station 95.7 The Rock was also broadcasting live from the store Sunday, Amlaw Swift said, and will be doing so every Sunday in July as part of a monthly celebration at the store. La Crescent Wine and Spirits will also host a brewery every Sunday in July for a tasting event.

The new law was crucial to liquor stores, Amlaw Swift said, especially one like La Crescent Wine and Spirits that sits on the border. Prior to the bills passing, Amlaw Swift said she could literally watch the profits drive past my store.

Two patrons at Midtown, who asked to remain anonymous, said they were supportive of the law passing because it would make it easier for shoppers to spend their money in Minnesota.
Every five years when the Old Grads of Wisconsin Dells High School honored the classes with their five year reunions, I have attended and got my picture taken. This year was no exception.

The number who attend has gotten smaller each year. Those from my class of 1947 who attended included Ross M. Curry. That is it, me. I was the only one from my class who attended this year. There are others still around but because of distance and health reasons they were unable to come.

I have always written a story about it too. It will be harder this year with so very few there that I went to school with.

Don Beghin and Walter Christensen were the only ones there older than I am. I went to a one room county school with Beghin as well as high school, but we were never close.

Several Students, as well as me, picked Frank Wiegel as their favorite teacher. He is buried about a stones throw from my late wife Sylvia, in Baraboo, with a beautiful black grave stone.

I talked to Bud Gussel, Joan Christopherson Schmidt, and Joe Cappy, three of my long time friends. Also Steve Pine. I havent seen him since our last reunion. There were some others there that I knew but did not get a chance to talk to.

The young lady escorting me around was my daughter, Laureen, not my lady friend. She is an old grad too now and met several from her class. She is staying with me now while I am undergoing cataract surgery and driving me around. Right now I can see better in the distance but cant see to read. Hopefully that will change when I get the other eye done.

I sort of spoiled my dinner by eating too much from the salad bar first and also eating at Stuffs earlier in the day, one of my favorite eating places. You can always tell if the food is good if there are a lot of people eating there.

Others there that I know pretty well were Jerry Hamn, Bob Timn, Bob Wick, Dorothy Hagen Beghin, Betsy Grant, and Carol Burgess.

Those from the Class of 1982 that my daughter talked to were Janet Ennis Lee and Sue Weidling Neuhauser.




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Nicholas Brown

By: Alexis Bell WorldWideWeirdNews.com

A perverted man of the United Kingdom, was jailed after he enticed poor women to rape their children in exchange for money.

According to police, 63-year-old Nicholas Brown of Aldershot, spent about $340,000 during a 10 year period on watching children being sexually abused.

Detective Inspector Jon Vogel from Surrey Police, said that he asked women to sexually abuse children while he was watching them on webcam.

Vogel said that Brown not only convinced mothers to abuse their own children, he also managed to convince other women to lure other peopleas children from the street into their homes.

He then watched as the women would forcefully rape the children.

Brown pleaded guilty to 12 counts of arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence, and five counts of making indecent images of children.

He was sentenced at Guildford Crown Court to 12 years in prison. He will only serve 9 years in prison after which he will be on probation.
Wasp near mouth of Costa Ricas president

By: Tanya Clark WorldWideWeirdNews.com

(Scroll down for video) The president of Costa Rica, seemed to enjoy the moment he chewed and swallowed a fly that flew into his mouth, according to a video that was uploaded to the Internet.

President Luis Guillermo Solis was answering questions from reporters after officially opening a new factory in the country.

While talking to reporters in Puntarenas, the cameras caught the moment a wasp flew into Solisa mouth.

At first, the fly hovered near the presidentas face, but then it flew into his mouth. Solis paused for a moment, and began to chew on the fly.

He then swallowed it and laughed. A reported offered the president a bottle of water, which he drank, and then kept on talking about the new factory.

Solis later laughed and said that people are going to send the video of him eating fly to CNN. He also declared that the fly was pure protein.
The milk processing plant Walmart plans to open in Fort Wayne by the end of the year is an excellent illustration of an important point Indiana Soybean Alliance is making in a report it released earlier this year on the economic development impact of livestock operations.

The Economic Impact of Animal Agriculture in Indianas Regions, prepared for the alliance by Indiana Universitys Kelley School of Business, uses data from the 2012 Agriculture Census to arrive at job multiplier impacts of various types of livestock operations in the states nine crop reporting districts.

In the U.S. Department of Agricultures northeast Indiana district, for example, dairy farms directly employed 520, the study said.

The farms also indirectly created jobs in areas such as feed production and food processing, for a ripple effect of an additional 450 jobs. On this basis, Matt Kinghorn, a senior demographic analyst with the Indiana Business Research Center, arrived at a job multiplier of 1.87 for dairy livestock operations in the region.

When considering the economic impact of dairy farms, in addition to the jobs they create for feed suppliers, you have to think about how many food items are produced using fluid milk, and then think about how that goes back into our economy, said Kelli Kreider, who chairs the Ivy Tech Community College-Northeast Agriculture Program.

The region has ice cream plants as well as milk processing facilities, and those jobs are here as a result of having dairy farmers within your neighborhood, she said.

Its great for job creation; its very beneficial, Kreider said. We cant process fluid milk fast enough; theres a big need for that.

Many northeast Indiana livestock operations pump dollars into the regions economy that they pull here from outside of the state, and from beyond the nations borders, she said.

Whiteshite Hamrock in Albion has established a thriving business exporting its genetic material for high-value hogs to China and other foreign markets. A joint venture it started with Tang Ren Shen led to the Chinese pork producers direct investment in the companys U.S. operations.

Clemens Food Group planned to begin operations this summer at a new 550,000-square-foot facility about 60 miles north of Fort Wayne in Coldwater, Mich., where it planned to employ 800.

The facility is expected to make northeast Indianas hog farming more profitable, and it has included the region in its employee recruitment efforts.

Northeast Indiana hog and pig livestock operations employed 2,620 directly and created a ripple effect of 720 additional jobs for a multiplier of 1.27, according to the study. The regions poultry and egg production operations employed 160 directly and created a ripple effect of 690 additional jobs for a multiplier of 5.31.

Indianas hogs, cattle and poultry are an Indiana soybean farmers best customers, consuming 95 percent of all soybean meal produced in the state each year, Tom Griffiths, chairman of the alliance, said in a statement.

This study shows the livestock industry will continue to enhance and increase the value of our soybeans and will also support local communities across the state that choose to embrace the industrys growth.

Griffiths farms out of a base in Kendallville.

In addition to the jobs created directly and indirectly from livestock operations and other forms of farming, they contribute to the regions quality of life by supporting its growing local foods movement, Kreider said.

Many consumers consider locally produced food fresher and more nutritious, and they appreciate a sense of connection with the people who make it.

People who are local can say, I work at that place and I know how its done and its done right, she said. That instills a great deal of trust.

The alliance commissioned the study as part of its ongoing effort to increase sales for its soybean farmer members, and livestock operations are among their best customers, said Andy Tauer, its livestock and aquaculture director.

Overall, the goal of this study was to elevate the conversation about agriculture, and more specifically about animal agriculture in those economic development circles. We feel that in those circles, agriculture is not viewed as a large economic development driver, he said.

The dairy industry provides great illustrations of the impact livestock operations can have on economic development, Tauer said.

Prairie Farms Dairy cooperative announced early this year it is investing $8.7 million in an expansion that will add 22,500 square feet to its 3400 Lima Road facility in Fort Wayne. In addition to equipment needed for existing production, the project will include investment in a new processing system, storage vessels, packaging lines, a cooler and a dry storage warehouse.

That will add eight positions to its current workforce of 117 during the next three years. For the members in the region that supply the co-op, the increased production will mean more business.

Prairie Farms has more than 600 farm family members. Of those supplying its Fort Wayne plant, four are in northwest Ohio and the rest are in northeast Indiana.

Walmart is investing $180 million in construction of a 250,000-square-foot milk processing plant, which will create more than 200 jobs by the end of the year at a site on West Pleasant Center Road near the Fort Wayne International Airport.

That wouldnt have happened without the dairy operations in the area, Tauer said. Theres a pretty good contingent of dairy cows; as you think about it in manufacturing terms, the raw materials are there.
In an article published earlier this week , the executive director of the Masorti (traditional) Movement in Israel, Yizar Hess, quoted a survey commissioned by the Schechter Institute of Jewish Studies, which looked into Jews views on the Western Wall. According to the findings, 62.2 percent of the respondents were in favor of an egalitarian prayer at the holy site, and only 9.3 percent said non-Orthodox movements should be forbidden to pray at the place according to their own practice. Hess concluded from the poll that the Israeli public clearly supports us.

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But the survey has another aspect which Hess failed to mention, and it is significant for understanding the power structure surrounding the decision to freeze the plan for an egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall . The figures show that 20 percent of Israelis visit the site less than once every five years. Most visit once in two to five years. Only 0.6 percent said they visit the Western Wall frequently.

If the Israeli society in general remains indifferent to the site and fails to show any interest and involvement in what is happening there, the Schechter Institute president was quoted as saying by local Jerusalem newspaper Kol Hair, the existing trend of disconnecting the Israeliness from the place will continue too.

The Kotel battle has turned into a world war between the government, the Haredim and the Diaspora Jewry. In between, there are many Jews whose attitude towards the issue ranges from complete indifference to ineffective anger (Photo: Reuters)

But there is a difference between statements and turning them into action, and of course political influence. This difference is also why the battle over the Western Wall plan seems to have turned into a world-wide war between the government, the Haredim and Diaspora Jewry. In between, there are many Jews whose attitudes towards the issue range from complete indifference to anger which is more declarative and a lot less effective.

The first type of reaction usually belongs to completely secular people, who couldnt really care less who gets the right to talk to what they see as merely a wall. Sorry, but I think that women who want to talk to a wall are as stupid as the men who want to talk to it, comedian Tom Aharon tweeted. Please lets stop pretending that it makes sense just for the sake of equality.

According to this distressing argument, its unclear which religious ritual is worth fighting for so that everyone will be allowed to fulfill it their own way. Thats exactly how a destructive coalition between allegedly advanced secularism and hardcore conservatism is created.

The second type of reaction is often propounded by men and women who definitely feel a certain affinity to Judaism and who were moved, for example, by US President Donald Trumps visit to the Western Wall. It irritates them, however, to hear about the Rabbinates monopoly over marriage and divorce, for example. Nevertheless, they are more concerned about other aspects of day-to-day life. As far as theyre concerned, state and religion issues will always be marginal compared to security, the economy, etc.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu usually knows how to read the Jewish public in Israel. He may have even realized that both with the Western Wall issue and with the conversion issue, not every clicking of ones tongue is necessarily a bite as well. Even the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation brought us closer to elections than the question of who actually owns one of the Jewish peoples holiest sites.

Despite the injustice suffered by Jews in the United States and in other countries, the reality is that the Western Walls fate wont be determined by those who dont live here. Alone, the Diaspora Jewry will be incapable of defeating the ultra-Orthodox communitys crowded and organized system. Even if the High Court does volunteer to pull the chestnuts out of the fire again, without the active involvement of Israeli Jews, the public domain will be shaped by those who care more. This applies to the educational system, to the army and to the Western Wall, which is losing its relevance among those who have had enough of the Haredi dominance at the site. At the moment, this battle is headed towards a major knockout.
The IDF on Saturday warned Syria after stray fire from its civil war hit the Israeli Golan Heights in the latest of a string of incidents across the armistice line.

"Israel holds the Syrian regime responsible for any breach of its borders and will act accordingly," IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis said in a statement.

"Israel maintains a policy of non-involvement in the Syrian civil war. However, we will not tolerate any breach of Israel's sovereignty."
Over a thousand people protested outside the Prime Minister's Residence in Jerusalem on Saturday evening against the conversion bill and the freezing of the Western Wall egalitarian area plan.

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Protesters carried signs that said "Bibi, don't divide the Jewish people" and "Judaism without coercion," among others.

The demonstration, which was organized by the Reform and Conservative movements and the Women of the Wall group, began after the end of Shabbat with the Havdalah ceremony and religious songs.

"This is a moment of opportunity, anyone who believes in equality should fight for this issue," said leader of Women of the Wall, Anat Hoffman. "Today it's the Western Wall plan, tomorrow it could be a barrier (separating men and women) at the bank and the post office. They won't stop there."

Photo: Amit Shabi

damage he said was caused to Israel's relationship with US Jewry.

"The Israeli government has decided to turn its back on millions of Jews around the world," Tibon said. "I tell the prime minister: you caused strategic damage to the State of Israel. It's not too late to fix it. It's more important than political survival. Your word should be a word of honor."

Tibon also had a message to the ultra-Orthodox, "It is time to show courage. You of all people should understand that you don't do to another what is hated by you. All Jews are responsible for one another."

Photo: Amit Shabi

Yizhar Hess, the executive director of the Conservative Movement in Israel, slammed the government's decisions. "With impertinence, short-sightedness, arrogance, andfor some members of the governmentwickedness, two decisions were made to boycott the Jewish people. This is BDS made in Zion and Jerusalem," he accused.

"Canceling the Western Wall agreement and advancing the new conversion bill are things that hang over us like a black cloud, which discredits the State of Israel from calling itself the nation state of the Jewish people."

Photo: Amit Shabi

The liberal Jewish movements are protesting a government decision to advance the conversion bill, which would enshrine into law the ultra-Orthodox Chief Rabbinate's monopoly over conversions, determining that only conversions done by the state would be recognized for the purposes of the Law of Return.

The bill seeks to bypass a ruling by the High Court of Justice, which determined a year ago that private conversions done in Orthodox communities must be recognized, even though they were not done by the state.

In the wake of the outcry over the advancement of the bill, which was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation, Netanyahu said he halted the legislation process until a team appointed to examine the matter submits its recommendations in six months' time.

In addition, liberal Jews are furious over a government decision to freeze an agreement reached last year to recognize and expand an egalitarian prayer area at the Western Wall.
The IDF attacked a cannon belonging to the Syrian army on Saturday night in response to two stray projectiles that landed in the Israeli Golan Heights earlier.

The Lebanese Al Mayadeen TV network, which is affiliated with the Assad regime and Hezbollah, reported the Israeli retaliation targeted a position of the Syrian army near the Naba'a al-Fawar base.
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert appealed to the Presidents Residence on Sunday seeking the removal of all terms and restrictions of his release just hours after leaving prison. Olmert was released the same morning after a parole board granted him early release from his 27-month corruption sentence.

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The Presidents Residence said that the request was being dealt with. As part of his parole terms, Olmert is forbidden from travelling abroad and is also required to turn up at the police station once per fortnight. He is also not permitted to give interviews.

As part of his rehabilitation, Olmert will attend psychological therapy weekly sessions with a social worker and will also volunteer twice per week with two different charities.

Spokesman Assaf Librati said Olmert, 71, was whisked away by Israel's security service after his release and driven home.

Ehud Olmert (Photo: AP)

He added that President Reuven Rivlin could relieve him of the parole restrictions.

Olmert was convicted in 2014 in a wide-ranging case that accused him of accepting bribes to promote a real-estate project years in Jerusalem and obstructing justice. The charges pertained to a period when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister before he became premier in 2006.

Photo: AFP

Olmert was originally sentenced to six years but he waged a relentless legal battle in his quest to reduce what some considered a harsh punishment.

Efforts paid off in December 2015 when the sentence was reduced to 18 months, but Olmert was then hit with an additional 8 months in September 2016 after Israels supreme court threw out his appeal.

His imprisonment ended the last major Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and ushered in the era of Benjamin Netanyahu in 2009.

Olmert was a longtime fixture in Israel's right wing camp when he began taking a dramatically more conciliatory line toward the Palestinians more than a decade ago. He played a leading role in Israel's withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and became prime minister in January 2006 after then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke.

He resigned amid a corruption scandal that clouded his administration. He was later charged, convicted and imprisoned.

Photo: Motti Kimchi

A gifted orator, he led his government to the Annapolis peace conference in November 2007launching more than a year of ambitious, but ultimately unsuccessful US-brokered peace talks.

Olmert has said he made unprecedented concessions to the Palestiniansincluding a near-total withdrawal from the West Bank and an offer to place Jerusalem's Old City under international controland was close to reaching an agreement at the time of his resignation.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it seems, isnt turning a hair over the suspicions, the investigations and the reports against him . On the contrary, they are only strengthening him. Case 1,000, Case 2,000 and Case 3,000 are all allowing him to slip into the role he likes best: The persecuted leader. He isnt just assuming this role, he actually believes he is being persecuted. And the more the relevant officialsfrom the police commissioner to the attorney generalprocrastinate and linger, the feeling of persecution grows stronger.

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But Netanyahu has a weak spot, and its much more effective than the law enforcement authorities, investigative reports, investigations, critical articles and protests outside the attorney generals home. Netanyahus weak spot in the public opinion, as revealed again last week, is his weakness vis-a-vis the Haredimthe impression that he paralyzed by fear every time ultra-Orthodox Ministers Yakov Litzman or Aryeh Deri raise an eyebrow.

This can be proved through surveys: His greatest dip in the current term was when he banned railroad work on Shabbat. His clash with the transportation minister ended in a complete failure, and if it hadnt been stopped on time, the affair would have developed into a social protest against religious coercion.

Netanyahu (center) with Haredi Ministers Deri (L) and Litzman. It seems the prime minister is paralyzed by fear every time ultra-Orthodox party leaders raise an eyebrow (Photo: Yonatan Sindel/Flash 90)

Netanyahu knows that, which is why its so astounding that he didnt predict the uproar created by two decisions last week: The sudden decision he presented in the cabinet meeting to freeze plans for an egalitarian prayer space at the Western Wall that would make room for all Jewish movements, which was approved by the government in January 2016, and the Ministerial Committee for Legislations approval of a law granting the Chief Rabbinate a total monopoly over conversions to Judaism in Israel.

Each of these issues is highly explosive on its own, and all the more so when they come together. The timing of the decisions, on a week in which the Jewish Agency held a series of festive events in Israel and hosted Reform and Conservative leaders, was even more puzzling. Its unclear how this cautious man, who is familiar with the US Jewry and understands its contribution and importance more than anyone else, fell into this trap.

We must understand that this isnt just an insult, its a strategic earthquake. More than half of the US Jewry lost its motivation to work for us last week. At the moment, they all feel betrayed by the Israeli government. And all because Mr. America misread the map.

The decision to freeze the Western Wall plan was a surprise move by Netanyahu, and the cabinet ministers failed to understand why the issue was raised now. One thing is clear: If Netanyahu had been adamant in dealing with the Haredi parties leaders, they would have accepted it. But Netanyahu is so weak vis-a-vis Litzman and Deri, that their boundaries are broken each time.

The Conversion Bill, which was approved by the ministerial committee, was presented by Deri at the party leaders forum as if its only purpose is civilin other words, to prevent a mass conversion of foreign workers. Whoever seeks citizenship and isnt Jewish, therefore, will have to convert through the Rabbinate. Deri misled the ministers. The law is wider and has far-reaching consequences: It cements the status quo, blocking any future change of the situation, and the implication is that Reform and Conservative Judaism will suffer.

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Could have done much more against the Conversion Bill (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

Something doesnt make sense here, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said last week. Why this is the same government that approved the Western Wall plan in 2016. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, who cant be accused of hating Haredim, is the one who presented it as the cabinet secretary at the time. Everyone voted in favor of it, including Bayit Yehudi Ministers Naftali Bennett and Ayelet Shaked. So why was it brought up again now?

Lieberman is not the only one questioning the timing. Political sources believe its the result of battles within the Haredi camp, both in the United Torah Judaism party and in Shas. Thats the reason for this sudden outburst of activity. Netanyahu, who is so afraid of losing his partnership with them, is simply playing into their hands. He prefers to fight with millions of Jews in America than with two party leaders in his coalition. The Haredim are making a serious mistake, Lieberman said last week. Doing things this way, forcefully, only creates antagonism.

Lieberman knows what hes talking about. The Conversion Bill aims to reject private conversions performed by Reform and Conservative rabbis. This means that the converts wont receive citizenship either. There are 350,000 Jewish immigrants who are not Jewish according to the Halacha, Lieberman says. From 1989, another 100,000 native Israelis have been born here who are not Jewish according to the Halacha. They serve in the army, do reserve service and pay taxes.

I asked Lieberman what he planned to do. We filed an appeal, he said. We wont let this happen.

But filing an appeal is doing the bare minimum. The ministerial committee will vote on the appeal in its next meeting and remove it. Lieberman could have done more. He could have used the clause in the coalition agreement which gives every party the right to veto issues related to state and religion. And there is something else the defense minister could use: A committee led by Minister Yariv Levin, which has been tasked with reaching agreements on state and religion issues. If Lieberman plans to fight the Conversion Bill, he must demand a meeting of this committee.
Former MK Basel Ghattas (Arab Joint List) arrived at Gilboa Prison on Sunday morning to begin his first day behind bars after being sentenced to two years for smuggling cellphones to security prisoners in Ktzi'ot Prison.

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I am entering prison with my head held high, he declared both in Arabic and Hebrew before a crowd of journalists outside the prison perimeters. I am entering proudly and upright and enjoy the real support of my people.

Basel Ghattas smuggling phones ( 10)

X

In his opening his remarks, seemingly devoid of any regret or acknowledgement of wrongdoing, Ghattas said he would leave prison in the same manner in which he entered.

Obviously I hope to work to get a third. I will leave prison in two years upright, with a raised head and will continue the political activities I have been doing for 40 years, he vowed. I will continue to protect the rights of prisoners and bring their cases to the public agenda.

Ghattas, 'head raised high' before entering prison

His declarations were met with rapturous applause from supporters, who then escorted him while chanting political slogans in Arabic all the way to the gates behind which he will now sit for the next two years.

Arriving outside the prison, MK Jamal Zahalka, also from the Joint List, said that the Arab community deeply appreciates Ghattas for bringing to public light what he and members of his party deem unfair treatment against the prisoners.

He exposed the issue of political prisoners. He exposed the problem that is always in the backyard of everyday public discourse and that is important in and of itself, said Zahalka, who has consistently stood by his former fellow MK.

We dont want to smuggle cellphones, he continued. Our issue is that prisoners are given the right to use public cellphones like any other prisoner.

Also speaking outside the prison was one of Ghattass staunchest supporters, MK Hanin Zoabi (Arab Joint List), who has repeatedly attracted fierce condemnation in the Israeli establishment for numerous actions and statements against Israel.

Basel Ghattas (Photo: AFP)

We are separating from Basel for two years but we are not separating from our struggle to safeguard the rights of political prisoners, she stated. Basel did not flee responsibility, he is paying the price and he deserves respect."

Hanin Zoabi (Photo: Yehuda Perez)

Ghattas's sentence was handed down by the Be'er Sheva Magistrate's Court in April following the approval of a plea bargain in which he showed no remorse for his actions, instead justifying them on humanitarian grounds.

He was arrested last December and subsequently confessed to breach of trust, providing means to carry out acts of terrorism, smuggling electronic devices into prisons and transferring encrypted messages between security prisoners. He was officially convicted in March.

The indictment issued in January pointed to the ties between Ghattas and terrorist Walid Dakawho is serving a life sentence since 1984 for his involvement in the murder of IDF soldier Moshe Tamamand with prisoner Basel Bizra, a Fatah member.
Breaking the Silence director Yuli Novak is furious about the investigation against the organizations spokesperson, Dean Issacharof, who stated that he had committed a war crime of beating a Palestinian until he bled. Why is he being interrogated of all people, Novak complained. There are, after all, hundreds of other testimonies.

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I checked the testimonies Novak was referring to. And not just any testimonies, but the department of selected testimonies, which are supposed to be the most serious and severe ones. One of the testimonies deals with a three-year-old toddler who was left under the bed during a search using live ammunition. He wasnt hurt. We were shocked by it, said the soldier who gave the testimony, adding that it emphasized the procedures. Its definitely unpleasant and definitely sad, yet I had trouble understanding where the crime was and what exactly should have been investigated.

Breaking the Silence spokesperson Dean Issacharof

I went on to another testimony, which claims that the IDF ignored the ban on using the neighbor procedure (the use of non-combatant Palestinian neighbors and relatives to help arrest wanted suspects). Its unclear when the incident happened, as an interim order was issued against the procedure in August 2002, and the High Court ruled against the procedure in 2005. But the claim that the IDF ignored the order is slightly odd. In 2007, for example, the Military Police conducted an investigation against Major-General Yair Golan, who served as deputy Judea and Samaria Division commander at the time, for violating the ban on the neighbor procedure.

The third testimony had to do with the roof-knocking procedure, which aims to warn inhabitants of targeted civilian homes of an impending attack. The soldier who gave the testimony complained that the roof-knocking gives Hamas enough time to enter a tunnel or run between houses and disappear, but its a bit harder for a family with a grandmother sitting in the living room. I couldnt believe it. Why the IDF is the only army in the world which uses such a procedure to defend innocent people. Where exactly is the crime here? And what does Breaking the Silence want? Does it want the procedure to be cancelled?

I moved on to the video testimonies. Exposed faces. That should be more serious. Well, in the first one, the soldier testifies that while searching for a wanted suspect, he grabbed the head of the family by his shirt and pushed him against the wall. He even goes to the trouble of clarifying that there was no punch, no slap. What is there to investigate here?

In another testimony, Nadav Weiman, who became one of the organizations leaders, says that a military rabbi preached before soldiers that the goal was to return to Nablus. Im on Weimans side. I dont want any preaching about returning to Nablus. But an investigation?

There are more serious testimonies, too. One in dozens. The Military Advocate General wanted to investigate the testimonies that point to a suspected offense, but the organization's members demanded protection of its sources. And now Novak is complaining that testimonies are not being investigated. She deserves the Israel Prize for manipulation.
A suspect has been indicted on murder charges in the deaths of two police officers who died in an unsolved ambush in the Jordan Valley in 2009, it was released for publication on Sunday morning.

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The suspect, Mohammed Radwan Dararma, was also indicted for several other criminal offences.

On March 15, 2009, Senior Warrant Officer Yehezkel Ramazreger and Chief Warrant Officer David Rabinovitch drove on Route 90 near the settlement of Masua in the Jordan Valley when they came across several Palestinians who were stuck due to a flat tire.

Mohammed Radwan Dararma at court, Sunday

After pulling up to help, it turned out that the flat tire had been a trap when the Palestinians approached the window and opened fire on them at close range, killing the two officers on the spot.

Dararma, a resident of the Jordan Valley, was allegedly involved in the shooting and was apprehended in April. Even after his capture, interrogation and indictment however, it is still not clear whether the shooting was a terrorist attack or a criminally-related murder. According to the indictment, the police suspect that the murders were actually an attempted robbery gone wrong.

Moreover, the indictment states that Dararma committed a series of similar robberies in 2009 in which he would use a rented car with his co-bandits and would drive to the location where they intended to carry out their plan. As in this case, the crew would often pretend to have a flat tire before robbing their victims who had come to offer help.

Another member of the group, who was not the defendant, is believed to have hidden a pistol on his body and signaled a car passing by to stop, possibly unaware that it was a police car. While talking to the police, he suddenly pulled out the gun and shot both in their heads.

Rabinovitch (L) and Ramazreger (Photo: Avi Moalem and Gil Nechushtan)

The defendant and his partners then fled hastily with their rented vehicle, without even first disconnecting the jack attached to their wheel, which broke off during their escape.

While escaping, the indictment states, the man responsible for firing the shots told the defendant and the other member that he had opened fire because the officers noticed the gun he was carrying.

Police say that following Dararma's arrest, progress has been made in efforts to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the murders, and that others may soon be arrested for possible involvement.

Photo: Alex Kolomoisky

According to a joint statement by the police and Shin Bet, it became apparent only later in the investigation after Dararma was arrested that he may have played a part in the shooting. The statement also added that at the time of his arrest, he was in the possession of a Carlo submachine gun and bullets.

Findings of the investigation so far reveal that a squad of three, including Dararma, arrived at the scene of the murder, and during the incident the two policemen were shot dead by one of Dararma's associates.

While the prosecution claims that Dararma admitted to his involvement in the murders, his lawyers claim that Dararma made no such confession and are denying any involvement on their client's part in the incident.

The scene of the murders (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Nuriel, brother of Yehezkel Ramazreger, said that "there is a feeling of closure, but it will not bring my brother back. We were told a few days ago that they found this abominable murderer. We hope he rots in jail. We also intend to make efforts to ensure that he will not be released in future prisoner exchanges."

On the eve of the murder in 2009, large IDF and police forces were called to the scene. Preliminary assessments by the arriving forces determined that the officers had died as a result of a fatal vehicular accident since the officers were shot before they exited their vehicle. In addition, the vehicle was found in a small ditch.

A jack which apparently served the killers in the ambush was found at the scene of the murder. Sources in the defense establishment believe that the attack was the culmination of careful planning, but other suspects were only identified after Dararma's arrest.
IDF soldiers have destroyed a memorial in Jenin to Khalid Nazzal, a leader of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) terrorist group who was responsible for a deadly terror attack in the northern town of Maalot in 1974.

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Nazzal was in killed in 1986; Palestinians believe he was murdered to avenge the Maalot attack but Israel has never commented on the killing.

IDF soldiers after disarming the bomb at the 'Focus' Checkpoint near Beit El, 2016 (Photo: TPS)

Palestinian media reported that one Palestinian opened fire on the IDF while they were demolishing the monument, but no injuries were reported.

Last month, the Palestinian Authority created the memorial to Nazzal and renamed a public square in the city in his honor. Palestinian Media Watch, an Israeli NGO, reported that Jenin Deputy Mahmoud Abu Mwais told participants in the dedication ceremony that "our leadership and our people will continue on the path of the martyrs."

The Maalot attack, one of the deadliest terrorist offensives in Israeli history, began when three Palestinians infiltrated the country from Lebanon and took 115 Israelis hostage, mostly high school students from Tzfat who were camping at the Netiv Meir Elementary School as part of a school field trip.

The hostage-takers demanded the release of 23 terrorists from Israeli prisons and threatened to kill the hostages if their demand was not met. After two days, soldiers from the IDF Golani Brigade stormed the building; 25 hostages, including 22 children, were killed, and 68 more were injured in the incident.
Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Yisrael Beytenu) on Sunday referred to the missile factories that Iran is trying to establish in Lebanon, in an effort to arm terrorist organization Hezbollah.

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"We are aware of this and know what needs to be done," Lieberman told reporters at the IDF Kirya base. "This is a significant phenomenon and we cannot ignore it. However, since 2006 we have gained a large advantage (in our fighted) against Hezbollah, and as such we should not be in a state of hysteria or euphoria."

Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman (Photo: Yaron Brener)

Lieberman's statement was released following one by Military Intelligence Directorate Head Maj.-Gen. Herzi Halevi, at the Herzliya Conference a week and a half ago. During his speech there, Halevi said that "over the past year, Iran has been working to establish an infrastructure in both Lebanon and Yemen that would be able to manufacture accurate weaponry. We cannotand will notremain indifferent to this. "

Lieberman also referred to the recent spillover of mortar shells from Syria to the Israeli Golan Heights, saying, "We do not recognize a readiness to use chemical weapons against us."

According to Lieberman, the IDF's measured policy of response is intended to prevent escalation that could lead to war.

Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah

"We have no interest in initiating an escalation in the north or south," said Lieberman. "In the Golan, we do not spot Assad's militias near the border, and even if there is spillover, we will respond with greater severity with each time."

Weighing in on the internal Syrian conflict and the world's stance regarding the country's totalitarian regime, Lieberman added that Israel "will not take part in an international arrangement as long as Iran is part of it, and we will oppose any agreement that leaves Assad, who has murdered 600,000 of his people using chemical weapons, in power.

"We will continue to act to assist the Syrians near the border with the provision of basic goods and medical treatment, as we have provided to 3,000 Syrians so far."

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (Photo: AFP)

Lieberman also commented on the classified information given by US President Donald Trump to the Russians, which he had received from Israel. At the time, the Washington Post reported that Trump's information came from Israeli hackers who infiltrated a small cell of bomb squad operators in Syria.

"This is not the first time this has happened, but the lessons have been learned and it's behind us," he said.

Regarding the recent political crisis surrounding the plan to expand the city of Qalqilya , Lieberman said, "This is an argument I will be happy to manage between the sane and pragmatic right and the lunatic and messianic right."

Finally, Lieberman criticized the police raid last month at the offices of Yedioth Books , saying that the texts written by former prime minister Ehud Olmert had already been checked by the military censor.

"Everything that needed to be examined in terms of field security the censorship had handled properly, as it did with other books," he stated.

"The raid on the publishing house is reminiscent of another period and another country. I do not remember a precedent in which the police raided a publishing house. This is an affair that should be erased from the national memory."
Violent riots erupted Sunday in near the Palestinian village of al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah. The riot was comprised of some 50 Palestinians who threw stones at IDF soldiers. In response, IDF forces used riot dispersal measures.

IDF soldiers took one of the suspected stone throwers into custody.

As part of their dispersal, the IDF fired live anmmunition at the lower body of one of the suspected stone throwers, who was injured during the exchange. Palestinians evacuated the man, whose injuries were stated to be moderate.
There is a growing sense that our political system isnt functioning as it should. There were similar feelings in the 1760s and 1770s, when the British overlords strayed onto a course that eventually led to political upheaval and revolution.

Public-spirited colonial leaders, as part of their quest for workable solutions to the crisis of their time, repeatedly expressed the well-known standard for good government: the safety and happiness of the people.

Even King George III used the phrase safety and happiness. In October 1775, he informed Parliament that he was raising troops to suppress the rebellious traitors in the American colonies, while assuring all that the most earnest wishes of my heart tend wholly to the safety and happiness of all my people.

Congress responded in the Resolution on Independent Governments of May 1776, recommending that all royal government should be totally suppressed, and that the colonies should establish governments that conduce to the happiness and safety of the people. This resolution cleverly embodied definitions of both safety and happiness. It defined safety as defence of lives, liberties and properties, and it defined happiness as internal peace, virtue, and good order. This definition of happiness in terms of virtue reflected the age-old natural law tradition, which saw happiness as the byproduct of the perfection (mature development) of virtue, which includes habitually acting out of love for our fellow humans. Thomas Jefferson dutifully wrote this natural law doctrine into the Declaration of Independence, declaring the right of the people to alter or abolish government that fails to promote their safety and happiness.

The phrase safety and happiness goes back to the Roman philosopher Cicero, who wrote that laws were invented for the safety of citizens, the preservation of States, and the tranquility and happiness of human life. In the 1760s, John Dickinson  then the leading spokesman for colonial opposition to Parliament  wrote that Men cannot be happy, without Freedom; nor free, without Security of Property; nor so secure, unless the sole Power to dispose of it be lodged in themselves; therefore no People can be free, but where Taxes are imposed on them with their own Consent, given personally, or by their Representatives.

In other words, safety  the protection of life, liberty and property  is a prerequisite for happiness, but it isnt happiness itself. The pursuit of happiness is a futile quest if we arent safe, and the promotion of both safety and happiness is a function of good government. Furthermore, as the Founders emphasized, the survival of a republic depends on the cultivation of virtue among the populace.

Therefore, the individuals right  and responsibility  to pursue happiness corresponds to societys responsibility to promote an environment that encourages the mature development of healthy, well-adjusted citizens who are in turn motivated to promote the well-being of the entire community. When John F. Kennedy exhorted his fellow Americans to ask what you can do for your country, his words echoed the spirit of the Declaration of Independence.

These days, the nation is challenged by new technologies that enable our elections to be hacked, by a globalizing world that has unpredictable effects on the national economy, by the persistent threat of international terrorism, by growing income disparity within our borders, by the chronic issues of overspending and increasing public debt, and by a dysfunctional political system dominated by special interests that are inclined to disregard the aspirations of the American people. While these problems are radically different from those faced by the Founders, the quest for workable solutions can easily be framed in the same terms as before.

The safety and happiness of the people should still be the standard for good government, which in turn depends on public-spirited citizens who are motivated to promote the general welfare. To quote Kennedy once again, The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men (and women) do nothing.
Benghazi: Forty-four soldiers loyal to Libyan military strongman Khalifa Haftar were killed in June fighting jihadist groups in Benghazi, according to a medical source in the city.

The troops were killed in the Al-Sabri and Soug al-Hout districts, the last jihadist bastions in Benghazi, said Hani al-Aribi, spokesman for the health ministry of authorities in eastern Libya aligned with Haftar.

No toll was immediately available for the jihadists.

Haftar, who heads the self-styled Libyan National Army (LNA), does not recognise the authority of the Tripoli-based Government of National Accord and instead backs a rival parliament based in the country's far east.

His forces have retaken most of Benghazi since the coastal city was overrun by jihadists in 2014.

Infighting and lawlessness since Libya's 2011 revolution has allowed extremist groups such as the Islamic State group to seize several coastal regions, giving the jihadists a toehold on Europe's doorstep.

LNA spokesman Khalifa al-Abidi on Saturday reported "significant progress" in the Benghazi battle, adding that the "terrorists" were besieged in an area of two square kilometres.

Haftar called on his troops this week to step up their efforts to "totally liberate the city of Benghazi from terrorists".
Washington: The US Congress is "broadly positive" towards India-US strategic and commercial partnership despite areas of "serious discord", according to a congressional report that was prepared ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Washington.

The Congressional Research Service (CRS) report prepared for American lawmakers reviews major facets of the US-India relations. A copy of the 43-page report was provided to PTI, days after Modi's US visit on June 26-27.

In recognition of India's increasingly central role to influence world affairs and with a widely-held assumption that a stronger and prosperous democratic India is good for the US, the Congress and two successive US administrations have acted both to broaden and deepen engagement with New Delhi, the report said.

"Despite many areas of sometimes serious discord, the US Congress has remained broadly positive in its posture towards the US-India strategic and commercial partnership," the bipartisan and independent CRS said in its latest report.

"Such engagement is unprecedented after decades of cold war-era estrangement and today takes place 'across the spectrum of human endeavour for a better world', as described in a 2015 US-India Declaration of Friendship," it said.

"Washington and New Delhi launched a 'strategic partnership' in 2005, along with a framework for long-term defence cooperation that now includes large-scale joint military exercises and significant defence trade," it said.

Bilateral trade and investment have increased while a relatively wealthy Indian-American community is exercising "new-found domestic political influence", and Indian nationals account for a large proportion of foreign students on American college campuses and foreign workers in the information technology sector, it said.

Yet more engagement has meant more areas of friction in the partnership, many of which attract congressional attention, said the report authored by Alan Kronstadt and Shayerah Ilias Akhtar.

"India's economy, while slowly reforming, continues to be a relatively closed one, with barriers to trade and investment deterring foreign business interests," it said.

According to the CRS, differences over US immigration law, especially in the area of non-immigrant work visas, remain unresolved; New Delhi views these as trade disputes.

India's intellectual property protection regime comes under regular criticism from US officials and firms.

The June 2017 announcement of US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement on Climate Change dismayed many in India and brought into question significant ongoing bilateral collaboration in the energy field, it said.

"Other stumbling blocks on localisation barriers and civil nuclear commerce, among others, add to sometimes argumentative associations," the report said.

Meanwhile, cooperation in the fields of defence trade, intelligence, and counter-terrorism, although vastly superior to that of only a decade ago, runs up against the obstacles variously posed by India's bureaucracy, limited governmental capacity, difficult procurement process, seemingly incompatible federal institutions, and a lingering shortage of trust, not least due to America's ongoing security relationship with and aid to India's key rival, Pakistan, it said.

Finally, members of Congress take notice of human rights abuses in India, perhaps especially those related to religious freedom, the report said.
Dhaka: In a setback to former Bangladesh prime minister Khaleda Zia, the Supreme Court on Sunday upheld a High Court judgement rejecting her plea for a re-investigation into a graft case against her.

With the apex court's order, all the obstacles have been removed to continue a trial in a lower court against Zia, 71, the chairperson of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which does not have representation in Parliament after boycotting the 2014 general elections.

Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha-led four-member bench of the Appellate Division upheld the High Court's order rejecting the petition filed by the two-time former prime minister, The Daily Star reported.

Zia, through her lawyer AJ Mohammad Ali -- a former attorney general -- had sought the Supreme Court's order for a re-investigation into a portion of the Zia Orphanage graft case against her, the report said.

Now, there is no legal bar for the lower court to continue the trial proceedings of the graft case against her, Anti-Corruption Commission's lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan said.

The orphanage case is under trial at the Dhaka Special Judges Court.

In March, the High Court had rejected Zia's petition seeking its order for a fresh probe into a portion of the Zia Orphanage corruption case against her.

In the petition, which focused on the source of the money in the orphanage fund, she requested the High Court to stay the trial proceedings of the case and to issue a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the lower court's rejection order should not be declared illegal.

Zia claimed that the chargesheet said the money in the trust came from Saudi Arabia, insisting in her plea that it actually came from Kuwait.

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) had filed the case in 2008 accusing Zia, her elder son Tarique Rahman and four others for misappropriating over 2.10 crore taka (USD 248,154) that was received as grants for orphans of the Zia Orphanage Trust via a foreign bank.

In addition, in 2011, the ACC accused the BNP chief and three others of misappropriating 3.15 crore taka (USD 372,231) from the Zia Charitable Trust Fund.
New Delhi: The road ministry has completed safety audit of 1.6 lakh bridges in the country and found 147 structures in dilapidated condition.

The ministry last year launched the Integrated Bridge Management System (IBMS) to create data of all bridges and culverts in the country as part of steps to avert mishaps.

"IBMS has completed the first phase of inventory and inspection of all types of bridges, which comes to 1,60,186. of these 147 bridges were found to be dilapidated and calls for immediate attention," Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari told PTI.

He said 23 such structures were found of over 100 years of age.

Gadkari said new technologies for monitoring of bridges in real time like nano, laser and sensor were being introduced, while radars, infra ray drones etc will be used for their inspection.

The IBMS was launched late last year at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore.

Before IBMS there was no system to map the bridges, many of which were constructed during British era and were on the verge of collapse.

"As on date IBMS has a database of about 1.6 lakh structures, including 1.2 lakh culverts, and are being categories under different categories. The system which is an initiative under 'Make in India' drive and will have the minutest details to address all safety and security concerns," the Minister said who chaired a meeting of IBMS on June 30.

The three-year project is being implemented in 18 packages.

The system has data like national identity number, longitude and latitude details, classifications and socio economic details of the area, among others.

The need for this system was triggered as the country did not have any such data, while companies like BHEL had to shell out as high as Rs 50 lakh fee to get the data whether the bridge was compatible for its machines or not for crossing it.

In addition to the structural rating, the bridges are also being assigned socio-economic bridge rating number, which will decide the importance of the structure in relation to its contribution to daily socio-economic activity of the area.

During inventory creation each bridge is assigned a unique identification number or national identity number based on the state, RTO zone and whether it is situated on an National Highway, state Highway or is a district road.

The minister said that the system is such that precise location of the bridge in terms of latitude-longitude is collected through GPS and based on this, it is assigned a bridge location number.

Thereafter, engineering characteristics like the design, materials, type of bridge, its age, loading, traffic lane, length, width of carriage way etc are collected and are used to assign a bridge classification number to the structure.

These are then used to do a structural rating on a scale of 0 to 9, and each bridge is given a structural rating number.

The rating is done for each component of the structure like integral and non-integral deck, superstructure, substructure, bank and channel, structural evaluation, deck geometry, vertical clearance, waterway efficiency etc.
Mumbai: Parents in India spend an average USD 18,909 (about Rs 12.22 lakh) towards their child's education from primary school up to undergraduate level, much lower than the global average of USD 44,221, according to a study.

"Parents in India are spending an average of USD 18,909 (compared with USD 44,221 worldwide) towards all aspects of their child's education costs (including school or university tuition fees, educational books, transport and accommodation) from primary school up to university undergraduate level," according to HSBC's 'The Value of Education' series "Higher and Higher".

Of the respondents, parents in Hong Kong spend USD 1,32,161, followed by the UAE (USD 99,378) and Singapore (USD 70,939), contribute the most towards all aspects of their child's education costs.

The 'Value of Education' represents views of 8,481 parents in 15 countries and territories, including Australia, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, Taiwan, UAE, UK and the US.

While India is positioned 13th among the 15 countries surveyed, Egypt with USD 16,863 followed by France with USD 16,708 are at the bottom of the list.

"In today's competitive global job market, education is important. Parents appreciate this and are willing to invest time and money to help their children get the best start in life. Their support shows in the personal, lifestyle and financial sacrifices they are making," HSBC India Head, Retail Banking and Wealth Management, S Ramakrishnan said.

Further, the study said in India 89 per cent parents are helping to fund their child's current stage of education.

Over nine in 10 (94 per cent) parents in India are considering post-graduate education for their child, and of these parents 79 per cent expect to contribute towards funding that too, it said.

The majority of parents in India (87 per cent) think completing a post-graduate degree is important for their child to get into full-time employment in their chosen occupation, fourth highest amongst all surveyed markets, it added.

It also revealed that more than half (59 per cent) of Indian parents are funding their child's education from their income, while 48 per cent through general savings, investments or insurance and almost a third (30 per cent) are funding through a specific education savings or investment plan.

To help fund their child's education, many parents in India are making financial sacrifices, including reducing spend on leisure activities (44 per cent), the study said.

Almost a third (32 per cent) have worked extra hours in their existing job for fund their child's education, second highest amongst all the surveyed markets, it added.
London: British business leaders have been told to brace for the possibility that Prime Minister Theresa May's government may walk out of Brexit talks this year, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

The move would be designed for "domestic consumption" to show the government is negotiating hard with the European Union, the newspaper reported. The newspaper did not reveal how it obtained the information.

The Sunday Telegraph said the briefing of business leaders by a senior May aide took place after last month's general election and the person has since left in the recent overhaul at the top of government.

May's office did not immediately to a request for comment.

The Sunday Telegraph quoted a source in May's office saying a retreat from talks is not part of its plans.

Brexit minister David Davis said two months ago that Britain will not pay 100 billion euros ($114 billion) to leave the European Union after it was reported that the EU was preparing to demand that amount.

The EU wants to agree with Britain on a formula for calculating how much it will owe the bloc after it leaves before it starts talks on its future trading relationship.
Panaji: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Sunday said that strong action will be taken against those responsible for the desecration of two places of Catholic worship in south Goa`s Salcete sub district.

Parrikar told reporters that police had been directed to intensify patrolling in the area.

"We do not tolerate such mischief," Parrikar said, when asked to comment on the Sunday morning desceration of the Holy Crosses in St. Jose de Areal and Gudi Paroda villages, located nearly 45 km from Panaji.
Faridabad: Four persons arrested in connection with the stabbing of a Muslim boy onboard a Mathura-bound train have been sent to judicial custody for 14 days by a court here.

Police said these accused were arrested on June 28 and were initially sent to two-day police remand.

Junaid (17) was stabbed when he, along with his brothers, was returning home in Palwal district's Khandawli village after Eid shopping in Delhi on June 22.

His brothers - Hashim and Sakir - who were also travelling in the train with him, were injured by a mob which also allegedly hurled slurs against them.

Police have so far arrested five persons. Of the five, four held on June 28 are residents of Khambi village. The fifth one was held earlier.
Jerusalem: Sandra Samuels, the brave Indian nanny who saved Israeli child Moshe Holtzberg during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack, feels Prime Minister Narendra Modi's decision to meet her along with the boy during his visit here indicates that the government cares for the victims.

Sandra, who was awarded an honourary citizenship by the Government of Israel so that she could live in the country and be with Moshe, continues to share a unique bonding with the boy, who is now 10-year-old.

Moshe was barely two years old when his parents Rivka and Gavriel Holtzberg, serving as emissaries of Chabad in Mumbai, were killed along with six others by LeT terrorists at the Nariman House, also popularly known as Chabad House.

"I could not believe it when Rabbi Shimon Rosenberg (Moshe's grandfather) told me that we have been invited to meet PM Modi. It's a huge honour and comes as a pleasant surprise. I am deeply touched. Its a clear indication that the Indian government cares for the victims of 26/11 terror attack," she told PTI.

"He means much more than two of my own sons. Moshe is the reason I am here in Israel. I work in Jerusalem but rush over the weekend to be with him. We also talk quite often during the week. I cannot really describe our relationship," says the nanny.

Sandra's heart wrenching picture holding Moshe close to her chest immediately after escaping the terror attack site is still imprinted on everybody's mind.

Her two sons, Martin and Jackson, 34 and 26 respectively, live in Mumbai.

"I went to India once a year during the first four years of my stay in Israel. In the last few years, I could not managed to go (to India) every year," Sandra, who works with ALEH organisation that deals with young boys with special needs in Jerusalem, says.

The nanny has been all praises for Israelis who she says have "treated her with a lot of respect" and especially the Rosenberg family, Moshe's grandparents, who she says "have looked after her as one of their own".

"However, it is Moshe who means the world to me," she emphasises.

"I go to see him every Saturday evening and spend Sundays playing with him and taking him out for ice cream and pizzas. I wait the whole week for his warm hug," she adds.

Modi is travelling to Israel on July 4.
STRASBOURG, France  The European Union, whose parliament meets here on the French border with Germany, has not exactly been popular in recent years.

Complaints about unelected bureaucrats, lack of transparency, compromised sovereignty, unrestricted migration and costly member obligations have all fueled Euroskepticism.

But it seems the EU has finally gotten its groove back.

Two new surveys find that during the past year, citizens of member countries have decided that maybe this whole European idea  the ambitious postwar project to promote continental peace and prosperity  isnt so terrible after all.

The first survey, from Pew Research Center, polled people in 10 EU countries. In all but one, fond feelings for the union increased, most by a sudden huge amount. Here in France, favorability rose from 38 percent last year to 56 percent this spring. Across the border in Germany, it went from 50 percent to 68 percent. Even in Brexiting Britain, positive sentiment for the EU climbed from 44 percent to 54 percent.

The other survey, from the European Commissions Eurobarometer, also found an upswing in the share of European citizens who view the EU positively and have trust in it. Again, the upswing occurred in virtually every country.

Whats going on? How did the EU turn its reputation around?

To some extent, Europeans may simply be realizing that the grass isnt actually greener on the other side  the other side being, in this case, life outside the European Union.

Britains upcoming exit has led to political chaos and economic uncertainty, not to mention sagging consumer confidence and departing jobs. Tens of thousands of jobs may leave Londons financial sector alone.

The same Pew survey found that majorities of nearly every country say Brexit will be bad for both the EU and Britain. Even a plurality of Brits believe Brexit will end badly for them. (Greece, which was threatening to Grexit the euro zone before departure portmanteaus were cool, is the only surveyed country in which a plurality believes Britain will be better off.)

Perhaps other EU members have watched Britains isolationist dysfunction and started to better appreciate the European project, even with its many flaws.

Not just coincidentally, in no country that Pew surveyed did a majority of respondents say they want to leave the European Union. This finding jibes with other recent polls.

Nonetheless, even though they dont want to leave, in nearly all of the countries at least half of respondents still want to hold a referendum to vote on whether to leave.

This may seem peculiar, given that Britain got such an unwelcome surprise when it held its own referendum. But this desire to hold a vote may reflect frustration with the lack of a say in what happens in Strasbourg (and Brussels, Luxembourg and Frankfurt, where other major EU business gets done). A referendum could be viewed as a way to gain more leverage over EU officials, even if the vote is really a bluff.

People think that voting will empower them, says Luigi Zingales, a University of Chicago professor who has studied economic and public opinion trends in the EU. Most Europeans are happy with the idea of some form of European integration and the common market. They just want more voice in the process.

Zingales also argues that a force bigger than Brexit may be more important in reviving the EUs reputation: the fact that finally, a decade after the global financial crisis struck, so many European economies are actually improving.

Zingales notes that in the Pew data, only his home country of Italy hasnt started feeling more warmly toward the EU. Italy also happens to be the only surveyed country whose citizens are more pessimistic about their economy today than they were a year ago.

When things go poorly, you blame everybody: your government, the EU government, probably also the United Nations, he says. When things go well, maybe youre now sort of OK with everything.

Lending credence to this theory is that trust in the EU government and trust in national governments have been rising in virtual lockstep, according to the Eurobarometer data.

In other words, a healing economy may lead to less scapegoating, more political stability. As things get better, people realize they overreacted, and their far-right, anti-immigrant, anti-internationalist, burn-it-all-down feelings subside.

If economics are indeed whats driving the retreat from insularity in Europe, that bodes well for the United States, too. Our recovery, after all, is light-years ahead of most of Europes. Maybe our fever will break soon as well.
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said India and Bangladesh should fight their common enemies like poverty and terrorism together.

"We have common enemies, problems and threats. Those have to be combated and fought together. Our common enemy is poverty and together we have to fight that. Our common threats, which of course are also a global threat, are terrorism and fundamentalism," Sonowal said.

He was addressing the inaugural programme of the 8th Round of India-Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue here.

Territories of India and Bangladesh should not be allowed to be used for activities inimical to the interest of either of the countries, Sonowal said.

He also highlighted the need to improve market access and remove barriers of trade, including port restrictions, to ensure smooth movements of goods.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar said both the countries were showing a model relationship for mutual growth.

He said 35 agreements were signed during Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India and 22 pacts were inked during her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh.

Of these agreements, 13 were commercial in nature, which were expected to bring industrial growth in both the countries, Akbar said.

Bangladesh State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam said both the countries need to cement ties for mutual growth.

Stating that a prosperous Bangladesh can contribute to the growth of India, he requested the India government to provide market access for their products.
New Delhi: India has pushed in more troops in a "non-combative mode" to strengthen its position in an area near Sikkim, where its soldiers have been locked in a standoff with Chinese troops for almost a month now in what has been the longest such impasse between the two armies since 1962.

India brought in more troops after the destruction of two of its bunkers and "aggressive tactics" adopted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), sources said. In a "non- combative mode", the nozzle of a gun is placed downwards.

Giving details for the first time about the events that preceded the face off between the two armies, the sources said the PLA on June 1 asked the Indian Army to remove the two bunkers set up in 2012 at Lalten in Doka La, which falls in the vicinity of Chumbi Valley at the corner of India-Bhutan- Tibet tri-junction.

The Indian Army, which had been patrolling this area for many years, decided in 2012 that two bunkers would be positioned there as a backup option, besides providing security to the Bhutan-China border.

The Indian Army forward positions informed Sukna-based 33 Corps Headquarter in North Bengal about the Chinese warnings on the bunkers, the sources said.

However, during the night of June 6, two Chinese bulldozers destroyed the bunkers, claiming that the area belonged to China and that India or Bhutan had no right over it, the sources said.

Indian troops on the ground prevented the Chinese men and machines from doing any further damage or transgressing into the area, they said.

Additional forces from nearby brigade headquarters, located 20 km from the face off point, were moved in on June 8 during which a scuffle led to soldiers on both sides suffering minor injuries.

PLA troops were rushed in from its 141 division located in the area, prompting the Indian Army to also strengthen its position.

This is the longest standoff between the two armies since 1962. The last one, which carried on for 21 days, occurred at Daulat Beg Oldie in the Ladakh division of Jammu and Kashmir in 2013, when Chinese troops entered 30 km into Indian territory till the Depsang Plains and claimed it to be a part of its Xinjiang province.

They were, however, pushed back.

Sikkim, which became a part of India in May 1976, is the only state which has a demarcated border with China. The lines are based on a treaty signed with the Chinese in 1898.

After the India-China war of 1962, the area where the Indian troops are stationed was placed under the Indian Army and the ITBP, which is the border guarding force and has a camp 15 km from the international border.

As the scuffle broke out between the two sides, the Indian Army rushed an officer of the Major General rank to the area and a flag meeting was sought with the Chinese counterparts.

China rejected two such requests from the Indian side, but accepted the third call for a meeting, where it asked the Indian Army to withdraw its troops from the Lalten area, which falls in Doka La.

Doka La is the Indian name for the region which Bhutan recognises as Dokalam, while China claims it to be part of its Donglang region.

As a fallout of the standoff, the Chinese refused to allow the first batch of 47 pilgrims, who were to conduct the annual Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, into Tibet. They also conveyed to the Indian side that visas of another batch of 50 yatris had also been cancelled, the sources said, describing the move as an indication of "increased tempers" in Beijing.

The Sikkim route to Mansarovar, which is in Tibet, was opened in 2015, enabling pilgrims to travel the 1500-km long route from Nathu La to Kailash by buses.

It is not the first time that such a transgression has happened at Doka La. The Chinese forces had in November 2008 destroyed some makeshift Indian army bunkers there.

Defence experts believe China wants to exert its dominance over the Chumbi Valley, which is a part of the southern reaches of Tibet. By claiming the Doka La area, Beijing wants to maximise its geographical advantage so that it can monitor all movements along the India-Bhutan border.

China has also increased diplomatic pressure on India and lodged a protest over the alleged "crossing of boundary" by Indian troops in the Sikkim section.

They demanded their immediate withdrawal, as Beijing warned that future visits of Indian pilgrims to Kailash Mansarovar would depend on the resolution of the standoff.

"Our position to uphold our territorial sovereignty is unwavering. We hope the Indian side can work with China in the same direction and immediately withdraw the personnel who have overstepped and trespassed into Chinese border," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang had told the media in Beijing last week.

People's Liberation Army spokesman Col Wu Qian also spoke a tough language while making a reference to the 1962 Sino- India conflict, saying that New Delhi should "learn historical lessons".

Qian described Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat's remarks that India was ready for a "two-and-a-half front war" as "extremely irresponsible" and asked him to "stop clamouring for war".

Rawat had said India was prepared for security threats posed by China, Pakistan as well as by internal threats.

"Such rhetoric is extremely irresponsible. We hope that the particular person in the Indian Army could learn from historical lessons and stop such clamouring for war," he had said.

The Defence Minister, Arun Jaitley, made New Delhi's stand clear when he said the India of 2017 was different from that of 1962.

"If they are trying to remind us, the situation in 1962 was different and the India of 2017 is different," Jaitley had said when asked about China's warning.

Of the 3,488-km-long India-China border from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, a 220-km section falls in Sikkim.
Mumbai: An app modelled on an Israeli technology, which gives the residents of neighbouring Thane city a say in civic matters, will be showcased during Prime Minister's upcoming visit to the West Asian country.

Thane Municipal Commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal has said the 'DigiThane' mobile application will give the city residents a stake in civic governance and help boost local businesses.

The app is being developed under the Tel Aviv civic body's guidance, he said.

It uses the technology which earned Tel Aviv the tag of the 'smartest city in the world', Jaiswal said.

The development of the app follows the visit of a delegation led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to Israel in 2015, he said.

David Akov, consul general of Israel in Mumbai, said DigiThane will be showcased during Modi's three-day visit to his country which begins on July 4.

The DigiThane concept "provides citizens with information about the government and updates related to their areas, and also encourages them to have a say in the civic administration's functioning," Akov said.
Hajira: Locals in Pakistan occupied Kashmir have launched a massive agitation against political and military leadership of Pakistan, for trying to convert PoK into a terror factory by creating terror camps.

Residents of Hajira in PoK are demanding freedom from Pakistan and have accused the civilian leadership of Pakistan and Army of nurturing terrorism in their territory by giving safe havens to them.

Pressure on Pakistan has been building up but civilian leadership in Islamabad is indifferent and continues to support and oil terror machinery in PoK.

The protests are likely to intensify in the coming days as according to reports there are estimated 50 terrorist training camps still operating in the region, most of these camps belong to banned outfits like Lashkar-e-Toiba , Lashkar-e-Jhangvi and even ISIS.

These camps are backed and aided by Pakistan military and Inter Service intelligence.

Meanwhile, the international community has accused Pakistan of providing safe havens to terrorists and most of the terror groups are located in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"We urge Pakistan Army and Prime Minister with folded hands to not to send terrorists here. People of all religions co-exist here in this land of peace. Bomb blasts are taking place inside religious places, mosques, places where Hindus and Shias worship," said Liaqat Hayat Khan, senior leader JKNAP.

"Such is a scenario that whoever resists forces of terrorism becomes a victim himself, they are either abducted or killed. People from Mirpur to Hajira are being abducted, they are missing, they label and frame people as anti nationals. I must say this is a land of Kashmir, if there is any infidel here, they are Pakistanis. All acts of terrorism in Pakistan are perpetrated by B team of Pakistanarmy" says a local resident.

Recently, on June 26 US Department of State designated Mohammad Yusuf Shah, also known as (AKA) Syed Salahuddin, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under Section 1(b) of Executive Order (EO) 13224, which imposes sanctions on foreign persons who have committed, or pose a significant risk of committing, acts of terrorism that threaten the security of US nationals or the national security, foreign policy or economy of the United States.
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday lauded Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for his initiative to plant six crore saplings along the Narmada to protect the river.

In a series of tweets in Hindi, Swaraj said the initiative to conserve "mother Narmada" will inspire protection of environment globally.

"My heartiest congratulation to Shivraj Singh Chouhanji for unprecedented success of the initiative," she said.

The external affairs minister said a sapling of a 'Kadamb' tree had been planted at Amarkantak University on her behalf.

"I am thankful to the vice-chancellor of the university for choosing sapling of 'Kadamb' which was a favourite tree of Lord Krishna," she said.
Washington: The US state department has issued the necessary license for the export of 22 predator Guardian drones to India, a government source here said, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump had their first bilateral meeting at the White House.

The state department has "issued the DSP-5 Guardian export license" for India, the source told PTI.

A DSP-5 category license is issued for permanent export of military hardware as found in the US Munitions List which is defined by the International Traffic Arms Regulations.

The Guardian drones will enhance India's maritime surveillance capabilities in the Indian Ocean region and their sale was announced by Trump on June 26 after he met Modi for their first face-to-face meeting.

The drones are estimated to cost around USD 2 billion and are being built by General Atomics, considered a pioneer in the unmanned aerial vehicles domain.

The speed with which the Trump administration decided on India's request for the drones, the source said, is reflective of the desire in White House to strengthen India's military capabilities in the Indo-Asia Pacific region, where China's aggressive diplomatic and military posture has unnerved other countries.

"We are extremely pleased that President Trump and Prime Minister Modi have had excellent deliberations and the path forward for a game-changer in US-India defence relations has been charted," said Vivek Lall of General Atomics.

Lall, who in his previous capacity at Boeing, was instrumental in the sale of high-tech military hardware to India, is believed to have played a role in convincing the Trump administration to accelerate the sale of the drones.

"Given the Sea Guardian's capabilities, such a response to the Indian Navy's request demonstrates a major change in US policy as this type of aircraft capability is only exported to a very select few of America's closest defence partners," he said.

"This represents tangible implementation of US Congress' designation of India as a 'Major Defence Partner'," said Lall.

On Tuesday, Lall met US Vice President Mike Pence on the sidelines of the annual US-India Business Council summit, when Pence endorsed the deal to provide India with Apache attack helicopters, C-17 transport aircraft, besides the drones.

The deal is seen as the biggest tangible takeaway from the Trump-Modi meeting towards the operationalisation of the major defence partner relationship.

The India Navy requested for the drones early last year.

But no tangible action was taken under the previous Obama administration, apparently because of the stiff opposition from the state department, which argued that this could upset Pakistan, America's ally in war against terror in Afghanistan.

The Trump White House spearheaded the inter-agency process to make a significant policy change in favour of India by granting this technology based on government-to-government interactions, the source told PTI.

India had been eyeing the Predator technology for years, and it was only the Trump-Modi combination that they were able to move the decision to this point, the source said.

Pakistan is said to be actively lobbying Washington against the sale of the drones to India. However, the White House overruled all objections, paving the way for a new phase of India-US defence relationship.
New Delhi: India's small community of Jews is looking forward to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel -- the first ever by an Indian Premier -- hoping that it will lead to Jews being granted a minority status in India.

Some 6,000 Indian Jews live in the country, which has been home to the community for the past 2,000 years.

Jews are spread across cities in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Kerala and Gujarat, apart from Delhi.

The community says while they have never faced any form of discrimination in India because of their religion, a minority status for Jews is among their foremost expectations from the Prime Minister's visit, which starts on July 4.

"We look forward to the PM's visit and hope that a minority status is conferred upon the community," says Ezekiel Markel, priest at the Judah Hyam Synagogue in Delhi, the only synagogue in the National Capital.

He says that in Maharashtra, Jews have been recognised as a minority, and a similar step should be taken at the central level. Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Zoroastrians and Jains are currently notified as minority communities.

The community, he adds, has not faced anti-semiticism in India.

"For us, India is out motherland. We are Indians first and Jews second. If Israel is in our hearts, India is in our blood," he says.

His views are echoed by Queenie Hallegua, one of the last five Israeli Jews inhabiting the Mattacherry locality in Kochi.

Jews who chose to move to Israel did not leave India because of persecution, she stresses.

"They were all very happy, they were all well settled. But they desired to live in their own country and die there," she says.

Navras J Aafreedi, an assistant professor at Presidency University in Kolkata, stresses the need for more direct flights between India and Israel.

"I want that during this visit both the countries should take initiatives to start more direct flights from India to Israel, so that it becomes easier for us to visit our families and friends there," says Aafreedi, adding that there are about 26 Jewish families left in Kolkata.

Modi's Israel trip, besides strengthening ties on the defence, agriculture and medical fronts, should lead to enhanced cultural exchanges between the two countries, Jonathan Solomon, chairman of the Indian Jewish Federation in Mumbai, says.

"We feel honoured that our Prime Minister should take the trouble of visiting a small country. It speaks volumes about his intentions and of the goodwill that the two nations share," he adds.

The Mumbai-based advocate says that he expects New Delhi to render "all possible help" in preserving the community's links with Israel.

"The next generations should know the rich history that binds Jews in Israel and India," he says.

Markel believes that while Jews are "a microscopic minority community, a drop in the ocean" in India, their contribution to the country's development in agriculture, cinema, medical science and other fields must be recalled.

He also hopes that the visit will lead to increased student exchange programmes to enable the younger generation to "learn about the cultures and teachings in both the countries".

An improved "people to people contact" between the two countries is also what Ian Zachariah, a Kolkata-based retired advertising executive, hopes for.

Hallegua of Mattacherry says that her relatives in Israel have told her that over 4,000 people of Indian origin are expected to attend the PM's meeting with Indian Jews there.

"That is something wonderful. They have made arrangements from every state. Names and phone numbers of people from every state have been given so that those who wish to attend the meeting can be transported to the venue," she says.

Asked why she did not leave for Israel when her relatives did, she says, "You have to learn Hebrew, which is difficult. And I am too old to start life there. I am happy here."
Srinagar: Hundreds of mourners joined in the funeral of militant commander Bashir Lashkari, who was killed a day earlier, as he was buried on Sunday at his ancestral graveyard in Jammu and Kashmir`s Anantnag district.

Shouting pro-Islam and pro-Azadi slogans, a large number of people carried the body of Bashir Lashkari to the Sofshali village graveyard.

The dead man belonged to the Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT), the Pakistan-backed militant outfit which is fighting to end Indian rule in Jammu and Kashmir.

Several militants also joined the funeral procession and fired in the air from their weapons as a mark of respect to the slain commander.

The security forces did not disrupt the funeral nor did they stop mourners from reaching the village where Lashkari was buried.

The LeT commander, who carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head, was killed in a gunfight with security forces on Saturday along with his Pakistani associate Abu Maaz in Brenthi village in Anantnag district.

The killing of the commander was a major success for the security forces in their anti-militancy campaign as Lashkari had masterminded and carried out the gruesome killing of six policemen, including an officer, in Achabal area last month.

Two civilians were also killed on Saturday in Brenthi village.

While the police said the civilians were killed in a cross-fire between the security forces and the militants, locals said they died due to firing by security forces.

A mob had engaged the security forces in Brenthi village when the operation against the holed up militants was on.
New Delhi: A Delhi court has issued a non- bailable warrant against Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah in an over a decade-old case of money laundering registered against him for alleged terror financing.

Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma issued the arrest warrant after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) told the court that Shah was repeatedly evading the summons asking him to depose before it and join the investigation.

According to Special Public Prosecutor NK Matta, the matter relates to August 2005 wherein the Delhi Police's Special Cell had arrested 35-year old Mohammed Aslam Wani, an alleged hawala dealer, who had claimed that he had passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah.

The ED had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah and Wani.

Wani was arrested allegedly with Rs 63 lakh, received through 'hawala' channels from the Middle East, and a large cache of ammunition on August 26, 2005.

During questioning, he had told the police that Rs 50 lakh was to be delivered to Shah and Rs 10 lakh to Jaish-e- Mohammad area commander in Srinagar, Abu Baqar, and the rest was his commission.
Proponents of open, transparent government in our state received an early July Fourth present last week from the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

Best of all, it was a unanimous ruling.

Elected bodies in our state, such as city councils and school boards, are subject to a law that presumes their business in truth, the publics business  will be conducted in public.

With few exemptions, that means meetings should be held in public and documents should be open to public inspection.

When in doubt, our elected officials should be guided by a spirit of openness.

Open government allows citizens to can keep an eye on the workings and the people of government. Thats also how we make sure our public money is being spent wisely.

But, what happens when one of those public bodies appoints a special committee with the authority to take action?

Is that committee subject to open-meetings and open-records laws?

The answer from the state Supreme Court is a resounding yes  something that everyone should celebrate.

The court ruled that the school district in Appleton should have provided public notice, in advance, of a meeting held by a committee appointed to review the suitability of books used by district students.

Bill Lueders, president of the Wisconsin Freedom of Information Council, said the decision affirms that public officials cannot create committees without making them subject to the open meetings law.

The suit was brought by a parent who wanted to listen to the committees deliberations about books that were being chosen for students, including his.

He was rejected  and he filed suit.

A circuit court and an appellate court both sided with the school district; the Wisconsin Supreme Court unanimously came down on the side of openness.

Justice Michael Gableman wrote the opinion for the court that sets a clear standard: When a governmental body forms committees and allows them to take collective action, those committees are deemed created by rule under state law and subject to the open meetings law.

The ruling is a very important reminder to public bodies that the work that occurs on their behalf is the publics business, subject to public scrutiny.

And, its a wonderful victory for transparency and freedom.
Srinagar: The authorities in Jammu and Kashmir imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar city on Sunday to prevent separatist-called protests.

Separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik have called for the valley-wide protest shutdown against the killing of two civilians and two militants in Anantnag district on Saturday.

Srinagar District Magistrate Farooq Ahmad Lone said: "Restrictions will remain in force in Rainawari, Khanyar, Nowhatta, M.R. Gunj, Safa Kadal, Kralkhud and Maisuma."

Contingents of state and central police forces have been deployed in areas placed under restrictions as well as in other sensitive areas in the city.

Heavy deployments have also been made in south and north of the valley to maintain law and order.

Public transport remained off the road. Shops, other businesses, educational institutions, post offices, banks and government offices remained closed as it was a Sunday.

The civilians killed on Saturday were identified as 42-year-old Tahira and 22-year-old Shadab Ahmad Chopan, who were killed in Brenthi village.

The police said they were killed in the cross-firing between the security force and the holed-up militants.

However, locals said the two civilians were killed in clashes. A stone pelting mob had clashed with the security forces to disrupt the operation.

Two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants including a top commander Bashir Lashkari and his Pakistani associate Abu Maaz, were also killed in the gunfight.

Police said Lashkari had masterminded and carried out the murder of six policemen including officer Feroz Dar in Achabal area in June.
Mumbai: The crime branch of the Mumbai Police on Sunday arrested all the six accused in the death of Byculla prison inmate Manju Shette.

Those arrested have been identified as Manisha Pokharkar, Wasima Shaikh, Shital Shegokar, Surekha Gulve, Aarti Shingne and Bindu Naikde, a senior crime branch official told PTI.

Police had registered a case of murder against the jail officials and staff in connection with the death of the inmate, he said.

Shette (45) died at the government-run J J Hospital on June 23 after being allegedly beaten up by the jail officials and staff as she had failed to account for two eggs and five loaves of bread, which were distributed by her to the inmates, the official said.

Naikde was arrested in the afternoon, while the other accused were arrested later, said the official.

All the six accused were already suspended by the jail department.

After Shette's death, around 200 prisoners began a protest on June 24 for their demands, including allowing the media inside the jail premises.

During the protest some of the inmates went to the prison's roof, while others made a bonfire with newspapers and other documents inside the premises to express their anger.

Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was among the 200 inmates of the Byculla jail who were booked by police for rioting and other offences after they staged a protest over Shette's death.
Jaipur: A baby born on midnight of June 30-July 01 in Rajasthan has been named 'GST'.

His mother decided to name him 'GST' as he was born at 12.02 am in Beawa.

Chief Minister of Rajasthan Vasundhara Raje tweeted about it saying:

Live long & healthy Baby GST! https://t.co/7gz8cOLVdL  Vasundhara Raje (@VasundharaBJP) July 2, 2017

The Goods and Services Tax (GST) - India's biggest tax reform since independence - came into force after 17 tumultuous years of debate at the stroke of midnight on June 30.

The new tax regime was ushered in at a late night event in the historic Central Hall of Parliament.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the new levy as "good and simple tax" that marks economic integration of India.

"There are 500 types of taxes that play their roles. Today we are getting rid of them," PM Modi had said.

"From Ganganagar to Itanagar and Leh to Lakshadweep, it is one nation, one tax," he had added.

Besides PM Modi, the starry midnight launch was attended by President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and former PM HD Deve Gowda.

President Mukherjee and PM Modi pressed a button in a specially crafted box at the stroke of midnight to launch the new tax regime which overnight replaced the messy mix of more than a dozen state and central levies built up over seven decades.

The government promises that the transition to a single, nationwide tax on goods and services will streamline business and boost the economy by tearing down barriers between 31 states and union territories.

(With PTI inputs)
Chennai: Opposition's Presidential nominee Meira Kumar on Sunday appealed to all the MLAs and MPs from Tamil Nadu to listen to their "inner voice" when they cast their votes in the presidential poll.

She urged them to support her in "this ideological battle".

"I am fighting an ideological battle," she told reporters after a meeting here with MPs and MLAs of DMK, Congress, IUML and the Left parties.

She said, the collegium members should only listen to their inner voice and conscience and act. "This is my request to everyone."

DMK working president M K Stalin, his party legislators, Left parties MPs TK Rangarajan (CPI-M) and D Raja (CPI), Congress party MLAs, and leaders participated in the meeting.

Besides DMK's 89 MLAs, Congress's eight and IUML's lone MLA ruling AIADMK Amma's ally M Thamimun Ansari, MLA representing Nagapattinam has pledged support to Kumar.

The DMK also has four Rajya Sabha MPs and CPI and CPI(M) have one RS MP each from Tamil Nadu.

She alleged that principles like transparency and the fight to end the caste system are "under threat" in the Modi regime.

"I am sorry to say that all the 17 Opposition parties (who have supported her) feel that these principles are now in danger, under serious threat."

Kumar said she was honoured by the trust the 17 parties led by the Congress have show in her. "This Opposition unity is inspired by the value system which we all hold so dear."

She said she dedicated her life for the cause of the downtrodden and suppressed people.

"This is my agenda. Wherever I go and whatever position I hold, this will always be my agenda," she asserted.

She praised Tamil Nadu as a state which fought for ideals like social justice and hailed DMK chief M Karunanidhi as a force in upholding such great values.

"That is the binding factor that we have between the DMK and the Congress."

Hitting out at the BJP-led Centre, Kumar said her party was inspired by Gandhiji's thoughts to ensure the dignity of the Dalits, the tribals, and the poor.

"My battle is to ensure their right and dignity. I am also fighting for all of you because we are pained to see that lately the voice which used to come out so strongly in the press is not coming out," she said.

Later, Kumar called on nonagenarian leader M Karunanidhi at his Gopalapuram residence.

She is scheduled to visit Puducherry tomorrow.

Senior Congress leaders Bansal, Mukul Wasnik also participated in the meet.
Hyderabad: Union Minister for Labour and Employment Bandaru Dattatreya on Friday said that implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST) will produce more job opportunities.

"With GST more employment generation will take place. By next month more than one lakh employment generation will take place. Employment generation will improve because the Direct Foreign Investment will increase and more money will be circulated as desire of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is very important agenda," he told ANI.

Dattatreya further said that he would apprise Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely about the problems being faced by traders and garment industry workers post GST roll out.

"The textile people met me earlier in Telangana. Today they presented a memorandum and they were requesting the Central Government that the GST proposed on textile should be halved. I will talk to the government of Telangana also," Dattatreya told ANI.

He further said that the government is also focusing on the matter of Beedi workers.

"The total GST on Beedi is 46 percent in total. So it will become difficult for Beedi workers to work under this. As a labour minister I will request Arun Jaitley to address their requests," he added.

Stressing upon the agrarian issue, Dattatreya said he would also apprise Jaitley that farmers are not getting sufficient money for their work.
New Delhi: The Puducherry Government plans to approach the courts to settle the issue of powers of the CM of the Union Territory vis-a-vis the Lt Governor, giving a new twist to the raging battle of power between incumbent Chief Minister MV Narayanasamy and Lt Governor Kiran Bedi.



Sources said the government may approach the Madras High Court on the lines of a similar action taken by the Aam Admi Party (AAP) Government in Delhi in the battle between Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, before he quit last year. If the High Court does not rule in its favour, then the Union Territory with State Assembly may approach the Supreme Court, the sources said.



Narayanasamy, who has met President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier and complained to them about Bedi's "overreach", says he plans to meet Modi again and discuss the issue with him.



"I will meet the prime minister and tell him about her activities," he told IANS in an interview.



Asked what the Centre's attitude was regarding his complaints about Bedi, Narayanasamy said, "The Centre is not supporting her nor encouraging her. She is doing what she is doing on her own."



Contending that the Constitutional provision in Art 239, 239(A) and 240 provides the road map for governance of the Union Territory of Puducherry, under which the Governor has no role in the day-to-day administration of the government, Narayanasamy said that Law and Order and Services of the government rest with the elected government in Puducherry. In the National Capital Territory of Delhi, these issues lie with the Government of India and the Home Ministry.



He said in Chapter 3 of the Business Rules, on the state list the Lt Governor acts on the aid and advice of the council of ministers. As far as Chapter 4 (concurrent list) is concerned, the Lt Governor is to take decisions in consultation with the chief minister. Under Chapter 5 of the Business Rules, on the central list, the Government of India has powers.



"What the LG is doing is to interfere in the day-to-day administration of the government," Narayanasamy said, citing examples of her surprise field visits to constituencies and talk about the local problems like water and sanitation which, he contended, is the job of the elected government and MLAs.



"It is primarily the job of the minister concerned. But she issues orders like executive about on-going schemes and order officials without the knowledge of the minister concerned or the chief minister," he said.



"She is also not returning the files sent by the chief minister for waiver of cooperative loans and free education for Dalit students, increasing freedom fighters pension and free power to farmers, all coming under my jurisdiction and all promises made during elections," Narayanasamy said.



He said she was also writing to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Central Vigilance Commission on administrative issues alleging corruption.



Recently, the chief minister said, Bedi wrote to the National Green Tribunal seeking punishment for officials in the matter of a project relating to segregation of garbage. "The NGT had wanted removal of garbage. After some complaints were made, the judge hearing the case recused," he said.



The Chief Minister claimed that the Election Commission had reprimanded her for violating the Model Code of Conduct during the byelection in his constituency Nellithope. It was curious, he said, that the Lt Governor wanted to "punish" her own government.



"I have brought all this to the notice of the President, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister. They have promised that they will go into the matter," he said.


Lucknow: Taking serious note of the killing of five persons over a land dispute in Raebareli, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of victims while directing the IG zone to probe the matter.

Five persons, including a village head, were lynched by a mob allegedly for land grabbing in Apta village in Unchahar area of Raebareli district on June 26.

"The CM has announced Rs 5 lakh each for the families of victims. IG, zone Lucknow has been directed to probe the matter within 10 days and ensure justice for the aggrieved family members", an official spokesman said here.

State BJP spokesman Shalabh Mani Tripathi told reporters here that "Our government is sensitive and those involved in the killing will not be spared. The financial assistance to the family members has been announced and they will also get justice."

He said law and order was on top priority of the government and no compromise will be done on this front.
Lucknow: A push for construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya is likely to gain momentum from Guru Poornima next week when saints gather at the Naradanand Ashram in Sitapur to chalk out a roadmap in this regard.

"Saints from different akhadas of Uttar Pradesh and neighbouring states will be assembling at the ashram to discuss and deliberate on the construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya," Swami Vidya Chetanaiya Maharaj, who heads the Nardanand Ashram (in Sitapur), said.

"Guru Poornima is on July 9 and it will mark the beginning of a campaign to gather support from not only the saints, but also from the common public for construction of the Ram temple," he told PTI.

Referring to his June 27 meeting with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Chetanaiya Maharaj said, "We are confident that the commencement of construction of a grand Ram temple will begin well before 2019."

The 58-year-old saint also informed that after the Guru Poornima rituals are completed in Naradanand Ashram, he will embark on a special rath (chariot) and travel to different ashrams in the state, and also in the neighbouring states of Rajasthan, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand to elicit support for construction of the temple.

"After nearly one-and-a-half months, I will be returning to the ashram. And, then the final roadmap will take shape," he said.

President of the Rashtriya Kisan Manch, Shekhar Dixit, said until and unless the condition of 'rishi' (saints) and 'krishi' (agriculture) is improved, and problems addressed, "dawn of Ram Rajya in India will always remain a distant dream".

"Both rishi and krishi are an asset to the nation, and if their interests are not taken care of, then this will definitely not augur well for the country as a whole."

Dixit went on to say, "A large number of saints and farmers face threat from the land mafia, which tries to grab their land. If the Uttar Pradesh government intervenes, and sends the land mafia behind bars, then it will set a right precedent."

He added that on Guru Poornima, the volunteers of Rashtriya Kisan Manch will take a pledge to dedicate themselves to resolve these problems.

"We will work tirelessly, and continue to do so till the last farmer gets justice," he said.

He was also of the view that time has come for construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya.
Dubai: Qatar faces possible further sanctions by Arab states that have severed ties with Doha over allegations of links to terrorism, as a deadline to accept a series of demands is expected to expire on Sunday night with no signs of the crisis ending.

Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said the demands were made to be rejected, adding that the Arab ultimatum was aimed not at tackling terrorism but at curtailing his country's sovereignty.

But he told reporters in Rome that Doha remained ready to sit down and discuss the grievances raised by its Arab neighbours.

"This list of demands is made to be rejected. It's not meant to be accepted or ...to be negotiated," Sheikh Mohammed said in Rome. "The state of Qatar instead of rejecting it as a principle, we are willing to engage in (dialogue), providing the proper conditions for further dialogue."

He added that no one had the right to issue an ultimatum to a sovereign country.

The feud erupted last month when Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic and travel ties with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and being an ally of regional foe Iran, charges which Doha denies.

The countries have threatened further sanctions against Qatar if it does not comply with their list of 13 demands which were presented to Doha by Kuwaiti mediators 10 days ago.

The demands include closing a Turkish military base in Qatar and shutting down the Al Jazeera pan-Arab television network, which Doha also rejected.

Qatar's Gulf critics accuse Al Jazeera of being a platform for extremists and an agent of interference in their affairs. The network has rejected the accusations and said it will maintain its editorial independence.

Fresh Penalties

Gulf countries have insisted the demands were not negotiable.

The UAE ambassador to Russia has said Qatar could face fresh sanctions if it does not comply with the demands.

Gulf states could ask their trading partners to choose between working with them or with Doha, he said in a newspaper interview last week.

But UAE foreign affairs minister Anwar Gargash played down the chances of an escalation, saying "The alternative is not escalation but parting ways", suggesting Qatar may be forced out of the six-member alliance.

The Western-backed body was formed in 1981 in the wake of Iran's Islamic Revolution and the outbreak of the Iran-Iraq war, by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain.

Speaking in Washington last week, the Qatari foreign minister said the GCC was set up to guard against external threats.

"When the threat is coming from inside the GCC, there is a suspicion about the sustainability of the organization," Sheikh Mohammed told reporters.

The crisis has hit travel, food imports and ratcheted up tensions in the Gulf and sown confusion among businesses, while pushing Qatar closer to Iran and Turkey.

But it has not hit energy exports from Qatar, which is the world's biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and home to the region's biggest U.S. military base.

The rift opened days after U.S. President Donald Trump met with Arab leaders in Riyadh and called for unity against regional threats such as Iran and hardline Islamist militant groups.
Mexico: Police in Mexico said they have killed 19 gunmen in a shootout. Five police officers were also injured in the confrontation.

Cristobal Castaneda, undersecretary for public security, told the media on Saturday that the police-gunmen clash started on Friday evening, Xinhua news agency reported.

The gunmen had just killed two men from a rival gang when they were surprised by a large contingent of police who happened to be in the neighbourhood. They also alerted the army troops in the area, who chased the gang members and caught up with them in Aguaje de Costilla, Castaneda said.

The security forces seized some 20 weapons and three pick-up trucks from the gang.

The region has seen fierce in-fighting in the powerful Sinaloa drugs cartel since the arrest of its leader, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, in January 2016.

This was one of the worst clashes, the Mexican media said.
The most baffling puzzle regarding Trump supporters is how they have been convinced to support policies that work against the financial interests of middle- and working-class people. To name a few:

Cuts to Medicaid mean less money for your disabled children and nursing home care for your grandparents. Bottom line: Prepare a bedroom for granny.

Cuts to Social Security Disability; this income-based coverage protects workers who can no longer work before 65 due to injuries, or wear and tear, from demanding jobs. Bottom line: Prepare to be destitute before 65 if work wears you down.

Reduction in worker safety rules (OSHA) means that there will be unnecessary damages to workers in dangerous employment, like chemical employees or construction. Bottom line: Beware of workplace dangers because you are on your own.

Rollbacks in environmental protections mean your streams and air quality will deteriorate. This is demonstrated by lawns dead from seawater in Miami neighborhoods. Bottom line: Build your low-lying house on stilts.

Cuts in protections for labor unions mean more power to bosses and owners, seen in reduced regulations in the National Labor Relations Board. Bottom line: Forget collective bargaining.

Crackdowns on migrants, legal or otherwise, mean fewer low level employees throughout our economy. Bottom line: You will pay more for fruits and vegetables.

Clean government will disappear in the face of nepotism and politicians, like Trump, getting richer, and the rest paying more in taxes. Write your own bottom line.
Pyongyang: North Korea on Saturday called for the dissolution of the United Nations Command in Seoul.

The call, made by the National Peace Committee of Korea -- the country's official institution dealing with inter-Korean issues -- said that the US brought the UN Command to Seoul in July 1957 in support of South Korea, shortly after the Korean War broke out in June 1950, Xinhua reported.

It said Washington's aim was to "internationalise the Korean peninsula issue and establish the Asia-version of NATO."

"The US and the pro-American elements of South Korea are working hard to preserve the UN Command, a leftover of the Cold War and lever for aggression," it added.

The statement accused the US of wanting to "ignite a second Korean war and stifle North Korea by force of arms under the signboard of the UN."
Pyongyang: North Korea on Sunday denounced South Korean President Moon Jae-in for displaying "sycophancy and submission" to the US during his visit to Washington last week.

The official daily Rodong Sinmum said in a commentary that the new South Korean government "suffered mental pressure from the US even before taking office and went without principle", Xinhua news agency reported.

"South Korean authorities revealed their miserable appearance seized with sycophancy and submission to the US occasioned by the chief executive`s first junket to the US," said the daily.

"Now their behaviour raises doubt as to whether the pro-US regime really ended," the commentary said in reference to the former South Korean government under President Park Geun-hye.

Moon and US President Donald Trump during talks last Thursday vowed to strengthen military alliance between Seoul and Washington.

They also agreed upon imposing stronger sanctions against North Korea over its nuclear and missile programmes.

"Tragedy is that no matter how loudly they talk about the `alliance` with the US, the latter regards them as a mere puppet and colonial servant," said the official daily of the ruling Workers` Party of Korea.

In an article published earlier, Rodong Sinmum accused South Korea`s new Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha of "going reckless" in making anti-North Korea remarks.

Kang said after taking office that the North Korea`s nuclear issue is "the top priority task" of the new South Korean government and called for "international cooperation for checking the north from modernizing nuclear and missile capabilities."
Columbia: President Donald Trump may accuse Qatar of sponsoring terrorism, but that did not stop the wealthy emirate this week from lighting up the Empire State building in the national colors of his Middle Eastern nation.

Trump -- who himself once tried to acquire the Manhattan skyscraper -- has sided with Saudi Arabia in its increasingly bitter dispute with Qatar, but Doha has adopted a tactic long used by its more powerful Saudi neighbor to get its own way, buying up substantial shares in the US economy as a bulwark against shifting political sands.

The iconic 102-story Empire State building was bathed in the burgundy and white of Qatar Airways, the state flag carrier of Qatar, ostensibly to celebrate 10 years of flights into the United States.

Less obvious was the fact that almost a year ago, the oil and gas-rich emirate purchased a 10-percent, $622 million stake in the all-American building.

Trump once tried unsuccessfully to seize control of the building during his heyday as a New York property mogul, when he still owned the land that the skyscraper stands on.



Last month, Qatar stunned American Airlines with plans to acquire a 10 percent stake in the world`s largest commercial air carrier.

At the same time, it signed a $12 billion contract to buy 36 F-15 fighter jets from Boeing: a fraction of the $110-billion arms deal inked when Mr Trump visited Riyadh in May, but still enough to make US business leaders sit up and listen.

"They have tentacles everywhere, they are amazing," said Randa Slim, a scholar at the Middle East Institute.Qatar`s greatest international asset, of course, is hosting the forward headquarters of US Central Command on its soil, putting the country squarely at the heart of the global US military footprint.

Doha is also home to shiny outposts of Georgetown University and the Brookings Institution, among Washington`s most prestigious think tanks, which Qatari officials said should promote the "bright image" of Qatar to the international media, "especially the American ones."

Like Trump, a property tycoon turned president, Qatari investors have dived into real estate on four continents, bankrolling and buying into major developments in Washington, Chicago and London, where they bought a stake in Heathrow Airport.

Slim said that US concern for Qatar`s Al-Udeid Air Base -- which the Americans use to stage operations in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Yemen -- guaranteed that Washington would give Qatar`s position in the crisis considerable weight.

While the president Tweeted about alleged Qatari backing for Syrian jihadists, his own Defense Department assured Qatar of continuing US support, while the State Department rebuked the Saudi coalition for its treatment of the country, seen by other Gulf states as too close to Iran.

"Definitely, the White House does not seem to be on their side but you have other powerful agencies that are standing on their side, at least until now," Slim said.

"Even if you have groups who are arguing for a balanced position in this administration, I don`t see anyone siding with Qatar 100 percent," she added.

"Qatar does not have 100 percent support. Qatar has a listening ear."Whatever inroads Doha may have made, Saudi Arabia, their larger and richer adversary in the crisis, retains a formidable position.

That kingdom is the second-largest foreign supplier of crude oil to the United States, a long-standing linchpin of US foreign policy and a major backer of large US corporations.

As Trump prepared to tour the Middle East in May, Riyadh pledged to pour $20 billion into an infrastructure fund managed by the investment firm Blackstone, whose billionaire chairman Stephen Schwarzman is a prominent Trump backer.

This came on the heels of $110 billion in arms sales as well as billions more in deals for General Electric and Lockheed Martin.

On the campaign trail, Trump also praised Saudi investors for buying his apartments, and he has reportedly incorporated companies in the kingdom.

Meanwhile, the Qataris have few established business links with the Trump clan if any -- but not for want of effort by the real estate mogul.

"By virtue of their relative size (both geographic and financial), Qatar will always be weaker," said Robert Blecher, acting director of the Middle East program at the International Crisis Group.

"But not weak enough to make finances and business deals the decisive factor in this contretemps."

According to James Jeffrey of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, under normal circumstances investments would not factor into geopolitical considerations.

"When you have a huge strategic problem such as this, the American position is traditionally, `We don`t care who`s bought shares,`" Jeffrey, a long serving US diplomat in the Middle East and a former deputy national security advisor to President George W. Bush, told AFP.

But he said this particular White House may be sending the signal that business ties do count for a great deal. "This administration has given plenty of indications that that`s the way it works," he said.
Hamburg: Thousands of people rallied peacefully in Hamburg Sunday in protest at next week`s G20 summit, where US President Donald Trump is to make his maiden appearance at the forum of major economies.

The Group of 20 (G20) comprises leaders of the world`s major industrialised and emerging economies.

A police spokesman put turnout at the demonstration -- the first of about 30 scheduled in the runup to the Friday-Saturday summit -- at around 8,000, while the organisers claimed there were "more than 18,000 people".

The protest was "completely peaceful," the police spokesman told AFP.

The gathering outside city hall took place under rainy skies and in parallel with protests by canoeists on the nearby river Alster, while in the port of Hamburg, Greenpeace staged a climate demonstration near a ship laden with coal.

At city hall, a number of speakers took the podium to call for "a different political approach", urging respect for the environment or criticising Trump.

"We need a fair distribution of wealth in Germany and across the world," said Stefan Korzell of the German Trade Union Federation (DGB).The demonstrators then marched through the streets carrying a giant banner calling for "fair international commerce", "climate rescue" and a "strengthening of democracy".

"We are here to support the G20 summit protesters," said 46-year-old Heike, who did not give his last name.

Michael, 50, said he was "against the G20 because the G20 is only interested in money."

Around 30 protests have been scheduled ahead of the summit with organisers hoping for a total turnout of more than 100,000 people.

Hamburg, where Chancellor Angela Merkel was born, is an anti-establishment bastion popular with leftwing radicals, with officials saying they are bracing for possible clashes and property damage.

In Sunday`s edition of Bild, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere warned that any violence would be "nipped in the bud".

"Freedom of assembly is only valid for peaceful demonstrations," he said.

Around 15,000 police will be deployed to protect the summit, in addition to 3,800 officers monitoring airport and train security.
Columbia: An American warship on Sunday sailed close to a disputed island in the South China Sea occupied by Beijing, a US official said, a provocative move that could further strain relations between the superpowers.

The USS Stethem destroyer passed less than 12 nautical miles (22 kilometers) from tiny Triton Island in the Paracel Islands archipelago, which is also claimed by Taiwan and Vietnam, the official told AFP.

The operation, meant to demonstrate freedom of navigation in disputed waters, came just hours before a previously scheduled phone call between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

China did not immediately issue a response.

It was the second operation of its kind carried out by the United States since Trump took office and comes days after his administration took a number of steps that seemed sure to strain US-Chinese relations.

Trump on Thursday authorized a $1.3 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which China considers a rebel province. The same day, the US Treasury Department slapped sanctions on a Chinese bank accused of laundering North Korean cash.

Also Thursday, the State Department expressed concern about Beijing`s respect for freedom in Hong Kong, on the 20th anniversary of Britain ceding the territory back to China.

And two days earlier, the State Department placed China on a list of the world`s worst human trafficking offenders.All those steps added up to a sharp reversal in tone from April, when Xi traveled to Trump`s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for a first face-to-face meeting that Trump later said had helped build an "outstanding" relationship.

Further positive signs had followed, including an agreement in May on exporting US beef and natural gas to China.

Trump had praised China`s efforts to bring pressure on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs.

But when those efforts failed to produce results -- Pyongyang conducted new missile tests in violation of UN Security Council resolutions -- the American president made his frustration known.

Those efforts had "not worked out," Trump tweeted on June 20, adding, "At least I know China tried!"

Trump is scheduled to speak with Xi on Sunday at 8:45 pm (00h45 GMT Monday), 45 minutes after speaking with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.The latest US "freedom of navigation" exercise comes as Beijing continues muscular efforts to cement its claim to nearly all of the South China Sea, parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan and Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.

The United Nations says countries can establish the reach of their territorial waters up to a limit of 12 nautical miles.

China has rapidly built reefs in the area into artificial islands capable of hosting military planes.

Freedom of navigation operations are designed to challenge the sovereignty of countries with claims to disputed territory. Washington has challenged annexations of South China Sea islets while advocating for a diplomatic settlement.

On May 25, the USS Dewey guided-missile destroyer sailed less than 12 nautical miles from Mischief Reef -- part of the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, south of the Paracel Islands.

China has recently built up its facilities on Triton Island, including a new helicopter landing site, according to the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI), part of the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank.

A large Chinese flag is displayed on the island, visible from aerial and satellite photos.

Beijing`s continuing construction in the area will allow Chinese planes to operate over nearly the entire South China Sea, according to the AMTI.

The United States in fiscal year 2016 conducted freedom of navigation operations "challenging excessive maritime claims of 22 different coastal states, including claims of allies and partners," the Pentagon said.
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.
North Carolina distillers and restaurateurs on Friday evening were toasting Senate Bill 155 , which Gov. Roy Cooper has signed into law.Distillers are relieved as much as they are happy. It's a boon for North Carolina tourism and agriculture.says George Smith of Copper Barrel Distillery in North Wilkesboro.Said Leanne Powell of Southern Grace Distilleries in Mount Pleasant:The N.C. Distillers Association has lobbied for years to ease the Prohibition-era rules on distilleries. In 2015, Gov. Pat McCrory signed into law a measure allowing distilleries to sell each customer one bottle every 365 days. Now, distillers can sell five bottles.The law allows restaurants to begin selling alcohol Sunday at 10 a.m., as opposed to noon. The early sales are contingent on local approval. North Carolina is one of a handful of states that restricts liquor sales on Sunday mornings.It allows for the sale of antique or rare spirits in special auction, after auctioneers obtain a $750 permit.The measure provides a means to obtain a special event permit, which would cost $200 and allow distillers to offer tastings of their products - 0.25 ounce per product not to exceed an ounce - during events and gatherings such as trade shows and festivals, contingent on local approval.A provision allowing grocery stores to begin selling beer and wine at 10 a.m. had been removed from the bill, but lawmakers approved an amendment returning it. But an amendment prohibiting sales from distillers directly consumers was approved.Lawmakers also removed a provision from S.B. 155 that limited the number of distillers who could take part in a particular event.For brewers, the measure allows the sale of "crowlers," cans of beer sealed on site. The earlier version of the bill gave the state ABC board 60 days to complete rules governing sale of crowlers. That was pushed back to 120 days.The new law eases the rules for home brewers and vintners, who can share but not sell their products at organized events, such as competitions. It also gives beer taprooms the option to sell liquor and mixed drinks, with the required and relevant permits, and would allow farm brewers in dry counties to sell their beer; again, pending local approval of the city or county jurisdiction.said Andrew Norman of Greensboro Distilling Co. in Greensboro.
Ten days before a deportation order would have split apart a Guatemalan family of seven living in Edmonton, the phone rang.

Nely Picon Duarte picked it up, then started crying.

Her family's deportation has been delayed two years so their immigration paperwork can be processed, she learned Friday.

"I can still be a teenager and actually proceed with my dreams," said the 18-year-old, who has been accepted into the nursing program at NorQuest College.

Nely was scheduled to be deported to the United States with her three younger siblings on July 10.

The four children were born in Alabama, so their parents wanted them to live with a U.S. relative rather than take them back to Guatemala.

The parents and their oldest son were set to fly to Guatemala on July 12.

As the oldest sister, Nely said she was prepared to step into her mother's role. But she couldn't yet bring herself to decline the offer from NorQuest.

"I was still hanging on to a little hope and so I was waiting to the last moment to call the college to say I wasn't going to be able to go," Nely said. "But now, it seems that I don't have to.

She wants to finish college and start helping those who are sick in the community.

"It's been my dream, always," she said.

She starts classes in January.

'Thank you, everybody'

After being denied as refugees, the family had applied to stay in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.

They filed an application in February, but received deportation orders in June. The average processing time for such paperwork is 30 months.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale can delay a deportation while Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen reviews a case.

The federal ministry of immigration, refugees and citizenship now has an additional 24 months to review the application.

Nely wasn't the only one hanging on to hope in the face of deportation.

Her mother, Yolanda Duarte Martinez, said she had planned to wait the weekend before she started packing.

Story continues

"I was scared and thought we'd be separated, but Canada has really done us big this time and we can stay together," she said in Spanish.

"Thank you to the minister for giving us the opportunity for this."

Before receiving the phone call Friday, Yolanda had told her youngest daughter, Beverly Picon Duarte, 6, to get ready to pack her toys into garbage bags so she could donate them.

"I thought we were going to actually [be deported]," Beverly said through tears.

"But instead, there's just all the people who helped us and prayed for us and we like you so much. I'm happy because Canada loves us and helps us a lot."

Friends and supporters rallied around the family after news of their deportation broke. Within days, they organized a fundraiser, a letter-writing campaign and two petitions.

On Thursday, half a dozen Edmonton musicians also held a benefit concert to raise money and awareness for the family.

Michael Picon Duarte, 12, said he started crying during the performances.

He hasn't had a chance to tell his middle-school friends that his family will be staying in Edmonton for the time being.

He says he's thankful, because he didn't want to be apart from his family.

His father, Jilmar Picon Pineda, said his family is overwhelmed by the support.

"We're crying right now, but a different crying. Happy crying. Thank you, everybody," he said.

"Thank you so much because right now, it's something big that happened in my family. We stay together."
The start of the states fiscal year, July 1, has passed without lawmakers and Gov. Scott Walker enacting a new state budget.

What does that mean for most Wisconsinites?

In the short term, very little. Spending levels from the previous two-year budget cycle carry over into the new one, enabling state agencies to continue operating.

If a budget stalemate drags on for months  as has happened a few times in recent decades  highway projects now under construction could be affected, Walker has said. That could mean projects get delayed, adding millions in costs to taxpayers, said Craig Thompson, director of the Transportation Development Association of Wisconsin.

If this does continue for months, its going to have an impact, Thompson said. The money wont be there.

Wisconsin school districts also could struggle to craft their own budgets since they wont know how much state aid to expect.

The budget impasse is happening because Walker and his fellow Republicans cant agree on one. Theyre deadlocked on how to fund road projects, how to increase funding for K-12 schools and how to cut taxes. Walker and legislative leaders hinted at progress in budget talks Wednesday, but no deal appears imminent.

If the parties reach a deal in coming weeks, Walker and others have said Wisconsinites would see few impacts.

But in the case of a protracted standoff, road projects would feel the pinch more acutely than other areas of the state budget. Thats because road projects in the last budget relied heavily on borrowing  a one-time measure that, unlike regular spending, doesnt carry over into the new budget cycle.

How long would the standoff have to continue before road projects would be affected? The Wisconsin Department of Transportation hasnt said.

But its clear something would have to give eventually. The states highway improvement program would see a funding reduction of nearly $900 million over the next two years if no new budget were enacted, according to figures provided by the states nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Bureau.

Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, told reporters last week that this scenario, described as a base budget for transportation, could be an option if Walker and lawmakers cant agree on a new budget.

Impact on roads

The major highway development program, which funds large highway expansions, would see a 45 percent funding cut in the next two years, from $641 million to $352 million, if no new budget is enacted.

Two such projects currently under construction are in Dane County: the Interstate 39-90 expansion from the Madison area to the Illinois state line and the Verona Road expansion from Raymond Road to McKee Road, also called Highway PD. Others include expansions of Highway 15 in Outagamie County and Highway 10/Highway 441 in Winnebago, Outagamie and Calumet counties.

The southeast Wisconsin freeway megaprojects program, which funds the reconstruction and expansion of Milwaukees Zoo Interchange and of Interstate 94 south of Milwaukee, would take an even bigger hit with no new budget. Its funding would decline by nearly 93 percent, from about $415 million in the last budget to just $30 million in the new one.

Walker, speaking about these scenarios last month, said it would be up to DOT officials to decide which projects were affected, and how.

DOT officials didnt address a State Journal inquiry about what it would do in this circumstance. DOT spokesman Patty Mayers acknowledged that it is safe to say that this scenario is creating a high level of uncertainty within specific programs.

Schools play it cool

Most school districts in Wisconsin are working on finalizing their budgets for the upcoming school year  which includes setting how many teachers and other staff members they can pay for in the 2017-18 school year.

Department of Public Instruction spokesman Tom McCarthy said because districts arent facing a cut in state funding its not immediately significant. In other words, school districts will likely end up with more money to spend instead of less, eliminating the prospect of laying off teachers after the school year begins.

Not knowing exact aid levels on July 1 isnt that big of a deal for districts unless budget deliberations are expected to extend beyond August, he said. School districts often settle their final spending plan after July 1 and dont receive their first payment from the state until the school year is under way.

Nov. 1 target date

Things start to get serious in terms of a budget not being in place the closer you get to Nov. 1, McCarthy said.

The Madison School District in its preliminary budget includes a projected state funding level that nearly matches DPIs mandatory July 1 preliminary estimate, released Friday, and this year included no change in state funding levels from what districts are currently getting because the budget has not yet passed.

If things come out far from whats in our preliminary budget, we would possibly have to come back and make changes, or its possible that our overall levy would change, said Rachel Strauch-Nelson, spokeswoman for the Madison School District. She also said a referendum the district passed recently also gives the district a little more ability to plan than we would otherwise have with all of the uncertainty at the state level.

But lawmakers also have indicated they plan to include in the 2017-19 state spending plan an increase in how much money some school districts can take in through property taxes and state funding.

The boost in revenue is designated for districts limited in how much revenue they can receive at a level that is lower than the state average.

Those districts may be more interested in seeing a budget pass sooner rather than later, McCarthy indicated.

Greg Gaarder, business manager for the Tomah School District, which has a low revenue limit, said even if lawmakers raise their limits on how much they can raise in property taxes, he plans to write a budget that keeps in mind what is palatable to taxpayers regardless of what the Legislature allows.

They can give us the authority to increase our levy by $10 million and thats all fine and dandy, but Im not sure our community will think thats all fine and dandy, Gaarder said.

Budget history

Under one-party control of state government by both Democrats and Republicans, the state budget was completed by July 1 in three of the past four budgets.

In 2015, Walker signed the budget July 12 and it was published the next day after a protracted debate over transportation, the prevailing wage and funding for a new Milwaukee Bucks arena, which was taken up in a separate bill.

In the 20 previous budgets, nine were completed sometime in July, including two by July 1, three were completed in June, four were completed in August and four wrapped up in October, November or December.

Budget debates that extended for months after the deadline were usually the result of different parties controlling the Assembly and Senate.

Whats unusual about the budget stalemates of the past two cycles is that Republicans have controlled both chambers and the governors office.

Mark Graul, a Republican political strategist, said the budget impasse will be a blip on the publics radar by the time elections roll around next year, assuming it doesnt drag out for months upon months.

It certainly doesnt help anybody if this is a protracted situation, Graul said, adding that the point at which it becomes problematic would be Labor Day.
JAKARTA (Reuters) - Former U.S. President Barack Obama urged Indonesians on Saturday to resist divisive politics based on race and religion, saying the world's most populous Muslim nation has a long history of tolerance that should be preserved. Indonesia's reputation for pluralism has come under scrutiny since Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic-Chinese Christian, was sentenced in May to two years in prison for blasphemy in a trial that came after Islamist-led rallies. Obama, who was on a personal visit to the country where he spent some of his childhood, said the Muslim community in Indonesia had historically protected Hindu and Buddhist temples. "Indonesia is made of thousands of islands, hundreds of languages, scores of regions and ethnic groups. So my time here made me cherish and respect for people's differences," he told a packed audience in Jakarta. Obama stopped short of mentioning any specific cases of racial or religious intolerance. "It is very important here in Indonesia, the United States, Europe, everywhere, to fight against the politics of 'us and them'," he said to cheers from thousands of mostly Indonesians who have worked or studied abroad. He arrived in Jakarta after visiting the cultural city of Yogyakarta and white-water rafting on the tourist island of Bali. He also met Indonesian President Joko Widodo in Bogor, south of the capital. Indonesia, a country of 250 million people, has experienced rising intolerance against non-Muslims and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. A leader of Indonesia's second-largest Muslim organization this week called for a boycott of Starbucks, saying that the international coffee chain's pro-gay stand risks ruining the "religious and cultured" core of the country. (Reporting by Fransiska Nangoy; Writing by Eveline Danubrata; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Human rights monitors are deploring the continuing crackdown on freedom of expression in Iran.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran reports that formerly imprisoned photo-journalist Asal Esmailzadeh was suddenly arrested without charge on June 19, when she accompanied her husband Saeed Seif to the Culture and Media Court in Tehran. Seif is editor-in chief of the Didban news website, where Esmailzadeh works as well. Both husband and wife were volunteers on President Hassan Rouhanis media team during the recent presidential campaign.

The press freedom organization Reporters Without Borders also reported on Esmailzadehs arrest. Seif tweeted that his wife was arrested to put pressure on him to make false statements about President Rouhani and ministers in his government.

Reporters Without Borders also condemned the overall increase in Internet censorship and harassment of citizen-journalists in Iran. According to its tally, 94 internet users, mainly users of the instant messaging service Telegram, and 12 Journalists remain in prison since the start 2017. In most cases, journalists and citizen-journalists arrested by the regime are charged with immoral acts or cybercrimes.

This includes three citizen-journalists arrested last year for content they had posted on Telegram. In April, Mohammad Mohajer, Alireza Tavakoli, and Mohammad Mehdi Zaman Zadeh were given a 12-year sentence for insulting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Republics founder Ruhollah Khomeini.

In addition, some 173,000 Telegram accounts have been blocked by the government, under the guise of protecting the public from immoral content.

The U.S. believes that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, and that a free press is a key component of democratic governance. Through sanctions and other means, including by shining a spotlight on the Iranian governments human rights abuses, the United States, as Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Virginia Bennett has said, will continue to apply pressure on Iran to protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Iranian people.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 2

Trend:

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko.

Please accept my sincere congratulations and best wishes on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Belarus  Independence Day, Ilham Aliyev said in his letter.

Having successfully reached its goals and coped with priority tasks, modern Belarus made great strides in terms of strengthening the rule of law and ensuring sustainable socio-economic development, the president said.

Azerbaijan and Belarus are bound by traditionally close friendship, cooperation and mutual support, he said. I am confident that through joint efforts we will pave the way for the expansion and strengthening of mutually beneficial Azerbaijan-Belarus cooperation and multi-faceted activity.

On this remarkable day, I wish you robust health, happiness and success, and the brotherly people of Belarus peace and prosperity, he said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 2

By Elena Kosolapova  Trend:

Turkmenistan plans to invest in textile production in Moldovas Autonomous Unit of Gagauzia, the website of Autonomous region said in a message.

This issue was discussed within the meeting of Governor of Autonomous Unit of Gagauzia Irina Vlach with Turkmen Deputy Chairman of Cabinet of Ministers and Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov within the meeting in Ashgabat.

Vlach and Meredov also discussed possibility of wine and pharmaceutical products supplies from Gagauzia to Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan is one of the biggest cotton producers in the world. More than one million tons of cotton is grown annually in Turkmenistan, which is the raw material base for the development of textile industry. Up to 70 percent of the raw materials are processed in the country.

Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova
Tehran, Iran, July 2

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

In the wake of the removal of sanctions on Iran and since Iran and Germany started to resume their traditional economic ties, there has been an increase of relations in the industrial sector between the two countries, a German industrial figure mentioned.

"Regional banks, in cooperation with the European-Iranian bank [Europaisch-Iranische Handelsbank AG] are supporting the companies exporting to Iran. So, this is going to develop continuously," Wilfried Schafer, executive director of the German Machine Tool Builders Association (VDW), told Trend.

"We are of course discussing continuously with the Ministry of Economics and the Export Control Administration of Germany to do their best to reduce the requirements and to support exports to Iran," he added.

Schafer made the statement during a press conference in Tehran, held to announce the EMO Hannover metalworking exhibition, to be held September 18-23.

On June 27, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif visiting Germany called for deepening trade ties with the European economic power.

At a meeting with German Economy Minister Brigitte Zypries, Zarif said that Iran would be a proper partner for the European country regarding producing joint goods and exporting them to other countries.

The annual trade turnover between Iran and Germany stands at about $3 billion.

Germany used to be Irans number one economic partner before sanctions hit the Islamic Republic in the early 2010s. Germany was the first country to send a large economic delegation to Iran after the 2015 nuclear deal that paved the way for removing the sanctions.
Tehran, Iran, July 2

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

Iran and South Korea have approved launching direct flights between the two countries capitals, Tehran and Seoul, according to Head of Iran-Korea Parliamentary Friendship Group Assadollah Abbasi.

Briefing about a meeting held by the group on the sidelines of the 2nd annual Meeting of Speakers of Eurasian Countries' Parliaments, he said Koreans are interested in Iran as regards natural and historical tourism, Mehr news agency reported July 2.

Although Iran remains among top ten countries in the world in terms of tourist attractions, lack of direct flights elevates travel costs and hinders arrival of more tourists, the MP noted.

Officials from Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Iran Air, branded as the Airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran, will hold joint sessions with their Korean counterparts, Abbasi stated.
Tehran, Iran, July 2

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

"We have no problem regarding exporting petrochemical products to China, the problem exists only in [China] paying for the exported products," said Irans petrochemical chief in a self-contradictory statement while trying not to admit that for months now the country is exporting petrochemicals to China without receiving any money in return.

"Things have gone to the point where top officials of the two countries are now engaged in talking the issue over," Marzieh Shahdaei, head of the National Petrochemical Company told IRNA news agency June 30.

She did not suggest any improvement in the high-level talks, but went on to say that "maybe it is necessary for China to change some of its regulations."

Mehdi Sharifi Niknafas, the head of Iran Petrochemical Commercial Company, in May said that China has adopted strict anti-money laundering policies that cause difficulties in transferring the money generated through Irans export of petrochemicals there.

According to the official, about 40 percent of Irans petrochemical exports go to China. The Middle Eastern nations total exports of petrochemicals over the last Iranian calendar year (ended March 20, 2017) amounted to 20.4 million tons.
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan has hailed the countrys defensive and missile achievements, saying the Islamic Republic will give the harshest response to enemy threats, PressTV reported.

Pointing to Iran's recent missile attack against the Daesh Takfiri groups targets in eastern Syria, Dehqan said on Saturday that the Islamic Republic would never back down in the face of enemy threats.

He added that Iran pursues a crystal clear path in the domain of missile and defense activities.

Irans Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fired six medium-range ground-to-ground ballistic missiles into Daesh bases in Syrias Dayr al-Zawr on June 18 in retaliation for twin terrorist attacks in the Iranian capital Tehran on June 7, which killed 17 people and injured over 50 others.

The IRGC has said the missiles killed more than 170 Takfiri terrorists, including a number of commanders and senior elements, and inflicted heavy damage on their equipment and systems.

The Iranian defense minister also pointed to a US Congress bill to impose new sanctions on Tehran and said, The US seeks to impose restrictions and exert pressure on Iran under any circumstances.

It is impossible to impede a nations progress, Dehqan pointed out.

He said the Iranian nation has no concern about the US sanctions because the Islamic establishment is so deep-rooted and strong that Washingtons bans will have little bearing on the countrys activities, including its missile program.

He emphasized that the country does not need to pay attention or give in to Washingtons demands.

Last month, a procedural problem in the lower chamber of the United States Congress halted a quick vote for the legislation that had passed the Senate nearly unanimously.

Later, the Senate sent a proposed fix to the House but a new obstacle has cropped up.

Senators initially voted 98-2 to pass the Countering Iran's Destabilizing Activities Act. Before it is signed into law by US President Donald Trump, the measure has to pass the House.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 2

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

At least 200 Iranian websites were hacked on July 1 by a group calling themselves Team System DZ, allegedly linked to the ISIS terrorist group, Irans semi-official Fars news agency reported.

The group uploaded messages to the hacked websites promoting the ISIS (IS, Islamic State, aka ISIL) terrorist group.

Some governmental websites were among the hacked websites.

Reportedly some of the attacked websites have not been recovered yet.

Iranian official sites were target of various cyber attacks recently. At least 50 websites belonging to Iran's Foreign Ministry were hacked by an allegedly Saudi group called itself "Team Bad Dream" June 1, 2016.

On May 24, 2016 a group calling itself "DAES" hacked the website of the Statistical Center of Iran, sending the website down for a short time. Two days later the websites of Iran's Culture Ministry, the legal deputy of the Judiciary and the interpreting administration of the Judiciary were hacked as well.
Tehran, Iran, July 2

By Mehdi Sepahvand - Trend:

The Iranian government has succeeded in forcing the Islamic Republics arch-enemy, the United States, into isolation in world forums, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said at a congress of the Judiciary branch, which is mainly comprised of his conservative rivals and critics.

He noted as example that US positions in the United Nations Security Council left without support by other permanent members of the council, ILNA news agency reported July 2.

In its latest report on the Iran nuclear deal, the UN endorsed the healthy implementation of the deal, despite efforts by the US to convince members otherwise.

Briefing the Security Council on June 29, Jeffery Feltman, the UNs under-secretary-general for political affairs, said: The Secretary-General believes that the comprehensive and sustained implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) will guarantee that Irans nuclear program remains exclusively peaceful, while allowing transparency, monitoring and verification.

We should not allow the US to diffuse, Rouhani said in his address to the Judiciary, stressing that it is far better now, thanks to the JCPOA that the US is being opposed by the EU, Russia, and China in its anti-Iran positions than when it was backed by the same countries before the deal was reached.

The Iranian president also hailed as another example of the US isolation its failed efforts to force the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) last week to resume a set of restrictions against Iran.

The FATF, an international anti-money-laundering standards body, said Friday it would extend the suspension of some restrictions against Iran.

The FATF last year granted Tehran 12 months to improve aspects of its anti-money-laundering program, saying Iran adopted and committed to an action plan to address some deficiencies.

The extension was given to Iran despite heavy lobbyism by an American-Saudi front to resume the restrictions.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 2

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

Irans East Azerbaijan province and Russias Tatarstan Republic will boost economic, cultural ties, IRNA news agency reported.

Heading a delegation from Irans north-western Turkic speaking province, Sadeq Najafi, Mayor of Tabriz city visited Kazan and discussed mutual ties with senior Tatar officials including Albert Karimov, Tatarstan's deputy prime minister.

The two parties reviewed ways to expand ties at the provincial level with a focus on the industrial and trade cooperation.

Both sides also discussed holding Tabriz cultural week in Kazan and launching direct flights between the two cities.

Meanwhile, an agreement was signed by the mayors of Tabriz and Kazan based on which two parks in the cities are to be called by the other city's name as part of a sisterhood agreement.

The Tabriz city mayor, also in a meeting with the chairman of the State Committee on Tourism of Tatarstan, Sergey Ivanov invited him to visit Tabriz to hold a seminar to introduce the Republic of Tatarstan.

Earlier in 2015, Tatarstans President Rustam Minnikhanov, heading a political-economic delegation visited Tabriz and held meetings with local officials.

Tatarstan is among the leading industrial and oil producing republics of Russia.
22:23 (GMT+4) The number of people killed in Sunday's blasts in Syrias capital of Damascus has increased to 13, while at least 29 others have sustained injuries, a medical source told Sputnik.

Two other explosions could have occurred in the Syrian capital, however, the security services managed to foil the plot and intercept explosive-laden cars.

"The number of casualties in this mornings terrorist explosions in Damascus has increased to 13, 29 others were wounded," the source said.

The source noted that the number of casualties may rise as killed and injured people, including those in grave condition, have been still arriving in hospitals.

11:36 (GMT+4) Syrian state TV says at least 8 killed, 12 wounded in Damascus blasts, AP reported.

10:21 (GMT+4) A suicide bomber blew himself up in Tahrir square in central Damascus on Sunday, killing and wounding a number of people, Reuters reported.

The bomber was in one of three car bombs that had been pursued by the authorities. The two other car bombs were destroyed in a separate location in western Damascus, state TV reported.
Iraqi servicemen killed at least 79 militants of the Daesh terror group as part of the operation aimed at liberation of the western part of Mosul during the past 24 hours, Lt. Gen. Raid Shakir Jaudat of the Iraqi Federal Police said Sunday, Sputnik reported.

Jaudat also told reporters that the Iraqi military, assisted by civilians, managed to detain dozens of terrorists, who tried to flee pretending to be refugees.

The terror group in Mosul was "completely defeated,"Jaudat stressed, adding that the Iraqi forces would take control over the rest of the city in the coming hours.

On Saturday, the Iraqi federal police freed two areas along with a bridge in the western part of the city of Mosul from Daesh, the operations command said and Jaudat specified that the Iraqi forces took the control over the area near the building housing Nineveh Governorates administration.

On June 22, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi said Mosul was likely to be cleared of terrorists within days.

Mosul has served as the Daesh headquarters in Iraq since the group's invasion from Syria in 2014. On February 18, Abadi announced the start of operations to liberate the western half of the city. Iraqi and the US-led coalition forces freed its eastern part in late January 2017, with fighting now ongoing to complete the mission.
The recent disagreement between Saudi Arabia and Qatar is not of military concern but political, a Saudi envoy said on Sunday.

In an exclusive interview to Anadolu Agency in Istanbul, Walid bin Abdulkarim Al-Khuraiji, Saudi ambassador to Turkey, said, Our disagreement with Qatar has never been a military one but political and its [Qatar's] sovereignty never been targeted at all.

He went on to say, The principle of sovereign states protects Qatar and allow it to do politics. But the Qatari acts threaten the security of its neighbors and [other] countries in the region."

Doha's acts should be interpreted as a stance which has been settled through years, said Al-Khuraiji.

Thats why, he added, the steps against Qatar are taken to protect itself from such acts with unnoticed results.

Al-Khuraiji asserted that the severing of relations by Arab states did not mean a blockade on the tiny Gulf nation.

Normally a blockade is subject to United Nations resolutions, yet severing relations is a sovereign right of each country to protect its national security. Look, there have been over hundreds flights from Turkey to Doha in order to transport Turkish products to Qatar.

We care about Qatar and its people, we belong to each other. Sooner or later, this crisis will be sorted out and our relations will get back on track, he added.

Gulf crisis erupted on June 5 when Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.), Bahrain and Yemen abruptly cut diplomatic relations with Qatar, accusing it of interfering into domestic affairs of other countries in the region and supporting terrorist groups.

They also imposed a land, sea, and air blockade on Qatar.

The Qatari government has strongly rejected these accusations and stressed that the blockade was in violation of international law.
U.S. President Donald Trump will speak by phone on Sunday with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the White House said on Saturday, Reuters reported.

The White House, which announced the calls in a daily schedule, did not elaborate on the subject of the phone conversations, which were set to take place starting at 8 p.m. EDT (0000 GMT Monday).

Trump's talks with the leaders come ahead of a meeting of G20 leaders in Hamburg, Germany, later in the week.

Trump held a summit with Xi in April. The U.S. president has been focused on trying to work with China to ratchet up pressure on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, which are a threat to the United States and allies South Korea and Japan.

He met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the White House on Friday, and is slated to hold bilateral meetings with Xi, Abe and Moon at the G20 summit.
Baku, Azerbaijan, July 2

Trend:

A fire helicopter crashed near the Tahtali water reservoir in western Turkey, Anadolu reported July 2.

The helicopter was to fill a tank with water as part of an operation to extinguish forest fires in Izmir province.

Five crew members of the helicopter were rescued by the staff of the reservoir protection service. One of them was slightly injured.

Forest fires in Menderes district, Izmir province have been recently observed and covered a 100 hectare-territory due to the wind.
A total of 11 PKK terrorists were killed in Turkeys southeast during operations on Sunday, Anadolu reported.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said security forces killed six terrorists in the Beytussebab and Idil districts of the Sirnak province.

During a Turkish Armed Force air operation, five other terrorists were killed in the Mardin provinces Dargecit district.

Security forces also captured a PKK terrorist in Mardin.

More than 1,200 victims, including security personnel and civilians, have lost their lives in PKK attacks in Turkey since the terror group resumed its decades-old campaign against in July 2015.

According to Turkey's defense minister, over 10,000 terrorists have been killed in security operations since July 2015.
Paul Shaffer is back.

Two years after leaving the airwaves with the demise of The Late Show With David Letterman, the longtime Letterman bandleader has released a new album and hes taking the Worlds Most Dangerous Band on tour.

The self-titled album features mostly well-known rock n soul tunes, performed with guest vocalists such as Jenny Lewis, Darius Rucker, Dion, Valerie Simpson and even actor Bill Murray, Shaffers buddy since they were on Saturday Night Live together (Shaffer was the shows keyboardist from 1975 to 1980).

In a recent phone call from New York, Shaffer, 67, addressed several topics including his friendship with Letterman:

On what its like to be on tour for the first time since 1980, when he was keyboardist for the Blues Brothers:

Im a whole different person now. Ive gotten used to the traveling. In the Blues Brothers, we had our own plane but it was a broken-down two-engine prop plane. We were sure we were going to go down and crash in a rock tragedy. Were flying commercially this time. My main worry now is: Will room service be open after the show?

On having hitmaker Valerie Simpson sit in with the Worlds Most Dangerous Band on tour:

First thing I had to do was get all new luggage because I see the way she travels. She raises the whole game. She does a mini-set of all her hits. Her voice is as great as ever.

On finding a rhythm to life without a daily job:

Its taken me two years to readjust to not having that regularity in my schedule. Now when I get a little bit busy, I start to panic a little bit. Then I realize I dont have to go to work every day and do Letterman.

I used to do all kinds of things on the side but the show was the priority. Now that Im playing again and touring, Im just as happy as I always was. I miss the show, of course. Now I have to do different things to get all those kicks.

On his relationship with Letterman nowadays:

I see him quite a bit. Hes really expressed his desire to keep our friendship going. We have dinner about every three or four weeks and we talk all the time. We did that show longer (33 years) than anyone else has done (a late-night talk show). So you cant really talk to anyone else. We went through it together.

On developing his TV persona of the self-mocking hip showbiz insider who says groovy and swingin all the time:

As a kid, Shaffer admired the great entertainers he saw on The Ed Sullivan Show, especially Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra and Jerry Lewis. But when the rock era arrived, those performers became viewed as squares.

But I still loved their talent, Shaffer admitted. I used to talk like them in order to kid them but also kind of pay tribute to them at the same time. A duality. I used to parody that on Letterman. Now I find myself saying it for real in my own show. I guess Ive learned that we do become what we mock.

On Bob Dylan being on Letterman:

The first time the Minnesota icon was on the show, Shaffer gushed all over him but Dylan brushed him off. He said, Hey, could you introduce me to Larry Bud Melman, who was a character on the show back in the 80s. Thats all he wanted to do.

In 1992, at the taping of Lettermans 10th-anniversary show with an all-star band featuring Carole King, Chrissie Hynde and others, Shaffer had to convince Dylan to perform Like a Rolling Stone.

Recalled Shaffer: He said to me: Its a big catalog. I thought: Wow, its Dylan talking like a Tin Pan Alley publisher about his own music. He was very reticent in rehearsal. After the show he apologized and said, I didnt realize how good you were. I would have put more into the rehearsal.?

On Lettermans penultimate show, Dylan performed The Night We Called It a Day, a tune identified with Sinatra. Said Shaffer: I didnt get to speak to him at all that time. But Dave Letterman told me afterward that when we went to commercial, he said to Dylan, Thanks for being here as we close out. And Dylan said to him It was an honor. Letterman told me that was a high point for him.

On Prince playing While My Guitar Gently Weeps with an all-star band in 2004 when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (Shaffer is musical director for the induction ceremonies):

They rehearsed it a number of times in the afternoon. I watched it. Prince killed musically on every rundown but he was holding back showmanship-wise. But everyone knew what was going to happen when the audience was there. Sure enough, he didnt let anyone down and it was one of the highlights of all the many years that the induction dinner has been happening. When people want to pull a clip to watch, they choose that one because it was one of the best performances of all.

Shaffer didnt meet Prince when he was on Letterman. But Prince nodded at Shaffer during the show. Later Princes drummer Bobby Z told Shaffer: Do you have any idea what that nod means? What a compliment that he even acknowledged you.?

In 2007, when Prince was doing a Las Vegas residency, Shaffer attended a concert and the after-show. He asked me to visit him in his suite afterward, Shaffer said. He let his guard down and he was a very normal person when we spoke. I was there from 5 to 7 a.m. He was just ordering breakfast. We had a lovely chat about all kinds of things and watched a video of his show from earlier that night.

On how Shaffer was offered a role on Seinfeld as Jerrys sidekick:

Back in the 80s, Shaffer was overwhelmed with phone messages and correspondence. And he didnt have an assistant. A message came in: Jerry Seinfeld is getting a show at Castle Rock. He wants you to be his sidekick on the show.

I was having such a great time on Letterman that I said to myself: What kind of show could Jerry Seinfeld possibly have? I just let it slip. I missed out on being part of the most beloved show in the history of television. It may not be the smartest thing I ever did.

Then again, Shaffer says, Jerry denies it now.

On how many eyeglasses Shaffer has and how he chooses which to wear:

When the prescription changes, I dont change them all. I have only about a half-dozen in rotation at any one time. If I look back at all the glasses I wore during Letterman, there are a lot of them.

Sometimes Shaffers outfit dictated the glasses, sometimes a guest on the show inspired his choice.

Back in the 80s I used to dress at home. I was thinking about Bob Dylan coming on the show for the first time and I wore black jeans, a black shirt and a white tie. Sure enough, he wore exactly the same thing. I got a picture of the two of us.

On childhood trips to Minneapolis from his home in Thunder Bay, Ontario:

It was a seven-hour drive to Minneapolis for family shopping trips. The Shaffers stayed either at the downtown Radisson which was next to Daytons which was convenient for my mother or at the Curtis Hotel with its outdoor swimming pool, which was a great luxury for us. Lunch was always at the Brothers Deli. We were in nosh heaven, Shaffer gushed.

I do remember one night, my dad said the great jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal is playing but we couldnt get tickets. This summer Im about to be musical director of a Grammys great-performance special where theyre going to honor Ahmad Jamal as a living legend. I get to make the speech about him and, of course, Ill be talking about how I missed him in Minneapolis that time.
As oil prices hover above $45 per barrel, the count of active drilling rigs in the United States has fallen by one to 940, with oil-directed rigs dropping by two to 756 units and natural gas-directed rigs climbing by one to 184, Baker Hughes reported Friday, June 30.

The drop in Baker Hughes count is the first in 24 weeks, or six months and comes at a time when oil has felt significant pressure due to a persisting global oversupply and dangerously high levels of U.S. shale activity.

West Texas Intermediate crude contracts for August delivery were trading up about 1.3% around the time of the 1 p.m. Baker Hughes report to $45.51 a barrel, while global benchmark Brent crude futures were up slightly less than 1% to $47.85.

Baker Hughes total U.S. rig count is up 509 rigs from this time last year when it stood at 431, with oil rigs up 415, gas rigs up 95 and miscellaneous rigs down one.

Meanwhile, the U.S. offshore count is down one rig from last week to 21 overall. The offshore count is up two rigs year-over-year.

What's Hot On TheStreet

Get ready Tesla fanboys: Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk said Friday there would be "news on Sunday" about the company's much anticipated Model 3. While that's all fine and good, what Musk won't tell people is how his electric car company may be speeding toward a monopoly.

Tesla's master plan may hold the key for saving the future of the auto industry, a Moody's Analystics researcher told TheStreet.

With the advance of self-driving vehicles, Tony Hughes, managing director at Moody's Analytics, argued it is not the cars themselves that could lead to the decline in the automotive industry but ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft. The plan CEO Elon Musk has laid out to create a fleet of self-driving Tesla vehicles for ride-sharing purposes could be the way to save automakers from a demise.

A VIP gives his market outlook: Nobel Prize winning-economist Robert Shiller told TheStreet's Anders Keitz that U.S. equities markets are "quite high" currently but may go even higher in coming months, and that's why he's not exiting the market completely. Indeed there's another thing that could have an unpredictable effect on the market Shiller explains: The narrative around Donald Trump.

Story continues

"Short-run forecasting of the market is very hard," said Shiller. "I think it's a time for caution, but it could go up substantially."

Apple iPhone 8 pictures leak: Apple's iPhone 8 looks kind of cool. That is if yet another photo leak is to be believed. Noted Apple information leaker Benjamin Geskin tweeted photos of an alleged iPhone 8 finished prototype on Thursday evening (head here to see). Suffice it to say, Apple is gearing up for the mother of all product launches. And consumers look ready to respond.

About 92% of iPhone owners say they are "somewhat likely or "extremely likely" to upgrade their smartphone in the next 12 months, according to a note from Morgan Stanley. The loyalty rate is up sharply from 86% one year ago.

Nike managed to excite Wall Street: After a major restructuring announcement, Nike was able to boost Wall Street's views on the company's prospects. On an earnings call Thursday evening, Mark Parker, Nike CEO and board chairman, said its pricey new Air VaporMax sneakers drove sales in the quarter and that there will be new styles coming to the brand sometime this summer. There are also "a few more surprises along the way," Parker said.

As TheStreet's Lindsay Rittenhouse reports, Nike also confirmed that it teamed up with Amazon to sell certain products on the e-commerce conglomerate's site. The company is also selling directly to consumers via Instagram.

Apple is a holding in Jim Cramer's Action 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.

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Donald Trump

Michael Bahar, a former top Democratic aide on the House Intelligence Committee, said the panel's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election and President Donald Trump's campaign's possible role in it is the "successor to Watergate."

Bahar's comments were published in a Politico report on Saturday, which said that Bahar had had "unparalleled" access to the committee's most sensitive deliberations and inner workings. He recently left the committee to take a job at the law firm Eversheds Sutherland.

Bahar said that although his leave was planned far in advance, he found it difficult to depart because of the Trump-Russia probe's significance at this time.

"This is in a sense having to step aside from history," he said.

A breakdown in bipartisanship

Bahar said the deterioration in the relationship between committee chairman Devin Nunes and ranking member Adam Schiff was difficult to watch for staffers who had taken pride in the intelligence committee's reputation for bipartisanship.

"For those people that had been around the longest, I think there was  I would describe it as sadness through this, because this is not what we're used to," the former staffer told Politico.

Nunes initially spearheaded the House Russia probe but was forced to step aside following his decision to bypass the rest of his committee and brief Trump on classified documents he said showed that members of Trump's transition team had been swept up in government surveillance. Reports have indicated that he received the documents from White House officials.

Following Nunes' departure from the Russia investigation, Republican Rep. Mike Conaway of Texas took over leadership. But because he remains the committee's chairman, Nunes is still somewhat involved in the Russian probe  The Washington Post reported last month that after his recusal, Nunes approved five to six "unmasking" requests to US spy agencies related to Russia's election interference. The Post added that the requests were made with respect to both the Trump campaign and the Hillary Clinton campaign.

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devin nunes

The Post's report drew Nunes into the spotlight once again, and one Democratic committee aide told Business Insider in an earlier interview that Democrats felt the chairman had "gone rogue." The aide added that Nunes and other Republicans on the panel were trying to make unmaskings the focal point of the investigation to divert attention from the growing Trump-Russia controversy.

Bahar, the former Democratic staffer, told Politico that the partisan fraying of relations between panel members had left staffers "shaken." But he added that Conaway's leadership after Nunes' recusal had somewhat mended the problem, saying Conaway was "truly trying to follow the facts wherever they lead."

The question of collusion comes down to one thing

Bahar told Politico that the question of whether members of the Trump campaign colluded with Russia to hand Trump the presidency comes down to intent.

Since the Russia investigations have gained momentum, executive branch officials such as Attorney General Jeff Sessions, former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and senior adviser Jared Kushner have come under scrutiny for their contacts with Russia. Sessions recused himself from any current or future investigations involving the Trump campaign when it emerged that he had failed to disclose contacts he'd had with Russia's ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak.

Flynn was forced to resign as national security adviser when it was reported that he had spoken to Kislyak about US sanctions during the presidential transition period and lied to Vice President Mike Pence about it. Former acting attorney general Sally Yates later revealed that she had warned the White House that Flynn could be vulnerable to Russian blackmail weeks before he resigned. Since then, Flynn has increasingly emerged as a central figure in the investigation and he has since been subpoenaed by both the House and Senate intelligence committees. Flynn is also under a separate FBI investigation for failing to register as a foreign agent when he did lobbying work for the Turkish government.

Jared Kushner

Kushner dominated headlines when The Washington Post broke a bombshell report in May which said Kushner had proposed setting up a back channel of communication between Trump and Moscow using Russian facilities. Kushner's reported request alarmed national security experts and former intelligence officials, who were baffled by the request and balked at the suggestion to use Russian facilities.

"We know that there were people who didnt fully disclose meetings with a foreign power," Bahar told Politico. "We know that there are people who didnt reveal the sources of their income, foreign sources of their income. Was that because of a lack of memory, inability to fill out forms, disdain for the forms, or was it something else?"

Bahar's assessment has been echoed by legal analysts across the spectrum, and the question of intent has also been raised in the ongoing debate over whether Trump obstructed justice by firing then-FBI director James Comey, who was leading the FBI's own investigation into Russia's election interference and the Trump campaign's possible role in it.

Following Comey's removal, Trump told NBC News' Lester Holt that "this Russia thing" had been a factor in his decision. It later emerged that one day after firing Comey, Trump told Russian officials in an Oval Office meeting that Comey was "a real nut job" and that firing him had taken "great pressure" off of him. The controversy gained steam when Comey revealed, in a memo and later in his testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, that Trump had personally asked him to drop the FBI's investigation into Flynn.

Trump's statements don't individually rise to the level of obstruction of justice, said Jens David Ohlin, an associate dean at Cornell Law School and an expert on criminal law. "The obstruction of justice would flow from the entire landscape of Trump's behavior: telling Comey to back off on the Flynn investigation, firing him when he wouldn't, and then admitting on national television that he dismissed Comey because of the Russia investigation," Ohlin said.

james comey

He added that Trump's statement to the Russians in the Oval Office added weight to the inference that Trump used his executive authority to fire Comey to stymie a federal investigation. "His statement to the Russians is indirect evidence of Trump's corrupt intent when he fired Comey," Ohlin said. "It's very significant in that regard."

Overall, however, legal experts agree that intent is difficult to prove, both in Trump's case and in the case of his campaign advisers and executive branch officials. And it's likely the question won't be answered anytime soon.

"I know there's a perception that things sort of stopped," Bahar told Politico, referring to speculation that the House intel committee's investigation stalled after Nunes' recusal. "But to be honest with you, it really didn't, just because there was so much information coming in, so much information to absorb."

He also said the investigation may run into next year. "There are so many tentacles and so many rocks to look under," he said. "And every time you look under another rock, you find some more rocks. I dont think theres a quick resolution to this."

In addition to the House and Senate intelligence committees' investigations, the FBI's investigation is also ongoing and led by special counsel Robert Mueller, who was appointed to spearhead the probe following Comey's dismissal.

NOW WATCH: 'What you feel isn't relevant': Sen. Angus King grills intel leaders on whether Trump tried to influence them





More From Business Insider


alison grimes

Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Grimes sounded off on the voter-fraud commission in charge of investigating a claim by President Donald Trump that millions of illegal ballots were cast in the 2016 election.

Grimes appeared on MSNBC Friday, after her office rejected the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity's request for sensitive data on individual registered voters.

The information, according to a letter the commission's vice-chair Kris Kobach sent to all 50 states on Wednesday, would be placed in a national public database.

"There's not enough bourbon here in Kentucky to make this request seem sensible," Grimes said.

The Kentucky secretary of state said the information requested is something "no American in their right mind would hand over, let alone hand over to President Trump  someone who likes to tweet 140 characters at a time."

"Not on my watch are we gonna be turning over something that's left to the states to run  elections are left to our states under the 10th Amendment  to the federal government."

Grimes' comments follow an overwhelming response from at least two dozen US states that have also rejected Kobach's request. She also questioned the security of the website to which states were asked to upload sensitive voter data.

Voter advocates have roundly torched the commission's activities, which they called politically motivated. Others have said that mass collection of the information could threaten voter privacy at a time when the US is still reeling from Russia's meddling in the 2016 election.

"We haven't even covered the entire sham reason this commission was created," Grimes said, "and that's to try to find evidence to support a lie the president continues to perpetuate."

Watch Grimes' remarks below:

Kentucky SoS @AlisonForKY: Trump's voter fraud panel is a sham  to find evidence to support a lie the president continues to perpetuate pic.twitter.com/Fgi7qAeqEq  Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) June 30, 2017

Story continues

NOW WATCH: Watch reporters grill the White House press secretary over Trump's false claims that millions voted illegally





More From Business Insider


The Silicon Valley titan, who has openly challenged death as an inevitability, invested $100,000 in a project to bring the extinct mammoth back to life

An illustration of the ice age woolly mammoth. The donation was made in 2015 and detailed for the first time in a new book. Photograph: Andrew Nelmerm/Getty Images/Dorling Kindersley

PayPal billionaire and Gawker war-wager Peter Thiel has invested $100,000 in a research effort to resurrect the woolly mammoth.

Thiel, who believes that viewing death as inevitable is a sign of complacency of the western world, gave the money to Harvard University genomics professor George Church, whose laboratory is attempting to revive the extinct pachyderm.

The donation, detailed for the first time in a new book by Ben Mezrich called Woolly: The True Story of the Quest to Revive One of Historys Most Iconic Extinct Creatures, was made in 2015.

The de-extinction approach taken by Church and his team will sound familiar to Jurassic Park fans: they are taking DNA extracted from frozen mammoths and using it to genetically modify elephant cells. So far, according to the book, the team has managed to get mammoth fur to grow from the side of a mouse grafted with some elephant cells. The results have yet to be published in any scientific papers.

Peter Thiels team did not respond to requests for confirmation of the investment, but Church told MIT Technology Review that it was true.

Church said that over a breakfast, Thiel told him he wanted to fund the craziest thing he was doing. Church suggested three options: an anti-aging scheme involving gene therapy, a project using human neurons to create artificial intelligence, and the mammoth.

He went for the mammoth.

Its not entirely surprising Thiel wants to bring a mammal back from the dead. According to several interviews, Thiel sees death as a terrible inconvenience that needs disrupting.

Peter Thiel has said in the past that people are in some weird mode of denial and acceptance about death ... I prefer to fight it. Photograph: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Almost every human being who has ever lived is dead. Solving this problem is the most natural, humane, and important thing we could possibly do, he is quoted as saying on the website of the SENS Foundation, a charity Thiel funds that approaches aging as a disease in need of a cure.

Story continues

In 2015 he continued on his warpath against human fragility.

Ive always had this really strong sense that death was a terrible, terrible thing, he told the Washington Post, Most people end up compartmentalizing, and they are in some weird mode of denial and acceptance about death, but they both have the result of making you very passive. I prefer to fight it.

Thiels fight involves investing millions in biotechnology and artificial intelligence in what he has called the immortality project. His investment firm Thiel Capital has, according to Inc, expressed an interest in a company called Ambrosia, which is running a trial where individuals can pay $8,000 to receive a blood transfusion from a teenager in the hope that it will restore some youthful vigour. According to the company Thiel is not a client. Yet.

He has also signed up with cryogenics company Alcor to be deep-frozen at the time of his death in the hope that he too can be resurrected.

Its sure to be a mammoth undertaking.
Afghan officials say at least 13 militants, including five Islamic State (IS) fighters were killed in air strikes across the country in the past 24 hours.

The air strikes took place in southeastern Paktika and northern Jowzjan and Sar-e Pul provinces, the Interior Ministry said in a statement on July 1.

Jowzjan police chief Abdul Hafiz Khoshi said the five IS militants were killed when their vehicle was hit by air strikes in Jowzjan's Qush-Teppa district.

The Interior Ministry statement said that Afghan security forces "have stepped up counterterrorism operations" against "antigovernment militant groups."

Police in the northern province of Faryab say security forces repelled attacks by Taliban militants that targeted several police outposts in Dawlat Abad district on June 30.

Provincial police spokesman Karim Yurish said two Taliban militants were killed and three others wounded in the clashes. He said there were casualties among government forces and civilians.

Meanwhile, seven civilians, including women and children were killed when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb in eastern Nangarhar Province, the local government said.

Attaullah Khugyani, a spokesman for Nangarhar's governor, said five others were wounded in the blast in the volatile Achin district on June 30.

So-called improvised explosive devices (IEDs) are a major cause of civilian casualties in Afghanistan.

Militants plant IEDs on roads to target security forces but mostly the bombs kill or maim civilians.

With reporting by dpa
Re: Because there are provisions of the new maritime code that provide th [ #permalink

orange

Because there are provisions of the new maritime code that provide that even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areas, they have already stimulated

Because there are provisions of the new maritime code that provide that

they have already stimulated

Because the new maritime code provides that

it has already stimulated

under provisions of the new maritime code

already stimulating

under provisions of the new maritime code

this has already stimulated

under provisions of the new maritime code

which is already stimulating

1. How to handle the clause about maritime code provisions (Modifiers/Subordinate Clauses/Idioms)

2. How each option ends (Pronouns/Meaning)

Let's actually start with #2 on our list because it deals with a pretty easy concepts: Pronouns & Subordinate Clauses.

1. Do the pronouns agree with their antecedents?

2. Can we find the complete sentence/independent clause in the sentence?

(A) Because there are provisions of the new maritime code that provide that even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areas, they have already stimulated



INCORRECT

(B) Because the new maritime code provides that even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areas, it has already stimulated



OKAY

(C) Even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areas under provisions of the new maritime code, already stimulating



OKAY

(D) Because even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areas under provisions of the new maritime code, this has already stimulated



INCORRECT

(E) Because even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areas under provisions of the new maritime code , which is already stimulating



INCORRECT

We can eliminate A, D, & E because they either include vague/misleading pronouns or aren't complete sentences.

(B) Because the new maritime code provides that even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areas , it has already stimulated



CORRECT

(C) Even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areas under provisions of the new maritime code , already stimulating



INCORRECT

There you have it - option B is the correct choice!

Hello Everyone!Let's tackle this question, one problem at a time, and narrow it down to the right choice! First, here is the original question, with the major difference between the options highlighted ininternational disputes over uninhabited islands.(A)even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areas,(B)even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areas,(C) Even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areas(D) Because even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areas(E) Because even tiny islets can be the basis for claims to the fisheries and oil fields of large sea areasAfter glancing over the options quickly, there are 2 main things we can focus on:Here are the two things we need to look for:Let's see how each option stacks up:We need to rule this out asbecause the pronoun "they" is vague! There are several plural nouns that we could pair this up with: provisions, islets, fisheries, and oil fields. Any time you have a pronoun that could apply to several nouns, get rid of it.This isfor now because the pronoun "it" is clearly referring back to the singular "code." Everything else is plural, so it's not likely to refer any of those things. So let's keep this one for later.This isfor now because we're not dealing with any pronouns, and there is a clear independent clause here. So let's leave it for later.This isbecause the word "this" is misleading. It's leading us to believe that the thing that has stimulated international disputes is THE ENTIRE PHRASE before the comma, not just the new maritime code provisions. The tiny islets didn't do it, nor did the fisheries or oil fields. So let's toss this one out.This isbecause it's a sentence fragment! The clause before the comma is a subordinate clause, which cannot stand alone - it needs to be attached to a complete sentence to work. Unfortunately, what comes after the comma here is NOT a complete sentence - it's a modifier. While this is a very long fragment, it's still a fragment!Now that we have 2 options left, let's look more carefully at each one to see if we spot any other issues:This is! It's clear that the maritime code is what is causing the international disputes. The subordinating clause also works because the clause that comes after the comma could stand alone as an independent clause.This is. It uses an -ing modifier, which modifies THE ENTIRE CLAUSE before the comma, not just the noun directly preceding it. Readers might be misled to thinking that the tiny islets stimulated international disputes, and not the code. We need a modifier that clearly only applies to the maritime code instead, or it needs to be rearranged (like it is in option B) to work.Don't study for the GMAT. Train for it._________________
The Persian invasion of 480 BC, led by the Persian king himself, [ #permalink

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The Persian invasion of 480 BC, led by the Persian king himself, was perhaps one of the darkest hours ever faced by the ancient Greeks. Xerxes, with an army numbering in the hundreds of thousands supported by a fleet said by Herodotus to include 1,200 ships, threatened to overrun all Greece. As Xerxes advanced, the Delphic oracle prophesied disaster for both Athens and Sparta, the city-states upon whose strength and leadership the survival of the Greek world depended. Such oracles, often dismissed as mere religious superstition, or the result of political or economic bribery, are instructive about Greek society and the nature of Delphi itself.



Before Xerxes even reached Greece, most northern Greek city-states, such as Boiotian Thebes and many cities in Thessaly, had offered "earth and water," the traditional symbols of submission, despite warnings of retribution from Athens and Sparta. These warnings may have rung hollow in the face of the Persian threat, but in any case it was typical for Greek city-states to put their own survival above any pan-Hellenic cause. Greece at this time was not a nation, but a group of independent cities loosely bound by common traditions and language but riven by mistrust. Thus it was not surprising that many cities preferred to submit peacefully to a distant overlord rather than risk devastation in a war that even if victory should be possible, would be costly in both financial and human terms, leaving them indebted to their more powerful local rivals, Athens and Sparta. Delphi had long been an important religious center for many of these northern cities; the unfavorable pronouncements Sparta and Athens received, then, may reflect both the desire of northern cities to submit peacefully and the extent of their influence over the priests of Delphi.



Northern influence aside, the priests may have had their own reasons for urging capitulation. These priests comprised, in the words of historian A. R. Burn, a "rich ecclesiastical corporation." Their wealth derived from offerings to the gods (primarily Apollo) from prosperous Greek cities and foreign powers, including Persia and her satellites. Should the Persians ransack Greece, Delphi itself might not be spared, and its source of wealth would be jeopardized. Furthermore, the priests may have wanted to ensure that Xerxes, if victorious, would take a favorable view of Apollo and treat his priests and temple well.













1) Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason for the early surrender of the northern Greek city-states?



A) Xerxes' agents had infiltrated these cities and convinced many people that defeat was inevitable.

B) Many Greeks were more concerned with self-preservation than with the survival of Greece as a whole

C) Opposition to Xerxes would have required the northern cities to enlist the aid of their powerful rivals, Athens and Sparta.

D) The death toll that even a successful resistance to the Persians would cause

E) The northern cities did not take threats of retribution from Athens and Sparta seriously.
All in the name of drug abuse this teenager almost ruined his father!

A Nigerian teenager was recently caught for selling two of his fathers choice cars, SUVs, in order to satisfy his thirst for drugs.

This was revealed by the commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Akingbade Bamidele in Abia state during a workshop on substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking held to educate senior secondary school students of the state.

The workshop was organized by the National Committee on Narcotics and Substance Abuse in Abia on June 30.

READ ALSO: Beautiful lady allegedly kills boyfriend for trying to break up with her (photo)

Nigerian teenager sells off fathers N7.5Million jeep for N350k to buy hard substance

During the workshop, Bamidele revealed that his command recently counselled the teenager as he sold his fathers N7.5 million SUV for N350, 000 in Umuahia, Abia state in order to buy hard drugs.

The commander of NDLEA said the boy sold his fathers two SUVs for that paltry sum because he has gotten to the dependent stage where theres absolutely nothing he cannot sell just to buy drugs.

The commander said of the boy:

Theres a boy at Umuahia that his father brought to us for counselling. He sold two vehicles, a Lexus and a Forerunner, worth N7.5m for N350,000. Do you know why? The reason is because he was involved in drug abuse and has gotten to the dependent stage where theres absolutely nothing he cannot sell just to buy drugs. It was a situation of keep this vehicles for me and just be giving me drugs. You notice when things began to miss at home that something is wrong.

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He stated further that:

The cult boys that cut the heads of other students at Uturu and used them for goal post, when they were arrested, we went and tested them and it was clear that they were high on drugs and that gave them such mind to severe another persons head for goal post. You have to be very careful. The young man you saw on the screen was sent to deliver a parcel of which he doesnt know much about and today, hes in trouble. Ignorance is not an excuse in law. The rich will use the children of the poor to do their illicit drug trafficking.

Na wa o!

NAIJ TV was at the house of notorious kidnapper Evans and asked Nigerians what should be done to him. Read there response below:

Source: Legit.ng
In the fall of 16, Americans elected a presidential candidate with a well-deserved reputation for partisanship. Once inaugurated, he surprised his countrymen by seeking to end party politics and usher in a time of unity among Americans rarely seen in our history.

Obviously, were not talking about 2016.

No, this was in 1816, and that president was James Monroe. He and President Trump share little in common. Where Trump graduated from military school at 18 and compared it to actually being in the military, Monroe at the same age was a lieutenant in the Continental Army and almost bled to death from a musket wound at Trenton. Both were well-educated: Trump at Fordham and Wharton, and Monroe at William and Mary, later studying law under a fellow named Jefferson. While the presidency is Trumps first position in government, it was Monroes last, after serving as state representative; governor; congressman; senator; ambassador to France, Spain and Great Britain; and secretary of both state and war (both at once during part of the War of 1812).

Unlike the thrice-married Trump, Monroe was married but once, to a woman whose death after 44 years of marriage broke his heart and possibly precipitated his own demise. A lifetime of public service helped make Monroe a pauper (a pitfall Trump will probably avoid). And while Trump made his reputation as a real estate tycoon, Monroe, land-poor all his life, did have a hand in a couple of realty deals: Florida and the Louisiana Purchase.

Throughout his political career, Monroe was more of a Jeffersonian Republican than, well, Jefferson. In Congress he argued for a new Constitution, only to vote against it for its lack of a Bill of Rights. Like Trump, he was thin-skinned; intentional and unintended slights at the hands of Washington, Jefferson and Madison enraged Monroe, who almost fought a duel with Hamilton over an insult. In contrast to Trump, Monroe possessed a forgiving nature, saving many a friendship.

The big difference between the two? Once elected president, Monroe abandoned his partisan ways. In his first inaugural address, he declared Americans to be one great family with a common interest, and proceeded to prove it. Like his successors Harry Truman, John F. Kennedy, and George H. W. Bush, Monroe had faced death up close as a junior officer; like them, he shaped his military policies on improving Americas defenses, unwilling to frivolously risk the lives of soldiers and sailors.

Monroes cabinet is considered one of the finest in our history. William Crawford (Treasury), Benjamin Crowninshield (Navy), and William Wirt (attorney general) are not household names, but they were well-qualified and successful. John Calhoun, years from becoming slaverys mouthpiece, brought organizational skills and bold ideas to the War Department. Lastly, the working relationship Monroe had with his secretary of state, John Quincy Adams, is rivaled only by the team of Truman and George Marshall. The culmination of their efforts is the doctrine they forged at the end of Monroes second term that bears his name.

His extensive tours of the United States  a first for a president  were instrumental in elevating the mood of postwar America. Easily recognizable in his outdated knee breeches and buckled shoes, he was rapturously received by his countrymen, who never dreamed they would meet a president. He also used these visits as opportunities to mend political fences. The tours contributed greatly to Monroes first term being known as the Era of Good Feelings, and increased his determination to improve the countrys roadways and canals with federal funds _ an early infrastructure policy.

His presidency wasnt all halcyon days of yore. The Panic of 1819 created a near collapse of the American economy. The Missouri Compromise of 1820 ended talk of dissolving the Union, but began kicking the issue of slavery down the long road toward Fort Sumter. Monroes dealings with Native Americans were more humane than Andrew Jacksons, but he did believe that their independence as communities should cease if the tribes were to survive while Americans grabbed their homelands.

Monroe declared to his fellow whites that the God who made us made the black people who ought not to be treated with barbarity. The man who, as Virginias governor, systematically suppressed one slave rebellion, would as president order the U.S. Navy across the seas to capture slave ships and return the inhumanly treated Africans aboard to their home shores. When in England, he championed William Wilberforces efforts to outlaw slavery throughout Great Britain, and later worked with the American Colonization Society for a solution at home. In the end, though, Monroe was another in a line of Virginia presidents who railed against slavery while buying and selling slaves and never freeing them.

In 1831, Monroe became the last president to die on the Fourth of July. His leadership both shaped and reflected his times. It remains to be seen if the current president will be judged to reflect ours. Perhaps someday Trump will try uniting the country as Monroe and other presidents attempted, but that looks unlikely.

If not, oh well; hindsight is 2020.
Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it.

According to a post proudly shared on the official Facebook page of the Nigerian Air Force headquarters, a personnel of the force emerged as the overall best students of Babcock University, Ilisan Remo, Ogun state.

Master Warrant Officer Enem Theophilus Aniemeka was named as such during the universitys graduation ceremony that was held on June 4.

Air Force personnel graduates as overall best student of Babcock University

READ ALSO: Nigerian teenager sells off fathers N7.5Million jeep for N350k to buy hard substance (photo)

Aniemeka graduated with the highest Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.67 to receive the award.

The Master Warrant Officer is one of the beneficiaries of the NAF school release programme. He is currently the supervisor of the Computer Centre at the NAF Base in Ikeja, Lagos.

Master Warrant Officer Enem Theophilus Aniemeka of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has emerged the overall best graduating doctorate student at the Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State. The award was presented to the NAF personnel during the University's graduation ceremony, which held on 4 June 2017. MWO Aniemeka graduated with the highest Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 4.67 to receive the award. MWO Aniemeka defied all odds to enroll for the PhD Programme in Computer Science (Networking Telecommunication) in 2012 after having earlier bagged a Master of Science degree in Information Technology from the National Open University of Nigeria. The title of his thesis was "Transmission Control Protocol's Initial Congestion Window for Web Latency Reduction and Speedy Flows". The research work was able to propose solution to the problem of short lived connections in Internet network in Nigeria. This would potentially enable internet users in Nigeria to have better service by improving page loading time.

The NAF places a lot of premium on the educational development of its personnel, as reflected in the vision of the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, through one of the vision key drivers, which is "human capacity development through robust and result oriented training for enhanced professional performance". Accordingly, the NAF regularly releases its personnel to undertake relevant academic programmes in civil institutions.

MWO Aniemeka, who is one of the beneficiaries of the NAF school release programme, is currently the Supervisor of the Computer Centre at 051 Personnel Management Centre at the NAF Base in Ikeja, Lagos.

See NAF headquarters' post below:

Congratulations to him!

Watch the graduation ceremony of 10 Nigerian Air Force pilots below on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng
- The lawyer representing Evans, the notorious billionaire kidnapper, has lost a case in the court

- In addition to the defeat, the court fined him the sum of N500,000 for lack of evidence

The lawyer representing Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike who is popularly known as Evans has lost a court case and has been fined N500,000 for lack of evidence.

The attorney, Olukoya Ogungbeje, lost a case on Friday, June 30 when the two fundamental rights applications he filed got dismissed by Justice Ibrahim Buba of the Federal High Court.

Ogungbeje was representing his clients Messrs Chief Kenneth Chukwuemeka Ajoku and Chidinma Ozorumba against the Economic and Financial Crimes Commisson (EFCC). The case was dismissed by the presiding judge for being frivolous and insubstantial.

Ogungbeje and Evans, the notorious billionaire kidnapper arrested by the police.

READ ALSO: Emir of Kano kneels before his mother (photo)

The petitioners had implored the court to declare the arrest and detention by the operatives of EFCC as illegal, unlawful and wrong.

Ogunbeje was pushing for his clients as they had seen the act as being unconstitutional and a huge violation of the applicants fundamental rights quoting sections 33, 34, 35 and 36 of the 1999 constitution.

The judge also fined the petitioners the sum of N500,000. The case ended up in the favour of EFCC and the other respondents there.

It should be recalled that Legit.ng reported some weeks ago that Ogunbeje filed a similar fundamental rights suit against the IGP and three others claiming he was being detained unlawfully.

Evans, the billionaire kidnapper when he was paraded.

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However, his search for freedom hit the rock bottom as the Nigerian police claimed they have court authorization to hold him for three months.

In addition to this, there are speculations about the kidnap kingpin facing a long time in jail. Security operatives expressed their concerns about him using his high profile network to obtain some respite in prison and break free.

Watch the Legit.ng TV video below to see what some Nigerians had to say about Evans being released or being left to rot in jail:

Source: Legit.ng
MADISON  Democratic state Sen. Kathleen Vinehout has registered to run for governor, a move she downplayed Wednesday as being more about accounting than officially launching a campaign.

Vinehout, of Alma, filed the paperwork on June 14 to register a campaign committee. She told The Associated Press that despite the filing, she was absolutely still exploring whether to get into the race and had not yet made a decision.

Vinehout is one of about a dozen Democrats who are considering getting into the race to challenge Republican Gov. Scott Walker.

Many of them are expected to make a decision soon to give them time to raise money in advance of the Democratic primary thats more than 13 months away, in August 2018.

While Walker has not officially announced yet, he has been aggressively raising money. Earlier this month President Donald Trump hosted a fundraiser for Walker in Milwaukee that cost $1,000 to attend.

Vinehout joins political newcomers Bob Harlow and Ramona Whiteaker as the only Democrats to officially register a campaign committee. Harlow, a recent Stanford University graduate, has been busy traveling the state introducing himself to Democrats.

Vinehout said the expense of her travels outside of her western Wisconsin state Senate district forced her to create the gubernatorial committee so she could accurately report what those expenses were for.

She also said she didnt have a timeline for making a decision.

Im focused on the budget, which you know is a big mess, she said.

Republicans who control the Legislature have been unable to reach a deal, despite a Friday deadline. Democrats like Vinehout have little say in that ongoing debate.

Vinehout was first elected to the state Senate in 2006. She was one of the 14 Democrats who fled the state in 2011 in a failed attempt to stop Walkers proposal that effectively ended collective bargaining for most public workers.

She then ran in the Democratic primary in the 2012 recall attempt against Walker, but finished in a distant third. She was mounting a run for governor in 2014, but dropped out to heal following a car crash.

Walker campaign spokesman Joe Fadness said that with the lowest state unemployment rate since 1999, Wisconsin taxpayers and hard-working families are seeing that Gov. Walkers record of standing and fighting for them has our state headed in the right direction.

On Wednesday, the Republican Party launched digital attack ads and a new website against Vinehout criticizing her votes in 2008 to raise taxes and her decision to leave the state during the collective bargaining debate.

Vinehout said that running those aggressive attacks before shes made a decision on whether to run shows how nervous Republicans are about her potential candidacy.

Other Democrats considering a run include state Rep. Dana Wachs, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, Milwaukee businessman Andy Gronik and Jefferson County District Attorney Susan Happ. Political activist Mike McCabe is also weighing a bid, either as a Democrat or independent.
Natural burials are increasing in popularity in the United States.

The Associated Press reports that a small, but growing number of Americans support calls for more environmentally-friendly green burials.

They are turning to places like Rhinebeck Cemetery, about 130 kilometers north of New York City. The cemetery welcomes the natural burial movements supporters and their loved ones.

The purpose of green burials is to speed up the breakdown of human remains through natural processes. They are far different from what many Americans experience when they die.

Comparing common American burials to green burials

When a person dies, the remains are usually given to a funeral home, which washes the body and adds embalming fluid to help protect the appearance.

The funeral home places the body in a coffin, and transports it to a cemetery for burial. The coffin is often lowered into a solid burial vault in the ground. The vault protects the box and everything inside from the weight of the earth.

Rhinebeck Cemetery is different from most American cemeteries. Rhinebeck shuns the use of coffins, embalming fluid and burial vaults. It says they can slow the natural breakdown of the body in the ground.

The natural burial movement started more than 10 years ago. And its supporters say public attention is growing. Now, more cemeteries are changing their burial policies.

Gina Walker Fox says she loves the idea of "just being wrapped up and going back into the ground."

The 59-year-old bought a small piece of land at the cemetery near a tulip tree and wild berry plants. She imagines that, when she dies, her children will pick the berries when they visit her grave.

In the United States, natural burials took place in the days before the Civil War. But, during the war, embalming bodies became popular as a way to protect the remains of soldiers who died in battle.

Burial vaults became more common across the country after World War II. The vaults prevent coffins from sinking. And, they help keep the ground level so grass is easier to cut.

But green burial supporters say the environment is healthier without the vaults and embalming fluids. They also say there is no need for fossil fuels used in cremation. Natural gas, for example, is often used to fuel hot fires necessary to destroy the remains.

Changing ideas about burial types

Of the thousands of cemeteries nationwide, only about 125 now offer green burials, notes Suzanne Kelly. She leads the Town of Rhinebeck Cemetery committee and wrote a book called Greening Death.

In Vermont, a law starting on July 1 will change how deep bodies can be buried. The current law requires a depth of at least 1.5 meters, but it will become one meter next month.

Green burial supporters say the one-meter depth will help decompose of the remains and be safe from animals.

Patrick Healy is president of the Vermont Cemetery Association. He wonders whether people understand how different green burials may be. He said, for example, that a body buried in cloth may have an unusual smell to it. He wonders about this and other possible issues.

Alabama last year changed a law that restricted coffin sales to funeral directors with a special permit. The change came after a court case from a woman who wanted to sell decomposable coffins for her environmentally-friendly burial ground.

Green burials can save people thousands of dollars in costs for a vault, coffin and grave marker. They have also helped grow a market for environmentally-safe products.

Mary Lauren Fraser makes decomposable urns and coffins at her home in western Massachusetts. She often shows her products at local farmers markets.

I get all kinds of reactions, she said. Way more people coming in and saying, Is that a coffin? Did you make that? Is green burial legal?

State laws differ on the treatment of bodies. But green burial policies are legal across the nation, said Kate Kalanick. She is with the Green Burial Council in Ojai, California. It says untreated bodies are safe for public viewing before burial and do not pollute the soil.

One family's story

For some people, the cost and the environment are not the main concern. What's more important to them is what feels right during a difficult time.

After their daughter died, Becky and Chris Mancuso hoped to bury her at Vale Cemetery in Schenectady, New York. Five generations of Becky's family are buried there. Chris couldnt imagine injecting chemical fluids in his daughter, and the cemeterys new natural burial area seemed to meet the beliefs of his Christian faith.

So, he built a wooden burial box for his daughter. Their other daughter, who is six years old, chose wood that was golden, like heaven, Chris Mancuso said.

He said his main purpose for making the burial box was to feel a connection with his dead daughter. He wanted to do anything he could for her.

"That was very hard for us," he said.

I'm Alice Bryant.

And I'm Bryan Lynn.

The Associated Press' Michael Green reported this story. Alice Bryant adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

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Words in This Story

cemetery  n. a place where dead people are buried

embalming  n. (gerund) the act of treating a dead body with chemicals to prevent it from decaying

vault  n. a room or chamber in which a dead person is buried

grave  n. a hole in the ground for burying a dead body

cremation  n. the act of burning the body of a person who dies

fossil fuel  n. a fuel, such as coal, oil, or natural gas, that is formed in the earth from dead plants or animals

urn  n. a container that is often shaped like a vase with a closed top and that is used to hold the ashes of someone who has been cremated

shun  v. to avoid on purpose; to ignore

decompose  v. to cause something, such as dead plants and the bodies of dead animals, to be slowly destroyed and broken down by natural processes or chemicals

viewing  n. an act of seeing, watching or looking at something
Almost a year after launching the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone and then canceling the product after numerous reports of Note 7 smartphones catching fire, the Note 7 is back. But this time its called the Samsung Galaxy Note Fandom Edition, its had a small price cut, and itll be available exclusively in South Korea at launch. The phone goes on sale in that county on July 7th.

The refurbished phone has a smaller battery, but otherwise has all the features of the original, plus software features borrowed from the Galaxy S8 and S8+ smartphones.

Samsungs move to re-launch the phone would probably be more exciting if the company wasnt expected to unveil the newer Galaxy Note 8 soon.

As a member of the Galaxy Note family, the phone has one key feature that sets it apart from the Galaxy S family: a pressure-sensitive digital pen called the S-Pen.

The Samsung Galaxy Note FE (Fandom Edition) has a pen that supports 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity, and the phone features a 5.7 inch, 2560 x 1440 pixel display, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of storage, a microSD card reader, a USB Type-C port, and an IP68 waterproof chassis.

Samsung says it used unopened Galaxy Note 7 units and unused parts to assemble the new Galaxy Note FE, and used 3,200 mAh batteries instead of 3,500 mAh batteries to help reduce fire risk. The company also runs every unit through an 8-point battery safety test.

While Samsung originally sold several million Galaxy Note 7 smartphones before issuing a recall, the company is only planning to make 400,000 Note FE units available in South Korea for now. Depending on the reception, the company may decide to offer the phone internationally.


Ronald Reagan

The value of a man should be seen in what he gives and not in what he is able to receive.

Albert Einstein

If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time - a tremendous whack.

Winston Churchill





It isnt so much that liberals are ignorant. Its just that they know so many things that arent so.

With integrity nothing else counts; Without integrity nothing else counts.

Winston Churchill





Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life, but define yourself.

Harvey S. Firestone





It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense, common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office. H. L. Menken



Referenda insure all have a voice in land use decisions.

U.S. Supreme Court

Listen carefully to first criticism of your work. Note just what it is about your work the critics don't like - then cultivate it. That's the only part of your work that's individual and worth keeping.

Jean Cocteau
VBS Mutual Bank has declined to do business with the Gupta family, according to a report by the City Press.

VBS  the Venda Building Society  is the fifth local bank which has refused to deal with the family.

The report stated that VBS is the same bank which granted President Jacob Zuma a loan of R7.8 million which he used to pay for security upgrades to his home in Nkandla.

The City Press stated that two Gupta business accounts were closed in January by VBS, following discussions among the banks bosses.

A letter was then sent to Oakbay Investments, the Gupta familys local holding company, stating that VBS was ending its relationship with it  in line with its risk appetite framework.

A source told the City Press that the Gupta family was not the banks top client, but they would have had a lot of transactions, which was more work to track.

In March 2016, the big four SA banks  FNB, ABSA, Standard Bank, and Nedbank  notified Oakbay they would no longer provide banking services to it or its subsidiaries.

Listing sponsor Sasfin Capital and auditing firm KPMG also cut ties with the company at the time.
Van Gogh's painting sold for a record $117 million

Gentiloni: EU countries have accumulated enough gas to get through the coming winter

Several dozen activists detained at protest rally in Baku: They chant slogans 'Freedom!', 'Resign!'

Princess Haya seeks asylum in Wales

Pashinyan: Iran is concerned about the presence of other actors in our region, which are not in the territory of Armenia

Pashinyan: Presidents of Russia and Azerbaijan listened to presented proposals

Volvo reveals its flagship EX90 electric crossover

Pashinyan: Yerevan supports Russia's proposals for Armenian-Azerbaijani settlement

Pashinyan: Russia cannot withdraw from Karabakh unless it creates additional guarantees for peacekeeping mission

Pashinyan: We will do everything to Armenia-Azerbaijan sign peace treaty by end of year

Russia bans entry of Biden's family and White House press secretary

Pashinyan: We believe there should be a dialogue between Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh

Pashinyan says positions voiced by some member countries of CSTO are unacceptable

19 countries that use euro currency will slide into recession over winter

Pashinyan to Baku: If 1991 border is mutually recognized, what are your troops doing near Jermuk?

Pashinyan: If the Karabakh issue is solved, why is Azerbaijani Armed Forces shooting at Karabakh residents?

Pashinyan: Russia should say whether their version of peace settlement is still circulating?

Pashinyan: Maybe Azerbaijan doesn't want Armenia to receive revenues?

Pashinyan: Azerbaijan must withdraw its troops from Armenia

Pashinyan: My yesterday's speech served its purpose, Azerbaijani MFA no longer uses 'corridor' term

Microsoft founder Paul Allen's collection of world masterpieces sold for $1.6 billion

Public TV of Armenia hosts Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan

China shows drone killer

Armenian FM meets his French counterpart

Rishi Sunak decides to close hole in British budget through austerity

Delegation of Russian MPs visits Jermuk resort town

Lavrov and Mirzoyan discuss regional agenda

Harut Sasunyan: The best way to achieve peace is to be prepared for war

Turkish prosecutor demands court to ban Istanbul mayor from political activities

German business leaders warn against leaving China

Sasunyan: Russia and US pursue their own interests in South Caucasus

British economy shrinks in three months, foretelling prolonged recession

Iranian Ambassador to Azerbaijan summoned to Foreign Ministry

Euro rises above dollar for first time in long time

Hungarian Foreign Affairs Minister calls Council of Turkic States 'forum of peace' and praises Turkey

EU embargo on Russian oil will be a boon for OPEC

Armenia defense minister receives China ambassador, military attache

Lemkin Institute condemns Azerbaijan president's genocidal rhetoric

Dollar goes up, euro rises sharply in Armenia

U.S. warns Europe that conflict over Taiwan will cause massive global economic shock

EU calls on Armenia, Azerbaijan to moderate their rhetoric

Erdogan says Turkey has been waiting at door of EU for 52 years and will give answer when time comes

U.S. fears that European support for Ukrainian strategy will begin to weaken

Armenia, Iran emphasize need to quickly implement agreements reached (PHOTOS)

Armenia soldier wounded by Azerbaijan shooting undergoes surgery

Gas over morality: Hungary guards Azerbaijan's interests

U.S. quietly seeks concessions from Saudi Arabia after Mohammed bin Salman humiliated Biden

Italy's Ambassador to Armenia visits Gyumri

Russian Armed Forces complete redeployment of grouping from right bank of Dnieper

IRGC: Adversaries are frightened and on alert

Armenia appoints ambassador to Sri Lanka

Kremlin doesn't consider leaving Kherson 'humiliating'

Israeli president thinks the world is concerned about Netanyahu's far-right coalition partner

Chinese MFA: China is not distancing itself from Russia, as Biden believes

Ukraine will seek help from its foreign partners in financing Starlink satellite internet systems

Erdogan: Situation in South Caucasus remains fragile

Marukyan: Azerbaijans Aliyev admitted that his country started 2nd Karabakh war, despite previously insisting opposite

Azerbaijan blackmailing Armenia through Lachin corridor

Turkish-occupied northern part of Cyprus becomes observer in Organization of Turkic States

Armenia PM: In his latest speech Aliyev flagrantly violated agreement on refraining from threat or use of force

World Bank official: Armenia is one of best countries in terms of credit portfolio performance

Azerbaijan president makes repeated accusations, threats against Armenia

Iran citizens injured in Armenia road accident

China reveals new giant drone that could point to the future of air warfare

US embassy in Armenia closed today

Karabakh MOD: Defense Army did not fire at Azerbaijan positions located in occupied territories

Israel and U.S. counter threat of hypersonic missiles together

U.S. and EU plan to publish new roadmap on artificial intelligence

Armenia ombudsperson meets with Belgium colleagues

Newspaper: Armenia parliament opposition seats to no longer be empty

Newspaper: Armenia parliament committee of inquiry into 2020 war circumstances is inactive

U.S. will no longer consider Russia a country with a market economy

US intends to protect Azerbaijan from threats of Iran

Aliyev, Erdogan discuss results of tripartite meeting in Russias Sochi

Azerbaijan army fires at Armenia positions, uses mortars as well

UAE is going to launch flying cabs from airports

Volvo Cars expects to introduce electric SUV by 2024

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
VIOLA  Area emergency responders trained for a catastrophic motor-vehicle accident last weekend.

The mock disaster, hosted by the Kickapoo Valley Rescue Squad, simulated a three-vehicle crash with multiple injuries. The three vehicles were placed at the corner of North Washington and York Street near the playground and softball diamond.

Ambulances and police cruisers, with their emergency lights strobing, cordoned off the area. The scene was arranged for realism.

As part of the training, responders provided care to eight victims with a range of injuries. Some of the mock patients suffered minor injuries while one man was pronounced dead at the scene after ejection from his vehicle. For an hour, the victim actor remained underneath a white blanket, appearing halfway through the cars windshield. His body, complete with fake blood, was visible at the scene.

The multiple agencies worked together to provide adequate resources for the disaster response. A doctor was on-hand to assure responders applied triage correctly, and the exercise included a live helicopter landing to simulate a medical evacuation from an adjacent field.

All fire and medical responders are volunteer, according to organizers.

Sadie Wallace is an emergency medical technician with the Kickapoo Rescue Squad. She said Saturdays training exercise strengthened methods already being utilized by area responders.

I dont ever doubt how well we work together, Wallace said. (The training) may seem chaotic, but everybody knew what they were doing and did their part well.

The training included multiple agencies and medical professionals: Kickapoo Valley Rescue Squad, the Viola Fire Department, the La Farge Ambulance and Fire Department, Readstown Ambulance and Fire Department, Richland Center Fire Department, Richland County Ambulance, the Viroqua Police Department, Richland and Vernon county sheriffs offices, the MedLink Air rescue helicopter, the Richland and Vernon county emergency governments, and a doctor from the Kickapoo Valley Rescue Squad. In the event of large-scale disasters, the agencies all provide mutual aid to each other.

The exercise lasted about an hour.

To enhance the realism factor, a professional makeup artist was recruited, and Jerry Crostenberg, the artist behind the fake-blood applications for Saturdays training, is no stranger to disaster training.

Crostenberg said he was in Albany, New York on Sept. 4, 2001 to train responders for a plane crash involving hundreds of victims. Days later, the Sept. 11 terrorist attack hit the World Trade Center towers. Crostenberg said many of the responders he met that day worked directly at Ground Zero in New York City after the planes struck there.

With these things, we cant train enough, Crostenberg, a local resident, said as he watched the exercise unfold in Viola.

Mickella Geary, spokesperson for the event, said organizers spent about six months planning the training, and roughly 40 people partook in the exercise, including responders and local volunteer actors.

Onlookers were able to observe from the sidelines and watch responders at work. For Judie Los, it was a family affair: Her daughter and son-in-law are firefighters in Viola and were involved with Saturdays training.

Standing with her two grandchildren, Los said it was a good teaching experience for the young children.

I think its very good (to have this exercise open to the public) because were talking about it with the grandkids, telling them about the ambulance, the helicopter, what they do.

About 25 people watched the training exercise. Organizers hope the public exposure will spur volunteer numbers and increase community awareness.

We are staging this drill in town, but it could happen on any of our rural roads, the Kickapoo Valley Rescue squad said in a news release. We wanted to make this drill visible to members of the community so that they are aware of the training, mutual aid and abilities of their local emergency services. We also saw this as an opportunity to spark interest and encourage people to join in their local rescue squad and fire department.

The Kickapoo Rescue Squad and Viola Fire Department have recently underwent five separate training exercises, including a mock boiler explosion at a school and a mock dust explosion at a feed mill.

The Viola Gun Club provided lunch following the training.
YEREVAN.  Within the framework of its visit to the Slovakia, the Republic of Armenia National Assembly (RA NA) delegation, led by NA Vice President Eduard Sharmazanov who also heads the Armenia-Slovakia parliamentary friendship group, on Friday met with State Secretary Lukas Parizek of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, and Dusan Tittel, head of the Slovakia-Armenia Friendship Group.

The parties reflected on the avenues for the development of bilateral relations, the NA informed Armenian News-NEWS.am. The delegation members stressed that Armenia is interested in developing political dialogue with Slovakia.

Also, the interlocutors discussed Armenia-European Union relation, as well as Azerbaijani provocations along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the Karabakh-Azerbaijani line of contact, and which cause casualties.

Azerbaijan is the sole accountable [party] for the bilateral losses, Sharmazanov noted, and added that Turkey, in turn, is increasing regional tension.

In addition, the interlocutors stressed the importance of fighting against the increasing terrorism in the world.

Also within the framework of its visit to Slovakia, the RA NA delegation laid a wreath to the Armenian cross-stone which eternalizes the memory of Armenian Genocide victims, and which is placed in the Slovakian capital city of Bratislava.
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Crisp Pizza to close; Jack's to open

According to an employee, Crisp Pizza Bar, 1322 E. Brady St., will close on Sunday, most likely after serving brunch but possibly later in the day. But there are already plans for the space.
Editor's note: This is one in a Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service series of 15 pieces about the Milwaukee Open Housing marches, which took place 50 years ago beginning on Aug. 28, 1967. Watch for the stories on Milwaukee NNS every Monday and Thursday through the end of July.

Margaret Rozga has spent a good part of her adult life making sure that Milwaukeeans remember the fight for open housing in the city beginning in summer 1967. A civil rights activist and poet who participated in 200 straight days of marches, she has told the powerful story of what happened on the 16th Street Viaduct through a play, a volume of poetry and her work with a local arts education group.

Rozga got her start in play writing at University of Wisconsin-Waukesha, where she was then an assistant professor. "UW-Waukesha had a campus read program that would have a theme every year," Rozga said. "The theater department would always do a play based on the theme as well. This particular year, the theme was race and racism. So the theater director came up to me and said, Youre going to write the play."

Rozga, who earned a masters degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, had never written a play before, but she accepted the offer. Her play, "March On Milwaukee: A Memoir of the Open Housing Protests," was first performed in April 2007.

Rozga had some difficulties at the start.

"What was hard about writing that play, coming from my perspective as a poet, was the fact that when you write poetry, you dont have to worry about what the speaker of the poem does with his or her body," Rozga said. "But when youre writing for the theater, people just cant stand up there and talk. You need action."

Once Rozga overcame the initial issues, she wrote a play that was performed on the campus of the UW-Waukesha and at venues in the city of Milwaukee.

After the performances, Rozga decided to adapt the play into poems.

"Staging a play is difficult," Rozga said. "You need a venue, a director, actors, you need tickets. If I were to turn this into poems, I could do it all myself. So I did."

Rozgas book of poems, "200 Nights and One Day," was published in 2009. The book tells the history of the open housing marches through the eyes of participants. In the first poem, "Prologue to Milwaukee," Rozga writes of "People on the march/moving the heart and soul of a White /Roman Catholic Priest at St. Boniface Church." The priest, the Rev. James Groppi, led the open housing marches and later became Rozgas husband, for which he was excommunicated from the church.

Rozga wants to pass her love for art and the importance of the open housing marches to the next generation. Working with Arts @ Large, she got in touch with a teacher at Nova High School whose students were learning about the Milwaukee civil rights movement.

"The goal of this organization was to ultimately have the students work be on display in a museum exhibit," Rozga said. After they completed the civil rights unit, the students created an exhibit at the Arts @ Large gallery. The exhibit included artwork that encapsulated the students takes on the history of the Milwaukee civil rights movement.

"It was a terrific exhibit," Rozga said. The students also began to do better academically because of the art project, she noted.

"There was one student who was attending school 23 percent of the time," Rozga said. "When he got involved in the study of [civil rights] and turning it into visual means that other people could learn from, he started coming all the time. He ended up with 98 percent attendance."

Rozga is proud that she has been able to reach another generation through her writing and work for racial justice. "When teens learn that the open housing marches in Milwaukee included high school students, and some even younger, 7th and 8th graders at St. Boniface School, they find that empowering. They begin to see active roles for themselves. They begin to see themselves as agents for social justice."
Saturday evening marked a first for Wisconsin's own Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, a category-defying band that fuses traditional Americana, folk and bluegrass with a new-school attitude and definitively Midwestern vibe.

They played their very first Summerfest headliner set at the Johnson Controls World Sound Stage, filling the air with cigarette and whiskey-lubed vocals accompanied by fiddle, harmonica, banjo and guitar.

Members of the five-man band include native Milwaukeeans David (Davey) Lynch (harmonica, accordion) and Sam Odin (bass) along with Wisconsinites Russell Pedersen (banjo, fiddle), Adam Greuel (guitar, dobro) and Collin Mettelka (fiddle, mandolin), all accomplished musicians whose synergy as a band became the contagious medium for a rolicking, toe-tapping smorgasbord of delights.

The evening kicked off as the band gathered around the hand-grenade-studded mic in traditional bluegrass style. They began with "Fly to the Moon," an upbeat, twang-filled drinking song that easily set the mood for the evening, bringing the crowd to its feet (and onto the bleachers) and sending a whorl of energy flowing through the venue.

From there, the scent of marijuana filled the air as the band broke into their second and third songs. And the crowd began to loosen. Hips swayed and toes tapped. And then Greuel greeted the crowd: "Feels great to be back here in Milwaukee. Happy Summerfest!" a move that elicited a roar of cheering.

The evening was filled with a combination of graceful, emotive performances of songs like "River High" and "Imperfection," catchy ditties like "Sugar in the Wine," and rip-roaring dance numbers like "The Greater Association."

At one point Lynch, wearing an embroidered Green Bay Packers bowling shirt, pulled out his accordion, leading the band into a joyful Talking Heads cover, "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)," a song which saw no objection to being re-imagined as a folksy zydeco number. Odin and Greuel took on the lyrics with pizazz, even donning David Byrne-esque facial expressions, intonation and inflection that  along with the performers face-spanning grins  only served to deliver sheer joy to the hungry audience.

"You can get dumped," Greuel interjected during a break between songs. "You can get speeding tickets by air surveillance. You can burn yourself on mac and cheese. A lot of things can happen in life. But music, it brings people together and makes things better."

And that theme was not lost on the audience.

Of the multitude of compliments one could bestow upon the members of Horseshoes & Hand Grenades, it seems the most salient is the dynamic among the band members. Not only do they flow seamlessly from one song to another, they deftly trade moments in the spotlight and on stage, sharing smiles and often spritely dances and creating a contagious energy that literally fills the room as it transfers from performer to audience.

During "Wisconsin Water," a song from the bands 2013 release "Old Town," members of the crowd held up theirs cans of Coors and swayed to the music as fiddle and harmonica wove in and out of Greuel and Pedersons lyrics. When the song ended, Greuel lifted his beer to the crowd, saying "It's good to be home. Cheers!"

In addition to classics, the band also played a song or two from their forthcoming album, which will be released this fall. The album, tentatively called "The Ode" was recorded in just one week at Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. And it will be rolled out in conjunction with the bands tour with Montana-based bluegrass band, the Kitchen Dwellers.

High points of the evening included an a capella performance of "The Rattlin Bog," a traditional Irish cumulative song in which each verse builds on the next. And Horseshoes took it and ran with it.

The crowd stomped and the band members sang, faces flushing from pink to red as the verses grew faster and faster, to the point where there were no longer lyrics, only stomping, grinning and auctioneer-like chanting.

Then came the cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon," during which each band member took a round, riffing on his respective instrument, before coming together in a wild orgy of bluegrassian bliss.

And when Gruel addressed the audience, exclaiming, "You guys kick ass. This is awesome," it seemed that the only appropriate response from the crowd should have been: "No really. YOU GUYS kick ass."

Things wrapped up with a bang. First, Greuel metaphorically pulled the audience aside, letting them know they were in on something special."There's probably no better place to announce something like this," he said. "I'm stoked as hell to say this, but we have the honor and the pleasure to play at The Pabst Theatre on New Year's Eve."

And the audience roared. Meanwhile, band members passed around a bottle of Tully, each one taking a slug before breaking into a rowdy Milwaukee-fied version of "Whiskey," featuring lines like "I love Milwaukee Town" and "I love Summerfest."

It was 11:49 p.m. by the time the band walked off the stage, inciting the crowd to an ear-filling round of stomping and whooping that ceased only as Greuel came back to the stage accompanied by his band mates as well as Ryan Ogburn, a Milwaukee musician currently touring with Dead Horses.

"Freakin' Wisconsin," Greuel exclaimed. "For real man. It's one of those speechless moments. It's been an awesome night."

The encore included two more songs: "Were All in This Together" by Old Crow Medicine Show and "Get Down To It." And the former captured the tone of the evening.

Harmonies had been spot-on all night. But, at this juncture, as the bands voices blended, there was a palpable feeling, almost prophetic, that no matter who you were, or why you were there, you were part of something bigger. Brighter. Better.

And, in the end, thats really all you can ask for from a concert.

Setlist

"Fly to the Moon"

"Analease"

"The Ode"

"This Must Be The Place" (Talking Heads cover)

"Old Man and Me"

"Stuck on Your Mind"

"Wisconsin Water"

"St. Croix Hills""

"The Greater Association"

"Rhiannon" (Fleetwood Mac cover)

"Rivers High"

"Sugar in the Wine"

Instrumental

"Make One Today"

"River Rat"

"The Rattlin' Bog"

"Down the Road"

"Short but Sweet"

"Imperfection"

"Whiskey"

Encore:

"We're All in This Together" (Old Crow Medicine Show cover)

"Get Down To It"
In this March 22, 2017 file photo, an Emirates plane taxis to a gate at Dubai International Airport in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Dubai-based Emirates airlines says the U.S. has exempted it from a ban on laptops in airplane cabins. (AP Photo/Adam Schreck, File)

Emirates and Turkish Airways said on Wednesday they have also been exempted from a U.S. ban on laptops in airplane cabins, joining Etihad in satisfying American security concerns that had cut into the long-haul carriers' business.

It remains unclear how the airlines addressed fears that the Islamic State or other militant groups might smuggle explosives in electronic devices. But in Turkey, authorities now use CT scanners to take cross-section images of passengers' electronics just before they board airplanes heading to the U.S.

Both airlines alerted the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees airplane safety in the United States, that "they are ready to comply with the enhanced security measures," said David Lapan, a Homeland Security spokesman in Washington. He declined to discuss specifics.

"Protecting the American people and raising the global baseline on aviation security remains the top priority," Lapan said. "We will continue to closely observe operations in these airports to ensure these enhanced measures are implemented effectively and to the required levels."

Emirates' hub at Dubai International Airport has grown into the world's busiest for international traffic, in large part thanks to Emirates' expansion.

On Wednesday, Emirates said in a statement that it had worked to "implement heightened security measures and protocols" to satisfy American requirements. It did not elaborate, following a similar precedent set by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad, which American officials cleared on Sunday.

"We would like to express our gratitude to the U.S. and local authorities for their support and thank our customers for their understanding and patience during the last few months when the ban was in place," Emirates said.

In this Jan. 10, 2017 file photo, Turkish Airlines aircrafts are stationed at Ataturk International Airport covered in snow, in Istanbul, Tuesday. Istanbul-based Turkish Airlines tweeted early Wednesday that it had been exempted from a ban on laptops in airplane cabins. (Faik Kaptan/Depo Photos via AP, File)

In Istanbul, Turkish Airlines tweeted that passengers aboard its U.S.-bound flights should "fasten your seatbelts and enjoy your own electronic devices." A statement from the airline said it had taken over 81,000 electronic devices away from passengers to store them in specially protected baggage during the 102 days the ban was in place.

The U.S. laptop ban, first announced in March as a security measure, now applies to nonstop U.S.-bound flights from seven international airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Cairo; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; and Doha, Qatar.

In May, U.S. President Donald Trump shared highly classified intelligence with senior Russian officials visiting the White House about the Islamic State group wanting to use laptops to target aircraft.

Qatar Airways, the last of the three major Gulf long-haul carriers on the list, declined to answer questions Wednesday about the ban. That airline already has been blocked from much of its neighbors' airspace over an ongoing dispute with four Arab nations.

Speaking in London, Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said that American TSA officials were "already in Doha."

"I think they arrived yesterday," Sheikh Mohammed told a crowd at Chatham House. "This is an ongoing process and I think irrelevant to the entire" political crisis.

Saudi Arabian Airlines has said it hopes to be off the ban list "on or before July 19."

Passengers check into a flight at Abu Dhabi International Airport in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, July 4, 2017. Travelers bound for the U.S. now enjoy something many others flying out of the Middle East can'twalking onto an airplane with their laptop. But what has changed in Abu Dhabi remains unclear as the laptop ban still affects nine other regional airports, including the world's busiest for international travel in nearby Dubai. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell)

Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Veysi Kaynak welcomed the lifting of the ban at Istanbul's airport, saying the restrictions had targeted Muslim nations and amounted to a discrimination against them as potential "criminals."

"The countries that were subjected to the ban were generally Muslim countries," Kaynak told The Associated Press. "It is a grave error to regard the people of a certain faith collectively as people with the potential to commit crimes."

Kaynak said that along with the CT scanners, the Istanbul airport is now restricting U.S.-bound flights to two departure gates, apparently for better security.

There is a precedent for concern over laptops being used as bombs. Somalia's al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab said it planted a bomb inside a laptop-like device that exploded on a plane leaving Mogadishu in February 2016, killing only the bomber.

However, the security concerns also come amid a wider dispute between Gulf airlines and American carriers, which accuse the Middle East airlines of flooding the market with flights while receiving billions of dollars of unfair government subsidies. The Gulf carriers all vigorously deny that.

The laptop ban, coupled with the Trump administration's travel ban on six predominantly Muslim countries, has hurt Middle Eastern airlines. Emirates, the region's biggest, said it slashed 20 percent of its flights to America in the wake of the restrictions. The airline said Wednesday it now flies 103 flights a week to the U.S.

 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
This animation shows Jupiter as revealed by a powerful telescope and a mid-infrared filter sensitive to the giant planet's tropospheric temperatures and cloud thickness. It combines observations made on Jan. 14, 2017, using the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii.

Telescopes in Hawaii have obtained new images of Jupiter and its Great Red Spot, which will assist the first-ever close-up study of the Great Red Spot, planned for July 10. On that date, NASA's Juno spacecraft will fly directly over the giant planet's most famous feature at an altitude of only about 5,600 miles (9,000 kilometers).

Throughout the Juno mission, numerous observations of Jupiter by Earth-based telescopes have been acquired in coordination with the mission, to help Juno investigate the giant planet's atmosphere. On May 18, 2017, the Gemini North telescope and the Subaru Telescope, both on Hawaii's Mauna Kea peak, simultaneously examined Jupiter in very high resolution at different wavelengths. These latest observations supplement others earlier this year in providing information about atmospheric dynamics at different depths at the Great Red Spot and other regions of Jupiter.

The Great Red Spot is a swirling storm, centuries old and wider than the diameter of Earth. Juno will use multiple instruments to study this feature when it flies over it about 12 minutes after the spacecraft makes the closest approach to Jupiter of its current orbit at 6:55 p.m. on July 10, PDT (9:55 p.m. on July 10, EDT; 1:55 a.m. on July 11, Universal Time). Juno entered orbit around Jupiter on July 4, 2016.

"Observations with Earth's most powerful telescopes enhance the spacecraft's planned observations by providing three types of additional context," said Juno science team member Glenn Orton of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. "We get spatial context from seeing the whole planet. We extend and fill in our temporal context from seeing features over a span of time. And we supplement with wavelengths not available from Juno. The combination of Earth-based and spacecraft observations is a powerful one-two punch in exploring Jupiter."

This composite, false-color infrared image of Jupiter reveals haze particles over a range of altitudes, as seen in reflected sunlight. It was taken using the Gemini North telescope in Hawaii on May 18, 2017, in collaboration with observations of Jupiter by NASA's Juno mission.

Orton collaborated with researchers at Gemini; Subaru; the University of California, Berkeley; Tohoku University, Japan; and elsewhere in planning the recent observations.

The observers used Gemini North on May 18 to examine Jupiter through special near-infrared filters. The filters exploit specific colors of light that can penetrate the upper atmosphere and clouds of Jupiter, revealing mixtures of methane and hydrogen in the planet's atmosphere. These observations showed a long, fine-structured wave extending off the eastern side of the Great Red Spot.

On the same night, researchers used Subaru's Cooled Mid-Infrared Camera and Spectrometer (COMICS), with filters sensitive to temperatures at different layers of Jupiter's atmosphere. These mid-infrared observations showed the Great Red Spot "had a cold and cloudy interior increasing toward its center, with a periphery that was warmer and clearer," Orton said. "A region to its northwest was unusually turbulent and chaotic, with bands that were cold and cloudy, alternating with bands that were warm and clear."
Pope Francis on Sunday called for an end to violence in Venezuela and urged the country to find a "democratic solution" to its problems. "I assure my prayers for this beloved nation and express my closeness to the families who have lost their children in the streets," he said two days after four more protesters died, bringing the death toll to 89. "I call for an end to violence and a peaceful and democratic solution to the crisis," the Argentine said at the end of the Angelus prayer in Saint Peter's Square. No official details were provided as to what led to the latest deaths late Friday, although at least one opposition member of Venezuela's legislature said the victims, who ranged in age from 20 to 49, died by gunfire. Saturday marks three months of opposition protests demanding the ouster of Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro whose term in office runs until January 2019. Maduro is blamed for a desperate economic crisis -- marked by shortages of food, medicine and other basics -- that has sparked hunger and deadly violence. The international community has called for mediation to solve the Venezuela crisis after Vatican-backed talks last year broke down.
The UN refugee agency is heaping pressure on Europe to help Italy defuse the "unfolding tragedy" of tens of thousands migrants flooding its shores. Italy needs more international support to cope with a growing number of migrants who have braved a perilous Mediterranean crossing to reach Europe this year, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi said on Saturday. "What is happening in front of our eyes in Italy is an unfolding tragedy," Grandi said in a statement. "In the course of last weekend, 12,600 migrants and refugees arrived on its shores, and an estimated 2,030 have lost their lives in the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year." Italy, he said, was "playing its part" in taking in those rescued and offering protection to those in need. "These efforts must be continued and strengthened. But this cannot be an Italian problem alone." Separately, a source in Paris said the interior ministers of France, Germany and Italy would meet in the French capital on Sunday to discuss a "coordinated approach" to help Rome. Last week, Italy threatened to close its doors to people arriving on boats which were not flying Italian flags. - Tackling the root causes - Europe has to get fully involved through an "urgent distribution system" of migrants and should widen legal channels so that migrants can be admitted, Grandi said. He also called for greater international efforts to tackle the causes of migration, to protect people and to fight trafficking. Since the beginning of the year, 83,650 people have reached Italy by sea, an increase of nearly 20 percent compared to the same period last year, UN figures show. Nearly all of Italy's 200,000 places for accommodating migrants have been filled. Many of the migrants need health care and support, with a large percentage of them non-accompanied children and victims of sexual violence, says the UN. The number of migrant children arriving on their own rose two-fold between 2015 and 2016, reaching 25,846 at the end of last year. - Violence in Calais - Europe has been grappling with the worst migration crisis since the end of World War II with an influx of people fleeing the wars in Syria and Iraq while others from Africa are seeking an escape from poverty or political persecution. And there continue to be flare-ups of violence sparked by the tensions among the migrants and refugees gathered in western Europe. In the northern French port city of Calais, riot police stepped in over the past two days to break up fighting among African migrants armed with sticks and rocks. Fighting between Eritreans against Ethiopians on Saturday left 16 people injured, with police making 10 arrests. That followed brawls on Friday night when security forces used tear gas to disperse the feuding sides, Calais Mayor Philippe Mignonet said. "In the past 12 hours, in terms of violence, there's been an escalation," he told AFP. Calais has for years been a magnet for migrants and refugees hoping to cross the Channel to Britain. Last October, France broke up the notorious tent camp known as "the Jungle" transferring thousands of migrants to centres around the country. But hundreds remain near the port, mostly Africans and Afghans, who clash sporadically with police as they make nightly attempts to stow away onto trucks heading across the Channel to Britain. Last month, a Polish driver was killed when his truck burst into flames after hitting a roadblock set up by migrants hoping to slow the traffic to make it easier to jump onto vehicles. French President Emmanuel Macron's new government has ruled out building a reception centre for asylum-seekers in Calais, saying it would only encourage more people to come, and has promised to reinforce security. burs-boc/hmw
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Corning Incorporated engages in display technologies, optical communications, environmental technologies, specialty materials, and life sciences businesses worldwide. The company's Display Technologies segment offers glass substrates for liquid crystal displays and organic light-emitting diodes used in televisions, notebook computers, desktop monitors, tablets, and handheld devices. Its Optical Communications segment provides optical fibers and cables; and hardware and equipment products, including cable assemblies, fiber optic hardware and connectors, optical components and couplers, closures, network interface devices, and other accessories. This segment also offers its products to businesses, governments, and individuals. Its Specialty Materials segment manufactures products that provide material formulations for glass, glass ceramics, crystals, precision metrology instruments, software; as well as ultra-thin and ultra-flat glass wafers, substrates, tinted sunglasses, and radiation shielding products. This segment serves various industries, including mobile consumer electronics, semiconductor equipment optics and consumables; aerospace and defense optics; radiation shielding products, sunglasses, and telecommunications components. The company's Environmental Technologies segment offers ceramic substrates and filter products for emissions control in mobile, gasoline, and diesel applications. The company's Life Sciences segment offers laboratory products comprising consumables, such as plastic vessels, liquid handling plastics, specialty surfaces, cell culture media, and serum, as well as general labware and equipment under the Corning, Falcon, Pyrex, and Axygen brands. The company was formerly known as Corning Glass Works and changed its name to Corning Incorporated in April 1989. Corning Incorporated was founded in 1851 and is headquartered in Corning, New York.
Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton

Ask most tech entrepreneurs what they think about Brexit, and most will complain that the UK's decision to leave the EU will starve the country of international tech talent.

Eben Upton, the inventor of the super cheap Raspberry Pi computer, is careful not to voice an opinion about whether Brexit is good or bad. But Brexit has been good for his company in one respect  it's become a lot cheaper to make the tiny computers in the UK.

"In the short term, the adjustment to the exchange rate has had a positive effect on UK manufacturing," he told Business Insider. "It isn't a great idea to devalue your way to success [but] it did make a substantial contribution to our profitability last year. It's rocket fuel, it really is."

Raspberry Pi

Alphr

"As an organisation, we carefully don't have an opinion [about Brexit]," he added. "Our largest market is the US, we build in the UK. The second-largest is Germany, trading on the single market. It probably doesn't make much difference."

A weaker pound has benefited anyone who makes stuff in the UK and sells it abroad, so it's not just Raspberry Pi. And Upton added that it was "a mixed bag", since the computers are priced in dollars. That means they're more expensive to buy in the UK now.

Eben Upton thinks Cambridge's 'Silicon Fen' is changing

Upton spoke with Business Insider the day after being handed the UK's top engineering prize, the Royal Academy of Engineering MacRobert Award.

His company is hugely successful, having sold 40 million Raspberry Pi devices to date, at a rate of up to half a million every month. Upton has avoided the drama of venture capital and an IPO by establishing the non-profit Raspberry Pi foundation and the for-profit associated trading company. It is, he said, "mission-driven", and the fundamental goal is to "reboot enthusiasm in computing."

Raspberry Pi began in Cambridge, which earned itself the nickname "Silicon Fen" for producing successful hardware firms like ARM.

Story continues

Does it still deserve the name?

"I think the complexion of what we do in Cambridge changes," said Upton. "It's been a while since we did much silicon in Cambridge. We have some mature companies, like Broadcom, but we're maybe not doing the same number of silicon startups, hardware chip startups, as we did 20 years ago. We're doing a lot more software stuff. What's actually more unusual about Raspberry Pi is that we are a hardware company."

Business Insider asked Upton what he thinks of Mike Lynch, the billionaire founder of another Cambridge success story, Autonomy.

mike lynch dark trace

Matt LLoyd/Rex Features

Lynch's career has been controversial. He sold Autonomy to HP, which then sued him for fraud. He then went on to found Invoke Capital, which invested in Darktrace.

"He's a force of nature," said Upton. "Sometimes you need these larger-than-life guys who are very determined to push things forwards. [Raspberry Pi] is a Darktrace customer ... we're a Mike Lynch customer."

He added: "Cambridge is the place in the UK to do deep tech. There are other places in the country you can do all sorts of things, but for grungy deep tech, it's still here." He cites the University of Cambridge as the driving force for this. "It's spitting out people who do difficult things and technology. There's nowhere quite like it."

Upton thinks the government needs to pay for better teacher training

The Raspberry Pi is intended to get children coding, though its appeal is now much broader. The foundation has set up lots of coding clubs at schools around the country. Alongside this, England introduced the computing curriculum in 2014, to replace ICT. At the time, the government announced 500,000 in funds to help train teachers up.

But nearly three years later, uptake isn't looking great. According to research by the University of Roehampton, 28.5% of English schools entered pupils for a computing GCSE in 2015, and only 24% for an A-Level.

"There needs to be more emphasis on teacher training," said Upton. "It's hard for teachers to promote a new subject if you don't train them to teach the curriculum. We advocate constantly for the government to do more in the area of teacher training. It's done half the job, and we're seeing encouraging signs. The government is thinking about making those investments."

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By Tiemoko Diallo BAMAKO (Reuters) - African powers launched a new multinational military force to tackle Islamist militants in the Sahel on Sunday, which French President Emmanuel Macron told a regional summit should be fully operational by the autumn despite its current budget shortfall. Some observers see the initiative of the G5 Sahel bloc - Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Niger and Chad - as forming the basis of an eventual exit strategy for around 4,000 French troops now deployed to the volatile region. But Macron said Paris had no plans to withdraw them. Islamist militant groups, some with links to al Qaeda, seized control of Mali's desert north in 2012. Though they were driven back a year later by a French-led military intervention, they continue to carry out attacks against on U.N. peacekeepers, Malian soldiers and civilian targets in violence that has spilled across Mali's borders. "Every day we must combat terrorists, thugs, murderers, whose names and faces we must forget, but whom we must steadfastly and with determination eradicate together," Macron said at the summit in Mali's capital Bamako. During the meeting, leaders of the G5 Sahel countries formally established the new force, which will operate in coordination with French troops and MINUSMA, Mali's struggling U.N. peacekeeping mission. The countries of the G5 Sahel bloc began floating the idea of a regional force as early as 2015, but since taking office in May, Macron has thrown Paris's weight behind the plan, including through a U.N. resolution last month. "There is urgency because those we're confronting are not going to wait," said Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. "It's also clear that France alone must not continue to bear the burden of this fight against terrorism." UNDERFUNDED AND OVERSTRETCHED On Sunday, Macron said the force, which is expected to consist of around 5,000 troops, needed to be fully operational by this autumn. But he played down speculation that he was seeking to reduce the burden on France's cross-border Barkhane Operation, saying in a meeting with Mali's French community following the summit that Paris would "remain engaged for as long as it takes". With its military headquarters in the northern Mali town of Sevare, the G5 Sahel force will focus on border zones - one along the frontier between Niger and Mali, another between Mali and Mauritania, and a third straddling the borders between Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali. Paris considers the Sahel a breeding ground for militants and traffickers who pose a threat to Europe. Late on Saturday, JNIM, an al Qaeda-linked group, released a video showing six Western hostages abducted in the region in recent years. Among them was French citizen Sophie Petronin, whose kidnappers Macron said France would "put all our energy towards eradicating". While Sunday's summit marked a step forward in the plan to set up the new force, it still faces a number of obstacles. The European Union has pledged around 50 million euros (43.8 million), and Macron said France would contribute around 8 million euros by the end of the year. Each of the G5 Sahel members will contribute 10 million euros for the force. But President Keita on Sunday estimated the required total budget at 423 million euros. The G5 Sahel nations - among the world's poorest - are already overstretched. Chad, Burkina Faso and Niger have deployed around 4,100 soldiers within MINUSMA. Niger and Chad also contribute troops to a similar regional force fighting Nigeria's Boko Haram militants. President Idriss Deby of Chad, which possesses the region's most capable military, has voiced reluctance to further commit his forces unless they receive more international support. (Additional reporting by Sophie Louet in Paris; Additional reporting and writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Mark Potter and David Evans)
By Kanupriya Kapoor MARAWI CITY, Philippines (Reuters) - Sprawled on the boarded-up balcony of a two-storey house, the barrel of his rifle poked into a hole cut in the wood, the Philippine army sniper calls for quiet before taking his shot. "Firing," he says evenly, before the .50 calibre shot rings out, sending tremors through the house. He was firing at a home less than a kilometre (a half mile) away, believed to be a stronghold of Islamist militants who have been holed up in Marawi City for over five weeks. A spotter sat next to him, with his scope set into another hole. The two spoke quietly to each other as the sniper took three more shots across the Agus river into the militant-held commercial district of Marawi, now a battleground strewn with debris from ruined buildings. Scores of bodies are rotting in the area, and the stench mixes with the smell of gunpowder. Thousands of soldiers are battling to retake the southern Philippine city, where militants loyal to Islamic State launched a lightning strike on May 23. The southern Philippines has been marred for decades by insurgency and banditry. But the intensity of the battle in Marawi and the presence of foreign fighters from Indonesia, Malaysia, Yemen and Chechnya fighting alongside local militants has raised concerns that the region may be becoming a Southeast Asian hub for Islamic State as it loses ground in Iraq and Syria. As troops poured in to contain the siege, few were expecting a slow, difficult and unfamiliar urban war. "We are used to insurgencies...but a deployment of this magnitude, this kind of conflict is a challenge for our troops," said Lt Col Christopher Tampus, one of the officers commanding ground operations in Marawi. He said progress in clearing the city has been hindered by militant fire and booby traps like gas tanks rigged with grenades. REDUCED TO RUBBLE After weeks of military airstrikes and shelling, Marawi, a lakeside city of around 200,000 is now a ghost town, the centre of which has been reduced to charred rubble and hollow structures. Buildings in the military-controlled areas of the city are still standing but deserted after residents fled. Authorities estimate around 100 to 120 fighters, some of them as young as 16 years, remain holed up in the commercial district of the city, down from around 500 at the beginning of the siege. The fighters are holding around 100 hostages, according to the military, who have been forced to act as human shields, take up arms or become sex slaves. Military aircraft drop bombs on the militant zone almost every day. From the outskirts of the city, mortar teams take aim at what they call "ground zero", the heart of the conflict. "Mortars are designed to target people and smaller areas than the airstrikes." said mortar specialist Sgt. Jeffery Baybayan, as he jotted down coordinates that come crackling over a radio from an observer closer to the conflict area. "Hitting targets accurately can be difficult and we're expending rounds without hitting targets. We are concerned about our own troops that are very close to the enemy area," he added, as the mortars exploded in the city, sending up plumes of thick black smoke. "SURRENDER NOW OR DIE" During the day's battle, Tampus received reports that three civilians, trapped for weeks near the fighting, were trying to escape. Several soldiers responded to help rescue them - moving to the area in two lines along the sides of streets to avoid sniper fire. Three civilians - two men and a woman using a walking stick - came out and sat by the side of the street once they were in the military zone. "The bombs were so frequent coming from both sides," said Jose Locanas, a 53-year-old Christian man trapped with his wife and friend in his house. "We were caught in the middle." Troops said they received word from their relatives that the three were trapped and managed to escort them out. More than 400 people, including over 300 militants, 82 security forces and 44 civilians are known to have died in Marawi. Some of the bodies of civilians were found decapitated and the military has warned the number of residents killed by rebel "atrocities" could rise sharply as troops retake more ground. Every day, troops make announcements through loudspeakers for the militants to "surrender now or die". To the trapped civilians, they offer help to get out of the conflict area. Authorities say they believe the militants are running out of supplies and ammunition, but they say there is no deadline to retake the city. Tampus, the officer, said when troops reinforcements come into Marawi, they are initially apprehensive because of the high death toll. "But once they are here, the discipline kicks in and they are focussed," he said. For a graphic on the battle for Marawi, click - http://tmsnrt.rs/2sqmHDf (Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
As we travel on highways, we often see railroad tracks.

In fact, they crisscross the country.

But have you ever wondered who built and maintained the miles of tracks?

Thats what inspired Sarah Del Seronde to make the documentary, Metal Road.

And New Mexicans will get a chance to see the film tonight at the KiMo Theatre as part of the free Navajo Documentary Film Tour. The other film to screen will be The Mayors of Shiprock. Both films will air on PBS this fall.

Metal Road highlights the thousands of Navajos who for decades have worked the railroads, maintaining the trans-continental network.

The documentary explores the dynamics of livelihood, family and the railroads through the lens of a Navajo trackman, and it follows three Navajo railroaders from New Mexico as they leave their homeland to replace aging railroad tracks from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean under extreme weather conditions.

The story shows how Native Americans helped to build and maintain the tracks, she says. Navajos werent the only ones who worked. There were Pueblo Indians who could take their families with them. On the other hand, Navajos were forced to leave their families to work for months at a time.

Seronde began the documentary in 2013, after she shifted gears from a different project.

She says the project is a personal one.

I really wanted to honor the workers, she says. I respect the amount of sacrifice of when they leave their families. They are missing out on the very life they are working hard for. It became very personal, and its an honor to tell their story.

Saronde says many think the railroad maintains itself.

Its intense work and very demanding, she says. What I found from the men I interviewed is there is an integrity to the job. They dont seek out to be acknowledged. It was really tough to find railroad workers who wanted to talk, out of fear of losing their jobs. These men genuinely love their jobs.

Seronde wants the documentary to be seen by as many people as possible.

This fall, the film will screen on PBS a few times, and she plans to take it across various reservations.

The stories I want to tell will help give voices to many people, she says. The projects I work on all become very personal.

SEND ME YOUR TIPS: If you know of a movie filming in the state, or are curious about one, email film@ABQjournal.com. Follow me on Twitter @agomezART.

Navajo Documentary Film Tour

Featuring Metal Road and The Mayors of Shiprock

WHEN: 7 tonight

WHERE: KiMo Theatre, 423 W. Central

HOW MUCH: Free
The prints gestated from rock, rubble and waste.

Albuquerques Nina Elder is an artist adventurer with a magnet for mines.

Her work is part of three artists prints featured in the Tamarind Institutes exhibition 66 Mile Radius: Three New Mexico Artists at Tamarind. The black-and-white lithographs include works by Tom Miller (Santa Fe) and Judy Tuwaletstiwa (Galisteo). All of them transform common commodities such as string and concrete into a visual language at once personal and lyrical. Tamarind is also debuting three individual video profiles about each artist created by documentary filmmaker Melinda Frame.

I think the common thread is curiosity, Tamarind Director Diana Gaston said. They all work with a very distinct subject.

A visual storyteller, photographer and painter, Elder locates active and abandoned mines, Cold War military sites and industrial landscapes to understand land use and natural resources. The Colorado Springs-born artist has created highly detailed prints from vintage and original photographs. She has backpacked into mines, traveled to Arctic Cold War military sites and received government clearance to tour the Nevada Test Site.

Elders La Bajada Mine, New Mexico reveals the sites rugged mesa in nearly microscopic detail.

Entangled in a web of controversial extraction, La Bajada was essentially a failed uranium mine, she said.

So (later) there was this struggle over whether it could be a gravel pit, she said.

Owners of the surrounding homes objected, not out of environmental concerns but because they wanted to protect their views, she added.

Ive always been interested in this moment when something goes from being a natural entity to a commodity, Elder said in a telephone interview from Alaskas Denali National Park, where she was spending the summer researching old mines. My iPhone has over 300 natural elements mined over probably six out of seven continents.

To create her La Bajada print, Elder went to a spot captured in a vintage image and took her own photograph.

I think I did that entire drawing in four or five days, she said.

In Colorado, Elder grew up in the shadow of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, where her father wrote civilian contracts for then-President Ronald Reagans Star Wars program.

Now working in McCarthy, Alaska, Elder has been exploring the old Kennecott Mine, considered the finest remaining example of early 20th century copper mining. From 1911 to 1938, workers processed nearly $200 million worth of copper there. In 1986, the government designated the site of abandoned buildings as a National Historic Landmark. Kennecott was a company town that once included a hospital, general store, school, recreation hall and dairy.

The artist is busy photographing, researching and writing about the area before deciding to turn graphite to paper or paint to canvas.

The Tamarind exhibition was sponsored by a grant from the University of New Mexico Center for Regional Studies.

If you go

WHAT: 66 Mile Radius: Three New Mexico Artists at Tamarind with Nina Elder, Tom Miller and Judy Tuwaletstiwa

WHEN: Through Sept. 8.

WHERE: Tamarind Institute, 2500 E. Central

HOW MUCH: Free. Information at tamarind.unm.edu or 277-3901.
A brush fire at Navajo Lake State Parks Cottonwood Campground earlier today led to evacuations but no serious injuries.

One camper was treated for smoke inhalation and later released.

State Park officials are escorting campers to their sites to gather their belongings.

Cottonwood Campground will reopen in five or six days, according to State Parks Director Christy Tafoya.

We want the area to be completely safe for our visitors, and right now a few areas are still smoldering, Tafoya said in a news release.

Displaced campers will be offered four free nights of camping.

The cause of the brush fire is still under investigation.

Cottonwood Campground was placed on fire restrictions due to increased fire danger on Tuesday. Open fires, charcoal and smoking are prohibited in the area.
Its a classic New Mexico tale of legal loopholes, lax oversight, greed, corruption and heartbreak.

It appears that an estimated 70 people, many with medical issues and who are unable to care for themselves, have seen their trust accounts siphoned off by the nonprofit company entrusted to take care of the money for them.

In many cases, their caretakers have no idea how they will cover future living and medical expenses.

One of those caretakers is Juanita Ramirez, who cares for her brain-damaged 35-year-old son, Omar, at their home near Santa Teresa in southern New Mexico. Omar was badly injured in a car wreck, and his lawyer reached a million-dollar-plus settlement on Omars behalf from a rancher whose cow had wandered onto a country road.

The court appointed Desert State Life Management of Albuquerque as the trustee for his money.

The family drew sparingly on the account, wanting to be sure there was money to care for Omar as he grew older. Then came the knock on the door in April by a woman from state Adult Protective Services. Omars money, she told the family, was gone.

State regulators now say that they believe Desert State moved $4 million or more in client funds into private businesses run by CEO Paul Donisthorpe  including a cattle ranch in Texas. An affidavit filed in court by the sole volunteer board member also says Donisthorpe and his wife lived a life of luxury and travel.

Desert State has been in business since the 1990s, and Donisthorpe took over in 2006. There is no evidence the company ever posted a security bond to protect its clients or provided adequate assurances to show state regulators that the companys financial condition was so strong a bond wasnt necessary.

A spokeswoman for Mike Unthank, the current head of the states Regulation and Licensing Division, says an audit had been planned for Desert State but the nonprofit company stalled for some time, assuring regulators it was in the process of winding down its business. When examiners  there are 17 in the Financial Institutions Division that falls under RLD and a potential 11,000 companies subject to examination  put their foot down and demanded certain records be produced in February, it appears Donishthorpe attempted to commit suicide by overdosing on prescription pills. He reportedly suffered brain damage.

Meanwhile, according to an affidavit filed by board member and attorney Helen Bennett, Donisthorpes wife, Liane Kerr, moved quickly to move certain assets into her separate name and sell off other personal property. Kerr also filed for divorce from Donisthorpe in March. It was finalized June 19.

Bennett has gone to state District Court in Albuquerque asking for a temporary restraining order to protect assets that could be used to help clients. Meanwhile, the FBI has gone to federal court seeking to freeze certain assets  including a luxury home in Angel Fire  alleging wire fraud, mail fraud and money laundering. And Unthanks agency filed a petition and 28-page affidavit on May 31 seeking an expedited hearing to place Desert State into receivership.

But the wheels of justice turn slowly  even in a case like this. An initial hearing on the states receivership petition is scheduled for July 5 before Chief District Judge Nan Nash.

In her separate petition, pending before District Judge Alan Malott, Bennett says that unless the court intervenes, properties and valuable chattels will be sold for cash to bona fida purchasers and the cash will not be accounted for in any future reckoning for (Desert State) clients.

No hearing has been set on her petition.

Unthank, who has been a breath of fresh air at Regulation and Licensing, is recommending changes that will strengthen state law to require nonprofit trust companies like Desert State to meet the same kind of capitalization requirements that apply to their for-profit counterparts.

And Unthank has told his staff to view efforts to stall examinations as red flags. When you start seeing that kind of response from somebody, theres something wrong, and we need to press and do those exams, he said.

True enough. And his recommended changes in law are good.

Sadly, those wont help Omar Ramirez and the other clients/victims. Their only hope appears to be quick and decisive action in the court cases pursued by the state, the FBI and Bennett.

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.
At a time when law enforcement is on high alert for drunken drivers, New Mexicos top cop literally had a run-in with one Friday night, according to Albuquerque police.

Andres Salazar, 68, was arrested and charged with driving while under the influence of an intoxicating liquor or drug and careless driving after hitting off-duty State Police Chief Pete Kassetas vehicle near Indian School and Eubank just after 8 p.m., according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Kassetas saw signs of possible intoxication and alcoholic beverages inside Salazars Plymouth van, reads the criminal obtained by KOAT-TV.

Salazar initially blamed the crash on recent brake work, but later told officers he had consumed two beers and a shot of vodka that evening.

He performed badly on a field sobriety tests and his breath test was at or over the presumed level of intoxication of 0.08, according to the complaint.

While Salazar inadvertently put himself directly in the path of authorities, New Mexico law enforcement agencies are working hard this holiday weekend and month to find intoxicated drivers.

Officers will conduct sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols around the state throughout July.

Warnings are coming in the form of billboards, television and radio ads and messages flashing on digital road signs.

Youve got to be living under a rock to not know that this is wrong, Department of Public Safety Secretary Scott Weaver said Friday. Were in the 21st century. Its on social media. Its on the news. It is everywhere.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Warning: fake utility workers are knocking on peoples doors in Albuquerque, Belen and Rio Rancho as way to get inside peoples homes, according to Public Service Company of New Mexico.

The imposters are claiming to be with PNM or with the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority, and they might offer free light bulbs or showerheads as a way to appear legitimate.

PNM says it is not doing any kind of door-to-door outreach that offers energy efficiency programs or services in any of those areas.

When it does send employees out into neighborhoods, they are easily identifiable with badges and PNM shirts. Some also drive PNM-marked vehicles, the utility says.

This serves as a good reminder to never allow a stranger inside your home unless you have invited them in or an advanced appointment was made with us, according to a written statement.

If you are targeted by this kind of scam, report it to police and let PNM know at 1-888-DIAL-PNM.

*****

You can follow all the right precautions and go into it with your awareness beacon on, but that doesnt mean you will be immune from an attempted Craigslist scam.

Thats the message from an Albuquerque woman who was targeted recently when she advertised two Chinese rugs for $500.

However, it turns out there are a couple of red flags to watch for when you receive an envelope in the mail that contains supposed payment for your advertised item:

 A tracking number that includes the digits 6993 consecutively.

 An address label that lists your name twice  just the name, not the address  and does the same with the senders name in the upper left corner.

While those might be helpful tip-offs, Heriberto Ed Trejo, postal inspector in Albuquerque, warns that they arent foolproof signs of a scam.

When it comes to scams through the mail, there are no foolproof methods of detection because of how sophisticated scammers can be, he says.

The scams and methods they use, anybody could fall for, he says. Whatever preconceived ideas you have of red flags or warning signs, its not that way.

In the case of the Albuquerque woman, the suspicious signs on the envelope she received proved prescient.

The rug-purchaser had sent a cashiers check as promised, but it was for $2,535 rather than the listed price. When the Albuquerque woman contacted him about this, he said his personal assistant had messed up and that the woman should transfer the overpayment to an account. Details to come, he said.

This, to Trejo, constitutes a foolproof way to spot a fraud: If it seems too good to be true, it is. Nobody is going to send you more money than it (an item) is worth.

Counterfeit checks are a key feature in a lot of consumer fraud schemes, from phony work-at-home job offers to Internet romance scams, Trejo says. Heres how it works; A scammer sends payment with a check or money order for more than the agreed-upon amount, and then asks you to wire-transfer or deposit the overpayment amount back to him or her. Once you have deposited the check and withdrawn cash from your account, you are liable if the check ultimately fails to clear, Trejo explains.

It takes some time for the bank to determine that a check or money order was counterfeit, even if the money was credited to your account a day or two after deposit. By that time, the scammer has made off with the overpayment you sent, and you are left holding the bag for the fake check.

Trejo says if you get a suspicious offer or solicitation through the mail, ask your letter carrier to pass it along to a postal inspector. The inspectors investigate mail fraud based on the number, pattern and substance of complaints received from the public, he says.

You can also report fraud at the Postal Inspection Service website, postalinspectors.uspis.gov, or by calling 877-876-2455.

Ellen Marks is assistant business editor at the Albuquerque Journal. Contact her at emarks@abqjournal.com or 505-823-3842 if you are aware of what sounds like a scam. To report a scam to law enforcement, contact the New Mexico Consumer Protection Division toll-free at 1-844-255-9210.
Lipstick, caffeine, nicotine and newspapers.

That mix helped define former longtime Albuquerque Journal reporter Susanne Burks, who died June 15 in Florida, where she had lived for the last year.

Burks, who retired from the Journal in 1996, was 87. She was a role model to many younger women, having begun her profession 50 years earlier, when newspapers were largely staffed by men, and the women who did work for daily papers were mostly writing features and society news.

Burks began her career at age 13, writing a column for her hometown newspaper in Missouri. She later received her bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. She continued working in the field before and during her lengthy marriage to William F. Bill Burks, taking time out for a few years to stay home with their two children when they were very young.

She began working at the Journal in 1971, first as the education reporter, then a city hall reporter and most memorably the court reporter.

She was an old-school reporter who knew the courthouse inside and out. She wanted to cover every story and was determined to get every one of them right, said Journal Senior Editor Kent Walz. She was an incredible collector of court documents. Even her car trunk was full of pleadings. She loved the beat.

Burks was loud, aggressive and methodical, taking copious notes in shorthand. She smoked cigarettes and drank out of a mug stained with the residue of years of instant coffee mixed with hot tap water, and a bright red ring around the rim from her ever-present lipstick.

Whatever she covered became synonymous with Susanne. She owned the beat, said Denise Tessier, a former Journal colleague and past president of New Mexico Press Women. She was all business, but she had a sense of humor.

Tessier recalls most vividly Burks days covering courts, and how she moved quickly and efficiently within her sphere. Shed be out at court all day, come back in and tell the city desk what she had and then bang out her story by deadline, drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes  until cigarettes were banned in the newsroom.

Burks was also a fighter. She fought for her stories and she fought for women. Articles she wrote about discrimination against women led to her involvement in 1971 in the statewide movement for adoption of the New Mexico Equal Rights Amendment, Tessier said.

In 1990, the Albuquerque League of Women Voters honored Burks for her role in the state ERA campaign. In 2003, the New Mexico Press Women named her as its Communicator of Achievement, the organizations highest honor.

Prominent Albuquerque attorney Randi McGinn remembered Burks from the days when McGinn was an assistant district attorney.

Susanne was my first press contact. She reminded me of Brenda Starr, right down to the lipstick and makeup, McGinn said, referring to the syndicated comic strip about an adventurous reporter that was published in newspapers from 1940 through 2011.

She had the reddest lips of anyone. You could see her coming a mile away, so you could decide if you wanted to run or stay and give her a quote. She was a dogged reporter and a great journalist and you knew she was going to ask tough questions.

And because Burks understood the court system, you didnt have to spend a lot of time explaining things like what an indictment was or how a grand jury worked, McGinn said. She knew her stuff.

Former state District Court Judge Woody Smith also remembered Burks. She and I had lots of conversations. She was always interested in getting the story right and without sensationalism. Thats what I appreciated about her, Smith said. Susanne also understood the human part of the court system, because court cases are really about people.

Burks was preceded in death by her husband of 56 years, Bill. She is survived by a son, Dr. Randy Burks of Florida, daughter Julie Forbes of Arizona, five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Burks ashes will be buried along with her late husbands at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe.
The women in the old two-story house fell silent as a mother in the group recalled the toughest chapters of a life measured in prison terms and heartache.

Susan Hylton counts more than two dozen convictions on her record, most of them drug related. Her first run-ins with police began when she was 13.

A runaway, she preferred life and hard drugs on the streets, she said, to sexual abuse she faced at home in El Paso. But her escape route led to more trauma: nearly a year in a sex trafficking ring as a minor.

Hylton, 40, has struggled to recover ever since, although the months following her release from a New Mexico prison last fall have brought a chance at breaking the cycle of addiction, arrests and child custody hearings.

She has regular counseling sessions and received a recent promotion that has made her the manager at a Subway sandwich shop in Albuquerque. Two weeks ago, she moved to her own apartment after months of housing support from a local charity.

For decades, she has been among the growing ranks of U.S. women, most of them mothers and victims of domestic or childhood abuse, who have cycled through the criminal justice system. Now, she is among the hundreds of thousands on parole trying to rebuild their lives after incarceration.

Im not where I want to be yet, but thank God I am where Im at, Hylton said.

Twenty of them, all with their own stories of incarceration, gathered for a weekly meeting in the back room of a home on the edge of Downtown Albuquerque that serves as office space for the nonprofit Crossroads for Women.

Womens prison numbers have increased more than sevenfold over the last three decades, while incarceration numbers among men, who still comprise the vast majority of the nations inmates, have grown at half that rate.

The most recent federal figures show that 113,000 women were held in the nations federal and state prisons in 2014. The following year brought a slight dip for both men and women due in large part to Obama-era sentencing policies that aimed to shorten prison terms for nonviolent drug crimes and reduce the nations prison population.

Those numbers may again climb in light of the announcement earlier this year by Attorney General Jeff Sessions that federal prosecutors should seek the toughest sentences possible in such cases.

In New Mexico, the rise in the womens prison population is so profound that a state sentencing commission predicts that their numbers within the next fiscal year will reach 810  a figure that exceeds the number of prison beds for women.

The commission attributes the increase in part to the fact that more women in the state are convicted of drug trafficking  with its longer sentences  as opposed to simple drug possession.

Survival crimes

At Crossroads, recently retired executive director KC Quirk often talked about how women can fall into a familiar pattern that begins with a first arrest on a nonviolent misdemeanor charge, like shoplifting or drug possession. Quirk calls them survival crimes.

They can escalate to drug trafficking or property offenses, after the women spend days or weeks in jail awaiting trial or trying to make bail as their lives on the outside unravel.

When you talk to the women here, most can point back to things in their life that were traumatic, which doesnt get healed without support, Quirk said. Most get caught in the system for small-time stuff, but if it lands you in the system once, thats the beginning of a very difficult cycle to get out of.

Crossroads manages re-entry housing in Albuquerque and nearby Los Lunas for more than 50 recently incarcerated women. Staffers help them sign up for a high school equivalency degree or community college courses and help them meet their parole requirements.

Get off paper

One missed appointment with a parole officer, a failed drug test or the battery running out on an ankle monitoring bracelet can be enough to justify authorities decision to send them back to prison to finish their parole term in lockup, according to the women.

Everyone in the group has the goal to get off paper, said member Yvonne Luna. Thats the womens phrase for completing parole and finally living free of state supervision on the outside.

That is the mission here, said Luna, who lives at one of the homes managed by Crossroads.

The mother of a teenager, she has juggled GED classes with court dates this year, all with hopes of regaining visitation rights to see her son.

Others in the room recalled their paths to their first arrest. One woman asked how many of them picked up their first charge after a man in their lives pressured them to commit a crime.

During a previous week, women went around the room and counted their jail bookings and prison terms. Among them, they had 200, a figure the women attribute more to lives racked by abuse, addiction and mental illness than any draw to a criminal lifestyle.

Hylton lived on the streets before those operating the El Paso sex trafficking ring lured her with promises of money. After authorities raided the business, they placed Hylton and other victims in a juvenile detention center. She learned she was pregnant during that stint at age 17.

The baby was placed in a foster home. Three additional children would be adopted or put in foster care, owing to Hyltons struggles with addiction.

Her story is pretty darn real and gritty, and an example of the risks of young women who find themselves in that type of life and without resources, said Thomas Stanton, a former child welfare attorney in El Paso who represented Hylton when she was a teen.

Now general counsel for the Texas Methodist Foundation, Stanton verified details of Hyltons youth. He said it was clear when he met her that she suffered from deep self-esteem issues and confusion as a result of abuse.

Now she has been clean for two years. Her last arrest came in 2015 for trafficking meth when she was out of federal prison, where she served time on a marijuana trafficking charge.

Hylton insists she wont slip back into using drugs or selling them and plans to regain custody of her three youngest children  10-year-old twins and a 9-year-old  who are living with her 80-year-old mother in Las Cruces.

She faces tough odds: More than half of inmates released from state prisons are arrested again within five years.

Often, she has been confronted by her former lifestyle, whether its running into a friend from the past or seeing a stranger get high during her commute to work.

On the same day as one of the Tuesday group meetings that she attended before graduating from her re-entry program, a man on her crosstown bus offered her shards  a type of crystal meth. She told her friends about it at Crossroads that night.

You know, Im not that lost person anymore. There is no problem I cant get through today, she said. But it took me almost 30 years to get here, and thats pretty damn sad.

This report is one of a series of stories from the CJ Project, an initiative to broaden the news coverage of criminal justice issues affecting New Mexicos diverse communities.
Pictured is the water pipeline built by Grupo Carso owned by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim back in 2009. The pipeline was designed to bring water from the Conejos Medanos pumping station 14 miles west of Ciudad Juarez. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Antonio Banuelos fills a bucket at her home in the Fronteriza Alta neighborhood that gets water from the Conejos Medanos well field. She says she has plenty of water but "the quality is not good." (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Pictured is a neighborhood on the west side of Ciudad Juarez. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) The Conejos Medanos water pipeline was built to deliver water to Ciudad Juarez homes from an aquifer shared with New Mexico. The project pulls water from 23 wells on the Mesilla Bolson, known as Conejos Medanos in Mexico. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Workers installed a 42-inch water line in 2009 that would deliver water to Ciudad Juarez homes from an aquifer shared with New Mexico. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) A pumping station lifts 24 million cubic meters of water annually from 23 wells connected to the Mesilla Bolson aquifer, which is shared by New Mexico and Mexico. The water pumped in San Jeronimo is destined for neighborhoods in Ciudad Juarez. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Grupo Carso engineer Jose Juan Delgado Fernandez shows how the company monitors 23 wells that draw from the Mesilla Bolson to deliver drinking water to Ciudad Juarez neighborhoods. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) The Conejos Medanos water pipeline was built to deliver water to Ciudad Juarez homes from an aquifer shared with New Mexico. The project pulls water from 23 wells on the Mesilla Bolson, known as Conejos Medanos in Mexico. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) In 2009, Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's Grupo Carso built a 14-mile pipeline to deliver water from the Mesilla Bolson, known as Conejos Medanos in Mexico, to Ciudad Juarez. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Beneath 14 miles of undeveloped desert runs a water pipeline that ships drinking water to Ciudad Juarez homes from an aquifer shared with New Mexico. Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's Grupo Carso built, operates and maintains the pipeline and a pumping station. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Alfredo Grandos-Olivas, a senior water researcher at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez, has studied water use at the border for decades. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) The pipeline built by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's Grupo Carso runs 14 miles east from a pumping station just south of Taiwanese electronics plant Foxconn in San Jeronimo. Pictured is a water storage tank in the hills outside Ciudad Juarez. In 2010, the city began drawing from an aquifer shared with New Mexico. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) The pipeline built by Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim's Grupo Carso runs 14 miles east from a pumping station just south of Taiwanese electronics plant Foxconn in San Jeronimo. In 2010, the city began drawing from an aquifer shared with New Mexico. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Water jug vendors prepare to make a run through the neighborhoods near Anapra on a late afternoon. Neighbors in this area must get their drinking water from local kiosks where these jugs can be filled. (Roberto E. Rosales/Journal) Prev 1 of 14 Next

Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Unlike the surface water of the Rio Grande, which is governed by a 1906 treaty, there are no agreements governing binational use of aquifers that straddle the U.S.-Mexico border. When Ciudad Juarez started drinking from the Mesilla Bolson, the effects were felt on the New Mexico side. This is the second in a five-part series. The first installment was published on June 25.

SAN JERONIMO, Mexico  Manuel Herrera shouts over the roar of pumps lifting thousands of gallons of water per minute out of a binational aquifer shared with New Mexico.

This is the biggest pump station we have in the city, says the technical director of the Ciudad Juarez water utility, showing off a plant that feeds water from the Mesilla Bolson to the sprawling Mexican border city.

Short on cash and faced with worsening water quality in the main aquifer Ciudad Juarez shares with El Paso, the city looked west for water. Mexican billionaire Carlos Slims Grupo Carso won a contract to pump and pipe water from south of New Mexico across 15 miles of desert to the Mexican metropolis.

In the binational competition for resources, it would seem that the objective in the borderland, as was the case in the Old West, is that the biggest gun wins the duel, said Alfredo Granados-Olivas, a senior water researcher at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez.

Both sides are pumping groundwater intensively, he said, and the governing principle is that whoever pumps the fastest gets the water.

Its as if 100,000 thirsty homes sprang up at once: In 2010, Ciudad Juarez began draining about 24 million cubic meters of water annually from the Mesilla Bolson, almost as much as the 27 million cubic meters Las Cruces consumes on an annual basis.

The Santa Teresa industrial hub, the cities of Sunland Park and Las Cruces and valley farmers all depend on the Mesilla Bolson. Its called the Conejos Medanos on the Mexican side, but its essentially a connected underground supply.

The quality of Conejos Medanos water delivered to Ciudad Juarez homes doesnt meet U.S. standards for drinking water  and appears to fall short of lesser Mexican standards in arsenic  and could be a harbinger for Santa Teresa developers looking to build residential, commercial and industrial property at the border.

Hydrogeologist John Hawley, who has studied the binational aquifer for decades, warns that what the Mexican side is seeing today, the U.S. side could see soon enough.

They probably have really good quality water at the top, and at the base of the wells they are pulling in stuff that is mildly brackish, he said.

Under contract with the Ciudad Juarez water authority, the Junta Municipal de Agua y Sanitacion, Carso financed and built a 42-inch-diameter steel pipeline to funnel water from Conejos Medanos. The 10-year deal requires Carso to meet Mexican drinking water standards under a fee-based structure for operation and maintenance.

The Conejos Medanos fields 23 working wells have been drawing down the aquifer at a rate of about three feet per year, according to Carso engineer Jose Juan Delgado Fernandez.

To put it in perspective, (the Conejos Medanos well field) supplies 12 percent of the water that Juarez needs, said Oscar Ibanez, a water engineer at the Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez.

Herrera says, Were using less water than what we had expected. Were always looking toward the future, seeing what reaction the aquifer would have. It was a new source for us that we had to be analyzing, the quantity as well as the quality. We are reviewing the quality and the behavior of the aquifer drawdown.

It may have been less than expected, but it was enough to raise eyebrows in New Mexico.

Pioneer project

Riding through broken and busy streets in Ciudad Juarez, Herrera sees what is invisible to the uninitiated: the historic trajectory of water before the city was a city. Where arroyos once channeled water, streets downtown flood in rainstorms. He points to where old canals used to move Rio Grande water to cultivated fields, now paved over.

The urban footprint of Ciudad Juarez doubled every decade between the 1950s and 1980s, then swelled again by half its size each decade through 2000, slowed only by a spate of drug-related violence and the global recession in the late 2000s.

As it grew, the behemoth border city  with an industrial economy driven by NAFTA  crawled east to gobble up farmland, south into the Chihuahuan desert and west along the New Mexico state line.

Its population grew to 1.4 million. And the city got thirsty.

The water authority, known by its acronym JMAS, knew there was water in the Conejos Medanos but didnt have the funds to tap the aquifer, Herrera said. It put the contract out to bid and Carso won.

It was a pioneer project where a government and private industry worked together in a public works project, said Keith Boone, who owns land west of Ciudad Juarez at the border on the Mexican side. This is one of the first projects where Carso did all the infrastructure, financed it, and they are getting paid a monthly fee for every liter that goes through it.

Boone calls it a wonderful project.

The 2007 construction contract was worth nearly $23 million at the time, according to Grupo Carsos 2009 annual report. Carso completed the build-out that year and began in 2010 the operation and maintenance portion of the contract  valued at $85.2 million.

Dr. Raul Pacheco-Vega, professor of water governance and public policy at Mexico Citys Center for Investigation and Economic Research, called the contract another example of regulatory capture by private companies.

The gains from private suppliers providing public goods are really overrated, he said.

Herrera says the city is expected to take control of the pump station and pipeline in 2020 when the contract is up.

Water quality doubt

The Carso lift station sits in the middle of the San Jeronimo desert, about three miles south of the Foxconn campus, where the Taiwanese electronics manufacturer makes Dell computers to ship stateside. Foxconn has its own pair of wells on the aquifer; the Carso plant runs water exclusively to Ciudad Juarez.

The pipeline runs east through the orange-dune desert that may one day be filled with factories and houses. It reaches a tank in the hills that ring the city, where water rushes audibly down into bustling west side neighborhoods  excluding Anapra.

Herrera says the water is totally potable, but the NMSU study of water samples taken from west side Ciudad Juarez homes showed levels of arsenic and sodium that didnt meet Mexicos Rule No. 127 standards for drinking water.

Herrera says the city tests the Conejos Medanos water every six months and has consistently found the water meets Mexican standards. He was provided a copy of NMSUs results but didnt respond to a request for further comment.

On the U.S. side, nearby Santa Teresa and Sunland Park struggled with elevated arsenic levels for years before a new treatment plant came online in February. Arsenic is an odorless, tasteless poison that can cause vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea and, in the long term, heart disease or cancer.

Levels of other compounds in the Conejos Medanos water, as evidenced from the samples, especially salts, fall well outside the range of U.S. drinking water standards, with total dissolved solids in the range of 900 milligrams per liter, vs. the 500 milligrams per liter accepted standard in the U.S.

Residents of west side neighborhoods in Ciudad Juarez describe the water as tasting strange, like dirt or a little weird.

Antonia Banuelos sat on the sidewalk in front of her pastel-green house with a plywood roof. Like other residents of the neighborhoods served by the Carso pipeline, she said she wont drink the water but she will cook with it.

There is always water, except when its really hot, she said. The quality isnt good. It hurts my stomach, and it has a very odd taste.

Omar Crespo does a brisk business selling five-gallon jugs of purified water from the back of his truck. They go for 13 pesos apiece, or less than $1. He says he has been selling water this way for 10 years and sales are up.

Almost everyone only drinks purified water, he said.

This report was produced in partnership with the McGraw Center for Business Journalism at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism.

MONDAY: Pipeline skips areas poorest
LOS LUNAS  Acclaimed local historian and author Richard Melzer isnt above investigating the least glamorous artifacts of New Mexicos history.

Outhouses of New Mexico is the historians latest exhibit at the Los Lunas Museum of Heritage and Arts and reveals some interesting stories behind the pioneer technology.

Inspired by the number of outhouses he encountered while researching for a book on old cemeteries, he photographed the tiny, wooden structures for documentation.

To get to the cemeteries, you have to go back on old, winding roads, so I passed a lot of old places (and) abandoned houses, Melzer said. So I got curious and interested.

Although some people might think outhouses ought to be left to a bygone era, some people still use them for social events, such as matanzas. One woman told Melzer they built an outhouse for a wedding they were having in their backyard.

Back in the day, outhouses represented the latest sanitation technology and were a step up from the bush.

I challenge people, Melzer said. On (N.M.) 47 between the Valencia Y and Rio Communities, there used to be 10 outhouses. Now theres eight left. Its sort of a scavenger hunt to find the eighth.

Some outhouses are architecturally unusual and there are many different styles, the UNM-Valencia professor said.

One humorously bedecked outhouse at an antique store in Capitan has a sign inside that says More s inside.

People are funny about their outhouses, Melzer said laughing. They do quirky things designing or locating their outhouses.

Some day, theyre all going to be gone, so the pictures are going to be a way to preserve it, he continued.

Some of the outhouses at the cemeteries Melzer visited must have been a welcome convenience for visitors who might have traveled for hours by buckboard.

Thats why people come to these because they remember outhouses fondly, the professor said.

He found an outhouse up by Eagles Nest without a door providing a beautiful scenic view.

Its completely private because youre up there in the mountains  a reserve seat, he said chuckling.

A chance encounter with a man at Eagles Nest took Melzer on an afternoon tour of 16 outhouses after learning of the professors interest.

Outhouses of New Mexico reveals interesting and sometimes humorous facts about outhouses. For example: Did you know that New Mexico has the third largest number of outhouses among the 50 states? Or that outhouses usually feature a crescent moon icon?

Originally, a womans outhouse had a star and a mans outhouse had a crescent moon cut out on the front or side of the wooden structure. Builders gave up on the stars and just kept the moon.

A his and hers double seater on Gabaldon Road in Belen is decorated with a skunks tail, and a three-seater in Los Chavez has one seat smaller and lower to the ground for a child.

In the 1930s, the WPA built outhouses to make them more modern and sanitary. They charged $5 to build them but if the family couldnt pay, the WPA gave it to them, Melzer said.

Roswell even has an outhouse museum with more than a dozen of the structures, each featured with information about when they were built and where they were located.

A beautiful old Victorian home in White Oaks must have housed a family of some means, but the nearby outhouse bears witness to a common denominator.

Outhouses of New Mexico is on exhibit at the Los Lunas Museum of Heritage and Art and will run to the end of August.

Weve had visitors come in and they unceremoniously announce, Hey, where are the outhouse pictures? and we say Come on in,' said Troy Ainsworth, museum technician. Youre in the right place.

Call for outhouses

Anyone with information about state or local outhouses are encouraged to contact the Los Lunas Museum of Heritage and Arts at 352-7720, located at 251 Main Street SE, at the corner of Main and Luna Ave.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

Passage of the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, the GOPs answer to Obamacare, would not only result in the loss of health coverage for thousands of New Mexicans over the next nine years, but would eliminate thousands of jobs in the states health care industry, as well as millions of dollars in federal revenue, according to several new reports.

The Senate bill now under revision closely resembles the American Health Care Act, the bill passed by the House, which would roll back the expansion of Medicaid under the current Affordable Care Act.

Depending on the study, an estimated 133,00 to 250,000 New Mexicans would lose insurance coverage by the year 2026 under the Republican proposals. About 265,000 New Mexicans gained coverage under the Affordable Care Act.

Most obtained coverage through an expansion of the state-federal Medicaid program  which now serves more than 900,000 people in the state  but some also picked up government-subsidized private coverage through the marketplaces set up under the ACA.

The increase in coverage has served as an economic engine in the state, allowing hospitals and medical groups to hire more nurses, technicians, doctors and other staff members. Estimates of the number of jobs lost in New Mexico under the current GOP proposals range from 11,000 to more than 31,000 by 2026.

Hospital officials are worried that unpaid bills and bad debt will also skyrocket should the ranks of uninsured New Mexicans rise.

Two of the New Mexico analyses are based on the House version of the health care bill. While there are some differences, estimates of the number of people who would lose insurance nationally under the House and Senate versions are similar.

The Congressional Budget Office estimated 22 million would lose insurance nationwide under the Senate version or 23 million would lose insurance under the House version.

Severe job losses seen

Analyses by the Commonwealth Fund, the Robert Wood Johnson Center for Health Policy at the University of New Mexico and the American Hospital Association, all point to reductions in force by health care employers as a result of declining revenue over the next decade.

The Commonwealth report estimates 11,000 job losses in New Mexico through 2026, with 3,700 of those coming as the Medicaid expansion is phased out and its funding scheme changed under the Republican plan. By 2026, the economic loss to the state would reach $1 billion, according to the study.

Federal Medicaid cuts would force the state of New Mexico to shoulder a much-larger share of health care costs for its low-income residents, making finances even shakier in a state known for high revenue volatility, according to Commonwealth.

The Robert Wood Johnson Center for Health Policy analysis is even more dire.

Medicaid cuts of the magnitude proposed in the AHCA will have severe consequences for the state economy, costing New Mexico over 6,600 jobs and $337 million in labor income by 2020 and roughly 31,792 jobs and $1.6 billion in wages and salaries by 2026.

Healthcare is a core component of New Mexicos economy and the number one driver of job growth statewide,  according to the study. Author Kelly ODonnell said her findings, based on the House-passed bill, are still relevant in light of the CBO report on the Senate bill. In fact, the Medicaid impacts may even be more draconian depending on the final Senate version, she said.

A report on the Senate bill by liberal think tank Center for American Progress released last week had 133,000 New Mexicans losing coverage. But ODonnell said that analysis split the total CBO estimate of Medicaid losses across all the states, whereas hers assumes that the actual number of New Mexico adults who gained coverage as a result of expansion would ultimately lose coverage as the federal government starts turning off the spigot.

With fewer Medicaid dollars coming into the state, insurers will certainly look to make up some of the losses by raising premiums on commercial payers, ODonnell said.

Uncompensated care

For New Mexico hospital administrators, changes to the Medicaid program will be a hard pill to swallow.

There is no question that with the loss of revenue, well see jobs evaporate, said Jeff Dye, president and CEO of the New Mexico Hospital Association.

Dye, citing an analysis from the American Hospital Association, said the states hospitals will be hit with a $60 million increase in uncompensated care for treating the newly uninsured patients in fiscal year 2018. Over nine years, the cumulative cost of uncompensated care to hospitals would be $678 million.

Meanwhile, New Mexico hospitals would see a ratcheting down of the estimated $780 million a year derived from Medicaid payments, a significant source of the industrys revenue stream.

Its horrendous, said Dye of the financing scenarios now being considered in D.C.

Medicaid changes would not happen overnight. Uncle Sams funding of the expansion population is phased down over three years, said Dye. Then its up to the states to decide how to deal with the restricted funding.

Under Obamacare, New Mexico hospitals uncompensated care  the total of charity care and bad debt  went down by 36 percent from 2014 to 2015, said Dye.

Frankly, Medicaid expansion has been a huge benefit for hospitals, especially for the states rural providers, said Dye. They cannot afford a significantly greater burden of uncompensated care.

Bad debt is already piling up at hospitals under the current system, Dye said, because patients who opted for low premiums but high-deductible private plans lack the means to pay their deductibles.

We are deeply concerned about the impact of the proposed Senate bill in its current form, said Dale Maxwell, president and CEO of Presybterian Healthcare Services. More than 929,000 New Mexicans now rely on Medicaid.

While it is too early to determine exactly how the bill would affect Presbyterian, the potential impact of the Medicaid changes on the states economy could be significant, Maxwell said.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that 22 million people will become uninsured due to this (Senate) bill. This would undermine the gains we have made to expand coverage in New Mexico, where the uninsured rate was more than 20 percent before Medicaid expansion.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark.  A rapper whose concert in Little Rock was the site of a shooting that left 28 people injured was arrested early Sunday on unrelated assault charges while outside an Alabama club where he was performing just 24 hours later, and authorities said several firearms were recovered during the arrest.

Ricky Hampton, 25, of Memphis, Tennessee, also known as Finese 2Tymes, was arrested on outstanding charges of aggravated assault with a gun out of Forrest City in eastern Arkansas, the U.S. Marshals Service said. A second man also was taken into custody, and two handguns and an assault rifle were seized from the Mercedes in which the two men were riding, said Cliff LaBarge with the U.S. Marshals Service in Alabama.

The firearms will be sent to a crime lab in Arkansas to determine whether they match shell casings found at the scene of the shooting early Saturday at the Power Ultra Lounge, said Little Rock Police Lt. Steven McClanahan.

McClanahan described Hampton as a person of interest and said the rapper will be extradited to Arkansas so that police can interview him.

McClanahan said no arrests have been made in the shooting in which 25 people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others were hurt afterward. He said police did not recover any weapons at the scene of the shooting, which authorities believe may have been gang-related.

We are definitely looking at that possibility, McClanahan said. We know that gang members were present inside.

Prison records from the Tennessee Department of Corrections show a Ricky Hampton with the same date of birth, home town and a similar appearance was released from prison in August 2016 after serving six years for two counts of aggravated robbery.

Material advertising the concert by Finese 2Tymes showed a man pointing a gun at a camera, drawing a rebuke from Mayor Mark Stodola.

Hampton was being held Sunday without bond in Alabama. A message posted on the rappers Facebook page Saturday offered thoughts and prayers for those injured: THE VIOLENCE IS NOT FOR THE CLUB PEOPLE. WE ALL COME WITH 1 MOTIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND THATS TO HAVE FUN.

A woman who answered a phone number listed on Finese 2Tymes Instagram account for booking said the rapper didnt consider canceling the Birmingham show, despite the shooting, because he wasnt responsible for what happened. The woman didnt give her name before hanging up.

The volley of gunfire inside the Power Ultra Lounge came so fast that investigators believe multiple people had to have been involved. Police Chief Kenton Buckner credited quick work by first responders for there being no fatalities.

City officials said they would move Monday to shut down the club under a criminal abatement program. State regulators suspended the clubs liquor license Saturday, and a representative for the landlords office later posted an eviction notice on a door to the club. The notice stated that the club must move out of the property within three days due to your failure to maintain the premises in a safe condition.

About 30 people attended a news conference Sunday with Arkansas Stop the Violence, which is seeking more resources to fight poverty and crime in the southern half of the city. The event was held in front of a police station near where a boy was shot in a drive-by last week.

___

Murphy reported from Oklahoma City. Associated Press reporters Andrew DeMillo and Tafi Mukunyadzi also contributed from Little Rock, Arkansas.
Fasten your seat belts because its going to be a really rough two years as payers, providers and patients wait on Congress to provide for greater clarity on how to fund and deliver health care.

Thats the forecast from Dr. Martin Hickey, CEO of New Mexico Health Connections, who at a recent meeting of the Albuquerque Economic Forum provided a perspective of the health care industry.

The industry, a patchwork of public and private entities, is on shaky ground as leaders try to figure out coverage, rates and locations where plans will be available, said Hickey.

Hickey said New Mexico Health Connections is seeking an 80 percent premium increase for its 2018 plans on the state health insurance exchange, beWellnm, where 55,000 New Mexicans have insurance. He said the main reason is that it isnt yet clear whether the federal government will provide money for cost-sharing as it has so far under Obamacare.

Hickey said the nonprofit insurer, a co-op that was launched with loans from Uncle Sam, is also pricing in the possibility that it could end up being the lone insurer in the market and thus absorb all the financial risk for patients who are high users of medical services.

While four insurers have submitted rates in New Mexico, they can still change them or decide to leave the market altogether by September.

So many wild cards in the mix leads to uncertainty, said Hickey.

Rising insurance costs could also lead to growth of the states high-risk pool because there may be people who can longer afford the exchange insurance, Hickey added.

The population using the high-risk pool has shrunk from a high of 10,000 individuals to about one-fourth of that number since New Mexicos health exchange began operating. The high-risk pool is an insurer of last resort for people with very expensive medical conditions. Companies that are licensed to sell health insurance are required to help pay the pools costs.

We have to figure out how to fix this (current system) in a practical, non-ideological way, said Hickey.

One of the flaws in the Affordable Care Act was that too few young and healthy people purchased coverage. Another drawback was the rickety stabilizers, such as risk adjustors, which killed small competitors as they paid for sicker patients on the rolls of larger insurers, said Hickey, who wrote out one such check through gritted teeth.

On the subject of Trumpcare, which is evolving daily in Congress, Hickey sees problems with low-premium products that come with skimpy coverage and high deductibles and the lack of mandates for individuals or employers.

You could see $10,000 to $20,000 deductibles issued on these plans before insurance even kicks in, said Hickey. The upshot: Your emergency rooms will once again become universal clinics, he warned.

Hickey also worried that major cuts to Medicaid could lead to a collapse in the states nursing home industry, where two-thirds of the residents fund their care through both Medicaid and Medicare.

As clarity re-emerges, Hickey is hopeful that purchasers, insurers and providers of care in New Mexico can forge stronger collaborations to be better stewards of health care funding and delivery. The 2020s may bring much calmer markets, he offered.
Public works projects like the Conejos Medanos water pipeline have been a boon to Grupo Carsos bottom line, according to the companys annual reports.

Mexicos largest conglomerate has four strategic divisions: commercial, industrial, energy and infrastructure and construction.

Its this business, along with his telecommunications firm, that underpins the wealth of Mexicos richest man, Carlos Slim.

Slim made a fortune in 1990 when he bought up Telefonos de Mexico after the Mexican government privatized the national telephone company. Grupo Carso is Slims global conglomerate that forms an umbrella over everything from construction to retail.

Carso runs the ubiquitous Sanborns chain of restaurants and department stores in Mexico. The company produces telecommunications, automotive and many other products; it builds highways, pipelines, tunnels and airports; it drills oil wells and transports natural gas.

The conglomerates Infrastructure and Construction division, which built the Conejos Medanos water pipeline and pump station for Ciudad Juarez, brought in earnings of about $69 million in 2009  about 10 percent of the companys overall operating income of $680 million at the time.

That division has grown significantly as a share of the overall business since the Conejos Medanos contract: Infrastructure and Construction accounted for nearly 19 percent of the conglomerates total operating income of $679 million in 2015, the last year for which data is available.

Slim ranked No. 6 on Forbes 2017 list of the worlds billionaires. The ranking estimates Slims current net worth at $63.2 billion.
Those venturing out on the Pecos River this summer had better keep a close eye on their booty.

Theres a new seafaring vessel sailing its waters, and its crew is ready to deliver a fun-filled summer.

Tonk and Julie Chester and Ed Gonzalez (and their alter-egos Captain Rattler Bones Jones, Lady Desert Rose Jones and Captain Bigote) are launching a river cruise business with their flagship vessel, The Flying Fiddler.

It was very difficult to sail this thing across the desert, as you might guess, an in-character Tonk Chester said.

Tonk said he and wife Julie started dreaming of starting a cruise business around five years ago.

After meeting with Gonzalez, they settled on a pirate ship.

From there, the Chesters visited pirate ships in California, Florida, Texas and Illinois.

Gonzalez used his knowledge of set design learned from working for Disney to turn a flat-bottom skiff into a veritable Pearl of the Pecos.

The three-deck ship, complete with water cannons and a retractable rig (to fit under the railroad bridge) can hold up to 14 passengers.

The Pirates of the Pecos will offer daily cruises and is also available to rent for private parties.

Cruises will feature sword-fighting lessons, games and treasure hunts for children.

Tonk said the community response has been massive since the Flying Fiddlers maiden voyage this spring.

Theyre already booked for the next five Fourth of July holidays.

The feedback weve gotten so far has been, Hurry up,' he said.

The crew has offered free rides at Relay for Life (where they accepted donations for the cause) and Carlsbad High Schools Class Act.

Booking software for the cruise business wont be operational until July 8, so those interested will need to wait until then to make reservations.

Julie always says to me, Your hometown is really what you make of it,' Tonk Chester said. Weve kind of taken that to heart and said, what do we want in Carlsbad?

Looks like its a pirates life for the Chesters.

For more information, visit www.fiddlersfleet.com.

Maddy Hayden may be reached at 575-628-5512, mahayden@currentargus.com and @Maddy_J_Hayden on Twitter.



2017 the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.)

Visit the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) at www.currentargus.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.  State park officials say there were no serious injuries during a brush fire at a Navajo Lake State Park, north of Albuquerque.

A brush fire broke out near the Cottonwood Campground at the west end of the park on Saturday. Officials say one camper was treated for smoke inhalation and was later released.

State Parks Director Christy Tafoya says the campground was closed after the brush fire and will reopen in five or six days.

She said in a news release that there were a few areas that were still smoldering.

The campers that were evacuated from the campground will receive four free nights of camping.

Officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.
The Galaxy J7 Max was found to feature facial recognition support, as reported by some owners of Samsungs new mid-range smartphone. Even though the South Korean original equipment manufacturer (OEM) didnt advertise this particular functionality during the phones launch event that took place in mid-June, the handset is now confirmed to support it out of the box. The system itself isnt meant to be a secure alternative to PINs, passwords, and other methods of verifying ones identity, but was instead designed as a quick authentication technique aimed at people who arent worried about the security of their smartphone and just want a quick way to unlock it while preventing anyone else from doing the same with no effort. Still, Samsungs facial recognition utilizes only the front-facing camera of the Galaxy J7 Max, meaning it can reliably be spoofed with just a picture of the phones owner and could possibly even be tricked by someone who looks somewhat similar to them.

The same system already debuted on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus that launched in late March, with Samsung specifically stating that this method is the least secure out of all offered by its latest flagship lineup. The functionality will likely also be supported by the upcoming Galaxy Note 8 thats rumored to be unveiled in either late August or early September, with Samsung being expected to attach an identical disclaimer to it. According to the companys recent statement, its future product strategy will put a larger focus on differentiating its entry-level and mid-range offerings from their competitors through both hardware and software and while facial recognition isnt a particularly secure mechanism, its still a somewhat unique offering in this market segment. Due to that state of affairs, Samsung is expected to add the said feature to more of its upcoming devices, in addition to shipping them with other unique characteristics like waterproofing.

The Seoul-based consumer electronics manufacturer just launched the Galaxy Note Fan Edition in its home country but is otherwise having a relatively quiet period in terms of major product launches, with the company currently being in the process of preparing for the release of the highly anticipated Galaxy Note 8. More details on its hardware endeavors should follow shortly.
Sybilla Waring-Lambert

Gavin Hollamby

Lander & Rogers has elevated 18 lawyers to senior positions as the firm doubles down on its sectors of focus.Promoted to partner are Gavin Hollamby and Sybilla Waring-Lambert, who are both with the firms insurance law and litigation practice. Elon Zlotnick, Ben Dowling, and Briony Kerr  who are part of the firms commercial disputes, insurance law and litigation, and real estate and projects groups  have been promoted to special counsel.These promotions represent the firm's ongoing investment in our core sectors  insurance and financial services, government, real estate, and retail and supply chain  and they support the growth of our family law practice, said Andrew Willder, Lander & Rogers chief executive partner. The insurance and financial services sector has long been a focus for the firm and our partner promotions underline our commitment to this sector.Willder said that Waring-Lamberts promotion reflects the firms growth in the Sydney market as well as strengthens the insurance law and litigation groups liability claims offering. Hollamby, who joined the firm in Melbourne in 2005, has developed a strong reputation in the financial lines area, becoming sought-after by insurers for the most complex matters, he said.Hollamby said that he is very fortunate to have spent 12 years working with talented people both from clients and within the firm. While the market has changed a lot, the complexity of professional indemnity and product recall claims has remained a constant, he said, and his work has provided him fascinating insight into businesses.Waring-Lambert said she is thrilled to join the partnership at a time it is making a strong commitment to the insurance market. She said its an exciting time to work in liability insurance, as the sector tackles liability risk management in the new sharing economy.Lander & Rogers new senior associates are:Nathan DayGeorge SouthgateAdele MoloneyStephen WilliamsVarun BhatiaHannah KotzmanLouise HunterDara IsaacsonEliza ElliottGiana LaidlawStuart MooreEdward SmithGeorgina Taylor
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Bennett & Philp Lawyers has elevated two of its seasoned lawyers to senior positions, while it rewarded another with an associate post for opening inroads to China.The commercial law firm has promoted Nicole Murdoch and Maurice Hannan to director and advances Sandy Zhang to associate.Murdoch, who was previously senior associate in the firms intellectual property team, is a qualified Lawyer, electrical engineer, and trademarks attorney. She has particular expertise in privacy law, information security, trademarks, designs, copyright, and patents infringement.She represents clients in IP litigation, including in trademark, patent, copyright, and domain name disputes. She also acts in software theft litigation, including misuse of confidential information and domain name disputes.Hannan, who has been promoted from special counsel in the business and commercial team, specialises in commercial, health, and franchising law. Dual-qualified in law and pharmacy, he strategically contributes to the firms growing clientele in the health sector.He acts in acquisitions, leases, franchises, business structuring and restructurings , and banking and finance agreements. He also owned and operated large pharmacies in Brisbane and Adelaide and was appointed by the minister of health to the Pharmacy Board of Queensland.Zhang has made a major contribution to the Bennett & Philp IP team, the firm said, particularly in establishing legal and business opportunities in China. A specialist in IP and commercial law, he is fluent in Mandarin, has a double degree in business and law, and has worked in the IT field, including web programming and database design.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein says a pilot shortage, compounded by an aging aircraft fleet, affects readiness and that ultimately means more airman will die in combat. I will tell you that the cost of not having the right level of readiness is it will take longer to win  we will win, but it will take longer, and less airmen will come home, Goldfein told the San Antonio News Express. And we just need to be sure were clear-eyed as a nation. That ought to be unacceptable, and its certainly unacceptable to me as a chief to ever send an airman in harms way without being fully ready. But the reality is, if the nation calls on its Air Force to go, well go, just like those whove gone before us. Just throwing money at the problems wont be a complete solution. Were not going to buy our way out of this, Goldfein said. Youve got airlines that are hiring at a rate that we havent actually seen in the past and offering significant salaries, he said. But thats compounded with a force thats increasingly stressed coming out of 26 years of continuous conflict.

Congress recently increased the annual retention bonus for Air Force pilots from $25,000 to $35,000. Last year less than half of eligible pilots accepted the bonus but money wasnt the only reason they want to leave the service. Goldfein said the Air Force demands a lot of new pilots and piles on duties most intensely dislike, leaving them little white space on the calendar for family and friends. The extra money isnt enough to compensate for that and the result is a shortage of 1,500 pilots thats expected to grow. Clearly, we appreciate Congress support to up the bonus; we havent done that in years, and so if we can take financial burdens off a family, help with school, do those things, then clearly that, I think, is an incentive. So its not insignificant that we are actually raising the bonus, but thats not going to do it by itself, he said.
Just hours before their deadline, the Pentagon delayed an Obama-era rule that would've allowed transgender individuals to join the military, per WashPost. The military will now be able to delay processing these new recruits until January 1, which is the six-month delay the Joint Chiefs of Staff had requested.

What they're saying: "How will the decision affect the ability of America's military to defend the nation?" Defense Secretary Mattis said, according to the Post. "It is against this standard that I provide the following guidance on the way forward in accessing transgender individuals into the military Services."

Currently, the policy disallowed the military services from separating its members who came out as transgender and it granted them access to medical care as of last October 1. However, it also gave the Pentagon one year to decide how to process new transgender recruits, which they will now figure out over the next six months.
2 July 2017 16:42 (UTC+04:00)

Baku is hosting the Uro-Technology Training Symposium, co-organized by Azerbaijan Medical University and the International Society of Urology.

In his opening remarks, chair of the Department of Urology at Azerbaijan Medical University Sudeyf Imamverdiyev said the symposium will contribute to the development of urology and experience exchange, Azertac reported.

The three-day symposium will feature laparoscopy workshop and retrograde intrarenal surgery workshop.

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1 July 2017 10:05 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to President of Burundi Pierre Nkurunziza.

On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you and your people on the occasion of the national holiday of the Republic of Burundi  Independence Day, Ilham Aliyev said in his letter.

On this remarkable day, I wish you robust health, success in your activities, and the friendly people of Burundi peace and prosperity.

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2 July 2017 10:15 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

EMO Hannover metalworking exhibition, to be held in Hannover, Germany on Sept. 18-23, held a press conference in the Iranian capital city Tehran to announce its agenda to companies in Iran as one of the traditional trade partners of the world economic and technological power, Trend correspondent reports July 1.

EMO Hannover is the world's premier trade fair for the metalworking sector. It is the top global trade fair of the sector and the most efficient marketing instrument in the branch, bringing together manufacturers and users from all countries.

Wilfried Schafer, executive director of the German Machine Tool Builders Association (VDW) headed the press conference.

Besides explaining the exhibition in detail, Mr. Shafer also briefed the session on Iran-Germany technological and industrial cooperation.

We plan next year to bring representatives from our association to Iran to help with learning and training Iranian technicians to help cooperation between Iranian and German partners, he said.

According to Schafer, last year a similar round of training was held in Stuttgart for Iranian workforce.

The training included one month of theory learning and two weeks of internship with German partners, and the Iranian and German partners signed technological contracts worth 12 million euros in the aftermath of the training.

According to Iran Small Industries and Industrial Parks Organization, a similar training semester is going to be launched for Iranian workforce under German partners in about one month.

The organization has announced that representatives from 12 Iranian companies are to be dispatched to Germany under the program. A key topic in this program will be the use of renewable energy in industry.

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2 July 2017 10:45 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkey said Saturday that it will respond to any kind of terror threat coming from the soil of Syria or any other country, Anadolu reported.

Turkey will continue to take all necessary measures to protect its national security and its borders, said presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin, referring to recent harassment fire on Turkish forces from the PKK/PYD-held area of Afrin, northwestern Syria.

His comments followed Turkey deploying military troops to the border near Afrin last week.

"Any threat that may come from Syria or another country towards Turkey -- this could be from Daesh, the [PKK] PYD/YPG, whatever terrorist organization it is from -- Turkey responds immediately with all reprisals," he said.

Turkey considers the PYD/YPG to be the Syrian offshoot of the PKK, a designated terrorist organization in Turkey, the U.S. and EU.

More than 1,200 victims, including security personnel and civilians, have lost their lives in PKK attacks in Turkey since the terror group resumed its decades-old campaign in July 2015.

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2 July 2017 11:11 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

As Hungary understands the impact of last years failed coup in Turkey, it sees EU criticism of Turkey's fight against terrorism as unfair and unfounded, according to its foreign minister, Anadolu reported.

"Hungary does not welcome the criticism the EU has directed towards Turkey," Peter Szijjarto, Hungarys foreign and trade minister, told Anadolu Agency in an exclusive interview during his visit for a Turkish-Hungarian Business Forum in Ankara on Friday.

"Hungary understands what last years terrible attack on Turkey democracy was. We have to stand beside Turkey in the fight against terrorism in order to protect its stability. We must respect Turkey's fight against terrorism to protect its national security," he added.

Turkey blames the Fetullah Terrorist Organization (FETO), led by U.S.-based Fetullah Gulen, for last Julys coup attempt, which left 250 dead and some 2,200 wounded.

Szijjarto underlined that Hungary stands with Turkey and that Budapest is ready to help Turkey in international affairs.

"At the European Parliament or the European Council, we always underline the role Turkey plays in protecting Europe. If Turkey had not stopped the wave of migration targeting Europe, we Hungarians would have had to do it," he said.

"Turkey is not only protecting itself by stopping the wave of migration, but also Europe and the European Union," he added.

EU reaction to failed coup

Szijjarto also criticized the EU's attitude towards Turkey's fight against terrorism after the failed July 2016 coup.

"We were disappointed at the way the EU was 'worried' about the rights of those who tried to kill your president and those who attacked your democracy, your president, your prime minister, and your senior officials who came through a democratic election, " he said.

"A massive attack was made towards your democracy and your stability. Europe must be worried about this and not about those who tried to kill your president, and to remove your democracy and your system," he added.

Visa-free travel negotiations

Szijjarto also said that his government supports visa-free travel between Turkey and the EU.

"We support the visa-free travel negotiations between Turkey and the EU, because we believe that Turkey deserves a fairer attitude," he said.

"During the [March 2016] refugee deal between Turkey and the EU, the EU Commission introduced a content that suggested that the refugee agreement and the visa-free travel process will progress together. It is not the fault of Turkey, it is the fault of the EU Commission, it is not fair, and since the beginning of the negotiations, it should have been emphasized that these two issues are separate from each other," he added.

Szijjarto said that there is a need for mutual respect in this process and that it should be taken more seriously.

According to a European Commission report, to get visa-free travel in the EUs Schengen zone, Ankara needs to fulfill seven outstanding criteria from a total of 72, including "revising legislation and practices on terrorism in line with European standards".

Ankara has ruled out any such revision, leading to a deadlock in negotiations.

The March 2016 deal between Turkey and the EU envisaged a one-for-one formula under which failed asylum-seekers in Europe would be returned to Turkey, while Syrian refugees would be resettled in EU states under a quota system.

Turkish-Hungarian cooperation

Szijjarto said that during their Ankara meeting on Friday, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban and his delegation addressed cooperation in the area of education.

He said that the two countries agreed on the establishment of a joint university and a bilingual high school.

"We understood that the most important pillar of our strategic partnership is communication and cooperation between young people," he said.

Szijjarto also said that the possible bilateral steps in the field of nuclear energy were also discussed.

He said that Hungary has used nuclear energy since the 1970s, and so it can share its capacity with Turkey in the training of experts and engineers.

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2 July 2017 11:32 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Nineteen people were killed in Mexico's northern state of Sinaloa late on Friday in a run of related shootouts between police and gunmen, Reuters reported.

Armed men in pickup trucks approached police on a major highway near the city of Mazatlan and began firing at them, according to press releases from the state police and state attorney general's office.

Aided by federal forces, the police fought off the attackers and pursued them to the nearby town of La Amapa, where the gunfight resumed.

Seventeen people were killed in the shootouts with police, and another two were killed nearby in what appear to be earlier, related shootings, the attorney general's office said.

Five police suffered gunshots and are in stable condition, with two of those officers suffering head wounds, according to state police. Sinaloa is a major battleground in Mexico's drug war.

Found at the scene were 16 semiautomatic rifles, seven handguns and a shotgun, the attorney general's office said.

The state is home to the Sinaloa cartel, whose most well known boss, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, was extradited to the United States in January to face trial.

Police killed 17 people for every officer lost in gunbattles in 2014, according to a study by Mexico's National Autonomous University, a number experts say is consistent with excessive use of force.

In 2015, Mexican police executed nearly two dozen suspected gang members after ambushing them at a ranch near the small town of Tanhuato in the violent western state of Michoacan, one of the worst abuses by security forces in a decade of grisly drug violence.

Some 30,000 people have disappeared in Mexico since drug violence increased sharply around 2007. Since former president Felipe Calderon sent the army out to battle drug gangs at the end of 2006 more than 150,000 have been killed.

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2 July 2017 12:19 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The Syrian government on Saturday dismissed a report by the international chemical weapons watchdog that said the banned nerve agent sarin was used in an April attack in northern Syria, saying it lacked "any credibility", Reuters reported.

Western governments including the United States have said the Syrian government carried out the attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun which killed dozens of people. The Syrian government has denied using chemical weapons.

The attack prompted a U.S. missile strike against a Syrian air base which Washington said was used to launch the strike. The report into the attack was circulated to members of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague, but was not made public.

In a statement, the Syrian foreign ministry said the fact-finding team had based its report on "the testimonies offered by terrorists in Turkey". Turkey is a major backer of the Syrian opposition to President Bashar al-Assad.

After interviewing witnesses and examining samples, the fact-finding mission of the OPCW concluded that "a large number of people, some of whom died, were exposed to sarin or a sarin-like substance".

Russia, Assad's most powerful ally, has described the report as biased.

The attack on April 4 in the town of Khan Sheikhoun in northern Idlib province was the most deadly in Syria's civil war in more than three years. Western intelligence agencies had also blamed the Assad government. Syrian officials have repeatedly denied using banned toxins in the conflict.

A joint United Nations and OPCW investigation has found Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015 and that Islamic State militants used mustard gas.

Syria joined the chemicals weapons convention in 2013 under a Russian-U.S. agreement, averting military intervention under then U.S. President Barack Obama.

The United States said on Wednesday the Syrian government appeared to have heeded a warning this week from Washington not to carry out a chemical weapons attack.

Russia warned it would respond proportionately if the United States took pre-emptive measures against Syrian forces after Washington said on Monday it appeared the Syrian military was preparing to conduct a chemical weapons attack.

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2 July 2017 18:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

An Iranian soldier with a border police station in the northwestern province of West Azerbaijan was killed in clashes with traffickers of alcoholic drinks.

The clashes took place near Piranshahr country, where three other border guards were wounded as well, the Young Journalists Club reported July 2.

Alcoholic drinks are forbidden in Iran and classified as smuggled goods.

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Francis Chan opens up to Facebook employees about why he decided to leave the megachurch he founded

Bestselling author Francis Chan recently exposed his heart to Facebook employees, detailing why he left the helm of his thriving megachurch in California seven years ago.

Cornerstone Church in Simi Valley, California, was drawing around 5,000 people and growing in 2010. But Chan felt the megachurch he founded was not as God intended it to be.

"I got frustrated at a point, just biblically," Chan said during a talk at the Facebook headquarters in California last Thursday. "I'm going wait a second. According to the Bible, every single one of these people has a supernatural gift that's meant to be used for the body. And I'm like 5,000 people show up every week to hear my gift, see my gift. That's a lot of waste. Then I started thinking how much does it cost to run this thing? Millions of dollars!"

"So I'm wasting the human resource of these people that according to Scripture have a miraculous gift that they could contribute to the body but they're just sitting there quietly. ... [T]hey just sit there and listen to me."

Moreover, he felt the church wasn't following God's command to love one another  attendees would simply greet each other for 30 seconds and mainly hang out in cliques once a week.

image: http://d.christianpost.com/full/113276/295-190/francis-chan.png

image: http://d.christianpost.com/full/113276/295-190/francis-chan.png

(Photo: Facebook/Screengrab)Francis Chan, a bestselling author who heads We Are Church, speaks at the Facebook headquarters in California, June 22, 2017."I was like, 'God, you wanted a church that was known for their love. You wanted a group of people where everyone was expressing their gifts. ... We're a body. I'm one member, maybe I'm the mouth. But if the mouth is the only thing that's working and ... I'm trying to drag the rest of the body along, chewing on the carpet ..."

His decision in 2010 to leave Cornerstone  which he started in his living room  came as a shock to many, including fellow evangelical pastors. In his announcement to the congregation at that time, he said he had been feeling a restlessness and stirring to let go of the megachurch and take on a new adventure.

He also indicated that he was wary of being "comfortable."

In his talk at Facebook last week, he offered more details about why he made that decision to leave, including a desire to get away from the pride he began to feel as his book, Crazy Love, became a bestseller and as he became a popular sought-after speaker.

"I freaked out during that time in my life," Chan recalled. "The pride ... [going to] a conference and seeing my face on a magazine ... and hearing whispers ... and walking in the room and actually liking it."

At one point, Chan felt convicted and realized he became everything he didn't want to be. "Everything you (God) said you hated, that's me right now," he realized. "I gotta get out of here. I'm losing my soul."

Wanting to hide from "that weird celebrity thing," he also realized that he missed the old Francis Chan  "that stupid kid who fell in love with Jesus in high school and starts calling everyone in the yearbook that he knew to tell them about Jesus because he was so concerned about their eternal destiny."

Chan stressed to the Facebook group that God hates pride and that one can easily lose humility.

Today, Chan leads a house church movement in San Francisco called We Are Church. There are currently 14 to 15 house churches, he said, and 30 pastors (two pastors per church)  all of whom do it for free. Each church is designed to be small so it's more like family where members can actually get to know one another, love one another and make use of their gifts.

"We've got a few hundred people now and it costs nothing," Chan explained. "And everyone's growing and everyone's having to read this book (Bible) for themselves and people actually caring for one another. I don't even preach. They just meet in their homes, they study, they pray, they care for one another. They're becoming the church and I'm just loving it and realizing that these 30 guys [are] leading this and the women as well."

The people who join include "guys coming off the streets, out of prison to doctors and people that work here (Facebook) or Google," he said.

He's hoping to double the number of house churches every year so that in 10 years, there would be 1.2 million people in We Are Church. And, he reiterated, it's all free.

How would he compare the megachurch he once led to the current house church movement?

"This one guy put it like this: It's like being adopted rather than being in an orphanage," Chan said. "Church the way I was doing was like an orphanage. Here's just a bunch of kids with one leader. And rather than saying 'No, you know what, we're going to put you in a home and these guys are going to actually know you and love you and care for you.'

"It's just like family."

Recalling a sober moment he had while at Cornerstone Church, Chan said he baptized a kid from a gang but that kid later left though he was quite involved in the church.

"One of my friends asked him, 'Hey, how come you're not at Cornerstone anymore?' He said 'I didn't understand church. When I was baptized, I thought that was going to be being jumped into the gang where it's like 24/7 they're my family, because I didn't know it was just somewhere we attend on Sundays."

When Chan heard that, he said it made him sick.

"That makes me so sick that the gangs are a better picture of family than the church of Jesus Christ. I can't live with that. ... We're going to do something different."

While Chan said he loves what he's doing now, he admitted that it wasn't easy and that his former gig at the megachurch was easier in some aspects.

"Some days I think it was a lot easier when I could just preach, go back and drive off in my car and leave all of them like I will today," he said to laughter among the Facebook employees. "I don't have to care for your issues, you know? ... I'll never see you again.

"This is easy. But you have this circle here and you're in each other's lives and no offense, it's not this Facebook  I can just put up what I want about myself. That's kind of like the way church was. It's like let me just show you this one side on Sunday morning and let me just show you the best pictures of me and my greatest accomplishments.

"But when it's family, it gets messy. And you start finding out people's dirt. Just like you know about your brother and sister every Thanksgiving. It's messy because it's family. That's what Christ wanted. And so we fight for it. And it's been a blast."

As for what he does with all the money he earns through his bestselling books, Chan said he gives it all away.

He had prayed to God years ago, saying he was frustrated with the rich people in church who only give 5 to 10 percent of their money to church while living off millions. He prayed that God would either raise up a new generation of rich people who would actually live for eternity and give all their money away or make him rich.

"I'll give it all away to show that you're better than all of that," Chan remembered praying. So when he surprisingly made a million dollars the next year through his book and continued to make more over the following years, he signed it all over to a charitable gift fund "so that I can't even touch it. I can't even buy lunch with the money ... I can only give to charity.

"It's been the best thing. Now I spend my days going and looking where are the needs around the world and how can I contribute to it?"

This article was originally published in The Christian Post.
Germany approves same-sex marriage in historic bill opposed by Christian chancellor Angela Merkel

The German parliament approved the legalisation of same-sex marriage on Friday in an historic, contested move. Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel voted against the bill, saying she personally felt marriage should be between a man and a woman.

The bill to legalise gay marriage was passed on Friday by a clear majority of 393-226 in Germany's parliament, to the celebration of left-wing parties and gay rights advocates.

'This is simply a historic day for Germany,' said marriage equality activist Soeren Landmann.

'Today, thousands of same-sex couples were given equality, and the two-class society in matters of love was abolished. Germany can really rejoice today.'

Christian and daughter of a Protestant pastor Chancellor Angela Merkel had voted against the bill after announcing the vote on Monday.

'For me, marriage in the Basic Law is marriage between a man and a woman and that is why I did not vote in favor of this bill today,' she told reporters following the vote.

Merkel emphasised that this was a personal decision; she had previously encouraged lawmakers to vote with their own conscience. She added that she had now become convinced that same-sex couples should be allowed to adopt children.

'I hope that the vote today not only promotes respect between different opinions but also brings more social cohesion and peace,' she said.

The move was criticised by some conservatives, and Germany's Catholic church.

Political independent Erika Steinbach, a former member of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, said: 'It runs against the CDU's own party program, which sees marriage as being between a man and a woman, so CDU decisions are clearly not worth the paper they are written on.

'It would be hard to exaggerate how excruciating this is.' Steinbach previously left the CDU over Merkel's liberal policy toward welcoming refugees.

Representing the German Catholic Church, Archbishop Heiner Kochof of Berlin said he regretted the decision: 'An appreciation of same-sex cohabitation can also be expressed by a different institutional design.'

The legalisation bill is expected to be signed into law by Germany's president Frank-Walter Steinmeier at some point after July 7.

Additional reporting by Reuters
AptarGroup, Inc. provides a range of dispensing, sealing, and material science solutions primarily for the beauty, personal care, home care, prescription drug, consumer health care, injectable, and food and beverage markets. The company operates through three segments: Pharma, Beauty + Home, and Food + Beverage. The Pharma segment provides pumps for nasal allergy treatments; and metered dose inhaler valves for respiratory ailments, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases in pharmaceutical market; elastomer for injectable primary packaging components; and active material science solutions. The Beauty + Home segment primarily sells pumps, closures, aerosol valves, accessories, and sealing solutions to the personal care and home care markets; and pumps and decorative components to the beauty market. The Food + Beverage segment offers dispensing and non-dispensing closures, elastomeric flow control components, spray pumps, and aerosol valves to the food and beverage markets. It sells its products through own sales force, as well as independent representatives and distributors in Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. The company has a strategic partnership with PureCycle Technologies LLC to develop ultra-pure recycled polypropylene into dispensing applications; and a collaboration with Sonmol for developing a digital therapies and services platform targeting respiratory and other diseases. AptarGroup, Inc. was incorporated in 1992 and is headquartered in Crystal Lake, Illinois.
Cenovus Energy Inc., together with its subsidiaries, develops, produces, and markets crude oil, natural gas liquids, and natural gas in Canada, the United States, and the Asia Pacific region. The company operates through Oil Sands, Conventional, Offshore, Canadian Manufacturing, U.S. Manufacturing, and Retail segments. The Oil Sands segment develops and produces bitumen and heavy oil in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan. This segments Foster Creek, Christina Lake, Sunrise, and Tucker oil sands projects, as well as Lloydminster thermal and conventional heavy oil assets The Conventional segment holds assets primarily located in Elmworth-Wapiti, Kaybob-Edson, Clearwater, and Rainbow Lake operating in Alberta and British Columbia, as well as interests in various natural gas processing facilities. The offshore segment engages in the exploration and development activities. The Canadian Manufacturing segment includes the owned and operated Lloydminster upgrading and asphalt refining complex, which upgrades heavy oil and bitumen into synthetic crude oil, diesel fuel, asphalt, and other ancillary products, as well as owns and operates the Bruderheim crude-by-rail terminal and two ethanol plants. The U.S. Manufacturing segment comprises the refining of crude oil to produce diesel, gasoline, jet fuel, asphalt, and other products. The Retail segment consists of marketing of its own and third-party refined petroleum products through retail, commercial, and bulk petroleum outlets, as well as wholesale channels. Cenovus Energy Inc. was founded in 2009 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Serco Group plc provides public services in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America, the Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. The company offers base and operational support engineering, and management and information, as well as nuclear, space, and maritime services for the defense sector; and custodial, immigration detention, and detainee transport and monitoring services for the justice and immigration sectors. It also provides rail, ferry, and cycle operations; road traffic management; and air traffic control services to the transportation sector, as well as integrated facilities management, pathology and non-clinical support, and patient administration and contact services for the health sector. In addition, the company offers citizen services, including contact centers and case management; middle, back office, and IT; and employment and skills services. The company serves the United Kingdom and Canadian governments, devolved authorities, and other public sector customers; and federal and civilian agencies, and various state and municipal governments. Serco Group plc was founded in 1929 and is based in Hook, the United Kingdom.
A new Northwestern University

study revealed that consumer complaints have more than doubled for cosmetic products from 2015 to 2016, highlighting problems with the under-regulated multibillion-dollar beauty industry.

In fact, cosmetics companies and manufacturers are not legally required to share complaints about its products to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) meaning potentially harmful products are on our shelves today.

You can create a cream tonight and sell it tomorrow. You dont need FDA approval for any of these kinds of things as long as its for cosmetic purposes, Dr. Shuai Xu, an author of the report and resident physician in dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, told ABC2 News.

According to the research, published this week in JAMA Internal Medicine, side effect complaints rose 78 percent to 706 in 2015, followed by a 300 percent increase to 1,591 adverse events last year. Hair care products were a top offender, especially WEN by Chaz Dean products.

In 2014, the FDA began investigating WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners after directly receiving 127 consumer reports, the study states. The FDA later learned the manufacturer had already received 21,000 complaints of alopecia and scalp irritation.

Despite scores of complaints of hair loss, scalp irritation and other problems, the product remains on the market with the FDA currently soliciting additional consumer reports, the study adds.

Notably, the authors suggested that their study might even be underestimating the number of complaints.

Here is a $400 billion industry with millions of products and multiple controversies, but we only had about 5,000 adverse events over the course of 12 years, Xu told

Health. Thats very, very underreported.

The authors are calling for greater transparency and oversight in order to protect consumers.

Lets mandate manufacturing forwarding of adverse events to the FDA, Xu added to ABC2 News. Lets give the FDA authority to recall devices. Lets have a clear ingredient list or at least let the FDA have one, so that not only can we identify a specific product, we can identify hopefully what ingredient within that product is causing issues and that can be translated into multiple products after that.

Distributor Guthy-Renker released the following statement about the allegations against WEN products:

The WEN family cares deeply about our customers, and we have a long track record of going above and beyond current industry standards. We welcome legislative and regulatory efforts to further enhance consumer safety across the cosmetic products industry. However, there is no credible evidence to support the false and misleading claim that WEN products cause hair loss. Millions of bottles have been sold over the last 16 years, which is a testament to the quality of this product.

Xu also told CNN he still thinks most cosmetics are safe to use.

When it comes to cosmetics on the shelves that are dangerous, its very hard to prove, Xu said. In general, cosmetics are a very safe product class.

In a related vein, New York Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand are petitioning the FDA to require manufacturers to remove the probable carcinogen

1,4-dioxane from their products. The chemical is found in personal care products such as shampoos, soaps and lotions.

Consumers cant identify it and most importantly, it ends up in our water supply, Schumer said, noting that kidney and liver damage can also happen after long-term exposure to 1,4-dioxane.

According to the Environmental Working Groups (EWG) Skin Deep cosmetics database, about 8,000 products may contain 1,4-dioxane but companies are not legally obligated by the FDA to list the contaminant. 1,4-dioxane is not intentionally added to personal care products. Rather, it is an unintentional byproduct during the manufacturing process.

The Trump administrations U.S. Environmental Protection Agency released a plan last week to determine whether and how to regulate 1,4-dioxane, but EWG has raised flags about how the assessment would ignore exposures from personal care products.

The Trump plan would consider the risks posed by other exposuresincluding inhaling 1,4-dioxane in the air, and drinking and washing with 1,4-dioxane in tap water, Scott Faber, EWGs vice president of government affairs, explained. But the Trump plan would not include exposures from products like toothpaste, mouthwash, sunscreens and shampooscreating an incomplete picture of the risks posed by the chemical.

The FDA could take action to ensure 1,4-dioxane is removed or virtually eliminated from shampoos, shower gels, body washes, foaming hand soaps, bubble baths and lotions. In addition to vacuum stripping, manufacturers could take steps to slow the formation of 1,4-dioxane as a byproduct.
By Joe Sandler Clarke

Scientists have found for the first time that neonicotinoid pesticides can harm honey bees in the real world.

The major new study from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) found that pesticides called neonicotinoids can cause harm to bees, a development that is likely to increase calls for a ban of the chemicals across Europe.

The UKwhich has long lobbied against a bancould make its own rules on pesticide use after Brexit.

Conservative MEP Julie Girling recently tried unsuccessfully to derail the Commissions efforts to introduce an outright ban in the EU Parliament.

Industry Funding

The finding is particularly significant because the study was funded in part by pesticides giants Bayer and Syngenta.

The hotly anticipated research, published in the journal Science this evening, also discovered that exposure to the nicotine-based chemicals can reduce the reproductive success of three different bee specieshoney bees, bumblebees and the red mason bee.

With 3 million in funding from the chemical companies and additional money from Natural Environment Research Council, the researchers were able to conduct a large scale, field-realistic experiment across three different European countriesUK, Germany and Hungary.

Previous experiments showing that neonicotinoids cause harm to bees have been criticised by industry because of their limited scope and test conditions not mimicking real life.

The researchers exposed three bee species to winter oilseed rape crops treated with two types of neonicotinoids, manufactured by Bayer and Syngenta.

The researchers found that neonics affected bees in different ways from country to country, with the impact of the chemicals more marked in Hungary and the UK than in Germany, where neonics were found to have no impact on honey bees.

Overall, clothianidin, manufactured by Bayer, was found to have a more profound impact on bee health.

Complex Results

CEH scientists acknowledged that the results of the study were nuanced.

In a press release, CEH lead author Dr. Ben Woodcock explained: The neonicotinoids investigated caused a reduced capacity for all three bee species to establish new populations in the following year, at least in the UK and Hungary.

Prof. Richard Pywell, the co-author of the study, said in a statement that the results of the research were complex.

Neonicotinoids remain a highly contentious issue with previous research on both honeybees and wild bees inconclusive.

This latest field study was designed, as far as possible, to reflect the real world due to its size and scope. We therefore believe it goes a considerable way to explaining the inconsistencies in the results of past research, as we were better able to account for natural variation in factors like exposure to the pesticide, bee food resources and bee health for different bee species.

Our findings also raise important questions about the basis for regulatory testing of future pesticides.

Industry Response

A Bayer spokesperson told Energydesk the company was disappointed with way the results had been presented.

He said: This study is one of a number of landscape studies carried out recently. The results of the CEH study are inconsistent and therefore inconclusive with variability of effects over both the bee species and the countries in which they were studied.

We believe that had environmental factors (colony strength and landscape effects) other than exposure to treated oilseed rape been appropriately taken into account in the analysis, the results would have been similar to, for example, recent landscape studies conducted with clothianidin in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, a state in northern Germany which demonstrated the safety of clothianidin seed treatments in oilseed rape for bee pollinators under realistic conditions.

In a statement sent to Energydesk, Syngenta were keen to highlight the findings of the study in Germany where neonics had no impact on honey bees.

Dr. Peter Campbell, head of research collaborations at the company said: We welcome the fact that the study concludes that neonicotinoid residues were detected infrequently  [and] direct mortality effects by exposure to high concentrations of neonicotinoids are likely to be rare. We were also pleased to see that in Germany during crop flowering, the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments has a positive and beneficial impact for both honeybees and bumblebees.

The statement continued: It is also important to better understand the small number of potentially harmful effects reported in Hungary and the United Kingdom and how these differ from Germany where the results were positive.

UK Lobbying

Neonicotinoids are the most widely used pesticides in the world.

A partial ban on neonicotinoids has been in place across the EU since 2013, due to concerns about the pesticides impact on bee health.

Recent news reports suggest that the European Commission will call for a complete ban later this year.

The UK has long lobbied against the ban against neonics in Brussels. Back in 2015, the government allowed some uses of the chemicals on UK fields, following pressure from the National Farmers Union, but a similar request was turned down last year.

Uncertainty surrounds what the UKs position will be on the controversial pesticides post-Brexit.

In response to the release of the CEH study, a spokesperson from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs failed to back an outright ban:

Bees and other pollinators are vital to the diversity of our environment and food production which is why we are leading a nationwide strategy to better protect them.

We are encouraging farmers to provide the food and habitats pollinators need on their land, as well as promoting simple actions the public can take to help such as cutting grass less often and growing pollen-rich plants.

This study follows on from research published last summer by CEH, which linked neonics to the long-term decline of the wild bee population in the UK.

Back in September, Energydesk uncovered private studies commissioned by Bayer and Syngenta which showed that their neonicotinoid pesticides can cause serious harm to bees.
Pa. Dems could flip the House of Reps. Here's what that might mean
An innovative research-led model for building peace has been pioneered by an Irish Catholic priest and his Shalom Centre colleagues working in areas of Northern Kenya where assault rifles are as common in households as cooking pots.

Lawlessness is prevalent in the isolated areas of Kenya bordering Uganda, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia, and family possessions include, on average, 1.6 AK-47s, the weapon of choice also of organized cattle-rustling gangs.

Weak institutions, porous borders and climate change, meanwhile, combine to make conditions harsher, nurturing historic, sometimes violent competition over scarce resources between the 11 ethnic communities of Northern Kenya with which the Centre works.

More recently, conflicts over official positions and new administrative boundaries driven by politics have become commonplace. Of immediate concern to the peace makers: the Aug. 8 Kenya general elections. In 2007-08, post-election violence nationwide, fuelled by political in-fighting, retaliation and power struggles, left roughly 1,300 Kenyans dead, 60,000 maimed and 600,000 displaced.

The Shalom Center for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation, founded by Fr. Patrick Devine in 2009, which works as well in the slums of Nairobi, has cultivated a unique approach to conflict resolution, its success recognized and celebrated with a host of international awards.

And the model is expanding into other parts of Africa, starting with Cote d'Ivoire, Tanzania and the Central African Republic, with further plans to establish centres as well in Ethiopia, South Sudan, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The model's success is founded on extensive research into areas of complaint and issues that drive conflict then working with key community opinion-shapers -- elders, women, youth and influential chiefs -- to reach a common understanding of both the history and current definition of a conflict's source, while building trust and co-operation to reach solutions.

Through workshops, Shalom is creating a legacy of conflict resolution, training to date more than 9,600 community leaders as peacemakers.

Strategies also include sustainable human development in conflicted communities through projects. Lasting results include the building of solar-powered inter-ethnic and inter-religious schools, medical centres and water projects.

The philosophy of Fr. Devine, a 29-year veteran of African ministry: Conflicts are created by unmet human needs and the inability of weak institutions to help people actualize their potential. Shalom's peaceful coexistence goal is simple: "To help the people become the architects of their own future."

Shalom's grassroots-based methodology, he says, embraces prevention and transformation -- "delving deep into the social, economic, historical, cultural and religious factors that contribute to extremist behaviours that cause significant destruction and trauma to individuals and communities. Conjecture and speculation are no basis for policy making."

Conflict in the region can be linked to several primary causes: scarcity and mismanagement of core environmental resources, infrastructure insecurity, weak institutions and the political economy of governance, historic tribal land and cultural conflict, all contributing to an unhelpful proliferation of illegal small arms.

"Every conflict has a memory," says Fr. Devine, honoured in 2013 with the International Caring Award, and recently nominated for Ireland's prestigious Tipperary International Peace Prize. "When the causes of conflict are not only identified, but also agreed upon by those involved, peace-building techniques create a way to look forward to a constructive future."

Nairobi-based Shalom Centre's international research and field staff are expert in conflict management theory and practice. All have at least a masters' level education. "And I have never met a group with the persistence, commitment and consistency of Shalom staff," says Fr. Devine.

The goal is not what he calls "negative peace," or just an end to fighting but rather "positive peace," where both sides in a conflict see the benefits of protecting the others' security and wellbeing.

"There's more than enough in the environment for everyone's need," he says, "but not enough for everyone's greed."

Fr. Devine explains why he founded Shalom: "I didn't want to spend another 25 years just dealing with the symptoms of conflict and poverty, nor just putting money through a sieve without substantial endurable results."

"Our centre helps people in this region emerge from patterns of ongoing conflict, an environment in which people are persistently killed, maimed and displaced, preventing social and religious values, such as truth, justice, peace, mercy and reconciliation, from taking deep root. Nor can development be sustained if schools, hospitals, programs, and religious centres are regularly made inoperable due to conflict."

Fr. Devine underlines the non-sectarian nature of the centre's work. "Shalom should not be owned by any one religious tradition," he says. "If we can bring about peace in the world, we can all find our path to God."

At a May EU meeting in Brussels to address the humanitarian situation in Africa, Yemen and Syria, Joe McHugh, Ireland's Minister of State for the Diaspora and Overseas Development, noted the impossibility of sustainable development without peace.

He singled out Shalom's "great work" and lauded the centre for making inroads in "interethnic conflict reconciliation where, for the first time in a particular region even with drought and massive challenges, the peace is holding."

"If there are examples working we should look to them and support them."

Dr. Laura Basell, a professor at Queen's University, Belfast, and an archaeologist in Africa for 20 years, praises Shalom's diverse, highly qualified international team.

"What particularly impresses me is Shalom's theoretical underpinning focused on education, empowerment, and transcending ethnic and religious boundaries in order to address the root causes of conflict," she says.

"Rev. Dr. Devine has demonstrated that Shalom is an institution that speaks not only through the verbal articulation of its guiding principles but predominantly through its deeds. While much remains to be done, their work is clearly making a difference from individuals to entire communities - a wonderful achievement."

Says Dr. Michael Comerford, a South Sudan-based board director of Shalom:

"From the beginning, I was struck by the Shalom Centre's methodology to resolve conflict and promote peace, which avoided quick fixes to problems that had existed for years, if not generations. There was something about 'taking time to work with people' that struck me as new. The approach involved working directly with local communities and their leaders, taking time to build relationships between communities, taking time to build peace."

The Shalom Centre for Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation is supported by partner organizations and a network of visionary donors, primarily from the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland.

With a budget of less than $1M US per year and low (7%) overhead costs, Shalom leverages the donations of its supporters to maximize its work on the ground in tribal areas, particularly in the semi-arid terrains, and in the largest slum settlements in urban centres of Eastern Africa.

The Center focuses on the root cause of violence in the tribal lands of eastern Africa. It was created in 2009 in the wake of persistent widespread violence and dislocation across Northern Kenya, and in the aftermath of the disputed Kenyan elections. Shalom has made a major impact on peace initiatives in this vital strategic area of Africa.

The Centre's work is strictly non-sectarian and closely aligned with civil society organisations. Fr. Patrick Devine serves as the organization's executive director, leading an international team of conflict resolution experts from various religious backgrounds and disciplines who are based in Kenya and neighboring countries.

Shalom's approach to peace-building:

Deliver quality conflict management training consistently to local communities.

Conduct research among local communities into the causes of violence.

Work with local leaders and influential opinion shapers to ensure they are part of the long-term solution to preventing conflict; engaging them in problem-solving workshops.

Promote the construction and development of projects that benefit multiple groups in a community, including those on opposite sides of a conflict.

Conduct peace education in primary and secondary schools and with groups of influential opinion shapers in conflict environments, aimed at delegitimizing the use of force in solving conflicts.

Shalom benefits from Memoranda of Understanding with the governments of eastern Africa that comprise the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). The Centre also partners with international and regional colleges and universities on peace-building courses, as well as religious association and councils in Africa.

Shalom makes its findings available to partners, relevant governments, ethnic representatives and United Nation and regional organizations.

High-profile speaking engagements help raise awareness of this successful peace-development model so it can be implemented in other conflict environments. Last year, Fr. Patrick lectured at Harvard Law School, and in January gave a presentation to a group of Washington D.C. diplomats, academics and peace practitioners on preventing radicalization and extremism.

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Last quarter was another one of those run-of-the-mill results from Magellan Midstream Partners (MMP 0.67%). New assets coming online led to incremental gains we have come to expect from Magellan over the past several years. Over the next few years, it's looking more and more likely that management is going to step on the gas when it comes to growth. Not only does it have a large suite of potential assets in the hopper, but management is also making inroads to secure funding for those assets already.

Here's a selection of quotes from the company's most recent conference call that explains management's moves to get this growth plan off the ground, as well as where the opportunities lie in the oil and gas transportation business today.

Increasing funding options

One of the reasons Magellan Midstream Partners has been a better long-term investment among master limited partnerships is it has been able to avoid diluting shareholder value through equity issuance. According to CFO Aaron Milford, the company may start to deploy that funding option more in the future:

[W]e continue to make progress in establishing an [at the market] equity program to use as another tool for funding future growth. But with current leverage at approximately 3.4X, we do not anticipate using this program immediately once formally established. This program will essentially help us manage our leverage in a manner that is consistent with our 4X targeted maximum leverage ratio as we continue to make investments and grow.

At-the-market equity programs are designed such that the company can issue equity on any given day and take advantage of current stock prices, whereas more formal equity issuances are announced in advance and at sold at fixed prices that may be below current market value. For a company that budgets for new projects several quarters in advance, this can be a more effective way to raise equity.

When asked why the company is pursuing this equity issuance capability when management has said it doesn't need to do it right now, CEO Michael Mears replied that it's in anticipation of several big-ticket projects that could get the green light rather soon:

[I]f you look at our current spending, it would suggest that we don't need to do this. But as I've mentioned, we are looking at significant expansion of our Pasadena terminal, which could be anywhere from $500 million to $1 billion of capital opportunity. We're looking at expanding our Seabrook Logistics terminal. We're looking at building a new pipe to Dallas refined products. We're looking to build a new crude oil pipe to Corpus [Christi] out of the Permian. If all of those things happen or even half of those things happen, it's unlikely that we will want to -- that we could finance that all with debt and stay below 4X debt-to-EBITDA ratio. So we want to be prepared if those happen to fund with equity, if needed. And that's why we're putting the program in place.

One of the downsides of the Permian Basin black gold rush is that midstream companies like Magellan need to push through big projects probably faster than they would want to and stretch their budgets as a result. By having this equity funding arrow in its quiver, it will be able to keep debt within a range to maintain its investment grade credit rating.

Putting more capital to work in the Permian

Magellan is mostly known for its refined petroleum product pipeline and terminal network. That's to be expected, since refined products make up more than 60% of gross operating margin. When it comes to growth, though, Magellan's crude oil pipeline network has been the center of attention. It recently finished its Saddlehorn pipeline that delivers oil from Carr, Colo., to Cushing, Okla. Now, according to CEO Michael Mears, it wants to leverage its asset base in the Permian Basin:

As you may recall, we also announced plans to expand the capacity of BridgeTex from 300,000 barrels a day to 400,000 barrels per day, and that incremental capacity is expected to be operational by the end of the second quarter. In addition, we are currently evaluating a further expansion of BridgeTex up to its maximum capacity of 475,000 barrels a day, which we believe could be achieved by the construction of additional pumping capacity.

That first expansion cost only a couple of million, so it was a very high-return project. Mears later said that the expansion to 475,000 barrels per day will be more expensive because it will probably involve more pumping stations.

Getting gun-shy when it comes to acquisitions

As is the case with just about every midstream company nowadays, the topic of acquisitions came up. In the past, Magellan was an active acquirer, but it hasn't made a deal since 2015. According to Mears, the reasons it stopped acquiring assets a few years ago -- the price was too high -- still applies.

[I]n the past, we've discussed our desire to extend our value chain to include gathering assets that could direct barrels to our long-haul pipelines in the Permian Basin, and that interest remains. There have been a number of assets marketed recently, which we believe were attractive assets toward accomplishing this goal. We have analyzed and valued these assets at terms that we believe are reasonable and in the best long-term interest to Magellan's investors. We have not been able to execute on these acquisition opportunities since the market-clearing valuations have been higher than we are comfortable with. Our preferred growth strategy continues to be construction of new assets, which generally provides better returns.

Magellan isn't the only one with this view on asset prices. Enterprise Products Partners CEO Jim Teague said something similar this past quarter. Today, building new is much cheaper than acquiring existing assets is, especially in the Permian, where valuations are off the charts.

Crude oil is more complicated than many think

We still import a lot of crude, but crude oil production is growing fast. So the logical conclusion is that we will replace those import barrels with domestic crude. While we are likely to see some imports displaced by domestic production, that isn't the whole story. According to Mears, there are lots of other factors to consider here, and that's why Magellan is examining projects to build crude oil pipelines and export terminals in the Corpus Christi region in Texas:

[A] significant portion of the growth in the Permian Basin is expected to be very light crude oil. And very light crude oil and the condensates, particularly coming out of the Delaware Basin, really are not well designed for the Houston refining market. They're more likely to be split at a condensate splitter or put on the water for export. So if that's the primary focus of increased production -- I'm not saying that that's all the production growth in the basin. There's still going to be production growth that wants to go to Houston, but there's significant pipeline capacity in Houston. There's significant -- and I shouldn't say just Houston, I mean, the eastern Gulf Coast market. There's significant available capacity on many of those pipes that are there today, but Corpus Christi doesn't have the same pipeline infrastructure headed to it. And if a significant portion of this growth is going to be barrels that really don't have an interest to the Houston-area refiners and has a primary interest to be exported, that's what's going to drive these barrels to Corpus Christi. So that's why we and all the other players are focused on Corpus as the next destination for our pipeline.

There certainly isn't a lack of options for investment projects in the Gulf Coast region. A potential Corpus Christi terminal would give Magellan a third export facility in the Gulf and is likely to make it a major player in how crude oil moves around South Texas for many years to come.




Haiti - Justice : First assizes on the draft new Penal Code





Friday in Cap-Haitien, Senator Jean Renel Senatus, President of the Senate Committee on Justice and Security, accompanied by the First Secretary of the Senate, North nator Dieudonne Luma Etienne, chaired the first assizes on the draft new Penal Code and that on the new code of Criminal Procedure.



During this working day, to facilitate the application of these texts in the country, lawyers (students and professionals), surveyors, members of the police, municipal authorities, the socio-professional sector, among others, analyzed, formulated reservations and made recommendations and proposals on certain aspects dealt with in these two documents tabled in the Haitian Parliament https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-20902-haiti-politics-adoption-of-the-penal-procedure-bill.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-15467-haiti-justice-the-draft-of-the-new-code-of-criminal-procedure-is-ready.html



Once submitted to the Senate Committee and submitted to the Assembly, these comments will be taken into account when voting on these two bills in the Senate, Senator Senatus said.



In her speech, Senator Etienne, anxious to see a deep and equitable justice in Haitian society, reiterated her commitment to take an active part in the steps that contribute to the improvement of our judicial system.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















New Delhi, July 2 (IBNS): Automobile major Hero MotoCorp has welcomed GST regime and even announced slashing of prices by upto Rs 1800 across models.

The company is passing on the benefit of GST to its customers with a reduction in the prices of models across its product portfolio in most of the states from July 1.

The quantum of reduction ranges from Rs 400 to Rs 1800 on mass-selling models, the company said.

"The actual benefit varies from state to state, depending on the pre and post-GST rates. Some of the premium segment models would see a reduction of up to Rs 4000 in certain markets. In one or two states, such as Haryana, where the pre-GST rates were lower than the post-GST rate, the prices of a few models may go up marginally," the company said in a statement.
Guwahati, July 2 (IBNS) : After Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout, Assam government has decided to close all check gates in the state within next 45 days.

Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said GST is an IT enabled taxation system and therefore no need of any human interference in it.

The state government has decided to close all check gates in the state within 45 days, Sarma said.



While attending an interaction programme with the youth and young entrepreneurs on GST organized by the state finance department held in Guwahati, the Assam minister said at present 77,000 people registered under GST in the state and the state government has extended the time for registration up to July 30.



After GST rollout, it will reduce tax evasion cases and people will benefit under it. In first 2 years, the own tax collection will reduce in the Assam like consumer states. But, it will gradually increase. The initial loss to be encountered by the states would also be compensated by the union government. I think the tax collection of Assam will increase double in next five years, Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

GST is a destination based tax system which will benefit consumer states like Assam, Sarma said.



Himanta Biswa Sarma cleared all doubts about the threshold limit of GST which is Rs 10 lakh in the state and said that it is done in the greater interest of Assam.

As all traders will collect tax under GST from consumers, it is obligatory upon them to deposit the same to the state exchequer. However, considering the volume of business carried out by traders in the state, the threshold limit is kept at Rs 10 lakh, Sarma said.



Stating that GST will immensely benefit the common men, Sarma said that all essential commodities are either exempted or kept in 5a category.



The Assam Minister also expressed the view that GST will help industrialization in consumer states like Assam as gradually manufacturing hub will evenly be distributed and augment Revenue collection in the state.



On the other hand, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said oods and Services Tax (GST) is a historic tax reform which will lead to inclusive growth in the country.



Extolling Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his visionary leadership in making GST a reality in the country, Sonowal also reiterated that GST will bring about a paradigm shift in the entire indirect tax system by replacing most of the indirect taxes of Centre and States with a single point single tax.



Sonowal also informed that with the rolling out of GST, corruption and black money will end.



He further highlighted the anti corruption drives carried out in the state which helped in the growth of tax collection Upto 22a.

The Assam CM also informed about engagement of Nodal Officers for GST registration and awareness generation activities at circle level in the state.



Sonowal hailed the countrys spirit of cooperative federalism which made the implementation of GST possible and remarked that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the country would be able to become an economic powerhouse and GST roll out would bring about transparency in the tax regime of the country.



GST would also provide a facilitating environment for the small businesses to grow and consumers to get benefits directly, Sonowal said.

In view of Prime Minister Narendra Modis steps to bring NE to the forefront of the countrys growth trajectory, the Assam CM said that Guwahati would become the gateway to the South East Asia and not merely remain the gateway to the Northeast and State Capital Region would expand the boundaries of the city to encompass nearby areas.

Additional Chief Secretary VB Pyarelal, Central Tax Commissioner Vinay Pauland State Tax Commissioner Anurag Goel werealso present in the programme.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)




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Kolkata, Jul 2 (IBNS): In a rare disorder, a 11-year-old girl from West Bengal's West Medinipur district, has been found with three kidneys after she went to a hospital in neighbouring Jhargram district for recurrent abdominal pain, reports said.

According to reports, Nilima Pratihar, a minor girl from West Medinipur's Lalgarh area, had been complaining of severe ache in her right abdomen for last few months.

Her parents, Arun and Bishnupriya Pratihar, recently took the girl to Jhargram Super Speciality Hospital recently where this disorder was diagnosed.

According to Pranatha Tudu, a doctor of the hospital, the 11-year-old has three kidneys- one in left abdomen like others and two in the right side.

"The patient has three kidneys since her birth and all these are functioning normally." Tudu told IBNS. "Though it's a rare disorder, but there is nothing to worry."

"Following an USG and CT scan of her abdomen, we confirmed the presence of three kidneys, which is medically called super numeric kidney," the physician added.

However, doctors said that the girl can donate one of her kidneys in future if she wants.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha, Image: Facebook)
London, July 2 (IBNS): Less is more when it comes to helping children learn new vocabulary from picture books, according to a new study.

While publishers look to produce ever more colourful and exciting texts to entice buyers, University of Sussex psychologists have shown that having more than one illustration per page results in poorer word learning among pre-schoolers.

The findings, published in Infant and Child Development, present a simple solution to parents and nursery teachers for some of the challenges of pre-school education and could help in the development of learning materials for young children.

Doctoral researcher and co-author Zoe Flack said: Luckily, children like hearing stories, and adults like reading them to children. But children who are too young to read themselves dont know where to look because they are not following the text. This has a dramatic impact on how well they learn new words from stories.

The researchers read storybooks to three-year-olds with one illustration at a time (the right-hand page was illustrated, the left-hand page was blank) or with two illustrations at a time (both pages had illustrations), with illustrations introducing the child to new objects that were named on the page.

They found that children who were read stories with only one illustration at a time learned twice as many words as children who were read stories with two or more illustrations.

In a follow-up experiment, researchers added a simple hand swipe gesture to guide the children to look at the correct illustration before the page was read to them. They found this gesture was effective in helping children to learn words when they saw two illustrations across the page.

Zoe, who has written a blog post about the research, said: This suggests that simply guiding childrens attention to the correct page helps them focus on the right illustrations, and this in turn might help them concentrate on the new words.

Our findings fit well with Cognitive Load Theory, which suggests that learning rates are affected by how complicated a task is. In this case, by giving children less information at once, or guiding them to the correct information, we can help children learn more words.

Co-author Dr Jessica Horst said: Other studies have shown that adding bells and whistles to storybooks like flaps to lift and anthropomorphic animals decreases learning. But this is the first study to examine how decreasing the number of illustrations increases childrens word learning from storybooks.

She added: This study also has important implications for the e-Book industry. Studies on the usefulness of teaching vocabulary from e-Books are mixed, but our study suggests one explanation is that many studies with e-Books are presenting only one illustration at a time.

The study is one of many being carried out at Sussex in The WORD Lab, a research group that focuses on how children learn and acquire language. Previous research has shown children learn more words from hearing the same stories repeated and from hearing stories at nap time.

The authors will be discussing this study and related findings at a British Science Festival event on Saturday 9 September 2017 at Brightons Jubilee Library.

Image: Wikimedia Commons


Ramgarh, July 2 (IBNS): A local BJP leader in Jharkhand's Ramgarh has been arrested in connection with the killing of a man in the state of Jharakhand for carrying beef in a car last Thursday, media reports said.

Alimuddin, also known as Asgar Ansari, was driving his Maruti car while he was stopped by a mob in Ramgarh district and was beaten up. Though Alimuddin was taken to a hospital by the police, he soon died.

On Saturday, police arrested Nityanand Mahto, the media in-charge of BJP's Ramgarh unit along with two others from the house of local party unit chief Pappu Banerjee.

According to police, Nityanand Mahto, 45, instigated the mob which has been witnessed in a video of the incident.

The police said the video shows that the BJP leader was not only present at the spot but he was the one who dragged Ansari out of the van.

As he watched, the mob then thrashed Ansari mercilessly, said police.

The incident took place on the same day when PM Modi condemned the activities of the cow vigilantes while addressing a public gathering in Gujarat on Thursday.

Modi had said: "Killing people in the name of Gau Bhakti is not acceptable. This is not something Mahatma Gandhi would approve."

In a stern voice, the PM hadsaid: "As a society, there is no place for violence. No person in this nation has the right to take the law in his or her own hands in this country." "We come from the land of non-violence," he said, "Violence won't solve any problem."


Patna, July 2 (TheBiharPost/IBNS): Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday said he would do his politics in Bihar only and work for stateas development.

I have to do politics in Bihar only. I have not thought about doing politics outside,  said Kumar addressing his partys state executive meeting in Patna on Sunday.

He said his party had been following the coalition dharma and would always follow it.

He also said he would continue following his own ideology unmindful of its consequences.

At the same time, he reportedly said he was not picchlaggu (those who follow others).

Hamare neta pichhlaggu nahin, dusare log pichhlaggu honge, JD-U spokesperson Sanjay Singh told a Press conference in Patna later, corroborating his leaders stand.

The chief minister, however, has announced to join RJD rally against the BJP if getting the invitation.

(thebiharpost.com)
Kolkata/Asansol, Jul 2 (IBNS): A drunk man allegedly opened fire at a wedding reception in Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate area in West Bengal's West Burdwan district on Saturday night, killing a woman and leaving two others injured, reports said.

According to reports, the incident took place at Kankarshol village under Asansol South Police Station limits at around 10:35 pm. on Saturday.

While all people were dancing at the reception, a drunk friend of groom's brother suddenly fired several rounds of bullets from his single-shot firearm indiscriminately, according to eyewitnesses accounts.

"I suddenly heard 3-4 gunshots while all were dancing on loud music and saw that a woman fell on the floor," an eyewitness said.

Police officials said that at least three persons were shot and were rushed to a local hospital, where one of them was pronounced dead.

"The deceased has been identified as Anita Bauri. Two others- a teenage girl Laxmi Bauri and groom's brother Kishan Bauri- were also injured in the shooting," ADCP of Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate's detective department, Jay Tudu, told IBNS.

"Laxmi Bauri is in stable condition while health condition of another injured, Kishan Bauri, deteriorated and he has been shifted to Mission Hospital," Jay Tudu added.

Meanwhile, following the shootout, locals detained the alleged shooter, Alok Sahi, and handed him over to the police after a mass beating.

"We have taken the alleged shooter in our custody, he is being treated in a local hospital," Tudu said. "We are quizzing the man and our process to recover the firearm, used in shooting, is currently underway."

Police, however, have started probe into the matter to know the exact reason behind the shootout, officials said.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha, Representative image of a gun: Internet wallpaper)
Guwahati, July 2 (IBNS): A new twist added in the Karbi Anglong politics after 8 newly elected members of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) on Sunday met Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati for selection of new Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the council.

The newly elected members of the council had discussed for selection of the CEM with the Assam minister for several hours.



BJP scripted victory of the council polls with sweeping majority by winning 24 seats out of 26.



Meanwhile, the Assam finance minister said the party will decide who will take charge the top command of the council.



A top source of state BJP said that, the saffron party has sought written advice from four MLAs of the hill district for selection of the new CEM.



Earlier several names have been raised for the CEM post, but now only two names have been left in the list and the party will be finalized the name for the CEM post, the source said.



Meanwhile, senior BJP MLA Sum Ronghang, who representing Diphu assembly constituency said that, the people of Karbi Anglong had given mandates in favour of BJP for its fight against corruption.



We need to respect the peoples mandate. BJP will form the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council first time and hope all rounds development would be done in the hill district under the new council, Ronghang said.



The newly elected members of the council will take oath of office and secrecy on July 3.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati, July 2 (IBNS) : Extolling the intrinsic relationship between India and Bangladesh, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal emphasized to ensure that respective territories of both the countries not be allowed to be used for any activities inimical to the other.

The Assam CM expressed this view while taking part as chief guest in the inaugural programme of 8th round of India- Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue which has started in Guwahati on Sunday.



This three days programme is being organized by State Innovation and Transformation Aayog (SITA), Assam in joint collaboration with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Bangladesh Foundation for Regional Studies (BFRS) and India Foundation (IF).



We have common enemies, problems and threats, those have to be combated and fought together. Our common enemy is poverty and together we have to fight that. Our common threats which of course are also a global threat are terrorism and fundamentalism. We have to fight them together and have been working together, Sonowal said.



Stating that terrorism remains one of the most significant threats to peace and stability in the region, the Assam CM urged both the government to commit themselves to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

The Assam CM also highlighted the urgent need to improve market access and remove barriers to trade, including port restrictions on products, to ensure smooth movement of goods across the borders.

Appreciating the initiative taken up by Bangladesh Government for setting up of an Assistant High Commissionerate of Bangladesh in Guwahati, Sonowal highlighted the milestones achieved during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh in June 2015 when as many as 22 agreements were signed by both the countries.

During the visit of PM Modi India extended a US$2 billion line of credit to Bangladesh and pledged US$5 billion worth of investments. As per the agreements, India's Reliance Power agreed to invest US$3 billion to set up a 3,000 MW LNG-based power plant which is the single largest foreign investment ever made in Bangladesh. Adani Power will also be setting up a 1600 MW coal-fired power plant at a cost of US$1.5 billion. The two countries also signed agreement on maritime safety co-operation and curbing human trafficking and fake Indian currency, Sonowal said.

The Assam CM also pointed out some of the issues for resolving through dialogues in the forum which include removal of restrictions in items of trade between India and Bangladesh, particularly through the land route of Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura.

Dredging of Brahmaputra and Barak rivers to make river route navigable throughout the year was also raised by the Assam CM.

Expansion of Optical Fibre Cable connectivity from Agartala to the integrated check post at Akhaura in the Indo-Bangla international border to connect Cox Bazars submarine bandwidth was also raised by the Assam CM.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar, in his speech, emphasized on the shared capabilities that both the countries have to prosper and move forward. Stating that prosperity demands peace, the union Minister advocated to ensure that no sanctuary to be provided to terrorist elements.

Akbar said that both countries are showing a model relationship for mutual growth and pointed out the role played by the visit of Indian and Bangladesh prime ministers to the respective countries.

Saying that 35 agreements were signed during Sheikh Hasina's visit to India and 22 agreements during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Bangladesh, Akbar said that 13 of the agreements are commercial in nature which are expected to bring industrial growth in both the countries.

The union minister also said that Government of India will cooperate with Bangladesh on developing smart cities, setting up of community clinic.

He also said that three more railway lines will be operational in addition to the bus services to Bangladesh and highlighted the potential of river navigation and improving bilateral relationship in power and energy sector.

State Minister for foreign affairs of Bangladesh, Md. Shahriar Alam while speaking on the occasion urged both the countries to cement ties for mutual growth. Stating that prosperous Bangladesh can contribute in the growth of India, the Bangladesh foreign minister urged the Government of India to provide market access for their products.

Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, Alam urged the participants of the dialogue to come forth with newer ideas for maximizing development in both the countries.

Vice Chairman of State Innovation and Transformation Aayog, Assam, Dipak Kr Barthakur, Md. Syed Muazzem Ali, High Commissioner of Bangladesh in India, Captain Alok Bansal, President of India Foundation, Pankaj Debnath, MP, Bangladesh and a host of official dignitaries of both the countries were present in the dialogue.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Kolkata, Jul 2 (IBNS): Three persons, including two women, were run over by a suburban train at Champahati area in Kolkata's neighbouring South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal on Sunday early morning, reports said.

According to reports, three street vendors were hit and killed by a local train at around 6:40 am. while they were trying to cross rail tracks near Champahati railway station in Sealdah-Canning section.

"One male and two females were hit by a local train while crossing rail line near Champahati station. A man and a woman died on spot while another old woman was pronounced dead after she was rushed to a local hospital," a police official said.

"Two deceased have been identified as Pintu Mondal and Mamoni Mondal who were brother-sister and residents of Tardaha area under Kolkata Leather Complex (KLC) limits in South 24 Parganas district," the officer added. "Identity of another killed woman is yet to be established."

Senior officials of the Eastern Railway claimed that illegal occupation of railroad-side areas and habit of crossing railway tracks without following rules led to the accident.

Meanwhile, three persons were reported killed after falling into a septic tank at Post Office Para Pukurdanga area under Chapra Police Station limits in West Bengal's Nadia district on Sunday.

According to local police reports, three deceased have been identified as Bakbul Mullick, Faruque Mondal and Abdul Hamid Mondal.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
New Delhi, July 02 (IBNS) Bollywood actor Rishi Kapoor's star presence glammed up the opening ceremony and the first week of the 8th Jagran Film Festival 2017 in the national capital on Saturday.

The gala event was held in the heart of South Delhi at Sri Fort

Auditorium in presence of acclaimed actors, dignitaries, filmmakers, and cinema lovers.

The occasion of lighting the lamp and cutting the ribbon was done in the company of Bollywood personalities including Rishi Kapoor, Director and Producer pair - Anand Surapur and Punit Desai and the Jagran official team.

During the ceremony, Rishi Kapoor followed by Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, director and producer of The Fakir of Venice, and later, the Morocco Ambassador expressed their views on the Jagran Film Festival as a great initiative to bond people for the love of cinema.

The one-of-its-kind event saw a screening of new and bold narratives, including the special screening of Fakir of Venice and the mega trailer launch of the most anticipated film of the year Mom, which opens in cinema this week.

The critically acclaimed Director and Producer pair- Anand Surapur and Punit Desai were present at the festival for the first screening of The Fakir of Venice. Day 1 also saw the screening of popular Bollywood films including Hindi Medium, Naam Shabana, and the rare European titles-Purple Horizons and Horses of God.

Jagran Film Festival began in 2009 and today it is marked as Indias only Traveling Film Festival, executed in a way to transcend cultural and geographical boundaries of India and unite them for the love of cinema.

Jagran Film Festival has gained immense popularity and each year it attempts to present a treat for cinema lovers by showing unique and popular movies during the show.

Basant Rathore, Senior Vice President, Jagran Prakashan said, I am elated to be a part of the 8th edition of the Jagran Film Festival which is truly Indias only Traveling Film Festival. We have successfully presented a series of local and international film screenings every year, and the fact that many leading personalities of Bollywood embrace the occasion every year to share their passion, views and further engage with cinema, is a testimony to the fact that how much they love this distinguished platform."

On the screening list are famous movies including Hindi titles like Agneepath, Pink, Shivaay, and MS Dhoni: The Untold Story to share few names. Popular English movies such as The Social Network and Black Cat to other foreign language movies like BRAVO VIRTUOSO and The Letter Box will be played across the different venues (of Jagran Film Festival) in India in 2017.

The Kingdom of Morocco is the Country Focus partner at the festival in 2017. This fresh association means a bunch of ten Moroccan feature retreat for cinema-lovers in the 16 cities of India.

Some prominent sections of the Festival are World Panorama, Indian Showcase, Jagran Shorts, Jagran Discovery, Country Focus and the Retrospective of films. The 2017 edition of Jagran Film Festival will traverse from Delhi to the Indian hinterlands of Kanpur, Lucknow, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Dehradun, Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Bhopal, Indore, Hisar, Ludhiana, Meerut, Raipur, and culminate in Mumbai.

Dates: Saturday, 1st July2017  Wednesday, 5th July2017

Venue: Siri Fort Auditorium, New Delhi

Time: 10.00 am onwards

Registrations: www.jff.co.in
Deir Ezzor, July 2 (IBNS): At least two civilians were killed in rocket attack by terrorirts in Syria's Deir Ezzor city, media reports said.

According to reports, the attack targeted residential neighborhoods in the city.

As per SANA report the ISIS terrorists fired a number of rocket shells on al-Joura and al-Qussour neighborhoods, claiming the lives of 2 citizens and injuring 4 others.

Houses were reportedly damaged in the attack.

File Photo: UNICEF/Rami Zayat
New York, July 2 (Just Earth News): Marking the 57th anniversary of Somalia's independence, the top United Nations official in the country on Sunday urged all Somalis to seize a moment of opportunity and work towards peace and stability.

This celebration comes at a moment of political opportunity, and of hope. It should not be taken for granted; such moments don't happen often in a nation's history, said the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia, Michael Keating.

The challenge, he said, is to garner strong and inclusive leadership, as well as meaningful commitment and cooperation, from the people who have the power and influence to make a difference.

Personal agendas must not undermine collective progress, underscored Keating, who is also the head of the UN mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

He urged all national leaders  whether in the public or private sector  to work together, and reiterated the support of the UN and its international partners to for federal and state initiatives to promote justice and human rights, step up humanitarian aid efforts, and develop more transparent and accountable institutions.

UN Photo / Omar Abdisalan

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Pakistan: Van catches fire, 6 killed India Blooms News Service | | #Pakistan, #PakistanVanBlast, #PakistanBlast

Islamabad, July 2 (IBNS): At least six people were killed as a passenger van, in which they were travelling, caught fire near Head Muhammadwala area of Pakistan on Sunday, media reports said.
Ottawa, July 1 (IBNS) At the heart of Canada's story are millions of ordinary people doing extraordinary things, said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau as Canada celebrated its 150th anniversary on Saturday with a celebration on Parliament Hill here attended by Prince Charles and his wife Camilla.

Though marked by a faux pas of Trudeau as he forgot to mention Alberta as the province of Canada, Prime Minister Trudeau said "diversity has always been at the core of our success" of Canada as a nation while Prince Charles commended Canada's inclusiveness and fairness.

Thousands gathered despite inclement weather and cheered at the venue as the Parliament Hill celebration was pepped up by a performance from Bono and the Edge from U2.

"We are celebrating a country that others look to for example," Charles said, adding that Canada is an "example of fairness, and inclusion, of always striving to be better."

"Around the world Canada is recognized as a champion of human rights," he said. Prince Charles was later invested as an extraordinary companion of the Order of Canada, one of the country's highest honors.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau and their three young children were present at the big event along with Prince Charles and Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, besides Governor General David Johnston and his wife Sharon.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau celebrates #CanadaDay with thousands of Canadians on Parliament Hill. #Canada150 pic.twitter.com/92cNvneNXY  CanadianPM (@CanadianPM) July 1, 2017

While Trudeau forgot to mention Alberta as a province as he recited the names, soon the Prime Minister went to the stage and shouted: "I love you, Alberta" and blew a kiss.

U2 frontman Bono and guitarist the Edge entertained the audience who had to put up with long queues to get into the venue.

Bono also cheered Canada for its welcoming of Syrian refugees as he said: "Where others build walls you open doors."

Full text of the Prime Minister Trudeau:

Today, we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation. We come together as Canadians to celebrate the achievements of our great country, reflect on our past and present, and look boldly toward our future.

Canada's story stretches back long before Confederation, to the first people who worked, loved, and built their lives here, and to those who came here centuries later in search of a better life for their families. In 1867, the vision of Sir George-Etienne Cartier and Sir John A. Macdonald, among others, gave rise to Confederation -- an early union, and one of the moments that have come to define Canada.

In the 150 years since, we have continued to grow and define ourselves as a country. We fought valiantly in two world wars, built the infrastructure that would connect us, and enshrined our dearest values -- equality, diversity, freedom of the individual and two official languages -- in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. These moments, and many others, shaped Canada into the extraordinary country it is today -- prosperous, generous and proud.

At the heart of Canada's story are millions of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. They exemplify what it means to be Canadian: ambitious aspirations, leadership driven by compassion and the courage to dream boldly. Whether we were born here or have chosen Canada as our home, this is who we are.

Ours is a land of Indigenous Peoples, settlers and newcomers, and our diversity has always been at the core of our success. Canada's history is built on countless instances of people uniting across their differences to work and thrive together.

We express ourselves in French, English and hundreds of other languages, we practice many faiths, we experience life through different cultures, and yet we are one country. Today, as has been the case for centuries, we are strong not in spite of our differences, but because of them.

As we mark Canada 150, we also recognize that for many, today is not an occasion for celebration. Indigenous Peoples in this country have faced oppression for centuries. As a society, we must acknowledge and apologize for past wrongs, and chart a path forward for the next 150 years -- one in which we continue to build our nation-to-nation, Inuit-Crown and government-to-government relationship with the First Nations, Inuit and Metis Nation.

Our efforts toward reconciliation reflect a deep Canadian tradition -- the belief that better is always possible. Our job now is to ensure every Canadian has a real and fair chance at success. We must create the right conditions so that the middle class, and those working hard to join it, can build a better life for themselves and their families.

Great promise and responsibility await Canada. As we look ahead to the next 150 years, we will continue to rise to the most pressing challenges we face, climate change among the first ones. We will meet these challenges the way we always have -- with hard work, determination and hope.

On the 150th anniversary of Confederation, we celebrate the millions of Canadians who have come together to make our country the strong, prosperous and open place it is today. On behalf of the government of Canada, I wish you and your loved ones a very happy Canada Day.

Image: Twitter/CanadianPM
170th Liberian Independence Day Celebration ~ Historic Stockton Waterfront District blackagriculture [at] yahoo.com) by Khubaka, Michael Harris

At the dawn of the US Civil War in 1862, the United States of America officially recognized the Republic of Liberia. Today, a California ~ Liberian Family Reunion builds on an amazing historical legacy and provides a firm foundation towards unlimited future opportunity of collaborative partnership. From an amazing June 19, 2017 small luncheon gathering of like minds, good fruit is assured for a strong California ~ Liberian Family Reunion, in the Stockton Historic Waterfront District.

The founding of Liberia in the early 1800s was motivated by the domestic politics of slavery and race in the United States as well as by U.S. foreign policy interests. In 1816, a group of white Americans founded the American Colonization Society (ACS) to deal with the problem of the growing number of free blacks in the United States by resettling them in Africa. The resulting state of Liberia would become the second (after Haiti) black republic in the world at that time.



Prominent Americans such as Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John Randolph were among the best known members of ACS. Former President Thomas Jefferson publicly supported the organizations goals, and President James Madison arranged public funding for the Society. The motives for joining the society were vast as a range of people from abolitionists to slaveholders counted themselves members. On the other hand, many abolitionists, both black and white, ultimately rejected the notion that it was impossible for the races to integrate and therefore did not support the idea of an African-American colony in Africa. Still, the ACS had powerful support and its colonization project gained momentum.



In 1818 the Society sent two representatives to West Africa to find a suitable location for the colony, but they were unable to persuade local tribal leaders to sell any territory. In 1820, 88 free black settlers and 3 society members sailed for Sierra Leone. Before departing they had signed a constitution requiring that an agent of the Society administer the settlement under U.S. laws. They found shelter on Scherbo Island off the west coast of Africa, but many died from malaria. In 1821, a U.S. Navy vessel resumed the search for a place of permanent settlement in what is now Liberia. Once again the local leaders resisted American attempts to purchase land. This time, the Navy officer in charge, Lieutenant Robert Stockton, coerced a local ruler to sell a strip of land to the Society.



The Scherbo Island group moved to this new location and other blacks from the United States joined them. The local tribes continually attacked the new colony and in 1824, the settlers built fortifications for protection. In that same year, the settlement was named Liberia and its capital Monrovia, in honor of President James Monroe who had procured more U.S. Government money for the project.



Other colonization societies sponsored by individual states purchased land and sent settlers to areas near Monrovia. Africans removed from slave ships by the U.S. Navy after the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade were also put ashore in Liberia. In 1838 most of these settlements, with up to 20,000 people, combined into one organization. The settlers attempted to retain the culture they had brought from the United States and for the most part did not integrate with the native societies.

Today, about 5 percent of the population of Liberia is descended from these settlers.



The U.S. Government had provided Liberia some financial support, but Washington expected Monrovia to move toward self-sufficiency. Commerce was the first economic sector to grow in the colony. However, French and British traders continually encroached upon Liberian territory. As it was not a sovereign state, it was hard-pressed to defend its economic interests. The U.S. Government lent some diplomatic support, but Britain and France had territories in West Africa and were better poised to act. As a result, in 1847, Liberia declared independence from the American Colonization Society in order to establish a sovereign state and create its own laws governing commerce.



Despite protests by the affected British companies, London was the first to extend recognition to the new republic, signing a treaty of commerce and friendship with Monrovia in 1848. Because of fears of the impact this might have on the issue of slavery in the United States, Washington did not recognize the nation it had played a role in creating. In the meantime, a mass exodus of African-Americans to Liberia never materialized. Though President Abraham Lincoln was open to promoting the idea, several abolitionists in his cabinet opposed it, some for moral considerations and others for the more practical reason of retaining sufficient labor and military forces for the future.



The United States finally established diplomatic relations with Liberia in 1862, at the dawn of the US Civil War and continues to maintain strong ties today. 2017 Stockton Juneteenth began a renewal of our California ~ Liberian Family Reunion and the 170th Anniversary of Liberian Interdependence Day marks a major milestone of a new beginning.


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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

The US embassy in Kabul has denied a visa to 6 Afghan high school students from Herat to accompany their invention in robotics to the United States for a demonstration. The girls made the 500 mile journey from the western city of Herat to the capital of Kabul to apply for visitor visas. They were rejected.

Their project, however, was accepted by The First Global Challenge, which organizes events for teenaged high school students.

The ironies here are rich. These Afghan girls know more about science than the billionaire president of the United States. As residents of Herat province, they are part of a population that has steadfastly resisted extremism. Yet an ignorant, anti-science and Islamophobic White House is excluding them.

We do not know on what grounds they were turned down, but alt-Neo-Nazi and White House chief strategist, Steve Bannon, has implemented extreme vetting for visas issued to Muslims. Afghanistan is one of six Muslim-majority countries that Bannon has successfully barred from coming to the US under most circumstances.

Here are some things that Bannon and Trump do not know about Herat:

1. The people of Herat are for the most part speakers of Dari Persian and they have been bulwarks against terrorism. They rejected the Taliban (a movement that appeals to Pashto-speakers ). They rejected ISIL (Daesh, ISIS).

2. Herat is an ancient city. Herodotus called it the bread-basket of Central Asia.

3. Herat is one of the worlds great cities, which made important contributions architecture and science.

4. Fakhr al-Din Razi (d. 1290), from Herat, wrote on logic and philosophy as well as on: medicine, astrology, geometry, physiognomy, mineralogy, and grammar.

5. Sa`d al-Din Taftazani (d. 1390) wrote four important books on logic and influenced the founder of sociology, Ibn Khaldun.

6. The great Persian poet and Sufi mystic Jami (d. 1412) hailed from Herat. Among his sayings, which Trump should study:
Cenk Uygur, Ana Kasparian, Ben Mankiewicz | TYT Video Report |  

The President of the United States is tight with the owner of The National Enquirer, because of course he is. Cenk Uygur, Ana Kasparian, and Ben Mankiewicz, hosts of The Young Turks, discuss. Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough published a Washington Post op-ed on Friday claiming that top White House staffers threatened the hosts of MSNBCs Morning Joe with a negative story in the National Enquirer unless the hosts begged President Donald Trump to stop it
Marc Knapper

The U.S. Embassy in Seoul plans to hold a reception to mark the 241th Independence Day in the southwestern city of Gwangju on July 3.

The ceremony will include a commemorative speech by Charge d'Affaires Marc Knapper, the acting U.S. ambassador to South Korea, as well as performances with the presence of citizens and city and embassy officials.

It is the first time Gwangju has hosted the annual embassy event which has been held either in Seoul, the capital, or the second largest city of Busan.

The decision reportedly reflects the growing friendship between the embassy and the city.

In January, former U.S. Amb. to Korea Mark Lippert handed over to the city a bundle of declassified U.S. documents connected to the May 18 pro-democracy uprising in the city in 1980 which was brutally quelled by the then military junta. (Yonhap)
This is the second in a two-part series about ROK-U.S. relationship by Park Jin, former chairman of the National Assembly's foreign affairs, trade and unification committee.



By Park Jin





There is no magic solution to the North Korea denuclearization challenge. In theory, all options remain on the table including dialogue and a military strike. There is, however, a basic solution to the problem; the past two and a half decades, since Pyongyang's abrupt withdrawal from the NPT in March 1993, have taught us that what works best is a carefully crafted application of sticks and carrots. Priority should be given to effective sanctions and pressure that will induce a visible change in North Korea's deceptive behavior. Once Pyongyang clearly desists from further provocations and indicates a genuine willingness to engage in an irreversible process of denuclearization, talks can be explored to negotiate specific terms and conditions, schedule a phased and transparent denuclearization scenario, and offer economic and security incentives. For now, North Korea remains its own nemesis in this regard.

China's role is limited. Beijing's economic and diplomatic pressure on Pyongyang may go some length to assist the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, but it will fall short of being decisive. China is not fond of the idea of North Korea as an aggressive neighboring nuclear power. North Korea is not particularly trustful of China either. Nevertheless Beijing is even less fond of the collapse of the Pyongyang regime due to severe sanctions and pressure that may jeopardize the China-North Korea "comradeship" and stability in the region. In that sense, the North Korean nuclear quagmire is China's own making. So long as China prefers to have North Korea as a strategic buffer zone on the Korean peninsula vis-a-vis the U.S. to maintain the status quo, its Korean Peninsula policy will remain unchanged. That is not to say, however, that China is free of responsibilities; Seoul and Washington must continue to urge Beijing to take its share of responsibility to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue for peace and stability in the region. If China fails to do so, it will not only exacerbate the problem but also imperil its own national interests.

The KORUS FTA is a win-win arrangement for both nations. The brainchild of over five years of tough bilateral negotiations, it has served as a model FTA and a global standard. It is simply not right to say that the FTA favors only one side. Given that the KORUS FTA, when it was presented to the Korean National Assembly in the late 2008, was fiercely opposed by progressive groups for fear that it would destroy Korean jobs and degenerate Korea into an economic appendix to the U.S., it is rather ironic that five years on since its signing, the same agreement is being criticized in the United States. The recent increase in the U.S. trade deficit with Korea should be attributed not to the FTA per se, but rather to the global economic slowdown which led to an import fall to Korea in general. The KORUS FTA, however, will increase bilateral trade, including goods and services, reduce the US trade deficit and create jobs both in Korea and the United States. Korea's first import of American LNG and shale gas in large quantities, starting from this year, will bolster energy cooperation between the two countries and contribute to the reduction of the U.S. trade deficit.

Korean companies have for long created quality jobs in the U.S. Leading firms such as Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motors, KIA Motors, and LG Chemical have produced no fewer than 45,000 high-quality jobs in the U.S. through diverse FDIs. American jobs created by Korean firms have increased four-fold over the last five years. The figure becomes much higher if indirect employment in related industries and the supply chain is counted. Over the last five years, Korea's investment in the United States amounted to $37 billion; a rise of 60% since the KORUS FTA came into effect. In 2016, Korean FDI was $12.9 billion _ the highest ever in history. Those Korean firms whose leaders will accompany President Moon on his summit trip, such as people from Samsung, Hyundai, LG, SK and GS have already set up concrete business plans to increase various forms of investment which will in turn increase US jobs.

Korea is the largest buyer of U.S. defense products. According to SIPRI data, from 2005 to 2015, Korea purchased over $8.7 billion worth of US weapons systems, well ahead of the UAE, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Israel that are among the top 5 U.S. military export markets. Such a consistent purchase of U.S. military equipment has been encouraged to maintain close military interoperability for the ROK-US combined forces system. Accounting for the trade of non-military goods and services against the U.S. sales of military equipment, it becomes clear that the U.S. has consistently seen substantial trade benefits with regard to Korea.

Korea is paying more than half of the cost of maintaining U.S. troops in Korea. It spends about 2.4% of GDP on defense; this is a higher proportion than Britain, Germany, Japan, Australia and Canada. The current Korean government plans to increase its defense spending to 3% of GDP. As U.S. government officials have acknowledged, Korea pays at least 55 percent of all non-personnel stationing costs and increases its defense spending by 3 percent to 5 percent annually.

On top of this share of stationing costs as defined by the ROK-US Special Measures Agreement, Korea also adds direct and indirect provisions such as land, manpower, and various fee waivers. Taking these provisions into account, Korea pays around 65% of stationing costs. The Korean government has also covered 52% of the $14.8 billion cost of a base relocation to Pyeongtaek, southwest of Seoul, the largest overseas military base for the United States. The United States financed the relocation of the 2nd Infantry Division and the Yongsan base. Finally, the estimated costs of stationing the U.S. troops in Korea are less than the cost of withdrawing the troops and redeploying them to the U.S.





Park Jin is chairman, Korean-American Association. He can be reached by koreaparkjin@gmail.com
By Doug Bandow





Newly elected South Korean President Moon Jae-in visited Washington. The result could have been a tense meeting with President Donald Trump. Moon mixes skepticism of the THAAD anti-missile system with support for dialogue with the North.



Since taking office the South Korean leader has tried to minimize perceived differences with America, claiming that his views are consistent with President Trump's policy of "maximum pressure and maximum engagement." But while Moon pragmatically tempered his views during the recent campaign, he is an avid supporter of the so-called Sunshine Policy toward North Korea.



Indeed, President Trump reportedly was angered by Moon's criticism of THAAD, which the former declared warranted a billion dollar payment to America. Worse, administration officials suggested the possibility of military strikes on the North, anathema to most South Koreans.



The central challenge for the alliance is North Korea, which has continued to pursue ever longer-range missiles and more sophisticated nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, Washington and Seoul are bereft of useful ideas on how to convince the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to disarm.



Certainly not negotiation. I visited Pyongyang in June. Officials reaffirmed that the DPRK does not intend to surrender its nuclear weapons. North Koreans blamed America's "hostile policy" and promised to match "nuke with nuke." There was not the slightest hint that the North might be willing to bargain away weapons assembled at great cost and risk.



No doubt North Korea has multiple reasons for acquiring nukes. They provide the regime with international status, create a useful tool for extortion, and cement military loyalty to the Kim dynasty.



Still, North Koreans made an impassioned claim of self-defense. They complained that they had faced American nuclear threats going back to the 1950s, noted Washington's penchant for regime change, and cited ongoing threats, including bomber overflights and annual military exercises.



Of course, this account ignores Pyongyang's behavior. Nevertheless, given the fate of Moammar Ghadafi, Kim Jong-un would be foolish to rely on Secretary Rex Tillerson's assurances that the Trump administration does not seek regime change.



What if America's "hostile policy" ended, I asked? The North would consider joining the other nuclear powers if they yielded their nukes as well, I was told. Obviously, if there are talks involving Pyongyang, they won't begin with a DPRK commitment to disarm.



Military action isn't a viable option either. Sen. Lindsey Graham felt reassured since, as he told NBC: "It would be terrible but the war would be over [there], wouldn't be here." The conflict would not "hit America." In fact, the U.S. would be involved and the casualties would be high. Moreover, the war would "hit" South Korea very hardlikely leaving the capital of Seoul in ruins.



Nor are sanctions likely to do the trick. China isn't prepared to join in, since the U.S. has yet to give Beijing a convincing reason to effectively hand over its one ally in East Asia. Anyway, a North Korean collapse would create its own set of international dangers. Moreover, the regime might resist and survive: it endured the starvation deaths of a half million or more people in the late 1990s.



Which leaves the U.S. and ROK to confront a growing North Korean nuclear threat. Once the DPRK develops a reasonably accurate ICBM, the U.S. will be risking Los Angeles, Seattle, and perhaps much more to protect Seoul.



It would be better if Washington and South Korea acknowledged the North's nuclear status and sought to make a deal freezing the DPRK's missile and nuclear programs. The U.S. and allied states can manage a world in which North Korea has 20 nuclear weapons and limited delivery options. If the latter's arsenal expands to, say, 100, along with the range of its missiles, the North's potential for harm will grow exponentially.



Offering to suspend annual military exercises, previously suggested by the DPRK, is one option. Proposing negotiations over a peace treaty and phased withdrawal of U.S. military forces from the South is another. Halting North Korean missile and nuclear development is worth the price. Along the way the allies should explore what Beijing would require to take a more active role.



There are no good options for dealing with the DPRK. Which suggests setting more modest objectives while looking toward a longer-term transformation of the North Korean state. The sooner the allies face nuclear reality in Northeast Asia, the better.





Doug Bandow is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute and a former special assistant to President Ronald Reagan. He is the author of "Tripwire: Korea and U.S. Foreign Policy in a Changed World" and co-author of "The Korean Conundrum: America's Troubled Relations with North and South Korea."
RingCentral, Inc. provides software-as-a-service solutions that enable businesses to communicate, collaborate, and connect in North America. The company offers business cloud communications and contact center solutions based on its Message Video Phone? platform. Its products include RingCentral Office that provides communication and collaboration across various modes, including high-definition voice, video, SMS, messaging and collaboration, conferencing, online meetings, and fax; RingCentral Contact Center, a collaborative contact center solution that delivers omni-channel; and RingCentral Engage Digital, a digital customer engagement platform that allows enterprises to interact with their customers. The company's products also comprise RingCentral Engage Voice, a cloud-based outbound/blended customer engagement platform for midsize and enterprise companies; RingCentral Video, a video meeting service which includes our RCV video and team messaging capabilities and offers video and audio conferencing, file sharing, contact, task, and calendar management. In addition, it offers RingCentral Professional, a cloud based virtual telephone service that provides inbound call answering and management services for professionals; and RingCentral Fax that provides online fax capabilities. The company serves a range of industries, including financial services, education, healthcare, legal services, real estate, retail, technology, insurance, construction, hospitality, and state and local government, as well as others. It sells its products through a network of direct sales representatives, as well as sales agents, resellers, and channel partners. RingCentral, Inc. has strategic partnerships with Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise; and Vodafone Business. The company was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Belmont, California.
The following companies are subsidiares of Rite Aid: 1515 West State Street Boise Idaho LLC, 1740 Associates LLC, 4042 Warrensville Center RoadWarrensville Ohio Inc., 5277 Associates Inc., 5600 Superior Properties Inc., Advance Benefits LLC, Apex Drug Stores Inc., Ascend Health Technology LLC, Bartell Drugs, Broadview and WallingsBroadview Heights Ohio Inc., Design Rx Holdings LLC, Design Rx LLC, Design Rxclusives LLC, Drug Palace Inc., EDC Drug Stores Inc., Eckerd Corporation, Edgehill Drugs, Elixir Holdings LLC, Elixir Insurance Company, Elixir Pharmacy LLC, Elixir Puerto Rico Inc., Elixir Rx Options LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions LLC, Elixir Rx Solutions of Nevada LLC, Elixir Savings LLC, Envision Pharmaceutical, First Florida Insurers of Tampa LLC, GDF Inc., Genovese Drug Stores Inc., Gettysburg and Hoover-Dayton Ohio LLC, Grand River & Fenkell LLC, Harco, Harco Inc., Health Dialog, Health Dialog Services Corporation, Hunter Lane LLC, ILG  90 B Avenue Lake Oswego LLC, JCG Holdings USA Inc., JCG PJC USA LLC, K&B Alabama Corporation, K&B Incorporated, K&B Industries, K&B Louisiana Corporation, K&B Mississippi Corporation, K&B Services Incorporated, K&B Tennessee Corporation, K&B Texas Corporation, LMW  90B Avenue Lake Oswego Inc., Lakehurst and Broadway Corporation, Laker Software LLC, Maxi Drug Inc., Maxi Drug North Inc., Maxi Drug South L.P., Maxi Green Inc., Munson & Andrews LLC, Name Rite LLC, P.J.C. Distribution Inc., P.J.C. Realty Co. Inc., PCS Health Systems, PDS-1 Michigan Inc., PJC Lease Holdings Inc., PJC Manchester Realty LLC, PJC Peterborough Realty LLC, PJC Realty MA Inc., PJC Revere Realty LLC, PJC Special Realty Holdings Inc., PJC of Massachusetts Inc., PJC of Rhode Island Inc., PJC of Vermont Inc., Perry Distributors Inc., Perry Drug Stores Inc., RCMH LLC, RDS Detroit Inc., READs Inc., RediClinic, RediClinic Associates Inc., RediClinic LLC, RediClinic US LLC, RediClinic of DC LLC, RediClinic of DE LLC, RediClinic of Dallas Forth-Worth LLC, RediClinic of MD LLC, RediClinic of PA LLC, RediClinic of VA LLC, Richfield Road  Flint Michigan LLC, Rite Aid Drug Palace Inc., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Corp., Rite Aid Hdqtrs. Funding Inc., Rite Aid Lease Management Company, Rite Aid Online Store Inc., Rite Aid Payroll Management Inc., Rite Aid Realty Corp., Rite Aid Rome Distribution Center Inc., Rite Aid Specialty Pharmacy LLC, Rite Aid Transport Inc., Rite Aid of Connecticut Inc., Rite Aid of Delaware Inc., Rite Aid of Georgia Inc., Rite Aid of Indiana Inc., Rite Aid of Kentucky Inc., Rite Aid of Maine Inc., Rite Aid of Maryland Inc., Rite Aid of Michigan Inc., Rite Aid of New Hampshire Inc., Rite Aid of New Jersey Inc., Rite Aid of New York Inc., Rite Aid of North Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Ohio Inc., Rite Aid of Pennsylvania LLC, Rite Aid of South Carolina Inc., Rite Aid of Tennessee Inc., Rite Aid of Vermont Inc., Rite Aid of Virginia Inc., Rite Aid of Washington D.C. Inc., Rite Aid of West Virginia Inc., Rite Investments Corp., Rite Investments Corp. LLC, Rx Choice Inc., Rx Initiatives LLC, Rx USA Inc., The Bartell Drug Company, The Jean Coutu Group PJC USA Inc., The Lane Drug Company, Thrift Drug Inc., Thrifty Corporation, Thrifty PayLess Inc., and Tonic Procurement Solutions LLC.

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The Rotract Club of Accra Ring Road Central, on Saturday September 19, donated items valued at 2,800 GhC to the Marie Louise Children's Hospital in Accra. The items included drugs, water and drinks for the children. Members of the club visited some of the wards and interacted with some of the children and their parents before officially making their donations to the hospital.

The donation was a continuation of previous charitable efforts by the club to improve the general wellbeing of patients in the children's hospital. Last year they donated items such as buckets for use by the patients and the hospital in general. Based on a need assessment conducted by the club this year, it realized that there was the need to provide certain drugs for families that cannot afford the drugs. The drugs included cough syrups and vitamins.

Rotract is the youth division of Rotary Ghana and it is committed to raising funds for the needy and vulnerable in society. The main objective of the club is for young entrepreneurs or well-to-do youths to give back to the society. According to the Vice President of the Club, the club has three other projects slated for the Rotract Year and he called on the youth to join the club in give back to communities.
Bamako (AFP) - French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday threw his weight behind a planned Sahel force to fight jihadists on a lightning visit to Mali but told countries in the region their efforts had to bear fruit.

Faced with a growing number of jihadist attacks in central Mali which have also hit neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger, the so-called G5 Sahel nations have moved to set up a regional force to tackle the threat.

The aim is to combat the wave of Islamist bombings, shootings and kidnappings in the Sahel, the region just south of the Sahara.

Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen -- an alliance of Al-Qaeda-allied Sahel groups -- on Saturday offered a reminder of the jihadist threat by releasing a proof-of-life video of six foreign hostages.

Joining the heads of state of Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger at a summit in Bamako, Macron hailed the initiative as "a dynamic, a groundswell which France is proud to back".

But, he said, "it will be up to you and your armed forces to demonstrate that the G5 can be effective while respecting humanitarian conventions. The results have to be there to convince your partners."

The force, which will initially count some 5,000 troops, will begin its operations in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger with Macron saying it was likely to be operational by September or October.

With a base in Sevare in central Mali, the force will work alongside France's 4,000-strong Operation Barkhane as well as with MINUSMA, the UN peacekeeping operation in Mali.

At a news conference with Macron, Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita said the leaders had agreed on a budget of 423 million euros ($480 million).

"Each of our states will make a 10-million-euro contribution," he said, noting that the question of funding had taken precedence at the closed-door talks.

The European Union has already made an initial 50-million-euro pledge which Macron said was "the start of a long-term commitment".

Niger President Mahamadou Issoufou, French President Emmanuel Macron, Chad President Idriss Deby Itno and Mali's President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita arrive in Bamako for the summit on the new counter-terror force

On June 21, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution backing the joint counterterror operation.

Chad's concerns

Macron is also hoping for extra support from Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United States, and said he hoped it would be possible to make a French-German funding commitment after talks in Paris on July 13.

Although Chad's military is widely viewed as the strongest of the five Sahel nations, President Idriss Deby has said his country cannot afford to mobilise large numbers of troops simultaneously for the UN peacekeeping mission and also in the new force.

Deby and Macron also discussed the financial issue on the sidelines of the Bamako summit, with the French and Malian leaders both saying the Chadian president had been reassured by the talks.

Laboratory for coordination

France intervened in Mali 2013 to chase out Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists who had overtaken key northern cities. A year later, that mission evolved into Operation Barkhane with an anti-terror mandate stretching across the Sahel.

The new Sahel force will support national armies trying to catch jihadists across porous frontiers, and its operations will be closely coordinated with Barkhane, a source in the French presidency told AFP.

On a visit to Mali in May, French President Emmanuel Macron promised that French troops would remain there "until the day there is no more Islamic terrorism in the region"

Analysts have compared the new force with the Multinational Joint Task Force battling Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, comprising troops from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria.

But the G5 Sahel force will face other problems, with the inherent weakness of the armed forces in Burkina Faso and Mali, while Chad and Niger are already engaged on multiple fronts, said Rinaldo Depagne of the International Crisis Group.

The three-nation border of Liptako-Gourma between Burkina, Mali and Niger, will become a "laboratory" where French forces will work with them before bringing Chad and Mauritania into the mix, he predicted.

The G5 Sahel force's top commander, Malian general Didier Dacko, has said each country's contingent would initially operate on its own soil and gradually shift focus to their mutual borders.
Member of Parliament for Ningo-Prampram in Accra, Samuel Nartey George has kicked against calls for independent probe into the bribery scandal involving Members of the Finance Committee of Parliament.

Head of Legal Department at the National Lottery Authority (NLA), David Lamptey requested then Director General, Brigadier General Martin Ahiaglo (Rtd.) to authorise the release of a total sum of E150,000 to facilitate passage of the amendments in the Act 722, in 2016.

In an email intercepted by Joy FMs Super Morning Show host, Kojo Yankson, Mr. Lamptey indicated the funds were intended to be used to push the bill to ensure its smooth passage by the legislature.

Former Chair of the Committee, James Klutse Avedzi admitted receiving the money but maintained he received only E100,000 from the NLA and not 150,000.

The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and Ghana Anti-Corruption Coalition (GACC) in a joint statement issued Thursday, called for an independent probe into the possible bribery scandal that has hit Parliament and the Lottery Authority.

However, speaking to Joy News, Sam George asserts that, since the bill was not passed into law, the claim that the said money was induce the committee members, is unfounded.

According to him: The environment weve created gives room for people to make speculations that the MPs are corrupt.

He rather said the gesture by the NLA could best be described as lobbying as it is the case in Western Countries instead likening it to bribery.

In the West they have groups that are officially recognized as lobbyists. So if there are lobbyists who are beginning to emerge in Ghana who have a certain policy direction and they think that the way to get is to get legislation by lobbying Parliament [then] why they call it corruption?

MP for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini

However, his colleague MP for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini has stated the development has actually cast a negative image on parliament.

Speaking on Joy FMs weekly news analysis programme Newsfile, Saturday July 1, 2017, Mr. Inusah Fuseini yielded to the call for a probe.

I am tempted to support the need for investigation into the case.

The former Minister for Lands and Natural Resources in the erstwhile John Mahama administration, questioned why the MPs will agree to the NLAs decision to organise the the workshop in Senchi and receive money while the very sitting you are having, parliament recognizes it [and] you are paid allowance.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
The Elmina-Java Museum has received an addition to its permanent collection from Vlisco worth 3000.00 Euros, which details the history of the apparel commonly worn across West Africa and beyond, known as wax prints. The permanent exhibit of the museum highlights photo artifacts of the Black Dutchmen (Belanda Hitam), who were 3080 African soldiers. A very small minority were from Elmina. However, the vast majority were recently manumitted slaves from Ashanti, who were conscripted and contracted as soldiers to fight for the Royal Dutch East Indies Army (KNIL) in Indonesia in the 1800s.

Additional collections document the longstanding relationship between Elmina, the Dutch and the Kingdom of Ashanti. The story of two young Ashanti princes, Kwasi Boakye and Kwame Poku, detailing their experiences in Europe and Indonesia form part of the collection. This piece of Ghanas history is chronicled in the successful novel The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi by Arthur Japin. Other exhibits focus on the Transatlantic Slave Trade, aspects of Elminas own history, examples of Diasporan African cultures in Brazil and India and the 10 - generation genealogy of the Ulzen family covering 4 continents, whose foundation archives this history of Elmina and Ghana for posterity. The story of the Black Dutchmen and the founding of the museum in their honour is told in the historiographical novel, Java Hill: An African Journey, by T. P. Manus Ulzen. The museum also has reference books on this historical period for students of history.

The history of the Dutch presence in Elmina which began in 1637 ended with the transfer of Dutch possessions in the Gold Coast to the British in 1872. A trade agreement, the Elmina Treaty, was concluded between the British and the Netherlands as a result. This treaty was fiercely resisted by Elmina and the Ashantis, resulting in the total bombardment of Elmina in 1872 by the British. This period of British control continued until Ghanas independence in 1957.

The Elmina Treaty shows that there was a thriving trade between the Netherlands and the Gold Coast. This usually happened through merchants like United Africa Company (UAC) who traded in all kinds of imitation batiks from the Netherlands, then later Dutch wax of Vlisco, Dutch gin of Henkes and all kinds of other products. The history of the Dutch wax is described in detail in this additional exhibition.

In unveiling the exhibit, Jan van der Heijden, Secretary of Foundation Afrikaanse Dutch Wax said Your museum now places the history of the Belanda Hitam in a broader perspective of the Dutch presence in the Gold Coast.

The Elmina  Java Museum supports culturally sustainable tourism. It provides tertiary education scholarships for youth in the Kommenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abirem (KEEA) District. It opened its doors to the public on February 15, 2003. It is operated by the Edward A. Ulzen Memorial Foundation (EAUMF) which also runs a medical volunteer program that has supported the work of over 200 healthcare volunteers in the district since its inception.

Its offices are in Elmina, Ghana and Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.

Visits are arranged by contacting the curator, Mrs. Lucy Obeng at 024-468-3599 or by email at [email protected] . Follow us on Twitter @elminajava for regular GH History Moments tweets.

Source:EAUMF; www.eaumf.org ; Twitter: @elminajava
The Inter-ethnic Network for Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, INCRA, said it has read with consternation, an interview allegedly granted by one Chief Allwell Onyesoh, wherein some reviling statements lacking in thought and caution were attributed to him.

The group in an online statement noted that: Ordinarily, our first reaction would have been to ignore the several unaccountable, disoriented and incoherent assertions made by Chief Allwell against the person of Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, the Honourable Minister of Transportation and leader of the Rivers State APC, most of which were baseless and borne out of spite, however, we are constrained to put facts in the right perspectives so the unsuspecting public are not caught in his web of lies.

It reads: Obviously overtaken by envy and greed, Mr. Allwell did not spare any word in expressing his long-standing resentment, aversion and ill-will towards his benefactor. Going through the interview one could note with ease the faulty grammatical expressions and the unrefined choice of words employed to express himself despite his claim of being the most competent and qualified person for appointments in Rivers State. More so, it readily depicts a picture of a man who is envious and embittered about the simple fact that his supposed brother whom he considers his contemporary is now ahead of him and leads him.

This is not a question of competence or incompetence, it is purely an instance of self-absorption, avarice and a deflated ego. Allwell Onyesoh should have known that in the well adjusted person the ego is the executive of the personality and is governed by the reality principle. The reality here is that Amaechi is by default or conscious effort, ahead of him. This is a position he is helpless about and must accept in good-faith.

It is evident that, Chief Allwell has lost touch with the prevailing political realities, otherwise, he would have reckoned with the fact that though Amaechi may be his friend and coeval, he (Amaechi ) is now light years ahead of him and should be seen in that regard.

Mr. Allwell killed off every jot of credibility in his interview when he denied ignorance of an assault on one Nnamdi Nworgu by his supporters believably for his open support for the new political leader of Etche LGA APC. While it may be true that he did not directly attack the said Nnamdi, it is possible that he may have tacitly goaded his boys to do so given the level of desperation he exhibited shortly after he was deposed as the leader of the Etche APC for reasons strongly linked to perennial incapacity.

For the records, it is important for Allwell to understand that his comparison with Amaechi is only to the extent that they were political contemporaries, however, Amaechi has always been ahead of him. For instance, when he was a Commissioner, an appointee in Dr. Odili's government, Amaechi was heading the Legislative arm of government as Speaker of the State House of Assembly. The main reason Wike called him a betrayer and deliberately, with concerted efforts blocked him from reaping where he did not sow during Amaechi's first tenure was because he abandoned his supposed brother and escaped to London under the pretence that he was going back to school during the K-leg saga only to return soon after Amaechi had won his case and became Governor.

It smacks of cupidity that after serving as a Commissioner for Education under Sir Odili's government, Chief Allwell went ahead to accept an appointment as the head of the post primary schools board under Amaechi's government. As a former Commissioner for Education and presumably a "political general" with vast followership, would it not have been honourable to have declined the appointment and recommend one of his numerous followers since he considered the appointment degrading?

But No! The self-serving, self-absorbed, self-centred and self-styled political general of Etche did not find any of his followers worthy of becoming a Board Director. Actuated by greed, Chief Allwell demoted himself. Why does he now turn around to whine years later? Obviously, he is broke as usual.

We closely observed that a significant part of Allwell's interview bothered on trivialities and kvetching. Whining and whingeing over why he was not considered for the post of SSG to Chief of Staff to DG NIMASA, to EDFA NDDC and ED NPA, he has inadvertently underscored his main reason for the diatribes against Amaechi to be driven only by personal gains. Chief Allwell did not fail to impress it on his audience that he thinks so highly of himself as the only person qualified for any juicy appointment in the State, a situation that has constrained us to believe he is in a personality crisis.

Why does Allwell feel more qualified than every other person who has been appointed in his stead? It is funny that the same man who graduated with an ordinary pass grade from the Theatre Arts Department of the University of Jos, thinks himself more qualified and fit to be Amaechi's Chief of Staff over Sir Tony Okocha, a masters degree holder in International relations. By Allwell's claims, Tony Okocha was a greenhorn who lacked the experiential qualifications to man the office of the Chief of Staff, Rivers State Government House. Allwell forgot so soon that at the time he was made a Commissioner under Dr. Odili, he was merely the Chairman of a political party in Etche LGA, the UNCP, whereas, Tony Okocha had gained the requisite political experience needed as he was an Executive Assistant to the Chairman of Council and later a Caretaker committee Chairman in his Obio/Akpor LGA.

We struggled so hard to understand the backdrop against which Allwell Onyesoh expected Amaechi to have declined his Ministerial nomination but we were disappointed by the vagueness associated with that statement. Obviously, Allwell was also expecting to be appointed a Minister ahead of Amaechi, another envy-stricken assertion.

It is hypocritical that after accusing Amaechi of centering his appointments in one Senatorial District, Allwell Onyesoh is also struggling to prove his support for someone from the same Senatorial District to become Governor. And we ask, is Allwell himself not fit to become a Governor?

Clearly, Allwell's assertions are packed full with contradictions symptomatic of a man who has lost his political bearing.

Suprising and worrisome also, is the fact that the titular political general of Etche and Deputy Director-General of the Greater together Campaign Organisation of the APC in the 2015 general elections could not win his LGA on five different electoral windows from the March 2015 Presidential elections, the April 2015 Governorship elections , the March 2016 re-run elections, the December 10, 2016 rerun elections to the December 19, 2016 supplementary elections.

This calls to question the sincerity with which he performed his duties as the Deputy DG of the Greater Together Campaign Organisation. It also suggests a possible and deliberate sabotage of the said elections by the literally disgruntled Allwell Onyesoh in view of his outbursts in his interview. Agreeably, no good strategist would retain such an ineffectual commander who can not produce results.

To advance minority and majority arguments as his reasons for supporting a particular candidate over another shows how politically empty Allwell Onyesoh is. A quick excursion into the cradle of Rivers State's political history reveals that the State has produced indigenous Governors that were from minority ethnic groups. Chief Ada-George and of course Dr. Peter Odili whom Allwell himself served under, were all from the minority yet they became governors.

It beats us hollow down that the self-acclaimed political general could not advance strong, reasonable and convincing argument as to why he prefers a particular candidate over the other, rather than this parochial and lame ethnic sentiment.

It is easy to see that Allwell Onyesoh was economical with the truth or that his memory failed him when he claimed he got nothing while serving under Amaechi. Allwell Onyesoh was impecunious and poverty-stricken when Amaechi picked him up from his lowly state and gave him a new lease on life by appointing him as a Board Director. Of course as you might rightly guess, the profligate Allwell had already squandered whatever wealth he may have made under Odili as Commissioner and was insolvent. We recall vividly that Allwell was particularly noted for his rickety creamy white Crysla salon car, perhaps the only remaining reminder that he was once a Commissioner. Allwell should do well to tell the world how and when he was able to buy the apartment he currently occupies at Amadi Flat in Port Harcourt.

He should desist forthwith from blaming his incorrigible profligacy on Amaechi or anyone else and blame himself alone for his depravity. His lack of prudence was his bane as he was adequately given the necessary encouragement and support under Amaechi's government.

To say promiscuous, is to sound very modest and euphemistic, Allwell Onyesoh symbolises extravagance, prodigality and crass irresponsibility. What better way can wanton wastefulness and improvidence be described than lodging a certain beauty Queen at Sheraton Hotels Lagos for almost a year? Obviously, Our dear political general forgot there's something called a rainy day. Bankruptcy most times is self-inflicted and this is a case in point.

We advise Mr. Playboy, Allwell Onyesoh to put on his thinking cap and try to recall where he abandoned his family. It is unthinkable that a man who seeks to occupy sensitive public offices could desert his family for years without knowing their whereabouts. Allwell is undoubtedly lacking in morals, dignity and discipline; values that anyone seeking to occupy a public office should have.

It is our expectations that Chief Allwell will test his political prowess and popularity by picking up the Gubernatorial forms in 2019, and stop hoping to be spoon-fed with appointments by his political contemporaries.
Accra, July 2, GNA - President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo left Ghana on Sunday to attend the 29th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the African Union, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Summit, held under the theme, 'Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through

Investment in the Youth', and holding from July 3 to July 4, 2017, would examine cross-cutting issues affecting African economies and the opportunities and options that could be exploited for continental transformation.

Significant among the issues likely to be discussed at the meeting include continental trade, AU reforms, peace and security, funding for the AU, and youth empowerment.

President Akufo-Addo is expected back on Tuesday, July 4, 2017.

He was accompanied by the First Lady, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo, Foreign Affairs Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, and officials of the Presidency and the Foreign Ministry.

GNA

By Ken Sackey, GNA
Accra July 2, GNA - A book titled 'Assessment of Media Development in Ghana', which assesses the state of media on diversified issues in Ghana based on the Media Development Indicators (MDI) developed by UNESCO, has been launched in Accra.

The 66-page book prepared by Centre for Development Communication (CedCom), is structured in accordance with the five major categories of indicators defined in the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) MDI publication.

Mr Ibrahim Gariba, the Communications Director of CedCom speaking at the launch of the book at the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) in Accra, said the book spells out: System of Regulation Conducive to Freedom of Expression, Plurality and Diversity of Media, a Level Economic Playing Field and Transparency of Ownership, Media as a platform for Democratic Discourse.

Others, he said, were: Professional Capacity Building and Supporting Institutions that Underpin Freedom of Expression and Infrastructural Capacity is Sufficient to Support Independent and Pluralistic Media.

He said these categories had been discussed extensively to address and shape issues confronting the media.

Mr Gariba said the organisation would distribute 3,000 copies to universities training students in Communication Studies.

Mr Carl Ampah, the UNESCO Representative, said these indicators had the potential to serve as a catalyst and justification for UNESCO's agenda in its media development efforts.

He said 'Media development indicator was a framework for assessing media development in Ghana and the media's contribution to creating and sustaining of a functioning democracy.

'Free, independent and pluralistic media empower citizens with information that enable them make informed choices and actively participate in democratic processes' he explained.

He said the indicators through a holistic strategy looks at all aspects of the media and had gained some recognition among UN agencies, developmental partners, civil societies and some countries.

He cited Brazil, Mauritania, Mozambique and Tunisia among some of the countries that have successfully launched and completed studies on the MDIs.

He commended Ghana and lauded her efforts to follow suit in the launching of the MDIs and believed that it would improve fields of communication in good governance.

Mr Zakaria Tanko Musah, the Head of Department of Print Journalism of GIJ, in a goodwill message advised all journalists to be mindful of the ethics and practice in a responsible and knowledge based atmosphere to raise the image of the profession.

He admonished media organisations to go beyond the Ghana Journalists Association code of ethics and institute an internal code of ethics to check behaviour and conduct of Journalists.

Mr Tim Quashigah, a Senior Lecturer at GIJ, who chaired the event, said he would recommend the book as a training manual to train the students to become professionals in the field of journalism.

GNA

By Kwamina Tandoh/Cecilia Diesob, GNA
Accra, July 2, GNA - Mr Yaw Fosu Danquah, Ledzokuku Krowor Municipal Director of Education, has called on parents and teachers to collaborate and instil the virtues of discipline among pupils.

This, he said, will help prevent the children from engaging in deviant and negative practices which could ruin their lives.

Mr Danquah made the call in an address read for him at the launch of the Silver Jubilee celebration of Queen Jane's School at Buade, near Nungua in Accra.

The four-month celebration is being held under the theme: 'Queen Jane at 25, Quality education our aim, our goal, a Shared Responsibility'.

Some of the activities planned for the celebration which will be climaxed on October 7, are Health Walk, Donation to Orphanages, Career Guidance/Counselling, Workshop for Teachers, Fun Games, Quiz Competition, Clean-Up Exercises, Speech Day and Thanksgiving Service.

Mr Danquah said ineffective parental control is contributing to the high incidence of immorality such as cyber fraud, drug abuse, examination malpractices and other negative tendencies among the youth.

He said there is the need for parents to take full responsibility in the upbringing of their children and desist from shirking their responsibility.

Nii Addo Sasraku III, Nungua Addogonno Mantse, said the emotional development of children was very vital to their growth and development and urged parents to provide their children with all their needs.

He commended teachers and the school authorities for their relentless efforts in ensuring the proper training of children in their care to enable them to become useful citizens.

Alhaji A.B.K. Adams, Headmaster of the school, said the school established some 25 years ago has trained many people some of them occupying key positions.

'The school had been scoring 100 percent every now and then and that even in 2010, out of the 42 candidates presented for the BECE, 33 scored aggregate 10', he said.

Alhaji Adams urged the children to embrace discipline and stick to their books as these are the most important things in lives.

GNA
The draft Bill on the Zongo Development Fund will be sent to Cabinet latest in weeks, Minister for Inner-City and Zongo Development, Alhaji Boniface Abubakar Saddique has announced.

He said, his Ministry is almost done with consulting key stakeholders in the Zongo communities to garner ideas on areas of priority for the Fund.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) prior to the 2016 elections promised to establish the Zongo Development Fund (ZDF) to develop Muslim communities across the country.

Addressing the media in the Eastern Region capital, Koforidua after consultation meetings with the Zongo communities, Alhaji Abubakar Saddique said he will submit a report on his nationwide tour of Zongo communities at the Cabinet meeting.

In the next 10 [days] to 2 weeks, I should complete [the report] and submit it before Cabinet. Then cabinet will submit it to the Minister for Justice and Attorney-General to convert everything into a legal language, the Minister told the media.

He said the government is of the belief that, Muslim dominated communities  popularly called zongos  can be viable tourist attractions when a deliberate effort is made to develop them.

He expressed optimism that, the Bill when laid before Parliament, will not face any major setbacks.

I dont think we will have serious challenges when the Bill is laid before Parliament. And as soon as Parliament approves it, Ghanaians will begin to see the fruits of the Zongo Development Fund, he assured.

The recurring concerns emanating from the consultations so far are education, sanitation and health, the Minister noted.

He however indicated that, his Ministry will not employ the fire fighting strategy in solving the numerous problems within the Zongo communities but, will approach them tactically.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com
Khartoum (AFP) - Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday extended a unilateral ceasefire for nearly four months in the war-torn regions of Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, state media said.

The decision to extend the ceasefire from July 2 to October 31 comes days before the United States is expected to announce if it will permanently lift a 20-year trade embargo on Khartoum.

Sudan's official news agency SUNA said Bashir signed on Sunday an order to extend the ceasefire until October 31, describing it as "part of the government's initiative to bring peace to Sudan".

In June 2016, Bashir declared a unilateral four-month truce in the three regions, where fighting between government forces and rebels has killed tens of thousands of people.

He extended it in October 2016 to the end of the year and again for a month on December 31. On January 15 he further extended it by six months.

The administration of US President Donald Trump is due to decide on July 12 whether to permanently lift the sanctions imposed on Khartoum in 1997 for its alleged support for Islamist militant groups.

Former US president Barack Obama eased the sanctions in January, but made their permanent lifting dependent on Khartoum's progress in five areas of concern during a six-month review period that ends next week.

These conditions include improved access for aid groups, halting support for rebels in neighbouring South Sudan, an end to hostilities in Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan, and counterterrorism cooperation with US intelligence agencies.

The conflict in Darfur -- a region of the size of France -- erupted in 2003 when ethnic minority rebels took up arms against Bashir's Arab-dominated government, accusing it of marginalising the region.

Similar conflicts also erupted in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states after neighbouring South Sudan broke away in 2011.

At least 300,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced in Darfur since the conflict began, the UN says.

Thousands more have been killed in Blue Nile and South Kordofan.
The Brong- Ahafo Regional Minister, Lawyer Kwaku Asomah Cheremeh, has joined the Ghana Bar Association (GBA) and the Judiciary at a remembrance service held in honour of the three murdered High Court Judges murdered thirty five years ago.

The remembrance service held at the Sunyani high court had host of Judges and lawyers in the region in attendance.

The regional minster encouraged judges to always remember their source of judicial authority in their discharging their duties.

Lawyer Asomah Cheremeh urged his colleagues and the general public to use the day to soberly reflect on the unbridled freedom being enjoyed by Ghanaians three decades after the abduction and killing of the three judges during the discharge of their duties.

The Brong Ahafo Regional Chairman of the Ghana BAR Association, Lawyer Alfred Tuah Yeboah, observed that the recent spate of vigilantism is a threat to the rule of and called for radical measures to address it.

He noted that the judiciary must be adequately catered for to enable them discharge their duties well.

Thirty-five years ago, on Thursday, July 1, 1982, the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation reported a news item that sounded routine and unnecessary initially. All Judges, it was announced were to be provided with armed security for their protection.

Soon, it was announced officially that three high court judges and a retired Army officer had been abducted and murdered during the curfew hours of June 30, 1982.

Mr. Justice Fred Poku Sarkodee, Mrs. Justice Cecilia Koranteng-Addo, and Mr. Justice Kwadwo Agyei Agyepong, all Judges of the High Court and Major Acquah, a retired army officer had been most brutally and savagely murdered on the night of their abduction.

In a related development, son of one of the departed judges, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong says he and all other families who suffered the lost have forgiven those who carried out the crime of murder.

Speaking to Journalists after a short wreath laying ceremony at the forecourt of the Supreme Court Complex in commemoration of the 35th Anniversary of the murder of the three honourable High Court Justices, Mr. Agyei Agyepong said the affected families are thankful to God for the Grace to forgive those who were sent to carry out the crime acts.

The suspended New Patriotic Party (NPP) General Secretary Mr. Agyei Agyepong also prayed for the Grace of God for the remission of the sins of the architects of the crime who are still alive.

On lessons learnt, Mr. Agyepong said as a Ghanaian people who have now embraced Democracy, he is hopeful that the Rule of Law and respect for the Judiciary will be upheld at all times and all efforts be made to ensure that the 35 year old crime does not reoccur in our history against as a people.

Source: Space FM, Sunyani
Angry residents in the Nakaseke District of Uganda, on Friday blocked the Gender ministers motorcade in protest over bad roads in their district.

According to Uganda's Daily Monitor newspaper, residents of Nongo Village in Kikamulo Sub-county blocked a village road, obstructing Gender minister Janat Mukwayas convoy. They were protesting poor service delivery in the area.

The minister was in Nakaseke to assess the progress of the Youth Livelihood Programme projects in in the district.

Nakaseke District chairperson Ignatius Kiwanuka, who was part of the delegation accompanying the minister, blamed the protests on political leaders trying to dent the progress made by fellow politicians in the district.

It is unfortunate that Nakaseke is divided with some politicians working to ensure the downfall of their colleagues at a time when our people need services, he said.

The protestors were praising some politicians as they blamed others for the poor road infrastructure in the area.

The minister blamed the protest on in-fighting, misinformation and lack of transparency among local leaders in Nakaseke.

Wrong target

She accused the dissenting residents of targeting the wrong people since the Gender docket is not responsible for maintaining roads in the country.

While the residents have a right to protest against the alleged poor state of the road, the target was wrong. We do not know the schedules for road maintenance in this area, Ms Mukwaya said.

Source:Space FM,Sunyani
A government minister was mocked on social media for urinating in public despite the prime minister's flagship public hygiene drive as pictures of the embarrassing incident were splashed over front pages Friday.

The Times of India said agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh relieved himself against a school wall "flanked by his security guards carrying automatic weapons."

The paper's front page headline said: "Union minister pees in open, sparks row," and along with rivals printed grainy images of the 67-year-old minister standing next to a wall.

The picture was taken in Singh's constituency in Bihar state, the Times reported.

Indian internet users were quick to mock the minister and his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

"Here, the national agriculture minister inaugurating an irrigation scheme in a drought affected region amidst tight security," Rashtriya Janata Dal, a regional political party, quipped as it tweeted the pictures.

"The minister also made a contribution to 'Clean India Mission'," the post added.

'Clean India' is one of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship programmes to improve public hygiene and cleanliness and encourage people to use public toilets.

"Superb... Proud to have an agricultural minister like Radha Mohan Singh who waters the grass himself," Santosh Bharadwaj tweeted.

But Singh's relatives criticised the media for publishing the pictures.

"Urinating is a natural biological urge of a human being, so why are such things highlighted to create a controversy? Are urinals available everywhere?," Sujit Kumar Singh, his son-in-law told The Hindu newspaper.

The minister made no immediate comment.

Source:Space FM, Sunyani
The National Executive Board of GNMTA wishes to extend its greetings to all of its members and the general public.

The world of today is a global village and technology has come to even make it smaller than we expected.

Nursing as a profession has been known to be a noble profession, well structured with rules and regulations.

The Profession is governed by the following stakeholders, GRNMA, N&MC ,COHHETI ,HTIS, MOH ,AND GHS among others.

These bodies have been there to play major roles that would enable us complete our training successfully and become responsible Professional Nurses and Midwives.

In as much as we are made up of many Nursing and Midwifery Training Colleges offering different programs in the nursing fraternity, it doesn't divide us.

GNMTA is the only legally registered umbrella body, the only official mouth piece for all Nursing and Midwifery Training Students across the country in institutions which have been approved by the National Accreditation Board, MOH and N&MC and are duly registered under GNMTA.

It is the only legally registered student association to speak and fight for the welfare of Trainee Nurses and Midwives and interns across the country, an affiliate to its mother association GRNMA.

BUT today, what we see in the nursing fraternity is some attention seeking individuals who form splinter groups within the GNMTA for various reasons, and GNMTA sees this as being in bad taste, which goes a long way to hurt majority of our members.

Governments and other stakeholders are unable to tell which group/association to deal with when it comes to addressing issues concerning the welfare of trainee Nurses and Midwives because there is often confusion about the appropriate association to deal with directly to address our concerns based on the fact that different groups are emanating from all angles and communicating differently on similar issues.

GNMTA is by this notice advising and warning all such groups to desist from treading along that path. We shall not take it easy with any group when found claiming to be fighting for trainees, interns and the RNAC AND RNAP who completed and are still at home awaiting their posting since they are not mandated to serve the one year rotation service.

In this regard, we urge all such persons and groupings to desist from this attitude and note that GNMTA is the only registered association that speaks for all trainees, rotation nurses and NAC and NAP who completed and are still at home.

Any group, when caught claiming to be an association for a particular group of students within GNMTA and can not produce its certificate of registration, will be taken through legal processes by GNMTA in the court of law to indicate that we are not in a jungle.

GNMTA is by this notice also cautioning all trainees and interns (members) that when a group is created for you to be a part of, kindly seek to know the legalities attached to the said association or else you are risking or putting yourself into trouble with GNMTA and allowing yourself to be used by people who are ready to fulfil their parochial interest with their attention seeking attitude, not necessarily the desire for getting solutions to your problems.

We urge our members at all levels to channel their grievances though the Local, Zonal and National offices.

Gnmta will, therefore, like to assure all its members to remain calm and resolute as leadership takes diplomatic steps in getting problems affecting its members addressed once and for all.

A word to the wise they say is enough.

GNMTA will continue to stand for its members through the philosophy of dialogue and nonviolence.

GNMTA: DOING ALL FOR THE HEALTH OF ALL.

THANK YOU.

SIGNED;

NATIONAL PRESIDENT

Batiah Semi-Ulah Santi

0541412215/0205724736.

GENERAL SECRETARY

Deladem Woyi

0208102064/0545066744

NATIONAL PRO

Akugri Gadafi Avokbil

0248401659/0204708376

PRESS AND INFORMATION

Arhin Isaac

0271042505

ALL ZONAL PRESIDENTS;

1.GREATER ACCRA ZONE

Biney Ibrahim

0243153444

2. ASHANTI/BRONG AHAFO ZONE.

Adomah Sammuel

0202364722

3. NORTHERN ZONE

Sugri Abdul-Rafiq

0206671237

4. EASTERN/VOLTA ZONE.

Danny Ambrose Zokla

0244638011

5. WESTERN/CENTRAL ZONE.

Bismarck Kwabla Kpobi

0209001524

Cc:

MOH

GRNMA

N&MC

ALL LOCAL PRESIDENTS

ALL MEDIA HOUSES

From The publicity Department of Gnmta National.
The going has not been easy as it happens in a growing, emerging and evolving democracy.

On the path of emancipation and growth, lonely did we not embark but on the rough and smooth sails many have made significant advancement but where are we???.

What can we boast of on the journey we joyfully screamed, giggled in ecstacy of forgetting the agony we surpassed.

Many lost their lives for high hopes they had should we emerge victorious in our quest to be free but in the hereafter, there is no laughter I guess.

After 57 years of a republic, we have moved from one crisis to the other but at the end of the day who suffers, the poor and vulnerable in society who cannot afford a meal a day.

Below are the factors setting us aback;

1. Confucius Theory

 We have awakened. We are not asleep anymore. Today from now, there is a new African in the world Kwame Nkrumah.

The Confucius theory is the theory of Chinese origin but lets translate it in our current ordeals.

The crisis and despondency of this country is as a result of a confused system and structures not well defined nor spelt-out.

The covetous nature of our citizenry is missing out due to our overly and extreme politicization on issue of national interest.

Ghana lacks a national and developmental agenda but how then do we put our country on the pedestal. Our country is in shambles, how do we build an accelerated economic growth and development coupled with the dastardly lynching and vigilantism.

We must be proactive into accepting that the world is no longer driven by linear change but an exponential change that increasingly attack countries less planned and hit them with recession.

Ghana is indeed missing out and of all the aids what can we boast of, create, loot and share syndrome do we wallow in.

Politicians have crafted a reliable tool to defeat our sense of reasoning which they have soften and won.

2. Growing Youth Unemployment.

We are one of the richest countries in the world but where lies our wealth to turn things around.

What do you expect when a fool sit on treasures, permit me to refer to the third arm of the PNC 2016 manifesto slogan New force and it outlines partys desire to target and empower the youth and constitute them into a socio-economic force to drive change and economic transformation. This idea is based on the fact that the youthful population of the country has so much potential and resourcefulness which have been left untapped and its seriously holding back our development. This force can be catastrophic in its current state toppled with former President Kuffours assertion of addressing youth unemployment because we are sitting on a time bomb.

A scintillating piece of a party that wont win power anytime soon because they are also fraught with leadership challenges.

As a country, we have often borrowed to consume than to create wealth and businesses to address the challenges of our young population.

I am always saddened to hear our leaders resort to us to take advantage of emerging opportunities which is literally so because the public space cannot absorb us all but that cannot be done without the implementation of strategic modules to integrate the youth.

Ghana is missing out on the fishing effect of always giving us food from the bait which cannot sustain the growing population but in actual fact we must be placed on a fishing expedition of how to hunt for fish, process, market and sell the fish for future upkeep and generational employment opportunities for others.

I sense a revolution if the growing impasse of unemployment is not addressed.

The youth of Ghana are now engaging in obscure vices of prostitution, armed robbery, and cyber fraud to get a daily meal. We have drifted from our values as a people.

3. Corruption

Corruption is a canker that has ripped and raped many beautiful dreams of young Ghanaians but we praise, celebrate and eulogize corrupt practices especially by the political class. It is only politicians that pick grapes from thistles.

Corruption in Ghana is like a solid dirt on the cloth of a mad man that eats, bite and attack the already shrinked skin.

According to the auditor general, 3 billion dollars is lost annually to corruption.

Politicians abuse the procurement authority to benefit their party treasury at the expense of the poor and vulnerable in society. The famous Elvis Afriyie Ankrah Brazil saga, GYEEDA and the current Alfted Obeng contaminated fuel.

Politicians who are found to have embezzled state funds are made to refund without interest and in most of the cases no punitive sanctions are meted out to them to deter others from engaging in similar factions, it is indeed sickening.

The recent postulations by Alban Bagbin a revered law maker and the second deputy speaker of parliament suggest to me we have lost our moral fibre in the fight against corruption.

I never believed in the outgone administration in the fight against corruption neither do I believe in the current administration because it suggest to me they are in a coalition coarse to dupe this country. How do I believe in an administration that has mortgaged our untapped resources for a chicken chinese loan at the expense of the suffering and future generations to implement political party manifesto promises coupled with huge ministers and ministries in our economic turbulence.

4. Poor Structures.

It is time to restore our lost national dignity.

It is risible how we have lost hope and direction in our confused structures laid-down.

Ghana can boast of one of the best human resource base but of what benefit have we gained. We are not discipline as a country because everything is done haphazardly.

I read with disdain the scandal that rocked the tepa nursing training school. The scandal shows our poor supervisory role in the public space, no punitive sanctions are professed on offenders all because they are our political aparachiks, favoritism and nepotism.

The very organs of government meant to protect us have veered in the villain acts;

a. The legislature is supreme in matters of law but they are contemptuous of the very laws they have made. The famous P.C. Appiah Ofori vodafone $5000 deal, Martin Amidu who has on countless of occasions chastise the very house who made him who he is today on the basis of corruption. Alban Bagbin a revered law maker who has always undermined the integrity of parliament, I doubt if they have any.

b. The famous aponkye nkakra corrupt ridden judiciary that have thrown rheir integrity to the dogs through the infamous Anas expose, judges traded justice for money, goat and other little personal belongings.

c. The unshakable executive that has already collapsed its foundation by abusing the procurement authority, GYEEDA rings a bell, the exercise of unhealthy judicial powers, GITMO 2 rings a bell with its poor judicial interpretation led by Justice Sophia Akuffo to make an illegality legal. All are done to benefit their political purse.

We must make an introspection in our 57 years as a republic and our going after 60 years of independence.

Robert Dambo

0548886445

0207400274
02.07.2017 LISTEN

Accra, July 2, GNA - Over 800 alumni of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) at the weekend, attended the biggest maiden national alumni reunion held at the Aviation Social Centre in Accra.

Dubbed:' UCC Alumni ReConnect", the event was held under the theme:" UCC Let's Rise to Our Call".

It was a collaborative work of the University's Institutional Advancement Office (IAO) and the UCC Alumni Association.

The UCC Alumni ReConnect saw old students, who successfully passed through the university from the 1960s to 2017 academic years, meeting to play games, network, share memories and deliberate on how to make UCC more viable in pursuit of its vision.

Nana Kusi Appiah, the President of the UCC Alumni Association, said the event formed part of the Association and the IOA's vision to foster a significant relationship between the University and the old students and solicit support towards the development of UCC.

Mr Appiah said the alumni body of every university was a great asset for its development and the Association would enhance the engagement with old students.

Professor George K. T Oduro, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of UCC, said plans are far advanced to create an enabling environment for collaboration between the University and the alumni body for development.

Prof Oduro said the creation of the IAO which sought to deepen partnerships between the institution and other significant bodies including the Alumni Association for infrastructural and academic growth was as a result of the effort.

He said the University, through the IAO, would draw on the expertise of all interested parties who would find it significant to contribute to the school's academic, research and economic development to propel its vision of becoming the 'University of Competitive Choice.

'Let me reiterate that the management of UCC values you all. We believe that your contribution and involvement in decision making concerning the growth of the University would significantly increase the reputation of the University nationally and internationally,' he said.

He said the University was working assiduously to pursue quality academic standards that would ensure that students are equipped with relevant knowledge for the world's growing industry.

Prof Oduro, who is also an alumnus of the University, called on the public to maintain their confidence in the UCC, saying since its establishment, the University has chalked remarkable feats and it would continue to pursue high academic standards.

Mr Joe Mensah, the Member of Parliament of Kwesimintsim, who is a 1992 Alumnus of the University, expressed joy at the attendance of the event saying 'it is nice to meet old school friends and network among ourselves.'

Mr Mensah called on other Alumni who could not attend the event to participate in subsequent ones and urged young alumni who participated to take advantage of the opportunity to seek mentorship from older ones.

The event, which was coloured with inter-halls fun games, live band, UCC house of parliament sitting and photo exhibition, was climaxed with a thanksgiving service at the Christ the King Parish in Accra. GNA

By Gideon Ahenkorah, GNA
- A new video of Boko Haram terrorists has emerged

- In the video, the terrorists were spotted celebrating Sallah

- The video also shows little children who are members of the dreadful sect

The Abubakar Shekau faction of Boko Haram terrorists has released a new video of how its members celebrated the recently concluded Sallah festival.

In the video released by Sahara Reporters, some of the terrorists could be seen observing the obligatory prayer for the Eid celebration.

The video also showcases a child soldier with heavy weapons, boasting about his involvement in the sect and his readiness to fight with the dreaded terrorist group.

READ ALSO: Police parade vigilante for alleged ritual killing

Watch video of the terrorists celebrating Sallah below:

A child soldier in the Sambisa forest.

Recall that Legit.ng reports that Abubakar Shekau, through journalist Ahmed Salkida recently released a video admitting that his sect abducted some female police officers.

The women were on their way to a burial ceremony when their vehicle was ambushed by the sect on Maiduguri-Damboa road on June 20th.

Some of the terrorists with little children in the midst.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

The Nigerian police initially denied the abduction of some of its officers by the sect but later admitted the truth on June 30 that two of its personnel and a civilian were abducted by the group.

The women were reportedly on their way to bury a late police officer, Sgt Rahila Antikirya when the unfortunate incident occurred.

Meanwhile, Boko Haram terrorists reportedly killed eight Chadian soldiers during a fierce clash at the weekend.

The incident occurred on islands on Lake Chad, which borders four countries on the edge of the Sahara, Guardian reports.

Chads army confirmed the incident on Monday, June 26. Its spokesman, Colonel Azem, disclosed that eight soldiers were killed and another 18 were wounded.

Watch this video of how the Nigeria Air Force recently attacked a Boko Haram base:

Source: Legit.ng
- South East leaders have shown their support for Nigeria to remain as one

- The leaders call the Nigeria government to however restructure the nation's governance

- The leaders further called for the implementation of the 2014 National Conference recommendations

South East leaders came together on Saturday, July 1 to announced their support for Nigeria to remain as one while calling for the country to be restructured.

The leaders met at Nike Lake Resort Enugu on Saturday night to deliberate on the agitation for secession coming from some part of the region.

In attendance at the meeting was governors from the region, National Assembly members from the zone, Ohaneze Ndigbo and selected Igbo leaders of thought.

The meeting was convened by the governor of Eboyi state, David Umahi, and the leadership of Ohaneze.

READ ALSO: Pastor Adeboye, Oyedepo, Kumuyi, others kick against compulsory Islamic studies in school

The communique reads: Ndigbo are in support of a united Nigeria where peace, love, fairness, justice, equity and equality of opportunity are paramount regardless of creed, ethnicity, gender, or political affiliation.

Igbo leaders lend their full support to the restructuring of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the basis of fairness and equity.

"We therefore call on the Federal Government and all Nigerian leaders to commence a process of dialogue among Nigerians on the modalities of achieving this pressing question within a reasonable frame time.

Ndigbo support the report of the National Conference of 2014 and urge the Federal Government to set up structures that will enable the implementation of same within a reasonable time."

While condemning hate speeches from any part of country, the Igbo leaders said henceforth only the governors, the South-east National Assembly caucus and the Ohaneze can speak for the zone on any political matters.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

The statement on who speaks for the Igbos appears a response to the increasing popularity of the indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and its leader, Nnamdi Kanu.

In their statement after the late night Saturday meeting, however, the south-east leaders said they condemn all the hate speeches and constructs emanating from any segment of Nigeria.

The South East governors, members of the National Assembly from the South East and leadership of Ohaneze Ndigbo should henceforth constitute the official organs that will speak on behalf of Ndigbo on political matters.

The South East leaders in consultation with leaders from all parts of the country will engage the federal government on all areas of concerns to Ndigbo as a whole."

Meanwhile, the chairman of the South East Council of Traditional Rulers, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya has vowed that the Igbos would not leave the northern part of the country due to the threats by some northern youth groups asking them to vacate the north.

Speaking at his palace on Friday, June 30, the revered monarch insisted that every Nigerian is free to live and do legitimate business in any part of the country he wishes.

He made the comments at two different events while receiving a delegation of the Ohaneze Ndigbo Youth Council (OYC), Imo state branch and the Association for Media Communication Development.

Watch video of Legit.ng exclusive talk with Nnami Kanu on Biafra agitation:

Source: Legit.ng
- APC chieftain, Charles Udo Udeogaranya, says Nigerians are demanding for more from President Buhari

- Udeogaranya suggests that it would be better for a young Nigerian to take over the leadership of the country in 2019

- The APC chieftain states that restructuring is not the solution to Nigerias problem

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Charles Udo Udeogaranya, has suggested that President Muhammadu Buhari should hand over power to a younger candidate in 2019.

READ ALSO: Pastor Adeboye, Oyedepo, Kumuyi, others kick against compulsory Islamic studies in school

Charles Udo Udeogaranya made the suggestion in an interview with the Sun published on Sunday, July 2.

The politician said though president Buhari had given his best, the fact that Nigerians are demanding for more might require the president to hand over to a much younger candidate.

He said:If you seek the opinion of majority of Nigerians, President Buhari has given his best, but Nigerians are clamouring for more. President Buhari had said himself that he would have wished the Presidency came to him at a younger age.

"In other words, the President is saying, its over as I am concerned in delivering the kind of quality leadership that Nigerians are yearning for.

"This is my personal interpretation and I am not trying to impose it on him. But my import from it is that a young Nigerian should take over the leadership of the country. So, one can say that the opinion of the national chairman of our great party is not a popular opinion among Nigerians."

Reacting to the call for restructuring of the country, Udeogaranya said restructuring was not the solution to Nigerias problem.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

He noted that the problems of the country had more to do with the Nigerian leaders than the current structure or system of government being practiced.

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) says President Muhammadu Buhari is fast recovering from his illness contrary to allegations that he is on life support.

The national chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun, gave the assurance in Abuja on Friday, June 30, while speaking with newsmen at the end of a meeting between the party`s national working committee (NWC) and state governors elected on the partys platform.

Oyegun, however noted that Buhari will only return to the country after his doctors abroad certify him fit to do so, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerians what they have to say about the president being away from the country for a long while.

Source: Legit.ng
- A group named the Nigerian Youth Advocate for Justice threatens to lead seven million youths to force President Buhari out of office if he fails to resign in 8 weeks

- The groups chairman, Seriki Olorunwa, says the prevailing health condition of the president has made it impossible for him to govern the country

- The youths state that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has subjected Nigerians to humiliation because of its self-serving activities

A group, the Nigerian Youth Advocate for Justice has given President Muhammadu Buhari an eight-week ultimatum to either resign or form an interim government following his absence from the country for more than 53 days.

READ ALSO: Pastor Adeboye, Oyedepo, Kumuyi, others kick against compulsory Islamic studies in school

The group warned that if the president fails to comply with the ultimatum, it would lead seven million youths in 22 states to force him out of office, Guardian reports.

The groups chairman, Seriki Olorunwa, said the prevailing health condition of the president had made it impossible for him to govern the country.

We urge the Senate, House of Representatives, state house of assemblies and parastatals to persuade Mr. President to resign and hand over to an interim president in the interest of Nigerians, group said.

Though the youths pledged not to shed any blood, they however noted that they were prepared to fight than to live as slaves.

We are speaking with one voice for the masses because we want the progress of the people.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

The group said the All Progressives Congress (APC) had subjected Nigerians to humiliation because of its self-serving activities.

The youths complained that that killing, kidnapping and robbery have become the order of the day in the present-day Nigeria.

Meanwhile, the APC has said President Muhammadu Buhari is fast recovering from his illness contrary to allegations that he is on life support.

The national chairman of the party, John Odigie-Oyegun, gave the assurance in Abuja on Friday, June 30, while speaking with newsmen at the end of a meeting between the party`s national working committee (NWC) and state governors elected on the partys platform.

Oyegun, however noted that Buhari will only return to the country after his doctors abroad certify him fit to do so, The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerians what they have to say about the president being away from the country for a long while.

Source: Legit.ng
- Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has for London to visit her husband

- President Muhammadu Buhari had on May 10 left for UK for the treatment of undisclosed ailment

- Mrs Aisha had last month visited her husband in London following the president illness

Wife of the President, Mrs. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari has left Abuja to visit her ailing husband in London.

Nigerian Tribune reports that a statement issued by Suleiman Haruna, Director of Information to the Wife of the President, she jetted out on Sunday July 2.

READ ALSO: Ex-minister attacks Nnamdi Kanus IPOB, reveals why Igbos should dissociate themselves from the group

Legit.ng however gathered that Mrs Buhari would stop over in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to make a symbolic appearance at the meeting of the Organisation of African First Ladies against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA) on Monday July 3, 2017.

BREAKING: Again, Aisha Buhari returns to London to visit ailing husband

The statement said she was on the London trip to visit her husband and convey the goodwill and prayers of Nigerians to him.

The statement said: She will convey to the President the best wishes of Nigerians and their fervent prayers for his quick recovery.

It added: She will join other members to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the Organisation, and use the opportunity to reiterate the voting rights of Nigeria in the upcoming elections of the Organisation.

She will continue her journey to the United Kingdom on Tuesday, July 4, 2017.

PAY ATTENTION: Read the news on Nigerias #1 news app

Aisha returned from a similar trip about a month ago, telling Nigerians on her arrival that President Buhari was recuperating fast and had thanked Nigerians for their prayers.

Mr. President thanked the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo for his loyalty and called on Nigerians to continue to support the acting President in his effort to actualise the mandate of the All Progressives Congress, she said.

Legit.ng had earlier reported that a group, the Nigerian Youth Advocate for Justice has given President Muhammadu Buhari an eight-week ultimatum to either resign or form an interim government following his absence from the country for more than 53 days.

In the video below, Legit.ng TV asked some Nigerians what they have to say about the president being away from the country for a long while.

Source: Legit.ng
Chinas launch of a new heavy-lift rocket, the Long March-5 Y2, carrying what the government said was its heaviest ever satellite, failed on Sunday. The same rocket type had been expected to take Chinas latest lunar probe to the Moon this year and to return with samples. It is not clear how the timetable for that mission could be affected by the failed launch.

Last year, China had a successful launch of its first Long March 5.
Reprinted from www.dailykos.com by Keith Pickering

If you haven't seen Friday's Wall Street Journal, there are two huge developments in the Trump/Russia story. First, a GOP operative named Peter W. Smith actively recruited people to help obtain Hillary Clinton's private emails; and according to Smith, he was working with Trump campaign adviser Michael Flynn in this attempt. Smith told the Journal this for attribution before his death in May -- yet another odd death of a witness connected with the Trump/Russia story. Further, according to the Journal report:

" investigators have examined reports from intelligence agencies that describe Russian hackers discussing how to obtain emails from Mrs. Clinton's server and then transmit them to Mr. Flynn via an intermediary ...

You can hear an early take from Chris Hayes and Rachel Maddow in this diary by Eric Nelson. But that's all background for "

The Latest BOMBSHELL:

This evening on the Lawfare Blog, UK cyber-analyst Matt Tait reveals in great detail how he himself was recruited by Peter W. Smith to verify the accuracy of emails, purportedly from Clinton's server, that Smith had either obtained or was negotiating to obtain from an operative on the Deep Web.

Smith set up a dummy corporation to run the effort in order to avoid US campaign finance regulations, according to documents that Tait was sent by Smith.

Tait warned Smith repeatedly that any such hacked emails might be from Russian sources, but Smith was completely unconcerned about that possibility.

Smith was very well connected with Flynn and other highly placed persons in the Trump campaign, according to Tait, and frequently revealed intimate details of conversations and thinking of Flynn and the campaign that he could not have gotten otherwise.

Other persons listed in documents Tait was sent by Smith:

The first group, entitled "Trump Campaign (in coordination to the extent permitted as an independent expenditure)" listed a number of senior campaign officials: Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway, Sam Clovis, Lt. Gen. Flynn and Lisa Nelson.

In the end, Tait saw no such hacked emails, and was dropped by Smith after refusing to sign a non-disclosure agreement. And indeed, it wasn't until the WSJ story appeared this morning that Tait put two and two together and came forward with his story.

Shoes are beginning to drop, folks.
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From Paul Craig Roberts Website

Seymour Hersh, America's most famous investigative reporter, has become persona non grata in the American Propaganda Ministry that poses as a news media but only serves to protect the US government's war lies. Among his many triumphs Hersh exposed the American My Lai massacre in Vietnam and the Abu Ghraib torture prison run by the Americans in Iraq. Today his investigative reports have to be published in the London Review of Books or in the German Media.

From Hersh's latest investigative report, we learn that President Trump makes war decisions by watching staged propaganda on TV. The White Helmets, a propaganda organization for jihadists and the "Syrian opposition," found a gullible reception from the Western media for photographs and videos of alleged victims of a Syrian Army sarin gas attack on civilians in Khan Sheikhoun. Trump saw the photos on TV and despite being assured by US intelligence that there was no Syrian sarin gas attack, ordered the US military to strike a Syrian base with Tomahawk missiles. Under international law this strike was a war crime, and it was the first direct aggression against Syria by the US which previously committed aggression via proxies called "the Syrian opposition."

Reporting on his sources, Hersh writes: "In a series of interviews, I learned of the total disconnect between the president and many of his military advisers and intelligence officials, as well as officers on the ground in the region who had an entirely different understanding of the nature of Syria's attack on Khan Sheikhoun. I was provided with evidence of that disconnect, in the form of transcripts of real-time communications, immediately following the Syrian attack on April 4."

The belief that sarin gas was involved in the attack comes from what appears to be a gas cloud. Hersh was informed by US military experts that sarin is oderless and invisible and makes no cloud. What appears to have happened is that the explosion from the air attack on ISIS caused a series of secondary explosions that produced a toxic cloud formed by fertilizers and chlorine disinfectants that were stored in the building that was hit.

US officials spoke with Hersh, because they are disturbed that President Trump based a war decision on TV propaganda and refused to listen to the detailed counter-assessments of his intelligence and military services. A national security source told Hersh: "Everyone close to him knows his proclivity for acting precipitously when he does not know the facts. He doesn't read anything and has no real historical knowledge. He wants verbal briefings and photographs. He's a risk-taker. He can accept the consequences of a bad decision in the business world; he will just lose money. But in our world, lives will be lost and there will be long-term damage to our national security if he guesses wrong. He was told we did not have evidence of Syrian involvement and yet Trump says: 'Do it."'

Concerns about Trump's purely emotional reaction to TV propaganda persist. Hersh reports that a senior national security adviser told him: "The Salafists and jihadists got everything they wanted out of their hyped-up Syrian nerve gas ploy" (the flare up of tensions between Syria, Russia and America). The issue is, what if there's another false flag sarin attack credited to hated Syria? Trump has upped the ante and painted himself into a corner with his decision to bomb. And do not think these guys are not planning the next faked attack. Trump will have no choice but to bomb again, and harder. He's incapable of saying he made a mistake."

As we know, the White House has already released a statement predicting that Assad is preparing another chemical attack, for which, the White House promises, he will "pay a heavy price." Clearly, a false flag attack is on the way.

By all means, read Hersh's report. It reveals a president who makes precipitious decisions likely to cause a war with Russia.

I do not doubt Sy Hersh's integrity. I accept that he has accurately reported what he was told by US officials. My suspicions about this story do not have to do with Hersh. They have to do with what Hersh was told.

Hersh's report puts Trump in a very bad light, and it puts the military/security complex, which we know has been trying to destroy Trump, in a very good light. Moreover, the story strikes me as inconsistent with the subsequent attack on the Syrian fighter-bomber by the US military. If the Tomahawk attack on the Syrian base was unjustified, what justified downing a Syrian war plane? Did Trump order this attack as well? If not, who did? Why?

If national security advisers gave Trump such excellent information about the alleged sarin gas attack, completely disproving any such attack, why was he given such bad advice about shooting down a Syrian war plane, or was it done outside of channels? The effect of the shootdown is to raise the chance of a confrontation with Russia, because Russia's response apparently has been to declare a no-fly zone over the area of Russian and Syrian operations.

How do we know that what Hersh was told was true? What if Trump was encouraged to order the Tomahawk strike as a way of interjecting the US directly into the conflict? Both the US and Israel have powerful reasons for wanting to overthrow Assad. However, ISIS, sent to do the job, has been defeated by Russia and Syria. Unless Washington can somehow get directly involved, the war is over.

The story Hersh was given also serves to damn Trump while absolving the intelligence services. Trump takes the hit for injecting the US directly into the conflict.

Hersh's story reads well, but it easily could be a false story planted on him. I am not saying that the story is false, but unless we learn more, it could be.

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The well-known journalist, Seymour Hersh, has published an article in the German newspaper Die Welt refuting President Trump's assertions blaming the Syrians for the chemical incident at Khan Shaykhun on April 4th. Worse, it accuses him of ignoring the intelligence that supported the Syrian and Russian version of events. Mr. Hersh says his source is senior U.S. intelligence operatives.



The subsequent bombing of Syria (after informing them and the Russians of the target) was mostly theatrical although lauded at home. In the eyes of many, it made Trump president -- political gain trumps truth.



The episode reprises his cynicism and an ability to ride a wave, as in the notorious 'birther movement' contesting President Barack Obama's birthplace. And the same character flaw was apparent in the election as Mr. Trump shamelessly exploited a fear of the other to secure victory. The result has been a climate of hate and an exponential increase in hate crimes.




Widespread corruption of the Israeli courts alleged in reports filed with UN Human Rights Council

The reports, which focus on the study of e-government systems, provide a long series of cases, where the courts produced false and misleading records, which were used for deprivation of rights.







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Tel-Aviv, June 29, 2017 - Human Rights Alert (NGO) filed reports (Submission or about 3,000 words and Annex of over 350 pages) for the Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights in Israel by the UN Human Rights Council. The reports are titled: "Incompetence and/or corruption of the courts and the legal profession, and discrimination by law enforcement in Israel". [i]

The Universal Periodic Review is conducted by the UN Human Rights Council for every member nation every 4 years. Israel's current review session of starts now, a process which involves the Israeli Foreign Ministry and other nations, and will conclude in a session in January 2918 in Geneva. In the previous cycle (2013) Israel initially tried to boycott the process, but eventually consented to participate under international pressure. [ii]

The Human Rights Alert (NGO) reports focus on deceit and breach of trust by judges and attorneys, related to judicial and legal records, particularly electronic court records, generated in new invalid IT systems of the courts. The reports emphasize the importance of studying and monitoring of e-government systems, which today provide unique insights into the true nature of the regime. The reports also raise concerns regarding collusion and/or acquiescence of world-renowned Israeli informatics experts in conditions that have been established in Israel over the past couple of decades, concomitant with the implementation of new e-government systems.

The Human Rights Alert reports pertain only to conduct of the Israeli courts within the 1967 borders, and avoid any discussion of Human Rights in the Palestinian territories. The reports provide a long list of cases as evidence of serious violations of Human Rights by the Israeli justice system itself.

The case of Ukrainian citizen, Roman Zadorov, who is confined in Israel, purportedly after being convicted of murder, but with neither valid, enforceable Verdict nor Sentencing records, and with no Arrest Decree (prescribed by Israeli law for admitting a convict to prison) at all, is probably the most notorious of the cases in the Submission and Annex. [iii]



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Figures. The Jew Mendel Beilis was falsely prosecuted and falsely convicted of the murder of a boy in the Ukraine a century ago. The Christian, Ukrainian Roman Zadorov was prosecuted and purportedly convicted in the 2006 murder of a girl in Israel.

Law professor Boaz Sangero wrote: "Conviction with no real evidence."

Law professor Mordechai Kremnitzer wrote: "Conduct of the State Prosecution in the Zadorov case is scary, it is not conduct of Prosecution, which is seeking the truth... Adding to that the Supreme Court' stance and the Attorney General's conduct in recent years, one is left with a justice system, which is primarily defending itself."

_____

The case of Joelle Ben-Simon, who was subjected to compulsory psychiatric hospitalization after she protested judicial corruption in front of the office of Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, presents evidence of both judicial corruption and retaliation against those, who protest judicial corruption. [iv]



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Figure. Joelle Ben-Simon was confined in compulsory psychiatric hospitalization after she protested against corruption of the Jerusalem Family Court in front of Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked's office. The medical records note that the compulsory psychiatric hospitalization is "coordinated" by Attorney Yael Kutik, a senior Ministry of Justice officer.

______



The reports provide extensive documentation of unprecedented protest against corruption of the justice system in recent years both by the public at large and by experts, on the one hand, and harsh retaliatory measures against social protest activists and whistle-blowers against corruption of the justice system, on the other hand. [v,vi] The court cases against social protest activists and whistle-blowers produces some of the best evidence of judicial incompetence and/or corruption. [vii, viii]

The reports conclude that the evidence indicates systemic violations of Human Rights, treaties and conventions as well as State law by Israeli justice agencies, holding serious implications relative to all aspects of Civil Society in Israel:
The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has charged the newly constituted Board of Directors of the National Health Insurance Authority(NHIA) to resuscitate the scheme.



He reiterated that the scheme is at a critical state and needs the full expertise of the new Board to improve.



The NHIA is currently saddled with GHS 1.2billion debt to service providers.



Eventhough it announced in May this year that it had disbursed some GHC 60 million among some service providers including the Pharmacy Council and the Christian Health Association of Ghana, these two bodies are still complaining about the huge arrears yet to be settled by the NHIA.



Speaking at the induction of a 17-member Board of the NHIA, Dr. Bawumia said the scheme must be made to benefit the consumer.



Youre coming to these jobs at a very critical time. The NHIS has faced significant challenge. The Chief Executive knows that everywhere he turns people are chasing him to pay debts. And so you have to of-course manage this better and look at how to ensure that we have better health delivery. And so you have really an onerous responsibility. There is so much we want to do within a limited budget. The NHIS is struggling, but we have to prevent this steady creep towards cash and carry and resuscitate the National Health Insurance Scheme. Youve got to put together your minds and efforts so that together with government we wok in partnership to rescue this scheme, to resuscitate it, improve it and make it benefit the masses



Meanwhile the board Chairman, Prof. Yaw Adu-Gyamfi said they will focus on addressing the challenges facing the scheme in the sector.



We are aware of the challenges facing the authority, not excluding the following- arrears in provider payment, reimbursement, the huge funding gap, the poor claims management which we will deal with, the poor quality assurance, the high administrative cost and the organizational structural problems and some of the operational inefficiencies, all these we will seek to address as a board, he said.

Source: kasapafmonline









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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Whether ex-president John Mahama should be returned as NDCs 2020 presidential candidate appears a herculean task for the party to surmount, and it is such a tightrope Ambassador Victor James Gbeho would dare not walk.



The opposition party is seemingly divided, as one faction opposes the idea of putting him up in the next general elections, whilst the other still holds a firm belief the former president is NDCs best bet.

In his diplomatic self, Ghanas former Permanent Representative to the United Nations would not give in to incessant pressure from Winston Amoah, host of TV3s Hot Issue, to take a position on whether or not John Mahama should be on the ballot in 2020 on the ticket of the NDC.

I dont know, Mr. Gbevo shot back when pressed to make a public declaration in the interview aired on Saturday afternoon. For him, that decision should be left with the lawyers to determine the legality of it and the politicians to consider that option.

He stated that whether Mr. Mahama is the ideal candidate for the NDC or not is still at the consideration stage, and maintained that it would be invidious for him to take a side.

Even if the NDC chooses to give the former president another chance, Ghanaians would make the ultimate decision at the polls if they want him again as Ghanas leader after about 53 months stint at the presidency.

Mr. Gbeho who is also former president of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission averred, there is always a temptation of a candidate who loses to come back to set the record straight. Nonetheless, Ambassador Victor Gbeho conceded, I wont fault him if he (Mahama) wants to come back, but it is for him alone to decide.

Source: 3news









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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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
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our privacy policy unless you have disabled them. You can change your cookie settings at any time but parts of our site will not function correctly without them. [Close]
Bong Joon-ho directed Netflix film Okja has taken fourth spot on its theatrical release in South Korea on 29 June, despite showing on just 94 of the countrys 2,575 screens.





Netflix policy of streaming its films at the same time as their cinematic release has caused controversy in South Korea, where films are released on digital platforms about three weeks after their big-screen release. Three major cinemas, CJ CGV, Lotte Cinema and Megabox, which are also sister companies of top distributors, refused to show Okja.According to the Korean Film Councils KOBIS database, the films release accounted for 7.6% of the daily market share, even though it debuted on about 10% of the number of screens of the higher ranking films Anarchists From Colony, Real, and Transformers: The Last Knight.Okja, directed by one of the countys most loved auteurs and starring Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal, has earned critical praise as well as causing controversy over its distribution.The modern fairytale premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in May , after organisers announced from next year it would exclude films that do not have a theatrical release. In France, movies can only appear online 36 months after being released theatrically. Netflix is, however, now making a name for itself as the go-to place for directorial autonomy.Ted Sarandos, Netflixs chief content officer, told The Telegraph ; Theres no mechanism to make a movie like Okja today outside of what were doing. No studio would take that risk on a Korean director on a film that barely has any English language in it. And in my opinion while that may sound risky, putting it in the hands of director Bong? Not very risky at all.
An Afghan official says the Taliban have attacked a local militia, killing 13 pro-government fighters.



The local forces were on their way to take part in a security operation when they were ambushed in the Chemtal district of northern Balkh Province, Munir Ahmad Farhad, spokesman for the Balkh governor, said on July 2.



The men were part of a local militia established under the authority of the Interior Ministry to defend the area from insurgents.



The Taliban, which has increased its attacks since the start of its annual spring offensive in April, claimed responsibility for the ambush.

Based on reporting by AP and Tolo News
Toomaj Salehi's lyrical support for protesters in Iran has landed him behind bars before, but this time the popular rapper's fortune-telling has fans and family members fearing for his life.

Just days before his September 30 arrest, the 32-year-old Salehi released his latest music video, in which he makes foreboding predictions about the future of Iran's clerical regime if it continues its violent crackdown against ongoing anti-government demonstrations.

"I am the predictor, the fortune teller," he raps in the video for Omen, which shows him reading the patterns left in his coffee cup and warning that brute force will not prevail.

"I saw a cage in the coffee grounds -- a lion was hunting a jackal," he explains, alluding to a fairy tale about wisdom defeating physical strength. "We will rise from the bottom and target the top of the pyramid."

Salehi goes on to warn that the regime's protectors -- including the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Basij paramilitary forces, the Intelligence Ministry, and the state media -- will all get their day in court.

Salehi followed up on the new video by posting on social media images of him standing alongside protesters and chanting against security forces in his native city in Isfahan Province. The rapper, an ethnic Lur who was arrested last year after releasing other songs critical of the government, offered to turn himself in if protesters detained in his hometown of Shahinshahr were released.

In subsequent posts, he called the provincial authorities "cowardly vermin" and "scum who suppress and arrest [innocent] people."

Shortly afterward, Salehi went missing and has not been heard from since.

State media reported on September 30 that Salehi had been arrested, and a news agency close to the IRGC published a photo of the blindfolded rapper inside a car.

A short video later released by a press club associated with Iran's state broadcaster purports to show the rapper admitting he made a mistake.

But the reports' claims he had been caught while "illegally exiting the western borders of the country" have been fiercely disputed, and the video confession has been labeled a fake by some and a coerced confession by others.

Family members as well as Salehi's official Twitter account have said the rapper was, in fact, arrested in the southwestern Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari Province, hundreds of kilometers from Iran's western border.

In a statement, Salehi's uncle Eghbal Eghbali said his nephew was in the province's city of Borujen on the morning of September 30 when he wrote saying "suspicious things" were happening outside his home. Soon after, Salehi stopped communicating. Eghbali said he learned from Salehi's neighbors and friends that security personnel had arrived to take the rapper away.

Later on September 30, a prosecutor in nearby Isfahan Province was quoted by the Meezan news agency, which is close to Iran's judiciary, as saying Salehi was arrested "in one of the provinces of the country." The prosecutor alleged the rapper had played a key role in "creating disturbances and inviting and encouraging the recent disturbances in Isfahan Province and in Shahinshahr."

The official IRNA news agency, meanwhile, quoted a judiciary official from Isfahan Province as saying Salehi stood accused of "propagandistic activity against the government, cooperation with hostile governments, and the formation of illegal groups with the intention of creating insecurity in the country."

Thousands of Iranians, many of them from the younger generation, have taken to the streets in recent weeks to protest the September 16 death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died shortly after being arrested for allegedly violating Iran's hijab law requiring that women cover their hair.

As the protests have continued, the authorities have intensified their crackdown, resulting in the deaths of at least 305 people, including 41 children, according to the latest figures released by the Oslo-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) on November 6.

Salehi is among the hundreds of prominent young voices, including activists, artists, and athletes, who have been arrested for speaking out against the states bloody crackdown on the protests. Overall, activists estimate thousands of people have been arrested by the authorities since the rallies erupted.

Faced with a potential existential threat to Iran's clerical rule, 227 of 290 Iranian lawmakers this week called for even greater force by urging the judiciary to "deal decisively" with those behind the protests.

In recent years, Salehi has gained notoriety for his open opposition to the country's leadership, using his music and social media presence to take on issues that resonate with Iranian youths.

In the song Normal, he highlights the effects of poverty, saying "Our children sleep hungry at night" and asking Iran's leaders how their conscience can let them sleep.

The song Rathole, released in 2021, accuses members of the media and art community both inside and outside Iran of being an "ally of the tyrant," a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In another song, he blasts Tehran's close relationships with Moscow and Beijing, asking: "Haven't you robbed us enough? Now, you want to give away half [of our resources] to China and the rest to Russia."

Salehi was detained in September 2021 after security agents raided his home in Isfahan, with Human Rights Watch decrying the detention of the artist for "exercising his right to freedom of expression."

Salehi was charged with "spreading propaganda against the state," but after more than a week was released on bail. In January, he was sentenced to six months in prison but was released on a suspended sentence in February.

While out, he continued his work and released Omen amid the states increasingly violent crackdown on anti-government protesters.

"Someone's crime was dancing with her hair in the wind," he raps. "Someone's crime was that she was brave and criticized."

Listing a litany of violent acts carried out by the authorities against protesters, Salehi asks, "How many young people did you kill building a tower for yourself?" and predicts that next year, the 44th year of the clerical regime's rule, will be its "year of failure."

Salehi's arrest has led to widespread condemnation inside and outside Iran, and his advocates have spread the #FreeToomaj hashtag on Twitter to shed light on his situation.

His family has said they do not know Salehi's whereabouts or health, leaving them wondering if he is even alive.

But the authorities have shed some light on the fate of another Iranian rapper arrested shortly before Salehi. The judiciary announced on November 7 that Saman Yasin, a rapper from Kermanshah Province -- a northwestern region with a significant Kurdish population and that has been a focus of the government crackdown -- has been accused of waging "warfare" against Iran and acting against the country's security.

Based on reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Farda, with contributions by RFE/RL senior correspondent Michael Scollon
On this week's show, the Majlis podcast returns to Uzbekistans cotton fields.

The Majlis has looked at the forced labor campaign in Central Asia's cotton fields before, but on June 27, Human Rights Watch and the Uzbek-German Forum for Human Rights released a report drawing attention to World Bank loans for Uzbekistans agricultural programs that use forced labor.

Muhammad Tahir, RFE/RL's media relations manager, moderated a discussion on the topic.

Jessica Evans, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, took part. Also participating was Allison Gill, an associate at the Uzbek-German Forum for Human Rights. And Kirill Buketov, international officer at the International Union of Food and Agriculture Workers, joined the discussion. And I had a couple of things to say, too.

Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy declared that Kherson is "ours after his special forces entered the strategic southern city following the retreat of Russian troops, marking another dramatic battlefield victory in Kyivs drive to recapture territory occupied by Russia since the start of its unprovoked invasion.

The Ukrainian military also said on November 11 that its troops had advanced all the way to the western bank of the Dnieper River in some areas of the Kherson region as Moscow said its forces had completed their withdrawal to the eastern bank in the face of Ukraines powerful counteroffensive.

"Our people -- Ours. Kherson," Zelenskiy wrote in a Telegram post that also included what appeared to be a video of Ukrainian troops celebrating with local residents.

Today is a historic day, Zelenskiy said in the post. We are returning Kherson. As of now, our defenders are on the approaches to the city. But special units are already in the city.

Various videos on social media from Kherson showed resident cheering and waving flags as the first Ukrainian troops reached the center of the city, the only provincial capital captured by Russian forces following their February 24 invasion.

"Kherson is returning to the control of Ukraine," the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said earlier in the day. "Units of the armed forces of Ukraine are entering the city."

"The Russian occupiers' routes of retreat are under the direct fire of the Ukrainian Army," the statement added. "Any Russian soldier who resists will be killed."

Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in a tweet that "Ukraine is gaining another important victory right now and proves that whatever Russia says or does, Ukraine will win." The tweet included a video purporting to show Kherson residents removing a billboard that proclaimed "Russia is here forever."

Serhiy Khlan, a deputy for the Kherson Regional Council, said a Ukrainian flag had been raised in Kherson, as multiple videos circulating on social media purportedly showed Ukrainian soldiers planting their yellow-and-blue flag on administrative buildings in the city and local residents celebrating.

The Russian Defense Ministry said it had finished the pullout from Kherson city and the region at 5 a.m. on November 11 and that no military equipment had been left behind, in an another embarrassing blow to Moscow's war effort, which it refers to as a "special military operation."



"In total, more than 30,000 Russian servicemen, about 5,000 pieces of hardware, and military equipment and materiel have been withdrawn," the ministry said. "Not a single piece of military equipment or weaponry was left on the right (western) bank," he added, although the report could not immediately be confirmed.

Khlan said some Russian soldiers had been unable to leave the city and had changed into civilian clothing and urged local residents to stay at home while Ukrainian troops cleared the city.

"The number of these people is not known," he told a news briefing, without citing evidence for the claim.

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

Khlan also said, without citing evidence, that many Russian troops had drowned attempting to flee across the river.

The head of the joint coordination press center of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine, Natalya Humenyuk, said Russian troops "have been changing into civilian clothes for two weeks."

"This should focus our forces as it means saboteur operations cannot be ruled out," Humenyuk told a separate briefing.

"Because of this, we are not rushing to announce our successes in other directions and in other towns."

Russia did not immediately comment on Khlan's or Humenyuk's remarks.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on November 10 that it would take Russia at least a week to withdraw, telling Reuters in an interview that Russia had 40,000 troops in the Kherson region and that it still had forces in the city.

Kherson 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 with a launching pad for supplies and troops to try to win back other lost territory in the south.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's public broadcaster quoted local residents as saying on November 11 that the Antonivskiy Bridge, the only nearby road crossing from Kherson city to the Russian-controlled eastern bank of the Dnieper, had collapsed.

The Suspilne broadcaster published a photograph showing whole sections of the bridge missing. The next road crossing across the Dnieper is more than 70 kilometers from Kherson city.

It was not immediately clear what had caused the collapse.

Recapturing the city could provide Ukraine a launching pad for supplies and troops to try to win back other lost territory in the south.

The Ukrainian General Staff said retreating Russian forces have been looting homes and destroying critical infrastructure, while forcibly evicting residents from the settlements still under their control.

"The Russian invaders continue to loot the settlements from which they are retreating. The enemy is also attempting to damage power lines and other elements of the transport and critical infrastructure of the Kherson region as much as possible," the military said, adding that Russian mines continue to wound civilians.

Elsewhere, six civilians were killed in a Russian rocket attack on Mykolayiv overnight, the mayor of the southern Ukrainian city said on November 11, as Ukrainian troops continued their advance in the direction of Kherson.

The mayor of Mykolayiv, Oleksandr Sienkovych, said on November 11 that the people were killed when Russian rockets hit a residential area of the city, destroying a five-story building.

"As of 10 a.m., six people were killed by the impact of the attack on the residential building," Sienkovych said.

Fierce fighting continues in Bakhmut and Soledar in the eastern Donetsk region as well as in the adjacent Luhansk region, the military said, adding that heavy Russian shelling pounded about 20 settlements in the Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, and Mykolayiv regions.

In his nightly address late on November 10, Ukrainian President Volodymyr 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 added that 41 settlements had been liberated.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, and dpa
WASHINGTON -- A leading lawmaker on the Senate Intelligence Committee says President Donald Trump has hampered the panels investigation of Russias meddling in the 2016 election by not accepting the conclusions of U.S. intelligence agencies.



Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the panel, made the remarks in a CNN interview to be broadcast on July 2.

The Senate committee is one of several investigating not only Russian meddling but also contacts between Trump associates and Russian officials.



In terms of contacts and collusions, Ive never seen so much smoke and so many possible threads, Warner said, according to a transcript.



He also warned Trumps reluctance to accept the conclusions of the intelligence community was harming efforts to prevent intrusions in future elections.



In addition to the congressional probes, the FBI had been investigating contacts between Trump associates and Russian officials. But Trump fired its director in May, which led to the appointment of a special counsel to oversee the investigation.



The special counsel, Robert Mueller, is ramping up his efforts with new powerhouse hires, including a well-regarded federal prosecutor from New York City who was involved in the prosecution of politicians accused of corruption.



Mueller is also reportedly looking into whether Trump sought to obstruct the FBIs investigation, which is a felony crime.
Illegal fishing, logging and poaching, are impacting two-thirds of the 57 natural World Heritage sites monitored by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) this year, putting some of the world's most precious and unique ecosystems and species at risk.

Ahead of the 41st session of the World Heritage Committee, starting this Sunday in Krakow, Poland, IUCN recommends listing Mexico's Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California on the List of World Heritage in Danger due to illegal gillnet fishing, which threatens the vaquita with imminent extinction. IUCN also raises concerns over continued impacts of illegal activities, including logging and poaching, on the unique biodiversity of Madagascar's Rainforests of the Atsinanana and on Bia?owie?a Forest -- one of Europe's last remaining primeval forests located in Poland and Belarus.

"It is alarming that even our planet's greatest natural treasures are under pressure from illegal activities," says IUCN Director General Inger Andersen. "World Heritage sites are recognised as the planet's most unique and valuable places, for nature and for people. If destroyed, they are lost forever.

"World Heritage status is designed to grant these places the highest level of protection, and we as the international community are responsible for the effectiveness of this protection. Only through strong international cooperation can we eliminate the illegal and unsustainable practices that are having such a devastating impact on these extraordinary places."

Illegal wildlife trade is threatening the vaquita -- the world's smallest porpoise -- with extinction. The Islands and Protected Areas of the Gulf of California became a World Heritage site in 2005 due to its unique marine biodiversity. It hosts a third of the world's cetacean species. The vaquita is a victim of by-catch from illegal fishing of a Critically Endangered fish the totoaba, whose swim bladder fetches high prices in Asian markets.

Despite Mexico's extensive efforts to combat the illegal gillnet fishing, the vaquita's survival remains at severe risk, with a crash in the population leaving only about 30 individuals in the wild. IUCN recommends placing the site on the List of World Heritage in Danger to mobilise urgent action to protect the site. It calls for a permanent ban on gillnets, as well as strengthened international cooperation to address threats to the site.

Madagascar's Rainforests of the Atsinanana acquired 'in danger' status in 2010 -- only three years after being listed as a World Heritage site -- due to illegal logging of ebony and rosewood. The site is a key habitat for endangered lemurs, which are also the target of poaching. Despite Madagascar's ongoing efforts to address the threats, in 2016 there was a marked increase in illegal logging. IUCN recommends that the site should remain on the List of World Heritage in Danger and calls for stronger efforts to address the threats, including increased cooperation between countries along trading routes.

If Poland continues to undertake wood extraction and logging in old-growth areas of Bia?owie?a Forest, intact habitats will be lost. The European Commission recently expressed concern over the removal of ancient trees from the forest, which is also a Natura 2000 site. Inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979 as one of the first World Heritage sites, and extended in 1992 and 2014, the site is shared between Poland and Belarus and covers a total area of 141,885 hectares. Bia?owie?a is one of the few remaining primeval forests on the European continent. It is home to the iconic European Bison and hosts more than 250 bird and over 12,000 invertebrate species.

IUCN recommends a monitoring mission to the site so that the situation can be fully assessed, and actions agreed. Should danger to the site's Outstanding Universal Value be confirmed, Bia?owie?a will be considered for inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2018.

International cooperation is starting to demonstrate results in addressing illegal activities in Thailand's Dong Phayayen-Khao Yai Forest Complex. IUCN's mission to the site noted that that cooperation between Thailand, Cambodia, China, Lao People's Democratic Republic and Viet Nam, in addition to strengthened coordination of efforts within Thailand, resulted in a decrease in illegal logging of Siamese rosewood, which had been on the rise in recent years. More resources are now invested into the site, with an action plan aiming to intensify patrol efforts using space technology. The forest complex is internationally important for the survival and conservation of globally threatened mammals, birds and reptiles. It also serves as one of Thailand's most important watersheds.

IUCN is the official advisory body on nature to the World Heritage Committee, recommending new sites to be included on the World Heritage list, and proposing actions to protect World Heritage sites facing threats.
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Morning twilight photo of the waning crescent moon shining over the waters of California's Mono Lake, with Jupiter nearby in the upper middle of the photo and Venus at lower left. The photo was captured on Aug. 23, 2014.

Some crafty celestial sleuthing has helped astronomers identify the "star" that inspired Lord Byron's famous poem "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage."

Astronomer Donald Olson, a physics professor at Texas State University, found that the star Byron describes in his poem as being next to the moon is not actually a star at all. Rather, it's the biggest planet in the solar system: Jupiter.

These two celestial bodies will align again on several occasions this summer, and skywatchers can witness a similar twilight scene to the one that inspired Byron's poem, according to a statement from Texas State University. [A Planet Skywatching Guide for 2017: When, Where & How to See the Planets]

Using Byron's personal letters and manuscripts, as well as the diary of the poet's close friend John Cam Hobhouse, Olson found that the inspiration for three stanzas of "Childe Harold's Pilgrimage" could be attributed to a memorable twilight Byron observed while riding along the Brenta Canal in La Mira, Italy, on Aug. 20, 1817.

Olson confirmed his findings using special astronomical software to re-create the twilight sky as it would have appeared on that day in 1817, the date recorded in Hobhouse's diary entry following a ride along the canal at twilight with Byron. The re-creation shows that Jupiter shone brightly near the moon on that night 200 years ago.

But Olson's detective work didn't end there.

Byron mentions "Dian's crest" in his poem, which is "a clear reference to Diana, the Roman goddess of the moon, who was often depicted with a crescent as a diadem or crest over her forehead," according to the statement. Based on the astronomical re-creations, that's exactly what Byron and Hobhouse would have seen: a waxing gibbous moon with the planet Jupiter shining brightly nearby.

What's more, Byron references "Iris" in a line of the poem about the colorful, cloudless twilight sky observed on that night in August 1817. In Greek mythology, Iris is the goddess of the rainbow. Olson determined that the vivid colors of the sky Byron described were likely the residual effect of the massive 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia, the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history, according to the statement.

The dust, gas and aerosols ejected into the upper atmosphere by the volcano would have had a lasting impact on the sky, creating brightly colored sunsets and twilights. Olson's findings were published in the August 2017 issue of Sky & Telescope magazine.

Skywatchers can expect to see Jupiter line up near the moon again on June 30, July 1, July 28 and 29, and August 24 and 25 of 2017.

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket shown here launched 10 communications satellites into space for Iridium Communications on June 25. SpaceX is preparing to launch another Falcon 9 on July 2.

SpaceX is looking to extend its soaring flight rate with a third Falcon rocket launch in nine days, as the company works off a backlog of missions that piled up after an accident 10 months ago.

The company's 39th Falcon 9 rocket is being prepared for liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 7:36 p.m. EDT (2136 GMT) Sunday (July 2) to put a hefty communications satellite into orbit for Intelsat. A live webcast of the launch will begin 15 minutes before liftoff, and you can watch it live here on Space.com.

Because of the energy needed to dispatch the 6-ton (5.4 metric tons) Intelsat 35e on its way to geostationary orbit some 22,300 miles (35,800 kilometers) above Earth, the booster will not have enough fuel to make a return landing. [SpaceX Test-Fires Rocket Ahead of Sunday Launch (Photo)]

So far, SpaceX has successfully landed 13 of its first-stage boosters intact, including two that have both launched and landed twice, demonstrating the rockets' reusability.

SpaceX offered to use a pre-flown rocket for the Intelsat 35e satellite, but Intelsat declined, said Ken Lee, senior vice president for space systems for Intelsat.

"We have ongoing conversations about how many successful missions are needed before we consider that to be a reliable launch vehicle," Lee told Space.com. "Typically, there's a minimum of three."

"I would have no qualms about using the pre-flown hardware in the future once they have fully demonstrated their reusability," he said.

While the cost of launching on used rockets should be cheaper over the long run, the current price difference between launching on a new or pre-flown Falcon 9 booster is "very little," Lee said.

More important than price, said Lee, is maintaining a steady launch cadence, something that SpaceX, which has had two accidents in 38 missions, is attempting to maintain.

Dozens of missions, including the launch of Intelsat 35e, were delayed after a Falcon rocket exploded on the launch pad on Sept. 1, 2016, as the craft was being fueled for a routine pre-flight test. The accident destroyed a $200 million Israeli communications satellite.

SpaceX previously lost a Falcon rocket and Dragon cargo ship during a botched launch in June 2015.

"What's important for us is not whether you launch every other week, but [that] once you plan, you execute to that plan," Lee said.

In the first half of 2017, SpaceX flew nine missions, surpassing its previous annual flight record. The company's last launch was on June 25 from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. For Intelsat's launch, SpaceX is returning to its primary launch site in Florida, where a Falcon 9 last blasted off on June 23.

The company is on track to launch more than 20 Falcon rockets this year, including the debut flight of its Falcon Heavy mega booster, which will use three Falcon 9 rockets as its first stage.

Irene Klotz can be reached on Twitter at @free_space. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Las Palmas, June 30, 2017 (SPS) - Representative of the Polisario Front to the United Nations, Bukhari Ahmed and Sahrawi Human Rights Activist, Aminetu Haidar, were received Thursday by President of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria, Antonio Morales, who was accompanied by Counselor of Territorial Policy, Ines Miranda, and Counselor of Institutional Cooperation and International Solidarity, Carmelo Ramirez.

The President of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, reaffirmed the position of his community with respect to Western Sahara cause, reiterating his strong support for the Saharawi people's struggle for self-determination.

For his part, the Polisario Front representative to the United Nations addressed at the meeting the latest resolution of the UN Security Council and the efforts of the international community to revive the settlement process as well as the political and diplomatic situation related to the Sahrawi cause.

The Saharawi activist, Aminetu Haidar, exposed the situation of human rights in occupied Western Sahara and the tragedy of the Saharawi people amid the lack of opportunities and systematic discrimination undertaken by Morocco against the Saharawis in the occupied territories.

The meeting was held prior to the conference on the situation of human rights in the occupied territories of Western Sahara. (SPS)

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BNZ staff members are about to get stuck into it for the local community volunteering event.



The Closed for Good project, which is New Zealands largest corporate volunteering day, is an event where all BNZs close for a day on Wednesday, August 23, to help out community organisations across New Zealand.

Bay of Plenty BNZs had 121 staff members volunteering for 22 different community projects suggested to them by the public last year.

Some of the suggestions supplied to them included: maintenance at the Papamoa Playcentre, beautification of grounds at the Waipuna Hospice, cleaning the Whakatane Kiwi Trust, painting the Opotiki SPCA, and clearing vines from the foreshore at Cooney Reserve, Omokoroa.

BNZ chief executive Anthony Healy says staff look forward to Closed for Good and the opportunity to get out in the community and help those who need it.

This is the eighth time we have run Closed for Goodand its always hugely exciting to see all the different project submissions come in. The day reflects the great Kiwi reputation for mucking in and helping out.

We used our peoples specialised skills when it came to areas like budgeting, business planning and financial literacy, as well as the good, old fashioned Kiwi skills of DIY and ingenuity.

We still have people in the business who are just as excited to get involved as when it first started. Its a very rewarding day and as all staff have a second day to use for volunteering purposes we often find Closed for Good becomes the catalyst for conversations around how we can support a community on a longer term basis.

Submissions for this years project close on July 7.
Dril-Quip, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, sells, and services engineered drilling and production equipment for use in deepwater, harsh environment, and severe service applications worldwide. The company's principal products include subsea and surface wellheads, subsea and surface production trees, mudline hanger systems, specialty connectors and associated pipes, drilling and production riser systems, liner hangers, wellhead connectors, diverters, and safety valves, as well as downhole tools. It also provides technical advisory services, and rework and reconditioning services, as well as rental and purchase of running tools for use in the installation and retrieval of its products; and downhole tools comprise of liner hangers, production packers, safety valves, and specialty downhole tools that are used to hang-off and seal casing into a previously installed casing string in the well bore. The company's products are used to explore for oil and gas from offshore drilling rigs, such as floating rigs and jack-up rigs; and for drilling and production of oil and gas wells on offshore platforms, tension leg platforms, and Spars, as well as moored vessels, such as floating production, storage, and offloading monohull moored vessels. It sells its products directly through its sales personnel, independent sales agents, and representatives to integrated, independent, and foreign national oil and gas companies, as well as drilling contractors, and engineering and construction companies. The company was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.
DENVER  The Twin Falls Blackhawks headed into Saturday as the eighth seed in the quarterfinals of a 40-team American Legion tournament in Denver. The Blackhawks upset the top-seeded Diablo Mustangs 3-0 Saturday morning before falling to a team from Cheyenne, Wyoming, 16-3 in the semifinals.

Against Diablo, Colton Knaup gave up just two hits and walked zero while striking out 10 in a complete game shutout. Drew Ochsner drove in two runs at the plate and junior-to-be Drake Rosas drove in one.

In the second game of the day, Cheyenne jumped out to a 14-0 lead after three innings and scored at least two runs in each of its four at-bats. The Blackhawks committed six errors and mustered just five hits, led by Skyler Oneidas 2-for-2 day.

The Blackhawks hit the road again for a doubleheader at Bear Lake Monday.

Twin Falls Blackhawks 3, Diablo 0

Blackhawks 0 0 3 0 0 0 3 6 1

Diablo 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 1

Blackhawks: Pitching  Colton Knaup (W) 7 IP, 2 H, 10 K.

Leading hitters  Drew Ochsner 1-3, 2 RBI; Drake Rosas 1-3, RBI.

Cheyenne (Wyo.) 16, Twin Falls Blackhawks 3 (5 innings)

Blackhawks; 0; 0; 0; 3; 0;3; 5; 6

Cheyenne; 5; 3; 6; 2; X;16; 14; 2

Blackhawks: Pitching  Skyler Oneida (L) 2 IP, 10 H, 1 K, 1 BB, 8 R, 7 ER; Kade Parsons 2 IP, 4 H, 3 K, 3 BB, 8 R, 3 ER.

Leading hitters  Skyler Oneida 2-2.

Minico 2, Blackfoot 0; Blackfoot 3, Minico 1

RUPERT  The Minico Storm split a pair of American Legion pitchers duels with Blackfoot Saturday, winning 2-0 and losing 3-1.

Drake Miller was nearly perfect in game one. He faced the minimum number of batters, and retired the final 15 that he faced. Blackfoots lone hit, a single in the second inning, was turned into an out when the runner tried to stretch it into a double.

Minico scored its first run in the third inning on a McKay Chandler single, then when Chandler attempted to steal second, Alan Ambriz scampered home for the Storms second run. That was more than enough for Miller, who struck out five and walked zero in the complete game win. He also went 2-for-2 at the plate and stole a base.

Blackfoots bats came alive in game two, as they out-hit Minico 12-6 and scored one run in the fifth inning and two in the sixth. Starting pitcher Alan Ambriz gave up three earned runs on 11 hits and three walks while striking out five in six innings pitched.

At the plate, Ambriz had a double, an RBI and a walk, and junior-to-be Kobe Matsen had two singles.

Minico 2, Blackfoot 0

Blackfoot 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0

Minico 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 7 0

Minico: Pitching  Drake Miller (W) 7 IP, 1 H, 5 K.

Leading hitters  Drake Miller 2-2, SB; Alan Ambriz 1-2, BB, SB; McKay Chandler 1-3, RBI.

Blackfoot 3, Minico 1

Blackfoot 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 12 0

Minico 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 6 0

Minico: Pitching  Alan Ambriz (L) 6 IP, 11 H, 5 K, 3 BB, 3 R, 3 ER; Blaze Dennis 1 IP, 1 K.

Leading hitters  Alan Ambriz 1-2, 2B, RBI, BB; Kobe Matsen 2-3; Blaze Dennis 1-3, 2B; Nicky Caldera 1-1, BB, SB.

Kimberly Astros (A) 6, South Fremont (B) 5

ST. ANTHONY  The Astros held off South Fremonts B team in a road nonconference game Saturday morning.

South Fremont led 1-0 after one inning, but Kimberly took the lead for good with a three-run third inning. The Astros (15-13) added one run in the sixth and two in the seventh to take a 6-1 lead.

South Fremont made it interesting with a grand slam in the bottom of the seventh, but Kimberly starting pitcher Connor Hafer buckled down to secure the win. Hafer allowed four earned runs on four hits and four walks, and he struck out nine. He also went 2-for-4 with a double, a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base.

Nathaniel Stover went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, a stolen base and three RBIs, while Nick Bybee and Jake Hardy each went 1-for-3 with a walk, a hit-by-pitch, a stolen base and a run scored.

Kimberly Astros 6, South Fremont B 5

Kimberly; 0; 0; 3; 0; 0; 1; 2;  6; 9; 3

South Fremont; 1; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 4;  5; 4; 3

Kimberly: Pitching  Connor Hafer (W) 7 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 9 K.

Leading hitters  Nathaniel Stover 2-4, 2B, BB, SB, 3 RBI; Hafer 2-4, 2B, HBP, SB, RBI, R; Nick Bybee 1-3, BB, HBP, SB, R; Jake Hardy 1-3, BB, HBP, SB, R; Dawson Cummins 2-5, SB, R.
IQALUIT, NUNAVUTIqaluit residents lined the main street in Nunavuts capital awaiting the annual Canada Day parade under a clear sky, basking in unseasonably warm weather that climbed to 19C.

Behind the parade route in the town of about 8,000 citizens, sunlight glimmered off the deep blue of Frobisher Bay and the last remnants of the winters ice buildup.

Dont talk because I might miss the parade, Nicholas Kennedy, 6, waving a Canada flag, said before the floats arrived.

When asked what he loved about Canada, the little boy replied, So much!

Others from the crowd of about 50 people on this stretch of the two-kilometer parade route echoed Kennedy.

We Inuit have been here a lot longer than 150 years. And were keeping our culture and traditions very strong, Angela Kabvitok said.

But down the road, at the end of the parade route, some Inuit expressed muted pride.

Honestly, we live in third-world conditions here. But Im happy its not a war zone where people are killing each other, Qaumariaq Inuqtaqau said.

Inuqtaqau said homelessness in Canadas Arctic is an issue more Canadians need to know about.

Inuqtaqau said he knows a lot of Iqaluits homeless personally because he has been an advocate for their rights for about 18 months.

Nushupiq Kilabuk, 52, is a carpenter who has been homeless for nine years, despite holding down a full-time job for 10 years in which he works 50 hours a week.

Housing prices are so high, I cant keep up, thats why Im homeless, he said from his clean, well-built shack on Iqaluits beach.

Kilabuk said he has wintered in the shack, heated by a Coleman stove, for the past three years.

Before leaving Kilabuk, Inuqtaqau handed him a $20 bill.

Back on the parade route, Inuqtaqau met another homeless friend: Tookie Pootoogook.

Pootoogook, 74, said he has been staying at Iqaluits mens shelter for more than 10 years.

I dont think Canadians would know theyre still in Canada if they visited Iqaluit, Inuqtaqau said.

But Inuqtaqau still finds something to be grateful for as a Canadian.

I dont have to worry about a 500-pound bomb dropping in my house. Im grateful for that.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wasnt the only one who forgot a province during the Canada 150 celebrations.

Google Canada marked the occasion with a Google Doodle, including the flags of the 13 provinces and territories. Except they left one out.

In the doodle, a cake with a Canadian flag is surrounded by different pastries holding flags, all saying Happy Birthday Canada and Bonne Fete Canada.

However, only 12 flags were on display with either Ontario or Manitoba missing. (Its hard to tell which one since both provinces have almost identical flags but with different shields.)

In an earlier statement explaining the doodle, Google described it as a depiction of celebratory desserts that reflect the countrys cast regional and ethnic diversity by highlighting the 13 provinces and territories.

The desserts shown were German krapfen, Chinese mooncake, Portuguese pasteis, Italian tiramisu, English jelly, French chocolate eclairs, Turkish delight, Spanish churros, Inuit bannock, Punjab jalebi and American doughnuts.

The Star couldnt reach anybody at Google for comment on Sunday.

Trudeau forgot to mention Alberta while he listed all the others in his speech Saturday on Parliament Hill. He later tweeted Got too excited somewhere over the Rockies. Sorry Alberta, I love you. Happy Canada Day!

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The woman in the witness box is defiant and clear as she recounts a litany of abuse to the court, including being sex trafficked, raped and held against her will.

She is an actress. So is the Crown, the judge and the accused men  one played by the son of one of the real judges who helped make this video. The script is taken verbatim from transcripts from a real case and it was made to educate judges about human trafficking, domestic violence and why a victim may not leave an abusive partner, may not call the police and may have an emotional connection to their abuser.

The goal was to learn to address these issues institutionally as judges, individually as judges and individually as people, Alberta Court of Appeal Justice Sheilah Martin told a group of about 45 judges in a conference room at a downtown Toronto hotel.

The Star was given access to the conference as debates continue around what education judges receive about issues such as gender-based violence, how effective it is and whether education in sexual assault law should be mandatory  questions sparked by the inquiry into Alberta judge Robin Camp, who infamously asked a sexual assault complainant why she didnt just keep her knees together, and by a number of high-profile cases, including most recently an Alberta judges shocking decision to jail an Indigenous sexual assault complainant for the duration of her testimony at a preliminary hearing.

At the conference, after watching two segments of the video, the group was invited to write down one word that describes how they feel about what they saw.

The responses read later by Martin included horror, sadness, disillusionment and helpless.

During a break the judges submitted questions to a panel moderated by Martin and including fellow Alberta Court of Appeal Justice Sheila Greckol, U.S. judge Ann Goldstein from the International Association of Women Judges, and Nicole Barrett, an expert on law and human trafficking from the University of British Columbia.

The first question  how common is the womans explanation for why she did not leave?

Barrett said the story is all too familiar.

She is isolated from others, she lacks financial independence, she has broken self-esteem, she has a fear of escalated violence, she has a fear of retaliation, that they will tell her family, a psychological bond with her abuser, she said. Once you start listing the reasons she doesnt leave, it becomes fairly overwhelming.

This particular complainant is somewhat of an outlier because of the clarity and detail of her memory, she noted.

The next question struck at the heart of why judges were in that room on a Thursday morning.

Until this job and judicial education, the question began, I had no way to be aware this happens to ordinary folk.

In the wake of the Camp inquiry and other high-profile cases, Ontario made it mandatory for new judges to be trained in sexual assault law. The Canadian Judicial Council, which oversees judicial education, made training for new judges officially mandatory in March.

A fast-tracked federal bill proposed by former Conservative leader Rona Ambrose is now before the Senate. It would require lawyers applying to be judges to have completed sexual assault law and social context education. It would also require the Canadian Judicial Council to report annually on what sexual assault-related education they provide, how many judges take part, and how many judges preside over sexual assault cases but have not taken such a seminar.

Canadian courts are failing to send the message that sexual assault and all forms of violence against women are unacceptable, says Lise Martin, executive director of Women's Shelters Canada, in her submission to the Status of Women Committee in support of mandatory and ongoing education for judges in gender-based violence and the impacts of trauma.

We continue to see our work undermined by Canadian judges, who label domestic violence as a private matter and misunderstand the basic ideas and laws about consent and sexual assault, Martin says.

This particular conference in June was unusual because it was only for women judges who make up just 38 per cent of the total number of federally appointed judges. The sessions on the topic Safety and Security of Women, which included a seminar on the issues presented by sexual assault trials, were organized by the federally-funded National Judicial Institute and the Canadian chapter of the International Association of Women Judges.

In an interview Superior Court Justice Patricia Hennessy, who is based in Sudbury and is currently working on judicial education for Indigenous issues, referred to the human trafficking case discussed earlier.

The first step is to recognize that is not our reality, she said, of the woman involved.

Does it make sense that she would not have left. Does that make sense? That is what the defence would like us to conclude, it makes no sense that she would not have left. But we don't know her reality.

Hennessey said judges do need ongoing education in various areas of the law and in changing social context  and that the training courses being developed by the National Judicial Institute and taught courts across the country are crucial.

The criminal laws have changed as societies have changed, Justice Martin said, adding that it is important for judges to understand how and why those changes happened.

Training for judges has shifted away from talking heads and instead is focused on problem-solving and group work, she said. That includes videos and expert analysis as in the Thursday seminar and experiential learning such as spending time with Indigenous communities.

Its the most effective thing weve ever seen, Martin said. Can it solve all the issues? No, it cant.

The goal of the social context education, specifically cited in the federal bill, is to help judges understand diverse life situations of the people that we serve, said Justice Adele Kent, who heads the National Judicial Institute. Judges have to understand the people they are judging.

That training examines race, disability, region, poverty, mental illness and gender-based violence and is designed, like the human trafficking seminar, with input from academics and community groups, she said, addressing criticism that the training doesnt incorporate the experiences of those impacted.

I think we all carry with us a certain amount of prejudice or stereotypical thinking, Greckol said. We all do and its defined by race and gender and . . . class, economic class is a big factor. So we come with that baggage and that is obviously going to weigh into our thinking about things. So I think what judicial education is about is disabusing our judges of predispositions to thinking in certain ways and the broadening of the mind to accept there are no predetermined answers to questions.

She said it has been very useful for judges to have frank and open discussions about their prejudices and have educators explain why it is a myth or stereotype.

Then the question is, when training is given at optional conferences like this one, are we preaching to the converted? said Toronto Superior Court Judge Julie Thorburn, the organizer of this conference.

Ongoing training for judges in specific areas is not mandatory by law, but she said the education programs organized at each court twice a year are effectively mandatory. And those education courses are constantly improving, she said.

At the end of the day I think we are talking about decency and sensitivity to people and situations, and sometimes it is difficult to train people to be decent and to be sensitive to others, she said. We try.

At the conference in Toronto skepticism was expressed by judges about how effective sexual assault law training for applicants would be if it were just offered online to preserve anonymity. A better suggestion they said is requiring applicants to commit to ongoing judicial education. One judge questioned why sexual assault education is being singled out as compulsory, when training in other areas such as Indigenous law may be just as important.

There is an acknowledgement that there is a need for more diversity on the bench.

They said more also needs to be done across the board to tackle sexual assault  from the police and lawyers to alternative models from the criminal justice system.

In the courtroom we can start from the very basics, Kent says. To be polite to people . . . to make sure people feel comfortable. To make people feel they are valued even if it ends up in an acquittal.

Thorburn said it can be helpful to judges to hear expert evidence in certain cases in order for them to have something to rely on when assessing credibility.

Martin too stressed the importance of social science research. Judges should not rely on untested assumptions about human behaviour, she said.

There is no one way for people who have been traumatized to react. Victims of sexual assault do not have to have screamed or resisted to be credible.

But, she said, attitudes may not have changed with the law.

We can work on those kind of underlying assumptions that may undercut credibility in a manner that isnt fair and equal, she said.

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There are more people in on the secret than youd imagine.

The scene is set in a hospital, somewhere in Ontario. A pharmacy technician carefully measures out the medication. An orderly whisks it down the hall. A translator may be sought, and a physician arrives at the patients room.

Legally, any one of them can refuse to participate in the physician-assisted death thats about to take place, recognized for a year now as a persons legal right in Canada.

But outside the medical facility, no one has to know whats happening  and thats sounding off alarms for Ontarios most senior privacy watchdog.

In his annual report last week, privacy commissioner Brian Beamish took aim at the Medical Assistance in Dying Statute Law Amendment Act, or Bill 84, which became law in Ontario last month.

The act, in part, is a green light for secrecy. Any information that could identify hospitals, long-term care homes or hospices that offer medically assisted death is now exempt from freedom of information laws.

The government views protecting facilities as a logical and justifiable extension of protecting clinicians, health ministry spokesperson David Jensen wrote in an email to the Star. Theres nothing in Bill 84 to explicitly prevent a facility from proactively releasing their policies, he added.

The ministry is not considering any changes at this point.

To Beamish, that decision veers alarmingly off-path from transparency and accountability. Before the bill became law, he recommended amendments that kept the names of physicians anonymous but the names of facilities public.

Information should be public unless theres a really good reason why it shouldnt be, Beamish told the Star. In this case, he said, there was no evidence presented by legislators to suggest any reason why hospitals and care facilities should be exempt from disclosing their practices.

The same concern was presented by Hamilton Health Sciences ethicist Andrea Frolic at a committee meeting about the bill in March. Frolic praised the protection of physicians, but questioned why publicly funded facilities could draw a dark curtain over their practices.

Information-sharing with the public is essential to patients informed decision-making, she told the room, recommending that facilities disclose whether they grant assisted-death requests.

But when the bill passed, so, too, did the institutional protections.

Dr. Gerald Ashe, a family physician in Brockville, is onside with Beamishs plea. Over the past year, hes openly helped terminal patients end their lives by achieving what he calls a good death.

Ill be honest with you, I dont agree that publicly funded institutions should have the right not to offer it. But this is so much beyond that, he said. Though he understands that individual physicians may find comfort in anonymity, he says hes faced zero criticism for his involvement.

I dont think theres any danger to physicians, he said. Individuals who are participating and not putting their name out there are just kind of finding their way. To him, an institution doesnt need the same level of protection.

In Toronto, the University Health Network is trying to set a standard for transparency  whether or not the provincial government requires it  by publicly declaring its willingness to perform assisted deaths.

Dr. Madeline Li, a physician with the network, had already begun writing the framework for the hospitals within the network  Toronto General, Toronto Western, Princess Margaret, Toronto Rehab and the Michener Institute  before federal legislation passed to allow assisted deaths.

The time for debate is over. This is a patients right. And as an institution, weve decided to provide it, Li told the Star. Even if a facility elects not to provide assisted death, she said, its important to make that clear for patients.

Other institutions arent so much not being transparent, she said. I think its more that people are just unprepared.

Unlike Ashe, health-care workers within the University Health Network have seen backlash. Dr. James Downar, in particular, faced criticism after speaking out about assisted death. He was worried about emails within our firewall that might be tapped, Li said.

A palliative care nurse was approached and asked, How could you do this?

Li herself has faced questions about how she could participate in the process. But, she said, forming an open and comprehensive policy makes answering such questions much easier.

I have no difficulty defending our position, she said. And thats part of what plays into being transparent. Theres no secrets. Theres no shame.

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Some celebrated 150 years since Canadian Confederation; others raised clenched fists.

Saturday morning, the Spadina Museum in Toronto saw both.

Dozens of Indigenous activists waited outside the gates of the museum in Toronto, where Carolyn Bennett, Canadas Indigenous and Northern Affairs Minister, was preparing to host a noon picnic to celebrate Canadas birthday.

Bennett was summoned to speak with them. Activists uttered strong words in booming voices. Tension was high.

Inside, on the grounds of the manor, a different scene played out: a smattering of people in red and white shirts fired up barbecues and milled around chatting.

This continued while the crowd  and pressure  swelled outside.

This government hasnt done a good job for the last 150 years, Crystal Sinclair told Bennett. Sinclair leads Torontos branch of Idle No More, the movement to honour Indigenous sovereignty. You have to at least acknowledge it, and we have to work under the recommendations of the (Truth and Reconciliation Commission). Our communities are in crisis. No more empty words.

Bennett listened attentively before chiming in, conceding that the past 150 years since Confederation have been particularly ugly for Indigenous people.

You know that I marched with Idle No More, Bennett responded, her back to the wrought iron gate, you know that Ive been fighting to make sure that the next 150 years are a lot better than the last. Were closing the gaps, in terms of third-world conditions in too many communities, treating one another with a recognition of rights, respect and co-operation and the third, self-determination. We need to learn from our mistakes and from the misguided policies of the past.

The museums gates were opened and the activists were welcomed inside.

Placards and a Haudenosaunee flag were laid out across the grass  one Canadian flag bore the words, 150 plus years of settler colonialism  while about 10 police officers were posted on the property.

The day before the picnic, Russell Diabo, a First Nations policy analyst and one of the organizers behind UNsettling Canada 150, said Canadians must know the dark annals of the country.

The campaign is a series of events designed by Indigenous people to run alongside Canadas birthday celebrations to raise awareness about issues afflicting their communities, including rights infringement and inadequate government consultation.

Were celebrating, alternatively, our survival of racist, colonial policies, and we want to educate Canadians at the same time that colonialism isnt a thing of the past, its ongoing, said Diabo over the phone.

Its national day of action, jointly organized by Idle No More and Defenders of the Land, also honours the late Arthur Manuel, a renowned First Nations leader and writer who promulgated the economic necessity of returning lands to Indigenous people for their benefit.

The main driver of the campaign involves three demands: the right to self-determination, a full implementation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions Calls to Action and UNDRIP, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

For Indigenous people, its celebrating 150 years of theft, said Diabo. Canadians are having barbecues and shooting off fireworks, and I think its embarrassing for Indigenous people who are trying to hold onto their lands and life. Thats why you see so much resistance. Its an opportunity to push back against both the narrative of Canada itself and ongoing dispossession.

Tori Cress, a community organizer for Idle No More Ontario, was at the picnic. Reconciliation is not for Canadians to absolve themselves, she said, adding that she wants Bennetts audience to know that everything is not OK.

Shes shelling to Canadians that theres this Nation-to-Nation relationship happening, which is such a lie, a myth, said Cress. My news feed is full of Indigenous children being taken and Indigenous women dying. Nothing is getting better in my circle. Nobody cares about us. I know because I live it.

Unless theres actual land reform, Indigenous people arent going to have equal rights as Canadians. We have to fight for these rights. No ones going to give them back to us.

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BURLEY  Those living with cancer are invited to join the Cancer Support Group, which focuses on education and emotional support for individuals and their families who are being treated for, or have completed treatment for, cancer.

This group is open-ended (participants may start any time). Topics are discussed in a safe, confidential environment, according to organizers.

This program is free to participants, and a light lunch will be served.

Information: Martha Matthews, LSW, at 208-677-6581. Classes are from 1-2 p.m. every Tuesday from July 18 through September 12 in the Cassia Regional Hospital Boardroom.
LONDONJournalist Mohamed Fahmy had been working in Cairo for Al Jazeera when Egyptian authorities threw him in prison for more than a year, accusing him of stirring up unrest as an agent of the channels owner, the Qatari government.

Now, less than two years after his release, he has filed a lawsuit for more than $100 million (U.S.). But the target of the suit is not Egypt; it is his former employers: Al Jazeera and Qatar.

And a recent campaign of surveillance and computer hacking against Fahmy, for Qatars benefit, revealed that a senior official of the United Arab Emirates later provided $250,000 to help pay for the legal action.

Read more:

Mohamed Fahmy

Behind these bizarre twists and turns is a Persian Gulf family feud, pitting Qatar against the United Arab Emirates and its regional clients, including Egypt.

Fahmy, no longer a neutral bystander, has become a pawn exploited and abused by both sides.

The intra-gulf rivalry erupted into open hostility last month as the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt severed all trade, travel and diplomatic ties with Qatar, accusing it of using Al Jazeera broadcasts and financial support to promote Islamist extremism and interfere in the affairs of its neighbours. Qatar disputed those allegations and said its own internal affairs had become the targets of Saudi and Emirati meddling.

Fahmy, 43, has eagerly joined in, holding a recent news conference in Washington to add his voice to Saudi and Emirati accusations that Qatar and Al Jazeera conspire with Islamist extremists. Qatar has been given so many chances, and they have been warned so many times, he said, commending the Saudi and Emirati blockade.

Asked at the news conference if he had consulted Saudi or Emirati officials, or if he was close to the Emirati ambassador to Washington, Yousef al-Otaiba, Fahmy said, falsely, To simply answer your question, no. (Fahmy said last week that he was protecting a friend.)

Fahmy, an Egyptian-Canadian, lives in Vancouver. He acknowledged in a recent telephone interview that he had received what he described as a loan from al-Otaiba to finance the legal action against Qatar. The ambassador had been a friend since they attended high school together in Egypt, at the Cairo American College, and he was one of several people asked for financial support, Fahmy said.

He insisted that the money for the lawsuit had gone to a third party, whom Fahmy refused to name. I have not received a penny from Yousef, he said.

But he dismissed many of the other claims raised by investigators who conducted the surveillance against him. He called the assertions in their resulting report absurd, saying they were fabrications by Al Jazeera and Qatar in a systematic campaign to smear my reputation.

The investigation raised far-fetched allegations that Fahmy had worked covertly for nearly two decades as a spy for Italy, beginning when he was still a full-time college student in Vancouver. The report included many handwritten observations, presented as originating with Israeli intelligence, that describe dozens of sightings of Fahmy in Rome and at Italian diplomatic facilities in Paris, Cairo and Morocco.

But in an interview last week, Fahmy said he had never been to Italy or Morocco, nor to the other Italian diplomatic facilities mentioned in the report. For several of the dates in question, he provided detailed evidence that he had been far from the alleged meeting locations.

The investigative report  hundreds of pages long  was provided to the New York Times and other journalists by intermediaries sympathetic to Qatar in an apparent attempt to discredit Fahmy. The name of the client who commissioned the research was deleted from the copy provided to the Times. But the report indicates that the anonymous client had given the investigators a copy of Fahmys Canadian passport and already had a comprehensive knowledge of the subject and his activities, as a former employer might.

The report is also the latest in a series of cases when emails from al-Otaibas account have appeared in leaks embarrassing the United Arab Emirates and benefiting Qatar. All are widely believed to be the work of hackers working for Qatar.

A spokesperson for the government of Qatar said it had no knowledge of any investigation of Fahmy, and a representative of the Emirati Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment.

Fahmy worked for a few months in 2007 as a freelance reporter for the Cairo bureau of the Times. He went on to work as a reporter and producer for CNN, where he helped cover the Arab Spring revolts of 2011 in Egypt and Libya.

Al Jazeera was known in Egypt for its sympathetic coverage of Mohammed Morsi, the ousted Egyptian president, and his political faction, the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypts Emirati-backed military government, which removed Morsi from power in July 2013, considered Al Jazeera a tool of Qatar and the Brotherhood, and Egyptian security forces had raided the offices of Al Jazeeras Arabic language channels before the network hired Fahmy, in September 2013.

Fahmy, a nominal Muslim who drank alcohol and seldom prayed, personally opposed the Brotherhood and cheered for the military takeover, he told friends at the time.

But Al Jazeera offered him a job as the Cairo bureau chief for its English-language arm, which was less conspicuously supportive of the Muslim Brotherhood than its Arabic-language counterparts. Fahmy later wrote in a memoir that he had been convinced that Al Jazeera would maintain, and the Egyptian government would accept, a bright-line distinction between the sister Arabic and English networks. His lawsuit centres on claims that Al Jazeera broke promises to uphold that separation and to secure a proper Egyptian broadcasting license.

Egyptian police arrested Fahmy and two colleagues in Cairo in December 2013 on charges that they had conspired with the Muslim Brotherhood to broadcast false reports of unrest in Egypt. (Prosecutors never presented any evidence to support the charges.)

Former fellow inmates say Fahmy started talking avidly of suing Al Jazeera almost as soon as he was arrested. He soon also echoed the claims of the Egyptian government and its Emirati patrons that Al Jazeera had been conspiring with the Brotherhood and promoting dangerous extremism. He initiated his lawsuit against Al Jazeera in a Canadian court in May 2015, before he was released from jail in September of that year.

His fellow prisoners said the lawsuit appeared motivated in part by a desire for a big payoff from Qatar and was in part a strategy to win over Egyptian authorities.

After his release, Fahmy also began corresponding with al-Otaiba. When Fahmy gave a news conference in Cairo in May 2015, for example, al-Otaiba emailed an offer to arrange coverage by the Emirati-linked news network SkyNews Arabia.

SkyNews to take it live would be awesome, I think a nudge to their CEO could make it happen, Fahmy wrote back.

Already done, al-Otaiba responded. Lets hope they can get there.

After the news conference, Fahmy wrote to the ambassador, I plan to keep the pressure on through the media, and he alluded to documents from the Qatari opposition that would embarrass the government.

He asked for money, too. I am looking for a personal loan with a written agreement to pay back on success plus interest, and or a profit margin, Fahmy wrote in the same email.

His appeal seems to have worked. That October, al-Otaiba emailed an Egyptian businessman, Tawfik Diab, a relative, to arrange a transfer of $250,000 to an account under Fahmys name at the Royal Bank of Canada in Montreal. (Fahmy said in the interview that the Montreal account had belonged to the unnamed third party and that he had been unaware until now of Diabs involvement.)

A few days later, Fahmy confirmed the transaction. The money is in, he wrote, and he promised a progress report that we were planning to send to AD  presumably Abu Dhabi, the U.A.E. capital. My team here will start working on the media blitz to revive the case in U.S. media, he added.

The next May, in 2016, Fahmy emailed information about his personal checking account, in Vancouver, to al-Otaiba. But it is unclear how al-Otaiba responded. Fahmy said in the interview that there had been no payment, and he provided corroborating bank statements.

The investigation into Fahmy began in late November, according to a footnote to the report. The investigators obtained telephone bills, call lists, credit reports, court records, electronic communications, and photographs of Fahmys residences and workplaces. They also compiled a list of places where his wife likes to shop.

A second report by the same investigators mixed in the handwritten notes, allegedly compiled by Israeli intelligence, claiming that Fahmy had worked as a spy for Italy since as early as 1997. Other handwritten documents, also unconfirmed, purport to indicate a secret account in his name in the Vatican Bank.

Fahmy called the report defamation and said he would add it to his lawsuit. There is no turning back, he said. I am in too deep now.

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A Canadian shot at a New York hospital was completing his residency there, his father says.

Justin Timperio, 29, of St. Catharines, Ont., was one of six people wounded during a shooting at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center on Friday. He is being treated at Manhattans Mount Sinai Hospital and is in stable condition in the surgical intensive care unit.

The most damaging was straight to the liver, said his father, Dr. Luciano Timperio, a dental surgeon in St. Catharines. He had several in his intestines, one in his stomach, and one grazed his lungs, as well. He was basically sprayed with bullets.

Timperio said his sons condition has stabilized enough that he can receive an operation on Monday. The younger Timperio is heavily sedated and cant speak because of a tube in his throat to aid his breathing.

The barrage of gunfire claimed the life of one doctor before the shooter killed himself.

Timperio says his son was doing his residency in New York because he hadnt got into an Ontario medical school or residency program in the province. He said the provincial system highlights a lack of opportunity in Canada for young, aspiring doctors.

If we could somehow fix the problem of getting our own homegrown kids to go to medical school in Ontario, this wouldnt have happened, he said.

His believes son couldnt get into an Ontario school because of so few spots, he said. He graduated with a 90-per-cent average.

After graduating from Brock University with a degree in biochemistry, Justin Timperio went to American University of the Caribbean for his medical degree before beginning his residency at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center.

The issue is twofold, Timperio said. Aside from a lack of space in medical schools, there are also few spots available in residency programs in Ontario.

The Star reported last month that Ontario cut 25 residency posts for the 2016-17 training year. The provincial Health Ministry said the number of doctors in Ontario is projected to grow faster than the population, resulting in an average net increase of 650 physicians each year until 2025, even with reductions to the number of residencies.

This year, the number of unmatched students hit a record high of 68. Thirty-five of them were from Ontario, according to the Canadian Resident Matching Service, which runs the application process and the algorithm used to assign graduates to programs. Competition to get into medical school and subsequent residency programs is fierce.

Timperio said his son started working at Bronx-Lebanon about three years ago, for the clinical component of his medical training. He was then accepted to the hospitals family residency medical program, where he has worked for the past year.

He was just finishing up, he was going to start second year, his father said. Well, he was supposed to start second year.

I imagine he will return to his residency program once hes fit, his father said, adding that people love him at the hospital.

Hes a great family resident, he said. Hes so helpful and young. We need him here (in Canada).

After the shooting on Friday, the assailant, identified as Dr. Henry Bello by New York police, turned the barrel of an assault rifle and fatally shot himself. Bello, a family doctor, was a former employee at the hospital.

A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that Bello arrived at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital with an assault rifle hidden under his lab coat and asked for a specific doctor who he blamed for forcing him to resign. The physician wasnt there at the time.

Authorities said Bello went to the 16th and 17th floors and started shooting anyway, killing Dr. Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, also a family doctor. Hospital officials said that Tam, 32, normally worked in one of the hospitals satellite clinics and was covering a shift in the main hospital as a favour to someone else.

The individual was initially brought on as a house physician in August of 2014, said a hospital spokesperson, Errol Schneer. He subsequently resigned in lieu of termination in February of 2015.

Bello resigned because of his inability to meet the performance standards and policies of the hospital, Schneer added.

Before the shooting, Bello sent an email to the New York Daily News, blaming colleagues he said forced him to resign two years earlier.

This hospital terminated my road to a licensure to practise medicine, the email said. First, I was told it was because I always kept to myself. Then it was because of an altercation with a nurse.

His former co-workers described a man who was aggressive, loud and threatening. Bello had warned his former colleagues when he was forced out in 2015 that he would return some day to kill them.

All the time he was a problem, said Dr. David Lazala, who trained Bello. When Bello was forced out in 2015, he sent Lazala an email blaming him for the dismissal.

Of the six who were injured, one remained in critical condition Saturday and the rest were stable, hospital officials said Saturday.

Detectives searched the Bronx home where Bello was most recently living and found the box where the gun came from. Investigators were checking serial numbers to determine where it was purchased.

With files from The Associated Press and The Canadian Press

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WASHINGTONOn the surface, the investigation was routine.

Federal agents persuaded a judge to issue a warrant for a Microsoft email account they suspected was used for drug trafficking.

But U.S.-based Microsoft kept the emails on a server in Ireland. Microsoft said that meant the emails were beyond the warrants reach. A federal appeals court agreed.

Late last month, the Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene.

The case is among several legal clashes that Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft and other technology companies have had with the government over questions of digital privacy and authorities need for information to combat crime and extremism. Privacy law experts say the companies have been more willing to push back against the government since the leak of classified information detailing Americas surveillance programs.

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

Another issue highlighted in the appeal is the difficulty that judges face in trying to square decades-old laws with new technological developments.

In the latest case, a suspected drug trafficker used Microsofts email service. In 2013, federal investigators obtained a warrant under a 1986 law for the emails themselves as well as identifying information about the user of the email account.

Microsoft turned over the information, but went to court to defend its decision not to hand over the emails from Ireland.

The federal appeals court in New York agreed with the company that the 1986 Stored Communications Act does not apply outside the United States.

The administrations Supreme Court appeal said the decision is damaging hundreds if not thousands of investigations of crimes  ranging from terrorism, to child pornography, to fraud.

The emails, the administration noted, may reside on a server somewhere, but said Microsoft can retrieve them domestically with the click of a computer mouse.

Microsofts president, Brad Smith, said in a blog post following the high court appeal that the administrations position would put businesses in impossible conflict-of-law situations and hurt the security, jobs, and personal rights of Americans.

Technology companies and privacy experts are among those watching the case closely.

This is a big deal in an era of a global internet. Servers are not just in the United States. Theyre all over the world, and figuring out the rules for foreign-stored data is really important, not just for us, but for foreign governments, said Orin Kerr, a George Washington University law professor whose work is cited in the appellate ruling.

One problem identified by Kerr and other privacy scholars is that courts might not be the best place to resolve these issues.

Should the same rules apply to the emails of an American citizen and a foreigner? Does it matter where the person is living?

The Supreme Court cant answer these questions in the nuanced way thats needed, said Jennifer Daskal, an American University law professor.

Even Judge Gerard Lynch on the New York panel that sided with Microsoft called for congressional action to revise a badly outdated statute.

The Stored Communications Act became law long before the advent of cloud computing. To the extent personal information was kept online, it was mainly on personal computers.

Today, companies build data centres around the world to keep up with their customers demands for speed and access.

Members of Congress have introduced legislation to update the law, but nothing has been enacted.

Sen. Orrin Hatch opposes the administrations appeal, but said in a statement that Congress can and should modernize data privacy laws to ensure that law enforcement can access evidence in a timely manner.

Microsoft also supports revising the law. The company also is among those challenging gag orders that prevent service providers from notifying customers that their data have been turned over to the government under court order.

Companies have been more willing to assert their customers and their own privacy interests since former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowdens leak of classified U.S. material about Americas surveillance programs, Kerr said.

The technology companies wield enormous power, perhaps more than governments do, in shaping the scope of digital age privacy rights, Daskal said.

The companies decide what to retain, where to keep it, for how long, and whether to encrypt it, she said. And when governments produce court orders for customers information, its the companies call about when to comply and when to resist, Daskal said.

The justices wont decide whether to hear U.S. v. Microsoft, 17-2, before the fall. If they do, argument wouldnt occur until next year.

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LITTLE ROCK, ARK.A rapper whose concert in Little Rock was the site of a shooting that left 28 people injured was arrested early Sunday on unrelated assault charges while outside an Alabama club where he was performing just 24 hours later, authorities said.

Ricky Hampton, 25, of Memphis, Tenn., also known as Finese 2Tymes, was arrested on outstanding charges of aggravated assault with a gun out of Forrest City in eastern Arkansas, the U.S. Marshals Service said. Little Rock police said on Twitter that no arrests have been made in the shooting at the Power Ultra Lounge in downtown Little Rock. Police have said they believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute in the crowd and may be gang-related.

The Marshals Service said Hampton and another man were arrested at the Side Effects Club in Birmingham, where Hampton was performing. The rapper took the stage in Birmingham just a day after gunfire broke out as he was performing at the Power Ultra Lounge. Twenty-five people between the ages of 16 and 35 suffered gunshot wounds, and three others were hurt after the shooting early Saturday.

Read more: 28 injured in shooting at Little Rock nightclub; police say incident may be gang-related

A message posted on the rappers Facebook page Saturday offered thoughts and prayers for those injured: THE VIOLENCE IS NOT FOR THE CLUB PEOPLE. WE ALL COME WITH 1 MOTIVE AT THE END OF THE DAY, AND THATS TO HAVE FUN.

A woman who answered a phone number listed on Finese 2Tymes Instagram account for booking said the rapper didnt consider cancelling the Birmingham show, despite the shooting, because he wasnt responsible for what happened. The woman didnt give her name before hanging up.

The volley of gunfire inside the Power Ultra Lounge came so fast that investigators believe multiple people had to have been involved. Police Chief Kenton Buckner credited quick work by first responders for there being no fatalities.

Courtney Swanigan, 23, told The Associated Press that when the gunfire rang out, I just closed my eyes, got down on the ground and put my hands on my head.

City officials said they would move Monday to shut down the club under a criminal abatement program. State regulators suspended the clubs liquor license Saturday, and a representative for the landlords office later posted an eviction notice on a door to the club. The notice stated that the club must move out of the property within three days due to your failure to maintain the premises in a safe condition.

Mayor Mark Stodola said the city must keep guns out of the hands of the wrong people and suggested that people refuse to patronize clubs that seem to promote violence. Material advertising the concert by Tennessee rapper Finese 2Tymes showed a man pointing a gun at a camera.

A promotional video with a gun on the front cover inviting people to a concert ... should also be totally unacceptable in our community, the mayor said.

The shooting capped a violent week in Arkansas largest city. Police had responded to a dozen drive-by shootings over the previous nine days.

Im sick of all the killing and Im tired of all the shooting. The kids getting hurt, said Raida Bunche, who was waiting outside the club after hearing from a friend that her son had been inside. She found out later that he had run from the club when the shooting started and was not hurt.

The shooting occurred around 2:30 a.m. about 1.5 kilometres east of the state capitol building. First-responders are stationed through the central part of the city and hospitals are a quick ride away.

We had professional people responding to that incident and they did what they were trained to do, and I know they probably had something to do with the fact we didnt have any fatalities, Buckner said. He also credited divine intervention.

A Facebook video posted from inside the club included audio of at least 24 rounds fired in about 11 seconds. Darryl Rankin, who posted the video, said a friend of his who attended the concert with him had a bullet stuck in his spine. Buckner said police had not yet spoken with the rapper, who he said has outstanding warrants in the state.

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Its not easy to get robotics equipment through customs in Afghanistan, but that didnt deter this plucky bunch.

For months, a team of six teenage girls has been scrambling to build a ball-sorting robot that will compete in an international competition. Other teams received their raw materials in March. But the box sent from America had been held up for months amid concerns about terrorism. So the young engineers improvised, building motorized machines from household materials.

They didnt have time to waste if they were going to compete in the FIRST Global Challenge, an international robotics competition to be held in Washington, D.C., this month. Young teams from around the world face off against each other, in an effort to engage people in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

To participate, the girls from the city of Herat in western Afghanistan needed permission to travel to the United States. So, after they convinced their parents to let them go, they made the 800-kilometre journey to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul to apply for their visas. They did this twice, even though that location was targeted by a deadly truck bomb.

Things seemed to be lining up. But then the team got some bad news: Their visa applications had been denied. Roya Mahboob, who founded Citadel software company in Afghanistan and was the countrys first female technology chief executive, is one of the teams sponsors. When the girls heard the news, she said, they were crying all the day.

The first time (they were rejected) it was very difficult talking with the students, Mahboob told Mashable. Theyre young and they were very upset.

Fourteen-year-old Fatemah told Forbes, We want to show the world we can do it; we just need a chance.

On their competition page, the girls wrote:

We want to make a difference, and most breakthroughs in science, technology, and other industries normally start with the dream of a child to do something great. We want to be that child and pursue our dreams to make a difference in peoples lives.

The State Department does not comment on specific visa denials. According to recent State Department records, its particularly hard to get a business travel visa from Afghanistan. Just 112 were granted in May, 2017; 780 visas were issued to visitors from Iraq and 4,067 from Pakistan.

FIRST Global president and former congressman Joe Sestak was disappointed by the news and frustrated that the extraordinarily brave young women wont be able to travel to the United States and instead will have to watch their robot compete via Skype. Teams from Iraq, Iran and Sudan will be at the competition.

Mahboob is frustrated, but she still thinks the teenagers can serve as an inspiration for others. In Afghanistan, as you know its a very man-dominated industry, Mahboob said, according to Newsweek. The girls, theyre showing at a young age that they can build something.

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A birthday should be an uncomplicated, joyous celebration. Yet for Indigenous people the celebration of the passage of the British North America Act and the union of four provinces, which is known as Canada Day, is no great cause for celebration. And this, in turn, annoys many non-Indigenous people, who cant understand why Canada 150 cant just be an unalloyed celebration of a great country. Social media is full of commentary on all sides, and what should be the triumph of unity drives us apart.

The reason for the profoundly mixed feelings is clear enough. Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain did not discover Canada, any more than Christopher Columbus discovered America.

The arrival of adventurers and settlers in the Americas led to the near destruction and collapse of the civilization and people who had lived here for thousands of years. What military conquest did not kill, disease and starvation nearly finished off. After a period of alliances and treaties meant to cement the connection between the Crown and Indigenous people, the growing British population in the 19th century quickly abandoned what had been signed and proceeded to drive Indigenous people into small reserves, to see them as savages whose souls needed to be saved, and whose children had to be taken away.

At the time of Confederation, the common assumption of Canadas national leaders was that the Indigenous population would either die off, or be assimilated. The name of the law that initially dictated the future says it all  The Gradual Civilization Act of 1857.

To the mix of ethnic confidence and religious certainty was added the phoney science of racial superiority, the lethal cocktail that gave rise to the Indian Act in 1876, the policies behind the creation of a system of residential schools, and later treaties that had the effect of forcing Indigenous people off the land, into tiny reserves, and extinguishing title so that the connection between First Nations and their heritage would be severed for all time.

Indigenous people who insisted on maintaining their status could not vote. Federal politicians competed for who could be most populist and demeaning in their rhetoric and their policies, to the point that Beverley McLachlin made a point of saying, on the publication of the full report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, that Canada had engaged in a policy of cultural genocide.

So it should come as no surprise that when Canada gives itself a party to celebrate 150 years of Canadian history, many Indigenous people feel a sense of indignation. The prime minister has made it clear that he regards the relationship with the Indigenous peoples of the country to be Canadas most important statement about itself and its potential. The question that now faces us as a country is what can we do to show that we have learned from the past, and how do we go forward on a different basis?

My suggestion would be that the prime minister, in consultation with the Indigenous leadership of the country, create a clear objective that would show Canada is serious about changing course. There will be many different formulations of this vision, but mine is this: The original peoples of Canada are founding nations of this country and as such need to be able to govern themselves in full equality with other Canadians. That is certainly not true of our past, or of our present. But it must become the reality of our future.

What actually happened in 1867 was not the independence of Canada. It was the creation of a Canadian federation, still firmly part of the British Empire, whose actual territory was far less that the Canada we know now. Newfoundland and Labrador were not part of us, nor were the northern parts of Quebec and Ontario, to say nothing of Ruperts Land, which was administered by the Hudsons Bay Company. The Arctic was unknown territory to almost all Canadians, except of course for the original inhabitants.

As time went on after 1867, territories became provinces, and other lands joined Canada. Women could not vote in 1867, becoming a naturalized British subject was not easy, and the Canada of today would have been quite unrecognizable to Sir John A. Macdonald and Georges Etienne Cartier.

In terms of the relationship between Indigenous peoples and other Canadians, we now find ourselves in a situation similar to the colonial powers after the Second World War. Some were desperate to cling to power, insistent on the sovereignty of empire. There were many terrible battles. Others saw the winds of change, and accepted the reality of decolonization.

It is especially hard for Canadians, because the map of the country assumes a geography that is ours. Non-Indigenous Canadians are in a strong majority in the country, and feel a deep sense of ownership of the whole country. Canadians routinely speak of our Aboriginal Peoples, as if they naturally belonged to us. The languages of racism and paternalism are still widely spoken. They prevent us from seeing the other as equals, with dreams and aspirations of their own.

There are enormous legal, institutional, and financial barriers as well. The Indian Act has created a reserve and political structure that actually blocks effective governance and equality. Its continued existence makes the dream of effective sovereignty and good governance impossible.

But the difficult reality is that a full realization of the dream of equal governance requires deep change and participation from all three governments, federal, provincial, and Indigenous. This change will not happen without firm public support.

We are talking about a major shift in both the amount of money spent, as well as who gets to spend it. Where should be money go? This is what puts the issue of governance front and centre.

The Royal Commission of Aboriginal People, which did such great service for Canada and whose work has been too long ignored, actually dealt with this issue in some depth. Self government was at the heart of its vision, and the commission made it clear that Indian Act bands were not necessarily the right institutions to take on all the broader jobs of providing services to their people.

Instead of strengthening Tribal Councils, governments have deprived them of any capacity to provide services to larger number of band governments and Indigenous people. Off reserve services are almost completely forgotten, but if we consider the example of the current situation in a community like Thunder Bay, for example, the absence of both a joined up Crown, and effective Indigenous governance off reserve, is having tragic consequences.

Senior public servants and politicians from both the federal and provincial level often say quietly this is all very idealistic. These communities are not ready for this kind of responsibility.

The colonial system that is our present, and not just our past, bears a heavy responsibility for the undoubted challenges of governance that currently exist. That there are many thousands of officials working for provinces and the federal government with responsibility for all the decision making in traditional territories, and so many fewer are working for Indigenous governments, is a reflection of failure, not success.

Apart from the work of devolution that is going on at the territorial level, and a few other examples, there is little evidence of any serious thinking going on at the federal or provincial level on the need for a dramatic change in governance.

I want to say a final word about capacity, a term that is widely used by governments, consultants, and academics, in describing the challenge of both international and domestic development. Almost always the problem is stated in this way: How do we increase the capacity in Indigenous people and their governments to make decisions?

The implication is that poor education, lack of experience, and inadequate institutions all create an inability to accept the responsibilities that eager provincial and federal governments want to thrust upon them.

I think we need to turn this question on its head. How do we increase the capacity of provincial and federal governments to devolve power, to understand the trauma that has been inflicted on Indigenous people, and to stop thinking that the challenges facing Indigenous people can be resolved according to timetables and programmes that are designed exclusively by them, and are more often than not simply imposed on peoples whose sovereignty, difference, and dignity has hardly ever been recognized?

The former National Chief Phil Fontaine, whose single-minded focus helped create the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, has urged that the country needs to take concrete steps to recognize the Indigenous peoples of the country as in fact founding peoples.

I firmly agree. A declaration that Indigenous peoples are founding nations of the country, and a clear, and well-funded approach that shows Canadians take equality and equal governance seriously, would show that Canada is finally ready, on the 150th birthday of unity and self governance for non-Indigenous Canadians, to take the next steps on what Peter Russell, in his recent brilliant book, described as Canadas Odyssey.

May the next steps of the journey be taken hand in hand, in the spirit of friendship and sharing that we like to say are at the heart of the Canadian vision.

Bob Rae is a partner at Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP and teaches at the University of Toronto.

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My fellow Canadians, now that the various 150th celebrations and controversies are behind us, I would like to ask one of our favourite questions: what is a Canadian?

Of the many answers to that question, not one, if we are being at all serious, is British. Certainly some of us have British ancestors, and no doubt some have emigrated from the U.K., but many also have ancestors from China and Ghana and Somalia and Poland and just about every other country on Earth.

People of a wide variety of ancestries and immigration histories have built the modern state that we call Canada, and the only groups that can truly claim rights to this land are Indigenous peoples. Any Canadian who is not Indigenous has come from somewhere else; at this point in history, Britain is just one of those places.

Yet we cling to the increasingly ludicrous symbolic remnants of the British Empire. We have Lieutenant-Governors in the provinces and a Governor-General in Ottawa  representatives of the British Monarchy.

The Queen of England looks at us one-eyed from every coin that passes through our hands. The Queen of England! Why? What connection do we have to that archaic institution beyond a history of colonization that few of us would endorse today?

True reconciliation with Indigenous peoples means substantial changes in laws and financial commitments, but symbolic choices matter too. How can Canada claim to be moving forward with reparations to Indigenous communities when the currency we trade in is etched with the face of the colonial power that took their land and killed their people?

How can we struggle forward to define Canada while still hesitantly holding the hand of a distant and historically tyrannical parent we have well outgrown?

Not long ago, we used our historical connection to England to separate ourselves from Americans. With their cultural ascendancy, shared language, and military might, they seemed a larger threat to our identity.

But we are past that now. We know that we are not American; the world knows that we are not American. Our cultural landscape, our political debates, our national struggles, our approaches to problems, are, by and large, palpably different.

Our language is even becoming distinct: linguists have tracked changes in Canadian accents and dialects, and that growing distinctiveness has been documented in specifically Canadian dictionaries.

No, we are definitively not American, and we are not British. Even if some Canadians still feel British, that sense of connection is unrequited. The British feel no special connection to us. Their government treats us no differently than the U.S. or any other ally.

As a Canadian, my British visa application to study in England was about 15 pages and cost $1,000  the same as an American. The British consulate in Toronto doesnt even process visas for Canadians; they are sent through New York. My bank wouldnt provide the financial documents requested by the British Home Office; standard in England, they were unknown here in Canada, and the authority of the U.K. meant nothing.

Sorry, Ms Pipher, they said, this is a Canadian bank.

My administrative woes are not the point; I share them as a glimpse into how much Canadian and British economic, political, and cultural systems have diverged. As Canadians, we are not treated like we belong in England, any more than Americans or Italians; the same is true of other Commonwealth citizens.

The British charge us as much as the Americans to live in their country, and they give us an equally hard time at the border. As far as Britain is concerned, in every way that counts, we are foreigners.

So what are we holding on to? If we were to divest ourselves of our dubious connection with the British Monarchy, we could still follow the outfits and antics of the Royal Family as much as we follow the Kardashians  which, lets face it, is all the Windsors are at this point: classier, state-funded Kardashians.

As Canada looks towards the next 150 years, we need to decide if we will  through fear or inertia or misplaced nostalgia  continue to cling to the faded hand of colonial empire.

If we do, we might miss our opportunity to be a different kind of global power: one which honestly and painfully continues to reflect on what it wants to be  and acts accordingly.

Mandy Pipher is a freelance writer currently pursuing her PhD in English Language at the University of Toronto. Her website is www.mandypipher.com .

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JEROME  A former lieutenant with the Jerome County Sheriffs Office is being accused of taking money intended for undercover drug buys and is facing a felony charge.

Meanwhile, the state Attorney Generals office is looking into a complaint against the sheriff, apparently involving anonymous accusations of him misusing unrelated sheriffs department resources.

Former Lt. Dan Kennedy, who has since resigned, was charged June 16 with misappropriation of public funds, which carries a sentence of one to 15 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000.

There was supposed to be $2,722.83 in the small safe Kennedy is accused of mishandling. The Power County Prosecuting Attorneys Office is handling the case because of Kennedys connection to prosecutors in Jerome and because Jerome County and its sheriffs office would be the victims in the case. Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Anson Call, who is handling the case, wasnt in the office Friday.

Kennedys lawyer, Brad Calbo, declined to comment in detail, saying it is too early in the case. Kennedy wont be arraigned until late July.

Hes pleading not guilty and denying the allegations, Calbo said.

The AGs office wouldnt answer any questions about the investigation into Sheriff Doug McFall.

Our office policy is not to confirm or deny the existence of an investigation, spokesman Scott Graf said.

However McFall, who has spoken to the investigator looking into it, characterized it as an anonymous complaint about you name it, everything from ... misuse of county funds to taking a trip and so forth. McFall denies any wrongdoing, and said his expenses were legitimate and suspects the complaint may have been filed as retaliation related to the investigation into Kennedy.

Its pretty discouraging after all the hard work I put in for that jail, he said. Ive got 40 years of law enforcement experience and an unblemished record. Ive never been in any kind of trouble in my law enforcement career.

The missing money

McFall requested an independent investigator a day after learning about the missing money, and Power County Chief Deputy Sheriff Max Sprague and Bingham County Det. Mark Phillips handled the case.

According to Spragues summary, which was filed with the court after charges were brought, Jerome County Capt. George Oppedyk and Det. Chad Kingsland notified McFall of their concerns over the buy money on June 9, 2016.

At the time, sheriffs deputies were moving items from the old sheriffs office to the new one that was opening around that time. Kingsland asked Kennedy to help him inventory the contents of a small safe containing drug buy money, and Kennedy declined, later telling him there was a new policy to turn all buy money over to the treasurers office. Kingsland, who said he had previously inventoried the money in that safe with Kennedy, was concerned and talked to Oppedyk, who said he was unaware of any changes in policy, and the two went to McFall.

Oppedyk spoke to Kennedy, who, Oppedyk said, appeared to write something down and put it in the safe  this appears to have been the ledger in the safe. Kennedy and Oppedyk went to McFall, and according to Spragues summary, Kennedy told the sheriff there was no money in the safe because he had returned it to the county auditors office on Feb. 9, 2016. McFall checked and the treasurers office told him they had never received any money from Kennedy.

Kennedy wrote a report saying he had turned the $2,774 or so in the safe to the treasurers office in February. He was suspended with pay June 10, 2016. However, McFall agreed to let Kennedy come to the office the next day to get some personal items. When he was there, Kennedy opened a filing cabinet and said he found an envelope. McFall, who described it as having the date Feb. 9 and a dollar amount written on it, told Kennedy to leave and had the room sealed as a crime scene. Oppedyk, who was also present and gave Kennedy a ride home, told investigators Kennedy told him he must have meant to deposit the money but accidentally put it in the drawer.

Sprague and Phillips interviewed Kennedy and others involved in the case, finding among other things that Kennedy had taken out a $4,400 loan a few days before Oppedyk and Kingsland went to McFall. They thought there was a high likelihood that Lt. Kennedy may have taken some or all of the drug buy money from the safe at some point in time. Sprague said it was clear money had been taken and replaced due to the newer dates on the money, and that a bit more money was in the enveloped compared to what was in the safe the last time it was inventoried.

It is clear something happened to the monies while in the possession of Kennedy, Sprague wrote.

AGs investigation

McFall asked county commissioners on May 30 for an attorney to represent him in the investigation. County Prosecuting Attorney Michael Seib turned him down a few days later, saying the request was premature, according to the meetings minutes.

McFall said he learned of the investigation a few weeks ago. He said couldnt say too much, given that it was ongoing, but he denied, in general terms, having done anything improper.

Most of its just (untrue), he said. But it looks poorly on your record.

The commissioners have not been contacted by the attorney generals office, said commissioners Charlie Howell and Cathy Roemer, although they are aware of it because McFall asked them for an attorney. Both said they were unaware of the details of the allegations.
When General Motors Co. (GM) - Get Free Report decided in March 2016 to buy a small San Francisco-based startup called Cruise Automation for more than half a billion dollars, its purpose was to capture the brainpower and output of a small number of software engineers specializing in autonomous and driverless vehicles.

GM -- since 2008 -- also has been quietly pursuing another strategy to amass driverless software and other "non-traditional" technological talent at its Advanced Technical Center in Herzliya, Israel, just north of Tel Aviv. Like the West Coast of the U.S., the small Mediterranean country has become a major recruiting ground for digital and software talent. Global automakers, including Ford Motor Co. (F) - Get Free Report , Daimler AG (DDAIF) , Renault SA, Nissan Motor Corp. (NSANY) and China's SAIC, have opened technical centers in the country.

After Silicon Valley, Israel boasts the largest number of startups globally at about 6,000, said Gil Golan, director of GM's site, making it fertile ground for new ideas and software expertise useful to automakers. GM's location is shoe-horned among others with familiar corporate high-tech names such as Apple Inc., as well as scores of start-ups. "Hundreds" of startups in the country are dedicated to the automotive business, he said, primarily driven by an abundance of young engineers, entrepreneurs and scientists with advanced skills in software.

Interest among Israeli entrepreneurs in self-driving and autonomous start-ups no doubt has been stimulated in part by the celebrity of Mobileye N.V. (MBLY) , the Jerusalem-based machine vision and machine learning company focused on autonomous drive systems. Mobileye agreed to be purchased in semiconductor giant Intel Corp. (INTC) - Get Free Report for $15.4 billion. Intel has said it will transfer the leadership of its self-driving activities to Israel.

Last month, GM staged a hack-a-thon at its Herzliya offices, which it had advertised on Facebook. The contest to create the best computer code in 24 hours attracted 500 young coders, scientists and engineers. GM ordered pizzas and encouraged the two-, three- and four-person teams to spend the night working at its offices. GM awarded the winning team an all-expenses-paid trip to the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in January.

The non-traditional skills sought most avidly by GM and automakers center on artificial intelligence and machine learning, sophisticated programs that emulate the human brain's decision-making powers and its ability to learn and adjust decisions based on new information -- both seen as essential for creating cars that drive themselves safely. GM declined to discuss specifically how AI/ML activities in Israel blend with those in Silicon Valley, Detroit and elsewhere.

"Israel is becoming an important hub for automotive and personal mobility future technologies," said Ariella Grinberg-Felder, a GM innovation manager. "As GM was the pioneer in recognizing this potential a decade ago, we are now well-positioned to capture the full potential for the benefit of GM."

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Doron Levin is the host of "In the Driver Seat," broadcast on SiriusXM Insight 121, Saturday at noon, encore Sunday at 9 a.m.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
Japanese automaker Mazda (MZDAY) is recalling about 228,000 cars in the U.S. due to a potentially faulty parking brake, the Associated Press reports.

The issue is that the brake may not fully release or could fail to hold the cars in place, increasing crash risks. The recall covers model year 2014 and 2015 Mazda 6 cars and the 2014 through 2016 Mazda 3.

The problem is that water can get into the brake caliper and cause the shaft to corrode and bind. This could result in the parking brake becoming stuck in the on position or fail to fully engage, letting the cars roll unexpectedly if parked on a slope.

What's Hot On TheStreet

Get ready Tesla fanboys: Tesla Inc. (TSLA) - Get Free Report CEO Elon Musk said Friday there would be "news on Sunday" about the company's much anticipated Model 3. While that's all fine and good, what Musk won't tell people is how his electric car company may be speeding toward a monopoly.

Tesla's master plan may hold the key for saving the future of the auto industry, a Moody's Analystics researcher told TheStreet.

With the advance of self-driving vehicles, Tony Hughes, managing director at Moody's Analytics, argued it is not the cars themselves that could lead to the decline in the automotive industry but ride-sharing services like Uber or Lyft. The plan CEO Elon Musk has laid out to create a fleet of self-driving Tesla vehicles for ride-sharing purposes could be the way to save automakers from a demise.

A VIP gives his market outlook: Nobel Prize winning-economist Robert Shiller told TheStreet's Anders Keitz that U.S. equities markets are "quite high" currently but may go even higher in coming months, and that's why he's not exiting the market completely. Indeed there's another thing that could have an unpredictable effect on the market Shiller explains: The narrative around Donald Trump.

"Short-run forecasting of the market is very hard," said Shiller. "I think it's a time for caution, but it could go up substantially."

Apple iPhone 8 pictures leak: Apple's (AAPL) - Get Free Report iPhone 8 looks kind of cool. That is if yet another photo leak is to be believed. Noted Apple information leaker Benjamin Geskin tweeted photos of an alleged iPhone 8 finished prototype on Thursday evening (head here to see). Suffice it to say, Apple is gearing up for the mother of all product launches. And consumers look ready to respond.

About 92% of iPhone owners say they are "somewhat likely or "extremely likely" to upgrade their smartphone in the next 12 months, according to a note from Morgan Stanley. The loyalty rate is up sharply from 86% one year ago.

Nike managed to excite Wall Street: After a major restructuring announcement, Nike (NKE) - Get Free Report was able to boost Wall Street's views on the company's prospects. On an earnings call Thursday evening, Mark Parker, Nike CEO and board chairman, said its pricey new Air VaporMax sneakers drove sales in the quarter and that there will be new styles coming to the brand sometime this summer. There are also "a few more surprises along the way," Parker said.

As TheStreet's Lindsay Rittenhouse reports, Nike also confirmed that it teamed up with Amazon (AMZN) - Get Free Report to sell certain products on the e-commerce conglomerate's site. The company is also selling directly to consumers via Instagram.

Appleis aholding in Jim Cramer'sAction Alerts PLUS Charitable Trust Portfolio.Want to be alerted before Cramer buys or sells AAPL? Learn more now.

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Watts Water Technologies, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells products, solution, and systems that manage and conserve the flow of fluids and energy into, through and out of buildings in the commercial and residential markets in the Americas, Europe, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa. The company offers residential and commercial flow control products, including backflow preventers, water pressure regulators, temperature and pressure relief valves, and thermostatic mixing valves. It also provides heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and gas products, such as boilers, water heaters, custom heat, and hot water solutions; hydronic and electric heating systems for under-floor radiant applications; custom heat and hot water solutions; hydronic pump groups for boiler manufacturers and alternative energy control packages; and flexible stainless steel connectors for natural and liquid propane gas in commercial food service and residential applications. In addition, the company offers drainage and water re-use products comprising drainage products and engineered rain water harvesting solutions for commercial, industrial, marine, and residential applications; and water quality products that include point-of-use and point-of-entry water filtration, conditioning, and scale prevention systems for commercial and residential applications. Further, it provides smart mixing system under the IntelliStation name. The company sells its products to plumbing, heating, and mechanical wholesale distributors and dealers, as well as original equipment manufacturers, specialty product distributors, do-it-yourself chains, and retail chains; and directly to wholesalers and private label accounts. Watts Water Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1874 and is headquartered in North Andover, Massachusetts.
Concentrated coverage of the Kremlins meddling in the 2016 campaign and the 24-hour news cycle with its minute-by-minute reporting have converted Washington into a kind of circus. The best seats under the tent are up high, where you can keep an eye on the multiple rings.

To your left, watch media performers act out their delivery of breaking news and headline-attracting scoops, such as this Post-exclusive jaw-dropper: FBI questioned Trump campaign adviser . . . at length in Russia probe.

To your right, watch as lawmakers perform choreographed acts of congressional oversight using skills honed to suggest they are doing something of consequence when they are only posturing. The possibility of Russians having their hooks into the Trump crowd is the last thing the GOP-controlled Congress wants to face.

In the center ring, find President Donald Trump himself, the greatest showman on Earth.

Watch as the ringmaster shamelessly tweets obnoxious comments about the other performing acts. Listen to his whining about fake news and witch hunts. See how he skillfully moves the circus audience away from notions of collusion, cyberattacks and Russias wanting him in the White House.

And whats a circus without clowns? To wit: the trio of Sean Spicer, Kellyanne Conway and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, whose antics are more cause for pathos than amusement.

Yet Washingtons Big Top Circus is, in truth, a mere sideshow.

The Main Event is being staged far from the publics eye. Its where special counsel Robert Mueller III, and his team of first-rate prosecutors and federal agents, are focused laser-like on the Russian governments campaign to disrupt and undermine the 2016 U.S. presidential race; the possible involvement of Trump or his campaign with the attempted foreign sabotage; and Trumps possible obstruction of justice in the firing of FBI Director James Comey.

The daily claims of Trump, his White House staff and personal counsel, and right-wing media that the FBI investigation has come up empty, call to mind the movie The Untouchables, and crime boss Al Capones sneering taunt to pursuing federal agent Eliot Ness: You got nothing.

Capone learned better. The Trump cabals dismissal of the federal probe is little more than a blustering attempt to put on a brave front.

Trump does not know what information the army of prosecutors and investigators are busily acquiring from witnesses at home and abroad, including, ta-da, possible sources within Trumps own political and business circles.

Watergate got started like this.

The beginning of Richard M. Nixons demise was launched by the surreptitious penetration of the Democratic National Committee to steal information and set up means to illegally monitor DNC operations. The five arrested culprits, dismissed by Nixons press secretary as participants in a third-rate burglary, were found to be tied to Nixons own Committee to Re-Elect the President, appropriately known as CREEP.

After the break-in, Nixon OKd the payment of hush money to the burglars. He went so far as to work with his staff to hatch a plan to have the CIA impede the FBI investigationan act that led the House Judiciary Committee to vote an article of impeachment that prompted his resignation from office on Aug. 9, 1974.

Fast-forward to 2015.

Once again, thieves set out to surreptitiously penetrate the Democratic National Committee to monitor and steal internal information. This time, however, the cyber- intrusion was the handiwork of Russian agents. According to U.S. intelligence services, their assault on U.S. democracy, and other actions to disrupt the presidential election, were launched on the specific instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin with the expressed objective of defeating, or at least damaging, Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and helping to elect Trump.

Putin had his reasons for loathing Clinton. She took a hard line on Russia. She supported the 2011 protests against Putins government.

But the Kremlin also had its reasons for wanting Trump in White House.

No American presidential candidate since Communist Party-USA boss Gus Hall has ever enjoyed greater Moscow acceptance.

Certainly no candidate in U.S. history, whether Democratic or Republican, has had deeper Russian business and financial connections than Trump.

He has even confirmed his business links to Russia and his meetings with Russian oligarchs closely connected with Putin.

Whats more, no White House prospect has had more campaign, business and family associates with personal ties to Russias politically connected.

In Trump, Russia saw the prospect of having a good friend in the White House. Probably, the best ever.

Helping get Trump there served the Kremlins best interests. And, of course, Trumps, as well.

Mueller and the feds are not on a fishing expedition. They have been told whats in the water. They are baiting their hooks and assembling all the facts about Putins operation to defeat or damage Clinton, including any swimmers on the American side who knew about and helped to achieve Putins wicked objectives.

That makes this not a circus, but an outright criminal probe. One day, Washington is going to learn the difference.
Canon Europe has announced that following a number of successful activities to engage young people across Europe on visual storytelling, its Young People Programme will now offer a series of interactive workshops.



Young students will be encouraged to take photos or videos of subjects that relate to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and express their views on the need for change. The aim is to show the power of visual storytelling and raise awareness of the need to deliver the 17 SDGs, which were created to eliminate poverty, protect the planet and achieve prosperity for all.



Xavier Longan, European officer-in-charge at the United Nations SDG Action Campaign said: Engaging young people and giving them the tools they need to tell their stories and raise their voices is critical to make sure we make the 17 Sustainable Development Goals a reality by 2030. We are confident this program will inspire creativity, raise awareness on the importance of the Goals and encourage people to take action."



Stuart Poore, director of Sustainability and Government Affairs at Canon Europe said: The Young People Programme is one of several sustainability projects Canon Europe is currently running in the EMEA region that deliver social and environmental benefits through our people and products, demonstrating our commitment to our corporate philosophy of Kyosei: living and working together for the common good. We hope this programme will help us grow the positive power of imaging technology and services whilst amplifying the voice of young people in developing the United Nations SDGs. We look forward to seeing the results of each local initiative.



The first event took place on June 22 in Cologne, Germany, where a group of 15 students were joined by Pulitzer prize winner and highly acclaimed photographer Daniel Etter and Instagrammer Karla Schwede to learn about visual storytelling.



Both Daniel and Karla guided the students in the task of documenting some of the 17 SDGs through photography. The workshop was closely followed by events in the UK, Finland and Poland in 2017, and in other locations throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa in the future, in order to reach as many young people as possible.



Canon Europe has been delivering visual storytelling workshops for young people since 2015, and to date, 14 countries across Europe have run events, reaching more than 1,100 students including many who would not have had the chance to have their talents identified.  TradeArabia News Service
Cooper Tire & Rubber Company Europe has appointed Christophe Huss as Middle East sales director while Michiel Kramer takes over as marketing director for Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa.



In their new roles, the duo will look to further boost Coopers presence in the Middle East market.



Huss said: Cooper already markets a great range of products across five Middle East countries. The Middle East has a very diverse vehicle car parc, which fits our varied product portfolio of 4x4 and passenger tyres perfectly. Michiel and I look forward to working closely with Coopers regional partners to expand the brands reach over the coming months and years as we continue to offer high-quality products which are a great value to our customers.



With over 20 years of experience in the international tyre market, Huss has been appointed Middle East sales director from his previous role as regional sales manager  Middle East, Africa & Mediterranean. Huss is fluent in English, French, Italian and Spanish and has previously worked for organisations such as Bridgestone and Marangoni.



Kramer joins Cooper from Nedap Security Management, where he was director of Channel Sales for Europe. In this newly created role, Kramer, a 12-year tyre industry veteran, will be responsible for marketing, pricing, business intelligence and product management.



Huss and Kramer will report to Luis Ceneviz, Coopers managing director of Latin America Tire Operations and managing director of Europe Tire Operations with responsibility for the Middle East market.



Over the past two years, Cooper has taken several important steps towards expanding its presence in the Middle East and providing consumers in the region with greater access to both the brand and its products. These include being named official tyre sponsor of the Dubai International Motor Show 2015 and launching the Cooper Tire website and marketing materials in Arabic. This year the company also appointed a new distributor for Saudi Arabia  Arabian Tires.  TradeArabia News Service
GAC Fujairah has been awarded a husbandry contract by the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) to provide ship supply services, spare parts handling and a range of other logistical services to its vessels arriving in Fujairah, Khor Fakkan and Singapore anchorage.



As part of global shipping, logistics and marine services provider GAC Group, GAC Fujairah said it has worked in close cooperation with the Middle East Regional Office in Dubai and GAC Singapore to secure the deal.



Under the contract, the GAC team is set to handle approximately 450 jobs a year, a figure which is likely to grow as the KOTC fleet expands, it stated.



This is the third time GAC Fujairah has been appointed by KOTC to provide husbandry services to its vessels.



GAC Fujairahs proven track record of operational excellence is one of the key factors in awarding the contract to them, said a senior KOTC management representative.



We are pleased to be working with GAC again and we look forward to closer cooperation between the two companies, he added.



Captain Johan Thuresson, the general manager (Shipping Services) for Fujairah & Dubai at GAC said effective husbandry ensures efficient vessel turnaround, which in turn minimises the time spent in port.



"GAC Fujairahs husbandry services have time and again generated tangible time and cost savings for our clients like the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company. Our goal is to ensure our teams deliver such efficiency gains on a continuous basis," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Most presidential commissions dont accomplish very muchthey meet a few times, do some research, and produce a report, which then gets filed away and few people ever read, the list of recommendations seldom acted on. But President Donald Trumps Presidential Commission on Election Integrity is different.

Its goal is nothing less than the supercharging of recent Republican efforts to disenfranchise Democratic voters and permanently tip the scales of elections in the GOPs favor. Its true name should be the Commission on Vote Suppression, and its getting right to work.

This commission is led by Kansas secretary of state Kris Kobach, who is the countrys premier advocate of vote suppression (Vice President Mike Pence is the nominal chair, but as vice chair, Kobach is obviously running things). Well get more into Kobachs agenda in a moment, but first the latest news. This week the commission sent a letter to all 50 state governments demanding that they send the commission their full voter files, including names, addresses, birth dates, party affiliation, voting history, and Social Security numbers for every voter in America.

While some of that information is publicly available for a fee (parties and candidates buy it to target voters), Democratic officials in a number of states have essentially told Kobach to buzz off. The secretaries of state in Kentucky, California and Massachusetts have refused, and the secretary of state in Connecticut said she will withhold some parts of the data, noting that Kobach has a lengthy record of illegally disenfranchising eligible voters in Kansas. Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe said I have no intention of honoring this request, and other Democratic states are sure to follow.

The commission will probably end up obtaining most of the data theyre after one way or another. So what are they going to do with it? Its no secret: Under the guise of fighting voter fraud, theyll use it as a tool to disenfranchise thousands, perhaps even millions of people, in order to solidify the Republican advantage in elections.

If you arent familiar with him, Kobach has made a crusade out of denying people the right to vote, particularly racial minorities. Kobach, who is running for governor in Kansas, is currently the only secretary of state who has the power to prosecute voter fraud, a power he was granted by the Kansas legislature after convincing them that thousands upon thousands of people were voting illegally in the state. But as Ari Berman wrote earlier this month in the New York Times:

Though Kobach received the authority to prosecute fraud cases after warning that voting by aliens was rampant, the nine convictions he has won since 2015 have primarily been citizens 60 and over who own property in two states and were confused about voting requirements. Only one noncitizen has been convicted.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Kansans have been blocked from registering by the 2011 law he championed that requires documentary proof of citizenship in order to register.

Kobach was also recently fined by a federal judge for lying to the court about documents in a case in which hes being sued by the ACLU. But his arguments about vast numbers of people voting illegally found a welcome audience in Donald Trump, who has convinced himself that millions of undocumented immigrants voted illegally for Hillary Clinton and that voters registered in two states is a major problem that has contributed to rampant voter fraud.

The truth is that while lots of people are registered in multiple places, theres almost no evidence that double-voting is anything more than a miniscule problem. Heres a news flash: People move, and when they register in their new home, theyll be registered in two places. But that doesnt mean theyre voting in two places. During the course of my voting life, Ive registered in four states plus the District of Columbia. That doesnt mean Im committing voter fraud, it just means that my name is on a list in states I used to live in. No one is going to the polls claiming to be me.

We see this pattern again and again: Republicans complain that there is some huge voter fraud problem that requires sweeping new laws in order to solve, but when its investigated, it turns out that the problem is somewhere between microscopic and non-existent. But in the meantime, theyve stolen thousands of peoples voting rightspeople who just happen to disproportionately be Democrats.

So what is Kobachs commission going to do with the data it gets? We dont know for sure, but it appears that they have two broad goals. The first is essentially a PR effort aimed at public opinion and state legislatures: foster the impression that fraud is widespread, which then makes it easier for Republican-run states to impose draconian laws making it as hard as possible for people to register and vote. The second apparent goal is more direct: create lists of allegedly questionable voters that theyll give to states in order to convince them to purge those people from the rolls, by showing that they might be registered in more than one place.

This is what Kobach has already been doing with a multi-state program called Crosscheck. One academic study of Crosscheck revealed that it flags thousands upon thousands of people who are allegedly voting in multiple states and recommends that they be purged from the rolls, when in fact these are simply people who have the same name and birthdate as someone in another state. How many people named John Smith or Jennifer Wilson who were born on July 30th do you think there are in the United States?

In addition, Kobach is apparently planning to use a Homeland Security database of non-citizensvisa holders, green card holders, and the liketo flag voters to be purged. At this point you might be asking: Wont all this affect Republicans, too? It will, but when done on a sufficiently broad scale, this is a numbers game that works to Republicans benefit. Lets say theres a green card holder named Hector Gonzales who was born on April 3, and they find 75 different voters named Hector Gonzales with that birthday around the country and purge them all on the dubious grounds that they all might be that one non-citizen Hector Gonzales. Even if there are a few Republicans born on April 3 named Hector Gonzales who lose their voting rights, the GOP will come out ahead, since most of those Hector Gonzalezes are probably Democrats.

The same is true of voter ID laws. Some Republicans may be unable to find their birth certificates and be disenfranchised, but everyone knows that Democrats are affected more. One statistical analysis found that strict ID laws cause a reduction in Democratic turnout by 8.8 percentage points, compared to a reduction of 3.6 percentage points for Republicans. So the math works out in the GOPs favor.

Lets be clear: The sole purpose of this commission on election integrity is to suppress votes and give the GOP a structural advantage in every election. Its being led by Kris Kobach, whose twin missions in life are to scale back immigration and to make voting more difficult. Other commission members include Ken Blackwell, a far-right activist who as secretary of state of Ohio in 2004 (while he was simultaneously serving as state co-chair of the Bush campaign) tried to disenfranchise people whose registration forms were submitted on insufficiently heavy paper stock. The administration just added Hans von Spakovsky, who before Kobach emerged was known as the countrys most prominent advocate of vote suppression.

These people are not trying to determine whether there are problems with our voting system and find the best solutions to those problems. They have come together to promote the myth of voter fraud and enable vote suppression in order to advantage the Republican Party. No one should be fooled into thinking this enterprise is anything other than that.
There are strange sea creatures known as sea pickles invading the Pacific Northwest.

These gelatinous and somewhat translucent organisms, called pyrosomes, have been seen congregating, sometimes by the thousands, close to shore from Northern California up to southeast Alaskaclogging fishing nets and washing up on beaches, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Experts say that this year, the critters are appearing in very high numbers outside the normal range of the species.

Most recently, NBC Bay Area reported that the sea dwellers have been causing a stir in Monterey Bay, frustrating fishermen trying to catch salmon and shrimp.

So what are pyrosomes, where did they come from, and why are they swarming shores?

NOAA Fisheries described them this way:

Pyrosomes are pelagic Tunicates, which are part of Chordata, a phylum that includes humans. It is tough and slimy to the touch with small, pronounced bumps. Inside the wall of this gelatinous tube, which can get up to 60 cm, individual zooids are tightly packed together. These zooids have an incurrent and excurrent siphon and use cilia to pump water for feeding, respiration and movement. Using a mucus net, they filter water for small planktonic microorganisms.

Pyrosomes are known to aggregate in large clusters at the surface and the zooids bioluminesce to create beautiful light displays.

Experts say pyrosomes are found all over the world, typically in warmer tropical waters far offshore.

Ric Brodeur, a research biologist at the NOAAs Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Newport, Oregon, said that beachcombers in Oregon have been walking the beaches there for decades, but he has started getting reports of pyrosomes washing up on the beaches only in the past few months. He has also been going to sea on research cruises since the 1980s and saw his first pyrosome only in 2014. He believes the high abundance is related to unusually warm ocean conditions along the coast that resembles pyrosomes normal habitat.

Brodeur said it is too soon to say whether pyrosomes will become permanent residents of the Pacific Northwest, as the ocean could revert to colder conditions.

Well have to wait to see how it goes, but certainly, its not a good sign for the ecosystem to have these critters out there instead of the normal fish and crustacean prey most fish, birds and mammals off our coast are accustomed to, he said.

During research cruises in February and May, pyrosomessome more than two feet longwere seen in the highest number 40 to 200 miles off the Oregon Coast.

A five-minute midwater tow of a research net off the Columbia River in late May brought up approximately 60,000 pyrosomes, NOAAs Northwest Fisheries Science Center said in a blog post. Scientists spent hours sorting through the massive catch to find the rare fish they were targeting.

Researchers from NOAA Fisheries, along with researchers from Oregon State University and the University of Oregon, have been studying these sea creatures to learn more about them.
- A quick view of the official released voter numbers gives the main opposition coalition NASA a significant head start over the ruling party Jubilee, headed by Uhuru Kenyatta

- Crucial swing votes aside, NASA has a guaranteed 9 million + votes compared to Jubilee partys 7 million+ with slightly over 39 days to the August 2017 General Election

The electoral commission earlier this week completed the cleaning of its register and officially gave out the number of people who will vote in the coming election.

The commission says 19,611,423 voters are now legible to vote during the August 8 elections.

The IEBC had struck off a total of 92,277 records of deceased persons but this number was later revised to 88,602 by audit firm KPMG.

READ ALSO: Vote for these idiots and let's see where you go-Uhuru

Jubilee party boast of 16 counties drawn mainly Uhuru and his Deputy William Rutos backyards of central Kenya and Rift valley.

The number of registered voters indicate that Nairobi and Kiambu top list of registered voters at 2.25 million and 1.18 million respectively.

However, from the 47 counties, the opposition can comfortably lay claim to 24 counties from across the country.

READ ALSO: IEBC bans campaigns in Raila Odinga's stronghold

NASA has 5 main principals who command a sizeable support base from Western Kenya, Nyanza, Eastern and the coast region.

The other NASA sure counties are from marginalized counties that have a history of voting for the opposition and as such may as well do the same this time around.

The 24 counties that the opposition could likely carry the day are, Kakamega 743,736,Machakos - 620,254, Mombasa  580,223, Bungoma  559,850, Kisii  546,580, Kisumu  539,210, Kilifi  508,068.

Others are Homa Bay  476,875, Kitui  474,512, Siaya  457, 953, Makueni  423,310, Kajiado  411,193.

Migori  388,633, Busia  351,048, Narok  341,730, Trans Nzoia  339,622, Kwale  281,041, Nyamira  278,583, Vihiga  272,409, Turkana  191,435, West Pokot  180,232, Garissa  163,350, Wajir  162, 902, Taita Taveta  155,716.

The counties have a total of 9, 447,665 votes, assuming the voter turn-out will be 100% or at least anything above 90%. Such a number of votes are enough to guarantee Raila Odinga the presidency.

READ ALSO: 112 elders aged between 75-90 years in one week fast for Uhuru's victory

Article 138, Section 4(b) of the Constitution of Kenya stipulates that a candidate shall be declared elected as President if s/he receives at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in more than half of the counties, which translates to 24 counties out of 47.

An analysis of 2013 presidential results shows that Raila Odinga defeated Uhuru Kenyatta in five out of the former eight provinces but the Jubilee candidate opened a huge margin especially in his Central and Rift Valley support bases which saw him declared winner with 6,173,433 votes  about 800, 000 more than the then CORD candidate.

The tie might appear close or done but Jubilee party boasts of state machinery at its disposal and there is no denying that on this, NASA must work overtime to come closer to this in terms of resource mobilisation to give Uhuru Kenyatta a run for his money.

Jubilee partys 16 almost guaranteed stronghold counties are Kiambu  1,180,920, Nakuru  949,618, Meru - 702,480, Muranga  587,126, Nyeri  456,949, Kericho  375,668, Kirinyaga  349,836,Nandi  346,007, Nyandarua  335,634,Bomet  322,012, Embu  309,468.

Others are; Laikipia  246,487, Baringo  232,558, Tharaka Nithi  213,154, Elgeyo Marakwet  180,664, Uasin Gishu - 450,055

The total comes to about 7,238636 votes, slightly more than what Uhuru garnered in 2013 to be declared president. Assuming the turnout is 100% or over 90%, Uhuru will also need to get a good number of votes from swing vote counties to carry the day.

With a cloud of being a one-term president hanging over his head, the scion of Kenyas founding president Jomo Kenyatta is expected to fight like a wounded buffalo since he carries with him the twin ambition of Ruto succeeding him in 2022

The real battle will on how to control about 7 counties including Nairobi that has more than 2 million votes buy either political divide.

It should not be lost that we have about 6 other presidential candidates who might spoil the party like Musalia Mudavadi and Peter Kenneth did in 2013 when they collectively garnered about 600,000 votes.

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The swing vote counties are Nairobi -2,250,853, Samburu  82,787, Isiolo  75,338, Lamu  69,776, Tana River  118,327, Samburu  82,787, Marsabit  141,708.

President Uhuru Kenyatta is putting up a fierce fight in his quest to secure a second and final term in office even as analyst say that trends show his main challenger Raila Odinga is closing the gap on him.

However, the vote could also go either way subject to a number of things like voter turn out and the fact that what some may consider as NASA zones may be swing votes. Conversly , Jubilee may find it hard since two principals Musalia and Kalonzo have now joined forces with Raila.

Source: TUKO.co.ke
- Three KDF soldiers have reportedly been killed by al-Shabaab militants in Somalia

- According to reports, the militants raided a KDF camp in Tabta area of Somalia

- The Kenyan government is yet to comment on the attack against its soldiers

Three Kenya Defence Force (KDF) soldiers have reportedly died after an attack from terror group al-Shabaab.

TUKO.co.ke has learnt the militants had ambushed the KDF camp on Sunday, June 2, engaging the Kenyan soldiers in heavy fighting.

According to sources, the militants first shelled the KDF camp located in Tabta area of Somalia with mortar fire before entering the camp.

READ ALSO: Al-Shabaab terror group turn against each other after leader quits

Three Kenya Defence Force (KDF) soldiers have reportedly died after an attack from terror group al-Shabaab.

READ ALSO: 5 dead as al-Shabaab attack Equity Bank

Reports said several al-Shabaab militants were killed during the attack on the camp after a fierce exchange of gunfire with KDF.

KDF overpowered the attackers who fled the area after sensing defeat.

Kenya's Ministry of Defence is yet to comment on the latest attack on its soldiers.

READ ALSO: Al-Shabaab in horror attack on KDF, casualties feared

Reports said several al-Shabaab militants were killed during the attack on the camp after a fierce exchange of gunfire with KDF.

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Al-Shabaab emerged in 2006 from the now-defunct Islamic Courts Union, which once controlled Somalias capital of Mogadishu.

The militant group launched its own insurgency on major Somali cities in 2009, taking control of Mogadishu and southern Somalia.

In 2015, the militant group launched a deadly assault on Garissa University College.

Have something to add to this article or suggestions? Send to news@tuko.co.ke

This is the only Uhuru will win elections, watch below;

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Many people have been left without pipe-borne water in northern and eastern parts of Trinidad and some areas in Tobago.

The Water and Sewerage Authority indicates this is a result of an impact to twelve of its plants due to adverse weather, which has caused flooding in some areas.
The capital of the United Arab Emirates became the first city to be exempt from a U.S. ban on laptop computers being in the cabins of airplanes coming from the Mideast, the country's flag carrier said Sunday.



Long-haul airline Etihad said it welcomed the decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which comes "subject to enhanced security measures" at Abu Dhabi International Airport. That airport already has a U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility that allows passengers to clear screening they'd otherwise have to go through when landing in America.



Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan said U.S. officials already had seen that ``the measures have been implemented correctly and to the full extent required'' in Abu Dhabi. He said American monitors would make further visits to ensure the checks were being done properly.



"The enhanced security measures, both seen and unseen, include enhanced screening of passengers and electronic devices," Lapan said, declining to elaborate. "We commend Etihad for working swiftly to implement these additional measures. Their efforts are a model for both foreign and domestic airlines."



Abu Dhabi International Airport did not respond to a request for comment. The airport is home to Etihad, which has over 120 planes in its fleet and 204 aircraft on order. It operates 45 flights a week between Abu Dhabi and six cities in the U.S.



The U.S. ban, first announced in March as a security measure, now applies to nonstop U.S.-bound flights from nine international airports in Amman, Jordan; Kuwait City; Cairo; Istanbul; Jeddah and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Casablanca, Morocco; Doha, Qatar; and Dubai in the UAE.



In late May, Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said he was considering banning laptops from the passenger cabins of all international flights to and from the United States. Kelly's comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump shared highly classified intelligence about the Islamic State group wanting to use laptops to target aircraft with senior Russian officials visiting the White House.



The laptop ban, as well as a Trump administration travel ban on six predominantly Muslim nations, has hurt Gulf carriers. Dubai-based Emirates has slashed 20 percent of its flights to America in the wake of those decisions. The airline also has been trying to get the laptop ban lifted for its direct flights to the U.S. It did not immediately respond to a request for comment.



Dubai International Airport, Emirates' home, is the world's busiest international air travel hub. Meanwhile, long-haul carrier Qatar Airways has been hurt amid a diplomatic dispute with Arab nations that has seen its own routes in the region cut off.



All this also comes amid a wider dispute between Gulf airlines and American carriers, which accuse the Middle East airlines of flooding the market with capacity while receiving billions of dollars of unfair government subsidies. The Gulf carriers all vigorously deny that.
A stunning move last week by a House panel to force a debate on new presidential war powers revealed mounting frustration that Congress has for too long dodged one of its most important responsibilities: to decide whether to send American fighting forces into harms way.

The measure crafted by Rep. Barbara Lee of California, an anti-war Democrat and the only member of Congress to oppose the post-Sept. 11, 2001, authorization, demands a debate on new war powers to reflect how the dynamics of the battlefield have shifted. For example, American troops are battling an enemy, Islamic State militants, that didnt exist 16 years ago in a country, Syria, that the U.S. didnt expect to be fighting in.

About Syria

And there are concerns the U.S. is being tugged more deeply into Syria.

President Donald Trump warned Monday that Syria will pay a heavy price if it carries out another chemical weapons attack. In April, Trump ordered the firing of dozens of Tomahawk missiles at an air base in central Syria, marking the first time the U.S. has directly struck President Bashar Assads forces during the countrys six-year civil war.

The U.S. military earlier this month shot down a Syrian Air Force fighter jet, and the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State has hit pro-government forces in Syria with airstrikes.

The Trump administration also is sending close to 4,000 additional American forces to Afghanistan, Americas longest war.

Amendment added to bill

Members of the Republican-led House Appropriations Committee voted overwhelmingly Thursday to add Lees amendment to its version of the 2018 military spending bill. Her measure would repeal the 2001 authorization  it has been broadly interpreted by Trump and his predecessors to permit military operations beyond those envisioned at the time  240 days after the spending bill is enacted.

Lee said the eight months would allow plenty of time for Congress to finally live up to its constitutional obligation to debate and vote on any new AUMF, using the acronym for authorization for the use of military force.

Blank check to wage war

To underscore how the 2001 authority has been stretched beyond its intended limits, she said the authorization has been invoked to deploy troops to eight different countries, including Yemen and Syria.

Any administration can rely on this blank check to wage war, Lee said.

Lee won the vocal backing of several conservative lawmakers, highlighting the breadth of support for debating new war powers. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said Congress has avoided its war-making responsibilities for years.

Weve had leadership honestly on both sides that have put off this debate again and again and again, Cole said. If were going to send people to war, we owe them the support of the Congress of the United States.

Rep. Chris Stewart, R-Utah, and Lee are about as far apart on the political spectrum as two people could be. But Stewart, a former Air Force B-1B bomber pilot, voted for her amendment. He said U.S. service members are watching Congress.

They notice that Congress doesnt have the guts to stand up and have this debate, Stewart said.

Unlikely to succeed

Yet if history is a guide, the amendment to cut off the 2001 authorization for the use of military force against the terrorist groups who carried out the 9/11 attacks will be scratched from a Pentagon spending bill before the legislation ever reaches the House floor.

Robert Chesney, an expert on national security law and a professor at the University of Texas law school, said theres little incentive for congressional leaders and the Trump White House to open the 2001 authorization to changes. Properly or not, he said, the law has been read expansively to cover all current military operations, whereas a rewrite may put limits and barriers on what the Pentagon can do.

Theres nothing forcing their hand, Chesney said. The concern is that no one is quite sure what might come out of the revision process.

Rep. Kay Granger of Texas, the chairwoman of the panels defense subcommittee, opposed the measure and warned her colleagues they were making a serious mistake. She called the amendment a deal breaker that would tie the hands of the U.S. to act on its own or with other countries to attack and defeat terrorist groups.
Brazilian police say they have arrested an infamous drug kingpin who had evaded authorities for three decades.

Authorities say Luiz Carlos da Rocha had undergone plastic surgery in his efforts to dodge capture.

Officials believe da Rocha, who was living under the name Vitor Luiz de Moraes, is the head of a massive international cocaine empire.

Authorities say the cocaine da Rocha produced in the jungles of Bolivia, Colombia and Peru was distributed in the United States and Europe. Officials say da Rocha was also one of the main cocaine suppliers to the notoriously violent drug dealers in Brazils Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.

Police seized $10 million worth of da Rochas property, including luxury cars, aircraft, farms and other real estate, in several raids. The police, however, believe that da Rochas personal assets are worth at least $100 million and will seek them in the second phase of the operation against the drug kingpin.
An Egyptian court has upheld death sentences against 20 people in the brutal 2013 attack on a police station in the Giza suburb of Kardasa. The attack, which came during a frenzy of violence following the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, killed close to a dozen police officers and cited in the government's case for the use of force to quell a budding popular insurrection.

An Egyptian court has issued a final ruling, upholding death sentences against 20 participants in a brutal 2013 attack on a police checkpoint in the Cairo suburb of Kardasa in which 15 people, including 11 officers, were killed. The sentence was read out by the court at a Cairo police academy following approval by the country's highest religious authority.

The attack on the police facility in Kardasa, not far from Egypt's grand pyramids, caught media attention in the immediate aftermath of the ouster of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, bolstering the government's argument in putting down scattered violence, which appeared to be turning into an armed uprising.

Hundreds of police recruits and military officers were killed in the violence that followed Morsi's ouster. Hundreds of Morsi supporters were also killed in the bloody dispersals of two sit-in camps and other scattered violence that followed.

A video broadcast by Egyptian media shows prominent Qatar-based Egyptian cleric Sheikh Youssef Qaradawi issuing a fatwah or religious edict in 2013 calling for the killing of Egyptian police officers and military forces. Qaradawi has denied issuing such a fatwah.

Qatar is currently locked in a feud with its Gulf neighbors and Egypt over Qatar's alleged support of the Muslim Brotherhood and an assortment of regional terrorist groups, including Hamas, Libya's Ansar al-Shariah, Syria's Jabhat al-Nusra and the Janjaweed militia in Sudan, among others.

Veteran Egyptian editor and publisher Hisham Kassem tells VOA that most ordinary Egyptians are more concerned with their immediate day-to-day struggle to put food on the table and clothe themselves than with court cases, such as the one Sunday in which death sentences were upheld in the Kardasa attack. But he notes, Egypt has seen an unusually large number of death sentences.

"When it comes to the number of death sentences that have been handed out in the past three years, they are very high, unprecedented in the history of Egypt," said Kassem.

Kassem points out that many death sentences have not yet been carried out, and opponents of the government of President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, including the Muslim Brotherhood, "are looking for means to resort to international legal bodies or rights organizations to use such sentences against [Sissi]."
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert was released from prison early Sunday, days after a parole board granted him early release from his 27-month corruption sentence.



Prison Service spokesman Assaf Librati said Olmert, 71, was whisked away by Israels security service after his release and driven home after serving 16 months.



He said the terms of Olmerts early release stipulate that for the next few months the former prime minister has to do volunteer work, must appear before police twice a month and cannot give interviews to the media or leave the country.



He added that President Reuven Rivlin could relieve him of the parole restrictions.

Convicted of taking bribes



Olmert was convicted in 2014 in a wide-ranging case that accused him of accepting bribes to promote a real-estate project in Jerusalem and obstructing justice. The charges pertained to a period when he was mayor of Jerusalem and trade minister before he became premier in 2006.



His departure from office in 2009 ended the last major Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and ushered in the era of Benjamin Netanyahu.

Conciliatory toward Palestinians



Olmert was a longtime fixture in Israels hawkish right wing when he began taking a dramatically more conciliatory line toward the Palestinians more than a decade ago. He played a leading role in Israels withdrawal from the Gaza Strip in 2005 and became prime minister in January 2006 after then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a debilitating stroke. He resigned amid a corruption scandal that clouded his administration.



Olmert has said he made unprecedented concessions to the Palestinians  including a near-total withdrawal from the West Bank and an offer to place Jerusalems Old City under international control  and was close to reaching an agreement at the time of his resignation.
France inaugurated two new high-speed rail lines Saturday linking the capital to the western cities of Bordeaux and Rennes in what is likely to be the last launches of their kind for years as public cash becomes increasingly scarce.

The state-owned SNCF railway operator expects 35,000 passengers to use the new route to Bordeaux daily and 30,000 to use the line to Rennes.

Nearly 8 billion euros ($9.1 billion) was invested in the stretch to Bordeaux, while 3.4 billion euros ($3.9 billion) went into the Rennes line, both under public-private partnerships, SNCF said.

While local politicians often fight hard to bring high-speed lines to their regions to boost jobs and activity, such projects have fallen out of favor with the central government because of the costs.

A 60-kilometer (37-mile) high-speed stretch is due to open at the end of the year in the south of France, but after that, nothing major is in the works, with the government preferring to support high-use commuter lines instead.

The SNCF capacity to finance major new projects is now severely constrained by its nearly 45 billion euros in debt and by a rule taking effect this year that limits how much new debt it can take on as a function of its operating margin.

Spending cuts coming

Budgetary pressure is also adding up for France's new government, which is due to announce a wave of spending cuts in the coming days after an audit found this week that the 2017 finances were overshooting targets.

The line to Bordeaux, which links up with existing high-speed rail lines in the central city of Tours, was financed under a unique public-private partnership that will see a consortium led by construction group Vinci operate it under concession for 50 years.

However, the price of usage has left the SNCF concerned, and its president, Guillaume Pepy, told Le Monde newspaper it would lose 90 million euros on the line this year.

Despite the huge costs of high-speed lines, a study from the INSEE statistics agency found this year that they do bring significant economic activity, boosting companies' profitability and productivity.
For a would-be fighter of the Islamic State, Mohammed Hamzah Khan has had it relatively easy with the American criminal justice system.

On October 4, 2014, authorities arrested Khan, then 19, at Chicagos OHare International Airport as he and two younger siblings prepared to board a flight to Vienna en route to Turkey.

The nascent Islamic States promise of life under the caliphate was luring thousands of aspiring young fighters into Syria and Iraq. Khan, the U.S.-born son of Indian immigrants, had planned to join their ranks and never return.

His sister and 16-year-old brother were let go without any charges, but not Khan. Federal prosecutors charged him with attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. He faced up to 20 years behind bars.

Except, thats not how it turned out for Khan, whose case reflects leniency in the sentencing of some homegrown U.S. terrorists in recent years.

While sentences have averaged more than 13 years over the past three years, court records show a quarter of suspects have received four years or less. Khan was given one of the shortest sentences: He was released from prison last month after serving less than three years.

Making a distinction

Khans light sentence shows how U.S. prosecutors and judges have been willing to differentiate between the most dangerous defendants and those who are merely hangers-on, even as the Trump administration and U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions are promising a hard line on homegrown terrorism.

They still want to pursue these terrorism cases, but there is a sense that these younger individuals may not rise to the danger level of some of those who fit a criminalized pattern, said Karen Greenberg, director of the Center on National Security at Fordham University School of Law in New York.

The trend, seen in 2015-16 but not so far this year, followed years of criticism by human rights advocates and others who claimed the Justice Department and FBI were using informants and undercover agents to entrap naive terrorist sympathizers who otherwise posed no real risk.

Thomas Durkin, Khans attorney, said once his client agreed to cooperate, prosecutors essentially accepted our arguments that Hamzah Khan was someone that had made a mistake, was young, that he was not dangerous, that he should be given a second chance.

Two weeks ago, Khan was released into a halfway house. Durkin said his client would start classes at the College of DuPage, a community college west of Chicago, in August.

Hes doing very well, Durkin added.

Falling numbers

Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, U.S. authorities have charged nearly 500 individuals in terror cases  132 of them in connection with supporting Islamic State (IS) over the past three years, according to the Center on National Security.

At the height of the arrests, in May 2015, more than 15 people were charged a month. With fear of prosecution deterring travel to Syria and IS losing its allure, however, the number has dropped over the past year, with just six new indictments announced since January 20.

The Justice Department says stopping terrorist attacks remains its highest priority.

[We] will continue to work to stem the flow of foreign fighters abroad and bring to justice those who attempt to provide material support to designated foreign terrorist organizations, acting Attorney General Dana Boente said last week in announcing the latest IS case.

Sentences handed down in IS cases over the past three years have varied widely, from probation to life in prison.

More recently, in cases carried over from the Obama administration, judges have imposed steep sentences, with all but one sentence for more than 10 years. And where judges have shown leniency, they have set strict conditions, as was the case with Khan: up to 20 years of supervised release.

Justice Department officials were not available to discuss the recent Islamic State prosecution cases.

Confidential informants

According to the Center on National Security, 49 percent of the cases have involved foreign fighters, while 61 percent of the cases have stemmed from the FBIs controversial use of informants and undercover agents.

While some informant-based cases have resulted in relatively short sentences, others have ended with lengthier terms. Last year, Mahin Khan, an 18-year-old described by his family as mentally ill, received eight years on charges of planning terrorist attacks in Arizona. The charges stemmed in part from his contacts with an FBI agent he thought was an Islamic State operative.

Michael German, a former FBI special agent now with New York Universitys Brennan Center for Justice, said authorities turn to confidential informants because they seem to think its something that works to get convictions.

The FBI has defended its use of informants, rejecting claims that the practice amounts to entrapment.

And even critics agree that not all terror prosecutions grow out of what they decry as manufactured cases.

Case in point: Saddam Mohamed Raishani, 30, was arrested at New Yorks JFK Airport last week as he tried to board a flight to Turkey. He had told an FBI informant how he had earlier helped an acquaintance travel overseas to join IS and regretted not having gone along with him.

Raishani may really have wanted to go without any enticement by the informant, said Greenberg of the Center for National Security.

As in criminal cases, cooperation with prosecutors can mean leniency for some terror suspects.

In sentencing a group of nine Somali-Americans charged with plotting to join IS, a federal judge in Minneapolis last November handed down the shortest terms to those who had pleaded guilty and cooperated, and the longest terms to those who had not.

Unlike members of terrorist groups who can use information on their associates as a bargaining chip, though, many aspiring foreign fighters caught through sting operations dont have much to bargain with.

Calculated judgment

In agreeing to a shorter term for Khan, prosecutors cited his cooperation. But his attorney said Khan and his siblings didnt have much to offer prosecutors beyond discussing the people they met online, which the government was fully aware of.

Its not like a drug dealer who somehow might know 50 other drug dealers, Durkin said.

In cutting suspects some slack, he said, prosecutors and judges want to be assured that theyre not going to be embarrassed.

They dont want to be the guy that permits somebody to get out early and go blow up the subway, Durkin said. Its a delicate balance.

In agreeing to a sentence that ensured Khan would be free in time for college this fall, Judge John Tharp last November argued that a lengthier term would make Khan more dangerous and reminded Khan how the American criminal justice has treated him.

The enemy government has not tried to kill you, Tharp said. It has tried to help you.

As Khan prepares for college, Durkin wants him to use the freedom given by the criminal justice system to chart a new life.

Im trying to talk him into studying liberal arts, because Im a big fan of liberal arts, he said. He wants something a little more practical, but lets see who wins.
West Africa and France must work together to eradicate terrorism, French President Emmanuel Macron said Sunday, opening a summit in Bamako, Mali on forming a regional anti-jihadist force.

"Every day we face these terrorists, thugs, assassins whose names and faces we must forget but whom we must steadfastly and with determination eradicate together, and eradicate them because they are doing it today, in the name of dividing people, in the name of a religion that is yours, and that you have rightly saluted, Mr. President, but which they distort to give it the face of ignorance and hatred," Macron said, addressing his Malian counterpart, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita.

Macron said that France would provide military support, as well as 70 tactical vehicles, for a new multinational force dedicated to fighting terrorists in the region.

Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger  the so-called G5 Sahel  have said they are coming together to provide troops to combat rising insecurity and jihadist attacks affecting their countries.

The G-5 Sahel troops would bolster the 4,000 French troops and the 11,000 UN peacekeepers already operating in the region.

As the six leaders addressed the rising threat of jihadist attacks in their countries, an al-Qaida affiliated group, Nusrat al-Islam wal Muslimeen, released a "proof of life" video showing six Western hostages it has taken over the past few years.

One of the hostages seen in the video clip released Saturday is Frenchwoman Sophie Petronin, who was kidnapped from the Malian city of Gao in December.

The French leader said France would "put all our energy towards eradicating" those responsible for kidnapping Petronin.

Macron visited Gao in northern Mali in May, his first trip outside Europe as president, and said French troops would remain "until the day there is no more Islamic terrorism in the region."
More than 100 people were in line at one Las Vegas-area dispensary Saturday morning as Nevada became the latest state in the U.S. with stores selling marijuana for recreational purposes.

Kristin Deneal got in line outside the pot shop at 5:45 a.m., after another store that opened at midnight closed before she could make a purchase. She brought a folding chair and sat by the door, striking up conversations with the security guard and others as the line continued to grow before doors opened at 9 a.m.

Deneal, a Las Vegas resident, said she is elated at being able to legally buy the drug that for decades she has had to buy through acquaintances. She said smoking marijuana helps her cope with health conditions while also working a stressful job at a bank.

It looks like they have enough stuff for everyone, its just a question of getting through the door, she said.

State senator makes first purchase

State Sen. Tick Segerblom, one of the main proponents of marijuana legalization in Nevada, made the first purchase at The Source dispensary at a strip mall. Deneal and others followed.

Recreational marijuana sales began shortly after midnight, just months after voters approved legalization in November, marking the fastest turnaround from the ballot box to retail sales in the country.

Hundreds of people lined up at Essence Cannabis Dispensary on the Las Vegas Strip. People were excited and well-behaved as a lone security guard looked on. A valet was available to park cars for customers.

A cheer erupted when the doors opened.

Those 21 and older with a valid ID can buy up to an ounce of pot. Tourists are expected to make nearly two of every three recreational pot purchases in Nevada, but people can only use the drug in a private home.

What is still illegal

It remains illegal to light up in public areas, including the Las Vegas Strip, casinos, bars, restaurants, parks, convention centers and concert halls  places frequently visited by tourists. Violators face a $600 fine.

And driving under the influence of marijuana is still illegal.

Despite the limits on where people can get high and restrictions on where the industry can advertise, dispensaries worked furiously to prepare for the launch. They stamped labels on pot products, stocked their shelves, added security and checkout stations, and announced specials.

Marijuana jobs

Desert Grown Farms hired about 60 additional employees. Workers in scrubs, hair nets and surgical masks put stickers on sealed jars this week as others checked on marijuana plants or carefully weighed buds.

It would be a good problem to have if I couldnt meet my demand, said CEO Armen Yemenidjian, whose Desert Grown Farms owns the only dispensary that is selling recreational pot on the Las Vegas Strip, across the street from the Stratosphere hotel.

Nevada joins Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Alaska in allowing adults to buy the drug thats still banned by the federal government.
An ongoing tracking project by The Washington Post finds that the number of people fatally shot by police in the United States in the first half of 2017 is nearly identical to figures for the previous two years.

The newspaper says 492 people were shot and killed by police during the first six months of the year. Most frequently killed were white males armed with guns or other weapons. Twenty-five percent of those killed were mentally ill. Black males also made up about 25 percent of those killed, although they represent only 6 percent of the U.S. population.

The Post began tracking shootings by police after the 2014 killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Despite protests and calls for reform of police department policies since, then there has been no reduction in the overall number of deaths.

The newspaper reports that the number of police officers killed in the line of duty also has held steady for the past two years.
In what is being viewed as a shake-up at the Vatican, Pope Francis on Saturday replaced a high-ranking conservative cardinal responsible for church doctrine and head of the office that presides over investigations into sex abuse cases.

Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, 69, had led the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for five years. The pope appointed Spanish Archbishop Luis Ladaria Ferrer, 73, to the position.

Mueller has publicly sparred with the pope over the latter's efforts to reform the Catholic Church and make it a more welcoming place for followers, by such actions as allowing remarried divorced people to take part in Communion.

Mueller also has been criticized for his handling of sex abuse cases made against the church.

Earlier this year, prominent Irish abuse survivor Marie Collins, a member of Pope Francis' sex abuse advisory commission, challenged Mueller over his claims that his office had cooperated with the commission.

In March, Collins said Mueller's office had ignored or scuttled commission proposals, approved by the pope, to protect children and care for abuse victims.

Collins resigned from the commission March 1 citing the "unacceptable" lack of cooperation from Mueller and the resistance of his office to heeding the commission's proposals.

Mueller responded to her criticisms by telling Italy's Corriere della Sera newspaper that it was time to do away with what he called the "cliche" that the Vatican bureaucracy was resisting Francis' initiatives.

Action against Mueller follows news last week that Vatican hard-liner, Cardinal George Pell, was granted a leave of absence to return to his native Australia to face trial on multiple charges of sexual assault stemming from years ago. Pell, the highest-ranking church official to face such accusations, has denied the charges.

Mueller had been appointed to his position by Pope Benedict XVI.
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a controversial law authorizing the demolition of thousands of Soviet-era Moscow apartment buildings, forcing the relocation of hundreds of thousands of residents.

The legislation was approved by lawmakers June 14 in the 450-seat lower house of parliament by vote of 399-2. The upper chamber Federation Council adopted the legislation Thursday and the text was published Saturday.

Plans to implement the law brought thousands of protesters to the streets in central Moscow in May and again in June after the Duma approved the bill.

Moscow authorities say the buildings are dilapidated and outdated, but many residents and activists see the plans as an excuse for the lucrative construction of high-rises in an already congested city whose green spaces are shrinking.

The bill calls for about 4,500 buildings erected in the 1950s and 1960s  many of them five-story blocks known as Khrushchyovki after Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev  to be demolished and replaced with high-rises.

An original plan had called for the demolition of 8,000 buildings but was scaled back after the protests.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has said the plan is to raze the buildings starting in September in a project the authorities say will eventually set out $61 billion to develop more housing for the crowded capital of some 12 million people.

Authorities say residents relocated will be housed in apartments of an "equivalent" size  but not of equal value  in the same neighborhood.

Moscow authorities have said the apartment blocks listed for "renovation" will only be demolished if two-thirds of the apartments vote in favor.

But activists have protested that dwellings that do not vote will be considered to have voted "yes" and worry about the likelihood of falsification of results.
Shareholders of defunct Russian oil giant Yukos, which was dismantled and absorbed by a state-owned rival in contentious legal actions, are taking a new tack in their multibillion-dollar fight with the Russian government.

The former owners have alleged that lawyers at a powerful U.S. law firm helped Russia's Rosneft manipulate an Armenian court ruling in a parallel case that they say bears on a $50 billion judgment handed down in 2014.

The action, now unfolding in U.S. federal court, is the latest front in a convoluted battle that erupted early in Vladimir Putin's presidency and helped entrench the state's dominance in Russia's economy.

The law firm, Baker Botts, has denied wrongdoing, calling the allegations false.

Once Russias largest oil company, Yukos was systematically pared in the early 2000s through a series of bankruptcy proceedings that legal experts have said were rife with inconsistencies.

Assets, including huge Siberian oil fields, were acquired mainly by Rosneft, the government-owned company run by Igor Sechin, a former intelligence officer and close ally of Putin.

Yukos was built up by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who was later prosecuted for financial crimes after purportedly crossing Putin in the early 2000s. After a decade in prison, Khodorkovsky fled Russia and he now funds opposition political groups from abroad.

In July 2014, an arbitration court in The Hague ordered Russia to pay $50 billion to compensate Yukos shareholders, one of the largest such awards in history.

Moscow, however, persuaded a Dutch district court nearly two years later to set aside that judgment.

The former stakeholders  banded together in a Brussels-based organization called GML  have asked a Dutch appeals court to overturn the lower court's ruling as they try to seize assets in multiple countries.

Last week, lawyers for GML alleged in a motion filed with the U.S. District Court in Washington that Rosneft tampered with Armenian court rulings that might have affected the Dutch decision.

"The Petitioners believe the evidence sought in this application will show efforts by the Russian Federation to manipulate Armenian courts, so as to influence proceedings before the Dutch courts," the motion states.

According to court filings, Rosneft filed suit in Armenia in the late 2000s seeking possession of one of Yukos's far-flung subsidiaries, Yukos CIS, which was located there. In 2011, Rosneft won possession of the subsidiary.

'Ordered' to issue judgment

About a year later, one of the key Armenian judges involved in the rulings gave sworn written testimony in a related Yukos case in a U.S. federal court in California. Surik Ghazaryan alleged that his superiors had ordered him to issue a judgment favorable to Rosneft, and even provided a flash drive with what he claimed was a pre-written copy of the judgment.

Ghazaryan said he fled Armenia fearing reprisal for his refusal to comply with other related instructions from his superiors.

"Every Armenian judge in charge of proceedings having to do with 'Yukos' has received a clear and unambiguous signal: either you follow directions from above and hand down judgments in favor of 'Rosneft' and against 'Yukos,' or you face serious consequences," he said in his written testimony.

There was no way to independently corroborate Ghazaryan's claims; his lawyer did not respond to an e-mail and phone message seeking comment.

'Every court, judge is fair game'

As Rosneft took control of Yukos's assets, shareholders sought compensation for Yukos's dismantling. Khodorkovsky is not party to the legal fight, though his former partners are.

In the filing in U.S. district court, the Yukos shareholders assert that two lawyers from Baker Botts, working out of the firm's Moscow office, were involved in drafting the suspect Armenian court judgments.

The shareholders submitted copies of purported Baker Botts e-mails as part of the filings. They also asked the Washington court to order that the lawyers be questioned under oath, with an eye to introducing the statements once the Dutch appeals court takes up the question of the $50 billion judgment as early as December.

Baker Botts, the shareholders said, may have "possession, custody or control [of] evidence that relates to efforts by the Russian Federation, both directly and through its agents, to interfere with and manipulate foreign judicial proceedings for the benefit of the Russian Federation."

As of June 29, Baker Botts, whose global headquarters are in Houston, Texas, had not responded to the U.S. court filings.

"The events that took place in Armenia reveal just how far Russia goes to undermine the rule of law: every court or judge is fair game," GML chief executive Tim Osborne said in a statement to RFE/RL. "The evidence we hope to obtain will make that even clearer."

The issue of Rosneft's alleged court tampering surfaced in 2015 when another Dutch court hearing a parallel case about Yukos CIS accepted shareholders' arguments. That case was ultimately settled, with the shareholders receiving about $400 million in compensation.

In November, after a Dutch newspaper published some of those e-mails, Baker Botts denied the allegations, which it repeated in a statement to RFE/RL on June 30.

"Any suggestion that Baker Botts lawyers perverted justice in Armenia is false. At all times Baker Botts lawyers acted lawfully and ethically," the firm said.

For its part, Rosneft said: "The Armenian issues with allegations of impropriety made by both parties against each other were fully briefed in court and settled...as part of an overall settlement. Discussions of separate episodes are futile."

Small victory

The allegations of court tampering raise the stakes significantly in the $50 billion arbitration fight. If the shareholders succeed in deposing Baker Botts lawyers and the Dutch appeal court hearing the arbitration case agrees to consider that evidence, it could deal a substantial blow to Rosneft and the Russian government.

The shareholders won a small victory on June 22 when a U.S. judge in California authorized subpoenas of Edward Mouradian, another lawyer who allegedly was involved in the Armenian court cases on behalf of Rosneft.

Under Dutch law, new evidence can be introduced in the appeals court hearings.

"It's clearly become an issue of whatever you can to undermine the credibility of the other party, and this only confirms that this is a highly political case and the Yukos claimants hopes that the appeals court will see it in those terms, said Gus Van Harten, who studies international arbitration law at the Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto.

He said the Yukos case has taken on overt political tones, both internationally and domestically, far beyond how arbitration disputes typically are sorted out.

"What classically might have been a legal or political dispute, within a country, is morphing into a larger international dispute," he told RFE/RL.
Samsung Electronics said Sunday its recalled Galaxy Note 7 phones will be recycled and sold starting this week in South Korea.



The Galaxy Note FE phone, using unused parts in the recalled Note 7 smartphones, will go on sale in South Korea Friday at 700,000 won ($611), about three quarters of its original price.



The company said the supply will be limited to 400,000 units. Overseas sales plans will be determined later, it said in a statement.



Samsung said the Note FE has perfect safety.

Black eye for Samsung



The original Note 7 was one of the biggest black eyes in Samsungs history. When it was launched in August 2016, the Note 7 was Samsungs answer to Apples upcoming iPhone. It was also one of the most expensive Samsung phones with the price starting at $850.



But after reports emerged that its batteries were prone to overheat and catch fire, Samsung recalled the phone in less than a month of its launch and released another one with replaced batteries. But the second batch also tended to overheat, prompting Samsung to discontinue the Note 7.



The debacle dealt a blow to Samsungs corporate image. Aviation authorities around the world banned the pricy phone on flights and photos of scorched Note 7s circulated on social media. Samsung spent billions of dollars to recall the Note 7 and fix its damaged brand.



Earlier this year, the company released the investigation results and blamed flaws in design and production of batteries supplied by two battery makers.

Environmentalists urged reuse of parts



After Samsung recalled millions of Note 7 phones, environmental activists have pressured the South Korean tech giant to reuse the electronics parts to reduce waste. Samsung said the Note FE is part of its efforts to minimize waste.



The Note FE, short for Fan Edition, features the screen measuring 5.7 inches (14.48 centimeters) diagonally and the stylus pen.
Samsung Electronics said Sunday it will start selling refurbished versions of the Galaxy Note 7 smartphone this week in South Korea.

The Note 7 was recalled last year because its batteries would overheat and catch fire. The refurbished versions will use different batteries.

The new Galaxy Note FE phone, built with unused components of the Note 7, will cost $611, a significant drop in price from the Note 7's price tag of nearly $1,000.

Samsung recalled the Note 7 less than a month after its launch when reports of the phone's batteries catching fire emerged.

The company released another Note 7 with replaced batteries, but those batteries also overheated and Samsung discontinued the Note 7.

Earlier this year, the tech giant released the results of an investigation that determined the phone fires were the result of flaws in the design and production of batteries supplied by two battery makers.

Close to 3 million Note 7s were returned to Samsung, prompting environmental groups to urge the South Korean company to reuse the electronics parts of the Note 7 to reduce waste.

"The latest launch of the Galaxy Note FE ... has a significant meaning as an environment-friendly project that minimized the waste of resources," Samsung said in a statement.

Samsung said it has not decided if it will sell the Note FE internationally.
President Donald Trump is upset that all states aren't fully cooperating with his voting commission's request for detailed information about every voter in the United States.

Some of the most populous ones, including California and New York, are refusing to comply. But even some conservative states that voted for Trump, such as Texas, say they can provide only partial responses based on what is allowed under state law.

In a tweet Saturday, Trump wondered whether the states not cooperating were "trying to hide" anything.

Trump established the commission to investigate allegations of voter fraud in the 2016 elections, but Democrats have blasted it as a biased panel that is merely looking for ways to suppress the vote.

Given the mishmash of information Trump's commission will receive, it's unclear how useful it will be or what the commission will do with it.

New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner, a Democrat who is a member of Trump's Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity, defended the request Friday. He said the commission expected that many states would only partly comply, because open-records laws differ from state to state.

"If only half the states agree, we'll have to talk about that. I think, whatever they do, we'll work with that," said Gardner, adding that the commission would discuss the survey at its July 19 meeting.

He said he had received calls from unhappy constituents who said they didn't want Trump to see their personal information.

"But this is not private, and a lot of people don't know that," he said.

'Political stunt'

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders blasted the decision by some governors and secretaries of state not to comply.

"I think that that's mostly about a political stunt," she told reporters at a White House briefing Friday

It's not just Democrats bristling at the request for information.

Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, a Republican serving his third term, said in a statement he had not received the commission's request.

If he does receive it?

"My reply would be: They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico, and Mississippi is a great state to launch from," he said. "Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our state's right to protect the privacy of our citizens by conducting our own electoral processes."

In a federal court case after a contentious U.S. Senate primary in Mississippi in 2014, a group called True the Vote sued Mississippi, seeking similar information about voters. Hosemann fought that request and won.

No state election official planned to provide the commission with all of the information requested  even Kansas, where commission Vice Chairman Kris Kobach is secretary of state. He sent the letter asking for the names, party affiliations, addresses, voting histories, felony convictions, military service and the last four digits of Social Security numbers for all voters.

A spokeswoman for Kobach's office said the last four digits of Social Security numbers are not publicly available under Kansas law and would not be handed over. That was the case in many other states, noted in statements from top election officials and responses to queries from reporters for The Associated Press.

10 states say 'no deal'

Officials in 10 states and the District of Columbia said they would not comply at all with the request. Those states are California, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Mexico, New York, South Dakota, Tennessee and Virginia.

Oklahoma, where nearly two-thirds of the vote in the November presidential election went to Trump, will provide nearly all the commission's request, save for one bit of information: Social Security numbers.

"That's not publicly available under the laws of our state," said Bryan Dean, spokesman for the Oklahoma State Election Board.

Dean said the commission's request would be treated like any other from the general public. The election board will tell the panel to fill out an online form asking for the information. Oklahoma's voter roll is routinely provided to political campaigns, the press and other groups that ask for it.

The letter from the presidential commission gives secretaries of state about two weeks to provide the voter data and other information, including any evidence of fraud and election-related crimes in their states. It also asks for suggestions on improving election security.

Some Democratic officials have refused to comply with the data request, saying it invades privacy and is based on false claims of fraud. Trump, who created the commission through executive order in May, lost the popular vote to Democrat Hillary Clinton but has alleged without evidence that up to 5 million people voted illegally.
A suicide bomber killed at least 14 people in Iraq Sunday at a camp for families internally displaced by fighting.

Thirteen people also were wounded in the attack on the camp (in the 60 Kilo area) west of Ramadi, capital of Anbar province.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Iraqi forces retook the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah from Islamic State forces, but the jihadist group retains control of western parts of the province.


A fire has killed at least one person at a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley.

Flames and thick clouds of black smoke were seen rising from the settlement Sunday near the town of Qab Elias, about an hour from the capital Beirut.

Around 100 tents were burned, leaving the camp in "ashes", with only a few bathrooms at the edge of the settlement left in tact, a member of emergency services told the Associated Press.

More than one million registered Syrian refugees live in Lebanon, largely in settlements in Bekaa, near the countries' border.
Amid tight security, hundreds of thousands of people took part in a global gay rights demonstration in Madrid on Saturday.

"For all the people in countries who are suffering persecution, we have to celebrate and make visible our pride," Jesus Generelo, the head of the Spanish federation of LGBT people, told revelers.

The rally had been expected to draw between 1 million and 2 million people to march for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights, organizers and authorities said. Madrid city officials said later that "hundreds of thousands of people" were in the streets, dancing, cheering or watching the parade. Officials had released no official count by late Saturday.

The gathering, led by Spain's major political parties, was the highlight of a 10-day World Pride 2017 festival, which ends Sunday.

The parade included 52 floats, and festivities lasted several hours. Groups from several countries, including the United States and Britain, took part.

The event will be held in New York in 2019.

While police did not identify a specific terror threat regarding the pride parade, Europe is on edge after several high-profile attacks, such as recently in Britain and France.

'Generalized threat'

"There is no specific terrorist threat but a generalized threat," German Castineira, operations chief for Madrid police, told the French news agency AFP earlier this week.

Thousands of security officials were on hand for the parade.

Forty years after members of the nation's gay community began marching for their rights, Spain has become one of the most progressive countries for gay rights. In 2005, it became the third country  after the Netherlands and Belgium  to legalize same-sex marriage.

Parades and events were held elsewhere around the globe Saturday.

In Singapore, thousands of people dressed in pink for the Pink Dot rally, which began in 2009. The government banned foreign participants from the rally.

In Northern Ireland, thousands marched in Belfast to demand the legalization of same-sex marriages, a day after Germany's parliament voted to do so.

However, a march for transgender rights that was scheduled for Sunday in Turkey has been canceled. The Istanbul governor's office cited public order and the safety of participants and tourists in canceling the eighth Trans Pride March.

Gay rights and the LGBT community are under assault in many countries.

ILGA, an international LGBT association, released its State-sponsored Homophobia report last month, which listed that 72 countries still consider intercourse between same-sex couples to be illegal. Same-sex couples also face the death penalty in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen, and in parts of Nigeria and Somalia.
Voters in the Japanese capital cast ballots Sunday in an election that could spell trouble for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who is suffering from slumping support because of a scandal over suspected favoritism for a friend doing business.

On the surface, the Tokyo Metropolitan assembly election is a referendum on Governor Yuriko Koikes year in office, but poor showing for Abes Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) will also be taken as rebuke of his 4-year-old administration.

Past Tokyo elections have been bellwethers to national trends. A 2009 Tokyo poll in which the LDP won just 38 seats was followed by its defeat in a general election that year, although this time no lower house poll need be held until late 2018.

Koike and reformist message

Koike, a media-savvy ex-defense minister and former LDP member pushing a reformist message, hopes her Tokyo Citizens First party and allies win a majority in the 127-member assembly, to end the LDPs domination of the chamber.

Among her allies is the Komeito party, the LDPs national coalition partner.

A strong showing by Koikes party would fuel speculation that she will make a bid for the nations top job, though probably not until after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

It could also widen cracks between the LDP and the Komeito while damaging prospects for the opposition Democratic Party.

Japan could be set for shake-up

Abes rivals in his party could be encouraged by a dismal LDP performance to challenge him in a leadership race in September 2018, victory in which would set Abe on course to become Japans longest-serving leader and bolster his hopes of revising the post-war, pacifist constitution.

Gerry Curtis, professor emeritus at Columbia University, said Japans political landscape could be set for a shake-up if Koikes party and its allies win big.

We may discover that Japan is not all that different from Britain, France and the U.S. in its ability to produce a big political surprise, he said, referring to recent elections in those countries.

Abes troubles center on concern he may have intervened to help Kake Gakuen (Kake Educational Institution), whose director, Kotaro Kake, is a friend, win approval for a veterinary school in a special economic zone.

The government has not granted such an approval in decades because of a perceived glut of veterinarians. Abe and his aides have denied doing Kake any favors.

Potentially more troublesome is the impression among many voters that Abe and his inner circle have grown arrogant.

A survey last week by the Jiji news agency forecast Koikes party and allied groups would win at least 64 seats.
U.S. President Donald Trump discussed the threat posed by North Korea's nuclear program in separate phone calls with Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The White House said both Trump and Xi "reaffirmed their commitment to a denuclearized Korean Peninsula," while Trump also raised the threat of North Korea's ballistic missile program.

Chinese state media said Xi told also Trump "negative factors" have affected U.S.-China relations, and that Xi hopes Trump will appropriately handle Taiwan-related issues according to the "One China" principle.

Since 1979, the United States has recognized China's official position that Taiwan is part of China.Last week, the U.S. approved $1.42 billion in arms sales to Taiwan.

In the conversation with Abe, the White House said both leaders were united on increasing pressure on North Korea to "change its dangerous path" and that the U.S. and Japan are ready to respond to "any threat or action taken by North Korea."



The White House statements ended by saying Trump and Xi, and Trump and Abe, look forward to meeting in person this week at a summit of G-20 leaders in Hamburg, Germany.

In addition to bilateral meetings with the Chinese and Japanese leaders, Trump is also due to hold talks with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

On Sunday, at least 10,000 people in Hamburg peacefully protested the upcoming summit  one of about 30 protests planned in the coming days  in part to protest Trump's policies, including his announced intention to pull the U.S. out of the 2015 international Paris accord to limit greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years.

Summits of world leaders often are held in exclusive, remote resorts, the easier to control security.

But that is not the case in Hamburg, by design, where German Chancellor Angela Merkel picked the city as the summit host in part to show world leaders that protests play an accepted role in a vibrant democracy.
A group of key American lawmakers led by Senator John McCain visited Pakistan Sunday where they met top government and military officials to discuss bilateral ties, counterterrorism cooperation, and efforts to promote peace and security in Afghanistan.

The visit came as President Donald Trumps administration is preparing to unveil its new Afghan war strategy later this month amid allegations sanctuaries on Pakistani soil are helping the Taliban sustain and intensify the insurgency.

The U.S. senators held extensive talks at the foreign ministry where Pakistani side was led by foreign policy adviser Sartaj Aziz, said an official statement after the meeting.

It said Aziz briefed the delegation on Pakistani security forces success against terrorism and informed them that the terrorist networks have been dismantled and their sanctuaries eliminated.

The adviser told the visitors Pakistan looked forward to a constructive engagement with the United States on efforts aimed at promoting a stable and prosperous Afghanistan.

He noted that Islamabad was also ready to strengthen and deepen its partnership with Washington to counter "the expanding footprint in the region" of Islamic State terrorists.

The Pakistani statement quoted McCain, who heads Senate Armed Services Committee, as appreciating contributions and sacrifices by Islamabad in the fight against terrorism, and underscored the importance of continued engagement between the two countries.

The U.S. delegation later held a meeting with the army chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, in Rawalpindi, where the military is headquartered.

The two sides agreed on the importance of security cooperation and coordination between Pakistan and Afghanistan, said a military statement late Sunday.

Senator Lindsey Graham, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Senator David Perdue and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse were among other members of the U.S. delegation.

Pakistan's alleged links to the Afghan Taliban and their dreaded Haqqani network ally have long been at the center of tensions with the United States.

The accusations have also strained ties between Islamabad and Kabul, even as Pakistani officials reject the charges.
At least four people were killed during anti-government protests in the northwest city of Barquisimeto, Venezuelan officials said Saturday.

Officials confirmed the deaths occurred in clashes in Barquisimeto late Friday but offered no details.

There have been almost daily protests against the government of President Nicolas Maduro for the past three months.

The deaths brought the toll to at least 83 fatalities since April. Authorities said more than 1,000 people have been injured.

On Saturday, a few thousand anti-government protesters took to the streets of Caracas, the capital.

Opponents of Maduro contend the leader has undermined democracy by canceling a key referendum and interfering with the functions of Congress, among other issues. Protesters have been demanding a presidential vote and solutions to food and health care shortages.

Maduro warned earlier this week that he and his supporters would take up arms if his socialist government were to be violently overthrown by the opponents protesting in the streets.
When Goktug Yilmaz, a game developer in Ankara, Turkey, wanted help with his business, he turned to Y Combinator, a prestigious startup accelerator firm in Mountain View, California.

Yilmaz recently completed Y Combinators first free online course, called Startup School. He was among 7,000 founders from more than 140 countries who participated.

You talk, you get feedback, he said, about why he wanted to be part of Startup School. Just seeing this process would help us get better on focusing on our goals.

Y Combinator is known for its competitive twice-yearly program that brings companies to Mountain View, California, for 10 intensive weeks of training and advice. Founders receive mentoring from its alumni network that includes such companies as Airbnb, Dropbox, Reddit and Instacart.

YC arrangement for startups

As part of the arrangement, YC, as it is known, invests $120,000 in each startup for 7 percent of common stock. The program culminates in Demo Day, when participants give their pitches to a room full of potential investors.

Since it was founded in 2005, Y Combinator has worked with more than 4,000 founders.

But just 2 percent of applicants make it into Y Combinators program. Yilmaz was one of those who tried but didnt make it.

Then, Yilmaz heard about Y Combinators effort to expand its reach with Startup School. He signed up.

Steven Pham, who helps run Startup School, said the firm wanted to reach entrepreneurs beyond Silicon Valley.

Internet access has been only something people have access to very recently in a lot of these markets, Pham said. In a lot of these communities where startups are super, super early, we wanted to get in there and help them learn best practices ... best ways to think about building their product, best ways to think about sales strategies and market.

The demand for Startup School surprised Y Combinator, Pham said. More than 13,000 companies and nearly 20,000 founders applied. The firm had to limit the first class to 3,000 companies and about 7,000 founders so that it could provide enough alumni advisers.

Ti Zhao, a Y Combinator alumnus, was a mentor to 30 companies during Startup School.

People kind of have this idea of Silicon Valley as where the startups are at and its really cool for me to see so many diverse companies from so many places around the world, she said.

Online pitches

Startup School culminates with Presentation Day, when entrepreneurs around the world make their pitches online. The aim isnt necessarily to woo investors but to present a prototype of an idea in a clear and succinct way.

It included pitches from war-torn Syria, where one group is teaching children how to create circuits.

Others applied technology to fields such as transportation, travel and education. SocialEyeze, based in Sudan, is trying to help the blind engage on social media more easily.

Ive learned many useful skills, and those skills appeared in the modifications we made on our solution, Hussam Eldeen Hassan with Socialeyeze said.

In the end, about 56 percent of the first Startup School class, or 1,580 firms, completed the course.

Y Combinator plans to expand the number of companies it can include when it does Startup School again, currently slated for early next year.

In Startup School, we made a bunch of friends from the online chat, Yilmaz said. We are probably going to continue those friendships with other founders.
In film after film, Loren Janes leapt from speeding trains, jumped from towering cliffs and roared through city streets in gravity-defying car chases.

Thats him flying headlong into a saguaro cactus in How the West Was Won. Thats him tumbling down a staircase alongside a drunken John Wayne in McLintock. And thats him  not Steve McQueen  fishtailing down Tyler Street in San Francisco at 90 mph in Bullitt.

In a career that spanned decades and with a resume that included westerns, thrillers, comedies, dramas and science fiction, Mr. Janes was the person the studio could count on when the script called for someone to be thrown from a window, dropped into the ocean or shot dead outside a saloon.

Mr. Janes died June 24 at 85. He had Alzheimers disease, according to his family.

There is a certain idiot element with some stunt people, but Loren was just the opposite, said Mark Evanier, a Los Angeles-based comic book and television writer. He took his work seriously and, remarkably, he never broke a bone.

When a script called for Esther Williams to leap from an 80-foot cliff in Jupiters Darling, Mr. Janes pulled on a wig, the appropriate swimming attire and jumped into the ocean. He did the same for McQueen, a temperamental actor who liked to do his own stunt work and seemed put out when the director told him that he wanted Mr. Janes to do the dirty work in a particularly tricky escape scene in Wanted: Dead or Alive.

So I ran and dove through the window, Mr. Janes told NPR in 2001, turned a complete somersault, landed on my feet, ran, hit the corner of that wooden walkway and vaulted over two horses, cleared them totally, lit on the third horse, which was Steves, in the saddle and grabbed it and off and around the corner.

McQueen was so impressed with the deftness of the stunt, Mr. Janes added, that he deferred stunt work to Mr. Janes thereafter. The two went on to work together for 21 years.

Loren Janes was born Oct. 1, 1931, in Sierra Madre, Calif., and attended Pasadena City College and then California State University at San Luis Obispo before joining the Marines during the Korean War. He taught math and science at a private high school and competed in the five-event sport called the modern pentathlon.

He was still teaching when he heard that MGM was looking for a stuntman to fill in for Williams during the cliff-jumping scene in Jupiters Darling (1955). As an experienced swimmer and diver, Mr. Janes thought it seemed like easy work. Within six months, he had done stunt work on seven movies.

The principal finally called me in and said, You either teach school or work in the pictures,  Mr. Janes told the Los Angeles Times in 2002. I said, Ill see you later. 

Although his name was largely known only in the industry, Mr. Janes appeared  however briefly, and however violently  in Spartacus, The Magnificent Seven, The Ten Commandments, How the West Was Won, Its a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Dirty Dozen, The Graduate, Planet of the Apes, The Poseidon Adventure, Back to the Future, To Live and Die in L.A., Spider-Man, and hundreds of other movies and television shows.

He doubled for Jack Nicholson, Paul Newman, Frank Sinatra, Charles Bronson, John Wayne, Debbie Reynolds, Yul Brenner and McQueen over and over again.

The car chase scene in Bullitt  a jarring 10-minute adrenaline rush across the streets of San Francisco  became such a classic that it spawned its own subculture of online forums. In 2011, the Wall Street Journal rented a Ford Mustang and took Mr. Janes on a slow-speed reenactment of the chase.

Steve was a great driver, but he was only behind the wheel for about 10 percent of what you see on screen, Mr. Janes confided during the reenactment. He drove in scenes that required close-ups  but not in the ones that could kill him.

Sometimes Mr. Janes went to extraordinary lengths to eliminate, or at least soften, the risk of injury.

When a director on How the West Was Won explained a dangerous train-jumping scene, he told Mr. Janes, You figure it out.

There has to be an easier way to die, Mr. Janes told himself. But he also went to work to make the scene happen.

Using a blowtorch, he burned off the needles on one flank of a cactus and cut the plants root so that it would sway when he hit it, rather than fling him back into the train.

The problem was, if I missed the cactus, Id have gone 40 feet into the rocks, Mr. Janes said. You have to do it right the first time.

The stunt worked, and the scene became another entry in a career filled with eye-catching but nearly anonymous performances.

Mr. Janes did have several small speaking parts during his career, but it was generally his body rather than his face that audiences saw.

Later in life, Mr. Janes lectured on the art of stunt work. He was a board member of the Screen Actors Guild and was national chair of the guilds stunt and safety committee. He was also a co-founder of the Stuntmens Association of Motion Pictures and Television.

For decades he was active with the Museum of Western Film History in Lone Pine, Calif., where he was a regular speaker. In 2001, he received a Golden Boot Award, given to actors for their contribution to westerns.

In 2016, he and his wife, Jan, lost their Los Angeles-area home in a fire. The blaze destroyed much of the memorabilia he had collected during his career.

 Los Angeles Times
Peter L. Berger, a sociologist and theologian who studied the role of religion in modern society, taught at schools including Boston University. (Fred Sway/Boston University Photo Services)

Peter L. Berger, a sociologist and theologian who saw signs of the divine in quotidian moments of everyday life and, in the thick of the 1960s God is dead movement, argued for religions continued relevance in modern society, died June 27 at his home in Brookline, Mass. He was 88.

Dr. Berger had a heart ailment, said a son, Thomas Berger.

The author of more than two dozen books, Dr. Berger was a professor emeritus of sociology, religion and theology at Boston University and a self-described snoop happy to learn from both prostitutes and priests.

We could say that the sociologist, but for the grace of his academic title, is the man who must listen to gossip despite himself, who is tempted to look through keyholes, to read other peoples mail, to open closed cabinets, he wrote in one of his earliest books, the popular 1963 introductory work Invitation to Sociology.

Dr. Berger, born into a Jewish family in Vienna, planned to become a Lutheran minister before turning to academia, where he spent much of his career bridging reason and faith and defying easy labels.

He organized academic conferences as well as Catholic intellectual debates for the Vatican; attended civil rights and antiwar demonstrations in the 1960s before becoming a leading neoconservative critic; and identified as a Lutheran while sometimes attending Anglican and Eastern Orthodox worship services.

His work focused on religions role in society but ranged widely to include studies on capitalism and Third World development. He believed capitalism and democracy were intrinsically linked, as were socialism and authoritarianism.

Dr. Berger also made major contributions to the field known as sociology of knowledge, which studies the ways in which society shapes human thought. H is 1966 book The Social Construction of Reality, co-written with Thomas Luckmann, was ranked No. 5 on a list of the 20th centurys most influential works of sociology by the International Sociological Association and was translated into more than 20 languages.

Beginning with a subsequent volume, A Rumor of Angels: Modern Society and the Rediscovery of the Supernatural (1969), Dr. Berger offered a rejoinder to the God is dead movement, a strain of radical theology united around the argument that religion had lost its force in modern society.

As Dr. Berger saw it, religious belief remained an intellectually valid way of understanding the world. He drew readers attention to what he saw as signals of transcendence, moments that pointed to an otherness which lurks behind the fragile structures of everyday life. Laughter, in particular, pointed to the triumph of all human gestures of creative beauty over the gestures of destruction.

That human beings were capable of laughing at all, in a world filled with such cruelty and malice that Dr. Berger and his family were driven from his childhood home, was to his mind a sign of human beings connection with a higher power.

Peter Ludwig Berger was born on March 17, 1929. His father ran a clothing store and was a cavalry officer in Austria-Hungary during World War I, and his mother was a homemaker who later crafted hand-painted jewelry.

The family converted to Christianity when Dr. Berger was a child and fled the country to escape Nazi persecution when Germany annexed Austria in 1938. They eventually settled in British Palestine, where Dr. Bergers closest friends included Muslims, Jews and Catholic Christians  a religious mix that, according to his son, led Dr. Berger to develop a pluralistic sensibility at a young age.

He came to the United States shortly after World War II ended, and in 1949 he received a bachelors degree in philosophy from Wagner College in New York. His graduate studies at the New School for Social Research in Manhattan spoke to his range of interests: For his masters degree in 1950, he produced a thesis on Puerto Rican Protestants in East Harlem; for his doctorate four years later, he focused on the Bahai movement in Iran.

He married Brigitte Kellner, a fellow sociologist, in 1959. She died in 2015.

Survivors include two sons, Michael Berger of Framingham, Mass., and Thomas Berger of Newton, Mass.; and two grandchildren.

Dr. Berger served in the Army for two years in the mid-1950s and taught at schools including Rutgers University and Boston College before landing at Boston University in 1981. Four years later, he founded that universitys Institute on Culture, Religion and World Affairs, where he served as director until 2009.

His later work was marked by a wholesale reversal: a belief that religion was not declining, dissolving into obscurity in an increasingly secular world, but was holding fast and even growing in some places, offering an increasing number of ways for human beings to find solace in a frightening world.

Modernity is not characterized by the absence of God, he wrote in a 2008 essay for the journal First Things, but by the presence of many gods.


Rowhouses damaged in a fire early Sunday in the 300 block of 18th Street NE. (Sharif Hassan/The Washington Post)

At least a dozen people were displaced and four properties were damaged in a Sunday morning fire in the 300 block of 18th Street NE, the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department said.

No injuries were reported.

Firefighters received a call about the blaze at 8:45 a.m. At least two of the buildings were occupied when the fire broke out, according to fire department spokesman Doug Buchanan. The fire initially started at 314 18th St., and there was fire, smoke or water damage at three adjoining rowhouses, 312, 316 and 318.

Anthony Cary, 19, who lives on the opposite side of the street, said he rushed to help his neighbors as soon as he became aware of the fire. Only one person was still inside when he got to the burning structures, and that person managed to escape unharmed from the back door.

It was just smoke and fire, Cary said.

The fire appears to have been caused by an electrical problem in the garage of No. 314 18th Street, according to the owner of the house, who gave his first name as Kelly but declined to give his last name.

The houses on either side of that one appeared to have been empty when the blaze occurred, residents of the block said. One of the houses was under renovation, and the occupants of the other house were out of town.

Kellys brother-in-law, Chris Quander, 59, lives in the basement of the rowhouse but was not home when it began,

He said everything in the house is gone, including a flat screen television, clothes and a computer. A pile of charred furniture was in the back yard.

Kelly said his family will stay in a hotel for a few days. We got our lives, he said.

The offices of D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser and the Red Cross were also offering assistance.
A Syrian woman traveling to the United States through Amman in March opens her laptop before checking in at Beirut International Airport. (Anwar Amro/AFP/Getty Images)

Etihad Airways has been exempted from a U.S. ban on laptops and other electronics for flights from Abu Dhabi International Airport, officials said Sunday, a change to a three-month-old Trump administration policy affecting flights to the United States from eight Muslim-majority countries.

The other airlines and airports included in the March laptop ban remain affected by it.

Officials said the laptop restrictions were removed for Etihad after inspections by the Transportation Security Administration verified that Department of Homeland Security measures announced last week had been implemented correctly at the airline.

We commend Etihad for working swiftly to implement these additional measures, Department of Homeland Security spokesman David Lapan said in an email. Their efforts are a model for both foreign and domestic airlines looking to adopt the new measures.

We welcome the decision by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, an Etihad Airways spokesperson said.

The Trump administration, citing unspecified terrorism concerns, announced in March that passengers traveling from 10 cities would be prohibited from bringing laptops and certain personal electronic devices on board with them.

The other cities are Amman, Cairo, Casablanca, Doha, Dubai, Istanbul, Jeddah, Kuwait City and Riyadh. U.S. carriers were exempted from the ban.

Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly suggested in a May appearance on Fox News that the ban could be expanded to all international flights, but officials backed away from that proposal last week.

Also last week, officials announced enhanced security and screening measures for all U.S. flights, saying affected airlines could be cleared from the laptop ban if they successfully adopt the new protocols. The security measures include beefed-up passenger screening, closer examination of personal devices such as cellphones and iPads and expanded canine screening.

Etihad Airways makes about 45 flights each week between Abu Dhabi and six U.S. cities, and it is the only airline with direct flights to the United States from Abu Dhabi. It flies twice a day to New York, daily to Washington Dulles International Airport, Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles, and three times a week to San Francisco.

The airline transported 203,515 passengers to the United States from Abu Dhabi between Jan. 1 and April 30, an increase of 13,157 passengers over the same period last year.

Etihad passengers clear U.S. Customs at the Abu Dhabi airport, in the only facility of its kind operated by the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol in the Middle East. When they arrive in the United States, they are treated as domestic passengers and do not have to pass through customs a second time.
Klingle Valley Trail, a reopened stretch of Klingle Road running just under a mile, is finally open in the District as a hiking-and-biking trail after 26 years of delay and debate. (Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post)

Nestled in a steep wooded ravine beneath the thick canopy of a stream-valley forest in the heart of the District is a winding trail of seven-tenths of a mile. Children zip by on their scooters, cyclists cruise down the slope and walkers, joggers and dogs log their miles.

But this short stretch of road has been tied up in a long-running saga. Twenty-six years after Klingle Road NW was closed to the public, it was finally reopened June 24 as Klingle Valley Trail. It was the much-delayed product of years of acrimonious fighting, and probably ranks as one of the most delayed transportation projects in the city.

Im delighted, said D.C. Council member Mary M. Cheh (D-Ward 3), who led the charge to turn Klingle Road into a recreational nature trail. Im very happy and very relieved that its finally here.

Klingle Road, which dates to 1831, was closed to the public in 1991 after a sewerage collapse, brought about by heavy rains, caused widespread flood damage. For years, the road lay abandoned and in disrepair as the city struggled to find the funds to fix it.

But when money was found and the gears were set in motion for a reconstruction project, Klingle Road became caught in a contentious debate. One side demanded that it be rebuilt as a road for drivers, a convenient east-west shortcut across Rock Creek Park. The other side wanted the road turned into a trail for hikers and bikers, which opponents claimed would cut off access for less well-off residents east of the park. Both sides dug in deep.

The questions that pitted the road proponents (roadies, as they were called) against the trail proponents are still as relevant today as they were two decades ago. As the District continues to change rapidly, questions about how to use the citys green spaces abound. Who has access to them  people of all income levels or just the affluent? And how should the city balance development, preservation and environmental sustainability?

Discussions about spaces are discussions that have very high stakes, said Margaret Farrar, author of Building the Body Politic: Power and Urban Space in Washington, D.C. and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at John Carroll University in Ohio.   When we debate about space, were really debating about ourselves, and who we imagine ourselves to be as people.

For people on both sides in the fight over the future of Klingle Road, there was no middle ground.

Activists put up warring websites and front-yard signs, and sported their own bumper stickers and buttons. Anti-road activists, including Jim Dougherty, a leader of the District chapter of the Sierra Club and a veteran of the fight to turn Klingle Road into a trail, dressed as trees to make their point about the importance of environmental conservation. Advocates of reopening the road put up a wooden placard accusing the other side of being racist plutocrats.

It was unfortunately very acrimonious, and there was no love lost between the two sides, said Jason Broehm, a trail proponent who used to live between the Cleveland Park and Woodley Park neighborhoods on the west side of Rock Creek Park.

For Dougherty, the long-awaited opening of the Klingle Valley Trail is immensely rewarding and a vindication of environmentalism.

Were essentially undefeated to defend the parks from over-the-top development, Dougherty said. And I hope now that the government is paying attention . . . we cant afford to give up any more parkland and we dont need any more roads.

The development of the Klingle Valley Trail reflects the larger trend of the District becoming increasingly more pedestrian- and bike-friendly in recent years, Cheh said.

The trail represents part of a shift in our thinking toward more of an emphasis on preserving green spaces, she said. Resistance to this still exists, the D.C. Council member added, but much less so now than before as people adapt to a changing urban culture and realize that cars cant reign supreme.

The value of [preserving green spaces] to us and to our children in the future is something that has to be elevated above a convenient shortcut by car, Cheh said.

Gale Black, a leader of the road campaign and the lead plaintiff in a 2011 lawsuit seeking to reopen Klingle Road, fundamentally disagrees with the argument that road proponents were anti-environmentalist. To Black, who is an advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 4, keeping Klingle Road open to cars was a matter of maintaining an east-west connection through Rock Creek Park and ensuring access to the park for everyone.

We want to preserve green space, but not . . . at the cost of accessing Rock Creek Park, she said. This is an oasis for all of us, she added, not just for those who are close enough or able-bodied enough to walk or bike there.

Stephen Whatley, another advisory neighborhood commissioner in Ward 4 who also actively campaigned for the reopening of Klingle Road and was another plaintiff in the lawsuit, sees the split between drivers and the walkers and bikers as a generational divide that continues to course through the District as younger residents and families move into neighborhoods.

This is going to be the split that occurs throughout the city as development continues . . . this is going to be an ongoing discussion, he said. And its only natural.

Black, 66, thinks it is problematic that the needs of older drivers like her were shunted aside.

Not everybody can bike it or hike it, Black said. Preserve it for all of us, not some of us.

That both sides of the debate lay claim to the environmental-preservation argument is a reflection of how sustainability has become a kind of trump card in public conversations, Farrar said.

Ecological sustainability has assumed a prominence and cultural weight in our discussions that it has never had before, and that is a good thing in many ways, she said. But ecological sustainability is not the only consideration, she added. Sustainability can also mean historic preservation . . . and sustaining and maintaining social and economic diversity.

Black, a former Mount Pleasant resident who used to drive regularly on Klingle Road before its closure, says she thinks that Klingle Valley Trail benefits the wealthier residents on the west side of the park at the expense of the less well-off residents east of it. To have a vital connection between neighborhoods turned into a very expensive dog walk . . . defies logic in so many ways, she said.

Dougherty dismisses the argument that turning Klingle Road into a trail segregates eastern and western neighborhoods as utterly bogus.

We defend all the parks equally, he said. He also pointed out that Klingle Road, when it was open, was lightly trafficked: It carried 3,200 vehicles a day, out of a total of 90,000 vehicles that crossed Rock Creek Park, according to figures from the District Transportation Department.

Others, however, argue that Klingle Road shouldnt be looked at in isolation, but rather as an important connection in a larger network of roads.

Its an area thats already light on roads, and road networks are usually more resilient when there is redundancy in them, said Rolf Pendall, co-director of the Metropolitan Housing and Communities Policy Center at the Urban Institute. Any link, he said, even if little-used, can be important when you have a regional network that . . . is depending on the availability of other routes to make the system work.

He also noted that the Rock Creek Park area does not lack open spaces and that the argument was over a preexisting road rather than a new one.

As a proponent for integration in cities across class and racial lines, Pendall sees the Klingle Road closure as an example of the continued division of the Washington region.

You can read the entire divide in the region through the closure of the three-quarter-mile link, he said.

Whatley, despite having lost the campaign to reopen Klingle Road to cars, acknowledges that having a trail is a good thing and wishes the trail users well.

And while Black is glad that the decades-long fight is finally over, she is not about to concede complete defeat, either.

Time will tell whether we lost the war or the battle, she said.
(Ed Gillespie)

Republican Ed Gillespie wants to liberate Virginians from the rinky-dink sparklers and snakes that pass for Fourth of July fun in this state, contending that in the birthplace of American democracy, ordinary citizens should be free to shoot bottle rockets and Roman candles.

The GOP candidate for governor vows that if elected, he will work to legalize the higher-grade fireworks already allowed in neighboring West Virginia and Tennessee.

He unfurled the pledge just ahead of Independence Day and two weeks after his narrower-than-expected primary win against a Donald Trump-style rival, perhaps hoping to appeal to individual liberties-minded voters who had supported that rival, Prince William Board of County Supervisors Chairman Corey Stewart.

[Democrats look unified, Republicans in disarray in wake of primary]

For a lot of Americans, our favorite part of celebrating the Fourth of July is the fireworks. Here in Virginia, our fireworks are pretty rinky-dink, Gillespie says in a video released Friday, a fizzling sparkler in hand.

Standing by a country road behind a table piled high with more powerful fireworks, he continues: But right across the border in West Virginia and Tennessee, where I am now, our neighbors get to celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks like these. In Virginia, were missing out on being able to create thousands of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in tax revenue. Not to mention having some fun.

The video then shows him lighting fireworks in the middle of a road and jogging to safety.

Democrats did not weigh in directly on the fireworks plan but used it to needle Gillespie, a former Republican National Committee chairman and adviser to President George W. Bush, over his reluctance to take a firm stand on Republican health-care bills in Congress. Gillespies Democratic opponent, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, opposes efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Dr. Northam likes fireworks as much as anyone, but he also wants to make sure you can afford health care in case you accidentally blow your hand off with one, said Northam spokeswoman Ofirah Yheskel. Wed like to know if Ed believes the Republicans health-care plans will actually allow for that.

On Twitter, Virginia Democratic Party spokeswoman Christina Freundlich posted the part of the video showing Gillespie dashing down the road, but made it look like he was fleeing a block of text  #TRUMPCARE  instead of just-lit fireworks.

[Republican vying to be Va. governor grilled on health care in barbecue visit]

In a news release announcing the video, Gillespie said that he would aim to get fireworks laws changed in time for next Fourth of July, so Virginians living in the home of our nations Founders can celebrate the holiday with the same freedom and liberty that millions of our fellow Americans already possess.

Under his proposal, the fireworks would be available only to people age 18 and older. The plan would include an opt-out provision for localities that do not want the fireworks sold or used in their communities. Gillespie also said he would work with firefighters to adopt safety measures.

One fan of the idea was George Allen, a former Republican governor who thinks the states restrictions are nanny laws.

I just know Tennessee has really good fireworks, and so does South Carolina, and Virginias  theyre just pathetic, Allen said. I remember we were in China maybe three years ago on a business-cultural thing, and it was during the Chinese New Year. And in middle of the night, you see fireworks shooting up just randomly. I said, Look at that, they have more freedom. Here we are in a communist country.
NEW YORK

Hospital gunman was looking for colleague

The doctor who opened fire at a New York hospital Friday was searching for a colleague whom he blamed for derailing his career, authorities said Saturday. When that person wasnt there, the gunman began shooting anyway, killing a doctor who was covering a shift as a favor.

The new details of Henry Bellos rampage emerged along with an email rant against colleagues he blamed for forcing him to resign from Bronx Lebanon Hospital amid sexual harassment allegations two years ago. The email was sent to the New York Daily News just two hours before the shooting Friday afternoon that left six other people wounded and Bello dead from a self-inflicted gunshot.

Former colleagues said that when Bello was forced out in 2015 he warned that he would return someday to kill them.

This hospital terminated my road to a licensure to practice medicine, he wrote. First, I was told it was because I always kept to myself. Then it was because of an altercation with a nurse.

It was not clear if Bello knew Tracy Sin-Yee Tam, 32, the doctor who died in the shooting. Hospital officials said Tam normally worked in one of the satellite clinics and was covering a shift in the main hospital as a favor to someone.

1 of 15 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Photos from the scene of hospital shooting in the Bronx View Photos A gunman who opened fire inside the facility, injuring several people and killing at least one, is dead. Caption A gunman opened fire inside the facility, injuring several people and killing at least one, is dead. June 30, 2017 A policeman directs people near Bronx-Lebanon Hospital as they respond to an active shooter north of Manhattan. A gunman who opened fire inside one of New York Citys busiest hospitals, injuring several people, is dead, police say. Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/AFP/Getty Images Wait 1 second to continue.

The six who were injured  a patient, two medical students and three physicians  largely suffered gunshot wounds to the head, chest and abdomen. One victim was in critical condition Saturday, and the rest were stable, officials said.

 Associated Press

CALIFORNIA

Father to plead not guilty in sons death

The father of a 5-year-old boy whose body was found Friday near Lake Cachuma, Calif., will plead not guilty in the childs death, his attorney said Saturday.

Ambrosio Rodriguez, the attorney for Aramazd Andressian Sr., said his client is heartbroken by the discovery of his young sons remains and intends to enter a not guilty plea.

Aramazd Andressian Jr. vanished in late April after a family outing to Disneyland. The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department said his body was found in Santa Barbara County.

The coroners office said it still must confirm the identity and determine a cause of death.

Andressian Sr. was arrested in Las Vegas and extradited to California on Friday. Prosecutors say the South Pasadena man killed the boy to spite his estranged wife.

 Associated Press

Officer in ICU after shooting: San Antonio police said Saturday that an officer is recovering from surgery after being shot in a gun battle that claimed the life of his partner. Sgt. Jesse Salame said Officer Julio Cavazos was in intensive care and faces a long recovery. Investigators say Cavazos was shot Thursday as he and Officer Miguel Moreno stepped out of their patrol car to question a man about a vehicle break-in. Moreno was shot in the head. He died Friday. Police said the gunman died in the shootout.

Man shoots self in leg at Gettysburg: A man attending a free speech rally at Gettysburg National Military Park shot himself in the leg on Saturday, park spokeswoman Katie Lawhon said. She said the mans revolver accidentally discharged shortly before 1 p.m. near the Meade Equestrian Statue. U.S. Park Police Sgt. Anna Rose said the man was taken to a hospital.

 From news reports
In 1915, British scientist Frederick Twort saw something weird happening to the bacteria that had invaded his viral cultures: They were disappearing, a sign they had been destroyed. Two years later, French-Canadian microbiologist Felix d Herelle observed the same phenomenon in his own lab.

Both researchers, working independently, concluded that the viruses they had been growing were killing the bacteria. It was an astonishing discovery, because no one had any idea that viruses had that kind of power.

D Herelle called them bacteriophages, or bacteria eaters. That was a misnomer, because the viruses dont actually eat the bacteria. Rather, they infect them, then blow them apart. But the name stuck.

A century ago, bacteriophages were difficult to isolate, purify and administer to people, so they offered little prospect as treatments against bacterial infections. Moreover, antibiotics soon would come along and prove to be plentiful, potent and easy to use. Researchers continued to study bacteriophages, but there was scant motivation to use them for therapy.

Until now.

Today the world faces an alarming public health threat from multi-drug-resistant infections. The World Health Organization calls bacterial resistance one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today, and says it is rising to dangerously high levels everywhere, with many infections difficult or even impossible to treat. There are more than 2 million cases and 23,000 deaths from antibiotic-resistant infections annually in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As a result, scientists are taking a fresh look at what is called phage therapy.

They are starting to dust off their old laboratory notes and re-explore the use of bacteriophages as a new way to treat serious, life-threatening infections, says William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.

Increasingly, specialists in infectious diseases believe phage therapy holds promise against bacterial diseases, especially in cases where antibiotics have failed. In 2016, the approach saved a San Diego man who otherwise would have died. (See sidebar.) Several similar successes have been reported since then.

We desperately need something to treat infections resistant to antibiotics, so we are turning back to these viruses, but with new knowledge and new technology, says Carl Merril, a retired National Institutes of Health scientist who has been studying bacteriophages for 50 years. Initially, they probably will be used in life-threatening situations or as an adjunct to antibiotics, but I do see them in the future as being a first-line defense, he says.

Phage therapy is not licensed by the Food and Drug Administration for humans, although the agency has granted permission to use it in at least four life-threatening situations,including the 2016 San Diego case. The agency also is studying the issues related to possible future widespread human use. These issues include the design of clinical trials, which are necessary for approval. The agency has scheduled a public workshop to discuss the scientific and regulatory issues.

Phages have been used elsewhere  in Russia and Georgia, for example  as an alternative to antibiotics

Nevertheless, the data on efficacy of bacteriophage are limited, particularly due to a lack of well-controlled clinical trials, says Cara Fiore, a microbiologist in the FDAs Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. The agency is aware of the growing interest in phages among researchers and recognizes the potential importance of bacteriophages for therapy, she says.

(What is the plural of bacteriophage  bacteriophages or bacteriophage? Fiore uses both words, as many do. See sidebar.)

Bacteriophages are ubiquitous. They are found in sewage and wastewater, soil, marine water, the intestines of animals, even in the human gut. In fact, there are more bacteriophages than any other kinds of viruses. There are believed to be more than 10 million trillion trillion, more than any other organism on Earth.

Our GI tracts are loaded with millions of them that are merrily trying to kill the bacteria that live in our GI tract, bacteria that are constantly evolving to avoid the phages that are coming after them, says Robert T. Schooley, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of California at San Diego. Darwin would be proud.

Several academic institutions and the U.S. Navy are collecting phage samples. The Navy, which has been researching phages for nearly a decade, sees them, among other things, as a potential treatment for infections cause by battlefield wounds.

Naval researchers collect phage specimens all over the world, from places most people avoid.

We go where there is water humans have used, whether to flush toilets or to take a shower with or brush your teeth, says Michael Stockelman, deputy director of the Naval Medical Research Centers infectious-diseases directorate in Silver Spring. We go to wastewater treatment plants and cities with open sewers. Theyre easy to find because phages are fairly stable in the environment. They have to linger long enough to find their next host.

Antibiotics typically kill all bacteria, including beneficial ones. But phages are bacteria-specific, attacking only a single species of bacteria. Phages enter bacterial cells, where they replicate, causing the cells to rupture. This releases additional phages into the body, making the treatment more potent.

The key is matching the right phage to the right bacterium. Scientists say it is likely that every bacterium has a phage  or many phages  that can kill it.

This involves taking a patients multidrug-resistant bacterium, growing it on a lawn of agar (a jellylike substance used to culture microorganisms) with an overlay of phages, then looking for holes in the lawn where the phages have killed the bacteria. Once identified, the phages are plucked, grown in large batches and purified. Depending on the site of the infection, they are then delivered orally, topically, intravenously or into the respiratory tract by aerosol administration.

This process can take five to 10 days. A critically ill patient might die during that time, but researchers say they believe that eventually they will be able to streamline the method.

There are some things that ultimately might make this easier, Schooley says. For example, as we learn what receptors a given phage uses to get into a cell, one could see if the bacterium has that receptor  if not, the phage wont work. Also, as it becomes more automated, it is possible that one could cut this to 48 to 72 hours. But for now, its going to be a show me what you kill vetting process.

Although phages are not yet approved for people, most experts say they believe they are safe. We are awash with phages already, and administering a purified phage or [combination of] phages is unlikely to cause problems, Schooley says. Were exposed to them all the time.

It is possible that people will develop antibodies to the viruses, but this should not diminish the phages efficacy, according to Merril. Antibodies could react to parts of the virus but wouldnt affect how they kill the bacteria, he says. Also, a phage will bind quickly to the bacteria, whereas it takes longer for antibodies to develop and act, he adds.

Bacteria can develop resistance to phages, as they do to antibiotics. But because millions of genetically different phages can attack a specific bacterium, its possible to create phage cocktails to prevent resistance, an approach similar to that used by AIDS clinicians with antiviral drugs to treat HIV.

Because there are so many of these viruses on the planet, it assures we will be able to find the right virus, or combination of viruses, to treat any infected individuals, Merril says.

Some phages are able to pick up genetic material from bacteria and, during replication, transfer it to other bacteria. This raises the possibility that phage progeny could spread harmful genes  for example, genes that could produce dangerous toxins. Viruses with this quality are called lysogenic phages.

But its possible to screen for such phages by sequencing the viruses we identify and analyzing them, Merril says. Lysogenic phages would not be used in humans, he says.

Most phage researchers see none of these challenges as insurmountable. Moreover, they say that the growing urgency posed by multidrug-resistant bacteria underscores the need to find effective alternatives, including the greater use of bacteriophages.

Antibiotics are becoming a limited option, and new ones are not coming along when we need them, says the Navys Stockelman. We are very excited about phage therapy. It shakes up the old paradigms, but we believe in it. And, unlike antibiotics, he adds, we will never run out of them.

Read more

These 12 superbugs pose the greatest threat to human health, WHO says

When my brother got TB, doctors said there was no hope. How could that be?

Doctors said it was a simple foot infection. They were so wrong.
New Jersey

Origin of anti-Semitic banner is investigated

Vandals hung a banner containing an anti-Semitic slur on a Holocaust memorial in front of a New Jersey shore town synagogue where several residents were recently accused of misrepresenting their incomes to improperly obtain public welfare benefits.

Photos posted online Sunday by the state chapter of the Anti-Defamation League show the banner covering the memorial in Lakewood. A message included an ethnic slur for Jewish people and stated they will not divide us, along with the name of a group supposedly responsible.

State authorities announced they were offering a $10,000 reward for information.

Seven married couples who live in Lakewood, including a rabbi and his wife, face charges they misrepresented their incomes to get a combined $2 million in public welfare benefits they werent entitled to.

 Associated Press

Colorado

Jet engine catches fire, no injuries reported

One of the engines of a regional jet caught fire on a taxiway shortly after landing at Denver International Airport on Sunday afternoon.

SkyWest spokeswoman Marissa Snow said the 59 passengers on the United Express plane operated by SkyWest were safely evacuated. No one was injured on the flight from Aspen.

Airport spokesman Heath Montgomery said the flight arrived at 2:15 p.m. The fire was extinguished, but the cause is still being investigated.

 Associated Press

NEW YORK

Doctor puzzled why he may have been a target

A doctor who appears to have been the intended target of a former physician who started shooting at a New York hospital, killing one person and injuring six, said he has no idea why he would have been singled out.

Kamran Ahmed told the New York Post he wasnt the only one with whom Henry Bello had a problem.

However, he never argued with me, Ahmed said. I dont know why he put my name.

A law enforcement official told the Associated Press that Bello arrived at Bronx Lebanon Hospital in the Bronx on Friday with an assault rifle hidden under his lab coat and asked for a specific doctor whom he blamed for his having to resign. The physician wasnt there.

 Associated Press
SYRIA

Rebels say chemicals used against them

A Syrian rebel group accused the Syrian army of using chlorine gas against its fighters on Saturday in battles east of Damascus  an accusation the military swiftly denied as a fabrication.

The Failaq al-Rahman group said more than 30 people suffered suffocation as a result of the attack in Ain Tarma in the Eastern Ghouta region, which government forces have been battling to take back from insurgents.

In a statement circulated by state-run media, a military source said the army command denied the accusation. It has not used any chemical weapons in the past, and will not use them at any time.

The United States said on Wednesday the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad appeared to have heeded a warning issued earlier in the week not to carry out a chemical weapons attack, after saying it saw possible preparations for one.

Western governments including the United States said the Syrian government was behind an April gas attack in the town of Khan Sheikhoun that killed dozens. In response, the United States fired cruise missiles at the air base from which it said the attack was launched. The Syrian government has denied any role in that attack.

 Reuters

QATAR

Minister says demands made to be rejected

Demands made of Qatar by four other Arab states were designed to be rejected, Dohas foreign minister claimed Saturday, saying the ultimatum was aimed not at tackling terrorism but at curtailing his countrys sovereignty.

This list of demands is made to be rejected. Its not meant to be accepted or  to be negotiated, said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, while speaking to reporters in Rome.

He was speaking ahead of a deadline set by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates , Bahrain and Egypt for Doha to accept 13 demands, including severing ties with terrorist groups, closing down the Pan-Arab Al Jazeera satellite channel, downgrading ties with Iran and closing a Turkish air base in Qatar.

Arab states have said the demands are not negotiable and warned that further unspecified measures will follow if Qatar does not comply.

 Reuters

At least 19 die in gang vs. government shootout: Mexican authorities say at least 19 people died in clashes between armed men and security forces in the gang-plagued northwestern state of Sinaloa, where violence has spiked dramatically following the capture and extradition of convicted drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman. Fridays violence was touched off by an initial shooting involving rival groups of gunmen in the town of Villa Union, officials say. In a second clash, 15 municipal police officers came under attack. Marines and state police went to the aid of the local officers, and 17 attackers were killed.

May wont appoint local government officials: British Prime Minister Theresa May has rejected demands that she appoint commissioners to run the local governments blamed for mishandling the response to the /deadly London high-rise apartment building fire. London Mayor Sadiq Khan had asked for the unusual step because he said the elected council for the borough of Kensington and Chelsea has lost the trust of local residents.

In Madrid, thousands take part in gay rights march: Hundreds of thousands of people marched in a global gay pride demonstration in Madrid under tight security on Saturday. The rally was led by all of Spains major political parties, both left and right, who carried a large banner that read For LGBTI Rights All Over the World. Behind them came a slow-moving mass of people decked out in rainbow flags and colorful outfits, dancing to music under the southern European sun. The march included several groups from other countries, including the United States and Britain.

Istanbul march for transgender rights blocked by government: Turkish authorities have announced they will not allow a march for transgender rights to take place Sunday. The Istanbul governors office cited public order and the safety of participants and tourists. Last week, the governors office banned a march for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex rights for the third consecutive year .

 From news services
POPE FRANCIS, who pledged a policy of zero tolerance for sexually abusive clergy in the Catholic Church, has turned out to be all too tolerant. On Thursday, Australian police brought criminal charges against Cardinal George Pell, a top Vatican official and kitchen- cabinet adviser to the pope, for multiple alleged incidents of sexual assault.

The charges against Cardinal Pell, the Vaticans finance chief and the popes hand-picked agent of administrative reform, shook the Holy See, notwithstanding long-standing allegations that he ignored, dismissed and excused cases of sexual misconduct during his pre-Vatican years as a priest and church official in Australia. That included the crimes of a notorious pedophile priest with whom Cardinal Pell shared a house for two years in the 1970s.

In fact, while Cardinal Pell is the rare Vatican princeling to be charged with sexual misconduct, he was one of two members of the Vaticans nine-member Council of Cardinals alleged to have turned a blind eye to child sex abuse undertaken by priests once under his jurisdiction. The other is Cardinal Javier Errazuriz, formerly the archbishop of Santiago, Chile. Both men were elevated to the council by Pope Francis.

Cardinal Pell, 76, who denied the sexual assault charges, was granted a leave of absence to return to Australia, where he said he would contest the charges.

Whatever the resolution to his case, the cardinal has long been notorious, even by Vatican standards, for the callousness of his attitude toward the abuse scandal that has bedeviled the church for most of this century. Speaking of one infamous priest widely known as a serial abuser in Australia in the early 1990s, when Cardinal Pell was a high-ranking church official in Melbourne, he said, Its a sad story and [the extent to which it was publicly known] wasnt of much interest to me. Peter Saunders, a highly respected survivor of sexual abuse who served on the Vaticans commission on abuse, said Cardinal Pell was almost sociopathic in his indifference toward victims.

Pope Francis has achieved some important reforms, notably in steering the church toward a more enlightened view of homosexuals. But by now its clear that a muscular, unequivocal and truly zero tolerance stance against pedophile priests and their enablers is not a priority for him. He announced with fanfare a tribunal to hold bishops accountable for enabling abusive priests, then said it was unneeded. He reduced the punishments of a number of priests disgraced by abuse scandals.

Church officials continue to fight laws in the United States that would enable victims of clergy abuse to seek justice in court. And prelates and other senior church figures continue implicitly to minimize overwhelming evidence of systematic abuse by characterizing the church as no better or worse on the issue than society at large  a morally bankrupt position unsupported by evidence.

Again and again, the popes deeds on clergy sex abuse have not matched his words, and real accountability throughout the church has been lacking. By his tolerance, Pope Francis ensures that the disgrace of clergy sex abuse will continue to be a stain on the Catholic Church.
PRESIDENT TRUMPS claim that 3 million to 5 million undocumented immigrants voted illegally in last falls elections is as evidence-based as the assertion that space aliens on Saturn are bombarding planet Earth with marshmallows. Nonetheless, Washington being Washington, Mr. Trumps declaration has generated its own politically charged momentum in the form of a presidential commission to investigate voter fraud  a topic that has been endlessly investigated for years, with consistent results: There is no evidence that it is widespread or has materially affected the outcome of any U.S. election.

Now Mr. Trumps Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity is beginning its work under the guidance of its vice chair, Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, a Republican notorious for his efforts at vote suppression. As an opening salvo, Mr. Kobach has written to state election officials requesting that they hand over voter rolls, including not only names, addresses and dates of birth, but also party affiliation, voting history back to 2006 and the last four digits of Social Security numbers  all of which he says will be made public.

Mr. Kobachs preposterous request  making public millions of partial Social Security numbers: Seriously?  has generated well-founded fears about privacy and data security; more than two dozen states have already announced they will refuse to convey the data he requested. Those same concerns have blocked the compilation until now of any such all-in-one list of every registered voter in the United States. In addition, Mr. Kobachs elaborate past efforts at voter suppression in Kansas, mainly blocked by federal and state courts, provide ample cause for alarm that the commissions real goal is an aggressive purge of voter rolls  a meat-cleaver approach whose inevitable effect would be widespread disenfranchisement.

No question, voter lists should be as up-to-date and accurate as possible. In the vast majority of cases where theyre not, however, it has nothing to do with fraud  its because people have died or moved, evidence of nothing more than a mobile society and decentralized election system. (Among those whose names have appeared simultaneously on more than one states rolls are several people in Mr. Trumps immediate orbit, including Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and senior adviser; Stephen K. Bannon, chief White House strategist; and Tiffany Trump, Mr. Trumps daughter.)

The trouble is that commonplace and often minor inaccuracies on the rolls, along with inconsistencies in data collection and formatting among the states, give rise to the high likelihood of false matches from one roll to another, and also that many voters may be purged unfairly, without safeguards or recourse. That would provide Mr. Kobach with a pretext for what Vanita Gupta, former chief of the Justice Departments civil rights division, called voter suppression, plain [and] simple.

The commissions endgame may be an attack on the 1993 National Voter Registration Act, the so-called motor voter law that requires states to offer registration at public service agencies such as motor vehicles departments. That would amount to an assault on American democracy and a damning indictment of the GOPs commitment to free and fair elections.
ALTHOUGH PRESIDENT TRUMP likes to rely on his instincts, this weeks meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hamburg, Germany, calls for careful preparation and straight talk. Mr. Trumps national security adviser, H.R. McMaster, told reporters that we have no specific agenda and its whatever the president wants to talk about. This is far too casual and risky.

While Mr. Putins actions at home and abroad are often objectionable, an exchange in person with him can help avoid mistrust and misperceptions, of which there are plenty. Mr. Trump should set aside his stated admiration for Mr. Putins strongman tendencies and instead confront the Russian president with difficult questions. This meeting is not about being friends but about urgent business. The agenda is rather full.

Mr. Trump simply cannot fail to admonish Mr. Putin for Russias attempts to meddle in the 2016 presidential election. He must make clear the United States will not tolerate it, period. Naturally, this is a difficult issue for Mr. Trump, who reaped the benefit of Russias intervention and now faces a special counsels investigation, but nonetheless, in his first session with Mr. Putin, the president must not hesitate to be blunt. He should not be overeager to give back the two Russian compounds used for espionage that were seized by the United States in December in President Barack Obamas belated response to the election meddling.

On Ukraine, Mr. Trump must also display determination. Russia fomented an armed uprising and seized Crimea in violation of international norms, and it continues to instigate violence in the Donbas. Mr. Trump ought to make it unmistakably clear to Mr. Putin that the United States will not retreat from the sanctions imposed over Ukraine until the conditions of peace agreements are met.

The leaders ought to discuss the Syrian conflict with an eye toward avoiding direct hostilities, even as Washington and Moscow pursue dramatically different military goals. Mr. Trump should at least try to persuade Mr. Putin to acknowledge the need for a government not headed by Bashar al-Assad and a region not dominated by Iran. Mr. Trump might also fruitfully bring up an idea floated recently by former Democratic senator Sam Nunn and former Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov, among others, to restart broader Russian-American military-to-military communication. It would also be in the interest of both countries to resume cooperation on nuclear nonproliferation and to resolve the standoff over the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty.

Even in the darkest days of the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union communicated with each other, and the need is no less today. A meeting will probably satisfy Mr. Putins desire to be seen as a global leader, and he will be probing Mr. Trump for signs of weakness. Mr. Putin suffers from long-standing misunderstandings about the West and the United States, and it can only help to speak to him directly, if the message is carefully prepared.
As the Trump administration sets out to overhaul the federal government, a small group of Cabinet secretaries may have the most daunting task. They are running departments with missions they have sometimes disparaged, with employees who are secretly  and on occasion publicly  hostile.

Across the agencies, these Cabinet members have made very public efforts to court their staff, yet frequently are crafting key initiatives in private. They are forming alliances where they can and skirmishing where they cannot. For the most part they have erected small, secluded citadels within each department, where they can advance policies that reflect the priorities of the president.

At the Education Department, Secretary Betsy DeVos has been trying to build rapport with a leery staff, dining at times in the employee cafeteria and convening a group of LGBT employees to talk about hot-button issues relating to transgender students. But some employees complain they are being cut out of decision-making. The head of the financial aid division resigned in May, warning in a farewell email of severe constraints being placed on the ability of career officials to make decisions and deliver on the organizations mission.

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has invited staffers to his grand office overlooking the Mall to imbibe IPA beer from his home state of Montana and has trumpeted a new policy of allowing employees dogs to roam the departments hallways on selected days. But as soon as government rules allowed, he reassigned dozens of Senior Executive Service career staff members without consultation or notice, relocating some to other parts of the country.

[Zinke transfers dozens of top career officials, without consulting them]

(The Washington Post)

Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson has braved rush-hour crowds at the LEnfant Plaza Metro stop to greet employees and shake their hands. But when the agency decided to reconsider a controversial HUD policy granting transgender people access to sex-segregated shelters of their choice, Carson surprised the staffers who had crafted the policy by excluding them from the discussion.

White House spokeswoman Natalie Strom said in an email that President Trumps Cabinet members are determined to overhaul the way their agencies operate.

The president has recruited an incredibly talented group of individuals to serve in his Cabinet  one of most visible and active Cabinets in recent history, Strom said. She added, He has instructed them to work with both political appointees and career employees to streamline the federal government to make it smarter, more effective and more responsive to the American people.

[HUD Secretary Carson sings a new tune about federal employees]

Among all the Cabinet members, DeVos and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt have faced the most vocal resistance from employees, despite efforts to win them over.

Unlike her predecessors, DeVos no longer uses the private, express elevator to reach her seventh-floor suite, taking the same ones that everyone else uses, and has given up the agencys private chef, according to spokeswoman Liz Hill.

But some employees dismiss her lunches in the cafeteria as photo ops.

EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt answers questions during a White House briefing in June. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

DeVos has made more of an impact with her decision to rescind a department policy requiring school districts to let transgender students use restrooms and other facilities of their choice. Her decision to reverse that policy  coupled with her refusal to say whether she would block federal funding for private schools that discriminate against LGBT students  has prompted some agency employees to begin talking about resigning.

One staffer who recently quit said he had been disappointed not only by DeVoss refusal to stand up for LGBT students at a Senate hearing in May, but also by the way he said she refrained from committing to protect African American students and students with disabilities. He criticized the few and general ways the secretary has claimed to be standing up for students and families.

DeVos, who has called such accusations hurtful, says she is opposed to discrimination of any kind and that any school accepting federal funds must abide by federal law.

[White House installs aides in agencies as Trumps eyes and ears]

At the EPA, Pruitts relationship with the agency was destined to be difficult from the outset because as Oklahoma attorney general, he had sued the EPA more than a dozen times, challenging its regulations policing greenhouse gas emissions, toxic emissions from power plants and the dredging of waterways.

Pruitt has clashed with many staffers over the issue of climate change, in part by questioning the extent to which human activity is driving global warming. Some employees at the agencys headquarters grouse about having to walk by a sign featuring Pruitt shaking hands with miners. When Pruitts appointees directed that the agency take down its climate Web pages containing scientific data and policy details, career officials initially balked. The pages have been removed from the EPAs website.

Employees at the agencys regional office in Chicago have participated in nearly a half-dozen public protests over the agencys budget and administration policy decisions, including the U.S. withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement.

Still, EPA spokeswoman Liz Bowman said that Pruitt has found the vast majority of the staff are committed to working with us, and he is working to follow the agencys statutory authority. She added that he doesnt experience the tension that is drummed up in the press.

At the Energy Department, Secretary Rick Perry is running an agency that he had promised, as a presidential candidate in 2012, to eliminate. (He had famously forgotten the Energy Departments name during a presidential debate.)

Since taking over, he has kept a lower profile than many other Cabinet secretaries. But Perry has also praised some aspects of the agency, such as its national laboratories.

Its good to be able to realize when youve made an error and admit it, Perry said during a stop at Oak Ridge National Laboratory last month. Im very happy that Ive had the opportunity to be associated with this agency now.

The spending cuts included in the administrations budget, drafted with limited input from the agencies themselves, have left many Cabinet members in a difficult position as they defend the White Houses plan while in some cases seeking to soften the blow.

DeVos has backed a budget proposal that would slash more than 13 percent of the Education Departments budget while investing in her top priority, school choice.

Pruitt privately pressed for less draconian cuts than those proposed by the White House but was rebuffed, according to senior administration officials briefed on the process. Once the White House settled on a 31 percent cut in the EPAs budget, Pruitt defended the reductions, although he identified a handful of programs he hopes Congress will restore.

After initial budget figures were released, both Carson and Zinke vowed to restore some of the money that was cut. Carson urged his staff in a memo to disregard the preliminary numbers  only to see the final reductions be even deeper. HUDs budget is to be reduced by 16 percent and Interiors by 12 percent. Zinke said last month that he plans to eliminate 4,000 jobs. Officials have declined to detail what, if anything, Carson and Zinke did to push for more money.

Carson and Zinke seem to have made some inroads, although modest, with their employees.

Carson has tried to get to know his staff, holding events at least once a week at agency offices across the country, including job fairs and town halls for career employees, according to HUD spokesman Raffi Williams. After Carsons first speech to his staff, some employees grilled him about his priorities. But one staffer, who did not give her name, praised him for addressing the uncertainties that she and her colleagues had about the new administration.

Many HUD employees, however, remain skeptical of Carson because of his lack of expertise in housing, his support for scaling back long-standing programs, and his comments in a radio interview last month that poverty is a state of mind.

Zinke has sought to boost morale through several initiatives, including a new zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct and efforts to secure more comfortable employee uniforms.

But he has upset some of his career employees by asking them to brief him on Interior policies, such as regulating oil and gas drilling in national parks and national wildlife refuges, without telling them that those policies were about to be reversed.

Zinke, perhaps more than any other Cabinet secretary, reflects the Trump administrations ambivalence about the operations of federal agencies and the people who work in them.

He is quick to praise employees in public, at times tweeting out a bravo zulu, the Navy version of a shout-out. But he also has held them up for public ridicule.

Addressing a meeting in June of the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association, Zinke mocked elements of his departments bureaucracy for standing in the way of change.

When you start to drain the swamp, you know what happens? Zinke asked. You start to expose serpents.

Brady Dennis contributed to this report.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. delivered eight opinions and two dissents in the just-concluded Supreme Court term.

But none probably meant as much as the statement he handed down on a rainy, early June morning in a small New Hampshire town.

It was the ninth-grade commencement address for the Cardigan Mountain School, an elite boarding school for boys grades six through nine. Sitting up front under a large white tent as John Glover Roberts Jr. took the stage was graduating student John Glover Roberts III.

In Canaan, N.H., Head of School Christopher Day said, the 17th chief justice of the United States would always be known as the dad of our Cardigan Cougar Jack.

Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts. (Matt McClain/The Washington Post)

You may remember Jack Roberts from his own moment on the national stage 12 years ago, when his father was chosen for the Supreme Court. As President George W. Bush revealed his choice in a formal White House ceremony, John and Jane Roberts struggled to simultaneously ignore and control the rambunctious boy in the short-pants ice-cream suit. His father later said Jack was pretending he was Spiderman, shooting webs from his hands.

Robertss commencement address was not publicized in advance, but it was recorded by the school, uploaded to YouTube and is slowly gaining attention. Several readers emailed the link to me. One person wrote, Im a Democrat and I cant stand the guys views, but I was in tears.

There is nothing about the Supreme Court or the law in the short speech, although each graduating Cougar received an autographed, pocket-size Constitution along with his certificate.

Instead, the address was personal, understated and popular probably because it touched on universal themes, such as a parents worry about whether he or she is making the right decisions for their child.

Driving through the gates after leaving a student at Cardigan, Roberts said, parents travel a trail of tears to an emptier and lonelier house.

Roberts is considered one of the Supreme Courts better writers, and his public addresses show a quick wit and professional timing. He first asked the Cardigan students to turn and applaud their parents and others who had guided them.

He joked that he would later be able to report that his speech was interrupted by applause.

Success, he reminded them, comes to those who are unafraid to fail. And if you did fail, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again, you got up and tried again. And if you failed again  it might be time to think about doing something else.

Roberts said commencement addresses customarily wish graduates success. He thought it better for them to experience challenges.

From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, Roberts said, so that you will come to learn the value of justice.

Betrayal will teach you the importance of loyalty. Loneliness will instruct people not to take friends for granted. Pain will cause someone to learn compassion.

I wish you bad luck  again, from time to time  so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life, Roberts said. And understand that your success is not completely deserved, and that the failure of others is not completely deserved, either.

A commencement speech is supposed to offer grand advice, Roberts said, so his first was to recognize the exalted perch from which they started  a school with a 4-to-1 student-teacher ratio, where students dine in jackets and ties, and tuition and board cost about $55,000.

Through his son, Roberts had come to know many of the students, he said, and I know you are good guys.

But you are also privileged young men, and if you werent privileged when you came here, youre privileged now because you have been here, Roberts said. My advice is: Dont act like it.

He urged them, at their next school, to introduce themselves to the people raking the leaves, shoveling the snow or emptying the trash. Learn their names, smile and call them by name. The worst thing that will happen is you will become known as the young man who smiles and says hello, he said.

Another thing:

Youve been at a school with just boys. Most of you will be going to a school with girls, Roberts said.

Long pause.

I have no advice for you.

In his speech, Roberts quoted Socrates and, not surprisingly, he ended it with the words of the great American philosopher, Bob Dylan.

Roberts has quoted Dylan in judicial opinions, and hes not alone. The New York Times a few years ago noted a study that found Dylan the most-quoted songwriter in judicial opinions, and said Roberts had opened the floodgates by quoting the Bard of Minnesota in a 2008 dissent.

The song he quoted at the commencement speech was Forever Young. Roberts is an unusual parent. Now 62, he and Jane married rather late in life. Their contemporaries are welcoming grandchildren, while they have two high-schoolers, Jack and his sister Josephine.

May you build a ladder to the stars

And climb on every rung

May you stay forever young.

The wishes expressed by Dylan for his son, Jesse, are beautiful, theyre timeless, theyre universal, Roberts said.

But the phrase that gives the song its title and refrain  forever young  is unrealistic, the chief justice said. It cant come true.

That wish is a parents lament, he said.
President Trump met with Republican senators about the chambers health-care bill on June 27 at the White House. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

With the Republican push to revamp the Affordable Care Act stalled again, even some allies of President Trump question whether he has effectively used the bully pulpit afforded by his office and are increasingly frustrated by distractions of his own making.

Trump has spoken out repeatedly during his tenure about the shortcomings of Obamacare, which he brands a disaster. But he has made relatively little effort to detail for the public why Republican replacement plans  which fare dismally in public opinion polls  would improve on the former presidents signature initiative.

The lackluster sales job, combined with recent controversial tweets and public statements targeting the media, has diminished the focus on the presidents leading legislative priority at a key juncture in the Senate, allies and analysts say.

Its a mystery, said Barry Bennett, a Republican operative who advised Trumps campaign last year and remains close to the White House. I dont know what theyre doing.

In recent days, Trump, who heads to Poland and Germany later this week, has seemed largely preoccupied by other things, including a Twitter feud with multiple news outlets. On Sunday, Trump sent around a video showing him body-slamming a CNN avatar, just days after calling an MSNBC host dumb as a rock.

(Bastien Inzaurralde/The Washington Post)

A top Trump lieutenant, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, was pressed Sunday on whether the media attacks are interfering with the presidents push of the unpopular Senate bill.

The fact of the matter is that he can do more than one thing at a time, Price said during an exchange with host Chuck Todd on NBCs Meet the Press that grew testy at times.

Price argued that Trump has been holding multiple meetings within the White House itself, with physicians, with small-business groups, with other folks who have been harmed by Obamacare, with patients, individual stakeholders from across this land who tell him and have told us repeatedly that the current system is collapsing.

Trumps public efforts to dismantle the health-care law, however, contrast sharply with President Barack Obamas efforts to build support in advance of its 2010 passage. Obama gave a joint address to Congress on health care. He fielded questions at town hall meetings around the country. And he even bantered on live television with hostile lawmakers at a Republican retreat.

Not only has Trump been unsuccessful at swinging public opinion toward the legislation, but also he hasnt really tried that much, said George C. Edwards III, a professor of political science at Texas A&M University and author of On Deaf Ears: The Limits of the Bully Pulpit.

He hasnt been out there consistently making a case for the legislation, Edwards said of Trump.

Its not hard to imagine other things Trump could be doing to try to boost support for the GOP plan among the public and, by extension, on Capitol Hill, Bennett said.

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Trump could make much better use of Twitter, urging his 33 million followers to call their senators and ask them to back the GOP bill, Bennett said.

Trump could have visited several states last week, holding events that highlight the sharp rise in premiums under Obamacare, he said. And Trump could mobilize his supporters to come to Washington and rally outside the Capitol, demanding passage of a bill.

Trumps seeming ambivalence about selling the GOP plan may reflect that he has always been more animated about getting rid of Obamacare than he has been about what should replace it.

To the degree he has discussed what the American health-care system should look like, Trump has talked about insurance for everybody and coverage that would be much less expensive and much better  standards that the bills produced by the House and Senate dont come close to achieving, according to analyses.

Trumps public statements about the bills, at times, have risked doing more harm than help, leading to questions about how dedicated he is to the task at hand  a view bolstered by Trumps head-scratching comments that he considered the House bill mean and that it would be unfortunate but okay if senators are unable to pass a bill.

Trump further muddied the waters last week by floating the possibility on Twitter that lawmakers could repeal the ACA now and replace it later  a view that Price on Sunday emphasized is not the administrations preference.

White House press secretary Sean Spicer said that theres no reason Trump should follow models used by Obama or other past presidents to build public support.

You use the model that works for you, Spicer said, noting that Trump has advanced a health-care bill further in the process at this point in his term than Obama. The ACA did not pass until the second year of Obamas first term.

Weve been more efficient, Spicer said.

Marc Rotterman, a GOP consultant based in North Carolina, said Trump needs to be more repetitive when speaking to the public about why the bill should pass.

When you push a measure, redundancy matters, and these constant tweets against the media distract from the real issue, which is getting health care done, said Rotterman, adding that hed like to see Trump deliver an Oval Office address on the subject.

To bolster support for their initiatives in Washington, presidents often travel to friendly territory outside the Beltway to make their case. Trump has traveled outside of Washington several times lately, but those events have mostly focused on other issues, and when he has mentioned health care, he hasnt dwelled on it.

During Trumps recent travels to Ohio and Wisconsin, he staged secondary events meant to highlight victims of Obamacare.

In a mid-June trip to Milwaukee, for example, Trump invited two local families to join him on Air Force One to talk about their struggles to pay for insurance under the ACA. Afterward, Trump and the families spoke briefly to the news media on the tarmac, with Trump telling reporters, these citizens deserve so much better.

His motorcade then whisked him to a technical college to talk about workforce development and apprenticeships  an event that received the majority of local coverage.

At a Trump rally late last month in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the president could have made an extended argument about the need for moving forward on health care. But Trump didnt discuss the issue in much detail as he pledged to deliver a bill with heart.

He made at least as many headlines for pledging to crack down on the use of welfare by immigrants and to use solar panels to help pay for a promised wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Ari Fleischer, the press secretary to former president George W. Bush, said Trump to this point deserves mixed marks for his use of the bully pulpit on health care.

Fleischer credited Trump with having kept his foot on the gas while the House was struggling to pass its version of the bill in early May.

In the Senate, Trump seems to be hindered by his low job-approval ratings, which have undercut his ability to reach out to some conservative Democrats, in particular, Fleischer said.

If Trump were more popular, Fleischer said, a handful of those Democrats would probably be more willing to support the bill, out of fear of incurring the presidents wrath. Instead, theyre now worried about drawing a Democratic primary challenger if they work too closely with Trump.

Since the focus turned to the Senate in recent weeks, Trump has also delegated much of the lobbying to Vice President Pence and senior administration officials, who have more extensive knowledge of the bill and a better sense of how to bring senators on board.

Trump is also faced with the prospect of selling a very unpopular product. A Congressional Budget Office analysis of the Senate plan projected that it would lead to 22 million fewer Americans having coverage within a decade.

Only 17 percent of adults nationwide approved of the Senate health-care bill, while 55 percent disapproved, according to an NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released Wednesday.

Even among Republicans, support was tepid, with 35 percent voicing approval and 21 percent saying they disapprove. Other recent polls have had similar numbers.

Meanwhile, even as Trump has repeatedly railed about shortcomings of the ACA, public support for Obamas initiative has increased, polls have found.

In December, as Trump prepared to take office, 43 percent of American adults viewed the ACA favorably, while 46 percent viewed it unfavorably, according to a Kaiser Health tracking poll.

In the June poll, 51 percent viewed the law favorably, compared with 41 percent unfavorably. That was the best the ACA had fared since Kaiser started its polling in 2010.

The term bully pulpit was coined by President Theodore Roosevelt, who used the powers of the office to court reporters and deliver major speeches on legislation related to railroad regulation and food inspection.

Frances Lee, a government and politics professor at the University of Maryland, said presidents traditionally have poor records of changing public opinion when pushing unpopular initiatives, as Trump is attempting to do.

Use of the bully pulpit is mainly effective when presidents are pushing Congress to do something the public already favors, she said, citing the wide latitude Bush had with Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Still, there is no shortage of suggested initiatives Trump could be taking that he has not.

After the House narrowly passed its health-care bill in early May, Aaron Kall, the director of debate at the University of Michigan, penned a piece for the Hill newspaper, urging Trump to give an address to a joint session of Congress to bolster Senate support.

In an interview, Kall said he still thinks that would be helpful to Trump, given the large television audience such an address would command.

If Trump wants legislation to pass at this point, he really needs to adopt some new tactics, said Kall, editor of Mr. Speaker, the President of the United States: Addresses to a Joint Session of Congress.

Kall suggested that Trump also make himself available for television interviews focused on health care with outlets beyond the friendly confines of Fox News.

I think weve underestimated him sometimes, Kall said. With a few days preparation, I think he could withstand an interview on this subject. He has a persuasive story to tell. It just needs to be packaged in the right way.

Others say that Trump would be well-served by putting down his phone.

Asked Sunday whether Trumps tweets made it harder to work on health care, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) admitted that he gets frustrated when the media and lawmakers focus on what the president says on Twitter.

Our focus cannot be on the tweet, Cassidy said on Meet the Press. Our focus has to be on that kitchen-table family paying $20,000, $30,000 and $40,000 for their premiums, wondering how theyre going to make ends meet.

Jenna Johnson and Ashley Parker contributed to this report.
Top Trump administration officials insisted Sunday that the odds of passing health-care legislation when the Senate returns to Washington next week remain high, but others in the GOP charged that the bills problems require more than a quick fix.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price and White House legislative affairs director Marc Short are fighting off a tide of discontent that has been exacerbated in recent days by President Trumps tweet that the Senate could simply repeal the Affordable Care Act and replace it later if it cannot pass the pending measure.

Price and Short both argued in television appearances Sunday that President Trump doesnt actually endorse the staggered approach. They said Trump was working the phones this weekend to urge senators to get on board with the Senate bill.

Still, Trumps comment  a sharp departure from his campaign promises  is undercutting the efforts of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to collect 50 GOP votes to support the current bill. Conservative Republicans are calling for separate efforts, urging quick action to undo Obamacare to allow more time for the difficult endeavor of structuring its replacement.

Those senators are still divided, however, on whether the replacement must be devised now or sometime in the future.

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price speaks during a listening session at the White House on June 21. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

I want repeal to work, and the way you do it is you separate into two bills and you do it concurrently, said Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who declared on Fox News Sunday that we are at an impasse with the health-care bill on offer before the Senate.

We should do repeal with a delay, Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) said on CNN Sunday, saying that he was still willing to give the Senate bill another week before declaring it dead.

In an appearance on Face the Nation, Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) also endorsed repealing Obamacare with a delayed implementation that would give lawmakers time to craft a replacement, noting that approach might be easier.

Sometimes when you lump too many things into one piece of legislation, you doom its chances of success, Lee said. That might be where we are.

Lee is also one of the senators pushing a change to current legislation to insist that every state have at least one Obamacare-compliant insurance plan, in exchange for lifting the rules on the others. Short endorsed that change on Sunday, calling it perfectly appropriate, and part of the process of bringing everybody together.

But Republicans from the other side of the party spectrum are also distancing themselves from the Senate bill, as Democrats suggest they are ready for a bipartisan approach.

Last week, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) asked the president to relaunch the health-care push in a bipartisan fashion, declaring that Democrats are ready to work across the aisle.

Trump surrogates scoffed at that offer Sunday, with Short declaring that Senator Schumer might talk about bipartisanship, but he has no interest in bipartisanship whatsoever.

Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) used a Sunday appearance on NBCs Meet the Press to hawk the health-care proposal he drafted with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), which they say was designed to build bipartisan support. Both have been skeptical of the current Senate bill. But on Sunday, Cassidy said he, too, is skeptical that Democrats are serious about cooperation.

Until a Democrat says they are willing to sign on to the Patient Freedom Act, which allows a blue state to do what theyre doing now, but allows a red state to do something different, Im not sure were ready for bipartisanship, Cassidy said.

Trump administration officials identified three areas that could need last-minute changes to win a more favorable impact score from the Congressional Budget Office and more support from members. Price said the administration and lawmakers are working to ensure that individuals transitioning off Medicaid do not fall through the cracks, that more coverage options are available and that opioid abuse is addressed.

Not all Republicans are convinced that those efforts will help. In an appearance on ABCs This Week, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, warned against efforts to try to buy people off with little, last-minute fixes on issues such as opioid abuse programs that he called anemic. Its like spitting in the ocean. Its not enough.

Kasich had harsh words for both Democrats and Republicans, excoriating them for being too consumed with politics to be anything but shortsighted and disingenuous when it comes to fixing the health-care system, and complaining that sometimes my party asks too much.

Right now, theyre not ready, they are not ready to sit down and put the nation first in my opinion, Kasich said of congressional lawmakers. His problems with the bill, he said, cover the whole package.
Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) speaks to reporters about the Republican-written health-care bill as he walks to a meeting off the Senate floor on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

As Republicans return to their home districts to sell a flailing health-care bill, liberal groups are using the congressional recess to build opposition. They believe tens of thousands of phone calls, emails and in-person pushes will force on-the-fence senators to reject the legislation for good.

The fresh activism is coming with encouragement from Democratic lawmakers who are mired in the minority and have been mostly left to watch as Republicans struggle to reshape the nations laws to their liking. After starting the year on the defensive with their own base, party leaders and House and Senate Democrats are finally taking cues from these groups, believing that tactics honed far outside Washington could help scare Republicans into abandoning long-standing promises to upend the Affordable Care Act.

Ahead of the recess, while Republican senators toiled over details of their health-care overhaul behind closed doors, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) did whats become natural for Democrats lately: He lashed out on Twitter.

CBO confirms this thing is a %#$@ sandwich, he tweeted shortly after the release of the Congressional Budget Offices report that estimated 22 million more Americans would be uninsured under the Senate GOPs plan. He tweeted later that the lefts fight against the legislation is a test of the morality of our country. We have to win this one.

Democrats can see with their eyes where the energy is in American politics right now, said Ben Wikler, the Washington director of MoveOn.org, a liberal group initially launched to oppose the impeachment of President Bill Clinton.

In his office on Capitol Hill, Sen. Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) has a quiet moment before a meeting with a fellow senator on Wednesday. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Its to abandon politics as usual and put up a bare-fisted fight. Thats really sinking in.

Schatz won reelection last year with more than 70 percent of the vote and acknowledges he did so by airing really pretty ads and taking advice from expensive consultants. It might have worked for him in Hawaii, but President Trump won the White House and Democrats failed to win back control of the House or Senate.

So now he admits to being a recent convert to the tactics used by Wiklers group and other organizations such as CREDO Mobile; the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; and the fast-growing Indivisible movement. The groups have organized protests or sit-ins at congressional district offices and urged followers to flood Capitol Hill phone lines in opposition to Education Secretary Betsy DeVoss appointment or Trumps travel ban. Neither pressure campaign stopped DeVos or the Trump ban, but Schatz said they signaled to Democratic lawmakers that the groups could quickly mobilize Americans against Trump.

Our playbook needs a refresh. Its predictable and its stale, Schatz said. That refresh is not just new language or a new standard-bearer, but a recognition that for Democrats to win, we need to fight for Democrats  and then theyll fight for us.

For Schatz, that has meant firing off quick stream-of-consciousness tweets that have earned him headlines and 30,000 more followers so far this year. Its also meant marching in the streets for the first time in his life, as he did last week with activists who opposed the GOP health-care plan. And it means providing counsel to constituents or activists who still want a little guidance from an elected official.

The senator who once chastised Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Twitter for calling Hawaii an island in the Pacific said his change in tone is a recognition that people dont want to be sold soap.

They dont want a prepackaged product; they want to know that were people and that we respond to outrages in the same way that they do.

Protesters concerned about the GOP health-care bill are arrested Wednesday outside Republican senators offices on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Democrats willingness to fight, particularly on health care, has not gone unnoticed by progressive activists who say they deserve credit for drawing in even wary moderates.

Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin III (W.Va.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.) and Claire McCaskill (Mo.)  who are all up for reelection in states Trump won handily  have all been eager to speak out. They joined a protest-turned-photo-op on the Senate steps with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (N.Y.) and other Democrats, with each senator holding a portrait of a constituent who had benefited from Medicaid.

The way theyve coalesced around the health-care issue has been better than expected; theyve done so because of how many people were demanding it, said Winnie Wong, the co-founder of People for Bernie Sanders and an Occupy Wall Street veteran.

Schatz was one of only a handful of Democratic lawmakers to actually march in last weeks health-care rally  other party leaders just showed up to give speeches. He waited restlessly as Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Schumer addressed the crowd.

They have lots of powerful wealthy people on their side, Schumer said of Republicans. Who do we have? You!

Schumer especially has seen his fortunes change with the far left. In February, thousands of protesters marched to Schumers Brooklyn home to demand resistance to Trumps Cabinet nominees; some chanted What the f---, Chuck.

The infighting has largely stopped since then. Schumer has been a regular presence at protests, thanking activists for having Senate Democrats back. Theyve returned the praise. Schumer is both speaking out at every opportunity and keeping the caucus aggressive, said Wikler, whose group helped organize the Capitol protest.

After Schumer spoke, Schatz stepped on stage and called the GOP health-care bill literally an $800 billion cut in Medicaid and literally an $800 billion wealth transfer to people who dont need it.

He offered some advice for the congressional recess: Dont wait for instructions from any organization. Whatever you think you can do in that moment, just do it.

Six months ago, everyone in that building thought that repeal of the Affordable Care Act was a done deal, Wikler said, pointing to the Capitol. Since then, he said, Democrats had learned to take some cues from the resistance.

Weve mobilized hundreds of thousands of people to participate in our democracy, and thats taught us something crucial about the resistance to Trump: its working, said Faiz Shakir, national political director for the American Civil Liberties Union.

In many ways, Schatz is an ideological counterweight to conservative foot soldiers such as Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah), James Lankford (R-Okla.) or Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), other senators in their 40s with no obvious White House dreams who could find themselves in the Senate for decades to come. While many of his Democratic colleagues ponder a run for president, Schatz said he intends to stay in the Senate.

Somebody has to not run for president, Schatz quipped.

Schatz came to the Senate in late 2012 as the appointed successor of the late Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), who died after 49 years in the Senate just as Congress was in the throes of the fiscal cliff fight. The day after Christmas, Schatz flew to Washington aboard Air Force One with President Obama, who cut his annual Hawaiian vacation short to avert a financial disaster.

As Schatz prepared to travel from Washington to Honolulu on Thursday, a trip he makes nearly every weekend to see his wife and two young children, he admitted that despite doling out advice on how progressives should pressure Republicans during the upcoming recess, he hadnt determined what he will do. Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have urged Democrats to hold news conferences, host rallies with progressive groups and submit op-eds to newspapers. Schatz said thats not good enough.

You cant fill a calendar and think thats a plan, he explained, meaning that he will avoid a strategy that dictates, Im going to use Facebook on Tuesday and use Twitter on Wednesday, and then Im going to send an op-ed in and hold a news conference on Friday.

Its a pretty chaotic environment out there, he said. We need to be a little more flexible.

Read more at PowerPost
Australias urbane prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, is trying to revive the fortunes of his unpopular government by borrowing from an unexpected role model: President Trump.

When he ousted his conservative predecessor, Tony Abbott, from office in 2015, Turnbull had made his reputation supporting the legalization of same-sex marriage, the strengthening of ties with China and the replacement of Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state with an Australian.

Representing one of the most progressive districts in the country, Turnbull is one of the most left-wing members of the center-right Liberal Party. Before he became prime minister, his signature policy was support for an emissions-trading plan to fight climate change, a position that led to the end of his first term as party leader in 2009.

He came across as a very socially progressive and cosmopolitan politician before he became PM, said Zareh Ghazarian, a political scientist at Monash University, in an interview. Since becoming prime minister he has to modify his approach because of very conservative elements in his party.

Voters havent warmed to Turnbull as prime minister, and he almost lost an election last year. Now facing what appears to be a guerrilla campaign by a bitter Abbott to undermine his leadership, Turnbull is not only copying elements of Trumps conservative populist approach, he is awkwardly buddying up to the president in person.

At a recent ceremony at the Intrepid aircraft carrier museum in New York to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, Turnbull congratulated Trump after the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

I got to say, its always satisfying to win a vote when people predict youre not going to win it, Turnbull told Trump from a podium. So keep at it. Its great.

Many Australians cringed at the praise. Australia has universal health care, a system that not even some far-right political parties want to dismantle.

To improve his popularity and placate internal critics, Turnbull is implementing heftier national security policies and beefed-up social spending. In a move perceived to be aimed at Muslims, he is making it harder for foreigners to become citizens and spending more on the intelligence services. Fewer professional visas are being issued to foreign workers. At the same time, new school and welfare programs will make it difficult to rein in a large government budget deficit anytime soon.

One of the wealthiest politicians in the country, Turnbull was a partner at investment bank Goldman Sachs in the 1990s. The centerpiece of his last election campaign was a tax cut for business designed to stimulate the economy. Relentlessly attacked by the Labor opposition as a gift to overpaid corporate executives, the big-business component of the cut was rejected by the Senate, where the government is in the minority.

Then Turnbull pivoted and hit the five biggest banks with a large tax hike in May, even though the banks said the move would rebound onto customers. Members of Turnbulls party were privately uncomfortable raising taxes, but the measure was popular: 68 percent of Australians agree with the plan, according to an Ipsos poll published May 15.

Turnbulls switch illustrates how politics around the world are being upended by Trumps election and the success of other anti-elite politicians. Xenophobia, economic populism and nationalism are becoming more influential in politics, even in prosperous and racially integrated societies such as Australia, where 67 percent of the population was born locally and 87 percent is Christian or nonreligious, according to the latest census.

One of the most assertive policy changes is the decision to make it harder to obtain Australian citizenship, which Australias tea-party-like One Nation party claimed credit for.

Applicants will have to be able to speak English, explicitly pledge allegiance to Australia and meet a vague test that they have integrated into Australian society. The criteria could include serving on a parent-teacher association or joining a surf-lifesaving club, according to the government, which hopes to make the changes this year.

Refugee representatives say immigrants will be required to have university-level English skills, which will be impossible for the most disadvantaged: women, refugees and the elderly.

There is no correlation between English-language proficiency and commitment to the Australian nation, said Paul Power, the chief executive of the Refugee Council of Australia, in an interview. In the long run it will be very damaging for the country.

One Nation founder Pauline Hanson, who toasted Trumps election with champagne in front of the Australian parliament and wants to ban Muslim immigration, had pushed Turnbull in private and public to toughen the citizenship law after she was elected to the Senate last year.

We are being taken for fools in this country by opening up our doors, she said before the changes were announced. It will all come to our standard of living, our way of life and our safety and security.

Turnbull doesnt concede that he has abandoned any of his liberal principles or is pandering to conservative elements in society. The vast majority of Australians are pleased to see we are standing up for Australian values, he said when challenged by a television interviewer.

Recently, when he thought he wasnt being recorded, Turnbull mimicked Trump in a satirical off-the-record dinner speech. The Donald and I, we are winning and winning in the polls, he said, according to a surreptitiously recorded video obtained by the Nine television network. We are winning so much, we are winning, we are winning like we have never won before.

The leaking of the video triggered concerns among Australian diplomats that an angry tweet would emerge from the White House signaling a cooling of U.S.-Australian relations. It didnt, although a contrite Turnbull felt forced to explain to Australians why he was mocking the U.S. president. The butt of my jokes was myself, he told a radio show.

With the Trump-like strategy comes one other similarity: a recent Newspoll put the government behind the opposition Labor Party, 53 to 47 percent.

Read more:

Charges against Australian cardinal revive questions about handling of child sexual abuse

Why Trumps rebuke could be good for Australias prime minister

Australian leader is on the hot seat for making fun of Donald Trump

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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They gathered at the bridge, now rusting in disrepair.

A handful of former Jewish refugees and their descendants, now in their late 80s and early 90s, returned last week to the craggy and verdant border between France and Spain, mostly to pay tribute to the largely forgotten Portuguese diplomat who saved their lives in the early days of World War II.

But with Europe in the throes of a different kind of refugee crisis, these former asylum seekers and their descendants also came to highlight the urgent need for action today.

Those who remembered the war as children said they saw themselves particularly in the recent images of suffering youth, such as Alan Kurdi, the Syrian boy pictured dead on a Turkish beach in 2015.

[The Calais Jungle is gone, but Frances migrant crisis is far from over]

In tearful testimonies recounted along the escape path they once followed, from Bordeaux to Hendaye to Portugal, the survivors and their children championed their savior, Aristides de Sousa Mendes, as an example of an individual willing to act on behalf of those in need, at whatever cost.

Sousa Mendes, the Portuguese consul general stationed in Bordeaux at the time, defied his governments orders and issued nearly 30,000 transit visas in summer 1940, about a third of which went to Jewish refugees desperate to escape Nazi-occupied France. In return, he was severely punished, was stripped of his diplomatic title and died in abject poverty in 1954, unable even to feed his family.

Most people are risk averse, said Olivia Mattis, whose father was among those rescued in 1940. Sousa Mendes wasnt.

In 2010, Mattis, a trained musicologist, established a foundation devoted to preserving the Portuguese diplomats memory. It is now jointly managed by the Sousa Mendes family and the families of those he rescued.

You have to ask yourself whether you would make the same choice, said Jerry Jarvik, accompanying his mother, Lissy Jarvik, 93, who received a Sousa Mendes transit visa when she was 16. Would I sacrifice the future of these two? he said, gesturing at his two daughters.

Holocaust historians say that what distinguishes Sousa Mendes from better-known Holocaust heroes  such as German industrialist Oskar Schindler and Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg  was the unusual context that surrounded his actions.

Sousa Mendes issued visas in summer 1940, long before he could have understood what Adolf Hitlers Final Solution would mean.

Its not that he knew he was saving people from genocide, said Edna Friedberg, a historian at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. He was saving people from persecution, and for him that was enough.

When France fell to Nazi Germany in June 1940, Sousa Mendes, then 54, was already a man with problems on his hands: he and his wife had 12 children to raise on a modest government salary, and his mistress, a French pianist, had publicly announced she was pregnant.

Soon, however, those problems magnified, as the bourgeois city of Bordeaux found itself on the front lines of a refugee crisis of unprecedented scale.

[A French farmer fed and sheltered migrants. Today he was fined $3,200.]

After the Germans arrived in the north of France, millions of people  some French and some foreigners who had already sought refuge in the country before its occupation  headed south to safety in still-neutral Spain and Portugal.

To convey the magnitude of this wave of panic, the French still refer to this episode as the exodus. The biblical term is hardly an exaggeration: in a country whose population in summer 1940 was no more than 40 million, historians estimate that between 6 million and 10 million people took to the streets, heading south by whatever means.

While many of the French eventually returned home, Jews and foreigners  many of whom had already fled the Nazis elsewhere in Europe  were well aware that staying put was not an option. The Nazi occupation of France would mean the imposition of the Nuremberg laws in Europes storied republic of equal citizens.

Consequently, refugees  Jewish and otherwise  soon began to flood Spanish and Portuguese consulates in Bordeaux, Bayonne and other coastal cities, in a desperate search of visas and documents that would guarantee them passage out of France and, eventually, Europe itself.

In that sense, obscure consular officials such as Sousa Mendes became crucial gatekeepers, arbiters of fates.

Without Aristides de Sousa Mendes, I would not be here. Its as simple as that, said Lissy Jarvik, whose Dutch Jewish family had fled to France following the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands in May 1940. Without Aristides de Sousa Mendes, I would have suffered tortures so grievous and so prolonged that death would have been a welcome relief. Without Aristides de Sousa Mendes, I would have missed out on three quarters of a century.

Most of the Spanish and Portuguese diplomats with any authority heeded the calls of their governments, which, although technically neutral, still sought to keep out refugees whose presence might jeopardize their standings with Nazi Germany.

Portugal was no exception: Antonio de Oliveira Salazar, its dictator, had issued the infamous Circular 14 directive, which ordered diplomats and consular officials to deny visas to Jews, Russians and other stateless people. Sousa Mendes, however, did not respect the protocol.

In what the historian Yehuda Bauer described as perhaps the largest rescue action by a single individual during the Holocaust  larger even than the famous intervention by Schindler  he offered indiscriminate assistance to tens of thousands. Why he did it, given the devastating professional and personal sacrifices he soon suffered, remains something of a mystery.

Some say that a friendship with Chaim Kruger, a Polish rabbi who had fled Belgium for France  and who refused to accept a visa from Sousa Mendes unless he did the same for other Jews  was the turning point.

[Migrant exchange: Turkey accepts mass returns but sends Syrians to Europe]

In a June 1940 letter to one of his brothers-in-law, written during the throes of the refugee crisis, the consul complained of a strong nervous breakdown. A few days later, however, he seems to have followed what he understood to be the dictates of his faith. I would rather stand with God against man than with man against God, Sousa Mendes said.

While he and his family lived in poverty  eventually being fed in a Jewish-run soup kitchen after the war  many of those he rescued went on to lead prominent lives in the United States and elsewhere.

The extended family of Parisian gallery owner Paul Rosenberg, a legendary dealer of Picasso, Braque and Matisse, escaped to New York thanks to 17 visas issued by Sousa Mendes that summer. The storied Rosenberg gallery then relocated to Manhattan, where versions of it have stood ever since.

Ina Ginsburg, then known as Ida Ettinger, became a powerhouse on the Washington social scene for decades, collaborating with her friend Andy Warhol on well-known articles about what the artist once famously dubbed Hollywood on the Potomac. Ginsburg died in 2014 at 98.

Alexandra Grinkrug, now 81, who received a Sousa Mendes visa at age 4, remembers little of that summer in southwestern France, save for the nearby villa her parents rented and the thrill of riding in a large car, then not an everyday occurrence.

Although her family, prominent Russian Jews, ultimately settled in Los Angeles  where her father, a film executive who had produced the 1938 hit Hotel du Nord, embarked on a career in the movies  she eventually returned to Paris as an adult, where she is now a painter.

Grinkrug said she was retracing her steps not out of any particular desire to relive the experience but out of a mixture of gratitude and guilt.

This is to say thank you  and please forgive my parents for not having even known your name.

Read more

On World Refugee Day, 5 correspondents reveal what its like to cover the crisis

Europes harsh new message for migrants: Do not come

Over 7,100 migrant deaths in 2016 is a world record. More than half were in the Mediterranean.

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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It was March 2020, and the world was closing down as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. At first, the news of...
West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. designs, manufactures, and sells containment and delivery systems for injectable drugs and healthcare products in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and the Asia Pacific. It operates in two segments, Proprietary Products and Contract-Manufactured Products. The Proprietary Products segment offers stoppers and seals for injectable packaging systems; syringe and cartridge components, including custom solutions for the needs of injectable drug applications, as well as administration systems that enhance the safe delivery of drugs through advanced reconstitution, mixing, and transfer technologies; and films, coatings, washing, and vision inspection and sterilization processes and services to enhance the quality of packaging components. It also provides drug containment solutions, including Crystal Zenith, a cyclic olefin polymer in the form of vials, syringes, and cartridges; and self-injection devices, as well as a range of integrated solutions, including analytical lab services, pre-approval primary packaging support and engineering development, regulatory expertise, and after-sales technical support. This segment serves biologic, generic, and pharmaceutical drug companies. The Contract-Manufactured Products segment is involved in the design, manufacture, and automated assembly of devices used in surgical, diagnostic, ophthalmic, injectable, and other drug delivery systems, as well as consumer products. It serves pharmaceutical, diagnostic, and medical device companies. The company distributes its products through its sales force and distribution network, as well as contract sales agents and regional distributors. West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. was incorporated in 1923 and is headquartered in Exton, Pennsylvania.
First Republic Bank was founded by Jim Herbert with the intention of providing exceptional levels of customer service. It was his belief that customer service would set the bank apart and create a profitable investment for its shareholders. After 35 years, his vision has proven true with a 25% CAGR that continues to this day. The initial enterprise value has grown from only $8.8 million in that time, to over $19 billion making it the 14th largest bank in the US. First Republic Bank was founded in 1985 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

First Republic Bank with its subsidiaries operates in two segments and provides personal banking, business banking, and wealth management services to individuals, families, organizations, and small businesses in the United States. The companys services are available in-person at one of the more than 80 offices or via ATM, online, mobile, and debit cards.

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First Republic Bank operates a network of more than 80 deposit-taking branches and 12 wealth management offices. The network is located primarily in California with additional branches in major metropolitan areas and two destination locations that include Portland, Boston, Palm Beach, Greenwich, New York, and Jackson, Wyoming.

First Republic Bank has proven its worth over the year by maintaining a consistently strong capital level, asset quality, and liquidity position. Its prudent management has allowed it to weather market ups and downs while commanding investment grade ratings for its bonds and preferred stock.
Nabors Industries Ltd. provides drilling and drilling-related services for land-based and offshore oil and natural gas wells. The company operates through five segments: U.S. Drilling, Canada Drilling, International Drilling, Drilling Solutions, and Rig Technologies. It provides tubular running, wellbore placement, directional drilling, measurement-while-drilling (MWD), equipment manufacturing, and rig instrumentation services; and logging-while-drilling systems and services, as well as drilling optimization software. The company also offers REVit, an automated real time stick-slip mitigation system; ROCKit, a directional steering control system; SmartNAV, a collaborative guidance and advisory platform; SmartSLIDE, an advanced directional steering control system; and RigCLOUD, which provides the tools and infrastructure to integrate applications to deliver real-time insight into operations across the rig fleet. In addition, it manufactures and sells top drives, catwalks, wrenches, drawworks, and other drilling related equipment, such as robotic systems and downhole tools; and provides aftermarket sales and services for the installed base of its equipment. As of December 31, 2021, the company marketed approximately 301 rigs for land-based drilling operations in the United States, Canada, and in 20 other countries worldwide; and 29 rigs for offshore platform drilling operations in the United States and internationally. Nabors Industries Ltd. was founded in 1952 and is based in Hamilton, Bermuda.
Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA provides dialysis care and related dialysis care services in Germany, North America, and internationally. It offers dialysis treatment and related laboratory and diagnostic services through a network of outpatient dialysis clinics; materials, training, and patient support services comprising clinical monitoring, follow-up assistance, and arranging for delivery of the supplies to the patient's residence; and dialysis services under contract to hospitals in the United States for the hospitalized end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients and for patients suffering from acute kidney failure. The company also develops, manufactures, and distributes dialysis products, including polysulfone dialyzers, hemodialysis machines, peritoneal dialysis cyclers, peritoneal dialysis solutions, hemodialysis concentrates, solutions and granulates, bloodlines, renal pharmaceuticals, and systems for water treatment; and non-dialysis products, such as acute cardiopulmonary and apheresis products. In addition, it develops, acquires, and in-licenses renal pharmaceuticals; offers renal medications and supplies to patients at homes or to dialysis clinics; and provides vascular, cardiovascular, endovascular specialty, vascular care ambulatory surgery center, and physician nephrology and cardiology services. The company sells its products to dialysis clinics, hospitals, and specialized treatment clinics directly, as well as through local sales forces, independent distributors, dealers, and sales agents. As of February 23, 2022, it operated 4,171 outpatient dialysis clinics in approximately 150 countries. Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co. KGaA was incorporated in 1996 and is headquartered in Bad Homburg, Germany.
(BRIDGEWATER, N.J.)  President Donald Trump renewed his screed against the media on Saturday.

The FAKE & FRAUDULENT NEWS MEDIA is working hard to convince Republicans and others I should not use social media  but remember, I won the 2016 election with interviews, speeches and social media. I had to beat #FakeNews, and did. We will continue to WIN! Trump said on Twitter.

And he said he was thinking about changing the name of #FakeNewsCNN to #FraudNewsCNN.

My use of social media is not Presidential - its MODERN DAY PRESIDENTIAL. Make America Great Again!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2017

Trumps continued focus on cable television comes as Republicans are struggling to find agreement on a health care overhaul, a key promise from the president and GOP lawmakers. And Trump is heading to the annual Group of 20 meeting this week, where he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a high-stakes encounter that could put Trumps America First policy to the test.
Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough were supposed to be on vacation Friday, but the Morning Joe co-hosts instead went on the air to address President Trumps string of tweets about them.

You know what, I think its been fascinating and frightening and really sad for our country, Brzezinski said.

Read: MSNBC Calls Trump a Bully After He Dubs 'Morning Joe' Hosts 'Psycho Joe' and 'Low IQ Crazy Mika'

The duo, who are reportedly engaged, were the target of tweets from the president, who claimed that Brzezinski was "bleeding badly from a face-lift when the pair went to Mar-a-Lago around New Years Eve.

He also dubbed the hosts "Psycho Joe" and "Low IQ Crazy Mika," in the Thursday Twitter rant.

Im fine, my family brought me up really tough, she said Friday. But I am very concerned as to what this once again reveals about the president of the United States.

Were okay," Scarborough chimed in. "The countrys not."

He added. We have friends inside the White House that have told us over the past month theyre getting more concerned about his emotional state."

The hosts also claimed that the president has used a possible National Enquirer hit piece to blackmail them.

"We got a call that, 'Hey, the National Enquirer is going to run a negative story against you guys' and they said, 'If you call the president up, and you apologize for your coverage, then he will pick up the phone and basically spike this story,'" Scarborough said. I have texts from your top aides and phone records."

Read: Trump Goes Off on 'Morning Joe' Hosts Joe Scarborough and 'Girlfriend' Mika Brzezinski: '2 Clowns!'

Even as the duo returned to the air, the president resumed his Twitter attacks on the hosts.

Watched low rated @Morning_Joe for first time in long time. FAKE NEWS. He called me to stop a National Enquirer article. I said no! Bad show  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 30, 2017

Watched low rated @Morning_Joe for first time in long time. FAKE NEWS. He called me to stop a National Enquirer article. I said no! Bad show, he wrote.

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We have no knowledge of any discussions between the White House and Joe and Mika about our story, and absolutely no involvement in those discussions, Enquirer editor Dylan Howard told CNN in a statement.

Watch: President Trump Called Out for Singling Out Irish Reporter in Oval Office: 'Just Creepy'

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(NEW YORK)  Dr. Henry Bello proved a man of his word.

After he was forced to resign as a family medicine doctor amid sexual harassment allegations, he threatened his colleagues. He said he would kill them.

On Friday, Bello returned to Bronx Lebanon Hospital with an AR-15 assault rifle tucked under his white lab coat and opened fire in his old department, killing one doctor and critically wounding six other people at the hospital, according to law enforcement officials.

Bello then shot himself, and staggered, bleeding, into a hallway where he collapsed and died with the rifle at his side, officials said. A photo showed the doctor on a blood-spattered floor as police stood over him.

Now, detectives are trying to piece together what prompted Bello to snap two years after he was forced out, and whether he was hunting for someone in particular when he went to the 16th floor and started shooting.

There are many, many details that were still putting together, said Mayor Bill de Blasio said, adding that terrorism was not involved in the attack. This was a horrible situation unfolding in a place that people associated with care and comfort, a situation that came out of nowhere.

His former co-workers described a man who was aggressive, loud, and threatening.

All the time he was a problem, said Dr. David Lazala, who trained Bello as a family medicine doctor. When Bello was forced out in 2015, he sent Lazala an email blaming him for the dismissal.

We fired him because he was kind of crazy, Dr. Maureen Kwankam told the Daily News. He promised to come back and kill us then.

People described a chaotic scene as gunfire erupted, spreading terror throughout the medical facility as employees locked themselves inside rooms and patients feared for their lives after hearing an announcement warning of someone in the building with a weapon.

I thought I was going to die, said Renaldo Del Villar, a patient who was in the third-floor emergency room getting treatment for a lower back injury.

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Shortly after receiving a 911 call about an active shooter, police officers went floor by floor, their guns drawn, looking for the gunman. Fifteen minutes later they confirmed he was dead in the building.

Bello may have doused himself with an accelerant like gasoline and tried to set himself on fire before shooting himself, officials said. Sprinklers extinguished the fire.

The officials were not authorized to discuss the still-unfolding investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

According to New York State Education Department records, Bello graduated from Ross University and had a limited permit to practice as an international medical graduate to gain experience in order to be licensed. The permit was issued on July 1, 2014, and expired last year on the same day. Family medicine doctors handle more routine cases, such as coughs and sprained ankles.

Bello also worked as a pharmacy technician at Metropolitan hospital in Manhattan because he was having a hard time getting licensed as a physician, but quit the job in 2012 and filed for unemployment, according to the lawyer who represented him on appeal in 2014. He lost his case. One former colleague at Metropolitan said he would frequently argue with nurses and bristled at being told what to do, but his attorney in the unemployment action said thats not the man he knew.

Im absolutely shocked, attorney David Wim said. He was such a nice gentleman. He was very humble, very polite, very respectful.

Wim said he even jokingly suggested to his assistant that she date the doctor, who was unmarried.

But Bello had a history of aggressive behavior. In unrelated cases, the doctor pleaded guilty to unlawful imprisonment, a misdemeanor, in 2004 after a 23-year-old woman told police Bello grabbed her, lifted her up and carried her off, saying, Youre coming with me. He was arrested again in 2009 on a charge of unlawful surveillance, after two different women reported he was trying to look up their skirts with a mirror. That case was eventually sealed.

It was not immediately clear if the hospital was aware of his criminal history when he was hired.

Two surgeons at the hospital told the AP that all six victims were in critical condition, but they were expected to survive. Medical staff at the hospital immediately treated all the patients in its emergency department. The victims largely suffered gunshot wounds to the head, chest and abdomen, they said. The most seriously wounded was shot in the liver, said the surgeons, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to speak publicly.

Employees and their loved ones described the horrifying moments immediately after the shooting as they scrambled for information.

Garry Trimble said his fiancee, hospital employee Denise Brown, called from inside to tell him about the gunman.

She woke me up and told me there was a situation, somebodys out there shooting people, Trimble said as he waited for Brown to leave the hospital. I could hear in her voice she was shaking and about to cry.

Brown, 53, emerged around 6 p.m.  hours after the initial report of a shooter at about 2:50 p.m.  and said employees had only recently been freed to leave their secure areas.

I was scared, said Brown, a Bronx resident who described herself as the hospitals patient ambassador. Very scary. It was like something youd see on TV. I just thank God to be alive.

The 120-year-old hospital has one of the busiest emergency rooms in New York City. It is about a mile and a half north of Yankee Stadium.

In 2011, two people were shot at Bronx Lebanon in what police said was a gang-related attack.
More states are pushing back against President Donald Trumps Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity.

As of Friday, 25 states have refused to give partial or full requested information, according to the Washington Post. Some states cited state laws prohibiting them from releasing certain voter information, while others opposed the information request due to the nature of the commission itself, the Post reported.

Trump tweeted about the subject Saturday morning writing, Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL. What are they trying to hide?

Trumps commission on voter fraud asked each state to provide personal data on all registered voters going back to 2006.

Numerous states are refusing to give information to the very distinguished VOTER FRAUD PANEL. What are they trying to hide?  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 1, 2017

California, New York and Virginia were the first states to balk at the request. Mississippis Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann gained attention for his statement on refusing to provide the information.

They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi is a great state to launch from, Hosemann, a Republican, said Friday. Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our states right to protect the privacy of our citizens by conducting our own electoral processes.
Protesters rallied against President Donald Trumps travel ban in New York on Thursday evening, just hours before the revised ban took effect at 8 p.m.

More than 100 protesters chanted Say it loud, say it clear: immigrants are welcome here! and waved signs reading Wanted: Bona Fide President at the demonstration in Union Square Park, which was organized by nonprofit groups including the New York Immigration Coalition and Make the Road New York.

The travel restrictions, which were temporarily reinstated by the Supreme Court this week, prevent people from six Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S., unless they can prove a bona fide relationship with someone in this country. Parents, step-parents and in-laws are all allowed in, but grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins are not. The Trump Administration argues the travel ban is necessary for national security, while opponents say the ban is ineffective and discriminatory. The Supreme Court will hear the case in October, but allowed portions of the ban to go forward in the meantime.

Linda Sarsour, a Muslim-American activist and lead organizer of the Womens March on Washington, said at Thursdays rally that the State Departments definition of bona fide relationship is dehumanizing. Nobody gets to define for us who a family is, she said. The ban isnt just a ban on travel. It is a Muslim refugee ban.

Another protester, 28-year-old Yemeni-American Widad Hassan, said shes concerned about the bans potential impact on her grandparents, sister-in-law and newborn nephew, who all live in Yemen, one of the affected countries. Our whole family is all divided, and its just been really emotionally devastating, she said.

Nisrin Elamin, a Sudanese Ph.D student, said she was among the dozens of people detained at JFK Airport in January as she tried to reenter the country shortly after Trumps first travel ban went into effect. Who does and doesnt have the right to feel safe and secure? Elamin told the group of protesters Thursday night. National security has always been used to justify state violence and surveillance against communities of color in this country.
Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters marched through summer rain brandishing colourful art and props in Hong Kong Saturday, expressing their fears the city and its freedoms are being eaten up by China.

The march came hours after President Xi Jinping flew out after a three-day trip to mark 20 years since Hong Kong was handed back to China by Britain.

There were sporadic arrests and scuffles during his landmark stay but protesters were given little space to make their voices heard in the midst of an unprecedented security lockdown.

On Saturday afternoon, they were free to express themselves once more as they marched through central Hong Kong from Victoria Park to government offices.

One protester carried a cardboard cutout of Xi holding a yellow umbrella -- symbol of the 2014 pro-democracy Umbrella Movement which brought parts of the city to a standstill.

Others waved pro-independence and colonial British flags, which have become an anti-China emblem.

Rows of punch bags were mounted with the head of Hong Kong's unpopular ex-leader Leung Chun-ying, who was replaced by incoming chief executive Carrie Lam Saturday.

Some protesters carried a cardboard model of a toilet picturing Leung's face on the lid and Lam's face in the bowl, covered with excrement.

"It's not straightforward to get what we want by just protesting, especially from this heartless government," said teacher Charlton Cheung, in his 40s.

"But we need to persist to show our fellow citizens we have a shared vision. Maybe one day we will be in big enough numbers that the government can't ignore," he added.

Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee, one of five publishers of salacious titles about Beijing leaders who went missing in 2015 and resurfaced in detention on the mainland, joined the rally.

Lam has been in Hong Kong since ducking bail last year and revealing how he had been seized, blindfolded and detained for eight months without a lawyer.

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The booksellers' case tapped into deep seated fears over how far China is reaching into Hong Kong and curbing freedoms.

"We are seeing the power of the police getting bigger, while the rights of the people are only getting smaller," legislator and activist Nathan Law told AFP.

A prominent theme in this year's march was the call for the release of cancer-stricken Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who was given medical parole earlier this week but is still on the mainland.

Social worker Ceci Chan, in her 30s, said life was "difficult" for Hong Kongers and that Xi should not have hidden behind security barricades if he wanted to connect with residents.

"Hong Kong is a very great city. It's not good for anyone for it to just become any Chinese city," she said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department confirmed Saturday that they had found the body of a 5-year-old California boy named Aramazd Andressian Jr., who went missing since April, when he was last seen with his father, also named Aramazd Andressian, while leaving Disneyland in Anaheim, California..

According to a statement from the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department, they found the boys remains based on "additional leads" developed in the case. The body was discovered Friday near Lake Cachuma in Santa Barbara County, California, just hours after his father was extradited from Las Vegas to Los Angeles for his murder.

Read: Could Missing Texas Teen Kaytlynn Cargill Have Been Saved If An Amber Alert Was Issued?

"Based on additional leads developed in the Andressian case, Homicide detectives returned to the Lake Cachuma area of Santa Barbara County on Friday, June 30, 2017 in an effort to locate additional evidence," the statement from the sheriff's department read.

The boy's father was arrested last week in Las Vegas for the childs murder. Although the body was not discovered then, police authorities had claimed that they had enough evidence to arrest the father and have submitted them to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office. They also obtained a murder filing against him.

The 5-year-old boy had been missing since April 21, when he was last spotted with his father while leaving Disneyland in a video footage obtained by the sheriffs department. The father was found passed out at a park near his residence in South Pasedena on April 22. Police said that he might have attempted suicide as his car was soaked in gasoline and prescription pills were also found nearby, according to NBC Los Angeles.

Police had detained Andressian after he gave "convoluted and contradictory" statements. "The father was  not very forthcoming with information, was not very specific on his timeline, where he was with the child, where he was when the child was lost," South Pasadena Police Chief Art Miller told reporters then, according to CBS News.

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However, he was released after a few days as the authorities did not have enough evidence to prosecute him then. He was finally arrested on June 21 in Las Vegas and charged with his sons murder and on June 30 he was extradited back to Los Angeles.

On April 22, Andressian Sr.s estranged wife reported to the police that her son was missing as the father did not drop him off as scheduled. He and his estranged wife, Ana Estevez were sharing custody of the boy as they went through a divorce. Prosecutors have argued that the father killed his son in order to take revenge from his earlier wife.

Read: Who Is Michael Doherty? Franklin Police Searching For Missing Duke University Student, Find Shirt And Shoe

During a press conference by L.A. County coroner officials Saturday, Assistant Chief Ed Winter said the remains were flown to Los Angeles for autopsy, full exam of the body and also likely match dental records to confirm the identity of the body, according to ABC 7 News. No other details have yet been released by the Los Angeles Sheriffs Department.

Ambrosio Rodriguez, the criminal defense attorney who is representing Andressian Sr., issued a statement saying "all thoughts and prayers are with the Andressian family."

Another part of the statement read: "This is a sad and solemn day for the Andressian family, one they all hoped would never come."

Rodriguez said he met his client Saturday in jail for the first time, stating: "My client is heartbroken, like anybody else." Rodriguez also mentioned that his client intends to plead not guilty during his arraignment on Monday, according to the Associated Press.

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By Ben Blanchard and Christian Shepherd BEIJING (Reuters) - China reacted relatively calmly on Friday after a series of diplomatic broadsides by the United States, expressing anger over new arms sales by Washington to Taiwan but hoping ties could soon be brought back on track. U.S. officials have said President Donald Trump is growing increasingly frustrated with China over its inability to restrain North Korea's arms and missile programs. This week, the United States imposed sanctions on two Chinese citizens and a shipping company for helping North Korea's weapons programs, announced a $1.4 billion arms sale for Taiwan, and said it would like sick Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo to be treated "elsewhere". It has also placed China on its global list of the worst offenders in human trafficking and forced labor and senior U.S. officials have told Reuters that Washington is considering trade actions against Beijing, including tariffs on steel imports. Trump met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday at the White House and made a point of noting that the United States, India and Japan would be joining together in naval exercises soon in the Indian Ocean, a point that seemed aimed at China. It's a long way from the "bromance" that Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping appeared to have at their first summit in April. Trump had made a grand gesture of his desire for warm ties in the meeting at his Florida residence and subsequently called Xi a "good man". While China said it was "outraged" at the arms sales for Taiwan, and upset with the North Korea-related sanctions, it did not make specific threats of retaliation. In 2010, Beijing threatened to sanction U.S. firms that sell weapons to Taiwan after Washington announced a much bigger $6.4 billion arms package. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said he hoped the United States can correct its mistakes and get ties back on track "so as to avoid cooperation in important areas being impacted". He did not elaborate. Jia Qingguo, dean of the School of International Studies at Peking University and who has advised the government on foreign policy, cautioned against interpreting recent events as indicating a shift in China-U.S. relations, saying it was still too early to tell. "We had a good first summit and a good beginning but the relationship in the long run is characterized by not just cooperation but also conflict," Jia said. "Arms sales to Taiwan, the South China Sea and East China Sea, and other problems in the relationship will appear. It's a question of how much the two countries will be able to manage these conflicts, whether they can manage them better than the previous administration." TIES BACK TO NORMAL Trump and Xi are expected to meet next week on the sidelines of a G20 summit in the Germany city of Hamburg. China has long been cautious about Trump, China-based diplomatic sources say, believing he is unpredictable and needs to be handled with care. "How does the Chinese government view Trump? We're still discovering who he is. He often does things we can't predict. We're not clever enough to predict what he'll do," said Shen Dingli, a professor at Shanghai's elite Fudan University. Trump upset China even before taking office, taking a call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, overturning decades of precedent of no high-level official contacts between the United States and an island China considers to be a wayward province. While China has worked hard to get Trump to understand the importance of Taiwan to the China-U.S. relationship, it has never seriously expected Washington to stop selling it weapons, provision for which is explicitly made in U.S. law. "The U.S. selling weapons to Taiwan is routine," said Shen. "They're selling much less than before, and that's much better. So I don't think there's anything too terrible about that." Still, the risks around Taiwan are profound. China's Defense Ministry, responding to the U.S. weapons sales, said Taiwan was the "most important, most sensitive core issue" between the United States and China. The arms sale came hot on the heels of a U.S. Senate committee approving a bill calling for the resumption of port visits to Taiwan by the U.S. Navy for the first time since Washington ditched Taipei and established ties with Beijing in 1979. While China's Defense Ministry registered its opposition to the bill on Thursday, spokesman Wu Qian pointed out that as long as they respect each other's core concerns, the Chinese and U.S. militaries can be an "engine of stability" for the two countries. Shi Yinhong, who heads the Center for American Studies at Beijing's Renmin University and has advised the government on diplomacy, said it was important people are realistic about the challenges China and the United States face. "Perhaps people appraised too highly the Xi-Trump meeting. Although the atmosphere was very good, there were still real problems there," Shi said, referring to the Florida summit. "Maybe you can say that China-U.S. relations have gone back to being normal," Shi added. "Trump has no patience, and nobody can be surprised that he's pushed certain issues to the fore." (Additional reporting by Gao Liangping; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
A couple is wanted for allegedly stealing diamond rings after two Oklahoma jewelers said they replaced the real deal with a phony.

Read: Family Says Beloved Wedding Ring Stolen From Dying 92-Year-Old Grandmother

Security footage of the smiling couple was posted to YouTube after the Saturday's alleged theft at a Zales Outlet location in Oklahoma City.

This is video of a classic bait-and-switch, Oklahoma City police officers said in a statement. The couple in the video made off with a $14,000 ring after looking at it and handing a different ring back to the clerk.

Cops said the same pair was also caught on security footage at a Lewis Jewelers in Moore earlier in the day. "They did not even change clothes," the store said in a statement.

The jeweler explained that all their sample rings contain real diamonds, although in the gems are commonly replaced with an imitation cubic zirconias.

Read: Couple Arrested After Trying to Sell Baby on Craigslist for $3,000: Cops

Unfortunately, it also makes us a target for professional thieves, Lewis Jewelers said.

Police are now offering a reward of up to $1,000 and anyone with more information is asked to contact Det. Scott Carpenter at 405-793-5155 or Crime Stoppers of Moore and Cleveland County.

Watch: Return of the Pink Panthers: Notorious Jewel Thieves May Be Behind Kim Kardashian Heist

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British internet security consultant Matt Taits allegations may shed new light on Russias election meddling and possible collusion by Trump aides

A former British government intelligence official has said he was approached last summer by a veteran Republican operative to help verify hacked Hillary Clinton emails offered by a mysterious and most likely Russian source.

The incident, recounted by Matt Tait, who was a information security specialist for GCHQ and now runs a private internet security consultancy in the UK, may cast new light on one of the pathways the Russians used to influence the 2016 presidential election in Donald Trumps favour.

Taits account, published on the Lawfare national security blog, demonstrates a willingness to collude with the Russians on the part of the Republican operative, Peter Smith, who had a long history of hunting down damaging material about the Clinton family on behalf of the GOP leadership. It also points towards possible collusion by Trump aides.

According to Tait, Smith claimed to be working with Trumps then foreign policy adviser, Michael Flynn, and showed documentation suggesting he was also associated with close Trump aides including Steve Bannon and Kellyanne Conway.

They have denied having had contact with Smith, who died in May at the age of 81, about 10 days after talking to the Wall Street Journal about his pursuit of the emails. Smith told the paper he had operated independently of the Trump campaign.

In his account, Tait writes that he thought Smith had approached him because of his analysis of Democratic National Commitee (DNC) emails stolen by suspected Russian hackers and then published online.

Smith first contacted Tait out of the blue in late July, he wrote, around the time 20,000 hacked DNC emails were published by WikiLeaks and Trump publicly called for Russia to look for emails from the private server used by Clinton when she was secretary of state.

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Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing, the Republican candidate said at a press conference in Florida on 27 July 2016.

Smith implied that he was a well-connected Republican political operative, Tait writes. Yet Smith had not contacted me about the DNC hack, but rather about his conviction that Clintons private email server had been hacked  in his view almost certainly both by the Russian government and likely by multiple other hackers too  and his desire to ensure that the fruits of those hacks were exposed prior to the election.

Over the course of a long phone call, he mentioned that he had been contacted by someone on the Dark Web who claimed to have a copy of emails from Secretary Clintons private server, and this was why he had contacted me; he wanted me to help validate whether or not the emails were genuine.

Tait writes that he warned Smith about serious implications if the emails were being offered by Russian intelligence as part of a wider campaign to disrupt the election.

Smith, however, didnt seem to care, he writes. From his perspective it didnt matter who had taken the emails, or their motives for doing so.

Smith claimed to be closely connected to Flynn and his son, Tait writes, and seemed to be well versed in inner goings on and rivalries within the Trump campaign.

Tait also writes that it is certainly possible that [Smith] was a big name-dropper and never really represented anyone other than himself, but adds: If thats the case, Smith talked a very good game.

In September, Tait writes, Smith sent him a cover page for opposition research on Clinton that named Flynn, Bannon, Conway under the title: Trump Campaign (in coordination to the extent permitted as an independent expenditure).

Tait ended his contact with Smith the same month, he writes, when Smith asked him to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Tait remains unsure if the material Smith received was genuine and from Russian intelligence or whether Smith was being scammed.

However, the Wall Street Journal quoted US officials as saying that investigators looking into Trump links with Moscow had examined reports from intelligence agencies that describe Russian hackers discussing how to obtain emails from Mrs Clintons server and then transmit them to Mr Flynn via an intermediary.

Flynn resigned as Trumps national security adviser in February, after it emerged he had not disclosed the extent of his conversations with the Russian ambassador to Washington, Sergey Kislyak. His role in Trump camp links with the Kremlin is part of a much broader investigation being run by special counsel Robert Mueller.

His lawyer said in March: General Flynn certainly has a story to tell, and he very much wants to tell it.
By Abu Arqam Naqash MUZAFFARABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - A Kashmiri militant commander on Saturday denounced his designation as a terrorist by the United States, vowing to continue his armed fight against Indian rule over its part of the divided Himalayan territory. Syed Salahuddin called the decision by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration "idiotic", saying it was a gift to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was visiting Washington on Monday, the day Salahuddin was declared a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. "They cannot quote a single incident to prove that we are terrorists," Salahuddin told a news conference in Muzaffarabad, the capital of the Pakistani portion of Kashmir, where he has been based for some 25 years as leader of the Hizbul Mujahideen, the largest of the anti-Indian Kashmiri militant groups. "This idiocy can neither weaken our courage, nor stop the freedom struggle and the target-oriented actions of freedom fighters," he added, saying his fighters' attacks were on legitimate military targets as opposed to civilians. Gun-wielding Hizbul Mujahideen members wearing fatigues escorted his vehicle to the news conference venue. Pakistan denies giving material help to Kashmiri separatists but reiterated earlier this week that it would continue to provide diplomatic and moral support to the Kashmiri struggle for self-determination. India blames Pakistan for stoking the 28-year-old revolt in Muslim-majority Kashmir and has stepped up efforts to put pressure on Pakistan under Modi. Security forces in Indian-administered Kashmir have been accused by activists and rights groups of killing up to 100 separatist protesters since new mass anti-India demonstrations broke out in September. In Monday's announcement, the U.S. State Department said that in September 2016 Salahuddin had threatened to train more Kashmiri suicide bombers and vowed to turn the Kashmir valley "into a graveyard for Indian forces". As a consequence of the designation, U.S. individuals are banned from engaging in financial transactions with Salahuddin and all his property in the United States is blocked. Salahuddin, who is from Badgam town in Indian-administered Kashmir, was an Islamist politician who turned to militancy after he lost an election for the Kashmir legislative assembly in 1987, which he says was "massively rigged" by India. (Writing by Kay Johnson; Editing by Helen Popper)
A Texas Democrat called for President Donald Trumps resignation Thursday following his remarks on an MSNBC TV host. The presidents tweets targeting "Morning Joe's" co-anchor Mika Brzezinski, according to Texas' Democrat representative Sheila Jackson-Lee, crossed the line of acceptable behavior and made him unfit for office, the Hill reported.

Read: Twitter Reacts To Mika Brzezinski's 'Face-Lift' After Trump's 'Bloody' Comments

"I would argue that our responsibility is not to him, but to the American people. And he should resign," she said, recalling several instances during Trump's presidential campaign where the 71-year-old Republican targeted women over their physical appearance including the then-Fox News host Megyn Kelly as well as his Republican presidential rival at the time, Carly Fiorina.

Jackson-Lee took to Twitter to express her discontent over Trumps actions and posted a video on her account, slamming the president for his tweets.

"There's a sense of hurt feelings," she said in the video. "Mr. President, bleeding from the face? You're again attacking women, professional women? You're calling someone a psycho with all of the individuals fighting for their lives, suffering from mental health needs? You're attacking a woman, a professional woman, about her IQ?".

"I've gone through, as a member of the Judiciary Committee, impeachments. But we can't wait that long. It is time for you to resign," she said. "Enough is enough. I love America. I love these people, and we need a commander in chief," she goes on to say.

During his presidential campaigning days, Trump often mocked people for their appearance, especially women. Look at that face! Would anyone vote for that? Can you imagine that, the face of our next president? Trump said of Fiorina in 2015.

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Trump received a huge backlash for his comments Thursday about Brzezinski. The president described snubbing the co-host during a New Year's Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago Hotel and alleged she was "bleeding badly from a facelift."

Brzezinski, however, replied to Trump, mocking him with a reference to his little hands. She tweeted a photograph of a young girl pointing towards a packet of Cheerios which had Made for little hands written on it.

While many criticized the president for his remarks, his wife Melania Trump stood by him. In response to Trumps tweets about Brzezinski, Melanias spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said the president will "punch back 10 times harder" when attacked. As the first lady has stated publicly in the past when her husband gets attacked, he will punch back 10 times harder, Grisham said in a statement to CNN.

Soon after Trumps tweet on Brzezinski went viral, many criticized the president. The hash tag StandWithMika soon began trending all over the micro-blogging website. Members of the media, particularly women hosts and journalists, also protested against his insults.

Mika Brzezinski's father was the late Zbigniew Brzezinski, a senior aide to former President Lyndon B. Johnson and national security advisor to former President Jimmy Carter.

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President Donald Trump speaks during an energy roundtable: AP Photo/Evan Vucci

President Donald Trump has threatened to sue CNN over their coverage of his administration, according to audio obtained from a closed-door fundraiser at the former businessmans Washington DC hotel.

Its a shame what theyve done to the name CNN, that I can tell you, Mr Trump told supporters at the $35,00-a-plate fundraiser, according to audio obtained by The Intercept. But as far as Im concerned, I love it.

He added: If anybodys a lawyer in the house and thinks I have a good lawsuit  I feel like we do. Wouldnt that be fun?

CNN had recently retracted an article alleging ties between a Russian investment fund and Trump administration officials. The piece, which was distributed on CNNs website and social media channels, was removed shortly after publication. It was later replaced by an editors note saying that it "did not meet CNN's editorial standards and has been retracted.

The network accepted the resignation of three seasoned journalists connected to the piece, and apologised to one Trump associate who had been named. The associate, former transition team member Anthony Scaramucci, tweeted that CNN did the right thing.

Apology accepted," he tweeted. "Everyone makes mistakes. Moving on."

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

The Trump administration, however, continued to use the piece as an example of media bias around the Russia investigation, and of the proliferation of fake news in general.

Wow, CNN had to retract big story on Russia, with 3 employees forced to resign, Mr Trump tweeted the day after the resignations. What about all the other phony stories they do? FAKE NEWS!

Responding to a question about the story on Tuesday, Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders bemoaned the the constant barrage of fake news directed at this President.

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I think that we have gone to a place where if the media cant be trusted to report the news, then thats a dangerous place for America, she continued. And I think if that is the place that certain outlets are going  particularly for the purpose of spiking ratings  and if thats coming directly from the top, I think thats even more scary and certainly more disgraceful.

ICYMI: Sarah Huckabee Sanders has tense exchange with reporter at yesterday's press briefing pic.twitter.com/JlSWS5qwTx  FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) June 28, 2017

The press secretary also referenced an unverified video of a CNN employee purportedly calling the network's Russia coverage "bull****, and encouraged those at the press conference to watch it. The employee in the video is a CNN health editor who is not involved in the networks Russia coverage.

Mr Trump, in his Wednesday-night tirade, also referenced covert recordings of CNN employees. The President drew attention to commentator Van Jones, who was recently recorded calling allegations of Russian collusion a nothingburger.

Mr Jones later said he intended the comments as a suggestion to Democrats to deal with bread and butter issues, instead of focusing on Russia.

Still, Mr Trump used the tape to further his point that media are really dishonest people.

Van Jones  you see this man? Trump asked the audience. These are really dishonest people. Should I sue them? I mean, theyre phonies.

"MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING (burger)" @VanJones68 Um, who still falls for edited right-wing propaganda videos--in 2017?? https://t.co/QPLRZI8nK8  Van Jones (@VanJones68) June 29, 2017

The President has previously referred to the news media as the enemy of the American people, and called the investigation into his campaigns ties to Russia the single greatest witch hunt of a politician in American history!

On the campaign trail, Mr Trump promised to open up our libel laws to make it easier to sue journalists.

I'm going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money, he said.
AP

Donald Trump, a self-proclaimed real friend of the LGBTQ community, has failed to acknowledge LGBTQ Pride Month.

The President sent out five different proclamations during the month of June  naming it, for example, Great Outdoors Month and National Ocean Month  but failed to proclaim the civil rights holiday.

The tradition of celebrating LGBTQ pride in June dates back to 1999, when former President Bill Clinton pronounced it Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in honour of the New York City Stonewall Riots. The 1969 riots are seen by many as the birth of the LGBTQ civil rights movement.

The month is now marked by Pride marches around the country, many of which boast thousands of participants each. The month is so widely recognised that many retailers create special Pride product lines every summer.

Former President Barack Obama recognised the month every year of his presidency. In one proclamation, he encouraged Americans to wave their flags of pride high and march boldly forward in parades and demonstrations, and celebrate how far we have come and reaffirm our steadfast belief in the equal dignity of all Americans.

Former President George W Bush, a Republican, did not acknowledge the month.

Mr Trump told attendees at the 2016 Republican National Convention that he would do "everything in [his] power to protect LGBTQ citizens". At a rally after the mass shooting at an Orlando gay nightclub, Mr Trump claimed to be more LGBTQ-friendly than his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton.

Ask yourself who is really the friend of women and the LGBTQ community, Donald Trump with actions or Hillary Clinton with her words? he said. I will tell you who the better friend is and some day I believe that will be proven out big league.

The President changed his position on same-sex marriage during the campaign, eventually saying he is "fine" with the Supreme Court's decision. But he has also flip-flopped on transgender rights, rolling back Obama-era protections for transgender students shortly after taking office.

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Happy LGBT Pride Month. Look at how far we've come this year in the fight for #MarriageEquality. pic.twitter.com/6WHLpmUMjr  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 1, 2013

The President's failure to recognise Pride Month did not go unnoticed in the LGBTQ community. Many attendees at Pride marches nationwide carried Dump Trump signs along with their rainbow flags. Los Angeles even turned its annual Pride parade into a Resist March, where participants stuck "I Resist Homophobia" signs on his Hollywood star.

Washington DC march participant Daniel Dunlop told the BBC that Trumps failure to recognise Pride Month sent a strong message to the LGBTQ community.

"The fact that Trump did not even recognise Pride Month is an omen of what's to come, and we need to mobilise now, Mr Dunlop said.
The Boring Company/Instagram

Elon Musk has finished the first part of his plan to dig huge holes under Los Angeles, and is almost ready to start putting cars into it.

His newest project, known as The Boring Company, has officially started digging under the city. The boring machine named Godot has finished the first part of a huge tunnel under the ground, he announced on Twitter.

The beginning of the plan marks a major step because it wasn't clear until now whether Los Angeles authorities would let Mr Musk start digging outside his property around the SpaceX building.

Mr Musk also said that the first car elevator  required to get the cars underground  is almost operational. It will start operating next week, he wrote on Twitter.

The idea behind The Boring Company is that people will be able to travel around underground and free up roads, reducing traffic especially in busy areas like Los Angeles. But unlike his proposals for the Hyperloop train, they'll do those journeys in their own cars  travelling underground and onto automated sleds, which will carry their cars to their destination.

"To solve the problem of soul-destroying traffic, roads must go 3D, which means either flying cars or tunnels," The Boring Company's website reads. "Unlike flying cars, tunnels are weatherproof, out of sight and won't fall on your head.

"A large network of tunnels many levels deep would fix congestion in any city, no matter how large it grew (just keep adding levels). The key to making this work is increasing tunneling speed and dropping costs by a factor of 10 or more  this is the goal of The Boring Company."
Ankara (AFP) - President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday accused Turkey's main opposition party of siding with terrorism, as a three-week "march for justice" led by its chief advanced towards its endpoint of Istanbul.

Some analysts have seen the 450-kilometre (280 mile) trek from Ankara to Istanbul led by Republican People's Party (CHP) leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu as a significant challenge to Erdogan but the Turkish strongman has regarded it with disdain.

The CHP leader pressed on with the march accompanied by thousands of supporters despite blistering heat with the mercury touching 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

He dismissed Erdogan's comments as "fitting for a dictator".

Kilicdaroglu began the march on June 15 after former journalist turned CHP lawmaker Enis Berberoglu was sentenced to 25 years in jail on charges of leaking classified information to a newspaper.

Marching without party insignia and simply a sign with the word "justice" in Turkish, he has been followed by thousands every day and plans to end the march on July 9 with a mass rally outside Berberoglu's prison in the Istanbul district of Maltepe.

"If you start protests to protect terrorists and those who support terrorism -- when it did not occur to you to take part in anti-terror demonstrations -- then you cannot convince anyone that your objective is justice," Erdogan said.

The president told a meeting of his ruling party that the line represented by the CHP "had gone beyond being a political opposition and taken on a different proportion."

Accusing the CHP of sympathising with Kurdish militants and the alleged mastermind of the July 15 failed coup, he said the road taken by Kilicdaroglu was "the way to Qandil and Pennsylvania".

The leadership of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is based in the Qandil mountain of northern Iraq while the alleged coup mastermind, the preacher Fethullah Gulen, is based in Pennsylvania. He denies the allegations.

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- 'Our right to walk' -

The march by Kilicdaroglu has rallied supporters concerned by the extent of the crackdown after the coup which has seen tens of thousands arrested and even more lose their jobs.

It has also allowed him to make an impact on Turkish political life after narrowly losing the April 16 referendum on expanding Erdogan's powers, where the CHP campaigned for a 'No' vote.

The opposition leader on day 17 of the march headed to the town of Sakarya from where he will have a walk of around 150 kilometres (90 miles) to Istanbul.

Speaking to an AFP reporter during a break in the march, Kilicdaroglu shrugged off Erdogan's comments and vowed to press on with the trek until the July 9 mass rally.

"These words are fitting for a dictator," he said. "(It) is our right according to the constitution to walk."

Thousands of supporters, forming a vast file along the road, had earlier carried a Turkish flag several hundred metres (yards) long as they embarked on the day's march.

A CHP spokesman said 10,000 people joined Kilicdaroglu on Saturday.

People were clearly suffering in the extreme, shadeless heat.

The marchers took a long midday break of six hours before preparing to finish the day's walk in the evening.

Activists tried to encourage participants to avoid party political rhetoric and to shout just one simple slogan: "Rights, law and justice".

Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag echoed Erdogan's attack on the CHP with a late night broadside on Twitter, saying the party had to show it was not on the side of the coup plotters.

"I'll ask this -- hey CHP! Are you on the side of the coup? Or on the side of the martyrs, the heroes and the nation? Whose side are you really on?" said Bozdag.

Kilicdaroglu said he was no longer encouraging more supporters to join the march, with logistics already challenged by its size which surprised even the CHP.

"His (Erdogan's) anger against us shows that we are right to make this march," Kilicdaroglu told AFP.
Germany has erupted in jubilant celebration as the country's government voted in favour of same sex marriage.

SEE ALSO: The internet has fallen in love with a couple who recreated their Pride March photo

The lower house passed the bill by a margin of 393-226 and the measure is expected to be put in place by the end of the year. The reform means same sex couples now have full marital rights, including child adoption. The German legal code has been updated to say "marriage is entered into for life by two people of different or the same sex".

In Berlin, supporters gathered outside the Chancellery to cut a cake in celebration of the vote which took place at Bundestag, Germany's national parliament.

Image: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Outside the Chancellery, there were moving scenes as couples kissed and hugged in the street.

Image: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Celebrations were also taking place in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate.

Image: TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images

Image: TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP/Getty Images

Couples who had married before in previous countries celebrated with "just married" signs.

Image: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Image: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

Some couples took to social media to express their delight at the passing of the bill.

"Thank you for the historical appreciation of our love. I cannot hold back my tears! The burden of discrimination is gone," wrote Ali Utlu on Twitter.

Danke fur die historische Anerkennung unserer Liebe. Ich kann meine Tranen gerade nicht zuruck halten! Die Last der Diskriminierung ist weg! pic.twitter.com/nA9yuO3A2q  Ali Utlu (@AliCologne) June 30, 2017

Some people expressed joy that family members can now marry their partners.

#Ehefueralle MY BROTHER CAN FINALLY MARRY HIS BOYFRIEND OF 8 YEARS  ginny.  (@ginheda) June 30, 2017

The result was the perfect ending to Pride Month.

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Love is Love!
Jezebel

Its been nearly two decades since actress and former Scientologist, Leah Remini, has been looking for Shelly Miscavige, the missing wife (and First Lady) of the Church of Scientologys de facto leader, David Miscavige. Shes dedicated entire episodes of her A&E series to her investigation, mentioned it innumerable times in the press, and even confronted church officials with questions at Tom Cruises 2006 wedding to Katie Holmes. Now, via viral thread on Twitter, Remini has detailed a new devel
BEKAA VALLEY, Lebanon (Reuters) - A fire tore through a camp for Syrian refugees in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley on Sunday, killing at least one person and leaving two in critical condition, the U.N. refugees' organization said. Flames and thick clouds of black smoke rose from the site near the town of Qab Elias, around a hour's drive east of Beirut, in footage broadcast by Lebanon's MTV, and at least one explosion was seen, Reuters TV footage showed the blaze had virtually razed the camp as a fire truck doused down the still-smoldering ground. A Syrian refugee said many of the people living at the camp had come to Lebanon from the Raqqa area of Syria. UNHCR spokeswoman Dana Sleiman said the camp had been home to 102 families. "We've started the assessment as to how many tents have been damaged. As soon as the assessment is done, we will provide the families with all the help they need," she said. "Apparently it started with a cooking stove. We are waiting to confirm that." Sleiman and a Lebanese security source had initially put the death toll at three. Lebanon is hosting at least 1 million registered Syrian refugees, many of them living in tented settlements scattered around the country. The government says that in total there are about 1.5 million Syrians in Lebanon. (Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Beirut (AFP) - A girl died and seven Lebanese soldiers were wounded on Friday when five militants blew themselves up and a sixth threw a grenade during army raids on two refugee camps near the Syrian border.

Four of the suicide bombers struck in the Al-Nur camp near the border town of Arsal, the army said. A young girl, whose parents are both refugees, was killed and three soldiers wounded.

A medical source in the provincial capital Baalbek said the girl was two and a half years old.

Troops recovered four explosive devices.

During a raid on Al-Qariya, another camp near Arsal, one militant blew himself up and a second threw a grenade at troops, wounding four of them.

The civil war, which has raged in Syria since March 2011, has triggered an exodus of more than 1.1 million refugees into neighbouring Lebanon and has repeatedly spilt over.

The raids were aimed at "arresting terrorists and seizing weapons," the army command said.

A military source told AFP that troops made a number of arrests.

"The objective of the operation was to arrest a wanted man and it was this man who was the first to blow himself up," the source said.

A leading Syrian opposition body late Friday accused the Lebanese army of violating refugee rights.

"The National Coalition strongly condemns the systematic attacks today against refugee camps in Arsal... during which (refugees) were humiliated and treated like hostages," a statement said.

"We ask the Lebanese authorities to provide the necessary protection to Syrian refugees according to international humanitarian law," the National Coalition said.

There have been multiple clashes along the border between the Lebanese army and jihadists of the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda.

In August 2014, the army clashed with jihadists of IS and Al-Qaeda's then Syria affiliate Al-Nusra Front in the Arsal region, with militants kidnapping 30 Lebanese soldiers and policemen as they withdrew back along the border.

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After long and arduous negotiations, 16 of the kidnapped men were released in December 2015 in exchange for Islamist prisoners held in Lebanese jails.

The jihadists executed four of their hostages while a fifth died of wounds he suffered in the initial Arsal clashes, leaving nine members of Lebanon's security forces still in their hands.

Since 2014, both the Lebanese army and Shiite militant group Hezbollah have carried out attacks on Syria-based jihadists in eastern Lebanon.

Hezbollah has intervened in the war in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad, sending tens of thousands of fighters.

Its strongholds in Lebanon have been hit by several deadly attacks claimed by IS.
By Venus Wu HONG KONG (Reuters) - Carrie Lam, who was sworn in as Hong Kong's first female leader on Saturday, is a former student activist who climbed the rungs of the civil service over 36 years, and a tough, capable and possibly divisive Beijing-backed leader. Lam, most recently Hong Kong's number two official, has to unify the Chinese-ruled city as public resentment swells at Beijing's growing interference in its affairs despite being promised a high degree of autonomy. She also has to reinvigorate the economy and address growing social inequalities and high property prices, issues Chinese President Xi Jinping highlighted at her swearing-in ceremony. Several sources who have worked with Lam say she's intelligent, hard-working and able to push controversial government policies, earning her the trust of Beijing factions who strongly lobbied for votes on her behalf when she was chosen in March. But her hardline and pro-Beijing tendencies, say critics and opposition democrats, risk sowing further social divisions in the former British colony that returned to China 20 years ago under a "one country, two systems" formula that guarantees it wide-ranging freedoms. "Carrie Lam ... is a nightmare for Hong Kong," said student activist Joshua Wong in March, one of the leaders of the student-led "Umbrella Movement" protests in 2014 which blocked the streets for 79 days demanding full democracy. "Theoretically, the chief executive is a bridge between the central government and the Hong Kong people. But Lam will be a tilted bridge. She will only tell us what Beijing wants, and won't reflect what the people want to the communist regime." Lam, dubbed "the fighter" by media, was once the most popular official in the cabinet of staunchly pro-Beijing former chief executive, Leung Chun-ying, who in 2012 won a similar election restricted to just 1,200 voters. "Picking Carrie as chief secretary was Leung's best appointment," said a senior government official who declined to be identified because he was not authorized to speak to the media. But she could also sometimes be a "bully", he added. SOFTER IMAGE Lam's popularity began to slip just as a younger generation of protesters rose to prominence, and tumbled further during the course of her election campaign this year. Her attempt to push through a planned Palace Museum in Hong Kong, showing artefacts from the museum in Beijing's Forbidden City, was criticized for being presented as a done deal without public consultation, highlighting what some describe as her "autocratic" style, according to a source who knows her. She is not well regarded by the opposition democratic camp, with most of the 300 or so democrats seen having voted for former Financial Secretary John Tsang. The bespectacled Lam was also criticized by student leaders for being "vague" after their televised meeting failed to defuse the 2014 protests. The demonstration ran out of steam two months later and ended with police clearing the streets. During her campaign, Lam attempted to present a softer, more populist image, but was ridiculed for gaffes including not appearing to know how to use subway turnstiles. She was also lampooned for a late-night hunt for toilet paper which took her to her posh former home on the Peak after she failed to find any at a convenience store. The daughter of a Shanghainese immigrant who worked on ships and a mother who had never received a formal education, Lam grew up in a cramped apartment shared by four siblings and several families. A devout Catholic and a student of sociology at the University of Hong Kong, Lam took part in social activism before joining the government. She is married with two sons. Lam joins a select group of female leaders who have risen to the top job in Asia in recent years including Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, hugely distrusted by China, and ousted South Korean president Park Geun-hye, who angered Beijing with her plans to deploy a U.S. missile defense system to counter the threat from North Korea. (Reporting by Venus Wu; Editing by James Pomfret and Nick Macfie)
In October 2016, molecular geneticist Jan Vijg of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York published a paper claiming that the human lifespan was limited to 115 years, kindling a vigorous debate among scientists.

However, on June 28, a group of scientists published papers in which they presented formal rebuttals of Vijg's claims and said that humans could very well live beyond 115 years, the Scientist magazine reported.

Five separate research teams launched the critiques of the earlier claim in the paper, which was published in the journal Nature. They stated that the notion that there is a hard limit on human lifespan was false. However, these studies have only analyzed maximum lifespan(maximum reported age at death for humans) and not maximum life expectancy, the statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live.

Read: Life After Death? Eco-Friendly Funeral Companies Will Help You Become A Tree

The report quoted Maarten Pieter Rozing, a professor at the University of Copenhagens Center for Healthy Aging, who co-authored one of the rebuttals, saying: Its an extreme claim they make that there is a limit to human lifespan, and I think an extreme claim deserves extreme scrutiny. There is an alternative explanation, which is that maximum age is simply increasing over time. What we see as a decline in the extension of lifespan is actually a spurious finding. It based on visual inspection and statistics that should not have been used in that way. Rozing also said that the available data for the original survey was limited as there werent that many supercentenarians.

Vijgs work analyzed demographic data from the 20th century, taken from across the world, and demonstrated that peak age rose steadily till the 1990s, and attained a stable, non-progressive gradient at about 115 years, starting in the mid-1990s. Based on their results, the authors concluded that the natural human age limit is 115 years, and the probability of anyone living beyond 125 years was less than 1 in 10,000, according to the Guardian

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The latest papers argue that this conclusion is wrong. One of the co-authors of the rebuttal, Nick Brown, a PhD student at the University of Groningen, said a key problem with the previous study was that the researchers partitioned the data at the year 1995 into two time periods. This was done after examining the data closely and seeing a possible flat gradient in maximum age in that year. They then tested the same data to see whether this was the case. When the two trends were calculated, the period after 1995 had a flat gradient, appearing to confirm the hypothesis.

Read: California's Right To End Life Invoked BY 111 Terminally Ill Patients In 6 Months, Report Says

Apparently, they thought they had found a pattern, then they developed a theory to explain the pattern, Brown told the Scientist. Then, presto, the data matches the theorywell of course, because the theory was generated from [that] data. Thats a pretty fundamental bug in the way of doing science. According to Brown, the researchers only included the oldest to die in any year, which according to him, generated a small sample with an awful lot of randomness."

However, it was reported that the previous researchers intended to stand by their results. I think at the end of the day you have to let the data speak, and I think they are pretty convincing, Vijg said speaking to the Scientist. I guess the main message is that a lot of people have difficulty accepting that everything now points toward an end in the increase of maximum lifespan, he added.

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India on Saturday launched its biggest ever fiscal reform with the government promising a stronger, less corrupt economy while businesses are nervous about the new tax.

The goods and services tax (GST) replaces more than a dozen levies imposed nationally and by the 29 states. It aims to transform the nation of 1.3 billion people and its $2 trillion economy into a single market.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a special midnight session of parliament to launch GST which he called "a good and simple tax."

"With GST, the dream of one India, great India, will come true," the prime minister said.

"GST is a simple, transparent system which prevents generation of black money and curbs corruption," said Modi who jolted the country last year by withdrawing more than 85 percent of India's bank notes from circulation in a clampdown on under-the-table dealings.

"The system gives opportunity to honesty and people who do honest business."

But the prime minister, who has put huge efforts into the economy as he targets re-election in 2019, acknowledged that it would have teething problems.

Jammu and Kashmir state has refused to sign onto the one tax regime. And GST has sparked protests by traders, while the main opposition Congress Party boycotted the launch ceremony.

- Tax rules confound -

Businesses are nervous about the imposition of GST, which sets out four different rates of between five and 28 per cent instead of the one originally envisioned.

The GST rule book runs to more than 200 pages and last-minute changes were still being made late Friday.

Textile traders and other sectors went on strike ahead of the launch and many businesses say they are unclear about what to charge.

The Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal, a national traders association that claims 60 million members, called a one-day strike Friday to protest the GST.

Many are worried because while returns have to be filed by computer, they do not have or do not understand computers.

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"Since August last year we have put forward our demands on GST but the government has never responded," national secretary general Vijay Prakash Jain told AFP. "We told the government, either fix this, or we will strike."

Most economists agree the reform -- first proposed in 2006 -- is long overdue, but warn the initial shock to the economy is likely to drag, rather than stoke growth, as businesses adjust.

Credit Suisse managing director Neelkanth Mishra warned that "the next few months will be a period of uncertainty in which no company would want to invest, that slows down the investment cycle and acts as a drag on the economy."

Rating agency ICRA said that while GST would lead to an increase in compliance in some sectors, it would also reduce the competitiveness of the informal businesses who are expected to lose out to the formal and organised players.

"Although it is still far from perfect, we realise how much better it is than the myriad taxes we've been subjected to over the last several decades," said Pratik Jain, Partner and Leader Indirect Tax, PwC India.

"The old India was economically fragmented. The new India will create one tax, one market for one nation," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said.
If and when self-declared Caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is eventually killed, it will have little effect on the threat posed by the Islamic State to global security.

Reports surfaced in mid-June that the Russians may have killed the reclusive Baghdadi in a May 28 airstrike near Raqqa, Syria. And while skeptics pounced on the news, highlighting the dubious nature of the source, the Russians doubled down on their claim a week later, disclosing last week that it is highly likely Baghdadi was killed.

Even if this turns out to be true, it will merely serve as a symbolic and short-lived tactical victory in the fight against the Islamic State. The terrorist organization is not built around one man, but rather it has been designed as a global organization with official wilayats, or provinces. That makes the group at once more networked and bureaucratic than al Qaeda, and affords it with a level of built-in resiliency unique to violent nonstate actors. While Baghdadis ascent to caliph was important in recruiting foreign fighters and building a facade of legitimacy around his state-building project, the far more important objective is to continue dismantling the organization as a whole, including its affiliates in Libya, Egypt, Nigeria, and Afghanistan.

Down, but not out

For the past year and a half, the Islamic State has lost significant swaths of territory, its finances have been severely degraded, and its recruiting efforts have faltered. Yet, the group continues to demonstrate its deadly global reach with recent attacks in London, Tehran, Manila, and points elsewhere. Even though it may not have had a direct hand in all of these attacks, its ability to inspire militants to act in its name demonstrates its global reach.

As operations against the Islamic State in the cities of Mosul and Raqqa gain momentum, the terrorist group has begun shifting men and materiel to its stronghold in the eastern Syrian governorate of Deir Ezzor, notably the city of Mayadeen, foreshadowing a potentially bloody conflict closer to the Iraqi and Jordanian borders.

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Regardless of where the decisive battle against the Islamic State takes place, the United States will need to craft a multipronged strategy that addresses the threat posed by the group on a local, regional, and global level. Killing Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi simply isnt going to be enough  Washington needs an overarching strategy that employs all the political, economic, social, and humanitarian means at its disposal.

The primary factors that led to the rise of the Islamic State, including the Syrian civil war and pernicious sectarianism throughout the Middle East and North Africa, continue unabated. The region remains a source of violent energy, with the consequences rippling outward to pose a threat far beyond its borders. Throughout the globe, the extremist ideology promoted by the Islamic State has raised the risk of homegrown radicalization and lone wolf attacks. More specifically, the threat of returning foreign terrorist fighters should be a major concern for the West.

As the Islamic State suffers further losses in Mosul and Raqqa, its fighters may seek to flee abroad and replenish existing affiliates or expand into areas like Southeast Asia, where the group has made recent inroads in the Philippines. Failed states and ungoverned territories offer fertile sanctuary to the Islamic State and its affiliates, as well as other militant groups.

To date, the Trump administration has yet to unveil any details of its promised new strategy to combat the Islamic State, although there have been murmurs that National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and others in the administrations foreign-policy brain trust are crafting one. The strategy has been described as very similar to Obamas counter-Islamic State strategy, with a focus on denying jihadists safe haven and support, cutting off the groups access to funding, and discrediting the ideology it has relied on to attract new recruits.

Fighting the Islamic State

What more could be done in the ongoing fight against the Islamic State in the Middle East? On a political level, the most effective way to reduce support for terrorism is to address the root causes, which probably can be accomplished only by establishing legitimate and capable governance in areas where Sunni groups feel marginalized.

In all likelihood, these areas will need to be more well-defined than the zones of stability U.S. officials sometimes refer to. Iraqi provinces such as Salaheddin, Ninewa, and Anbar require, and need to be assured, genuine political autonomy. Carving out a Sunni zone in Syria will be more difficult, but decentralization of that countrys political authority seems like the only realistic pathway toward reaching a negotiated settlement in the near future. The anti-Islamic State coalition can further reclaim territory from the Islamic State by continuing to focus on providing advisory support to indigenous forces. But unless there is an emphasis on reconciliation and political inclusion in these areas, any territorial gains are likely to be ephemeral.

The coalition should focus on the continued use of American airpower and special operations forces, in addition to a reliance on capable local partners to liberate territory controlled by the Islamic State. Importantly, however, the United States must also closely evaluate its current strategy to assess what it portends for the future territorial and political ambitions of the Kurds seeking greater autonomy or even independence. The United States recently announced that it would take back weapons it supplied to the Kurdish Peoples Protection Units in northern Syria after the Islamic State was defeated, although such a policy would be far-fetched in practice. The Trump administration seems to be approaching a difficult decision on whether to assuage Turkish concerns about the Kurds or to continue backing what the United States sees as the most effective fighting force on the ground.

Sound policies invariably involve tradeoffs and unknown future consequences. But a judicious use of military force, backed by a political strategy aimed at depriving terrorists and insurgents of legitimacy, should limit the Islamic States ability to conduct attacks with impunity on a global scale, while strengthening regimes in the Middle East that are indispensable to regional stability.

Islamic State post-Baghdadi

If Baghdadi is dead, the Islamic State would probably move quickly to replace him and almost certainly has a process in place to pick the next leader, most likely through a Shura council, or Ahl al-Hall wal-Aqd (qualified people). However, the group will be careful in allowing the newly appointed leader to use the title of caliph, because that remains an honorific reserved only for those who can trace lineage back to the Prophet Muhammad, as Baghdadi supposedly could.

Nevertheless, Baghdadis most important role has always been that of a symbol, not a military strategist. As the most visible representation of the Islamic States state-building project, his cult of personality was most meaningful from 2014 to 2016, when the flow of foreign fighters to Iraq and Syria was at its peak.

Eliminating the self-styled caliph will not completely reduce the threat from the Islamic State, as both the ideology of Salafi jihadism and the splintered remnants of its organization will remain potent. Far more important is to continue reclaiming territory from the Islamic State, which will help diminish the appeal of its brand while eliminating its safe haven in Iraq, Syria, Libya, and elsewhere. Dont expect the death of one man to transform the fate of an entire region. Despite suffering massive losses of top-tier leadership, the Islamic State still boasts a deep bench.

Credit: Stringer/ AFP
JERUSALEM (AFP) - Ehud Olmert was once described as "probably the best" politician Israel ever produced, but the debonair ex-premier who was released from prison on Sunday has seen a humiliating fall from grace.

Olmert, 71, became Israel's first ex-prime minister to serve jail time when he walked into the Maasiyahu prison in the central city of Ramle in February 2016 for the 27-month term over corruption scandals.

He was granted early release by a parole board last week, shaving about a third off his sentence. He did not speak to reporters when leaving prison on Sunday.

Once known for relaunching peace efforts with the Palestinians while prime minister between 2006-2009, Olmert is now likely to be remembered for allegations that led one judge to speak of "corrupt and filthy practices."

A balding father-of-four with a lean physique, roguish grin and a reputed taste for fine cigars, Olmert maintained his innocence in a video message before entering prison.

"You can imagine how painful and strange this change is to me, my family, loved ones and supporters," Olmert said in the video.

He added that he believes the public will eventually see that "while I was prime minister, there were sincere and promising attempts" to reach peace.

The main allegations against him date to before his time as prime minister, to the years when he served as mayor of Jerusalem and economy minister, among other positions.

Olmert was born near Haifa on September 30, 1945 during the British mandate of Palestine.

A lawyer by trade, he surprised many right-wing friends in the early 1970s by marrying left-leaning artist Aliza Richter, who brought up their children with equally liberal views.

He entered the cabinet in 1988 and five years later was elected mayor of Jerusalem, a post he held for a decade but in which he rarely distinguished himself, before returning to the government under Ariel Sharon in 2003.

With Sharon, he broke away from the right-wing Likud party in 2005 to form the centre-right Kadima and became premier the following year after Sharon suffered a massive stroke and slipped into a coma.

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- Unfulfilled promise -

Before taking over as prime minister, Olmert was recognised as a key strategist behind many of Sharon's boldest moves, including Israel's 2005 withdrawal from Gaza as well as their split from the Likud.

Time magazine was so impressed that it dubbed him "the 12th Israeli to serve as prime minister and probably the best politician of them all".

After Sharon's collapse, Olmert led Kadima to victory in March 2006 on a platform of dismantling dozens of settlements and withdrawing troops from most of the West Bank.

But things began to go downhill, with his West Bank plan shelved after a bloody 34-day war against Lebanon's Hezbollah that summer which left more than 1,200 dead in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 160 in Israel, mostly soldiers.

Unlike many of his predecessors, Olmert lacked an illustrious military background and his handling of the conflict was harshly criticised.

Although he rejected peace talks for decades, Olmert underwent a late-career conversion.

Following the relaunch of negotiations in November 2007 ending a seven-year hiatus, Olmert met several times with Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, reportedly making far-reaching concessions in a bid to reach an agreement.

But the talks were abruptly halted just over a year later when Israel embarked upon a devastating three-week offensive in Gaza.

Olmert also entered into Turkish-mediated talks with long-time foe Syria in May 2008 over Israel's occupation of the Golan Heights.

He resigned as premier in September 2008 after police recommended he be indicted for graft, but he remained in office until March 2009, when Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu was sworn in to the post, which he has held since.
Well, well, well... look who's human after all.

Justin Trudeau accidentally forgot to mention Alberta while passionately listing Canada's states and provinces during his Canada Day speech Saturday.

SEE ALSO: Ring in Canada Day with Trudeau's best moments (and forget about Trump for a while)

The gaffe did not go unnoticed.

We're only counting 12 in this list... is there something we should know, Alberta? (just kidding, it was a slip) #Canada150 pic.twitter.com/uuPp1p4uOF  CBC Politics (@CBCPolitics) July 1, 2017

Of course, Trudeau is nothing if not polite, so after broadcast host Sandra Oh pointed out the error, he trotted back out to say "I love you, Alberta!"

He also tweeted an apology  a uniquely Canadian thing to do on Canada Day.

Got too excited somewhere over the Rockies. Sorry Alberta, I love you. Happy Canada Day!  Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 1, 2017

Interestingly, Canada's two new astronauts  introduced at Saturday's festivities  are both from Alberta. Will they still get to go into space?!
DIYARBAKIR, Turkey (Reuters) - Kurdish militants shot and killed two officials from the ruling AK Party in southeast Turkey over the weekend, while the Turkish military killed more than a dozen militants in air strikes, state authorities said on Sunday. Orhan Mercan, the AKP's deputy head in the Lice district of Diyarbakir province, was shot in front of his home on Friday night and died of his wounds in hospital, the provincial governor's office said. Militants killed Aydin Ahi, deputy head of the AKP in the Ozalp district of Van province on Saturday night, the governor's office said. Security sources said the gunmen seized Ahi from his home at gunpoint and killed him nearby. Energy Minister Berat Albayrak wrote on Twitter that Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) militants had killed both men. There was no immediate comment on the attacks from the PKK, but the group has targeted officials from the party in the past. The PKK launched a separatist insurgency against the state in 1984 and more than 40,000 people, mostly Kurds, have been killed in the conflict. It is designated a terrorist group by Turkey, the United States and European Union. A ceasefire between the Turkish state and the militants broke down in July 2015 and the southeast region of the country, where the PKK is strongest, subsequently saw some of the worst violence since the insurgency began. Violence flared across the region on Saturday. In an air strike in the southeastern province of Mardin, the Turkish military killed five PKK militants preparing an attack on an army base, a general staff statement said. In separate air strikes on Saturday, the army also killed five PKK fighters in southeast Turkey's Bingol province and another four militants in the Metina region of northern Iraq, the army said. It said another three PKK militants were killed in clashes on Saturday in the southeastern provinces of Diyarbakir, Hakkari and Sirnak. (Writing by Daren Butler; Editing by Andrew Heavens and Mark Potter)
(CHICAGO)  A man has been charged with kidnapping a visiting University of Illinois scholar from China who authorities believe to be dead after she disappeared three weeks ago. A federal criminal complaint alleges the suspects phone was used to visit an online forum in April called Abduction 101.

Yingying Zhang, the 26-year-old daughter of a working-class factory driver from China, disappeared June 9, just weeks after arriving at the Urbana-Champaign campus in central Illinois where she was doing research in agricultural sciences and was expected to begin work on her doctorate in the fall. Friends and family described her as extremely bright, hardworking, caring and devoted to her parents.

Some 5,600 Chinese students are enrolled at the university  more than at any other college in the nation  and Zhangs disappearance fed anxieties of families of Chinese students studying in the U.S.

Federal authorities say Brendt Christensen, of Champaign, Illinois, was charged Friday, the same day he turned 28. A criminal complaint accuses him of abducting Zhang shortly after she stepped off a bus near the university campus. Video shows her getting into the front seat of a black Saturn Astra.

According to the 10-page affidavit filed in federal court by FBI Special Agent Anthony Manganaro, Christensen was under surveillance Thursday when agents overheard him explaining he had kidnapped Zhang. Authorities say agents believe Zhang is no longer alived based on that and other facts their investigation uncovered.

Asked if authorities had any leads as to where Zhangs body might be located, the spokesman for the FBI Springfield office, Bradley Ware, declined comment.

Christensens LinkedIn profile posted online states he is a Ph.D. candidate in physics at the university and a graduate teaching assistant there since 2013. His name appears on the departments website though an associate chancellor, Robin Kaler, said Saturday she couldnt immediately confirm he is enrolled. The LinkedIn profile also says he graduated with bachelors degrees in math and physics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013.

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Christensen remained in custody pending an initial federal court appearance, set for Monday in Urbana.

Illinois Chancellor Robert Jones said in a statement the campus community is saddened by the news that Zhang is believed dead.

This is a senseless and devastating loss of a promising young woman and a member of our community, Jones said. There is nothing we can do to ease the sadness or grief for her family and friends, but we can and we will come together to support them in any way we can in these difficult days ahead.

The federal charging document says one of the threads on the forum that Christensens smartphone visited online in April  months before Zhang went missing  was entitled, Perfect abduction fantasy. Another was about planning a kidnapping.

According to Manganaros affidavit, investigators determined there were 18 vehicles registered in Champaign County similar to the one Zhang got in.

One of those, belonging to Christensen, was first seen in an apartment complex parking lot on June 12  days after Zhang went missing  and investigators questioned him. The affidavit stated that investigators noted Christensen couldnt recall what he was doing the day Zhang disappeared. They searched the vehicle but didnt remove anything.

Investigators later determined the car in the video had a sunroof and cracked hubcap, like Christensens car, according to the affidavit. When investigators interviewed Christensen again, he acknowledged driving around the University of Illinois campus and giving a ride to an Asian woman who said she was late for an appointment.

Christensen said the woman panicked after he apparently made a wrong turn and he let her out in a residential area.

The court document indicates a search of Christensens car indicates the area where Zhang was believed to have been sitting had been cleaned.

Christensen was placed under continuous surveillance June 16. On Thursday he was captured on an audio recording explaining how he took Zhang to his apartment and held her against her will. The affidavit says the woman remains missing.

Zhangs father, Ronggao Zhang, traveled to Illinois from Nanping, China, to be closer to the search. On Thursday, he took part in a walk with students and university staff to the corner where his daughter was last seen.

Zhang graduated last year with a masters degree in environmental engineering from one of Chinas elite schools, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School. She had been doing research on crop photosynthesis, which included using drones to study fields. Friends and family said she dreamed of one day landing a professorship and helping her parents financially.
A Pennsylvania man turned himself Sunday in connection with last week's road rage slaying of a teenager there last week.

David Desper, 28, was accompanied by an attorney when he arrived to face charges in the pre-dawn hours after days of pleas from authorities for him to do that very thing.

Read: Muslim Teen Found Dead in Pond Was Victim of 'Road Rage': Cops

The Delaware County man has since been charged with first-degree murder, third-degree murder, possessing an instrument of crime, and recklessly engaging others.

The charges stem from an alleged encounter he had with 18-year-old recent high school graduate Bianca Roberson.

Both parties were behind the wheel, police say, when witnesses tell cops Roberson and the driver of a red truck began "jockeying" for position where the road narrowed from two lanes into one.

At the shocking conclusion of what authorities have called a high-speed "cat and mouse game" between Roberson and the red truck's driver, the teen with plans to attend Jacksonville University in Florida this fall was fatally shot in the head.

Roberson's car then collided with the red truck, at which point her vehicle left the road and was later found in a ditch.

The red pickup truck took off "like a bat out of hell" following the incident and was seen in surveillance footage that authorities distributed far and wide with calls for tips and for the suspect to turn himself in, according to the DA.

"This is a story of a savage of senseless murder," Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan told reporters Sunday at a police station in West Goshen, where the killing took place.

Watch: 30-Year-Old Woman Dies in Fiance's Arms Following London Bridge Terror Attack

After he turned himself in, investigators say they say they found a red pickup with a dent at Desper's home, as well as the suspected murder weapon.

Hours before Desper turned himself in, a vigil was held in Roberson's memory.

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Watch: Victim of Biker Road Rage Breaks His Silence From Hospital Bed

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Emulating Moroccos solar energy development model, Senegal has launched late June a third 30-megawatt solar power plant, placing therefore the country in pole position in West Africa in the field of renewable energies.

Although Senegals strategy of small power plants lags behind Moroccos mega projects, such as the Ouarzazate Noor I with 500 megawatts extensible to 1000 megawatts, the strategy seems to yield results.

The 30-megawatt solar plant, located in the region of Thies, is currently the largest photovoltaic installation in West Africa.

The project, which required a 40.6 million investment (27 billion CFA francs), was financed to the tune of 53% by Proparco, the private sector financing arm of Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) and other private investors.

Senergy PV S.A, the project sponsor provided 15% equity and the Sovereign Fund of Senegal for strategic investment contributed 32%.

All the electricity produced by the plant will be bought by the Senegalese National Electricity Company, which will redistribute the energy across Senegal.

This third solar power plant is supporting the first two built in Bokhol in the region of Saint-Louis and Malikounda in the region of Thies, with a capacity of 20 megawatts and 22 megawatts respectively.

Three other solar projects with an overall capacity of 100 Megawatts are in the pipeline, in addition to other off-grid photovoltaic installations scattered in various localities of Senegal.
Mississippi has become the latest state to reject the request for personal data on all registered voters from President Donald Trumps voter fraud commission.

Mississippi Secretary of State Delbert Hosemanns office has not yet received a request from the commission but will refuse to comply when it does receive one, joining several other states that are rejecting the request.

They can go jump in the Gulf of Mexico and Mississippi is a great state to launch from, Hosemann, a Republican, said in a statement on Friday. Mississippi residents should celebrate Independence Day and our states right to protect the privacy of our citizens by conducting our own electoral processes.

The Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity sent a letter to the states on June 28 asking for voters names, addresses, birth dates, voting history and military status, among other information. The letter did not detail what the commission will do with the data, but asked states to send it by July 14. The commission said everything would be made publicly available.

Hosemann is one of the first Republican secretaries of state to publicly reject the commissions request. California, New York and Virginia have also said they will refuse to comply with the request, and Connecticut said it would hold back protected data.
Stamina is required to spend 48 hours in a hotel casino: Getty

Nevada has become the fifth state in the US with stores selling marijuana for recreational purposes.

People aged 21 and above can now buy up to an ounce of the drug at a time and use it in their homes if they have a valid ID in the western state, which is famed for the hotels and casinos in its largest city Las Vegas.

The millions of tourists who visit Nevada cities every year are expected to make nearly two of every three purchases from retailers, who began selling pot early on Saturday morning.

Hundreds of people lined up at Essence Cannabis Dispensary on the Las Vegas Strip and cheered as the doors opened just after midnight.

Dispensaries worked furiously to prepare for the launch, stamping labels on pot products, stocking up their shelves, adding security and checkout stations, and announcing specials.

Desert Grown Farms hired about 60 additional employees. Workers in scrubs, hair nets and surgical masks slapped stickers on sealed jars this week as others checked on marijuana plants or carefully weighed buds.

"It would be a good problem to have if I couldn't meet my demand," said CEO Armen Yemenidjian, whose Desert Grown Farms owns the only dispensary that is selling recreational pot on the Las Vegas Strip, across the street from the Stratosphere hotel.

Some dispensaries took to social media to spread the word or tried to draw in buyers with special events. Some planned to give away free marijuana to their first 100 customers or throw parties with barbecues and food trucks later in the afternoon.

Some facilities are in strip malls, while others, in stereotypical Las Vegas fashion, are in neighborhoods shared by strip clubs.

Voters approved legalisation eight months ago, making this the fastest turnaround from the ballot box to sales in the US.

Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Alaska also allow adults to buy marijuana, which is still banned by the federal government.

Marijuana smokers will still face fines of up to $600 if they light up in public places, including casinos, bars, restaurants, parks, and concert halls, and driving under the influence of the drug remains illegal.

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There are also restrictions on advertising.

Here's a look at what's expected from legal marijuana:

WHERE CAN PEOPLE LIGHT UP?

Only in a private home, including yards and porches. While it may be legal to stroll down parts of the Las Vegas Strip with your favorite adult beverage, the same doesn't apply to pot. It's prohibited in casinos, bars, restaurants, parks, concerts and on U.S. property, from national forests to federally subsidized housing.

While anyone who is 21 with a valid ID can buy up to an ounce of pot or one-eighth of an ounce of edibles or concentrates, using it in public can get lead to a $600 ticket for a first offense.

WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?

Industry experts predict Nevada's market will be the nation's biggest, at least until California plans to begin recreational sales in January.

Nevada sales should eventually exceed those in Colorado, Oregon and Washington state because of the more than 42 million tourists who annually visit Las Vegas. Regulators anticipate 63 percent of customers will be tourists.

Additional reporting by agencies
Former President Barack Obama has spoken on the dangers of nationalism and President Donald Trumps decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement, without actually mentioning him by name.

Obama spoke to the Fourth Congress of the Indonesian Diaspora while visiting Jakarta Saturday, according to the Hill.

We start seeing a rise in sectarian politics, Obama said. We start seeing a rise in an aggressive kind of nationalism. We start seeing both in developed and developing countries an increased resentment about minority groups and the bad treatment of people who dont look like us or practice the same faith as us.

He also spoke about the importance of the Paris Climate Agreement.

In Paris, we came together around the most ambitious agreement in history to fight climate change, Obama said.

The former president also spoke on preserving religious freedom and freedom of the press in America saying, If we dont stand up for tolerance and moderation and respect for others, if we begin to doubt ourselves and all that we have accomplished, then much of the progress that we have made will not continue.
(Reuters) - A rapper who was performing at an Arkansas nightclub where dozens of people were wounded in a shooting was arrested early on Sunday on unrelated charges, but police in Little Rock said they are also waiting to question him about the weekend melee.

Ricky Hampton, 25, from Memphis, Tennessee, who performs under the name Finesse 2 Tymes, is a "person of interest" in the shooting at Little Rock's Power Ultra Lounge, Lieutenant Steven McClanahan, a spokesman for the Little Rock police, said.

Hampton was arrested on Sunday outside the Side Effects club in Birmingham, Alabama, on charges of aggravated assault with a gun, Cliff LaBarge, a U.S. Marshals Service spokesman, said in an email.

The performer was taken into custody on arrest warrants out of Forest City, Arkansas, Little Rock police said in a Twitter message.

Little Rock police were questioning numerous people of interest in an effort to piece together a "complicated" series of events that unfolded at the Power Ultra Lounge, McClanahan said. Police are waiting for Hampton to be returned to Little Rock so he can be questioned, he said.

No arrests have been made yet in the incident, which occurred early Saturday morning and left 25 people with gunshot wounds and three others injured as clubgoers scrambled for the exits.

Hampton and another man were arrested in Alabama by members of the U.S. Marshals, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Federal Bureau of Investigation after they pulled up to the Side Effects club in a Mercedes and exited the car, LaBarge said, adding that officers seized three weapons found in the car.

A promotional page for Hampton's performance shows a young man looking down the sight of what appears to be a gun, with the barrel pointed at the viewer.

Little Rock police said on Saturday that the shooting might have stemmed from a running dispute between rival gangs.

A bystander's video broadcast by local media showed the crowded club at the moment gunshots rang out, followed by the sound of people screaming in the dark.

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McClanahan, the police spokesman, urged anyone with additional video footage taken inside the club to step forward.

Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson said the melee highlighted a spike in violent crime in the state's largest city and called for steps to reverse the trend.

Little Rock police are investigating about a dozen drive-by shootings in the past week, local media reported, including an incident in which a 7-year-old boy was wounded.

(Reporting by Chris Kenning in Chicago and Frank McGurty in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)
After failing to bring the Senate to a vote to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) this week, Republicans, including President Donald Trump, have argued that the best path forward is to repeal Obamacare now and then delay replacing the legislation until a later date.

However, this path would be risky on two fronts. From an economics standpoint, it would risk throwing the health care industry into bankruptcy. Politically, the repealers would then be blamed for the volatility and any downturn in the industry.

A score from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) predicted that 32 million people would lose healthcare insurance by 2026 if parts of Obamacare were repealed without a replacement put in place. By comparison, the CBO predicted that 22 million people would lose health care if the latest version of the Republican bill to replace Obamacare were passed by the Senate.

READ: Trump Approval Ratings: Low Support Amid Controversial Tweets And Senate Delaying Healthcare Vote

On "Fox and Friends" Friday, Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska recommended for "maximum repeal" first and then wants to have a conversation about "real replacement." An avid watcher of "Fox and Friends," President Trump took to Twitter after the Sasse interview and advocated for a similar position.

If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 30, 2017

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, who was one of the Republican senators that rejected the Senate's latest proposed bill, sent a tweet supporting the President's strategy.

I have spoken to @realDonaldTrump & Senate leadership about this and agree. Let's keep our word to repeal then work on replacing right away.  Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) June 30, 2017

In January, Paul seemed to warn about the exact dangers that he's now advocating, particularly the political dangers to repealing Obamacare without a follow-through plan to replace it.

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"If Congress fails to vote on a replacement at the same time as repeal, the repealers risk assuming the blame for the continued unraveling of Obamacare. For mark my words, Obamacare will continue to unravel and wreak havoc for years to come," he wrote in an op-ed published by Rare.

Mitch McConnell

Photo: REUTERS/JOSHUA ROBERTS

READ: The Future Of Health Care In The US: How Replacing Obamacare Would Affect Women

Republican leaders are aware of the risks that the president and some of the party's lawmakers floated by suggesting not to replace the health care legislation at the same time as its repealed. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell rejected the strategy when he told a gathering of Republicans in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, that "failure has to be possible or you can't have success."

"We are going to stick with that path" McConnell said in response to a question about the president's tweet, according to a report by ABC.

"It's not easy making American great again, is it," McConnell rhetorically asked before comparing the Senate's negotiations to a Rubik's Cube, saying that he's "trying to figure out how to twist the dials to get to 50 to replace this with something better."

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An Ohio teen was attacked by a shark while boogie boarding at a local beach during the first day of her family vacation in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Reagan Readnour, 14, told local media that she at first believed her brother was messing with her before realizing what had happened.

The incident reportedly occurred June 18 while Readnour was dangling her legs in waste-deep in water at Burkes Beach at the Hilton Head Island, the Island Packet reported Friday. The teen told the paper she felt something tug on her leg before realizing shed been bitten twice. She was swimming with her family at the time of the attack.

I thought it was my brother messing with me when I felt something grab at my leg, Readnour said. I felt a terrible sting and didnt know what it was.

Read: Sharks Surprise Tourists In Shallow Water At Florida Beach

Readnour said that her brother was laughing at her before noticing the blood on her leg and realizing the severity of what had occurred. She added, His face turned white, then I started screaming, and they all started helping me and calming me down. I think I kind of blacked out at that point.

The bite was initially treated as a stingray wound as lifeguards at the beach have rarely encountered actual shark bites, Beach Shore Services director Mike Wagner told the Island Packet. But Readnour said she knew the bite wasnt a stingray. Local lifeguards reportedly treat more than 500 stingray bites annually but see virtually zero shark attacks.

According to the Island Packet, the incident was not reported by local authorities at the time. Readnour said that to her memory, they didnt clear the beach.

Local NBC affiliate WSAV reported Friday that Readnour was in the water for approximately 30 minutes before the attack occurred. Though she never saw it, estimates claim it was a four to five-foot bull shark.

Read: Great White Sharks Increasing Off Cape Cod Coast; First Responders Prepare For Attacks

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She was treated for multiple lacerations to her thigh and calf at Hilton Head Hospital, at which time doctors alerted her that the bite was indeed shark-inflicted.

I feel lucky that I only had a few lacerations, and I mean, not a lot of people get to say they got bit by a shark, Readnour told the Island Packet. You always hear of people getting their arms bit off and losing a limb from shark bites, and mine wasnt that bad.

Readnours newly minted nickname among members of her family is now Shark Bait.

Readnour told the Island Packet that while shes probably not getting in the ocean again, she plans to visit Hilton Head again next year.

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A sheriffs deputy in Florida has been fired after posting on social media about almost shooting someone, officials said.

Austen Callus, 23, was initially put on administrative leave from the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office after a photo he posted to Snapchat, which included a caption about firing his weapon, made its way back to the department, Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said.

Nothing like almost shooting someone to set your head right lol, Callus wrote on the picture of himself in a plain blue shirt. God I gate [sic] people with knives.

On Sunday, Callus was sent to a family trouble incident in Dunedin, where it had been reported that one person was armed with a knife.

But the reports of a knife-wielding person were unfounded and the situation was handled, Gualtieri said. Later that day, Callus reportedly posted the troublesome photo to Snapchat.

News of the photo left fellow social media users outraged and questioning who their local law enforcement had hired.

"That's not what we are about that's not what we do," Gaultieri said.

The sheriffs office received a complaint about the photo Tuesday, placed Callus on administrative leave Wednesday and ultimately terminated him Thursday, Gualtieri said.

Read: Kansas Cop Fired After Bizarre Facebook Threat to Black Dallas Stranger's Daughter: Reports

When somebody makes that kind of a statement after going to a call and you see the quote is, Nothing like almost shooting someone to set your head right lol.' You know, theres a couple things in there that are very troubling, but not the least of which is the lol or laughing out loud at the end, he told reporters on Thursday. That, to me, is telling. Thats an indicator."

Callus was a probationary deputy who was hired in November, which allowed for an expedited termination, but Gualtieri said he was let go only after a thorough, fair and objective investigation was completed.

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Gualtieri said Calluss termination was a result of several factors, but was primarily based on his inappropriate language on Snapchat, which the sheriff said pointed to a large issue.

When you say something to the effect of, almost shooting somebody to make your head right, i.e. make you feel good, and then youre laughing out loud about it, thats a problem, he said. You dont need to be a deputy sheriff, you dont need to be a law enforcement officer; you dont need to be out there protecting people when youre making comments about shooting somebody to make you feel better.

When his superiors questioned the post, Callus never tried to explain it, the sheriff said.

"He never offered any explanation to alleviate or mitigate the concerns that I have," Gaultieri said.

Read: Teacher's Aide Fired Over Racist Facebook Posts, Including Ones That Called Michelle Obama 'Gorilla'

Gualtieri also said that Callus tried getting legal advice on what recourse might be available against the person who reported the photo, who had also told the sheriffs department that Callus recently broke up with his girlfriend.

There were some things that were problematic in his life, but as a deputy out of the field training program for three weeks  hes only out there by himself for three weeks  to respond to a call... and have to make a decision about use of force, and then to make a comment that that in somehow is therapeutic and itd make him feel better if he could shoot somebody, Gualtieri said. Its obviously concerning and you dont need to be carrying a gun and a badge if you make comments like that, and especially if you feel that way.

"This has nothing to do with social media," Gaultieri continued. "This has to do with a statement that he made to someone else that is very concerning [and] reprehensible. And, it shows that state of mind of someone who shouldn't be a law enforcement officer."

InsideEdition.coms attempts to reach Callus for comment were unsuccessful.

Watch: News Anchor Fired After Being Caught On Live TV Daydreaming

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The Trump administration's travel ban from earlier this year just won't go away. Now it's affecting grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other family members that don't make the cut as "bona fide" relations  at least, as the State Department sees it.

SEE ALSO: Hilarious photo series shows the alarmingly normal lives of immigrants

After winding its way through the Supreme Court, the watered-down temporary ban went into effect Thursday evening. It bans people coming from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen from getting visas, unless they have a business or academic connection to the U.S. or qualify as certain family relationships.

So, while parents and stepparents (and even mothers-in-law) can come to America if they have relations here, it's tough noogies to Grandma and Grandpa.

Only in America is your grandmother not a bona fide relationship. #MuslimBan #NoMuslimBanEVER #thisisnotnormal  Faiza N. Ali (@faiza_n_ali) June 29, 2017

Grandkids who know their grandma wouldn't hurt anyone  let alone be a threat to America  quickly rallied against the ban's stipulations. The hashtag #GrandparentsNotTerrorists was started to show how loving and important grandparents are to families, especially to grandchildren who live a world away.

My grandmother is the purest soul I know. Does she look like a terrorist to you, @realDonaldTrump? #GrandparentsNotTerrorists #NoMuslimBan pic.twitter.com/sgS1rVXDT7  Sarah Khatami (@SarahKhatami) June 29, 2017

For 19-year-old Sarah Khatami, a rising junior at Boston's Berklee College of Music, the ban hits close to home. Her grandmother immigrated from Iran to her family's home in Pittsburgh about 11 years ago and became a citizen after five years living in the U.S. This ban easily could have affected her.

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"We're very lucky and happy she's living with us in America," Khatami said in a phone call Friday, after she posted a baby picture with her grandma. In her tweet she asked Trump, "My grandmother is the purest soul I know. Does she look like a terrorist to you?"

For her family who immigrated to the U.S. 30 years ago, she said "it feels like you are not wanted in this country that you tried so hard to be part of."

Other photos went up showing the same "threatening" grandparents who now won't be able to get visas to visit family living in America. Others posted pictures of their relatives who already live in the U.S., like Khatami's grandmother, but who easily could have been affected under the temporary ban.

Because Trump doesn't think I have a bonafide relationship with my grandpa.... #GrandparentsNotTerrorists #NoMuslimBan pic.twitter.com/fncoLcLWkQ  Ida Adibi (@ida_adibi) June 29, 2017

If my loving baba didn't get a citizenship from the US, he would be banned from the US. @realDonaldTrump #GrandparentsNotTerrorists pic.twitter.com/q1A6EagLJP  Arya (@misingnoglic) June 29, 2017

My late Iranian grandpa, a former physics professor who loved good Scotch and always made me laugh. #GrandparentsNotTerrorists pic.twitter.com/fYhM7j3AZy  Paria (@CaliParia) June 29, 2017

Does my Iranian grandmother on the left look dangerous to you? Supreme Court action re #MuslimBan is ridiculous #GrandparentsNotTerrorists pic.twitter.com/CiKeF1i8Uy  Maria Afsharian (@MariaAfsharian) June 29, 2017

Hugging my grandma extra tight tonight #GrandparentsNotTerrorists pic.twitter.com/9KohdhQxtJ  Camilia Razavi (@CamiliaRazavi) June 29, 2017

These sweet photos are reminiscent of other online campaigns highlighting the ridiculousness of anti-Muslim and immigrant rhetoric, like the #ScaryImmigrant photos of families doing super normal things like going to graduation, mowing the lawn, or drinking a beer.

After the San Bernardino shooting in 2015, media photos of the suspects' apartment were released, which prompted #MuslimApartments to show that most living rooms and homes are beyond ordinary.

Once again, the exception is not the rule. Just look at these grandmas and grandpas. There's even an Instagram devoted to all the banned grandmas (and grandpas) that went up Friday.
South African President Jacob Zuma has managed to keep his job since 2009 despite constant controversy over his lifestyle as a polygamist, and allegations of money laundering and rape. Now, though, the teflon president may have finally met his match.

The recent leak of more than 100,000 documents and emails suggesting deals made between his administration and an incredibly wealthy family has triggered a no-confidence vote in August, meaning Zumas improbable reign, slated to last until 2019, may finally come to a premature end.

The documents, released by non-profit group AmaBhungane, appeared to demonstrate that the rich business family Gupta made deals for government contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars. According to the Guardian, there is an investigation into allies of Zuma who are linked to corruption at three state-owned companies, one of which is worth $411 million. Both Zuma and the Gupta family have denied all allegations.

A statement from the African National Congress, of which Zuma is the president, said the ANC views these allegations in a very serious light as, if left unattended, they call into question the integrity and credibility of the government.

Before he was elected, Jacob Zumas scandalous past made him an unlikely candidate to ever be president. However, as even the developed world has recently learned to its chagrin, scandal-ridden backgrounds and shady behavior doesnt seem to have much effect on voters deep in the catnip of populism.

Zuma, like other presidents that came after him, won over the hearts and minds of South Africa through his charisma and his apolitical approach. A 2016 BBC biography on Zuma quotes a supporter: he is a man who listens; he doesnt take the approach of an intellectual king. A man with little political experience and multiple controversial scandals became known as the peoples president. Zumas supporters were particularly attracted to his traditional family values.

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They were not very traditional. In 2006, he was charged, but found not guilty, of raping an HIV-positive family friend. He has been married a total of six times and is the father of at least 21 children. One of his wives committed suicide in 2000. In 2016, Zuma was found to have dipped into public funds to redo his house.

But those were just warm up acts. In March, 2017, he fired the finance minister along with ten out of 35 cabinet members in the ANC. The firing of the finance minister was a result of an on-going rift between the two  and also, it seems, some string-pulling by the Guptas.

Many of President Zumas followers had encouraged him to replace the finance minister with someone who has a looser grip and will allow radical transformation in the country. (They seem to have gotten their way: Zuma eventually opted for a finance minister promising wealth redistribution and a leftist lurch.)

The other ten exiled cabinet members were supporters of the finance minister. With an already unsteady economy, his defenestrations caused growth to plummet and drove tens of thousands of people to protest. South Africas economy is in recession and unemployment is the highest its been in 14 years.

Zuma is blamed both by political analysts and the opposition party for breaking up the ANC, which has basically run South Africa unchallenged since the end of apartheid in 1994. Critics say that whats left of the party doesnt appear to have many internal checks or balances against corruption and patronage.

Its not just Zumas problem, or South Africas, but will be detrimental to the whole region. In less than a decade, his actions have helped transform one of the few well-functioning countries in sub-Saharan Africa from role model to cautionary tale, deep in a political and economic hole that could take years to climb out of.

Photo credit: RAJESH JANTILAL/AFP/Getty Images
Gaza City (Palestinian Territories) (AFP) - After Umm Mazen found her husband shivering in his bed and complaining of a migraine, he confessed he was addicted to painkillers and could no longer provide for the family.

In the Gaza Strip, the tiny Palestinian territory sandwiched between Israel, Egypt and the Mediterranean and ravaged by three wars in a decade, drug abuse is often a hidden problem.

While no reliable statistics are available, experts and medical support groups estimate there are tens of thousands of drug users in Gaza.

Young men are among those most affected in a territory suffering 45 percent unemployment, rising to more than 60 percent among the youth.

Narcotics such as cannabis are sold illegally in the enclave of some two million people, but many of the most serious addicts are hooked on illicitly bought prescription medicines.

Gaza's Islamist rulers Hamas, who have ruled the Strip for a decade and take a firm line on drugs, launched a fresh crackdown this year.

Hamas military courts have sentenced four Palestinians to death for drug smuggling, the first such punishments since Hamas seized the Strip in 2007.

Raids have also uncovered record hauls of drugs, particularly Tramadol -- a powerful opiate-based painkiller that is widely available.

Umm Mazen, a 32-year-old mother of three who refused to give her full name for fear of consequences in Gaza's conservative society, said the drug nearly ruined her life.

Fearing a scandal, her husband refused hospital treatment.

"I warned his family and I even threatened to report it to the Hamas police," she told AFP.

- Death penalty -

Iyad al-Bozum, spokesman for the Hamas-run interior ministry, told AFP there was an "organised plan to smuggle large quantities of drugs into Gaza," saying dealers were targeting young people.

While some drugs are smuggled through the Israeli border, most enter from Gaza's southern border with Egypt, the ministry said.

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The Gaza Strip has been blockaded for more than a decade by Israel, which has fought three wars with Hamas since 2008.

The Rafah crossing with Egypt, the only entrance to the territory not controlled by Israel, has been almost completely closed since the military ousted Egypt's Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Gaza has almost no industry and suffers from a chronic lack of water and fuel.

Interviewed at a Hamas prison where he is serving seven years for drug dealing, a trafficker arrested in 2013 said he had turned to selling narcotics to make ends meet and pay for his own addiction.

"It was easy to sell them -- lots of people were using them because of unemployment and the bad situation in Gaza," he said in an interview monitored by prison guards.

Egyptian forces have since destroyed hundreds of cross-border tunnels and Hamas has launched a crackdown against dealers, but drugs have continued to flow into the territory.

In January Hamas authorities announced they had seized as many drugs in one month as in the whole of 2016, with a street value of around $2 million.

They seized 1,250 packets of cannabis and 400,000 Tramadol pills in January alone, the interior ministry said.

- Stigma -

As a result of the crackdown, the price of a 10-pill pack of Tramadol is said to have doubled in two years to $120.

In a territory where more than two-thirds of the population rely on humanitarian aid, it is often the inability to pay that forces people to seek rehabilitation, said Sami Aweida from the Gaza Community Mental Health Program.

Gaza has no centre dedicated to treating drug addicts, making reliable figures on abuse all but impossible to obtain.

Addicts who want to get clean often avoid specialists, Aweida said.

"People prefer to do it discreetly through a liberal doctor."

Umm Mazen did convince her husband to seek treatment, but mainly for economic reasons.

"He could not afford (Tramadol) because of the high prices," she said.
A 28-year-old man named Brendt Christensen was arrested Friday by the FBI and has been charged with the kidnapping of a visiting Chinese scholar, Yingying Zhang, 26, at the University of Illinois, according to the U.S. attorneys office for Central Illinois. The FBI authorities believe that Zhang is probably dead; however, they have not confirmed the news yet.

Zhang went missing three weeks ago on June 9 and was last seen getting into a black Saturn Astra. She went missing just weeks following her arrival at the university's Urbana-Champaign campus from China in order to pursue a course in agriculture sciences.

Read: Body Of Missing Illinois Toddler Found In Couch In 'Deplorable' House

A criminal complaint against Christensen filed in federal court on Friday claimed that a voice recording was found where the man could be heard saying how he kidnapped Zhang and kept her against her will. He was under surveillance Thursday after the recording was found and the FBI also found that he owned a car exactly like the one Zhang was last seen boarding. Based on this, and other facts uncovered during the investigation of this matter, law enforcement agents believe that Ms. Zhang is no longer alive, the statement from the U.S. attorney's office and FBI said, referring to the recording and the other details discovered about Christensen.

Authorities also got hold of Christensens cell phone and found that he had visited threads titled Abduction 101, perfect abduction fantasy and planning a kidnapping on a fetish website called FetLife, according to the affidavit in the criminal complaint.

The criminal complaint alleged that Christensen had picked Zhang up from the campus and brought her back to his apartment and held her against her will. However, Christensen admitted that he picked her up on June 15 but told an FBI agent that he had dropped her off a few blocks away after she panicked.

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The University of Illinois Chancellor Robert Jones said in a statement: The entire campus community is saddened by this news and our hearts are with the family of Yingying Zhang tonight. This is a senseless and devastating loss of a promising young woman and a member of our community. There is nothing we can do to ease the sadness or grief for her family and friends, but we can and we will come together to support them in any way we can in these difficult days ahead, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Christensen is a PhD Student Researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the same university where Zhang was a visiting scholar, according to his LinkedIn page.

Read: Rod Blagojevich Impeachment Facts: Why Former Illinois Governor Was Sent To Prison

Christensen wrote on LinkedIn: I am a PhD candidate in experimental condensed matter physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Currently, I fabricate nanoscale-level devices and perform electrical measurements on them in order to discover new things about mesoscopic physics. These measurements are done with a variety of devices; most notably probe stations and cryogenic systems. Along the way, I utilize an assortment of programs and skills, such as Python, LabVIEW, electron-beam lithography, atomic force microscopy, and much more.

Christensens LinkedIn page also mentioned that the 28-year-old had previously completed his graduation from UW-Madison in Geneva, Switzerland in 2013 with a degree in Physics. He also served as a research assistant at UW-Madison for a year in 2012, where he worked for Matthew Herndon analyzing data created at the CMS Experiment in the Large Hadron Collider, his LinkedIn account reads.

Christensens first court appearance is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday in a federal court in Urbana, CNN reported.

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Lille (France) (AFP) - A tanker and a cargo ship collided off Britain on Saturday on one of the world's busiest shipping routes, but no injuries or spills were reported, authorities said.

The tanker had 38,000 tonnes of petrol onboard when it collided at around 0100 GMT with a 220-metre (720-foot) cargo vessel in the Strait of Dover, which is where the North Sea and the Channel meet.

"Although both vessels have been damaged, there is no water ingress and no pollution," Britain's maritime and coastguard agency said.

"There are no injuries and all of the crew are accounted for."

Photos released by French maritime authorities showed extensive damage to the side of the 138-metre tanker Seafrontier, which had 27 people on board. The freighter Huyan Endeavour was able to continue on its way.

"We don't know the circumstances of the accident," a French maritime authority source told AFP. "The weather conditions were not bad, but the area where the collision happened is relatively narrow, with lots of traffic."

The Huyan Endeavour, which was not carrying any cargo and had 22 crew members on board, was headed for Lagos, while Seafrontier was bound for Puerto Barrios, Guatemala, the British coastguard said.

The vessels have Chinese and Indian crews on board and both were sailing under a Hong Kong flag.

At the time of the collision the two vessels were located in British waters, about 18 nautical miles from the northern French coastal town of Dunkirk near the border with Belgium.

The Strait of Dover is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, used daily by about a quarter of global traffic or more than 400 commercial ships.

Pleasure and fishing vessels and cross-Channel ferries also use the zone.

French maritime authorities said shifting sandbanks, fog and powerful tides add to the perils of the chokepoint.

The Seafrontier may head to a French or Dutch port for repairs, the French maritime source said.
By Doina Chiacu and Susan Cornwell WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump urged Republican senators in a tweet on Friday to repeal Obamacare immediately if they cannot agree on a new plan to replace it, muddying the waters as congressional leaders struggle for consensus on healthcare legislation. Senate Republican leaders had set Friday as the target for rewriting legislation for a simultaneous repeal and replacement of extensive parts of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the law dubbed Obamacare that expanded health insurance coverage to 20 million people. The deadline seemed unlikely to be met given that most senators had left Washington ahead of next week's recess, without agreement on a clear direction for the healthcare bill, and Trump's tweet did not appear to gain political traction. Financial markets showed little reaction to Trumps suggestion, with the benchmark S&P 500 index edging about 0.15 percent higher on the day. Shares of most health insurers gained fractionally while hospital stocks were little changed. Trump wrote on Twitter Friday morning, "If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!" The White House said later that Trump was still "fully committed" to pushing the Republican draft healthcare bill through the Senate, although it was looking at every option for repealing and replacing Obamacare. "The president hasn't changed his thinking at all," White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told reporters. The current Senate legislation would repeal parts of Obamacare, roll back its expansion of the Medicaid government healthcare program for the poor, eliminate most of Obamacare's taxes and replace Obamacare insurance subsidies with a system of tax credits to help individuals buy private health insurance. Conservative and moderate Republicans have spent recent days pushing and pulling the bill in opposite directions as Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell sought common ground. Moderates want more equity for low-income Americans, while conservatives are fighting to loosen insurance regulations. Shortly before his January inauguration, Trump urged lawmakers to repeal and replace Obamacare at the same time. Congressional Republicans had considered earlier this year first repealing, then replacing Obamacare, but backed away after some lawmakers protested that that approach could create a gap in insurance coverage for millions. On Friday, Republican Senator Ben Sasse who had suggested that Congress first repeal Obamacare and then replace it, tweeted: "Glad you agree, Mr. Pres." Conservative Senator Rand Paul also backed the idea. But others on Capitol Hill sounded annoyed. A senior Senate Republican aide, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that if lawmakers had been able to get the votes for repealing Obamacare first, then replacing it, "senators would have done that in January. It doesn't have the votes, and it's a waste of valuable time to discuss it." Annie Clark, a spokeswoman for moderate Republican Senator Susan Collins, said the lawmaker would not support the strategy. McConnell's spokesman declined to comment on Trump's tweet. A senior House of Representatives Republican, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, said in an interview for CSPAN's "Newsmakers" program that lawmakers' goal should continue to be "not simply repealing but to start to put into place the elements that can make healthcare affordable." (Additional reporting by Richard Cowan; Editing by W Simon, Frances Kerry and Jonathan Oatis)
Amid bipartisan condemnation for tweets about MSNBC co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, Senate Republicans delaying votes for his signature health care act, as well as the continuing investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election, President Donald Trump finds himself continuing to have historically low approval numbers for his presidency.

Trumps approval numbers have been hovering around 40 percent after those numbers dipped into the mid-30s last month after firing former FBI Director James Comey, which was followed by Comey's testimony to a congressional hearing. The president's approval has reverted to similar numbers as the beginning of his presidency which began at around 40 to 45 percent.

In the last week, low Trump's approval numbers have maintained an approval in the low 40s even as more news surfaced about the ongoing investigation by House Intelligence Committee and Special Counsel Robert Mueller, who are both investigating Trump for obstruction of justice for firing Comey and Trump's campaign dealings with the Russian government during the 2016 presidential election.

READ MORE: Trump Approval Ratings: Latest Polls After Comey Hearing And As Senate Tries To Repeal And Replace Obamacare

Three polls of Trump's approval rating were taken this week: Rasmussen, Gallup and SurveyMonkey. All three showed the presidents disapproval marks outweighing his approval marks, while his approval stays around the high 30s or low 40s.

In the Rasmussen Report, a historically right-leaning tracking poll, the president got his highest approval rating, 46 percent, between June 27 and June 29, the same numbers as last week. The FiveThirtyEight tracking aggregator, which weighs the polls by historic leanings, adjusted that percentage down to 41 percent. By contrast, the approval tracker showed a 54 percent disapproval rating.

In a Gallup Poll taken during the same time period, Trump returned to the high 30s, receiving a 38 percent approval and 57 percent disapproval rating. These numbers are a slight downturn from the prior week that showed the president climbing for the first time into the low 40s. The Gallup Poll was adjusted to 39 percent approval and 55 percent disapproval rating.

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A SurveyMonkey poll taken between June 23 and June 29 split the difference between the Gallup poll and Rassmussen poll, with 41 percent approval and 56 percent disapproval, adjusted to 39 percent approval and 55 percent disapproval.

The FiveThirtyEight aggregator averages 39.6 percent approval and 54.3 percent disapproval, which has shown the president's approval maintain similar support numbers after weeks of controversial tweets and continued hearings by congressional committees that run parallel to the administration's dismissal of any implication of wrongdoing in the Russian investigation.

READ: Trump's Approval Rating Hits 36 Percent Low In New Poll Amid Russia Investigation

On RealClearPolitics poll aggregator for "Trump's Favorability" and "Direction of the Country," there has been a similarly low level of support for the president. His favorability is at 41.0 percent and his unfavorability is at 53.7 percent. An average of only 31.3 percent of Americans thinks the country is going in the right direction, while 59.5 percent think the country is going in the wrong direction.

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Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish authorities on Saturday banned transsexual rights activists from holding a planned march in Istanbul, the country's largest city, this weekend, a week after police used rubber bullets to thwart a Gay Pride parade.

Organisers however vowed to press ahead with the Trans Pride March, planned for Sunday afternoon, despite the ban.

The Istanbul governor's office said in a statement the march could not take place because the venue for the event -- the central Taksim Square -- was not suitable and because the office had not received a proper application for permission to hold the march.

"After an evaluation ... it has been decided not to give permission for the holding of this event," the office said in a statement.

City officials also urged citizens to ignore calls to participate in the parade and abide by the security forces' warning.

But the organisers wrote on their Facebook page that "we don't recognise bans... we will be at Taksim tomorrow for the Trans Pride."

The Trans Pride march, if held, would have been the eighth edition of the event, which promotes rights for transsexuals in Turkey, but it has suffered crackdowns in recent years.

Similarly, the Gay Pride parade had been held annually in Istanbul until 2015 -- an event routinely attended by thousands of people before a police crackdown.

Last Sunday, police fired rubber bullets at a group of around 40 activists attempting to hold a gay pride march, an AFP journalist reported, and at least four people were detained.

Witnesses said there was a heavy police presence which outnumbered the activists.

The year before, organisers were denied permission to march with the city on the edge over bombings blamed on Islamic State group and Kurdish militants, sparking anger from gay rights activists.

Critics have accused President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of having overseen a creeping Islamisation since he came to power, first as prime minister in 2003 and then president in 2014.

But authorities say they are merely acting in the interest of public security.
Washington (AFP) - A duo of American TV hosts hit back Friday after a deeply personal attack by President Donald Trump, questioning his "unmoored behavior" and fitness to serve in an escalating public feud.

Trump's coarse outburst against journalist Mika Brzezinski -- the latest salvo in his ongoing war with the media -- sparked a major backlash, as well as stern condemnation from within his own Republican party.

In a feisty response, Brzezinski and her fiance and co-host Joe Scarborough, who headline the "Morning Joe" program on the left-leaning MSNBC cable network, penned a Washington Post opinion piece titled "Donald Trump is not well."

"Our concerns about his unmoored behavior go far beyond the personal," they wrote, saying they were "neither shocked nor insulted" by Trump's attack.

"America's leaders and allies are asking themselves yet again whether this man is fit to be president. We have our doubts, but we are both certain that the man is not mentally equipped to continue watching our show, 'Morning Joe,'" they said.

Apparently stung by sharply critical coverage on the show, Trump had fired off two tweets Thursday, saying: "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 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!"

In the Post, the co-hosts described his tweets as "a flurry of falsehoods" and "laughable," saying they went to the Florida resort at Trump's invitation, and chatted pleasantly with the former real estate tycoon and his wife Melania.

They also rejected Trump's graphic description of the 50-year-old Brzezinski, while disclosing that she "did have a little skin under her chin tweaked, but this was hardly a state secret."

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Brzezinski and Scarborough went on to accuse Trump of an "unrelenting assault on women," including a notorious attack on former Fox reporter Megyn Kelly, who he described as having "blood coming out of her wherever" after she challenged him in a campaign debate.

Trump has been caught on tape boasting about groping women, and using disparaging terms such as "slob," "fat pig" and "dog" to describe others.

- Tabloid wars -

In an added twist, Brzezinski and Scarborough -- who are engaged to be married -- said top White House staff members warned them the National Enquirer scandal tabloid was planning to publish a negative article about them "unless we begged the president to have the story spiked."

"We ignored their desperate pleas," they wrote.

That claim triggered an angry back-and-forth with the president, who retorted: "Watched low rated @Morning_Joe for first time in long time. FAKE NEWS. He called me to stop a National Enquirer article. I said no! Bad show."

The TV host tweeted back a denial of his own -- claiming he had records to prove he was right.

The fiery exchange also prompted the National Enquirer to issue a statement defending a story it published about the couple, and denying any part in the feud.

"We have no knowledge of any discussions between the White House and Joe and Mika about our story, and absolutely no involvement in those discussions," said Dylan Howard, vice president of news for the Enquirer's publisher, American Media Inc.

- 'Undignified' -

Early in the 2016 campaign the "Morning Joe" hosts had been accused of being too friendly with Trump, a frequent guest on air, but the relationship later soured.

Trump's spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders was staunch in defending her boss, saying he had been "attacked mercilessly" on the MSNBC show, and that: "I don't think that it's a surprise to anybody that he fights fire with fire."

In recent days Trump has escalated his attacks on US media outlets -- which he accuses of peddling "fake news" -- singling out CNN over the retraction of a story about his administration's supposed Russia ties, as well as rival cable networks, the New York Times and the Washington Post.

But the vulgarity of his latest assault triggered a torrent of criticism including within his own camp. Jeb Bush, his rival for the White House nomination last year, summed them up as "Inappropriate. Undignified. Unpresidential."
Geneva (AFP) - Italy needs more international support to cope with a wave of migrants that has flooded its shores since the start of the year, UN refugee chief Filippo Grandi said on Saturday.

"What is happening in front of our eyes in Italy is an unfolding tragedy," Grandi said in a statement.

"In the course of last weekend, 12,600 migrants and refugees arrived on its shores, and an estimated 2,030 have lost their lives in the Mediterranean since the beginning of the year."

He added: "Italy is playing its part in receiving those rescued and providing asylum to those in need of protection. These efforts must be continued and strengthened. But this cannot be an Italian problem alone."

Separately, a source in Paris said the interior ministers of France, Germany and Italy will meet in the French capital on Sunday to discuss a "coordinated approach" to help Italy.

Faced with rising numbers of migrants risking the perilous sea crossing to reach Europe, Italy last week threatened to close its doors to people arriving on boats with foreign flags.

Europe had to get fully involved through an "urgent distribution system" of migrants and should widen legal channels so that migrants can be admitted, Grandi added.

He also called for greater international efforts to tackle the causes of the migration, protect people and fight trafficking.

Since the beginning of the year, 83,650 people have reached Italy by sea, an increase of nearly 20 percent compared to the same period last year, according to UN figures.

Nearly all of Italy's 200,000 places for accommodating migrants have been filled.

Many of the migrants need health care and support, with a large percentage of them non-accompanied children and victims of sexual violence, says the UN.

The number of migrant children arriving on their own rose two-fold between 2015 and 2016, reaching 25,846 at the end of last year.
By Irene Klotz CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Reuters) - United Launch Alliance, a partnership of Lockheed Martin Corp and Boeing Co , for the first time beat Elon Musk's SpaceX in competition for an Air Force satellite launch, both launch companies said on Friday. The contact covers launch services for multiple satellites aboard an Atlas 5 rocket in June 2019. The contract value is just over $191 million, the Air Force said. The award is the first for United Launch Alliance since the Air Force certified rival SpaceX's Falcon 9 rockets for flight and opened bidding for launch contracts in 2015. ULA, which previously had a monopoly on the militarys launch business, sat out the Air Forces first solicitation and lost the second. Both were awarded to SpaceX. A SpaceX official told Reuters it did not expect to win this bidding competition because the mission required a heavy-lift launcher and its Falcon Heavy booster has not yet flown. The mission performance required that we bid Falcon Heavy, SpaceX spokesman John Taylor wrote in a email. We did submit a bid, but with the knowledge that our first Falcon Heavy flight might occur after the time of the award. Given we have not flown Falcon Heavy, we did not anticipate winning this mission, he said. SpaceXs Falcon Heavy is expected to debut this year. The new booster would need to fly successfully at least once before the Air Force would award SpaceX a Falcon Heavy launch contract, three times before any high-priority military satellites would fly on it, Claire Leon, the launch enterprise director for the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, told reporters during a conference call. Typically, the Air Force awards contracts two years ahead of a launch. Another branch of the Air Force that handles experimental programs bought a Falcon Heavy rocket ride in 2012. That mission is currently targeted to fly early next year, Leon said. SpaceX also won Falcon 9 contracts to fly a U.S. National Reconnaissance Office spy satellite, which launched in April, and is scheduled to launch the X-37B robotic space plane for the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office later this year. SpaceX is preparing for its 39th launch -- and third in nine days -- on Sunday. (Reporting By Irene Klotz. Editing by Joseph White and David Gregorio)
Haifa (Israel) (AFP) - A US Navy supercarrier anchored off the Israeli port of Haifa Saturday on a break from operations supporting the US-led coalition's fight against the Islamic State group.

It is the vessel's first visit to Israel in 17 years, according to the Israeli military.

An AFP photographer said that the USS George H.W. Bush dropped anchor around five kilometres (three miles) offshore.

Israeli public radio said it did not enter the port due to its 333 metre (1,000 foot) length.

"The carrier is a part of the coalition's effort against the Islamic State," the Israeli military said in a brief statement.

It said that in a joint excercise at sea earlier in the week an Israel Air Force helicopter landed on the vessel.

The massive, nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier has 4,800 personnel aboard, according to its Facebook page.

It rises 20 storeys above the waterline and typically carries around 80 warplanes.

Israeli radio said that it was expected to remain until Wednesday and that crew would celebrate 4th July onshore in Israel.

Other media reports said it was on its way to patrol off the Syrian coast and would be the first US carrier deployed there since April, when warships in the Mediterranean fired 59 Tomahawk missiles at the Syrian air force's Shayrat base.

The April strikes were ordered by US President Donald Trump in retaliation for what he said was a "barbaric" chemical attack by the Damascus regime on a rebel-held town in northwestern Syria.

On Monday the White House said that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad could be preparing "another mass murder attack using chemical weapons" and warned that the regime would pay a "heavy price" if it went ahead.
Beijing (AFP) - Chinese President Xi Jinping told US counterpart Donald Trump on Monday that Sino-US relations have been hit by "negative factors" in a phone call following days of US actions that have vexed Beijing.

Trump held separate calls with Xi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that focused on tensions on the Korean peninsula, but China's foreign ministry said Xi also invoked the thorny issue of Taiwan.

A series of US moves and China's angry responses have marked a sharp reversal from the friendly tone struck by Trump since his meeting with Xi at the US president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida in April.

Trump infuriated Beijing last week when he approved a $1.3 billion arms sales to Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing considers a breakaway province awaiting reunification.

The US administration also imposed sanctions on a Chinese bank accused of laundering North Korean cash, voiced concern about freedom in semi-autonomous Hong Kong and placed the country on a list of the world's worst human trafficking offenders.

The latest irritant came on Sunday as Beijing lashed out at a "serious political and military provocation" after a US warship sailed close to an island claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam.

It was the second US "freedom of navigation" patrol in the South China Sea since Trump took office in January, an operation meant to assert the right to sail in disputed waters.

China deployed three warships and two fighter jets to warn the US vessel to "move away", defence ministry spokesman Wu Qian said in a statement.

Wu called it an "unawful act" and warned that China will strengthen the construction of various defence capabilities, intensify maritime and air patrols and firmly defend its sovereignty and security according to the degree of threats.

In the phone call with Trump, Xi acknowledged that Sino-US relations "have achieved important results" since their April meeting, the foreign ministry said.

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But Xi also warned that relations "have been affected by some negative factors" and that he hoped the US president will "properly handle" Taiwan issues in accordance with the "One China" principle.

The Chinese leader, however, insisted that the two sides should follow the "consensus" reached at Mar-a-Lago and declared that the two presidents agreed to meet at the Group of 20 summit in Germany this week.

- N. Korea a 'growing threat' -

In its readout of the conversation, the White House said Trump raised "the growing threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes".

"Both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to a denuclearised Korean Peninsula," the statement said.

Trump, who berated Beijing over trade during the US election campaign, also "reiterated his determination to seek more balanced trade relations with America's trading partners".

The US statement did not mention Taiwan or the freedom of navigation operation, but it said the two leaders discussed "a range of other regional and bilateral issues of mutual interest".

In their own phone call, Trump and Abe discussed their "unity with respect to increasing pressure on the (North Korean) regime to change its dangerous path", the White House said.

Trump has pressed Xi to use China's diplomatic and economic clout over North Korea to pressure the Stalinist state to abandon its nuclear programme, but the US leader tweeted last month that Beijing's efforts had failed.

Michael Cole, a Taipei-based academic with the University of Nottingham's China Policy Institute, said Trump appears to have realised, quicker than his predecessors, that Beijing would not help resolve the North Korean issue.

China may respond by temporarily suspending military-to-military relations, impose its own sanctions on US firms and further pressure Taiwan, he told AFP.

"The Trump administration has been trying to find its footing since entering the White House," he said, "and what we're going through at the moment are the pangs of a return to continuity."

But foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a press briefing that both countries were "determined to press ahead with our relationship" despite encountering "some issues".
Democrat members of the House Science Committee called on President Donald Trump in May to appoint a director for the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). This week, the last three remaining employees of the science division of the OSTP left, sources told CBS News.

The employees were part of President Barack Obamas administration who worked at one of four OSTP subdivisions. Under Obama, nine employees worked on policy issues regarding STEM education, biotechnology and crisis response. Now, under the Trump administration, there are no people working in the White Houses science division.

Read: How To Save The World: 6-Point Climate Change Plan Laid Out By Scientists, Policymakers

One of the employees that left this week, was Eleanor Celeste, who was the assistant director for biomedical and forensic sciences at the OSTP.

Science division out. Mic drop," she tweeted on Friday. It's been an honor to work with truly exceptional colleagues at OSTP, and advance science for the American people. Onward

By COB today, number of staffers in White House OSTP's Science Division = 0," tweeted Kumar Garg, who worked at the OTSP under Obama.

Other former OSTP workers expressed their discontent.

This vital science expertise & coordination is separate & distinct from OSTP tech functions, such as US CTO. Lack of science staff hurts us, tweeted Cristin Dorgelo, a former OSTP employee.

I worked with OSTP on clean energy and open data. Amazing folks, tweeted Timothy Jones. This is an outrage.

Read: Protecting The Environment: How To Help National Parks Using Apple Pay

Under the previous administration, OSTP had grown exponentially over what it had been before," a White House source told CBS.

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The official added that before the Obama administration, the OSTP held 50 to 60 policy experts. Obama then expanded that number to more than 100 employees, only to have it cut down by the Trump administration to 35 staffers.

Democrats Previously Trump To Appoint OSTP Director

The departure of the last employees from the White House science division comes after Democrats urged Trump to appoint a reliable director of the OTSP in May. The OSTP was established in 1976 and its purpose is to provide advice to the White House on science and technology. Since Trump took office at the beginning of the year, the OSTP has been short-staffed and without a leader.

Rep. Mark Takano of California, who was among Democrats who signed the letter, told International Business Times in May that until the OSTP directorship is filled crises like climate change are going to be left to grow unchecked.

Representatives also urged Trump to quit going to unreliable sources for information and expressed their concern over the way he gets his news. They cited a Politico report that detailed Trumps strong reaction to fake Time articles, which he thought were real. The Time stories were given to Trump by Deputy National Security Advisor K.T. McFarland. One of the articles was apparently from the 1970s and warned of a coming ice age, while the other was from 2008 and was about surviving global warming. The ice age story had already been debunked years ago.

If you appoint a qualified OSTP Director, you will have a reliable source of policy advice for matters related to science and technology, which forms the bedrock of our national security and economic power, the representatives said in the letter. Relying on factual technical and scientific data has helped make America the greatest nation in the world. We therefore urge you to quickly appoint a qualified, widely-respected candidate to direct OSTP.

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Mere hours after visiting Chinese president Xi Jinping warned Hong Kong to reject separatism in a farewell speech here Saturday, defiant marchers demanded greater political freedom from China and even outright independence.

Pro-independence banners, as well as the colonial flag, were carried by mostly youthful demonstrators who braved sweltering summer temperatures to join an annual protest march, timed to coincide with the anniversary of Chinas resumption of sovereignty over the politically divided former British colony.

Marchers began gathering in the afternoon in the citys downtown Victoria Park in uncomfortable proximity to an outdoor exhibition  organized by a Whos Who of pro-China grandees  touting Chinas myriad achievements. The exhibitions centerpieces were an unused Chinese space rocket and a model of the Shenzhou manned spacecraft.

Held every year on this politically sensitive anniversary, the march is both a protest against Chinese power and a show of support for an array of liberal causes. This year  the twentieth since the resumption of Chinese sovereignty  the issues ranged from sustainable development to fairness for ethnic minorities and equal rights for the LGBT community.

I treasure the opportunity to take to the streets every July 1, 26-year-old marcher Kat Mak told TIME. I hold dear the opportunity to make my voice heard.

The major issue I care about is freedom of speech. We want the Hong Kong government to listen more, said Teresa Chung, a primary school teacher and protester in her thirties.

News of Nobel Peace Prize laureate and prominent Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobos ill health made for an additional focal point. Marchers  estimated by organizers to number 60,000  demanded Lius release, as activists have done at various demonstrations all week.

The night before the march, members of the Hong Kong National Party gathered at the Baptist University campus, chanting No Chinese colonization and Hong Kong independence, as well as We are not Chinese, we are Hongkongers.

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Saturdays demonstration began just hours after Xi concluded his three-day tour of the territory. Earlier in the morning, he officiated at the raising of the Chinese flag and the inauguration of Hong Kongs new leader Carrie Lam.

The official ceremonies were marred by scuffles near the venue, when a group of some 20 democracy activists was attacked by a loyalist mob. Prominent democracy activist Joshua Wong was handcuffed and another activist, Avery Ng, accused officers of roughing him up in the back of a police vehicle.

Xi Jinping, China's president, right, and Carrie Lam, Hong Kong's incoming chief executive, leave the stage during a swearing-in ceremony in Hong Kong, China, on Saturday, July 1, 2017.

In his speech, Xi took stern aim at growing calls in Hong Kong for greater political freedom and independence.

Any attempt to endanger Chinas sovereignty and security, challenge the power of the central government  or to use Hong Kong to carry out infiltration and sabotage activities against the mainland is an act that crosses the red line, he said, echoing a longstanding party attitude toward Hong Kong as a wayward, disobedient enclave and a gateway for the spread of anti-Communist ideas.

Lam echoed his warning in her speech, pledging to counter any acts that will undermine the countrys sovereignty, security and development.

Jeffrey Wasserstrom, Chancellors Professor of History at the University of California, Irvine, told TIME that such frank statements painted a worrisome picture for Hong Kong.

When taken together, the more direct statements, the greater pomp, and the tighter security combined signal a significant ramping up of the intensity and boldness of Beijings efforts to rein in [Hong Kongs] ability to function as a city that is much freer  not just slightly freer  than any mainland metropolis, he said.

Meanwhile, a foreign ministry spokesperson in Beijing exacerbated Hongkongers fears Friday when he told reporters at a daily briefing that the Sino-British Joint Declaration, the 1984 treaty that determined Hong Kongs post-1997 status, was now merely a historical document that no longer has any realistic meaning.

Read More: Hong Kong 20th Anniversary: Portraits from Settler Society

The proposition was quickly refuted by the British Foreign Office, which told Reuters that the declaration is a legally binding treaty, registered with the U.N. and continues to be in force.

Hong Kong University professor of law Michael Davis said The Chinese position is not sustainable in international law. They have a treaty obligation  The only way out of that would be if they choose to breach the treaty.

Chinas apparent willingness to renege on its obligations to Hong Kong was discussed by Chris Patten, Hong Kongs final British governor, when he spoke to TIME last month.

Whether or not China keeps its word to Hong Kong on Hong Kongs way of life in the next 30 years is going to be really significant, he said. Not just because of the issues that Hong Kong represents in the 21st century, but because people say, You can always take China at its word. Well, can you?

 With reporting by Nash Jenkins / Hong Kong
Seriously, this is a super sweet Sony sound bar sale. Can you say that five times fast? Dont worry, you can save a whole bunch of cash whether or not you can wrap your tongue around that twister, because Amazon is offering not one but two different Sony sound bars at deep discounts right now. The Sony CT290 Ultra-slim 300W Sound Bar with Bluetooth is a fantastic mid-range sound bar with a wireless sub, and its now available at an entry-level price thanks to this sale. Then youve got the Sony CT800 sound bar with 4K HDR and Google Home Support, which is a high-end offering that crams a ton of features into an insanely slim and sleek package.

Sony CT290 Ultra-slim 300W Sound Bar with Bluetooth

300W power, plus 2.1ch S-Force PRO Front Surround sound

Connect and stream music easily with Bluetooth

Save space with the ultra-slim, wall-mountable design

Hear clearer voices with Voice Mode and clearer sound at low volumes with Night Mode

Control your TV and sound bar with a single remote via HDMI ARC

Sony CT290 Ultra-slim 300W Sound Bar with Bluetooth (2017 model): $198.00

Sony CT800 sound bar with 4K HDR and Google Home Support

Maintain 4K quality with HDCP2.2 and HDR support

Google Home compatibility with voice control

Easily add wireless surround sound speakers

Stream music or video sound to different rooms with wireless multi-room listening

Dolby TrueHD & DTS-HD Master Audio format support

Sony CT800 Powerful sound bar with 4K HDR and Google Home Support (2017 model): $398.00

Trending right now:

See the original version of this article on BGR.com
Ukraine claims it has seized equipment used by Russian agents to carry out cyberattacks.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) reported Friday that it seized equipment belonging to agents of Russia that was used to carry out a number of cyberattacks against Ukraine and other countries, Reuters reported.

The agency claimed the equipment was used in part to carry out attacks in May and June, and may have been involved in an attack earlier this week that resulted in the spread of malware to computer systems in at least 65 countries.

Read: What Is Petya? Ransomware Attack Hits Computer Systems Across The Globe

"Law enforcement officers seized server equipment that was involved in the cyber attack system by Russian secret services," the SBU said in a statement released Friday. The agency added that investigations into the equipment and recent attacks were ongoing.

It is not clear yet if the equipment played any part in the spread of Petya, a cyberattack that was initially believed to be a WannaCry-style ransomware attack but has since been discovered to be a wiper designed to delete files and destroy computer systems.

Petya or NotPetya, as security researchers have called it to differentiate the new attack from the existing Petya malware that the malicious software appears to have been based onbegan spreading on Tuesday, quickly moving from computer systems in Ukraine to tens of thousands of machines in 65 countries including Belgium, Brazil, Britain, Germany, Russia and the United States.

While there are still plenty of unknowns regarding Petya, security researchers have pinpointed what they believe to be the first target of the attack: M.E.Doc, a Ukrainian company that develops tax accounting software.

Read: Petya Ransomware Attack: Global Cyberattack May Have Aimed To Destroy Files, Computer Systems

The initial attack took aim the software supply chain of the tax software MEDoc, which then spread through a system updater process that carried malicious code to thousands of machines, including those who do business in Ukraine.

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Petya also has proved to be a rather destructive attack. While it was originally believed Petya was a form of ransomware, as it would present victims with a screen claiming their files had been encrypted and demanded a $300 fee to regain access, it has since been reported that the ransomware doesnt actually restore access to the computer even when the ransom is paid.

Instead, the ransomware screen appears to be a front or smoke screen to cover for the malicious softwares true purpose, which is to wipe clean any machine that it infects. Because of the destructive nature of the attack, it has been theorized that Petya was actually designed to destroy computer infrastructure of governments and businesses.

While there doesnt appear to be clear evidence yet to support attribution, Ukrainian officials have already begun assigning blame to Russia for the attack. The discovery of Russian equipment only bolsters those claims.

A spokesperson for the Russian government dismissed the claims and called them unfounded blanket accusations.

While its possible Russia had no involvement in the attack, the sense of suspicion from Ukraine comes from a history of meddling made by the Kremlin. The Ukrainian government has previously attributed two cyber attacks against the countrys power grids to Russia, though officials in Moscow have denied such claims.

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The Trump administration held public hearings in Washington, D.C., on June 27-29 to receive input from interested parties as part of its pledge to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Formal negotiations with Mexico and Canada are slated to begin in late August.

NAFTA entered into force on Jan. 1, 1994, bringing Mexico into the fold of a North American trading area created in 1989 between the United States and Canada (with many changes and additions made to that earlier agreement).

The pact was one among several crafted by previous administrations which candidate Donald Trump called the worst deal ever. He promised to scrap the accord once in office.

After meeting with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts, however  and after receiving cautionary advice from senior advisers and cabinet members about pulling out of NAFTA  President Trump agreed to renegotiate the agreement.

The decision to renegotiate is a wise one.

As U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer noted in a May 18 letter to Congressional leaders, NAFTA was negotiated 25 years ago, and while our economy and businesses have changed considerably over that period, NAFTA has not. Many chapters are outdated and do not reflect modern standards.

Among the changes in the landscape in recent decades: the internet was in its infancy in 1994, but online commerce, cloud computing and other services are big business today. Shale oil and gas are big new competitors in the U.S. and global energy markets; and Mexicos state-owned oil company was opened to private investment in 2014. A host of other issues was highlighted by Lighthizer in his missive to Congress.

Although Mexico comes in for most of the criticism  particularly due to its lower labor rates and success in attracting U.S. manufacturing investment  the United States also has some festering trade frictions with Canada. Among the biggest are softwood lumber and dairy products.

The Trump administration in April imposed a 20 percent tariff on softwood lumber imports from Canada and recently bolstered that figure with an additional 7 percent levy. A truce in this long-running trade dispute ended with the expiration of the U.S.-Canada Softwood Lumber Agreement in late 2015. At issue is the way Canadian provinces value stumpage fees paid by loggers and wood products manufactures, which are lower than those paid by American producers.

Canadas dairy pricing policies also raise the ire of U.S. dairy producers, who argue these policies effectively shut out competitive American products.

The U.S. cattle industry more broadly is divided over live cattle and meat trade with Canada and Mexico. Some ranchers argue NAFTA benefits U.S. meat packers and feedlot owners who mix domestic and imported cattle, to the detriment of ranchers raising and selling only U.S.-born cattle. And American wheat growers chafe under Canadian import practices that unfairly downgrade their grains quality.

But these and other trade frictions represent a tiny fraction of the value of trade crossing Americas northern and southern borders. Canada is Americas and Montanas largest export market, and Mexico ranks third (seventh for Montana).

As Gov. Steve Bullock said during the Western Governors Association meeting in Whitefish on June 26, The importance of our relationship with Canada cannot be overstated. Trade with Canada totals $662 billion. We are each others largest export markets. There are many nations many consider friends, but I dare say that no bilateral relationship is more important than the relationship we share with Canada. (Missoulian, June 27, 2017.)

As the Trump administration proceeds with NAFTA renegotiation, it will face tremendous pressure from interested parties in the United States and from our two neighboring trade partners to address issues that sometimes divide us. Trump has said that if a fair deal cannot be reached, he will terminate the agreement.

But the American, Canadian and Mexican economies are tightly linked in many ways, and adopting a take-it-or-leave-it stance will prove difficult. Many state governors and members of Congress have argued strenuously against taking precipitous action that would hurt American businesses, farmers and ranchers, and even workers whose livelihoods are tied to trade with Canada and Mexico.

As for heartland America, where so many manufacturing jobs have been lost in recent decades, the answer to problems there is far more complex than simply to blame NAFTA. Americas labor force faces many challenges, not least the growing adoption of robots and other technological advancements in the manufacturing process.

The saga of NAFTA renegotiation is just getting underway, and well have more opportunities to check on its progress in the coming months. So stay tuned.
The Missoula Public Library will be closed Tuesday, July 4, in observance of Independence Day. It will reopen at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 5. During its closure, patrons can still drop off library materials to our book drops and can check their accounts and place holds online by visiting the website: missoulapubliclibrary.org.

Family Reading Program film screening

MPLs Family Summer Reading Program continues this week with a screening of a family-friendly film on Thursday, July 6, at 2 p.m. in MPLs Large Meeting Room. This weeks movie is about a young boy who gets hit in the head with a rock that grants wishes to anyone who holds it. Call 406-721-BOOK (2665) to find out the title of the movie.

West African Kora performance coming up

Enjoy an evening of world musical stylings when Asheville, North Carolina-based musician Sean Gaskell gives a free performance and educational demonstration on the Kora, a 21-stringed harp from West Africa, in the librarys Large Meeting Room on Monday, July 10, at 6:30 p.m.

Gaskells performance will feature traditional songs, some older than the instrument itself, in addition to his own compositions.

The Kora is native to the Mande peoples of Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Guinea and Guinea Bissau. While the instrument is roughly 300 years old, some songs commonly played with it can be traced back 800 years.

In his journey to mastering the Kora, Gaskell studied under musicians Malamini Jobarteh and Moriba Kuyateh, both of Brikama, Gambia, and was inspired by professional Kora player Kane Mathis, of Seattle. Gaskell also has been featured at a number of music festivals in the United States, Gambia and Senegal.

Childrens Department hosts library pen pal program

From July 9 through July 15, the children's department invites local kids to participate in a newly created pen pal program. To participate, kids can stop in and draw a picture, or write a letter, and we will send it to another library in the United States. When we receive letters and pictures from other participating libraries, we will post them on our bulletin board for all to enjoy.

For more information about this program, call the Childrens Department at 406-721-BOOK (2665).

Staff Reviews

Kenobi by John Jackson Miller (Published by Del Rey, 2013) Call Number: EBOOK

That wizard is just a crazy old man  Just who was that mysterious hermit living out in the Tatooine desert at the very edge of civilization? Just a crazy old man? A drifter trying to escape his dangerous past? Or perhaps something more 

John Jackson Millers eBook novel explores what happened to Obi-Wan Kenobi after he retreated into self-imposed exile at the end of the clone wars. Tasked with protecting the infant Luke Skywalker, Ben Kenobi does his best to lay low and not attract attention, but he soon finds himself drawn into the gritty realities of survival under the harsh glare of Tatooines twin suns.

The book reads more like a western than a typical Star Wars space opera. Instead of relying on cliche technological superweapons to add tension, most of the drama comes from the desperate struggle between the savage Tusken Raiders and ambitious moisture farmers. Kenobi is thrown into the midst of this turmoil and though he tries to conceal his true identity, he cant stand idly by when innocent lives are in harms way.

Reviewed by Brian Doyle

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Big Sky Branch events

Drop-In Crafts

Thursday, July 6, from 1 to 3 p.m.

Enjoy creating something when the Big Sky branch hosts a drop-in crafts program every Thursday afternoon in June.

Upcoming MakerSpace Offerings:

Computer Electronics

Monday from 3 to 7 and Thursday from 3 to 6 p.m.

Do you have an interest in the Arduino platform? Come in and try out this and other electronics platforms during the drop-in program Computer Electronics.

Open Hours

Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday from 1 to 6 p.m.; Saturday from 2 to 6 p.m.

Open Hours allows visitors to explore the resources of the MakerSpace, or to work on a project of their choice.

***

Computer Classes

Computer Fundamentals

Monday, July 3, from 6 to 7 p.m.

Learn about the various components of a computer, managing your desktop and how to open programs. No experience is necessary.

My iPad and My iPhone

Wednesday, July 5, from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

An introductory class for iPad and iPhone users who would like to become more comfortable with their devices. We will cover basic functions and navigation.

Registration is required to attend MPLs computer classes. Call 406-721-BOOK (2665) to secure your spot.
Glacier National Park can use all the help it can get in managing its more than 1 million acres of stunning landscapes that draws millions of people from all over the world each year.

Fortunately, the national park enjoys partnerships with three key organizations that raise important funding, provide a core of willing volunteers and offer educational programs that create new constituencies.

Glacier Park Superintendent Jeff Mow said those partnerships have never been more vital.

Last year, nearly 3 million people visited the national park, some 600,000 more visitors than the year before.

Despite those growing numbers, staffing levels at the park have remained stagnant.

Our staffing is actually five employees less than what we had in 2002, Mow said. You can imagine the sort of responsibilities they have with our number of visitors. We couldnt be doing what were doing without having partners to help us.

Recently, three representatives of those important partnerships sat down at the same table to talk about the work they are accomplishing on the ground.

The Glacier National Park Conservancy is the parks official fundraising partner. Every year  through sales at the stores it operates and donations  the conservancy provides about $5 million thats used to pay preservation, education and research projects.

Just this past week, the conservancys efforts were broadcast worldwide when video from a pair of new webcams on Logan Pass went live.

While the park purchased the webcams, the conservancy provided $102,000 last year to improve the electrical system and technology at the visitor center at the pass, which helped make the webcams operation possible.

Thats just one of the estimated 55 projects the conservancy provided funding for this year.

All of our organizations are seeing that the federal funding is flat to declining over the last decade and visitation just keeps going up and up, said the conservancys marketing and communication director Amy Dempster. The need is certainly there.

The Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates provide the park with a portion of the 1,000 volunteers who offer their time to help make sure that visitors needs are met and important maintenance is completed.

Established in 1989, members of the volunteer association help staff visitor centers, work in the backcountry permit offices, complete restoration on historic buildings and do a lot of other work that likely would never get completed without their efforts.

We do a lot of painting, a lot of painting, said the Associates Cheryl Klein. Were the unskilled labor crew  We do have a couple of fellows who have carpentry skills (for historical preservation projects) and we use shovels a lot.

Klein is particularly proud of the preservation work the organization completed on the second oldest building in the park thats known as the Matejka Cabin.

And because Im the squeaky wheel, we got an interpretive sign there, she said. Before that, no one really knew it was there.

The Glacier Institute is the third nonprofit that works closely with the park to offer education for both young and old.

The institutes executive director, Joyce Baltz, said that organization focuses on providing education focused solely on science. Its immersion-style of learning offers adults and young students a chance to experience both the park and surrounding public lands.

Baltz said it can be life-changing.

She has accompanied kids from all over the country on trips to explore both national parks and forest lands, but one of the most memorable came on a field trip with a Whitefish class. As part of the class, the teacher had required his students to write an essay about what they hoped to experience on their trip to Glacier.

The teacher pointed out one student sitting over on a rock to Baltz. He said the young man had written the best essay he had read in his 22 years of bringing students to the park.

We go to the forest all the time on ATVs, but I wanted to hear the sounds of the forest, Baltz said the students essay read.

I loved that. Kids here in Montana do a lot of things," she said. "They go hunting, but its not always the peace that sticks.

We ask children that when they go home to tell their parents what they learned because we know when they reiterate the information, it helps them cement it for the future. The goal is they will come back with a school group or their family or some other opportunity. Maybe when the park has a free admission day or maybe theyll go to the Grand Canyon or some other place.

Many of the educational opportunities provided by the Glacier Institute are funded by the Glacier National Park Conservancy.

Mow said park officials are very interested in reaching out to underserved populations  like the group of inner-city kids who come from Houston every year or veterans or the parks tribal neighbors. Those programs can create a ladder that may open the door for some to begin thinking about opportunities of employment in the National Park Service.

All the partnerships the park has developed over the years are important right now, Mow said.

I think a lot of the critical issues that the park faces, with things like aquatic invasive species, like climate change, or how are we going to deal with the huge numbers that come to the park and our ability to accommodate that. Were not going to be able to solve those just as Glacier National Park. The only way we are going to be solve them is working through partners in and around the park," he said.

Relationships with local communities has always been strong, said Glacier Park spokesperson Lauren Alley.

Glacier is a world class destination and it is also a backyard park, Alley said. Whether its our year-round residents or our summer residences, through these organizations and directed through the parks volunteer program, they give back a tremendous amount to support their backyard park.

Mow agrees.

In my 30-year career, I dont think Ive ever worked in a park where Ive felt our local community so connected to the park, he said. Wherever you go, you hear about somebodys story about their grandfather who worked on Going-to-the-Sun Road or someone had worked in the hotels.
Its not often that a business comes up with an idea thats good for the environment and saves money at the same time. But thats what Clearas Water Recovery, a Missoula tech company, believes it has done.

Formed eight years ago, the company has developed a patented process to use algae to remove nitrogen and phosphorous from public wastewater treatment plants, keeping waterways from being inundated with the compounds that starve fish and plant life of oxygen. In turn, the algae can be sold to other companies for fertilizer, biofuels and other uses.

Think of it as high tech farming.

As the global population skyrockets, nitrogen and phosphorous pollution is becoming a significant environmental concern. Often referred to as nutrient loading, these two elements cause algal blooms in lakes and rivers that create dead zones that devastate vegetation and animals.

Clearas officials say they have found a way to harness Mother Natures own solution to nutrient loading in a different way, making it a beneficial process that makes money instead of an ecological nightmare.

Sewage contains high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous, and those two elements happen to be what algae, the fastest-growing plant on the planet, likes to eat.

Phosphorous and nitrogen are in demand from the agriculture sector for their use as fertilizers. So rather than having life-killing algae in natures waterways, the nutrients can be put to use in corn fields.

I think the simplest way to describe what we do is to say that we take harmful constituents out of the wastewater prior to discharge into our rivers, lakes and streams, and we do it biologically sustainably, explained company CEO Jordan Lind.

There are other technologies for removing those nutrients, but they often involve chemical treatment.

Clearas formed as a company when algae farmers in the Bitterroot Valley wanted phosphorous and nitrogen from Missoulas wastewater treatment facility to feed their biofuel. Lind recalls that the head of the wastewater facility told them they could take as much wastewater as they wanted for free, a much better alternative than buying synthetic nitrogen.

It was a eureka moment. Kevin McGraw, the companys co-founder and operations manager, realized that they could develop a technology to harness wastewaters nutrients to grow a valuable product while doing public utilities a favor.

What they need to get rid of, our plants require, Lind explained.

The company developed a testing facility at Missoulas wastewater treatment plant on North Reserve. A series of tubes feed 15,000 gallons of wastewater per day through algae and return it to the Clark Fork River much cleaner than it was before.

The company recently landed a contract to implement their Advanced Biological Nutrient Recovery technology at a Utah municipality called the South Davis Sewer District, which will be a 4-million-gallon-per-day system.

Lind said Montana has relatively lax environmental regulations on what wastewater facilities can discharge, but in other places tighter regulations mean that more and more cities will look to this technology.

Theres a really natural connection between what the regulators want you to remove before discharge and exactly what algae requires, he said. What they want you to remove is phosphorous and nitrogen because phosphorous and nitrogen take and create limited oxygen in the discharge waters.

"Well, when you have limited oxygen in discharge waters, then plants and fish and others that rely on it die. Phosphorous and nitrogen are exactly what the regulator wants to get rid of, and phosphorous and nitrogen are a food source for algae.

In fact, some of the explosions of bright green algae that can be found in the Clark Fork River and other bodies of water across the country in the summer are caused by too much nitrogen and phosphorous from agriculture runoff, laundry detergents and other sources.

The beauty, Lind says, is that Clearas is recovering the resource rather than just removing it. They have centrifugal machines that can turn the algae into whatever consistency a customer needs, whether its a watery sludge for fertilizing a field or a dry cake for making plastics or fuels.

Theres lots of potential co-products that result from the treatment process, Lind said. So you truly are going waste-to-value. And thats kind of the new trend in our space. All these municipalities and large industrial plants that have wastewater, theres value in that waste. The question is how you convert it. And our method is a proven way to do that.

Lind said there is a lot of interest in the companys technology in the Great Lakes region, in Europe and in Asia.

Bodies of water that are inland are great for us, he said. For wastewater, dilution is the solution to pollution. But when you dont have an ocean to dilute into, then the problem compounds on itself.

"With the Great Lakes, you have a massive population and tons of nutrients are being discharged into landlocked lakes, so the Great Lakes are degrading. Political, economic, social, regulatory issues all combined around that, creating a hotbed, a firestorm of activity around water quality.

The Utah contract is the first of what the company hopes will be a long line of dominoes to fall. In essence, they hope that once one municipality sees the technology working, then others will hop on board.

Its a little more complicated because taxpayer funds have to be used to upgrade wastewater treatment plants. However, they have high hopes. Right now, the company employs about three dozen people, and they have acquired an engineering firm to deal with helping cities implement the technology.

Andy Gordon, the company's market development manager, said he believes the technology could transform the world.

When we say that we want to be a billion-dollar company from Montana, were not kidding, he said.
GREENOUGH  For the Sunset Schools 100-year reunion Saturday, former students of all ages gathered to share memories and celebrate the historic one-room schoolhouse that, despite sometimes having only one student, continues to operate.

The schools long history was perhaps most aptly captured when 90-year-old Marvin Troutwine pulled up in a 1921 Studebaker Light Six, which he converted into a truck for country life. Troutwine attended the Clearwater School before it merged with the Sunset School in the 1950s to make it a two-room schoolhouse.

Current Sunset School teacher Toni Hatten decided to hold the reunion after finding old log books with records of the schools purchases and former teachers. The oldest record dated to 1917, when the land Sunset School now sits on was purchased. She learned later that the school has existed for more than 100 years, but those records prompted her to organize a reunion to celebrate the schools history.

She didnt anticipate such a big turnout for such a small and isolated school. About 100 people mingled and shared their stories, reminiscing about the old outhouses, the bathroom fire, playing in the nearby woods, and the friendships they formed.

I just didn't know if Id get the turnout because theyre so spread out, its over a long period of time, its an elementary school reunion, Hatten said. But when I look back at the history books and the pictures and some of the artifacts that have been left behind, I just thought, there's a love here at this school, and it goes back, and let's see what happens.

Hatten has been teaching at Sunset School for six years, and is its only permanent teacher. Shes had anywhere from one student to 11 students per year, and they range from kindergarten to eighth grade. Hatten decided to teach at Sunset School to get some practice before teaching in Seeley Lake, but she quickly formed a bond with the small school and its students.

It just grew on me more and more each year, Hatten said. And I can tell you its a lot of work. I just cant tell you the amount of hours that I spend here, but its worth it because if you dont, your day will be a mess the next day.

***

Some former students attended the reunion to see old friends they hadnt seen in more than 40 years. When Eloise Morris McNally, 73, found out there would be a reunion, she called her old classmate John Kreis, one of the three members of their graduating class in 1958.

At the reunion, they looked through old school photos in a binder McNally made. McNally remembered ordering her graduation dress from Seventeen Magazine, and Kreis joked about how difficult it was for his mother to get him in a bow tie for the graduation photo.

All of us lived in different areas and we didnt have any neighbors, McNally said. So when we got together, it was like all the sudden you had somebody to play with that was different.

After they graduated from eighth grade, McNally and Kreis rode a bus every morning from Greenough to Missoula for high school. It was an overwhelming transition from their intimate elementary school where everyone knew each other.

The first day, I got there and they kept the doors locked until 8 o'clock, and Ill never forget there were three fights on that first day of school, Kreis said. And I got home and my dad said How was school? and I said Im in the wrong place, Dad.

The best thing about attending the Sunset School was how well everyone got along, they said.

We didnt fight, McNally said. Because if we ever fought, we had to go ahead and make up because there was nobody else to play with.

***

Pete Lindburgh, 53, attended Sunset School in the 1970s. Like most kids in the area, he lived on his familys ranch, and used to milk the cows and feed the pigs every morning before school. In the winter, hed sled down the hill from his ranch, check his trapline, and saunter into class, where he once received a U (unsatisfactory) for cleanliness. His morning chores made him dirty.

I dont mean to brag, but I graduated second in my class, Lindbergh joked. He was one of two people in his graduating class.

I was also the fastest boy in eighth grade, he added. He was the only boy in eighth grade.

When he was a Sunset School student, he and his classmates used to play in the woods during recess, and would skate on a nearby pond. They put socks over the recess bell so they couldnt hear it ringing, extending recess just a little bit, he said.

One day during recess, one of the kids shared some Copenhagen chewing tobacco he had stolen from his older brother. Lindbergh and the other kids filled their mouths.

None of us had ever tried it before and we were swallowing it Lindbergh said. So when we got back to school, I think five of us went down within half an hour. We tried to gut it out and we didnt want to tell anybody what we were doing, so they thought it was food poisoning.

The teachers interrogated the boys about what theyd eaten, afraid everyone was sick. Eventually, one of the kids cracked and explained what happened, Lindbergh said. He learned a valuable lesson that day.

Much as I wanted that snus ring in my back pocket in high school, I couldnt ever try it again. None of these guys are chewing Copenhagen right now.

Lindbergh said the school served as a community center for kids in the area, and he remembers how the older kids took care of the younger ones, like when a neighbors St. Bernard came to the playground and gently dragged away one of the little kids by the jacket. They all ran after him and got the kid back to school.

***

Some former students spoke into a microphone, telling stories of their grandparents and parents who attended Sunset School. Hatten, the current teacher at Sunset School, addressed the crowd, thanking them for keeping the memory of Sunset School alive. It has nearly closed many times due to fluctuating enrollment, but community members have kept it open through difficult times, she said.

Some folks still wonder: Why are we still open? Why do we exist? I believe that this school, Sunset School, is as relevant in the 21st century as it was over a hundred years ago, Hatten said. Like many of you, the kids at Sunset School today experience the most unique educational experience and environment for learning and playing alongside classmates of different grade levels and abilities.

Youre a testament to why this school is still relevant and important and loved.
It has become a point of pride that Missoula frequently ranks as one of the best towns in the nation for livability, outdoor adventures and the arts. Last year, Missoula County benefited to the tune of more than $300 million from tourists who came to take advantage of our beautiful surroundings and pristine environment.

This wasnt always the case. Not that long ago, we were highlighted for a far less favorable reason. In 1970, National Geographic printed a spread about Missoulas air pollution, lumping us with the most polluted places in the country. They werent wrong. For decades until the early 1970s, tepee burners filled our valley with industrial wood waste smoke, and in the 1980s, residential woodstoves and fireplaces caused such dense smoke that streetlights would turn on during the daylight hours. Health studies from the 1980s showed Missoula children had decreased lung function compared to children from Montana cities with cleaner air.

Missoula has come a long way. When you stand outside and breathe fresh air or admire the view, you are benefiting from decades of local vigilance and efforts spent implementing national clean air standards and reducing sources of air pollution.

Theres no denying that air pollution is a serious threat to public health. It causes tens of thousands of premature deaths in our country every year, as well as tens of millions of cases of adverse health impacts, such as cancer and damage to respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological and reproductive systems. The more we study the effects of air pollution, the more its detrimental impacts become clear.

In Montana, our constitution guarantees a clean and healthful environment, but the presidents proposed FY 2018 budget threatens our pursuit of clean air for every Missoula County resident. It slashes the federal grants that provide essential funding for the Missoula City-County Air Pollution Control Program and severely weakens the Environmental Protection Agency, which provides necessary support for our local program.

The administration also targeted programs aimed at slowing climate change, which couldnt come at a worse time. We in the West now face increasingly severe wildfires and heavy smoke due to the warming climate. Wildfire smoke is currently our worst source of air pollution in Missoula, and it can have dire health consequences, especially for our most vulnerable residents, including children, the elderly, and those with heart or lung conditions.

Montanans daily, direct experience with the environment motivates us to speak out strongly on issues that affect us, our children and our grandchildren. We are a thrifty people and judicious with our expenditures. With an eye toward the public good, Montanans strive to be good stewards of the land and of public funds. Air quality programs are but one of many important government efforts, yet one that has a large impact in our lives due to its immediate importance.

The cost of clean air programs is a sound investment, and a cost-effective use of public money. Our best option to achieve a healthy and sustainable environment is to put financial resources toward environmental goals. Short-sighted reductions in environmental budgets will escalate health, economic and other societal costs.

Please join us in reaching out to our Congressional delegation and urging them to maintain EPA funding and grants for local programs, as well as restoring the mission to slow climate change.

Sen. Jon Tester

130 W. Front St.

Missoula, MT 59802

406-728-3003

***

Sen. Steve Daines

218 E. Front St.

Missoula, MT 59802

406-549-8198

***

Congressman Greg Gianforte

1419 Longworth HOB

Washington, DC 20510

202-225-3211
WASHINGTON  Two Junes ago, when the Supreme Court upheld, 6-3, a challenged provision of the Affordable Care Act, Chief Justice John Roberts, writing for the majority, vented: "Congress wrote key parts of the Act behind closed doors. ... Congress passed much of the Act using a complicated budgetary procedure known as 'reconciliation,' which limited opportunities for debate and amendment, and bypassed the Senate's normal 60-vote filibuster requirement. ... As a result, the Act does not reflect the type of care and deliberation that one might expect of such significant legislation." Now, however, Republicans run things, so ...

In 2009, President Barack Obama ignited a debate that has been, for many members of Congress and their constituents, embarrassingly clarifying. Back then, most people stoutly insisted that they did not want a "government-centered" health care system. But even then, approximately half of every dollar spent on health care came from the government. Today, the 55 million Medicare beneficiaries approximately equal the combined populations of 26 states; the 73 million Medicaid recipients approximately equal the combined populations of 29 states. Government's 10 thumbs are all over health care.

Although an Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll showed that health care was "extremely" or "very" important to 81 percent of voters in the recent Georgia congressional election, neither candidate stressed this issue. Both were confronted, as all congressional candidates will be in 2018 and ever after, with this fact: No health care policy is comprehensive, comprehensible and inoffensive to all intense groups.

Health care only relatively recently became worth fighting over. In 1900, Americans spent almost twice as much on funerals as on medicine. Most people were born at home and died at home, and medicine's principal function was to make ill people as comfortable as possible while nature healed them or killed them. Hospitals often were lethal infection factories, hence the common report, "The operation was successful but the patient died." In his "The Rise and Fall of American Growth," Robert Gordon notes that "even victims of railroad, streetcar and horse cart accidents were largely taken to their homes rather than to hospitals." In 1900, only 5 percent of American women gave birth in hospitals. And "a 'degree' in medicine could be obtained for between $5 and $10, its cost depending on the quality of the paper on which the diploma was printed." Between 1890 and 1950, the great improvement in mortality rates owed much to social improvements (better hygiene, sanitation, food handling, etc.) and little to doctors, hospitals or drugs.

In 2009, there was no national consensus that insurance should be available to people with "pre-existing conditions." There now is such a consensus, partly because of the obfuscating phrase: Insuring people with "pre-existing conditions" means insuring people who are already sick. Which means that what they are getting is not really insurance  protection against uncertain risk. The consensus might be right, but its logic makes the insurance model increasingly inapposite.

A market-driven health care system with government at the periphery would implement the lesson of Social Security: Government is good at sending checks to identifiable cohorts. It should send support to those who need it for purchasing premiums, then get out of the way.

But Obama, who once said he preferred a single-payer system, flinched from the really radical reform we need  a move away from broad reliance (about 180 million Americans) on employer-provided health insurance, which, in an expensive fiction, is not taxed as what it obviously is: compensation. Partly because of this system, health care consumers are not shoppers and market signals are weak and few.

Suppose that instead of providing health insurance, employers gave employees money to buy groceries. What would grocery stores look like? There probably would be no prices. To see why, ask yourself: When your doctor wants to perform a particular test, do you ask, "How much will it cost?" If you do, you are eccentric. Besides, the doctor probably does not know.

Perhaps for policy reasons, and certainly for political reasons, it is impossible to unwind reliance on employer-provided insurance. But this fact, combined with the "pre-existing conditions" consensus, means that henceforth the health care debate will be about not whether there will be a thick fabric of government subsidies, mandates and regulations, but about which party will weave the fabric.

So, "repeal and replace" will be "tweak and move on." And even if the tweaks constitute significant improvements, Obama will have been proved right when, last October, he compared the ACA to a "starter home."
The Affordable Care Act has led to immense and very positive changes in health care access and how it is delivered to millions of Americans. Here in Montana at Providence St. Patrick Hospital, Providence St. Joseph Medical Center and our Providence Medical Group clinics, we are serving many more people who now have regular access to care, often for the first time.

While not perfect, the ACA has resulted in new Medicaid coverage for 77,000 Montanans  our friends, neighbors and loved ones. The U.S. House and Senate bills to replace the ACA will largely undo these coverage gains, including Medicaid expansion.

The cuts in the Senates Better Care Reconciliation Act will not only cancel the Medicaid expansion but also will deconstruct Medicaid itself. The cuts will have disastrous, far-reaching effects. Medicaid today supports rural health clinics, rural hospitals, preventive screenings for at-risk children, prenatal care and other services. Medicaid also is the largest provider of long-term care and nursing home services for the frail and elderly in the U.S.

If the Senate passes the bill, fewer people will have Medicaid to count on when they are challenged with diabetes, an addiction to pain killers, a mental health issue, an aging parent who needs nursing home care or special services for a child with a disability. Truly, these are some of the most fragile and vulnerable people in our Montana communities. For perspective, more than 200,000 Montanans depend on Medicaid for their care, including those who have been able to receive regular care thanks to the expansion.

We believe health care should be accessible and affordable for all  because illness can affect anyone. Our providers have seen that when health care insurance is not available or affordable, many wont seek treatment and will suffer unnecessarily. Large population losses in coverage and access will affect the health and well-being of whole communities and many of our rural hospital partners. The loss of health care access will be personal and catastrophic to thousands of Montanans  from Missoula to Miles City, from Yaak to Alzada.

The bill under consideration in the Senate would make the biggest changes to Medicaid since it began in the 1960s. This bill takes us backward rather than moving us into a better future. We need thoughtful legislative solutions that will maintain coverage and access to care while reframing and delivering a better product. Together, we can find ways to make Medicaid programs more innovative and efficient.

Please join us in asking your U.S. Senators to vote against the Better Care Reconciliation Act.
I am a lifelong Montanan. I was born and raised in Missoula, went to high school in Helena and college at Montana State University in Bozeman. I've lived in Butte for the past 24 years.

Ive lived my life enjoying our great outdoors and I deeply care about our wildlife and preserving their habitat and the Endangered Species Act  the safety net for our wildlife, fish and plants. Thanks to this far-sighted, landmark conservation law, bald eagles still soar the skies, grizzly bears still roam the mountains, and rare fish like the arctic grayling still swim the Big Hole.

But sadly, some special interests and politicians in Congress are seeking to weaken the Endangered Species Act and the protections it provides for imperiled wildlife and habitat. I hope Montanas members of Congress will strongly oppose these efforts.

I have a tattoo on my arm that says, Be a Voice for the Voiceless and I try to live it every single day. I strongly urge you to be their Voice too, and contact Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines and urge them to vote no on any efforts to undermine the Endangered Species Act.

Theresa Froehlich-O'Leary,

Butte
When did he do that traveling and listening? Certainly not here in Missoula where he has consistently refused to have an in person town hall meeting to listen to our stories. And I am not aware of him holding a single in person town hall since January 20, preferring instead to hide behind what he calls "tele-townhalls" where he controls the agenda and people can only vote yes or no, and are not allowed to tell their stories. His op-ed cavalierly ignores all of us who have submitted hundreds of comments to his offices around the state, and in D.C., at rallies where we have converged en masse at his local offices, trying to tell him how much we need Medicaid, which covers fully half the births in Montana, and provides essential services for the disabled and elderly. Will those of us with fewer means just get thrown under the GOP bus?
In June, President Donald Trump announced a plan to reform the nations air traffic control system.

As usual, the presidents claims were grandiose and his details were lacking.

What we actually got was an endorsement of legislation that was passed this week by the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which is led by Rep. Bill Shuster, R-Pa. The legislations ultimate fate is uncertain, but much is at stake.

The pitch is that the nations air traffic control system, currently under the aegis of the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, should be privatized. In this case, however, the promise of privatization isnt all that it seems.

Generally, its argued that public services moved to the private sector improve under the pressure of marketplace competition, leading to efficiencies and reduced costs.

The problem here is that the private air traffic control nonprofit being proposed looks a lot like a new, monopolistic government agency. The principal advantages of privatization simply would not apply.

This new bureaucracy would be disciplined by neither competition nor the pursuit of profit, and there would be no public shareholders driving managers to better performance. Giving it a board of directors and a CEO doesnt change those basic facts.

What would the proposal actually do?

Air traffic control would be separated from the FAA and put under a new organization governed by industry stakeholders, including the big airlines, regional carriers, airports, air traffic controllers and others. The organization would borrow directly from the private sector, and interest and principal on the loans would be financed by charges to, guess who, the flying public.

Other countries have implemented a variety of reforms to the organization of air traffic control, but comparisons in this vein are dubious. The workload of the U.S. system is an elephant compared to the fleas of other nations.

Of prime interest, as in all things, is where the money comes from to finance both operations and investment.

Presently, there is an array of taxes and fees paid by passengers and other users of the system.

Under the Shuster plan, the new entity would determine all these fees, subject to the approval of the secretary of Transportation. In effect, the reform shifts control of revenues from Congress to the Department of Transportation and ultimately, the White House.

So the vaunted independence of the new organization is not all that, especially in light of the reality that he who controls the money has inordinate influence on everything else.

These are just a few of the concerns about a wholesale reorganization of the agency that prevents planes from crashing into each other. If you like excitement and turbulence, this could be the reform for you.
BILLINGS  In Montana, where water is for fighting over as much as it is for drinking, news this week that the federal government was repealing an Obama-era clean water rule was toasted.

This state and 26 others sued the federal government in 2015 to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers from expanding the federal control of waterways under the Clean Water Act. The so called Waters of the United States rule sought to establish federal control over streams and waterways considered navigable.

Montana farm groups, home builders and county governments feared the new rule, established by presidential executive order without Congressional approval, would ultimately require federal approval for water bodies as small as roadside barrow pits and stock ponds.

The EPA was adopting rules and those rules would have seriously impacted counties' ability to make roads, said Harold Blattie, director of the Montana Association of Counties. Their rule would have really hamstrung counties' ability to do routine maintenance.

Imagine applying for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers any time a barrow pit was constructed to catch storm water along a two-lane road, Blattie said. Because the permits can take several weeks, if not longer, counties found the decision easy to join a lawsuit opposing the Waters of the United States rule.

Nationally, news of the repeal drew criticism from wildlife and environmental groups concerned about worsening water conditions. In state, criticism was muted.

Agriculture groups also signed on. Farmers were worried about tighter controls on field runoff. Concentrated animal feedlots, where urine and feces accumulate quickly, worried about waste control, although Montana has few of any significant size.

The biggest push back came from ranches, the kind the dot that arid Montana landscape. Fly low across the burned beige pasture lands of Eastern Montana and you will see every mile or so a stock pond cut into the start of a stream bed that might be dry most of the year. The water might come from a weeping hillside and never produce enough moisture to reach a river.

As early as 2007, ranchers expressed concern that these dry stream beds would be considered navigable under the Waters of the United States rule because of a few weeks of spring runoff that had enough punch to reach a continuous waterway. The EPA had suggested that scenario wasnt valid, but ranchers were leery.

Montana Attorney General Tim Fox decided in 2015 to join the multi-state lawsuit against WOTUS. Montanans concerns about how WOTUS would be applied were valid, Fox said, but there was also an argument to be made about how the rule came to be without a vote in Congress.

To me, the greatest impact was the disservice it does to the rule of law, Fox said. Congress is there to make the laws.

After Republicans took control of both the House and Senate, President Barack Obama resorted to executive orders to advance several issues, including water quality and the regulation of greenhouse gasses contributing to climate change. Those orders only stay on the books as long as the current executive obliges and President Donald Trump has repealed or vowed to repeal several.

Water law is perpetually litigated in Montana, where water compacts with American Indian tribes and other interests have kept state and federal attorneys busy for years. There have been 19 water compacts negotiated recently, Fox said. In addition to seven compacts involving American Indian tribes, there have been 12 settling the water rights of Montana and the U.S. Forest Service and national parks.

The states legal battle with Wyoming over water flowing into the Tongue River, which meanders between the Cowboy State and Montana, has been well documented. The diversion of water from the St. Mary River into the Milk River is an international issue. The St. Mary flows into the Hudson Bay drainage in Canada. Its water is diverted into a canal system feeding the Milk, upon which instigators on Montanas Hi Line rely.
Thousands of students and hundreds of employers in Montana received national honors recently at a White House summit on innovative workforce development and apprenticeship training. Montana was one of the 11 states invited to the event with President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order to increase federal grant funding available for apprenticeship programs.

The cornerstone of Montanas workforce development success lies in the partnership between your Montana University System and your Montana Department of Labor and Industry. Through this innovative collaboration, Montana strategically deploys state and federal resources to target high demand occupations through work-based learning and industry alignment.

Montana is facing serious workforce challenges over the next 10 years. Our population is aging and estimates are that 24 percent of the 505,000 people employed are going to retire in the next ten years. This, coupled with our strong economy and low unemployment (3.8 percent), poses significant complications for industries to find the skilled labor. Montanas health care industry alone is estimating a need for 1,100 positions to be filled each year over the next decade.

Your university system and department of labor and industry have worked together to develop new apprenticeship programs in health care, advanced manufacturing, information technology, accounting technology and culinary. These programs include college credit courses, work-based learning, prior learning assessment, embedded industry recognized credentials, and of course, a salary or earn while you learn. Montanas success in this area is part of the reason President Trump signed an executive order to reallocate more federal funding to apprenticeship activities.

New apprenticeships

Montana developed innovative approaches outside of traditionally recognized apprenticeship areas (plumbing, pipefitting, sheet metal, etc). Thanks to the employers who are providing the vital services to the people of Montana, we have worked to launch 20 new apprenticeship programs. These include 14 in health care fields such as certified nurse assistant, computerized tomography, emergency medical technician, paramedicine, pharmacy tech, medical coding and billing, and LPN. We have an additional 20 apprenticeship programs under development and expect to launch them in the autumn.

Montanas rural and frontier communities have new apprenticeship opportunities in places such as Hamilton, Ronan, Crow Agency, Hardin, Malta, Ronan, Wolf Point, Miles City and Lewistown.

MSU Billings City College has partnered with a rural fire department employer in Miles City to develop the first paramedicine apprenticeship program in Montana. This innovative opportunity uses iPad robots (i.e. MedBots) to enable EMT professionals at the rural fire department to complete MSUB City College paramedic coursework and labs through real-time class discussions, small group breakouts and medical simulations with fellow students in the Billings-based classroom.

Wolf Point college

City College has also partnered with a rural medical clinic in Wolf Point to establish the first Licensed Practical Nurse apprenticeship program in Montana.

Job Service Missoula and Missoula College announced recently the launch of the states first accounting technology apprenticeship program.

Our workforce development efforts are data-informed. Your state labor department and university system, in partnership with Carroll and Rocky Mountain colleges, developed a State Workforce Talent Pipeline and Gap Analysis Report.

The MUS and DLI have been leveraging federal funds with state and private resources to create a new paradigm for workforce training. These efforts have involved public and tribal colleges across the state as well as partnerships with nearly 800 business and industry organizations and statewide associations such as the Montana Hospital Association.

Our successful partnerships and statewide collaborative efforts are captured the attention of the White House this past week.

-- John E. Cech, Ph.D., of Helena, is deputy Commissioner of Higher Education Academic & Student Affairs for the Montana University System. His email is jcech@montana.edu.
Earlier this week, Interior Secretary Zinke offered welcome news to Montanans and all Americans when he announced he would recommend to keep the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument intact as is, an iconic landscape critical to fish and game and cherished by hunters, anglers and others.

The importance of Americas public lands, including our national monuments, to our fish and wildlife populations, economic health and hunting and fishing traditions cannot be overstated. The secretarys willingness to listen to a majority of Montanans and Americans in determining the fate of the Breaks is appreciated  and has not gone unnoticed. Yet we the American people must continue to speak up in support of the other monuments subject to the administrations review.

National monument proposals, including the Upper Missouri River Breaks, are forged through a locally driven process in collaboration with all public land owners, including recreationists, farmers, ranchers and business owners, as well as sportsmen and women. After a monument is established, local stakeholders remain intimately involved in shaping the lands management. This customizable approach leaves plenty of room to uphold a wide range of interests as well as a multiple-use approach to the monuments administration  all while permanently conserving our most irreplaceable landscapes.

Regardless of where you come from or the size of your paycheck, Americas monuments are open and accessible to all. In other countries, hunting and fishing is reserved for landowners and the wealthy. But not here. And certainly not in Montana, where were surrounded by American-owned public lands, available for everyones enjoyment.

Hunters and anglers in particular care about our national monuments, which conserve some of our most spectacular places across the West and in some cases boast world-class hunting and fishing. The current administration should heed the will of the American people and keep these public lands just as they are. An attack on one monument is attack on all. The Missouri Breaks may be safe, but others, including Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks and Rio Grande del Norte in New Mexico and Berryessa Snow Mountain in California, remain in jeopardy.

American citizens  including members of Congress, who in 1906 advanced the federal Antiquities Act to the desk of President Theodore Roosevelt for passage into law  decided long ago that national monument designations should stand the test of time. It was Roosevelt who invoked the Act to designate the nations first national monuments, including the Grand Canyon. Roosevelt, like all our presidents until now, understood that national monuments are national treasures, representing some of the best parts of our nations outdoor legacy.

We cant let special interests threaten our public lands, including our national monuments. If we let our guard down now, we risk sending a signal that our public lands are here for the taking, up for sale to the highest bidder. This isnt the America I know and love. We need to leave these lands intact, not undermine important and hard fought protections.

As a fellow Montanan, Secretary Zinke understands and respects the importance of our public lands and waters and what these places mean to the outdoor traditions enjoyed by generations of hunters and anglers. As public landowners, Montanans and all Americans must come together now to continue to speak up for our national monuments and to remind the secretary that now is the time for him to join us in defending and conserving these places  in perpetuity. Thats something Theodore Roosevelt would be proud of. To do otherwise is frankly, un-American.

-- Ryan Busse is the board chair of the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers. He lives and works in Kalispell.
MUSCATINE  Clara Schneider, 8, had never danced for a large audience of strangers before.

Having studied dance for two years now, she had performed at recitals and local schools, but the crowd that gathered near the Disney World Marketplace Stage was over the world, as Clara puts it.

Clara was one of 18 Momentum Dance Force performers who traveled from Muscatine to Orlando, Florida, to perform on the big stage. Owner Jennifer Wilson said she wanted to give her dancers an opportunity they wont soon forget. She applied for the opportunity to have her students dance at Disney, and after a rigorous process, was asked to bring a group. She could have held a competition to choose the dancers who attended, she said, but decided against it. Instead, anyone who danced at the studio could choose to make the trip.

So a mixture of competitive and recreational dancers from Momentum Dance Force traveled to Orlando to perform a 16-minute magic-themed routine on Tuesday, June 20.

For Clara, the experience began with butterflies in her stomach.

It felt like I was going to fall backward, because I was scared, she said.

But the butterflies soon gave way to fun.

At first when she went on, she was kind of like I dont knowI dont know, said her mom, Sarah Stapp. And then she got more confident as she performed.

Choreographer Nicky Sand put the dance routine together, selecting the magic theme and creating accompanying props.

We had hats that had hidden scarves in them, she said. We pulled the scarf out of a hat. We had magic wands, canes and then we also used poms. We also used a Chinese fan  its a really long, silk fan  and kind of created a really cool effect with that.

Then there were the magic tricks.

I really tried hard to make sure that every child had like a little moment in the sun, whether it was performing a magic trick or doing a small group dance or something like that," Sand said. "The girls did an amazing job. For them to learn it and perfect it as well as they did in five weeks is insane  they really worked hard.

One of those moments came for Clara when she pulled a string of scarves out of a hidden pouch in her hand, surprising the other dancers.

It was fun and nervous, she said.

Stapp said she had to save money for a long time, but having her daughter dance at Disney World was an experience of a lifetime.

This is something shes always going to remember, so I really wanted to be able to give something like that to her, she said.

Wilson is already looking for the next experience of a lifetime. In a few years, she wants to give the new crop of dancers an opportunity to overcome their fears and dance to a crowd so big it is over the world.
WILTON, Iowa  Cleanup work is resuming on the former Wilton School Latchkey Building at 201 East Sixth St., which was heavily damaged in an arson fire last month. The building became city property when the school district demolished the adjacent elementary school and moved into the new elementary building, but it sustained heavy damage in a May 24 fire, for which four juveniles face arson charges.

During a June 12 meeting, the City Council approved a $64,478 proposal from Challis Restoration Services of Clarence to clean the building and replace the roof. The district planned to use it for storage.

But during the June 26 meeting, City Administrator Chris Ball said he asked Challis Restoration to halt work because of concerns from the public about reusing the building for storage and a potential visual clash between the building and a proposed adjacent recreation building. After discussing the matter, Council Member Ted Glenney's motion to proceed with the work was approved 4-0. Council Member Ted Marolf was absent.

"My recommendation is either knock it down and cut our losses or fix it," Ball said, adding it could be used to store heavy equipment in the summer. "I don't think we'd be moving stuff in and out on a daily basis."

Council members said the building could be painted to lessen any visual clash.

"It's the best option of a bad situation," Council Member Wayne Budding said after the vote.

Market study

The feasibility of the proposed community recreation center will be the focus of a study. During the June 26 meeting, the council approved a proposal from Triangle2 Solutions to conduct a market research study for a recreation center to be built on the former elementary school grounds and to be operated in partnership with the Muscatine Community Y.

"We need to get the Muscatine YMCA on board," Ball told the council. "Without the YMCA, you're not going to get it built."

The study is expected to take six to seven weeks to complete at a cost of $16,000 plus travel expenses not to exceed $1,500.

Stormwater funding

Wilton may use low interest state funding to combine storm sewer improvements with the upcoming Waste Water Treatment Plant project. The council approved a professional services agreement with HR Green Engineering of Cedar Rapids to prepare project plans as well as a loan application to Iowa's State Revolving Fund, which could provide up to $500,000 to address the community's problematic storm water drainage system.

"Wilton is not without its stormwater and drainage issues," Andrew Marsh of HR Green told the council. "This money could be put to good use."

But a low interest SRF loan would involve government requirements that would likely increase the project cost. Those requirements, Marsh said, include an environmental review, archaeological study, viability assessment, hiring of a certified municipal advisor, use of American iron and steel, and paying specified wages at a minimum.

The other option, Marsh said, is to pursue conventional funding, which wouldn't involve the regulatory costs, but would involve higher interest. He suggested as a third option asking contractors to bid the project using both SRF and conventional funding sources.

Ball said he would want to question contractors before asking them to bid both ways. "That might cause some of them to drop out," he said. "I do think we need to pursue SRF unless it becomes blatantly obvious we don't want it."

Freedom rock

Muscatine County's Freedom Rock will be located next to Wilton's historic depot, Wilton Development Corporation Executive Director Becky Allgood reported to the council. Allgood said the rock will be moved from the Jeff Paulsen farm. "We're looking at the end of July," she said, adding because one artist paints all of the rocks throughout the state, Muscatine County's won't be painted for another two years.

In other business

The council approved payment of bills totaling $451,459.

The council approved plans and specifications for the Downtown Revitalization Project with bids to be accepted at a later date.

The council approved Mayor Bob Barrett's appointments of Tony Hurd and Joan Voss to the Library Board and reappointment of Vicky Lenker to the Light Board.

The council approved a $250 commitment for the city to be a member organization of the Wilton Athletic Booster Club.
Welcome. I imagine that you all have plans for the Fourth of July to celebrate the day that our 13 colonies claimed our independence from England, and then formed the United States. Speaking of independence  and courage and strength  I have someone were going to meet today who has all those qualities and more.

Recently, I attended the Elder Abuse Prevention Agency, which meets in the district attorneys conference room. This was my first meeting with our new district attorney, Allison Haley. Her ideas for what she plans for now and the near future blew me away. I, immediately, became an Allison Haley fan, and I wanted you to meet her and get to know this energetic, no-nonsense, determined, likable red-headed DA.

Id like to introduce you to Allison Haley, brand new Napa County district attorney. Please welcome her to our Corner.

Welcome, Allison. If you dont mind, Ill be asking you a few questions we seniors are especially interested in, such as what is your plan for handling the large issue of elder abuse in our county?

Allison Haley: Im happy to respond to your questions. Approximately one in 10 Americans aged 60-plus have experienced some form of elder abuse: neglect, unwarranted confinement, financial exploitation or physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Only one in 14 cases are ever reported to authorities and an even smaller number is sent to my office for prosecution.

I believe that a district attorneys worth is judged by her attention to and compassion for vulnerable populations. In my administration, I will be resurrecting the elder death review team, a multi-disciplinary team devoted entirely to elder abuse matters under my jurisdiction and eventually, a financial abuse specialist team.

Victims deserve the best attorney and the best team behind them. It is my goal to employ a specifically trained elder abuse prosecutor to work with an in house forensic accountant to ferret out economic exploitation and lead to meaningful prosecutions of financial abuse. Ive got the attorney. Now I need to find a way to pay for an accountant.

Wonderful news, Allison. Wouldnt it be wonderful if the county could find some funding for this forensic accountant?

Question: Will you see that tougher sentences are giver to senior abusers?

Allison Haley: The role of the District Attorney is to ensure justice  to secure resolutions in cases where in the abusers sentence is commensurate to the seriousness of the case and the suffering endured by the victim. California law recognizes the vulnerability of our elderly populations and affords prosecutors the ability to add sentencing enhancements, when appropriate, to offenders who target victims 65 years and older.

To ensure that real justice is effectuated, I have established the Vulnerable Victims Unit. This unit identifies and isolates cases where the victims are 65 and older (as well as dependent adults and other high-needs survivors of crime) and assigns a prosecutor who will help that victim and their family from the first stages of a prosecution to the last.

I will not tolerate vulnerable victims and their cases being bounced around my office from one attorney to the next. Rather, I believe that a relationship should be built between our elderly victims and their criminal justice team. That relationship can only be built with time, trust and mutual respect. I believe that this prosecution design with result in meaningful sentences to punish wrongdoers, the restoration of survivors of crime and a sense of equity to our community.

Question: Will you see that the Caregiver Ordinance is being enforced, and that there is more of an effort by law enforcement to ask to see the caregivers permit?

Allison Haley: I am incredibly fortunate to have law enforcement partners who care about this population as much as I do. Tremendous in-roads have already been made by both the Napa Police Department and the Napa Sheriffs Department to train their first responders about warning signs of elder abuse, how to do the necessary cross-reporting with other county agencies, and sensitivity to the family dynamics often present in elder abuse situations. Law enforcement has been trained about the Caregiving Ordinance and steps to take when its absent. The prosecutor assigned to the Vulnerable Victims Unit is also tasked with the regular, ongoing training of our local law enforcement on these specific issues, including the legal requirements of the Caregiver Ordinance.

More good news for our vulnerable citizens.

Question: How about sharing with us what your first six months have been like as our new DA?

Allison Haley: In my first six months in office, Napa County has faced two officer involved shooting incidents, one homicide, a gang-related stabbing, the successful prosecution of the murderers of Kayleigh Slusher and the Oscar Tapia Felix DUI-related murder among other notable crimes, sentencings and criminal trials. Because criminals dont take the day off, there has yet to be a quiet day at my office.

In my first 100 days in office, my goals included establishing a social media presence on behalf of the office, establishing a statistical system whereby we can track real performance measures within my office and providing training opportunities for our local law enforcement. I am proud to say that my team has accomplished these preliminary goals. Next in line is my focus on expanding the vulnerable victims unit within my office to encompass the elder death review team and the MDIT protocol. This will involve collaborating with other service providers, avoiding duplication of services and identifying areas where there is a need for improvement. There simply is no room for ego, politics or self-serving when it comes to honest evaluation of services to this population. We can do better and we must do better.

Question: Would you let us know a little bit of the personal side of Allison?

Our daughter Fiona is five years old. She looks exactly like me but couldnt be further from me in temperament and attitude. Where I was a fat kid who ate waffles and watched TV? She has the energy of ten puppies and takes apart anything with a motor that weve made the mistake of putting in her bedroom. We have bought her no less than three star projection lamps  all have been reduced to screws and bits of detritus as she tries to figure out how it works. She starts kindergarten this fall and frankly, she could care less. I have decided to view her apathy as deep contentment in her life as it is. Why change things up when she has a good thing going?

I am definitely someone for whom the birth of my child changed everything. Before her, I was all-business, no chit-chat, emotionally unintelligent and analytical to a fault. She made me softer, more compassionate, slower and kinder. I relate to my cases in a different way; my empathy grew exponentially and my need to devote my work to the protection of the vulnerable took on a whole new life.

Allison, little Fiona has certainly helped give you a very full, well rounded Allison, and arent we lucky to have you in a position to continue making Napa County a wonderfully safe and enjoyable place for all of its citizens to grow and prosper in. We thank you for your generous spirit and your passion for your job, and wish you much success and continued feelings of accomplishment and a job well done.

Thank you for allowing us to get to know you. We wish you much success and a long career in what you love to do.

Well, friends, that wraps it up for the Corner today. Make it a habit to be kind to yourself and others. See you next week.
In the past decade, hotels have become visible anchors in Napa  the Napa River Inn by the water, the Andaz towering over downtown First Street, the Archer nearing completion a block away, the Meritage resort in the south of town  while developers vie to add more rooms to lure more vacationers.

The new arrivals have helped to transform Napas image among tourists and become a vital part of city finances, with hotel taxes now accounting for a quarter of its annual revenue. But what does such growth mean to those for whom Napa is a home and not a getaway  or for those who staff the hotels and need a place to live?

A survey of more than 30 reader emails sent to the Napa Valley Register in June revealed a vein of skepticism among many Napans, and outright hostility by some who feared losing a grip on their home city.

Napa, particularly downtown, has gone way overboard in their shortsightedness of when enough is enough! wrote Mary Richardson.

Ive lived here for 25 years. Downtown used to be thriving for locals. What was here was based on living here. Hardware, clothing, sporting goods, Safeway, parks, the library  What is now replacing that lifestyle is tourist-based: overrated, expensive eateries and hotels. We dont want or need another wine bar!

Doug McHarg credited Napas hotel boom with fortifying the citys finances and breathing life into a long-sluggish business district, but he too worried about the day-to-day cost of an increasingly tourist-dependent economy  especially with rents and house prices quickly outrunning many workers wages.

Most of these jobs dont provide enough income for people to afford to live here so they commute form American Canyon, Vallejo and Fairfield, he wrote. This means we get that sweet rush-hour traffic in addition to tourism traffic. So the hotels actually make the problem worse on two fronts; they take up space that could be used for housing, and provide more low-income jobs.

In short, I hope we hit the saturation point for tourism soon, and the city is force to start investing in industry that provides a livable wage.

Eve Kahn, a Realtor and member of the slow-growth community group Get a Grip on Growth, pointed to the strain on roads and utilities produced by increasing numbers of visitorsand of those commuting to newly created tourism jobs from outlying counties with cheaper housing.

Its very hard (to resist), because the taxes are very enticing, she said recently. But we should pace ourselves, let whats approved get built  but fix the infrastructure and make sure we have housing for the workers. We need to pause this, understand the cumulative impact if all those hotels go online. Let the community absorb this at a much slower pace.

Even as the Napa City Council last month passed a new two-year budget bolstered by hotel-room tax revenue on track by 2019 to double its share of revenue from a decade earlier, the gap between developers payments and the need for more affordable housing weighed on some.

This is not adequate; we need to set a high bar and expectations for hotel development, said Councilwoman Juliana Inman at the June 16 meeting, calling for more decisive steps to create housing for hospitality workers. If Yountville built housing for their hotel employees, we can too.

New hotels and their demand for more staff are straining already tight supplies of homes and rentals that are even marginally attainable for lower-paid workers, according to Inman.

With the development of more rooms, the only way those hoteliers can get staff who live in Napa is to cannibalize other hotels. They are either going to get staff from another hotel or from out of town. There is a very precarious balance right now, and it can be upset by addition of more rooms without the addition of more housing.

Last August, Napa raised the fees it charges builders for most types of development in a bid for more money to feed into multifamily rental housing  the type most within reach of low- and mid-level staff at local lodgings and restaurants.

Development fees for hotels received the largest hike from $1.40 to $6 per square foot, though the new charge was less than the $10.50 city officials had sought. By contrast, the City Council passed only a 30-cent increase for apartment-style projects to $4.05 a square foot  cheaper than for hotels and a clear sign of the citys hoped-for priorities.

Impact fee revenues have grown from $438,156 in the 2014-15 fiscal year and $788,478 in 2015-16 to more than $1.75 million in the current cycle that ended Friday, according to Rick Tooker, Napas community development director. In addition, the developer of the Vista Tulocay apartments, which will add at least 284 and possibly up to 485 dwellings west of Soscol Avenue, is expected to supply a further $2 million toward affordable housing.

Still, the housing shortage remains a problem Inman doubted can be solved with cash alone.

We have good actors like the Gasser Foundation giving us land for a 50-unit project (the future Stoddard West Apartments near Soscol Avenue), all for affordable housing, she said. We have people doing the right things, and weve done a good job so far. But the problem with a city-subsidized housing model is it wont provide enough units to support hundreds more low-wage jobs.

In 20 years on the City Council, and more than a decade as mayor, Jill Techel remembers the days when placing hotels within Napa  and not the winery-decked environs of Yountville, St. Helena and Calistoga  appeared a major risk in a city largely ignored by Napa Valley visitors. When we recruited the Andaz, when we said we sought a two- or three-star hotel downtown, that was a very high reach, she said of the First Street hotel that became Napas tallest building on its 2009 opening.

Napas lodging landscape now includes the Napa River Inn, the Westin Verasa and others that have grabbed the attention of vacationers. More hotel proposals have appeared in their wake, including James Kellers plan to convert the former Second Street post office into the heart of a 175,000-square-foot, 163-key hotel with retail stores and a parking structure.

Ten hotel proposals in various stages of review could add as many as 1,200 more rooms to the local stock if all were approved and built, the city said in February  although even long-approved projects like the Silverado Trail resort once backed by the Ritz-Carlton chain can go unbuilt for years, if they ever break ground at all.

Under the Downtown Specific Plan Napa passed in 2012 to guide tourism, commercial and other land uses, the city center is to gain up to 303 more rooms  more than half of which would be taken up by the Archer hotels opening.

With builders interest in new hotels far outstripping Napas downtown plans, Techel predicted that solid plans for helping hotel workers live closer to their jobs will become a more decisive factor in which plans get the green light.

Any hotel project at this point has to say how they provide more housing for workers, she said. It would be more attractive if its a partnership with a workforce housing project that helps it actually get built  If you dont want people commuting (from out of Napa), you get creative in building more housing.

Techel, however, described any attempt to concentrate solely on slowing hotel expansion as premature. Early discussions on a new city general plan  the basic guide to what kinds of development can be built in what areas  will let Napa rethink the pace and siting of all kinds of growth, she said.

We have an opportunity, not far away, to look at the whole city in context, said Techel. Id like that better than just pulling one piece out. We have to study the whole of the city and look at the housing element of the general plan.

Napa and other California cities are missing some of the tools once available to cut away at their housing deficits. Local development agencies that funded much housing for low-income families were disbanded by the state in 2012. Earlier, a California appeals court in 2009 forbade cities to set minimum percentages of below-market-rent dwellings in rental complexes, branding such rules as an illegal form of rent control.

In the face of such barriers  and of the balance builders must strike between affordability and making back their investments  Tooker pointed to the efforts Napa has made in recent years, including Stoddard Wests approval and the 2016 opening of the 41-unit, income-restricted Oak Creek Terrace on First Street west of downtown.

Napa has relaxed permitting rules for creating second living units outside existing homes, and is preparing an experimental program to help homeowners carve out even smaller dwellings entirely within their homes at a lower cost.

A May rule change give staff the power to wave through any housing developments with as many as 10 units, and exempts projects of up to 30 dwellings from a council vote. Projects fully devoted to those making less than Napas median income  regardless of size  can move ahead with staff approval alone, dropping the requirement for votes by the council or the Planning Commission.

Is it enough in this market? No. But is it significant? Absolutely.  We understand that locally and regionally and statewide, affordable housing is a significant issue. But its also important to know what is being done.

For Inman, the need to look more carefully at how Napa allows its hotel sector to grow is a matter not only of looking after the citys residents, but also of the very tourism that has energized it.

We have to look at what is the heart of community and what is the character of the community, she said. Do we want to be just a hotel and hospitality destination? Or do we want to be a well-balanced community that visitors enjoy being a part of when they stay here?

We cannot have hotels in a vacuum. If theres not a thriving community here, its barren for the visitors as well.
Fire briefly erupted early Saturday evening in a grassy, oak-lined area north of Lake Berryessa, according to Cal Fire.

The blaze was reported to authorities at 6 p.m. and firefighters arrived 23 minutes later at the scene, near the intersection of Berryessa Knoxville and East Side roads, according to Capt. Leah Simmons-Davis of the Cal Fire station in St. Helena.

Flames spread to 15 acres before firefighters contained the blaze at 7:23 p.m., Simmons-Davis said. No structures were threatened and no injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Editors note: This is part of an occasional series marking the anniversary of Americas entry into World War I.

On July 4, 1917, 100 years ago during World War I, American Doughboys first paraded in the City of Light to the happy cheers of the ecstatic French people.

Ironically, Paris had not experienced such a major celebration since August 1914, when a grandly deluded Europe marched off toward a continental conflagration.

The first 16,220 Doughboys, the trickling vanguard of a two-million-man American army, had arrived to succor a stricken France and Britain. Young, vigorous, husky, self-confident, the Americans injected renewed spirit and energy into a stalemated quagmire.

On parade was a battalion of the 16th Infantry Regiment, First Division, the Big, Bloody, Red One. (As many as 15,000 Doughboys would soon land daily at the port of St. Nazaire alone.) The New World had arrived just in time to save the Old World.

The word Doughboys originated possibly in the arid American Southwest where in the pecking order of marching; the foot slogging infantry followed the limbered horse artillery, itself behind the cavalry in the lead. Eating powdery dust that hooves churned up, the infantry became caked in it; hence, their nickname Doughboys.

General John J. Blackjack Pershing was selected to command the American Expeditionary Forces in France, because of his military experience on the western frontier (1886-90), in Cuba (1898), the Philippines (1899-1903), and northern Mexico (1916).

Blackjack was a derisive nickname assigned to a stern Pershingwho had led the Buffalo Soldiers, comprising the rank and file of the 10th Cavalry Regiment  when he taught at West Point, the cadets finding him to be pedantic. However, the epithet evolved into one which symbolized courage, honor, and resolution. (Pershing did not seek an office; he made an ideal choice for C-in-C.)

June 16, 1917 marked the first meeting of the two iron captains of war, General Pershing and Marshal Ferdinand Foch, Allied Supreme commander on the stymied Western Front. Whereas President Woodrow Wilson had directed Pershing to lead a separate, self-contained all-American army in France, Foch desired that Pershings Doughboys simply be used as piecemeal fillers in the French and British armies, a plan which Pershing steadfastly opposed.

American amalgamation versus independence became a chronic controversy, with Foch threatening to fall back below the Loire River, giving up Paris to the Germans. Pershing countered that Foch could go right ahead; the U.S. Doughboy army in France would firmly stay as a distinctly separate entity.

We are at war, but not in it, quipped Americans at home, who witnessed their countrys declaration on the 975th day of the 1,601-day conflict, yet had thus far sent very few Yanks Over There.

The middle of 1917 was a crisis phase in the Great War. Termed collective indiscipline, the French infantry poilus (hairy ones) rebelled after the failure of their Nivelle spring offensive. The battle of Passchendaele was a massive squandering of British troops in which the Tommies could not break the deadlock after three years of stalemate.

Russias Red October saw a communist revolution unseat the shaky Kerensky democracy in November in the wake of its failed Kerensky Offensive on the Eastern Front in July. Russia became neutral via the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, (March 1918), allowing 40-plus German divisions to go to France.

I hope it is not too late, worried despondent Marshal Henri Petain  the hero of Verdun in 1916  to Pershing, as an exhausted Entente anticipated the arrival of Americas full balance of power. It was now a race between America and Germany as to which nation would ultimately deliver a timely decisive blow on the Western Front.

On May 10, 1917, the first U.S. troopship convoy had successfully set sail across the pond escorted by American navy destroyers (a U.S. navy concept). Not a single Doughboy troopship en route to Europe would be torpedoed by U-boats as a result.

By Dec. 31, 1917, 183,899 Doughboysover one-half in British ships - had landed in French and British ports. (Two million Doughboys eventually served Over There by the time of the Armistice in November 1918.) Allied sea power made possible the much-needed fresh American manpower to save France and also turn the tide of a German advance back to the west bank of the Rhine River by fall 1918.

Petains aide, Jean de Pierrefeu, reflected, the newcomer Doughboys were almost all bareheaded and bare-chested, singing American airs at the top of their voices. The spectacle of these magnificent youths from overseas, of 20, radiating strength and health, contrasted sharply with our own regiments in their faded uniforms, wasted by many years of war, their sunken eyes, held by a will to heroism and sacrifice. [New] life was coming in floods to re-animate the dying body of France.

Vive IAmerique! rang out upon the parade of the battalion of the 16th Doughboy regiment, as Blackjack Pershing rode through the frantic overjoyed civilian throngs, his hand at an unwavering salute.

However, the Yanks were sans helmets, cannons, machine guns, airplanes, and tanks. Apart from the manufacture of artillery and rifle ammunition, America was consumed in the production of pleasure cars, that enhanced domestic mobility. (Model T Fords served as field ambulances in Europe.)

Perhaps they seemed a company of casuals, to the French and British senior generals and politicians. The Doughboys entering on the continent and they maybe seemed as second- rate, irreverent amateurs compared to the trained professional European armies.

Comprised of miners, teachers, clerks, college graduates, laborers, pharmacists, electricians, and many other backgrounds, the ebullient Doughboys possessed an intense independent passion and courage, and rapidly metamorphosed into first- rate troops. (Albeit, the Doughboys were largely equipped with French or British weapons, as American manufacture lagged about a year or more behind schedule.)

Pershings visit to the tomb of Marie-Joseph Gilbert du Motier, the Marquis de Lafayette, located at the Picpus Cemetery adjacent to Notre Dame (Our Lady of Peace) Cathedral was the epilogue to the debut parade of the Doughboys vanguard in Paris on July 4, 1917. Present also was U.S. Army quartermaster Colonel Charles E. Stanton, who read from an apparently scripted document, stating, Lafayette, we are here!

A piqued Pershing felt the phrase to be an embellishment, and shunned it. (Indeed, American troops were not sent to Frances rescue during the French Revolution of 1789, the Revolutions of 1848, or the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, despite the debt the Americans owed to France dating from their own Revolution.)

Nevertheless, the Franco-American cycle of relief had come full circle. The advent of the impetuously brash Doughboys helped to insure that both America and France would each continue to celebrate their July birthdays of the Fourth and Fourteenth.
Legislation is often reactive. Crime rises, and in response legislatures fund cops, prosecutors, prisons. A high-rise burns, and a new law requiring fire-retardant construction materials is readied.

Kates Law is both reactive and proactive. Named for Kate Steinle, 32, who was shot dead in July 2015 in San Francisco, the House passed the legislation on Thursday. The bill would raise maximum sentences for immigrants caught entering the U.S. illegally, with the penalties escalating for repeat offenses.

Steinle was shot on San Franciscos Pier 14. Police arrested an undocumented Mexican immigrant named Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, who had a long rap sheet of drug arrests and five deportations in his record.

A few days after the killing, Lopez-Sanchez told a local television station that he had been wandering around the pier after having found sleeping pills in a dumpster. He claimed he had found the gun, as well, wrapped in a T-shirt, and that the gun, previously stolen, fired three times when he picked it up.

Whether Lopez-Sanchezs story is mostly, partly or not remotely true is hard to say. One expert said that the bullet that killed Steinle had ricocheted off the piers pavement before hitting her. Defense lawyers said that showed that the gun hadnt been aimed at her. A police witness testified that it showed no such thing.

Sanchez admitted his responsibility for the death to the TV reporter. In Spanish, he said that he had earned severe punishment, and he no longer wanted to live.

Its a messy and tragic story, but not the sort that leads to ready public policy solutions. Immigration restrictionists would like Lopez-Sanchez to serve as a warning about the nations supposedly porous, easily exploited border. As a candidate, Donald Trump called it yet another example of why we must secure our border immediately.

Yet Lopez-Sanchez is a human billboard for the rigors of U.S. border security. As David Bier of the Cato Institute wrote:

After his deportation in 1997, Border Patrol agents apprehended and deported him in January 1998. They caught him again in February 1998 at which point he was imprisoned for felony illegal reentry until his fourth deportation in March 2003. In July 2003, Border Patrol apprehended him again, and he was imprisoned for felony reentry a second time until his fifth deportation in June 2009. Less than three months later, Border Patrol caught him a fourth time, and he was imprisoned until March 2015.

Indeed, Lopez-Sanchez spent years in U.S. jails precisely because he repeatedly failed to exploit vulnerabilities in the U.S. border. His fatal encounter with Steinle occurred because he was released from prison into the custody of San Francisco authorities on an old marijuana charge, which San Francisco had no interest in prosecuting. He shouldve been deported yet again. But bureaucratic mistakes, probably exacerbated by San Franciscos reluctance to work with immigration agents, instead led to his release. (The House is also voting on legislation cracking down on sanctuary cities such as San Francisco.)

Increasing the penalties for illegal border crossing, which is the heart of Kates Law, would have posed no deterrent to Lopez-Sanchez, who served some 15 years in U.S. jails for doing precisely that.

But the law nonetheless has purpose. Among the few consistent themes of Donald Trumps presidential campaign and administration is that immigrants are a pervasive criminal danger. Actual data suggests that immigrants are less criminally inclined than native-born Americans. But any population of 11 million  roughly equivalent to Ohios  contains criminals.

Kates Law presents an opportunity to highlight the link between immigrants and crime. It gives administration allies in Congress, conservative media and the roiling Trump propaganda sphere a talking point based on an actual tragedy in which a young white woman was killed by a brown-skinned undocumented immigrant.

Kates Law is unlikely to deter violence. But it is a proactive approach to the tragedy. It inflames passions and advances the administrations anti-immigrant propaganda. For Republicans in the House, thatll do.
What a scream it was to read Jon Ossoffs account, reprinted from The Washington Post, of what Democrats can tell themselves they won in the recent Georgia 6th special congressional election ("What Democarts won in Georgia," NapaValleyRegister.com, June 26).

I laughed so hard that I broke a couple ribs. I was so close to coronary failure that the Angel of Death hovered in front of me with the expectant expression of a black lab puppy just before breakfast. Please. Im only in my 20s. I have a lovely wife and an infant daughter. Im too young to die.

Wont you kindly post a warning the next time youre going to print something so funny?

Ossoff pretends that he was unfairly defeated by outside money from the sinister right wing. In reality, Ossoff himself was the carpetbagger candidate. He didnt even live in the district that he expected to elect him. In reality, Ossoff outspent his opponent $24 million to $5 million. In reality, Ossoffs support came mostly from Hollywood and Silicon Valley, not from Georgia.

Ossoff claims to have been the guy shaking up the political establishment. But he commenced his campaign with the call to make Donald Trump furious. Ossoff, come on: Trump is the guy whos shaking up the political establishment  and you configured your campaign to run against him. Plus, you had the backing of  gag  Nancy Pelosi, the most establishment character since Hillary Clinton.

Ossoff boasts of his adherence to the standard shibboleths of the nationwide Democrat machine  but this slavish devotion to Hollywoods political principles is what hurt him the most. The abortion issue figured very substantially in the campaign.

Ossoffs opponent, Karen Handel, was targeted as an enemy of that most sacred of leftist political idols, Planned Parenthood. As an officer of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a charity whose purpose was to combat breast cancer, Handel had been instrumental in ending foundation funding for the abortion mega-corporation. At that time, the mainstream media rose up in establishment ire, Handel was forced out of Komen, and charitable subsidies to Planned Parenthood were renewed. Afterward, Handel had the nerve to publish an unrepentant book about the controversy entitled Planned Bullyhood.

She was just as unrepentant during the Georgia congressional campaign. She was the pro-life candidate, and that was that. As Ossoff brags, he was the candidate for a womans right to choose. He received $730,000 from Planned Parenthood itself, plus a lot more from abortion enthusiasts here in the Golden State. Hey, they have to use that blood money for something.

And the result? Ossof got run through the electoral suction aspirator. Hurray for his right to lose.

Finally, Ossoff holds himself up an exemplar of what he calls decency  but fails in every case to employ the Oxford comma. You cant sink much lower than that.

Ossoffs fairy tale about what his party won in that race couldnt be more ridiculous. Hes actually trying to pass for a grass-roots man of the people. Hes about as plausible in that role as hed be as a professional wrestler or as a lineman for the Atlanta Falcons.

Ty Lopez

Napa
Response to Stephen Sossamans A vote is not a loyalty oath to my Wipe your eyes and grow up, May 18 article. Thank you for proving and advancing the thrust of the main point of the opinion piece, which was the constant insistence of the current liberal branch of the Democrat party to label anyone who does not agree with their political agenda or views. But then Mr. Sossaman took this same political tactic with a previous opinion piece I offered prior to the May 18 piece. So his label tactic here is no surprise. In fact, it is totally predictable.

It does appear the he has a reading and comprehension problem, however. Nowhere in my article do I claim to be a party loyalist. In actual fact, I stress I am a life-long registered JFK Democrat. If Stephen cared to actually read and comprehend what is written, he would observe I mention being a Democrat multiple times. Instead Sossaman attempts to mislead and confuse readers by inferring my support for President Trump is because I am a loyal party supporter of Trump, a loyal Republican. Again label someone who does not agree with the liberal left policies, agenda or politics in general in order to mislead, confuse and discredit those who agree with their own.

Nowhere in my entire article did I even remotely suggest this obvious, throbbing, fatal flaw in Robert Wilkinsons call for obedience and silence. I did offer a suggestion, however: those who prefer to label opponents might actually accept the obvious fact - Trump won. Those that voted for his promises and policies won. Fact - President Trump is checking off those campaign promises and policies on right after another. I suggest perhaps Mr. Sossaman is having serious comprehension issues with that also.

My suggestion that we try offering support for President Trump and his agenda and policies states it clearly. Try.

To date, Democrats in Congress have not even tried. Rather than actually working for the American people, they constantly work for themselves and the 2018 and 2020 elections. Work for power not what is best for this nation as a whole.

Most recent case in point - Obamacare. Rather than actually work with the Republicans to fix a crashing and failing Obamacare health-care program, instead, the entire Democrat Congress abstained. They preferred to label President Trump and Republicans during the entire so-called debate. Point of importance - a debate requires actual facts, differing points of view, and solutions, to the issue being debated. Democrats did none of this. They simply kept up the constant Democrat tactic of attaching labels.

Obamacare is a disaster and must be fixed. Repeal and replace. Of course parts of the original legislation will remain in place and will be written into new law. That, fellow citizens, is actually how the legislative process works. But repeal of the original Obamacare law is in order so that the replace can be implemented with little difficulty, confusion, or distress caused by the original law still on the books.

To date Democrats in Congress have totally refused to work with the winning party on much of anything. This is what I mean by at least try to support the agenda and policies voters supported in electing President Trump. Of course if those policies or the agenda shifts away from what voters supported, voters will, and should, speak out against whatever is at issue. This is how a representative democracy works. No president, or congress is ever given by the voters carte blanch to do whatever the hell they want.

The readers of my May 18 piece can and will do their own reading and reflections. They will disagree with a policy they do not support. They will respond when the issue at hand demands a response - favorable or dis-favorable. But where many will differ from Stephen Sossaman, Democrat leadership in Congress, the liberal media, and Democrat party loyalists at all costs like Sossaman, they actually can read and comprehend. They actually do care about what is best for the American people and this nation. And not one iota about party loyalties at all costs.

So once again, wipe your eyes and grow up come to grips with reality. President Trump and Republicans won all across this nation. Republican policies and agendas won. Democrat policies and agendas were not only rejected, they were crushed and demoralized. So once again, wipe your eyes and grow up - and try to accept the fact - the American voter stated quite emphatically - we support the Trump agenda and policies he spelled out quite clearly during the 2016 campaign and is so adeptly and systematically fulfilling one after another without even one Democrat in Congress offering one concrete idea.

Robert Wilkinson

Napa
 

 :      

  ,         ,       .
09:59





After the GST was rolled out on the midnight of June 30, theatre owners have been faced with a GST of 18 per cent, apart from the 30 per cent tax imposed by the municipal corporation, adding up to an enormous 48 per cent.





This new rate, as per a local theatre manager, will diminish their business in the state.





"Under the GST, the government charge is 18 per cent and the corporation charge is 30 per cent which totals to a whopping 48 per cent of tax. This is exorbitant and we cannot run with this tax structure. We cannot run the theatres," said Ramasamy, the manager of a local theatre.





Under the new tax regime, taxes of 28 per cent and 18 per cent will be levied for tickets costing over and under Rs 100 respectively, in addition to a municipal tax of 30 per cent imposed by the state government on theatres.





Tamil Nadu theatres will be halting advance bookings of tickets from Sunday and all shows across the state's theatres will be suspended starting next week, with film theatre associations demanding a roll back of the municipal tax.





The film industry is also expected to stage a protest on Monday. Earlier on Saturday, the TN film fraternity, together with all the South Indian industries, notified a collective representation being sent to the central government, requesting them to put the regional cinema in the 'least slab'.





President of Tamil Nadu's Film Producers Council, Vishal told ANI, "Of course, there will be adverse effects to every industry, not only film industry, but all sectors of business, especially regional cinema, which is fixed in the highest slab 28 per cent."





"It is going to make a big impact and we have given our representation. In fact, all South Indian industries have together sent a collective representation to the central government asking them to put regional cinema in the least slab because one crore film and a 1,000 crore Hollywood film is in the same tax slab, so that is definitely going to affect the regional cinema," Vishal added.





Vishal further stated that they have requested the Centre and the Union finance minister to put the regional cinema in the least slab, non regional films in the next slab and the foreign language films in the highest slab, so that it does not affect the viewership.





Under the GST regime, exports will be zero-rated in entirety unlike the present system where refund of some of the taxes does not take place due to fragmented nature of indirect taxes between the Centre and the states.





However, GST will make India a common market with common tax rates and procedures and remove economic barriers.





GST is largely technology driven and will reduce the human interface to a great extent. GST is expected to improve ease of doing business in India. -- ANI

As many as 1,100 theatres will go on an indefinite strike, starting Monday, opposing the new goods and services tax that has been levied starting July 1.
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Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-29 22:47:17|Editor: huaxia

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MOGADISHU, June 29 (Xinhua) -- The Somali government on Thursday kicked off a two-day reconciliation conference aimed at forging closer relations between the diaspora and the local Somalis.

The meeting, which is being attended by officials from the federal government and the regional states, academics, local Somalis and diaspora returnees saw participants urge Somalis to pursue peace and reconciliation to help stabilize the country.

In his opening remarks, Mohamed Abdi Abdillahi, HirShabelle Minister of Planning and International Cooperation and Diaspora Relations, emphasized the need to resolve the differences between the diaspora returnees and the locals to stabilize the country.

According to a statement from the AU mission, Abdillahi urged the two groups to abandon false perceptions that cause discord and instead unite in building the country.

Unity and reconciliation of Somalis is one of the key issues President Mohamed Abdullahi Farmajo promised to pursue after being inaugurated early this year.

According to some participants, individuals born and raised in the country perceive themselves as having more rights than the diaspora returnees, while the latter believe they are better placed to contribute to the peace and stability due to their superior education, experience and exposure.

The locals have also accused the diaspora returnees of taking up most of the plum jobs in government, living them marginalized.

Though acknowledging the differences that exist between the two groups, participants were confident that Somalia will overcome the challenges.

Former deputy mayor of Mogadishu Iman Nur Ikar, who lived abroad before returning to Somalia, urged diaspora returnees and the locals to work together to help the country regain its past glory.

"We will restore the glory of our country by reconciling the diaspora returnees and the locals so that they can learn and benefit from one another," Ikar said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2017-06-30 22:12:19|Editor: Zhou Xin

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ZAGREB, June 30 (Xinhua) -- The ruling of The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) on Thursday about a territorial dispute between Croatia and Slovenia has triggered different reactions in the two countries.

In response to the ruling, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said Thursday "We do not consider ourselves obliged by this ruling, ...And we do not intend to implement its content."

He said the border issue between Croatia and Slovenia is a purely bilateral matter. "We stay ready, open and willing to solve the issue in a bilateral way with our neighbour," he said.

He also called upon all the states, "primarily EU members, and international organizations to leave this border dispute to Croatia and Slovenia as an open border issue which should be dealt with and resolved bilaterally between the two countries, and two countries alone".

Plenkovic was referring to the announcement of the German embassy in Zagreb which sided openly with Slovenia.

The Croatian prime minister's attitude is shared by Croatian opposition leaders, as well as the country's former presidents and prime ministers.

For his part, Slovenian President Borut Pahor, who initiated the arbitration in 2009 as then prime minister, told the media Thursday that the arbitration had proven to be the best way of solving the border dispute and that the rejection of the treaty does not exempt Croatia from implementing the ruling.

Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar described the decision as a "historic" moment, stressing that the verdict is "final and legally-binding" on both countries.

Ivo Josipovic, a jurist and politician who served as the President of Croatia from 2010 to 2015, told Xinhua on Friday that Croatia shouldn't have agreed to such an agreement in the first place and that it made a right decision when it withdrew from the arbitration process in July 2015.

Former Prime Minister of Croatia Jadranka Kosor complained to Xinhua that the PCA didn't mention a word that one side withdrew from the arbitration. "When Croatia withdrew, the meaning of the arbitration disappeared. I hope one day we will find out why did they continue", Kosor argued.

She thinks that this case will have an effect on relations between Slovenia and Croatia. "Both governments now must do everything they can to prevent possible incidents. They have to start new negotiations from the beginning and solve this issue. You cannot change your neighbors, so it is better to resolve open disputes", Kosor stressed.

In a 380-page judgment, the PCA ruled on Thursday on the precise location of the long-disputed land and sea border between the two countries which emerged from the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991.

The PCA rejected Ljubljana's demand that the whole of the Savudrija Bay (the Bay of Piran) was Slovenian territory, but gave Slovenia greater part of the disputed waters and a 2.5-nautical-mile wide, 10-nautical-mile long "junction corridor", thus giving Slovenia access to the High Seas through the Croatian territorial waters.

Croatia was not present in the courtroom of the Peace Palace in The Hague, the Netherlands, and did not attend the announcement of the ruling because it had withdrawn from the arbitration process in July 2015, claiming time and again it was "irreparably compromised" by Slovenia's illegal actions and making clear it will not accept the ruling and comply with it.

In November 2009, the then Prime Ministers of Croatia and Slovenia Jadranka Kosor and Borut Pahor signed an Arbitration Agreement, by which Croatia and Slovenia submitted their territorial and maritime dispute to arbitration. The Arbitration Agreement was subsequently ratified by the respective parliaments.

The arbitration proceedings began in early 2012. In mid-2015, Zagreb decided to leave the arbitration agreement after it was revealed that a judge at the PCA and the Slovene representative at the court had a secret and unauthorized conversation. They both resigned and Croatia withdrew, arguing that Slovenia had severely breached the treaty and violated the principles of fairness, legality, independence and credibility.

Croatia withdrew from the arbitration by invoking Article 60 of the Vienna Convention, which allows termination of an agreement in case of a grave breach. Croatia also expressed regret that the Tribunal had missed the opportunity to dissolve itself after the whole process lost any legitimacy.

The German Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Thursday in which it said that the PCA decision must be respected and that the both parties in dispute should implement a decision. While the U.S. embassy in Zagreb stated that it will not take sides in this case, but urged both countries to solve this problem bilaterally.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-01 22:19:22|Editor: Song Lifang

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LONDON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Lifeboats were launched Saturday to go to the aid of two Hong Kong registered cargo ships that collided in the English Channel.

None of crew, mainly Chinese and Indian, on board the two ships were injured in the collision.

The UK Coastguard called for the immediate launch of the Dover and Ramsgate RNLI all-weather rescue lifeboats just after 2:15 a.m. Saturday following reports that a bulk carrier and a crude oil tanker, with a total of 49 people on board the two vessels, had collided and were at a complete stop in the channel, which is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

With initial reports of damage to at least one of the ships and the location of the incident in the southwest channel of the busy main shipping lane, both RNLI rescue vessels raced to the scene, nearly 15 miles northeast of Dover.

A UK Coastguard Rescue Helicopter was also scrambled to assess the damage to the vessels, 183-meter-long crude oil tanker, the Seafrontier, registered in Hong Kong, and the Huayang Endeavour, a 75,000-tonne bulk carrier, which is also registered in Hong Kong.

Huayang Endeavour was en route to Lagos in Nigeria while Seafrontier was travelling to Puerto Barrios in Guatemala.

A spokesman for the RNLI said that both vessels suffered damage in the collision, with the Seafrontier having a hole above the water line and damage to the superstructure.

On reaching the ships, one of the lifeboats was tasked with standing alongside the Seafrontier while the second lifeboat stood ready to assist the Huayang Endeavour. A tug was also called to the scene from Boulogne, France.

Both lifeboats were stood down at 5:44 a.m., by which time the tug was in assistance and the Seafrontier was taken under tow, according to RNLI.

A UK coastguard spokesman said: "Although both vessels have been damaged, there is no water ingress and no pollution."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 00:15:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Naim-Ul-Karim

DHAKA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A number of commemorative events were held in Bangladesh capital Dhaka on Saturday, one year after the country's most horrific terror attack when dozens of people were killed, mostly foreigners.

People of all strata of life paid tributes to the victims since Saturday morning.

Five gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery cafe in Dhaka's diplomatic area Gulshan on July 1, 2016.

They then brutally killed the hostages with guns and machetes, and used the victims' phones to publish images of the bodies on the social media.

Around 12 hours later, Bangladesh Army commandos stormed the restaurant. Five attackers were killed and one was arrested.

Two police officers were also killed in the attack.

To allow mourners to pay respects to the victims of the country's worst terrorist attack on its first anniversary, the cafe building was opened to the public on Saturday.

Mourners, including politicians and foreign diplomats gathered at the scene of the massacre, placed wreaths and prayed for the departed souls.

Also through many other programs friends and relatives commemorated the victims in Dhaka and elsewhere in the country.

Seventeen of the victims of the militant attack were foreign nationals. Nine victims were Italian and seven were Japanese.

Ruling Bangladesh Awami League party General Secretary Obaidul Quader after paying respects told journalists that militancy has not been totally wiped out from the country but it has been weakened.

He urged people to fight the sponsors of terrorism.

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) had then claimed responsibility for the Dhaka cafe attack. But Bangladeshi authorities rejected the claim, saying operatives of a banned local militant outfit plotted the attack to boast about their existence.

Neo-JMB, an offshoot of banned militant outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), is blamed for the attack.

Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, a Bangladeshi-Canadian, and Sarwar Jahan, identified as Neo JMB chief who was killed during a raid on Oct. 8 last year, have been blamed as the mastermind of the brutal attack.

Chowdhury was also killed in a police raid on Aug. 27 last year. Since the cafe attack, Bangladeshi police have conducted series of large-scale operations against militants, in which dozens of militants were killed.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 00:20:23|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, July 1 (Xinhua) -- China's summer transport peak period began Saturday, with a record-high number of passenger trips expected to be made by train this year.

The period runs from July 1 to August 31, when students on summer vacation have time to travel or return home.

A total of 598 million passenger trips are expected to be made by train during the 62-day period, rising by 49.7 million year on year, according to China Railway Corporation.

Railway authorities have put a new transport route plan into operation, which adds more trains at transport hubs and elevates average passenger capacity.

Under the new route plan, Beijing and the Yangtze River Delta cities Shanghai and Hangzhou, as well as Xuzhou, will open high-speed trains to the northwestern city of Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province during the summer peak period.

The Yangtze River Delta railway network is estimated to have 116 million passenger trips during the period, an increase of 9.2 percent from the same period last year.

Beijing will increase 32 pairs of trains to serve students and tourists during the travel peak, according to the Beijing Railway Bureau.

"Today is the first day of the summer transport period. We estimate the Beijing Railway Station will handle 210,000 outbound passenger trips on Saturday," said Wang Fan, an official in charge of passenger transport at the station.

Passengers can take bullet trains for the first time from Beijing to Xiongan New Area in neighboring Hebei Province next week, according to the China Railway Corporation.

High-speed trains become a popular choice for tourists.

"My children have begun their summer holidays. We will make a visit to Nanjing," said a woman surnamed Lu at the south railway station in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province. It was the first time for Lu to board a high-speed train.

In the southwestern Yunnan Province, high-speed trains are applied for this year's summer transport for the first time. In December, Yunnan opened high-speed trains bound for the eastern metropolis Shanghai and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region respectively.

Passengers who take high-speed trains to Yunnan will increase a lot this summer, according to the Kunming Railway Station.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 00:20:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DHAKA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Law enforcers in Bangladesh's Kushtia district, some 135 km west of capital Dhaka, have arrested three female militants along with suicide vests from a suspected militant den in a raid.

SM Mehedi Hasan, the district's police chief, told journalists that Tithi, spouse of Neo-JMB Ameer (president) Ayub Ali and Sumaiya, wife of second-in-command of Neo-JMB, were among the three militants who were arrested.

He said a joint team of police, Rapid Action Battalion and Detective Branch of police cordoned off a house in the district early Saturday.

As the joint team moved toward the house in the evening, a female militant, wearing a suicide vest, tried to attack the law enforcers, he said.

Law enforcers finally managed to detain the female before the vest went off, he added.

The raid came at a time when Bangladesh commemorates the country's most horrific terror attack in which dozens of people were killed, mostly foreigners on July 1, 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 01:05:37|Editor: ying

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HOUSTON, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-eight people were injured in a night club shooting incident early Saturday morning in Little Rock city, Arkansas.

Local police said all victims' conditions are stable.

The incident happened at the Power Ultra Lounge in Little Rock. The age of victims ranged from 16 to mid-20s.

The police said they believed it was not a terror-related incident, and appeared to be a dispute and they are still investigating the mass shooting incident.

The police is expected to release details of the incident at a press briefing Saturday afternoon.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 03:31:50|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SAN FRANCISCO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A group of scholars have written about a number of past "wicked problems" that confounded the society, economy, environment and politics in the United States.

Writing for a new book, just published by the Oregon State University Press, Robert Lackey, a fisheries biologist who has worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Oregon State University (OSU), tackles the issue of wild salmon recovery in the U.S. Pacific Northwest.

Lackey argues that the science and technology to restore wild salmon runs is available, but the solutions ultimately would be too restrictive and divisive to succeed. The billions of U.S. dollars spent on salmon recovery to make minute inroads into the solution might be considered "guilt money," he writes, noting that "it is money spent on activities not likely to achieve recovery of wild salmon, but it helps people feel better as they continue the behaviors and choices that preclude the recovery of wild salmon."

Another such issue in the book addresses the pros and cons of hydraulic fracturing, commonly referred to as "fracking." The process involves injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks, boreholes, etc., so as to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas. Written by Christopher Weible and Tanya Heikkila of the University of Colorado at Denver, the essay explores how professional expertise, personal values, and affiliation with different groups affects how people approach the issue, and how the process might be regulated.

By addressing these challenges and proposing problem-solving methodologies to tackle wicked problems, the scholars, together with their editors, hope to help guide the United States through its current era of political polarization and complex issues.

The essays were compiled into the book, titled "New Strategies for Wicked Problems: Science and Solutions in the 21st Century."

Editors Edward Weber, Denise Lach and Brent Steel of the School of Public Policy at OSU, explore whether there is need for a new social contract for scientists and policy implementation, arguing that plans to address issues are often rushed and lack sufficient time for implementation, and the timetable for addressing such issues rarely matches funding cycles. And in addition, leadership needs training, not only on issues, but on how to engage stakeholders and collaborate on processes.

"We also hope to energize the scholarly and practitioner-based conversations and real-world practices around these topics in ways that help leaders and stakeholders imagine new possibilities, conduct new experiments in implementation, and, ultimately, make even more progress in the ongoing, difficult battle against wicked problems and their less-than-desirable effects for society as a whole," they write in the concluding essay.

While expressing the hope to provide much-needed guidance to policymakers, citizens, public managers and other stakeholders, Marty Brown, marketing manager for the OSU Press, was quoted as claiming in a news release from the university this week that "the book will appeal to scholars, students and decision-makers wrestling with wicked problems and 'post-normal' science settings beyond simply environment and natural resource-based issues."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 04:27:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Peter Mertz

DENVER, the United States, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The hopes and prayers of water resource officials across America's West are vanishing in smoke as record wildfires and dry weather are contradicting predictions of drought relief.

"The state is on fire and we are not done with the drought, mark my word," Olivia Brown, a San Francisco resident, told Xinhua Friday, echoing words of dismay heard across the state.

Last week of June, from South Dakota to California, officials said the recent spate of wildfires across the West indicate the drought had not been quenched.

California could be in for a severe wildfire season, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein said Thursday, as firefighters worked to contain 13 major blazes in America's second largest state, occurring from the Oregon border to San Diego County.

Just two months ago, officials rejoiced that the devastating drought that began in 2011 was finally over.

"The state's reservoirs are fuller than their long term average," the University of California Davis Center for Watershed Sciences said in April.

A record snowpack in the high mountains from Colorado to California produced record flooding and late spring conditions across the region, and few thought drought conditions would return so quickly.

"Our community is conserving water like never before," Brown told Xinhua. "We don't believe the drought is over."

Indeed, organizations like the California Department of Water Resources cautioned last week, "although this year may be wet, dry conditions could return...we must be prepared for either flood or drought in any year."

In the western states of North Dakota, South Dakota and Montana. the federal government stepped in Friday, pledging to provide additional assistance for livestock producers dealing with the water shortage.

Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue authorized "emergency grazing" on Conservation Reserve Program lands in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

The order allows farmers to graze their herds on federal land to avoid starvation due to the lack of grass.

All or parts of these states are experiencing severe or extreme drought conditions.

Perdue, 70, was raised on a farm in Georgia and became governor in 2003, giving Republicans their first control of Georgia politics in 100 years.

"Due to reduced availability of forage, ranchers in the hardest hit locations have already been culling their herds," Perdue said.

"Without alternative forage options like grazing CRP lands, livestock producers are faced with the economically devastating potential of herd liquidation," Perdue said in a statement.

The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) noted, "unfortunately, the rain-producing systems (this spring) mostly missed parts of the Plains and much of the West."

NOAA officials said, "Drought and abnormal dryness are expanding or intensifying in parts of the northern and southern Plains and Southwest."

In California, former San Francisco mayor Feinstein said the increase in fires, despite the winter's heavy rains, were due to the recent severe heat wave that had dried out vegetation.

"Making matters worse, six years of drought has left us with more than 100 million dead trees," she said in a statement.

"Fires are burning hotter and faster...and have created a potentially catastrophic scenario in California that poses an increased risk not only to property but also the brave men and women fighting these fires," said Feinstein, a U.S. senator of 25 years.

Feinstein cited the increase in brush spawned by the winter's heavy rains, and the recent severe heat wave that dried out vegetation, as the primary cause of 30,000 acres (121.4 square kilometers) already charred in 2017.

California had "more fires and more acreage burned so far this year than the same time in 2016 - even though the latter was part of the drought," said Scott McLean, spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 04:27:04|Editor: ying

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KIGALI, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Rwandan President Paul Kagame urged African governments on Saturday to ease their restrictive movement of people and goods, saying the continent loses more than what it gains through protectionism.

Many trade facilitation efforts require little more than political will, said Kagame, who was speaking on the last day of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) meeting in Kigali, capital city of Rwanda.

He said trade depends on more than finance, and many trade facilitation efforts require little more than political will.

"We have examples in some regions where removal of barriers to trade has greatly improved the business environment. This needs to be shared widely across the continent so that Africans can reap the full benefits of integration," said Kagame.

He said Africa needs to be more resilient, in the face of consistent global shocks and increasing protectionism.

Although Africa's trade has witnessed remarkable growth, especially over the last two decades, rising from 210 billion U.S. dollars in 1996 to 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars in 2015, its share of global trade has barely changed, according to statistics from Rwanda's ministry of finance.

Governments and the private sector should make the most of possibilities offered by Afreximbank, Kagame said.

Speaking at a session dubbed "Path to a Continental Free Trade Area for Africa," Kagame said there is need for self-evaluation on the implementation of initiatives to promote intra-Africa trade.

Afreximbank would continue partnering in the continent's development through governments and private sector partners, said Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Afreximbank.

The Bank announced earlier that Rwanda would benefit from 500 million U.S. dollars funding credit line for various initiatives.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 04:27:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GENEVA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The new head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus from Ethiopia, took office on Saturday, succeeding Dr. Margaret Chan from Hong Kong who had held office since January 2007.

Dr. Tedros was elected the new WHO director-general at the 70th World Health Assembly in May, becoming the first African ever to head the UN health agency. It was also the first time that the WHO has chosen its top office among multiple candidates.

Prior to leading the WHO, Dr. Tedros served as Ethiopia's foreign minister from 2012 to 2016, during which he led the effort to negotiate the Addis Ababa Action Agenda that involved 193 countries committed to the financing necessary to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

He also served as the Ethiopian health minister from 2005 to 2012, leading a comprehensive health system reform in the country.

Dr. Tedros' international credit includes chairing the Board of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria; the Roll Back Malaria (RBM) Partnership Board; as well as co-chairing the Board of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 07:38:29|Editor: Song Lifang

FBI officers inspect the building the suspect lived in Champaign, Illinois, the United States, July 1, 2017. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) visiting Chinese scholar Zhang Yingying, who was kidnapped on June 9, is feared dead. FBI arrested 28-year-old Brendt Christensen Friday on criminal complaint that charges him for kidnapping Zhang on June 9, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, the United States, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) visiting Chinese scholar Zhang Yingying, who was kidnapped on June 9, is feared dead.

FBI arrested 28-year-old Brendt Christensen Friday on criminal complaint that charges him for kidnapping Zhang on June 9, 2017. Christensen was enrolled as a PhD candidate in experimental condensed matter physics by UIUC but it was not clear if he was still studying at the university when he was arrested.

The affidavit filed alleges that on June 9, Christensen was driving the black Saturn Astra as it stopped next to Zhang on the brink of UIUC campus at approximately 2:00 pm. Zhang was last seen on security camera video entering the front passenger side of the vehicle.

On June 29, agents overheard Christensen, who was under law enforcement surveillance, explaining that he kidnapped Zhang. Based on this and other facts uncovered during the investigation of this matter, law enforcement agents believe that Zhang is no longer alive.

Christensen will remain in law enforcement custody pending his initial federal court appearance in Urbana scheduled on Monday, July 3.

The three-storey building the suspect lived in is a bit far from the UIUC campus. Besides the building, there is a swimming pool, where people keep coming and going. The FBI, the University of Illinois Police Department officers were busy inspecting the building Saturday noon, blocking all other than residents of the building from getting in. The officers occasionally carried out some paper bags and put them in the cars.

A girl living in a neighboring building witnessed the arrest of Christensen at his home Friday evening. She said 10 to 15 police officers, carrying guns and leading dogs, stormed into the first-floor apartment, and took away the suspect.

Being advised of Christensen's arrest and the evidence in the possession of the FBI Friday night, Chinese Consul General in Chicago Hong Lei visited Zhang's family at Urbana-Champaign Saturday morning, sending condolences and offering support.

In an interview with Xinhua, Hong said "we are heartbroken (when hearing the news)," and that is also the feeling of all Chinese people that are concerned with the case. Hong condemned the brutality of the suspects, and urged U.S. judiciary to thoroughly investigate the case and bring the suspect to justice.

Chinese Government pays high attention to the case, and Chinese Embassy in the U.S. and Chinese Consulate in Chicago have kept negotiating with U.S. departments, in an effort to push for early finding of Zhang, Hong said.

Hong calls for fair trial of the case and continuous attention from the UIUC. "Yingying is a student at UIUC, and her safety is closely related to the university."

The most important concern of Zhang's family is still to find her. "We will push for continuous search of Yingying by the police, follow the case and offer help to Yingying's family in follow-up matters," Hong said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 07:43:34|Editor: ying

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SAN FRANCISCO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Researchers are using the Earth-bound Gemini North telescope to provide high-resolution images to help guide the Juno spacecraft's exploration of Jupiter.

"These observations trace vertical flows that cannot be measured any other way, illuminating the weather, climate and general circulation in Jupiter's atmosphere," Michael Wong of the University of California, Berkeley, said about his work to use a longer-wavelength filter on the telescope on Maunakea in Hawaii to look at cloud opacity on the giant planet.

Being supported by Earth-based observations, according to a news release from UC Berkeley on Saturday, the Juno spacecraft, of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), is currently looping around Jupiter.

Using adaptive optics that removes atmospheric blur, astronomers at the Gemini North telescope are revealing "a treasure-trove of fascinating events in Jupiter's atmosphere," said Glenn Orton, the principal investigator for this Gemini adaptive optics investigation and coordinator for Earth-based observations supporting the Juno project at Caltech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

The observations have produced a composite color infrared image of Jupiter showing haze particles over a range of altitudes.

"Events like this show that there's still much to learn about Jupiter's atmosphere," Orton was quoted as saying. "The combination of Earth-based and spacecraft observations is a powerful one-two punch in exploring Jupiter."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 07:43:35|Editor: ying

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SAN FRANCISCO, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A new clinical study indicates that molecular test can pinpoint which patients will have a very low risk of death from breast cancer and that these "ultralow" risk patients could be treated less aggressively, leading to fewer toxic effects.

The medical community has focused on identifying cancer early so that it can be cured or more easily treated. While this can benefit some patients, screening also can detect cancers that are extremely low risk and not life-threatening, which could lead to patients being overtreated. The issue is compounded because breast cancer can recur many years after diagnosis.

Until now, tools that could reliably identify ultralow risk tumors at the time of diagnosis have not been available because physicians lacked the assurance that late recurrence could truly be avoided.

Detailed in a paper published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association Oncology, or JAMA Oncology, the new study sought to determine whether a 70-gene test could accurately and reliably identify tumors with indolent, or slow-growing, behavior to assess the risk of cancer recurrence up to 20 years after diagnosis. The same test had shown last year that nearly half of early-stage breast cancer patients, who met traditional criteria for high risk, could safely skip chemotherapy based on the biological makeup of their tumors.

The test, called MammaPrint, was devised by University of California, San Francisco, cancer researcher Laura van't Veer, a co-author on the new study and co-leader of the breast oncology program at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (HDFCCC).

In the new analysis, the UCSF researchers collaborated with the Stockholm breast cancer study group (STO) in Sweden, to evaluate patients who have been tracked for decades and were part of a randomized clinical trial of tamoxifen vs no systemic therapy, and to find cancers with no- or almost no-risk for metastatic progression.

The STO-3 low-risk trial included 1,780 lymph-node-negative patients with tumors less than or equal to 3 centimeters in diameter, randomized to two years of adjuvant tamoxifen (40 mg daily) versus no adjuvant treatment. Adjuvant therapy is a treatment provided after the initial surgery or treatment, with the intent to suppress recurrent tumor formation.

All the women had tumors detected in the era prior to the use of screening mammography, and had their tumors surgically removed. The researchers used the removed tissues to profile a total of 652 women, of whom 311 had received tamoxifen, and 339 had not received adjuvant systemic therapy.

The multigene test classified 42 percent of the patients as high-risk, and 58 percent as low-risk. The researchers found that low-risk patients had a 95 percent survival rate at 5 years, but many later died from their disease. The test classified 15 percent (98) of the cases as ultralow risk, showing that such tumors are an inherent part of the spectrum of breast cancers, even in the era before screening.

However, according to the authors of the study, not all low-risk tumors were ultralow risk. In fact, only a quarter met the molecular definition. The women with ultralow risk tumors had an excellent prognosis, whether or not they used tamoxifen for two years.

"There are breast cancers that pose little or no systemic risk," lead author Laura J. Esserman, a breast cancer specialist and surgeon with University of California Health System, or UC Health, was quoted as saying in a news release from UCSF. "Women who have a tumor that is classified as ultralow risk by 70-gene signature can be reassured that their long-term outcome is expected to be excellent, with or without endocrine therapy."

"This is an important step forward for personalizing care for women with breast cancer," noted Esserman.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 07:58:38|Editor: ying

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LIMA, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Peru celebrated on Saturday the incorporation of Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore as associated countries of the Pacific Alliance.

Peru's foreign minister, Ricardo Luna, told news network RPP that negotiations would soon begin to allow these countries to join as associated members of the commercial mechanisms of the Alliance, made up of Colombia, Chile, Mexico and Peru.

"The main step is that we have established the conditions for high-quality agreements with countries outside the region, countries which are more developed," expressed the foreign minister, stating that talks would begin in Lima on Sept. 5 and 6.

Luna highlighted that the Pacific Alliance now has over 50 countries as observers, which have manifested their wish to join the regional integration process.

He concluded that the inclusion of countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Singapore marks a new step as they have achieved high levels of economic and social development.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 08:03:38|Editor: ying

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CARACAS, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Venezuela's prosecutor-general confirmed on Saturday that three more people died during anti-government protests on Friday in the western state of Lara.

In a statement, it announced the deaths of Fernando Rojas (49), Jose Gregorio Mendoza (44) and Ramses Martinez (20), bringing the total number of deaths since protests broke out in April to 85.

On Friday, the prosecutor-general also announced the death of Ruben Morillo, who was shot dead in Barquisimeto, the capital of Lara. A national guard officer and another civilian were also injured.

Opposition protests led by the Democratic Unity Roundtable (MUD) began more than three months ago in Venezuela, moved by demands for early general elections and an ending to a government plan to rewrite the country's constitution.

The MUD has denounced the authorities' "brutal repression" of protests, pointing to excessive force by the police and army, which has killed and wounded protesters.

On Friday, a group of 20 students was allegedly arrested by the police in Caracas and kept locked up in an unmarked vehicle without ventilation.

However, the government of President Nicolas Maduro has accused the MUD of promoting violence by hiring violent gangs to commit crimes and destabilize the country.
FBI and University of Illinois Police Department officers were busy inspecting the building, in which the suspect lived in Campaign, Illinois, the United States, July 1, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, the United States, July 1 (Xinhua) -- The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) visiting Chinese scholar Zhang Yingying, who was kidnapped on June 9, is feared dead.

FBI arrested 28-year-old Brendt Christensen Friday on criminal complaint that charges him for kidnapping Zhang on June 9, 2017. Christensen was enrolled as a PhD candidate in experimental condensed matter physics by UIUC but it was not clear if he was still studying at the university when he was arrested.

The affidavit filed alleges that on June 9, Christensen was driving the black Saturn Astra as it stopped next to Zhang on the brink of UIUC campus at approximately 2:00 pm. Zhang was last seen on security camera video entering the front passenger side of the vehicle.

On June 29, agents overheard Christensen, who was under law enforcement surveillance, explaining that he kidnapped Zhang. Based on this and other facts uncovered during the investigation of this matter, law enforcement agents believe that Zhang is no longer alive.

Christensen will remain in law enforcement custody pending his initial federal court appearance in Urbana scheduled on Monday, July 3.

FBI and University of Illinois Police Department officers were busy inspecting the building, in which the suspect lived in Campaign, Illinois, the United States, July 1, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

The three-storey building the suspect lived in is a bit far from the UIUC campus. Besides the building, there is a swimming pool, where people keep coming and going. The FBI, the University of Illinois Police Department officers were busy inspecting the building Saturday noon, blocking all other than residents of the building from getting in. The officers occasionally carried out some paper bags and put them in the cars.

A girl living in a neighboring building witnessed the arrest of Christensen at his home Friday evening. She said 10 to 15 police officers, carrying guns and leading dogs, stormed into the first-floor apartment, and took away the suspect.

Chinese Consul General in Chicago Hong Lei visited Zhang's family at Urbana-Champaign Saturday morning, offering support. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Being advised of Christensen's arrest and the evidence in the possession of the FBI Friday night, Chinese Consul General in Chicago Hong Lei visited Zhang's family at Urbana-Champaign Saturday morning, sending condolences and offering support.

In an interview with Xinhua, Hong said "we are heartbroken (when hearing the news)," and that is also the feeling of all Chinese people that are concerned with the case. Hong condemned the brutality of the suspects, and urged U.S. judiciary to thoroughly investigate the case and bring the suspect to justice.

Chinese Government pays high attention to the case, and Chinese Embassy in the U.S. and Chinese Consulate in Chicago have kept negotiating with U.S. departments, in an effort to push for early finding of Zhang, Hong said.

Chinese Consul General in Chicago Hong Lei calls for fair trial of the case and continuous attention from the UIUC, July 1, 2017. (Xinhua/Wang Ping)

Hong calls for fair trial of the case and continuous attention from the UIUC. "Yingying is a student at UIUC, and her safety is closely related to the university."

The most important concern of Zhang's family is still to find her. "We will push for continuous search of Yingying by the police, follow the case and offer help to Yingying's family in follow-up matters," Hong said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 09:54:44|Editor: ying

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MEXICO CITY, July 1 (Xinhua) -- A shootout between police and gunmen in the northern Mexican state of Sinaloa on Friday evening left 19 gang members dead and five policemen injured, three severely.

Cristobal Castaneda, Sinaloa's undersecretary for public security, told a press conference on Saturday that on Friday evening, a group of armed men attacked a police convoy near the town of Villa Union, after they had already shot dead two members of a rival gang.

The police responded to the attack and began a car chase to arrest the gang members who were aboard four vehicles.

The chase ended in Aguaje de Castilla, 8 km from Villa Union, when the vehicles were caught and 19 gang members were shot dead. The shootout also left five police officers wounded, three of them severely, Castaneda said.

The police also seized around 20 weapons as well as the vehicles, he added.

Police patrols are active around the area to guarantee security for the local population.

Sinaloa's prosecutor-general said on Saturday that an investigation had been opened into the shootout.

Sinaloa is one of Mexico's most violent states, and is the birthplace of the eponymous Sinaloa Cartel, led by Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera.

However, since Guzman was captured and extradited to the United States, violence has been on the rise in Sinaloa as drug gangs compete to take over the territory he left behind.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 10:14:50|Editor: ying

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YANGON, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The Myanmar security forces has been put on high alert in Maungtaw, northern Rakhine state, following spate of killings by armed men and fear of fresh attacks, official report said on Sunday.

In the past two weeks, six civilians have been murdered and two have gone missing or been abducted.

The incidents have prompted nearly 200 Rakhine Buddhist villagers to flee the area.

Security has been tightened near villages in Maungtaw with Rakhine state Minister for Security and Border Affairs Colonel Htein Lin calling for public cooperation for security.

He pledged that the security forces will quickly respond to the emergency situation.

According to a statement of the national security adviser on the security situation in the state released late Saturday, the military has found increasing evidence of extreme activities in recent weeks with tunnels, guns and a terrorist training camp being uncovered in Bhthidaung-Maungtaw area's Mayu Mountain.

Three armed attackers were killed during the area clearance operation by the security forces on Tuesday.

Tension has been escalated in the northern state, especially after last year's Oct. 9 violent attacks by armed men on three border outposts in Maungtaw.

The statement said that during the period from October last year to June 26 this year, a total of 38 civilians had been murdered in Maungtaw area with 22 others missing or abducted, including four community leaders.

It pledged continuation to assess the security situation and take appropriate actions which are necessary to secure long-term stability and peace in the region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 12:20:43|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Concerns over a rising China have, to some extent, spiraled into a kind of "strategic anxiety" regarding the country among some Indian politicians.

Their misleading, unfounded "China-phobia," however, might lead to strategic myopia and hurt India's own interests.

Harboring suspicion and apprehension toward China's intention, India has recently decided to stay away from the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative, citing sovereignty concerns as its main reason.

The reason raised by India may be understandable, but staying away from the initiative is not the best choice New Delhi could have made.

It could have voiced its concerns and opinions on public occasions or in official statements as China is always willing to discuss all problems and possibilities with India on the basis of mutual benefits.

Actually, as Chinese officials have stressed on many occasions, the initiative, aimed at promoting economic cooperation and connectivity, has no connection with or impact on sovereignty issues.

Though proposed by China, the Belt and Road is not a "Chinese project." It is a multilateral initiative, with win-win results at its core.

As many experts and analysts have pointed out, the Belt and Road provides a monumental opportunity for the win-win cooperation between India and China, which are quite complementary economically.

The opportunity will not only help the two nations build political trust and boost their economic growth, but also reduce the risks of instability worldwide.

India, due to its geographical location and the size of its economy, could potentially be the biggest recipient of Chinese investment from the initiative to boost trade by building infrastructure linking Asia with Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

While bearing in mind its sovereignty concerns, the Indian government should also have a holistic perspective and see the bigger picture: the initiative will benefit South Asian countries, including India, in the long run, and it is in India's own vital and long-term national interests to join the initiative and become an important player in it.

Despite its strategic discomfort, it is important for India to get over its "China anxiety" and carefully assess the initiative, recognize its potential benefits and seize the opportunities.

Instead of being rivals, the two countries, both of which are ancient civilizations endowed with a rich history, could become cooperative partners.

Just as Liu Jinsong, deputy chief of mission of the Chinese Embassy in India, said in April, the sky and ocean of Asia are big enough for the dragon and elephant (China and India) to dance together, which will bring about a true Asian Age.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 13:10:51|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese naval formation including aircraft carrier Liaoning will visit Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in early July in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) being stationed in HKSAR.

Liang Yang, spokesperson for the PLA Navy, said Sunday that the flotilla will also consist of guided-missile destroyers, missile frigates, J-15 fighter jets, and helicopters.

Officers and soldiers will attend various exchanges and activities with Hong Kong residents and the PLA Garrison in the HKSAR, and the warships will be open for the public to visit, Liang said.

The visit will help increase Hong Kong residents' understanding of achievements made in national defense and army building, especially naval building, Liang said.

The PLA Hong Kong Garrison has been responsible for the defense of Hong Kong since its return to the motherland in 1997.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 13:25:52|Editor: ying

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CANBERRA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The cost of air travel will continue to plummet as passenger numbers grow, an Australian expert has forecast on Sunday.

Lyell Strambi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Melbourne Airport, said airport investment in infrastructure such as automated terminals was pushing down the cost for airlines.

"If you look at air travel pricing over the long run we'll see the prices continually come down, and airports are part of that story," Strambi told Australian media on the 20th anniversary of the privatization of the Melbourne Airport.

"For us to be successful, we need airlines to be successful," he said.

"For airlines to be successful they need to be driving cheaper and cheaper fares for their customers for the given level of quality they want to achieve.

"The traveler yields the benefit for that with lower fares."

The number of annual passengers using the Melbourne Airport has more than doubled from 14 million in 1997 to 35 million in 2017, a trend that Strambi expects to continue.

He said the airport was in the early stages of planning a fifth terminal to combat the rapid growth.

"If you think about the demand for the airport growing or doubling over the next 20 years, then clearly more terminal facilities are going to be required," he said.

Strambi said the group managing the airport had to remain vigilant and constantly review its security procedures over the 20 years.

Melbourne Airport went through one of its biggest security threats to date in May when a Malaysian Airlines flight was forced to turn back to Melbourne after a man on board tried to enter the cockpit with what he claimed was a bomb.

Police were able to board the plane after it landed and arrested the man with the device turning out to be a harmless speaker.

"The thing we have to remember with the Malaysia Airlines scare was that the security system actually did work, there was no device that got on to the aircraft that shouldn't have got on to the aircraft," Strambi said.

"We do know that the terrorist threat is ever evolving and ever changing, and we work incredibly closely with the Department of Transport Safety to make sure we're up with the latest trends and requirements." E
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 13:40:58|Editor: ying

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KABUL, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Militants loyal to Islamic State (IS) have beheaded 10 fighters from the rival Taliban group in the northern Jawzjan province, a local newspaper the Daily Weesa reported on Sunday.

The IS fighters, according to the newspaper, captured Aqbalaq village in Darzab district on Wednesday and arrested 10 Taliban fighters and beheaded them on Friday.

Both the Taliban and IS militants have been fighting for consolidating positions in parts of Darzab district over the past several weeks.

Neither Taliban nor IS group has made comment on the report.

The rival Taliban and IS group have fought for control of territory in parts of the war-battered country over the past two years.

Darzab district and some isolated parts of Jowzjan province with Sheberghan as its capital, 390 km north of Kabul, have been the scene of Taliban and IS activities over the past more than one year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 14:41:05|Editor: ying

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NEW DELHI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A local leader from the ruling Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) has been arrested in eastern Indian state of Jharkhand over last week's mob lynching of a Muslim man allegedly for transporting beef in his car, police said Sunday.

"The leader identified as Nityanand Mahto, the media in charge of BJP's Ramgarh unit, was detained by the police along with two others yesterday," a police official said.

On Thursday Alimuddin, also known as Asgar Ansari, was lynched in Ramgarh district, about 48 km north of Ranchi, the capital city of Jharkhand.

The mob stopped Ansari's car and brutally attacked him on rumors that he was transporting beef.

A senior police officer, R.K. Mullik told media his men immediately reached the spot to save the victim but he succumbed on way to hospital.

"It's premeditated murder," Mullik said. "We have identified 10 people involved in this attack."

According to police, Mahto instigated the mob.

Reports said a video of the incident shows the BJP local leader presented at the spot, dragging Ansari out of the van and then watching the mob thrashing him mercilessly.

The lynching in Ramgarh came hours after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the killing of people by cow vigilantes was unacceptable.

"Killing people in the name of Gau Bhakti (devotion towards cows) is not acceptable," Modi said, "No person in this nation has the right to take the law in his or her own hands."

This was second such attack in the Jharkhand.

On Tuesday in Giridih district, a Muslim dairy farmer was brutally assaulted and his house was set ablaze after carcass of a cow was found near his door.

On Wednesday thousands of people gathered in various Indian cities to protest the rising attacks on Muslims by Hindu vigilante cow protection groups.

Majority of Hindus consider cow to be sacred, and its slaughtering is banned in most Indian states. To defend cows, groups under the patronage of rightwing Hindu organizations have come up in rural areas of India to protect them and stop sale of beef. The groups routinely check vehicles and often beat up cattle traders.

Cow slaughtering is a sensitive issue in India and sometimes flares up communal passions.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 14:56:08|Editor: ying

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MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Thirteen pro-government militiamen were killed following a Taliban ambush attack in Afghanistan's northern province of Balkh, a provincial government spokesman said on Sunday.

"Taliban gunmen attacked a local mosque named Masjed-e-Safad in a remote village of Chimtal district late on Saturday, killing 13 members of tribal militias, known as local uprising groups," spokesman Farhad Munir told Xinhua.

The attackers were disguised in military uniform and the mosque was also damaged after the shootings, according to local residents.

Taliban militants claimed responsibility for the attack.

The Taliban-led insurgency has been rampant since late April when the militant group launched its annual rebel offensive in different places of the country, which had claimed hundreds of lives including militants, security personnel and civilians.

They urged civilians to stay away from official gatherings, military convoys and centers regarded as the targets by militants besides warning people not to support the government.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 15:36:26|Editor: Song Lifang

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KHULM, Afghanistan, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The son of owner of an Afghan private airline was mysteriously killed in the northern Balk province on Sunday, a spokesman of the provincial police said.

According to spokesman Shir Jan Durani, Kambiz Kamgar, son of Zamarai Kamgar who is the owner of Kam Air airline company, went for hunting in Khulm district and was killed Sunday morning.

The spokesman said an investigation has been initiated into the case and the outcome would be made public.
Source: CNTV| 2017-07-02 15:45:50|Editor: An

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By Han Xu, Director of Institute of Political Science and Political System, Chinese Academy of Social Science; Cartoon drawing by Liao Tingting

On June 29, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC (Communist Party of China) Central Committee, also President of the PRC (Peoples Republic of China) and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, arrived in Hong Kong and delivered a glowing speech at the airport.

He expressed his good wishes to Hong Kong people. Xi said he has three objectives for his Hong Kong tour: To express wishes, embody support and plan for the future. He's willing to join people from all walks of life in Hong Kong to review the SAR's extraordinary 20-year journey, sum up its experience and plan the future to ensure the smooth and long-term successful implementation of the "One Country, Two Systems" policy.

In the afternoon, Xi met Leung Chun-ying, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and heads of the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary of HKSAR, and attended the signing ceremony of Collaborative Agreement on Development of the Hong Kong Palace Museum.

Xi's speech is inspiring; the statement, "Hong Kong's development has always pulled at my heartstrings" moved millions of people. From "wishes" to "support", and to "plan for the future", Xi's speech sent a clear signal: the central government shows great care for Hong Kong.

In the five years since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Xi on many occasions has expressed concern over Hong Kong's economy and the lives of Hong Kong people; his encouragement has inspired the Hong Kong people's spirit.

The central government has issued a series of successive favorable policies for Hong Kong in the past five years, creating real development opportunities and broad space for its development.

All the kindness and solicitude from the central government could even warm up Hong Kong.

Xi's visit will inject new energy to promote the cause of "One Country, Two Systems" and long-term prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. It will be a new monument in the developing process of HKSAR.

(The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Panview or CCTV.com)

(Source: CNTV.com)
Triple car bombings kill 8 and wound 12 others on July 2 in Syria's capital Damascus. (Xinhua/Hummam)

DAMASCUS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and 12 others wounded when three cars went off in the capital Damascus on Sunday morning, a military source told Xinhua.

The residents of Damascus woke up Sunday to the rattling sound of three explosions, which later turned out to be carried out by three suicide cars.

The authorities were hunting down the cars, before two cars exploded near the airport road at the entrance of Damascus before reaching their targets inside the city, while the third one escaped and went off at the Tahrir Square in eastern Damascus.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that the terrorists had aimed to detonate the cars in the capital's crowded areas, as people were back to work after a week-long holiday of Eid al-Fitr Feast.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 15:56:27|Editor: An

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BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Overseas experts and scholars have lauded Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, highlighting the concept of "One Country, Two Systems" as a guarantee for Hong Kong's bright future.

In the speech delivered at a meeting in Hong Kong on Saturday celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the fifth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Xi reviewed the success and inspiration the "One Country, Two Systems" concept has brought, while envisioning a brighter prospect for Hong Kong with proposals to further and fully apply the concept.

Xi said the concept "offers a new way of thinking and a new formula to the international community in addressing similar issues. It is another contribution made by the Chinese nation to promoting global peace and development. And it embodies the Chinese vision which values openness and inclusiveness."

"What has happened in Hong Kong fully demonstrates that the concept of 'One Country, Two Systems' provides the best solution to the historical question of Hong Kong and the best institutional arrangement to ensure Hong Kong's long-term prosperity and stability after its return," Xi noted.

In response, experts and scholars from around the world echoed Xi's statements, hailing the application of the unprecedented concept as a success recognized by all.

Bambang Suryono, an Indonesian scholar and president of the Jakarta-based think tank Nanyang ASEAN Foundation, said Xi's speech is of great strategic significance to Hong Kong with reaffirmation of the concept's crucial role.

"Xi's remarks determine the guidelines for Hong Kong's future development," he said.

Mauricio Santoro, a professor of international relations at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, said Hong Kong has gained more advantages after its return to China due to support from the Central Government, and that successful practice makes the policy of "One Country, Two Systems" "an example that other countries can follow."

Assuring a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong, "the concept of 'One country, Two systems' can serve as a model solution for historical issues," Italian geopolitics expert Fabrizio Franciosi said.

In his opinion, Alexander Ershov, research fellow at the Far East Division of the Russian Academy of Sciences, thinks the policy has been "hugely effective," which "ensures smooth institutional alignment and autonomy for Hong Kong of a higher degree than before its return."

He also said Hong Kong has greatly benefited from its return to China, because the rapid economic growth in China "enables its access to more financing channels and human resources, which leads to its development in a size incomparable for its past."

Ershov believes that with its high level of autonomy in addition to favorable environment for development, Hong Kong can accomplish win-win cooperation with the mainland.

Fengxiang Qiao, professor at the Texas Southern University, thinks the guidelines of "One Country, Two Systems" and "Hong Kong people governing Hong Kong" "provide a favorable and huge platform for Hong Kong."

"Thanks to the strong backing of the mainland, Hong Kong has seen since its return political stability, improved well-being," and full protection of the interests of Hong Kong people, he said.

Qiao said Hong Kong should continue the institutional arrangement of "One Country, Two Systems", and take good advantage of the rapid growth in the mainland, to make itself an active part of China's economic success.

In the Saturday speech, Xi also expressed the belief that the practice of "One Country, Two Systems" in Hong Kong will write a new chapter and create new splendor.

"Hong Kong has the strong backing of the great motherland and the strong support of the Central Government and the people of the mainland. Hong Kong has gained a wealth of experience over the past 20 years since its return; it has a solid foundation for achieving further development, and it enjoys the concerted dedication of the HKSAR government and people in all the sectors," he said.

Nadiya Helmy, professor of political sciences at the Beni Suef University of Egypt, stresses continued commitment to the guideline of "One country, Two systems" as a guarantee for improving Hong Kong people's well-being.

Hong Kong's present and future are shaped by it, said Helmy, who also voiced the belief that Hong Kong people is insightful enough to make right choices.

The concept of "One Country, Two Systems" renders unprecedented development opportunities to Hong Kong, for which growth remains a top priority, said Keith Bennett, vice chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club, an independent business network committed to promoting relations between Britain and China.

The mainland's huge market serves as a guarantee for Hong Kong's growth and prosperity, he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 16:31:38|Editor: Song Lifang

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JERUSALEM, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Former Israeli-Arab lawmaker Basel Ghattas started on Sunday to serve his 24-month sentence in jail for smuggling mobile phones to Palestinian prisoners in an Israeli jail.

In Arab and Hebrew statements to the press outside the Gilboa prison in the northern district, Ghattas said he entered jail "proud, with my head up and with a real public support of my people."

Ghattas, a lawmaker with the Arab-Jewish Joint List party, vowed to continue his political activity after his release. "I will continue to defend the prisoners' rights and bring their case to the public attention," he said.

A few dozen families and friends accompanied him until the prison gate, chanting "freedom to Palestine" and singing "my country, my land, my soul."

On April 9, the Beersheba Magistrate's Court accepted a deal reached between Ghattas and the State Attorney's Office, in which he was convicted of delivering means that could be used to carry out an act of terror. He was also convicted of fraud and breach of trust.

According to the court's rule, Ghattas smuggled into the Ktzi'ot Prison in the Negev Desert a dozen of mobile phones, 16 SIM cards, two charges, and an earphone.

He delivered the gear to Walid Daka, who serves a 31-year sentence for killing an Israel Defense Forces soldier.

His conviction came after the Knesset (parliament) voted to revoke his parliamentary immunity, allowing his indictment.

Ghattas was a legislator with Balad, an Arab nationalist party that frequently challenges the Israeli establishment over Palestinian issues.

Israel's Arab minority constitutes around a fifth of the population.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 16:36:41|Editor: Song Lifang

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JAKARTA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Ten visitors were wounded by a phreatic eruption of a volcano in Central Java province of western Indonesia on Sunday, two senior officials said.

Head of National Volcanology Agency Kasbani told Xinhua that the eruption took place at about 12:00 a.m. Jakarta time (0500 GMT), spewing ash by up to 50 meters to the sky and emitting cold lava.

The agency has banned visitors from entering the Seleri crater, one of the ten craters in the Dieng volcano area, by a radius of 100 meters from the crater as volcanologists observed a hike in the accumulation of steam, said Kasbani.

"The tourists were already in the area of 15 meters from the Seleri crater today (Sunday) when the eruption occurred," he told Xinhua by phone.

Spokeman of the national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said that the eruption injured 10 visitors.

The injured visitors have been rushed to a nearby health clinic for medical treatment.
Photo taken on Sept. 7, 2013 shows the traffic accident site in Russia's northeastern Pskov state. Nine people, including one child, were killed and 22 others injured in a bus crash in Russia's Pskov state, the local emergency ministry said on Saturday. (Xinhua/RIA)

MOSCOW, July 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 13 people were killed and 15 others injured when a bus collided with a truck near the city of Zainsk in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan in west-central Russia, the regional health ministry said Sunday.

The passenger bus with 28 people on board overturned and caught fire after colliding with the truck on a highway connecting the cities of Samara and Izhevsk at about 00:40 local time on Sunday (21:40 GMT on Saturday), reports said.

"Thirteen people died at the scene of the road accident, including two children," a spokesman for Tatarstan's Health Ministry was quoted by Russia's Sputnik news agency as saying.

The injured people have been sent to a nearby hospital for treatment, the spokesman added.

Investigations have been underway, reports said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 17:11:46|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Russia is expected to inject fresh driving force into China-Russia relations and further deepen political mutual trust between the two countries.

At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi is to pay a state visit to Russia from Monday to Tuesday.

The visit will be Xi's sixth to Russia since taking office in 2013 and will also be the 21st time to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It will also mark the third meeting between the Chinese and Russia heads of state this year.

The following are recent statements made by senior officials and experts from both countries with respect to the upcoming Russia visit by Xi, which reflects how they view the significance of the great event.

"This visit is of great significance," especially at a time when global economic recovery is still sluggish and international situation is complex and volatile, said Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui.

Li said that Xi's visit to Russia will surely "inject new impetus to the development of bilateral relations" and provide new programs for regional economic integration.

"The comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Russia has been developing stably, sustainably and at a high level," said the ambassador.

In dealing with international affairs, China and Russia have strengthened strategic cooperation and have played their due role as major countries, said Li, noting that they have been jointly pushing for a political settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and the Syrian issue.

The two countries, he pointed out, serve as a ballast for regional and global peace and stability.

It is a strategic choice for China and Russia to strengthen their relations since it is in line with the core interests of both countries and their peoples, said Li.

"No matter how the international environment changes, we should make all-out efforts to maintain and improve bilateral relations," said the ambassador.

Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Li Huilai said at a press conference on Thursday that Xi's visit to Russia is expected to boost high-level development of bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to new heights, and contribute to regional and global peace and prosperity.

China has been Russia's largest trading partner for six years and Russia has been a major source for China to import energy and high-tech products.

According to China's General Administration of Customs, China-Russia trade grew 33.7 percent in the first five months this year to 223.1 billion yuan (about 32.8 billion U.S. dollars).

"Given the dynamics of trade development, the goal for the immediate future of 80 billion dollars, in my opinion, is definitely complicated, but realistic," Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin said, talking about prospects for the development of annual trade between Russia and China.

"I'm convinced that the forthcoming visit of President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping to Russia in July will give an additional impetus to cooperation in various fields and will allow us to come closer to the goal of bringing mutual trade to 200 billion dollars by 2020," Oreshkin said.

"The close working relationship between the two heads of states and their personal friendship have become a 'locomotive' in the development of bilateral relations between China and Russia," said Chen Yurong, a senior researcher in Eurasian studies at the China Institute of International Studies.

"They can exchange views on almost everything, which reflects the high level of political trust between the two countries," Chen said.

In addition, vast opportunities are seen in the pairing of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which is also on the agenda of the upcoming talks between the two heads of state.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last month that work is steadily progressing in bringing together the two initiatives closer.

Earlier this month, Putin also expressed confidence in the prospects of connecting the two development plans, something he hopes will start a new stage of cooperation in Eurasia and beyond.

"I have no doubt that we will work together and this work will be effective and beneficial for the Chinese and Russian peoples as well as the global economy," Putin said.

The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, consists of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. It aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

The EAEU comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, with an aim of encouraging regional economic integration through the free movement of goods, services and people within the union.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 17:31:49|Editor: Yamei

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PYONGYANG, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Sunday denounced South Korean President Moon Jae-in for displaying "sycophancy and submission" to the United States during his visit to Washington last week.

The official daily Rodong Sinmum said in a commentary that the new South Korean government "suffered mental pressure from the U.S. even before taking office and went without principle."

"South Korean authorities revealed their miserable appearance seized with sycophancy and submission to the U.S. occasioned by the chief executive's first junket to the U.S.," said the daily in the first response to Moon's trip to the United States by DPRK official media.

"Now their behavior raises doubt as to whether the pro-U.S. regime really ended," said the commentary in reference to the former South Korean government under President Park Geun-hye.

Moon and U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to strengthen military alliance between Seoul and Washington during talks last Thursday. They also agreed upon imposing stronger sanctions against DPRK over its nuclear and missile programs.

"Tragedy is that no matter how loudly they talk about the 'alliance' with the U.S., the latter regards them as a mere puppet and colonial servant," said the official daily of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

In an article published earlier, Rodong Sinmum accused South Korea's new Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha of "going reckless" in making anti-DPRK remarks.

Kang said after taking office that the DPRK's nuclear issue is "the top priority task" of the new South Korean government and called for "international cooperation for checking the north from modernizing nuclear and missile capabilities."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 17:36:51|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- China's securities regulator has handed out more fines in the first half of this year to punish market violations amid tightened financial supervision.

In the first half of 2017, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) has given fines totalling 6.36 billion yuan (about 938.8 million U.S. dollars), up 149 percent year on year, the CSRC said on its website.

A total of 30 people were suspended from securities businesses in the first half, almost on par with the number of the whole year of 2016, the regulator said.

During the period, the CSRC has dealt with 24 cases of violations in information disclosure, 24 cases of insider trading, and 14 cases of market manipulation.

"Supervision and law enforcement apply to all fields, all links of businesses, and all market players. There is no blind spot in the net of justice, and for criminals, there is nowhere to hide," the CSRC said in a statement.

The CSRC has been toughening supervision and punishment of illegal market activities as the country stepped up crackdown on financial risks this year.

Financial regulators have rolled out a string of tightening measures targeting shadow banking and other undesirable practices.
How do officials, experts view Xi's upcoming visit to Russia? Xinhua Weibo Facebook Twitter Reddit Diigo Delicious Digg Linkedin MySpace Sina Weibo Kaixin Renren Q-zone Tencent Weibo Sohu Weibo NetEase Weibo Source: Xinhua | 2017-07-02 17:51:56 | Editor: huaxia Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is here for the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, May 14, 2017. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin) Chinese President Xi Jinping's upcoming visit to Russia is expected to inject fresh driving force into China-Russia relations and further deepen political mutual trust between the two countries. At the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Xi is to pay a state visit to Russia from Monday to Tuesday. The visit will be Xi's sixth to Russia since taking office in 2013 and will also be the 21st time to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It will also mark the third meeting between the Chinese and Russia heads of state this year. The following are recent statements made by senior officials and experts from both countries with respect to the upcoming Russia visit by Xi, which reflects how they view the significance of the great event. "This visit is of great significance," especially at a time when global economic recovery is still sluggish and international situation is complex and volatile, said Chinese Ambassador to Russia Li Hui. Li said that Xi's visit to Russia will surely "inject new impetus to the development of bilateral relations" and provide new programs for regional economic integration. "The comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between China and Russia has been developing stably, sustainably and at a high level," said the ambassador. In dealing with international affairs, China and Russia have strengthened strategic cooperation and have played their due role as major countries, said Li, noting that they have been jointly pushing for a political settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue and the Syrian issue. The two countries, he pointed out, serve as a ballast for regional and global peace and stability. It is a strategic choice for China and Russia to strengthen their relations since it is in line with the core interests of both countries and their peoples, said Li. "No matter how the international environment changes, we should make all-out efforts to maintain and improve bilateral relations," said the ambassador. Chinese President Xi Jinping (2nd L) takes a walk with Russian President Vladimir Putin (2nd R), who is here for the Belt and Road Forum (BRF) for International Cooperation, after their meeting at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, May 14, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Tao) Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Li Huilai said at a press conference on Thursday that Xi's visit to Russia is expected to boost high-level development of bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership to new heights, and contribute to regional and global peace and prosperity. China has been Russia's largest trading partner for six years and Russia has been a major source for China to import energy and high-tech products. According to China's General Administration of Customs, China-Russia trade grew 33.7 percent in the first five months this year to 223.1 billion yuan (about 32.8 billion U.S. dollars). "Given the dynamics of trade development, the goal for the immediate future of 80 billion dollars, in my opinion, is definitely complicated, but realistic," Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin said, talking about prospects for the development of annual trade between Russia and China. "I'm convinced that the forthcoming visit of President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping to Russia in July will give an additional impetus to cooperation in various fields and will allow us to come closer to the goal of bringing mutual trade to 200 billion dollars by 2020," Oreshkin said. Picture taken on Oct. 31, 2016 shows an aerial view of the Lomonosov Moscow State University in Moscow, capital of Russia. (Xinhua/Bai Xueqi) "The close working relationship between the two heads of states and their personal friendship have become a 'locomotive' in the development of bilateral relations between China and Russia," said Chen Yurong, a senior researcher in Eurasian studies at the China Institute of International Studies. "They can exchange views on almost everything, which reflects the high level of political trust between the two countries," Chen said. In addition, vast opportunities are seen in the pairing of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), which is also on the agenda of the upcoming talks between the two heads of state. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said last month that work is steadily progressing in bringing together the two initiatives closer. Earlier this month, Putin also expressed confidence in the prospects of connecting the two development plans, something he hopes will start a new stage of cooperation in Eurasia and beyond. "I have no doubt that we will work together and this work will be effective and beneficial for the Chinese and Russian peoples as well as the global economy," Putin said. The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, consists of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. It aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes. The EAEU comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, with an aim of encouraging regional economic integration through the free movement of goods, services and people within the union. Xinhua Weibo Facebook Twitter Reddit Diigo Delicious Digg Linkedin MySpace Sina Weibo Kaixin Renren Q-zone Tencent Weibo Sohu Weibo NetEase Weibo Back to Top Close
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 18:11:59|Editor: Song Lifang

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DAMASCUS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed and 20 others wounded when three car bomb attacks hit Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday morning, a military source told Xinhua.

The residents of Damascus woke up Sunday to the rattling sound of three explosions, which later turned out to be carried out by three suicide cars.

The authorities suspected the cars and hunted them down, when two cars exploded near the airport road at the entrance of Damascus before reaching their targets inside the city, while the third one escaped and exploded at the Ghadir roundabout near the Tahrir Square in eastern Damascus.

The victims were reported in the third blast in Tahrir Square, where 56 cars were damaged as well as the facades of three residential buildings.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Xinhua that the terrorists had aimed to detonate the cars inside crowded areas in the capital, as people were back to work after a week-long holiday of Eid al-Fitr Feast.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor group said that 12 people were killed and 15 others wounded in the explosions, among which 10 were killed in the Tahrir Square blast.

The bombings happened at a time when intense battles have been raging in rebel-held areas in eastern Damascus between the Syrian army and the Failaq al-Rahman group, which has an alliance with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

A day earlier, activists accused the Syrian army of carrying out an attack with chlorine gas in the Ayn Tarma area in eastern Damascus, a claim totally denied by the Syrian army, which said in a statement that the rebels were lying to cover their losses.

Failaq al-Rahman renewed the accusation on Sunday, saying the Syrian army launched a second attack with chlorine gas within 24 hours.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, the head of the Observatory, said the battles have been raging in Jobar and Ayn Tarma, both neighborhoods in the Eastern Ghouta region east of Damascus.

Battles in eastern Damascus started gaining momentum last month, when the army started an operation to retake Ayn Tarma and Jobar from the rebels, who have been excluded from the de-escalation zones' deal last May.

The deal brought in relative calm, but the al-Qaida-linked groups were excluded and the army wanted to expand the security perimeter around the capital by attempting to dislodge the militants from that part of the capital.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 18:27:01|Editor: Song Lifang

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PYONGYANG, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Sunday South Korea should resist U.S. attempt to use DPRK's nuclear issue as a pretext to prevent inter-Korean relations from improving.

The official daily Rodong Sinmun said in an article that South Korean authorities must keep an independent stand and put an end to the U.S. interference in the national reunification issue, warning Seoul against "playing into the hands of U.S." over the issue.

"The U.S. recently has gone desperate in its unjust interference to prevent the relations between the north and the south from making improvement," said the official daily of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea.

"The U.S. has neither justification nor face to meddle in the issue of the inter-Korean relations and reunification issue under the pretext of 'nuclear threat from the north,' as it is a chieftain of national division of Korea," it said.

During a recent visit to Washington by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, U.S. President Donald Trump vowed to strengthen military alliance with Seoul to counter Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs.
The debilitating curse of corruption is imminently solvable. People like Sam Koim are highly qualified to set up an independent commission against corruption and the Fraud Squad in the RPNGC, with sufficient resources, can make it work. And if they have trouble there is a vibrant social media ready to keep them on the straight and narrow.

Paul Flanagan and others, for instance, have suggested how the dire economic situation can be ameliorated, if not fixed. People like Mekere Morauta and Don Polye are more than capable of putting the appropriate measures into effect. Gary Juffa knows all about running things efficiently.

A lot of this advice is of high quality. Moreover, Papua New Guinea has the people capable of acting on it.

ONE thing that the parlous state of Papua New Guinea is not currently short of is advice about how to fix everything.

There are doctors and health professionals who know that Papua New Guinea needs to go back to a grass roots health system based on prevention rather than cure. All that is needed is sufficient para-medical training and the re-establishment of rural based clinics.

Teachers are well aware that literacy needs to be on the front line of education (for both themselves and their students). They know what resources are required and where they should be targeted.

Agriculturists know that roads and access to markets are crucial to make farming viable and fill the gap left by the degenerating mining industry. They know that infrastructure spending needs to be shifted from the towns and cities to the rural areas. They know this will curtail urban drift and increase employment considerably.

The list goes on and at every turn it is possible to identify the potential lying dormant in the background.

On top of this is the very useful mood for change currently permeating all echelons of Papua New Guinean society, including the elites. They know that it is a lot easier to make money from a happy and contented population.

People want change and they are ready to embrace it. They know that change is not only required but that they also have no real alternatives left. It is now or never.

As the muddle and confusion of the elections trundles on  in itself a symptom of all thats wrong in Papua New Guinea  it is apparent that there will be the usual dumbass carpetbaggers and puppets of vested interests elected but there is equally a sense that a core of statesmen (and hopefully stateswomen) will emerge to counter the usual trend.

In this sense, and despite how bad things look, there is room for optimism.

If the good politicians can pull it off they will find that Papua New Guineas reluctant friends overseas that were scared off by the current government will come back in behind them and help wherever possible.

It will go down to the wire and the outcome is very hard to pick and there will be a drawn out process in the courts before the dust finally settles but there is a light on the horizon.

Papua New Guinea may still be able to transition from a kleptocratic muddle-ocracy into a true democracy.

Everyone just needs to hold their collective breath.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 19:22:08|Editor: Song Lifang

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MOSUL, Iraq, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi forces battling Islamic State (IS) militants on Sunday recaptured a new area after defeating the extremist militants in the old city in the western side of Mosul, the Iraqi military said.

"The Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces freed Makkawi area in the central part of the old city in the right bank (western side of Tigris River) of Mosul and raised the Iraqi flag over some of its buildings," Abdul-Amir Yarallah from the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in a statement.

The CTS, army, federal police and the Rapid Response forces have been fighting inside the old city, but the troops are making slow progress due to the stiff resistance of IS militants and a large number of roadside bombs and booby-trapped buildings, in addition to IS snipers taking positions in the buildings and narrow alleys of heavily-populated neighborhoods.

According to recent UN reports, some 100,000 civilians are still trapped in the IS-held areas in the old city and the adjacent al-Shifaa neighborhood, the last neighborhood which remained outside the major IS redoubt of the old city center.

The CTS commandos on Thursday drove the IS militants out of al-Nuri mosque and its leaning al-Hadbaa minaret after days of heavy clashes.

On June 21, the IS blew up al-Nuri mosque, as Iraqi forces were pushing closer to the mosque and the surrounding area amid fierce house-to-house battles in some nearby alleys.

The mosque was built in 1172 AD along with its famous leaning minaret, which gave the city its nickname "al-Hadbaa" or "the hunchback."

It was where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared the cross-border "caliphate" in Iraq and Syria in his sole public appearance in July 2014.

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.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 19:47:24|Editor: Song Lifang

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BERLIN, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Some German experts have extended hope that the upcoming Group Twenty (G20) summit can convey a positive signal boosting the globalization amid prevalence of uncertainties.

Speaking ahead of the two-day meeting, the experts referred to the anti-globalization sentiment such as "America-first policy," Brexit, and the recent U.S. withdrawal from Paris climate accord, saying the world needs the G20, as a multilateral diplomatic platform, to send the right message to the international community.

ERA OF GLOBAL INTERDEPENDENCY

The summit on July 7 and 8, themed Shaping an Interconnected World, will cover issues like free and open trade, climate change, migration, sustainable development and global stability, etc.

Dirk Messner, director of the Centre for Advanced Studies on Global Cooperation Research said "our country-first ideologies" pursued by some countries are dangerous since we live in the times of global interdependency.

"We are living in the era of global interdependency, human civilization depends on global commons as the climate system, the oceans, global resources, are stability of international financial markets," Messner said.

He added that the election of U.S. President Donald Trump and Brexit could be "a wake-up call" for the global community, and he hoped G20 summit could help building a strong culture of global cooperation and strengthening a fair and inclusive multilateralism.

"The summit will not be easy; but hopefully it will be a step to build new and broad and stable alliances to shape the era of the global commons towards sustainability and inclusiveness," Messner said.

FOLLOW UP HANGZHOU OUTCOMES

Messner mentioned the achievements of the last G20 summit in China's eastern city of Hangzhou, hoping that the countries could follow up the clear commitment to implement Paris climate accord and the 2030 Agenda.

The compliance on the climate deal, by the largest developing country China and the biggest developed country the United States, was seen as a major outcomes of the Hangzhou summit. However, the U.S. Trump administration rejected the accord earlier this year, distancing itself from most of the countries in the G20 group.

Gu Xuewu, director of the Center for Global studies at Bonn University, projected that Trump might become a target for persuasion at different occasions during the summit, and therefore Hamburg could be a much trickier place for the global leaders when facing Trump.

"There could be multiple overlapping conflicts, and America will be at the center," said Gu.

Besides the issues on the climate change, Gu spoke highly of the proposition of "fair globalization" by G20 Hamburg, saying it's an updated version of the "inclusive globalization" by G20 Hangzhou.

"It means globalization will include more countries, meanwhile will touch every levels of society of every country," Gu said.

"To say it in plain words, everyone could benefit from globalization," Gu said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 20:07:26|Editor: An

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Hi, here's what you need to know about China for the past 24 hours.

BEIJING -- Overseas experts and scholars have lauded Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech marking the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, highlighting the concept of "One Country, Two Systems" as a guarantee for Hong Kong's bright future.

In the speech delivered at a meeting in Hong Kong on Saturday celebrating the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland and the inaugural ceremony of the fifth-term government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Xi reviewed the success and inspiration the "One Country, Two Systems" concept has brought, while envisioning a brighter prospect for Hong Kong with proposals to further and fully apply the concept.

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MOSCOW -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's forthcoming visit to Russia will give an additional impetus to bilateral cooperation in various fields, said Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin in a recent interview.

Xi will pay a state visit to Russia on Monday and Tuesday, when he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will map out the direction and goals for the development of bilateral ties, further deepen mutual political trust, and promote cooperation.

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KATHMANDU -- A Chinese organization Beijing Ci'ai Charity Foundation (CACF) on Saturday donated 300 bicycles to Nepal in a bid to support education of Nepali students of remote mountainous region by making it easier for them to travel to school.

The handover ceremony was held in Kathmandu amid the presence of political leaders, representatives of the foundation, students and members of civil society.

UNITED NATIONS -- The top UN peacekeeping official has said that China's contribution to peacekeeping is "extremely important," while highly commending the quality of its contingent and equipment.

"As the second largest financial contributor, China's contribution to peacekeeping is extremely important," Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the UN Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Peacekeeping Operations, told Xinhua in a recent exclusive interview.

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CHANGSHA -- A mudslide in central China's Hunan Province Saturday afternoon killed three people, leaving another 19 injured and five missing, according to local government.

The mudslide happened at about 4 p.m. in Zuta Village of Ningxiang County after heavy rain for a long time since Friday. Search and rescue were underway overnight.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 20:12:31|Editor: Song Lifang

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SOFIA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The first Asian festival was held in one of the biggest parks here on Sunday with the aim of showing culture and history unknown to many Bulgarian citizens.

The festival was organized by the joint efforts of the embassies of China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Thailand, the Philippines, South Korea, Vietnam, and Japan, with the support of Bulgarian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Tourism and Sofia Municipality.

During the 10-hour event, held under the slogan "Asia Close-up," the audience enjoyed culinary, as well as musical and dance performances. Meanwhile, the host embassies provided calligraphy and arts workshops as well as children's games.

Bulgaria's Vice President Iliyana Yotova opened the event, calling it a great feast that shows the magic of Asia.

She said the festival demonstrated the diversity and uniqueness of each of the 12 countries and regions, and also the spirit of each of them.

On behalf of the participating countries and regions, Sri Astari Rasjid, the Indonesian Ambassador to Bulgaria, said the Asian festival was to introduce the rich Asian culture to Bulgaria, and hopefully open new trade opportunities.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 20:17:34|Editor: Song Lifang

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MANILA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Naval forces of the Philippines and Indonesia will conduct an annual joint patrol in the Celebes Sea next week to thwart piracy and sea robbery in the backwaters bordering the two Southeast Asian countries, a military spokesman said on Sunday.

"The coordinated patrol is intended to strengthen the security of the Davao Gulf and the common boundary of the two countries in the southern part of the Philippine archipelago along the Celebes Sea," Ezra Balagtey of the Eastern Mindanao Command said in a statement.

Balagtey said the joint patrol will kick off on July 6 at the Sasa Wharf in Davao City, the home city of President Rodrigo Duterte in the southern Philippines.

Balagtey said Indonesian military participants are scheduled to arrive in Davao City on Monday in time for the July 4 "military ceremony" at the Philippine Naval Station Felix Apolinario in Panacan, Davao City.

The coordinated patrol will end on July 12, Balagtey said, adding that a closing ceremony is scheduled to take place in Manado, Indonesia on that day.

Balagtey said the joint patrol is an annual activity of the militaries of both countries.

The Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia have recently launched joint counter-piracy and counter-terorism patrol in Sulu-Celebes Sea amid a surge in kidnapping for ransom of seamen plying the region.

The move by the three Southeast Asian countries is to protect commercial vessels that pass through that area.

Sailors from Indonesia were kidnapped, taken hostage and killed in a series of attacks by terror group Abu Sayyaf against ships in that region.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 20:27:46|Editor: Song Lifang

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BEIRUT, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A huge fire broke out Sunday in a camp for Syrian refugees in Lebanon's east Bekaa town of Qob Elias, the National News Agency (NNA) reported.

According to the NNA report, several people were wounded in the fire.

A security source told Xinhua that the reasons that led to the fire are unknown, adding that the randomly erected camp consists of 150 tents with around 1000 refugees living in it.

The Lebanese Civil Aviation Meteorology Department warned of the risk of fires and exposure to direct sunlight in the ongoing extremely hot weather, especially during the afternoon period.

According to the United Nations Higher Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Lebanon hosts around 1.1 million Syrians who fled their war-torn country since the rebellion against the regime of President Bashar Assad in March 2011.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 20:52:59|Editor: Song Lifang

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DAR ES SALAAM, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Sunday launched a 480 million U.S. dollars project to upgrade the east African nation's largest port in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

The Dar es Salaam Maritime Gateway Project (DSMGP) will be undertaken by China Harbour Engineering Construction Company (CHEC), a subsidiary of the state-run China Communications Construction Company Ltd. The project was expected to be completed in 36 months.

Bella Bird, the World Bank Country Director for Tanzania, Malawi, Burundi and Somalia, said the Dar es Salaam port was vital for the economies of Tanzania and neighboring countries.

She said the upgrading of the port will enhance its operational potential and boost trade and job creation across the region.

"The project will also reduce the current cost of 200-400 U.S. dollars for each additional day of delay for a single consignment," said Bird.

The port of Dar es salaam currently has 11 berths, with seven of these dedicated to general cargo and four to container operations.

The port handled 13.8 million tons in 2016 up from 13.1 million tons in 2013 and 10.4 million tons in 2011 reflecting an average growth of 9 percent per year over the last five years while recent numbers indicated a slowdown.

Bird said upon completion of the project, it was estimated that the capacity of the Dar es Salaam port will be increased to 25 million tons over the next seven years following the World Bank approval of 345 million U.S. dollars credit and a 12 million U.S. dollars grant to DSMGP.

The investment in the port is also expected to improve waiting time to berth from 80 hours to 30 hours as well as overall productivity, said Bird.

The DSMGP is to be implemented as part of a large ongoing investment program for the overall development of the Dar es Salaam port with the support of several development partners.

The government has contributed about 63 million U.S. dollars through the Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) while other partners, including the United Kingdom's Department for International Development (DFID) has contributed 12 million U.S. dollars. Trade Mark East Africa will also participate in the project.

Makame Mbarawa, the Minister for Works, Transport and Communication, said CHEC will deepen and strengthen the depths of seven berths at the port.

"The Dar es Salam port has a depth ranging from 8 to 11 meters ... this prevents big international ships from coming to our port," said Mbarawa.

He added: "Deepening and strengthening of the berths will allow big container ships to come in. All these efforts are being done in order to increase competitiveness of the port."

Mbarawa said that big vessels carrying up to 19,000 tons require between 12 and 13 meters of water depth to dock at the port.

He said expansion of the port was expected to improve efficiency and boost government revenue collection through the TPA and the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA).

"Improvement of the port's infrastructure was long overdue because we have been performing rather optimally, yet under very difficult conditions," said Deusdedit Kakoko, the TPA Director General.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 20:58:01|Editor: Song Lifang

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DUBAI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The UAE's Etihad Airways has launched its debut Boeing 787-9 "Dreamliner" flight to China which landed Sunday in Beijing from Abu Dhabi.

Etihad Airways' Chief Executive Officer Peter Baumgartner said "since the launch of our flights between Beijing and Abu Dhabi for nine years, we have seen tremendous growth in China's overseas tourism market and received strong demand for our business and leisure travelers."

"Our decision to upgrade our services to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner reflects the importance of Beijing and the Chinese market at Etihad and reflects the sustainable development of economic relations between the two countries," he added.

Ni Jian, the Chinese Ambassador to the UAE, praised Etihad's contribution to efforts to boost China-UAE air links.

"For many years, the UAE has been the second largest trade partner and biggest export market for China in West Asia and North Africa," he said.

"The UAE is a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and is committed to its core mission of realizing the vision of the Belt and Road and as a major aviation hub in the Gulf region," he added.

In March 2008, Etihad was the first UAE airliner launching a direct flight from the Gulf state to China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 21:13:13|Editor: Song Lifang

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ADDIS ABABA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- An African single air transport market will be launched in January 2018 with 40 plus countries expected to be signatories by then. So far 20 African countries out of 55 have subscribed to African single air market.

The statement was made by David Kajange, Head of Transport and Tourism Division, Department of Infrastructure and Energy at African Union (AU) on Sunday at a press conference on the sidelines on the ongoing 29th AU summit being held from June 27-July 4 in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

A single air transport market is one of the goals of AU's Agenda 2063, aiming to connect Africa through aviation and other transport infrastructure to achieve integration and boost intra-Africa trade.

The single air transport market also aims to boost African nations' tourism, economic growth and economic development.

Kajange says Africa became the most expensive air transport market in the world because of individual nations' policies and regulations that hinder air connectivity.

According to Euroavia International, a firm specializing in consulting services for airports and aviation industry, air transport in Africa is on average twice as expensive as the world average.

An African Open Skies vision has been there since 1980s, culminating in the adoption of the Yamassoukro Decision of African Heads of States of November 14, 1999.

However, between 2004 and 2014, despite sustained economic growth on the continent, an increasing business and tourism sector and growing middle class, the market share of African airlines has dropped dramatically.

The loss of market share by African airlines has been estimated by the AU to have been from 60 percent to below 20 percent.
Employees of Ethiopian Airlines are seen at the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, May 21, 2017. (Xinhua/Michael Tewelde)

ADDIS ABABA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- An African single air transport market will be launched in January 2018 with 40 plus countries expected to be signatories by then. So far 20 African countries out of 55 have subscribed to African single air market.

The statement was made by David Kajange, Head of Transport and Tourism Division, Department of Infrastructure and Energy at African Union (AU) on Sunday at a press conference on the sidelines on the ongoing 29th AU summit being held from June 27-July 4 in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

A single air transport market is one of the goals of AU's Agenda 2063, aiming to connect Africa through aviation and other transport infrastructure to achieve integration and boost intra-Africa trade.

The single air transport market also aims to boost African nations' tourism, economic growth and economic development.

Kajange says Africa became the most expensive air transport market in the world because of individual nations' policies and regulations that hinder air connectivity.

According to Euroavia International, a firm specializing in consulting services for airports and aviation industry, air transport in Africa is on average twice as expensive as the world average.

An African Open Skies vision has been there since 1980s, culminating in the adoption of the Yamassoukro Decision of African Heads of States of November 14, 1999.

However, between 2004 and 2014, despite sustained economic growth on the continent, an increasing business and tourism sector and growing middle class, the market share of African airlines has dropped dramatically.

The loss of market share by African airlines has been estimated by the AU to have been from 60 percent to below 20 percent.
It's no secret Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro is considering a run for statewide office in 2018. It's also no secret how he feels about the state of state government, especially after a legislative session that featured a late budget and the need for an extraordinary session to address outstanding issues.

"What we have witnessed in the last year is the hope and expectation that state government could become more functional has met the reality of personal politics," Molinaro said in an interview with The Citizen. "When policy is determined by personality, you end up creating conflict."

Molinaro repeatedly used one word to describe the governing challenges that state government has experienced this year: adversarialism. And without mentioning him by name, Molinaro was referring to his potential opponent in 2018, Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

The comments came just as the state Legislature was finalizing legislation to extend mayoral control in New York City, establish a flood recovery program for communities along Lake Ontario and extend sales tax rates for counties across the state.

From Molinaro's view, groups of people were leveraged against each other, whether it was county leaders seeking certainty for their finances, the New York City school system and how it's leadership structure is formed or the communities affected by flooding that are in need of aid.

"A governor sets that tone," he said.

And that's where he believes adversarialism exists. A governor, he said, is the lone party that can either bring people together or fan the flames to stir up conflict.

If the governor chooses the latter, Molinaro said it's not good for public policy, or the state Legislature.

"It is so disappointing to see what we had hoped and thought could be accomplished, which was the end of dysfunction and some degree of functionality turn into adversarialism and competition," he said.

Molinaro doesn't believe it's necessarily the governor alone who is at fault. He added that "everyone is responsible and everyone ought to be held responsible." But it's the executive, he said, who sets the tone.

Using himself as an example, he said there are moments in Dutchess County when he would like to call a lawmaker and tell them what he thinks about something they said or a decision they made. He opts not to because of his belief that tone from the executive matters.

The interview with Molinaro followed an event at the Seneca Falls Library Thursday. He visited Seneca County to discuss an initiative he began in Dutchess County called Think Differently. The program is focused on improving how businesses, governments and organizations address issues related to those with special needs.

He delivered a similar presentation in Wayne County Wednesday.

After the swing through Seneca County, Molinaro attended the Onondaga County Republican Committee's annual clambake.

Molinaro is one of several Republicans considering a run for statewide office next year. The list of potential candidates includes Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who challenged Cuomo in 2014, and Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino, who lost to Cuomo in 2010.

Harry Wilson, a former state comptroller candidate, is also considering a bid.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 21:38:16|Editor: Xiang Bo

The site of a gas pipeline explosion is seen in Qinglong, southwest China's Guizhou Province, July 2, 2017. At least eight people died and another 35 were injured in a natural gas pipeline explosion in southwest China's Guizhou Province on Sunday, local authorities said. (Xinhua)

GUIYANG, July 2 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people died and another 35 were injured in a natural gas pipeline explosion in southwest China's Guizhou Province on Sunday, local authorities said.

The explosion occurred at around 10 a.m. in the town of Shazi, Qinglong County. The injured, including four in critical condition, have been sent to hospital for treatment, according to rescuers.

Days of heavy rain triggered a landslide, which crushed the pipeline operated by the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) and caused gas leak and ensuing blast, according to the preliminary investigation.

The fire caused by the explosion was put out and residents nearby were evacuated, while further investigation continues, said the rescuers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 21:48:24|Editor: Song Lifang

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JUBA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The exiled leader of South Sudan's main rebel group (SPLA-IO) has declined to meet a delegation of national dialogue officials, a spokesman for the rebel group said Sunday.

Lam Paul Gabriel, deputy spokesman of the SPLM-IO said Riek Machar, who is currently in South Africa under house arrest will not meet the dialogue team because they think the national dialogue is not important amid the ongoing war.

"The national dialogue is not important now than stopping the raging genocidal war in South Sudan. The SPLA-IO will not participate in this national dialogue unless peace is achieved first. He refused to meet them because the national dialogue is not important now," Gabriel said.

A high-level delegation of South Sudanese officials led by Angelo Beda, co-chair of the National Dialogue travelled to South Africa on Wednesday seeking to convince Riek Machar to join the dialogue.

The government had previously barred the exiled rebel leader from the national dialogue, demanding him to first end his armed resistance.

But Juba was put under intense pressure by the international community and local stakeholders calling for transparency and inclusivity of the national dialogue- prompting it to open avenues for negotiations with Machar.

The dialogue team said in June that they will be traveling to South Africa, Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia in a bid to negotiate with key opposition officials to involve them in the peace process.

The rebel spokesman said the group would only join the process once the war stops, arguing that the South Sudan government is trying use the dialogue to escape accountability for crimes committed during the civil war.

"The SPLA-IO is aware of the tricks the government is playing in trying to brand Dr Riek Machar as a leader against peace in South Sudan by forcefully sending this team even after our chairman made clear his stand," Gabirel said.

"He also wants all parties to the conflict to be accountable to their action. This is what the government is afraid of because they are aware of their own criminal activities towards civilians that is why they prefer National dialogue to be manipulated by them and avoid accountability," he added.

South Sudan has been devastated by civil war that broke out in December 2013 after President Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup. Machar denied the accusation but then mobilized a rebel force.

Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have been killed, communities divided along ethnic lines and millions displaced since December 2013.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the rival leaders under UN pressure led to the establishment of a transitional unity government in April, but was shattered by renewed fighting in July 2016.

The UN estimates that more than 3 million people have been forced into neighboring countries and another 7.5 million people across the country are in need of humanitarian assistance and protection.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 21:53:26|Editor: Yamei

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A wounded girl lies in bed in a hospital in Damascus, capital of Syria, on July 2, 2017. A car bomb rocked the Tahrir Square in the capital and two cars exploded near the airport road at the entrance of Damascus on Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

DAMASCUS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people were killed and 30 others were wounded when three suicide car bombing attacks hit Syrian capital Damascus on Sunday, pro-government Ekhbaria TV reported.

The residents of Damascus woke up Sunday morning to three loud explosions, which later turned out to be carried out by three suicide bombers.

The cars caught attention from security personnel who later hunted them down. Two cars exploded near the airport road at the entrance of Damascus before reaching their targets inside the city, while the third escaped and exploded at the Ghadir roundabout near the Tahrir Square in eastern Damascus.

Most of the victims were reported in the third blast near the Tahrir Square, where 56 cars were damaged as well as the facades of three residential buildings, a military source told Xinhua.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the terrorists intended to detonate the cars inside crowded areas in the capital, as people were back to work after a week-long holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitor group, said that 18 people were killed and 15 others were wounded in the explosions, among which 10 were killed in the Tahrir Square blast.

The bombings happened at a time when intense battles have been raging in rebel-held areas in eastern Damascus between the Syrian army and the Failaq al-Rahman group, which has an alliance with the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front.

A day earlier, activists accused the Syrian army of carrying out an attack with chlorine gas in the Ayn Tarma area in eastern Damascus, a claim flatly denied by the Syrian army, which said in a statement that the rebels were lying to cover their losses.

Failaq al-Rahman renewed the accusation on Sunday, saying the Syrian army launched a second attack with chlorine gas within 24 hours.

Rami Abdul-Rahman, head of Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said fighting has been raging in Jobar and Ayn Tarma, both neighborhoods in the Eastern Ghouta region east of Damascus.

Battles in eastern Damascus have intensified since last month, when the Syrian army started an operation to retake Ayn Tarma and Jobar from the rebels, who have been excluded from the de-escalation zones' deal last May.

The deal brought in relative calm, but the al-Qaida-linked groups were excluded. And the Syrian army wanted to expand the security perimeters around the capital by attempting to dislodge the militants from those areas.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 22:23:32|Editor: Song Lifang

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NAIROBI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Kenya has called on lecturers and subordinate workers in public universities to drop their strike threat over delayed implementation of a salary hike deal agreed in February.

Education Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i in a statement issued late Saturday appealed to lecturers to withdraw their planned strike on Monday saying 47 million U.S. dollars has been wired to various banks.

"We have wired half the amount to the accounts of 31 public universities and colleges. The rest of the amount will come from the 2017/18 financial year," Matiangi said.

Lecturers had given the government up to Friday midnight to implement their 2013-17 CBA, failure to which they would go on strike on Monday.

The CBA which expired on Friday allocates 100 million dollars to lecturers and non-teaching staff of three university unions, for the adjustment of their salaries and house allowances.

The Secretary General of University Academic Staff Union (UASU), Constantine Wesonga said a prolonged industrial strike was inevitable if the government reneges on a pledge to improve remuneration of workers in the institutions of higher learning.

"We are ready to dialogue with the government and university councils to end the stalemate over delays in the implementation of a salary increase agreement," Wesonga said on Friday.

But Matiangi appealed to university union, UASU, to withdraw the Monday strike and encourage its members to go on with their duties uninterrupted.

He said the government is committed to meet its side of the bargain, noting that implementation of the CBAs will straddle the two-financial years; 2016/2017 and 2017/2018.

"It is therefore our position that there is absolutely no reason for university unions to resort to industrial action," he said.

The amount in the CBA was to be shared by University Academic Staff Union, Kenya University Staff Union and Kenya Union of Domestic Hotels, Educational Institutions, Hospitals and Allied Workers. This was in the ratio 1:3:6.

Kenyan university lectures in January downed tools citing state failure to honor an agreement on salary increase and better working conditions.

Their 54-day strike paralyzed learning in 31 public universities while putting cutting edge research programs in jeopardy.

The strike was called off after the ministry of education signed a return to work formula with the university dons that called for a salary increase that is in line with global best practices.

The university lecturers have argued that the government wants to avoid its previous commitment to pay the lecturers and to designate them to the right department of government.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 22:28:39|Editor: Song Lifang

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NAIROBI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Kenya said Sunday the 29th Ordinary Summit of the African Union which kicks off Monday in Ethiopia will mark a significant milestone in empowering the youth in Africa and securing the future of the continent.

Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said that the AU has developed a demographic dividend road-map that member states are expected to domesticate.

"The African Union roadmap focuses on four key thematic pillars namely; health and well-being, education and skills development, employment and entrepreneurship, and governance," Mohamed said in a statement issued ahead of the summit in which she will be representing President Uhuru Kenyatta.

She said the 29th Ordinary Session whose theme: Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through investments in Youth, is expected to marshal and reinforce the commitment of African leaders, and all stakeholders, towards implementing policies and programs that will empower the youth in Africa.

"The objectives of this theme are to help in fast-tracking the implementation of demographic dividend initiatives in Africa, and to adopt a road-map with key deliverables and milestones to guide member states on concrete actions to be undertaken in 2017 and beyond," said Mohamed.

Mohamed, who is expected to share Kenya's commitments and experience in regard to this agenda, said Kenya has already developed a demographic dividend roadmap which domesticates the African Union roadmap and ties in well with the Vision 2030 development blue print.

The debate on the theme will be preceded by a presentation by President Idriss Deby of Chad who will moderate the session on the theme.

The summit will deliberate on other key issues including the Report of the Peace and Security Council on its activities and the State of Peace and Security in Africa as well as the Report by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda on the institutional reform of the AU.

Also to be reviewed will be the report on the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA), which will be presented by President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger.

The report will update on the state of play in the on-going negotiations on the establishment of the Continental Free Trade Area (CFTA).

The review of a report on the Reform of the United Nations Security Council, and the report on the fight against terrorism and violent extremism in Africa which will be presented by President's Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone and Abdel Bouteflika of Algeria, respectively, are on the agenda.

"The Assembly is expected to appoint key officials elected during the 31st Session of the Executive Council, among them Four Members of the AU Advisory Board on Corruption (AUABC) and Four Members of the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights," said Mohamed.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 22:38:44|Editor: yan

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CAIRO, July 2 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court sentenced on Sunday 20 people to death over charges of murdering 12 police officers in 2013, state-run MENA news agency reported.

Dozens of Muslim Brotherhood militants stormed the main police station in Kerdasa district of Giza governorate in August 14, 2013, killing 12 policemen.

The assault took place shortly after police forces cracked down on two main sit-in camps in Cairo and Giza governorates, where protesters gathered to support Mohamed Morsi, the former Islamist president who was toppled by the army in July 2013.

Cairo Criminal Court in April has turned the documents of the defendants to the Grand Mufti, the country's interpreter of religious law, to give religious advice on the death sentences, the report said.

A number of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood members, including high ranking officials, have been sentenced to death. However, the sentences have not been carried out pending appeals.

Many of the group's members and supporters, including Morsi, are currently jailed awaiting trials over accusations of inciting violence, conspiring with foreign powers to destabilize Egypt and killing protesters.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 22:43:46|Editor: yan

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DUBAI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Etihad Airways, the international carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said on Sunday the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has lifted a ban on carrying electronic devices onboard flights between the UAE capital Abu Dhabi and the U.S.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 22:48:53|Editor: yan

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ADDIS ABABA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) on Sunday hailed China's investment in Africa's infrastructure and expressed its keen interest in seeing strengthened partnerships.

Speaking to the press during the ongoing 29th AU summit in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, Abou-Zeid Amani, AU Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, acknowledged China's huge investment in infrastructure projects, information and communication technology (ICT) and energy.

"China is a big player and big partner in many sectors, such as infrastructure and ICT. China is definitely a big partner for Africa's major integration projects. We welcome the role of China," Amani said.

"The AU looks forward to a more enhanced and substantial cooperation with China," she added.

Africa lags behind other regions in many dimensions, especially in the power sector, and Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest road and railroad densities among developing regions.

The commissioner recalled that she was in Beijing in May for the Belt and Road Forum, when she met and discussed cooperation with different parties, including government officials, company representatives and the Export-Import Bank of China.

The AU official highlighted the ample opportunities unleashed by the two visionary blueprints -- the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative and Africa's Agenda 2063, and said that she expects to see "strong partnership."

The Agenda 2063, unveiled by the AU in 2013, aims to build "an integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in international arena." Integrated High Speed Train Network is one of its flagship projects.

A report released on Wednesday by global consulting firm McKinsey said that across trade, investment, infrastructure, financing and aid, China is a top five partner to Africa, and no other country matches this level of engagement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 22:53:57|Editor: Xiang Bo

The submerged Orange Isle scenic area is seen in flood-hit Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, July 2, 2017. Days of torrential rain in Hunan Province raised the water level of the Xiangjiang River, a major tributary of Yangtze River, to exceed its record flood level Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Long Hongtao)

CHANGSHA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Days of torrential rain in central China's Hunan Province raised the water level of the Xiangjiang River, a major tributary of the Yangtze River, to exceed its record flood level Sunday morning.

The water level in the section of the river in Changsha, capital of Hunan, reached 39.21 meters at 6:30 a.m., higher than the previous record of 39.18 meters set by a massive flood in 1998.

Already at 3.2 meters above the warning level, the water level is expected to continue to rise as heavy rain is forecast for upstream regions over the next few days.

As of 2 p.m., the water level had risen by another 0.21 meters to 39.42 meters, according to Changsha flood control office.

Local authorities issued a red alert Sunday afternoon, warning that water levels along the whole course of the Xiangjiang River are forecast to be near or above record levels during the next three days.

Meanwhile, the water levels in Dongting Lake and several other major rivers in Hunan have all risen above warning levels, worsening the flood control situation.

Currently Changsha is on high alert with workers inspecting every 50 meters of the dikes to guard against potential breaches.

Hundreds of officials and residents in Yuhua district worked overnight Saturday building a wall of 65,000 sandbags to block water from flowing into the city area.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 workers in Tianxin district were reinforcing dikes and pumping water to manage potential flood threats.

More than 2,000 paramilitary police have joined locals to repair damaged dikes and helped evacuate over 7,000 residents in cities of Shaoyang, Yiyang, and Huaihua.

Hunan has experienced severe flooding after ongoing torrential rain over the last 10 days. Since June 22, flooding has inundated parts of several cities, forced 311,300 people to evacuate, damaged 295,160 hectares of crops and destroyed 6,369 houses.

Rainstorms lashed 832 towns in southern and eastern Hunan from Saturday morning to Sunday morning, with Huangtang in Ningyuan County receiving the most precipitation at 264.2 mm within 24 hours.

The water flow from the Three Gorges Reservoir was reduced to 12,700 cubic meters per second Sunday afternoon to reduce the flood pressure downstream.

A rain-triggered mudslide that hit a village in Hunan's Ningxiang County Saturday afternoon has left five people dead, four missing and injured 19 others.

Many parts of the county received over 200 mm of precipitation within 24 hours, with flooding disrupting traffic and telecommunications and raising water levels in reservoirs and rivers above warning levels.

In neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, flooding disrupted railway services with 45 trains canceled, returned to origin or detoured.

The latest round of torrential rain since Saturday has affected more than 230,000 people in 20 counties and districts in Guangxi, left two people dead and one missing.

The National Meteorological Center issued a blue alert for rainstorms at 6 p.m. Sunday, forecasting heavy rain for many parts of east and south China within the next day. The southern coastal regions of Guangxi are expected to receive precipitation of up to 180 mm in 24 hours.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 23:09:02|Editor: yan

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BANGKOK, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A pickup truck carrying undocumented Cambodian workers crashed into a passenger van and fell into a roadside ditch in eastern Thailand, leaving nine injured and 11 escaped on Sunday.

The illegal Cambodian workers were rushing to their hometown, as the Thai government has imposed harsh punishments against recruitment of undocumented alien laborers.

The driver of the pickup probably fell asleep when it smashed into the van, according to police. 11 of the illicit migrant workers escaped into the forest nearby for fear of arrest, while the nine injured were too weak to run away.

The van driver said there has been an "exodus" of migrant workers from neighboring countries like Cambodia and Myanmar recently.

Officials have earlier unveiled that more than 2,000 undocumented migrant workers from Myanmar and Cambodia went back home from Thailand recently, after a decree aimed at managing foreign workers came into effect.

The executive decree, issued on June 23, aims to raise recruitment and management standards and reduce accusations by the international community of labor abuse and human trafficking.

It contains harsh punishments on violators, with prison terms and fines ranging from 400,000 to 800,000 baht (11,764 to 23,529 U.S dollars).

According to Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam, the government's legal adviser, the government will invoke its absolute power to delay the enforcement of the decree for 120 days. Many employers lay off undocumented workers, resulting in the exodus.
With harmful blue-green algae bloom season around the corner, municipalities who get their water from Owasco Lake have created emergency plans in case of a do not drink order this summer.

Kathleen Cuddy, director of the Cayuga County Health Department, said municipalities are not required to provide their residents drinking water, but every one who buys water from the town of Owasco or city of Auburn plan to do so if needed.

The health department requested municipalities fill out a "Do No Drink Preparedness Plan," which includes emergency contacts, means of communicating information to the public, where outside water will come from and where and how it will be distributed. If the order is issued, that information is shared with the state Department of Health's Bureau of Water Supply Protection.

The plans come after Owasco Lake's toxic blue-green algae seeped into the bays of Auburn and Owasco's water treatment facilities last summer. Toxins from blue-green algae, called microcystin, were detected, too. Held up inside the algae, they are only released when the algae dies, posing a serious treatment challenge for water operators.

Those toxins were detected in the drinking water last summer  detected after the water was treated with filters and disinfectant and traveling into the homes of more than half of Cayuga County's residents. Microcystin can cause all sorts of health problems, including liver failure, but the state Department of Health's Wadsworth Lab in Albany determined the toxins were at levels below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines. In October last year, water from Owasco's treatment plant was close to an advisory level for vulnerable populations  children under 6 years old, the elderly, people with compromised immune systems and pregnant women.

But the state of New York has provided about $2 million to Owasco and Auburn for the installation of carbon treatment systems this summer. Both the city and the town hope they will be installed by the beginning of August and are expected to help keep toxins out of the water. The state Department of Health said engineers will be working with the county to confirm that Auburn and Owasco's treatment systems were built as designed.

The engineers, too, will conduct reviews of performance measures prior to their use this season, and the state will have to approve any changes that may be needed.

Still, Cuddy said, it's good for people to be prepared in any instance the department may have to issue a do not drink order, not just for blue-green algae. It was the algae, however, that led to the health department bringing in Vincent Covello, director of the Center for Risk Communication, to work with local officials on communicating and responding to different kinds of crises. Following that discussion and workshops, the department has framed language for issuing do not drink orders and planned strategies for getting information out to the public.

The department is encouraging people to sign up their cell phones for reverse 911, which will alert landline and cell phones of any area emergencies. The Cayuga County Health Department will be posting updates to its Facebook page and website, and Cuddy added that residents should also look to their town officials and websites for more information.

"We know the personal inconvenience and the potential hazards to health, as well as the economic ramifications are significant if there's a do not drink issued," she said. "It can impact the health care providers. It can impact the restaurants. It can impact residents in their homes, and the anxiety and worry it can generate also, which is why we're trying to be very forthright in our information. We want to educate people. We want people to be linked in to information in a timely manner, and we want to be accurate in the information we give out."

The department plans to issue the order and notify water operators if and when toxins reach the vulnerable population level  0.3 micrograms per liter  and the advisory level for people over the age of six  1.6 micrograms per liter. Though the EPA's guidelines are over a 10-day period, Cuddy said the state and county health departments are taking even more precaution, issuing the order on a one-day basis.

The state Department of Health said its work with the county health department on microcystin testing was standard protocol for responding to harmful algal blooms. It had not been approached to perform testing in other counties this year.

Most municipalities had not decided at which advisory level they would be providing water, though Owasco Town Supervisor Ed Wagner said the town would do "whatever it takes to make sure people have enough water to sustain themselves."

Many other town clerks and supervisors said their towns, too, would do what they could.

If an order is issued, the water will not be shut off, Cuddy added. People can still do dishes, wash laundry and flush their toilets. There's a personal choice, too, about whether residents want to drink the water, and at what health advisory level. But towns are preparing to ration out drinking water if toxin levels rise to such a need.

Most towns will use bulk water haulers, and with several certified by the state Department of Health in the area, Cuddy said she called those companies ahead of time to warn them about the potential deluge of customers. Many of the water haulers get their water from an aquifer, Skaneateles Lake or Lake Ontario. Some will drive trucks and station them in various town hubs. Some will drop off water buffaloes, large capacity tanks that the company will come back and refill if needed.

Paul Dudley, owner of Dudley Water Service in Cato, said the last time he had so many requests to be on standby was during Y2K. He said he did deliver a couple of filled tankers to hospitals and nursing homes just in case the world ended in 1999, and people needed water.

Todd Arnold, owner of Whitehead Water Service in Port Byron, said he's working with more than one municipality, too.

For now, the price tag for bringing in bulk water and bottled water rests on the shoulders of municipalities. But all of the bulk haulers seemed to echo the same message.

"If people don't have drinking water, sometimes you might have to bite the bullet and work something out later," Arnold said. "Between us all (water haulers), nobody is going to go without water. It's just not going to happen."

Despite these plans, Cuddy encouraged people, if they are able, to stow a supply of drinking water for any emergency. The health department recommends having one to two gallons of water per person per day, and the department encourages people to have a three-day supply.

Large facilities in the area that house many people also are working with the health department on emergency water plans. The Cayuga County Jail will work with its food service provider to deliver water if needed. The state Department of Community Supervision and Corrections would not say what its water plans were, but said it does have plans in place "for all different types of potential disruptions to essential services."

The Commons on St. Anthony said it has an agreement with an independent water vendor to provide a constant supply as needed within four hours of an emergency involving the loss of water. The facility, too, keeps a supply of bottled water on hand. Auburn Community Hospital said it has a three to five day supply of bottled water on hand, and has contracts with multiple outside vendors to maintain bottled water supplies.

Wegmans in Auburn said it did see an increase in bottled water sales last summer when the health department released information that toxins had been detected. The store expects to stock more water again this summer.

Emergency response plans

The Cayuga County Health Department required municipalities to submit "Do Not Drink Preparedness Plans" in case of a do not drink order. The health department and the majority of municipalities who buy water from the city of Auburn and town of Owasco, shared their prospective water distribution sites and whether they would supply bottled water or utilize a bulk water hauler with The Citizen. This information is subject to change, and residents should contact the health department or their local town office in the event of an emergency for the most updated information.

Municipality Distribution site(s) Bottled or bulk hauler Auburn 1. Memorial City Hall, 24 South St. 2. Auburn Junior High School, 191 Franklin St. 3. Herman Elementary School, 2 North Herman Ave. 4. Owasco Elementary School, 66 Letchworth St. 5. Auburn High School, 250 Lake Ave. 6. Seward School, 52 Metcalf Drive 7. Genesee Elementary School, 244 Genesee St. 8. Falcon Park, 130 North Division St. 9. Casey Park Elementary School, 101 Pulaski St. 10. Plaza, 30 Grant Ave. 11. Water filtration plant, 160 Swift St. 12. DPW Plaza, 315 Gensee St. 13. Cayuga Community College, 197 Franklin St. Bulk water Owasco 1. Owasco Fire Station 1, 7174 Owasco Road 2. Owasco Fire Station 2, 4881 Twelve Corners Road Bottled and bulk water Aurelius 1. Aurelius Town Hall, 1241 West Genesee St. Road 2. Aurelius Fire House East, 6320 Half Acre Road 3. Aurelius Fire House West, 712 Clark St. Road 4. Cayuga Memorial Hall, 6200 Center St. Bottled and bulk water Fleming 1. Fleming Fire Department 1, 6063 West Lake Road 2. Fleming Fire Department 2, 5024 State Route 34 Bulk water Throop 1. Throop Town Hall, 7471 Robinson Road 2. Throop Fire Department, 7159 Beech Tree Road 3. Turnpike Road and State Street Bottled and bulk water Cayuga County Water and Sewer Authority Cayuga County Soil and Water Conservation District, 7413 County House Road Bulk water Brutus 1. Brutus Highway Garage, 2890 Towpath Road 2. Brutus Municipal Building, 9021 North Seneca St. Bulk water Montezuma 1. Montezuma Fire Department, 8115 High St. 2. Montezuma Town Offices, 8102 Dock St. 3. Montezuma Highway Department, 8177 Chapman Road 4. Nice N Easy, 41 Clark Street Road Bottled and bulk water Sennett Sennett Town Hall, 6931 Cherry St. Road Bottled and bulk water Springport 1. Sprinport Town Hall, 859 State Route 326 2. Union Springs Fire Department, 257 Cayuga St. Bottled and bulk water Port Byron 1. Port Byron Village Offices/Fire Department: 50 Utica St. 3. Port Byron DPW, 54 Main St. Bulk water Weedsport 1. Weedsport Village Office/Fire Department, 8892 South St. 2. Weedsport DPW, 2621 Earl St. Bulk water NYS Thruway Port Byron Area restaurants Bulk water Fleming 1. Fleming Town Hall, 2433 Dublin Road 2. Fleming Fire Dept. 1, 6063 West Lake Road 3. Fleming Fire Dept. 2, 5024 State Route 34 Bottled and bulk water
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 23:39:15|Editor: yan

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RABAT, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Morocco has decided to delay the gradual floating of its currency which was scheduled to start in early July, Prime Minister Saadeddine El Othmani was quoted on Sunday as saying.

The country's central bank has announced earlier that Morocco would start the first step towards the floating of the Dirham, Morocco's official currency, in the beginning of July.

But El Othmani said that his government has not determined the exact date of starting the process of floating, according to the Le360.ma news site.

El Othmani said the government is currently studying to ensure adequate time for the decision to take effect.

He also revealed that once the decision is announced, the value of the Dirham will neither increase nor decrease by more than 2.5 percent.

The Moroccan government said on Thursday it had taken all necessary measures to ensure the gradual floating of the Dirham.

Currently, the Dirham is fixed via a peg that is 60 percent weighted to the euro and 40 percent to the U.S. dollar.

The first stage will ease that peg to allow the currency to trade in a narrow range, which will be widened gradually over a few years.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 23:44:23|Editor: yan

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TOKYO, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike's new party and its allies scored a sweeping victory against Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in Sunday's Tokyo metropolitan assembly election.

Forces supporting Koike captured a total of 79 seats out of the 127 seats up for grabs in the election, with Koike's Tomin First no Kai (Tokyoites First party) winning 49 seats, and its major ally in the metropolitan assembly the Komeito party securing 23 seats.

Abe's ruling LDP, meanwhile, won only 23 seats, its lowest-ever level in a Tokyo metropolitan assembly election, according to local media.

A total of 259 candidates contended for the 127 seats up for grabs in Sunday's election, with the LDP backing 60 candidates, while Tomin First no Kai put forward 50. Both the Democratic Party and Komeito fielded 23 candidates each, while the Japanese Communist Party endorsed 37 candidates.

Before the election, the LDP held 57 seats in the Tokyo assembly, followed by the Komeito party with 22, the Japanese Communist Party with 17, the Democratic Party with seven and Tomin First six.

Koike, Tokyo's first female governor, had been a member of the House of Representatives with the ruling LDP before winning the Tokyo gubernatorial election by a large margin last July without the backing of her party.

She officially quit the LDP last month and became head of the Tomin First no Kai which was formed last September by Tokyo assembly members supporting Koike.

Voter turnout of Sunday's election stood at 51.27 percent, 7.77 percentage points higher than turnout of the previous election in 2013, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Election Administration Commission.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 23:54:33|Editor: yan

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ADDIS ABABA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) on Sunday called on its member states to strengthen their investment in youth as an important imperative to build a well-developed continent.

Education and youth empowerment are at the core of AU's political agenda that encourages member states to increase their efforts to improve investments in education so as to create a well-developed continent, said Martial De-Paul Ikounga, AU Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology, when addressing a press conference organized in the framework of the 29th AU Summit in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

With 60 percent of Africa's population currently aged 24 and below, Ikounga urged African countries to work on the realization of African Union's theme for 2017: "Harnessing the Demographic Dividend through Investments in Youth."

He said education, skills development and entrepreneurship should be major targets of AU member states in the continent's aspiration towards progress, sustainable peace and development.

Ikounga further noted that AU's theme for 2017 is implemented in line with various continental targets that include the strategies for education, science, technology and innovation.

AU's roadmap towards realizing its theme for 2017 intends to help usher African countries towards the ambitious yet critical aspirations and goals of the complementary Africa Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, according to Ikounga.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-02 23:54:34|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The volume of trade between Iran and the European Union (EU) has experienced a five-fold increase over the first four months of 2017, Press TV reported on Sunday.

The value of Iran's non-oil exports to the EU reached as high as 3.4 billion euros (3.8 billion U.S. dollars), a five-fold increase from the same period last year, the report said.

Industrial goods such as hot-rolled non-alloy iron, steel, condensate, light oils and methanol were on top of Iran's exports to the EU.

At the same period, EU exports to Iran rose by 44 percent from January to April to 3.1 billion euros (3.46 billion U.S. dollars), according to the report.

Major goods in the EU exports to Iran include machineries, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, transportation equipment and plastic products.

Germany, Spain, France, Greece and Italy are major trade partners of Iran in Europe, the report added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 00:04:38|Editor: yan

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ADEN, Yemen, July 2 (Xinhua) -- A mid-ranking commander of Yemen's al-Qaida branch was killed in a U.S. drone strike in the country's troubled southern province of Abyan, a security official told Xinhua on Sunday.

The unmanned U.S. plane fired a missile at a running vehicle carrying al-Qaida militants in the al-Wadhei area of Abyan province late on Saturday night, the security official said on condition of anonymity.

The source said that Ibrahim Al-Adani, a local mid-ranking al-Qaida commander, was killed along with his two escorts, as the vehicle they were driving was completely destroyed in the raid.

The U.S. often carries out drone attacks against al-Qaida terrorists in the mountainous areas in Shabwa and Abyan provinces, where Yemeni security forces have been fighting militants of the Yemen-based al-Qaida branch since its emergence eight years ago.

The militant group has yet to make comments on the latest U.S. airstrike.

Yemen, an impoverished Arab country, has been gripped by one of the most active regional Al-Qaida insurgencies in the Middle East.

The Yemen-based Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), also known locally as "Ansar al-Sharia," emerged in January 2009, has claimed responsibility for a number of terrorist attacks against Yemen's army and governmental institutions.

The AQAP and the IS-linked militants take advantage of the security vacuum and the ongoing civil war to expand their influence and seize more territories in southern Yemen.

Security in Yemen has deteriorated since March 2015, when war broke out between the Shiite Houthi group, supported by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, and government forces backed by a Saudi-led Arab coalition in support of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

Over 10,000 people have been killed in ground battles and airstrikes since then, many of them civilians.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 00:09:36|Editor: Mengjie

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BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- China's securities regulator has recently approved the launch of cotton yarn futures on the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange, according to an official statement.

The cotton yarn futures, together with the cotton futures that already traded, will help companies in the industry to hedge against and improve the management of risks, the China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) said.

Futures contracts obligate investors to buy or sell the underlying assets at a predetermined price at a specified time, helping investors mitigate risks of price volatilities.

Large and frequent fluctuations in cotton yarn prices have had negative impacts on related industries in the past few years, and the launch of the cotton yarn futures will be an answer to market demand, the CSRC said.

The date for the commencement of trading will be announced later, it said.

China has been developing its commodity derivatives market and plans to gradually open it up to foreign investors. Earlier in April, the country launched white sugar options, the second commodity options after soybean meal.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 00:19:44|Editor: yan

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ADDIS ABABA, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Africa, responsible for only 4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, bears the brunt of climate change, Thomas Kwesi Quartey, AU Commission Deputy Chairperson, said on Sunday.

Speaking at a press briefing on disaster risk financing in Africa, Quartey told reporters that the most vulnerable populations on the African continent, with the most limited capabilities to cope, shoulder the burden of climate risk.

The increased frequency of extreme weather events driven by climate change has increased the risk of hunger and malnutrition in Africa's most vulnerable populations, Quartey said at the briefing during the ongoing 29th AU summit in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

Referring to Africa's agricultural sector, which employs about 90 percent of the continent's rural population, the deputy chairperson affirmed that approximately two-thirds of the populations of the sub-Saharan Africa are subject to the effects of climate change as they are dependent on subsistence farming.

He called on AU member states to do more in combating the challenges of climate change by employing proactive measures, saying that "responding before a disaster evolves into a crisis or catastrophe should be the major target."

The climate change's negative impact on Africa once again drew attention during the summit, especially after the United States government announced in June its decision to exit the Paris climate agreement, with AU officials criticizing the move and calling upon the United States to rejoin.

Quartey further lauded the African Risk Capacity (ARC) for its support to African countries with prompt funds in the event of natural disaster.

The ARC, established in 2012 as a specialized agency of the AU, aspires to help member states improve their capacities to better plan, prepare and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters.

He said the insurance fund, in its three years of full operations, has paid out over 34 million U.S. dollars to four African countries, enriching over 2 million drought-affected people and approximately 1 million endangered cattle.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 01:15:00|Editor: yan

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DAMASCUS, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The Islamic State (IS) militants shot down a Syrian helicopter airdropping food to the besieged city of Deir al-Zour in eastern Syria on Sunday, state TV reported.

The helicopter was targeted and set ablaze while airdropping food aid over the IS-seiged city, the report said.

It remained unknown if there was any casulties in the attack, though earlier reports said it caused an unknown number of casualties.

Footage of the downed helicopter was released by the IS-linked Amaq news agency, showing the hitting of the helicopter while landing, according to the Al-Masdar News website.

Syrian authorities opted to airdrop food and other daily necessities to the besieged residents in Deir al-Zour amid talks of an imminent military operation to break the siege on that oil-rich city near the Iraqi border.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 01:30:01|Editor: Mengjie

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KHARTOUM, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Sunday announced extension of a unilateral cease-fire in the conflict zones until October.

The new cease-fire is effective in the Darfur region and South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas on the border with South Sudan, a source at the Sudanese Presidency told Xinhua.

The previous cease-fire, announced by the Sudanese government in January, ended in June.

Sudan adopted a unilateral six-month cease-fire in January a few days after the U.S. government decided to partially lift the economic sanctions imposed on Sudan for about 20 years.

The U.S. administration under former President Barack Obama demanded Sudan fulfill a package of conditions, including the realization of peace in Sudan within six months, before fully lifting the U.S. sanctions.

The Sudanese government has been fighting the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM)/northern sector at South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas since 2011, where many rounds of peace talks between the two sides in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa have failed to end the conflict.

The Sudanese government has also been fighting armed groups in Darfur region since 2003.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 02:05:20|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Iran opposes the use of chemical weapons in any form and by any group, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Sunday.

The Islamic republic itself is a victim of chemical weapons, used by former Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, Zarif said in a meeting with Ahmet Uzumcu, director-general of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always emphasized that no group has the right to use chemical weapons in armed conflicts," said Zarif.

He added that the terror group Islamic State (IS) "has used chemical weapons in its war against the Syrian government."

Zarif also expressed Iran's readiness to cooperate with the OPCW's investigation into an alleged chemical attack in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib in April, which claimed dozens of lives.

Uzumcu welcomed Tehran's will to assist in the investigation, noting that Iran and the OPCW have a long history of cooperation.
It was an encounter that, in hindsight, seemed meant to be.

The year was 2006 and some of the descendants of John Elden (of Mount Elden fame) were visiting Flagstaff for the first time to see the homestead of their ancestor and its famous gravesite. Staffing the counter at the Forest Service station that day was John Westerlund, a local historian and a volunteer interpretive ranger.

They got to asking questions that showed they knew a lot more about John Elden than most visitors, Westerlund recalled. So as they were heading up the trail, I ran after them and asked them flat out: Are you Elden relatives?

They were, and thus began a collaborative effort to tell the true Elden story, even if it has meant debunking one of Flagstaffs best-known and tragic Old West legends.

You always want the truth to be at the forefront of everybodys life, said Beth Heil Wilson, whose family will be in Flagstaff again this holiday weekend to march in the Independence Day parade as Westerlunds guests.

Wilson is the familys historian, and her work with Westerlund resulted in a definitive account of the Elden legend that will be published later this year in the Journal of Arizona History.

Beth is really the key to this story, in my opinion, said Westerlund. Her talent as a family historian and genealogist made it all possible.

MURDER MYSTERY

At first, Westerlund thought he would be writing a fuller account of the life of John Elden and the murder in 1887 of his 6-year old son, Johnny Jr., by an angry muleskinner denied access to the springs on the Elden homestead. The culprit was tracked down by a posse, including the father, and hanged. It is a story that has been retold in newspapers and magazines, and the Forest Service tells it on two interpretive plaques at the gravesite. Children on school outings leave teddy bears and adults leave flowers.

But after research that included extended archival trips by Westerlund to California and the rereading of every local newspaper edition of the day, along with Wilsons interviews with relatives and combing through old letters and family records, both have reached a similar conclusion: There is no documentation or family account that supports the murder story. Instead, there is ample evidence that the story is a tall tale and that the truth is much tamer: An Elden baby boy died shortly after birth and was buried just before his family was set to depart for California so that the oldest daughter could attend school.

I understand how the story fits in with Old West justice, said Wilson. But I think it disrespects the memory of a precious child who probably died of disease.

Westerlund, author of Arizonas War Town about the coming of the Navajo Ordnance Depot to Bellemont, said the legend of the boys murder overshadows the remarkable story of Elden and his family during Flagstaffs pioneer days. Elden and wife Susan arrived by covered wagon in 1877 with a small herd of sheep, and by the time they left by train in 1884 they had become a leading family and amassed enough wealth to buy a farm in California for $5,000 in gold coin  worth about $300,000 today.

Elden discovered an ancient Sinaguan pueblo just to the east of their homestead, and their daughter Helena was said to have been the first white child born in Flagstaff and an object of fascination to Native Americans for miles around. His name appeared frequently in the Arizona Champion, predecessor to the Coconino Sun, recounting his formation of a sheepmans association, visits to town with venison for the butcher shops and the birth of his children.

RED FLAGS

But by the mid-1880s, all of that stopped, Westerlund said, raising red flags for any historian out to write about a murder involving so prominent a family, even in violent times. No mention of it appeared in the Champion, and no deaths were recorded at the Yavapai County Courthouse that would match the Eldens son.

Beth Wilson said she found an account by Helenas sister, Delia, of the familys early years, including that a child had died, but with no elaboration. And when Helena visited Flagstaff in the 1920s to be feted as the citys first baby, the Coconino Sun made no mention of the murder of a brother.

Wilson, Westerlund said, had also picked up on the inconsistencies and was eager to help in the project.

When I started to smell something strange about the murder from my work in Yavapai and Coconino County records, she kept digging, calling and researching to help discover what actually happenedor didnt happen.

EMBELLISHED STORY

Meanwhile, Westerlund set about trying to understand how the story originated and was embellished over time. The gravesite had been discovered by workers at a fox fur farm that operated at the base of Mount Elden beginning in the 1920s, and apparently one of them began to invent stories about it. Soon, another worker put up a cross, and in 1961, a story in the Coconino Sun about the fox farm mentioned the grave and the workers tale  of a young girl being taken by renegade Indians.

Then, in 1965 and again in 1967, the published tale changed to the muleskinner and the posse. By 1976, it was in Platt Clines They Came to the Mountain, about Flagstaff pioneers, and it has become ingrained in local history ever since.

Wilson said she hopes Flagstaff residents come to learn as much about her great-great-grandfather through Westerlund's article as they know about the supposed murder. He was a wounded Civil War veteran from Maine who is not only a Flagstaff pioneer but an Alaska pioneer, too  he ran a supply store at Chilkoot Pass for 20 years during the Gold Rush. One of the daughters, Edna, went to UCLA and became a teacher; another became a nurse.

PRINT THE LEGEND

Westerlund is giving public talks about the murder mystery prior to publication of his article (see box for details). He said he hopes the visit this weekend by the family descendants will help put human faces to the Elden name that appears on geographic features, streets and buildings all around town. But he is somewhat resigned to the murder of little Johnny Elden Jr. and the posses revenge never entirely being put to rest.

'This is the West, sir,' he said, quoting a famous line from the movie, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. 'When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.'
High Representative of the European Union Federica Mogherini and Iran's Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif attend the opening of the Oslo Forum at Losby Gods outside Oslo, Norway June 13, 2017.

TEHRAN, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The volume of trade between Iran and the European Union (EU) has experienced a five-fold increase over the first four months of 2017, Press TV reported on Sunday.

The value of Iran's non-oil exports to the EU reached as high as 3.4 billion euros (3.8 billion U.S. dollars), a five-fold increase from the same period last year, the report said.

Industrial goods such as hot-rolled non-alloy iron, steel, condensate, light oils and methanol were on top of Iran's exports to the EU.

At the same period, EU exports to Iran rose by 44 percent from January to April to 3.1 billion euros (3.46 billion U.S. dollars), according to the report.

Major goods in the EU exports to Iran include machineries, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, transportation equipment and plastic products.

Germany, Spain, France, Greece and Italy are major trade partners of Iran in Europe, the report added.
Farmers in Yuyao, Zhejiang were doing experiments on cultivating rice of various colors. Senior Agricultural technician Li Minzheng was the main impetus to this project. Picture shows the grains of rice in black, purple, red, yellow, and green colors. (Xinhua file Photo)

WASHINGTON, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Researchers in China have successfully created genetically modified purple rice that is rich in antioxidants and thus has the potential to reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases, according to the study published this week in the journal Molecular Plant.

The added health benefits of the new rice came from high levels of anthocyanins, a group of antioxidant-boosting pigments that also provide the purple, red or blue colors of many fruits and vegetables.

Consumption of rice rich in anthocyanins can benefit human health, decreasing the risk of certain cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other chronic disorder, said the journal Molecular Plant.

However, previous attempts to engineer anthocyanin production in rice have failed because the underlying biosynthesis pathway is highly complex.

To address this challenge, Yao-Guang Liu of the South China Agricultural University and his colleagues first set out to identify the genes related to anthocyanin production in different rice varieties.

The team also pinpointed the defective genes in japonica and indica, subspecies that do not produce anthocyanins.

Then, the researchers developed what they called "a highly efficient, easy-to-use transgene stacking system" and used it to insert eight genes needed to produce anthocyanin into the japonica and indica rice varieties.

As expected, the resulting purple rice had high anthocyanin levels and antioxidant activity.

"This is the first demonstration of engineering such a complex metabolic pathway in plants," Liu said in a statement.

In the future, the researchers believed that their strategy could be used for the production of many other important nutrients and medicinal ingredients.

The researchers now planned to evaluate the safety of the new purple rice as biofortified food, and they will also try to engineer the biosynthesis of anthocyanins in other crops to produce more purple cereals.

"Our research provides a high-efficiency vector system for stacking multiple genes for synthetic biology and makes it potentially feasible for engineering complex biosynthesis pathways in the endosperm of rice and other crop plants such as maize, wheat, and barley," Liu said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 03:50:50|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, July 2 (Xinhua) -- An international conference on sand and dust storms will kick off in Iran's capital Tehran on Monday.

Over 30 regional and overseas officials and experts will participate in Tehran International Conference on Combating Sand and Dust Storms on July 3-5.

The participants will include ministers, senior officials and experts, international resource managers as well as experts from regional and international organizations and UN entities.

"The conference will open in presence of President Hassan Rouhani and two deputies of UN Secretary General," said Yousef Rashidi, the executive secretary of the conference, according to official IRNA news agency.

Two meetings will follow the opening session at the ministerial level that will produce the final communique, known as Tehran communique, in which international and regional cooperation will be addressed.

Besides, four technical meetings will be held following the opening session.

International delegation attending the conference will visit also Iran's Ahvaz and Kashan cities located in the desert and dry geography of Iran which have been recently affected by the surge of the dust storm.

Two international events on the global phenomenon of Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) were organized in Tehran during 5-9 November 2016.

These included the Workshop on the Use of Space Technology for Dust Storm and Drought Monitoring in the Middle East region and the 5th Training Course on WMO SDS-WAS Products (Satellite and Ground Observation and Modelling of Atmosphere Dust).
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in the Kremlin, Moscow, Russia on May 25, 2017. (Xinhua/Wu Zhuang)

MOSCOW, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping's forthcoming visit to Russia will give an additional impetus to bilateral cooperation in various fields, said Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Oreshkin in a recent interview.

Xi will pay a state visit to Russia on Monday and Tuesday, when he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will map out the direction and goals for the development of bilateral ties, further deepen mutual political trust, and promote cooperation.

"China is not just our close neighbor but also our main trade and economic partner," Oreshkin told Xinhua, adding that Russia-China cooperation covers almost all areas, including energy, industry, infrastructure, agriculture, science and technology.

Last year, the two countries managed to reverse a declining trend in bilateral trade, which achieved a 2.2-percent growth to reach 69.5 billion U.S. dollars, according to the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. They aim to raise the trade volume to 200 billion dollars by 2020.

The Russian Ministry of Economic Development and the Chinese Ministry of Commerce have started to identify the barriers to bilateral trade, investment and other economic activities, the minister said.

In his view, the increase of bilateral trade depends on the implementation of major joint projects.

"There are good conditions for cooperation in creating transport corridors -- railways, highways and ports -- through the territory of Russia, connecting the markets of China and Europe," said Oreshkin.

China and Russia are now jointly developing the Arctic region and working on the creation of a wide-body long-haul aircraft.

During Xi's visit, the two countries will sign a joint statement and approve the outlines for the 2017-2020 implementation of the Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation between China and Russia.

The two sides will also ink a series of documents on cooperation in areas such as trade, economy, investment, connectivity, media, and education.

"Cooperation with Chinese businesses means establishment of new enterprises, creation of jobs, and investment in infrastructure," said the Russian minister.

To attract Chinese investors, he said, Russia has launched a number of infrastructure projects in the country's Far East, close to China's northeastern region.

The two countries have agreed to pair the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU).

The Belt and Road Initiative consists of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. It aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes.

The EAEU comprises Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, with an aim to encourage regional economic integration through free movement of goods, services, and people within the union.

The integration of the two development plans will create new opportunities for transforming Eurasia into a convenient environment for traders with most simplified procedures, said Oreshkin.

"We are talking about improving the transport and logistics infrastructure, creating new transport routes and logistics hubs by using Chinese investment or establishing consortia with Chinese companies," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 04:10:55|Editor: yan

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BAGHDAD, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen people were killed and some 20 others wounded on Sunday in a suicide bomb attack at a camp for internally displaced people in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a provincial security source said.

A suicide bomber detonated his explosive belt at the camp for the displaced near al-Wafaa town west of Ramadi, the capital of Anbar province, and killed 14 people, including a security officer and four children, Falah al-Dulaimi from Anbar's provincial police command told Xinhua by telephone.

The massive blast also left 20 wounded, including several women and children, the officer said, adding that eight of the wounded people are in critical condition.

The Iraqi Islamic Party, the main Sunni political group, condemned in a statement the brutal attack by the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group and called to liberate the remaining cities and towns still under IS rule in Anbar province.

Earlier, the Iraqi security forces dislodged IS militants from the key cities of Anbar province, including Ramadi, some 110 km west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, and the nearby Fallujah.

However, the areas near the border with neighboring Syria, including Aana, Rawa and al-Qaim as well as the vast rural areas across the province are still seized by the extremist IS militants.

The incident came as Iraqi security forces, backed by the anti-IS international coalition, were simultaneously conducting a major offensive to dislodge IS militants from their major stronghold in western Mosul in northern Iraq.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 05:21:02|Editor: yan

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By Peter Mertz

DENVER, the United States, July 2 (Xinhua) -- The two biggest states on America's West Coast, California and Washington, launched dramatic increases in worker's pay Saturday, as protesters hit the streets against a recent study that casts the wage increases in a negative light.

San Francisco's minimum wage went to 14 U.S. dollars on Saturday under the terms of a ballot measure approved by voters in 2014. By 2018 the wage will hit 15 U.S. dollars per hour.

"A strong minimum wage makes for a strong workforce," Mayor Ed Lee said on Twitter Saturday.

"We are raising the minimum wage and expanding affordable housing options - helping keep workers in SF," said Lee, 65, whose parents were born in Taishan, Guangdong Province.

Lee became the first Asian-American mayor in San Francisco history in 2011, and Saturday joined a growing group outspoken against a report released this week by researchers at the University of Washington.

The study bashed the idea that raising worker's wages helped them in the long run, and triggered scattered protests up and down the West Coast.

The extensive study said that employers were cutting low-wage jobs and limiting hours, and the average minimum-wage employee lost about 125 U.S. dollars a month despite the higher hourly pay.

"That's baloney," said Seattle lawyer David B. Richardson, who handles labor law cases.

"There are isolated incidents of this occurring, but by and large, it's making corporate employers more accountable to the rank and file American workers, and that's a good thing," he told Xinhua.

In California, minimum wage violations by employers take away nearly 2 billion U.S. dollars in earnings each year, according to labor groups.

Pro-minimum wage increase groups responded loudly over the weekend with rallies, and letters of support on social media, despite conservative economists pouncing on the study as proof that the effort can backfire.

"The policy is working as much as you want to increase the wages of low-wage workers," economist Sylvia Allegretto told the Nation Saturday.

Allegretto coauthored a University of California-Berkeley study that noted employers are complying and workers are benefitting - especially fast-food workers - who are some of the poorest people in the U.S and live meagrely.

Across America, nine states, including New York, are implementing minimum wage increases in the 12 to 15 U.S. dollars an hour range, impacting millions of workers.

"It just makes the country stronger," Richardson said.

But in 2013, Seattle officials agreed to let a team of University of Washington researchers accessed to volumes of confidential payroll information to evaluate if wage hikes were helping or hurting low-income hourly workers.

The study, released Monday, cast a pall on weekend celebrations over the ensuing wage hikes, and drew protests in several west coast cities.

"This data is not accurate, and being refuted by many people," said Olivia Brown, a San Francisco elementary school teacher.

"Their findings are not credible and drawing inferences from the report (is) unwarranted," echoed UC Berkeley economist Michael Reich.

Reich told the Los Angeles Times Saturday about his study of Seattle's minim-wage hike released last week - that had very positive conclusions.

At Berkeley on Saturday, several dozen protesters held up signs that read "Save 15 U.S. dollars," a reference to the projected 2018 wage hike that proponents think may be under attack or undermined due to the study.

And several economists cautioned against drawing conclusions about a study that had not yet been peer-reviewed, and to remember past research that reached very different conclusions.

"Again, it's just one study that contradicts virtually all other respected research," Richardson said.

The UW study also said the effects of the Seattle 2015 wage increase to 11 U.S. dollars were minimal. Business leaders praised the findings this week, and discussed reversing the scheduled pay hikes.

California's Proposition J was approved by voters in November 2014 and calls for the minimum wage to rise gradually to 15 U.S. dollars by 2018.

At the time of its passage, San Francisco's minimum wage was 10.74 U.S. dollars.

Prop J passed with 77 percent of the vote and was supported by Mayor Lee, labor unions, non-profit groups and the Chamber of Commerce.

Also Saturday, Minneapolis city council approved a 15 U.S. dollars an hour minimum wage.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 06:26:13|Editor: yan

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TRIPOLI, July 2 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) issued a report saying that conflict-related civilian casualty figure in May is the highest so far in 2017, local media reported Sunday.

"Victims included 13 men killed and 20 injured, 5 children killed and 4 injured, and 5 women injured," the report said, according to the online news source Libya Observer.

The report, released on Saturday, also stressed that car bombs, gunfire, and airstrikes are main causes of civilian causalities.

Libya has been suffering escalating violence and chaos since the 2011 uprising that toppled former leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime. The country is plagued with insecurity and political division.

The UN mission warned parties of the conflict against directly targeting civilians. The mission also warned against the use of mortars and other indirect weapons and imprecise aerial bombardments on civilian-populated areas.

The mission also said that execution of captives is "a war crime, regardless of what the captive may be accused of."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-07-03 06:36:15|Editor: yan

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QUITO, July 2 (Xinhua)-- Ecuador's prosecutor-general announced Sunday that 12 Mexican citizens had been arrested on charges of drug trafficking and financing the drug trade, the prosecutor-general's office said on its official Twitter account.

The foreigners "were detained in three buildings with 103 kilograms of drugs and 72,000 dollars in an operation headed up by the prosecutor-general's office in Pichincha," a district around the capital of Quito, it was announced on Sunday.

"The prosecutor-general of Pichinchia is fighting drug trafficking," added the account withpot providing more details of the operation.

In the first half of 2017, Ecuador's anti-narcotics police has decommissioned 47.24 tons of drugs, mostly cocaine.
The photo was classic Flagstaff: A happy family posing in front of a field of yellow sunflowers with the San Francisco Peaks in the background.

But the subsequent story revealed just how ephemeral those views have become: Part of the field at the corner of Fort Valley and Schultz Pass roads is on track to be developed for 15 to 20 units of low-income housing.

We say on track because there are several more procedural and financial hoops for the city to jump through before the first spade of dirt is turned.

And such is the tenacity of opposing neighbors and their access to either the ballot box or the courts -- or both -- that nothing can ever be described as a done deal in Flagstaff.

But for now, there is a 5-2 Council majority for a project that all agree is badly needed  the disagreement is, as usual, over the location. There are already 800 subsidized rental units for low-income households scattered around Flagstaff, yet the waiting list has hundreds of qualified applicants. The council might have held out for a project that targeted households with slightly higher incomes who are all but priced out of the single-family home market and dont qualify for subsidies. But with incomes no more than $37,680 for a family of four, this still qualifies as workforce housing and is not just reserved for the elderly or the disabled. (Remember, more than a fifth of all children in Flagstaff come from households living below the poverty line.)

LOGICAL ARGUMENTS

The opponents, primarily neighbors, could marshal logical arguments, including traffic congestion, marred natural beauty and the loss of open space. But as the last open parcel at a four-corner intersection on a major highway, the three-acre tract has easy access, and the majority of the field right behind it, according to the owner, wont be developed anytime soon. There will also be a two-story height limit, just like in the adjoining neighborhoods.

There are, of course, plenty of houses just across the road in Cheshire or in Valley Crest, so another 15 to 20 cant be blamed for sprawl and congestion. The winter holiday gridlock is caused by thousands of snowplayers all exiting the corridor at once, not the locals trying to weave their way into and out of the traffic stream.

But for the sake of argument, lets say the preferred location for any new housing project  affordable or not -- should be as close to existing services as possible. Yet when the city has tried to convert close-in parcels at the public works yard and at the north end of San Francisco Street, it has been met with the same fierce neighborhood resistance. Infill, it seems, works on paper in the regional plan, just not in practice when the latest arrivals get to define what is compatible going forward.

DEED RESTRICTIONS

A complicating factor in the case of the Fort Valley project is the need for the city to own the land initially if it is to control deed restrictions that keep rents low for as long as 30 years. But the neighbors have known for more than a decade this parcel was targeted for affordable housing  it was purchased with funds dedicated for just such a purpose and it is zoned for development. If opponents want to retain the view from that particular intersection, they need to make an offer the city wouldnt likely refuse. But even then, the city would be obligated to take the funds and buy another parcel to start the affordable housing process all over again.

As we have said in the past, the city of Flagstaffs affordable housing problem is much greater than projects scattered across the city, even if they do add up to 800 low-income rental units, plus hundreds more owned by the Flagstaff Housing Authority. Those are just the households in the city earning below 60 percent of the median income. Most developers arent putting up apartment and townhouse complexes for middle-income families, instead targeting college students who rent by the bedroom. If the city wants to reconfigure that part of the housing supply, it will need to offer developers financial incentives similar to the ones they are getting for low-income housing.

But that could be very expensive  there are few federal tax credits available to builders of middle-income rental housing. However, when the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment of $1,100 a month eats up 40 percent of the gross pay of someone earning the median city wage of $16 an hour, something eventually has to give  which is perhaps why the new Flagstaff minimum wage of $15 an hour by 2021 won handily at the ballot box in 2016. At least one national survey ranks Flagstaff the least affordable of 191 metropolitan areas when incomes are compared with the cost of living.

GROWING FRUSTRATION

A larger issue looming over any development project in Flagstaff is the growing frustration with traffic that at times exceeds carrying capacity  ie., congestion. Its natural that Fort Valley residents in particular should be concerned anytime more growth is touted. Flagstaff has nowhere near the level of gridlock in places like Los Angeles and Atlanta, but its not supposed to, either. Most of the growth in construction, traffic and jobs is being driven by the enrollment surge at NAU, with a skewed housing market one of the results. Low-income housing projects arent the problem or the solution, but they improve the quality of life for a significant part of the population. Flagstaff and its neighborhoods should pursue them when they can.
iStock/Thinkstock(CHAMPAIGN, Ill.) -- An Illinois man was arrested and charged Friday with kidnapping a visiting scholar from China, who authorities now believe to be dead after she disappeared three weeks ago.



Brendt Christensen, 28, of Champaign, Illinois, has been charged in a federal criminal complaint with abducting Yingying Zhang, who vanished shortly after she stepped off a transit bus near the University of Illinois campus in July.



The complaint, which was filed in federal court on Friday, alleges that Christensen's cellphone was used in April to visit an online forum entitled "Abduction 101," including sub-threads called "Perfect Abduction Fantasy" and "Planning a Kidnapping."



Zhang, the 26-year-old daughter of a working-class factory driver from China, was reported missing by a University of Illinois associate professor on June 9, just weeks after she arrived on the Urbana-Champaign campus as an international scholar researching photosynthesis and crop productivity.



According to a 10-page affidavit filed by FBI Special Agent Anthony Manganaro, Christensen was caught on an audio recording while under law enforcement surveillance on Thursday explaining how he kidnapped Zhang. Christensen allegedly stated that he brought Zhang back to his apartment and held her there against her will.



Based on that information and other facts uncovered during the investigation, authorities believe Zhang is no longer alive, the affidavit states.



Robert Jones, chancellor of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, issued a statement expressing "great sorrow" to learn that Zhang is believed to be dead.



"There are no words that can explain why or how such a terrible thing should happen, nor is there anything I might say that will ease the grief of any of you who knew her. There will be time for justice and for explanations in the days and weeks ahead," Jones said. "Yingying is remembered for her kindness, her gentleness and her smile."



According to the federal charging document, Zhang intended to meet with an apartment manager to sign a lease at a complex in Urbana the afternoon of June 9. Surveillance cameras captured Zhang waiting at a bus stop near the university's campus at 2 p.m. CT when a black Saturn Astra appeared to pass her, then circle the block back to her location.



The car pulled over to where Zhang was standing, and she was observed on surveillance video speaking with the driver for about a minute. She then entered the front passenger side of the vehicle and the car drove off, according to the affidavit.



Law enforcement personnel investigating Zhang's disappearance determined there were 18 cars similar to the one Zhang was seen getting into registered in Champaign County.



While following up on leads, authorities went to an apartment complex in Champaign on June 12 where they spotted a 2008 black Saturn Astra, which was registered under Christensen's name. Investigators questioned Christensen, who stated the vehicle was his but couldn't initially recall his whereabouts on the day Zhang went missing, according to the affidavit.



Authorities later determined the black Saturn Astra in the surveillance footage had a sunroof and cracked hubcap, like the vehicle that belongs to Christensen. When they interviewed Christensen again, he admitted to driving around the University of Illinois campus and giving a ride to an Asian woman who told him she was late for an appointment, according the court document.



Christensen claimed the woman "panicked" when he apparently made a wrong turn, so he let her out of his car in a residential area a few blocks away from where he picked her up, the affidavit states.



Christensen was placed under continuous law enforcement surveillance on June 16.



The affidavit says investigators obtained consent from Christensen's roommate to search the residence, where they seized numerous electronics, including several computers and cellphones belonging to the suspect. They also executed a search warrant on Christensen's car.



The front passenger door of the vehicle where Zhang would have been sitting appeared to have been cleaned more diligently than the other car doors, the affidavit states.



"Based on my training and experience, I believe that this type of action may be indicative of an attempt to conceal or destroy evidence," Manganaro said.



Although Zhang is no longer believed to be alive, the affidavit states that she remains missing as of Friday.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The Saudi-led bloc has made 13 demands of Doha, but theyre mostly about resolving one issueand time is almost up.

Monday marks the end of the 10 days that Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt gave Qatar to comply with 13 far-reaching demands. For starters, Qatar is being told to cut off relations with Iran, shutter Al Jazeera, and stop granting Qatari citizenship to other countries exiled oppositionists. Despite high-level American and Kuwaiti mediation efforts, a deal appears unlikely. Qatar considers the demands an assault on its sovereignty and has refused to buckle to pressure. The other four countries, which declared an economic and diplomatic embargo on Doha on June 5, have repeatedly insisted that their demands are non-negotiable, and have promised further escalation if the deadline passes without an agreement.

On the surface, the policy disagreements at the center of this rift arent new. The anti-Qatar bloc has long viewed Doha as too chummy with Iran, too provocative in its backing of Al Jazeera and similar media outlets, and too supportive of Islamist movements. Whats new is the zero-sum stakes that the anti-Qatar bloc perceives in the current standoff. Saudi Arabia and the UAE particularly view Qatars support for Muslim Brotherhood affiliates as lethally threatening to their own regimes, and therefore see Qatars behavior as not merely objectionable, but utterly intolerable.

In fact, while the countries 13 demands of Qatar include a range of issues, the overwhelming majority are relevant to their ongoing concerns about Qatars relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood, and reflect these countries desire to nip what they view as an existential threat in the bud. In a sense, the Gulf monarchies have worried about their long-term stability ever since late 2010, when a series of popular uprisings started upending autocratic regimes across the Middle East and North Africa. While the activists at the forefront of those uprisings demanded political reform and economic equality, the so-called Arab Spring rapidly descended into a series of bitter power struggles. In the deadliest of cases, civil wars erupted in Syria and Libya, as regimes responded brutally to protests, fomenting conflicts in which hundreds of thousands have been killed and millions have been displaced. But even in less violent instances, the regimes quickly faced zero-sum stakes: Deposed Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled into exile, while his Egyptian counterpart Hosni Mubarak was tried and jailed. These events, and Washingtons embrace of the various protest movements, unnerved the Gulf monarchiesincluding Qatar to some extent. While Al Jazeera covered the January 2011 uprising in Egypt very aggressively, it joined its Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) partners in opposing the subsequent uprising in Bahrain, and it participated in the March 2011 Saudi-led military intervention to support the Bahraini monarchy as it quashed the protests.

But as Muslim Brotherhood organizations rose politically in the aftermath of these uprisings, Qatar charted a separate course and strongly backed these groups. Dohas decision partly reflected its ideological inclinations: The emir was infamously close with Egyptian-born cleric Yusuf al-Qaradawi, the de facto Brotherhood spiritual guide who had lived in Qatar since 1961, and Al Jazeera had long provided a platform for Qaradawi and other Brotherhood figures to promote the groups theocratic ideology. But it also reflected Dohas strategic considerations: With Brotherhood affiliates winning elections in Egypt and Tunisia, the Brotherhood appeared to be the political wave of the future. And the Brotherhood presented no internal risk to the Qatari regime, because Doha had dissolved the domestic Brotherhood chapter in 1999
Santa Cruz man arrested for robbery

Acting on information, officers of the Sangre Grande CID stopped a red Hyundai car in Sangre Chiquito, which was driven by the 48-year-old man.

When the car was searched, several items, including a Sthil Mist Blower, a Lincoln Welding Plan, a speaker box and a Makita router were found. Police said the man could not give a proper account for the items and he was taken to the Sangre Grande Police Station. The items were positively identified by their owners who had reported them as being stolen from their homes
WE ALL GRIEVE

The little boy eh do them nothing. Somebody bring back meh child nah. Wake him up for me. Mummy calling you darling, she wailed.

It was pain only a mother could feel, moreso one who bore just one child. And mourners, who looked on pitifully, joined in her grief.

Some wept openly while others clutched their young children as if trying to both comfort and shield them from the remnants of the horrific ordeal which unfolded just days before.

On Wednesday, Videsh, 12, a student of Wards Living Learning Institute, was placed in the care of a neighbour, Hafeeza Mohammed, a few houses away from his home, while his parents went to work.

At some point during the day, intruders entered Mohammeds home and ransacked the premises before murdering the woman and the young boy, who would have turned 13 on December 18.

The bodies of Mohammed, 56, and Videsh were discovered by her husband, Shariff, bound and gagged. Their throats had been slit.

Police believe that robbery was the motive as several household items and the familys car were missing. It is also believed that the two were killed because they recognised their perpetrators. Mohammeds funeral took place at her home on Friday.

Videsh, who had written the Secondary Entrance Assessment examination was said to have been eagerly awaiting the results, which are due this week. Education Minister Anthony Garcia has confirmed that the boy was placed at a secondary school near his Malabar hometown.

The killings, which rattled residents in the closely-knit Ajim Baksh Trace, has triggered widespread outrage and condemnation among social media users as well as religious leaders, politicians and civil society.

A private motion in the House of Representatives on Friday dealt specifically with crime with Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar and MPs condemning acts of cold-hearted brutality, which they felt were being carried out unabated.

Yesterday, Persad-Bissessar, who is also the mother of an only child, a son, was among the mourners who crammed the Subar home to pay their last respects to young Videsh, whom many felt had gone way too soon.

Tears streaming down her face, her voice cracking, Persad- Bissessar called for a united front to combat the crime scourge.

What I do know is that we, as a country and as a people, we have to stop the slaughter. We have to come together. We have to work together, she said.

She said there was need to do much more in the fight against crime.

In our country is murder and mayhem. But what, as a country are we doing? Persad- Bissessar asked.

We come and we cry and we hug up but what are we doing? We come to the funeral today and what happens tomorrow - tomorrow will be another one.

So, let us join hands, let us work together and let us stop this brutality. Let us stop these monsters. What kind of monster would do this? Persad-Bissessar said the country has failed to protect its most vulnerable, the young and innocent.

It is our fault, every one of us, it is our fault because we have failed to protect the young and the innocent. But as she lamented the worsening crime situation, Persad-Bissessar urged mourners to accept Gods will even in times of adversity.

God give is the strength please to accept your will. It is very hard to accept the Lords will. All we can do is to pray for the strength, she said.

So, to all of you please do not wash your hands when you leave here. Let us be our brothers and sisters keeper of all children. Let us work together.

Please, let us do that. The Opposition Leader said death was the only certainty in life.

When we are born, there is only one thing that is certain in our lives and that is that one day we must die, she said.

There is nothing else that is certain in life. What we do not know is when. What we do not know is how. What we do not know is where. So, death is the only thing that is certain in life. Garcia, the Arima MP, in a brief address, also bemoaned the crime situation.

It is really a sad day for all of us here. I dont know what has become of our country. Crime seems to have taken a hold of us, he said, adding it was the responsibility of all citizens to look out for one another.

While we share sorrow with the bereaved family, let us not forget, let us remember always that we are our brothers keeper and if it is one thing we can do in memory of this lost soul is that we must bind together and ensure that we stamp out this scourge of crime. Port-of-Spain Mayor Joel Martinez said people were fed up.

We are really in a very uncomfortable situation. People are angry and our tolerance is becoming less and less, he said. We have to deal with the criminal elements of our country. Arima Mayor Lisa Morris-Julien also spoke.

But it was Videshs mothers cries which brought tears to the eyes of almost every mourner.

Even before the funeral began, her gut-wrenching wails could have been heard along the street.

Why they do meh baby that for? she asked repeatedly, her voice diminishing in intensity.

Later, as the coffin bearing her sons remains arrived at the home, Veena could not suppress her emotion and had to be consoled by family and friends.

And as bhajans were sung during the viewing of the body towards the end of the service, her pain was again evident.

Bring back meh child nah.

Mummy calling you darling. Emergency health workers were on hand to assist the distraught mother.

Veenas husband, Lennon, for the most part, maintained his composure.

For his farewell service, a princely-looking Videsh was dressed in traditional Hindu wear, complete with turban.

Red roses were placed about his body and on the periphery of the coffin.

Close friend Justin, speaking on behalf of Videshs classmates, recalled the fun times they had together.

He was a warm-hearted person who had everyone laughing, he said.

Pundit Prakash Samsundar Tiwari urged mourners to support one another in this time of need.

Among those attending the service were DAbadie/OMeara MP retired Brigadier Ancil Antoine, Opposition senator Gerald Ramdeen and members of the Arima Borough Council.

After a brief Hindu ritual, Videsh was cremated at the Caroni Cremation Site. See page 7
Marlene in hot water again

Sources told Newsday last night that the presence of so called Sea Lots community leader, Cedric Burke, at the ceremony officiated by President Anthony Carmona is said to have incensed Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, so much that he was considering asking Mc Donald to step down once again. Up to press time last night, however, no action was reported one way or the other against Mc Donald.

Rowley is expected to address the matter of McDonalds questionable guest at her swearing in ceremony on Friday.

At the post general council press conference yesterday Stuart Young, Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, said the matter was one for Government, and not the Peoples National Movement (PNM) party.

Young is the PRO. He added that any decision dealing with appointment or revocation of an appointment of any minister, parliamentary secretary, minister of state, lies with the Prime Minister.

As the chairman of the National Security Council he is in possession of certain information.

So, the Prime Minister, it is his sole prerogative as to what decisions he takes with respect to any of his ministers...

and you can expect the Prime Minister to have discourse on that shortly. Police, along with their colleagues from the Special Branch and Defence Force assigned to Presidents House, were yesterday asked to compile a report to be given to President Anthony Carmona on the alleged security breach at Presidents House.

Sunday Newsday understands that an initial report had already been given to Carmona and the requested report was expected to be made available to His Excellency today.

Police sources revealed Mc Donalds office had sent a list of the names of the people she had invited to the function.

They said someone identifying herself as Mc Donald allegedly called Presidents House on Friday and informed the office there were others she needed to add to the list. The woman claiming to be Mc Donald was informed that she needed to send the additional name or names. None were sent.

On Friday, Burke turned up at Presidents House at the ceremony and was told his name was not on the list and he was improperly attired.

Sources said he was left in the waiting room and when Mc Donald arrived, she was warmly greeted by Burke and asked the police guards and soldiers to allow him to accompany her to the swearing-in function.

The officers took it for granted that Burke was a guest of the minister and they failed to make the necessary arrangements to verify if he should have been allowed on the compound.

According to well-placed sources, Burke attended the ceremony and mingled freely with other guests.

He was introduced by Mc Donald as a constituent and a friend. He also had photographs taken with the minister, the President, and some of her guests.

Sunday Newsday understands that Rowley, who was at the function, was not aware of who Burke was, however, Special Branch officers began whispering to each other after they recognised Burke.

Burkes name, along with his profile, is on the databases at Special Branch, the Criminal Gang and Intelligence Unit, and the Strategic Services Agency.

He was named as being a community leader, an alleged gang leader, and a person allegedly involved in illicit activities. He is well respected by persons in the Sea Lots community and owns a mini casino there. But Burke has stoutly denied being involved in any illegal activities.

Sunday Newsday understands that Burke is also a contractor and employs persons from depressed communities in and around Port of Spain (PoS). He is said to be a frequent visitor to the PoS South constituency office.

Police sources said they remain flabbergasted about this security breach, claiming if Burkes name was submitted as a guest, red flags would have been raised and he would not have been allowed to attend the function.

Following the function at Presidents House, Burke along with Mc Donald and her other guests, went to the Kapok hotel where a party was held to celebrate Mc Donalds swearing-in as a minister. Burke reportedly left the party during the early hours of Saturday morning.

In a TV6 interview, Burke said he was not invited to the event by Mc Donald, but attended with Sea Lots resident and contractor, Kenroy Dopwell, who was invited. It was really more like excitement than anything, just glad that she was reinstated and so forth and she was vindicated.

That was all it was about.

We didnt even have an idea that this would have lead to all this craziness. He said he could not be held responsible for any security breach, but it was the security officers at Presidents House who were to blame. You cannot hold me responsible for not knowing the protocol at Presidents House. I have never been to there, I was never a president, and I think that if anybody should be at fault, it is who is supposed to be upholding the procedure. A picture of Burke with McDonald and Carmona was posted on Fixing T&Ts Facebook page, making the public aware of Burkes attendance at the event, as well as some of his history.

In a statement, head of Fixin T&T, Kirk Waite, said the situation was just an example that politicians had no interest in implementing effective laws that govern corruption because they, along with their friends and financiers, benefit from the chaos.

Fixin T&T deems corruption to be the ultimate evil.

All other levels of our crime scourge are symptoms of corruption.

The time has come to effectively treat with bandits from the hills of Goodwood Park to the hills of Laventille; from Captain to Cook; from Parliamentarian to President. Speaking to Sunday Newsday, Waite said there were many people involved with criminal activity who dress in nice suits, go to nice offices, live in fancy houses, and drive nice vehicles.

He described them as thugs who use a pen, instead of a gun. He said the fact that white-collar criminals get away with crime may encourage others to try similar illegal activities.

Therefore, he said, it was up to the people of TT to insist on the legislation and to accept nothing less.

Calls to McDonalds cell phone went straight to voicemail.
Beyond St Michaels gates

Consider what the St Michaels Home for Boys is intended to be.

It has been in operation for more than 100 years. It is supposed to be a rehabilitation and correction centre for boys between the ages of 10 and 18. Some of them have been placed in the home for just being uncontrollable or badly-behaved while more serious offences such as murder and larceny have been the entry tickets for others.

The compound is supposed to be self-contained, with open spaces and classrooms for its occupants.

They are supposed to be exposed to basic educational tools, and the fundamentals of a trade. The home is supposed to manned by staff skilled in educating, counselling, and in times when their charges are unruly, containing them. A security detail and security measures are supposed to be in place to guard against escape or boys turning on one another or even harming themselves.

But Sunday Newsday found these ideals for the home not to be the case. Reports of students escaping the compound abound, even up to recently when 11 of them were able to break out of detention.

Many of the youths have said they were running away from physical abuse or worse. It was even reported that a youth died in the home, while horse-playing with another.

When Sunday Newsday gained access beyond the gates of St Michaels, the compound was found to be neglected, dilapidated and filthy.

The youthful charges were, for the most part, uncared for, and when this was not the case, wards inside the home complained of abuse and other ill-treatment. Concerned staff and relatives of the boys are now calling for a drastic change in the management saying it is becoming increasingly apparent that this home, which is expected to rehabilitate the boys, is now doing more harm than good.

The home needs less jobs for people and more programmes for the kids, said one social worker assigned to the school. We have a real opportunity to change the lives of these youths, and I feel that we are squandering it. LIFE BEHIND THE GATES People pass the tall fence and locked gates of the home, located on Western Main Road in Diego Martin, daily. A quick glance gives the casual onlooker the impression that the boys are safe and are in capable hands; but the picture changes, and is even shattered as one gets past the gates.

From the time one enters the home, there is a sense of neglect and apathy. Young, barefooted boys with nothing to do, meander along the perimeter of the fence. Some of them did not even have clothes on their backs. A 20-foot-fence surrounds the home, and is guarded by a few stern looking security officers, but other than that, there is little to no visible security. Aside from the security at the front gate, only one other guard in uniform was seen. The rest of the people at the home were staff members. Sunday Newsday counted six active staff on the compound at the time, three of whom were women. The women were stationed outside in the common area while the men were placed in a section of the home, called the rehabilitation centre.

While there are several classrooms, none are operational. Sunday Newsday was told that students there have a woodworking room, a mechanic shop, a class where they could learn masonry, and other classes. There is even a primary school. However, none of these classrooms were in use because neither the students nor the contracted teachers are given the encouragement to attend. Living and sleeping areas in the common section resembles more a concentration camp than a living area for teenaged boys. Walls were covered with filth and gang signs, and the floors were covered with wet clothes and random trash. Even the fence which was designed to keep the boys inside the home is falling apart.

There are sections where the barbed wire intended to secure the compound was pulled down.

At other sections, there are pieces of cloth covering the barbed wire.

Sunday Newsday was told that these sections are where the boys escape from. After they get over the fence, they simply have to walk down a river to the main road, and they are free to go wherever they want. If it is discovered that 24 hours have passed and one of the boys is missing, it would be logged, and if he remains missing for another 24 hours, the staff will notify the police, and the childs parents.

Supervisors who are charged with looking after the boys confine themselves to an office located to the back of the compound.

The youths are usually left on their own. A staff member, who worked at the home for 13 years, said she should not be expected to follow the children around to make sure they do not escape.

What are the security guards there for? said the supervisor.

What am I supposed to do? Lock up my office and run around, watching these children? THE REHABILITATION CENTRE The rehabilitation centre is partitioned by a 20-foot-tall wire fence. The building itself is divided into seven cells meant to accommodate a maximum of 14 boys.

Sunday Newsday was told the facility had been occupied by up to 31 boys at one point.

The centre is in effect a remand yard for boys under the age of 18.

Most have been charged with serious crimes, but others come from the common area. The youths from the common area, who are usually taken to the home for being unruly, mix with more serious offenders with little to no supervision, and no extra-curricular activities.

That many boys in one cramped space holds the potential for confrontation.

Discipline in the centre is the same as in the prisons, a combination of neglect and brutality. Youths have been subjected to all manner of abuse, by their guards and their peers, while in the centre.

One boy told Sunday Newsday that he has experienced life in both sections of the home. He spent six months in the centre.

Life inside there is really hard, he said. Sometimes two boys would sleep in one cell on a mattress, but when it is crowded, boys would be sleeping on the ground outside the cells. Each cell could hold about six boys. They let police come in and beat up on the boys. There was one time that I got stabbed by another boy, and they called the police in. The police beat up everyone in the centre. And the other day when the boys escaped, they rounded up all the other boys at the home and beat us up again.

But we didnt have anything to do with them escaping. Boys need real help A social worker at the home said no real kind of rehabilitation can take place if the boys are confined to their cells, and even less can be done for the boys without proper management of the home. Sunday Newsday understands that psychologists and social workers have been assigned to the centre, but a social worker said more are needed.

People who know about social work and criminology is what is really needed for that school, said the social worker.

You have to really have a heart for these youths. This is a helping profession where we help change lives. Some of these boys have no parents, or if they do, their parents are on drugs. Others may not have a father  either he is absent, in jail or dead  and that is the environment they are coming from. Some of these children, all they know is survival. While the wards at the home are neglected by most of the staff, the social departments seem to be focused on the betterment of the children.

Social workers are tasked with attending court matters on the childrens behalf, monitoring their behaviour, and counselling and assistance with obligations like getting a bank account or an ID card.

Social workers are calling for more staff that are devoted to advancing the lives of the youths.

There are people in this home who are willing to help these youths. There are staff members here that, despite all the challenges, still try to make it out to the home for the boys.

Some staff members even organise programmes out of their own pockets. But we need better leadership, We need better management, said a social worker.

On June 15, 11 of the boys escaped from the home. Since then five of the boys have been recaptured.

Sunday Newsday understands that at least three of them have since been sent to the Youth Training Cen
Invest in youth, keep them from crime

We live in a country where the youths are chastised and blamed for everything. Theyre responsible for crime, theyre responsible for this, theyre responsible for that.

Truth be told those youths are our children and grandchildren for those of us who belong to my era. And if we do not provide them with avenues by which they can creatively express the energy that they have then we cannot expect anything different.

So I am challenging those of us from my era, honourable (Labour) minister, ministerial colleagues, for us to invest in our youth. He was delivering greetings at the third annual Junior Co-operative Enterprise Programme (JCEP) Awards Ceremony held at the Hilton Trinidad, St Anns.

The event, a joint initiative between the Labour Ministry and the Junior Achievement Company, was held on the same day as International Co-operative Day which has been held since 1923.

He said the programme is a great opportunity for for them to participate in youth development in the country.

Pierre noted that with JCEP for three years and Junior Achievement for 47 years he has seen the returns from investing in youth.

He said that we have a culture that celebrates winners but the participants in companies that did not do as well have a richer experience as they have learned resilience, which is necessary for any successful business.

He added that people do not see the pain, failures, work, toil and years of sacrifices that go into a business.

Pierre advised the young people to go into their communities and get people together to form cooperatives, adding that neither Government nor the private sector can absorb everyone.

Commissioner for Co-operative Development Karyl Adams said the 2016/2017 project was the largest to date with 14 schools and 350 students.

He encouraged the participants to not let their work end but to use their knowledge to create cooperative businesses. Minister of Labour and Small Enterprise Development Jennifer Baptiste-Primus in her feature address said, Young people give us hope in spite of all the negativity. She recalled attending the JCEP fair in Woodford Square, Port of Spain back in April and experiencing pride and joy at what she saw. She said the fair generated $160,000 and she personally ended up with many bags and an empty purse.

She said young cooperators are critical to the success of the movement which is globally worth $1 trillion and has a movement of 250 million. She added that locally the cooperative asset base is worth $14 billion and the membership is 560,000.
Race and democracy

The racially-connected uproar over Anthony Bourdains CNN documentary, Parts Unknown, once again helped expose parts of this countrys racial underbelly. And this, at the same time, when our media dramatized the racial crosstalk that occurred in Parliament.

Such race-talk will not go away.

I remain amused by a newspaper editorial which called for national dialogue on the issue. The dialogue is already on. And even if there is a national dialogue,  evidence- based or intellectually-driven the mass media once again will make mas out of it. It is the sharpened ole time controversies that will hit the headlines. Market-driven for the massesfatal weakness of democracy.

Given the connection between ethnicity (race, religion, etc) and political power around the world, the question arising now is not so much how to get the different races to behave themselves, but how to develop a policy of managing ethnic diversity.

Where every creed and race find an equal place is an inspiring mission, but unrealistic, especially with the words an equal place. Equal? What we really should mean is where every creed and race find an equal opportunity. And the extent to which this promise can be left undisturbed, untwisted, by the political campaign, well, there will be some hope.

You see, apart from the latent (subdued) racial feelings here, we are yet to decide whether the preference is towards racial integration, flourishing ethnic diversity, or just leave things to evolve in the free movement and choices people make. Whichever route, the trouble really starts in the distribution of resources and the competition for them, example, jobs, education, state appointments.

People all over the world vote on the basis of, for example, ethnicity, social class and of course the extent to which they see their self-interest served or will be served by their voting choice. Or sometimes by hating the opposition. These are the issues that arouse blinding emotions, where emotions conquer reason.

Not about climate change, or remand yard prisoners.

Here is where the political prisoner syndrome enters. That is, any candidate, however honest or issue oriented, if he or she leaves out the connection to ethnicity, social class, self-interest or in todays world, gender, well, he or she would likely come second or third, especially if the opposing candidate exploits the political currency of ethnicity or social class.

In other words, if, for example, the reliance is upon the elected politicians to remove racial politics from the election campaign, they would find difficulty to do so. You will be asking them, in the circumstances, to destroy something that gave them political life. So the compromise usually made is to preach national unity and racial harmony on the platform, and promote or tolerate something else underground. This is the political prisoner syndrome. As I said earlier, I was amused at the editorials call for a national dialogue. This society has a diminished intellectual culture. And as far as reading research-based literature, well, it seems too hard for so many of us. The raging preference here is for fire-cracker opinions, provocative generalizations, which are bound to command the headlines.

So the reinforcement is there.

And as for our school textbooks, it is so much a profit-driven industry  with little or nothing of moral or civic value for children. And it is allowed to remain so, helping to create an anti-intellectual, non-reading population. And making you think that the Mighty Sparrow was wrong to mock the Nelsons West Indian book series. The baby was thrown away with the bathwater. A compromise could have been made by mixing local publications with Nelsons.

So dont worry folks, foreigners will always define us  by default.

Anthony Bourdains Parts Unknown is not the end of it. Another racial epi sode will soon ap p e a r.

We are w e l l k n o w n for it. It is now part of our democracy.
Disabled fight for their rights

The consultant, in front of about five or six interns, responds she has no right to ask for the test and she is a drain on society and a waste of taxpayers money.

This was an example of discrimination members of the local disabled community experience, but they now have an opportunity to have their voices heard via the National Survey on Disability. The survey is an initiative by CODO and Ramlakhan is the technical adviser.

She told Sunday Newsday it is the first time in this country persons with disabilities themselves can file a report to the United Nations.

We want to give people with disabilities the most opportunity to participate and have an input in this survey. Since this country ratified the UN Convention on Persons with Disabilities in 2015, she said, there is a move from a charity-based, medical model to a rights-based model and it is the role of CODO to push that agenda. Ramlakhan said there is discrimination of persons with disabilities at all levels including education, the justice system, employment and transportation.

She reported the recommendations from CODO include having all buildings accessible to wheelchairs, a legislative review and getting proper statistics because if they do not have empirical evidence it is difficult to advocate. She said the absence of statistics was very telling of the degree of neglect placed on persons with disabilities.

They are not even counted. She said personally it is difficult to be at work in a place not designed for you, not being able to get to work if the elevator is not working and without an accessible washroom facility.

She added that having to be physically carried on a plane is undignified. Sunday Newsday also spoke with CODO president Jacqui Leotaud at the Immortelle Childrens Centre for Special Education in St Anns where she is principal.

She pointed out that after Government ratified the UN Convention part of their obligations was to submit a report to the UN on June 25, exactly one week ago. She said, however, CODO has no indication this has happened.

Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi told Sunday Newsday he would have to check on the report. Attempts to contact Minister of Social Development Cherrie-Ann Crichlow Cockburn via telephone were unsuccessful.

Leotaud said civil society is allowed to prepare their own report and this is what they have decided to do.

She explained the survey is part of gathering information and research specific to persons with disabilities. As part of their research, they had to approach the State to find out if buildings are accessible and what services they provide. She said the goal is capture everyone with a disability and get feedback on how they live and the problems they have.

The survey began on June 1 with an initial deadline of June 30 but it has been extended to July 30. Leotaud said the extension was to ensure that people with all types of disabilities can respond to the survey. She explained that submissions can be made via computer or the visually impaired or blind can have the word survey text in to CODO and a representative will call them to get the information.

She said, though, for the intellectually impaired they may not be able to fill out the survey for themselves.

She said the response so far has not been completely wonderful.

Asked why this could be, she believed people with disabilities are not accustomed to people asking for their opinions and it may be a cultural thing. She said when a man in a wheelchair has to be physically lifted to go to court and you live in a country that does not respect you to have a ramp installed, they may wonder why even bother to answer survey questions. She noted, however, they require a certain level of response for their research project and so they are pushing for the communitys feedback.

Leotaud said there needs to be more awareness for people with disabilities to believe in their rights.

She explained that before it was about a charity approach but they are advocating for the recognition of rights.

Asked about the number of people with disabilities in the country, Leotaud said the Central Statistical Office (CSO) has not done a count for years.

In the 2011 Population and Housing Census the count was 52,243 but Leotaud believes the figure is too low due to how general the questions were.

She explained that using the Washington Group Short Set of Questions on Disability, one country saw their disability percentage more than double from 10 per cent to about 22 per cent.

She said with these more specific questions people who do not see well or hear well would be captured as well.

According to the World Bank, 15 per cent of the worlds population experiences some form of disability and therefore at 1.3 million there would be an estimated 195,000 persons with disabilities in this country, which is more than 30 times the CSO figure.

Leotaud also pointed out the elderly population is not accounted for despite many of them developing hearing problems, vision problems or mobility issues.

She stressed that if Government would make sure that areas are accessible to the disabled then it will also be accessible to the elderly population.

She personally has rheumatoid arthritis and walks with a cane and it has been a learning curve having a disability herself.

She said together with the survey, they have been doing focus groups with parents of persons with disabilities and professionals who work with persons with disabilities, such as speech and occupational therapists.

They have also requested information from all parts of Government, including the Education Ministry, Health Ministry and social services, regarding issues such as accessibility.

Leotaud said some bodies requested an extension but by the end of last month they should have received information from all.

She explained CODO will send their report to the UN though they are hoping that Government would have prepared its own report to be addressed as well. She said the hope is that the UN will query Government about shortcomings and what they plan to do about it.

Leotaud said an inter-ministerial commission was set up after the convention was ratified and a draft policy on persons with disabilities was prepared. She said the initial draft was extremely general in its plans and there were not enough specific measures and a second draft was prepared this year and stakeholder meetings were being held on it.

Asked about this country compared to its regional neighbours, Leotaud said many had not ratified the UN Convention though Jamaica and St Lucia had very good policies for persons with disabilities.

She said Trinidad and Tobago did well in having good special education schools, though there were not many overall, but fell down in other areas such as pavements not being accessible for the blind and visually impaired, a lack of signing for the deaf on newscasts, a lack of services for children with disabilities in the mainstream education system resulting in many failing every year and no schools for children with cerebral palsy other than the Princess Elizabeth Centre.

At Immortelle, they have a capacity for 72 and Leotauds 35-year-old daughter who is developmentally delayed, attends there. She said very few move out of the school as there is nowhere for them to go, such as supervised work facilities, and they have students in their 40s and 50s.

She reported a national policy was also developed but that had too many generalities. She stressed the policy recommendations must also be made into law otherwise they will not be implemented.

She said CODO, which represents all 43 local disability organisations, has been able to stick together for 15 years and they will keep fighting the fight.

For more information or to participate in the survey please call 361-0096, see their website www.codott.org or check out their Facebook page TTCODO.
Thereas a saying in Japan, Nama byoho wa kega no moto. That is, Half-baked knowledge of the martial arts is the cause of great injury.

It turns out the same is true in the realm of Japan's fetish subculture. Half-baked knowledge of BDSM is also the cause of great injury---especially with ropes.

Japan's fetish scene has blossomed in recent years and become part of the popular culture. A member of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet appears to have frequented S&M bars, and even the HBO series Girls had an episode set in a Tokyo bondage club.

However, as the fetish scene has grown, so have the number of injuries, and in a culture of shame many go unreported.

For decades there has been one man in Japan's BDSM underground who has acted as the "Doctor House" of dungeonland, offering treatment to the masters, slaves, and dabblers who have done damage to themselves or their partners: Golden-san, also known as Golden Rule S.M. or Doctor Golden, is calling for a "gentler, wiser, and kinder BDSM."

Doctor Golden, who is an S&M practitioner and also a chiropractor, has been taking care of people, mainly women, injured in the pursuit of their pleasure for over two decades. Next month, the book he lovingly edited and oversaw, The Illustrated Manual Of (Japanese) Bondage: Avoiding Risk Edition, should finally be available in bookstores.

In a mere 129 pages, the safety essentials for binding your partner or client with rope are explained in great detail, with easy to understand illustrations. The sexy cover and comic book nudity inside don't exactly make it a great coffee table book, unless that coffee table is located inside a shady bar frequented by Japanese politicians or your own home dungeon. But it's a volume that is long overdue.
Will your country ever be able to recover from this? Like, even when he's eventually gone, I feel like so much bad shit has been stirred up that there's really no going back.

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Probably not.



The damage is done. Might take a generation or 3 to improve our image.

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What I have a hard time with is when people are claiming that WW1/WW2 generation & vets would love this administration and be glad we had moved on from Obama.



Maybe I've just been lucky, but every single patient I've had at work over the age of 80 thinks Trump is ridiculous and a liar and they tell me this. I'm sure it's a mix of Republicans & Democrats, but none of the really old people I've interacted with like him/his behavior.

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i mean hopefully this is the low point but i feel like now any reality tv loser can be elected president so maybe not

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At this point, I honestly don't know. It's only been 6 months and he's done so much damage already. I'm hoping we've just had a real quick decent to the bottom/the worst/Trump's "normal" because otherwise I shudder to think where we'll be a year from now, let alone 4.

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The people he killed will remain dead.

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At the rate he's going at, he'll create a stain that won't wash out for at least a generation.

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Just wait and see how the supreme court looks after he's gone. That's what will seriously fuck us over for decades, no exaggeration.

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/Not American but no imo. Maybe people will get their rights back in several decades (I mean the supreme court noms are going to be such a nightmare), but America has really lost its place as a global influencer. Every country is playing nice publicly while working behind the scenes to mitigate the damage. Even if the Americans elect someone normal in 4 years there is really no going back from that.

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its all downhill from here. Paying the price for the blood this country was built on.

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I hope not for a good long while, at least re: the rest of the world looking at us.



"We always knew Americans were pretty stupid, but thanks for proving it in such spectacular fashion."

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It's not looking good that's for sure

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It's been a long time since an empire has fallen, past due. Maybe hyperbole, but I wouldn't be shocked if there was no more America soonish.

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Given the fact that so many of the folks who enabled him (esp the GOP, Breitbart, Fox News, Newt Gingrich, the 700 Club etc) have been around for decades (and the root of their complaints goes back a century or more, but most especially since the 1970's) I don't have very high hopes. This is not about one person, unfortunately. It would be a lot easier to fix if it were.

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people are still voting for republican shitbags so nope, i don't think so. not anytime soon at least, if ever. there's so much hate to contend with. i don't understand such evil hearts.

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I doubt it. I mean, our reputation was shit already and mostly deservedly so. Now this.

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no. the united states is officially over and will never be considered a global superpower ever again. i think by the time trump and his people are out of office (who knows when that will be; he will be reelected, and i have no doubt that pence will follow with consecutive terms, thanks to continued gerrymandering and voter suppression), russia and china will be the main powers fighting for control of things, with russia commandeering most american military bases in asia and the pacific. the united states military will be given to russia. if not officially, it will be said that the usa is ~aligning~ with russia to protect oil and natural gas reserves, which china desperately wants.

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I think so. It'll take a while, but I believe a solid generation or so of dedicated honesty, integrity, and progressive attitudes from our leaders and legislators and vigilance and civil participation from the citizens should do it.

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Italy used to be a Superpower. China is gaining a lot of influence on the world stage. Who knows.

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I think so because the amount of people here, and resources is vast compared to a lot of countries. Size does matter. Even though the US has forcefully held to lands, 50 state governments is hard to fight. Some of our states are richer and more powerful than a lot of countries and you can't escape that fact. Even now, state governments are basically what have kept us afloat. Also, unless every single immigrant packs and leaves, I don't see how the US would completely crash. My parents are immigrants and don't want to leave because it's more dangerous back home.



Edited at 2017-07-02 02:41 am (UTC)

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Eventually, of course. People always forget Americas only been around for a couple hundred years. The rest of the western world has been chugging along for thousands of years with shit and sunshine.

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The system's like a glass vase. It takes a second to shatter it into a million pieces, and a lifetime to put it back together. However far it was broken before, Obama tried to piece as much of it back together as possible, but Trump has now broken those pieces even further. No amount of glue will make it whole again.

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Our country already had a horrible reputation.

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I think the answer is really complicated. The U.S. still attracted a lot of people for work and education and was still considered some kind of leader in the private sector during the Bush/Iraq War, which a lot of people had a terrible opinion of globally. I think that Trump is damaging, but I also think realistically the country is so divided so some pockets of the country are still going to be relatively okay and still attractive to international visitors.

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America had a shit image in the first place, this just adds to it exponentially.

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It could, but the US really needs a deep change, especially in the way you all misunderstand how a government should work and that pathological fear against socialism.

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i mean im down for tearing it apart from the ground up. a lot of shit needs fixing

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No because a lot of Americans live in relative comfort despite all of this. It'll take a nationwide tragedy or war to shake things up.

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A long time if ever. We're stilling getting over Bush. It took the country a long time to get over Nixon so I don't see these effects resolving soon when he's gone.

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nope. theres no turning point after this.

t has prove what people will do for those sweet, sweet tax cuts and its honestly beyond disgusting.

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Probably a few decades when certain groups die off tbh? I don't even know anymore. Can't take three and a half more years of this.

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Honestly I think the American "empire" has fallen.

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You're acting like our current state is worst than viet nam and Iraq. There's potential to be worse ofc but what a myopic statement. Trump is not the problem, he is a symptom

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not in my lifetime :(

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We can't predict anything anymore tbh

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Idk. I really do think some sort of civil war will come about again though. As soon as white people stop being comfortable. Because as of right now, they are not feeling any sort of real effect from ugly orange and are letting this GOP shit slide because it's not harming them.

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I have a sinking feeling it may do what prohibition did to respect for the law (supposedly). But really it's the people who support him that worry me. He's old. He could drop dead tomorrow. But all the people who just ignored his disgusting acts toward women, minorities, the disabled veterans...those assholes will still be here. Whether you agree with Obama's politics or not he and his family are a class act and these fools couldn't respect them.

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lmao

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OMG the "Take on Me" of it all is killing me

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haha yup except he blocks the ones that get under his skin which is why there are more right-wing ones in the comments lately. what a sad sack of shit who claims he can take on ISIS when he can't even handle someone being mean to him on the fucking internet.

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lol i love how its all spiderman (spidermans? spidermen?) and then venom.

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It was nice that the liberal tear mug bots finally started to disappear... but the ones that are there now are even more annoying. I just wish that people would stop replying to them and giving them relevance.



I'm hoping that something does happen as far as him both blocking people and deleting tweets since there has been a bit of debate over the legality of it.

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those ~liberal tear mug~ bots were SO annoying

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Heaven tbh

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He should have used the original



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lol

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Omg lmao seriously

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it's july and i still can't believe this mother fucker is our president.

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Same

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mte

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it's true, evil really does keep you alive

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I know right.  I'm convinced he's not going to be impeached either. The GOP doesn't care and the Dems aren't pushing back hard enough. It's just a sack of  all around.

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Might hinge on what Mueller finds. Trump is starting to tick off and scare established republicans. He doesn't listen. They may want to slide Pence in eventually.

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ikr



mueller is arming his team tho. combover caligula is in deep shit

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If not, try it, it's amazing.



Edited at 2017-07-02 01:40 am (UTC) If not, try it, it's amazing.

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lol I love how Mark Hamill and Billy West will do their Joker and Zapp Braningan voices.

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Mark Hamill is a gem on twitter.

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Is he still doing his read-Trump-tweets-in-his-Joker-voice thing? Because that was amazing.

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I have not heard it yet

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everyone who feels bad fro them annoys me so fucking much. why should i have any modicum of empathy for some shit stains who voted out of clearly bigoted ways?

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Exactly. They KNEW what they were getting.

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Read/heard your comment in Draco's voice lol

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mfte



my parents are in that group and ill forever hold them accountable for it. i stand to lose my job if this healthcare thing passes since most of our revenue is from medicare/medicaid.

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Yup

Let them burn

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The problem is that his supporters are probably the group least likely to be affected by his awful policies. It's everyone else who will be hurt.

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I never did. They had every opportunity to find the truth and not vote for him. If they suffer it's of their own doing.

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I've never felt bad for them, aside from maybe having some pity for their stupidity. After everything that has happened, they're still proud of voting for him so they can die for all I care.

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ia. and i hate saying that because my dad and most of his family voted for him, and are still ardent supporters.

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they don't care about anyone but themselves

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lol i never felt sorry for those assholes

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LOL, who has time to waste feeling sorry for those morons?



hasuffer.gif

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Mte, let them reap what they sowed. I only hate they're going to take innocent lives down with them.

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Tbh I've never felt sorry for them. I take great pleasure in their tragic tweets and Facebook posts. There was a week where a lot of them kept posting about how they didn't realise The ACA and Obama care were the same thing and how they were worried about the cost of their meds and their surgeries and illnesses and that was the best week in ages. One woman said she thought he was going to help them (his supporters) and punish the bad ones. She looked so lost and broken and that was golden lol. I think their cries of regret is the only light in this fucked up reality.



And I'm Canadian so I can't evem imagine the level of joy you normals are feeling watching these brainless fuckers.

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I have no sympathy for them. My uncle and aunt will lose their Medicaid and are now whining about losing coverage on FB. I just comment "but you voted for Trump, so sucks for you. Enjoy the repercussions,"



They blocked me, no loss to me, they give shitty birthday and Christmas gifts anyways, BYE

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Basically. They brought this on themselves. I feel bad for the people who voted for Clinton and got this shitstain instead.

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so for a while trump, mika and joe were friends or friendly before he ran and once he ran and won the president they turned on him and trump feels betrayed? because watching morning joe that donny guy seems to turning on trump now.

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i'm beyond fucking sick of him god. GO AWAY

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GET HIM, LUKE

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I'm in a place of hopelessness right now. I'm not sure things are going to get better.

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I have no doubt it will.

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me too



but since the senate changed the bill, it has to go back to the house, and im sure the house will make changes, so it will just get passed back and forth and hopefully never see trump's desk before he is impeached and removed from office.

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This has been me since November. I have no hope left.

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I'm a granma because of Brexit

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Are his tweets from his personal twitter going to be archived?

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Apparently yes. Think of the great writers and orators who have been President and dump's words will stand alongside them forever. Sad!

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Trevor Noah did a Twitter library two weeks ago of his tweets.

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He is so pathetic. He thinks he is some groundbreaking, hip and cool president for using Twitter. I need him to keel over.

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it still blows my mind that no one in his administration has taken away his twitter. like, damn. do they really think that the pr angle of 'no such thing as bad press' actually is relevant here??? they are either seriously incompetent or 45 is so unhinged that they are afraid that any dissension in the ranks will lead to termination .

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They can suggest it, but he's the president so no one can really tell him what to do and their boss. I think they've just accepted it at this point.

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too bad there isnt a real B613 to do us all a huge favor.

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I'm convinced it's the latter lol

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I don't think they will because during the campaign and the hell we have entered, his BS tweets been a smokescreen for the even more reprehensible shit that has been going down in the administration. By the time there is a focus on it, they've already gone to the next evil deed.



*takes off tin foil hat*

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How can they take it away?

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does it matter? he's gotten away with saying so much horrible shit and will continue to.

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I'm pretty sure he'd throw a major tantrum if they tried to take it away for a significant period of time. Firings, holding press conferences to complain to the press about it, doing even less than he does now....

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ur the light of my life with these comments

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So why are these stories coming out of the woodwork now, I wonder?



Btw your gifs are a thing of beauty as always (Trixie and Katya always make me smile, they're one of my refuges in these shitty times.)

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LOL I knew you were going to find that gif. I found it and posted it in a roundup too :p I couldnt stop laughing when I saw it.

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this first gif is the best. i always wonder how much those t-rex suit people make bc they have the best answer for when people ask, "what do you do?"

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I feel like the dinosaur suit is everywhere these days.



It's gonna be the defining costume of this decade.

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I love t-rex doing anything



That costume makes everything 10x funnier

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superdogbiter where isto express what we're all feeling but too afraid of the FBI to say?

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Good, she was psychotic. I don't like vamp_mog either, but sharktoothdecay seemed two steps away from murdering someone.

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they got her.

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honestly, she was pretty harmless. i hope she's doing ok.

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rot in hell

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she's a fake victim. amber heard taught ha

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isn't he asking for a bunch of money? how is telling the judge she doesn't have money anymore going to help him?

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ikr? At least keep your lies consistent, asshole.

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Good, then he shouldn't be requesting any money from her.

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That is awful. I never understood why so many rich people waste their money and end up broke later. I hope for her sake she gets in a better financial situation.

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i see he realized he wouldn't be getting any money from her so he's trying to get the irs after her.

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If Michael Jordan can lose all his dough, it can happen to anyone. Especially stupid people.

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Shut up, sore loser.

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Mel B and the rest of the Spice Girls have extensive experience guarding their fortune from greedy ass men (Simon Fuller, what's good) so she probably has legal protections that barred him from accessing her $$$.

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though i enjoy the spice girls, i don't know too much about their dynamics. what's the tea on the simon fuller thing? what did he try to do to them?

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Fuller was their manager who the Spice Girls worked very well with...at first. He later stopped listening to them, overworked them, got them to advertise stuff they didn't want to, and the final blow was when Victoria was looking through their finances and realized he was taking wayyy more money than he should have from their earning. They fired his ass afterwards.

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I wondered about this. I have a family member who managed not to get financially wrecked by her husband during the divorce, although lord knows he tried the most. There are rumors on things she did that were technically borderline legal to protect some of her assets, but I never asked. The less people who know, the better for her.

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This is not the first time Mel B is getting a divorce to she knows already how to protected ha money. She should.

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Sad when people move to LA and want to "keep up" by spending all their money.



Girl, even Nicki Minaj lives in the same condo she bought a long ass time ago. That is called being smart with money!



People need to get over themselves!

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I hope it's not true because I have a soft spot for all the Spice Girls.



Fuck this abuser tho.

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I'm going to take what he's saying with a grain of salt. However, I hate rich people squandering their money like that.

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I don't trust a word that comes out of this abusive asshole's mouth.

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Why does Tidal even still exist

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Such an epic GIF.

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to support black artists

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To make Jay-z money

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I think Jay-Z initially purchased it with the intention of selling it off to Apple so that Apple would not have to start their music service from scratch. That did not work out, however.

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you're racist for asking this question!!

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I'm not paying for it so that could also be why this is my opinion, but I just started using it and never cared about sound quality but man... that shit sounds niceeeee

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For the people that still use it im guessing, crazy enough all my musician friends swear by it. if it wasn't profitable i doubt it would still be a thing.

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Hahahaha yessss! I wonder if they will issue some kind of statement about the "my wife is a queen not a Kardashian" line.

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wasn't that a fake lyric?

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god he's so ugly, inside and out

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That second of total 'Kanye don't do it' horror always makes me laugh

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jay doesn't care for anyone, he's fucked over so many people

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jay doesn't even care for his own wife. and i feel like kanye cares more about beyonce than jay and also more than jay does.

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Kanye stans or used to stan Bey.

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truth

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mte

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Yeah, Kanye loved Jay and Bey like his brother and sister/

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mte, jay is a piece of shit

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Jay-Z screwed over Rita Ora too, that's how I know he has no soul

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Lol Jay only cares about Jay, we always knew this so...

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He never. But then again, Kanye also is a selfish asshole too, so I'm not gonna pity him.

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jay begged one of the lemonade directors to work with him forever and when he finally did he screwed him over soooo

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This was totally unexpected.

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We are stunned

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CORGIS. ilu

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omg...! i can't at the cuteness...!



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...Is this from Cinderella? She looks kind of weird in this gif...

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No, it's Katrina Van Tassel from The Legend of Sleepy Hallow

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Kinda want this feud to escalate

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Beyonce has two new children AND she never has to see Kim again.

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what a strange world we live in when being married and having kids with a dude that cheats on you all the time trumps seeing someone (who is always cordial to you) like once a year...

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The same world where someone happy for a woman who has been open and honest about her fertility struggles and in celebrating her pregnancy can met with C+P po-faced generic faux outrage.



I don't care if you don't have a sense of humour or a life or whatever, but leave me out of it, plz. Thanks in advance :)

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Lol Mte.

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lmfao, tell it.

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I mean, it's a racist someone and they are black. Fuck being cordial.



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lmao slay

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Here for this drama. Here for this drama.

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here for the gif

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yaass this gif



looks very familiar

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Cause Nigerians love a good scam?

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That was literally the best Tidal fact ever. You sent your cousin to Nigeria? Like damn, Jay. Damn.

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does nutrisystem run a pyramid scheme too? damn

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Everything is going peachy.

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what a fucking flop tidal was. what was even the point? go after the record companies and their refusal to pay fairly and get with the times not the streaming services that are at the mercy of them.

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Good, that's a fair reason. I hope he gets his money.



I hate Jay-Z, but never as much as I did when he pulled the Black Album off of Spotify.

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DUDE! So many of my playlists are fucked up because of this.

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That was a crime against humanity.

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lmao that i ever stanned him



anyway have y'all seen that crazy CNN wrestling tweet that 45 put out? Jesus H.

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I posted one. Dunno if its been approved.

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Lemme go make one right now!

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Okay I just submitted one!

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ikr? I love, LOVE, his music but damn...

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He's so, so, so disgusting. Why is he still alive.

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There's a comment chain on that post about the amazing things presidents have done on this day in history. It's super depressing.

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I am so sad for our country.

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They somehow sold a third of their company to Sprint at a $600 million valuation (after buying it for like $50 million) so I'm sure they've been screwing artists over along the way. .

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lol of course the most flop cell phone company would buy part of the most flop music streaming platform.

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LOS REVOLUCIONARIOS NO TOMAN CACA-COLA No se trata solamente de un capricho, sino de una sana actitud en todos los sentidos. Desde la solidaridad con el pueblo colombiano donde la empresa Caca-Cola ha cometido los mas grandes abusos contra sus trabajadores incluyendo el presunto secuestro y asesinato de los dirigentes del sindicato, hasta la proteccion de la salud de nuestros hijos, enviciados por ese jarabe de cola y azucar, que les produce obesidad prematura. Pensemos tambien los revolucionarios, que ese dinero que gastamos en los refrescos es utilizado por esas empresas para financiar el terrorismo en nuestro pais. Es cierto, no se trata solo de la Caca-Cola, sino tambien de la cerveza, de los cigarrillos y todos esos articulos innecesarios y mas que eso, daninos para nuestra salud. Podriamos incluso pensar en un dia de parada para cada uno de ellos. Es cuestion de irnos organizando. Pero para empezar, que tal si dejamos de comprar Caca-Cola y sus similares?



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



Discurso del Acto de Grado en Barinas en 12 de Febrero del 2005 Queridos Graduandos:



Mas que un discurso, quiero dirigirles algunas palabras que escribi anoche, despues de visitar en las clinicas, a los estudiantes heridos, a consecuencia de los enfrentamientos con la policia de hace apenas dos dias.



Me ha tocado por razones del destino, ser la persona que les otorgue el titulo que bien merecieron con sus estudios. Y me siento sumamente orgulloso de serlo. Me consta que la Universidad de Los Llanos Occidentales Ezequiel Zamora, a pesar de lo dicho por los enemigos de esta universidad, es una universidad de primera.



No tendremos la mejor planta fisica, en los salones hace calor. En el comedor hace calor. Pero no es en lo material que las cosas deben valorarse. El mayor capital es el ser humano. Y en eso, nuestra UNELLEZ, lo digo con conocimiento de causa, esta sobrada. Los llaneros venezolanos son nobles, valientes, de coraje.



En la UNELLEZ hacen vida, en este momento, aproximadamente 67000 personas. El 97% de ellas son estudiantes. Jovenes que, como Ustedes hasta el dia de hoy, buscan ese titulo, que constata los anos de dedicacion y de estudio.



Los jovenes son el rio de la vida, ustedes graduados deben ser los capitanes de esos barcos que naveguen por el rio de la vida.



Nuestra Patria atraviesa momentos muy dificiles porque decidio dejar de ser esa matrona de edad vetusta y complaciente, para ser joven, rebelde y altanera. Nuestra imagen ya no es la de una acaudalada ricachona mayamera. En nuestro rostro brilla ahora la sonrisa del Che Guevara, con su diente delantero torcido, su pelo largo y su boina con la estrella.



Entender esto, a mi me ha tomado practicamente toda la vida. Tengo 53 anos, y ya perdi mi oportunidad de derramar sangre joven a causa de un ideal.



Ustedes son jovenes, estan en la flor de la vida. No cometan por favor el error de renunciar a su instinto de rebelion. El Che Guevara fue Ministro de a Economia en Cuba. Los billetes y las monedas se adornaban con su rostro. Nada de eso le importo. Primero fue a Angola donde paso un penoso ano de combate. Despues se fue a Bolivia, donde encontro la muerte. El Che era el ultimo que comia, el que cargaba la mochila mas pesada. Siempre se sacrificaba por los demas en un estoicismo que mas parecia fervor religioso que ideologia marxista.



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



Dije hace unos momentos que el 97% de la poblacion de la UNELLEZ es estudiante. Se imaginan Ustedes la Universidad que podriamos tener si todos los estudiantes tuvieran la abnegacion, la combatividad del Che?



Los momentos que se avecinan van a requerir de una gran unidad del pueblo venezolano. La alternativa de continuar siendo libres o regresar a la pobreza se nos planteara en los proximos dias de forma enmascarada, o quizas peor, desenmascarada, vestida con uniforme de soldado del Imperio.



Por nuestra parte podemos esperar lo mejor. La macroeconomia no podria ir mejor, la justicia social ha mejorado notablemente. Las misiones ocupan un papel muy importante en el pago de dicha justicia social. Aqui en Barinas ya hemos cumplido con dos de las misiones, la mision Robinson y la mision Sucre. No hay analfabetismo y no hay exclusion en la educacion superior, en estas tierras de Zamora.



Pero ay malhaya! Son precisamente estos exitos los que nos hacen mas antipaticos al Imperio. Para ellos, somos inclusive un mal ejemplo que se esta contagiando al resto del continente y cuidado sino al resto del mundo.



Nunca venceremos al Imperio. Estara siempre ahi, acechando. Por lo menos hasta que el mismo no se autodestruya. Porque, sepanlo senores, el neoliberalismo es canibal. Cuando le ataque el hambre, se devorara a si mismo.



Ustedes, queridos graduandos, a partir de hoy pasan a conformar la elite profesional que debe sostener este pais en los proximos cuarenta o cincuenta anos. Anos decisivos para el logro de nuestra libertad y del rescate de nuestra Soberania.



No se dejen comprar. No se dejen corromper. No se dejen gritar. No se dejen pisar. Que nadie les diga que comer, o que vestirse, o que leer. Sean siempre autenticos, rebeldes, contestatarios. Pero eso si, profundamente patriotas, dignos de ser hijos de Bolivar.



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



Oscar Zanartu Nacio en Caracas en 1960. Ha realizado exposiciones individuales en las galerias Minotauro, Clave y San Francisco, y en salas de Coro, estado Falcon, y Puerto Ordaz, estado Bolivar. En Paris su obra ha sido exhibida en el Centro Cultural Tanagra, en la Exposicion Cite Internationale des Arts, en las galerias De Mars y Arver Space, al igual que en la Galeria Municipal Levallois, en Levallois Perret (Francia). En muestras colectivas, su obra se ha expuesto en Belgica, Francia, Estados Unidos y Venezuela; en Caracas intervino en la exposicion "Del genesis a la memoria", 1995, organizada por la Fundacion La Previsora. En 1982 obtuvo el Premio Nacional Critven y en 1990 la Mencion de Honor Jose Antonio Paez, en la Embajada de Venezuela en Paris. En 1991 se le concedio el primer premio de Pintura Itinerante, en Levallois Perret, Francia.



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!


Cant find my keys. Ive misplaced keys before, but never lost them for more than an hour. This time, Ive been looking for about eight hours.

I have a thing about keys. I dont want them in odd places. I want them either in the truck, on the key rack, in my pocket or, perhaps, on my nightstand.

Part of that is that everything is old and often Im down to one ignition key on most things. I get around to having new ones cut eventually, but sometimes, as in the case of the truck, there is a lag.

The other part is that my grandfather used to lose his keys often. It was not good.

The truck is a 1990, the newest tractor is a 1980. The others are from the late 50s. Most of them came with keys that were worn.

The tractor keys, I put in my pocket or on the key rack. No nightstand for them.

This works out, except when I leave a key in the tractor and a goat pulls it out. That is never a problem of more than a few minutes because they generally wave them around for a few seconds and then drop them.

Its not convenient, for sure. So I try to remember to put them in my pocket, even if Im walking away for just a few minutes.

Im guessing that goats are agents of chaos. I have plenty of evidence to the point, including chewed spark plug wires, opened doors and gates, goats eating receipts out of my tool box, taking parts out of boxes or removing every pencil and wrench.

Or how about breaking through the screen door, sending a scouting party of two or three into the house before they get yelled at to go back outside?

Also, baby goats get caught in things, like tractor steering wheels or supports on the side of a stock trailer.

They let you know when they are caught. They scream. They scream like desperate children. By the way, sometimes they scream that way for no apparent reason, or because they dont see another goat who is just on the other side of a box from them.

As soon as you reassure them, and they know you will commence rescue, they are happy  and quiet. They will be content even if it takes you five minutes to figure out the Chinese puzzle of goat with horns wedged between strut and engine.

All the other goats will stand around and watch, some nibbling at your shirt and ears, as you sit on the ground trying to figure this one out.

They are concerned about their tribe, even though sometimes they will butt or hook each other so violently that their victim flies through the air.

A goat in distress is a source of dismay for the other goats. There is only one remedy for most of their distress, and that is me.

All this and I am paid back, most probably, by some thief of a goat running off with my truck keys and dropping them down a well.

This is all because a goat loves mischief above almost all else. And the nature of mischief is that it is a disruption of order, but not such a great disruption as to cause real harm.

What could be the harm of taking this little set of keys that came out of his pocket as he was saving little Smither Goat? one goat probably asked another. This will be fun.

Fun is not my word for it. My word is locksmith.
Lets get back to the basics. Every week I write this column with the hope of helping people save money. Whether it is watching for sales, using coupons, getting a special code online or free shipping, I try to write tips for all of my readers.

I have had a couple of people contact me by email who have not read my column from day one. Maybe they started a month ago, or six months ago, but they questioned my knowledge on couponing. So, I decided to take this week to give everyone a little background about me and my love for saving money.

I have always used coupons. I always have tried to save money on any purchase, as I am frugal. I met a woman from Glens Falls a few years ago and her son was a child in my daycare program. I noticed that she taught a class at The Post-Star, and the class was about saving money by using coupons. Once I spoke to her and took a class, I realized I was doing it all wrong! She gave an entirely different way to look at buying items your family uses every day. Stock up on items you use a lot of, watch for sales, save the coupons and wait to match them to the sales, etc. Then I was on a mission. The first items I got free from using coupons were Skippy peanut butter and Dawn dish detergent. All free, using the coupons and the method that Tegan taught in her class. I was hooked.

From then on, anytime I bought something, I would search for a coupon before the purchase. I started building a stockpile of items my family would use and things I could use in my child care program. After some time, Tegan and her family had decided to move to Georgia, so she was looking for a replacement to teach her class at The Post-Star. I offered to take the position, and she chose me. I freshened up my speaking skills and taught a class the next month. It was great. So many people wanting to learn. It was very rewarding.

In my monthly class at The Post-Star, I go into detail about using coupons, saving money, finding monthly deals and how they will benefit your family and your pocketbook. There are free giveaways during the class as well. Please join me for my next class at 6 p.m. Wednesday, July 26. Feel free to call 518-742-3309 or go to poststar.com/couponclass.

Head over to my blog at Making Cent$ About Extreme Couponing to find some great deals around the region this week. Post your questions, comments and deals in the comments section.
It is not that I am getting older.

People around me are getting younger.

Whats happening out there? asked a co-worker at the window.

Oh, people from the concert are parking in our lot, I explained. The Grateful Dead is in town.

Who?

The Grateful Dead.

Never heard of them, brushed off the 21-year-old.

I am no Deadhead. I dont like the music. Never danced nude in the mud with flowers in my hair. That said, not knowing who The Dead is, or that people call them The Dead, is like not knowing who Oprah is. Sure, she hasnt been around for a while, but you still remember all those free cars.

Hippies? Woodstock? Psychedelic drugs? Dancing bears? Naked people, flowers, mud? Any of that ringing any bells?

Her face scrunched up to show she was working hard to reach the back part of her brain and poke around for a bit. Nothing.

I gave it one more shot.

You know Ben & Jerrys Cherry Garcia?

Like the morning light breaking over a distant peak ...

Ohhhhhhh, yeah. I have heard of that.

... she understood.

I just never knew it was actually named after anyone.

OK, maybe not.

It was named after Jerry Garcia, the lead guitarist for a band called The Grateful Dead.

It felt strange to be the one trying to explain music history. What was next? Teaching back handsprings? Professional bangs trimmer?

I thought perhaps hers was an isolated incidence of music history ignorance. My co-worker was, after all, brand new. Perhaps she grew up on one of those communes where they make their own soap and shun worldly music. So I asked others coming in.

Excuse me, ladies, I called out to four high school girls walking in. Raise your hand if youve heard of The Grateful Dead.

One hesitant hand lifted.

Sort of. I have heard the name, but dont know who they are.

Another woman in her late 20s, not with the group, chimed in. Ive never heard of them.

I thought this was odd given her age, until her friend added, Yeah, but she is from Canada, which naturally is a fitting excuse for most things.

I did what I could to provide a solid education for all those involved, but Wikipedia and Google images of VW vans can only take one so far.

Sorry, Jerry. And Oprah.

Time stops for no one.

It just keeps truckin on.
On a day when our country had no viable future plan for health care, where our infrastructure continued to crumble and new information was released that climate change might be far worse than we thought, I learned one of the hosts of a morning cable news program I had never watched had a face lift that left her bleeding when she visited the president of the United States.

My source of information was the president of the United States.

President Trump averaged about six tweets a day during the month of June.

During that time he tweeted once about taxes, three times about infrastructure, eight times about the economy and at least four times about an MSNBC morning show, including once Saturday when he described the hosts as Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika.

If I were to describe some town supervisor as crazy or dumb as a rock, I suspect there would be complaints from readers that I had gone too far. If I were to insult a public official for their appearance, intelligence or some physical disability, I believe there would be outrage from most in this community.

Thats not how we should conduct public discourse.

And many would demand that I be fired.

And rightfully so.

If a parent provided similar content from Twitter about their child from a classmate, it would be described as bullying. School officials would take action, meetings would be held and the problem would be addressed. The offending student might even be suspended.

The behavior would not be tolerated.

The Associated Press reported Friday that workplace experts say that employees in the private sector who made such public comments  including the president or CEO of a company  would be disciplined or fired if they made comments similar to what the president made.

In the last six months, we have seen several local politicians mimic the president by insulting journalists, get into shouting matches at public meetings, and in at least one instance, offer to take their arguments into the parking lot for presumed fisticuffs.

The general discourse in our community has already begun to deteriorate.

We cannot tolerate that behavior any longer.

I did something Saturday morning, I had not done before.

I called up Presidents Trumps offending tweets and filed a complaint report with Twitter.

I wondered if Twitter could save the country.

This is Twitters policy regarding abusive behavior:

Twitter strives to provide an environment where people can feel free to express themselves. If abusive behavior happens, we want to make it easy for people to report it to us. Multiple Tweets can be included in the same report, helping us gain better context, while investigating the issues to get them resolved.

So I clicked on the presidents offending tweets, clicked on report Tweet, selected that its abusive or harmful and was asked, How is this Tweet abusive or harmful? I then selected, Its disrespectful or offensive, although I could have selected includes private information, or includes targeted harassment or directs hate against a gender. Any would have worked in this case.

Twitter then provided an easy way to block President Trumps Tweets and told me they would respond to my complaint within 24 hours.

But what I really hoped they would do was was shut down his account.

For the good of the country.

Twitter could help save the country by standing up to one of our biggest bullies.

Unfortunately, that is not likely to happen.

Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey told NBC that its really important to hear directly from leadership so they can be held accountable.

President Trump has 33 million Twitter followers. Thats far less than the 100 million following Katy Perry  Trump actually is not in the top 20  but it is still significant.

But what if every time someone was offended, they filed a report with Twitter? Its another way to protest we want a kinder, gentler nation.

But maybe more importantly, what if those of us who are offended just stopped following him? What if those 33 million became 31 million, then 25 million, and so on?

The message is that the president represents America, and we dont act like this.

On Saturday, I stopped following President Trump on Twitter.

Id urge you to do the same.

Ken Tingley is Editor of The Post-Star and may be reached via email at tingley@poststar.com.
LANCASTER, Pa.  When Ryan Epp wanted to make U.S. Sen. Patrick Toomey, R-Pa., aware of his views on the nomination of Betsy DeVos for U.S. Secretary of Education, he called the senators office 25 times, but no one ever picked up the phone.

I was frustrated and thought, Ill write a letter,  said the 26-year-old software engineer who lives in Lancaster. But then I didnt have a stamp.

And that got him thinking.

I can make this, he said about a software program that would send mail to lawmakers for constituents.

And in less than two weeks, Epp created an app for that, called Snail Mail Congress, which can be accessed at snailmailcongress.com. The way it works, said Epp, once you have entered your zip code, your senators and representatives appear and you are prompted to send a letter to one or all.

Epp used to work on the Kindle Team in Seattle, but now he has his own software company, Poeko, in rural Pennsylvania, about an hour-and-a-half drive from Philadelphia.

To use the service, for example if you live in the Washington County 12887 zipcode, Sens. Chuck Schumer, Kirsten Gillibrand and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik appear with their addresses and a link to their website. Prompted to begin your letter, you can write the entire letter or rely on the letter-writing wizard to guide you through the process.

Its important to tell a personal story, Epp said about getting attention. It has much more impact.

Once you click send, Epp will manually address your letter, put a stamp on it and take it to the post office. He said he gets the letter out in about one business day and then it takes two to three days to arrive. Theres also an option to track your letters progress.

To meet his costs of paper, ink and stamps, Epp charges $1.28 for his service.

My goal is not a money-making venture; I am doing it as a public service, he said.

Snail Mail Congress is available to anyone nationwide, he said.

Still in development, Epp has also developed Robo Call Congress (robocallcongress.com).

We schedule a robot to call Congress for you, he said, adding that hes still working on the program because sometimes the robot gets caught up in voicemail and that throws things off a bit.

And despite his efforts, hes still trying to reach Toomey to no avail.

I reached 46 unanswered calls in one day, he said.
GREENWICH  It was a sunny June afternoon. A blue-and-white cumulus-dotted sky painted the historic village in shades of nostalgia, and there was no sign of previously threatened storms.

Turning into this quaint community after about a mile and a half on state Route 29, the Greenwich Public Library on Main Street  the afternoon destination for more than a dozen Washington County residents searching for answers and the NY-21 Mobile District Office van  was easy to find.

But parking lot construction surrounding the library made it difficult to see any sign of the 1 p.m. event for Rep. Elise Stefaniks constituents.

The white NY-21 Mobile District Office van christened by Stefanik, R-Willsboro, in Glens Falls City Park two years earlier was not in plain sight, or perhaps not there at all.

There were no exterior signs inviting the public inside, or even a note on the door pointing constituents in the right direction.

When parking was still available on a side street right next to the library, coupled with a lack of activity (there was no one even walking down the street), it felt a bit like wrong day, wrong location, or both.

Perhaps a deterrent for the timid, it took a bit of searching to find the event. If not for a knowledgeable librarian who pointed toward the community room to the left of the librarys entrance, some may have gone home, not realizing they walked right past the Mobile District Office session.

I was surprised there was no sign on the sidewalk inviting people in, said Mary Lou Stern, a longtime Greenwich resident who attended, prepared with a list of her concerns. And Stacie (Dina, regional director from the Glens Falls office) seemed surprised there were so many of us; she said people usually have an issue they need help with. She was taken a little off guard.

A few present at the library gathering said they thought Stefanik would be there.

I was told that Elise was going to be here today and I cancelled everything on my agenda and I lost a day of work, one woman said to Dina. I came with a list of questions, Stacie. I would like to ask my elected official these questions and shes really the only one who can answer them.

Others like Stern, her husband, Alan Stern, and her sister, Jill Nadolski, knew the congresswoman would not be present but believe she needs to come to such events.

Its like ripping off a Band-Aid  it hurts at first. Shes avoiding town hall meetings, from what were seeing, said Stern.

Another woman interjected: Let the steam get blown off, like a pressure valve.

It might behoove the congresswoman to make time to come to this area, she said. The EPA, immigration  it seems to me those are issues that affect this area. It might be wise to come to this area at least once.

Dina repeated on several occasions that Stefaniks district is large and that she meets with constituents in smaller groups.

NY-21 is actually comprised of 710,842 people spread out over 15,114.9 square miles. Thats 47 people per square mile.

The manner in which she has chosen to hold face-to-face meetings with groups of 10, said Jim Raid of Cambridge, it would take her 112 terms to meet with all of us. Thats a real issue. If she continues to take two steps back from confronting us, we are just a widget with a face, not a person.

According to Stefaniks spokesman, Tom Flanagin, the Mobile District Office was Stefaniks idea as a way for staff to help constituents fill out forms, like Medicare or veterans paperwork.

The Greenwich session at the library was set up in a round-table format, but Flanagin said the structure varies by location, staffer and needs.

Our district staff handle them and it rotates, he said by phone on Thursday. Its a great way to get out to the rural areas ... the mobile office made 66 total stops since 2015.

At a bit after 1:30 p.m., after discussions regarding Stefaniks vote in favor of the American Health Care Act that was passed by the House in May, one woman stood, apologizing that she had to leave, but life and kids needed her attention.

Health cares terrible, she said as she exited the windowed 10-by-12 room.

Another attendee said she wanted to change the topic from health care to environmental and immigration concerns.

Im here to take your concerns back to her, said Dina, Stefaniks staffer who admitted to the group that she was relatively new to her job.

Launching the Mobile District Office made good on a campaign promise that topped the congresswomans to-do list. And at its July 2015 kickoff, Stefanik said she would be traveling with the van around the state for its introduction in other locations.

Perhaps thats why constituents believed she would come along with the mobile office to personally hear their concerns, or they just believe it is her responsibility to be present.

Greenwich Mayor Pam Fuller, who arrived about halfway through the session on June 20, said being present is part of being an elected official.

I think that its part of her job. I dont advocate screaming and yelling, but civil discourse, its her responsibility to be there, Fuller said this week, adding that she does not agree with Stefanik politically. Fuller is a Democrat.

During the mobile session, Fuller expressed to Dina her concerns about the Greenwich community and her frustrations with Stefanik not visiting or personally responding to her concerns.

I wish she would come here, I havent heard from her. She does not do town halls and she doesnt know us, she said. Other Congress people have found time to meet with people here.

Dina again said, She has a large  a huge  district. I wish this was a more condensed district.

Obviously triggering a sensitive topic, several people began talking at once and someone asked Dina why Stefanik only meets with small groups.

Thats all that fits in her office, Dina said.

There are other places to meet, Tracy Frisch of Argyle said. She needs to change this.

Dina responded, She believes this is working.

We are seeing it differently, Frisch said. There are meeting halls that fit 1,000 people. She should meet with as many who want to come to a town meeting.

Referring to a tightly planned town hall in Plattsburgh earlier this year where 100 people were chosen from a lottery draw, those at the mobile office session said they want everyone to have a chance to talk with her.

A public forum is an opportunity for more people to engage with her, said Stern of Greenwich. Getting to her office staff is easy, but she makes it difficult to meet with her other than on her very specific terms and in very small groups of people.

Alan Stern of Greenwich added, The perception is as if it is a gatekeeper process to meet with her.

That is quite different than a public forum, he said.

Alan Stern continued.

I have a general impression that if you ask the staff substantive questions, they say, Im not aware of her position on that,  he said.

Id like Elise Stefanik to take a public stance on immigration in the North Country, said Mary Lou Stern.

And for a time, the discussion turned to agriculture, immigration and concerns about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Is she going to straddle the line or shine a spotlight on it? a woman asked, referring to racism in the area.

I can pass that along to her. I know she would not condone that, Dina said. And in a somewhat disjointed followup, she said, The district is so large and so all over the place. We have these farms, we have these workers, but we do have laws in place.

Obviously worried about the countys future, another woman said, Agriculture is a $200 million industry in Washington County and experimenting with this law could put this industry in jeopardy. I would say actions speak louder than words.

Greenwich Mayor Fuller talked about her concerns about health care and how the people living in the village will not be able to afford health insurance. She also addressed immigration issues.

The forum wrapped up at about 3 p.m. with Dina promising to bring concerns to the congresswoman.

And this week Fuller said she got a call from Stefanik a few days ago, saying she would be coming to Washington County in the future for events and she would invite Fuller.

Im still very unhappy, she said. As elected officials, you really represent the people who live in that district and it is her responsibility to listen to people.

Fuller continued.

Were a small community and our economic viability is in question, she said. As the mayor, I thought that she would have reached out in some way by now. Maybe a survey to all the villages or a meeting with elected officials. She should have done that by now.

Mary Lou Stern asked about the upcoming Fourth of July congressional break. I know the Fourth of July recess is coming, but there are no events posted, she said.

According to Flanagin, the congresswoman has a packed schedule, meeting with constituents during her break.

Over the next week, her stops include visiting Norsk Titanium for a tour in Plattsburgh, attending parades throughout the district, a meeting with Cornell Cooperative Extension and a meeting with the Farm Bureau, he said.

But several requests to Flanagin for details and specific locations went unanswered.

Because Fuller and many of those attending the Greenwich mobile office session do not agree with some of Stefaniks positions, Fuller wondered if they dont matter to the congresswoman.

Maybe she doesnt feel we are her constituents, she said.
Numerous roads were closed late Saturday and early Sunday in the Granville area after the Mettawee River surged well over its banks in parts of Granville.

A flood warning was issued overnight for the Mettawee, with it cresting 3 feet over flood stage early Sunday. It had started to recede as of 6 a.m.

Turnpike Road and a number of other roads along the river were underwater much of the night, and the Washington County Sheriff's Office reported other areas near streams around the county with standing water and travel issues.

Granville Police reported no street closures in the village as of 6:30 a.m. Sunday.

Hoosick Falls was also dealing with major flooding on the Hoosic River, with a state of emergency declared there that closed Route 22.

The National Weather Service reported historic rain amounts in parts of Washington County on Saturday, with Hudson Falls logging 5.10 inches, Hartford 5 inches, Fort Edward 4.52 inches, Granville 4.03 inches and 3.62 inches in Queensbury.

Glens Falls also set a record for the day with 3.3 inches measured.

In Warren County, part of Padanarum Road in Bolton was closed as of early Sunday. Clendon Brook Road in Queensbury was closed indefinitely as of Sunday.

Three waves of severe storms moved through during the day, bringing not only rain but numerous lightning strikes. A fire to a garage on Cramer Point in Lake George was blamed on a lightning strike.

National Grid reported about 600 power outages in upstate New York as of early Sunday, with Fort Ann the most significant area of outages in our region.
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
Davenport police have arrested a fourth person in connection with an armed robbery that occurred May 29 in the area of the Village of East Davenport.

Dante Nathaniel Garth, 18,of 1518 Eastern Ave., Davenport, is charged with one count of first-degree robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit a forcible felony.

First-degree robbery is a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries an automatic prison sentence of 25 years, 17  , or 70 percent, of which must be served before parole can be granted. The conspiracy charge is a Class C felony that carries a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

Garth was arrested late Friday by members of the Davenport Police Departments Tactical Operations Bureau.

Garth was being held Saturday in the Scott County Jail on a $25,000 cash-only bond.

According to the Garths arrest affidavit, at 11:19 p.m. May 29, Davenport police were notified about a robbery that had occurred in the area of the Village of East Davenport.

According to arrest affidavits, Garth, along with three other conspirators  John Kevin Gilmartin, 18, of 2321 Carey Ave., Davenport; Tyrone Allen Smith, 21, of 1020 Oneida Ave., Davenport; and, Marlon Keyshawn Martin Jr., 18, of 1012 Bridge Ave., Apt. 2, Davenport  were armed with handguns and robbed two people.

They took a cellphone from one person and tried to steal their vehicle but were unsuccessful, according to the affidavits.

Gilmartin, 18, was arrested June 15. He is also charged in two separate cases involving vehicle fires in December and May. He is being held in the Scott County Jail on bonds of $25,000 cash or surety in the robbery case and $10,000 cash or surety and $10,000 cash-only, respectively, in the arson cases.

Smith, arrested June 24, is being held in the Scott County Jail on a bond of $35,000 cash or surety in the robbery case. He also is being held on a $10,000 cash-only bond for probation violation, and a $1,000 cash or surety bond in a misdemeanor assault case.

Martin, also arrested June 24, is being held in the Scott County Jail on a bond of $25,000 cash or surety.

Martin and Smith each have a preliminary hearing in the robbery case scheduled for Tuesday in Scott County District Court. Garth has a preliminary hearing in the robbery case scheduled for July 11.

Gilmartin is to be arraigned in the robbery case July 13.
1. I-74 meeting

The governors of Iowa and Illinois finally got together in the Quad-Cities, if only for a short time, last week. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds and Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner made a joint appearance Monday at Leach Park in Bettendorf to formally kick off construction of the new Interstate 74 bridge over the Mississippi River. The cost of the overall project is expected to be $1.2 billion, and construction of the twin spans is just a part of that. The work is expected to run into 2020 before the existing bridges come down in 2021.

2. Kone changes

The company is keeping its North American headquarters in Moline, but the two buildings in the city that include the Kone name likely will be changing hands soon. Heritage Church, which already has four locations in the Quad-City region, announced Thursday that it is buying the iconic tower just upstream from the I-74 bridge, along with the office building at its base. The church plans to move its offices to the building and add community center-type activities. Meanwhile, Ray Forsythe, Moline planning and development director, said Financial District Properties and its principal, Rodney Blackwell, also are selling most of the new Kone Centre to an out-of-state company.

3. Teacher charged

A Davenport teacher was arrested last week and accused in federal court of possessing child pornography. Michael Loren Ross, 43, made his first appearance in court Monday on charges of possession of child pornography and receipt of child pornography. He has taught in the Davenport Community School District at Buchanan and Wilson elementary schools, but he was placed on administrative leave following his arrest.

4. Homicide arrest

Meanwhile, a Davenport man was arrested last week and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Brandon Brooks, 35. Authorities were called to a quiet street on Davenport's west side on May 30 on a report of a fire near the street, and they made a gruesome find. Brooks' body was found when the fire was put out. Last week, Tremayne LaToine Thomas, 42, was arrested in connection with the death.

5. Big bang

Consumer-grade fireworks are legal again in Iowa for the first time in about 80 years. It's a fun opportunity for many, but police in the Iowa Quad-Cities say it's meant a big increase in calls for service from people complaining about fireworks being shot unsafely or outside the allowed times. Davenport firefighters also have responded to at least three fires attributed to fireworks.

6. Pitch for rehab

We learned last week that there are plans in the works to fix up the old Rock Island County Courthouse and return many of the county offices to the 1895-97 structure at the foot of the Centennial Bridge in Rock Island. Among the ideas under consideration is a three-quarter cent sales tax increase to fund the rehabilitation. County Administrator Dave Ross will pitch the plan at a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. July 18 before the Rock Island County Board.

7. Stopping violence

About 200 people turned out last Sunday for a second annual walk to bring awareness to the victims and tragedy of gun violence. It was more than double the turnout from the first walk a year ago, and it attracted family, friends and loved ones of more than two dozen gun violence victims since 1993. "We want to stop the violence," one of those family members told us.

8. Another round

It's been a long fight for the Burchett brothers at the Mississippi River Distilling Co. They've been trying to level the playing field for distilleries in the state for years, giving them the same opportunities to sell their product as small-scale wineries and breweries have in Iowa. On Saturday, a new law took effect that allows the distillery to sell liquor by the glass; previously, they could offer visitors only small amounts of liquor to sample, and they couldn't charge for it. Now, the Cody Road Cocktail House is open at the distillery in LeClaire.

9. Running around

Construction work on Davenport's Brady Street hasn't progressed as fast as expected, and it will mean a detour will continue for runners taking part in the Bix at Six, the Thursday night training runs for the Quad-City Times Bix 7. For the next two Thursdays, runners again will use Pershing Avenue instead of Brady for the Bix at Six. Race director Ed Froehlich said he's been assured Brady will be ready for the Bix 7 race on July 29. Meanwhile, he's trying to figure out where qualifying rounds for the Brady Street Sprints will be held. By the way, to register for the big race, go to qctimes.com/bix7.

10. Zoo under water

Niabi Zoo's newest attraction has now opened. The aquatic-themed exhibit called Oceans opened to the public on Friday and features 40 new species for the zoo in Coal Valley. The exhibit includes a giant Pacific octopus, a moray eel, moon jellyfish and other underwater species, and zoo officials say it will bring new learning opportunities to the Quad-Cities.
Lean hog futures shot over 90 cents per pound for the first time since 2014, a move that could hit backyard grillers in the gut going into the 4th of July weekend.

Prices have more than doubled over the last eight months as pork exports to foreign buyers have soared, especially to major buyers Mexico and South Korea. There had been concerns that President Trumps desire to restrict foreign trade could hurt U.S. exports, but for now, global buyers are clamoring for bacon, chops and ribs.

To meet the rising demand, U.S. hog producers have expanded their herds to record levels and are poised to expand further. Producers continue to increase their number of breeding sows, which are now rearing an average of 10.55 piglets per litter. The rising efficiency of U.S. hog operations has allowed fewer producers to make more pork for an increasingly meat-hungry globe.

Copper streaks skyward

The red metal has been heating up, trading to a two-month high on Friday morning near $2.70 per pound. Copper prices have been rising on increasing demand from China, the worlds largest copper consumer.

Global supplies were restricted earlier this year by a workers strike at the worlds largest copper mine in Chile. Now, workers at the second-largest mine in the world in Indonesia are on strike as well, but the mine is continuing to produce at its normal pace.

As a side note for fireworks enthusiasts, copper is the metal used in the brilliant blue explosions you may enjoy this week.

Wheat prices rising

Prices for wheat continued exploding higher this week, led by Minneapolis spring wheat, which hit a three-year high on Friday.

The spring wheat crop is especially threatened by widespread drought in the northern Great Plains, where that wheat is predominantly planted. Temperatures this week could soar over 100 degrees in North Dakota, exacerbating crop stress in the largest spring wheat producing state.

On Friday morning, the USDA released its most recent data on U.S. crop plantings this year, which showed substantially less spring wheat planted than expected.

Minneapolis wheat is especially prized for its protein content and threats to this years production are giving that crop an increasingly large premium over the Kansas City and Chicago wheat contracts. As of midday Friday, Minneapolis wheat traded as high as $7.80 per bushel, while KC and Chicago wheat topped out near $5.10.
In Montana, where water is for fighting over as much as it is for drinking, news this week that the federal government was repealing an Obama-era clean water rule was toasted.

This state and 26 others sued the federal government in 2015 to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers from expanding the federal control of waterways under the Clean Water Act. The so-called Waters of the United States rule sought to establish federal control over streams and waterways considered navigable.

Montana farm groups, home builders and county governments feared the new rule, established by presidential executive order without Congressional approval, would ultimately require federal approval for water bodies as small at roadside barrow pits and stock ponds.

The EPA was adopting rules and those rules would have seriously impacted counties' ability to make roads, said Harold Blattie, director of the Montana Association of Counties. Their rule would have really hamstrung counties' ability to do routine maintenance.

Imagine applying for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers any time a barrow pit was constructed to catch storm water along a two-lane road, Blattie said. Because the permits can take several weeks, if not longer, counties found the decision easy to join a lawsuit opposing the Waters of the United States rule.

Nationally, news of the repeal drew criticism from wildlife and environmental groups concerned about worsening water conditions. In state, criticism was muted.

Agriculture groups also signed on. Farmers were worried about tighter controls on field runoff. Concentrated animal feedlots, where urine and feces accumulate quickly, were concerned about waste control, although Montana has few of any significant size.

The biggest push back came from ranches, the kind that dot the arid Montana landscape. Fly low across the burned beige pasture lands of Eastern Montana and you will see every mile or so a stock pond cut into the start of a stream bed that might be dry most of the year. The water might come from a weeping hillside and never produce enough moisture to reach a river.

As early as 2007, ranchers expressed concern that these dry stream beds would be considered navigable under the Waters of the United States rule because of a few weeks of spring runoff that had enough punch to reach a continuous waterway. The EPA had suggested that scenario wasnt valid, but ranchers were leery.

Water law is perpetually litigated in Montana, where water compacts with American Indian tribes and other interests have kept state and federal attorneys busy for years. There have been 19 water compacts negotiated recently, Fox said. In addition to seven compacts involving American Indian tribes, there have been 12 settling the water rights of Montana and the U.S. Forest Service and national parks.

The states legal battle with Wyoming over water flowing into the Tongue River, which meanders between the Cowboy State and Montana, has been well documented. The diversion of water from the St. Mary River into the Milk River is an international issue. The St. Mary flows into the Hudson Bay drainage in Canada. Its water is diverted into a canal system feeding the Milk, upon which instigators on Montanas Hi-Line rely.

After Republicans took control of the both the House and Senate, President Barack Obama resorted to executive orders to advance several issues, including water quality and the regulation of greenhouse gasses contributing to climate change. Those orders only stay on the books as long as the current executive obliges and President Donald Trump has repealed or vowed to repeal several.

Montana Attorney General Tim Fox decided in 2015 to join the multi-state lawsuit against WOTUS. Montanans' concerns about how WOTUS would be applied were valid, Fox said, but there was also an argument to be made about how the rule came to be without a vote in Congress.

To me, the greatest impact was the disservice it does to the rule of law, Fox said. Congress is there to make the laws.
WASHINGTON | Republicans are touting lower premiums under their health care legislation, but that reflects insurance that would cover a smaller share of the cost of medical bills.

The fine print is getting lost in the translation.

Consumers might pay less up front every month, but if you break a bone or get hospitalized for a serious illness, you could be on the hook for a bigger share of the bill.

Premiums under the Senate bill would average about 30 percent lower in a few years, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said in its analysis this week. What's overlooked is that the lower premiums envision a switch to "bronze" plans that now come with a $6,000 individual deductible, as opposed to the current standard "silver" plan with a $3,600 deductible.

Another caveat: not everybody would see lower premiums.

Insurers will be able to charge older adults up to five times more, compared with a three-fold difference under current law, the health care overhaul passed under former President Barack Obama.

Also, the GOP would give lower-income people less financial help from the government, which means many might not be able to afford coverage. Lower-income people get less assistance with premiums in the Senate bill and the GOP would also phase out extra help that many receive with deductibles and copayments.

"I think there's some fine print," said Cori Uccello of the American Academy of Actuaries, a group representing professionals who make long-range economic estimates on health and pension programs. "Premiums are going down for a couple of reasons: the plans are getting less generous ... and the age distribution of people purchasing coverage would be younger."

The 2010 Affordable Care Act was intended to solve problems of access and affordability for millions of Americans who don't have job-based insurance. Instead, it's been a roller-coaster ride, and not only because of entrenched political opposition from Republicans.

This year and again for next year, double-digit premium increases have hit many states. While consumers who get federal subsidies are insulated, several million who buy individual policies outside the program are taking a direct hit. It's this group that some GOP lawmakers had in mind when they launched their self-proclaimed health care "rescue mission."

"It will bring affordability to people across this country who are suffering under the curse of high premiums and high deductibles and high out-of-pocket costs," Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., said of the Senate GOP bill.

But Uccello and other experts caution that cost problems might just continue, only in a different form.

One longtime "Obamacare" critic says Republicans risk making some of the same mistakes that Democrats did with their original legislation.

Industry consultant and blogger Robert Laszewski says lawmakers should start from scratch and try to design a system along the lines of the Medicare prescription drug benefit, a collaboration between the government and insurers that has solid bipartisan support, even if its cost to taxpayers is a problem.

"The way to fix insurance markets is to get a much higher sign-up rate and the Republicans are going in the opposite direction," said Laszewski.

Republicans "are not bringing costs down  they are only bringing the front-end premium down," added Laszewski. Healthy people looking at a plan with a $6,000 deductible might just decide to roll the dice and remain uninsured.

The Congressional Budget Office says insurance markets will be stable in most areas whether current law stays in place or Republicans pass their legislation. But many trade-offs lurk beneath that 30,000-foot level assessment.

What's gotten most attention is the CBO's projection that at least 22 million fewer Americans would have health insurance under either Republican bill, the one that passed the House or the Senate version. A table at the end of this week's report delves into greater detail, looking at how costs would change for hypothetical individuals at different income levels in 2026.

Math alert: This example involves a few numbers.

Take a hypothetical 40-year-old making a modest $26,500 a year. Under current law, that person would face a sticker price of $6,500 a year for a standard "silver" plan. Premium subsidies would reduce the net premium to $1,700. Because of extra subsidies for deductibles and copayments, the plan would cover 87 percent of expected medical costs.

Under the Senate bill, the 40-year-old would see the sticker price silver plan premium drop to $6,400. But their premium subsidies would be significantly lower, and they'd end up paying $3,000. Caveat: It wouldn't be the exact same plan, because extra subsidies now provided for deductibles and copayments would be gone. The new plan would only cover 70 percent of expected medical costs.

What's the option?

The consumer could switch to a "bronze" plan, the new standard under the GOP bill. The sticker price would be $5,000, and after subsidies, the net premium would be $1,600. But the plan would only cover 58 percent of expected medical costs.

In the long run, reduced premium subsidies and the loss of subsidies for deductibles and copayments "can actually exacerbate the problems in the individual market," said Uccello.
The federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act turns 50 this year  about the age when many American workers begin to encounter the kinds of biases the law was intended to prevent.

At this "milestone of middle age," quipped Victoria Lipnic, acting chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the law is grappling with new forms of age discrimination in the internet era.

Research by the EEOC, which received 20,857 claims of age discrimination last year, found that 65 percent of older workers say age is a barrier to getting a job.

The issue has taken on even greater importance as American workers delay retirement and stay in the workplace longer, pushing up the median age in the U.S. labor force.

Here's a look at some of the trends in age discrimination:

Digital divide

In job ads, some employers have begun listing "digital native" as a requirement for the position. The term, many say, is a "code word" for young workers who have grown up with technology and will be able to use new systems with ease.

This term plays into stereotypes that "digital immigrants"  usually older workers who came of age before the internet  will be slow to adapt to technology, reluctant to learn and costly to train.

Older workers are sometimes labeled as "technophobic," said Sara Czaja, director of the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement.

But contrary to stereotypes, research does not show a correlation between age and work performance. If tasks are based on speed and accuracy, Czaja conceded that age may play a factor in an employee's productivity.

A 2010 study of adults ages 65 to 85 found that the majority of participants had a positive attitude toward using technology.

Of course, it is difficult to tell if companies are using the term "digital native" as a subtle form of discrimination or if they simply require an applicant proficient in certain technology skills.

Jacquelyn James, co-director of the Center on Aging and Work at Boston College, said most of the time people aren't conscious of their biases or stereotypes. "The acknowledgment that they are implicit, that we don't see them, we don't recognize them is the most important hedge against their negative effects," she said.

For something like a job description, James suggested putting together a team of people of different ages to ensure phrases such as "digital native" aren't giving off the wrong idea.

Women's woes

Although people of both genders struggle with age discrimination, research has shown women begin to experience age discrimination in hiring practices before they reach 50, whereas men don't experience it until several years later.

In a 2015 study examining the effect of a date of birth listed on a resume, researchers found all applicants over age 64 were less likely than younger applicants to receive a request for an interview or an inquiry. However, middle-aged women, ages 49 to 51, had a significantly lower callback rate than younger women, ages 29 to 31, while middle-aged men did not follow the same pattern.

The study also found discrimination toward older men was prominent in only select fields, but older women felt discrimination across the board.

And legal protections against age discrimination tend to skew more toward men. "Evidence suggests laws help older men more than older women," said Patrick Button, one of the authors of the study and an assistant professor at Tulane University.

As women age, they also see more disparity in wages, with women ages 20 to 24 receiving 90 percent of men's earnings while women over 65 make 74 percent of men's wages, according to a 2017 study from the American Association of University Women using Census Bureau data.

Better times ahead?

At the peak of job loss caused by the Great Recession, U.S. employment had fallen by 8.8 million jobs, according to an overview from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Many older workers who were laid off simply dropped out of the job market permanently.

But with an unemployment rate now down to 4.3 percent, the lowest level since 2001 and what many economists consider as full employment, companies are likely to try to lure back older, skilled workers to fill openings.

"We're at a time in our economy right now, nearing the end of an expansion, where unemployment is very low ... so it's a time where change can occur. Companies dip into pools of workers that normally they ignore from discrimination," said John Challenger, chief executive of Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., an outplacement company. "The core fuel for our economy is not energy, it's particularly skilled workers."

As a result, the labor force participation rate for workers ages 65 and older is projected to increase to 21.7 percent by 2024, from 18.6 percent in 2014, according to a 2015 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. And older workers are expected to account for a higher share of the overall labor force.

Birthday blues

Just as technology is causing barriers inside the workplace for older employees, online applications and search engines could be hurting older workers looking for jobs.

Many applications have required fields asking for date of birth and high school graduation, which many older workers leave off their resumes. The required field often deters older workers from completing the application because they worry they don't have a shot because of their age, and allows companies to screen out applicants based on age.

"Why would you need someone's date of birth? Do you ask them their sex, their race? No," said Cathy Ventrell-Monsees, senior attorney advisor to the chair at the EEOC. "If it matters when someone gets a job, perhaps because there are benefits, then you ask for date of birth when they get the job."

AARP wants the EEOC to make a required field for date of birth or graduation date unlawful because "anytime they're using age in those algorithms that is a violation of the ADEA," said Laurie McCann, an attorney with AARP Foundation Litigation.

Furthermore, McCann said, some search engines allow people to filter their search based on high school graduation date, thereby allowing employers and employees to screen people and positions out of the running.
DALLAS | Southwest Airlines, pulling back on its service to Cuba, plans to end flights to two cities on the island in September after determining the routes aren't sustainable, the company said last week.

Dallas-based Southwest will operate its last flights to Varadero and Santa Clara on Sept. 4. It will continue its service from Fort Lauderdale and Tampa, Fla., to the island nation's capital, Havana.

Southwest's decision is the latest sign that U.S. airlines, which got permission to fly to Cuba last year, have been disappointed with their return on investment. Southwest joins American Airlines and JetBlue in cutting back service to Cuba, while Frontier Airlines and Silver Airways ended their Cuba flights altogether.

"Our decision to discontinue the other Cuba flights comes after an in-depth analysis of our performance over several months which confirmed that there is not a clear path to sustainability serving these markets, particularly with the continuing prohibition in U.S. law on tourism to Cuba for American citizens," Steve Goldberg, Southwest's senior vice president of ground operations, said in a statement.

Commercial flights between the U.S. and Cuba took off for the first time in 50 years in 2016 as part of a broader push by the Obama administration to liberalize relations between the two countries.

Airlines launched dozens of daily flights to Havana and smaller cities across the island, hoping to stake a claim in a new market with the potential to grow into a major tourist draw.

About 285,000 U.S. citizens traveled to Cuba in 2016, triple the amount that did so in 2014, according to the Boston Consulting Group.

The Obama-era policy made it easier for U.S. citizens to travel to Cuba but did not totally eliminate restrictions and challenges that made visiting the island unlike traveling to any other Caribbean market.

General tourism to the island is prohibited, with U.S. travelers having to visit under one of 12 official purposes, including educational, research or humanitarian.

Traveling to the island is likely to get even more difficult for U.S. citizens after President Donald Trump announced changes this month that will require most visitors to be part of organized tour groups.

For now, much of the traffic between the U.S. and Cuba will likely be Cuban Americans visiting friends and family on the island, a market Southwest will continue to serve with its flights from Fort Lauderdale to Havana.

The company is currently requesting a third daily flight between those two cities and is awaiting a ruling from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Cajun cuisine and soul food is coming to downtown Rapid City by way of faraway Louisiana and nearby Sturgis.

Sheree Schriver, owner of Jambonz Grill & Pub in Sturgis, is in the stretch run of remodeling the space at 516 7th St. into a Cajun-style eatery to be called Jambonz Deux (Two).

I think well be the first Cajun restaurant in Rapid City, so its pretty exciting, Schriver said.

The Sturgis restaurant at 2214 Junction Ave. features a limited number of Cajun menu options and mostly local fare, including Schriver's cover of a South Dakota favorite, Indian tacos, which was featured on the cable television network Travel Channel program Secret Eats with Adam Richman in January.

Cajun dishes will dominate the menu options at Jambonz Deux (Two), including gumbo, jambalaya, catfish, red beans & rice, raw oysters, shrimp, crayfish and a soul food sampler platter along with other Southern dishes, ribs, chicken & dumplings and po-boys (sandwiches).

She will also serve beer, wine and espresso drinks.

Customers can order their meals for sit-down or as a fast-casual takeout for shoppers and downtown employees on a limited lunch break, she said.

A lot of people only have 30 minutes for lunch. This will be something homemade and quick, she said.

Construction of the restaurant has involved the fitting of new equipment into a historic downtown building dating to the 1880s.

Schriver needed to adhere to historic preservation guidelines while staying up to modern restaurant safety codes.

The space now has new plumbing and wiring and a self-contained hood vent system for the kitchen range and fryer. Partitions for the kitchen area are just 8 feet tall to preserve the view of the stamped metal panels in the 14-foot ceiling.

Now it has a bar and some walls, which it didnt have before, she said.

Schriver and her daughter, Megan ODriscoll, will be running both restaurants. Schriver is advertising for employees, wait staff and order takers for the second Jambonz in preparation for a hoped mid-July opening.

Another Culvers opens

Elsewhere in the vibrant Rapid City restaurant scene, the city's newest Culvers Restaurant, located on Mount Rushmore Road on the former site of Colonial House, has been open since the second week in May, property owner Jerry Scriver said.

This is the third Rapid City location for Culvers, joining restaurants on West Main Street on the northwest corner of the Baken Park Shopping Center, and another in the Rushmore Crossing Shopping Center. Culvers also has a location in Spearfish.

Scriver owns a new building going up on Mountain View Road, slated to be a second location for Blaze Pizza. Scriver said he expects the building to be complete by the first of September.

Also open for a few weeks now is the Klinkel Town gourmet burgers and grilled cheese restaurant in Main Street Square. Klinkel Town, the name paying homage to the eastern South Dakota town of DeSmet, the hometown of the family of owner and chef Benjamin Klinkel, who also owns nearby downtown eateries Tallys Silver Spoon and Delmonicos.

New engineering firm

Structural Dynamics, LLC has recently opened its doors as a regional structural engineering firm with offices in Gillette and Rapid City.

Brian D. Shippy and Philip P. Hohn, both longtime engineers, recently purchased the structural engineering department from Consolidated Engineers, Inc., and established Structural Dynamics, LLC as a separate entity, effective on June 2, according to a release.

The two firms will continue to work together on projects, but with each practicing separately in structural and civil engineering.

Structural Dynamics serves clients in Wyoming, Montana, South Dakota and northern Colorado, specializing in mining and heavy industrial projects. The firm also boasts extensive experience in a wide range of structural engineering projects, including the design of bridges, cranes, and governmental, institutional, and commercial buildings.

Hohn said the full structural engineering staff from Consolidated Engineers will be making the move to the new company, which will remain at 316 S. Gillette Ave., in Gillette through May of next year.

Our clients can be assured that there will be continuity in the level of service and relationships that have been developed over many years with our staff, Hohn said.

Hohn works out of his home in Summerset, providing engineering services for the Rapid City and Black Hills area.

Hohn and Shippy also congratulated Consolidated Engineers principal structural engineer Edward Scott on his recent retirement.

Scotts career spanned more than four decades and helped establish the firm as a leading structural engineering firm in the region.

We want to thank Ed for his role as a mentor and friend, and wish him the best in his future adventures, Shippy said.
Book two in the Aftermath series picks up where book one left off with Norra Wexley and her crew assigned to search the galaxy for hidden Imperial officers. Meanwhile, Grand Admiral Sloane looks to take down the Republic and restore the Empire. In the face of these mounting threats, Han Solo is trying to save his friend Chewbacca and free the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyk. As the book segues into the impending final battle, Star Wars fans will be eagerly anticipating the unfolding events as they lead straight toward a momentous event in Star Wars history.
PIERRE | With my news notebook in hand, I mingled through the crowd of South Dakota Republicans who generally were quite happy on election night in 1994. They gathered at the Sioux Falls convention hall to celebrate another victory by Bill Janklow.

Janklow had just made the first and only comeback as governor in the history of South Dakota. Mark Meierhenry, the former state attorney general, confided that his friend and ally would make affordable housing a priority.

Janklow previously served two terms as governor, from January 1979 through January 1987. Now he was heading back to the Capitol after eight years away. About a year later, Meierhenrys tip came back to mind.

In 1996 Janklow rolled out a program to build what he called governors houses using medium-security inmates. He wanted prisoners to learn job skills. He also wanted South Dakotans with limited incomes to be able to own the homes they lived in. And he wanted to make space in the local housing markets so younger families could buy places of their own, too.

His plan called for the two-bedroom, single-story homes to be assembled at Springfield, the college campus he closed and converted to a prison during his second term.

Some 20 years and two governors later, the program still hums.

The basic homes originally sold for about $25,000 apiece. Theyre now roughly twice that, with three-bedroom models available. The buyer is responsible for getting a site, putting in a foundation and arranging for installation. The houses are trucked from Springfield.

On May 25, the state housing authoritys board voted to raise prices. The two-bedroom model, measuring 1,008 square feet, went from $42,900 to $44,700. The price for the three-bedroom house, with 1,200 square feet, rose from $49,200 to $51,700. The new prices took effect June 15.

Board members agreed that, because the costs for construction materials had gone up, prices should rise for the governors houses as well.

Looking back, people had ordered 666 governors houses through the programs sixth year. They were 960 square feet. Families qualified if their incomes were $28,000 or less. Today, more than 2,500 houses have been purchased, including 118 in 2016. Brown County households bought 18 in 2016, the most in any county. Seventeen went to Aberdeen residents.

Inmates worked a total 169,677 hours building the houses and day cares in 2016. They spent an average of 26 hours per week. The average number of inmates working per week was 126.

Seventy-seven percent of the houses sold in fiscal 2016 were three-bedroom models. Two-bedrooms houses accounted for 13 percent. The other 10 percent were narrow-lot houses.

The market shifts around. Of 82 sold in 2012, Pennington County was tops with seven. In 2013, Brown and Shannon (now Oglala Lakota) counties led with five apiece of 63 sold.

In 2014, Pennington County had 18 of the 103 sold. Sales in 2015 totaled 159, including 33 in Oglala Lakota County.

I worked for Janklow as press secretary in his fourth term. During his final year as governor, he won election to the U.S. House of Representatives. I returned to newspaper reporting.

In 2003, he failed to stop at an intersection and motorcyclist Randy Scott died in the crash. Janklow resigned from his House seat and did 100 days in jail. He died Jan. 12, 2012, of brain cancer at age 72.

This summer the Legislature plans to study workforce housing. The need is very much still there.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This is a guest editorial by Adam Martin. Martin is a former councilman for the city of Sturgis with 23 years combined experience in business development and local, state and federal government relations. He is the executive director of South Dakota Oil and Gas Association, serving members throughout SD, ND, and CO.

The U.S. State Department approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline is great news for South Dakota. This modern piece of infrastructure will bring jobs to the state and boost its economy.

The Keystone XL debate is not new. For eight long years, President Barack Obama purposely kept Keystone in limbo to appease environmental activists.

President Trump wasted little time reversing course, recently issuing a federal permit for the project to continue. When completed, the Keystone XL Pipeline will carry crude oil from western Canada to refineries on America's gulf coast. The new 875-mile segment running across South Dakota from Montana and ending in Steele City, Nebraska, will fully connect the northern section to the already completed southern section of the project.

Keystone XL will bring huge economic benefits, welcome news to South Dakotans and the place I call home. This project will be one of the most economically viable projects to impact rural communities in recent history. The pipeline will create thousands of well-paying jobs, including approximately 3,500 construction jobs in the states through which the pipeline will travel.

We all agree this influx in construction staff is temporary, but so is tearing out an old bridge on Interstate 90 and constructing a new one. That's the nature of infrastructure-related construction projects. Every major infrastructure project from bridges to pipelines will create construction work and benefit South Dakotans for years to come.

Keystone will also benefit rural economies across the state. Due to budget shortfalls, rural communities are continually searching for funds just to maintain basic public services. Keystone XL will support urgently needed tax dollars for updating rural fire department equipment, school facilities and deteriorating county roads and bridges.

What's more, the Keystone XL project will support opportunities for a vast amount of service-related companies in western and central South Dakota. As services are needed during construction of Keystone XL, we'll see an increase in business at local mechanic shops, tire shops, convenience stores, and restaurants along the route.

Once construction is complete, South Dakota alone will see an additional $17.9 million annually in new property tax revenue and an increase in sales and excise tax revenue of $46.5 million over two years.

TransCanada's willingness to communicate with stakeholders along the route, including indigenous communities has been nothing short of impressive. When this project finally comes to fruition, we will work together through effective engagement to share information on the project, gather input from leadership in indigenous communities, and ensure project safety for all South Dakotans.

South Dakota has long been sending a strong message to Washington: We want Keystone XL. Both the South Dakota House and Senate passed a resolution urging the State Department to approve the Keystone permit "in order to strengthen the United States' energy security, provide for critical pipeline infrastructure to achieve North American energy independence, and to stimulate the economy and create jobs."

With the State Department's approval granted, national energy policy is once again making both our national and local economies a priority.
Robyn Opstedahl doesn't just help at the Hope Center, she helps offer the very hope the nonprofit seeks to spread in the community.

That's why the Helpline Center and Black Hills Urgent Care named Opstedahl the July 2017 Volunteer of the Month, according to a news release from the Helpline Center. She was nominated by the Hope Center.

The Volunteer of the Month program is sponsored by the Helpline Center and Black Hills Urgent Care, a division of Black Hills Surgical Hospital, and shines a spotlight on people "who make the community stronger through volunteerism."

Opstedahl's efforts range from helping Hope Center staffers hand out hygiene kits and household items, to writing grants and lobbying for the center in the community. She also mentors those being served by the Hope Center, "building relationships and helping to guide people to a better life," according to the release.

Robyn has been a blessing to the Hope Center and to those she mentors, Roxanne Andre, from the Hope Center, wrote. Robyn gives 100 percent to our program.

Opstedahl received a framed certificate and Helpline Center T-shirt, gifts from Black Hills Urgent Care and a letter of appreciation from Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender. She will also be named at the Spirit of Volunteerism Awards banquet on May 15, 2018, at the Best Western Ramkota/Minervas.

Teens help with 'Feeding and Reading' project

Rapid City teens involved in the Teen Up program recently helped with the new Feeding and Reading Project at General Beadle.

A news release from the Rapid City Area School District says that dozens of people visit General Beadle each week to receive a distribution of food from Feeding South Dakotas mobile food pantry. Often, there are long lines, and it can take more than an hour to get the food.

The teenagers formed reading circles to read to the children waiting, or provided books for children to read while they waited.

According to the school district, the project was created in collaboration with the Campaign for Grade Level Reading, Feeding South Dakota and North Rapid Community Schools.

Literacy Council receives $10K

On May 17, the John T. Vucurevich Foundation board approved a grant of $10,000 for one year to Literacy Council of the Black Hills.

A news release from the council says this is the third year the volunteer-based organization has received a grant from the foundation. Such grants have allowed the Literacy Council of the Black Hills to fund a part-time employee to train and support volunteer tutors and match them with students.

According to the release, the paid staff person has allowed the Literacy Council to increase the number of students served from 30 in 2014 to 62 in 2016. In addition, evening conversation classes for English language learners have been added and the number requests for help with reading, writing and speaking skills continues to grow.
STURGIS | Due to the extreme fire dangers that exist, the Meade County Commission has initiated a countywide burn ban.

The burn ban resolution will remain in effect until it is deemed by the commission that conditions have improved, said commission chairman Galen Niederwerder.

He said Meade County is suffering from moderate to severe drought conditions that increase the potential for fire.

After consulting with local fire and law enforcement officials, commissioners came to the conclusion that the burn ban was needed to protect the health and safety of county residents.

For the purpose of the resolution, open fire means any outdoor fire, including campfires, that is not contained within a fully enclosed fire box or structure from which the products of combustion are emitted directly into the open atmosphere without passing through a stack, duct or chimney.

The resolution clarifies that open fire does not include charcoal grills or liquid fire grills, such as gas grills. And it does not include burn barrels.

Niederwerder said the commissioners wanted also to ban the discharge of fireworks but are restricted under state law. Municipalities can ban the use and sale of fireworks, but county governments can ban fireworks only if the fire index reaches "extreme."

Niederwerder, who lives near New Underwood, said Meade County is experiencing extremely dry conditions.

"We've already had some grass fires out in the county," he said. "People from town who may go out in the county to shoot off fireworks don't realize how dangerous that can be. Once a spark gets set off, it can create a devastating fire."

Meade County is not giving up on encouraging the state legislators during the next session to give counties some authority to restrict fireworks discharge.

"Meade County wants to lead the effort to draft language to take to the Legislature next year concerning this," Niederwerder said.

They plan to take up the topic at the Black Hills Association of County Commissioners meeting in Belle Fourche on Friday. "We are going to give it another shot," Niederwerder said.

In 2012, Pennington County commissioners backed legislation that would have given counties the right to ban fireworks outright.

The county's attorney said at the time that it can be difficult to meet all the criteria for counties to enact a ban. He said parts of a county might be in the extreme fire danger category while other areas might not be, making it difficult to implement a ban.

In 1989, the Legislature took up a measure intended to give counties more control over fireworks. Instead, legislators turned the bill on its head.

The law they passed restricts counties from banning fireworks during the period immediately before July 4 unless fire conditions reach extreme.

The law today is broader. It now extends the restriction on counties to the period just before New Years Day.

The current version says that any county may, by resolution, regulate or prohibit the use of fireworks outside the boundaries of any municipality in those areas where the fire danger, as determined by use of the South Dakota grassland fire danger index published by the National Weather Service, has reached the extreme category in that county during the period from June 20 to July 2, inclusive, and during the period from Dec. 28 to Jan. 1, inclusive.

During any such period, the county's action is suspended if the grassland fire danger index falls below the very high category and again becomes effective if the grassland fire danger index reaches the extreme category.

Larry Gabriel, a Republican rancher from the Cottonwood area, had roles at key points along the way. Gabriel, as a member in the state House of Representatives, amended the original legislation in 1989.

Later, as state secretary of agriculture in the Rounds administration, Gabriel successfully advocated for further amendments of the law in 2003 and 2004.

It appeared to me there needed to be a compromise, Gabriel said in an interview a few days ago. We created this exception. It seemed to me that it made sense you can shoot them, but in extreme fire danger, you cant shoot them.

Amid concern about fires starting in the current drought that is centered in north-central South Dakota, some county officials want the law repealed next year so they can enact burn bans.

Gabriel said hes aware of the controversy. Some counties follow the law very closely. Some are pretty loose, he said.
An iconic cottonwood tree in Veterans Park is being cut down after a limb from the massive cottonwood fell and injured a Billings man on June 2.

The city of Billings contracted with Prorover Cat Up a Tree Rescue to do the job. The three-man crew began work Friday.

By Saturday morning, leaves and cotton littered the ground surrounding the huge old tree as workers cleared away cut-up limbs. Prorover owner Patrick Riedl said he expects to complete the work by Wednesday.

Its all going for firewood, except for the trunk, he said.

Lee Payne of Billings hauled away a trailer filled with wood. It's available for the taking, Riedl said.

The tree is estimated to be between 100 and 120 years old, said Jon Thompson, superintendent of parks for the citys Department of Parks, Recreation and Public Lands.

This is, to our knowledge, the largest cottonwood tree in our park system, including Riverfront Park, he said.

The tree sits toward the middle of the 10-acre park, near the childrens playground. The park is frequently used for public events, including picnics and parties.

On June 2, Dave Myers was at the park with his son, Westley, 3, and his wife, Heather, for the weekly movie night. The 2017 Firefly Free Movies in the Park is held on Friday nights during the summer at various parks in Billings.

A large limb at least a foot in diameter fell and struck Myers, puncturing a lung and breaking three ribs. On a Go Fund Me page created to help cover the mans medical costs, Heather Myers wrote three days ago that her husband had been moved from the intensive care unit to another room.

He is doing so good but we still have a long road to a full recovery, she said in an update.

Immediately after the accident, city workers cordoned off the perimeter of the tree, including the play area. Thompson said the playground will reopen once the tree has been removed.

We decided out of an abundance of caution, since the playground is there, that we should take it out, he said.

The cottonwood has provided shade to untold individuals, families and groups over the century or more it has been alive. That includes the organizers of and visitors to the annual Summerfair, a large arts and crafts fair put on every July by the Yellowstone Art Museum, Thompson said.

This past week, he talked with museum officials about possibly working together to create a sculpture out of the thick trunk of the tree. The trunk is healthy, he said, and with the talents of a skilled saw artist, I think it would lend itself to a pretty piece.

Thompson suggested an eagle as one idea for a sculpture, but said hes not sure whether that would work with the shape of the cottonwoods trunk.
For the first time ever, the mug shots of felon inmates across South Dakota are now available to the public  for a price.

Under the new law that passed earlier this year and took effect Saturday, law enforcement entities are allowed to charge a fee per photo released. In Pennington and Minnehaha counties, the fee was set at $8 per photo.

With the passage of Senate Bill 25, South Dakota became the 49th state to categorize certain mug shots as public records, leaving Louisiana as the only state that does not. The law allows for the release of mug shots related to only felony arrests, whether the individual is incarcerated or not, and only within a period of the last six months.

Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom said he would have preferred to be able to release the photos for free, as is commonly done in neighboring states like North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, but he eventually decided against it.

Thom said the $8 fee is necessary because, in his estimates, his staff will have to spend 30 to 60 minutes a day updating and maintaining the database where the photos will be stored. But theres another reason, one that was echoed by Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead.

Its also a deterrent, Thom said.

Some online entrepreneurs have formed a cottage industry in recent years around collecting mug shots, selling them, and, in some instances, charging hundreds of dollars to have them removed from the internet.

There will be people who are innocent or who have charges dismissed or who are found not guilty whose mug shots will live forever on these search engines unless they pay, sometimes a considerable amount of money, for them to be taken off, Milstead said in a phone interview Friday.

Charging a fee, Thom and Milstead hope, will make it harder for those kinds of websites to gain a foothold in South Dakota.

Though there are no limits in the new law for what counties are allowed to charge, $8 appears to be emerging as the standard. Pennington, Minnehaha, and Lincoln counties are each charging that much, and other counties will likely follow suit, as that number was discussed during conversations with many sheriffs in the state, Thom said.

Pennington County uses a third party vendor  govteller.com  to process all of its online credit card transactions. Thoms office will charge $6 for handling the photos, but with the additional $2 in processing fees and sales tax charged by govteller.com, the total fee comes to $8.

An $11 fee will be charged for urgent requests for photographs taken after 10 am, according to a release from the Pennington County Sheriffs Office.

Thom said this higher fee is charged in instances where his staff have to manually search for a photo that hasnt yet been added to the database, which will be updated at 10 a.m. every day.

He noted that there is nothing stopping media outlets from sharing mug shots as a way of reducing the overall cost. He added that there will likely be high-profile crimes requiring urgent public attention where the mug shots will be released for free.

Dave Bordewyk, general manager of the South Dakota Newspaper Associations, expressed ambivalence about the fees, saying that he would wait to see how it works out in practice.

Its a good thing for the news media and the public to have access to booking photos, Bordewyk said. It will help inform the community about potential criminal activity within the community.

Though he realizes the fee may not be popular among media outlets, Thom said his goal is to make the process as easy possible. His office has released a tutorial for how the online mug shot system will work at youtube.com/watch?v=yu0OqocyrYw.

Pennington County, he noted, is the only county in the state to have a fully automated online photo release system already put in place.

Weve had a number of counties ask us how were automating it, and we will be providing them that information, Thom said.
STURGIS | A project that emerged from the city's comprehensive plan years ago is finally finished and was celebrated last week in Sturgis.

The $3.5 million Sturgis Main Street project began in 2016 and was completed on June 30. A ribbon cutting for the new Main Street helped cement the occasion on June 28 at the Harley-Davidson Rally Point in downtown Sturgis.

"We're still tidying up some last minute things," said Sturgis Public Works Director Rick Bush. "I'm glad the project is done. It's been a long two years. It's never a convenient time for anyone to have construction take place in front of their business or residence, but the business owners have been understanding and patient."

The project is one of many downtown improvements that came about from efforts of Future Sturgis, the Sturgis Comprehensive Plan and other committee recommendations over the past few years, Bush said.

It was a joint endeavor between the city of Sturgis and the South Dakota Department of Transportation. It entailed total reconstruction of Main Street between Middle and Fourth streets. The work included drainage improvements, pavement removal and replacement, sidewalk removal and replacement, new street lighting, water main replacement and streetscaping.

In the fall of 2013 the project was fully programmed into the South Dakota DOT's STIP program and showed a construction start date of 2016.

In the spring of 2014, the state transportation department began negotiations with FourFront Design, Inc. for the engineering and design of the project.

The area around the reconstructed Main Street is inviting, Bush said. But is he concerned that the vegetation will suffer during the annual Sturgis motorcycle rally.

"I think people will be respectful," he said. "I had the same concern when we opened the plaza. I figured that would be full of garbage, but we haven't seen that."

Some citizens have expressed their displeasure with the "bump outs" or areas of the Main Street that jut out into driving lane.

"Those bump outs were part of the plan when we had the Future Sturgis meetings," Bush said.

In addition to the bumpouts, the project included a new 8-inch water main, storm sewer, asphalt surfacing, curb and gutter, sidewalks, decorative roadway lighting and signage. At each intersection, landscaping, irrigation and planter rails were incorporated along with colored crosswalks and sidewalks.

Bush says the new LED lights are 100 percent better than what had been on Main Street and will be a cost-saver for the city.

The new light poles will be rewired and have outlets on them. New fiber-optic cable also will be run along the areas of new construction, Bush said.

At times throughout the two-year process, the downtown area seemed like an obstacle course, but customers were able to get to businesses on Sturgis Main Street for the most part.

The construction allowed the city to install new water main.

That was really the only utility we have in Main Street, Bush said. And those water mains were well-overdue for being replaced. That will be a significant upgrade.

With that water main upgrade, the city put in new service lines to all of the buildings downtown.

The city also used the opportunity to add stormwater drainage to Main Street.

"I'm proud to say that we now have one of the nicest Main Streets in western South Dakota," Bush said.
RAPID CITY | Claire Belle Cooper Mayer, a longtime resident of Rapid City, died peacefully at age 97 in the presence of beloved family members and caretakers, June 17, in Elko, NV.

Her lifelong love of travel may have been instilled shortly after her birth in Madison, SD, where she was delivered by her favorite Uncle Doc, then taken by her parents, Ernest and Maud Cooper (later of Philip), to their home near Milesville where she spent her childhood. Among her fondest life memories were hours on horseback, racing the wind and rides to and from the one-room schoolhouse she attended until transferring to Parker, where she completed high school. She majored in journalism and home economics at South Dakota State College in Brookings just as World War II began, and traveled to Washington, DC, where her first job was in a White House typing pool.

Claire was a woman of firsts. She returned from Washington to Sioux Falls where she taught radio communications to airmen. With tutoring from friends, she became one of the first women in the United States to achieve a first class Federal Communications license. Toward the end of the war, she worked at radio station KIJV-KSOO in Sioux Falls. Many years later, after her marriage to Frank Mayer of Rapid City, she became the first woman in South Dakota to be licensed by the SEC as a registered representative. She was one of the co-founders of the South Dakota State Mental Health Association; and finally, one of her great joys was keeping in touch for many years with some of the young men and women whose lives she had touched as a counselor for the State Job Service in Rapid City.

Known as GG (for great grandma) to her great grandsons, Claire was smart, playful, good-natured, compassionate, incisive, independent and stubborn to the end. She will be missed by those who loved and survive her: her daughters, Lynn Ashley (Lawrence Snyder) of Voorheesville, NY, and Franki Mayer of Elko, NV; a granddaughter Leslie Olmstead of Elko, NV; a stepson, Robert Mayer (Sharon Jensen) of Rapid City; grandsons Todd Olmstead (Erica Johnson Olmstead) of Sacramento, CA, and Justin Carrier of Portland, OR; and a step-granddaughter, Marguerite (Jeff) Kaleda of Rapid City, SD; and five great grandsons, Grayson and Connor of Sacramento, and Cooper and Payden of Elko, NV, and Lance Keleda of Rapid City, SD, and a great granddaughter, Hayden Kaleda, also of Rapid City, SD. She was predeceased by her husband Frank Mayer and long-time companion, Darrel Mueller.

A memorial service will be held in Rapid City in the fall.

Friends may share memories and leave their condolences at kirkfuneralhome.com.
RAPID CITY | Janice M. Jan Mattson, 77, passed away after battling cancer 34 years ago and beating it. Unfortunately it returned swiftly, which she battled again, but lost. Her last days were spent with her family at the Rapid City Regional Hospital Auxiliary Hospice House.

Jan was born Jan. 27, at Platte, SD, on her parents farm on the kitchen table, as she came early. She spoke of that often. She was the daughter of the late Lawrence and Inez (Buchtel) Erickson. Jan attended grades one through eight in a one room school, which still stands today in its original form. She graduated from Platte High School.

She married Donald Don Mattson Feb. 14, 1958, in Mitchell, SD. They moved to Rapid City in April 1958. Her son Craig was born in 1959. She and Don moved eight times in seven years as Don worked for Safeway grocery stores. They returned to Rapid City in 1964. Jan was a homemaker until Craig was married. She was a receptionist for Carlson and Padgett Real Estate. She then worked for Lowell Holmgren, establishing the multiple listing publication for Rapid City realtors. She then worked at American State Bank in the bookkeeping department when it was first established. Jan retired in 1983. She came out of retirement to help Don in his purchase of Black Hills Tent & Awning in 1990. She fully retired in 2004.

One of her most important things in life were her grandchildren. She and Don enjoyed spending 12 years of winters in Arizona.

She was preceded in death by her parents.

Jan is survived by her husband of 59 years, Don; son, Craig (Kris) Mattson; three grandchildren: Erin (Doug) Mills, Rapid City; Davy Mattson, Dallas, TX; and Alex Mattson, Rapid City; two brothers: Jerry (Becky) Erickson, Platte; Dennis (Sherry) Erickson, Rapid City; three great grandchildren: Halayna, Annie, and Triston.

She spent many years traveling and supporting her husband, Don, in all of his many offices and many trips supporting Shriners International Hospitals for children.

Jan was always there for all of the family holidays. Her grandchildren were very special to her. She was always preparing everyones favorites.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 5, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home.

Services will be at 10 a.m. Thursday, July 6, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home, with Rev. Hal Weidman officiating.

Burial will be at Pine Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery.

A memorial has been established for the Naja Shriners Travel Fund for children.
A public access group is accusing a group of Sweet Grass County landowners and a state farming alliance of using false and misleading information to malign a Forest Service district ranger who advocated for public access to federal lands.

Livingston District Ranger Alex Sienkiewicz was reassigned on June 16 and an internal investigation has been launched by the Forest Service into his activities.

The move came after Montana Farm Bureau Federation executive vice-president John Youngberg, as well as nine Sweet Grass County landowners, successfully lobbied Sen. Steve Daines to question Sienkiewiczs tactics for reinforcing historic public access via Forest Service trails to federal lands in the Crazy Mountains.

We would request that you use the full power and authority of your offices to investigate and determine whether this FS Ranger has been acting in congruence with FS policies and his job duties when he has been instigating conflict and encouraging criminal actions by members of the public against private property owners in order to try and establish public access across private lands, read a letter from nine Big Timber-area ranchers dated May 29 to Daines and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue. The Forest Service is under the umbrella of USDA.

The letter goes on to state that although the landowners are not trying to halt public access where it legally exists, the FS is attempting to create access rights across private lands where such access either never existed, has long been abandoned, is no longer necessary or was never perfected by obtaining an easement.

Online

The letters were two of several documents obtained by Bozeman public access advocate Kathryn QannaYahu through a Freedom of Information Act request. She posted some of the documents online, as well as a letter of support for the district ranger.

We believe you should recognize that Ranger Sienkiewicz was removed based on erroneous claims by special interest groups, wrote the Public Land/Water Access Associations nine-member board of directors in its letter. His management was consistent with existing Forest Service and Office of General Council policy direction.

The letter was addressed to Perdue, USFS Chief Thomas Tidwell, Northern Region forester Leanne Marten, Custer Gallatin National Forest supervisor Mary Erickson, Daines, Sen. Jon Tester and U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte.

In particular, QannaYahu took issue with the letter writers contention that Sienkiewicz had posted what the landowners called an inflammatory July 17, 2016, email on the PLWAs Facebook page. A screen shot of the website shows a PLWA officer posted the document.

The email that stirred retribution reminds Sienkiewiczs forest colleagues not to seek permission or to sign in to access public lands via contested trails.

They all assumed, incorrectly, that Sienkiewicz posted his email on PLWAs Facebook page, QannaYahu said. On top of that they are trying to say he was being rogue.

QannaYahu faults the Forest Service for not investigating the allegation before reassigning Sienkiewicz.

The email

The landowners and Farm Bureau latched on to the Facebook posting to question Sienkiewicz's motives.

Is it proper for Mr. Sienkiewicz to post this kind of statement on a private land access organizations website using his official title and authority? Youngberg wrote.

Yet Sienkiewicz had written similar emails to staff each year dating back to at least 2013. However, none of those ended up on Facebook.

Obviously, if you encounter conflict, just turn around and leave, Sienkiewicz wrote in his 2014 email to staff. But if anyone asks, please note the agency's position that there is indeed legal access.

Forest stance

Other documents support PLWA's contention that Sienkiewicz was acting with agency guidance and not on his own.

A 2002 Gallatin National Forest briefing paper showed the agency routinely defended historic public access points.

The briefing says in part, In situations where an existing NFS trail crosses private lands, and no deeded easement exist, the Forest Service position is as follows: The United States has acquired a right-of-way from the trail through development, maintenance and continuous use of the trail. As a matter of law, the Forest Service believes that there is a public access easement for the trail. The Forest Service is a beneficiary of this public right of access, and will continue its efforts to defend the public's right of access.

An Aug. 28, 2016, email from Sienkiewicz to fellow USFS staff noted that the same email that ended up on PLWAs Facebook page led to a meeting with the Montana Outfitters and Guides Associations executive director, Mac Minard, and Sweet Grass County landowner and outfitter Chuck Rein, who owns land on the east side of the Crazy Mountains. Rein said that by locking gates during the hunting season he was not attempting to extinguish public access, Sienkiewicz wrote in an email to fellow staff. Partly because of a lack of public access, that area of the Crazy Mountains has a population of about 2,000 elk, 200 percent more than the states population objectives for that hunting district.

When asked for her opinion on Sienkiewiczs access stance, the email goes on to state that Custer Gallatin National Forest supervisor Mary Erickson supported Sienkiewicz in his argument that the public should never sign in or ask permission to access such contested routes.

A 2015 email from forest law enforcement officer Shawn Tripp to several forest employees stated that anyone with questions about access to Trail 136 on the east side of the Crazy Mountains should talk to him or Sienkiewicz and not ask the landowner for permission.

Long simmering

Although landowners attempt to paint the issue as recent and related to Sienkiewicz, Forest Service documents show conflicts between agency personnel and landowners dating back to 2000, according to QannaYahus posted information.

The issue seems to have hit a boiling point after Bozeman hunter Rob Gregoire was cited last hunting season for using historic Trail 115/136, also known as the Lowline Trail, on the east side of the Crazy Mountains to cross private land to reach forest property. Gregoire originally intended to fight the trespass citation but instead settled out of court two weeks ago. The next day Sienkiewicz was reassigned.

Gregoire said even if he had won the case it wouldnt have settled the access issue; that requires a civil suit. He also said Forest Service officials wouldnt be allowed by the Department of Justice to testify about the historic trail. And he was worried he wouldnt get a fair trial, since Sweet Grass County Attorney Pat Dringmans wife, Paige, is one of the landowners who has long contested unhindered public access to the Crazy Mountains. Her signature is included as one of the nine who wrote to Daines and Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

That letter also says in part that Sen. Daines staff met with a large group of locally affected private landowners to discuss FS policy and whether there was anything Congress could do to help alleviate the tension created by the aggressive Forest Service position against private property rights.

Dringman denied that he had any interest in the Gregoire case since Gregoire was cited for crossing another landowners property. Dringman said he told Gregoires attorney that he could file to have him removed from the case if conflict of interest was a concern.

It was getting tense up there, Dringman said of the trail dispute, and he was worried about armed landowners and hunters getting into a shoot-out.

Dringman also said he has looked at 20 different maps showing where the Lowline Trail goes and they are all different. Someone down the road needs to go through the hoops to establish a public easement, he added.

Sen. Daines

For his part, Daines letter to Forest Service Chief Thomas Tidwell, dated May 26, and copied to Secretary Perdue, said that he strongly believe(s) that we must prioritize increasing access to public lands. Yet in 2015 he voted for an amendment that would have allowed the sale, transfer or exchange of federal lands to state and local governments. That idea has been adamantly opposed by public access advocates in Montana and around the nation out of fear that states might sell the public lands.

Daines letter goes on to say he greatly appreciate(s) the Forest Services role in acquiring public access, but he questioned the agencys policy and guidelines to achieve that access.

The perceived direction coming from the USFS seems to promote controversy and aggressive action rather than the collaborative approach we all strive to achieve as public servants, he said.

"Darn right the Senator asked for an explanation for the aggressive and provocative tone coming from a Forest Service employee that was posted on Facebook," wrote Jason Thielman, Daines' chief of staff, in an email. "Montanans have the right to expect civil servants are both serving citizens and civil. The actions brought to the Senators' attention were neither."

This is not the first time a Montana U.S. Senator has stepped into a Crazy Mountain access dispute. In 2006 then-Sen. Conrad Burns attempted to circumvent the Forest Service staff to give landowner Mac White an easement across public property without reciprocating and providing public access across his land to reach forest property. The easement was never granted.
Travis Martinez

While serving my country in the U.S. Army I had many duties, from coordinating next of kin notifications to leading a Tactical Psychological Operations Team in Korea and Iraq. Once I left active duty, I had the choice to go anywhere I wanted. Of course, I chose the only place I would want to raise a family, the Bitterroot Valley, where I have fond memories of life on my familys ranch and the wholesome lifestyle the Bitterroot offers. Once I established myself back home in the Bitterroot, I started a career in real estate. This led to me forming my own brokerage, helping people find a home, regardless if they were buying or renting. During this time, I graduated Cum Laude with a bachelors degree in Organizational Leadership. I also served as the president of the Bitterroot Valley Board of Realtors, and won the Bitterroot Realtor of the Year Award twice. I served on the City of Hamiltons Zoning Board of Adjustments and I was elected to the Hamilton City Council.

I have lived a life of service and feel it is important for everyone to give back to the community. I have been very blessed personally and professionally by this valley and this town. Being able to give back to the community in this way is a great honor. While serving on the city council, I have seen an opportunity to better serve my community, not in the policy making arena of the council, but instead, in the implementation arena where I can put my experiences and relationships to use for the benefit of all the citizens of Hamilton.

The most pressing issue for our great community is the lack of jobs. It is not uncommon for residents of Hamilton to drive to Missoula for work. While in Missoula, these same people must spend money on food, gas, and other items which would have been spent locally. This export of workforce and money out of Hamilton is creating a spiral effect that must stop. We must be able to revitalize the job market in Hamilton.

I am the best person for mayor because I have the experience with Hamilton city government and the perspective of an employee and employer in Hamilton. This experience gives me a unique view on the issues we face as a community and a clear path to the solutions which will benefit all of us.
U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, asked students questions about their plans for the future and offered advice on a visit to the Trapper Creek Job Corps campus Saturday.

Rep. Gianforte was sworn in on June 21 by Speaker Paul Ryan. This was the second trip home from Washington D.C. for the congressman, though he said he plans to return each weekend. At the Trapper Creek Job Corps Campus Gianforte toured the different trade classrooms and spoke with top students in each trade accompanied by the student body president Summer Gibson and Phil Corbett, the residential living manager.

At every step of the tour the congressman expressed genuine interest, asked detailed questions and offered business ideas to the students.

Im a business guy, Rep. Gianforte said. The bigger something gets the farther you are from the truth. My goal is just to learn.

Trapper Creek Job Corps is one of three Job Corps training sites in Montana. The other two are located at Kicking Horse on the Flathead Reservation and in Anaconda. The Job Corps programs provide opportunities for youth struggling to find their footing, according to Corbett.

We serve at-risk youth, Corbett said. Students can show up with substance abuse issues and they can clean their slate. Everyone is here voluntarily, nobody shows up in the back of a squad car.

Gianfortes visit followed in the footsteps of the men who held his position prior to him. Both Secretary Ryan Zinke and Senator Steve Daines visited Trapper Creek Job Corps while they were Montanas at-large congressman.

The Trapper Creek Job Corps has the sixth best job placement success of any Job Corps training site in the county and has its graduates earning an average of $12.42 per hour in their first job. Corbett said the Trapper Creek Job Corps is important to the Bitterroot Valley because of the challenges of finding good work in the area.

Its important to have our at-large representative come to visit and see Trapper Creek and know it as more than just a name on the map for when the tough budget discussions happen, Corbett said.

Its unusual for a congressman to visit Trapper Creek Job Corps on the weekend, according to Corbett. None of the students were working in their shops, and many were off campus.

Regardless of the quiet campus, the congressman wanted to see Trapper Creek Job Corps for himself.

All work is noble, Rep. Gianforte said.
Guwahati, July 2 : A new twist added in the Karbi Anglong politics after 8 newly elected members of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) on Sunday met Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in Guwahati for selection of new Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the council.

The newly elected members of the council had discussed for selection of the CEM with the Assam minister for several hours.

BJP scripted victory of the council polls with sweeping majority by winning 24 seats out of 26.

Meanwhile, the Assam finance minister said that, the party will decide who will take charge the top command of the council.

A top source of state BJP said that, the saffron party has sought written advice from four MLA's of the hill district for selection of the new CEM.

Earlier several names have been raised for the CEM post, but now only two names have been left in the list and the party will be finalized the name for the CEM post,'A the source said.

Meanwhile, senior BJP MLA Sum Ronghang, who representing Diphu assembly constituency said that, the people of Karbi Anglong had given mandates in favour of BJP for its fight against corruption.

We need to respect the people's mandate. BJP will form the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council first time and hope all rounds development would be done in the hill district under the new council,'A Ronghang said.

The newly elected members of the council will take oath of office and secrecy on July 3.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati, July 2 : Extolling the intrinsic relationship between India and Bangladesh, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal emphasized to ensure that respective territories of both the countries not be allowed to be used for any activities inimical to the other.

The Assam CM expressed this view while taking part as chief guest in the inaugural programme of 8th round of India- Bangladesh Friendship Dialogue which has started in Guwahati on Sunday.

This three days programme is being organized by State Innovation and Transformation Aayog (SITA), Assam in joint collaboration with Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Bangladesh Foundation for Regional Studies (BFRS) and India Foundation (IF).

'We have common enemies, problems and threats, those have to be combated and fought together. Our common enemy is poverty and together we have to fight that. Our common threats which of course are also a global threat are terrorism and fundamentalism. We have to fight them together and have been working together,'A Sonowal said.

Stating that terrorism remains one of the most significant threats to peace and stability in the region, the Assam CM urged both the government to commit themselves to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

The Assam CM also highlighted the urgent need to improve market access and remove barriers to trade, including port restrictions on products, to ensure smooth movement of goods across the borders.

Appreciating the initiative taken up by Bangladesh Government for setting up of an Assistant High Commissionerate of Bangladesh in Guwahati, Sonowal highlighted the milestones achieved during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh in June 2015 when as many as 22 agreements were signed by both the countries.

During the visit of PM Modi India extended a US$2 billion line of credit to Bangladesh and pledged US$5 billion worth of investments. As per the agreements, India's Reliance Power agreed to invest US$3 billion to set up a 3,000 MW LNG-based power plant which is the single largest foreign investment ever made in Bangladesh. Adani Power will also be setting up a 1600 MW coal-fired power plant at a cost of US$1.5 billion. The two countries also signed agreement on maritime safety co-operation and curbing human trafficking and fake Indian currency,'A Sonowal said.

The Assam CM also pointed out some of the issues for resolving through dialogues in the forum which include removal of restrictions in items of trade between India and Bangladesh, particularly through the land route of Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura.

Dredging of Brahmaputra and Barak rivers to make river route navigable throughout the year was also raised by the Assam CM.

Expansion of Optical Fibre Cable connectivity from Agartala to the integrated check post at Akhaura in the Indo-Bangla international border to connect Cox Bazar's submarine bandwidth was also raised by the Assam CM.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs MJ Akbar in his speech emphasized on the shared capabilities that both the countries have to prosper and move forward. Stating that prosperity demands peace, the union Minister advocated to ensure that no sanctuary to be provided to terrorist elements.

Akbar said that both countries are showing a model relationship for mutual growth and pointed out the role played by the visit of Indian and Bangladesh prime ministers to the respective countries.

Saying that 35 agreements were signed during Sheikh Hasina's visit to India and 22 agreements during Prime Minister Modi's visit to Bangladesh, Akbar said that 13 of the agreements are commercial in nature which are expected to bring industrial growth in both the countries.

The union minister also said that Government of India will cooperate with Bangladesh on developing smart cities, setting up of community clinic.

He also said that three more railway lines will be operational in addition to the bus services to Bangladesh and highlighted the potential of river navigation and improving bilateral relationship in power and energy sector.

State Minister for foreign affairs of Bangladesh, Md. Shahriar Alam while speaking on the occasion urged both the countries to cement ties for mutual growth. Stating that prosperous Bangladesh can contribute in the growth of India, the Bangladesh foreign minister urged the Government of India to provide market access for their products.

Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mantra of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas, Alam urged the participants of the dialogue to come forth with newer ideas for maximizing development in both the countries.

Vice Chairman of State Innovation and Transformation Aayog, Assam, Dipak Kr Barthakur, Md. Syed Muazzem Ali, High Commissioner of Bangladesh in India, Captain Alok Bansal, President of India Foundation, Pankaj Debnath, MP, Bangladesh and a host of official dignitaries of both the countries were present in the dialogue.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati, July 2 : After Goods and Services Tax (GST) rollout, Assam government has decided to close all check gates in the state within next 45 days.

Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said that, GST is an IT enabled taxation system and therefore no need of any human interference in it.

'The state government has decided to close all check gates in the state within 45 days,'A Sarma said.

While attending in an interaction programme with the youth and young entrepreneurs on GST organized by the state finance department held in Guwahati, the Assam minister said that, at present 77,000 had registered under GST in the state and the state government has extended the time for registration up to July 30.

'After GST rollout, it will reduce tax evasion cases and people will benefit under it. In first 2 years, the own tax collection will reduce in the Assam like consumer states. But, it will gradually increase. The initial loss to be encountered by the states would also be compensated by the union government. I think the tax collection of Assam will increase double in next five years,'A Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

'GST is a destination based tax system which will benefit consumer states like Assam,'A Sarma said.

Himanta Biswa Sarma cleared all doubts about the threshold limit of GST which is Rs 10 lakh in the state and said that it is done in the greater interest of Assam.

'As all traders will collect tax under GST from consumers, it is obligatory upon them to deposit the same to the state exchequer. However, considering the volume of business carried out by traders in the state, the threshold limit is kept at Rs 10 lakh,'A Sarma said.

Stating that GST will immensely benefit the common men, Sarma said that all essential commodities are either exempted or kept in 5a category.

The Assam Minister also expressed the view that GST will help industrialization in consumer states like Assam as gradually manufacturing hub will evenly be distributed and augment Revenue collection in the state.

On the other hand, Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that, Goods and Services Tax (GST) is a historic tax reform which will lead to inclusive growth in the country.

Extolling Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his visionary leadership in making GST a reality in the country, Sonowal also reiterated that GST will bring about a paradigm shift in the entire indirect tax system by replacing most of the indirect taxes of Centre and States with a single point single tax.

Sonowal also informed that with the rolling out of GST, corruption and black money will end.

He further highlighted the anti corruption drives carried out in the state which helped in the growth of tax collection Upto 22a.

The Assam CM also informed about engagement of Nodal Officers for GST registration and awareness generation activities at circle level in the state.

Sonowal hailed the country's spirit of cooperative federalism which made the implementation of GST possible and remarked that under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi the country would be able to become an economic powerhouse and GST roll out would bring about transparency in the tax regime of the country.

GST would also provide a facilitating environment for the small businesses to grow and consumers to get benefits directly,A Sonowal said.

In view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's steps to bring NE to the forefront of the country's growth trajectory, the Assam CM said that Guwahati would become the gateway to the South East Asia and not merely remain the gateway to the Northeast and State Capital Region would expand the boundaries of the city to encompass nearby areas.

Additional Chief Secretary VB Pyarelal, Central Tax Commissioner Vinay Pauland State Tax Commissioner Anurag Goel werealso present in the programme.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
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What am I missing? U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and Montana Sen. Ed Buttrey want to terminate the Medicaid expansion program because it is so successful? Had they assumed that all but 45,723 Montanans were adequately covered and that their medical needs were being met? Rather than being astounded that so many more Montanans needed help and being in a position to try to get them help, instead they want to cut the lifeline that so many people desperately need. What next? More kids need educating, so let's cut school funding? More bridges collapsing, so let's cut money for infrastructure? Daines prides himself on being pro-life and says he will fight for those most vulnerable. I would suggest that people who need medical care but can't afford it are very vulnerable indeed.
Guwahati: Continuing the mission for healthcare to its member-journalists along with their dependents, Guwahati Press Club (GPC) invited the city based Nemcare Hospital to conduct Saturday evening OPD (outpatient department) clinic. Dr Amal Dev Goswami (Medicine) and Dr Monowar Hussain (Cardiology) from the hospital checked the health status of around 25 participants and advised them accordingly. Chairman of the hospital Dr Hitesh Barua also graced the camp, which was assisted by Biswajit Sarma, Dharani Kalita and Arup Baruah.

The last evening clinic, organized under the series of 'Evening with a Doctor' at the press club premises, was conducted by Dr Shubhra Kinkor Goswami and Dr Bijuli Goswami from Sight First Eye-Clinic. The next OPD will be conducted by Dr Chandramouli B, senior trauma surgeon & consultant on joint replacement, from Fortis Hospital Bangalore. The camp will be open for media persons from 4 to 6 pm on 8 July. The participants may bring their x-ray reports (if any) for consultations with the doctor.

Till date, practicing doctors from Apollo Chennai Hospital, Medanta-the Medicity Hospital, Manipal Bangalore Hospital, Down Town Hospitals, GNRC Hospitals, Wintrobe Hospital, Barthakur Clinic, Narayana Super-Specialty Hospitals, Swagat Super-Surgical Institute, Barthakur Clinic, Government Ayurvedic College, MMC Panbazar etc have attended the camps.
Guwahati: Continuing the mission for healthcare to its member-journalists along with their dependents, Guwahati Press Club (GPC) has invited the city based Nemcare Hospital to conduct tomorrow's evening OPD (outpatient department) clinic. Dr Amal Dev Goswami (Medicine) and Dr Manowar Hussain (Cardiology) from the hospital will be available for free consultations at press club from 3 pm to 5 pm on Saturday.

The participants of 17th June clinic, which was conducted by the city based Emerge Diagnostic, may bring their blood reports with glucose, creatinine, cholesterol, bilirubin & haemoglobin parameter to consult with the attending physicians on next camp, said a GPC statement.

The last evening clinic, organized under the series of 'Evening with a Doctor' at the press club premises, was conducted by Dr Shubhra Kinkor Goswami and Dr Bijuli Goswami from Sight First Eye-Clinic, where over 45 media workers were present to get their eyes checked by the specialists and also received necessary consultations on everyday use of digital screenings. The 8 July camp is scheduled for Fortis Hospital Bangalore.

The unique healthcare initiative was launched by eastern India's pioneer pressmen's organization GPC last year, where well-known institution Dispur Hospitals extended initial support to raise a doctor's chamber at the club premises in August 2016. The premier hospital successfully managed by Dr Jayanta Bardoloi also conducted the first episode of the media clinics.

Till date, practicing doctors from Apollo Chennai Hospital, Medanta-the Medicity Hospital, Manipal Bangalore Hospital, Down Town Hospitals, GNRC Hospitals, Wintrobe Hospital, Barthakur Clinic, Narayana Super-Specialty Hospitals, Swagat Super-Surgical Institute, Barthakur Clinic, Government Ayurvedic College, MMC Panbazar etc have attended the camps.
Kathmandu, Nepal: The meeting of Legislature-Parliament held on Sunday has been put after endorsing condolence motions on demise of CPN-UML lawmaker Mahin Limbu.

Parliamentarian Limbu had passed away after battling with cancer at the age of 60 in June 24.

He was elected as member of the parliament from Dhankuta in the election of Constituent Assembly under proportionate representative categories.
KATHMANDU, July 2: Prime Minister and Tribhuvan University Chancellor Sher Bahadur Deuba has said that the University should focus in building an efficient academic atmosphere in the country, by making timely changes to higher education.

Addressing the 58th annual day of TU Assembly here today, Prime Minister Deuba emphasized on the need to make education scientific, practical, employment-oriented and qualitative. "Access of all group, section, gender, religion and region to higher education is a must, and for this decentralization and autonomy is its management should be ensured gradually," he said.

The TU Chancellor also urged the University office-bearers to work to bring necessary reports to the academic, administrative and policy issues of the University in coordination with the stakeholders.

On a different note, Prime Minister Deuba said the successful holding of the second phase of local elections with enthusiastic participation of the people has given a sense of ease in the implementation of the new constitution. Hence, the first priority of the present government is to give the country stability and development by holding all the elections by coming January.

On the occasion, DPM and Education Minister and TU Co-Chancellor Gopalman Shrestha urged the University officials to run higher education addressing the demand of time and situation, and produce competitive students.

TU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Tirthraj Khaniya shared that the TU has systemised semester system in Master's level and started technical education along with e-learning facility while launching tele-education.

Likewise, TU Register Dilliram Upreti shared that a total of 86,292 students graduated from TU in the time span between June 16, 2016 and May 31, 2017.

Earlier, PM Deuba inaugurated the newly constructed entrance gate to TU and hoisted a flag in the premises of TU Central Office. RSS
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Frontier, Vol. 49, No.45, May 14 - 20, 2017

There have been lots of theoretical debates over the Naxalbari movement since its beginnings in the 1960s. At times, I also participate in those debates. But looking back at the years that followed, when I moved from the position of a sympathizer to an activist, I treasure memories of some wonderful people with whom I had the chance of sharing my days during the underground period, and in jails. This is not a sentimental nostalgic account, but a tribute to a few such brave souls, who dared to break out from their social environs and traditional upbringing, to join a revolutionary movement that tried to revive the moral ethos of our polity and society with the aim of creating a new political order based on economic equity and social justice. It was not a smooth journey for many among them, who had to wrestle within their inner selves in trying to shed the traditional conservative values on which they were brought up on the one hand, and reconciling with the violent excesses of the movement that hurt their humanitarian values on the other.

Bhabani Choudhury

The first comrade whom I remember is the late Bhabani Choudhury. My association with him however goes back long before the 1967 uprising of Naxalbari. I met him for the first time as a colleague in the reportersa room of The Statesman newspaper in Calcutta in 1962. Leanly built, and always with a humble smile on his face, Bhabani (about ten years older than me) took me under his wings, teaching me how to report an event in brief without sacrificing the essential details. In keeping with his style of brevity in reporting, he followed a regimen of simplicity (sometimes bordering on austerity) in his life style too. While most of us journalists spent our evenings in the Olympia bar in Park Street, Bhabani preferred to go back, after office hours, to his favourite haunt, Bonophul , tea-shop near Bosusree cinema hall in Bhabanipur. In fact, Bhabani was once selected for attending a short journalist training course in London, but he came back after a few months without completing the course a as he missed Bonophul !

The other characteristic that marked him out from the rest of us was his stubborn insistence on principles. He always protested against any violation of journalistic ethics by the editorial authorities of The Statesman, as well as any suppression of the trade union rights of the non-journalist employees by the management. In 1966, when these employees went on a strike demanding better wages and other facilities, Bhabani was the first from amongst our journalist community, who came out openly in their support by joining the strike. It was this strong desire for identification with the oppressed, and opposition to any act of injustice against them, that led Bhabani to take the next step. Increasingly attracted to the Maoist ideology, ever since the peasant uprising in Naxalbari in 1967, a few years later, in a further daring venture, he resigned from The Statesman in 1972 and joined the Naxalite movement.

Meanwhile, in The Statesman office in Delhi (where I had been transferred in 1967), I was feeling equally suffocated in those years of 1972-73, by the increasing imposition of managerial diktats on our daily reporting, which violated the principle of freedom of press. Kuldip Nayar (who today writes columns defending human rights), was then the resident editor of the paper in the Delhi office. Poor fellow, he did not have enough guts to assert his own editorial right, and succumbed to pressures from the then manager Khushru Irani (appointed by the Tata business house which had then taken over the paper), to destroy both the journalistic ethos and trade union rights of the employees of The Statesman. In 1973, I resigned from the Delhi office of The Statesman, stating my objections in a letter to Irani protesting against the managementas assault on freedom of press. (Incidentally, this letter was quoted by some MPs in a debate in the Lok Sabha then, when the then Congress government was investigating into the financial improprieties of the Irani-controlled business houses. Iave lost that letter of mine a but I hope investigative reporters can recover it from the archives of the Lok Sabha debates).

After resigning from the Delhi Statesman office in 1973, I went back to Calcutta. As I was already sympathetic to the cause of the Naxalbari movement, I joined Bhabani in the underground cell of the Mahadeb Mukherjee-led CPI (M-L) faction. During my days with Bhabani a usually in shelters in villages a I watched him how desperately he was trying to give up his urban middle class roots (described as ade-classingaa in Communist Party parlance), and identify with the poor peasants. At our party cell meetings, usually in hide-outs in villages, and sometimes held in slums (inhabited mostly by our sympathizers) on the outskirts of Calcutta, Bhabani used to come out with self-depreciating confessional statements saying when and where he had misbehaved with the poor. I used to taunt him a aEta apnar binoyer ashphalona (You are flaunting your humility). But I could understand the rumblings going on inside him a the urge for solidarity with the poor, and at the same time his love for Rabindranath and Bengali literature (which were dismissed as areactionariesa by the philistine leaders of the Naxalite movement).

We were finally released from various jails (me from Bardhaman jail in 1976 on bail, and Bhabani from Calcuttaas Presidency jail much later), and discharged by the local courts, following the lifting of the Emergency, and fresh elections in 1977 which brought to power the Janata government. But we went in different directions. I went back to Delhi, joining the civil liberties organization PUCLR (Peopleas Union for Civil Liberties and Rights), and later the PUDR (Peopleas Union for Democratic Rights), in order to campaign for the release of our comrades who were still in jails, and organize fact-finding teams to investigate into cases of violation of human rights. Bhabani went into the other direction a retaining his political loyalty to the Naxalite cause, joining old comrades in a faction called Party Unity. The last time I met him was in Calcutta in 1985-86 (?), when he came over to the flat in Gariahat where I was putting up then. As far as I remember, we spent the evening in drafting a press statement in support of the rights of political prisoners. He died sometime later a till his last days remaining committed to the cause of Naxalbari.

Manada a a Guerilla Squad Jeader

I donat know what was his real name. But he was known as Manada a a atek-namea (anom de plumea for a professional revolutionary) given to him, like many similar names given to us by our underground party organization (e g Agnu for me, Keloda for Bhabani Chowdhury, and Jaya for Krishna Bandyopadhya, a veteran of the movement who is still today active in Left politics and human rights movement). Mana-da was at one time a worker in a factory. I saw him for the first time in one of our hide-outs on the outskirts of Calcutta a soon after I entered the underground in 1973. It was a party gathering, where he narrated his recent experience of leading a guerilla squad in attacking a police station, snatching a large number of rifles from there, and his journey back to his base far away a to deliver those weapons. During this journey through the countryside, he faced a hostile crowd in a village, which suspected him and his squad of being dacoits, as they were carrying rifles. Manada addressed the villagers, explaining to them the history and politics of the Naxalite movement that lay behind the snatching of the rifles from the police station. He said: aYou can hand us over to the police. But please donat give back these rifles to the police. These weapons are used by your enemies to kill you. Keep them with you to fight the police.a The villagers a mainly poor peasants a sat all through the night, debating over whether to hand over Mana-da and his guerilla squad to the police, or allow them to leave. They finally chose the latter option a allowing him and his squad to take away the arsenal of 303-rifles which they had captured from the police station. They acknowledged that they were not in a position to fight the police, and did not want to be harassed by the police who were sure to arrive in their village soon in their chase for Manadaas guerilla squad. So, the sooner he and his squad left the village, the better. But, while bidding them goodbye early next morning, the villagers held up their arms in clenched fists of Red Salute, a new form of salute that they learnt from Manada.

Listening to Mana-daas narrative was an unforgettable experience for me. It summed up the complexities of the psyche of our rural poor a a desperate urge to protest against feudal exploitation, explosions into outbursts whenever they are offered avenues of such protests, and then again, retreat into opportunist compromises with their exploiters and enemies for sheer survival.

My aMashia

I remember, when spending a few days in the early 1970s in an underground shelter of a Naxalite peasant comrade of mine in a village in 24-Parganas, his mother became our amashia (aunt), taking care of our daily needs, and protecting us from the police. One evening, she drew me aside, and said: aSon, donat you ever worship the peasants. Like you babus, we also have in our villages poor peasants who are dishonest, congenital liars, flatterers, thieves...a She then whispered to me: aThanks to your party, this son of mine has become a revolutionary. But my other son is a dacoit a on whose earnings I live.a Her confiding this secret to me made me aware of another dimension of rural psychology a the thin line between a potential revolutionary and a potential criminal.

This point was made sharper during my days of imprisonment in 1976 in Bardhaman jail. Jail wardens often employed poor rural convicts a petty criminals a to beat up the Naxalite prisoners. These convicts came from the same peasant class whom we Naxalites had been trying to mobilize for a revolutionary change in their conditions. Yet, these poor convicts were willing to terrorize us for immediate benefits like fringe concessions granted by the jail authorities, and remission of their sentences, as promised by the jailer.

From Naxalbari to Chambal Ravines

Let me fast forward from my underground life in villages, and the period of incarceration in Bardhaman jail in the 1970s, to an altogether different scenario in another village in the ravines of Chambal in central India in the 1980s. By then I had returned to my old profession of journalism, and I was persuaded by my young friend, the late Kalyan Mukherjee (who passed away sometime ago) to join him on an adventurous trail of the legendary dacoits of Chambal a who were worshipped as abagisa (rebels) by the local villagers.

It was sometime in the early 1980s that Kalyan and me, spent some exciting weeks in the ravines of Chambal, meeting and interviewing some of the apopulara (designated as anotoriousa in police records) dacoits there. One evening, we were sitting at a village bus-stop waiting for the last bus to take us back to Bhopal. Kalyan and me, meanwhile went into a discussion about why the peasants in Bihar (about whom Kalyan researched) supported the aMao-badis,a while the peasants in Chambal supported the abagia dacoits. The term aMao-bada cropped up every now and then in our conversation. There was an old man, sitting on a charpoy at the bus stop, puffing away at the ubiquitous hookah. Having listened to our discussion for a long time, he asked us with a tired face: aTell us beta, where is this railway station called Maobad ? Iave heard about Ahmedabad, Allahabad stations... but never about the Maobad station.a

His innocent query was perhaps born of the naivety of a politically ignorant village elder of Chambal, but his question ever since then, had haunted me. In our political journey, where is the station that we are trying to reach ? I remember an observation (made, perhaps by the doughty journalist Anna Louis Strong, or the revolutionary Agnes Smedley ?): aWe embark on the train of revolution. Some disembark mid-way. Some join mid-way. A few reach the destination.a

Bhumaiyya and Kista Gowd

To switch back to the 1970s a I was arrested in Hyderabad on August 8, 1975, soon after the declaration of Emergency. I was taken to the main jail in the city, and after a brief while, put in a dormitory in the midst of Naxalite comrades from Andhra Pradesh. The language barrier was not a problem, as Telegu-speaking people were familiar in those days with the Urdu-Hindi hybrid that I spoke. But even before I could get closer to these comrades, I was served with a notice ordering my transfer to West Bengal in September that year. (Thereas a background to this. Since I was an accused in the Kamalpur Naxalite conspiracy case in Bardhaman, the West Bengal police required my arrest and transfer to their state). On the eve of my transportation to West Bengal, I was transferred from the dormitory to a cell. Cells are meant for punishment of prisoners by isolating them, and are usually situated in a row along a corridor in a corner of the main prison compound. The corridor where I was transferred to, had on one side cells which incarcerated prisoners who were on the death row. The jail authorities probably decided to put me there, as no empty cell was available elsewhere in the prison. I was to stay there for the night, and a few hours next morning, before being transported to Calcutta the following day. But that night and the morning that followed, proved to be a wonderful experience that remains etched in my memory for ever. In the cell, I spent most of the night, half-asleep, half-awake, wondering what was awaiting me in Calcuttaas Intelligence Bureau interrogation cell. In the midst of my reveries, I heard strains of a song drifting from my neighbouring cell. It was in Telegu, sounding sometimes mournful, sometimes martial. I suddenly heard the words aNaxalbariaa/ aSrikakulamaa/ aLal Salamaa/ interspersing the Telegu narrative of the song. I sprang up. Who was my next-door neighbor ? A comrade?

After an uneasy night, I woke up early in the morning. Outside my cell window, clutching at the rods, there stood a well-built young man. His head covered with disheveled curly hair, and a welcome smile on his face, he asked me: aCase keya hay?a (Whatas the case?) I said: aNaxal.a He raised his hand, clenched his fist, and greeted me: aLal Salam!a He then introduced himself in broken Hindi: aI am Bhumaiyya.a It took my breath away! Was he the same famous partner of the legendary Bhumaiyya-Kista Gowd duo, who were our heroes? They were leaders of the Naxalite peasant movement of Adilabad in Andhra Pradesh, and had been sentenced to death in 1972 for allegedly killing a notorious landlord. Since their sentencing, during the years that followed, there had been a widespread campaign by civil liberties groups for their acquittal, which till now had prevented their hanging. As I was trying to recall those agitations, Bhumaiyya said in a hurried and confidential tone: aLook here, we are on the death row, but are allowed to take a walk along the corridor for just ten minutes every morning. My time is up. Itas now Kista Gowdas turn. Heall come soon. Wait for him.a

I kept waiting behind my cell window a and after sometime a middle-aged, short-statured bald person came up before the window. Greeting me with a smile, he said: aIam Kista Gowd.a He then held a packet of Charminar cigarettes through the window. When I tried to pick up one cigarette, he said: aKeep the packet.a He bid me good-bye by raising his fist in a Red Salute.

That was the last time I met Bhumaiyya and Kista Gowd. I kept the Charminar cigarette packet with me. It was only after a couple of days when I arrived in Calcutta, and taken to the Intelligence Bureau office in Lord Sinha Road, where I was thrown back in the company of my old Naxalite comrades in the cells, that I opened the packet, and shared the cigarettes with them, telling them that they were gifts from Bhumaiyya and Kista Gowd.

I was soon transferred from the police custody of Lord Sinha Road to the judicial custody in Bardhaman jail. When there, in early December in 1975, we heard that Bhumaiyya and Kista Gowd had been hanged. We, the Naxalite prisoners in our cells, held a memorial meeting. I remembered that on the eve of their execution, both Bhumaiyya and Kista Gowd donated their eyes for transplantation for the needy. They said: aOur eyes could not see the victory of the revolution. But those who will receive our eyes will surely watch that victory.a
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I hold the Democrats responsible for the shooting in Alexandria, Va. Between the Democrats and the liberal press, they have created an environment for violence against Republicans. All the way through the primary and beyond, the Democrats endorsed the rioting and destruction that was caused by the voters. Every time something happened, of course, the liberal press glamorized the event, since it was aimed against the Republican candidate, which was Trump.

With the Russian investigation, makes you wonder how many hours and taxpayer dollars the Democrats have wasted. They have already spent thousands of hours and hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on an investigation that has only produced rumors.

The intent, as I see it, is that the Democratic minority would rather destroy the American democracy than work with the Republican majority to better our democracy.

On one of the major networks, a liberal voter was interviewed and he stated the only way to get their point across was by rioting and violence.

The Democrats have to realize that the heart of America voted for Trump, even in Montana, the heart voted for Gianforte. The people dont want the way the Democrats have taken America.

Mike Thompson

Wibaux
Friday, November 11, 2022

SCOTUS takes up case to address reach of federal two-year mandatory minimum added prison term for identity theft

I missed late yesterday that the Supreme Court issued a tiny order list on Thursday that granted cert on a single new case. This news is exciting for those of us interest in seeing a bit more criminal action on the SCOTUS docket, and this SCOTUSblog posting has the details:

The Supreme Court announced on Thursday afternoon that it will weigh in on what it means to commit identity theft. After holding their private conference a day early because Friday is a federal holiday, the justices released a one-sentence order list that added one new case to their merits docket for the 2022-23 term: Dubin v. United States. The defendant in the case is David Dubin, who was convicted of Medicaid fraud. As the dispute comes to the Supreme Court, Dubin is challenging a separate conviction under a federal law that makes it a crime to use another persons identity in the process of committing another crime. Federal prosecutors contend that Dubins use of his patients name on a false Medicaid claim violated the statute, adding an extra two years to his one-year sentence for fraud. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit upheld Dubins conviction and sentence, and on rehearing a deeply divided full court affirmed that decision. Dubin appealed to the justices in June, and they agreed on Thursday to take up his case, which will likely be argued sometime early next year.

Here is how the question in the case is presented by the defendant in his cert petition:

The federal aggravated identity theft statute provides: Whoever, during and in relation to any felony violation enumerated [elsewhere in the statute], knowingly transfers, possesses, or uses, without lawful authority, a means of identification of another person, shall, in addition to the punishment provided for such felony, be sentenced to a term of imprisonment of 2 years. 18 U.S.C.  1028A(a)(1). The question presented is whether a person commits aggravated identity theft any time he mentions or otherwise recites someone elses name while committing a predicate offense.

November 11, 2022 in Mandatory minimum sentencing statutes, Offense Characteristics, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wouldn't pardons and commutations for those who served be a great way for Prez Biden to honor Veterans Day?

The question in the title of this post is inspired by today's national holiday, Veterans Day. Based on the latest data from Bureau of Justice Statistics, from this March 2021 report "Survey of Prison Inmates, 2016: Veterans in Prison," veterans make up over 5% of the federal prison population (and nearly 8% of state prison populations). Moreover, as an important new initiative from the Council for Criminal Justice has highlighted, roughly "one third of veterans report having been arrested and booked into jail at least once in their lives, compared to fewer than one fifth of non-veterans." In other words, at both the federal and state level, there are surely no shortage of justice-involved veterans who could and should be a focus of concern and attention on this important day and for whom clemency consideration would be justified.

Though I am not expecting that Prez Biden will celebrate this Veterans Day by making a special effort to grant commutations or pardons to a special list of veterans, I have long thought criminal justice reform advocates ought to lean into this day by urging the President and all Governors to make a tradition of using clemency powers in this kind of special and distinctive way on this special and distinctive day. As I have noted before, a key slogan for this day is "honoring ALL who served," not just those who stayed out of trouble after serving.

Some (or many) prior related posts:

November 11, 2022 in Clemency and Pardons, Offender Characteristics, Prisons and prisoners, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another important look at the role of prosecutors in second-look sentencing

Many years ago, I had the honor of giving a keynote speech at a conference focused on the work of prosecutors where I suggested they should be much more involved in reviewing past sentences. That speech, whi got published as Encouraging (and Even Requiring) Prosecutors to Be Second-Look Sentencers, 19 Temple Political & Civil Rights L. Rev. 429 (2010), came to mind as I read this new Marshall Project piece headlined "Prosecutors in These States Can Review Sentences They Deem Extreme. Few Do." I recommend the lengthy and effective piece in full, and here is a brief excerpt:

Louisiana is one of five states that has recently passed prosecutor-initiated resentencing laws, along with California, Washington, Illinois and Oregon. Five others  New York, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Georgia and Maryland  considered similar bills this year, though none were brought to a vote. Many incarcerated people view these laws as a way to get fresh eyes on their cases. Advocates for criminal justice reform say the laws are needed to help reduce mass incarceration. But their reach so far has been concentrated in the offices of a few district attorneys, mainly in urban areas, according to a review by The Marshall Project. One reason is the high cost of reviewing old cases, prosecutors say. There are also moral and political issues. Some prosecutors are philosophically opposed to the notion of overturning sentences handed down by a judge, and others fear pushback from voters.

Some of many recent prior related posts:

A small sampling of my prior writing on this front:

November 11, 2022 in Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Rounding up a few post-election accountings and commentary on the crime and justice front

I did a number of pre-election posts with a round-up of news and commentary focused on criminal justice policy and politics as the 2022 voting approached (see here and here and here). It now seems only fitting to do a (first?) post-election round-up of news and commentary as we get closer to all the 2022 mid-term votes being counted:

From The Appeal, "Midterm Elections Deliver Some Good News For Criminal Legal Reform"

From The Crime Report, "Crime and the Midterms"

From Democract Now, "Progressive Prosecutors Win Key Races Despite GOP Attacks on Criminal Justice Reform"

From the New York Times, "For Republicans, Crime Pays, No Matter What Else Happens"

From Reason, "The Crime Backlash Mostly Failed To Materialize on Election Night"

From the Washington Post, "How Democrats can win back trust on the issue of crime"

November 10, 2022 in Elections and sentencing issues in political debates | Permalink | Comments (0)

"Dresser Drawer Pardons: Pardons as Private Acts"

The title of this post is the title of this new article authored by Andrew Ingram now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract:

Can a President issue a pardon without telling anyone but the recipient that she has issued it? Yes, the President can grant a valid pardon without telling anyone but the recipient of her grace that she has done so. While a defendant must plead a pardon for a court to take notice of it and quash an indictment, the document may otherwise lay buried in a sock drawer in case it is ever needed without losing any of its force or effect. In this article, I make the case for secret pardons based upon Supreme Court precedent dating back to Chief Justice Marshalls tenure on the Court. In the years since Marshalls 1833 ruling in United States v. Wilson, the Court has repeatedly reaffirmed the historical and formalist approach to the pardons clause that Marshall inaugurated. Declaring that English practice should be the guide to the federal pardons clause, Marshall endorsed the understanding of pardons maintained by English treatise writers. Marshall and the English writers describe pardons as a kind of deed or private act. Besides validating secret pardons, the fact that pardons are to be treated as private acts or deeds also teaches us that oral pardons are likely invalid and that self-pardons are utterly nugatory. Along the way to these conclusions, I confront the oddity of the Court-backed legal truth that pardons are private acts, explaining how a power with so many public consequences for the criminal justice system could possibly be considered a private act. I also consider an abortive challenge to the historicalformalist approach to the pardon power established by Chief Justice Marshall that Justice Holmes raised in the 1920s. Studying the clash between Marshall and Holmes allows us to see clearly the difference between Holmes legal realism and Marshalls antiquarian formalism.

November 10, 2022 in Clemency and Pardons, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Texas completes its fouth execution in 2022

As reported in this local artcle, Texas "executed Tracy Beatty on Wednesday evening for murdering his mother in East Texas in 2003." Here are some of the backstory:

Beatty, 61, was found guilty of fatally strangling Carolyn Click at the end of a violent and tumultuous relationship. Although his attorneys acknowledge Beatty killed his mother, they contended the crime didnt qualify for the death penalty. Lethal drugs were injected into Beatty at 6:22 p.m. Wednesday inside the states Huntsville Unit, and he was declared dead 17 minutes later, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.... Although Beatty gave several versions of what happened in his 62-year-old mothers death, according to court records, he ultimately told police that he came home drunk, the pair started fighting and he choked her. He said he didnt realize Click was dead until the next day. But Beatty was found guilty of capital murder because prosecutors argued he killed his mother during a home burglary, entering without her consent, even though he lived with Click at the time. A neighbor testified that Click had told her the day she was last seen that she had told her son that day to move out after a fight.... Beatty had been released from prison on parole months before Clicks death. Prosecutors at trial listed a slew of his previous criminal charges, including injuring a prison guard and assaulting an 18-month-old child.... Neither the Supreme Court nor Texas Gov. Greg Abbott intervened in Beattys execution. It was the states fourth execution of the year. Seven others are scheduled in Texas through September.

November 9, 2022 in Death Penalty Reforms | Permalink | Comments (0)

New DPIC analysis finds "murder rates during the pandemic were highest in states with the death penalty"

The Death Penalty Information Center has posted this notable new review of murder data under the heading "DPIC Analysis: Pandemic Murder Rates Highest in Death Penalty States." I recoemmend the full posting, and here are excerpts (with links and the chart from the original, footnotes removed):

A DPIC analysis of 2020 U.S. homicide data has found that murder rates during the pandemic were highest in states with the death penalty and lowest in long-time abolitionist states. DPIC reviewed the 2020 murder data compiled by the center-left think tank The Third Way for its March 2022 report, The Red State Murder Problem. Then, taking the analysis out of the realm of politics and into the context of public policy, DPIC compared the data to states death-penalty status and historic usage of the death penalty. That analysis found that pandemic murder rates generally correlated not just with the presence or absence of the death penalty in a state but with the states general level of death-penalty usage. The data show that nine of the ten states with the highest pandemic murder rates  ranging from 9.9 to 20.5 murders per 10,000 residents  are death penalty states. On the other hand, eight of the eleven states with the lowest pandemic murder rates  ranging from 0.88 to 3.49 murders per 10,000 residents  had abolished the death penalty. DPIC found that the three death penalty states with the lowest pandemic murder rates  all 2.89 murders per 10,000 residents  have not carried out an execution in more than a decade, and one had a gubernatorial moratorium on executions. Murder rates in the mostly high death-penalty usage, high pandemic-murder-rate states ranged from roughly triple to 23 times higher than in the mostly no death penalty, low pandemic-murder-rate states. More than half of all death penalty states (14 of 27) had murder pandemic murder rates of at least 7.00 per 100,000 residents, and 30 percent (8 states) had pandemic murder rates of 10.29 per 100,000 residents or higher. By contrast, nearly two-thirds of the states that had abolished the death penalty (15 of 23) had pandemic murder rates of 5.14 or less per 100,000 residents, more than a third (8 states) had pandemic murder rates below 3.5 murders per 100,000 residents.... DPICs review of The Third Way pandemic murder data found that 15 of the 20 states with the highest pandemic murder rates are death penalty states, of which 12 have carried out 20 or more executions each in the past half century. Collectively, these 12 states have accounted for more than three quarters of all executions in the U.S. since the 1970s. At the other end of the spectrum, none of the 23 states with the lowest pandemic murder rates are historically heavy users of capital punishment. Fifteen had abolished the death penalty, including nine who had not had the death penalty at any time during the 21st century. The eight death penalty states with the lowest pandemic murder rates include two with moratoria on executions, six who have executed five or fewer people in the past half century, one that has carried out seven executions, and six who have not executed anyone in more than a decade. Twenty U.S. states have carried out ten or more executions in the past half-century. All of them, including three who have since abolished the death penalty, are among the 28 states with the highest pandemic murder rates.

November 9, 2022 in Data on sentencing, Death Penalty Reforms, Detailed sentencing data | Permalink | Comments (3)

So, does anyone already have "hot takes" on what election results might mean for criminal justice reforms?

Because votes are still being counted nationwide and especially because control of the US Senate may not be resolved until a Georgia run off in December, it is way too early to make any confident predictions about the national policy landscape for the next few months or the next few years. But with marijuana reform getting mixed results in five states  winning in the big states of Maryland and Missouri, losing in the smaller states of Arkansas, North Dakota and South Dakota  there is already a basis to make a lot of mixed predictions about the short- and long-term future of marijuana reforms. Likewise, with crime and punishment being a big part of lots of other candidate campaigns that have been called, maybe it is not too early for folks to have interesting views on what the 2022 election means for crime and punishment issues in 2023 and beyond.

So, dear readers, please feel free to use the comments to flag any especially notable races (or exit polls) that you think are especially important for informed political or policy view on criminal justice issues post-election 2022. And, as the title of this post suggests, "hot takes" are more than welcome.

November 9, 2022 in Elections and sentencing issues in political debates, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (9)

"Set up to Fail: Youth Probation Conditions as a Driver of Incarceration"

The title of this post is the title of this new paper authored by Jyoti Nanda now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract:

Youth probation is the most common form of punishment for youth in the United States criminal legal system, with nearly a quarter of a million youth currently under supervision. Yet the role youth probation conditions play in the incarceration of youth has not been the focus of legal scholarship. Youth probation is a court-imposed intervention where young people remain at home under the supervision of a youth probation officer and are required to adhere to probation conditions, rules, and court-ordered conditions. The orders rely on standardized terms on youth probation condition forms. This is the first scholarly Article to excavate original youth probation condition forms. It relies on data from 17 different urban and rural jurisdictions across the United States, including the five largest, and provides both a descriptive and perscriptive analysis of the problems with the design and execution of probation conditions. Based on my analysis of hundreds of youth probation conditions in these different jurisdictions, I argue that standard youth probation conditions are part of a youth probation system that is structurally flawed in its design and execution, and that probation conditions that lack an adolescent framework cause real harm to youth and their families  particularly those who are most vulnerable, especially youth of color. Simultaneously, youth probation systems concentrate power in probation officers, granting them inordinate discretionary power. Although youth probation is viewed as the ideal alternative to detention, I argue that youth probation in its current structure is a driver of incarceration  that should be viewed as part of a carceral state  in need of thoughtful re-imagination: perhaps even abolition.

November 9, 2022 in Criminal Sentences Alternatives, Offender Characteristics, Reentry and community supervision | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

How many federal LWOP sentences have been reduced via 3582(c)(1)(A) and on what grounds?

The question in the title of this post was prompted by a notable new ruling sent my way, US v. West, No. 06-21185 (E.D. Mich. Nov. 7, 2022), which grants a sentenced reduction motion for a prisoner serving a federal LWOP sentence. Before discussing that opinion (which can be dowloaded below), I will note that Figure 2 of the USSC's latest Compassionate Release Data Report from September 2022 reports that 27.9% of the over 4000 prisoners who have had their 3582(c)(1)(A) motions granted were serving original sentences of "20 years or more." In other words, since the First Step Act became law in December 2018, well over 1000 persons serving sentences of 20 or more years have received sentence reductions. But, to my knowledge, the USSC has not provided further details with any data specifically regarding prisoners serving LWOP securing compassionate release or regarding the reasons judges commonly give when reducing LWOP sentences.

General numbers and broader trends aside, the ruling in West makes for an interesting read because the judge here decides that Apprendi error as well as unwarranted sentencing dispartity provided extraordinary and compelling reasons for a sentence reduction. Here is how the West opinion gets started:

Roy West is in year 17 of a life without parole sentence. The indictment and case submitted to the jury should have netted West not more than ten years in prison. Errors on the part of competent people  prosecutors, defense counsel, probation officers and, ultimately, this judge at the time of sentencing  resulted in the imposition of a sentence in violation of the law on West. Even skilled appellate counsel failed to raise the sentencing error. West has no way to correct this extraordinary and compelling error  and end his days in prison  but through his now pending motion for sentence reduction (compassionate release). 18 U.S.C.  3582(c)(1)(A), as amended by the First Step Act of 2018, opens an avenue for this Judge to correct a fundamentally unfair sentence that did not exist before. Justice and faith in our judicial system demand correction for the benefit of Roy West. This human error on multiple levels, the resulting sentencing disparity, the absence of any other avenue for relief, and Wests extraordinary rehabilitation constitute extraordinary and compelling reasons for sentence reduction. The 18 U.S.C.  3553(a) factors support a sentence reduction as well. Download West CR opinion

November 8, 2022 in FIRST STEP Act and its implementation, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)

Elizabeth Holmes' federal sentencing ready to go forward after her new trial motion is denied

As detailed in this AP article, headlined "Bid for new trial fails, Elizabeth Holmes awaits sentencing," a high-prfole federal sentencing is now on track for later this month. Here are the basics:

A federal judge rejected a bid for a new trial for disgraced Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes after concluding a key prosecution witnesss recent remorseful attempt to contact her wasnt enough to award her another chance to avoid a potential prison sentence for defrauding investors at her blood-testing company. The ruling issued late Monday by U.S. District Judge Edward Davila is the latest setback for Holmes, a former Silicon Valley star who once boasted an estimated net worth of $4.5 billion but is now facing up to 20 years in prison that would separate her from her 1-year-old son. In the latest twist in a Silicon Valley soap opera, Holmes appeared to be pregnant when she showed up for an Oct. 17 hearing about her request for a new trial.... Davila has scheduled Nov. 18 as the day he will sentence Holmes, 38, for four felony counts of investor fraud and engaging in a conspiracy with [Rawesh Sunny] Balwani. Earlier Monday, Davila postponed Balwanis sentencing for his conviction on 12 counts of investor and patient fraud from Nov. 15 to Dec. 7.

I plan to wait until we see the formal sentencing submissions from the parties before even trying to make any predictions as to what kind of prison term Holmes might get. But I welcome others' predictions in the comments as we gear up for what should be an interesting (and unpredicatable) sentencing proceeding.

Prior related posts:

November 8, 2022 in Celebrity sentencings, Offender Characteristics, Offense Characteristics, Race, Class, and Gender, White-collar sentencing | Permalink | Comments (3)

Monday, November 7, 2022

Are there going to be five executions in four US states over the next ten days?

The question in the title of this post is prompted by my quick look this morning at the "Upcoming Executions" page over at the Death Penalty Information Center. That page shows that Texas has two executions scheduled, and Alabama, Arizona and Oklahoma each have one execution scheduled, between November 9 and November 17. If all five of these executions go forward, it will be the most executions completed in the US within such a short period of time in a decade. (In 2012, between November 6 and 15, Texas completed three executions and Ohio and Oklahoma also completed one execution.)

So many executions in a short period would be a pretty dramatic break from recent norms throughout the US. Since roughly the start of the pandemic, the US has averaged only about one execution per month as various states have continued to have various difficulties with converting death sentences into completed executions. Even before COVID hit, the US averaged only about two executions per month when President Trump was in office and less than four executions per month during President Obama's years in the oval office. (About seven executions per month was the national average during President Clinton's second term, and around five per month was the national norm for most of President Bush's two terms).

With all the recent political discussions about crime and crime policy, I have been a bit surprised that we have not seen a significant uptick in chatter about capital punishment polcies and practices this election season. But it does seem we may be on the verge of an uptick in the number of executions this November.

UPDATE: I just saw this notable new Salon commentary by Austin Sarat headlined "Crime is a hot issue, but even Republicans don't talk about the death penalty: That's good news." I recommend the full extended piece, and here are a few excerpts:

In the past, politicians at every level responded to public concerns about crime with law-and-order campaigns in which promises to bring back or enforce the death penalty featured prominently.... Throughout the late 20th and early 21st centuries, death-penalty ballot measures have been used as tools of partisan and political advantage, largely to increase turnout among a targeted portion of the electorate in order to benefit "law and order" candidates. But not this year. Only in Alabama will voters be asked to decide on a death-penalty ballot measure. It would "require the governor to provide notice to the attorney general and make reasonable efforts to notify a designated family member of a victim before granting a commutation (a reduced sentence such as life imprisonment) or reprieve (temporary stay of execution) of a death sentence." ... But in campaigns up and down the ballot, even as conservative candidates have accused their opponents of being soft on crime and promised robust anti-crime measures, Republican gubernatorial candidates in Arizona, Georgia, New York and Oklahoma have said little or nothing about the death penalty.... Whatever the verdict delivered by voters this week may be, the relative invisibility of the death penalty in this year's political campaigns is a clear sign of the progress abolitionists have made in changing the national temperature on that issue.

November 7, 2022 in Data on sentencing, Death Penalty Reforms, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (4)

Three notable dissents from denials of cert in criminal case on latest SCOTUS order list

The Supreme Court this morning released this 54-page(!) order list, and nearly 50 pages are comprised of dissents from the denial of cert by a handful of justices in five distinct cases. Here is a (too brief) accounting of the three criminal cases in this number:

In Anthony v. Louisiana, Justice Sotomayor dissents from the denial of certiorari, joined by Justice Jackson, and her 15-page dissent concludes this way:

Our criminal justice system holds prosecutors to a high standard. The prosecutor is the representative not of an ordinary party to a controversy, but of a sovereignty. Berger, 295 U. S., at 88. From that special role, improper suggestions, insinuations, and, especially, assertions of personal knowledge are apt to carry much weight against the accused when they should properly carry none. Ibid.... These principles demand careful scrutiny of the rare cases in which a prosecutor takes the stand as a sworn witness in a jury trial. Because this case presents one of the most egregious instances of prosecutorial testimony amounting to prosecutorial misconduct, I respectfully dissent from the Courts refusal to issue a summary reversal.

in In Khorrami v. Arizona, Justice Gorsuch dissents from the denial of certiorari (which was not joined by Justice Kavanaugh, though he did indicate he would grant the petition). His 10-page dissent starts and concludes this way:

The State of Arizona convicted Ramin Khorrami of serious crimes before an 8-member jury. On appeal, Mr. Khorrami sought a new trial, arguing that the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution guarantee individuals like him a trial before 12 members of the community.... For almost all of this Nations history and centuries before that, the right to trial by jury for serious criminal offenses meant the right to a trial before 12 members of the community. In 1970, this Court abandoned that ancient promise and enshrined in its place bad social science parading as law. That mistake continues to undermine the integrity of the Nations judicial proceedings and deny the American people a liberty their predecessors long and justly considered inviolable. Todays case presented us with an opportunity to correct the error and admit what we know the law is and has always been. Respectfully, we should have done just that.

In Chinn v. Shoop, Justice Jackson dissents from the denial of certiorari, joined by Justice Sotomayor, and her 2-page dissent starts and concludes this way:

This is a capital case involving a violation of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963). There is no dispute that, during the capital trial of petitioner Davel Chinn, the State suppressed exculpatory evidence indicating that the States key witness, Marvin Washington, had an intellectual disability that may have affected Washingtons ability to remember, perceive fact from fiction, and testify accurately.... Because Chinns life is on the line, and given the substantial likelihood that the suppressed records would have changed the outcome at trial based on the Ohio courts own representations, see Harrington v. Richter, 562 U.S. 86, 112 (2011), I would summarily reverse to ensure that the Sixth Circuit conducts its materiality analysis under the proper standard.

November 7, 2022 in Death Penalty Reforms, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (2)

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Recapping last week's SCOTUS arguments in two complicated review procedure cases

Last Tuesday, the Supreme Court hear arguments in two complicated criminal cases: Jones v. Hendrix, which I previewed here last week, and Cruz v. Arizona, a capital case. These cases have not garnered that much general attention, surely because they both involve complicated procedural issue. Still, the folks at SCOTUSblog have detailed reviews of the arguments, and I have also seen a few other discussions of the arguments:

Jones:

From SCOTUSblog, "In habeas case, the liberal justices try to untangle a complex statute"

From Law & Crime, "Justice Alito Concerned that Freeing Legally Innocent Man from Prison Would Clog Up the Federal Courts"

Cruz:

From SCOTUSblog, "Arizona asks court to approve Kafkaesque treatment of due-process claim from man on death row"

From Cronkite News, "Supreme Court presses state on its rejection of Arizona death-row appeal"

From the Arizona Republic, "U.S. Supreme Court hears oral argument of Arizona man on death row"

November 6, 2022 in Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (1)

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Rounding up recent disheartening stories in incarceration nation

In recent days, I have seen a number of notable stories and commentaries focused on various discouraging incarceration realities in US prisons and jails:

From The Marshall Project, "Why So Many Jails Are in a State of Complete Meltdown"

From NBC News, "Tech glitch botches federal prisons' rollout of update to Trump-era First Step Act"

From the New York Post, "Rikers Island detainee is 18th person to die in NYCs prison system in 2022"

From the New York Times, "Dying Inside: Chaos and Cruelty In Louisiana Juvenile Detention"

From the Omaha World Herald, "Waiting on death: Nebraska prisoners are getting older, and its costing taxpayers"

From PennLive, "Sick people in Pa. jails are suffering, dying: The Constitution allows for medical neglect"

From the Reno Gazette-Journal, "Inmate deaths, drug overdoses on rise at Washoe County Jail"

From Washington Monthly, "Do Prisons Need to Be Hellholes?"

From WSB-TV, "Reality star Joe Exotic says zoo has better living conditions than Atlanta Federal Penitentiary"

November 5, 2022 in Prisons and prisoners, Scope of Imprisonment | Permalink | Comments (1)

Friday, November 4, 2022

Oklahoma Gov extends execution stay for Richard Glossip as courts still consider innocence claim

As reported in this AP piece, "Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt granted another temporary reprieve to death row inmate Richard Glossip, pushing his scheduled execution back until February 2023 so that an appeals court has more time to consider his claim of innocence." Here is more:

Stitt, who is locked in a tough reelection contest, issued an executive order on Wednesday that delays Glossips execution, which was scheduled for Nov. 21. Stitts office didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. A clemency hearing for Glossip that was scheduled before the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board next week also will be delayed. Glossip received the death penalty for the 1997 murder-for-hire killing of his boss, motel owner Barry Van Treese. Prosecutors acknowledge Glossip did not kill Van Treese, but maintain that he paid the hotel maintenance man, Justin Sneed, to do it. Sneed, who received a life sentence but was spared the death penalty, was a key witness in two separate trials in which Glossip was convicted. Attorney General John OConnor said in a statement that he respects the governors decision but remains confident in Glossips guilt. After 25 years, justice is still on hold for Barry Van Treese and his family, OConnor said. Mr. Van Treese was in a room of the motel he owned when he was brutally murdered with a baseball bat by Justin Sneed, an individual Richard Glossip hired to work at the motel and later enlisted to commit the murder. Two different juries found Glossip guilty of murder for hire.... Glossip asked the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals for a new evidentiary hearing following the release of an independent investigation by Houston law firm Reed Smith that raised new questions about his guilt. The firms report did not find any definitive proof of Glossips innocence, but raised concerns about lost or destroyed evidence and a detective asking leading questions to Sneed to implicate Glossip in the slaying.... A bipartisan group of 62 Oklahoma legislators, led by Republican state Rep. Kevin McDugle, have signed a request that a new evidentiary hearing be granted. Glossip, now 59, has long maintained his innocence. He has been scheduled to be executed three separate times, only to be spared shortly before the sentence was set to be carried out. He was just hours from being executed in September 2015 when prison officials realized they had received the wrong lethal drug, a mix-up that helped prompt a nearly seven-year moratorium on the death penalty in Oklahoma.

November 4, 2022 in Death Penalty Reforms, Sentences Reconsidered, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Is the US "on the verge of a new wave of mass incarceration"?

The question in the title of this post is prompted by this notable new Time commentary by Udi Ofer given the headline "Politicians' Tough-on-Crime Messaging Could Have Devastating Consequences." Here are some extended excerpts from a piece that merits reading in full:

In the majority of hotly contested 2022 midterm races across the country, tough-on-crime rhetoric is at the top of the agenda. Close to 60% of Republican spending on campaign ads since September has been on the topic of crime, with tens of thousands of ads running on the issue, and Democrats have responded with their own $36 million war chest. Not since the height of Americas mass incarceration era has the nation seen law and order politics play such an outsized role in candidate races up and down the ballot. The outcome could put the country in danger of entering a new era of more mass incarceration.... While Republicans are leading this charge, both parties are playing with fire, as the political rhetoric being deployed this election season has the potential to trigger a new surge in incarceration, as occurred following previous election cycles that starred tough-on-crime rhetoric. Between 1973-2009, the nation saw an exponential growth in incarceration, from approximately 200,000 people in prisons and jails in 1973 to 2.2 million by 2009, making the U.S. the largest incarcerator in the world, with a rate 5 to 10 times higher than Western Europe and other democracies. Hundreds of new laws and practices passed at the local, state, and federal levels, including new mandatory minimums with harsh sentences, more cash bail and pretrial detention, and more aggressive prosecutorial and policing practices like stop-and-frisk.... Along with mass incarceration came extreme racial inequities that spread well beyond the carceral system. A Black boy born in the 2000s had a 1 in 3 chance of ending up incarcerated, compared to a 1 in 17 chance for a white boy. Mass incarceration has contributed significantly to the racial achievement gap, poorer health outcomes in Black communities, and economic hardship for Black families.... This crisis in mass incarceration, which only recently began to dip, has roots that run deep in efforts to politicize and racialize crime. Mass incarceration has been fueled by moments like the one we are living in today, where following years of gains on civil rights, a backlash ensues and crime is conflated with reforms and civil rights protests.... It wasnt until the past 10 years that a bipartisan movement for criminal justice reform formed, pushing for an alternative approach. This movement by Democrats and Republicans has worked together in states across the country to pass bipartisan reforms, such as sentencing reform in Louisiana and Oklahoma, bail reform in New Jersey and Colorado, second chance laws in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Utah, drug law reform in Oregon and Rhode Island, and much more. The nationwide prison population began to drop to 1.2 million, and the U.S. moved from first to fifth place in the global ranking of imprisonment rates, right between Cuba and Panama. Families were reunited with their loved ones, and some of the states that have seen the largest decrease in incarceration are also some of the safest states in the nation, like New Jersey. But today, just as nationwide incarceration rates were beginning to slowly drop, public anxiety over crime is being turned into a wedge issue between the two political parties to undermine progress made on civil rights and criminal justice reform. Bail reform, police reform, parole reform, and sentencing reform are wrongfully being blamed for a rise in crime.... Candidates for office can resist the tough-on-crime impulse that has grown so common since Barry Goldwaters 1964 run for office. They can provide a new vision for safety, one that many communities have been calling for  one the emphasizes prevention and investments in public health, schools, jobs, housing and community support structures, and relegates incarceration to the last possible option, after all other intervention efforts have failed. In fact, research conducted by organizations like Vera Action and HIT Strategies has found that while voters care deeply about crime, they want more than the one-dimensional tough-on-crime message being delivered. Candidates benefit by articulating a vision that recognizes that public safety is achieved when we provide people with the resources they need to thrive, like earning a living wage, receiving a good education, and having stable housing. Voters understand that police shouldnt be the ones charged with solving every social problem, from kids skipping school to mental health needs to homelessness. Instead, voters are seeking long term solutions rooted in prevention, like a good education and a good job. So far, too few politicians on both the right and left are moving away from the reflexive tough-on-crime rhetoric that has proven to be so devastating in the past. It wont be clear until after the midterms how much this rhetoric has impacted voter choices, but the damage may have already been done. Unless more politicians change course, the U.S. is on the verge of a new wave of mass incarceration  as history repeats itself.

There is much to commend in this piece (including in parts I did not reprint here), and I think there is a very sound basis to expect and fear that heightened concerns about crime and the new wave of political rhetoric being deployed this election season likely will slow or even impede various parts of the agenda in the bipartisan movement for criminal justice reform. One obvious "for example" here is the now-stalled effort to equalize crack and powder cocaine sentences at the federal level. The US House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in Sept 2021, by a tally of 361-66, to pass the EQUAL Act to equalize powder and crack cocaine sentences, but concerns about "soft-on-crime" attacks have seemingly kept the Senate from moving forward.

But slowing down on-going reform efforts is a long way from "a new wave of mass incarceration." As this commentary suggests, both voters and their representatives now understand the importance of a variety of policy responses to crime concerns. More broadly, we now generally see a far more nuanced discussion of mandatory minimum sentences, drug policy issues and even the death penalty than we did a generation ago. For example, though a number of GOP Senators have now come out against the EQUAL Act, their competing bill still involves reducing crack sentences a good deal (while also raising cocaine sentences a bit). And at least one GOP Senator, Mike Lee, is still actively campaigning on his bipartisan criminal justice reform work in the FIRST STEP Act. In other words, while we may only see a "one-dimensional tough-on-crime message" in 30-second TV ads, I sense most policy-makers still recognize the need for so-called "smart-on-crime" reform efforts.

Ultimately, a lot of political and policy forces that developed over decades provided the infrastructure for modern mass incarceration, and a lot of countering political and policy forces also developing over decades have contributed to the (slow) decline in incarceration rates in recent years. I do not think one political cycle alone will dramatically change all the trends and dynamics that have brought us to this somewhat fraught moment. But I do think, as this commentary stresses in many ways, there are plenty of political and policy lessons to learn from both older and more recent developments. Interesting times.

November 3, 2022 in Elections and sentencing issues in political debates, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (4)

Some more criminal justice policy and politics as 2022 mid-term election approaches

There are any number of commentaries about crime and punishment issues in this mid-term election cycle as we close in on a final vote. Here a few pieces that caught my eye recently:

From The Marshall Project, "Why Millions of Americans Will Be Left Out of the Midterms"

From the Niskanen Center, "Voters care about crime. Heres what lawmakers should do about it."

From Stateline, "The Push to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession Continues, Town by Town"

From the Vera Institute, "How Mass Incarceration Shapes Our Elections"

From Vox, "The reason Republican attacks on crime are so potent"

From the Washington Examiner, "Democrats struggle against Republicans on crime issue"

UPDATE : I just saw this notable new American Prospect piece headlined "How Democrats Mishandled Crime: The most effective issue for Republicans in this midterm is a result of Democratic elites failing to understand what their diverse base of working-class voters wants."

November 3, 2022 in Elections and sentencing issues in political debates, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

After victims's statements, Parkland shooter formally sentenced to life without parole

As detailed in this NBC News piece, headlined "Parkland school shooter sentenced to life in prison without parole after emotional victims statements," a high-profile sentencing was completed today in Florida. Here are some details:

Following dramatic statements from victims and victims' families, a Florida judge formally sentenced Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz to life in prison without parole Wednesday for the 2018 campus massacre that killed 14 students and three staff members. Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer followed the jurys recommendation to spare the 24-year-old the death penalty, instead sentencing him to a lifetime behind bars. Last month, in a 9-3 vote, a jury leaned toward sending Cruz to death row, but Florida law dictates that anything less than a unanimous vote automatically shifts the sentence to life without parole. Prosecutors had sought the death penalty, while the defense had asked for life in prison. The jurys decision on Oct. 13 shook family members of victims who were visibly distraught by the verdict.... Ilan Alhadeff, father of Alyssa Alhadeff, 14, who was killed in the shooting, said Wednesday during his victim impact statement, Cruzs inevitable life sentence brings him little satisfaction. He deserved death, Alhadeff said. Let me show how angry and frustrated I am with the judicial system. After 4  grueling years, a failed judicial system did not hand down a death sentence to the murderer of my daughter and 16 others, he said. Do I see this as accountability? Absolutely not. Do we now have closure? Let me be clear, absolutely not. What I see is that the system values this animals life over the 17 now dead. Worse, we sent a message to the next killer out there that the death penalty would not be applied to mass killing. This is wrong and needs to be fixed immediately. Sam Fuentes was shot in the leg and struck in the face with shrapnel during the massacre. She said Wednesday in court she watched Cruz kill two of her friends. You shot me in the leg. If you looked me in the face, like Im looking at you right now, you would see the scars on it from the hot shrapnel that was lodged into it. Do you remember after you sprayed my classroom with bullets, standing in the door, peering in to see the work youve done? Do you remember my little battered, bloody face looking back at you? I could have sworn we locked eyes, she said.... Cruz wore a mask for the first part of the hearing, until Jennifer Guttenberg, the mother of victim Jaime Guttenberg, admonished the shooter during her victim impact statement. You shouldnt be sitting there with a mask on your face. Its disrespectful to be hiding your expressions under your mask when we as the families are sitting here talking to you, she told him. Linda Beigel Schulman, mother of Scott Beigel, who taught geography at the school and coached cross country, said her son saved students' lives before the gunman took his. Beigel Schulman said Wednesday that Cruz has "prison justice" ahead of him. "You will spend the rest of your miserable life having to look over your shoulder worried about every single minute of your day, of your life, and scared out of your mind, fearful for someone to take you out." On Tuesday, other survivors of the shooting and victims loved ones had the chance to deliver impact statements before the sentence was formally announced. Stacey Lippel, a teacher at Parkland who was shot and survived, told Cruz: You dont know me but you tried to kill me. I will have a scar on my arm and the memory of you pointing your gun at me ingrained in my brain forever, she said before the court, looking Cruz in the eyes.

Some prior related posts:

November 2, 2022 in Death Penalty Reforms, Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (2)

"Constitutional Limits on the Imposition and Revocation of Probation, Parole, and Supervised Release After Haymond"

The title of this post is the title of this notable new paper authored by Nancy King now available via SSRN. Here is its abstract:

In its Apprendi line of cases, the Supreme Court has held that any fact found at sentencing (other than prior conviction) that aggravates the punishment range otherwise authorized by the conviction is an element that must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury. Whether Apprendi controls factfinding for the imposition and revocation of probation, parole, and supervised release is critically important. Seven of ten adults under correctional control in the United States are serving terms of state probation and post-confinement supervision, and roughly half of all prison admissions result from revocations of such terms. But scholars have yet to confront the effect of the Courts Apprendi rulings on the regulation of conditional release in the states. This Article takes on that project. The Article makes three contributions. First, it explains why and how the Apprendi doctrine applies to judicial findings at initial sentencing that either lengthen the term of conditional release an offender must serve or mandate incarceration instead of conditional release. State courts continue to divide on these questions. Second, regarding factfinding at the revocation stage, the Article tackles the many questions left open by the Courts only effort to consider Apprendi in the revocation context  United States v. Haymond. The Article defends two due process analyses, derived from past precedent and Justice Breyers controlling concurrence in Haymond, that are better suited than the Apprendi doctrine to protect against legislative overreach in the revocation context. Scholarship discussing Haymond has barely mentioned Justice Breyers analysis. This Article gives his controlling concurrence the attention it deserves. Combined, these due process analyses provide a sound middle ground between the rigid application of Apprendis rules to conditional release and the limitless use of revocation to punish new criminal conduct. Third, the Article applies these analyses to state statutes governing the imposition and revocation of probation and post-confinement supervision. This long-overdue state-centered focus provides needed guidance for policymakers designing conditional release policies that reserve more punitive sentences for more egregious cases.

November 2, 2022 in Procedure and Proof at Sentencing, Reentry and community supervision, Who Sentences | Permalink | Comments (0)
The visit will be made at an invitation of Party, State and National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.Accordingly, the delegation will be led by Laotian National Assembly Speaker Pany Yathotou.After visiting Vietnam, they will participate in activities marking the 55th anniversary of establishment of Vietnam- Lao diplomatic ties and the 40th anniversary of signing Friendly & Cooperative Agreement between Laos and Son La, Vietnam.

BY NGOC MINH- Translated by Huyen Huong
Representative enterprises of Saint Petersburg city also attended in the meeting.Saint Petersburg city is well-known as a leading center in teaching Vietnamese language, Vietnamese culture to international students. The first training course was opened in 1931.Thousands of Vietnamese students graduated from the same course. Currently, more than 300 Vietnamese people are studying and researching in the city.Universities of Saint Petersburg city have signed around 25 educational cooperation agreements with Vietnams universities.An institute bought name of Vietnamese President Ho Chi Minh which was located in the city.For economy and commerce relations, Vietnam and Saint Petersburg have achieved good results; in particularly, the two-way trade turnover between the two sides reached at US$ 100 million.Governor G.Poltavchenko believed that the Free Trade Agreement between Vietnam and the Eurasia Economic Union (EAEU) would increase the trade turnover between Saint Petersburg and Vietnam.The citys enterprises always pay more attentions to the cooperation ties as well as investment chances in the Southeast Asian country, especially in machinery manufacture, production of electrical equipment, development of port facilities, fresh water treatment, added the governor.He believed that the official visit of the Vietnamese president would contribute boosting relationship of economy, trade and investment between Saint Petersburg and Vietnam including Ho Chi Minh City.On behalf of Vietnamese people, President Tran Dai Quang congratulated great socio- economic achievements and development of Russia in the previous years.The leader welcomed cooperation between Saint Petersburg city with provinces and cities of Vietnam hoping that localities of Vietnam and Russian Federation would continue supporting each other as well as developing further the cooperative ties.On the same day, the Vietnamese leader visited V.I.Lenin Commemorative Site inside Smolny City Hall and historical & cultural sites as Piskaryoskoe Memorial Cemetery, Winter Palace, Ekaterina Palace, Rang Dong Battleship By 6:30 pm (following the local time), the Vietnamese President, his wife and the high- ranking delegation left Saint Petersburg city to end their official visit to Belarus and Russia.

By staff writer-Translated by Huyen Huong
125 Years Ago

Independence Day: Sioux City celebrated the nation's birthday as quietly as possible in view of the fact that dealers of pyrotechnical supplies had an usually good trade in advance of the holiday. Residents celebrated by taking steamboat excursions on the Big Sioux, having picnics and enjoying private fireworks displays.

Police news: The electric police call system is being extended to include a box that is being placed on the new lock-up recently built on the end of the pontoon bridge. ...The police station in Leeds has been removed to the lot occupied by the fire department station. Hereafter it will be connected with police headquarters by telephone.

Bath house explosion: A water heater in Frank Kelly's bath house, under the Chicago House, exploded Monday and wrecked the interior of the place. The force of the explosion also blew out the front windows. No one was injured, but the employees were kept busy dodging the flying fragments.

100 Years Ago

Dances banned: Dances on Sundays at Crystal Lake have been ordered stopped by the South Sioux City Council. Rowdyism and the presence of intoxicating liquor at the dances contributed to the order. The chief of police, mayor and council members made personal surveys the last few weeks. The final straw came last Sunday when a fist fight broke out in the dance hall.

Circus arrives: The Barnum & Bailey circus arrived in Sioux City Sunday, coming from Boone on the Northwestern on four special trains of 85 cars. More than 1,000 people visited the show grounds where performers raised $500 for hospital supplies to treat American soldiers in the European war.

Safety free: A Fourth of July without a firecracker injury was Sioux City's record on Independence Day. For the first time in many years, a hospital list of patients was not tagged with the day's fireworks programs.

50 Years Ago

In the news: Sidney Kalin, of Kalin's Heating & Air Conditioning, has been appointed chairman for the 1967 Sioux City and South Sioux City Metropolitan United Appeal effort. ... Herman LaPlante was re-elected secretary of the Sioux City Board of Education. He has been board secretary for the past four years and his salary has been increased from $9,500 to $10,500 a year.

Sunrise Manor: Officials broke ground at Sunrise Manor Retirement and Nursing Home for the first three cottages to be built on its campus, at 5501 Gordon Drive. The cottages are scheduled to be constructed by Aug. 1. They are the first of 14 cottages to be built over the new few years.

Vietnam medal: Pfc. Lee W. Townsend, 4023 Jefferson St., has received the Soldiers Medal for Heroism. While serving in Vietnam on Sept. 16 last year, he dove into the Song Ba River and saved the life of a soldier who was drowning while carrying a cable across the river. He has since been discharged and is employed at the Wincharger Corp.

25 Years Ago

New riverboat: The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission granted a license to Sioux City Riverboat Corp., which plans to dock a gambling boat on the Missouri River this fall or next spring. Ted Carlson, head of the company, said the local group plans to purchase a 600-passenger boat that is for sale in New York.

Bridge collapses: Twelve persons were injured Saturday in Lake Park, Iowa, when a foot bridge collapsed as they watched a plastic duck race. About 20 people were standing on the metal and wood bridge when the middle of the span buckled. The victims fell 10 feet into a shallow creek. Only one of those injured needed to be hospitalized at Dickinson County Memorial Hospital and was in stable condition.

Making news: Jerome Pierson, M.D., has joined Cardiovascular Associates of Sioux City. ...Paul Seaman, a native of the San Francisco Bay area, is the new general manager at Plum's Restaurant at the Mayfair mall. ...Debbie Hubbard, executive director of the Siouxland Foundation, attended the Midwest Conference on Community Foundations in Kearney, Neb.

These items were published in The Journal July 2-8, 1892, 1917, 1967 and 1992.
BERESFORD, S.D. -- One of South Dakotas most populated counties is deciding the future of wind power within its borders, and the outcome could provide direction for the future of wind generation in the entire state.

Voters in Lincoln County, which includes the south side of Sioux Falls, will vote July 18 on whether to keep the stricter setback rules for wind projects county commissioners adopted earlier this year.

Sara Bovill and her husband John Bovill make the fourth generation on his familys farm, raising corn, soybeans and cattle just north of Beresford. Theyve followed the wind issue since early on in the process.

Sara Bovill is president of the Lincoln County Farm Bureau and co-chairwoman of a new campaign, Farmers and Friends for Wind, launched last month to encourage county voters to reject the new setback restrictions. The group includes several agriculture related organizations: South Dakota Corn Growers Association, South Dakota Farmers Union and South Dakota Farm Bureau, along with Dakota Power Community Wind, the company looking to build 150 towers in Lincoln County.

Bovill hopes the company can build a few towers on their land. Revenue from the towers would help the farm when crop prices are low, as they are now. It makes sense to give up an acre of farm ground for a tower that brings in $10,000 per year, she said.

Theres no legal crop we can grow to make that much money off of one acre, she said. They could also lower their rent prices by off-setting costs with turbine payments.

Those who support stricter setbacks say the project isnt right for such a populated area.

We make our homes and our lives here, said Winnie Peterson, executive director of We-Care SD, which stands for Wind Energy Concerns About the Rural Environment. The group has pushed for larger setbacks and supports the commissions new rules that are subject to the July vote.

The group isnt against renewable energy, Peterson said, but she feels todays wind technology is not efficient enough to outweigh the costs. Some costs, she feels, are borne by the people who live near the towers. She worries the project will drive property values down and cause health problems.

The setbacks passed by the county commission are an improvement over current rules, Peterson said. Each tower would have to be built at least 1,500 feet from any home under the current ordinance. If voters approve the new rules commissioners passed, towers would need to be set back at least 2,640 feet. To build a tower closer than that, each landowner within the setback could sign a waiver.

Those campaigning against the ordinance would like fewer restrictions. South Dakota hasnt been as aggressive as neighboring states such as Iowa when it comes to recruiting wind projects, said Brian Minish, a co-chairman on the Farmers and Friends for Wind committee and board member with Dakota Power Community Wind. A vote against the Lincoln County restrictions would send a message that South Dakota is open for business when it comes to wind, he said, but new rules would stifle growth.

This ordinance is a poison pill to kill the development of wind farms in Lincoln County, Minish said.
WAYNE, Neb. | Dr. David Bohnert, chair of the department of music at Wayne State College, will be one of nine music faculty members from across the country who will participate in the CMS-NAMM Summer Fellows Program for Music Faculty in Nashville, Tennessee, on July 13.
NEW YORK  K'lyssa Moore wasn't that much older than the elementary school students she now teaches when she first fell in love with Harry Potter soon after the books first started coming out.

The 28-year-old reads at least part of the first book to her classes, and isn't at all surprised when they fall under the spell of the boy wizard, just like she did, and are endlessly curious about what happens next, just like she was. But the similarity ends there, since they have something she didn't  all seven books at their disposal.

As the 20th anniversary of the initial publishing of the first Harry Potter book is celebrated June 26, another generation is being introduced to Harry, Hogwarts and all the rest of the magical world created by author J.K. Rowling.

For some of their first-generation-fan parents and other adults often doing the introducing, there's a little bit of wistfulness that their kids won't get to experience the midnight book release parties and other hoopla that surrounded the Harry Potter publishing phenomenon. For others, though, there's the slightest bit of (cheerful) envy that their kids won't have to wait to find out what happens next.

Moore is firmly in the first camp.

"Part of it, the fun of being a fan when the books were coming out, you were living it as Harry and all the characters were living it," the Lubbock, Texas, resident said. "The wait between books was kind of like the summers they had in-between school when Harry was disconnected from the (magical) world. You do miss out on getting to make up your own theories and getting to guess what you think is going to happen because you can pick up the book and find out right away."

Chloe Galkin is pretty sure she could probably live with that. The 41-year-old from Maplewood, New Jersey, has seen her 8-year-old son Theo tear through the entire series. "I think I would have loved to have them all, just the way he does," she said. "We'll finish one, he can't wait to start the next one. I think that's almost better in a way that you can read them continuously."

The first book in the Harry Potter series was published in Britain on June 26, 1997. It's since sold more than 450 million copies globally, in 79 languages. It took 10 years for all the books to come out, with multi-year gaps between offerings.

And remember, the discussions and events and fan theories were there because people needed to find ways to pass the time, pointed out Erin Pyne, 40, of Orlando, Florida. She should know  her immersion in all things Harry Potter led her to working with Universal Studios on its massively popular Harry Potter themed park attraction.

"This Harry Potter generation," which includes her 6-year-old son, Rowan, "is so lucky, because they don't have to wait," she said. "We had to wait and wait and WAIT."

Emma Joanisse can't imagine that. The 10-year-old read the series starting with one of the numerous copies of the first book owned by her stepmother, Josee Leblanc.

"I'm glad that I didn't have to wait because I could just read them all and not have to stop," said Joanisse, of Montreal, through Leblanc's translation. She admitted the idea of midnight book release parties and other events had a certain appeal, though. "It sounded like fun, being all together," she said.

Envious or not, sharing the Harry Potter love with a new generation has been a joy and a testament to the staying power of the books, said Clayton Lord, 36, who has read the first four with his husband and their 6-year-old daughter, Cici. Prior to starting that effort last year, he hadn't re-read the first books in the series in many years.

"There are things that you read when you're younger and then you get back to them and you realize they're not all you thought they were," said Lord, of Edgewater, Maryland. When it comes to Harry Potter, even after many years, "they're very very well-crafted, the writing is really beautiful and controlled ... I think that they hold up incredibly well."
Sometimes, you get the feeling you should have read the book instead of opting for the movie. Such is the case with "The Zookeeper's Wife," an interesting but incomplete look at World War II and the Holocaust.

While it follows in many other films' footsteps, this one doesn't pull you in the way, say, "Schindler's List" or "Sophie's Choice" could.

It's a slow-moving glimpse at a family who helped Jews escape Hitler's tyranny in Poland.

There, operating a zoo, Jessica Chastain and Johan Heldenbergh decide they can spirit people out if they just use a few of their assets.

Bringing folks in through a garbage truck, they hide them in their basement, then find a way to get them to safety. It's an ingenious plan that, yes, contains its own set of dangers.

Based in truth, the drama has heartbreaking moments that don't always resonate, largely because director Niki Caro hasnt plotted this with any real sense of surprise.

When Germany invades Poland and bombs the neighborhood, the Warsaw Zoo's animals are sent into the streets suggesting the zoos days are over.

A Nazi (Daniel Bruhl) takes the superior animals to Germany but listens when the zookeeper suggests they turn the space into a pig farm. The animals can be fed with scraps from the community; the meat can be used to feed the soldiers.

Its a clever plan that enables more than 300 to survive. But its fraught with peril. Every time the mean Nazi shows up (hes also trying to create a hybrid animal on the premises), he begins showing affection for the zookeepers wife.

Its not hard to see where this is headed and, yes, there are plenty of Diary of Anne Frank moments when the plot is almost revealed.

A girl who has been abused by soldiers finds comfort in a rabbit the zookeepers wife offers; the zookeepers son becomes a beacon for decency.

And, yet, a lot of The Zookeepers Wife unfolds like so many TV movies weve seen. It doesnt accentuate whats unique to this situation. It doesnt give Chastain the moments that would give her awards attention.

Shes always good, but she could have been better. Even the part she had in The Help had more meat. This looks restrained.

Heldenbergh gets much stronger moments. Bruhl is about as nasty as cinematic Nazis get.

Because theres so much worth telling, Caro would have been better off avoiding the heightened drama and just telling the story.
All class reunions are not equal.

Some involve games, reminiscences and meals.

Others  like the gatherings in Friends from College  hint at much more. For starters, theres an affair between Ethan (Keegan-Michael Key) and Sam (Annie Parisse) that has been going on for 20 years.

Then theres the glass ceiling that his wife, Lisa (Cobie Smulders), is trying to break at a law firm thats filled with frat boys.

And, theres the economic disparity that emerges every time the gang is invited to spend time at Sams home.

In the eight-episode Netflix series, theres plenty of action but all of it isnt that interesting.

Ethans writing career, for example, isnt exactly on fire. His agent (Fred Savage) tries to push him, but publishing isnt a world for nice guys who cheat.

Toss in an actress (Jae Suh Park) and a playboy (Nat Faxon) and this comedy looks like many other attempts to find gold in a circle of friends.

Friends from College does cover a lot of ground in four hours but its not the kind of territory that youd really want to investigate. This is Friends without benefits.

Created by Nicholas Stoller and Francesca Delbanco, the new series is able to mine R-rated humor without sacrificing reality. Its thirtysomething without the life-or-death angst. But the characters arent exactly ones youd want to call besties.

Of the bunch, Key is the most watchable. Always one step away from being caught  by his wife, his friends, his colleagues  hes constantly on edge, worried that everything he achieved is going to disappear. In a big way, it could, particularly since he and Parisse dont exactly live up to their this has got to end word.

When Stoller takes the action to Lisas office, theres a real barbarians at the gate mentality (led by Ike Barinholtz, whos a super diversion).

Surprising with guest stars in every episode, he doesnt play by the book. More of Barinholtz, Kate Mc Kinnon and Savage and this could have lived up to its yearbook potential. Instead, its focused on the folks youd probably ignore at a reunion.

The husband/wife relationship between Key and Smulders needs more explanation. Why, for example, would he play with Parisse when Smulders appears to be everything he could want?

There are other questions, too. But if youre like most folks, youll duck out before the reunion ever gets started with the reminiscing.

Somehow there are issues here you dont want to discuss. Or listen to.

Friends from College begins streaming July 14 on Netflix.
BRONSON, Iowa | For Judy King, nothing beats climbing into the seat of a restored John Deere and seeing the countryside roll by at 12 to 15 miles per hour.

Well, one thing would beat it: If she could ride with her husband, Joe King.

But, alas, that isn't possible as Joe King, 74, died last December, succumbing to injuries he sustained in a fall at home.

Joe King, a regular parade participant with his John Deere 4010 Diesel, among others, will be on the minds of several people Saturday, including Judy, as the Woodbury County Farm Bureau hosts the inaugural Siouxland Ag in the Classroom Tractor Ride.

The ride, which is raising funds for the Siouxland Ag in the Classroom effort, departs the Woodbury County Fairgrounds at Moville at 9:30 a.m. and zig-zags through the county, using several gravel roads, before arriving at the Anthon Community Center for lunch.

After an auction to determine photo subjects for an Ag in the Classroom calendar effort, riders head back on a different rural route with the Four Way gas station/store being the destination. A show-and-shine at that site culminates the day's activities.

Registration fee for each tractor and driver comes to $40. Another $10 is sought for an additional rider.

The Siouxland Ag in the Classroom program has, to date, featured director Melissa Nelson, of Moville, who has spent the past couple of years visiting elementary schools across seven counties. Her aim is to provide a basic understanding of agriculture to students who might otherwise believe that milk, for example, comes from the grocery store, not a cow.

Heather Franke, an associate of Nelson's and a graduate of the University of Minnesota, was hired full-time in January to help boost the program's reach.

"Each month, between Heather and I, we are in 120 classrooms from Sioux County to Monona County, O'Brien County to Ida County," said Nelson, a Nebraska native and graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "We try to get students and teachers to make agriculture a part of their daily curriculum."

"We're hoping for 50 to 100 tractors," said Mark Nelson, Melissa's husband.

This first ride will be held in memory of Joe King, said Mark Nelson, who noted that King was a well-known John Deere enthusiast and a staple in many area summer parades and tractor rides. The John Deere 4010 Diesel, one of King's favorites, will lead the tractor ride and will be driving by King's grandson, Clayton King.

On the back will be Judy King, who took that customary position with her husband on rides they shared for more than 11 years.

"Joe had a seat made for me after I retired from Yonkers," said Judy King. "I loved those rides as Joe and I would see the countryside at 12 to 15 miles per hour. It was so relaxing."

Chris Healey, of Moville, now owns the John Deere 4010, but was glad to offer it back to the King family for this first Woodbury County Ag in the Classroom Tractor Ride.

"Joe loved John Deere tractors," Judy added. "He had five of them. We did several tractor rides in the area and Joe usually led the tractor ride that was part of the July 4 parade at Bronson."

Mark Nelson said those participating should enjoy the scenic route he and Melissa helped pick for this inaugural ride.

"We tried to pick points that offer some pretty valleys and scenic hilltops," Mark Nelson said. "There is gravel. And, we'll have a different route returning from Anthon to Moville so people can see more. We'll cover 50 to 60 miles and it'll all be different."

During the auction over lunch, tractor riders may purchase a month they'd like to have their tractor featured in the 2018 calendar. A photographer will then work with the tractor owner to have a photo shot, most likely by an Oct. 30 deadline.
CHICAGO -- Seated around a sleek conference table, 20 men jot down their hopes and fears. There are the usual hopes for a healthy, happy child, the usual fears about sleep deprivation and accidentally hurting the baby, but also these:

"I hope the baby is better than me."

"I hope to figure out how to support my wife and be as involved as my wife."

"I fear I will be crowded out by my wife and in-laws."

"I fear my kid will be a (total jerk)."

Expectant fatherhood gets real at the dads-only class at Northwestern Memorial's Prentice Women's Hospital, where pediatrician and dad Craig Garfield shares practical information and personal anecdotes, and fields questions about everything from Velcro swaddling blankets (he's on the fence) to the strange color of a newborn (yes, they can initially look a little blue).

"This is very much a new frontier," Garfield said of the class, which he has taught for six years.

"One, because we're thinking about including dads, and two, because we're thinking uniquely about the concerns these dads might have while they're transitioning into fatherhood. To me, that's what makes it an exciting class: that we can talk about why they might be more involved than their father was or their grandfather was, and what that brings up for them, and then how to be involved from the very beginning."

Dads-only newborn classes have been offered in the Chicago area since at least 1996, when an expert told the Tribune they were rare.

Today, they're fairly common, both locally and nationally.

About 400,000 dads nationwide have gone through the most popular dads-only workshop, Boot Camp for New Dads, according to founder Greg Bishop. The numbers tend to wax and wane at individual sites due to issues such as funding, he said, but in Denver, where the class is particularly popular, 25 percent of new dads now participate.

"Almost all the hospitals in Denver do it," Bishop said.

Dads-only newborn classes offer men a chance to ask their own questions and express their own concerns.

They also reflect the increasingly hands-on nature of modern fatherhood. Fathers more than doubled their time spent on child care between 1965 and 2011, according to a Pew Research on Social and Demographic Trends report, and father-focused books and blogs have become increasingly popular in the past few years.

There was no joking about dodging diaper duty at the Prentice class; men listened intently during a 2 -hour workshop with no breaks, and many took notes.

"I was really looking for things that would enhance my knowledge of both what to expect from the pregnancy from the father's perspective and some steps after that, after bringing our children home," said Eric Metelka, 32, a Chicago product manager who is expecting twins.

"The other things that I found -- whether it be in books or online -- were really, for lack of a better adjective, 'bro-y,' and I was just looking for something that was more relatable."

Garfield began the Prentice class by asking the men to sit in order of due date. The father of two, an attending physician at Lurie Children's Hospital, said he knows how hard to is to bring up new dad concerns in a class that includes pregnant women: "You're really going to speak up in (a co-ed) class about how hard things are for you -- when you know what she's going through?"

The men wrote down their hopes and fears anonymously, and talked about the ones that surprised them: fear of how hard it would be to raise your kids in a different culture, with family far away; fear of bringing up a jerk. Garfield was calm and reassuring, but he didn't sugarcoat the reality that you don't have total control over who your kid will turn out to be.

Among his tips for today's hands-on fathers: bring a pillow to the hospital with a colored or patterned pillowcase, so housekeeping won't accidentally take it away. And pack snacks, a change of clothes, and slippers or flip-flops.

"No one is (there) to take care of you," he said. "So one of the things you can do is to keep up your energy."

He went through options for chronicling the big event, including voice recording, which he said can be surprisingly powerful. In the case of photos, he told the dads, the black and white filter is your friend. It's flattering to exhausted moms and diminishes the visual impact of blood.

He also encouraged the dads to look beyond birth, telling them how to support their partners during breastfeeding: You can be the one who helps keep the mom hydrated or who brings the baby in for breastfeeding at night and changes the diapers.

"There are certain things that you are going to do that are going to be special," he said, urging dads to carve out their own niches.

At the end of the class, the men gave Garfield a round of applause.

"The part where everybody put their hopes and their fears up there, that was really interesting," expectant dad Doug Gottfried, 39, said afterward.

"And I just think the parts about taking the burden off of your wife, like when you come home, and your wife's been there all day, that part about immediately taking the baby for a walk, so that your wife can take a shower: that role that a father can do to be supportive, particularly in those first few months."

After the class, Metelka went home and talked to his wife about carving out his own baby care niche.

"Maybe I'm just the one who always cleans up the poop, and, you know, that's my role, and I'm involved, and I'm interacting with my children, and I have something to do," he said.

Metelka said the class also inspired him to talk to his dad friends about watching the birth, which he hadn't considered before.

"There are some things (my wife) has to do, but where can I fit in?" Metelka said of parenthood. "The class really helped me think about that."
BETTENDORF, Iowa | A Sioux City native will begin her new job as president of Scott Community College in August.

Lyn Brodersen Cochran, daughter of Ann Brodersen of Sioux City and the late Hans Brodersen Jr., was selected from a field of four candidates to lead the college after the retirement of current president Teresa Paper, who has been in the position since 2012.

Assuming the presidency of Scott Community College, Brodersen Cochran said, "is a very exciting opportunity for me."

"Eastern Iowa Community College district has a very, very talented team of faculty and staff and students, and the Quad Cities are really a vibrant, exciting community," she continued.

On July 12, Brodersen Cochran will attend a "chancellor's cabinet retreat," a grouping of presidents from Scott Community College, Muscatine Community College, and Clinton Community College, as well as other college administrators.

"That will be my first opportunity, really, to sit down with the leadership team and talk about the college's strategic plan and vision and exactly where Scott will fit into that plan under my leadership," she said.

Brodersen Cochran is currently an administrator at Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, and a lecturer at Drake University and Iowa State University.

Previously, she worked as vice president for academic and student affairs at North Iowa Community College in Mason City, Iowa; dean of the College of Arts, Letters and Sciences at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minnesota; campus executive officer and dean at the University of Wisconsin-Richland; dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Central Lakes College in Brainerd, Minnesota; and assistant dean for communications and industrial technology at Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, Nebraska.
PRIMGHAR, Iowa | An estimated 200 people attended a burial some 73 years in the making on Saturday as the graveside service for U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Byron Nelson played out under brilliant blue skies at Pleasant Hill Cemetery one mile northwest of Nelson's hometown, Primghar.

It was something that a crowd that size -- nearly one-fifth the population of the O'Brien County seat -- came to pay respects to an nose gunner shot down by German fighters over Italy on April 25, 1944.

Nelson was 28 at the time; a son, a husband, and father to a 2-year-old girl.

He was first buried by local residents in a cemetery near Fognano, Italy. His remains, which were unable to be positively identified, were re-interred as "Unknown X-190" on May 26, 1949 in the Florence American Cemetery in Florence, Italy.

New historical investigations and advances in DNA technology led officials with the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency to disinter the remains again in August 2015. DNA analysis and circumstantial evidence were used to identify Nelson's remains late last year.

Grandson Ron Reifenstahl, of Seattle, Washington, answered an email request a couple of years ago that ultimately led to his submitting of saliva and a blood sample in the DNA investigation, proving that the remains where those of his late grandfather, a man he's not sure his late mother ever remembered.

"I only wish my mom, Judy (Nelson) Reifenstahl, and my grandmother, Thelma Lewis, could have been here," he said, noting that both women have since died.

Reifenstahl, whose DNA samples were used along with those provided by Nelson's great nephew, Travis Mullen, of Toledo, Iowa, said he believed it was best for his grandfather's remains to be laid to rest in the cemetery near Primghar.

"This is where my grandfather's family was from," said Reifenstahl, himself a U.S. Army veteran.

Byron Nelson was buried on Saturday at the foot of the grave of his parents, Charles and Mabel (Faulkner) Nelson.

Nelson, who served with the 721st Bomber Squadron, 450th Bomber Group, 15th Air Force, U.S. Army Air Corps, was last seen on April 25, 1944 as his unit conducted a bombing mission over Varese, Italy. His B-24G "Liberator" was one of two that became separated from the formation while flying through dense clouds. German fighter aircraft shot it down, but not before eight crewmembers parachuted from the aircraft. Six evaded capture and returned to friendly lines, while two were taken prisoner by German forces.

Nelson and Sgt. John E. White were officially declared deceased, but their remains were never recovered until the American Graves Registration Service investigated and disinterred the remains from the cemetery in Italy.

Family members expressed their gratitude to the people of Italy for burying Byron Nelson in the first place. They went on to thank researchers and military personnel who remain vigilant in seeing that every soldier, airman, sailor and Marine has the chance to come home.

"The U.S. will not rest until every soldier who serves is accounted for," said U.S. Army Reserve Brigadier General Greg Mosser, who presented Nelson's folded U.S. flag to Reifenstahl. "It is an honor to bring Staff Sgt. Nelson home after 73 years."

"This was a tremendous honor," said Chaplain Cory Van Sloten, a captain in the Iowa Army National Guard. "I've been with the Iowa Army National Guard for 24 years and this is a first. With the advancements (in science and technology), these things will continue to happen and we'll get more and more of these men home."
In June of 2015, Sioux City Journal editorial page editor Mike Gors invited me to join the stellar cast of The Regulars. By my count, Ive written 26 columns during that time. As I begin my third full year I must confess, it has finally hit. I have writers block. A severe case.

Lets break this down. Mike wants me to produce 750 words every six weeks. That should be a piece of cake. But suffice it to say, todays effort will not be part of The Regulars Hall of Fame. If Sioux City Journal Editor Bruce Miller paid me, I would tell him to hold the check. Given my financial agreement with the ink-stained wretches on Pavonia Street, that is a moot point. I should be sending Mike and Bruce a check for $5 today. As those teen ruffians like to say  my bad.

So, with your indulgence, heres a little about a lot.

- Today is July 2. Our country celebrates its 241st birthday Tuesday. This holiday gives us an opportunity to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

Two weeks ago, I had a great phone call with 93-year old Bill Merrill of North Sioux City. Many readers will remember Bill. Hes the former mayor of North Sioux and, more important, Bill is a WWII veteran. Over a year ago I wrote about my dad, a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge. Within days, I heard from Mike Furlich in South Sioux City. Mr. Furlich had also read the column and told me he had also been in the Battle of the Bulge and had, in fact, been a member of the same division in which my dad fought.

Now comes Bill Merrill. While Bill was in a different division than my dad, he was very familiar with the Seventh Armored Division under General Mark Clark. Its folks like Bill Merrill who make holidays like this even more important. To Michael Furlich, Bill Merrill, my dad Guy, my brother Butch, my brother-in-law Bob and veterans everywhere, I say "thank you" and "God bless you" for your service to our nation.

Personal note to Bill Merrill: I want to meet you and personally thank you for your sacrifice. Ill make sure this happens before the end of the summer. Its not often you have the privilege of visiting with a veteran of WWII.

- More about the Fourth of July. Im not enamored with the decision of the Iowa Legislature to legalize fireworks in the state. Families who can least afford it blow wads of money on the pyrotechnics. If you want to see a great holiday show, buy a ticket to the Sioux City Explorer games on July 3 or July 4. Its the best fireworks show in town and its done by a professional. If you cant resist the temptation of making your neighborhood smell like Dodge City on a Saturday night, please clean up your mess. Shrapnel is not biodegradable.

- Switching gears, lets talk about the construction on I-29. Now that Im retired Im not forced to drive into town every weekday, and thats a good thing. That stretch of I-29 north from the railroad bridge to Hamilton is like a bobsled chute without the ice. Very dangerous. Also, is there a good reason to slow traffic down to 50 mph so soon? Great place for a speed camera. (Dont tell the state.)

- Sioux City has a City Council election coming up at the end of this year. Dan Moore, Pete Groetken and Alex Watters are the three incumbents and it will be interesting to see if any or all of them choose to give it another go. Having been in that seat 25 years ago I will say I like this council. I think the council was particularly on target when they chose Watters to fill the unexpired term of Keith Radig. Alex is a smart guy and hes young. Time for more millennials to step up in those critical roles.

- Speaking of the city, congratulations to Betsy Thompson on her retirement as director of the Sioux City Public Library. Betsy has worked for the library for 35 years and has served as its director the past 22 years. As a former mayor and member of the City Council, I always appreciated Betsys role in leading the library during some challenging times. Betsy is the epitome of a great public employee. Excellent job, Betsy.

- Finally, be safe this holiday. Happy birthday, America.

Next week: Steve Warnstadt

Jim Wharton, of Sioux City, is a former member of the Sioux City Council and a former mayor of Sioux City. He and his wife, Beverly, have one daughter, Dr. Laura Giese, and three grandchildren.
When the new U.S. ambassador to China, Terry Branstad, welcomed Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to Beijing on Friday, he did so with prime rib - from America's heartland.

The scene must have been a welcome sight for the sore eyes of ranchers and farmers who have been shut off from the large, growing Chinese demand for beef since 2003 when China banned American beef over concern about bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease.

Credit the administration of President Donald Trump for closing what is a big deal in states like Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. All three states rank among the top 10 states for beef production.

Chinese markets reopened to U.S. beef on June 12. On June 14, Greater Omaha Packing Company made the first shipment of U.S. beef - 40 boxes of ribeyes, tenderloins and New York strip steaks - to China since the ban was lifted. On Friday, Perdue traveled to China where he joined Branstad and Chinese leaders for a celebration to mark return of American beef products.

In 2016, China ranked third for beef consumption, behind the United States and the European Union. The Chinese account for more than 13 percent of the beef consumed in the world. Since 2012 alone, annual China beef imports have grown from $275 million to more than $2 billion.

"It's a very big market; it's at least a $2.5 billion market that's being opened up for U.S. beef," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said on May 11 when he announced the resumption of beef exports as part of a larger U.S.-China trade deal.

Seizing the moment for continued momentum, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will lead a trade mission to China this month. The trip, planned for July 19 to 28, will focus on expansion of the market in China for Iowa agriculture products, including beef. Making the trip with Reynolds will be individuals from commodity organizations representing the state's corn, soybean, pork, beef, egg, poultry, dairy, and turkey industries, marking the first time all of those organizations will participate in one joint Iowa trade mission.

At the time of the 2003 ban, the U.S. was the largest supplier of China's beef imports. With Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota among the leaders and biggest beneficiaries, we look forward to what we are confident will be a robust American re-entry into this lucrative market.
It's 9:25 p.m. on Tuesday, June 27, and I have three foster children -- ages 2, 8 and 11 -- who are trying to go to sleep as "neighbors" down the street are setting off loud fireworks. This has been going on for the past five days.

The legalization of personal fireworks "displays" over a period of more than a week is asinine. The boom of fireworks between 9 and 10 p.m. is more than annoying -- it is noise (and air) pollution. One night is doable; but a whole week of the loud "gunshots" is unacceptable.

I became a U.S. citizen in the early 1990s and appreciate any opportunity I have to celebrate. In this case, however, the impending July 4 "celebration" is nothing more than intense frustration on the part of state and local government officials who approved this new law/ordinance. - Jackie Foster, Sioux City
Police Officer Takes A Ten Year Look At Rape Violence In Oslo

What we know is that a young woman aged 20 walked from there to here, well dressed, getting captured on CCTV. She is going to the direction Bopell. Its about 4:00 am. There comes a man we can see on CCTV.

The man catches her running and tries to make contact with her. She Refuses. The man throws the woman over here and begins to strangle her saying that she has to have sex with him or else she will die.

The police of Oslo have gone through all reported rapes where the victim did not know the rapist. It has given a clear perception about who is behind these kind of rapes.

The rapists are young men from other countries, often asylum seekers. They come often from traumatized countries or countries with a different view on women than here in Norway.

Its both traumatized men and culture related incidents.

Its like that.

What do you mean with that?

We see their view on women is that they may control other people, especially women.

Has it sometimes happened that our ethnic Norwegians have committed such rapes?

No, there has not been any such cases at us the violence and sex department of Oslo.

She went on to say

Use of aggravate violence was typical for the rapes.

We have example of violence that is so grave that when the victim describes it later, says that there and then, she was just fearing for her life.

can you describe the violence?

It can be anything from threats and knives to strangling and hitting with different objects.

VIDEO: Police Say All Outdoor Rapes In Oslo Are Committed By Muslims Immigrants





Grnland, a district in the city of Oslo that is said to have apocalyptic level of culturally-enriched violence. It is only two subway stops from the Parliament, one stop from the Central Station, and fairly close to the government offices that were bombed by Breivik.No Norwegian has committed a rape in Grnland where the victim and the rapist did not know each other before hand.The Grnland district of Oslo looks like Karachi, Basra, and Mogadishu all rolled into one. People sell drugs openly next to the Grnland subway station, violence is epidemic, and the police have largely given up. Its not Norway or Europe anymore, except when there is welfare money to be collected.The police have largely given up. Five years ago Aftenposten a pro-Islamic leaning publication that is the largest newspaper in the Oslo, stated that there are sharia patrols in this area, and gay couples are assaulted and chased away. Immigrant Fatima Tetouani says that Grnland is more Muslim than Morocco.The women are being raped at night in Oslo, and the men are robbed more than ever.Sturla Nstvik (36) did not suspect any danger when the barrel of a pistol was smashed into his forehead. That was the beginning of fifty minutes of hell as a hostage of the robbers.In just the past ten years more than 4,000 people have been robbed in the town center and the area of the Grnland police station [an immigrant ghetto]. Most of them are young men. Sturla Nstvik was robbery-victim 351 from Grnland just from this year, the same period in which around fifty assault-rapes have been reported in Oslo. The robbers play on fear, violenceWe are on a street in eastern Oslo. One of the top leaders of the police district tells about what happened here New Years Eve 2006, ten years ago, when a woman was subjected to aggravated sexual assault. The police officer Explains:
Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.




Rip This Joint attacked the leader, Deseronto, first-over, then overtook him in deep stretch to capture Saturdays feature, a $13,000 conditioned pace, at The Meadows.

Even with his strong uncovered bid from third, Rip This Joint trailed by two and a half lengths at the top of the stretch. The four-year-old Western Terror-Cheryl Hanover gelding responded to Mike Wilders urging and downed Deseronto by half a length, with Royaltyhasarrived third. The time of the mile was 1:51.2.

Mike Palone trains Rip This Joint, who extended his career bankroll to $148,546, for Lone Wolf Stable.

Jim Pantaleano collected three wins on the 12-race card.

(With files from The Meadows)
Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse said Sunday that he is troubled by President Donald Trump's latest attacks on the news media because he is concerned about the danger of "weaponizing distrust," which can harm the freedoms that define a democracy.

"There's an important distinction to draw between bad stories or crappy coverage and the right that citizens have to argue about that and complain about that and trying to weaponize distrust," Sasse said in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union." "The First Amendment is the beating heart of the American experiment, and you don't get to separate the freedoms that are in there."

The Republican freshman senator's remarks come after Trump spent the past week relentlessly attacking the news media  including CNN, MSNBC, CBS and The Washington Post  in a barrage of tweets and at event honoring veterans Saturday night at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

"The fake media is trying to silence us, but we will not let them," Trump said, without offering any evidence that journalists -- who cover every public remark made by the President -- have attempted to silence him.

"The fake media tried to stop us from going to the White House," Trump said. "But I'm President and they're not."

Sasse added that while "(t)here are a whole bunch of particular journalists who should be called out for particular stories that aren't good enough," it is "not helpful to call the press the enemy of the American people"  a direct reference to language used by the President to describe journalists.

Trump has referred to the media as "the enemy of the people" several times since taking office, telling the annual Conservative Political Action Conference last winter, "A few days ago I called the fake news the enemy of the people, and they are  they are the enemy of the people."

Trump used the same language in February, tweeting, "The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!"

Sasse said that while he agrees with Trump "that there's a lot of crappy journalism out there," if Americans are not open to hearing differing views, it's "going to be possible for people to surround themselves only with echo chambers and silos of people that already believe, only believe what they believe."

"We differ about really big and important things in this country and then we come together around the First Amendment, which is an affirmation of the fact that people are free before government," he added. "I mean, this is the Fourth of July weekend. The Declaration of Independence is pretty dang clear about this  that we think government is just our shared tool to secure those rights."
A pair of second-tier starters decided the issue Sunday (July 2) afternoon, with Hemi Seelster (Jason Bartlett, $6.20) edging Rubber Duck (Joe Bongiorno) in en route to winning Yonkers Raceways $68,000 Open Handicap Trot.

Hemi Seelster, as the wagering choice, employed the same out-every-step tactic that Rubber Duck used a couple of weeks ago. From post position 10, he floated out seventh while Springbank Sam N (Jordan Stratton) and DWs NY Yank (George Brennan) took turns leading the dozen.

The latter rated it cheaply (:28, :58, 1:28, 1:57) while Hemi Seelster methodically moved up outside. DWs NY Yank owned a half-length lead into the lane, but was about to give way. Hemi Seelster went by, holding off Rubber Duckwho gapped a bit down the backsideby a head in 2:25.4 for the mile-and-a-quarter distance.



Hemi Seelster (#10, orange saddle pad) staves off a late charge from Rubber Duck (#12) in Sunday's $68,000 Open Handicap Trot at Yonkers Hemi Seelster (#10, orange saddle pad) staves off a late charge from Rubber Duck (#12) in Sunday's $68,000 Open Handicap Trot at Yonkers

The smaller envelopes went to DWs NY Yank, Springbank Sam N and Buen Camino (Trond Smedshammer).

For Hemi Seelster, a five-year-old Holiday Road gelding trained by Rich Banca and co-owned by Howard Taylor and Abraham Basen, it was his fifth win in 16 seasonal starts. The exacta paid $66.50, the triple returned $404.50, and the superfecta paid $4,957.

The latest installment of the New York, New York Double offered a winning combination of Splash of Sass (Belmonts third race) and Brandos Muscle Man (Yonkers seventh race). The 7-5 combination returned $13.20 for every correct $1 wager; the total pool was $3,681.

A reminder that live racing returns Friday night (July 7); post time is 7:10 p.m.

(Yonkers Raceway)
Trot Insider has learned that Hippodrome 3R has a new general manager.

Murielle Thomassin, a familiar name and face to harness racing industry participants more for her work off the track, has accepted the role.

After an initial meeting with 3R principles in early June, Thomassin explained that the track was looking for someone new, fresh and young yet familiar with and to the industry. And according to Claude Levesque, President of the Quebec Jockey Club, Thomassin fit the bill.

"She knows the industry, she knows the people, she knows the horses and that was the profile we were looking for," said Claude Levesque, President of the Quebec Jockey Club. "For us, the Board members, we need to focus more on the OTBs and government relations...She's been with us for a week and we're really happy with what we've seen so far."

A native of Quebec, Thomassin worked in Quebec for trainers Serge Turenne and Mario Lachance and then in Ontario with Rick Zeron's stable before moving into an office role with Standardbred Canada's Member Services Department.

Thomassin moved on from SC to a position with AgriCorp, a Crown agency that deals with farming insurance and then to ACC (Agricultural Credit Corporation), an agricultural loan agency. Her first week has been full of long days but Thomassin welcomes the challenge.

"I'm very happy," Thomassin told Trot Insider. "It's not easy, but I love it. I think I'm going to be a good fit."
July 3, 1963, is a day that will forever go down in New Zealands history as the day one of the worst plane crashes happened.

The National Airways Dakota DC-3 (ZK-AYZ) left from Whenuapai Airport, Auckland, bound for Wellington via Tauranga, Gisborne and Napier around 8.15am.

Shortly after 9am, the pilot made contact with the Tauranga aircraft control tower, his ETA was 9.08am. By 9.16am the plane had not arrived.

All on board on July 3, 1963 - 54 years ago  died when Flight 441 slammed into a rock wall in the Kaimai Range.

Bad weather and rough terrain meant it was almost 48 hours before the plane was found.

The wreckage of flight 441. Photo: Matamata Historical Society.

The impact and fire was so bad that a pathologist was needed to identify the charred, blackened remains of the 20 passengers and three crew.

An investigation into the crash found that while weather in Auckland and Tauranga that day was not too bad, there was an easterly gusting to 150kmh between the two.

In zero-visibility, with dodgy radio compasses, the pilots were effectively flying blind.

Read more here.
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Seeks to grant Exemption to imports from Bhutan and Nepal from Basic Customs Duty

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF FINANCE

(DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE)

Notification No. 40/2017Customs

New Delhi, the 30th June, 2017

G.S.R. (E)  In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 25 of the Customs Act, 1962 (52 of 1962), the Central Government, on being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, hereby exempts goods of the description specified in column (2) of the Table below and falling within the First Schedule of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975 (51 of 1975), when imported into India, from the whole of the duty of customs leviable thereon which is specified in the said First Schedule.

TABLE

Sl.No. Description of Goods (1) (2) 1. Goods of Bhutanese or Indian origin imported from Bhutan into India. 2. Semi-tanned cow hides, low gran image paper, kapok and handloom products, when imported into India from Bangladesh. 3. Goat skin, sheep skin horses, goats, sheep, wool, butter, common salt, raw silk, yak tail, yak hair, china clay, borax, szaibelyite, goat cashmere, Readymade Garments, Shoes, quilt or blankets, Carpets and Local Herbal Medicines when imported into India from China through Gunji in Pithoragarh district of Uttaranchal along the Gunji Pulan (Tibet) land route or through village Namgaya Shipkila in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh along the Namgaya-Shipkila-Shipki Jui Jiub a land route or through Sherathang land route between Sherathang in the East Sikkim district of Sikkim in India and Renqinggang in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China through Nathula Pass.

2. This notification shall come into force with effect from the 1st day of July, 2017.

[F.No.354/119/2017-TRU]

(Gunjan Kumar Verma)

Under Secretary to the Government of India
News flash: the fire department will not send a truck to your house to fill up your swimming pool.

Thats the message Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue posted to its Facebook page Friday afternoon in response to receiving lots of calls over the past week requesting pool fill-ups.

The department outlined a number of reasons why it cannot fill pools:

For starters, it would take a unit out of service  leaving citizens vulnerable if there was an actual fire.

The department cant give away a public utility such as water for free. It also wouldnt be able to justify the wear and tear on its vehicles.

Water from fire trucks is not potable or suitable for swimming. The department does not clean the inside of its tanks  ever.

As a government agency, the department cannot take away work from private enterprises. There are companies who do this commercially, the department noted in its post.

The post concluded by asking Facebook users to comment with recommendations for other people looking to take advantage of the warm summer weather.

One Facebook user responded by posting: Why dont you suck your water out of the river...fire doesnt care what kind of water you use.

Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue replied that drafting from rivers, ponds, and lakes could draw sediment and debris into its pumps.

Very expensive pump, the department wrote. Very expensive pumps that dont like debris or sediment.

Another Facebook user thanked the department for explaining why it cant fill up pools.

Great reasons why they are not able to fill up pools, she wrote. Appreciate the explanation even though you didnt have to.

As of 5:04 p.m. on Saturday evening, the post had received 84 likes and been shared 31 times.
It was something out of Bill Shermans worst nightmare: Water everywhere, and rising.

It came right through my front yard and down through my driveway, the Rose Valley resident said. I had waist-deep water in my driveway. I tried to salvage my vehicles, but that didnt work, and I guess I went back in for my dog. Me and the dog got out, barely. I guess Im a survivor, even at 75.

Floodwaters from an overflowing creek destroyed all three of Shermans vehicles. When the water receded, it left a coat of silt on his driveway, in his deck and inside his now-waterlogged Rose Valley home.

He and a handful of the other victims of the December 2015 flood are still living the nightmare due to a paperwork filing error. A year and a half after the federal disaster they still have not received any disaster assistance, and the earliest theyll get help is two years from now.

To be candid, it is possibly the most frustrating bureaucratic process that Ive ever had to work with, Cowlitz County Building and Planning Director Elaine Placido said last week. I feel so bad for the people that were impacted. Theres almost no excuse. When I hear on the radio that FEMA is coming in (to help with another disaster), I find that hard to swallow. Its not helpful.

The flood caused an estimated $9 million in damage in Cowlitz County, according to county emergency officials in 2016, leading then President Barack Obama to declare an emergency here and in several other Western Washington counties. The declaration opened up the possibility of federal loans and other assistance. No current numbers in terms of damage were available from county employees.

Placido said that currently, six households have given their information to Building and Planning to obtain grants from Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, seeking to raise foundations or outright buyouts. This is separate from the disaster loan program run by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the most common form of flood assistance to private individuals. According to Kevin Wynne, a spokesman for SBAs Office of Disaster Assistance, the agency approved 15 different Cowlitz County home loans at a total of $831,300 for the December 2015 flood.

But Sherman, as well as those five other households, still are waiting answers from FEMA, and the long wait is a result of FEMAs long, complicated process.

Theyre awaiting word on so-called pre-disaster mitigation grants, which are meant to prevent future flood damage through buyouts or raising living spaces above the flood plain, according to Placido and Building and Planning Operations Manager Molly Gonzales.

The process begins with Building and Planning sending out a group email to anyone who reported damage to their home, asking them to fill out requests for funding, according to Placido.

Then, those requests are sent to the states Emergency Management Division, which approves the applications and sends them right back to the county. After that, the county turns the requests into more formal applications and sends them back to the state. Finally, the state adds final touches to the formal applications and sends them to FEMA. The whole process typically takes two years, according to Placido.

But Placido and Gonzales said the state gave them an erroneous internet link and the requests were accidentally sent directly to FEMA. So they never heard a word back from the state or FEMA, and had to start the process all over in May.

I think we felt a lot of frustration that (the flood victims) are feeling, with not being able to get the answers from the state and not getting calls back when were trying to get information, Placido said.

You feel bad, because your hands are tied, Gonzales added.

However, David Spicer, the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Coordinator for the state, said the blame for the failed first attempt at receiving grants falls on Cowlitz County, not the the state, although he said he understands why county officials made mistakes.

It would be very easy to misunderstand the applications or the process, Spicer said. I looked at the application they submitted. It looked good.

Spicer also said the countys Building and Planning employees probably were inexperienced with applying for FEMA grants, which both Placido and Gonzales admitted they had not done before, at least with a disaster of that size.

There are lot of rules that FEMA sets with strict deadlines, for strict reasons, Spicer said. If you havent done this before and are not paying attention, you can miss things.

Peter Sessum, FEMA spokesman in the regional office in Bothell, Wash., said he had never seen any paperwork from Cowlitz County for this flooding.

Meanwhile, affected Cowlitz County citizens such as Sherman are stuck playing the waiting game.

Sherman, 75, said since the flood rendered his house unlivable, hes stayed in his sons 5th-wheeler in Winlock. The home hed owned for 45 years will likely have to be destroyed, since Sherman believes raising the foundation would cost him more than $100,000. He said he hopes FEMA will buy out the property.

Sherman said hed experienced one other flood that affected his home 25 years ago, but it was on a much smaller scale.

The floors of the home, particularly the kitchen and outdoor deck, still are coated with dried mud. The walls are a sickly off-white, nearly yellow, from water stains and neglect, and the couches are mildewed. Half of the homes furnishings have been moved out, and the rest are covered in dust and cobwebs.

The home has partially sunk into the ground, resulting in slanted ceilings. Its already so bogged down that Sherman cant use the front door: The screen door is partly below the deck, making it impossible to open the door more than a tiny crack.

Sherman said it didnt help that after the flood, he discovered that his homeowners insurance policy did not cover floods.

I called my homeowners (insurance), and as I said flood, (they said), You dont have flood insurance,  Sherman said. Its like youre out on a limb and its sawed off.

Under FEMA regulations, he cant make repairs to his damaged home, leaving Sherman and his half-abandoned home to slowly decay.

Right now, Im kind of in limbo, he said. I dont know whats going to happen, and I dont know where Im going.

According to Gary Urbas, the public assistance program manager for the states Emergency Management Division, FEMA has already completed various repair projects for public properties such as roads, the police department building in Kalama, and the Castle Rock riverfront.

Placido said FEMA did pay to raise a few homes in the Merritt Drive area near the base of Beacon Hill.

Placido and Gonzales said theyve already entered a new round of funding, and communication with the state has improved. Theyre asking for $430,000 in total grants for six applicants. As of now, theyre waiting for the state to approve their informal request.

The Daily News reached out to all the applicants, but only Sherman was willing to speak.

No matter how much smoother the process is the second time around, Placido said the funding might not arrive until June 2019  more than three and a half years after the flood.

Although theres little the county can do while it awaits EMDs response, Building and Planning employees have been trying to help flood victims in any other way, according to Placido and Gonzales.

Were doing everything we can, Gonzales said. For all the flood victims, (Placido) waived all the permit fees and everything for their repairs and stuff, so we really try to reach out and assist them.

Still, for two more years at the earliest, flood victims like Sherman will stay displaced. And after 18 months of waiting, 2019 feels like an eternity away.

Id like to have this settled, but I dont know if its ever going to happen, Sherman said. Its a good thing Im patient, but I dont know how far patience goes.
Cowlitz County judges are criticizing the Cowlitz-Wahkiakum Bar Association for excluding them from a poll ranking candidates for a fifth Superior Court Judge.

We are certainly part of the legal community here. The purpose of the poll is to gauge the sentiments of people who work with and are most familiar with the applicants for the position, so youre excluding a group of people who are very aware of how lawyers in the courtroom perform, Superior Court Judge Stephen Warning said.

The Cowlitz County commissioners agreed to hire a fifth judge in December, hoping to clear a backlog of civil and criminal cases. The state approved the money for a fifth judge more than a decade ago, but the county never found the funds or space to accommodate one. The county pays half the judges salary, with the state paying the other half.

Gov. Jay Inslees office has said hell likely appoint a fifth judge sometime this fall.

The local bar association has traditionally conducted a poll in an attempt to influence appointments and elections for judicial seats. This is the second time judges have been excluded from a Cowlitz-Wahkiakum bar poll. The first time involved the poll taken in 2016 when incumbent Superior Court Judge Gary Bashor faced an election challenge from Josh Baldwin late last year.

But local judges have historically been included in the bar polls as honorary members, even though only dues-paying members are eligible to participate under the groups bylaws. Judges are not dues-paying members, and its not clear why that rule wasnt enforced in the past.

The board of the bar proposed an amendment at its May 11 meeting that would have allowed honorary members to participate in polls, but the amendment failed, said Meredith Long, president of the bar association. Only about 15 members were present. Those who were there didnt discuss their reasons for the vote, Long said, noting that the presence of some of the judges at the meeting may have kept them from discussing the issue freely.

The bar poll was sent out to the roughly 80 eligible members by ballot about two weeks ago. The results of the poll were determined Friday evening, Long said. Those results, which determined how many votes each candidate got, were then forwarded to Gov. Inslee. Long doesnt expect the new justice to be hearing cases until December at the earliest.

The anonymous poll asked members to choose the person they think is the best candidate. There are seven candidates for the position: Chelsea Baldwin, Anne Cruser, John Hays, M. Jamie Imboden, David Nelson, Thad Scudder and Heidi Thompson.

Several of the judges said they would have liked to have been included in the poll, noting that whoever fills the seat will become their new colleague. Ten judicial officials were excluded from participating, including all four Superior Court judges.

Superior Court Judge Michael Evans said he was taken aback by the bar associations decision to exclude the judges.

It provides a unique perspective that I dont think any other person in this community has, and its important that voice is heard and considered. When they closed that door and opportunity ... I was frankly surprised, Evans said. When it comes down to hard numbers its not a huge impact. But is it more symbolically meaningful? I think so.

Evans said judges see a vast array of attorneys and how they deal with the pressures of the courtroom, clients and tense situations, which can be telling of their character and how they may react on the bench.

Superior Court Judge Gary Bashor echoed Evans sentiments, and said judges add to the credibility of the poll by increasing the sample size.

Superior Court Judge Marilyn Haan said that although the judges account for a small portion of the bar association, it would have been nice to have been included, especially since they will be working with whomever is appointed.

Ultimately, I dont know if it will affect the poll, Haan said. We would just be another tally.  Its all one big tally, but it would have been nice to be part of the big tally.
tech2 News Staff

The major automotive manufacturers in India have decreased the prices on their models post the launch of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) which came into effect on 1 July. The move comes after the taxes rates on the vehicles post the launch of GST in which automakers such as Maruti Suzuki, BMW, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Jaguar Land Rover announced price cuts on select models.

Maruti Suzuki, one of the largest car manufacturers in India decreased the price on most of its wheelers models on 1 July. Maruti Suzuki slashed the prices up to 3 percent on various models. Maruti's popular small car, the Alto also saw a price cut by the company. Other models such as WagonR, Swift, Baleno, Dzire, Ertiga (petrol), Ciaz (petrol), SUV Vitara Brezza, S-Cross prices were slashed by the company. The price of Alto has been decreased by Rs 2,300 to 5,400. The prices of WagonR, Swift, Baleno, Dzire were decreased by Rs 5,300 to Rs 8,300, Rs 6,700 to Rs 10,700, Rs 6,600 to Rs 13,100 and Rs 8,100 to Rs 15,100 respectively.

The Maruti Ertiga petrol saw a price cut of Rs 21,800 while the Ciaz petrol saw prices drop by Rs 23,400. Maruti's SUV, the Vitara Brezza too saw its price drop by Rs 10,400 and Rs 14,700. The adventurous S-cross crossover too saw its price dropping between Rs 17,700 to Rs 21,300.

BMW also cut prices on its various models such as BMW X1 and its 7 Series sedan. Base end version prices were cut by Rs 70,000 and top end sedans saw price cut up to Rs 1.8 lakh. The price of company's expensive hybrid, the BMW i8 is expected to witness an increase of Rs 4.8 lakh bring its price tag to Rs 2.28 crore.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor too cut prices on various models. Toyota's Fortuner is expected to be cheaper by up to 2.17 lakh, while the Innova Crysta and Corolla Altis are expected to come down by Rs 98,500 and Rs 92,500 respectively.

Oddly, Toyota increased the price tags of its hybrid variants similar to BMW. Its Camry and Prius models are expected to see a bump in prices by Rs 3.5 lakh and Rs 5.24 lakh in Bengaluru and Delhi respectively. The company also decreased the prices of Platinum Etios and Etios Liva by Rs 24,500 and Rs 10,500.

Luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover India slashed the prices of its various models by up to 7 percent. The price of Jaguar XE and XF has been cut by Rs 2.61 lakh. The Jaguar XJ and Discover Sport's prices were slashed by Rs 5 lakh and Rs 4 lakh respectively.

Mercedes-Benz and Audi had also announced to cut the prices after the GST. The company in a press release pointed out that these would only apply to its 'Made in India' portfolio of vehicles. "The price reduction of the entire Made in India portfolio ranges from 2 percent to 9 percent depending on the tax structure and local body taxes of the state." The weighted average of this is a price reduction of 4% on transaction prices of customers.
tech2 News Staff

The Competition Commission of India(CCI) has decided to put a stop on its probe regarding allegations made by Reliance Jio against cartelisation of Airtel, Vodafone, and Idea Cellular until 28 July, states a report in The Economic Times.

The date of hearing has been shifted to 28 July where Idea Cellular had challenged CCI's decision to probe into the allegations made by Reliance Jio against the three telecom giants, at the Bombay High Court. According to a report in The Economic Times, Idea Cellular demanded a stay on the grounds that there was already the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and a tribunal which looks into these issues.

According to the Press Trust of India, in early May, the CCI had ordered a detailed probe into the allegation made by the Reliance Jio, regarding the formation of a cartel amongst Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular, and the Cellular Operator's Association of India (COAI), which was causing hindrance to the entry of Reliance Jio in the market. As per the order, Idea Cellular has asked for making amendments to its petition. Meanwhile, two weeks time has been granted to the respondents which include, Vodafone, Airtel, and Idea Cellular.

On June 22, the CCI had ordered a detailed investigation into the matter. Last year, Reliance Jio, had filed a complaint of anti-competitive practices against the industry body, COAI, and Airtel, Vodafone, Idea Cellular.

Disclaimer: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd.
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Japan has revealed ambitious plans to put an astronaut on the Moon around 2030 in new proposals from the country's space agency. This is the first time the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has said it aims to send an astronaut beyond the International Space Station, an agency spokeswoman told AFP on Friday. The idea is to first join a NASA-led mission in 2025 to build a space station in the moon's orbit, as part of a longer-term effort by NASA to reach Mars.

Tokyo hopes that contributing to the multinational mission and sharing Japanese technology will land it a coveted spot at the station, from which it could eventually send an astronaut to the Moon, the spokeswoman said. The plan was presented at an education ministry panel this week, with a more formal blueprint expected next year, according to public broadcaster NHK.

The announcement comes as China and India develop their space programmes. In November, China's Shenzhou-11 spacecraft returned to Earth, bringing home two astronauts from the rising power's longest-ever orbital mission. Beijing has also unveiled illustrations of a Mars probe and rover it aims to send to the Red Planet at the end of the decade.

NASA and other global space agencies are working hard on sending astronauts to Mars by the 2030s. In March, the US Congress passed a bill, signed by President Donald Trump, directing NASA to send a manned mission to Mars in 2033.

AFP
tech2 News Staff

Motorola's Moto Z2 has been spotted on GFXBench, suggesting that its launch might be announced very soon. The company launched the Moto Z2 Play earlier this month, as well as its budget-oriented Moto C and Moto C Plus.

This is, however, not the first time the Motorola device has been spotted on a benchmarking site. The Moto Z2 was spotted recently on Antutu as well after it was reported to be seen on Geekbench, back in January.

The specifications listed on GFXBench suggest that the Moto Z2 will come with a 5.5-inch QHD (25601440) display and Qualcomm's top of the line Snapdragon 835. This does not come as a surprise as Antutu and Geekbench had quoted similar specifications for the device. We could, therefore, expect to see most of the suggested specifications when the phone will be launched. The phone is also expected to run Android 7.1.1, out of the box.

Camera specifications mentioned include a 12 MP rear camera coupled with a 5 MP rear camera. An earlier leak had suggested a dual-camera setup which is not mentioned in the benchmark details.

Motorola's Moto Z line-up last year, introduced the company's application of adding mods, which it will continue this year as well. The Z2 Play, is powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 626 processor with 4 GB of RAM, along with support for Motorola's Moto Mods.
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Samsung Electronics Co Ltd said on Sunday said that it will start selling a refurbished version of the recalled Galaxy Note 7 smartphone in South Korea on July 7, using batteries different from those that caused some handsets to catch fire last year.

Samsung said in a statement it will offer 400,000 phones, dubbed the Galaxy Note 7 Fan Edition, in its home country priced 699,600 won ($611), about 30 percent lower than the Note 7's original launch price. The devices will be made from recalled, unsealed Note 7 handsets and unused Note 7 components.

Batteries for the refurbished devices will have a lower capacity than those of the original Note 7s, but have passed new safety measures implemented following the recall, Samsung said. The world's biggest smartphone maker by volume was forced to halt sales of the Note 7 in October, roughly 2 months after its launch, due to fire-prone batteries from two different suppliers. The incident cost Samsung over $5 billion in operating profit and damaged its reputation, though the firm has since recovered with the successful launch of the Galaxy S8.

The firm said earlier this year it planned to sell refurbished Note 7s after investigations by Samsung and independent firms concluded the batteries were solely responsible for the fires. Samsung also plans to hold a launch event for the Note 8 in the second half of August, a source told Reuters last month. The firm said it will decide whether to sell the refurbished Note 7s in other markets at a later date. It has said it does not plan to offer the device in the United States or India.

Reuters
Capital markets investors see a great first half

Kamruzzaman Bablu :

Stock markets have performed well during the first half of 2017, thanks to revived investors' confidence during the period.

Catalysts such as strong year-end earnings, higher dividends coupled with positive economic outlook have played important roles at making the market more vibrant, said several analysts.

Investors were seen injecting fresh funds in the market during the past six months amid low returns from parking money with banks.

The benchmark index, DSEX moved up by 12.3percent in the first half excluding the year-end cash dividends that are already disbursed. Daily average turnover at the Dhaka Stock Market stood at Tk566cr.

Market has been notably vibrant in the first half and there is hardly any reason for that to change in the coming second half, said Ahmed Rashid Lali, president of Dhaka Stock Exchange Brokers Association of Bangladesh.

'There will always be ups and downs in the market, but the important factor is to have a vibrant market.'

Furthermore, the market stayed positive in the last couple of weeks, which indicates that investors have welcomed the finalised national budget, he added.

Stocks edged higher in the holiday-shortened week last Thursday, extending the rally for the second consecutive week.

Investors were seen generally optimistic about the market last week, said traders from several stock brokerages. They said, issues including delaying implementation of VAT law, reduction of corporate tax for RMG manufacturers played an important role at boosting confidence among investors.

Participation in the Dhaka Stock Exchange increased moderately by 15.1percent to amount an average daily turnover of Tk715cr last week. There was only two trading sessions last week as compared to five sessions in the previous week.

The benchmark index, DSEX closed at 5,656.1 points on last Thursday after gaining 57.0 points or 1.0percent over the week while CSE ASI advanced 174 points or 1.0percent to end at 17,516.7 points.

Textile equities contributed 17.9percent of the week's total turnover, said the weekly market report of UCB Capital Management Ltd.

Peninsula Chittagong Limited secured the highest weekly gain of 17.4percent while Savar Refractories Limited turned out the worst loser with its price declining by 7.3percent.

LankaBangla Finance Ltd secured leadership position on the top turnover chart with a turnover of Tk67cr over the week with its share price remaining flat by the end of week.

DS30, the blue-chip index gained 12.4 points or 0.60percent to end at 2,083.8 points, while DSE Shariah based index advanced 10.9 points or 0.85percent to close at 1,296.7 points.

Among the traded issues 227 gained, 81 declined and 25 remained unchanged during the week.

The Dhaka Stock Exchange currently has a market capitalisation of BDT 380,100cr with the benchmark index, DSEX up by 12.3percent since beginning of this year.
Farmer killed in Patuakhali

BSS, Patuakhali :

A farmer was chopped to death by his cousin evening here as a sequel to running crops by a buffalo recently.

Police said the victim was identified as Jafar Howladar,30, son of Mosai Howladar, a resident of Gotok Andua village under Mirjaganj upazila of the district.

The incident occurred around 7pm during an altercation between Jafar Howladar and his cousin Malek Howladar over damaging crops by the buffalo belonging to Jafar.

At one stage of the bickering, a group of villagers led by Malek attacked Jafar's home. Jafar received serious injuries in the attack. He died on way to a local hospital.

A case was filed in this connection.






Trump to speak with China, Japan leaders on N Korea

President Trump will speak to the two leaders over the telephone on Sunday, pinning his hopes on China.

President Donald Trump will speak by telephone with the leaders of China and Japan on Sunday, in talks likely to be dominated by North Korea's nuclear drive and the threats posed by its belligerent leadership.

The Trump administration has been growing increasingly exasperated with North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un's regime, which has staged a barrage of missile tests in recent months.

Trump had been pinning his hopes on China-North Korea's main diplomatic ally-to bring pressure to bear on Pyongyang, but declared last week that their efforts had failed.

He has presented sanctions as the best way to proceed with the hermit state, opting for that approach over dialogue with the regime.

On Sunday, Trump will speak with Chinese President Xi Jinping at 8:45 pm (0045 GMT Monday) and with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at 8:00 pm.

During talks with South Korean leader Moon Jae-In-who has pushed for a policy of engagement with Pyongyang-on Friday, Trump called for a "determined response" to the North. But the pair failed to map out a joint strategy on how to respond to North Korean threats.

"The era of strategic patience with the North Korean regime has failed, many years it has failed. Frankly, that patience is over," Trump said.

There was also deep anger in the United States after Otto Warmbier, an American student who was detained in North Korea on a tourist trip around 18 months ago, was returned home in a coma earlier this month. He died several days later.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump defended his aggressive use of Twitter on Saturday just hours after firing off his latest volley in his escalating feud with US media.

Following an early morning Twitter tirade at CNN, NBC and a morning show host he taunted as "dumb as a rock," the president then went on the defensive, touting his electoral accomplishments as justification for his increasingly hostile rhetoric.

"The FAKE & FRAUDULENT NEWS MEDIA is working hard to convince Republicans and others I should not use social media - but remember, I won the 2016 election with interviews, speeches and social media," Trump said on Twitter. "I had to beat #FakeNews, and did. We will continue to WIN!" he posted, before ending the day at a rally in Washington that included a similar anti-media barrage.

In recent days, the US leader has railed against major news organizations as "fake news," and launched a crude personal attack on Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, who headline the "Morning Joe" program on the left-leaning MSNBC cable network.

"Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses.

Too bad!" he wrote Saturday, seemingly trying to get in the final word in his clash with the journalists.

Apparently stung by critical coverage on the show, Trump on Thursday had tweeted: "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 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




'PM suspends VAT Act, duty prioritising public feelings'



Awami League Presidium Member and Family Welfare Minister Mohammad Nasim on Sunday said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina suspended Value Added Tax (VAT) Act and duty on bank deposit prioritising public feelings.

He came up with the comment while talking to reporters after a meeting of 14-party alliance at Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina's Dhanmondi office here.

"The Awami League government is working for the wellbeing of the common people, as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina understands the feelings of common people," the minister said.

Chaired by General Secretary of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal Shirin Akhter, the meeting was also attended by President of Workers' Party of Bangladesh Rashed Khan Menon, General Secretary of Samyabadi Dal Dilip Barua, Organising Secretaries of AL AFM Bahauddin Nasim and MB Mozammel Hoque, Freedom Fighters Affairs Secretary of AL Mrinal Kanti Das, Deputy Publicity And Publication Secretary of AL Aminul Islam Amin and NAP leader Ismail Hossain.

Referring to BNP's statement on budget, he said the current government works for public interest for that reason common people would cast their votes in favour of Awami League again in the next general elections.

Replying to BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia's recent remarks, Nasim said Begum Zia delivered speeches without any reason, but her statements would not any bring result.

"The next polls will be held within stipulated time according to the constitution and the 14-party will work together and come to power again through the mandate of people," he added.

Referring to Holey Artisan's terror attack anniversary, the minister said militant and terrorist activities are now under control, but their existence is yet to root out, adding, "The government along with administration successfully has brought militancy under control. Everybody has to come forward to root out militancy from the country."

Besides, the 14-party alliance congratulated Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as she was featured distinctively in a book written by a US human rights activist over 18 current national women leaders across the globe.

The book, titled 'Women Presidents and Prime Ministers', was unveiled in Washington DC at an event hosted by Woman's National Democratic Club recently.




BJP leader held for killing man over beef carrying

NDTV, Jharkhand :

A local BJP leader in Jharkhand's Ramgarh has been arrested over last week's mob lynching of a man who was accused of carrying beef in his car. Two others have also been arrested in the case. Nityanand Mahto, the media in-charge of BJP's Ramgarh unit, was picked up by the police on Saturday along with two others from the house of local party unit chief Pappu Banerjee.

On Thursday, Alimuddin, also known as Asgar Ansari, was driving his Maruti van when he was stopped and brutally attacked by a group of people near Bazaar Tand area in Ramgarh; his car was set on fire. A senior officer, RK Malik, said the police "swung into action" as soon as they heard about the attack and rescued Mr Ansari, but he died in hospital. Police say that Nityanand Mahto, 45, instigated the mob; a video of the incident, they say, shows that the BJP leader was not just present at the spot but he dragged Mr Ansari out of the van. As he watched, the mob then thrashed Mr Ansari mercilessly, say police.

BJP media-in-charge in Ramgarh Nityanand Mahto was arrested for his alleged role in the lynching case.

The incident was described as a "premeditated murder" by senior officer RK Malik. He said the attackers seemed to have been lying in wait for Mr Ansari, who was from the neighbouring Hazaribagh district and was "involved in some trading or business of meat." The killers, he said, are suspected to be people who had business dealings with Mr Ansari. He said he could not confirm whether Mr Ansari was carrying beef.

On Friday, police made the first arrest in the case; a hunt is on for eight others.

The attack in Ramgarh came hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the killing of people by cow vigilantes is unacceptable. "Killing people in the name of gau bhakti (cow protection) is not acceptable," said the PM, adding, "No person in this nation has the right to take the law in his or her own hands in this country."

People across the country protested on Wednesday against the rising incidents of mob attacks and cow vigilantism across the country. Last week, a group of people on a train killed 16-year-old Junaid Khan who was travelling home to his village in Haryana with his brother and two cousins after a shopping excursion to Delhi ahead of Eid.




FARGO  Sam Floberg will hunker down at a quiet place in Minnesotas Lakes Country this Fourth of July. Thats because the whoosh of fireworks brings the war in Afghanistan rushing back for the combat vet.

On Thanksgiving Day 2006, Floberg was near the end of a routine patrol with his squad from the Grand Forks-based 1/188th Air Defense Artillery when all of a sudden, rockets started flying past my head.

As the gunner in the units trailing Humvee, I was like a target, the Fargo man said.

Two rocket-propelled grenades zipped by his head. A third RPG was stopped by the vehicles armor. Then a fourth RPG penetrated the cab, killing the driver and severing Flobergs right leg.

Floberg, who was discharged in 2009, said he went to WE Fest, a country music festival in Detroit Lakes, Minn., sometime after he came back from the war zone.

The fireworks at the end of the show set off a fight-or-flight reaction.

I ended up locking myself in a truck for awhile, Floberg said. For me, it took awhile to get used to fireworks again.

Therapy has helped considerably. But there are still times when hes startled, and thats when hypervigilance kicks in, he said.

Flobergs situation is shared by many veterans who suffer some degree of post-traumatic stress from their wartime experiences. Its a cruel irony of this most patriotic and firework-filled holiday.

Independence Day celebrates freedom and the soldiers who protect that freedom. Yet the crackle of firecrackers, the boom of star-bursting rockets can send the minds of some former soldiers reeling back to faraway war zones.

Some courtesy helps

For Brad Aune, a former Marine and North Dakota Army National Guardsman, almost any day could promise an attack at Forward Operating Base Warrior, near Kirkuk, Iraq.

He was the first sergeant for Fox Battery of the 1/188th Air Defense Artillery when the unit was there in 2004 and 2005.

Almost every day wed get some kind of mortar or rocket on our FOB, the Fargo man said. There was quite a bit of stress with that. If you heard some sort of unexpected noise, it was not a good thing. Your brain gets kind of programmed that way.

Sounds that could be gunfire, a cannon shot or mortar can still get him to flinch, he said.

Aune doesnt avoid fireworks. He said his children let him know when theyre going to fire some off. And he thinks it would help some veterans if their neighbors would do the same.

I would never tell my neighbors not to shoot them (fireworks) off around me. Thats their right. I fought for their right to do that. We have freedom to enjoy.

I would appreciate that if my neighbors were going to shoot them off, if they would tell me, Aune said. Just courtesy. Just realize that some people are affected by it.

It never goes away

Dennis White of Fargo is commander of the Cass County Disabled American Veterans.

Its been decades since he was a 19-year-old serving as an engineer in the Vietnam War.

Hes OK with fireworks when he knows where theyre going off, but when I cant get a straight line on it, it definitely puts you in a defensive posture.

Other loud sounds can affect veterans, too, he said.

It immediately puts you on heightened alert, White said. Im 67, and it never goes away. Theres a lot of PTSD out there, a lot of it.

At the Fargo Veterans Affairs medical center, psychologist Margo Norton leads the Post Traumatic Stress Recovery team.

In the last eight years, the VA has worked with almost 1,000 veterans from North Dakota, western Minnesota and northern South Dakota with symptoms of post-traumatic stress.

So far this year, the VA has seen more than 100 new cases of veterans with PTSD, she said.

Its kind of ironic.  The Fourth of July is meant to celebrate our freedom and meant to celebrate the people who sacrifice for that, and some of those very same people have a very difficult time with the way we celebrate, because the noises do very much sound like combat, Norton said.

Absolutely, it can take them back. Its something that most of them will work on over the course of their treatment, she said, which includes gradual desensitization to loud noises and learning how to cope with their startle responses.

When it comes to fireworks, some veterans try wearing earplugs, blackening windows, seeking out quiet rooms, barricading themselves in the basement or avoiding family events altogether, Norton said.

Treatment can take just three to four months. Or it can take a year or two as a veteran works through different treatments, or drops out, then returns.

They experience a crisis, and they come back. Were there when they need it, Norton said.

An unexpected boom

Eric Marts, a Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran, served as a master sergeant and first sergeant for Bravo Company of the 2/136th Infantry Combined Arms Battalion.

The Moorhead man is blind due to a traumatic brain injury after numerous concussions suffered while in combat in Iraq.

IEDs, mortar rockets, RPGs, Bravo Company kind of received it all, Marts said.

In 2006, a blast went off under a vehicle in which he was riding, and he lost vision in his right eye. He convinced superiors that because he shot his rifle left-handed, he could still be effective.

The next massive explosion rolled his Bradley fighting vehicle. Then he started losing his remaining vision. He was sent home in July 2007.

Now, his constant companion is his guide dog Corporal Deacon.

Marts said if he knows there will be blasts at a family Fourth of July celebration, he can handle it.

The issues I will have, being not able to see,  is if it comes to me unexpected. If Im outside with my dog or something and theres an unexpected boom, Ill be honest, that can startle me. I know its Fourth of July, but still, I jump, Marts said.

Other noises affect Marts, too. He cant see lightning, so the crash of thunder may catch him off guard. The heavy boom of a dump trucks gate swinging closed or train cars hooking up at night grab his attention. He also lives next to a shooting range.

I get to hear gunfire all the time. Im in just one heck of a spot, Marts joked.

Despite all that, he wishes he could watch the fireworks. And even though he knows there will be moments of unease, Marts hopes others fully enjoy the holiday.

Happy birthday, America! Thats the main point.

Signs of PTSD

Here are some signs of PTSD, shared by psychologist Margo Norton of the Fargo Veterans Affairs medical center.

Intrusive memories: Thinking of a traumatic event pulls you mentally away from what you are doing. There can also be nightmares or flashbacks.

You avoid things that remind you of the experience or talking about it.

Negative emotions or emotional detachment: You numb all your thoughts and feelings, often with the exception of anger, which sets off a fight-or-flight response.

Hypervigilance: Sufferers have extreme reactions to situations and can have sleep problems.

Veterans can call the VA for help at (701) 239-3700. To learn more, visit www.ptsd.va.gov.
College admission remains a dream

4 lakh students victimof flawed online system

M M Jasim :

About four lakh higher secondary level students under the 2017-18 academic session could not get admission to any college although classes started on July 1.

According to the Inter-Education Board Coordination Sub-Committee about 10,50,000 students out of 14,31,722 students who passed the SSC and its equivalent examinations this year got admission before June 29, the deadline for admission.

Meanwhile, the students and the guardians blamed the online system of the board for missing the deadline.

The online system created complexity in the admission as the board authorities failed to properly conduct the system.

Rakib Chowdhury, a guardian, told The New Nation that his son applied for admission and the board published merit list and confirmed his admission. But after going to college he failed to get admitted. The college authorities blamed on online system.

"The flawed system has caused sufferings to thousands of students," the guardian said.

Professor Mahbubur Rahman, Chairman of Inter-Education Board Coordination Sub-Committee, acknowledged that a good number of students could not get admitted until July 2. "Considering the matter we extended time till July 4 and asked the students to get admission to their respective colleges," he said.

"The admission will be closed on July 4. We have also plan to extend time after July 4 if a huge number of students fail to get admission. The students can apply for admission through online from July 15," Professor Mahbub said.

"We want to ensure admission of all the students. That is why we give more time," he said.

He also denied allegations of students and the guardians over the flawed online system.

Such online application process for the 2017-18 academic year began from 2pm on May 9.

Students applied for their desired colleges both online and through SMS from Teletalk numbers.

The last date of submission for applications was May 31, with the list of those selected in the first phase set to be published on June 5.

Colleges accepted the applications on the basis on the students' preferences and their test scores.

The admission began on June 20 while the results of the second and third merit lists were published on June 13 and June 18 and the admission began on June 20-22 and June 28-29 respectively.

Regular classes began on the first day of July.




Stop corruption in any form

Staff Reporter :

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday asked the top bureaucrats to stop corruption in any form.

She came up with this instruction in a meeting with Secretaries of different Ministries and divisions at Bangladesh Secretariat.

'I'm urging all of you to work. I want work and work with honesty. Stop corruption. No corruption can take place anywhere in the country in any form," quoting the Prime Minister, meeting sources said.

"Salaries of government employees and officials have been increased during our tenure. So I'm urging all of you to stop corruption," she was quoted as saying.

Making her government's stand clear against corruption, Sheikh Hasina said a zero-tolerance policy has already been adopted against corruption in the all sectors and none would be spared for such an offence.

She said the government launched a web-based application system in a bid to dispose the citizens' complaints.

"The Anti-Corruption Act- 2004 has been amended in principle to remove the weaknesses of the law and strengthen the ACC to combat corruption," she said.

The Prime Minister said, "Skilled and qualified officials will have to take the important responsibilities. I'm calling upon you to ensure reward for good works. Of course, those who will be involved in offences, will also have to pay for the misdeed in order to establish good governance in the country."

She also ordered the civil servants to take an effective initiative so that people would be able to get service from the different service oriented organisations.

She also expressed her dismay over frequent absence of top bureaucrats in crucial parliamentary sittings and asked them to undergo a training course to learn about the Constitution and parliamentary rules of procedure and practices.

"I have noticed that concerned Secretaries remain absent from the Parliament at the time of question-answer sessions of the Prime Minister and other Ministers in the Parliament," she said.

The premier said the Secretaries concerned with the presence in Parliament could help Ministers with necessary information to reply the questions by lawmakers.

Sheikh Hasina said she found concerned Secretaries absent even during passage of bills related to their Ministries when their presence was crucially important.

Sheikh Hasina said only three or four Secretaries were present in the Parliament when this year's budget was passed while many of the top bureaucrats did not witness the day's lively discussions on budget, no Secretary except three or four was present in the Parliament, she said.

Presence of Secretaries is also important at the time of passage of a bill as they prepare the document, the Prime Minister said.

"Every country follows the practice," the Prime Minister said sharing her experience from question-answer session in the House of Commons.

Secretaries have to learn about the Constitution, Parliament practice, rules of procedure, she said, asking the cabinet secretary to arrange a basic training course for them so that such situation doesn't arise in future.

During the meeting the Prime Minister gave 11 more directives to the Secretaries for ensuring the overall development of the country.

Sheikh Hasina also instructed the Secretaries to formulate strategies for implementing Annual Development Programmes (ADPs) from the very beginning of the fiscal year by completing necessary paper works of the projects during monsoon and immediately hold inter-ministerial coordination meetings, if necessary.

She also asked bureaucrats to undertake area-wise annual development programmes considering local needs and implement the projects faster so that the highest number of people could be benefited.

"I'm requesting you to take necessary steps for rural development. Besides, you will have to create jobs, reduce the gap between the rich and the poor and ensure equal distribution of resources from the very beginning of the fiscal year," she was quoted.

She also asked the Secretaries to be more sincere in accomplishing the development works under Fast Track Projects within the stipulated time.






515 Bangladeshis arrested in Malaysia

Malaysian police detained over 500 illegal Bangladeshis working in that country. Internet photo

Special Correspondent :

Thousands of Bangladeshi men living in Malaysia are now facing great uncertainty following the arrest of undocumented foreign workers in the ongoing massive crackdown against the illegal immigrants by the authorities concerned.

Malaysian media quoting government officials ran reports that 515 Bangladeshi migrants have already been arrested and the number of detainees is likely to be increased if the operation continues. The Bangladeshi detainees did not have the necessary enforcement card (e-card) or permits for temporary residence.

Officials of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment said at present, 15-16 lakh Bangladeshis are staying in Malaysia for different purposes. Of them, 11-12 lakh are documented. The rest are undocumented.

Malaysian newspaper 'The Star' quoting Immigration Director General Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali reported that officers inspected 155 premises around the country and screened 3,393 people on Saturday.

Among the detainees, 515 were Bangladesh nationals. Another 135 were from Indonesia, 102 from Myanmar, 50 from the Philippines, five from Thailand and two from Vietnam. At the same time, Malaysia detained 101 women and three children.

When contacted, Additional Secretary of Bangladesh Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment (Administration) Javed Ahmed told The New Nation on Sunday night, "Most of the arrested Bangladeshis went to Malaysia taking visit visa, education visa and etcetera. They failed to take valid document within June 30, the announced timeframe by Malaysian government for the undocumented workers, as a part of its rehiring process."

Officials said Bangladeshi migrants, including the workers, were advised several times by the ministry concerned to update their documents. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also requested the Malaysian government to extend time as Bangladeshi undocumented migrants get enough time to renew their papers and so, the last date was fixed on June 30.

As a part of the crackdown, 16 employers were also held for hiring and harbouring the illegal migrants, Mustafar Ali said, according to The Star.

Officials said the detainees have given a number of explanations for their inability to obtain the e-cards. Some said they were not aware of the deadline while others said their employers had assured them that they would receive an extension on the deadline.

Pointing the issue, Javed Ahmed further said: "Taking the opportunity, about 2,50,000 undocumented Bangladeshi migrants had obtained valid papers [e-card] by the announced time. A high-powered ministerial team comprising Additional Secretary level officers visited Malaysia a couple of times in the last four months."

"At that time, the team had paid visit to 800 companies where Bangladeshi workers do their job. The Malaysia's immigration department accepted applications for e-cards from March 1 to June 30," he said.

During the Op Mega led by its Director General Datuk Seri Mustafar Ali, Johor registered the highest number detained - 414 illegal immigrants and three employers.

Besides, Kelantan and Sabah, similar operations were held in Terengganu where 64 were detained. Besides, the arrests include Selangor -51, Kuala Lumpur -48, Melaka - 46, Perlis -41, Sarawak -36, Perak -36, Penang -23, Negeri Sembilan -23, Kedah -20, Pahang - 10 and Labuan -7.

Labour Councillor of Bnagladesh High Commission in Malaysia Sayedul Islam said: "Validity of e-card will be expired on February 15 next year. Those have no passport or work permit, they could continue their job if they obtain e-cards till the aforesaid period."

The undocumented workers will have to collect passport and travel document from their relevant embassies to get work permit. If they fail to do so, they will be sent back to their home countries after the time ends."

Officials said the e-Card is a temporary document that allows foreign workers without a valid travel document or work permit to carry on working in the country pending the approval of a permanent document or work permit because the temporary e-Card expires on February 15, 2018.

On November 11 last year, Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister of the Southeast Asian country Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told his parliament around 2.5 lakh Bangladeshis were working in Malaysia with valid work permits. "A total of 1,854,684 foreign workers, including the Bangladeshis, were holding the temporary employment pass or the work permits issued by the Malaysian immigration department," he said.

The highest number of legal migrants is from Indonesia (749,226), followed by Nepal (411,364), Bangladesh (237,991), Myanmar (140,259), India (121,430) and others (194,374), Zahid, who is also the Malaysian home minister, he said.

Malaysian newspapers quoting the Immigration Department said when the deadline for e-Card registration ended on June 30, only 23 percent or 161,056 illegal immigrants had registered, although the registration for e-Card was launched on February 15, this year.


Environmentalists for suspension of Rampal project

Staff Reporter :

Environmentalists have reiterated their demand that the government suspend the construction of Rampal Thermal Power Plant to save the Sundarbans.

They also feared that the UNESCO World Heritage Committee may drop the name of Sundarbans from the list of world heritage sites as Bangladesh government is going ahead with the Rampal coal-fired power project ignoring the call from the UN body to abandon the project because it would do huge harm to the mangrove forest.

"The UNESCO has asked the government again and again to abandon the 'Sundarbans destroying' project, but it did not respond. Now the government officials are enjoying trips to Europe on the plea of convincing the UN body (UNESCO)," said a press statement signed by Engineer Sheikh Muhammad Shadidullah and Anu Muhammad, the President and the Member Secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil, Gas, Mineral Resources, Power and Ports on Sunday.

The statement pointed out that Bangldesh and Indian governments are going ahead with the project stubbornly without any logic.

"Consequently, the Bangladesh portion of Sundarbans is feared to be dropped from the World Heritage site by the UNESCO," it read.

Besides, Sundarbans Rakkha Jatiya Committee and BAPA jointly organised a press briefing on the same ussue to inform the media about a ten-day UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting that started Sunday in Poland.

"Please backtrack on the construction of Rampal Power Plant. It must destroy the harmony and ecological balance of the entire area" said Abdul Matin, General Secretary of Bangladesh Paribesh Andolon (BAPA) while addressing the briefing at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity (DRU).

If the government does not abandon the 1,320MW coal-fired power plant at Rampal, the world's largest mangrove forest, the Sundarbans will be in danger, Matin added.

He said, "Whether the Sundarbans will retain its World Heritage Site status is likely to be decided in the UNESCO meeting."

Earlier, despite the government's assurance that the Rampal Power Plant would not harm the Sundarbans, the UNESCO stayed firm on its stance against the project and has again requested the government to cancel and relocate the plant to a more suitable place.

"Otherwise, the UN's culture and science agency may place the forest on the list of 'World Heritage in Danger' next year, according to a report posted on its website on October 18, 2016," the BAPA General Secretary pointed out.

BAPA Vice-President Rasheda K Chowdhury said that the movement to protect Sundarbans will continue.

BAPA Vice-President Syed Abul Maksud said, " The Indian government was compelled to abandon a similar project in Gujrat. The Sri Lankan government also did the same. The two countries abandoned the coal-fired projects due to huge protests from the people."

Dhaka University professors MM Akash and Badrul Imam also spoke.


Floods worsening

5 lakh marooned in northern region: Major rivers rising: More areas inundated: Heavy downpour continues

Shops at Fensuganj upazila went under flood water. This photo was taken on Sunday.

Staff Reporter :

The floods covered vast areas in Sylhet, Moulvibazar, Nilphamari, Shariatpur and Lalmonirhat districts leaving about five lakh people marooned.



The onrush of hilly water triggered by heavy downpour over the last one week inundated vast areas in many upazilas of the districts, also disrupting communications. With rains continuing on Sunday more areas are likely to be engulfed.



Houses, different government and non-government organisations, educational institutions and crops land went under water by the recent flood, as the rivers flowing beside the districts have been flowing above danger level.



Meanwhile, the Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre on Sunday forecasts the Brahmaputra- Jamuna, Ganges-Padma and Surma- Kushiyara rivers are in rising trend.



The Brahmaputra- Jamuna rivers likely to continue rising in next 24 hours, it added. The Ganges- Padma and the Surma- Kushiyara may also continue to rise in next 12 hours.



Bangladesh Meteorological Department said light to moderate rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary gusty wind is likely to occur at most places in Rangpur, Rajshahi, Dhaka, Mymensingh, Khulna, Barisal, Chittagong and Sylhet divisions with moderately heavy to very heavy falls at some places in the country.

Besides, a warning message said rain or thundershowers accompanied by temporary south-southeasterly gusty or squally wind speed 45-60 kilometres per hour is likely to occur over the regions of Rangpur, Rajshahi, Bogra, Pabna, Tangail, Mymensingh, Dhaka, Faridpur, Madaripur, Jessore, Kushtia, Khulna, Barisal, Patuakhali, Noakhali, Comilla, Chittagong, Cox's Bazar and Sylhet wherein river ports shall hoist cautionary signal number one."



In Sylhet the floodwater inundated vast areas in six upazilas of the district, leaving about 2.5 lakh people marooned.



The flood situation in six upazilas -- Jakiganj, Bianibazar, Golapganj, Fenchuganj, Osmaninagar and Balaganj -- of the district continued to deteriorate on Sunday, worsening the woes of the affected people.



Rahat Anwar, deputy commissioner of the district, said the authorities concerned have shut 174 educational institutions as those were submerged by floodwater.



Educational institutions, houses, offices and different establishments went under water by the recent flood, as the Kushiara River has been flowing 21 centimetres above its danger level.



Besides, academic activities in some 137 educational institutions of Barlekha upazila in Moulvibazar district and Golapganj upazila of Sylhet district are being seriously hampered due to the flood.



In Moulvibazar, the flood situation in different parts of Barlekha, Kulaura and Juri upazilas of the district continued to worsen due to heavy rainfall for the last few days and onrush of hill water.



Sources at the Primary and Secondary Education Department said the authorities of different educational institutions could not resume their academic activities although those were opened on Saturday after the Eid vacation.



Academic activities in 87 schools, including 75 government primary schools, remained suspended as floodwater poured into the school buildings following the rise in Hakaluki Haor water.



Shyamal Chandra Singha, headmaster of Paschim Borny High School, said, "The floodwater entered the school while roads remain submerged. I managed to attend the school by boat and placed some bricks under its furniture for saving those from water."



Barlekha Upazila Secondary Education Officer Samir Kanti Deb said the two examinations which were scheduled to be held on July 6 and July 8 have been rescheduled for July 23 and July 24 respectively.



Meanwhile, the local administrations have opened six shelter centres in Sylhet while seven in Moulvibazar district. A number of medical camps have been opened in the flood-hit areas.



In Nilphamari, the onrush of water from the upstream and heavy rainfall flooded many villages of Dimla and Joldhaka upazilas of the district leaving over one thousand people marooned.



In Lalmonirhat, flood inundated a village and continued to submerge many areas till filing of this report.



In Shariatpur, the low-lying areas of the district went under water due to floodwater.




Mystery of Holey Artisan mayhem should be resolved

THE nation commemorates the first anniversary of the country's most gruesome militant attack at the capital's Holey Artisan Bakery on July 1 with love for the victims and sharing pain with their families. Militants killed 22 people including 18 foreigners while six of them were also killed passing shock waves to the nation as well as to the world. Such incident must not happen again.

The killing of foreigners, mainly Japanese aid workers and Italian nationals mainly running buying houses for major brands of European marketing chain was unthinkable in a peaceful country like Bangladesh. Such carnage was unprecedented and the occurrence remains a great mystery unsolved. The behaviour of the killers does not convince many that they themselves were not expecting to escape alive. Police are still busting militants' hideouts at regular intervals throughout the country - at least 20 major raids were carried out and 57 militants were killed since the Holey Artisan. Doubt remains about the true character of those killed as militants. In most cases the militants committed suicide to kill themselves with family members.

Because the matter of militancy is not discussed openly, we are inclined to suggest that the people should be taken into confidence to find out the whole truth about terrorism in the country.

Bangladesh suffered the worst image loss to the global community from the Holey Artisan attack. Some preventive actions have been taken by the law enforcing agencies. But police action and police assessment can never explore terrorism. Real terrorism is much more than a crime.

We may be wrong, but unless proved otherwise, we will insist on open political debate on terrorism in Bangladesh. Terrorism is not a secret activity and the politics behind terrorism has to be understood. It is our firm belief that we in Bangladesh do not deserve to be known as a terrorist country. Some vicious circles may be at work to harm the country.

Following Holey Artisan mayhem export order then suffered heavily and donor nations withdrew their workers in development projects. They put travel alerts drying arrival of tourists while Australia and Britain imposed ban on air cargo fearing it may hide explosive devices. Although they lifted the ban later on, the European Union (EU) has now stamped ban on air cargo from Dhaka on similar security concerns. The country's bad time is not coming to the end because we do not have open politics to discuss national interest fearlessly. Such open debate would have been possible if we had representative parliament with a vibrant opposition but that is missing. So our efforts to fight terrorism will remain a secret affair.




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.


We have excluded controversial subjects for students at an age unable yet to understand the issues scientific background. As the students at ninth grade are not endowed with antecedents to discuss the Origin of Life and Evolution section in biology classes, this section will be delayed until undergraduate study.

We have undertaken a simplification in the curriculum. It is one of our targets to realize complete learning. In educational programs we are trying to convey basic values, information, skills, capability, sufficiency, attitude, and good behavior to our children. We have tried to add our local and national values to the curriculum.

The subjects of Science and Technology classes in elementary schools should be presented with a perspective that allows students to connect it to subjects they will encounter in future years. It should provide them with an evolutionary point of view.

The most recent draft of Turkeys new national curriculum had been presented to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has approved it. Alpaslan Durmus, head of the Education Ministrys curriculum board, said:Durmus added:Academics from top universities in Turkey previously criticized the prospective move: The academics stated:... adding that "evolutionary biology information should be included in the curriculum starting from fifth grade."Durmus also addressed other issues during an Ankara seminar on June 20, noting that obligatory Religion and Morality classes would not be included within the curriculum of first, fifth, and ninth graders, but students would be able to choose religion classes as an optional course if they wish. If students from the ninth grade arent able to understand the evolutionary point of view, they are also incapable to accept the religious one.If students learn about evolutionary biology from the fifth grade they would be prepared to have that subject in high school because children should get out of school smarter and more educated and not without any knowledge about evolution. This concept of learning and education will keep Turkish students even more in the dark about science than they already are.
Businesses  no matter the size, industry or focus  all have a few things in common. Every business needs to offer a product or service  they all need customers and every business needs a bank.

In fact, banks are so critical to business, they serve as a barometer of business in a region. Southern Illinois is no different.

As a whole, I think most of the banks in Southern Illinois are having a good year, said John Dosier, president of First Southern Bank.

Other banking leaders agree.

Most banks are faring pretty well, said Robert Bleyer, president of The Bank of Carbondale. Banking is strong in our region.

John Barnett, commercial lender with First Mid-Illinois Bank calls banking across the region very strong, and adds that commercial lending is doing quite well.

All of the bankers, however, said that for start-up and small businesses seeking financing, things are a little tougher.

Many borrowers are seeing that credit restrictions are really tough now and some borderline businesses are having trouble getting financing, Barnett said.

Dosier said his financial institution is seeing growth in small business lending.

I wouldnt say that small business lending is tougher than it was, but most banks are going to do their homework and make decisions accordingly, he said. Banks in our area, especially community banks, tend to look for ways to make loans rather than turning them down.

He adds that homework means careful analysis of the things applicants have always needed to provide prospective lenders.

Those things havent changed. We need a good business plan, proper financials, a description of projected cash flow and we have to look to see if there is collateral and if the business plan makes sense, he said. Really there is nothing new; it is the same requirements that have always been there.

Bleyer points out that careful study in the lending decision-making process is required because of increased banking regulations, but he said money is still available.

If youre starting from scratch, the big thing is the business plan, Bleyer said. We want to see a good understanding and background of what the business is, the expertise of the people or person behind the business, an understanding of who the potential customers are and what is the potential demand for the product or service. Of course, we also need to know the projections on revenue and the expense structure.

Barnett said start-up businesses naturally are going to be analyzed a little more carefully. For that reason, he recommends entrepreneurs get a little help in planning and developing their businesses.

Lending from the Small Business Administration mitigates some of the problems, so we have to supplement or substitute a little less, he said. If they have worked with a Small Business Development Center, thats a big plus. Start-ups need the guidance and flexibility that established business dont need.

He adds that to get business financing, business owners really have to understand their markets and be extra careful in making projections.

Have a pretty good plan  on paper, not in your head  and know your business, Bleyer added.

Washington and Springfield

Local banking leaders say increased federal regulations on financial instructions and banks has put a squeeze on lending, but so has the Illinois state budget impasse. While there is talk of changes in both arenas, nothing is certain.

Banking is very complicated nowadays, said Claudia Choate, vice president for marketing of Murphy-Wall State Bank and Trust.

Were hearing a lot coming out of Washington about potential deregulation, but none of it has come to fruition yet, Barnett said. Were seeing a little bit of increase in consumer confidence, but nothing has changed yet with the Trump administration.

Bleyer said the increased paperwork and regulations are making things tough for smaller banks.

I think we will continue to see consolidation among banks and that is strictly due to the regulatory environment, he said. Unless something changes with the regulation burden, you are going to see more and more banks not be able to put up with it and they will be looking to merge. Its becoming difficult. You are going to need to have banks big enough to have staff just to deal with the regulatory burden that exists.

He said he would be surprised to learn that nationwide a bank closed or merged every day.

Pair federal red tape and rules with the lack of a state budget, and the result is fewer loans for Southern Illinois businesses.

The uncertainty of the economy and the way the state is right now, certainly is making for more hesitation by the lenders, Dosier said.

Barnett said he is seeing the impact of the lack of progress at the state capitol.

Springfield is making it very difficult to lend to hosptials, doctors and even funeral homes  anyone that gets payments from the state. Contractors who rely on the state for payment are in jeopardy of not being able to get financing if they are going to have cashflow issues. We have to take that into consideration.

Dosier said while the banks have money to lend, some businesses are not looking for loans right now and may not until there is a state budget.

For the most part, we continue to see growth in small business lending, but there is some uncertainty there as well. Many business are holding off on projects or expansion until they see what is going to happen, he said.

Bleyer said the state budget crisis may be having the biggest impact in Carbondale, where Southern Illinois University is, as he calls it, by far the biggest economic engine.

He said as the university suffers so do the businesses in the community  the same businesses that would turn to his institution for ways to fund growth or expansion.

It has a substantial impact on the economy and on the banks as well, he said.

Dosier keeps coming back to the word uncertainty.

Thats certainly the best word, he said. With the general uncertainty that comes with no state budget and what the impact will be on schools and SIU and with medical providers not being paid, everyone has to deal with uncertainty. In Southern Illinois, we are pretty resilient, but its tough. I think everyone is struggling with finding growth because of what is happening on the state level.

Regardless of the rules and the budget crisis, Dosier said banks in the region have money available and are ready to make loans to credit-worthy businesses and entrepreneurs.

"In general, banks are looking for ways to make loans, he said.
CAIRO  Thirty residents of Elmwood and McBride public housing complexes in Cairo and their lawyers are to receive a combined $350,000 under the terms of a settlement agreement between the tenants and their landlord, the Alexander County Housing Authority.

The settlement agreement stems from a lawsuit filed just more than a year ago in which the tenants accused the local housing authority of breaching its lease agreements with residents by failing to maintain housing units in safe and sanitary conditions.

The residents alleged the failure of the ACHA and its senior staff to maintain basic living conditions either caused or exacerbated health conditions that they and/or their children suffered. The development or worsening of asthma directly related to their housing conditions was cited as a top health-related complaint in the lawsuit.

Collectively, the 30 plaintiffs alleged that 13 of their young children are suffering severe breathing problems as a result of ACHAs failures as a landlord and stewards of a housing program for low-income people living in one of the poorest cities in America.

The plaintiffs are to receive either $10,000 or $10,500 each under the terms of the settlement agreement, splitting a combined $306,000, according to a resolution to ratify the agreement that the Alexander County Housing Authoritys board of commissioners approved by a 2-0 vote on Wednesday afternoon.

The ACHAs two board members who ratified the deal, Lindsey Reames and Kimberly Wize, are members of Housing and Urban Developments recovery team assigned to the ACHA. Federal employees have been charged with daily operations of the ACHA since Feb. 22, 2016.

On that day, which followed months of back-and-forth seeking corrective action, HUD officials removed the local governing board and assumed control of the agency, citing years of poor, inappropriate and potentially illegal management practices that were harming the residents for whom the ACHA managers were entrusted to provide adequate shelter. Questions have been raised about how the millions of federal taxpayer dollars they were allocated to carry out that mission in recent years were spent, given that it appears so little of it went to maintaining developments.

During the board meeting, Towanda Macon, a HUD administrator from Chicago who is serving as executive director of the ACHA while it is in federal receivership, said that the settlement agreement will be paid by the housing authoritys insurance provider.

The resolution states that the executive director signed the agreement on June 16.

In addition to money for the tenants, the settlement agreement provides for the Chicago-based entities that provided legal representation to the tenants in to receive a combined $44,000. They were represented by Christopher Wilmes, of the law firm Hughes, Socol, Piers, Resnick & Dym, Ltd and Kate Walz, director of housing justice for The Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.

The law firm of which Wilmes is a partner is to receive $15,138.02 under the terms of the agreement and $28,861.98 is to go to The Shriver Center, a nonprofit whose mission is to provide national leadership in advancing laws and policies that secure justice to improve the lives and opportunities of people living in poverty, according to the organizations website.

The lawsuit named as defendants the ACHA as an entity, as well as two of its past directors, James Wilson, who headed the housing authority from 1989 to March 2013, and Martha Franklin, who was Wilsons longtime assistant and finance director and then served for about a year and a half as executive director, from March 2013 to December 2015. Wilson and Franklin are not required to pay any portion of the settlement personally.

The original complaint also named Jefferson County Housing Authority Executive Director Tom Upchurch and Pulaski County Housing Authority Executive Director Joann Pink as defendants, though both were dismissed from the suit. Upchurch and Pink both served temporarily in dual roles as executive director of the ACHA in addition to their regular jobs while the housing authority was without stable management, prior to HUDs takeover.

The settlement agreement states that the parties agree it does not constitute and shall not be construed, interpreted, or treated in any respect as an admission of liability or wrongdoing  language that is standard for a lawsuit settled without a trial. The defendants were represented by Stephen Moore, of the law firm Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith, P.C., of St. Louis. A call to Moore seeking comment was not returned as of deadline.

The plaintiffs attorneys also declined comment on the settlement agreement. Several of the plaintiffs did as well, saying they were instructed by their legal counsel not to discuss matters concerning the lawsuit. The agreement, a copy of which HUD provided to the newspaper following the ACHA boards vote to ratify it, includes a confidentiality clause in which the plaintiffs attorneys agree not to issue news releases about the settlement or discuss it with members of the media. Though, it says that the attorneys are allowed to share details of the settlement with housing advocates, program providers, public officials and others for the purpose of education and information sharing.

In addition to the health-related concerns that residents alleged were a result of their poor housing conditions, they also complained of inadequate heating forcing them to use their ovens to stay warm in the winter, plumbing problems causing sewer water to back up into their bathtubs and sinks, rampant infestation and security issues. Theras Heard, a McBride resident, claimed in the lawsuit that his unit was infested with roaches and bedbugs  and at one point the fridge issued to him by the ACHA was overrun with maggots.

Shameka Nelson, also a McBride resident and mother of seven children, alleged that the family has been exposed to terrible conditions including roaches, mice, peeling paint, mold and bedbugs. According to the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court-Southern District of Illinois, roaches pour out of her kitchen cabinets when they are opened.

The lawsuit claimed that the Chena Brazils McBride place apartment is so infested with roaches and mice that her five-year-old daughter is afraid to get out of bed.

Angela Mitchell, a resident of Elmwood, also complained in the lawsuit that when her daughter was younger, the infestation in their unit meant she was unable to sleep alone. Mitchell also alleged that when her heat wasnt working and she called for assistance with maintenance, ACHA staff told her to use her oven to stay warm, which caused her to become ill. A replacement fridge provided to her at one point by the ACHA was infested with roaches, the lawsuit alleged.

The lawsuit claimed that Beverly Davis, an 18-year resident of Elmwood, has two children with asthma conditions aggravated by mold in their apartment, and that she has suffered mental health issues from living in the deplorable conditions.

Further, the lawsuit claimed that past managers of the ACHA engaged in a pattern and practice of segregating residents on the basis of race, and allowing the McBride and Elmwood complexes, which almost exclusively house African Americans, to fall into complete disrepair while taking better care of some of the other developments in the ACHAs portfolio.

If you go and sit on a balcony at Connell Smith and watch the barges go by in a nicely maintained unit on the sixth floor and then you go over and see some of these roach infested units at McBride, you think youre on two different planets, Wilmes said in an interview with The Southern Illinoisan in 2016 around the time the original complaint was filed.

Further, the lawsuit alleged, citing The Southern Illinoisan's August 2015 investigative report "Chaos in Cairo," that while residents lived in inhumane conditions, past ACHA managers spent excessively on trips, generous benefits and questionable contracts.

At the time, Wilmes said attorneys intended to seek class-action status, but that did not happen. Because the attorneys signed a confidentiality clause precluding them from discussing the settlement with the media, the newspaper is not able to inquire as to the official reason why that did not come to fruition. What many residents and others say they were told is that it was because the ACHAs insurance policy would only cover claims up to $1 million, and this lawsuit is one of several claims that have been filed against the local agency, though the newspaper has not been able to independently verify that information.

Because it was not a class-action claim, only the plaintiffs named in the lawsuit will receive payment for their alleged suffering. In total, HUD officials have said that about 185 families are living at Elmwood and McBride, meaning only about 15 percent of them will receive financial compensation though they are all living in similar conditions.

On April 10, federal officials announced that they would begin relocating everyone from Elmwood and McBride this summer by helping them find another public housing unit within the ACHA or another housing authority, or providing them with a Tenant Protection Voucher that can be used to subsidize rent paid to a private landlord, similar to the Housing Choice Voucher program commonly referred to as Section 8.

The settlement agreement includes these requirements of the ACHA, as well as that the local agency must help with moving expense and start-up costs such as rent and utility deposits and relocation counseling services, which HUD has promised to provide to all residents of Elmwood and McBride, not just those plaintiffs included in the settlement.

By signing the agreement settlement, the plaintiffs forfeited their rights to bring future legal claims, generally speaking, against the ACHA or HUD related to their housing conditions at Elmwood and McBride through the date of the agreement.
ST. ANTHONY, Minn. -- St. Anthony plans to have three fewer officers on its police force in 2018 following the loss of its services contract with Falcon Heights.

The two cities will sever their contract July 15. St. Anthony will continue to patrol Falcon Heights until Dec. 31.

Falcon Heights City Council members decided to discontinue the citys contract with St. Anthony following the fatal shooting of Philando Castile on July 6, 2016. Castile was killed by Jeronimo Yanez, a St. Anthony police officer, during a traffic stop in Falcon Heights.

Falcon Heights paid St. Anthony $672,590 in 2017 for police services, according to city budget documents.

The St. Anthony draft budget for 2018 provides for 20 full-time officers instead of the 23 on the force in 2017, according to city manager Mark Casey. The city council will vote on the budget in September.

Yanez was acquitted of all charges relating to Castiles death on June 16. Shortly after the verdict, St. Anthony offered Yanez a voluntary separation agreement and said he would not return to work as an officer in the city.

Casey confirmed Tuesday that Yanezs partner the night of the shooting, Joseph Kauser, resigned from the force in April and took a law enforcement job in Bloomington.

A third officer will retire at the end of the year, according to Casey.

According to the 2016 annual police department report, eight of the 23 officers are employed due to revenues received from our contract cities. Casey declined to comment on how the loss of the Falcon Heights contract money will affect other policing resources.

Falcon Heights has contracted police services from St. Anthony for the past 22 years. In March, the St. Anthony City Council voted to renegotiate the terms of the contract to shift financial responsibility onto Falcon Heights for events that occur within its city limits.

A week later, the Falcon Heights City Council voted to reach out to other communities with police forces to possibly patrol the city.

Falcon Heights is in contract talks with the Ramsey County sheriffs office.
Earlier this year, a family-owned Orangeburg radio station entered into a new broadcasting format.

WORG began its online presence stream May 5 at www.worgonline.com in what owner and operator of Garris Creative LLC Meredith Garris calls the future of radio.

"It is a part of a trend," Garris said, noting WORG's transformation to the online version as a radio station is the latest venture for the radio station since its founding in 1958. "Technology has evolved. For example, the way music is shared has evolved. Vinyl to 8-track to cassette tapes to CDs to mp3s -- there has always been a progression."

Originally the station broadcast only on AM, but in 1976 began broadcasting FM.

"In a few years, people listening to FM radio is not really going to be happening," Garris said, noting the trend is toward people creating their own stations through apps. "The future of radio is already here today.

Garris says studies have shown that the average adult in the United States will spend over two hours per day using mobile apps in 2017, and that number is steadily increasing.

"Technology is a wonderful thing, and its changing every facet of assimilating information through media," Garris said.

Garris is no stranger to the radio business. She is the daughter of Marion and Jody, who owned and operated Garris Communications Inc. She has been in radio for about 22 years.

Garris Communications sold its radio station to California-based Educational Media Foundation and K-LOVE Radio, a national Christian-based satellite radio station.

Garris said WORG online is providing the same information listeners had grown accustomed to on their radio dial.

Individuals are able to download the free WORG online radio app on their smart phone and tablet from an iPhone store or Google Play.

"Something additional coming in the future on the app and desktop player will be a podcast feature where people can listen to interviews and church services on demand," Garris said.

Get more information via email at meredith@worgonline.com
PLEASE NOTE!

Due to the March 23, 2020 NM DOH Public Health Order, These Event Listings Are Not Accurate!

All non-essential businesses are closed, public gatherings are prohibited!

(One day some of these events will be rescheduled or will resume, but they are not happening now!)
Leo Twiggs, a celebrated artist who has worked for more than four decades in a field that has become a valuable vehicle of expression for him, has earned two of South Carolinas highest honors.

Twiggs received the Order of the Palmetto, the states highest civilian honor, during a ceremony held at the Statehouse in May. During that same ceremony, he also received the highest honor the state presents in the arts as a Lifetime Achievement Award winner in the 2017 Elizabeth O'Neill Verner Governor's Award for the Arts from the South Carolina Arts Commission. In 1980, Twiggs was the first visual artist to ever receive the Elizabeth ONeill Verner Award.

The awards represent a milestone of sorts for Twiggs.

What really shook me is I had no idea about the Order of the Palmetto  . It is very rare that you get the highest honor award (for art) in the state for lifetime achievement and at the same time get the highest civilian award. For me, it was kind of the highlight of my career, he said.

When it comes to these awards that Ive gotten, I was just starstruck by that. But I dont think it would have happened if I had not done the Mother Emmanuel series. At this time in my career, I think the notoriety and national attention that the series created is probably what precipitated these awards, Twiggs said.

Twiggs has let his art talk for him through his use of batik, an ancient technique of manual, wax-resistant dyeing applied to whole cloth. He spent many long nights over the course of several weeks manually dyeing and dipping fabric pieces to achieve a texturally rich and deep-toned series titled Requiem for Mother Emanuel.

Nine people, including Senior Pastor and state Sen. Clementa C. Pinckney, were killed by a gunman during Bible study at Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015. The tragedy gained worldwide attention and emotionally moved Twiggs, who is now working on a new series, The Nine, which focuses on the Charleston church shooting victims themselves.

The Mother Emmanuel series just took too much out of me. I found myself having to wind down from the powerful kind of catharsis that came out of the Emmanuel series, and so my winding down is these paintings," the artist said.

When Ive exhausted all I want to say about it, then that will be it. A series of paintings sometimes can start with one idea, and you go from one idea to the other. Mother Emmanuel ended up being The Nine because there were nine victims, Twiggs said. I think Im pretty well down to the point where Im going to be moving on, but there were just those things with The Nine' that I had to say.

His unique batik paintings have received international acclaim. Several paintings have been displayed in U.S. embassies in Rome, Senegal and Sierra Leone, and his works have appeared in numerous textbooks and other publications.

Twiggs is particularly proud that the new National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. has accepted two of his paintings for display.

The first painting, Ancestor Image, was donated by Dr. John Fleming, director-in-residence of the National Museum for African American Music in Nashville, Tennessee.

It turns out that the Johnson Foundation, who bought three of the Mother Emmanuel pieces, will be donating one of those pieces to the new African American museum in Washington. So the museum will have two of my pieces in it, and Im really pleased by that, Twiggs said.

When his Requiem for Mother Emmanuel series traveled to the Mint Museum in Charlotte for a three-month exhibit, he was also pleased that a review of the series was published in the national "Art in America" magazine, Twiggs said.

When I was a student at Claflin, I remember all of us went to the library to get this magazine every month because we wanted to know what was happening in the art world. You could see what was happening in San Francisco, New York, Chicago and the new work that the artists were doing, and here I am in the magazine, he said.

Emmy-nominated film producer, director and writer Bradley Glenn is currently working on a documentary about Twiggs' work and career.

That is important to me. He has covered the Mother Emmanuel series because he had me put flowers at the church and filmed all of that. He went by my hometown and talked to my brothers and sister, who all happened to be home last summer. It was last summer when they had the Mother Emmanuel anniversary, and he took pictures there.  Hes got a lot of stuff in the can and hes still filming, Twiggs said.

This was something that started when he came down here very early on, the artist said, noting that Glenn last year had already completed a five-minute documentary on him and his work -- particularly his use of railroad crossing images -- titled Leo Twiggs: Crossing Over."

Twiggs looks back on his service in the state as an artist and also as a long-time member of boards and commissions for various entities, including the South Carolina State Museum Commission, the South Carolina Governors School for the Arts & Humanities and the South Carolina Hall of Fame.

He often served as the only African-American on these boards and said he has made it his obligation to advocate for more diversity.

When I look back at my career, its still about grinding that stone to make our state agencies more diversified. I just believe that we are a better nation and a better state when we utilize the talents of all our citizens, Twiggs said.

We are just better for it so I push for it, he added, noting that the scholarships the South Carolina Arts Commission awards to the Diversity Leaders Initiative at Furman University are named in his honor.

That was really nice. I think that comes from being on these boards and all the time saying, We need to have more diversity, Twiggs said.

Asked where his art goes from here, he said, I dont know. You go where the spirit leads you. When you create art, you create it as long as you feel you have to say something else."

His Requiem for Mother Emmanuel series has received national acclaim and attention and has been shown at several galleries. Upcoming venues for the series include the Julie Collins Smith Museum at Auburn University (Sept. 5, 2017 to Jan. 7, 2018) and the South Carolina State Museum in Columbia (January through April 2018).

Twiggs said he took a photo of each one of the paintings from the "Requiem for Mother Emmanuel" series and created framed 11-inch by 14-inch images of each photo, which are now on display at his church, New Mt. Zion Baptist Church of Orangeburg, where he serves as a trustee.

"I didn't know they'd come out as well as they did," he said.

His art can also be seen at Hampton III Gallery in Greenville, where his works have been displayed since 1972. His pieces can also be seen at the If Art Gallery located at 1223 Lincoln St. in Columbia.

Asked what inspires him as an artist, Twiggs said it's more than just drawing.

Art is about images and ideas. People think you just grab onto something and say, I think Ill just do me a drawing. You dont. What you do is explore an idea, he said.

His exploration into how to encapsulate the horrific tragedy of the Charleston church shootings into works of art was no easy task, Twiggs said.

Some people have cried when they looked at the paintings, along with a video that went with them. I dont know if I had ever done a series of paintings that elicited that kind of reaction. So the question is: How do you do that? I really dont know. The only thing I know is that when Im painting, I have to get a special kind of feeling in the work, he said.

His fondness for batik includes how the art form draws an individual into a piece.

Dyes seep into a surface so when a viewer looks at a batik painting, it draws them into the surface. I think one of the things as an artist is youve got to have a voice and, with me, batik speaks quietly. I believe wisdom comes with quietness, Twiggs said.

Another thing is that you stand away from most artwork and look at it. With batik, because of all the stuff happening with the dyes, it kind of draws you, and the closer you get, the more you see, he said.

Twiggs sees his future as one filled with more paintings. It's something he cant stop, he said.

I feel blessed to be able to communicate my feelings and emotions through my art and to see other people connecting with that, he said, noting that's what keeps him making art.
The National Weather Service in Columbia has recognized Bamberg County as a StormReady County. Bamberg joins 42 other South Carolina counties in earning the recognition.

This is an important milestone for weather preparedness in Bamberg County, said Brittany Barnwell, Bamberg County Emergency Services director. Being a StormReady County means we are equipped to minimize loss of life and property in the event of a weather emergency.

In order to be officially designated as a StormReady County, the county had to demonstrate competencies in several areas to the NWS. The county established a 24-hour warning point and emergency operations center, enacted multiple ways of receiving severe weather warnings and alerting the public, created a system to monitor local weather conditions, promoted the importance of public readiness through seminars and learning opportunities and developed a formal plan for dealing with hazardous weather.

StormReady Counties have plans to handle all types of severe weather; in Bamberg County, the most common severe weather events are severe thunderstorms, hurricanes and tornadoes. In becoming officially StormReady, the county demonstrates a proactive approach to managing operations during hazardous weather situations.

Bamberg County officials hosted NWS Columbia officials on June 23 for a Weather Spotter training, in which the public was trained to become certified volunteer Weather Spotters for the NWS.

We are proud to be a StormReady County, Barnwell said. "But each citizen in Bamberg County plays a role in being prepared in the event of a weather emergency. Every resident should have a plan and adequate supplies in the case of severe weather. Residents should feel confident that Bamberg County has the processes and procedures in place to handle a weather emergency; it is a team effort to keep everyone safe in extreme weather events.

The county's designation is valid until 2021.
They didnt get everything they wanted, but local lawmakers believe the General Assembly accomplished a lot this year.

This was a good session for the state, said Sen. John Matthews, D-Bowman.

Lawmakers approved a plan to fund roads, found additional money for poor school districts and addressed state pension problems.

I think that there were some very big issues that we had to tackle this year that certainly made the session very challenging, said Rep. Jerry Govan, D-Orangeburg.

Even though some of those issues we did not totally solve, I thought that we at least made some progress in trying to solve them, he said.

Lawmakers say one of their biggest accomplishments was the passage of the road-funding bill.

That was certainly an achievement well look back on in years to come, said Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg.

The bill increases the state gas tax of 16.75 cents per gallon by 12 cents over a six-year period. The first two cents were added yesterday.

The state Department of Transportation reported that more than half of roadway pavement in South Carolina is considered in poor condition. Repairs would cost nearly $500 million annually to bring roadways into good condition.

That has been an issue that has continuously hung a cloud over the state, said Rep. Russell Ott, D-St. Matthews.

Road conditions present safety issues and negatively affect businesses and their transportation of goods, he said.

Ott said the increase will create a more sustainable and recurring funding source, which the state needs.

Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg, agreed, saying, There is simply not enough money to go around to fulfill all the needs the state has.

We need new revenue streams, he said.

Govan said the gas tax is a fair way to raise the needed revenue, as the burden will not fall completely on South Carolinians. Travelers who use the roads will share the cost.

Its only fair that those persons driving through also share the burdens of the cost, he said. We have taken a positive step forward in terms of roads funding.

Area lawmakers were also glad to see pension reform advance.

Retirees, theyve worked for the state and served, and they ought not to be worried, said Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangeburg.

Currently, the pension plan is underfunded by roughly $24 billion because of low returns in past years.

The plan covers an estimated 550,000 government workers in the state and has collected around $2 billion annually from workers and employers but has paid out $3 billion in benefits.

This issue really got out of hand a number of years ago, Govan said. Im glad to say that we added money to the system and made some other adjustments that hopefully will begin to put us on the right track.

The proposed solution would increase most employees' contributions from 8.66 percent to 9 percent of their annual pay and cap those payments at that percentage.

Employer contributions would increase by 1 percent annually through 2022.

This also means an increase in the amount of money that school districts, local governments and state universities have to contribute.

Nobodys really happy with what had to be done, Ott said. Its never popular, but the worst thing you can do is stick your head in the sand.

In the area of education, the budget provides $55.8 million for capital improvements at high-poverty schools.

Cobb-Hunter said $100 million was originally proposed only for schools involved in the Abbeville lawsuit, which include Orangeburg County schools.

Govan said wishes there was more money for school improvements, especially since it will now be spread throughout the state.

Although the Legislature was not able to pass a bond bill to fund higher education building needs, local lawmakers hope one can be passed next year.

Higher education needs it to pass, Cobb-Hunter said.

Ott said it is needed to address the issues of deferred maintenance at college buildings.

Once you see a leak, you have to go ahead and replace it, he said. It makes sense to borrow the money.

Bamberg said he wants one to pass as well but, A bond bill wont solve the problem itself.

He encourages the Legislature to put politics aside and consider new, innovative ways of creating revenue streams.

Were at a point in South Carolina where we need to be more proactive, Bamberg said. He said the state could get left behind as other states continue to advance.

He was glad to see the governor sign into law the industrial hemp program.

The program will allow 20 farmers to grow and harvest industrial hemp, which can be made into oil, rope, clothing, paper, canvas, soap and even some food and drinks.

Farmers said the ability to diversify the crops they grow will not only benefit them, but the state as a whole.

That was a huge, Ott said. I think thats going to be a program were going to continue to see grow.

Bamberg added, We need to work on passing medical marijuana legislation.

He said it will be a benefit to patients with illnesses or conditions that are treated with medical marijuana.

Bamberg said legalizing gambling should also be considered.

If done correctly, we can strike the balance between those people who are against it  and those people who recognize that when we talk about new revenue for education and new revenue for roads,  a legalized gaming system is something that can bring in millions and millions of dollars, he said.

The increased revenue could also help the state lower taxes, he said.

It is a very difficult task to consistently lower taxes on industries and small business while at the same time the state fails to create new revenue streams to combat that, Bamberg said.

Lawmakers are looking forward to addressing several issues next year.

Hutto wants to come up with a plan to replace school buses.

Gov. Henry McMaster vetoed $20 million for school buses this year. He said he wants to come up with a plan to replace buses, but doesnt want to use lottery money that should go to scholarships.

Lawmakers arent expected to address the governors vetoes until they return in January.

Education Superintendent Molly Spearman says the state needs $73 million to replace all of the buses which go back to 1995.

Matthews will be pushing for his port enhancement zone proposal, which is still in the House.

The bill would give businesses tax credits for locating within a 35-mile radius of the intersection of interstates 95 and 26.

He says the location makes it an ideal distribution hub for cargo shipped to and from the port and the incentives would help lure jobs into the area.

Bamberg wants to address the Local Government Fund, which provides counties and towns with a share of the states revenue.

I am disappointed in our inability to fully fund the local government fund, he said. It puts them in a bind when we have unfunded state mandates.

He said the local governments deserve to be properly funded.
I have noticed that several people have voiced their opinion on the $5 million pedestrian bridge for some South Carolina State University students.

This is a total waste of taxpayers money. When I think of all the older poor folk living in Orangeburg County who have no air conditioning, why couldnt the money be spent on making their lives move comfortable?

If a heat pump costs $3,000, we could have purchased 1,666,666 units. I do believe this would have made a lot of people happy.

When I was a child, my parents taught me how to cross a road safely. If the students living in University Village do not know how to cross Chestnut Street safely, then take some of this free money and during the first week of school hold classes to instruct them. This would cost a lot less than $5 million.

Do the council members voting for this have heating and air conditioning in their homes? Ill bet they do.

The next time they come up for election, simply vote them out.

Walter Bates, Norway

Calhoun, flag belong in history books

The owner of the Edisto Ice Creamery should be allowed to take down the Confederate flag because it is not only a symbol of history but also a symbol of racism as well as political correctness.

But there is also the matter of John C. Calhoun, a racist who owned slaves as his property. The highway where the business is located is named after Calhoun and should be changed.

John C. Calhoun and the Confederate flag belong in historic books, not as part of todays reality.

John Huerta

Warren, Arkansas

Spearman making Allendale a scapegoat

The entire situation with Allendale schools seems to be a smoke screen, a bullying ploy by Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman to deflect how poorly students are doing across the state.

The student disaggregate group associated with Allendale is doing worse statewide than any other student disaggregate group even when you account for poverty, family structure, parental education and other factors. Spearman should release all of the statewide disaggregated academic data for testing, as well as all disaggregated data for gifted-and-talented programs, the IB programs and any other programs at the honors level or higher.

Perhaps this grandstanding, this new get-tough stance by Spearman is her entrance into the race for governor. Who knows? Spearman should stop scapegoating Allendale and make a difference for all of these students across the state.

Dr. Gary L. Burgess, Sr.

Secretary

Anderson County Board of Education

Leaders selling out America

How have American leaders pulled the wool over the eyes of the people? We are supposed to be the strongest and wisest people in the world.

Instead, we are puppets in the hands of China and a has been to them and other countries. What a joke.

Our leaders strut around and act like they are important while other countries have the goods. In my closet, I have clothes now that come from Bangladesh, China, Vietnam and Thailand. My nicest clothes are much older from long ago and were made in the USA. Gold bless America in my prayers. We really need help.

Our leaders know better but dont do better. There must be a lot of money passing hands to take away from our people and give to all the other countries. How wicked to that to our own people. So deceitful.

I recently bought something made in America  not clothes  and saw where it was sent to China to be wrapped and mailed back to America. Makes we wonder if what we do make in America must be inspected and approved by China before it can be sold here.

Really, who is our leader? Did we really elect Donald Trump or is he a puppet in the hands of China, Russia and other countries? Then we have a budget every year that sends millions to other countries to help them with their poor. What about our poor who cant finds jobs? A lot of people have given up even looking.

May our great God have mercy on us. That is our only hope.

Mary Dunning, Santee
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By Trend





Russian President Vladimir Putin and Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa discussed during Saturday's phone call the situation around Qatar, pointing out that the diplomatic row is negatively affecting the situation in the Middle Eastern region, the Kremlin said in a statement, Sputnik reported.

"During the exchange of opinions on the situation around Qatar, [the leaders] noted that this is negatively affecting the difficult situation in the Middle East. [The leaders] pointed out the need for the mutually respectful dialogue between all the states involved in the conflict," the statement said.

On June 5, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt broke off diplomatic relations and communication with Qatar, accusing it of supporting terrorism and interfering in their internal affairs. Later, the Maldives, Mauritius, and Mauritania also announced the severance of diplomatic relations. Jordan and Djibouti reduced the level of their diplomatic missions in Qatar.

Last week, Kuwait, which is serving as a mediator between Qatar and the Gulf States, handed the demands of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain over to Doha. The requests include the severance of Qatars relations with Iran, closure of Turkeys military base on Qatar's territory and a shutdown of the Al Jazeera TV channel. Doha was given 10 days to implement the demands.

Qatar has called the conditions impossible and urged for their revision.
By Trend





Demands made of Qatar by four other Arab states were designed to be rejected, Doha's foreign minister said on Saturday, explaining that their ultimatum was aimed not at tackling terrorism but at curtailing his country's sovereignty, Reuters reported.

However Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, speaking to reporters in Rome, added Doha was still ready to sit down and discuss the grievances raised by its Arab neighbors.

He was speaking ahead of a deadline set by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Egypt for Doha to accept 13 demands. Officials say they are aimed at ending a rift that erupted last month over accusations that Qatar supports terrorism, charges it denies.

"This list of demands is made to be rejected. It's not meant to be accepted or ... to be negotiated," Sheikh Mohammed said, adding that Qatar was willing to engage in further dialogue given "the proper conditions".

The demands included severing ties with terrorist groups, closing down the pan-Arab Al Jazeera satellite channel, downgrading ties with arch-rival Iran and closing a Turkish air base in Qatar.

Arab states have said the demands are not negotiable and warned that further unspecified measures will follow if Qatar does not comply.

Sheikh Mohammed said Qatar would not close down the Turkish base in his country or shut Al Jazeera as demanded by the Arab countries.

He spoke after arriving in Rome from the United States. Washington is helping Kuwait, which has retained ties with Qatar, to mediate in the dispute.

Earlier on Saturday, the Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin had separate telephone discussions with the leaders of Qatar and Bahrain about the rift and stressed the need for a diplomatic solution.
By Trend





A total of 11 PKK terrorists were killed in Turkeys eastern and southeastern provinces and northern Iraq on Saturday, Anadolu reported.

Five terrorists were neutralized in Karliova district of eastern Bingol province during an air-backed operation against the terrorist group PKK, Bingol Governors Office said.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question were killed or sometimes captured.

During an ongoing anti-PKK operation in southeastern Hakkari province, four terrorists were neutralized in an airstrike on Ora area in northern Iraq, a source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

Operations in the region continue, the source added.

The Hakkari Governors Office said that one other PKK terrorist was neutralized in Guvendagi area of Cukurca district in a separate operation while another was killed in southeastern Diyarbakir province.

In southern Hatay province, two Syria-born terrorists who were reportedly trying to cross to the PKK/PYD-held area of Afrin in northwestern Syria were apprehended, the governors office said.

The PKK is listed as a terror organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU.

More than 1,200 victims, including security personnel and civilians, have lost their lives in PKK attacks in Turkey since the terror group resumed its decades-old campaign in July 2015.

A total of 11 PKK terrorists were killed in Turkeys eastern and southeastern provinces and northern Iraq on Saturday, according to local governors.

Five terrorists were neutralized in Karliova district of eastern Bingol province during an air-backed operation against the terrorist group PKK, Bingol Governors Office said.

Turkish authorities often use the word "neutralized" in their statements to imply that the terrorists in question were killed or sometimes captured.

During an ongoing anti-PKK operation in southeastern Hakkari province, four terrorists were neutralized in an airstrike on Ora area in northern Iraq, a source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

Operations in the region continue, the source added.

The Hakkari Governors Office said that one other PKK terrorist was neutralized in Guvendagi area of Cukurca district in a separate operation while another was killed in southeastern Diyarbakir province.

In southern Hatay province, two Syria-born terrorists who were reportedly trying to cross to the PKK/PYD-held area of Afrin in northwestern Syria were apprehended, the governors office said.

The PKK is listed as a terror organization by Turkey, the U.S., and the EU.

More than 1,200 victims, including security personnel and civilians, have lost their lives in PKK attacks in Turkey since the terror group resumed its decades-old campaign in July 2015.
The Bahrain Institute of Banking & Finance (BIBF) has appointed Dr. Ahmed Abdul Hameed Abdul Ghani Al Shaikh as its director to enhance operations and strengthen its position as a leading financial Institute in Bahrain.



This appointment underscores the BIBFs focus on developing its core objectives of providing world-class education and training opportunities for Bahrain and the region.



On this occasion, the governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain and chairman of BIBF, Rasheed AlMaraj said: On behalf of the board of directors, I would like to congratulate Dr. AlShaikh on his appointment as director of the BIBF. I am confident that Dr. AlShaikh will make major contributions towards the development of the BIBF, to further enhance its position as a world class institution locally and regionally.



Dr. Al Shaikh's previous roles include a number of high profile leadership positions, most recently as vice-president, Enterprise and Human Capital Development at Tamkeen. Part of the original management group, he was responsible for executing the Human Resources Development and Private Sector Support initiatives which constituted a major element of the Labour Market Reform Project and Tamkeen's mandate.



He has spent more than 16 years in higher education holding various positions in the College of Business Administration at the University of Bahrain. He played a major role in executing several strategies in the capacity of chairman of the Economics and Financial Department and the director of Continuing Management Education Programme. Dr. Al Shaikh also lectured at both the University of Maryland and the Bahrain Institute of Banking & Finance. At the University of Bahrain, he established the evening programme of the College of Business Administration and also the Bachelor of Science Programme in Banking and Finance.



Dr. Al Shaikh has held a variety of consultancy roles including initiatives such as the 'Productivity in Bahrain Manufacturing Industries', 'Privatization in Bahrain', and 'Refining and Adjusting Aspects of the Macro-Economic Forecast for Interactive Multimedia in GCC countries'. - TradeArabia News Service


Health care is huge and personal.

It accounts for a sixth of the national GDP and has consumed the countrys attention for years. Its been the source of partisan bickering for far too long. And there is no clear path forward: The Affordable Care Act has no shortage of critics, but congressional Republicans are struggling to come up with a replacement plan thats an improvement.

But most important, health care policy affects all Americans every day. From business owners to parents with children who have pre-existing conditions to the nations hospitals and clinics, everyone will feel the effects of this legislation, now and for years into the future.

Thats why its so important to get it right. The 13 senators who drafted the most recent bill, the upper chambers response to the Houses American Health Care Act, could have lasting influence on many aspects of our lives if their legislation passes. The measure would repeal Obamacares individual mandate  the requirement to buy insurance  as well as roll back its taxes and adjust how federal Medicaid money is doled out to the states.

The plan is still in a very precarious position. It would take defections from just a handful of Republican senators to torpedo the whole endeavor. Senate leaders arent sure they have the votes, even with a Republican majority. Americans, including Wyomingites, are asking tough questions about the contents and repercussions of the measure. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has said that by 2026, it would lead to 22 million fewer Americans having insurance and make prices less affordable for many people, particularly the old and the ill. That has led to several Republicans publicly criticizing the measure in the days since it was released. Its important to note that lower coverage rates will result in higher costs for everyone, since medical providers pass on the cost of treating the uninsured to those who can pay.

Already, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has delayed one vote on the bill. Its expected to be amended heavily by the time the next scheduled vote arrives.

Its remarkable that that group of 13 includes both of Wyomings senators  Mike Enzi and John Barrasso. Their presence on the panel should put Wyomingites at a distinct and unusual advantage when it comes to offering feedback for the plan.

But its not enough for them to sit on the committee in Washington and praise the bill they helped put together. Its critical for our senators to come back home and take questions and comments about the Senate health care plan from their constituents, the people they represent in Congress.

This goes beyond making appearances at community events and passively inviting conversation. Together or separately, our senators have an obligation to hold true town halls or community forums focused on these subjects and actively seek feedback about the health care plan they helped draft.

Wyoming has a sparse and largely rural population. Its needs will be different from those of many other states. Already, the CEO of the largest hospital in the central part of the state has shared her worries about the plan. Vickie Diamond of the Wyoming Medical Center told the Star-Tribune that the Senate legislation might help in the short term but that by the beginning of the next decade, this is going to hurt everybody.

To truly represent us on this complicated and ultimately personal issue, Enzi and Barrasso must talk publicly with their Wyoming constituents, in Wyoming, to hear and gather the honest feedback they need to make good decisions about the health care plan. It might not be easy  passions often run high when it comes to highly personal issues  but its the best path to a measure that will truly serve Wyomingites and all Americans.
Monday support meetings

Alcoholics Anonymous: 6:30 a.m., 917 N. Beech; 8:30 a.m., 500 S. Wolcott; 10 a.m., 328 E. A St.; noon, 500 S. Wolcott; 2 p.m, 917 N. Beech; 5:30 p.m., 328 E. A; 6 p.m., 500 S. Wolcott, Ste. 200; 6 p.m., 456 S. Walnut; 7 p.m., 917 N. Beech; 8 p.m., 328 E. A. Douglas: 7:30 p.m., 628 E. Richards (upstairs in back). Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are open. Casper info: 266-9578; Douglas info: (307) 351-1688.

Al-Anon: Noon, 701 S. Wolcott, St. Marks Church, main entrance, left to library.

Narcotics Anonymous: Noon, 500 S. Wolcott, 12-24 Club; 7 p.m., 302 E. 2nd, Methodist Church; 8 p.m., 4700 S. Poplar (church basement). Web site: http://www.urmrna.org.

Teen Addiction Anonymous: 3:30-4:30 p.m., Boys & Girls Club Teen Center. Info: 258-7439.

Adult Children of Alcoholics: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 12-24 Club, 500 S. Wolcott St., Suite 200.

TOPS Weight Loss: 5:30 p.m., Weight Loss Support Group TOPS #246, Wyoming Oil & Gas Building, 2211 King Blvd. Use NE door entry. Info: 265-1486.

Monday Sidewalkers

Keep Casper Beautiful is sponsoring Monday Sidewalkers, a volunteer group that picks up litter each Monday throughout the summer.

The group will meet beginning Monday and continue through the end of July. Each Monday we will meet at 8 a.m. on location to clean litter. All are welcome. July 3: Crossroads Park.

Summer food

sites for kids

The Natrona County School District is partnering with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide free meals to children when school is out for the summer. There are no income requirements or registration. Any child under age 18 may come to eat. For more information, contact 307-253-5205.

Meals will be served Monday through Friday at the following locations: Verda James Boys & Girls Club site, 11:30 a.m., to Aug. 25; YMCA, 11 a.m., to Sept. 1; Salt Creek Recreation Center in Midwest, 11:30 a.m., to Aug. 25; Casper Recreation Center, 11:15 a.m., to Aug. 31; Boys and Girls Club main branch, 11:30 a.m., to Aug. 25; Paradise Valley Boys & Girls Club site, 11:30 a.m., to Aug. 25.

Lunch at Food

for Thought

Wyoming Food for Thought Project provides free meals to children during the summer. This summer, meals will be served at the program center located at 900 Saint John in North Casper on Monday through Friday at noon. There are no income requirements or registration.

Anyone age 18 or younger may come to eat. For more information, call 307-337-1703 or visit www.wyfftp.org.

Tween Monday:

Stomp Rockets

The Natrona County Library will host a science program for students in grades four through six at 2 p.m.

Using water bottles, bike tubes and paper, students will build rockets that theyll launch with their feet. All supplies provided. Call 577.READ x5 for more information.
Clean air and water, access to public lands and protecting wildlife arent exclusively red or blue issues, according to a survey released recently by the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

A new national poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies surveyed 1,000 hunters and anglers throughout the U.S. on their feelings about conservation.

Of those contacted, 81 percent said they considered themselves conservationists. Broken into parties, 83 percent of Republicans, 81 percent of Democrats and 80 percent of Independents described themselves that way.

In todays polarized political climate, conservation has become a partisan issue with decision-makers, but hunters and anglers strongly support conservation policies across the board, whether theyre Republican, Democrat or Independent, said Whit Fosburgh, president and CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

This includes strong support for funding public land management agencies, like the U.S. Forest Service and BLM, and strong support for the BLMs sage grouse conservation plans that are currently under review. Sportsmen are not split on supporting national monuments or balancing energy development with the needs of wildlife habitat.

Local Casper hunter Jeff Muratore agrees.

There is a conception that Republicans are not as conservation-minded, and I just dont think thats true, said Muratore, who voted in November for President Donald Trump. Many Republicans, if not all of the ones I know, are very conservation-minded. They are very aware of the environment and preserving it for the future for generations to come.

Muratore isnt sure why some politicians on the Republican ticket support ideals that run counter to conservation, such as public access for hunting and fishing and maintaining infrastructure on public lands like roads and trails.

He believes people tend to think Republicans are less conservation-minded because they support energy and natural resource extraction. But it doesnt have to be either-or, he added. Energy and conservation can co-exist when done correctly.

There are many ways to extract oil, gas and coal and not harm the environment or put it back the way it was. Maybe on the Democratic side there is more 'dont touch this or it will never be the same' type of attitude, he said. Realistically, we have to have energy to survive.

He said he was baffled at some members of Wyomings state Legislature who voted to transfer lands managed by the federal government to the states. Lawmakers have proposed bills in the past few sessions for everything from a change to Wyomings Constitution allowing the state to manage federal lands should they be transferred to a study to look at the possibility of the state managing public lands.

The only way to make politicians realize the importance of public lands and conservation may ultimately be in the ballot box.

Im saying this as a Republican. Im not going to change. Im not going to change into a Democrat because Im a conservative thinker, he said. Its the way Ive always been. Its frustrating to me when a Republican legislator thinks along the lines that are not conservation-minded.

The polling company asked respondents what advice they had for members of Congress, and preserve/protect fish and water quality was the most frequently used request.

In order of importance, 78 percent of Trump supporters said it was very important to ensure polluters are held accountable and that protections are in place to prevent polluted spills into waterways or emissions into air. Similarly, 92 percent of those who voted for Democratic contender Hillary Clinton said it was very important.

Protecting and conserving public lands for future generations had the support of 73 percent of Trump voters and 90 percent of Clinton voters, according to the poll results.

Additionally, four out of five hunters and anglers polled support the Bureau of Land Managements sage grouse habitat plan.

The plan, which took years to draft, is in the process of a 60-day review by the Department of Interior.

The public has made it clear that conservation and public lands are not controversial issues, so why do some make it partisan? said Randy Newberg, who hunts public lands as the host of the Sportsman Channel show "Fresh Tracks with Randy Newberg."

Most sportsmen agree that public lands need proper care and sound management and that these lands are worthy of our investment. This data overrules the partisan division weve come to expect, and that should embolden lawmakers. Improving and protecting the value of public lands for wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation means taking a stand with hunters and anglers. To do otherwise is setting camp with special interests who have little in common with the majority of Americas hunters and anglers.
RED DESERT  A few narrow dirt roads snake across the landscape, at times the only sign of humans.

They wind from Oregon Buttes, marking the beginning of the promised country for settlers, to Steamboat Mountain, an ancient buffalo jump where early Shoshone tribes herded bison off the rim to their deaths.

Other roads connect undulating waves of white sand at the Killpecker dunes, where families race ATVs, to Boars Tusk, an ancient volcanic plug rising from the flats and attracting geologists from around the country.

Lovers of the Red Desert call these special places. Unique areas to be protected and conserved, set aside for another 100 or 200 years for people to witness.

Scattered along the way like branches on a cottonwood tree are smaller roads leading to oil and gas wells, mostly silent in their collection of Wyomings economic lifeblood. The Jim Bridger Power Plant is tucked in a basin north of Interstate 80 with four stacks reaching for the sky and an open pit where massive shovels pull coal from the earth.

The Red Desert loosely encompasses about 4 million acres in southwest Wyoming. It can be a forbidding place. Wind gusts routinely reach 50 and 60 mph, winter temperatures settle well below zero and the summer sun bakes indiscriminately. Its also teeming with life  its home to the largest desert elk herd in the country and the longest migrating mule deer herd on the continent.

Right now, much of its future is under review.

The Bureau of Land Management is working on the Rock Springs Resource Management Plan revision. What comes out of the weighty, technical document will be a plan for the next 20 years. It will decide what can be developed and what should be protected.

Wyomings Red Desert, one of the last places to dry out after the great seas receded millions of years ago, is many things to many people. It is or has been a place of gold prospecting and horse rustling, oil exploration and hunting, grazing and wild horses. But to understand the interests tugging on pieces of one of the countrys largest unfenced areas is to first understand the people.

Hunting

The Red Desert once teemed with wildlife  thundering bison, wary trophy elk and flighty pronghorn.

And then it didnt.

Settlers killed all the bison. Ivory hunters took the elk for their valuable canines. Pronghorn and mule deer remained in very limited numbers, said Walt Gasson, a fourth-generation Wyomingite who has hunted in the desert for himself, as a guide or with family for almost seven decades.

But as with the wood duck, Canada goose and golden eagle, humans have worked to repair the damage. Wildlife managers reintroduced elk from Yellowstone National Park and other areas into the desert. They thought they would migrate into the south end of the Wind River Range.

Instead, they looked around and said looks good to us, and they stayed, he said.

What formed then became the largest desert elk herd in the country and the only one in Wyoming. The experience of chasing a desert bull is so prized today that a resident hunter has about a 2 percent chance of successfully drawing a tag. Yet they keep trying.

Youve got these elk and you can see them out there and they can see you, but they use distance as cover, just like antelope do, he said. Theres an invisible line, and until you touch that line, they think: I can see you, you can see me, but Im not going to waste energy by running right now.

The area is also much more than a hunt, which is why so many people use their one hope of a special elk license on the desert. Gasson calls it the bakers dozen  the extra. Each hunter has a chance to see a soaring eagle, flock of sage grouse or petroglyph or find an arrowhead.

The sage grouse and wild horses and pioneer experience and Native American presence creates those extras, he said. Those make that part of the whole thing.

Developing

Pull out a map of development in the Red Desert, and youll see a scattering of dots in the northeast corner. As your eyes move south and west, the dots become swarms of active wells and land offered up for future drilling.

Some places, like Adobe Town, south of Interstate 80, have been the subject of intense debate for years  conservationists arguing for its preservation, oil and gas developers promoting its valuable resources.

I know there are areas that are sensitive out there and unique and pristine, but I also know there is a tremendous amount of energy resource out there, said Peter Wold, senior partner of Wold Oil in Casper.

Wolds father had uranium interests in the Red Desert years ago when yellowcake prices were higher. His company now has its sights set mainly on oil and gas development in the Powder River Basin, but he understands the value of energy extraction in the desert.

The BLMs Rock Springs plan covers about 3.6 million acres, which encompasses the bulk of the Red Desert. It will present, in general, four alternatives to the public for comment. The first would involve little change from what exists on the landscape and is in the planning process now. The other three focus on other possible uses from more conservation to more development. The public will respond, and then BLM will ultimately choose the final plan. BLM will likely present those four alternatives by the end of 2017 or early 2018, depending on staffing in Washington, D.C., said Kimberlee Foster, field manager for the Rock Springs BLM office.

New Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has expressed a sense of urgency related to increasing drilling and development. He said Theres a consequence of not using some of our public lands for creation of wealth and jobs.

Wold said there can be a balance  and that there has been in the past.

Like so many areas, you need to be sensitive about where youre trying to develop energy resources, Wold said.

History

The Shoshone people named the Red Desert Enga Sogope, or red earth. It was a general description for the area, said Jason Baldes, a member of the Eastern Shoshone Tribe and executive director of the Wind River Native Advocacy Center.

It was part of the original Fort Bridger Treaty of 1863, which gave the Shoshone Indians about 44 million acres. Many years ago, the tribes lost most of that 44 million acres, including the Red Desert.

But their mark on the landscape remains for anyone patient or curious enough to look.

A rock used for centuries by Shoshone women to help with childbirth still stands. Ancient campsites, arrowheads and chippings remain in those areas too stubborn to change.

Baldes and his father, an amateur geologist and former biologist, would spend days camping and exploring their ancestral home. Standing on top of Steamboat Mountain, riding on horseback or winding through Adobe Town, he understood his connection to those who went before him.

Its important to me personally, recognizing it used to be part of our reservation, he said. Just because we are confined to reservation boundaries it doesnt limit our access to those historical sites we used to utilize.

He fears development of all kinds in the desert  oil and gas, subdivisions. Anything that further cuts into the open space that remains. Wyoming depends on natural resources, he understands, but he wants a balance for the desert.

A lot of people dont recognize it as a beautiful landscape. They see the sage and flat lands and no one is there. They see it as a dead area, but it is very, very much alive and teeming with life if youre willing to open your eyes and see it.
Butterflies flitted as Laramie Peak rose in the distance above the sagebrush, cactus and dry grasses growing in the red dirt.

More than a dozen participants of Summer Pioneer Trail Treks on Saturday imagined the wagons and handcarts that passed through the landscape near present-day Douglas.

Some of the participants had been through highways and back roads in the area but never noticed the grooves, called swales, still running across the landscape.

Now we know what to look for, a participant said.

National Historic Trails Interpretive Center employees and volunteers told stories and read the words of some of the 500,000 people who crossed from about 1841 to 1868 along the Oregon, California, Mormon and Pony Express trails through Wyoming.

The Summer Pioneer Trail Treks take place several Saturdays in July and September. Participants will see famous and lesser-known sights along the historic trails.

Saturdays trek focused on river crossings in eastern Wyoming.

The caravan of cars along the trek crossed the North Platte River several times across highway bridges, while the high river rushed below.

They learned about pioneers who crossed the North Platte River, which was 300 yards wide in places at the time, Trails Center employee Jason Vlcan said.

Some had to make rafts from trees, which they had to travel seven miles just to find and cut first.

Many pioneers described the various ways they crossed the North Platte River in journals.

One journal described crossing near Glenrock, by buying a boat which the emigrants have made, by tying three big canoes together, for which we were to pay $25.

The travelers behind them in turn paid them for the makeshift boat, which transferred on down the line. That wasnt a common scenario along the trails, but many journals describe it in the Deer Creek area at the time, Vlcan said.

The current here is so strong that we had to tie our boats up the steam over a quarter of a mile by hand, which you may suppose is much like work, the journal read. By night, we had gotten 13 wagons over and the men were very tired, at least I felt that way.

Debbie Snell has enjoyed the Trail Treks for the past few years. She likes seeing the swales and cemeteries for the human side it brings to the history, along with the stories Vlcan and the other staff members relay from the journals.

His stories are the best part of it, she said.

The group ate lunch in Glenrock Town Park near the river where many pioneers crossed.

Vlcan read from an 1849 journal from the area: The trails were sometimes quite bad and the fodder was scarce, but nevertheless we had many fine picnics  just like we are today, he added.

A journal described a nearby river crossing, describing the wide, deep river. There was no ferry, so there were two ways to cross: build a raft or make the wagon box into a boat.

We tried to make our wagon boxes water tight by stuffing the seams with small strips and then painting the strip with axel grease, the journal said. With a cry of jubilation, our boat, the biggest and best of them all, was launched. It floated like a swan and though it soaked up a little water at first, it soon was quite waterproof.

The journal described a boat crew that had to throw all its provisions overboard after water ran into the boat. The process took two full days of grueling work swimming multiple wagons, and oxen across the river, and driving reluctant animals into the water with sticks.

Paul, who was a very good swimmer, followed the animals for a long time, for there were always those who wanted to go back, the journal said. Paul though had kept his trousers on but while he was swimming they came unfastened and wrapped themselves around him in such a way that his feet were no longer free. He went down several times.

The man was able to pull his trousers off and swam across.

The July 8 trek will cover river crossings west of Casper, Vlcan said.

Sylvia Nye has been enjoying the Trail Treks and learned to spot the wagon swales and white markers off the roads that mark many of the swales of the through the state.

One of the best things is you know where youd like to go back and spend more time, she said.

Another participant, Kristi Sorensen, has visited many trail sites in Wyoming, but the treks have taken her to spots she didnt know about and wouldnt have found on her own.

I find the Oregon Trail fascinating, and I think in Wyoming you can still feel it, Sorensen said. Block out the power lines, and it looks the same as it did when the people came across. So its easy to imagine it.
GILLETTE  When Gary Clemons pulled into the parking lot of the Little Store in Gillette on one afternoon in his black pickup, he saw something that made him stop. He asked Tyler Sikkenga, 15, for a picture.

Tyler isnt a celebrity, a star athlete or a millionaire. Hes just a Gillette teen who enjoys BMX and motocross. But its not uncommon for people to ask the Gillette teen if they can get a picture of him.

It has everything to do with his vehicle. Its not expensive  the price tag is in the three-digit range  and its not the most beautiful thing in the world, either, with rust creeping up the hood and duct tape holding the convertible top together.

Its junker appearance makes it a really approachable vehicle, said Tylers dad, Nate Sikkenga.

Nobodys ashamed to roll by videoing this thing, he said.

It isnt particularly fast. Tylers been able to get it to reach 50 mph, while Nate has gotten close to 80 mph, but it takes a good downhill to get there.

Its loud enough that everybody wants to race it, Nate said. But the only way you ever win is when they want to get behind it to video you.

As Tyler drove on a recent afternoon, people stared. It didnt matter if they were kids riding bikes or men driving trucks or families out for a walk.

Their gaze followed it as Tyler drove by, and their stares all said, Theres something you dont see every day.

So what is it, exactly? Its a three-wheeled car, and she goes by the name of Roadkill.

Specifically, its a 1987 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia Cabriolet with two wheels in the front and one wheel mounted to the back of it. Nate calls it a marvel of German-redneck engineering.

Its a hybrid that everyone can get behind, one that a dad built to protect his son.

The whole project began about a year ago. Wyoming residents can get a motorcycle license at age 15 and a drivers license at 16. It was for that reason that Nate wanted to make a motorcycle for Tyler for his 15th birthday.

But why didnt Nate just buy a used motorcycle? He had two reasons. The first one was safety. Hes not worried about Tylers skills and judgment.

Hes not as wild and crazy. Hes a lot more responsible than I was, Nate said. Hes pretty good at riding a motorcycle, but its other people youve got to watch for. Theres a risk of somebody running him over.

Second, its difficult to ride a two-wheeled motorcycle in the winter, especially in Wyoming, Nate said. And even many three-wheeled vehicles, such as the Polaris Slingshot, which has two wheels in the front and one in the back, have rear-wheel drive, which isnt ideal when youre trying to travel up a snow-covered street.

Nate looked for a cheap car to work on, and he came across the Volkswagen, which was sitting in somebodys field north of Gillette. He bought it for $500. After that, he began to gather parts.

A 22-inch wheel from a scrap yard. A trunk lid from eBay. A piece of metal from a 1954 Ford pickup was turned into the rear fender.

A lot of its just trial and error, a bit of Google in the mix, said Nate, who estimated that hes put about $3,000 into the car since he bought it.

Trust the process

He wasnt alone in creating the contraption.

Tyler, who wants to be a mechanical engineer when he grows up, helped a bit on it. Nates father, John Sikkenga, did a lot of the engine work. And C&F Repair and Cowboy Up Auto did a lot of the brake work and external changes.

Ken Ford, owner of C&F Repair, said hes worked on some pretty crazy projects over the years, but (the three-wheeled car) was one of the more different ones.

Ford mounted the third wheel and put a brake on it, which he said took some trial and error, research and ingenuity.

It was a challenge, but it was fun, Ford said. I enjoy those kinds of crazy things. Theyre a little hard to make money at, but they keep things interesting.

Ford was the first person to drive the vehicle in its three-wheeled form. He said he was a bit worried in the beginning, but as he got everything set up, those worries disappeared.

I initially worried that it wouldnt be stable enough, but it actually is stable. It handles pretty good, he said.

Cowboy Up Auto filled in the rear fender  covering up where the back tires used to be  and built the new fender. Shop manager Joe Terry said hes done work on a lot of custom vehicles, so this project wasnt too outrageous.

But, It was the first custom three-wheeler Ive ever worked on, he said.

If anyone wants to undertake a unique project of their own, all they need is a plan, Ford said.

I guess your only limitation is your imagination, he said.

Drive

The vehicle handles more like a regular car than a motorcycle. The ride might be a bit bumpy, but one must remember that the car was originally built in the 1980s, and it still has its stock suspension.

Youd think its a little tippy, itll lean a little bit for a corner, Nate said. But it handles good.

Sometimes, it sounds like the back is going to fall off, Tyler said as he drove it in June. And even if it had four wheels, it would still turn heads just from it doing its best motorcycle impression.

Because the rear wheel extends from the back of the vehicle, the wheelbase is lengthened significantly, meaning that the driver has to be careful when making turns.

It has the same turn radius as a truck, but you dont think it because its so small, Tyler said.

Dealing with the government

The hardest part of the project hasnt been anything mechanical. Rather, its working with the state Department of Transportation.

The vehicle is street legal, but as a passenger car. When Nate first started the project, he wasnt sure what kind of vehicle classification he was going for.

WYDOT told him it would be a homemade motorcycle. In its current form, Nate believes hes created a motorcycle, but WYDOT isnt convinced.

The state defines a motorcycle as every motor vehicle having a seat or saddled and designed to travel on not more than 3 wheels in contact with the ground.

I keep counting the wheels on it, and every time I count them I come up with three of them touching the ground, Nate said.

He hopes that once he gets that cleared up, WYDOT will give him the vehicle identification number hes looking for. Easier said than done.

They keep telling me, if you modify it a little more, well give you the VIN for it. I keep doing more to it, they keep saying its not quite enough, he said. I cut the axles off because they were worried a guy could just bolt the tires back on and have a car.

Nate hasnt checked with the state in a while. Hed planned to get the VIN by Tylers 15th birthday, but his son got a hardship permit last fall, which allows him to drive the vehicle all day as long as hes off the streets by 8 p.m.

I think if I could talk to the right person, we could probably just get the VIN we need for it, he said.

So whats next for this vehicle, a motorcycle in spirit that handles like a hatchback and a pickup at the same time?

Nate said that once he gets the VIN, hell make some more changes to the car. The next version of this vehicle could look completely different. It might be doorless, the roof and the back seats might be removed. It could have handlebars, an actual saddle and racing stripes.

The next Sikkenga kid, Aspen, is 13, so her dad has a couple of years to get it ready for her 15th birthday. As of right now, shes not too thrilled about the prospect of driving it.

She thinks its pretty noisy. But I can do some different exhaust work on it, quiet it up if thats what she needs, Nate said. Itd be a great learners vehicle for her, where somebody smashes into it, were not out a whole lot, its a lot safer than putting her out there on a regular motorcycle.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some July 2 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.
In his previous life, people gave their trust to J.P. Dyal as their financial adviser, to plan their dreams of getting a home, a car, a stable future.

He climbed the corporate ladder, owned businesses, helped others launch theirs, but was married to a job that consumed his life at 80 hours each week.

Then, in 2008, the Great Recession cast him adrift with a divorce as well as the loss of his job.

Dyal, now 44, had to reinvent himself  but nothing in his past prepared him for the life he has come to embrace.

He found his salvation and a new passion because of his Ego.

That was the name of the mustang he owned. Originally, a friend adopted Ego, a 6-year-old mare, but she was not able to ride her even after hiring a trainer. Dyal began training her himself and after three months of hard work was able to ride her safely. It took a year before it was safe enough for other people to ride her.

Riding Ego was therapeutic, and I rode her almost every day, he said. After a while training her became natural, although he also consulted with experts and went to training clinics.

Before he knew it, Dyal was approached by other horse owners who found out about his newfound skills and sought his help.

His transition was not something he planned: It kind of happened.

For eight years now, as a colt starter, he has taken halter-broken horses and taught them so they can be ridden.

Mustangs, the classic symbol of the American West, have a special place in his heart:

They saved me and I havent let them go since.

A clean slate

Working with mustangs is like working with a clean slate. They are something that is wild  its never been handled, he said, adding, When a horse allows you to touch it, that horse has let you into its life.

Dyal works long physical hours, from dawn to late in the evening, working mostly alone, almost every day. He is always trying to make ends meet.

Its a life his parents, especially his father, dont quite understand, and it is certainly nothing like his life in Florida, where he grew up in Fort Lauderdale and around the Keys. Dyal was raised on a bay where his family had a boat, watching ships of all sizes come and go. Then he went off to Auburn University and set course for his life in corporate America.

By 2015, his unlikely second calling found him in Tucson at the White Stallion Ranch. Then, after a brief period of training mustangs in the Chiricahua Mountains, he returned here this past February.

Along the way he came across his first Extreme Mustang Makeover event in 2009, as a spectator.

Created by the Mustang Heritage Foundation, in cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management, the makeover is in its 11th year of competition, taking place in 10 cities.

It challenges, almost dares, horse trainers across America to tame a mustang that has been virtually untouched by human hands.

From wild to gentle

By the time competition starts, the horses must be accustomed to wearing and being handled using a halter, and they have to be saddle-trained. But that is not the hard part. The hard part is that it must be done within 100 days.

The mustangs are from 10 Western states, including Arizona, from short- and long-term corrals and pastures managed by the BLM. The agency has more than 46,000 wild horses and burros in its care, the Interior Department says.

The BLM rounds up mustangs regularly, partly so that remaining herds in the wild have plenty of food and water. The captured horses need new homes.

It is critical that we bring awareness to the opportunity of adoption, said Kali Sublett, the executive director of Extreme Mustang Makeover.

The EMM events were created to showcase the trainability and adoptability of American mustangs while also providing the public with the opportunity to adopt a gentle mustang, she said.

The competitions are entertaining, but the goal is for attendees to walk away with a better understanding of the situation for American mustangs, Sublett said.

By offering gentled animals, we are ensuring that the transition from wild to private care would be less intimidating for both the mustang and its new owner, she said.

Trainers compete for cash and prizes, but the ultimate goal is to find their horses a home through adoption at the end of the competition.

Since 2007, when the makeover competition began, the foundation has been to 34 cities and 23 states, providing homes for more than 9,000 mustangs.

Its flirting with a fine line, because you are cramming a years work in 100 days, Dyal said, adding, Its the ultimate in horsemanship.

Bonding with Moose

The horses are assigned randomly, and thats how Dyal was recently paired with Moose.

To make the challenge even harder, Moose, a 6-year-old mustang from the Owyhee herd northeast of Reno, Nevada, came with a deep gash on his nose that went clear to the bone. It was thought to be life-threatening because it became infected.

I was afraid that if I returned him he would be euthanized, Dyal said.

Dyal found himself without the resources to pay for Mooses much-needed operation. Then, help came from some of the veterinary staff workers at Rogers Bandalero Ranch, at 8526 E. Tanque Verde Road, where Moose was staying.

Mooses fate might have been different, said Alicia Lindholm, a veterinarian who worked on the mustang. The injury was well past the usual time frame for a successful closure, she said. The combination of Dyal bringing him to be treated and the horses willingness to cooperate made a difference, she said. Mooses attitude also allowed for him to be sedated so his injury could be cleaned and treated.

It may have been the severity of the injury, combined with Moose knowing people were trying to help him, but he seemed to trust Dyal without question. Before long, Moose was following Dyal around the stables, shoulder to shoulder wherever he went.

I cant explain how trust is developed, Dyal said. Its an energy, some unseen energy that I cant put into words. It is an incredible feeling of acceptance.

At the same time, it is fragile and can be damaged, he said.

When I first started training horses, I had to start thinking the opposite way a person normally thinks because we are predators and horses are a prey animal. Horses are used to being chased and their first instinct is to run to avoid conflict.

In training they learn through nonverbal means of communication, such as the release of pressure, Dyal said. That could mean releasing tension on a lead rope attached to the halter after the horse responds correctly to a command. Even turning your back on a horse helps to release pressure.

Dyal eventually nurtured trust by blindfolding Moose during parts of his workouts, a technique enabling the bond to flow between rider and horse, he said. It is not a technique he uses right away. He blindfolds a horse when he wants to take it to higher level.

After some time, a horse trusts Dyal as it begins to understand that no harm will come to it. Each step it takes makes the horse rely on the rider. It then becomes confident and begins to communicate on a more sensory level, paying more attention to the riders leg pressure, to sounds and to surrounding smells, he said.

A home for moose

The long workouts, sometimes twice or three times a day, may be the reason Dyal and Moose took fourth place in a field of 22 riders and horses last weekend at the makeover competition in Reno.

As a result, Moose has found a new home at Hunewill Guest Ranch in California.

He is super-mellow and kind of gentle and J.P.s a great trainer, said Megan Hunewill, whose family started the working ranch in 1861, then turned it into a guest ranch during the Great Depression.

Mustangs live a long time, they are durable, sure-footed and smart and they take care of people, Hunewill said.

Moose is just what we were looking for, she said. He will have a long life here.

Accomplishing the goal of helping Moose find a new life is its own reward for Dyal because now, after so much time, he can appreciate how his own life has been transformed.

The money might have been great in his past, he said, but you dont get the same reward or the feeling of happiness that you find when working with a wild animal.
How do people get their drivers licenses suspended?

Getting precise answers to that question proved to be a little trickier than it seemed at first to the Road Runner. Its also an issue this column will likely return to in coming editions because the legal and financial consequences of a license suspension can snowball quickly, especially for the countys many low-income residents.

To get to the bottom of it, the Road Runner requested a spreadsheet detailing all charges or citations filed in January in Pima County Consolidated Justice Court that went into default or otherwise resulted in mandatory license suspension. When someone doesnt pay a fine or falls behind on payments for certain violations  largely limited to moving violations  Arizona courts contact the states Motor Vehicle Division, which then suspends licenses, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation and local court officials.

That first request brought back a list of roughly 420 cases, the vast majority of which involved nonpayment of fines for civil traffic violations, most fairly minor. It also included around 50 DUI-related charges that come with mandatory suspensions, most of which had likely expired by the time the data was provided in late June.

But it turns out that the most common single charge, driving without a seat belt, does not actually lead to license suspension, according to interim court administrator Micci Tilton.

That specific violation was cited in a June 26 memo from County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry intended to counter what he called the common myth that DUI-related offenses are the primary cause of license suspensions.

While the relative weight of nonpayment of civil traffic fines was likely overestimated in the January data referenced in the memo, the broader claim that nonpayment of those often steep civil traffic fines is the most common path to license suspension is still true, according to Tilton and additional data analysis by the Star. City Court administrator Chris Hale said that was also the case for his court.

Numbers can fluctuate, but the fundamental issues are still the same, Huckelberry told the Road Runner. Were suspending a lot of more licenses than we need to, and the consequences are much larger for poorer people than those with wealth.

Excluding the seat-belt charge and another charge that does not appear to result in suspension from the January data, a strong majority of suspensions  57 percent  still stemmed from nonpayment of civil traffic fines.

A county spokesman said that once county administrators receives the updated data, Huckelberry will send a revised memo to the board.

However someone gets their license suspended, not having one can open motorists up to potentially serious and costly consequences, which several officials have described as a vicious cycle of mounting unpaid fines, criminal charges, possible jail time, job loss and other destabilizing repercussions. Those who either knowingly or unknowingly continue driving with a suspended license put themselves at risk for the misdemeanor charge of driving with a suspended license (DSL), which results in a mandatory impoundment of vehicles.

But in Pima County, how city and county prosecutors handle that misdemeanor has taken some of the sting from the charge.

Deputy City Attorney Alan Merritt said his office dismisses those charges outright and has done so since October 2015. Thats because many people charged with DSL dont appear for initial court appearances, resulting in an arrest warrant and, with some frequency, their costly booking into the county jail. There are more failure-to-appear warrants for people with DSL charges in Consolidated Justice Court  over 2,300  than for any other charge.

Its absolutely not the best use of jail time and its enormously expensive, Merrit said.

Statewide in fiscal year 2014, more than a quarter of the 54,000 people cited for DSL after civil traffic issues eventually failed to appear for court hearings, according to the Arizona Supreme Courts 2016 report Justice for All. That report called for making license suspension a last resort, not a first step, and reducing first-time DSL citations to civil matters.

The county Attorneys Office has a different policy than the city Attorneys Office, but with a comparable result. County attorney spokeswoman Amelia Cramer said that for first-time DSL offenders whose licenses werent suspended for DUI charges, the office lets them plead down to a civil charge and allows extended periods of time to get their licenses reinstated.

That arrangement has been around for a while, but Cramer said that in the last couple years her department has made a concerted effort to do that as much as possible.

Cramer said local officials have done much of what can be done without changes in state law.

State laws say that:

Anyone cited with DSL  even if that charge is eventually dismissed, has their vehicle impounded.

That DSL is a misdemeanor and judges have limited latitude when it comes to reducing fines for indigent defendants.

And licenses are suspended for failure to pay.

Two pieces of legislation that would have made significant changes made it through the state Senate but both died in the House in March.

The James E. Rogers School of Law at the University of Arizona is exploring the possibility of a program in which law students would assist defendants with DSL charges and suspended licenses, according to clinics director Paul Bennett. Tiltons office also recently started sending out more positive, less punitive reminders of fines or other court requirements and allowing more time to lapse before reporting those cases to MVD for suspension.

Local defense attorney Stu de Haan, who has represented a number of clients who have multiple DSL charges and sometimes stratospheric unpaid fines, said the city and county policies have helped some people avoid criminal charges. However, the high cost of traffic fines mixed with high rates of local poverty makes it easy for many residents to get overwhelmed.

These are just things that people cant pay, he said, adding: I think its very hard to get out of if youre a working family, just to afford these fines and impound fees. It spirals very quickly, with a couple minor mistakes youre out a couple thousand dollars.

DOWN THE ROAD

Kinney Road, from Arizona 86 (Ajo Highway) to Calle Don Manuel will be closed 24/7 starting 6 a.m. Wednesday. Traffic will be rerouted to alternative routes during the closure, which is a part of the continuing Arizona 86 improvement project.
Pima County was awarded a three-year $1.7 million grant for lead paint abatement and other home safety repairs from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Work funded by the grant will start in the 2018 federal fiscal year, which begins in October.

About $1.5 million will be used to identify and remove lead hazards from an estimated 100 homes primarily in Ajo, the Flowing Wells area and the city of South Tucson. The areas were selected based on their large populations of low-income households with children, and concentrations of homes built before 1978.

Molly Hilber, the lead grant writer for this project, said the program will mostly target homes in these areas with children under the age of 6. The funding will also assist residents of Pima County who live outside the city of Tucson, which received a similar lead abatement grant from HUD in spring 2016.

The grant provides an additional $150,000 to help remove other household hazards in the selected areas. Potential items covered under the healthy homes funding include asbestos and mold removal, repairing broken handrails or steps, and removing other trip hazards.

Some of the funding will also be used for educational purposes.

Marcos Ysmael, the manager of the Pima County Housing Program, the department leading this project, said they are hoping to provide special safety trainings.

We are going to be promoting education for both homeowners and renters, as well as landlords, rental properties and contractors who will be working on these properties and may not be aware of all the hazards that could be present in these homes, he said.

Pima County will collaborate with several different local organizations to implement each part of the program.

Outreach and research will be done by The Southwest Fair Housing Council and the Sonoran Environmental Research Institute, which will assist Spanish-speaking communities and focus on outreach during community events.

The International Sonoran Desert Alliance and the Desert Senita Community Health Center will work to inform qualifying households in the Ajo area about this program. ISDA will undergo special training and will be responsible for conducting abatement in Ajo, under the supervision of Pima Countys Department of Community Development and Neighborhood Conservation.

Participating households will be able to have their children tested for lead through community health organizations including El Rio Community Health Centers, mobile nursing care services provided by the Pima County Health Department and Desert Senita Community Health Center, according to Hilber.

Lead poisoning in children can cause developmental delays, learning difficulties and a host of other serious health problems. Lead can be found in the paint of older homes, older water pipes and faucets, and in some toys manufactured outside of the United States.

I think every parent wants what is best for their children, but there are some very real barriers that make it difficult to get their homes assessed for lead hazards, she said. We hope to remove some of those barriers with this program so any child in Pima County can have access to a healthy home.

This is the first grant of its kind to be awarded to Pima County. This year HUD awarded $127 million in lead-abatement grants to 48 different agencies across the nation.

We dont always have the funding for lead abatement or to address these hazards in other properties, Ysmael said. This funding will allow us to be able to do that and hopefully we will get others involved, other partners and additional funding so we can keep this going.

To learn more about the program, call 724-8562.
Perla Barraza clearly knows shes fortunate.

Shes lived in Tucson nearly her whole life but without legal authorization. But that hasnt stopped her from graduating from high school or taking classes at Pima Community College or performing on stage with the grass-roots Borderlands Theater or being an active member of the community or being a mother, sister and daughter.

And shes been able to work, as well. She has DACA status  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals  which gave her temporary legal permission to work and protection from deportation, made possible under former President Barack Obama in 2012.

While she has been able to accomplish much in her 25 years, her goal of attending a state university has eluded her. The tuition is out of her reach. Even if she were able to pay in-state tuition.

But a state appeals court last month ruled that Barraza and others like her must pay out-of-state tuition, which is more than double what residents pay to attend the states universities and colleges. Although the Arizona Board of Regents voted Friday to maintain in-state tuition for dreamers, young people who were brought to this country illegally by their parents, the issue will move on to the state Supreme Court.

But even paying in-state tuition for DACA students is a burden because state law prohibits them from receiving any form of state financial aid.

Barraza, however, will be able to avoid this legal quandary by attending college outside of Arizona. Shes headed to Mills College, a small private liberal arts school in Oakland, California. Shell be on scholarship but will need money for living and other incidental expenses.

Last week, relatives and friends of Barraza attended a dinner at the Global Justice Center in South Tucson to raise money to send her and her daughter off to Oakland. While she is deeply grateful for the scholarship, she laments that resources for DACA students to attend college in Arizona are few and the barriers to do so are great.

Its kind of upsetting, she said. The state doesnt want me, the schools dont want me. Not just me but people in my community as well, regardless of their legal status, she said.

Mills College will pay for 80 percent of her tuition and the remainder will be paid by additional scholarships and help from friends. She intends to study theater and ethnic studies.

As it turns out the expensive school is the cheaper alternative to attending college in her home state. It says a lot about the private college, she said. It believes in dreamers and immigrants.

Despite their DACA status, dreamers believe nothing much has changed for them. Their family members remain in fear of being discovered and deported. And DACA doesnt protect them from invasive questions posed by law enforcement agents.

Francisco Salcido, who is undocumented and has DACA protections, said his legal status does not shield him from unfair and intimidating treatment.

Im still one of the bad immigrants, Salcido said sarcastically.

Salcido, who works at Baboquivari High School in Sells on the Tohono Oodham Nation, said that all too often he is stopped and vigorously interrogated at the Border Patrol checkpoint on Arizona 86, despite his protest that he has DACA status.

He said agents have surrounded his vehicle. He is asked questions. He is viewed suspiciously, he said. He is sent to secondary inspection. Agents do not wave him through as they do with cars filled with sun-toasted tourists returning from a weekend trip to Puerto Penasco.

There has been one noticeable change at the Border Patrol checkpoints: The pressure has ramped up since the election of President Trump, he said.

Like his friend Barraza, Salcido hopes to attend a four-year college. After graduating from Sunnyside High School, Salcido enrolled at Pima Community College on a full scholarship. But after one semester the scholarship was taken away because he is undocumented. Subsequently he re-enrolled, but family hardships forced him to withdraw. Hes the only one in his family who can legally work.

Salcido is happy for Barraza. So should we all be if we are intent on making better lives for others and for ourselves. Barraza and all the other thousands of dreamers are working toward achieving opportunities for themselves and their families. They benefit. We benefit.

This shouldnt have to be a dream.
Police records show what appears to be a yearlong gap in the investigation of a 4-month-old baby who officials said suffered serious injuries while in the custody of her foster parents.

In addition to the delay in the Tucson Police Departments investigation, which began in March 2016, the Arizona Department of Child Safety didnt make a public notification of the incident for more than a year.

The baby, who was taken to a hospital in critical condition, showed signs of severe head trauma that doctors said was not accidental.

Despite the doctors statements, DCS didnt determine the near-fatal incident was the result of abuse until four months ago, when it substantiated the reports against both foster parents, according to state records.

State law forbids DCS from releasing information on a childs death, or near death, until it is proven that a child died or nearly died because of abuse, abandonment or neglect by a parent, guardian or caregiver, said Darren DaRonco, a DCS spokesman.

Since TPDs investigation wasnt closed until March 2017, DCS was unable to make a public notification of the incident until the agency completed its own investigation.

Although DCS documents show the agency determined in March that the near-fatal incident was a result of abuse, the incident wasnt made public until April 27.

Last March, Tucson police responded to Banner-University Medical Center for a child-abuse call and learned the baby had been admitted to Tucson Medical Center two days before with flu-like symptoms and a double ear infection, according to TPDs investigative report.

While at TMC, the baby suffered a stroke and was transferred to Banner. The next day, testing confirmed she had retinal hemorrhaging, bruising to her brain and a fractured right arm, the report said.

Doctors told police the head injury could have occurred up to 48 hours before the baby was taken to the hospital and the fracture was about 2 weeks old, according to the records.

Because no one was arrested in connection with the case, the Star is not naming any of the involved parties.

Employees at the foster familys day care said the baby had been out sick for about three weeks and the day of the incident was her first day back. That morning, the foster mother had called the day care to say the baby didnt seem like herself and was a little off, the records show.

When the baby was first dropped off at day care, she was making a weird gasping sound but her foster father said she was OK and it was just a side effect of the medication she was on for the respiratory illness, the records show.

Later in the morning, a transportation worker arrived to take the baby for a scheduled visit with her birth father and when she returned two hours later, she looked horrible, like there was no life in her, one employee told police.

The day care contacted the babys foster father, who arrived nearly two hours later to take her to the hospital. He didnt seem to be very concerned, one day-care employee told police.

Police also spoke to an employee of Casa de Los Ninos who supervised the babys visit with her biological father the day she was taken to the hospital and confirmed he didnt hurt the baby that day or on any other visits, the report shows.

The police report shows interviews with the Casa employee, three day-care workers, the foster mother  who all denied hurting the baby  and other children who lived at the home.

Police never interviewed the foster father, with one detective noting in March 2016 that he had tried to call the man several times and left messages that went unreturned. On Feb. 24, 2017, a detective noted again that the foster father was unable to be reached.

In January, there was a note in the report that the case was still open with further information to follow.

In February, detectives spoke to a second doctor who treated the baby and confirmed the injuries could be the result of shaking, but there could be other causes.

He described (the injury) as only occurring in child abuse, high speed car accidents, and crush injuries, like a bookshelf falling over on an infant, the records show.

At the end of the investigation, detectives were unable to determine when the injury took place or who caused it, a detective wrote in the report.

The case was presented to the Pima County Attorneys Office, which declined to prosecute.

When asked about the year-long gap in the investigation, Sgt. Kimberly Bay, a police spokeswoman, said the county Attorney Offices child-abuse protocol includes investigative components by outside agencies, including DCS and the Office of Child Welfare Investigations.

Our first concern was the health and safety of this child and all others involved in this incident, Bay said, adding that the foster parents relinquished their state licenses shortly after the incident.

After the baby was released from the hospital, she was removed from her foster parents custody and placed with another family. Her current medical condition is unclear.

DCS records show that a second foster baby in the home was moved to a new placement, but the couples other children were determined to be safe in their parents care.

The baby was removed from her birth parents in October 2015, after DCS received reports of neglect.
Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse said Sunday that he is troubled by President Donald Trump's latest attacks on the news media because he is concerned about the danger of "weaponizing distrust," which can harm the freedoms that define a democracy.

"There's an important distinction to draw between bad stories or crappy coverage and the right that citizens have to argue about that and complain about that and trying to weaponize distrust," Sasse said in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union." "The First Amendment is the beating heart of the American experiment, and you don't get to separate the freedoms that are in there."

The Republican freshman senator's remarks come after Trump spent the past week relentlessly attacking the news media  including CNN, MSNBC, CBS and The Washington Post  in a barrage of tweets and at event honoring veterans Saturday night at the Kennedy Center in Washington.

"The fake media is trying to silence us, but we will not let them," Trump said, without offering any evidence that journalists -- who cover every public remark made by the President -- have attempted to silence him.

"The fake media tried to stop us from going to the White House," Trump said. "But I'm President and they're not."

Sasse added that while "(t)here are a whole bunch of particular journalists who should be called out for particular stories that aren't good enough," it is "not helpful to call the press the enemy of the American people"  a direct reference to language used by the President to describe journalists.

Trump has referred to the media as "the enemy of the people" several times since taking office, telling the annual Conservative Political Action Conference last winter, "A few days ago I called the fake news the enemy of the people, and they are  they are the enemy of the people."

Trump used the same language in February, tweeting, "The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!"

Sasse said that while he agrees with Trump "that there's a lot of crappy journalism out there," if Americans are not open to hearing differing views, it's "going to be possible for people to surround themselves only with echo chambers and silos of people that already believe, only believe what they believe."
OPINION: "There is no other profession that is more rewarding than serving our nation's heroes. To all our veterans, thank you for your service, and we have your back!" writes Jennifer Gutowski, CEO/director of the Southern Arizona VA Health Care System.
The last Week In Politics has been busy with The Queens Speech making its way through parliament with every amendment being voted against by the Conservative-DUP pact. We have seen further fallout from the Grenfell Tower fire and the local councils inability to handle the aftermath of the disaster with council leader, Nicholas Paget-Brown resigning. Along with the start of Brexit negotiations, the Conservatives have had little time to reflect over the election results.

Theresa May said repeatedly that they were a government getting on with the job.

The job though has been a bad one at best. The hastily put together government have begun Brexit negotiations unprepared and they have shown in their voting how little they care for society already.

The Queens Speech

There were 3 amendments tabled, two from Jeremy Corbyn and one from Chuka Umunna. The first amendment on Wednesday was to end the public sector pay rise cap, which has been capped at 1% since 2010. This was the first test for the Theresa Mays Conservative-DUP. The amendment was voted down by just 14 votes, with no Conservative MP rebelling and the DUP voting with them. Estimates suggest that those working in the public sector will be earning 2,500 less than they were in 2010.

The second amendment was a key Labour pledge, the end of austerity.

Despite Theresa Mays insistence that austerity was over after the election result, the amendment was defeated by the Conservative-DUP pact, 309 ayes to 323 noes. The third amendment was tabled by Chuka Umunna, entailed for the possibility of remaining part of the single market and the customs union after exiting the EU. This was defeated with just 49 Labour MPs voting in favour, the rest abstaining.

The Queen Speech itself went through unscathed, 323 ayes to 309 noes, the Conservative-DUP holding out for now.

The government are continuing to pursue their austerity despite senior figures suggesting that they would drop it after the election disaster. The vote against ending the public sector pay rise cap underlines the Conservatives careerist attitudes and is highlighted when you place focus on Bournemouth East MP, Tobias Ellwood.

Who was rightly praised for his assistance during the London Bridge terror attack. Mr Ellwood was full of praise for our public service workers, labelling them heroic for their work as they risked their lives to protect MPs and civilians alike. Yet he voted against giving them a pay rise.

Chuka Umunnas amendment was pointless and only allowed media rhetoric to claim that there were still deep divisions in the Labour Party, which took the focus off the Conservatives failure to give our public servants a decent wage for the work they do.

Conservative-DUP pact and Brexit

There has been a lot of focus on the deal with the DUP and what it will mean for the peace agreement in Northern Ireland and the current political stand-off with Sinn Fein.

The Conservatives managed to find 1.5 billion to give to the DUP for infrastructure in Northern Ireland, but if this was in a third world African nation, this would be called a bribe. Plus, the government are meant to be unbiased during power-sharing talks between Sinn Fein and the DUP.

Brexit negotiations started with David Davis U-turning on day one over the sequencing of negotiations, the order in which aspects are negotiated. First is the exit agreement and the EU and the UK will want sufficient progress on this, which includes the Irish border, money, citizenship etc. before engaging in the second area, the relationship between the UK and the EU, especially in terms of trade. Supporters called this a compromise however, the government didnt get anything out of it.

Others called it a concession but this implies they had no choice. This was nothing but a capitulation from the government, with Juncker succinctly replying no when asked do you have any idea what the UK wants from Brexit?
One more incident of Shooting in a crowded place has taken place in downtown Little Rock in Arkansas  this time it was in a nightclub, and it left more than two dozen injured. The incident occurred early in the morning, and it seems it was the result of a dispute among club-goers. The club has been shut down, and its alcohol license has also been suspended.

Mark Stodola, the Mayor of the town has confirmed the incident and has indicated that most of the injured suffered gunshot wounds and are expected to survive. Little Rock police are not treating this as an act of terrorism.

What actually happened?

Sky News reports that the incident happened during a show by a performer from Memphis, Tennessee and one of its online posters showed a man pointing a firearm at the camera. The sign can be labeled as provocative. It was during the concert that gunfire suddenly broke out and dozens of shots fired in quick succession within a period of around ten seconds. This would indicate that there were a number of guns in use simultaneously.

Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner is of the opinion that said there was more than one suspect and it could have been a fallout of differences between individuals. Little Rock has witnessed several drive-by shootings in the recent past, and it highlights the fact that there has been an increase in the number of gun related incidents.

In the month of May, one person was killed and six injured in a mass shooting at a concert in Jonestown, Arkansas, and two men have been charged with murder.

Evils of gun violence

Firearms are easily available in America because the constitution guarantees the right to own a gun for personal safety. However, instances of misuse of that right is on the rise and is becoming a matter of concern.

There have been accidental deaths from firearms and even intentional ones where children were involved. During the regime of President Barack Obama, there were efforts to introduce background checks of would-be buyers, but it failed to clear the hurdles and was shelved.

There must be a realization that easy accessibility to firearms is an invitation for violence as has been reported from the shooting in a nightclub in Little Rock and deterrents are necessary to curb misuse.

Then only will it be possible to contain the increase in gun related violence and check crimes of this nature. Guns should be in possession of responsible persons, and the owner must ensure it is secure at all times so that it is not readily accessible to others. The gun is meant for personal safety, and it should not be converted into a weapon of death as has been done in Arkansas.
Bonanno Crime Family mobster Vincent Vinny Asaro, now age 82, was riding in a car that was cut off at a traffic light on April 4, 2012. Three days later, the car was torched by John J. Gotti, grandson of the notorious John Dapper Don Gotti. Asaro entered a guilty plea yesterday in federal court. His sentencing is October 24.

Before entering his plea, the octogenarian mobster-defendant told the judge that he would never cooperate against anyone. Asaro told New York City Judge Allyne Ross that he called that someone and that person burned the car at his request.

He said he made arrangements with the arsonist to take care of it and it was done.

Airport heist trial and threat to kill federal prosecutor considered at sentencing

He was charged, and went to trial, in an unrelated case in 2014. He was accused of orchestrating the $6 million, 1978 Lufthansa heist at Kennedy Airport. Fox 5 reported that the airport theft garnered the largest amount of money (from a theft) in the United States and was the genesis for Martin Scorseses movie Goodfellas.

He was acquitted in November 2015 for the airport cargo theft. After he was arrested for the 2012 car arson, and while jailed at Metropolitan Detention Center on resulting charges, he was accused of plotting to kill a federal prosecutor  believed to target Assistant U.S.

Attorney Nicole Argentieri, according to the New York Daily News. Both the airport theft trial and having been accused of planning a federal prosecutors murder can be considered at Asaros October sentencing.

Admitting violating federal Trade Act

His guilty plea on Tuesday was not only for his admission in the arson vendetta, it was also that he violated the federal Trade Act.

At his October sentencing, he faces the possibility of up to 20 years of prison incarceration and a $25,000 fine. He agreed to repay the owner of the car that was set ablaze.

Gotti, age 23, pleaded guilty to torching the car with 26-year-old Matthew Fat Matt Rullans assistance.

The duo of gangsters obtained the victims address in Broad Channel, Queens from Asaro, according to prosecutors.

They, then, poured gasoline on the car and lit it on fire. They failed to go unnoticed. There was an unmarked NYPD unit in sight, which followed them and, in turn, it led to a high-speed chase through Queens.

Gotti, who was the getaway car driver, was driving his Jaguar recklessly so the officer backed off the high-speed pursuit, according to court documents.

Gotti grandson pleaded to arson and bank robbery

Grandson of gangster Gotti, head of the legendary Gambino crime family, also pleaded guilty to an April 28, 2012, robbery at the Maspeth Federal Savings and Loan Association. According to prosecutors, Rullan drove the getaway car  this time. The duo netted almost $5,500 from the robbery. Rullan pleaded guilty to the bank heist and to the arson attack, posted $1 million bail, and left the court with his mother at his side.

Gotti already serving time for running drug ring

Gottis father, Peter, was in court Tuesday when he admitted his involvement in the car arson. Hes currently serving an eight-year prison term following his March 2 guilty plea for spearheading a Howard Beach oxycodone drug ring, totaling $1.6 million. When sentenced, Gotti may have to serve five to six years, but a judge can rule that his federal and state charges can run concurrent.

Asaro, Gotti, and Rullan face the potential of serving a maximum 20 years each in prison, which depends on the outcome of sentencing. If handed the maximum sentence, it will make Asaro 102-years-old when he is released.
If Melania Trump wants the world to think her marriage to Donald is a happy one, the latest bombshell accusation against her won't help. Perez Hilton got wind of a writer who went on Twitter Thursday to claim that the first lady has been Cheating on her husband for "many years" with a man who works inside Trump Tower. Several tweets by Monica Byrne allege that Donald Trump's wife is having an affair and that she received her information from a source she won't name.

Writer alleges the first lady is carrying on a long affair

Byrne's Twitter profile reveals that she's a novelist, artist, playwright, and activist.

She's vehemently against the current President and all he stands for. She made serious accusations against Melania Trump by stating that she's been having an affair with the head of security at Tiffany's located inside the Trump Tower lobby. A photo of the man she's referring to was posted on her account, but the image isn't posted here to protect his privacy amid the shocking allegations.

Monica Byrne tweets that the real reason Melania Trump didn't move to Washington, D.C. after the election was because of the affair. It's been widely reported that Mrs. Trump stayed behind in New York City so that 11-year-old Barron could finish the school year. The campaign was reportedly hard on Donald Trump's youngest son and Melania didn't want to make things more difficult for him by disrupting the school year.

Byrne, however, claims that the move was put off over Melania's supposed cheating.

A few samples of Byrne's tweets are listed below. News sources have yet to report on this other than Perez Hilton, but her claims won't go unnoticed. The same was true when former White House staff member, Claude Taylor, shared on Twitter that he heard from a reputable source that the Trumps signed divorce papers, but didn't file because Donald won the election.

Byrne touches on the same allegation in her series of tweets; she wrote that the Donald and Melania had to "renegotiate the agreement" and she is "imprisoned in that marriage for as long as he's president."

But here it is: word is, for many years, Melania's been having an affair with the head of security at Tiffany's in the Trump Tower lobby.  Monica Byrne (@monicabyrne13) June 1, 2017

So they had to renegotiate the agreement. She is imprisoned in that marriage for as long as he's president.  Monica Byrne (@monicabyrne13) June 1, 2017

Trumps shrug off divorce speculations

The Trumps have endured a significant amount of reports surrounding divorce rumors.

Sources have claimed that Melania has been "miserable" and "unhappy" about her life has turned out since Trump decided to run for president. A spokesperson from the White House has openly denounced the reports as false and untrue, stating that the first lady fully supports her husband.

Is Melania Trump having an affair with someone who works inside Trump Tower or is this a scathing lie created by someone who has great disdain for the President?
The relationship between Donald Trump and the mainstream media appears to be getting worse by the day. After another round of Twitter attacks, the president addressed a crowd of veterans but decided to hit back at the press in the process.

Trump on media

Donald Trump is the President of the United States but spends a good chunk of his time bashing the press on social media. Since the early days of the 2016 presidential election, the former host of "The Apprentice" has been at odds with various journalists, newspapers, and cable news hosts. After kicking off his campaign by labeling illegal immigrants as "rapists" and "murderers," Trump was faced with an onslaught of criticism from the majority of the mainstream media, which has only increased over the last two years.

Earlier this week, Trump directed his attention to the hosts of "Morning Joe," accusing Joe Scarborough of being a "psycho," while claiming Mika Brzezinski was "dumb as a rock" and had a "facelift." In the 48 hours since his first tweet on the issue, Trump and the White House have gone into defense mode, with the president taking time out of his recent speech to veterans to bash the press, as reported by Mediaite on July 1.

While attending the "Celebrate Freedom Rally" in Washington, D.C. on Saturday night, Donald Trump was supposed to stay focused on honoring veterans. However, like he has in the past, the billionaire real estate mogul went off script and decided to brag about his election win, while taking a few shots at the media in the process.

Trump Rips Media During Speech to Veterans: Im President and Theyre Not https://t.co/d46S9gFgiI pic.twitter.com/lFYaQLris0  Mediaite (@Mediaite) July 2, 2017

"The fake media tried to stop us from going to the White House but Im president and theyre not," Donald Trump told those in attendance at the rally. "The fact is the press has destroyed themselves because they went too far," Trump continued, before adding, "Instead of being subtle and smart, they used a hatchet." "The dishonest media will never keep us from accomplishing our objectives on behalf our great American people," the president went on to say.

Moving forward

Despite Donald Trump continuing his attack on the media, the president has many other issues in front of him. With his health care bill facing almost universal criticism, Trump is also dealing with reported in-fighting in his own administration and a growing scandal surrounding Russia, all while his approval rating drops to under 40 percent. While it's unknown how the future will play out, Trump is not showing signs of changing his tune anytime soon.
A Minnesota teenager is now facing charges after she accidentally killed her boyfriend, whom she shot for a YouTube Stunt video. The woman is actually pregnant with her second child by the deceased boyfriend.

The woman was identified as 19-year-old Monalisa Perez and the victim as 22-year-old Pedro Ruiz. In the video, Ruiz held a book in an attempt to stop a bullet but it went through. They have made a total of 18 videos together which were posted on YouTube and have been a couple for five years. Some of the videos involved stunts and challenges.

Victim insisted on shooting the stunt

On Twitter, days before the incident, Perez took to the social networking platform to say that they will shoot their probably most dangerous video ever. She cleared it out that it was Ruizs idea and not hers. She did not give out details about what they were going to shoot but it seems that she pertained to the stunt that killed Ruiz.

Perez told investigators that Ruiz showed her a book that was previously used to stop a bullet -- an Encyclopedia. Ruiz had been practicing shooting at books before he proposed that they try the stunt and record it. They then positioned the book in front of his chest and Perez stood a foot away from him. She fired the gun and the stunt went wrong, NBC News reported.

After the shooting, Perez called 911 and said she accidentally shot her boyfriend. When emergency responders came, he was pronounced dead at the scene and the cause of death was determined as the single gunshot wound that penetrated through his chest.

She used a Desert Eagle .50-caliber handgun. It was found near the home where the couple lived in Halstad in North Dakota.

It is unclear who owned the gun.

Perez was charged with second-degree manslaughter. She is no longer in custody as she posted bail amounting to $7,000. If convicted, she could face up to 10 years in prison on top of a $20,000 fine.

Family saddened by tragic turn of events

According to W-DAY TV, an aunt of Ruiz, Claudia, said the family wishes they had not do what they did as it was just another prank by the couple.

She added, They were in love. It was just a prank gone wrong. It shouldnt have happened like this. It shouldnt have happened at all. Claudia did not say whether she was present at the time the incident took place or if other people were in the home.

The family also said that the couples first child, a three-year-old daughter, witnessed the shooting. Police did not say if Perez will lose custody over their daughter.
On Friday of last week, the President of the White House Correspondent's Association (WHCA), Jeff Mason, sent letters to his organization's staff saying that he and others had met with White House officials that week to discuss their issues with press briefings. Over the past few weeks and since President Trump had returned from his trip to Saudi Arabia and Europe, both Press Secretaries Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders have banned recording devices in the Brady room, ignored members of the press, have not held press briefings on a regular basis as well as cutting them short in what many see as protection of the President as well as the White House avoiding accountability.

WHCA note on White House briefings. pic.twitter.com/V9o2z4SXDi  Jeff Mason (@jeffmason1) June 23, 2017

Breaking with tradition

Other reports have acknowledged that these meetings with the WHCA had taken place and Spicer and Sanders have explained their sides where they also vowed to be more open with their briefings. Of course, this isn't an issue that's coming from the association so much as the White House itself by breaking with decades of tradition. White House aides would only have to hold regular briefings as they always have but the issue appears to be more of their deliberate attempt to make it harder for the press to cover the White House. Many opinion and analysis pieces in the media have said that on-camera press briefings were never the norm until the early 90s.

A growing war with the media

Many of them have also provided a comparison of when U.S. presidents have accommodated the press in their own way. As the days pass, however, the White House goes further into a black-out by no longer publishing the President's schedule and so there are less details about what he is set to do on a daily basis.

Cabinet members have already reportedly stopped bringing the press in tow with them and when they have, they have essentially dumped them. There are already signs of reporters becoming angry with the press secretaries. For instance, it's been reported that CNN's Jim Acosta had called Sean Spicer "useless" after their first full day of the crackdown on the press corp.

A columnist and executive editor for a few Sentinel newspapers, Brian Karem, also lashed out at Sanders this week when she called them all fake news. As a side note, the trump administration -- since it was a campaign -- has referred to stories that put him in a negative light as "fake news". The term has gone viral and is used by Trump supporters to attack media outlets such as CNN and others as well as reporters they don't like to get tough questions from. There have been at last a few times when the administration has dumped the press and allowed foreign media outlets to cover the event such as they did when Secretary of State Rex Tillerson traveled to Moscow.

During that trip, Tillerson reportedly dumped the press that had gone there to cover the meeting and when he finally met with President Putin Russian state media was there to cover it instead.

This also happened when Russian officials came to the White House to meet with the President, U.S. media was not allowed to cover the meeting instead, it was Russia Today. A growing number of reporters have recently demanded that the media boycott the White House for not having on-camera recordings. In a similar sign of aggression, Mika Brzezinski of MSNBC's Morning Joe was viciously attacked by President Trump via Twitter this week as to her appearance. Republicans rushed to her defense for the attack being beneath the presidency. Morning Joe also responded to an attempt by the President to blackmail the program using the National Enquirer. Here is a video of that incident.
Earlier this week, comedian Kathy Griffin came under fire for posting a picture of herself posing with a mock decapitated head of Donald Trump. In the aftermath of the backlash, Griffin held a press conference and didn't back down.

Griffin on Trump

When Donald Trump decided to run for president nearly two years ago, it didn't take long for the battle lines to be drawn between himself and Hollywood. The majority of celebrities out in Hollywood hold liberal political views which clashed with Trump's aggressive and controversial rhetoric and polices, One of the big stories coming out of the 2016 presidential election was the outrage over Trump's campaign, which was evident during various comedy shows, late-night talk shows, and endless Twitter feeds where the former host of "The Apprentice" would trend on a daily basis.

Since his inauguration in January, the opposition to Trump has only increased, with his approval rating hovering around just 40 percent. The criticism from Hollywood has also amped up, which was clear in the aforementioned Kathy Griffin photo. After posting the image, conservatives reacted negatively, with even Trump and his family taking to Twitter to express their outrage. Griffin would end up being fired by CNN from co-hosting their yearly New Year's Eve special, as well as having sponsors drop out. As reported by ABC News on June 2, Griffin held a press conference and explained her actions while hitting back at the president.

Kathy Griffin says Pres. Trump and the First Family is personally trying to ruin my life foreveryou guys know him, hes never gonna stop pic.twitter.com/9fPesESCBp  ABC News (@ABC) June 2, 2017

With her newly hired lawyer Lisa Bloom by her side, Kathy Griffin addressed the backlash over the Donald Trump decapitated head photo.

"What is happening to me has never happened, ever, in the history of this great country," Griffin said, detailing the alleged bullying she's received at the hands of the Trump family and their supporters. Griffin went on to accuse the president of "personally trying to ruin my life forever. "You guys know him, hes never gonna stop," she continued.

"What is happening to me has never happened, ever, in the history of this great country," Kathy Griffin says https://t.co/T5uqozQu3e pic.twitter.com/py15gGkACc  CBS News (@CBSNews) June 2, 2017

Kathy Griffin admitted that she "made a horrible mistake," while adding, "This is america, and you shouldn't have to die for it." Not stopping there, Griffin did say she would continue to rip into the president, but elaborated further on her thoughts.

"I'm not afraid of Donald Trump. He's a bully. I've dealt with older white guys trying to keep me down my whole life."

Kathy Griffin: "I'm not afraid of Donald Trump. He's a bully. I've dealt with older white guys trying to keep me down my whole life." pic.twitter.com/LNCgz4tMmU  ABC News (@ABC) June 2, 2017

Twitter reacts

In response to Kathy Griffin's press conference, conservative and liberal social media users were not pleased and decided to target the comedian even further. "'I would never want to hurt anyone,' says a weeping Kathy Griffin, who has spent her entire career saying horrendous things about people," John Podhoretz tweeted.

To @kathygriffin and @lisabloom: you could not be doing more to help Donald Trump if you were Putin. Please stop this selfish nonsense.  Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) June 2, 2017

Kathy Griffin says SHE was bullied by Trump family after disgusting photo of Trump's severed head. That's 1st funny thing she's said in yrs!  Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) June 2, 2017

Kathy Griffin says Trump & his family are trying to ruin her life. But he didn't cause the outrage or CNN's firing for stunt she regretted  HowardKurtz (@HowardKurtz) June 2, 2017

"Kathy Griffin says SHE was bullied by Trump family after disgusting photo of Trump's severed head.

That's 1st funny thing she's said in yrs!" former Alabama Gov. Mike Huckabee wrote on his Twitter feed. "To @kathygriffin and @lisabloom: you could not be doing more to help Donald Trump if you were Putin. Please stop this selfish nonsense," former ESPN and MSNBC host Keith Olbermann tweeted.

Hell would be being trapped in a room with both Kathy Griffin & Donald Trump vying for media attention  Roland Scahill (@rolandscahill) June 2, 2017

"I've been living this my whole career," says Kathy Griffin. Oppression. She's oppressed. The oppression of Kathy Griffin. Call a cop!  John Podhoretz (@jpodhoretz) June 2, 2017

"In sum: Kathy Griffin can say and do all the mean things she wants, but if you're mean back, shes going to hire a lawyer and cry about it," Tim Young wrote.

"Hell would be being trapped in a room with both Kathy Griffin & Donald Trump vying for media attention," Roland Scahill tweeted. The negative reaction to Griffin continued as it appeared clear that those on the political left and right were not happy with what took place.
Netflix has decided to shelve another original show, "Sense8," after two seasons. It did not come much as a surprise after weeks of speculations, but it was still heartbreaking for fans. The streaming giant did not disclose the exact reason for the cancellation, but it might have something to do with company founder and CEO Reed Hastings wanting to "take more risk" with its content.

Goodbye, 'Sense8'

There had been speculations about the cancellation of "Sense8" for weeks due to lack of renewal announcement for Season 3. On Wednesday, Netflix's VP of original content, Cindy Holland, confirmed that the sci-fi drama has indeed been axed.

She wrote in the statement, "After 23 episodes, 16 cities and 13 countries, the story of the Sense8 cluster is coming to an end." The statement did not indicate the specific reasons for the cancellation, but instead, it gave praises to the series, saying that it is a global show that demonstrated equality and diversity around the world. This made people wonder why the show has been canceled in the first place.

Is Netflix trying to cut losses?

According to The Verge, Netflix looks aggressive in cutting its losses from shows that do not turn out to be a big hit among viewers. "Sense8" has an estimated budget of $9 million per episode in Season 2. Speaking at the Code Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes, California, Hastings told CNBC that because the company's hit ratio is currently way too high, they need to have an overall higher cancellation rate.

That's why he said he is constantly pushing his content team to take more risk and do more crazy things.

The cancellation of "Sense8" comes a week after Netflix pulled the plug on its expensive musical drama, "The Get Down," which only had one season. It had an estimated budget of $120 million for Season 1. Netflix has also canceled "Marco Polo," "Lilyhammer," "Hemlock Grove," "Bloodline" and "Longmire."

"Sense8" was created by Lana and Lilly Wachowski and J.

Michael Straczynski. Its cast members included Daryl Hannah, Aml Ameen, Doona Bae, Jamie Clayton, Tina Desai, Tuppence Middleton, Max Riemelt, Miguel Angel Silvestre and Brian J. Smith. The story followed eight strangers from around the world who find themselves connected through their thoughts and actions. They embarked on a journey of finding out what happened and why, while an organization is hunting them down to destroy them.

Fans expressed their desire to save the show by posting on social media with the hashtag #RenewSense8 prior to Netflix's announcement.
Since the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and National Liberation Army (ELN) formed in 1964, it's been reported that 260,000 people have been confirmed dead, 60,000 have gone missing and 7 million people have been displaced. Now, the fighting has finally come to an end with a peace deal cut by the liberal Columbian President Juan Manuel Santos. Santos had been wanting to work on a deal with the Farc Rebels for decades but the conditions were not right until 2016 when he vowed -- no matter the obstacle -- to make that peace deal.

The completion of a peace deal

It would take two tries, the first attempt at a peace deal was based on a public vote where a majority of Colombians disagreed with the conditions that would allow FARC rebels to integrate back into society without paying a price for decades of violence. The second attempt went forward with some adjustments that would pay fewer concessions to members of the group and their leaders but the deal was struck and now, as of last week, the rebel group officially finished disarming. But the ELN is still very much active and has admitted to the charges of kidnapping.

The group's chief negotiator Pablo Beltran spoke during the second round of talks that took place in Quito, Ecuador where he said that they were also working on conditions for a ceasefire.

Beltran also spoke on Caracol Radio where he said that they would be ready to stop kidnappings which is one of the conditions for a ceasefire. The ELN negotiator said that a ceasefire with their group would help bring humanitarian aid to the people in areas that are still considered "conflict zones". Pablo Beltran also said that they hoped they could complete their peace deal before Pope Francis came to visit in September.

Help from United Nations

On Friday, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Colombia, Jean Arnault, said at the United Nations Security Council that they would begin to work on other aspects of the peace agreement. Arnault was referring to the integration of FARC rebels but he too focused on areas in Colombia that were in need of humanitarian aid.

There is no doubt that reintegration of FARC fighters will be challenging as the Colombian people have shown that they are not quick to forgive. Arnault -- who has been given the task of reintegration -- told the security council that they would be focused on providing security to some of the fighters and to some areas to ensure a smooth process. The UN envoy will be working to unite the parties and bring confidence to many who are still reluctant.
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MOSCOW  President Tran ai Quang and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday expressed particular interest in strengthening commercial co-operation, agreeing on investing more than US$10 billion in either country.

At a joint press conference following talks between the two leaders in Moscow, the two leaders announced that the investment would be poured into 20 priority projects, including a joint Vietnamese-Russian oil and gas enterprise, the construction of a light industrial zone in Moscow and projects carried out by Vietnamese dairy group TH in some Russian localities.

Another $500 million would be spent on projects with high potentials in new areas of bilateral co-operation like agriculture or medicinal herbs, the leaders said.

The two countries have also set an ambitious target of bilateral trade reaching $10 billion by 2020.

Oil and gas will remain the top priority sector for co-operation between the two countries, Putin said.

Vietsovpetro, a Viet Nam-Russia joint venture, accounts for a third of the crude oil extracted in Viet Nam.

Putin said Russia was committed to providing Viet Nam with cooking gas, petrol and other fuels. He also said Russian enterprises were more than ready to lend a hand in modernising Viet Nams power plants and and help the country build new power plants.

The two leaders also agreed to co-ordinate closely with each other in implementing the Viet Nam-Eurasia Economic Union Free Trade Agreement in order to fully exploit its advantages for further co-operation in trade and investment.

The FTA, involving Viet Nam, Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan, was signed in May 2015 and took effect on October 5 last year.

Viet Nam and Russia are committed to creating favourable conditions for enterprises to step up trading, including signing agreements on food safety management and promoting payment in Vietnamese ong and the Russian rouble, the leaders said.

Joint ventures to assemble and produce cars in Viet Nam will soon be set up and co-operation stepped up in energy and infrastructure. The leaders said they will also consider the potential for continuing co-operation in the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes.

On the East Sea (South China Sea) dispute, Quang and Putin agreed that any border or territorial dispute should be resolved by peaceful means without resorting to the threat or use of force, in accordance with international laws including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS).

They agreed the Declaration of Conduct in the South China Sea (DOC) should be implemented fully and effectively, and hoped that the South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) will soon be completed.

President Putin affirmed that Viet Nam would always be a priority partner for Russia in the Asia-Pacific region. He said he believed that Quangs visit will provide fresh impetus to the development of the bilateral ties in the coming time.

Quang reiterated that Viet Nam has consistently prioritised strengthening of the comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia in order to promote further bilateral co-operation in all fields.

The two leaders later witnessed the signing ceremonies for several co-operation projects including the building of a nuclear technology and science centre in Viet Nam between the Vietnamese Ministry of Science and Technology and the Russian Rosatom Group, a co-operation agreement on anti-money laundering between the State Bank of Viet Nam and the Financial Market Relations Regulation Centre, and another between the Vietnam News Agency and the Sputnik.

A memorandum on technical co-operation between the two State treasuries was also signed in the presence of the presidents.

A 2017-22 co-operation programme in aerospace technology between the Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology and the Roscosmos State Corporation for Space Activities and an agreement between the Viet Nam Railways Corporation and the Russian Railways Open Joint Stock Company were also signed on Thursday.

Meeting with Russian PM

Viet Nam treasures its comprehensive strategic partnership with Russia and consistently prioritises the development of bilateral relations to make it more sustainable and effective, President Tran ai Quang said on Thursday.

Meeting with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow as part of his ongoing four-day official visit to Russia, the President said that Viet Nam sees Russia as one of its top important and reliable partners.

He highlighted the strong political ties between the two countries as well as co-ordination between the Viet Nam Communist Party and the United Russia Party led by PM Medvedev.

Quang said he was delighted at visiting Russia for the first time since he took office in 2016. His noted with pleasure that his visit also coincided the 100th anniversary of Russias October Revolution.

President Quang and PM Medvedev expressed their high determination to lift the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries to new heights. They also agreed on measures to promote and deepen bilateral ties.

The Vietnamese President proposed that the two governments foster co-operation with effective implementation of the Viet Nam-Eurasia Economic Union free trade agreement, and by creating favourable conditions for import-export activities between the two countries.

Both sides should encourage co-operation projects, especially in oil and gas, energy, automobile assembly and production, and milch cow breeding and milk processing, he suggested.

He thanked Russia for supporting the Vietnamese community in Russia, and pledged Viet Nams assistance in the organisation of the Russian Culture Days in Viet Nam this year.

For his part, the Russian PM expressed his fond sentiments for Viet Nam, and recalled memories of earlier visits to the country.

Medvedev noted that bilateral ties have grown in all fields, especially economy and trade, and said he hoped both governments will continue their focus on bolstering trade and investment ties. He suggested that the two sides actively seek more co-operation projects.

The leaders expressed pleasures at the close co-ordination between Viet Nam and Russia at multilateral forums, including the APEC.

Medvedev said Russia was willing to work with Viet Nam in successfully organising APEC Year 2017.

Earlier the same day, President Quang and the Vietnamese delegation laid flowers at the Ho Chi Minh Statue in Moscow and planted a tree in Ho Chi Minh Square.

They also laid a wreath at the monument in the Red Square commemorating unknown martyrs who died between 1941 and 1945, and paid tributes to the Russian revolutionary leader Vladimir I. Lenin.  VNS
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Isolated from the mainland by a river, Tam Hai island commune, in the central province of Quang Nam is an ideal destination for adventure trips, with crystal-clear water and white beaches, Hoai Nam reports.

As summer approaches, islanders from Tam Hai commune, just five minutes by boat from Nui Thanh Districts Tam Quang Commune, will begin collecting seaweed (sargassum henslowianum) from the waters surrounding the island.

The seaweed harvest lasts nearly two months, so the beach will be crowded with local fishermen during this time.

Its a bumper crop this year, with the chance to earn more than VN3 million (US$133)  nearly double the communes revenue per capita  from selling dried seaweed starting at VN5,000 per kilo.

However, for many the seaweed market offers little reward compared to other sources of income, with fisheries accounting for 70 per cent of trade in the 8,400-population commune.

Nguyen Ngoc Tho, 63, who retired from local administration, said harvesting seaweed was an unstable trade and source of income for residents.

Fishing has been the major breadwinner for islanders for centuries, and aquaculture has emerged as a new trade recently. However, residents havent yet become rich from fishing, mostly because they work close to the shore with small boats, Tho said.

Tho, who was born and grew up in the village, said the island emerged 600 years ago and its historical vestiges still remained in Thuan An hamlet at the foot of Ban Than Mountain.

Day trippers: A ferry helps connect Tam Hai Island with mainland Nui Thanh District in Quang Nam Province. VNS Photo Cong Thanh

The village, which is sandwiched between two estuaries  Cua Lo and An Hoa  has a rich ecology that is perfect for the mass production of seafood and wetland species.

Tho earns most of his living from squid, caught between 4am and 2pm every day.

Each kilo of squid earns him around VN200,000 ($9).

Baby lobsters are even better, with prices of up to VN350,000 ($15) per kilo.

Untouched island

Just five minutes by boat from Nui Thanh town, Tam Hai Island has protected its habitats and lifestyle from urbanisation.

The waters surrounding the island are well protected by coral reefs that stretch over 5km, and a primary mangrove forest, creating a safe shelter for fish.

Catch of the day: Local women sell fresh fish from their husbands latest catch offshore. VNS Photo Cong Thanh

The island has plenty of natural forests and rich wetlands for both seafood production and tourism, but it needs a Master Plan for future sustainable development, said vice chairman of the communal peoples committee, Nguyen Tan Hung.

The commune has only one resort  Le Domaine De Tam Hai resort, a French-style resort, and some guest houses to accommodate around 700 visitors at the weekend, Hung said, adding that hospitality education is a challenge for the commune in boosting eco-tourism.

He said only 12 qualified local residents were working at the resort.

According to a report by the commune, the communal fishing fleet of 519 boats caught more than 3,200 tonnes per year, worth a total VN61 billion ($2.7 million), while shrimp farms produced 731 tonnes, equal to VN66 billion (nearly $3 million).

Although shrimp farms were the highest earners for the commune, climate change and poor planning of aquaculture will result in heavy losses for fishermen in the near future, according to Hung.

The commune has been seeking sustainable measures to improve incomes for islanders, while protecting the environment as well.

Le Thi Co, 45, said she could earn enough to feed her family from selling seaweed, but that was not the only way she makes a living.

We know seaweed is major food source for fish and aquatic species, but we need money for leisure. Fishing is the best way to earn a living, even if it is risky due to natural disasters, Co said.

Bach Thi Lan, 50, has just opened a food stall on the beach to serve weekend tourists, hoping that tourism will increase.

Tropical paradise: A beach in Tam Hai Island commune. VNS Photo Cong Thanh

Its still an odd job for me. Anyway, it means I can earn a little beyond my husbands fishing. I hope more visitors come to the island in the future as islanders could improve their living standards through tourism services including homestays, tour guides, car parking and boat trips, Lan said.

We have every thing here, fresh air and beaches, seafood and hospitality. We hope our lives will improve from our traditional trade and the available treasures of nature and landscape.

Popular sites

The islanders still preserve the largest grave in the central region  where 500 whales are buried. The creatures died on the coast or offshore over the course of many centuries.

Although fresh water is abundant on the island, villagers still take water from two ancient wells at the foot of Ban Than Mountain for cooking every day.

They said the two wells  which were dug up by the Cham people  allow access to the most pure sources of underground water from the mountain.

Ban Than Mountain, which was used as a heliport for US troops during the war in 1960s, is a popular camping site on the island.

Quang Nam has chosen the island as a future eco-tour site. A reception centre and pier for cruises is planned for the location, said vice chairman of the communal peoples committee, Hung.

We offer environmentally-friendly investment projects on the island, including electric cars, bicycles and recycled energy, Hung added.

He said an islet, Long Thanh Tay, spanning 100ha, is home to 400 fishermen and is planned as another eco-tour site in connection with the island.

We design it as an isolated site for nature adventurers. The islet, a 30-minute boat ride from the island and mainland, is perfect for relaxing away from the mainland, Hung added.

He said the islet, which is protected by a 7.5ha primary mangrove, will have an organic farm serving the eco-tour site.

Under the sun: Local fishermen dry seaweed on the beaches of Tam Hai Island. VNS Photo Cong Thanh

Challenges

Waste treatment, renewable energy, hospitality education and erosion are the biggest issues standing in the way of Tam Hai Island becoming an eco-tour site.

Despite launching regular beach cleaning programmes, local residents still dump rubbish on the islands pristine beaches.

Pham Van Thien, a volunteer, said he regularly saw rubbish on the beach.

We feel sorry when we see rubbish on the beach. Our volunteer team offers a free cleaning and decoration programme on the island to promote it as a top site in the central region, Thien, 23, said.

We will paint old walls of houses and public roads with murals, and encourage local people to clean the beach, raising awareness on environmental protection, he said.

o Kim Hung, a senior commune official, said the island planned to build a furnace to burn household garbage with a capacity of 10 tonnes each day.

We have struggled to find a suitable location for a garbage furnace, and have launched campaigns against the use of plastic bags, and promoting the 3-R (reduce, reuse and recycle) programme, he said.

Early this year, Quang Nam in co-operation with Quang Ngai has launched a new tour, connecting Tam Hai Island with the UNESCO-recognised world biosphere reserve Cham Island-Hoi An and Ly Son Island.

Traffic infrastructure is available on the island, but poor public traffic routes from Hoi An, a Nang and Quang Ngai has limited the number of visitors.

Tourists have to use different bus routes from a Nang and Hoi An before getting ferries to the island, while the cruise port is still under construction, said Nguyen Ngoc Thang, a manager at Le Domaine De Tam Hai resort.

Almost 90 per cent of our customers are foreign, and we take on the cost of bringing them to the island from a Nang and Hoi An, he said.

Thang said he hoped the public traffic system will be built in the future to help tourists travel from hubs like Hoi An, Cham Island and a Nang.

Local residents hope of improvements to eco-tourism. Fishermen will live well from their fishing trade and tourism services will protect the islands ecosystem, Tho said.

More environmentally-friendly measures will be taken by local islanders in harmony with eco-tour services. They will be able to enjoy huge profits through the preservation of nature and island lifestyle.

He said tourists could explore lagoons, estuaries, beaches and mountains when they visit the island.

No noise and pollution, only sea, sand and the smiles of islanders, he promised.  VNS
Oscar-nominated French screenwriter and film director Olivier Lorelle was in Viet Nam this week for the premiere of his film Ciel Rouge (Red Sky). This is the fourth film made by a French director and entirely shot in Viet Nam, following The Lover, ien Bien Phu and Indochina which were presented to the public twenty years ago and won international acclaim.

He speaks with Vuong Bach Lien about the film and his career.

Inner Sanctum: Set in Indochina in 1946, the film tells the story of a French soldier who is forced to torture and kill a young Vietnamese woman who is fighting for national independence. Instead, he decides to flee with her on an unpredictable journey to the heart of the jungle.

Where did you get the idea for this film?

The idea came to me ten years ago, but I am a screenwriter and over those 10 years I only wrote for other films.

The starting point of my film Ciel Rouge (Red Sky), is the fascination of a man towards his enemy -- a woman who is very courageous. I need a battle, between two people from two cultures which are totally different. I need a war, not on the battlefield, but in a place where the soldier gets lost in a country which is swallowing him. The jungle attracted me.

And the film is a love story which begins with a soldier who is fascinated by the courage of his enemy. And I chose this Indochina War because it is the best war to make my film: French soldiers are lost in the country, in the jungle, and Viet Minh [resistance]soldiers are very courageous And all around, there is the jungle which can be the decor, the background for the film.

What I want to convey to the public is not the images of war, but the message about the meaning of love: what is love, what love can bring to us in life. Does love really make one progress and give to the other what they didnt have at the beginning?

Inner Sanctum: The film is shot in the jungles and mountainous areas of Viet Nam. Was it difficult to shoot the film in these locations?

Before shooting the film in 2015, I made two reconnaissance trips to Viet Nam in 2013 and 2014. Luckily, we got the support of Mathieu Ripka, a Frenchman who has deep knowledge about Viet Nam and who took part in the production of the film. He told us that it was possible to make the film in Viet Nam, and that we should not be worried about eventual difficulties.

In fact, many French films are made in Cambodia or in other Asian countries, but not in Viet Nam. Viet Nam has a reputation of being difficult for shooting because of complicated administrative procedures. But when we came here, we found it was great to work with the Vietnamese team. And we understand why you won the two wars... Its true, I have to say it People here work very efficiently, they are quick, and there were no problems about ego. And they are physically courageous.

We chose to shoot around Ba Be Lake and Ha Giangs remote communes, two magnificent regions that are not known in France. I hope that French people who come to see the film in France will want to discover those regions for themselves.

Inner Sanctum: I guess that the Indochina War may be a sensitive subject for the French people. Did you feel pressure when making this film?

Its true that French people do not want to hear about the colonial wars. Those wars are always very delicate subjects.

Only three films in the history of French cinema have tackled the topic of the Indochina War (The 317th Platoon and ien Bien Phu by Pierre Schoendoerffer, and Indochine by Regis Wargnier). French people do not make films about the war. They have trouble showing political reality in cinema.

I found it difficult to get financing for Red Sky in France. Many French people couldnt accept that there was a French man who opened fire on other French men. For them, it is not possible But now as the film will soon be released in France, there is no political pressure about it.

Some years ago, I wrote the script for the film Hors-la-loi (Outside the Law) featuring the French colonial war in Algeria (nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards).

Many people demonstrated in the street the day before the film was released. They said that it was an indictment against France, and that it was French funding for an anti-French film.

Recently, newly elected French President Macron said that the French people had orchestrated a crime against humanity with the war in Algeria.

And his statement raised a lot of anger among many French people. War is not an easy subject for the French people.

However, the Algeria War is still quite new while the Indochina War is already old. For me, making films to tell stories for the next generation is an important thing to do.

Inner Sanctum: You won international fame with several of your scripts, in particular for the Oscar-nominated Indigenes (Days of Glory) which won you the Cesar award. But you were previously a Doctor of Philosophy. What motivated you to become a screenwriter, and then a director?

At the beginning, I wrote scripts for theatre. I also worked as a professor. And I wrote scripts for the cinema to earn money [laughs], to stop being a professor It wasnt a good reason. With the theatre, I did not earn money. And then writing for the big screen started to interest me.

Philosophy helped me a lot in this work as it is a very clear discipline. It helps me know what I really want to say in my film, what is the emotion linked to this idea.

And why did I become film director? Because I want to be able to tell my story in a more personal way. And because people often forget about the screenwriters [laughs]. VNS
DES MOINES  With new farm bill negotiations beginning, the pork industry has made clear whats at the top of its wish list: a vaccine bank with a large enough supply to handle the first two weeks of a foot and mouth disease outbreak.

David Herring, a producer from North Carolina and vice president of the National Pork Producers Council, said FMD would quickly affect the nations livestock industry.

It would likely cripple livestock production, and have a huge impact on the rest of agriculture, he said at the World Pork Expo, June 8.

The U.S. has not experienced an FMD outbreak since 1929. Herring pointed out with nearly 1 million pigs and 400,000 to 500,000 cattle being transported on U.S. roads daily, any foreign animal disease would spread quickly across the country.

A change in policy by USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service calls for vaccination rather than eradication.

Herring said, in theory, that would be the preferred method of handling the disease.

We dont have enough vaccine available, he said. According to Iowa State University, we would need at least 10 million doses in the first two weeks to get started on it.

U.S. law prohibits storing of the FMD antigen on the mainland, so all antigen is stored at the Plum Island research facility. Herring said the antigen would have to be shipped overseas to laboratories in Europe to be made into a vaccine. The entire process, he said, could take two to three weeks.

Herring said the pork industry is asking Congress to include an annual expense of $250 million in vaccination funding each year of the upcoming farm bill.

While that price is steep, it pales in comparison to what it would cost the livestock, grain and other ag industries, he said.

NPPC is asking APHIS to contract with an offshore FMD vaccine bank to provide enough antigen to handle all strains throughout the world. That contract would not only handle the initial 10 million doses, but provide for surge production of up to 40 million doses.

Herring stressed because of increased movement around the globe, the risk of FMD, or other foreign animal diseases, continues to grow.
CHARLES CITY  Police in Charles City say a person was shot to death, and an arrest warrant has been issued for a suspect.

The shooting was reported just after 10 p.m. Friday at the Casa Apartments in the 2100 block of Clarkview Drive. The victim was pronounced dead at a Charles City hospital.

Police did not identify the victim.

Police issued an arrest warrant for 36-year-old Antoine Williams charging him with first-degree murder. He is described as a black male, 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds.

Williams is considered armed and dangerous and should not be approached. He may be in a red 2006 Chevy Equinox with Iowa plate DOW568. Call law officers if you spot him.

Ex-St. Ansgar

tenant fined

ST. ANSGAR  The former tenant of a St. Ansgar apartment building accused of stripping wiring from the units appliances and leaving it filled with garbage has been fined $65.

James Curtis, 35, of Stacyville, originally was charged with felony second-degree criminal mischief, but agreed to plead guilty to misdemeanor fifth-degree criminal mischief.

He was ordered to pay court costs. A restitution hearing is set for Aug. 11.

Curtis is accused of causing about $2,000 in damage to his former residence, 204 N. School St., St. Ansgar.

A police officer who toured the residence with the landlord Feb. 1 saw garbage on the floor, two air conditioners that had been torn apart and a washer and dryer that had been stripped of copper wiring, according to a criminal complaint.

The yard also was torn up by a vehicle.

Enticement

charge filed

DIKE  A Wisconsin man was arrested in Grundy County last week for enticement of a minor.

Carson Sibley, 26, La Crosse, Wis., was arrested Wednesday at 12:14 p.m. at the Grundy County Lake at Dike for enticing a minor under 16 for sexual purpose, a Class D felony.

Sibley remains in the Grundy County Jail under a no bond hold.

Grundy County sheriffs office said the arrest was made following an investigation by the Grundy County Sheriffs Office, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Iowa State Patrol, Black Hawk County Sheriffs Office, U.S. Homeland Security and the La Crosse, Wis., Police Department.
Liberty, freedom and fireworks  thats what Americans celebrate on the Fourth of July.

This year marks the 242nd birthday of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Americans are planning to wave the red, white and blue at backyard cookouts  consuming a whopping 150 million hot dogs, by the way, as well as attending parades, patriotic concerts and fireworks displays.

Take a look at some facts about the holiday:

In 1776, there were 2.5 million residents in the U.S.

56 patriots signed the Declaration of Independence

Our current American flag design was chosen in 1960. Weve used 27 different official flags in U.S. history.

The first July 4th parade took place in 1785 in Bristol, R.I.

John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on July 4, 1826, on the 50th anniversary of the adoption of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. Adams last spoken words at his death, unaware that his friend had died hours earlier, were Thomas Jefferson survives.

In 1870, Congress made July 4th a federal holiday; it became a paid holiday for federal employees in 1941.

There are 86 places in the U.S. with independence, liberty, freedom or eagle in their name.

65.5 percent: The number of Americans who will attend a 4th of July picnic.

44 million Americans plan to travel more than 50 miles from home for July 4th festivities.

Well consume 150 million hot dogs on the July 4th weekend.

July 4th is the No. 1 beer-drinking holiday (1 billion+ will be spent). Approximately $568 million spent on wine for July 4th

$7.1 billion will be spent on July 4th food

16K fireworks displays are held each July 4th

$800 million is the estimated spending on fireworks in 2016

$324.8 million is the value of annual fireworks imports into U.S. (mostly from China)

44 million Americans plan to travel more than 50 miles from home for July 4th festivities.
WATERLOO  The old adage is true. Its all about location.

Attendees at the inaugural Mayors Independence Day Festival raved about the chance to listen to music and see fireworks in downtown Waterloo. Before the fireworks smoke could clear, the crowd size showed the event to be a success.

I think its awesome, said Ann Jackson, of Waterloo.

Her daughter, Rosetta Robinson, was less effusive but no less pleased. I like it. Im enjoying it.

The pair came just to listen to music, make friends and enjoy a night out downtown. They didnt even plan to stay for the fireworks, though they were a minority on that.

Many attendees set up chairs early for the best view of the fireworks, then made their way to visit vendors and friends before the big show.

The event came together quickly, announced just 10 days ago. The Cedar Valley Jaycees decided against sponsoring a festival this year after hosting it for the past five years at the National Cattle Congress grounds.

The late notice did not stop the crowd. Hundreds turned out by the time Mayor Quentin Hart offered his welcome an hour into the program. And all were in good spirits.

Angie Marvets and Nicole Oscars of Waterloo got choice seats, setting up lawn chairs a little away from the crowd but front and center for the fireworks that would be set off from the nearby Park Avenue bridge.

Listen to some music and watch the show, and get the kids out of the house, Marvets said of what brought her out Saturday night.

Harts welcome was short and to the point.

I hope tonight youre ready for some fun, he told the crowd.

He ceded much of his time to sponsors that made the event possible.

They included JSA Development, VGM Group, US Bank and UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital. Main Street Waterloo organized the event.

Tom Peterson of Waterloo said he was pleased with Harts efforts to ensure there would be a fireworks show this year and the choice of location.

I think it was the chance for a new venue, Peterson said, adding, Fireworks, and the symphony too.

Tavis Hall, Main Street Waterloos executive director, said he has given little thought to next years festival but was pleased with the crowd Saturday night.

Our area obviously deserves fireworks over the weekend, and however we need to make that work, I think we can, Hall said. We just knew that it needed to be picked up for this year. We picked it up.

He said the organization will reassess after the smoke settles.
WATERLOO  The city is looking at a financial boon if it sells the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center.

Financial records and proposed development agreements with Omaha, Neb.-based Leslie Hospitality appear to show the deal would turn long-standing taxpayer subsidies for the downtown facility into a new revenue stream.

The move also leverages a $6 million renovation of the struggling 42-year-old center  the city couldnt achieve this without a public referendum  and $14 million upgrade at the adjacent Ramada Hotel, which would become a Hotel RL.

Despite concerns over possibly dropping the Sullivan name from the facility, Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart said the sale itself is critical to retaining convention business without tapping residents to pay for the necessary repairs.

Ive called everybody, Hart said. Ive called around the country. Ive called local developers. Where are we going to get that amount of money without raising your taxes even higher to fix up that convention center?

We can only bond $700,000 (a year) for this public infrastructure, he added. We needed more than that. We needed more than what we were able to do.

A proposal released last week shows Leslie Hospitality, which operates over $500 million in North American hotels and convention space, would take ownership of the convention center, buy the Ramada and spend an estimated $20 million giving both buildings a makeover.

The plan hinges on City Council members approving the sale and economic development incentives at a scheduled July 17 public hearing.

One development agreement gives the convention center to Leslie Hospitality; provides a $1.05 million grant from bonds already sold for center improvements; and 50 percent tax rebates on any new value generated by the renovation.

Leslie Hospitality would invest $6 million into renovations, including the city grant, and agree to maintain at least a $5 million value on the building for 15 years.

A second agreement requires Leslie Hospitality to invest $14 million into the 10-story, 228-room hotel; boost its current taxable value of $1.6 million to a minimum $10 million; and maintain a four-diamond rating from the American Automobile Associations hotel guide.

In return, the city would provide 85 percent tax rebates on the valuation increase and would donate back new hotel-motel taxes generated at the Hotel RL for 20 years. Those dont apply to the current taxable value or lodging taxes already being paid.

The convention center, as a city building, now pays no property taxes, while the Ramada is paying $59,000 this year due to its poor condition.

Based on current property tax rates, deducting the rebates and using only the minimum values required through the development agreements, the convention center would pay $140,000 in new taxes while the hotels minimum tax bill would climb to $148,000 a year.

Cost avoidance also plays a role in evaluating the agreements.

Chief Financial Officer Michelle Weidner said the city has borrowed $3.8 million since 2000 to make improvements to the center, paying off that debt with interest using property taxes and $700,000 in hotel-motel tax funds.

The citys five-year capital improvements program shows another $3.5 million in bond money for center improvements  or $700,000 annually  that wont be needed if it is sold.

Meanwhile, the city obligates 20 percent of its annual hotel-motel tax revenue to maintain the convention center, which amounts to $240,000 based on this years receipts. That money, generated by a 7 percent surtax on motel rooms, could be reallocated for other tourism-related uses if the center is sold.

City and Leslie Hospitality officials said the hotel and convention upgrade will have additional benefits not measured directly on balance sheets.

It is an economic catalyst for downtown Waterloo, said Leslie Hospitality spokesman John Maloney, noting other hotels, restaurants and businesses will benefit from increased convention traffic.

Aaron Buzza, executive director of the Waterloo Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the project would put Waterloo back on a level playing field with other cities with newer convention facilities.

The hotel had to be a major piece to the puzzle in order to make the convention center better, Buzza said. Everything weve heard is the hotel needs improvement. Thats a major domino that has to be pushed over for other things to fall into place.
A water quality rule that many conservatives viewed as federal government overreach is being rescinded, drawing applause from Iowas top elected Republicans.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency last week proposed a rule to eliminate what has become known as the waters of the U.S. rule. Implemented under former President Barack Obama, the rule was designed to protect water sources from pollution by defining which fall under the EPAs jurisdiction.

Opponents called the proposal an overreach and claimed the federal government would seek to regulate puddles, an assertion Obama administration officials disputed.

Last week, President Donald Trumps administration proposed to rescind the rule.

We are taking significant action to return power to the states and provide regulatory certainty to our nations farmers and businesses, EPA administrator Scott Pruitt said in a statement. This is the first step in the two-step process to redefine waters of the U.S., and we are committed to moving through this re-evaluation to quickly provide regulatory certainty in a way that is thoughtful, transparent and collaborative with other agencies and the public.

In Iowa, top elected Republicans gave the announcement a warm greeting.

Gov. Kim Reynolds framed the new administrations action as an example of what she has said on numerous other occasions regarding other issues: that the Obama administration was not a willing partner with states. (It bears noting, of course, that Reynolds is a Republican and Obama a Democrat.)

Waters of the United States was a significant and severe case of government overreach by the Obama administration. I want to thank Secretary Pruitt for recognizing that (the rule) forced onerous and unnecessary burdens on Iowas farmers and businesses, Reynolds said. I also want to express my appreciation to the Trump administration for its continuing commitment to work with states, not against them.

Iowas Republican U.S. senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, both praised the new administrations action while reminding Iowans they encouraged the Trump administration to rescind the rule.

All across Iowa, folks are calling for this rule to be scrapped, which is why I have led efforts in the Senate to do just that, Ernst said. This is good news for Iowa and rural communities across the country as we move closer to finally eliminating this overreaching rule.

Said Grassley, Having the federal EPA and the Corps of Engineers require permits for routine land use decisions is a waste of resources that are better used enforcing existing regulations against discharging pollutants into the nations waterways. Agencies ought to enforce the laws as Congress intended, not stretch beyond their authority to inflict unnecessary expense and red tape on law-abiding farmers and employers.

Reynolds in D.C.

Reynolds last week also visited Washington, D.C., and was awarded the opportunity to speak to President Trump and several agency heads, her office said in a news release.

The governor also was able to attend a ceremony honoring the 2016 World Series champion Chicago Cubs. A photo of Reynolds and Cubs players Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Eddie Butler was posted on the governors Twitter account.

Reynolds, according to her office, discussed renewable energy and Iowas diversified energy portfolio with energy secretary Rick Perry; explained to budget director Mick Mulvaney the importance of the ethanol mandate; and talked about high-speed internet expansion with Anne Hazlett, who heads a rural development program in the agriculture department.

Armed standoff

In conservative northwest Iowa, a few county supervisors and the sheriff are at odds over whether to ban firearms in the Woodbury County Courthouse.

A new law passed earlier this year by the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature strengthened the state law that says local governments cannot supersede state law in banning weapons in public spaces. The new law permits citizens who feel adversely affected to legally challenge a local government over its public building gun ban.

The new law carved out space for judges to continue banning weapons in the courtroom.

But on June 19, just a few weeks before the new state law would go into effect, the Iowa Supreme Court issued an order stating firearms will not be allowed in any Iowa courtroom, court-controlled spaces or public spaces in courthouses.

In Woodbury County, supervisors recently repealed the local ban on weapons in the courthouse, citing the new state law.

But Sheriff David Drew said his office will continue to enforce the weapons ban, citing the Supreme Court order.

The two sides have accused each other of playing politics with the issue. Sheriff Drew and the two supervisors who voted to repeal the ban all are Republicans.
A 1926 pamphlet titled The Rich Boy opened with The rich are different than you and me, and then went on to point out some differences. Today, that spells trouble for us common folks. President Trumps cabinet, department heads and advisers comprise a plutocracy of three multi-billionaires, two billionaires, 15 multi-millionaires, two millionaires and the rest are near millionaires.

The people now in charge have nothing in common with us. They mostly were raised wealthy, attended expensive prestigious schools and associated only with other wealthy people. None know what it is like to get by on a wage. The dichotomy between them and us is broad. Their goals reside in investments and banking, whereas ours are simply subsisting. Being rich, getting richer and staying richer are their basic motivations. They regard government regulations as an unwarranted impediment to their wheeling and dealing. They, more than any other people, have been responsible for every recession and depression faced by our country. Consider the stock market crash of October 1929 and the housing market crash of 2008 products of their machinations. They cannot be trusted because they dont think like we do.

Why are they more dangerous than before? They finally have seized power, not to run the government, but to use it to abolish all regulations impeding their greed. For instance, the day after Trump ordered continuance of the Dakota Access pipeline, another Iowa pipeline ruptured, spilling 46,830 gallons of oil that poisoned everything it touched. They continue clever propaganda to make us think they have our welfare at heart and a whole segment of our population has swallowed that B.S.

The scamming is underway. Government employees serious about applying law, regulations on environmental issues, financial swindles and transparency in government already are being replaced. The Supreme Court has made it legal to openly buy politicians. They will reduce medical aid, privatize Social Security (to make them money), repeal Dodd-Frank protective policies on Wall Street and put us in a trickle-down economy.

Here is one already is being considered. Under Trumpcare, poor people will be allowed a $4,000 tax rebate so they can afford Trumpcare. What good is a tax rebate to people who dont make enough money to pay taxes anyway? It is an out-and-out scam that looks good when you hear it but does no good to the people health care was designed to assist. They think we should be grateful for this magnanimous handling of our affairs. Heres another one. They propose tailing off Medicare as we age. Getting old is expensive. Right when we need assistance the most, they pull the rug out from under us. Rich folks minds work differently from ours.

What can be done? Well, were stuck with them for four years, so all we can do is track all their legislation with our goal of overturning all of it when we throw them out in four years. It shouldnt be difficult. By then, everybody with a brain or a semblance thereof should be realizing weve been reduced to chattels of the very rich and will be resenting it. The lesson is: Never let them back in any branch of government. Amenemope, 11th century, B.C.: If riches come to you by theft, they will not stay the night with you.
Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, 9/11, Sandy Hook, the June 14 Alexandria, Va., shooting of Republican congressmen; the list of tragic events Americans have witnessed is endless.

During troubling times our politicians and citizens come together, set aside their party affiliation and resolve conflict. But, unfortunately, the solidarity moments become short lived, and polarization picks up where it left off.

Political scientists disagree as to whether political polarization started after the Civil Wars reconstruction era, mid-1970s or early 1990s. However, all agree divisiveness is now at its zenith. With few exceptions, party-line roll call voting has become standard protocol.

About 93 percent of the voting choices during Americas 114th congressional session were along party lines  Democrats voted one way and Republicans voted the opposite. Never the twain shall meet seems to be apropos in todays political world.

With rampant polarization, nothing worthwhile gets accomplished and status quo becomes institutionalized.

It is well documented the bulk of roll-call voting in Congress comes down to two issues: the role of government intrusion in the economy and regional differences, whether its rural versus urban, upper- versus lower-class or white- versus blue-collar.

The largest political survey of 10,000 adults conducted by the Pew Research Center during January-March of 2017 revealed Democrats and Republicans are further apart ideologically than at any point in history.

What has brought us to such divisiveness? Four pieces of evidence speaks volumes.

First, the typical Republican is more conservative than 94 percent of Democrats, and the median Democrat is more liberal than 92 percent of Republicans, a 20 percent increase from 20 years ago.

Second, partisan antipathy has risen. Forty-three percent of Republicans, versus 17 percent 20 years ago, have very unfavorable opinions of the Democratic Party. Likewise, the share of Democrats with very negative opinions of the Republican Party has more than doubled in the past 20 years, from 15 percent to 38 percent.

Third, the percentage of independents who embrace both liberal and conservative views has shrunk from 49 percent two decades ago to 39 percent.

Finally, the most telling about why we are in the era of polarization, 62 percent of Ds and 57 percent of Rs define compromise as their side gets more of what it wants.

About 80 U.S. congressional delegates, half Republican and half Democrat, have formally endorsed the nonprofit organization No Labels that wants to replace the politics of partisan point-scoring with the action of productive problem-solving. They have co-sponsored 18 different pieces of bipartisan legislation.

Stop and think about this. Only 15 percent (80/535) of Congress has formally embraced the bipartisanship value.

Its appalling 1.4 million military personnel, average age 27, put themselves in harms way to protect Americas democracy yet our 535 congressional delegates, average age 58, supposedly mature, behave like juveniles and put party politics before the good of our country.

What should we do about Americas political polarization albatross? First, lets conduct an honest soul-searching assessment of both partys platform positions and polarization record, seek out multiple and diverse sources of information to become better informed, be open to non-combative dialogue with others who view life differently and become politically active.

Secondly, lets do a better job of vetting our Democrat and Republican candidates to determine if their values are too far left- or right-wing, or are they more moderate to bring our country back together in a more peaceful, centrist, constructive and productive manner.

Americas 325 million citizens deserve bipartisanship behavior, and it starts with you and me being a role model to our elected officials. Im up to the challenge of political soul searching and selecting centrist pro-bipartisan politicians regardless of party affiliation. How about you?
News / National

by Staff reporter

As the Zanu-PF succession wars enter a new phase, the list of unexplained break-ins at premises of the ruling party's bigwigs continues to grow, in a development analysts say indicates the depth of the acrimony between the party members.Observers say the incessant break-ins are inside jobs, aimed at sourcing information to outmanoeuvre one another as the battle to succeed President Robert Mugabe continues unabated.The protagonists in the battle to succeed the 93-year-old Zanu-PF strongman include two significant factions antagonistic to each other, the Generation 40 (G40) and its arch-rival Team Lacoste.The latter is rooting for Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa to succeed Mugabe, while the former is having none of it.Political analyst, Maxwell Saungweme, told the Daily News on Sunday that the break-ins are further proof of how daring the factions are in their pursuit of power and that there are no sacred cows in the bloody fights."The break-ins show that no one is safe in Zanu-PF. That the cases have never been concluded raises more questions than answers. Those are some indicators of implosion of the party from within. They are turning against each other," he said.The well documented break-ins have been taking place over the past three years, with the latest being the one at Defence minister Sydney Sekeramayi's Borrowdale residence.This had been preceded by a list of other break-ins at senior government officials' offices that include Mnangagwa, Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo, Macro-Economic Planning and Investment Promotion minister Obert Mpofu and the late former chief justice Godfrey Chidyausiku.Mnangagwa has been probably the biggest victim of the break-ins since his appointment as the country's vice president in 2014.However, what is interesting about all this is that the outcome of the investigations has never been made public.Mnangagwa was appointed the vice president after the sacking of Mugabe's former deputy, Joice Mujuru and several party bigwigs, on accusations of attempting to topple Mugabe in 2014 as the factional combat reached a crescendo.This is, however, not surprising as there are many other examples where the police have not made public the outcome of their investigations, making analysts suspect and conclude that the investigations revealed sensitive information linked to the Zanu-PF succession fights.The break-in at Chidyausiku's offices took place in 2014, where the thieves went away with a desktop computer and a television set among some of the items.At Mpofu's offices, in the 2015 break-in, nothing was stolen, while thieves went away with two laptops and other electrical gadgets, when they broke into Moyo's offices last year.What boggles the minds of many citizens is how frequent these break-ins are taking place and how the "thieves" are managing to gain entry at these officials' premises considering that these places are always guarded by armed police officers.It would be daring for a thief to trespass on such premises without expecting the worst, making the break-ins more suspicious.Some have been wondering if the general members of public are safe in a country, where "thieves" can pounce on the place of residence of the Defence minister, who has so much security.Shakespeare Hamauswa, a political analyst, said without doubt, the break-ins are linked to the Zanu-PF succession wars."Those break-ins are a manifestation of the succession wars. The security system in Zimbabwe is sophisticated such that they could have concluded what was going on," he said.In the Sekeramayi case, the break-in took place after his name was thrown into the succession race by Moyo, while he was presenting a paper at Sapes Trust.Moyo, who is largely believed to be a G40 member, threw Sekeramayi to the deep end, with analysts suspecting the Defence minister is now the cabal's leader, literally pitting him against Mnangagwa.With the succession issue blowing high and hot, it has become the only reason outside any police investigations that people attribute to the break-ins."The victims have been linked to succession war in Zanu-PF. This gives credence to the assumption that the break-ins are a continuation of the succession war through other means," Hamauswa said.
Toques, the starched, stovepipe hats worn by chefs, are crowned with 100 tiny pleats that, explain the French, represent the 100 ways to prepare an egg every cook must master before earning the title chef and a much-prized toque.

Recent action by President Donald J. Trump and his administration suggest there must also be 100 ways to cook up more robust American agricultural trade and they  ready or not  are happy to try them all.

The president started stirring the trade pot three days after his inauguration when he cancelled American participation in the nearly-complete Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, the 12-nation deal that would have overseen trade on 40 percent of the global economy.

Most farm group leaders strongly supported TPP, but no one complained too loudly. When they did, many echoed the view of American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall who noted, With this decision, it is critical that the new administration begin work  to develop new markets for U.S. agricultural goods.

Well, sure, but less than two months later Duvalls mild admonition was met with more anti-trade heat from the president when Trump  as he had throughout his campaign  called NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement, a catastrophe and the worst trade deal ever.

Most farm groups again held their collective tongues until other political leaders  this time, the president of Mexico and Canadas prime minister  telephoned Trump to explain the continental consequences of the U.S. pulling out of the deal. Trump relented, saying hed move to renegotiate the agreement tied to 14 million American jobs.

Shortly thereafter, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced an agreement in principle between the U.S. and Mexico in a long-simmering sugar dispute. The agreement, however, wasnt warmly received by all farmers. Sugar beet and cane growers complained loudly that it would allow more, not less, Mexican sugar into the U.S.

On June 16,Trump dropped another trade brick on farmers. I am canceling the last administrations completely one-sided deal with Cuba, the president announced during a visit to Miami.

This time, however, most ag groups reacted swiftly and not so sweetly. We urge the administration to exercise caution  on any new restrictions on doing business with Cuba, said AFBFs Duvall. We should be doing more, not less.

That same, clear eye should be used now by U.S. farm leaders as they measure the impact of China allowing American beef back into its domestic market after a 13-year ban. Instead, most are gushing like teenagers being asked to their first prom; they see China as rocket fuel for sending U.S. beef prices to the moon.

The reality is far different. While China now imports about $2.5 billion of beef each year (mostly from Australia and Brazil), it bought just $65 million of U.S. beef in 2003, the year it banned American imports because one mad cow  and a non-American one at that  was found in the U.S.

Also, China will enforce its ban on synthetic hormones and beta agonists, feed additives widely used in the U.S., writes Gregory Bloom, a meat industry expert, in the June 22 online edition of meatingplace.com.

And, he adds, China  enforces this policy  through residue testing while demanding bookend traceability, defined as knowing the farm or entry point of origin and the slaughter facility location of the beef-supplying animal  standards well in excess of any U.S. requirement.

As such, warn trade analysts, it will be years before Chinas impact on U.S. cattle markets is felt by any cowboy this side of the wide Pacific.

In the meantime, the trade cooks at the White House  from the President to his commerce, treasury, and ag secretaries to his special trade rep  will continue to search for a trade recipe that they hope will boost ag exports.

To date, however, with no clear trade leader, policy, or principle in place, all theyve really done is break some eggs.
Another early July, another wave of love for country, aka patriotism. July 4th, that is, with a day for fireworks, picnics and patriots.

Time was.

Now, not so much. Now were like an estranged couple still living together, but not speaking except to protect our separate turfs. Without attitude changes, divorce looms.

Were not there yet, but were on track to get there. A steady 38 percent of our fellow citizens still think Make American Great Again actually means something besides empty posturing. That same group cannot be convinced anythings wrong with Republicans except Democrats opposition. Theyre followers and fans who seem to have suspended their critical faculties.

I do remember when it was worse, when citizens were fighting in the streets over an unwinnable war, when a genuinely crooked leader instigated a burglary for political gain, when students were being killed for protesting. It was traumatic.

Compared to that late 1960s nightmare, were only having a bad dream. Perhaps well wake up, come together and start solving problems of health care, infrastructure, climate change, nuclear-armed lunatics and terrorism. That would make July 4th worth celebrating.

But for this holiday, its nonstop lying at the top and political paralysis, leaving problems unfaced. Mourning seems more in order than celebrating.

Yet theres another possibility for hope. Unforeseen major events happen, black swans that change our world forever. 9/11 was such a cataclysmic black swan, as was Pearl Harbor.

Not all black swans are negative. Miracles, the opposite of cataclysms, occasionally arise with little warning.

The Salk vaccine removed the horror of polio in the 1950s, and the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1980s relieved suffering for millions. Romanians were happily surprised in 1989 when their brutal dictator Nicolae Ceausescu was deposed and executed.

So a miracle is possible, and now one seems downright inevitable, thanks to the Trumpcare debacle.

Medicare for all is coming. Trumpcare  Obamacare minus compassion  seems doomed, either sooner from divided Republicans, or later from Democrats who would almost certainly mount a repeal-and-replace effort should Trumpcare pass.

At some point, what has been obvious to a majority of Americans will occur to politicians: Private insurance doesnt work in the health care arena. Every other developed country has provided national health as a public right, like clean air, water and safe food.

Health care as a right, not a commodity.

This means lower costs, because a national health care system can negotiate prices with serious leverage for treatment and drugs. It also brings ease of access, universal coverage and radically less paperwork  without competing for-profit insurance companies.

In fact, with all these pluses, the few problems with universal Medicare seem like minor inconveniences. When Trumpcare fails  not if  universal Medicare will inevitably emerge as the best alternative. The hard right will gnash their collective teeth, but the rest of the country will cheer and move on to solving other problems.

That will be worth the fireworks.
Q: Several weeks ago there was an answer in Call the Courier about a rental or prop company in California that specializes in classic cars. Can you reprint their website or phone number again?

A: It was Cinema Vehicles, 12580 Saticoy St., North Hollywood, CA 91605; phone (818) 780-6272.

Q: I noticed the Democrats have been protesting most everything that comes up, and now it is the health care. Why dont they give the new health care a chance before protesting it? It also seems The Courier gets on the bandwagon to protest anything, or am I reading this wrong?

A: The caller apparently has forgotten the conservative uproar preceding the passage of the Affordable Care Act and the seven years of incessant calls for its repeal after it was enacted. Remember the tea party rallies, the posters of President Obama sporting a Hitler mustache, Sarah Palins death panels and Sen. Charles Grassleys dire warnings Obamacare would allow government bureaucrats to pull the plug on Grandma? We do. We reported on them, just like we report on local rallies protesting Obamacares likely repeal. We also have reported on Rep. Rod Blums support for the American Health Care Act, including a column by Blum himself explaining his position. The cliche is that if youve angered both sides, you must be doing something right.

Q: Are there any drive-in movie theaters left in Iowa? If so, where are they? A: As far as we can tell, there are four: 61 Drive In Theatre in Davenport; Grand View Drive-In Theater, north of Grandview along Highway 61; Superior 71 Drive-In Theater, Spirit Lake; and Valle Drive-In, Newton.

Q: Can you print some background information on the new Abby at KWWL?

A: According to KWWL, Abby Turpin, an Ohio native, is a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn., was the main anchor of RFD-TV, an agricultural cable network headquartered in Omaha, Neb., and also worked at NBC and CBS stations in Nebraska, Ohio and Texas. She also has a background in music, and she is married with a young daughter.

Q: What do the king and queen of England really do? Are they just figureheads or do they have a purpose?

A: As the official website of the monarchy puts it, In a monarchy, a king or queen is head of state. The British monarchy is known as a constitutional monarchy. This means that, while the sovereign is head of state, the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected Parliament. Although the sovereign no longer has a political or executive role, he or she continues to play an important part in the life of the nation. As head of state, the monarch undertakes constitutional and representational duties which have developed over one thousand years of history. In addition to these state duties, the monarch has a less formal role as head of nation. The sovereign acts as a focus for national identity, unity and pride; gives a sense of stability and continuity; officially recognises success and excellence; and supports the ideal of voluntary service.
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A startup needs to test an idea quickly. For this, an MVP is created. MVP, Minimal Viable Product  a test version of a product or service with a minimum set of functions (up to one or two), which allows you to see the product's value for consumers and the market. MVP is created to test hypotheses and check the viability of the intended product: is it worth developing the project further, what changes should be made? The sooner a startup brings its MVP to market and tests the idea, the better. This article will look at how no-code technology can help founders achieve their business goals.

This article will try to cover everything that a founder needs to know about no-code at the initial stage of creating a startup.

What is no-code?

No-code, zero-code platform is a tool for creating websites, applications, chatbots, and other programs without the need for direct code writing by programmers. No-code is a valuable alternative to traditional development.

No-code is confused with low-code, but there is a difference in these terms. Low-code includes no-code and the ability to "finish code", add parts of code and the functionality.

A user of a no-code platform usually does not need to know layout, programming languages, or hire a team of programmers. The user of the no-code tool creates an application using a visual block constructor, which he fills with the necessary content and functions, and the no-code platform itself does the processing of requests, compiling the application and other "magic." It generates code using AI and/or contains blocks of code pre-written by programmers.

No-code allows the startup founder to create an MVP himself, entrust it to his employee with basic technical literacy and understanding of the project, or hire a no-code developer. Even in the case of hiring a no-code developer, the cost of creating an MVP will be significantly lower than with classical development with programmers. For example, you can read the interview of a startup and no-code developer on our website, who initially worked as a Product Manager and was able to master no-code for his project himself.

Benefits of no-code for a startup founder

There are the following key advantages for a startup founder in using no-code technology:

a large selection of no-code tools, platforms, and their integrations at the moment  already in 2022, there are many tools and platforms for creating an MVP, a larger project, or even a finished product on no-code, but few people still know about them, and others are far from all startups and founders use their potential;

cost  no-code development saves the money by speeding up the development process, not hiring professional programmers or no need to maintain a developer department, monitoring functions and quick bug fixes, avoiding or reducing the growth of technical debt;

speed is the main advantage over classical development  no-code allows you to build a simple application in a weekend, and a more complex one can be built in a month. In this way, you can test an MVP and even several versions of an MVP very quickly;

low entry threshold  to master a no-code platform, you often do not need technical education at all, but only an understanding of a company's business processes or product from the inside. In the case of pro-level no-code platforms, technical education is required, but you can get used to it hundreds of times faster than with any programming language. This makes no-code available to almost everyone who wants to work with technology;

ease of use  no need to write hundreds of code lines  just move the blocks and assign links between them. Work on a project can be entrusted to your employee without communicating with a team of third-party developers. You can speak "in your language" without the need to understand the "inner kitchen" of developers;

flexibility  with the help of no-code, it is easy for a startup founder to add new functionality and new features right during a project or a MVP testing without a significant increase in development costs.

Possible disadvantages of no-code for a startup founder

As often, any property can be, under certain conditions, both a disadvantage and an advantage. In no-code, many of the benefits with the wrong choice of tool can turn into disadvantages:

no-code is not always a budget solution for a project. Sometimes in a no-code development package, you get unnecessary functions and additions (on AppMaster.io you can separately connect the frontend and pay only for the backend or only for those functions that you are using); if you do not understand the needs of your project, then you can make a mistake with the choice of a no-code tool and not be able to implement the necessary functions on it, or it will be too difficult to implement them; often, no-code tools fail to ensure proper data security and contribute to data leakage (but AppMaster.io allows you to host a finished application on any server); no-code tools often do not provide the ability to upload source code or provide uploading in an inconvenient format, which makes it difficult to move to another tool or to your development. You have to choose a no-code tool "once and forever immediately" (AppMaster. io gives you the ability to download the source code. Also, we generate human-readable code and you will not have any difficulties with its transportation); most no-code tools on the market are not suitable for creating a finished product, and there are significant difficulties with scaling the project if the MVP is successful (AppMaster.io is a professional no-code platform and our capabilities allow us to implement and support the finished product and scale it in the future).

Forewarned is forearmed. Choose your no-code tool wisely and take full advantage of your choice.

Types of no-code platforms

Conventionally, all no-code tools can be divided into several types: no-code devices with a low entry threshold (you can create frontend and not very powerful backend on them), integrators that help connect applications and services, and professional no-code platforms (they strive to replace the code completely, provide the ability to create a robust backend and high bandwidth).

The basic principle of operation of your MVP and the choice of a no-code platform depend on such a conditional division into types. For example, if you make a simple application like a diary, you can limit yourself to a no-code tool with a low entry threshold and a beautiful design.

If your application has powerful potential, high bandwidth, multi-user interface, and works with large amounts of data or real-time data, it is better to choose a professional no-code platform like AppMaster.io or Direcual.

If you use several services at once, link them on integrators like Integromat and Zapier.

Adalo

An easy-to-learn designer with a relatively user-friendly interface. The free version is helpful for learning. The free version contains Adalo watermarks and does not allow you to upload your applications to GooglePlayMarket and AppStore. Beginners often choose this no-code platform to create their first applications with simple logic.

Bubble

It will take more time to learn Bubble , but the platform allows you to work with the backend, databases, business processes, and layout. There are many plugins. The free plan allows you to master the tool, and you can start developing at the middle rate. The price increase is due to the rise in the number of users.

Integromat

It is an integrator. Experts talk about it as a simple and affordable platform for linking applications and services. Scenarios can be created personally, or you can use templates. If you need to connect an application with a service not from the Integromat database, fill out the form and connect to its API via HTTP.

Zapier

This is an integrator for linking applications with each other or with other external services. You can transfer data between thousands of applications. There is a script constructor (one event starts a chain of necessary actions).

Directual

The no-code platform positions itself for creating MVP applications (Minimal Viable Product, minimum viable product) and full-fledged applications of finished products. Scenarios are the backbone of the platform. Using scripts, you can automate the backend logic of the application, create and combine workflows. The Directual catalog includes out-of-the-box connectors, HTTP requests, webhooks, database listeners, and integration with popular services.

AppMaster.io

No-code next-generation platform for creating native and web applications on a real backend. Visual drag-and-drop designer, user-friendly business process designer, one-click app publishing to AppMaster Cloud, or integration with any cloud platform. Push notifications, authorization using social networks. Networks, email, and more. Connect applications to hundreds of services or programmatically access them using APIs. The ability to upload source code and documentation in a human-readable format and transfer it to your servers. Documentation auto-generation. Modern and fast language GoLang at the core.

No-code perspectives for startups

No-code development is gradually gaining popularity around the world. There are already more than 500 no-code tools for creating websites and various types of applications.

According to the forecasts of IT world experts, no-code will develop more and more actively and capture parts of the market responsible for medicine, small online business, small business, and all niches where it is possibly necessary to optimize and automate development processes.

The mass shift of businesses and their customers online and to gadgets has increased the demand for the fast and inexpensive creation of mobile applications that would work according to a single quality standard and have a simple, understandable, user-friendly interface.

Conclusion

No-code is visual programming in the form of a constructor without directly writing code. Usually, basic knowledge in development is enough to build applications on no-code.

The logic of no-code constructors is intuitive: the application interface is assembled from blocks, icons, buttons, and text which are connected to the database. Usually, you can choose a suitable template or do everything from scratch. Speed and economy are the main advantages of no-code tools.

No-code is suitable for creating an MVP, testing an idea or new features in a product, saving time for solving standard tasks. PRO level no-code platforms can provide you with a finished product, an application.

If you don't have an account on AppMaster.io yet, join us. After registration, you will be given a free trial period for 14 days, in which all the basic functionality of the platform is available. It will allow you to learn the intricacies of working with a professional-level no-code platform and understand its potential.